#╭ answered. dana tan

[vntagetee]

@brotherhoodwarlord asked:  [ ARM ]: sender wraps a protective arm around the receiver and guides them away from the threat and out of the premises. ﹙ dana / terry ﹚

“whoa, terry — what’s happening?” dana placed a hand on terry’s bulky arm as he quickly lead her towards the hospital’s exit, careful not to disturb her very large baby bump. she’d barely been able to thank the doctor after the ultrasound before he was pulling her out. "officially starting to scare me. tell me what's going on." she whispered harshly. "getting stressed out isn't a good idea."

[oftoska]

It felt like he spent more time with new wounds than not. It wasn't like Mal was complaining - quite the opposite. It meant he was busy, meant he was collecting money on contracts and his name was cycling around the business. Still, he felt the aches and pains when they etched themselves in. Subtle ways like the way his knee ached when it rained, except now his shoulder was tweaked and one of his fingers was broken (he'd splinted it). Like the way he could hear the ocean in one of his ears and he was pretty sure he had a concussion.

What was work without getting a little knocked around? It kept life interesting.

"Shut up and let me help you."

He didn't even remember what he was babbling about. From his side Pax cocked his head and watched Dana gather the medical supplies. Mal absently scratched behind one of his perked ears and cleared his throat. But shutting up? He simply couldn't swing it.

"Nice 'f you t'let me in at the hour. I'll owe you one. Maybe a bottle 'f somethin' nice. Y'like to drink?"

Who didn't? It was definitely one of his vices. He had a nice bottle of whiskey in his motel room waiting for him. He'd pick another one up tomorrow after he slept some of this exhaustion away. Mal mimicked Pax - head canted. Same direction, too.

"Got work tomorrow? Can bring it by the station. Better than droppin' by again."

Never mind how he got her address. Never mind that he (sort of) knew she'd let him in. He smiled something wide, all teeth, and tasted the iron. He had a cut, or several, in his mouth. He was sure his teeth were red for it.

"Why're you awake, anyway? S'late."

@intombed (dana) + prompts (accepting).

[aloysiavirgata]

She walks in beauty, like the night

Scully in the simplest, blackest silk. Scully pale, moon-kissed, vulnerable. Scully’s hair and eyes like where the stars are born.

***

Scully comes to him when even the moon is all but asleep, like a single calla lily from a secret admirer. Unbidden. Unexpected.

Unparalleled.

“Mulder,” she says, outside his open door, in a negligee that last shade of sky blue before it goes pitch black.

Spaghetti straps and a low décolletage, though not shockingly low. Lace trim, mid thigh. It looks like something Katharine Hepburn would wear to slap you.

Not you. Him.

Specifically him.

She looks up at him through her heavy-lashed, heavy-lidded eyes.

He stares at her for his own sake because deep in his 12 year old heart, no one would ever, ever, believe that nerdy Fox Muld-

Scully takes another step closer onto the sad oatmeal carpet of his hotel room. She has such pretty ankles, she has such pretty calves. She smells like honeysuckle and hot bike tires and buttery lobster rolls and the sweetest, purest moments of his life.

She tips her face up to him, Agent Scully does, all eyes and lips and cheekbones like a geometric proof.

“God,” he says. And he means it.

***

LA belongs to the sun and Scully is a San Diego baby but he knows, he knows, she is an East Coast girl at heart. He knows she loves the first retinal purple-orange sunrises of America and the first sapphire kisses of night. He knows she loves the stars by which her father learned to navigate. He knows she loves the distant moon.

He knows she loves blue crabs and wool duffel coats and khaki shorts and aspires to East Hampton in her most secret, silent heart.

One day he will make love to her in London because she will, he knows, hark to the call of the City. She is a creature of old stone and lichen and liminal space.

She is the answer to Samson’s riddle.

***

He’d rented a jet black ‘57 Chevy Bel Air because Christ, this girl. Abductions and cancer and the most awful brutality and stolen ova and Christ; this brilliant, moonbeam girl.

She sees the car and she says nothing. But her eyes, her eyes. Her Star of India eyes.

Scully sees the car and she smiles, shy. Scully squeezes his hand.

***

He fucks her - hard, desperate - in the Chevy out over Mullholland and she cries out for him because even Saint Teresa writhed in ecstasy.

He kisses her the way a mariner kisses his homeland soil because she is his human credential. He kisses her like a Torah scroll. He shudders, murmurs I love you, I love you into the hot, sweet dark of her mouth.

***

She is bleeding, just a little. She is bleeding in the warm caress of a Southern California night. She is bleeding as though she were a virgin and maybe she is; maybe there is sex and there is fucking and there is making love and there is This.

Are you there, god? It’s me, Dana.

She touches his sleeping rosebud lips. She touches his funny nose and his beautiful jaw and she doesn’t say I love you aloud like he had because she’d learned it was shameful. She’d learned to salute.

But it’s 3 AM, neither properly morning nor properly night. It’s 3 AM and she isn’t LA pretty, not by a long shot, but she’s here with him, with Mulder, who is very LA pretty and has money besides.

She’s too short and too pale and her nose is patrician rather than cute and she gets burnt instead of tan. She doesn’t laugh in the right places at movies. She likes copper because it burns green, she likes moths more than butterflies, she can quote Jane Austen’s most acerbic lines.

She thinks of Mulder swimming hard across the Vineyard tides, Mulder with his cinnamon skin in the whipped cream breakers. Riding a red fixed-gear along Lake Tashmoo, tugging his tiny sister along. Mulder basking on the beach like a young god of summer. Mulder with his heart afire like Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.

Her father is dead and look, look Mulder has such a tender soul even if he’s Jewish and atheist, Daddy. Mulder has eyes like fern moss.

“I love you,” she says, her eyes brimming with tears, her eyes bright as the newest stars.

[numinousmysteries]

Six Days Until the End of the World

@eightnightsofmulder

@today-in-fic

Eight Nights of Mulder Day Four: Endurance

[on Ao3]

December 2012

Dana Scully has endurance. She was never the fastest kid in gym class but she’d often win running races because she knew how to pace herself. The others would sprint and burn out in the first 50 meters, while her short legs carried her past them and through the finish line. She considered running a marathon with some friends during med school but her demanding schedule didn’t leave time for adequate training, and Dana Scully doesn’t half-ass anything.

In college, her pre-med cohort dwindled over the years as her peers faltered in the face of organic chemistry and advanced biology labs but she worked hard and persevered. She wasn’t always a good shot but she spent hours practicing aiming at cans with her father until her arms ached from holding the weight of her BB gun and her vision started to blur. It paid off when she stunned her misogynistic instructor at Quantico with her spot-on accuracy in the firing range. 

Her colleagues at the Bureau, and probably even Mulder himself, didn’t expect her to last long on the X-Files. It was supposed to be a stepping stone to bigger things, an amusing anecdote in her otherwise storied career. Her father instilled in her a repugnance for giving up and an intractable sense of loyalty, but that doesn’t fully explain why she kept chasing monsters in the dark. She’s outlasted the X-Files and almost two decades later she’s still by Mulder’s side. 

It’s the last night of Hanukkah and six days until the end of the world. 

She doesn’t fully share Mulder’s belief that colonizing aliens will invade the planet in less than a week, and she isn’t sure he’s fully convinced either. She knows they will be together, though, when it does (or doesn’t) happen. 

They spent their early days on the run chasing leads, trying to uncover the plan for colonization, and doing anything they could to fight it. But the trail has long gone cold. It’s been years since they pursued even a dead end or red herring, and she can tell Mulder’s heart isn’t in it anymore. They live small and quiet lives now. They have each other, but not their son and not the answers they spent years searching for. He cracks jokes that it wouldn’t be the worst thing if all of humanity perishes in a fiery invasion or becomes slaves to an extraterrestrial master race in a matter of days. She suspects they aren’t jokes.

It’s Sunday and she’s barely seen him all day. He burrows away in his office most of the time now. He doesn’t tell her what he’s working on and she doesn’t ask. Back when they first became lovers, a lazy Sunday without any work was such a rarity that they’d spend nearly the entire day in bed exploring each other’s bodies. She can still remember every freckle on his body but she can’t remember the last time they made love, or the last time he made her laugh. Still, she endures.

“Six days to go,” she hears his baritone from behind her and she turns to face him. She’s at the kitchen table reviewing her surgery schedule for the week ahead and doesn’t hear him approaching.

“Should we escape to Acapulco now so I can at least go out with a tan?” she deadpans.

“You don’t tan, Scully,” he says, sliding into a chair facing her. “You burn. We both know that.” 

She shrugs. “How do you want to ride out our final days then?”

“I want to find our son. Apologize to him for not being able to save the world.” 

She grimaces. It’s as if he’s jabbing his finger into an open wound in her flesh, a wound that will never heal. 

“I’d like that, too,” she says quietly, looking down at her notes now and away from him. “But it’s not going to happen.” 

“I have a lead.”

Her breath catches in her throat. They’ve gone down this road before and it never ends well. 

“It can’t be him,” she says. 

“I think this time it is,” he says, leaning toward her from across the table. He speaks with an urgency she hasn’t heard from him in years. For a moment, they’re back in the basement and he’s trying to convince her there’s a swamp monster in St. Augustine or a lizard man in Louisville. The stakes are higher now and the possibilities even more remote. 

“There’s a boy in Wyoming. The birth and adoption dates line up,” he continues.

She shakes her head. “That doesn’t mean anything.”

“I’d agree with you if it weren’t for the video.”

“What video?” 

“Come,” he says, leading her from the kitchen to his office. 

Of course, she follows him. She doesn’t always believe him but she’ll always follow him. That hasn’t changed.

He taps on the keyboard to wake up his computer. The browser is opened to a YouTube video. On the screen, a cluster of kids face away from the camera in what looks like a school playground. The title reads MY BOY CAN MOVE SH!T WITH HIS MIND.

Before she can object, Mulder clicks play. In the video, the circle of kids opens up to reveal a tall, red-headed boy with blue eyes and a nose he hasn’t grown into yet. He’s holding a toy model of the Millenium Falcon. 

“Do it, Jackson. I’m filming now,” a prepubescent voice calls from out of the frame. 

“You can’t post this,” Jackson says. “My parents will kill me.” 

“I won’t, I swear,” the off-camera voice lies.

“Fine,” Jackson says. 

He extends his arms out with the spaceship in his hands. Then, he squeezes his eyes shut, furrows his brow, and the Millenium Falcon begins to levitate. It’s slow and shaky at first, but then it rises higher and higher until it’s roughly 8 feet in the air. The crowd of boys erupt in shrieks and Holy shits! 

“Damn, this is gonna get like a million views,” says the filming boy.

Suddenly, Jacken opens his eyes and the ship crashes at his feet with a thud. “You said you weren’t going to post!” He yells and lunges at the camera. The video ends.

“I had some hackers look into the IP address that the video was posted from,” Mulder says. “It’s from a school in a small town in northern Wyoming. I was also able to get enrollment records from the school. There’s only one Jackson. Jackson Van De Kamp. Date of birth: May 20, 2001. I did a little more digging and found out he was adopted, in a sealed adoption, on April 28 of the following year.” 

“When did you find this?” she asks, still staring at the screen.

“About a month ago. It popped up on some of the parapsychology channels I still monitor. I wanted to wait until I had all the information before I told you.”

“How many times have you watched it?”

“Hundreds,” he says. “It’s him. Look at him. It has to be.” 

“Play it again,” she says. 

They watch the video a second time, then a third, then again and again. She asks him to pause on the clearest images of William’s face and she touches the screen, caressing the pixels of his cheek with her fingertip. She knows in her bones it’s their son. Even if the dates didn’t match and he wasn’t demonstrating telekinesis in a viral video, she would know it’s him.

“We can get a flight now and be there by morning,” he says.

“And then what?”

That’s the part of the plan they’ve never discussed. She knows Mulder has never stopped looking for William. They were once in the car right outside the home of a family with a four-year-old adopted boy in rural Pennsylvania before getting a call from a source that it was a trap. They flew to Utah once to identify the body of an adopted, runaway eight-year-old in a morgue. In the storm of emotions that comes every time they’ve gotten close, she always feels a low rumble of relief. Relief that she won’t have to explain herself to him. Relief that she won’t have to tear a family apart.

“We can watch him,” Mulder says. “Make sure he’s safe. I’m sure there’s a local hospital that could use an experienced pediatric surgeon. And there’s nothing I’m doing here that I can’t do there.”

“You want to move to Wyoming?” She arches her eyebrows.

“Wouldn’t you?” he asks. “If it’s really him.” 

“What about colonization?” 

“Even more reason,” he says resolutely. “I’d need to see him one last time before it all goes to shit. Even if it’s just a glance from across the street. I’d trade everything for that and I know you would, too.”

He’s right. If the world is ending, Scully needs her son to know she never gave up on him, that she isn’t a quitter. 

“Book the flight.” 

[stucknthemiddleff]

Jealousy 1.18

Put It Up - Chris Brown Ft. Rihanna

Advice - Kehlani

See Through - Chris Brown

Rock Bottom - Pleasure P Ft. Lil Wayne

Kiss It Better - Rihanna

Stuck N The Middle

July•

Dana

The sun sat perfectly on the horizon of the ocean, all the while everyone sat on the deck just enjoying the view. The light warm winds were perfect all day. Music played from the radio adding to the calming vibe. I got a tan, as so did Cari seeing her bikini line when she moved it a bit off her shoulder.

The turkey bacon sandwiches Cassie had made for lunch were the most delicious I had ever had. It mentally made me note on why Cari was such a good cook. She may not have always got along with her mother, but she picked up a good few traits.

Cooper and Cari played cards with Clay and it seemed every moment Calen got a chance, he eye raped me in only the cover up showing my bikini.

The funny thing is he did it so trained, like he's done it before. It had to be one of his secrets of using those seducing brown piercing eyes of his. My libido was on one hundred percent because of his lustful stares.

"So Dana, do you date like Cari here that I didn't even know had a boyfriend." Cassie spoke up making the comfortable vibe shift a bit.

"Um, yes I-"

"Calen, why can't you keep your big ass mouth shut?" Cari yelled over the wind that picked up a bit on the boat.

"Man, you the one acting like she wasn't going to find out anyways. Should of brought the nigga." Calen laughed making Cooper join in.

"Yo, stop talking about my nigga like that, he cool." Cooper tried defending Bryson. I just shook my head since I still hadn't been able to answer Cassie's question.

"Can y'all please stop saying that derogatory language please." Cassie asked looking over at Calen and Cooper. With with a smile she looked back my way waiting for her answer.

"To answer your question Cassie, yeah I do. Women." I answered honestly, feeling Calen's eyes grill me all humor gone.

"Oh alright, I don't discriminate with that. Just as long as you let me know you're trying to date my daughter or not." Cassie laughed.

"Oh no, Cari and I are like sisters." I smiled, even though I've thought about it in the past. That is until Calen Rodriguez sat next to me in a club one night.

"More like your son." Calen muttered making my heart drop. Cari snickered.

"What was that Calen?" Cassie asked from across the boat.

"Nothing, I'm just talking to myself." He blinked his squinty eyes at me, letting me know he was high and trying to be an ass.

"Well, we should be heading back before it gets too dark. I am wore out." Clay announced standing to his feet.

"Yeah, I'll go up with you babe." Cassie offered standing with him, they departed to the upper deck.

Cari and Cooper seized playing cards, while Calen took something white from behind his ear. Taking a little black lighter out of his shorts pocket, he lit the spliff taking a pull.

It never amazed me more with anyone else than it did when he smoked, he made it look so sexy. Catching me stare at him, he turned his head to the side winking at me.

Fighting the smile that wanted to come upon my lips I stood with Cari, needing to get as far from him as I could on this boat.

"Ready to change out of these bathing suits?" She asked while I nodded. We went down to the lower deck, I entered into the room where I had left my clothes earlier. Slowly I changed back into my white shirt and black shorts that stopped at the space of my upper thighs.

Pulling my hair into a messy bun, I couldn't wait to take a shower. Opening the door again, I was glad that Calen wasn't surprisingly standing outside the room waiting for me like earlier.

I could feel the boat starting to move again, letting me know we were going back to land. My first boat experience wasn't all that bad and I wouldn't mind doing it again. Mostly because I knew how to swim thanks to Calen now.

It infatuated me at how many firsts I had experienced with him that I never thought I would. Somewhere inside me, I knew there would be more. But before there would be, I needed to tell him and ask of my curiousness on what took place while we were apart.

It mattered to me, and if he was done with lying about something that should be small, he would have no problem with telling me. Thinking about him holding that gun still made me shiver.

Staying quiet would be done, as much as I wanted him. He still needed to know how much of a wreck he made me. I couldn't just forget the pain, it was still there.

Once docked everyone started taking things back to the house, I being last out the cabin behind Cari I grabbed my book bag. My arm was pulled instantly back into the cabin once everyone was off.

It was Calen.

"There's lights that lead to the guesthouse on the sand, come tonight."

"I don't know." I sighed looking up at him, he did a small conniving smile stretching his freckles a bit exiting out the boat.

"Why?" He asked with urgency slowing his feet a little to walk alongside me to the house.

"Because we have things to discuss." I told him, my eyes darted over to see his reaction. Remaining silent he had a confused look on his face.

"Like what?" He finally asked, "We already talked."

"Calen for one-"

"I'm done with you rejecting me, I'm not about to be so lenient this time." He growled clenching his jaw, still keeping his eyes towards the house.

"Calen-"

"No, why you denying us, tell me?" He cut me off again, I walked a little slower becoming aggravated with him. Like what happened to respecting my wishes?

Following behind him, he stopped blocking the way inside the back patio doors.

"Calen." I groaned, irritated by how he was acting. I really wanted to shower and get the saltwater off my body.

"What?" He asked clad in a thin white t shirt, his tattooed torso could be seen through it. Leaning against the door frame he acted like he was picking something off his arm.

"Move." I ordered wide eyed at him.

"Make me." He challenged, I smirked at him seeing Cassie standing behind him with a look of disapproval on her face.

"Calen Antoine-Ruiz Rodriguez, stop being rude and go get the rest of the stuff off the boat." She ordered as he just looked at me with an evil grin moving to go back to the boat. What the hell was up with him?

"I am so sorry, he has his moments where he's-"

"Bipolar, yeah I know he....I mean Cari told me." I blinked catching myself. Cassie smiled with a small nod. That was close.

"Yeah." She did a soft chuckle, not noticing I was screaming on the inside.

"I'm going to go hit the shower, thank you again for a beautiful day Ms. Rodriguez." I smiled at her beginning to move my feet, knowing I needed to get away before something I said messed up everything.

"Please call me Cassie, Dana. Plus it was a pleasure to go out on the water today it has been some time." She rubbed my arm beginning to walk in the kitchen. Probably to get dinner started I noticed Cassie liked to cook like all her children weren't grown.

Giving her one last nod I made my way to the stairs. Back to the guest room I finally was actually comfortable to sleep in. It made me see with Cassie just how much she missed everyone being all home together again.

I couldn't bring my drama here with me between Calen and I when she was just so happy. He was being weird anyways, I wish he would just chill out. It's like my bikini turned him into the cocky arrogant guy I first met months ago.

"Hey, I'll be in my room so just come over when you finish." Cari popped her head in my door that I hadn't locked.

"Okay, yeah." I nodded at her and she stared at me up and down.

"Did you take the pill?" She asked me.

"Yes, I took it." I sighed looking away from her searching with my eyes and hands for my pajamas. Didn't matter, Calen still wasn't getting none as long as I wasn't alone with him. I honestly didn't know what guards he would make come down without question if we were alone.

"Good, even though I would love to be an auntie." She laughed at me, I could feel myself blushing.

"Cari!" I yelled at her as she shut the door back. Having a kid with Calen, it never dawned upon me. But we had a lot to work on before we even get to the point of creating life.

After showering, I put on a black tshirt and some matching pajama shorts. My phone that Cari let me borrow until I got another vibrated on the bed while I brushed out my hair a bit. Picking it up, I saw it was a text. I didn't even give him this number, I don't know how he had it.

Calen: You still coming tonight????? (Sat, 8:31PM)

Putting my phone back down, I decided to ignore him. All he wanted was some ass and I wanted answers. Until he would give me what I wanted he wasn't getting shit from me, not this time.

Exiting out the guest room I smelled food in the hall, but decided not to go downstairs without Cari. My stomach roared from the smell and couldn't wait to go eat. Going to Cari's room, I opened the door to see her fully naked sitting on her bed having a video chat with Bryson.

"Oh my gosh!" I yelled closing the door back, they were so nasty. Standing in the hall with my back against the door, I could hear Cari laughing and I just shook my head.

"Are you done?" I asked after somewhat five minutes had went by.

"I am now." She answered like she was more relieved. Goodness my best friend was a freak with her boyfriend. Opening the door again, she had a sports bra on and boy shorts.

"Why didn't you have your door locked?" I asked closing it back once I stepped all the way in her room.

"Everyone usually knocks in this house." She told me going into her closet, her laptop on her bed was closed thankfully.

"Wow, my bad then." I spoke sarcastically sitting on her bed.

"So tell me what's up with you and Calen. Y'all beefing?" She asked coming back in her room with a shirt on, some shorts in her hand.

"He just for some reason thinks everything is suppose to go back to normal, after half explaining why he just left." I told her watching while she put one leg in after the other in her shorts.

"So he didn't he give you a full explanation, because Dana you were like a fucking ghost for the past three months." She told me, being the only real eye witness of the depression Calen put me through.

"Yep, didn't get the whole thing." I told her.

"Well why the fuck did he just up and leave?" She asked me in annoyance. To protect you, and the rest of your family from my crazy ass ex, or so he says.

"Shit that he had no control of, came into his life and he just had to leave." I spoke with half truths. Cari would probably just think I was lying if I told her the truth. It was just something that was incomprehensible unless you saw the truth.

I knew Calen didn't want his sister or any of his family to know the danger he felt he put them in, all over loving me. Shit I didn't even want them to know.

"That's what he won't tell you, what the shit was?" She asked sitting on the bed with me.

"Yeah, part of it." I did a half smile looking down at her bed.

"Well, he shouldn't get nothing until he tells you all. I know you already know what to do, so I won't say no more." She shrugged her shoulders, I did a quick nod with a shrug.

Cari was so understanding, and she already half knew how her brother was so she could understand what I was going through with him. His mysteriousness and charm.

"Only thing I will say, is I can tell he still is in love with you so be careful." She warned me, "I've never seen an in-love-Calen, and he has it bad for you Dana."

"Thanks Car." I smiled at her, made me wonder if her mother noticed too.

"Anytime." She smiled back, "Sorry about the video chat thing."

"Let's just go eat and not even talk about that please." I laughed standing up off her bed, she followed suit.

"Okay." She laughed turning the lights off in her room, and we headed downstairs to eat. I was certain after all the shit I've been through, I could take Calen. I hoped.

~

Calen

Leaning up against the railing of the patio outside, I pulled from my blunt wondering what the fuck was taking her so long to respond back to my text. Letting the purple kush leave my lungs, I closed my eyes feeling so wound up.

I needed her touch, the smell of her on me, I wanted it all. No matter what I've done since being here the itch just wouldn't go away. Didn't know how much longer I could hold out.

"Calen, what did you do?" My mothers voice came from behind. Fuck.

"What are you talking about ma?" I asked not looking back towards her.

"I talked to Zeus." She told me.

"That's nice, how's my uncle doing?" I asked nonchalantly. Old ass just couldn't keep his mouth closed about our business.

"Calen, tell me what the fuck happened that you needed weaponry from my brother." She seethed, making me glad I was somewhat past my usual high.

"A problem, that I took care of." I told her, turning towards her she gave me a cold hard stare of ice, "Nothing for you to worry about."

"Bullshit, tell me right now." She demanded, "Who helped you take care of this problem?"

"Mother, everything is alright." I tried persuading her.

"Ahora mismo!" She screeched at me.

"Family, in New York." I huffed putting out my blunt, I was hungry and done talking about this.

"The Latin Kings, you're back with them now aren't you?" She asked me, heart break in her eyes, "They are not your family."

"No ma." I groaned in irritation, "Come on I'm hungry can we go eat?"

"They always want a debt repaid for something, yes you are!" She yelled while I walked past her, she grabbed my arm stopping me.

"I don't want to lose you to that fuckin' gang Calen." She told me in anger.

"You're not." I told her, pulling her into a hug she held me tightly. Closing my eyes, I didn't think she would let our talk the other day go. But honestly I didn't care about none of that shit right now.

When I eventually got back to the states I would have to link back up with Lupe. But for now my only focus was Dana, and I needed her. I went into the dirty of my past life to have her here with me, and I'll be damned if I let her slip through my fingers again.

She was the only link that would keep me from sinking back into that life, and she needed to know that. I just needed the chance to get her alone.

~

Dana

Everyone sat around the table in the kitchen eating burgers and hot dogs along with barbecued chicken that Clay put on his grill for dinner. It was all delicious, including the salad that Cassie prepared. I was glad she didn't have to do as much cooking.

The table was cherry every now and then, but the only non cherry part was Calen's absence from the table. No one spoke on it and I felt somewhat responsible. After dinner, Clay and Cassie said their goodnights.

Cari and I headed back into her room just to chill and probably watch a movie or something. There was a knock at her door before Cooper popped his head inside.

"See, Cooper knocked." Cari laughed and I gave her the middle finger.

"Nope, I have a boyfriend for that," She smirked at my hand, "He's just so far away." Cari complained in a whine laying on her side.

"Ew, um, if ma and dad ask I went out okay?" He muttered, having both of us sit up from his words.

"Where you going?" Cari asked, exactly the question in my mind. This nigga was trying to sneak off to probably go see a female.

"To a party, if y'all must know, and no y'all can't come." He told us, Cari scoffed at him.

"Bullshit we going nigga, where the hell the party even at?" She asked.

"The Hernandez estate." He huffed shaking his head.

"Wait, the twins are having their summer party tonite?" Cari asked. Twins?

"Cari, come on I'm already late." Cooper complained watching her get out of bed skipping to her closet.

"Cooper it is only ten thirty, you aren't missing shit." She yelled walking back out of her closet with an outfit she looked down at me, "You in the mood for partying?"

"It's been a while since I've had a-"

"It's settled we going!" She shouted, "Cooper don't you try and leave either or ma and pa will know you took the boat."

"Fuck man, this is why I don't tell y'all shit." He grumbled at us, and we laughed at him as he shut the bedroom door back.

"Let's get ready shall we?" She smiled pulling me up from my seat on the bed.

When Cari was talking about the boat I thought she meant the yacht but I was wrong, there was another small boat that we took. In the night it went fast down the coast. I wondered why they didn't tell Calen anything but he probably didn't want to go.

Coming to a small dock, it was the back of a huge, and I mean huge estate. Bodies danced back and forth while music blasted from speakers on the pool deck.

Some girls only walked around in bikinis while others were fully dressed. I was glad I kept it simple with my outfit. Cari took my hand leading me with Cooper in front deeper towards the house.

"Who are all these people?" I shouted to Cari over the music.

"Only the rich kids of the island that are somebody's really." She told me, her smile was an elite one. It dawned on me that the Rodriguez family must had a high reputation if Cooper was invited here.

"What's up nigga!" Cooper yelled embracing some guy who had pretty light brown eyes.

"Coop! Was good and I see you brought Cari, it's always good to see you hun." The pretty browned eyed guy spoke, then his eyes shifted to me.

"Yeah, they caught me before I could sneak away." Cooper muttered to the guy.

"Hello Chance, good to see you again. This is just my friend Dana." Cari introduced me to the tall skinny guy that must have been the host of the huge party.

"Pleasures all mine. Caliente." He spoke taking my right hand he kissed the back of it with warm lips.

"Um, yeah nice to meet you." I spoke with a light chuckle at him, slipping my hand out his grip.

"Oh and from the U.K. Well, well, you have definitely out did yourself Coop." Chance smiled with pretty white teeth at me.

"Yeah, anyways where's the fuckin' drinks man?" Cooper asked.

"Yeah, follow me. You ladies want a drink?" Chance asked us and Cari nodded along with me in unison.

"Follow me." He nodded, walking through the crowds of bodies enjoying themselves.

~

Calen

Laying on my bed, I stared up at the ceiling wishing she would just answer her phone. Tapping my hand on my knee, I tried to just call Dana but her phone just kept ringing. She was seriously just ignoring my ass.

"Fuck." I groaned sitting up in my bed. I scanned through my endless thread of messages on my phone and saw one from Coop I must have ignored.

Coop: going to the Hernandez party, know you might not go with the funk yo ass been in. but it would mean a lot if your ass showed up. (Sat, 10:45PM)

That was thirty minutes ago, and I didn't really want to go. My ass wasn't in the mood for partying I wanted to be laid up with my girl.

Being desperate, I called Cari's phone just to see if Dana was just sleep or some shit. It rung like three times before her ass answered. Immediately I heard loud ass music in the background.

"Hello?" She answered sounding confused.

"Cari, where the hell you at?" I asked and she laughed in my ear. Some nerve she got.

"Calen you are not my dad, what the hell you want?" She asked me, and I was already getting annoyed with her.

"You at the Hernandez party?" I asked her hoping she was anywhere else.

"Yeah and I'm not alone." She spoke sing songy, "Need to get your shit together Calen."

Then she hung up, in my face.

Get my shit together huh?

Guess I'm going to a party.

~

Dana

I sat on a stool by the huge bar with Cari that looked like it belonged in a club. Wrapping my lips on a cup of sex on the beach, it made my front lobe fuzzy way too soon. It was my first cup and I probably had about three more sips in it.

"Want another babe?" Cari asked me and i cheesed nodding at her. She chuckled at my tipsy ass before turning towards the bar, telling the bad female that was making drinks for another order.

"This wasn't a bad idea, even though Cooper was against it." I mumbled in her ear since the music was more louder in the section of the estate we were in than outside.

"Nah, it wasn't. But anyways, Cooper was nothing compared to how Calen will react." She laughed making me confused.

"What you mean?" I asked her, how would Calen would know we were here.

"His party pooping ass called me like ten minutes ago, he's probably not going anywhere anyways." Cari shrugged sipping from a clear straw in her glass.

She was right, I wasn't going to let the fear of Calen coming trying to start some shit get to me. Just enjoy myself like how I should. I was on vacation dammit.

Some guy came out of nowhere drunk as hell obviously and walked right into me with his drink. It was like I didn't even have time to react.

"Shit!" I groaned standing up out the stool, what mad it worse was the twins; Chance and his brother Chris was standing by us talking to Cari and Cooper.

The coincidence that they had names starting with a C also was weird, but I paid it no mind.

"Oh, well damn ain't you wearing your drink." Some girl laughed, I felt so embarrassed.

"Where's the bathroom?!" I yelled, ignoring Cari trying to wipe me with napkins.

"Um, you can use the one upstairs, third door on the right." Chance told me with a smile like he was trying to stifle his laugh.

Everyone was on the liq, and probably wouldn't remember this but it didn't make me feel any less humiliated. Storming off I went upstairs and by the time I got up there, automatically forgot what door Chance told me.

"Fuck." I mumbled, leaning up against the wall in the barely lit hallway. My flip flops padded gently on the hardwood floors, and I tried the first door. But it was just a linen closet, with only sheets and blankets.

"Oh my gosh!" I groaned going to the next door and taken aback, no horrified, embarrassed more by what I saw.

In the lightly lit room, a very tall light brown skinned guy stood, getting head from two different females. My mouth formed a huge O in embarrassment, his low sleepy eyes made eye contact with mine, not one hint of shock on his face.

"I am so sorry." I yelled immediately closing the door back, leaning against it with my back. Calming my heart I leaned up off the door going to the next finding the bathroom finally.

Closing the door behind me, I got a towel sitting on the toilet. The one exclusive high society party of this island and I was soon to be the laughing stock of it. I dabbed the wet spot on my shirt a few more times, looking myself in the mirror.

"You're supposed to be having fun Dana." I breathed and looked over myself once more. Being satisfied with my shirt and whole look I decided to exit the bathroom.

Opening the door I was met with those sleepy eyes again on the tall guy, who I walked in on. Shit, he's going to banish me from the house.

"Um...." I didn't know what to say looking up at him, he blew smoke from his full lips just staring down at me a dark look in his eyes.

"Do you need to use the bathroom or something?" I asked him and he shook his head at me.

"No." He spoke, "Never seen you before around here."

"Oh, yeah I'm not from here." I nodded sounding like an idiot.

"That's obvious." He muttered taking a pull from his blunt, "Who you here with?"

"Um, Cooper and Cari." I told him, like he knew who that was. Probably didn't even live here. He analyzed me once in confusion.

"Rodriguez." I continued and then he did a slow nod.

"Oh...he's back then." The guy spoke confusing me.

"Whose back?" I asked him, he leaned back on the opposite wall from me. A door down the hall opened, and the two females that I walked in earlier with the guy went down the hall.

"I'm August." He spoke to me pulling my attention back on him, "Hernandez."

"Dana, Ross." I smiled and he cracked one too. It was beautiful, I forgot a moment that I was in an awkward moment with him a while ago.

"Nice to meet you Dana." He spoke taking another pull from his blunt, "You smoke?"

"Oh, nah I drink. But someone spilled their drink on me thinking I wear it too." I spoke in annoyance, August did a small chuckle.

"Sorry about my rude guests, you want another outfit to change into?" He asked me, I had to admit it surprised me.

"Oh no, I'm fine. Being in your house is enough for me, it's beautiful by the way." I told him in honesty.

"Thank you, and I like your voice it's beautiful too." He told me, "Nah, more like sexy."

"Uh, thank you." I could feel myself blushing in front of this guy that was more than intimidating in his own way. He was handsome I had to admit.

"Dana!" A familiar voice yelled from down the hall, I turned towards the sound along with August. Calen walked down the hall quickly looking me up and down then put his sights on August.

"Hernandez." Calen muttered lowly towards August, he took another pull from his blunt staring back at Calen.

"Rodriguez." August spoke squinting his eyes at him.

"Dana, it's time to go, now." Calen told me still looking at August, they must have a very bad history.

"You're serious right now? All I was doing was using the bathroom." I huffed looking up at him, he was doing too much.

"Well are you done?" He asked looking down at me.

"Yeah." I breathed, feeling him grab my hand, and I waved bye at August. He nodded at me with a wave of his own, watching us walk off.

~

Calen never let my hand go even when we got to outside of the estate, he chirped an all black car. It was a BMW that I didn't even think came out yet.

"I'm not ready to leave yet." I told him, he looked angry at me clenching his jaw. He looked sexy when he was mad. Maybe it was the liquor in me, but I didn't even realize how long I had even been talking to August.

It seemed like it had only been barely five minutes. But it was longer than that, probably why Calen came upstairs looking for me.

"Dana, please get in the car or I'll make you." He threatened me. How dare he?

"Are you serious right now, I'll just go find Cari and leave with her." I told him beginning to walk away, and I was swept off my feet after only two steps. His Armani cologne invaded my nostrils deeply making me weaker than usual to fight him off.

"Calen!" I yelled while he put me in his car, he closed the door. Locked it with his key button every time I tried to unlock the door.

Getting in the drivers side, he pushed started the car driving off from the estate. I folded my arms over my chest, angry that he was trying to treat me like a child or something.

"So you're kidnapping me now, very mature." I scrunched my eyebrows in anger.

"I've been calling your damn phone all night, why you ignoring me?" He asked, thinking his question justified his actions obviously.

Low key his bold act did turn me on as much as I wanted to be mad at him.

"Until you were ready to just talk about stuff, I didn't want to hear nothing else." I told him, looking over he had his free hand holding his chin.

"We've talked Dana, I just wanted to-"

"Have sex, yeah I'm sure." I cut him off looking away from him.

He scoffed having me looking back over at him, "Believe me I want to do more than that to your ass."

"Calen!" I yelled not believing he was trying to joke around right now.

"What? I'm at least being honest, your ass act like you don't want me but I know better."

He drove down the road, turning on the overhead light to look for something.

"Don't try and tell me what I want." I spoke looking in his face and he smoothly made eye contact with me doing a squint of his eyes.

"Stop fronting with me Dana." He spoke softly, my heart skipped a beat as we kept eye contact, I looked away from him.

"That's what the fuck I thought."

"Swear you make me sick." I huffed looking away from him while he turned off the overhead light putting his spliff between his lips.

"I don't understand, how we got here." He muttered lighting a spliff, I looked over at him.

"You stopped loving me, that's how!" I yelled at him, taking another pull he put his blunt out, parking the car on the side of the road. Letting down his window he blew the smoke and turned towards me.

"I've never stopped fuckin' loving you!" He yelled at me clenching his jaw, "Everything I've done has been for you!"

"No, it's been for your family." I sniffled, "And I don't blame you for picking them over me I would've done the same."

"Fuck Dana, no, that's not how it is." He leaned closer to me, placing his right hand on my bare left thigh that my skirt didn't cover, "If you just give me the chance I'll tell you whatever you want, and you're all that matters to me."

"Well talk. Right now." I demanded in a softer tone looking over at him and I wish I hadn't. His brown eyes looked like fire staring me down. His warm right hand clenched my thigh gently.

"You switching our chains, that was strike one. I just felt my guards to respect what you want come down." He started, licking over his full pink lips slowly. It made me throb in hearing him bearing his thoughts, showing his sweet vulnerability.

His eyes analyzed me slowly, before he just moved the center down in the car so that he could move closer to me, this isn't going how I wanted in no way at all...but it just felt. Right.

"That fucking bikini was strike two, and then you rejected me in the boat..." He breathed moving his adam's apple while he talked and swallowed.

I couldn't talk, just get sucked up into him, fuck.

"Then seeing you talking to some other dude in the hall set me on fire, and I'm sorry for how I acted." He apologized in a soft tone, I felt his hand move further between my inner thighs.

"Calen." I groaned in frustration and want fearing for this to happen, he had me where I didn't need to be with him, we hadn't even talked yet.

"What?" He asked, his hand moving further he kept eye contact with me while cars passed us on the street.

"Can you please.." I breathed grabbing his tattooed diamond chained wrist feeling his fingertips reach the cloth of my panties.

"Stop?" He asked in a whispering purr, "Why when you know you don't fuckin' want me to baby?"

"Because we need to talk." I gasped taking in his fingers, after so long back where they were supposed to be.

"But, you dripping for me Dae." He whispered biting his bottom lip, his fingers slid left to right on my sensitive nub.

In little circles he rubbed up and down my center leaning more on my side of the car. Using his free hand he gripped my right thigh pulling my legs towards his side of the car.

"No, we need to-"

"We don't need to talk about shit." He looked into my eyes, throwing my shoes out the window pulling my hips closer to him. My head laid on the passenger seat I closed my eyes knowing I wasn't going to win, his soft hand gripped my body like I was his most prized possession.

Pushing my skirt up he ripped my panties in one swift move, I heard them tear slowly seeing he threw them out the car too. Then he kissed my left inner thigh with such gentle ease.

I gasped as he began to blow on me, reaching up his hand he moved my shirt up moving my bra out the way. Slowly his fingertips began to play with my left nipple.

"I fuckin' love you Dana, and I want you." Was his last words before he dived into my pearl like it had been centuries.

Slurping, sucking, moaning and groaning is all he put me through in eternal bliss his mouth made love to me, and he wasn't finished there.

"I don't want you to come like this, baby let me..." He trailed off softly grabbing my hips he stopped before I hit my peak, pulling me on top of him.

"Calen, we can't I-"

He pressed his mouth softly to mine kissing slow letting me taste myself, plunging his tongue down my throat. Tasting like sugar I indulged in his lips pulling away so I can breathe. Going for the sensitive spot on the right side of my neck next he bit, only to softly glide against the spot putting a hickie.

"Not like this, I don't want to lose my virginity like this!" I yelled at him, he had my nerves and emotions all over the place.

"Dana-"

"Just, lets go back to the house Calen. Now!" I yelled, glad he had stopped his attack on me before it went too far. I moved back over to my side of the car, feeling like an idiot that I went back on my word and promise to myself.

Fuck.

~~~

Thanks For Reading!😍

[randomfoggytiger]

Eight Nights of Mulder: Day 6, Dreidel

Perhaps a Part II to "Something Approaching a Normal Life".

*****

“Yes, Mom, yes, I will-- what? You… what? Yes, yes I-- yes, Mom, I got it. Yes, I’ll tell him. Mom, Mulder’s here I have to go--” 

Mulder wandered in, sun-tanned and healthy and wonderfully free of an earful of Maggie Scully itinerary. “How’s your mom doing?”

“Planning a surprise for you.” 

His eyebrows flew up-- for me? she interpreted-- and he shook his head, incredulous and disbelieving. 

“For me?” Bingo. 

“She said she wants to celebrate us getting the files back.”

“But that was months ago.”

“I know-- and apparently, she’s been planning this for months. Though what she’s planned is beyond me.” Scully sighed, decided against pinching her nose, crossed her arms instead. “The party’s at five next week.” 

She looked up and had to bite down a grin: Mulder was flummoxed-- there was no other word for it. His mouth flapped once, twice; his eyes widened; and his eyebrows still migrated north. Finally, he lifted a hesitant hand to scrunch then smooth down the back of his hair. 

“I… tell her thanks. From me.” 

*****

Scully, for all her impeccable punctuality, arrived late: snow and traffic she excused to herself, ignoring her nervous breaths and shaky hands. Mulder’s car was already pulled up on the curb-- and Bill’s, she acknowledged with (what she was horrified to realize was) a shudder. Now thoroughly riled up at her cowardice, she slammed the door and crunched across the white lawn with as much dignity as her expensive boots would allow. 

Of all people, her partner answered the door. 

“Happy Hanukkah!” he crowed, grin positively Grinchy while watching Scully’s world grind to a halt. 

“Oh, there you are, honey-- welcome home!” Maggie swept under Mulder’s arm with a benevolent hug, an upbeat, infectious party sprite undeterred by her daughter's ramrod posture. “Happy Hanukkah!” 

“Mom, I didn’t know you celebrated.…” Scully began, eyes darting between both of them as they shooed her through the hall to the coat rack. 

“Don’t be silly, Dana, you know we’re Catholic.” 

Mulder clucked his tongue rebukingly. 

“Then what’s this about?” Whirling around, hat suddenly gone and coat pulled half off, Scully clutched at Maggie’s arm-- or Mulder’s-- and held on, demanding answers. 

“We’re celebrating Hanukkah, Scully. You almost didn’t make it in time for the light show.” 

And Mulder-- this incomprehensible, insensible version of him, anyway-- gave her a good-hearted nudge towards the living room. 

“I… you’re Jewish?” Though Scully tried not to let it, the fact that Mulder had told her mother about this part of himself before her… stung. “If I had known--”

“Oh, I’m not. Or I might be. Hard to say.” Mulder vague-speak: an outright challenge.  And he had the cheek to look endearingly smug about it.  

She, as always, rose to the bait. 

“Mulder.” 

To her surprise, it was Maggie who coughed up an answer: “Dana, leave the poor man alone. I had a dream about him a few months back.” 

Another grinding halt: immediately pivoting, she locked eyes with her mother, aghast. “Mo--” 

“I know you don’t believe in them, but it was real and it happened. Since then, I’ve been planning out this event for the both of you-- and I won’t hear any arguments.” And she scuttled off to the beeping oven before Scully could get a word in edgewise.  

Mulder was having much too fun snacking on fried foods and peeking between her and the decorative menorah resting on a nearby side table. It would almost be amusing if it weren’t so tragic. 

“Mulder, I’m sorry. Mom meant well--”

“Scully, it’s okay-- I’m having a great time. Your mom’s been teaching me all the customs and proper words; and I, I even met a few of your relatives who knew more about Hanukkah than I did.” He chuckled, really pleased. 

Wonder of wonders. 

“Mulder, are you really Jewish?”

She watched him tilt his head mid-chew, watched his jaw grind back and forth between ideas. “I don’t really know, Scully. I think my mother was. Culturally, if not religiously. I have a few memories of her mother, fewer of her father; but… but, yeah, they served these potato pancakes--” he waved one of his snacks for emphasis “--when we dropped in for morning cartoons. Sam and I were always more interested in reruns than talking with ‘the old people’.” 

In the stretch of silence that followed, lengthened, she watched regret bloom behind his eyes. “And maybe that was wrong of us. If I’d known…” we’d lose touch filled the gap, unspoken, “then I think I would have wanted to know more about them. We stopped going right… before. I guess we got so used to being Mulders we forgot how to be Kuipers.”  

Scully nodded, grabbed a potato. Decided to join Mulder in whatever this was for him.  

*****

It wouldn’t pass for the laxest definition of Hanukkah-- all eight nights crammed into one, Maggie and Mulder repeating phrases and rituals back to each other, a nameless relative handing out dreidels and no one caring in the least they were for children's games-- but the celebration was, in its own way, a success. Though the crowd was small (not a lot of stricter family members wanted to attend) and the food a little hit or miss, everyone was determined to have a good time; and that determination carried the night.  

Maggie sent her guests home with leftovers and a little party bag of chocolate coins--  “Gelt!” she repeated, over and over, while Mulder licked tasty smears from his eager fingers-- but whisked the cleaned menorah and dreidels away to her holiday storage, before anyone had even left (cleanliness and promptness still wound tight into her military wife gears.) 

The tromp back through the snow was peaceful. Scully took advantage of the moment to slow their walk, gaze fixed on the white winter moon. They paused in front of her car, his enthusiasm and her absorption meeting somewhere in the middle.   

“Well, Mulder? Do you feel celebrated?”   

He nodded, tossed another gelt into his cavernous mouth, smacked twice, loudly, then cleared his throat. “I’ve been to two of your mom’s parties now, Scully, and I think they get better and better.” 

“That’s only because Bill wasn’t there,” she teased, watching him shift his left boot in the snowdrift. He’d made a little angel, unawares.  

“Yes, he was.”

What? “What? No, he couldn’t have been.” 

“Scully, his car’s just over there.” 

In a flash, she remembered-- yes, Bill’s car was there, had been there before she’d even arrived. “But… but I didn’t even notice him.” 

Mulder snorted. “That’s because your mother kept him hopped up on fried food. He was happy as a clam and didn’t want to come over and bother me.”

“Mulder, of course he wanted to bother you. He probably didn’t think it would look good to bully the Jewish boy on his special day.” 

Her partner shrugged; and the silence pushed her more upright to study him closely. 

“Sometimes I… I can’t help but wonder if I’m misremembering things, Scully. Mom never spoke Yiddish, or practiced cultural holidays, or mentioned Temple; but it didn’t… she doesn’t seem to be avoiding her roots out of shame. And maybe she doesn’t tie herself to being Jewish. Or maybe… what if I made it up in my head, only recalled bits and pieces of my childhood rationalizations and blew them up into a separate identity out of another sense of having been wronged? I’m a Mulder, but….”

But in light of his mother’s denial and rebuke and slap, being a Mulder was shaky ground at present; and escape with a new or reclaimed sense of identity would seem a beautiful salvation to a man scrabbling for any purchase from sheer desperation. 

Scully never weighed in on his family matters-- he hadn’t wanted her too-- but the pieces only fit one way, logically. Rationally nothing else made sense. But as easily as she dismissed the more insidious insinuations of old Spender’s relationship with the Mulders, she also sympathized with her partner’s continual doubts on the subject. Confused by yet another topic Tena complicated by her silence, Mulder was left to drift, clinging to her support and her unflinching, scientific reasoning for reassurance. 

And my family’s open arms and toddled-out traditions. 

“Mulder, at some point a part of us will be lost to time. No one can trace their lineage without it cracking apart under the faults and frailties of common humanity; but more importantly, the common element in all of us is what binds us beyond who we are and what we have chosen to define ourselves by. In one generation, identity can change completely, be it biological or environmental factors. Human wars upend lives and redefine boundaries; and, when a few more wrongs are made right, those lines dividing people collapse, leaving whoever is left to face each other with more in common than not.” 

He was nodding along, mulling over her words. Time to narrow the scope by throwing in a personal illustration.

“Although my family prides itself on its Irish roots, only the very old ones can speak Gaelic; and I’ve learned more about Irish myths and traditions from working with you than I have from an Aunt Olive or a second cousin Seymour. I and my brothers and Melissa were raised Catholic, but only Bill and I chose to remain in the faith. Charlie’s children will turn into different men than Bill’s son, and all three will continue that cycle as they grow up and move out and start families of their own.  

“In short, Mulder,” she said, winding back the spool of her thoughts with a self-deprecating grin, “you’re you. And if that means you enjoy celebrating Hanukkah in the Scully family style, then….” 

She slowed and stopped, puzzled, as he nudged a chocolate from his coin stash at her. “What?” 

“A gelt for your thoughts. I figured you more than earned it.” The expression in his eyes-- starstruck humility and gentle persistence-- undercut Mulder’s flippancy; and brooked no argument. I owe you everything and you owe me nothing, they reminded. It’s the least I can do, they insisted.  

If eating a piece of candy was what Mulder needed from her, then Scully was determined to do it and do it right. She ripped the foil off, popped it in her mouth, and chewed and swished vigorously until every last bite was gone. I do it all for you, Mulder, she thought, this proof and my words and even who I have become. 

Scully watched his eyes twinkle, thankful, before he turned, parting ways after a promise to compare leftovers on Monday.  

*****

She was back in the car, back on the road, almost to her apartment, this time clutching the gelt wrapper like a talisman, swishing her thumb back and forth across the crinkles during the long red lights.  

Scully made a mental note to thank her mother. Whatever tonight was, Mulder had needed it.

*****

Thanks for reading~

Enjoy!

(Tagging @today-in-fic~)

[fksleep]

hc + scenery!

an african game hunter who once attempted to poach him had fittingly dubbed batman ' the dark demon of the concrete jungle ' during their first encounter. he couldn't have been more right.

as the dark knight and teru, he navigates neo-gotham like he owns the night (and you couldn't tell him otherwise). he's a natural creature of the urban landscape, freely moving through the streets and uncovering new knowledge about her, with a passionate interest, despite the looming dangers. while it was impossible to see the stars at night, every corner blasted him with neon lights. and he felt the rush from the thrumming activity pumping life into his body. being caught up in the mix of a sleepless city was like having an extra heart that was being routinely overworked.

even when he was stealing bikes and traversing the highways at breakneck speed in his youth, he was captivated by the illuminated skyscrapers, never once sparing a thought about the skyglow that drowned out the imagination of the intergalactic marvels beyond the city.

his neo-gothic sandbox was strange, deranged, and religiously transformative, as though its technological metamorphosis was the work of a cult worshiping a technophilic death god. it was scary like that. but teru, having spent too much time in solitary confinement due to constant squabbles in juvie, couldn't stand the idea of being cooped up at home, living life like a homebody. the very thought was suffocating. he enjoys getting lost in neo-gotham's dark beauty, breathing in its oppressive air as he gradually learns about the burgeoning tech that's dominating the city's identity while carving out his role as its protector.

that being said, even neo-gotham, the home that he can easily get lost in, can feel limited and is. it was because of his nocturnal 'job' that he was granted more opportunities than he had fingers to see the outside world. he dreams of a long vacation in a warm, fragrant setting like tahiti or bora bora. neo-gotham had her beaches, but burying his bare toes and fingers in white sands and having the chance to inhale natural air, in front of the sight of crystal-clear waters was a golden dream of his. bungalows, idyllic shorelines, and waterfalls? he would like to see it.

teru imagined it would be the time he had a chance to spend quality time with dana tan (or verse-dependent love interest) without answering the call that seemed to make him feel less human and more robotic as time went on. he wanted to be positioned in a comfortable place where he no longer had to break his heart or hers. a rich tropical paradise that offered serenity and colors that starkly contrasted the artificial lights that lit up a cold, metallic world is possible for him—it has to be. because he refuses to let his life fall into doom and gloom, replicating his predecessor. he won't deny himself connections and the chance to enjoy the sun and actually see the stars with his loved ones.

@cloudrides | hc word/sentence prompt.

[katy-kt-katie]

Mastermind Chapter 4/9*

Chapter Rating M (Entire work E) Co-written with @tofuttim. Read here on AO3. *Full work will post by Thanksgiving.

You see, all the wisest women had to do it this way

'Cause we were born to be the pawn in every lover's game

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail

Strategy sets the scene for the tale

I'm the wind in our free-flowing sails

And the liquor in our cocktails

-Lyrics by Taylor Swift

“Her heart did whisper that he had done it for her.”

-Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice 

Dana waited patiently for a call from headquarters about her next role. She’d let her colleagues and superiors know that she was awaiting her official assignment but would be transitioning out of Quantico immediately upon request. Timing seemed to be on her side, as she was just finishing with the current class of cadets.

She’d made transitions in her personal life too. She’d finally ended an on again, off again relationship with Ethan, a man she’d started seeing since she broke up with Jack. Melissa, her sister, had moved out of her apartment and onto the next adventure. 

Dana felt that she was at a precipice; her career open and personal life cleared, ready to fully commit to her impending assignment. 

She received the call from Melanie on Tuesday morning. Section Chief Blevins hoped to see her the same day at 2:00 PM. Dana packed the rest of her belongings from her office and went home over the lunch hour to change clothes. She settled on a checkered suit jacket, tan trousers and a green blouse which she thought favored her alabaster skin. 

As she drove to the J. Edgar Hoover building, she reflected on the moves she’d made in just a few short weeks to land her in this position. 

She’d felt a pang of guilt over the weekend, realizing how she had played these men like pawns to fulfill what she thought was her destiny. But after a phone call with Melissa she realized she had no regrets. Her actions might seem overly contrived to an observer, but as a woman in a career ruled by men, she was merely going after her desired career with intention.

She didn’t tell any lies, there were no exaggerations about her abilities; sheis the perfect partner for Agent Mulder, her plan had been to help them realize it and that plan was playing out to perfection. As her sister said, the truly sad reality is, without Dana executing this plan, these men running the agency never would have thought of her for the role.

Dana entered the building as ‘Agent Scully’ for the first time and easily navigated her way through the bullpen to Section Chief Blevins’ office on the 4th floor. When she arrived, Chief Blevins was sitting at his desk flanked by two men she didn’t recognize. She was not introduced to them by name and knew it was against protocol to force their introduction. 

They didn’t beat around the bush, asking her how she ended up at the FBI before jumping right in, asking if she knew of Agent Mulder. She tried her best to maintain a cool and even demeanor while answering questions generically about what she knew of Agent Mulder and the X-Files.

“The reason you are here Agent Scully is we want you to assist Mulder on these X-Files…” Blevins said. Her heart skipped a beat upon hearing this and she was sure a small reaction was apparent on her face.

Section Chief Blevins made it clear that he did not want her to intentionally debunk the X-Files, but instead wanted her to make the proper scientific analysis which she was all too happy to do. 

Time to debate Agent Mulder, not one-sided this time , she thought, excitedly.

“You’ll want to contact Agent Mulder shortly, we look forward to seeing your reports,” Blevins said before dismissing her. 

I did it , she thought to herself, giggling. This plan was destined to come together. She went to the women’s restroom and allowed herself a brief moment of joy before checking herself in the mirror, adjusting her hair and lipstick and stepping back into the bullpen. 

Where do I go ? She wondered, realizing no one had told her how to find Agent Mulder. She felt the draw of him and almost thought she could close her eyes and let it pull her to him like a magnet, but she thought it would be better and quicker to seek help from a friendly face. 

Dana took the elevator up to the sixth floor and found Melanie, sitting guard outside of AD Skinner’s office.

“Hello Agent Scully, I hope you are having a good afternoon,” she said.

“Yes, great actually. I am officially assigned to the X-Files, I’m supposed to contact Agent Mulder.”

“Congratulations, Agent Scully. I know AD Skinner will be glad to hear that.”

“Melanie, I have one problem. No one has told me where to find him,” she whispered, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“Oh,” Melanie whispered. “Here is his cell phone number,” she handed Dana a note with the number, “And his office is in the basement.”

“The basement?” Scully questioned. “I thought there were just old files down there.”

“Old files and Agent Mulder,” Melanie shrugged.

Dana didn’t care where his office was, she was ready to dive into her destiny.

“Okay,” she shrugged, “Thanks Melanie, I really appreciate your help.”

“Anytime, Agent Scully,” Melanie winked.

Dana made her way back to the elevator and was grateful to find the elevator empty. She leaned against the safety rail and began to collect herself. Yes, she’d successfully nabbed the job, but she hadn’t thought too much beyond that. She was nervous and excited and her stomach a little queasy but she could swear she felt the pull of him stronger and stronger as she descended down the elevator.

The elevator opened to the basement and she meandered past boxes of abandoned files to find a lone office. She briefly closed her eyes, took a deep breath and knocked.

“Sorry, nobody down here but the FBI’s most unwanted,” she heard from a voice inside. She pushed gently on the half-ajar door and entered the office.

She saw Agent Mulder sitting at a desk, working with photos, he still looked handsome from behind. As she walked toward him, her eyes wandered around his office; messy, filled with articles and clippings. His work must be his obsession , she thought.

He turned to look at her and she couldn’t help but smile; he looked exceptionally cute with glasses on. The two previous times she’d seen him, he wasn’t wearing them.I’m not interested in him like that , she told herself unconvincingly, hoping that her smile wasn’t as obvious as it felt.

“Agent Mulder, I’m Dana Scully, I’ve been assigned to work with you” she said, putting her hand out for him to shake, anxious to touch him again. 

As their hands made contact, she felt an electric spark shoot between them again; what was it about this man?

//

Have I met her before? Mulder wondered. He felt a jolt of energy spark from her hand and run through his body. He blinked several times and began to blush. He quickly moved on, not wanting to seem awkward in front of his new partner.

He used his patented sarcasm to deflect, “Oh isn’t it nice to be suddenly so highly regarded? So, who did you tick off to get stuck with this detail, Scully?” Fuck , he thought, she probably sees me blushing.

“Actually, I’m looking forward to working with you. I’ve heard a lot about you,” Dana said.

What has she heard? Mulder wondered. He couldn’t help but find her fascinating. Skinner had been telling him about this young, female medical doctor with a background in physics and his interest peaked. He still insisted he was better off working alone, but Skinner made it clear that was no longer an option.

Despite working at one of the most distinguished agencies in the federal government, Mulder struggled to find intellectual peers. After reading her thesis, rewriting Einstein, he realized she was in fact an intellectual equalif not smarter than him . The thought of that, along with her surprising beauty had Mulder intimidated; and he didn’t get intimidated. He realized he was nervously shuffling and rambling around his office.

He walked over to the projector and proceeded to discuss his, now their , new case. Mulder had always been able to easily charm people and while he could tell Agent Scully was charmed by him, it was not enough to supersede her initial interpretation of the evidence. She was a stalwart; built sturdy and tough, not easily swayed.

Their initial banter about the case felt like foreplay to him, not having been challenged by a woman with an IQ like hers…well, ever. 

“How’s your chemistry?” he asked, showing her a slide with a chemical element, while feeling a strong pull of chemistry boiling between them.

He peppered her with questions, and he noticed how she handled it with incredible grace. He was impressed with her answers, they were detailed and well thought out, but she didn’t go so far as to leap to any assumptions and she admitted when she didn’t know something. 

He’d been realizing recently that working alone was making him weary, and although he preferred to work alone, it felt like she was breathing life into his lungs.

A critical question formed in his head; it seemed like a logical and important question to ask any new partner to the X-Files, but it came out more flirtatiously than just about any question he’d asked in his life,and he was a natural flirt . “Do you believe in the existence of extraterrestrials?” He asked her, realizing he was shaking his head at her and whispering at the end of that question.  What was he doing? He thought to himself. It probably looked like some bizarre animal mating ritual.

He caught her smirk; was she flirting back? He thought she might be as she layed out a solid case against the existence of little gray men.

As they traded hypotheses about what could have happened to the girl from Oregon, he felt a stiffness in his pants. This woman, this Agent or Dr. Scully,I’ll just call her Scully, he thought, was more than he could have envisioned. She was incredibly smart, fearless, beautiful and all too happy to go back and forth with him until she made her case. 

He felt drawn to her; incredibly turned on by an intoxicating energy that had never existed in his office.

Feeling his flirtations had gotten the best of him, and needing to conceal the growing erection in his pants, he ended the conversation, turning to his desk as he finished his instructions to his new partner, “We leave for the very plausible state of Oregon at 8 AM.” 

//

Arriving home, Dana closed her apartment door, latched the lock and finally allowed herself to fully enjoy the success of her day. She was officially a field agent assigned to the X-Files, a department she felt drawn to since learning about it.

Dana was partnered with Agent Fox Mulder, a man she felt she was meant to be connected to. She knew in an instant that all of her moves to get to that moment were essential. I felt it again; the spark and the rush of a million emotions when he touched my hand , she thought. What is it with him? Is he destined to save my life or me to save his? Are we supposed to be together to solve some major case or dilemma? Is he my soulmate? 

She had the most invigorating debate of her young life with him today. Sure, she had debated professors and colleagues before, but the way they went back and forth…it was like nothing she’d ever experienced or felt, it was all encompassing and arousing. She wondered if it had the same effect on him.

She showered, made herself a cocktail and laid in her bed; her brain peaceful and running wild all at once. He called me Scully , she laughed to herself, not Agent or Dr. Scully, just Scully …Maybe I’ll just call him Mulder . Her dopamine and serotonin naturally high after one hell of a perfect day, she couldn’t help herself from grabbing her vibrator out of her nightstand and capping her perfect day with a perfect orgasm. 

To Oregon tomorrow , she thought, Scully and Mulder . 

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Don't Give Me My Answer

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/mxw7Pa0 by Zarius Terry discovers what happened to his savings as he and Dana are introduced to a private interest of Bruces' Words: 822, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Batman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: F/M Characters: Terry McGinnis, Dana Tan, Bruce Wayne, Harleen Quinzel Relationships: Harleen Quinzel/Bruce Wayne, Terry McGinnis/Dana Tan Additional Tags: Shipping, Romance, Walks In The Park, Romantic Soulmates, Romantic Fluff, Tributes, arleen sorkin read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/mxw7Pa0

[the-most-excellent-dana]

Would you like an Among Us croc charm?

"Among Us... Anon is that like, this dimension's version of Amidst Us??? I dunno, a lot of things here are wonky. But sure I'll take some!"

[dykerachelsummers]

Terry Max Nissa and Matt? Also is Dana Tan in earth-82?

dana tan is in e82 and i even included her in these! also, fun fact, in e82 helena wayne is the batman before terry instead of bruce, which makes terry batman v (or vi if you include jpv).

anyways, my thesis is make everyone in batman beyond queer n punk n also make terry&matt chinese and dana korean!

terry mcginnis

max gibson

nissa peterson

matt mcginnis

dana tan

[vntagetee]

@platiinums asked:  "Take a few deep breaths, it’ll help lower your heart rate and calm your body down a bit."﹙ dana / terry ﹚

“t-trying.”  dana  focused  on  the  feeling  of  terry’s  large hand  in  hers  and  her  breathing,  slowly  sucking  in  haggard  breaths.  her  lungs  and  chest  felt  like  they  were  on  fire.  “i  hate  h-hospitals.  need  to  get  out  of  here,  ter. please."

[tiptapricot]

who do you ship with Terry?

Ohh good question!

(Bare in mind these are based purely off the show and not the comics)

Since there aren’t many options I pretty much only ship Dana and Terry? I don’t mind other ships, I just feel like they had really good chemistry. Dana was understanding but could put her foot down if needed. Terry was kind of a trash bf but it wasn’t really his fault and he always tried to make it up to Dana. And, seeing as he proposes after they date for 15 years 👀👀👀

The other popular ships are Melanie, Max, and Mareena right? I don’t really have issues with those, they just aren’t my cup of tea. For example, I like Melanie but I enjoy her and Terry more as friends, since I feel like their romance was kind of an overdone trope. Max is great but again I just like the brotp more. Mareena is badass but she only showed up for an ep so that’s not enough for me personally to ship them.

I wish there were more characters to ship Terry with tbh. I feel like he has some strong bi boy energy u kno?

[ichigopanhpff]

Mitsuya x Fem!Reader Begin Again: Ch. 21

[Previous Chapter] -- [Masterlist] -- [Next Chapter]

I recently discovered an Indian folk metal band called Bloodywood and they SLAP. HARD. Give "Gaddaar" or "Dana Dan" a listen.

Also, Tumblr's being wonky. I tried to follow some new writers, but it won't let me >:( I dunno if it's an account setting on their end or not. C'mon. I just wanna support my fellow TR fic writers.

---

A sudden soft knock at the main door drew (Y/N)’s attention; she opened it to see Draken, Chifuyu and Takemichi with a plastic bag in one of their hands.

“Came to see how you were doin’,” Chifuyu gave her a small, tired grin.

Inviting the three in, she made her way into the kitchen to boil some water for tea.

“Your face healed up fast,” the blond boy commented, noting the light brown and yellow marks below her cheek bones.

“Swelling’s gone, thankfully,” she added. “I can only hope the bruises go away in time for graduation.”

“How’s your arm?” Takemichi inquired with a tone of concern, seeing the injured limb resting on a sling.

“I can move it without much pain now,” she assured him with a small smile. “This is just a precaution.”

“I appreciate you takin’ care of Angry that night,” the vice captain thanked. “Smiley-kun told me his arm and leg'll only need a bit of rehab to get back to normal.”

“That’s good to hear.”

The water boiler sung as the liquid inside finished, interrupting their talk. As (Y/N) slowly got up, Draken pulled her good arm back down as Chifuyu and Takemichi got up.

“Let ‘em handle it,” the vice commander suggested.

“Oh jeez,” she groaned out and placed her right hand on her forehead. “Did Mi-tan call you all over to babysit me?!”

“He didn’t,” the first division captain honestly replied. “I was planning on coming here with Chifuyu and we met up with Draken-kun along the way.”

“You’re a part of Toman, (Y/N)-chan,” the dragon tattooed boy reminded her. “We take care of our own. I was shocked when I heard you took on the Haitani Brothers. You’re actually nuts,” he chided and poked the side of her head. “Did you have a death wish?”

“I did it to save Hakkun from getting brain damage,” she defended her actions and swatted his hand away. “And I wanted to get ‘em back…” she muttered with a pout and reached for a komikan on the table to peel.

“Get ‘em back for what?” Takemichi asked as he returned with tea for everyone.

She scratched the shell of her ear, not wanting to answer as her face turned pink and avoided eye contact, still pouting.

“They ruined your date, right?” Draken divulged.

“Why do you know this?!” her cheeks splattered with shades of embarrassment.

“When Mitsuya reported what happened during the ambush, we asked him why he was with you that day.”

“Ehh?!” Takemichi panicked and pointed to himself. “I didn’t know any of this! When did you two start dating?!”

“It… happened a month ago,” she muttered shyly.

“Takemitchy sounds like a dad right now,” his best friend taunted and laughed.

“Shaddap, Chifuyu!” the first division captain snapped back, fuming. “No one tells me anything!”

“Speakin’ of Mitsuya…” the vice commander looked around. “Where is he?”

“He’s taking care of some home stuff,” (Y/N) divulged and ate a piece of fruit.

“I thought he’d be here with you being all lovey-dovey.”

“Are you actually here to take care of me or tease me?” she shot out with a tone of annoyance.

“Bit of both,” Draken answered bluntly and popped two pieces of the citrus fruit into his mouth.

“As you can clearly see, I’m alive, breathing and recovering,” she listed with disinterest and sighed before changing the topic. “Have… Have any of you seen Mikey lately?”

The room went dead silent.

“It’s not that we don’t wanna see him…” Chifuyu began.

“But we wanna be respectful of his space right now,” Takemichi finished.

All Draken did was pop the last piece of fruit into his mouth, not saying a word. Staying for another hour or so, Takemichi and Chifuyu left; the former going to check on his girlfriend to see how she was doing. Showing themselves out, she sat beside Draken, who remained quiet with a look of remorse in his dark gaze. The puffiness and redness on the lower corners of his eyes showed his lack of sleep and how recent he cried.

Reaching her right arm out, she cradled his head onto her shoulder gently. Under normal circumstances, he would’ve shoved her off, but he had no fight in him right now. The blond boy quietly let out sniffles and hugged her with his long arms, her presence letting him know this was a safe space to work through the pain.

It was okay to be weak and lean on others. It was okay to cry.

Languidly stroking the back of his neck, the tattooed boy released his grieving heart once again. She knew she couldn’t give him the warmth and love Emma once did, but she could at least be by his side as a friend to support him in his time of need.

Having tired himself out, she gently set him down on the tatami and grabbed a spare pillow and blanket for him. Looking at his peaceful resting face with melancholy, she tenderly stroked the top of his head and lightly pecked his temple where the dragon tattoo sat and let him rest.

Sometimes all it takes to be a hero is just being present.

–

“So I told Takashi I loved him the other day… It… slipped out in the heat of the moment before I went to fight Tenjiku with the rest of Toman. Mikey and Draken didn’t want me involved, but… you know me.”

She sat in front of the Sano family headstone cross legged with offerings of incense and days old flowers still decorated.

“I was too self-conscious at first, thinking he was going too fast. Well…” She paused and rubbed the back of her neck, letting out a breathless chuckle. “I still think we’re goin’ too fast, but that’s beside the point… Don’t tell him I said this but back in grade school, we had the athletics festival. He was in the cavalry battle and wore the bandanna.” (Y/N) shyly smiled to herself. “Even though his team took second place, he looked so brave and cool, thanking his teammates for carrying him and praising them for their hard work. I think… that was when I fell for him without realizing. Maybe… the pace we’re going now is us playing catch up from all those years we missed.”

She looked down at her knees with a sad smile.

“I was hoping once Draken confessed to you or the other way around, we could’ve gone on group dates with Takemitchy and Hina-chan like regular teenagers…” she divulged. “Like one of your dreams come true.”

The cool spring breeze softly whipped through the graveyard silently, taking the smoke from the incense with it.

“Draken… hasn’t been doing too well,” she hesitantly continued. “He cried himself to sleep at my place recently... Why is it that every time someone comes over, they fall straight asleep? Is it that comfortable?” she went off tangent and sighed. “Anyway… I heard him muttering your name… He loves you so much. Misses you so much. We all miss you…” Tears pricked at her eyes as she trailed off and sniffled, swallowing the weighty lump obstructing her voice. “Emma-chan…" her voice wavered into soft whispers. "Tell me… Tell me what I can do to help Mikey.”

Droplets rolled down freely on her cheeks as her lips quivered and gritted her teeth.

“He’s suffering alone right now and I dunno how to help him. I don’t want him to fall into the darkness like I did…”

Staying for another 30 minutes, (Y/N) hesitantly left her friend, letting her know she’d be back in a few days. Wiping the stray tears with the back of her sleeve, she tucked herself into her jacket and left the cemetery, sniffling loudly. Making a pit stop at the nearest convenience store, she bought some food and drinks before heading to Mitsuya’s. Nearing her destination, she saw the back of a familiar head of lilac hair working on Impulse in the open court area of his apartment complex. A devilish grin graced her lips and took out a can of juice from the plastic bag.

Slowly tip-toeing from behind, she bit her bottom lip and placed the can to the side of his neck. His shoulders jolted up from the sudden cold sensation and dropped his wrench with a clatter on the ground; he immediately turned with a look between surprise and annoyance.

“What the hell, it’s just you…” he clicked his tongue and turned his attention back to fixing his bike.

“Glad to see you too,” she pouted and placed the can to his left before settling to his right. “I got you a sandwich.”

Her boyfriend grunted as a response while tightening a screw nut for the footpeg. She watched him in full concentration while replacing another part on his bike. His face had a light cast of perspiration and motor grease stained his muscular forearms and hands; his black t-shirt framed his taut muscles with every movement. She cracked a small, amused grin, watching him fiddle with his ride. Mitsuya decided to take a break not long after and went inside to wash his hands. His girlfriend handed him a pork katsu sandwich from the bag when he settled back down beside her. The two ate in silence.

“Sorry I haven’t called,” her boyfriend apologized after swallowing his food. “I had catch up on a lot of stuff.”

“Mm.” She sipped her can of warm milk tea.

His lavender eyes looked up from her unresponsiveness before back down at his feet, guilt wringing his mind and heart for what he put her through.

“Thank you... for taking care of my sisters and school stuff when I was hospitalized... It really means a lot to me,” he finally said and grasped his drink with both hands. “My mom practically had to pry Luna n' Mana off me when visiting hours were over... Yasuda-san and some of the girls from the Handicraft Club came by too. Man…” The lilac haired boy chuckled and scratched the back of his head. “They gave me an earful.”

She let out a small chuckle and bit into the remnants of her ham and egg sandwich. Seeing a distant look in her eye, her boyfriend reached out and grabbed her hand, jolting her thoughts back. Her eyes widened at the sight of him. It’d been days since they last saw or spoke to each other.

“Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah…” She looked down at a random spot on the ground and nibbled on her bottom lip. “Just a lot on my mind.”

Finishing her food, she scooted over to place her head on his shoulder, not caring about how sweaty he was; she just wanted to feel close to him right now. Shutting her eyes, she sighed as he wrapped his arm around her.

“I’m heading up to Sendai next week…” she leisurely announced. Mitsuya’s body stiffened the moment those words left her lips. “To visit Hisa-nii.”

“Oh… Oh.” He just realized what she meant and inwardly smacked himself upside the head for being so self-absorbed.

“Do you… wanna come with?”

“Are… you sure?” he asked with hesitancy. “You’ll be with your dad right?”

“We’re meeting up there. He’s in Osaka right now,” she revealed.

“Ah…” He glanced at Impulse, wondering if he should ride up there instead to save money.

“I-If you can’t, it’s okay," she immediately spoke. "You have your sisters to take care of on top of Toman stuff too.” She played with the edge of her bracelet on her left wrist. “Just wanted to extend the invite, is all.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” Mitsuya pecked his lips at the top of her head and lightly sighed.

“So, how’s the maintenance going?” she asked to change the topic.

“I still have to replace part of the body and a few more things,” he listed with a tone of disdain. “I’d reach out to Draken and see if he can help but…”

“It might be a good distraction for him,” she looked up and encouraged with a small smile. “He needs to be around people right now.”

"He told me he stopped by your place the other day with Chifuyu n' Takemitchy..." he trailed off. "Thanks for being there for him."

"It's the least I could do. He's your best friend," she pointed out with a tone of obviousness.

She stayed with Mitsuya until it started getting dark and declined to stay for dinner, saying she had leftovers at home to polish off. The truth was she hadn’t had much of an appetite as of late and didn’t want her boyfriend to worry any more than he needed to. He ended up walking her home instead.

Just as they said their goodbyes, she reached back out and grabbed his hand to pull him into a soft kiss. It felt weird not having some form of physical contact from him, like her chakras were misaligned. His hands circled around her waist and pulled her in to prolong it, drinking in the taste of her lips.

“What was that for?” he asked in a low voice after releasing.

“I can’t kiss my own boyfriend to let him know I missed him?”

“Not saying you can’t…” He reached up and tucked some hair behind her right ear, his stare focused on hers. “Just didn’t know if you wanted me to…” He touched his forehead with hers and closed his eyes before kissing her again.

“I wanted to give us some space to grieve,” he finally divulged after releasing. “But you ended up feeling so distant from me.”

“There was… a lot to process…” she finally spoke and reached up to rest her hands at the side of his neck, leaning in to give him a chaste kiss. “I’m sorry for making you feel that way. Emma-chan brought back a lot of the things I felt from Hisa-nii and… I’m also worried about Mikey…”

She buried her head into her boyfriend’s chest and hugged him tightly, with him doing the same.

“He knows he’s still got us, right?” she spoke into his chest.

When Shinichiro died, Mikey had Emma and his grandpa to support him. But now that she was gone, Mitsuya was just as concerned as his girlfriend. In a matter of months, his immediate family collapsed before his eyes.

What was going to happen to him now? To Toman?

–

“As you go on with your lives at your new high schools…” the valedictorian spoke on with several weeping students in the audience. She looked around the gymnasium with a distant fondness. Even though she only transferred here for the last year, it was the memories outside of school she remembered more than anything. Her eyes softened when it landed on the back of certain lilac haired boy, listening intently to the speech.

After each student stepped up to the stage to receive their diploma, the crowd dispersed outside with the scattered early bloomed cherry blossom pedals blowing in the wind. Ever the popular boy, Mitsuya got dragged off by the Handicraft Club to get final photos with their beloved prez while (Y/N) roamed before members from the Photography Club grabbed her for their memories. After saying her good-byes, she hummed to herself and wandered until she saw the back of Peh-yan’s head. Just as she was about to call him, she stopped herself the moment she saw Yasuda with him, looking down at the ground.

Quickly hiding behind a wall, she peeked around it in hopes of figuring out what was going on.

“You come ‘round here often?” a familiar voice playfully spoke in her ear, making her shoulders jump slightly. She immediately turned and shushed Mitsuya.

“I think I stumbled onto something amazing,” she whispered to her boyfriend and jerked her head in the direction she was looking at. Hovering on top of her, the lilac haired boy peeked around to see what she saw.

“Yasuda-san? With Peh-yan?” he muttered to himself and smirked to himself. He grabbed his girlfriend with him as they retreated. “We should leave ‘em be.”

“Ehh?” she protested. “This is our graduation and you’re denying me of this dumb, youthful experience of peeking into our friend being confessed to?!”

“Yes.”

“Mean.”

“Don’t you have something else to worry about?” her boyfriend pointed out.

“Do I?” she asked with genuine innocent curiosity.

Unamused with her response, he turned his body to show her the uniform jacket he rarely wore; all the buttons on it were gone. She blinked dumbly for a beat and let out an audible gasp.

“You gave your second button* to someone else?!” she exclaimed with shock, on the verge of tears and beating him up with her good arm. “How dare!”

“Of course not, dummy.” He reached into his pant pocket and revealed a golden stud in his palm. “I took it off and hid it before anyone saw. Besides…” He placed it into (Y/N)’s hand gently and pulled her into him. “It only belongs to you.”

Mitsuya leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss on her lips. Her hands found their way up to his chest and leaned into him as scattered snow-like pedals swept past them like a scene from a movie.

Snap.

The two promptly released when they heard a shutter go off from surprise; one of their classmates took a picture of their tender moment. (Y/N)’s face turned beet red and choked on her words from embarrassment when they found the culprit stalking from the edge of the building on the opposite end.

“EHH?! You two are dating?!” the photographer screamed, drawing the attention of those near by. “No freaking way!”

“Who’s dating who?”

“Mitsuya and (Y L/N)!”

“WHHHHAAAAA?!?!”

“Oh boy…” the lilac haired boy sighed and grabbed her hand. “Let’s run.”

“Don’t haveta tell me twice.”

The two ran around the school grounds with several classmates chasing them down, asking for an explanation.

“Is this a dumb enough youthful experience for you now?” her boyfriend joked as they continued running and laughed loudly.

“I don’t wanna hear that coming from you!” she angrily shouted back between breaths, still reeling in the mortifying moment.

“Get back here, you two! We need answers!”

A few days later, Draken contacted the captains to let everyone know there’d be a meeting tonight, much to everyone’s surprise. (Y/N) looked at the sukajan she hung up in her room to dry after washing it. Deciding against wearing it, she grabbed her leather jacket instead and headed out.

She decided Sendai Kitsune will become a memory on the mantle and Tokyo Kitsune will be its successor, with or without her brother’s friends' approval. She’ll take responsibility for the consequences.

She saw Mitsuya waiting for her around the corner as she made her way over. Giving him a quick peck on the lips, she took the spare helmet to put on and settled in behind him. With a smooth roar of his bike, they made their way to Musashi Shrine like so many times before. She let out a wondering hum looked around her like she was looking for something she dropped.

“What’s wrong?” her boyfriend asked as they waited at the light.

“I haven’t ridden much bikes but… Impulse feels like it’s gliding today.”

“Oh, you noticed?” the silver purple haired boy shot her a prideful grin. “I changed out the shock absorbers in the rear and the rubber fork up front. Draken managed to get ‘em for me when I was still fixing her up the other day.”

She drunk in the scenery of cars and bikes passing by, as if the seconds passed will turn it into a distant memory. Tenjiku was gone now, but who was to say another rival gang won’t rise up to attack them again? If the previous conflict’s taught her anything, it’s peace doesn’t last long if no one’s fighting for it. Slowly pulling up to the parking lot of the temple, several Toman members noticed the moment Mitsuya and (Y/N) got off. Some approached them and bowed deeply at her, taking her by surprise.

“Eh? Eh? What’s going on?” she panicked and held her hands close to her chest, her head rigidly whipping left and right.

“We would like to apologize for being rude to you on the night of the Tenjiku fight,” the small group admitted. “We regret our actions and words and hope you can forgive us.”

“A-Ah, it’s fine. Please, stop bowing,” she meekly pleaded. “I should apologize as well. I said a lotta harsh things too.”

“Seein’ you go head to head with the Haitanis was fuckin’ awesome!” one member remarked with giddiness and sparkle in his eyes. “And that kick you did was so cool!”

"I felt that impact on my back when you flipped Haitani Rindou like that!"

A few of them gathered around her, wanting to talk with her more and ask advice on how to fight better. All she could do was humbly chuckle and downplay her participation yet again. Mitsuya smirked from the sidelines, watching his girlfriend take in her moment. He eventually stepped in and dispersed the crowd by telling them it was almost time for the meeting.

“You look like you needed help there,” he chuckled and reached for her hand, to which she accepted.

“Sorry. I’m just bad at dealing with people who look at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“With admiration…” she muttered and blushed. “It’s embarrassing.”

“I admire you,” Mitsuya bluntly declared. “Do I embarrass you?”

“Wh--?!” She turned to look at him with a small pout. “That’s diff--” The second division captain cut her off mid-sentence with his lips on hers. He wrapped his arms around her waist before releasing.

“I admire you because I love you.” He touched his forehead to hers with half-lidded eyes.

“I wish you’d stop making me blush like this before a meeting,” she grumbled out and sighed, making him chuckle deeply.

“Would you rather have me do somethin’ else to justify it then?” Just as the second division captain moved toward her neck, (Y/N) immediately shoved him off with steam rising from the top of her head and walked ahead.

“We have a meeting to get to!”

Making their way up to the shrine with everyone else, Mikey stood in his usual spot with Takemichi to his left. It looked like they were talking about something before. She noticed there was something inside Toman’s leader that’s changed, like he’s hiding a part of himself. Just as he announced they were now the top gang in Japan after many sacrifices, the commander suddenly declared their dissolution.

“I want to end it while we’re at the top,” was all the commander said with a reflective, despondent smile. Everyone, captains included, reacted as one would expect: shock, disbelief, sadness. As he called up the captains one by one, (Y/N) kept observing. Something was definitely off.

The look on his face, the expression in his dark eyes…

This wasn’t he wanted to do but felt he needed to do on his own. Why? Did Emma’s death affect him this much? Was this his way in pushing those he’s close to away? Questions gave way to more questions in her head and was paused when he called her name.

“You were only with us for a short period of time, but thank you for supporting Toman up until now.” He spoke with a tone of distant kindness. “I know Mitsuya will be fine as long as he’s with you.”

That was it. She knew what he was doing. Her knowing gaze on the president reflected his solution, to which Mikey took note of and abruptly looked away before calling Draken up finally.

“Sano Manjiro, you are one egotistical brat,” the vice commander stated. “’Throughout the heavens, I alone am the honored one.’ We were all attracted to your charisma, which brought us to where we are now… I have no objections to the leader’s decision!”

He then bowed deeply, thanking the president. And in Manjiro fashion, he ended the disbandment with an inspirational message: Toman is forever in your hearts. The rest of the gang cheered as their cried, chanting the name they so proudly wore on their backs.

“Mikey… What are you trying to accomplish here?”

After the meeting disbanded for the final time, the captains gathered at the back of the shrine, still digesting the news. (Y/N) looked around and sighed to herself. As much as she wanted to confront the former commander about this, now wasn’t the time; the gang was apart of so much of their lives. Having experienced this with Kitsune, she empathized deeply.

They needed time to grieve.

“I can’t believe Toman’s no more, big bro,” Angry sniffled out and wiped his tears, to which his brother agreed.

“I’d do the same…” Smiley replied. “That guy’s lost so many important things to him.”

She walked over and handed the twins some tissues she had in her jacket pocket, to which they accepted and thanked her for. Watching his back from a distance, she noticed how much heavier his shoulders were compared to before.

He mentioned something about “to change the future” to Takemichi before; did it have to do with that?

“You look like your brain’s gonna cook itself in your head.” She blinked back to reality and looked up to see Mikey with his usual calm smile. Before she could speak, he answered for her.

“I’m not doing this to push any one away,” he clarified. “I’m doing this to protect everyone.”

“From what?”

“… From me,” he looked down and muttered to himself before showing his face again with the same smile. “So don’t worry about me, okay? I’ll be fine.”

“Y’know that’s gonna have the opposite effect,” she flatly replied. Before she could pry any more, Hakkai suggested creating a time capsule to commemorate the disbandment, to which everyone agreed.

“Let’s write a letter to our future selves,” Mikey added. “And we’ll open it 12 years later!”

“Twelve years is oddly specific…” she noted to herself, but those around her thought it interesting and left it as is. Toman’s former commander suggested meeting here in a week and bring whatever’s important to them. After agreeing on the plan, the boys decided to take one final picture of the core group, with her as the photographer.

“I’d say my only regret was not taking more photos,” she confessed while adjusting the aperture and shutter speed of her camera. “I wanted to make a book out of it.”

“You were gonna use Toman to turn a profit?!” Chifuyu exclaimed. “What a crass woman.”

“That’s my girl you’re talkin’ ‘bout,” Mitsuya cocked his eyebrow at the blond, feeling offended for her.

“I was gonna make an album for myself n’ you dumb asses!” she shouted angrily and took a few test shots around the area for lighting adjustments. “What do you take me for?!”

Having established the pose, she focused in with a small tint of pink on her cheeks. They all decided to unbutton their jackets to drape over their shoulders, flexing their pecs and abs. She couldn’t help but think back to when she first saw Mitsuya during the Black Dragons’ fight with Taiju and lightly cleared her throat.

“What’s wrong? First time taking a photo with such muscular men?” Draken teased.

“Don’t flatter yourself, stick figure,” she deadpanned.

With the click of the shutter, the last of Toman was forever engraved in a photo.

Everyone wrapped up for the night, leaving Mitsuya and her alone at the shrine. They sat at the top of the stairs next to each other, staring at the vast emptiness of where members were not too long ago. She then reached over and cradled his head into the curve of her shoulder.

“You can cry, y’know.”

“I’m fine. I--”

“Drop the big brother act, Takashi,” she called him out, still staring straight at the shrine gate. “You’re a founding a member along with Mikey and Draken. You three are hurting the most. This team was your baby. You’re not the former second division captain of Tokyo Manji Gang nor are you the big brother to Luna and Mana at this moment.” Her hand trailed up from his neck to his cheek, where she gently caressed with her thumb. “Right now, you’re just Takashi. I’m right beside you, so lean on me more.”

And just like that, the dam of his emotions broke as he leaned into her shoulder and crumbled into sobs, hugging her from the side. Nearly four years of his wild youth, gone in the blink of an eye.

Toman gave him so much, but also took so much.

What was he going to do with himself now?

---

* Each button has a meaning on the school uniform; the second button represents "one's most beloved person" since it's the closest to their heart. Giving this away to a crush or your significant other means they're the most precious person to you. This is usually done during middle school or high school graduations, but I'm sure you know that already if you've read your share of shojo manga :)

---

Taglist: @netzukochannn @toobsessedsstuff @owiee12 @wakasasucker @ilykii @contreviva @crowbird @mor-pheus @yourrdarling

[warmnessonthero]

So for a while now I’ve been wanting to rewrite LITH2 Season 5, since it’s... not it. I’m not a pro writer but here goes nothing.

Love Island Episode 1:

The van slowly came to a stop. The chauffeur got out of the car and went around to open my door. I hadn’t gotten out yet and I already had a knot in my throat. I took a moment to look at the splendor of the Villa. The modern structure stood before me, almost calling my name.

I brushed a strand of my silver hair out of my face and started walking. My heels clicked on the cobblestone, as I walked towards the iconic entrance. Just as I walked in, there was a girl in the big living room. The tan and bubbly girl smiled at me, looking at me through her golden locks.

- “Hi! I am Dana. And you’re a total spice bomb”- Dana’s eyes checking me out. - “So pumped you’re gonna be in the Villa with us! But here I am rambling on and I haven’t even asked your name.” – Dana frowned at herself and smiled coyly.

- “Hey, Dana! I’m Zion” I replied, matching her bubbly attitude.

- “So great to meet ya, Zion!” Dane exclaimed while giving me a hug. - “Can’t believe we’re all here.”

Girl, me too.

- “How are you feeling about arriving at the Villa, Zion?” - she said, beckoning me with a gesture of her hand as she walked down a hall. I took a moment to consider what my answer was.

I don’t want to come off as weak.

- “I’m excited!” - I replied walking after her, looking around me in disbelief. - “I know I just got here, and can’t lie, I feel a bit nervous, but I’m already so excited!”

- “Hopefully we’re both gonna be here for a long time and have a blast! Who knows what could happen… or exactly what your summer on Love Island will be.” - A more insecure tone gave way on her voice.

We turned right on the hallway and reached the stairs.

- “Come on, let’s go upstairs. I can’t wait for you to meet Kat… and she’s got a surprise for you, too!” – Dana said. We reached the top of the stairs and she open the door on our left.

Dana and I entered the communal bedroom as a pop sounded. A very fit, fair skin girl was already in there. Her dark brown hair falling unto her shoulders.

- “Cork popped just as you walked in. That’s gotta be a sign.” - She put down the bottle as foam was coming out of it, and walked towards me swaying her hips.

- “Zion, this is Kat! I made her wait until you showed up to pop the fizz.” - Dana said, smiling looking at us as Kat gave me a kiss on each cheek.

Well, Dana, it kind of didn’t work.

- “Well, I ain’t a patient girl.” - Kat shrugged as she went back to the bottle, picking it up and pouring champagne on three glasses. - “Still, Dana bet you’d be a proper ten. And she was bang on.” - I could feel the judgement in her words. She was measuring me.

We are not going to make enemies so soon. That’ll come later.

- “Thanks, you’re both tens, too.” I replied smiling at Kat as she was handing me a glass. Kat looked content with my answer, and Dana bit her lip smirking.

- “Aw, thanks, Zion. Us girl gotta stick together.” Dana added.

I mentally rolled my eyes. As if any of this girls won’t hesitate to couple up with whoever they fancy, whether I fancy them or not.

- “And glad to hear you’ve got good taste, babe. Even if you’re just stating the obvious.”- Kat nodded approvingly.

Urgh.

- “Let’s hit this party started!”- Dana exclaimed.

- “Here’s to a summer full of…” - Kat started saying and looked at me signaling to continue.

- “…love and lust!” I added, as we raised our glasses.

- “Goals!” Dana happily said, taking a sip of her glass.

- “Open to love for sure, but lust is a must for me.” Kat responded, licking her top lip.

I took a big gulp of my glass. Alcohol, help me.

- “So, what are your types on paper then, girls?” - I said, wanting to get the goss.

- “Love anyone who can make me laugh till I cry. If you’ve got the bants, you’re getting in my pants” - Dana laughed as she said.

That easy, huh?

- “Don’t really have a type” - Kat replied. - “As long as they’re a 6-foot, confident, bad boy with muscles and tats.” - The brunette added.

That IS a type.

- “I get bored fast and I need a boy who can keep me on my toes. Or I’ll run a riot” - Kat stated.

This girl either will be trouble or will be my best friend.

- “Sounds like you know what you want.” - I replied, looking at her squinting my eyes, as I was trying to form an opinion.

- “I might mix it up a bit in here, tho. My nan wants me to find a nice boy.” - Kat pondered.

Kat phone pinged.

- “I got a text!” - Her eyes opened, as she excitedly looked at her phone. - “Girls, get ready to meet the boys! But there might just be an unexpected surprise for one of you. #HereComesTheBoys #First Coupling” - She chirped, almost singing the text.

- “Unexpected surprise? What doe that mean?” - I added, my mind racing.

- “I reckon there’s gonna be a proper plot-twist lined up for us this year.” - Kat said as she drank from her glass again.

Yeah, no shit, Sherlock. There is a plot-twist every year.

- “If we are meeting the boys, looking our best is a must. Let’s go see the dressing room!” - Dana exclaimed starting to head towards the door.

We crossed the upstairs hall into the door right in front of the bedroom. We rummaged through our bags, getting our makeup kits out into the dressers, checking ourselves in the mirror, looking for imperfections in our makeup.

- “I can’t stop thinking about the surprise. What could it be?” - I asked as I applied more lip gloss.

- “Whatever it is, you know it’s gonna be big!” - Kat answered, readjusting her black bikini. - “The text said it’s about one of us.” - Kat continued, while I sprayed some perfume in the air around me, and Dana twirled around in front of the mirror.

- “I’ve got a cheeky feeling this surprise is about Zion.” - Kat looked at me, raising an eyebrow.

Are you a psychic now?

- “Really?” - I turned to look at her.

- “Just a hunch.” - She shrugged.

We checked ourselves in the mirror some more, winking at myself. My turquoise bikini was stuck to all the right places. I had dressed to impress.

- “This boys are gonna lose their heads when they see you.” - Kat said as she looked me up and down, a hint of jealousy hidden in her words.

At that moment my phone lit up.

- “I got a text!”- I said happily. - “Zion, the boys are waiting by the pool for the first coupling. You get the first pick of the boys. #TakeYourPick #FirstChoice” - I said, increasingly raising my voice with emotion.

Kat frowned.

- “As if you get first choice!” - She pouted as she said it.

Envy doesn’t suit you well, hun.

- “Go get ‘em, girl!” - Dana jumped in.

I looked one last time in the mirror and walked downstairs into the backyard. I stepped out into the garden to find two boys waiting for me by the pool. I looked back for a second and could see the girls hanging back at a distance.As soon as the boys saw me, they started cheering.

- “Here we go.” - said a blonde guy.

Hell yes.

His body was A plus. He had a face of an angel; with the most defined jaw I ever saw. Some strands of his hair falling in front of his eyes.

- “Now we’re talking!” - Added the second boy. His body was just as impressive as the blonde guy’s. His dark chocolate skin glistening under the sun.

- “Love your outfit, babe. All the flames. I’m Eddie.” - Said the blonde guy, with a seductive grin.

- “Your looking blinding, darling. Hot first impression. I’m Alfie.” - Interrupted the other Islander.

Time to get my flirt on.

- “Looking tasty, boys.” - I said winking at them. - “My name is Zion.” - I walked across the garden path swaying my hips, showing off all my best angles.

- “You seem like a total vibe, and I reckon we’re gonna have a laugh.” - Alfie said, winking back at me.

- “And you are my absolute type on paper.” - Eddie intervened.

- I smirked to myself. - “Is it just you two?” - I said looking around for a third boy.

There are three girls, so there must be a third boy. The more the merrier.

On cue, another boy came out from behind a pillar, and I immediately felt my stomach turn. A tall, dark, very muscular figure that I knew so well approached us.

- “Hello, beautiful. I always knew we’d see each other again.” - Said the Greek god in front of me.

Oh no. Not my ex.

My jaw clenched.

- “Suresh…” I nodded, swallowing hard.

Play it cool, Zion.

- “Didn’t expect to see you here, Suresh.” - I said trying to sound unbothered.

- “I bet you didn’t.” - He said, a devilish grin showing up on his face.

The other two boys kept looking between me and Suresh, confused.

- “I guess we should explain, so we can get on with it all.” - I said, sighing.

- “That’s all you’re gonna give me after all this time?” - Suresh crossed his arms, frowning at me.

- “I’m busy meeting these boys, if you haven’t noticed.” - I replied, winking at Eddie and Alfie. They smiled in response.

- “Look at us both on Love Island together.” Suresh added, unhappy with the little attention I gave him.

- “There hasn’t been an us for a long time. You know this.” - I said, fixing a frown his way.

- “So, you two actually dated?” - Eddie asked, inquisitively.

- “For over a year. Could say a lot more. But I don’t kiss and tell.” - Suresh responded, puffing his chest.

- Alfie looked at him, sizing him up. - “Something tells me there’s a reason why you’re dodging, Suresh.”

Suresh looked at Alfie, frowning.

- “Getting the same. What went down?” Eddie turned to me, asking.

I opened my mouth to respond, but Suresh didn’t let me talk.

- “That’s personal, between me and Zion. Let’s just say mistakes were made on both our parts and we broke up.” - He said, coldly.

I sighed. There he goes again.

- “Well, she broke up with me.” - Suresh added.

- “It was a mutual breakup, there was no future for us, and you know it. You couldn’t forgive me, and I couldn’t forgive you. Move on.” - I said, already tired of talking about the past.

- “There is a lot more to it than this. Defo two sides to this story.” - He said, lowering his voice, frowning a little.

- “Spill, geezer.” - Demanded Alfie, staring at Suresh.

- “I slipped up one night.” - Suresh said, looking at the floor, rubbing his hand to the back of his neck.

- “Not cool.” - Eddie frowned, clutching his fist.

- “Yeah, well, Zion found out and paid me with the same coin.” - Suresh started to defend himself but paused when he looked back at me.

- “If you thought you were the only one that had options, you were wrong. It’s funny how guys can cheat but if the girl does the same, then guys are forever acting the victim.” - I crossed my arms, angrily looking at him.

Both Alfie and Eddie were at a loss for words.

- “I told you many times it was a one-time thing.” - Suresh started saying, but Alfie interrupted him.

- “Nah, geez, it’s never just one time.”

- “Well, there’s a lot you don’t know. But me being here changes the game, boys.” - Suresh’s confidence that had left him a while ago, came back, and he stood a little bit straighter.

- “Or me and Alfie just became better options.” - Eddie concluded, smirking.

- “Things are definitely looking better for you two.” - I replied, grinning at Eddie and Alfie.

Eddie caught my eye, and I winked.

- “Well, I’ve been pumped to get to know you since you first walked out.” - He said, winking back at me.

- “Cheers, Eddie, love you too, mate.” - Alfie said, trying to defuse the situation with a joke.

Hope he has better jokes.

- “Have you always been a joker, Alfie?” - I asked, smiling at him.

- “Yep. I get it from my old man. He’s always cracking me up at work. We’ve got a family building firm.” - He answered. - “What do you say, Zion? Am I ticking a few boxes?” - Alfie bit his lip and looked at me.

- “Maybe. It’s to early to tell, and I just met you. You may have to work a little harder.” - I sticked my tongue out at Alfie. -“What about you, Eddie? Tell me a bit about yourself?” - I directed my attention to the blonde, looking him up and down.

Eddie is a bit of me.

- “I’m a country boy originally. But I’m now in London, often chilling with friends and doing some modelling.” - Eddie said, passing a hand through his hair. - “My mom always says I have a face any girl will fall for.”

- “I think she is right.” - I smiled and bit my lip.

Suresh frowned but didn’t say anything. Eddie continued talking.

- “Truth is, I’ve been single for a while and I’m definitely ready for something serious… with the right girl.” - He looked at me. - “Maybe that’s you, Zion? Could I be a bit of you?”

Oh yes, you are.

- “It depends. You think I might be a bit of you?” - I said, flirting. Eddie nodded, swallowing hard.

Suresh shakes his head and lets out a low huff.

- “What about me, babe? Don’t I get a chance to have a proper chat?” - He said, trying to draw the attention back on himself.

- “There are two other girls, you can save your chat for them.” - I replied. Suresh looks away just for a moment, his jaw tightening just a little.

- “Right, then…” - Alfie said. - “…Time to choose who to couple up with, Zion.”

- “Great. Boys, step forward if you fancy what you see.” - I winked.

Alfie stepped forward, shrugging his shoulder with disarming confidence. Eddie stepped forward next, rubbing the back of his neck with boyish charm. And then, Suresh stepped forward too. I looked at all three boys with a smirk of content.

- “So, who are you going to couple up with, Zion?” - Eddie asked, avoiding my eyes.

- “I’d love to couple up with Eddie!” - I said, grinning at him.

Eddie grinned back at me. Alfie looked disappointed, while Suresh gave nothing away. I went over to Eddie and kissed his cheek. He in turn placed his arm around my waist. He leaned closer to me.

- “Excited to share this experience with you.” – Eddie whispered.

As I was going to reply, Kat barged in.

- “Sorry to break this up… But not really! Girl’s gotta get her time. I’m Kat!” - The brunette walked slowly and confidently towards us.

- “Alright, Kat?” - Alfie said.

- “From the look on your faces, I can tell I’m not disappointing you. PS: I never do.” - Kat looked at the three boys and licked her upper lip.

Her eyes lingered on Suresh the longest.

- “We’ve got an ex in the villa. What a surprise.” - Her focus fell on me. An amused expression on her face. – “Feels a little weird that I’m not bringing up the drama, for once. But it’s early days.”

- “Coming on strong, Kat. That’s for sure.” – Alfie affirmed.

- “I don’t know any other way, so if you like what you see, you know what to do.” – Kat stuck her tongue out.

Suresh looked at Kat teasingly, then he and Alfie both stepped forward.

- “You’ve defo caught my eye.” - He smirked.

- “Had to step forward, didn’t I? You’re an absolute sort. – Alfie added.

- “Thanks, boys. You’re both absolute fire too. I could see me having a lot of fun with either of you.” – Kat replied.

Her eyes then fell on Suresh.

- “But there is defo something about you, Suresh. Or six somethings. Specifically those abs. “ – The brunette said quickly looking at me.

- “Oh?” - Suresh’s expression changed.

- “The boy I want to couple up with is… Suresh. – Kat smiled.

Suresh gave me a subtle look before Kat joined him. I shuffled a bit in my spot. Eddie looked at me, inspecting me. We both need to crack on. Kat looked at me from her couple:

- “Sorry, babes. But I didn’t come to the Villa to not get what I want. “ - she shrugged.

Kat pulls Suresh close, running her hands up and down his six pack sexily.

- “No biggie. He’s an ex for a reason.” - I said trying to sound as chill as possible. I shrugged at the PDA.

- “Pretending you don’t care is defo the way to go.” – Her smart reply annoyed me.

- “Moving on…” – I ended it.

Alfie stood by himself. The moment was broken by Dana, smiling as she walked towards us with so much confidence… until she stumbled a bit.

- “Woah. Got yourself there?” - Alfie asked.

- “All good. I’m not used to heels. But thought I’d make an effort.” - Dana blushed.

Everybody laughed.

- “I’m Dana, by the way.” - She continued. –“Now, who wants to step forward?”

Alfie stepped forward. For a second it felt like Eddie might, but he just changed his position and shuffled closer to me. Suresh stepped forward. Kat did not seemed happy about it.

- “Sorry, Kat. But Dana seems like she has a cool vibe. – Suresh shrugged.

- “She is a cool girl. But I’m fire. Maybe you’re scared of getting burned.” - Kat replied rolling her eyes.

- “The boy I will couple up with is…” - Dana paused and looked at both Alfie and Suresh. – “Alfie.”

Dana and Alfie hugged as Suresh came back to his spot next to Kat, while she tried to act like she wasn’t seething. I’m glad. Suresh looks at you. Give it up, is not meant to be.

- “Well, that was eventful.” – Eddie interrupted the silence.

- “First coupling done and dusted, then. What next?” - Alfie asked.

Dana’s phone pings.

- “The first coupling isn’t FINN-ished yet! #BombshellComing.” - Dana read. – “Love it!”

- “Oh my days!” - Kat exclaimed.

Kat’s jaw hit the floor as a hunky, tall man with tats walked across the garden.

- “Hello, beautiful people!” - the stranger said.

The stranger brushed his long brownish hair and smiled at all the girls.

- “My type on paper.” – Kat whispered.

- “What’s the craic, people? I’m Finn.” – the tatted guy nodded.

- “Are you Irish? Cause I love your accent!” - Dana mentioned.

- “Very kind. Yeah, I’m from Dublin. You ladies are looking beautiful.” - Finn winked.

Alfie and Eddie looked worried. Suresh doesn’t seem bothered at all. Finn then got a tex.

- “I got a text!” - he said excitedly. – “Finn, in 24 hours you’ll get to couple up with a girl of your choice. The boy no longer in a couple will be left single and at risk. #StealingHearts #TakeYourPic.” - Finn read. – “Wow, sorry boys.”

Awkward silence hangs while everyone takes in the news.

- “Loving your tats, babe.” - Kat smiled. Finn grinned.

- “So, who do you like the look of so far then, Finn?” - Eddie asked.

- “Who needs to be worried?” - Alfie nervously joked.

- “Boys, boys, boys. You’ll find out soon enough.” - Finn grinned.

- “You’re almost as bold as me, Finn. “– Suresh spoke for the first time.

- “I’ve barely got started, fella. But on first impressions you girls are ALL ticking boxes.” - Finn winked. – “Especially this one.” - he pointed at me, shooting me a sexy look.

- “Hello.” - I said trying to keep my cool.

- “Suresh is your ex? Let’s just say he’s got great taste.” - Finn almost made me blush by saying that. – “I’ll guess we’ll see if things heat up between us.”

- “I though Eddie’s abs were impressive. But Finn, you’re something else.” - Kat looked at me as she talked.

- “I like to stay in shape for sure. You look good yourself.” - Finn replied.

- “I do all my exercise on the dance floor… Or in the bedroom.” - she said seductively.

- “So, what do you do, Finn?” - I asked after composing myself.

- “I make people happy for a living. I run a craft brewery with some pals.” - He smiled.

Free beer. Dana’s phone dings:

- “I got a text! Islanders, get ready to take part in a couples quiz hosted by Finn! #Who’sVibing #MetYourMatch.” – recited Dana.

- “Sounds like we’re about to get really personal!” - Finn exclaimed.

Dana whispered to me as she passed by.

- “I’ll find you in a few minutes.” - she whispered.

Before I could say anything, she grabbed Suresh by the hand and went to talk to him. I went to the kitchen to refill my water bottle and I curiously looked at them. She suddenly left him and ran my way.

- “What did you talk about with Suresh?” - I asked as she came closer.

- “Let’s head for a chat?” - She asked.

- “Just tell me here.” - I annoyedly retorted.

Dana checked no one was in earshot.

- “So, I might have dug him a bit. Told him to not be so cocky in his position.” - she said.

- “In regards to me?” - I asked incredulously.

- “Yes. He agreed with me that he was an idiot for cheating on you. He said the intense connection you had made him scared.” - She spilled.

- “I appreciate it, Dana. I really do. But you don’t really need to speak in my behalf. You are out of line.” - I said calmly.

- “Are you still attracted to him?” - Dana asked, confused.

- “That is none of your business. Right now I’m with Eddie, and I fancy him. And that’s it.” - I said.

- “You deserve better.” -She claimed.

- “Babes, I really need you to focus on your couple and leave my relationships alone.” -I smiled through gritted teeth.

Dana looked like she wanted to say something more, but she moved on. She spoke again:

- “I’d cut loose and put them in their place.” - She added.

I said nothing and left the kitchen. Keep it chill, Zion. Suresh walked over but I avoided him, and walked up to Eddie, who was talking with Alfie. I came here to find new love. Even if it got a lot more complicated.

- “Hey.” - Said Eddie. – “Lets go prepare for the challenge.”

- “Yeah. We need to get to know each other.” - I replied, setting everything else aside in my mind.

[taeyohonic]

stolen dances | chap. III

summary: sometimes supporting the person you love is the hardest challenge you’ll ever face.

pairing: jeon jungkook x fem!reader

rating: m

warning: swearing

additional tags: f2l, ceo!jungkook, bestfriend!jungkook, shrink!yoongi, my best friend’s wedding meets 27 dresses (if the boss/secretary couple had happened), angst-y

words: 1300

links: prologue, chap. I, chap. II, chap. III, chap. IV, chap. V

note: lower case letters intended

“i did nothing wrong”, jungkook whines in your direction as you sip on the just creamy enough pina colada in your hands. your best friend is glowing in the tropical sun. the both of you are spread across loungers with your feet brushing against hot sand.

“you are so wrong it hurts”, you snort and look at his skin. he gets tanned so easily, you think in envy. you arrived two days ago – a long weekend made your last-minute escape possible. that and jungkook’s private jet at your disposal. you can hear taehyung and jimin arguing in the water, their bare chests pushed against each other in mocked hostility.

“cut it out”, seokjin shouts from the shore. the boys are as chaotic as every and even after all the practice juggling elementary school students daily, their boastful energy still overwhelms you. so much so that you don’t notice how jungkook gets up and moves closer to you. without asking – as if he ever does – your best friend snatches your drink.

“hey”, you complain and try to push him away. but he is too close too fast, his skin smells like summer and you can’t bring yourself to touch him. the man in question looks at you with a raised eyebrow, clearly confused by the missing repercussion. you normally fight harder for your alcohol.

“tell me what i did wrong, ____”, he orders you and presses the chilled cocktail glass against your warm arm. you flinch at the contrast – the drops of condense water too cold for your body.

with your eyes fixed on the tiniest scar high up his cheek, you answer his question.

“jungkook, you flew away… invited your friends… and not your fiancée.” you don’t know why you have to spell it out to him, but he still seems clueless.

“she has an important meeting tomorrow. there is no way she could have just packed her bags for a weekend get-away”, he sounds more like a son defending himself to his mother than a fully grown man.

“so, why didn’t you ask her? a question doesn’t hurt. and… it shows her that you care.”

jungkook shakes is head in frustration; you just won’t understand him, you are not even trying to see this from his perspective.

“but i did request that it’s added to her calendar… that’s basically asking.”

you wrinkle your forehead in confusion. wait… no, he didn’t, did he?

“jungkook, did you… did you talk to her assistant rather than her in person?”, you ask in astonishment. your friend looks at you like you’ve swallowed a jellyfish in front of him.

“i had to know her schedule, ____. it’s only logical for my secretary to call hers.”

yeah, sometimes you are glad that you’ve buried your crush under layers upon layers of repression. jungkook is a lousy fiancé.

“you… this is unbelievable... i ca-“

before you can finish your rant, there is a cold, wet body pressed against your back. you hiss in surprise, clearly not expecting taehyung to sneak up on you like that. his dripping hair is tickling your neck and you shiver at the closeness of jungkook’s friend.

taehyung begins to rub soothing circles across your bare arms, still caging your body. jungkook’s stare is fixated on your neck, a thoughtful expression on his face as he watches the wet hair brushing against your skin.

“what’s unbelievable, honey?”, he asks and inserts himself in your conversation casually. jungkook huffs at the nickname. he will regret till the end of days that he introduced you to his former bandmates and close friends during a pancake brunch.

not only that you chugged a whole jar of honey as a dare from seokjin, no, jimin ate so many pancakes that day, it made him throw up all afternoon… in jungkook’s bathroom. the things he had to see… just because he presented a new… important person to them.

“jungkook letting his assistant tell her assistant that he’s going on vacation instead of… just calling her himself”, you answer him and look at your best friend. he has the decency to look ashamed, but taehyung just chuckles in responds.

“honey, that’s how it works.”

“thank you, new best friend!”, jungkook exclaims and points at the male hidden behind you. “thank you for understanding.”

you shake your head at both of them. “you both have no clue how a relationship works.”

with some effort you escape taehyung’s hold and get up from your lounger. jungkook looks the tiniest bit wounded at your words.

“you said she has a big presentation tomorrow, right?”, you ask him, more for show than for clarification. he nods wordlessly. “so, maybe she is nervous, overworked… or i don’t know... doubting herself. maybe she wants to practice her speech… for the millionth time. maybe she is biting her nails right at this moment… and maybe… she needs someone with her – because she can’t go on a vacation.”

both former idols watch your rant with wonder in their eyes. are you crossing a line here?

“just – whatever. if you business people do relationships like a transaction, then… be my guest. but her texting you that you did something wrong? that tells me she’s hurt, jeon.”

ouch, his family name does the job and your friend flinches under your stare.

“what kind of vibe is this here?”, jimin snorts and drabs one arm around your shoulder. him and seokjin just arrived at the lounge. taehyung clicks his tongue before answering.

“well, honey just told us we will never be good enough for her”, he summarizes. “we’re just mourning all the never born children we could have had.”

you laugh at his audacity and slap the back of his head. jungkook doesn’t respond, or move for that matter. he seems deep in thoughts.

“so… my chances just got better?”, seokjin asks and some of the tension leaves the air as everybody groans.

“come on, old man, let’s make some sandwiches”, jimin says and collects the oldest still chuckling at their banter.

“take me with you!”, taehyung pleads and gets up as well, “my drink is empty, and i’m not drunk enough to reflect honey’s relationship advice.”

soon, there is just you and jungkook, him still in his own head. you sit down next to him; now regretting your harsh words. why do you have this weird masochistic reflex to insert yourself in his relationship?

“hey”, you say and bump his shoulder with your own. there is an honest smile on your lips, which jungkook reciprocates after a beat. “hey”

“i didn’t want to be mean”, you apologize, “just, forget what i’ve said. i have no idea what i’m talking about.”

you really don’t. relationships only exist as a thought in your mind; your experience is so limited, it’s laughable that you are even trying to give advice. your friend squeezes your shoulder silently. there is a long moment without spoken words, only his touch.

“please, don’t have seokjin’s kids”, jungkook says and you snort very unlady-like.

*

that night, jungkook takes is private jet and flies back to seoul. he just makes it in time to see his fiancée before her presentation. there is not even a note left for the rest of you, now without transportation. seokjin calls in a few favors. still, you don’t make it in time for your session with yoongi. his disappointment only grows when he sees the faint taint on your summer kissed skin.

damn you, jeon jungkook.

__

hey! thank you so much for reading! I’ve had a bad day and needed something to lift me up! Hope you guys enjoyed this; please let me know if you did!

All the love and happy thoughts to you from, dana

taglist: @livewittykid​ @thequeen-kat​