#*honks horn miserably*

[deepestturtlepielover]

Gonna draw it

if i could draw:

Odo cheering up Quark post-Little Green Men by shifting into the ship he lost

but like, Odo only has so much mass

so Quark is just miserably meandering around the promenade in like a sentient spaceship version of one of these:

[dragonji]

been doing so well on the neuroticisms front for the past few weeks and idk what changed but major nosedive for the night lol uhm .

[forwhump]

a/n; as promised, some wren <3 I said somewhere “nothing good happens now for a long time” so here’s some not good things happening >:)

I consider the second part of this whole thing (I’ll pick a title eventually) the “farmhouse arc” & the arcs are all based around the different vibes i felt like writing at the time LOL

this is when i was feeling slasher/serial killer sort of vibes & also hopelessly devastating yearning but worry not: it’s still just horrible shit happening to my (our ?? 👀) favourite little guy <3 (but seriously wren gets tortured in this one)

tw/cw: kidnapping, false imprisonment, sexual slavery, implied rape/noncon, mentions of past rape/noncon, misgendering, transphobia, psychological torture, drowning, burning but with water (boiling ???), mentions of necrophilia, mentions of a living weapon, dehumanization, body fluids

creepy whumper

Wren wakes up in the dark, naked and shivering.

It isn’t the first time, not even close, but something about this time is different. Wrong. He knows even before he’s opened his eyes.

He doesn’t recognize any of the sounds for a long time, a sort of rumble that’s so familiar but out of reach, detached. The floor beneath him moves restlessly, almost vibrating. It isn’t until somebody honks in the distance, laying on the horn, that Wren recognizes the hum of traffic and his throat constricts so tightly it makes him gag.

He’s in a trunk. He’s outside. But there’s none of the relief, there isn’t a deep breath of fresh air, because there are only two people Wren knows that would want to get him out of the district and above ground. Only one of those people, Wren thinks, would throw him in the trunk.

Now he’s alone. He’s more alone than he’s ever been. Trapped, and the farthest from Silas he’s been since he’s known him and Wren can’t save himself. How is he supposed to save himself?

That thing bursts in his throat and Wren screams bloody murder. The car swerves quickly, Wren slides, hits his head pretty hard but screams again, anyway. The car jerks and he hits his head again. He’s naked — he’s so fuckin’ tired of being naked. What’s the last thing he remembers?

What’s the last thing he remembers?

He doesn’t remember anything; nothing that ends with him in the boot of a car. How did he get here? Where’s Silas?

What the fuck happened to Silas?

He isn’t really the type to let Wren get far without him, but Silas has never been above ground, not as much as he remembers. Wren doesn’t even know how long he’s been unconscious, so he can’t even begin to guess how far they’ve gotten. Not that knowing that would even do him any good, seeing as Wren has no idea where they came from, doesn’t have the first clue where the district might be. How is Silas ever going to catch up? How is ever going to find him?

Wren’s never going to see him again.

It’s like cold water. It’s barbed. It knocks the wind out of him and he doesn’t scream again, but he makes a helpless, gasping sort of sound, the same sound he makes when he tries to scream in his nightmares.

Wren is never going to see him again. The world is too big and Silas is too unfamiliar with it; Point is never going to let Wren go. He’d kill him before he got far. He’d fuck his corpse once he’s dead.

Wren’s naked and shivering in the boot of a car and nothing is ever going to be the same again. The end of Wren’s life is unfolding formally in the trunk of Point’s car; the only way this ends now is with Wren’s death, or with Point’s. He’s never going to let him go. There’s nobody around anymore to save him. His life, in the district, had been grey and miserable, but he hadn’t been lonely. There had been warmth.

Wren’s never going to be warm again.

He tries to scream — he makes another breathy, choking noise. In the miserable grey of the district, he wouldn’t have been able to imagine being above ground and wanting to go back under it. Now, he can’t take a full breath in and his chest buckles beneath the weight and he starts to hyperventilate in the darkness of the trunk. He wants his books, and his brother. He wants Silas. He wants his looming shadow and his protective hand on Wren’s back. He wants the way he says Wren’s name, with the faintest twang of Wren’s accent because that’s how he had learned to say it. He doesn’t want to be alone.

The world is too big and Wren is completely alone. He takes another hitching breath and his chest hitches along with it. He doesn’t want to be alone. He can’t do this alone. He can’t do this by himself.

The car screams to a stop and Wren hits his shoulder so hard he feels the pain in his wrist. When the trunk flies open above him, Wren doesn’t have time to think or react — the world is so much brighter than he can remember it being. As the trunk opens, the light is let in, and it’s like being blinded, so bright he sees spots. He can’t keep his eyes open against it, and he flinches; as he’s flinching, Point is already reaching into the trunk with him, grabbing him around the throat.

He grabs him so tightly Wren can’t breathe under his hand and he makes an empty, wheezing sort of sound. Point grins widely; he’s here with him and still, Wren’s never been so alone. He grabs at Point’s wrist, tries to pry him off, claw him away, but he presses Wren a little harder into the boot of his car and says, “shucks. You’re awful pretty when you’re scared, cowgirl.” In his other hand, he has a rag he uses to cover Wren’s mouth and his nose. It smells sweet and Wren already knows what’s coming, even before the spots burst in his vision and the light starts to get wavy, blurry. “Unfortunately,” he adds, “you’re being awfully loud back here. I’m gonna need you to be a good girl and keep quiet a little longer, baby. You can scream as loud as you need to when we get where we’re going.”

He doesn’t even have time to scream.

He’s unconscious for a very long time.

Point keeps him sedated, keeps him under, and Wren only knows this because he knows to recognize the heavy, hazy feeling once he’s finally allowed to wake up again. It’s a different sort of headache than being knocked unconscious, a heavy throb of overmedication and dehydration.

He’s still naked, still on his back, but he isn’t still in the boot. He can’t open his eyes yet, his eyelids are too heavy, and his hands are tied, this time, wrists knotted behind his back. His fingers are pushed into what feels a lot like old shag carpet. “What?” Wren says, and he doesn’t mean to. But carpet?

There’s a series of sounds Wren recognizes quickly, a door being closed then locked, then locked again, then bolted. Point says, “well, good morning, cowgirl,” to the sound of him pushing something heavy in front of the door. “You’re right on time.”

Wren still can’t open his eyes. He slurs when he says, “what are you doing?”

“I got us a room,” he answers. “You need a bath.”

“What?” Wren says. He’s having a hard time thinking. Or is Point just not making any sense? They’re in a room? He chokes on a breath in, tripped up by the weight of sedation on his chest.

Conversational, Point says, “you can scream if you want to, baby. I made sure of it. I don’t know how soundproof the walls really are, but this place charges by the hour. Nobody’s gonna come running for a screaming girl.”

Wren still can’t open his eyes and it hurts when he swallows. Slowly, he says, “why are you doing this to me?”

“What?” Point replies. He snorts. “I got you out, cowgirl. You’re gonna have a warm bath.”

“I wanna go back,” Wren slurs.

“What?” He repeats.

“I don’t wanna be here with you,” Wren says. He’s being too honest and he still can’t open his eyes. He isn’t sure where the words are coming from — not his brain, that’s for sure. “I want Silas.”

“The fuckin’ dog?” Point spits, and then he’s quiet for a long time. He’s quiet for so long that Wren finally gains the strength to open his eyes again, blinking up at Point who’s leaned in close, too close, so close it makes Wren jump. He snarls in his face and takes a fistful of his hair. “That’s too fuckin’ bad,” he seethes, “you ungrateful whore.”

The room is exactly what Point said it would be, cheap and dirty, straight out of a 70’s porno or an 80’s slasher. It’s been a long time since Wren’s thought in any sort of movie references, and maybe being above ground again is bringing it out in him, maybe it’s the sedatives, but he thinks now, for some reason, about what happens to the blondes in every cheesy 70’s porno and every gory 80’s slasher, and he thinks, fuck. Panic finally starts to seep through the sedated cracks in his chest as Point hauls him across the filthy shag carpet by his hair.

Point drags him into a bathroom that wouldn’t look out of place behind a gas station and that looks like it hasn’t been cleaned in thirty years. The bathtub is coated with grime and the rusted pipes squeal as Point turns on the water, cranks it as far as he can. Somewhere deep, the heater rumbles, and the water that shoots from the faucet steams with heat. As the tub fills, the bathroom fogs, the water simmering in the filthy tub.

Panic rises up the back of Wren’s throat. He thinks he screams, but it might be the shriek of the pipes. “Darren,” he gasps, because he can’t catch his breath around the knot in his chest, he can’t breathe. Point snarls, and he tries, “don’t — don’t do this to me, don’t — don’t —,” gets stuck in a panicked sort of loop of, “don’t, don’t, don’tdon’tdon’tdon’tdon’t—” as Point pulls him up by his hair.

Wren begs, thrashes, pleads, panics, but Point lifts him with ease and a curled lip. He throws him into the tub, into the boiling water.

Wren’s skin starts to split immediately. Like boils, it starts to burst, opening through his skin and layers of tissue, worse at his palms and the bottoms of his feet, around the sensitive skin where his wrists are bound. Point reaches for the faucet, finally turns on the cold water, but with his other hand he keeps Wren in the tub as it boils, even as the skin of his own wrist peels away in the heat. He holds Wren in the water as he flails, and the nails peel from his fingertips as he claws at Point’s arm. He shrieks when he can, but he can’t very quickly; he can feel the heat in his lungs and he can feel the way the flesh starts to bubble with it, deep in his chest where it should be safe. He can’t scream because he can’t breathe and his upper lip splits open on one side.

When the water starts to cool, Wren’s skin still steams. It doesn’t feel hot, but like razor blades, hundreds of millions of razor blades, restless under his skin. He trembles so uncontrollably water sloshes from the tub at his stillest.

“The dog isn’t around to save you anymore, cowgirl,” Point says, dipping his other hand into the tub, shutting off the water once he’s deemed it’s acceptable. “I don’t want you to think about it again. Y’hear?” He adds, mocking, and pushes Wren’s head beneath the water.

Wren still trembles with heat and he never got to take a full breath in, hitching relentlessly. He doesn’t mean to gasp but he still inhales water. His hands are still tied behind his back.

He sputters, tries to hold his breath, to push himself up, but Point doesn’t let him break the surface. Point holds his head under water until Wren’s scorched lungs start screaming in protest and his vision starts to bloom dark spots. Point holds his head under water until Wren realizes he’s going to die.

It makes him think about Twilight, which is weird, but that’s what he thinks about. It might be the only thing he really knows about drowning. That and Silas, once, saying something passive about being waterboarded. But he doesn’t think about Silas, which is also weird. He thinks about Twilight, and how Bella said that drowning was peaceful.

She fuckin’ lied. It’s chaos, actually, and a screaming ache in his chest that feels like it might split him open down the middle. And he’s in a dirty fuckin’ bathtub, which sucks, and he’s still fuckin’ naked. He’s been naked for days, weeks, and now he’s gonna die naked. How fuckin’ demeaning. How humiliating. How unfair. How many years did he spend suffering underground just to die naked in a bathtub? What the fuck is that? Why is this happening to him?

Is anybody ever gonna know what really happened to him? Legally, he’s been dead for years, he knows this for certain. Point’s always been proud of himself for having made it happen. Nobody’s ever been looking for him. Nobody above ground knows what happened to him in the district and nobody in the district will know what happened to him once he left. Wren’s gonna drown in a bathtub and nobody but Point will ever know.

Closer to the end, things do get a little more peaceful. It doesn’t hurt any less, but everything starts to get sort of fuzzy and less severe. His fingers go numb. He thinks about Silas. It hurts a lot to die, and that makes him think of Silas.

He doesn’t die, not really, but that makes him think of Silas, too. He loses consciousness in the bathtub and comes to on the filthy bathroom tile, vomiting water. Point is pushing his wet hair out of his face and his touch makes Wren vomit again. “You feel better, baby?” He coos. “All clean?”

Wren throws up more water and it’s still hot on the way up. He’s trembling so uncontrollably it makes his muscles ache. It makes him think of Silas again, of the way his hands always shook. It makes him vomit again.

With another coo, Point turns him onto his back. It takes Wren a second to catch up with his body, it takes the panic a second to breach the surface of the water and he tries to gasp, chokes on it, vomits again. “Please,” he breathes, and Point laughs. The sound of his zipper is familiar. Wren chokes again as he tries to cry out, rasps, “please.” He tries to pull himself up, to so much as lean away, but his body is so heavy and shaking so uncontrollably and his trembling hands are trapped beneath his weight.

“You’re beautiful like this,” Point tells him.

“Don’t,” Wren rasps softly. “Please.”

Just as soft, Point says, “it’s just you and me now, cowgirl. You’re all mine. You might as well start getting used to it.”

His smile is unnatural. It isn’t human. Wren vomits again, still warm where it pools in the column of his throat and the dips of his clavicle.

“When I’m done with you,” Point says, curling a hand around the back of Wren’s thigh and he cries out, his skin still feels like razor blades, Point’s touch isn’t just bruising, it’s sharp, “we’ll get back on the road. I got a house waiting for us, baby. Big farmhouse in the countryside, nice and isolated. Nobody around to hear you scream.”

“Please,” Wren rasps, his breath hitching desperately.

“Nothing you can say or do will change the fact that this is gonna happen to you,” he tells him, soft and mock soothing. “You’re going to be kept chained up like an animal. You’re going to be used thoroughly and repeatedly. You’ll know your fuckin’ place, and you’ll show me the proper respect. You may not like it, cowgirl, but you’re fuckin’ sure gonna do it. You won’t like what happens to you if you don’t. It’ll be a lot worse than a warm bath.”

Wren’s heart beats in his throat and he wishes he had died in the bathtub.

Point’s kneeling between Wren’s thighs, starts rocking against him, coos softly when the warmth of his skin makes Wren vomit again. Why was he so desperate not to die? It has to be better than this. It has to be less miserable than this.

“Please,” he whispers, rough. “No more.”

“Oh, cowgirl,” Point says, and he smiles, wide and grotesque. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”

[am-i-obsessed---maybe]

Mother Of Shadows (Shadow Of A Bluejay Ch. 7)

A lot of backstory in this one and you know what that means... It's oc time! I like to think of Lady Lilith having just a nice evil british accent, real classic villain vibes. Anyway we're getting closer to the end. We've passed the halfway mark at least so don't forget to tell me what you think of this series so far in my ask box👍

I really wanna get some feedback on how it's going so far, especially if you read the original SHadow Of A Bluebird

Series Masterlist

Wordcount: 2.1k

Star City September 21, 14:30 PST

The final bell couldn't have rang soon enough. Today had been miserable. A physics pop quiz, english presentation day and you'd been up late the night before on patrol and to make it all worse it was hot. So very hot.

You were sweating as you walked out of school only to hear a loud honk when you tried to cross the street.

You turned around, trying to find the moron who honked only to see Roy waiting in one of Ollie's less flashy cars.

You ignored him and tried once again to cross only for him to honk again. This time people were looking.

You weren't typically the self conscious type but it was getting really uncomfortable so you gave in, walking over to Roy if only to tell him to shut it with the horn.

As you approached he lowered his window.

"Hey—" He tried.

"What are you doing here?" You questioned.

"I'm picking you up" He said.

"The first day of school was almost a month ago so I'll repeat. What are you doing here?" You asked again and he groaned.

"Just get in the car will you?" He asked but you stood your ground.

"No. Why are you here? You refuse to answer my texts, you don't pick up my calls, you walk off when we try to invite you onto the team and then when you need help you call Kaldur. You didn't even ask me, you went straight to him so why all of a sudden do you wanna see me?" You questioned and you heard another car behind him honk. He was holding up the parent pick up line.

"Will you just get in the car?!" He exclaimed and when you heard the start of another honk you gave in yet again, slamming the car door behind you as you buckled in. Roy drove off and yet no answer.

"Are you seriously gonna make me ask you again?" You asked, you'd taken a seat in the middle of the bench in the back.

"I wanted to say..." His volume fell off as he spoke.

"What?" You asked.

"I wanted to say I was sorry. I shouldn't have ignored you" He said. You weren't expecting that, though your heart hoped for a long time to hear those words. Three months to be exact.

"And the mission with Kaldur?" You asked.

"I called the cave, he was just the one there" Roy said.

"Yeah, so you went and unified the Rhelaias with him." You grumbled

"will you get out of your own ass for a second, this is important" Roy said and you rolled your eyes one last time.

"yeah, you're apologizing, not a common occurrence" You said.

"And I wanted to show you something." He said and turned into an empty parking lot and pulled out a file, handing it to you.

"what's this?" You asked.

"Open it" He said and carefully you did.

It read:

Mother Of Shadows

Project Iteration A-15

"Where did you get this?" You asked. You hadn't heard that name since Dinah took you in.

"I've been investigating the Shadow's dealing since I went solo, found that in an old lab." Roy said, "Now do you wanna get in the front so we can figure out what to do about this together?" He asked.

"You mean like, a mission? Just the two of us?" You asked and he nodded, smiling.

"Just like old times" He said.

Himalayan Mountains

September 22, 04:53 PKT

You looked out over the snowy mountain peak, snatching the binoculars from Roy.

"Are you sure the rest of the file is here?" You asked him.

"Yes. According to my info this is the base they moved their medical facilities to. Since I found the first file in the remains of their previous base the rest has to be here." Roy explained. He covered his usual suit with a white parka to protect from the cold and try to blend in while you simply used your polar stealth suit.

You nodded, giving him back the binoculars.

"Race you to the bottom of the base" You said and jumped down the mountain side.

"Hey, no fair, you got a head start" He complained, shooting a grappling arrow down to the base of the base and grappling down after you.

When Roy first gave you the file you were skeptical, you didn't want anything to do with the League Of Shadows especially Project MOS, the project that created you.

20 years ago Ra's Al Ghul went looking for a way for his shadows to be able to go toe to toe with the super powered heroes that appeared. The original heroes, the Justice Society didn't bother Ra's. But the Justice League, that was an issue. They thwarted him and his plans and he couldn't have that so he tried to create his own super powered shadows. He recruited a team of scientists who slowly found and isolated a group of genes. They had dozens of test subjects. None of them were successful. Not until you.

To no one's surprise you won the race.

"Beat ya" You said cheekily and Roy rolled his eyes.

"You cheated and we both know it" He said but the smirk on his lips told you it was all jest.

The two of you snuck your way in, working together like a well oiled machine. Three months had passed since you'd so much as had a full conversation with him but the two of you worked as if it'd only been a few minutes.

You made it into the records room without raising alarm and began to look through the filing cabinets.

You groaned, having gone through another row of files, "I can't tell what kind of organizational system this is, we can't just spend hours sifting through this" you said.

"Stop complaining and just look" Roy said and you huffed. The next few minutes were quiet and then the sounds of a body hitting the floor.

"Red Arrow—" You said and gasped as you saw what was in front of you.

Shadows filled the halls, all standing behind a woman, Roy's body unconscious on the floor below her.

You took a step back and collided with the filling cabinets.

When Ra's Al Ghul found his team of scientists he put one of his own in charge, after all he had to make sure that this crew stayed loyal to him with their findings. The woman he placed in charge of Project A- Mother Of Shadows was a woman by the name of Lady Lilith. A Geneticist who claimed she could find the purpose of any gene.

"It has been a long time, my child, have you finally come home?" The woman asked.

"What have you done to him?" You asked, fear flowing into your posture and voice.

"He is only knocked out. He will be fine. You on the other hand... I thought I taught you better than to get caught" She said.

After 14 failed attempts to create her own superhumans Lady Lilith decided that the only way to succeed was to use new donors. Until that point they had only used eggs and sperm from specimens that held the group of genes they discovered were responsible for the development of superhuman abilities. None of the tests born of those specimens survived long enough. Instead they used Lady Lilith as a donor. She did not possess the superhuman genes. Instead She spliced together multiple of the previous donors to create a viable embryo.

The woman motioned for the shadows to enter and two took hold of your arms.

"Come now child, we have tests to run" The woman said. "And bring the other one, we would not want any harm to come to him"

Infinity Island 5 years ago

You stood panting and sweaty in your black stealth suit, the rest of the combatants lying dead on the ground of the training room floor.

Lady Lilith stood on the balcony above, watching happily.

"As promised Great One, a superpowered shadow at your disposal" She said, pointing at you.

You fell to your knees in exhaustion. Still panting heavily. You were only 10 years old. Your body wasn't designed for such extreme exertion though perhaps it was made for it.

"And is flight the only ability they have developed?" Ra's asked.

"Do not misunderstand Lady Lilith, this quite satisfactory but I only think, what use is flight alone against super strength or speed?" He continued.

"Give it time oh, Great One. It is still early and the genetic potential for more remains" She said.

League Of Shadows Base, Himalayan Mountains September 22, 07:07

You'd been poked, prodded and examined since the shadows brought you into what appeared the be the base's lab, strapped down to the table. Beside you Roy was laid out, the same tests were being done to him, or maybe they were different, you weren't sure but he too was poked and prodded.

"Alright child, up you go" The voice of Lady Lilith said over a speaker as the restraints around your wrists and ankles opened. You sat up slowly and looked beside you to Roy.

"What do you want mother?" You asked wearily.

"Oh stop asking these silly questions and get up" She said.

She led you out to a training ground where she pushed you down the stairs. As your body fell you jumped into the air, landing niceley at the bottom.

"Let's see just what Canary has taught you darling" She said and clapped her hands, a dozen shadows running out onto the training grounds around you.

The first one tried to tackle you. He failed miserably.

The next attacked with his sword, it soon became your sword and on and on it went, all the while Lady Lilith stood above and watched.

When the final shadows laid unconscious on the ground you looked up, panting.

"What are you doing to Red Arrow?" You asked and Lady Lilith smiled.

"It's so sweet how much you care for that boy, he came all the way here with you so I assume he knows your history, what a surprise how fine he is with it" She commented.

"What do you want mother?" You asked, disheartened.

"Oh it's not what I want dear. It's what you will give" She said.

"I won't come back!" You told her, surprisingly boldly.

"Oh darling we discontinued project MOS ages ago. We work with mercenaries now. Of course someone with your abilities can always come in handy" She said and you understood.

"And what would you do if I said no?" You asked but Lady Lilith laughed.

"well will you?" She asked.

"I'm not the person you trained me to be" You told her and her smile was eery.

"Darling child, if you want to believe a few years with some heroes can undo years of training as well as genetics be my guest but I'm sorry to tell you that unlike the surprisingly accepting Red Arrow the rest of your team may not understand as much" She said, slowly coming down the stairs.

"How do you?" You asked but she tutted and shook her head.

"You didn't think we'd just let Canary take you off without keeping a watchful eye? Before you decide think about what Aqualad would say about your past. What about Kid Flash? Or Robin?" She asked. Once she was close enough she took your face in her palm.

"Do you think the Justice League would trust you if they knew just how many people you've killed?" She asked and you tried to look away. The only ones who knew everything about you were Dinah and Ollie and this was exactly why it was important that it stay like that.

"What about Red Arrow? Does he know? Does he accept you anyway?" She asked and tears began to flow down your cheeks under your mask.

"Please just, don't tell them" You whispered.

"Of course not my child. I would never" She said and placed a small device into a pouch on your utility belt.

"Now, I think it's time you took your sidekick friend home, don't you?" She asked.

Half an hour later you were helping a barely conscious Roy back up a Himalayan mountain.

"We can't just leave" He tried to say but you shook your head.

"I don't care about the file. We were lucky the shadow that got you didn't have time to alert anyone else" You lied.

"Now come on, we're going home" You told him.

[goldfishontheceiling]

TEAM E-SCOPE (+ Owen) BEACH HEADCANONS!!

Pronouns for these HCs:

Izzy: She/They/Xe (Izzy uses neoprounouns it's canon I'm Fresh TV /j)

Eva: She/He

Owen: He/Him

Noah: He/They

Izzy:

- insists on driving (do NOT let her drive!!)

- loves sitting in the front

- stares out the window or sings along to the radio most of the car ride

- begs Eva to stop at the gas station

- xe always gets sour gummy worms

- no sour gummy worms? sour patch kids

- no sour patch kids? sweedish fish

- no sweedish fish? RIOT

- absolutely LOVES the water

- they go out super deep and scare the shit out of everyone

- chases the icecream truck until xe gets the whole group icecream

- *borrows bridgette's surboard* *tries to surf* *fails miserably*

- 100% brings googles

- likes catching fish with their bare hands (or teeth)

-she splashed Eva once (and got thrown headfirst into Owen's sandcastle as a result)

- collects seashells

- tries to take home crabs as pets

- a little more chill on the ride home but this is Izzy we're talking about xe's never chill

Eva:

- designated driver (has road rage)

- *aggressively honks horn* "DRIVE FASTER BITCH"

- always gets some chocolate and a coffee at the gas station

- hates the radio but plays it for Izzy (she keeps the mp3 player on standby incase it gets too bad)

- mostly swims with Izzy or plays volleyball

- *plays volleyball with some strangers* *gets mad and chucks the ball at one of their faces*

- tries to relax (emphasis on the tries)

- she knows cpr!!

- he gets salt water and/or sand in her eyes everytime

- will yell at you (lovingly) if you forget to put on sunscreen

- he makes sure everyone drinks water (no Izzy ocean water doesn't count) and stays hydrated!!

- wears sunglasses pretty much the entire time

- will make sure nobody tracks sand into the car

Owen:

- sits in the back with Noah

- he gets everyone to play "I spy" with him (Izzy can't focus, Noah's half asleep, and Eva's more focused on trying not to scream then things that are the color yellow)

- if the others are busy/don't want to play he usually whips out the DVD player

- did I mention that he collects DVDs? his favorite movies are cloudy with a chance of meatballs, toy story, and ratatouille

- always gets gummy sharks or jolly ranchers

- Owen packs the best snacks and brings things they all like (strawberries, veggie straws, goldfish, cheez its, etc)

- he even made sandwiches and fruit salads!!

- the water's nice and all, but the SAND!!

- he makes the best sand castles

- since Owen canonically has 3 brothers, he knows a lot of games (sand castle building contest, marco polo, "who can dig the deepest hole in 5 minutes," etc)

- gives the seashells he finds to Izzy

- speaking of Izzy, xe burries Owen in the sand atleast once everytine they go

Noah:

- he ususally drives for shorter trips, but long car rides make him tired

- you can not convince me that this man doesn't latch on to Owen like a koala when he naps

- Owen angles the DVD player somewhere they could both see incase Noah wakes up

- at first, Noah just reads a book (or stares out the window when he gets carsick) but he always ends up falling asleep at some point

- whenever they stop at the gas station, Owen always makes sure to get something for Noah

- they always bring their book with them to the beach

- he protects that book like a lifeline

- once he either finishes the book or the others bug him enough, THEN he does stuff

- Izzy always tries to convince them to get in the water

- 9 times out of 10 he says no

- but on the occasional times they say yes, they almost drown

- Owen carries Noah pretty much everywhere lmao

- he doesn't really like water (and no I won't be making an IOTS refrence no matter how tempting it is)

- they help Owen with his sand castle!!

- Noah isn't much of a beach person but that doesn't mean he can't have fun

- and ofc he falls back asleep on the ride back

[masterj]

So, @lomotunes2008 , I haven't got around to designing Margot yet, but dammit, I couldn't wait any longer to post these facts about her story I came up with:

On the other end of Chug Town Trackside Towers is Chuggington Airport, a new location I will introduce in my headcanon (loosely based on what I saw in my dreams once or twice lol.)

Speed Fleet are the most common chugger here. It has a big station where passengers and parcels are transfered, and is the terminus of a newly built monorail line that goes all the way to Buffertonia.

Margot is one of the monorails on trial. Only up to four would be chosen to by Vee to stay.

Poor Emery was very hurt by Margot's mean words - but it wasn't Margot saying he was bad at his job that broke him - she also said his face looked like a pig, his swaying horns and buffers make him look like a ugly caterpillar, (Ooh, deja vu...) and that his eyes make him look like an ugly alien, because he has heterochromia. (Emery's left eye is green, and his right eye is blue)

And of course, he wasn't the only chugger she tormented; she called Chatsworth a wimp when she honked as loudly as she could at him, causing him to jump and overturn his hopper car.

She called Olwin a fat old fusspot because of her large streamlined body, and how upset she was when she got covered in sand from Chatsworth's car tipping over.

She called Old Puffer Pete a rusty, weak piece of junk and that he was the most useless, pathetic, and ditzy chugger she had ever seen, because he is the oldest in Chuggington and always gets the youngster's names wrong.

She finished off with I quote: "What's a smelly steamer like you still doing around?😒 Go find a scrapyard!😈"

Pete: 😨

What a bi🤬🤬🤬.

She then passes Hodge and Eddie and calls Hodge similar insults, due to the fact he is a 'hodge-podge' of scrap metal. Eddie, with his wrench clutched in his fist, shouted just what he thought of Margot insulting his faithful work companion, but alas, she was already leaving them far behind.

Margot is also very impatient and honked at everyone yelling at them to work faster, whether they were in her way or slowing her down in any way, shape, or form or not, kinda like Emily when she was bossy little b🤬tch in the S8 episode "Emily's Adventure."

Margot literally yelled exactly this at the start of her journey at The Airport, when the station porters were loading up her passenger's luggage, and honks at them, which only caused them to bump the trolley and drop everything, and the passengers, disturbed by her horn, were very angry; monorails are supposed to be quiet!

She then honked rudely at Wilson and Brewster hauling a heavy stone train from the quarry, telling at them to hurry up, even though they were not in her way or anything whatsoever because she is a monorail so they don't run on each other's tracks at all. Brewster thought Margot was the rudest monorail he'd ever met and Wilson was very cross.

But Margot thought 'it made them work harder'.

What a f🤬🤬🤬ing stupid 🤬🤬🤬🤬.

She even insulted Koko's speed claiming she could go three times faster than Hanzo, let alone her. Koko was fuming.

So yeah, she was indeed just being an absolute menace to society and causing confusion and delay overall lol, and Emery was especially miserable. He meets up with the main trio (and my yet-to-be-revealed main oc) in The Depot later and told them what she said to him. Already angry with Margot, they convinced Emery they need to tell Vee about her appalling behavior and overcoming the pain, he agrees.

But of course, they weren't the only ones to complain to Vee about Margot, and long story short, Vee was not happy, and indeed, there was nothing for it but for Margot to be sent away in disgrace. All the other chuggers and monorails went off back to work as normal, and Margot was put back on the wagon, and taken straight back to the Buffertonian production plant she came from by Dunbar. Did she ever change her ways? We may never know...

[neshabeingchildish]

We'll Raise Him Right

Tagged: Charlotte Page, Max Thunderman, Mika Macklin

Notes: Don't mind me. Just clearing my mind of a little bit of Charlotte x Max lore from my notes.

Plot: Charlotte Page and Max Thunderman's firstborn child gets his superpowers and Charlotte is not sure what she thinks of it all. Potentially Zenryverse, but no mention of Zenryverse characters.

Most superpowers come haphazardly. Charlotte could remember Max claiming that the Incredibles had it easy when Jack Jack was cycling through his in that movie. She had heard all about the fiasco of Chloe going through hers. She even watched footage and read every available article from the Metroburg Library on the subject. Alas, nothing can really fully prepare a typical human woman for the power manifestation of a supe infant.

Max wanted her to stay elsewhere until Baby Maximillian settled on a superpower, but there was no way that she was leaving her baby for some undetermined amount of time. So, when he cycled through storm powers, superstrength, shapeshifting and telepathy; Charlotte was present, nearby, trying to avoid demise as Max caught and comforted Mini Max. He would often do so by singing him lullabies and rocking him gently. That always seemed to be soothing for the baby in those trying times.

Eventually, Baby Maximillian began singing. He was 2 years old with the most beautiful singing voice Charlotte had ever heard. It was haunting, even. She was about to make note of that fact when suddenly, a violent scream tore through the sky and through her thoughts. An oncoming car swerved and missed hitting her by mere inches and she panicked as she realized that she was in the middle of the street. Horns honked at her, but she was more concerned about where her child was. She had been with him, and next thing she knew, she was in the street! What if someone had hit him? Tears welled in her eyes, but she heard crying and turned to see him, standing on the sidewalk, crying miserably.

The crying sounded excruciating. It was tearing her heart as she rushed to him. All she wanted was for it to stop. She pushed through the dread and gathered him to her heart. “Oh, Baby! Mommy’s so sorry! I don’t know what happened.” She was crying now, too. She felt filled with fear and guilt, but having him alive in her arms and knowing he was safe ended that and she rushed home to get him to Max. Max would be able to console him. “What the butt happened?” She asked herself.

Max answered, after she gave him the rundown, “I would say the siren’s song, from the first part, but then the sonic scream would be what broke the trance and probably knocked the car out of the way, but then again… his crying repelled you. That’s at least 3 different things that usually don’t happen from the same supe.” Baby Maximillian was asleep in his father’s arms and had been from the moment Max chilled him out with lullabies. Charlotte reached over to stroke his little head.

“Is there something that can do all of that? Like maybe a general vocal superpower?”

Max thought for a moment then cheered, “That’s it! Voice Manipulation! Usually, there’s only one or two applications per supe, hence why I said that those other things were what I said they were. Typically, supes don’t have those combined. For instance, some have the ability to mimic any sound, and some can mimic any voice, those two might be powers that one has, or they could only be ble to do one of those. Typically, voice manipulation, even though there are many types, the supe only has a slice or two. But if one has voice manipulation and is still cycling through potential powers, it's possible that he was maybe cycling through various voice manipulations and that’s why such differing applications all came out of him while he was panicked.”

Charlotte frowned, eyeing her computer, “Well, according to the database, a voice manipulator has the potential to hone several abilities if they began manifesting them before their age of acquisition. So.. because he cycled through those, he could very possibly wind up with all of that. In other words, those with only one voice manipulation power prior to settling on a voice manipulation power will only have that one, but somebody who cycles through multiple ones and wind up with that power might have others, if they wind up with voice manipulation.”

Max finally put their son into his crib and took a breath, “Well then, I guess our current mystery is whether he has landed on that superpower and if so, what applications has he already cycled through.”

.

Mika was smiling brightly, and full of all of the fervor and excitement that she always had for things. “ I am SO GLAD that you called me about this! Of course, as someone with a voice manipulation superpower, I have life experience with the subject. I have read and studied every superpower in the database, but voice manipulation is my area of expertise! I wrote the, now, most studied article in the world on the subject of the Song Manipulation Curse of Swellview from when we were kids to get into the Secret Academy of Superpower Studies, and my sonic scream journals that I kept for my own powers have been introduced into curriculum in Hero University, for training. I created a signature special pitch that can be used by manipulators of both sonic scream and siren song, so I even have expertise in that!” She clapped her hands once and rubbed them together, “I can hardly wait to get a look at Maximillian’s vocal system!” She squealed happily and reached for the toddler. 

He looked at her, looked at his mother, then back to Mika, then to Charlotte again. “It’s okay, Maxi. She’s Mommy and Daddy’s friend,” Charlotte told him. He looked back and forth once more then went to Mika’s outstretched arms. Charlotte kissed him on the forehead and strummed his cheek, then looked at Mika with a warning glance.

“Charlotte, I will take care of him like he is my most important project.”

“He isn’t a project. He’s my only child.” Charlotte said. “And if something happened to him, I will take care of you.”

“Unnecessary, but noted.”

Charlotte had always been good at school, but she didn’t necessarily love doing school work. Mika, on the other hand lived for it. One thing that they definitely both had in common was loving science experiments and studies. Charlotte was just as excited about the tests that Mika would be performing as Mika was, if not a bit more apprehensive because the tests were on her son. 

“According to the information that you gave in your statements, the scans, and tests, these are the observations that I’ve made so far. Firstly, there is an emotional component to the sounds that he makes. There appears to be some type of impassioned voice activated hypnosis. You were both privy to this and unfortunately almost fell prey to it. We know that it wasn’t his intention to harm you or scare you. You were likely in a state of bliss and absentmindedness. Some use this to begin a series of behaviors for the intended. Some call it siren song, as Max did, because it tends to be presented in song form in most lore. Fun fact - hypnotic voice, as I like to refer to it, doesn’t have to sung to affect. It can be operated in words, usually with a certain prompt, for example “I heard a rumor.” Hypnotic voice can also be operated in other vocal functions, such as laughter and..”

“Crying.”

“He’s not old enough or trained enough to control it, so whenever he sang earlier, being happy, you must have been in the hypnotic state that led you into the middle of the street. Do you remember what you felt? Was it mindless, carefree, or something else? Was he determined to get somewhere? Like, a cookie shop across the street or something?”

“I don’t know. I don’t remember him seeming to want something… I don’t really remember anything from the singing until the screaming.”

Mika nodded, empathetically. Then, she immediately cheered back up, “Look.” She showed Charlotte the brain scans. “It makes sense that you can’t remember what was happening during this, because his memory hasn’t fully formed. If Maximillian had a more developed hippocampus, I think that you would have most likely have felt either whatever he was feeling in the moments of the hypnosis, or, if he truly gets to hone this ability; you would feel whatever he would want you to feel.”

Charlotte looked horrified.

Max smiled, “Villain era me would’ve LOVED to help hone a power like that!”

“It can be used for good!” Mika insisted, “It isn’t mind control. He wouldn’t be able to force someone to follow specific orders, but he very well could possibly get others to feel like they want to do something.”

“That worries me,” Charlotte admitted.

“Nonsupes HONESTLY have got to stop demonizing powers, and supes are no better when it comes to siren song. Just because someone has a hypnotic nature doesn’t mean that they will try to use it against others,” Mika complained. “Note to self, commission a directive to work against hypnotic voice prejudice.”

Max rolled his eyes and sorted through Mika’s findings himself. “Good news!” Mika changed the subject, slightly. “Hypnotic voice doesn’t seem to be the supreme voice manipulation power that he holds. It belongs under the umbrella of the most potently used one that he has. Sonic Scream!” She didn’t hide her excitement at all. “He must’ve realized that you were in danger and his fear made him activate the power that he needed in order to help you.”

“So… he’s a noise maker,” Max said matter of factly.

“He is a soundwaves specialist!” Mika defended. “Or, he will be, if we raise him right.” She giggled gleefully.

Charlotte and Max exchanged looks. His was hopeful. Hers was worried. Her child was already half nonsupe, and now he had this demonized superpower in the supes community… Max gave her a nudge with his forehead, “We’ll raise him right, Charlight.” She nodded and relaxed a little.

[its-my-whump]

28. “I never should have let it come this far”

Failed hero | Hospital stay | Begging for help

TW: unconsciousness, gore, blunt trauma

"I'm not coming with you."

"But you may die here."

"Probably!... BUT...It.. it's my fault. So I have to pay for that now. I never should have let it come this far." Whumpee shook his head in despair and turned away ashamed.

"Neither should have I!" Caretaker's voice was strong. A whole lot of determination in it made whumpee turn around again.

"I'm not gonna let you sacrifice yourself for these miserable, ungrateful basta..."

The intended hit not only took whumpee by surprise, it missed its target on the back of his head.

Instead caretaker struck him down by hitting whumpee's temple. He went down like a log and Caretaker's heart literally stopped.

Whumpee's limp extremities sprawled out like someone had thrown an unused puppet into the corner. His head met the ground with a sickening wet thud.

Every drop of color left whumpee's face immedately. It looked like it was drained in the same motion the red pool around his head was forming.

"Shit!" Caretaker could only hiss, while he went down to his knees and turned whumpee on his back. The pulse was steady and strong, but not a muscle moved. Even when caretaker forcefully rubbed his sternum, there was no reaction.

Panic was about to overpower everything else. Caretaker needed to fight against his breath hitching and his heart hammering away like an industrial press.

He wrapped his shirt around whumpee's head and got to his feet again, his friend in a bridal carry. The blue cotton had already turned red and made a fearful contrast to the white face.

. . .

On the way to the hospital caretaker was sure he was having a heart attack any second. Constantly one hand was feeling for whumpee's heartbeat or was held under his nose for the certainty of his friend still breathing. The friend he actually wanted to save himself from doing something so utterly stupid, that he in fact was so desperate to knock him out to stop him. 'Nicely done,...not.' He debated with himself.

The amound of blood still freely seeping through the fabric around whumpee's head was concerning, as was his lifeless form.

Finally, with squeaking wheels he annouced their arrival at the E.R. Caretaker frantically honked the horn a few times, before he jumped out of the driverseat and screamed as loud as his panicked body would let him.

"HELP! PLEASE SOMEONE HELP!"

My whumptember2023 masterlist

[artikgato]

8/30/2023

I don't know why I am even doing this. All I'm doing is making myself miserable, sweating all over my clothes, and probably running up the water and electricity bills from all the extra showers I'm taking and all the extra laundry I'm now doing. I guess I can't expect much out of only 20 minutes of exercise per day. I guess I should be doing more. My time isn't getting any better, my stamina isn't getting any better, nothing is changing. Well, nothing is changing for the better. I sure do have to keep dodging kids waiting on the bus, the busses themselves, other joggers, people on bikes, people that can't fucking drive, and other annoyances. And I'm still getting honked at. This time a semi with a loud-ass horn honked at me and I nearly launched my phone into the lower atmosphere.

Why am I even doing this? It's not like it's going to matter. I could be in peak physical shape and the disease is still going to-

Never mind.

Today sucked.

Word count: 153 Weather: 70, cloudy Humidity: 88% Time: 24:00 Song of the Day: All My Favorite Songs, Weezer

[unhlnged]

closed for @favcritecriime (JJ)

“Hey! Anyone working at this shithole?!”

Rafe honked his car horn, sticking his head out of the rolled-down window and yelled again.

Since no one reacted and came out to assist him, he got out of the jeep, slamming the door shut, and stormed into the garage. He didn’t have all day. What did those lazy people think?

“Hey!” Rafe barked when he saw the back of someone in dirty overalls looking under a car hood.

He was about to grab that guy by his arm and yank him around to complain about the miserable service at this place, when he stopped as he recognized that face. He hadn’t seen him in a while – a fact that he surely didn’t regret – JJ Maybank.

Rafe gazed at the blond, open mouthed. “You work here?” He said as if it was the most peculiar thing ever, because it was. To Rafe it seemed more likely that JJ was here to steal some car parts than actually do some honest work.

[seitmai]

Very important chapter, so obviously very many thoughts under the cut

You could feel and hear his laughter as one big hand came up to squeeze your shoulder before gliding down your side to your waist. "Make you move? I want to keep you with me forever, Gorgeous." Did he know the extent to which his words excited you every time he said forever? You tried to play it cool, wrapping your arm around his waist, but as soon as his lips met your forehead in a gentle kiss, you whispered, "Forever sounds really good."

I have a feeling that forever is gonna be happening sooner than later 🤭

"Of course you are," you murmured, letting your hand rest on his flat belly. He only took a quick lunch break earlier during Career Day before pulling off the flyover surprise that had your whole school buzzing with excitement. "I don't think you ate enough today. Let's remedy that."

I love so much that she feeds Bradley 🥰

"I did notice," he whispered. "There has to be something there. He was looking at her the way I look at you."

Yes!!🥳

You must have been watching the sexy way he walked for a little too long, because Natasha honked her horn and yelled out the window, "I want some wine!"

Ahahaha I love Nat and honestly would have done the same 😅

"You're going to freak out later," she mumbled, making a left turn. "What?" You weren't sure you'd heard her correctly.

Good god, Nat is playing with fire

"I might have to start bringing headphones again though, because the man will not shut up about you the whole time." You covered your face with your hands while she laughed. "Sorry." "Don't be sorry. It was so bad at times before he met you, I used to have to put my earbuds in and pretend I was listening to him complain about his exes. It was always the same thing. Nat, I don't know how to break up with her, but she's kind of mean to me. Nat, I can't keep taking her to the bar, because she flirts with everyone else. Nat, why is she being so selfish? Nat, I feel like she's just using me. Nat. Nat. Nat. Nat. Nat." Her voice softened as she said, "It's not like that with you at all. Now he just wants to know if I think his date ideas sound stupid or romantic. And if I think he's crazy for already having you move in."

Geez all of Bradley’s exes sound horrible lol

She grinned as she switched lanes. "Trust me when I say I've given him some solid date ideas. And I told him he would have been miserable if he waited any longer to ask you to live with him. That man is so solidly in love with you, it is disgusting." "The feeling is mutual," you whispered as your cheeks burned.

I wanna know all about Nat's date ideas!!!

"I know. Now let's enjoy some wine while we talk shit about him. I've been way too nice today up to this point."

This is peak Nat and I love it 😅

When Natasha dropped you off after four hours of wine and conversation, your cheeks hurt from smiling so much. You were already looking forward to hanging out with her again soon.

Those are the best times 🥰

"Bradley?" You glanced at the wall and then back at his face. You weren't even sure if your words were intelligible as you muttered, "Paper planes?" His smile widened. "It's all the letters you and your class sent to me. You know... when you were looking for a Naval aviator to write back and answer a few questions? I guess a few questions turned into a lot more than that. And a simple correspondence with a gorgeous fourth grade teacher soon made me realize that you're the woman of my dreams. My pen pals changed my whole life." He nodded toward the wall. "Your students helped me fold them up yesterday."

Ahhhh what a cute way to pop the question🥰🥹

"It was my mom's." He held up his right hand, fingers curled in a loose fist. You watched as he carefully unfurled them, revealing a ring resting on his palm. "I want you to have it. Unless you don't like it. It's from 1984, and it's definitely vintage, so I won't be upset if you tell me you'd rather have something more modern." He was rambling, but you could barely breathe from the butterflies which were fluttering hard against your ribcage. "Maverick was holding onto her engagement ring for safekeeping. I had no idea until he heard me talking about how desperately I want to marry you."

She is gonna marry him with whatever ring but it's so cute that he shared the backstory of the ring with her 🥰

I'm SO happy that Bradley FINALLY popped the question and has gotten the desired answer 🥰🥹

Yours Truly, Bradley Bradshaw Part 26 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: Bradley has a plan of action, but he needs to make sure you're a little distracted before he can proceed.

Warnings: fluff, adult language, smut, 18+

Length: 3400 words

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female teacher!Reader

Check out my masterlist for more! Yours Truly, Bradley Bradshaw masterlist

"Today was exhausting," you whispered, pulling your legs up so you were sitting on Bradley's lap on the couch. His flight suit was a little scratchy, and you were still wearing your dress, but you yawned and nuzzled against his chest in surrender. "Please don't make me move yet."

You could feel and hear his laughter as one big hand came up to squeeze your shoulder before gliding down your side to your waist. "Make you move? I want to keep you with me forever, Gorgeous."

Did he know the extent to which his words excited you every time he said forever? You tried to play it cool, wrapping your arm around his waist, but as soon as his lips met your forehead in a gentle kiss, you whispered, "Forever sounds really good."

His posture stiffened a little bit as his fingers flexed on your waist. You could feel him fighting the urge to jump to his feet with you in his lap.

"What's wrong?" you asked, stifling another yawn.

"Nothing," he replied quickly, but you could tell he was antsy. "Just getting hungry."

"Of course you are," you murmured, letting your hand rest on his flat belly. He only took a quick lunch break earlier during Career Day before pulling off the flyover surprise that had your whole school buzzing with excitement. "I don't think you ate enough today. Let's remedy that."

"No," he insisted, pulling you back down when you tried to stand. "I can wait a bit longer. We were just getting comfortable."

"Mmm," you hummed. "Did you notice Marty and Ms. Masters earlier? I think there might be something there."

"I did notice," he whispered. "There has to be something there. He was looking at her the way I look at you."

With a smile on your lips, you felt yourself succumbing to the warmth of his body and his deep voice and his big hands.

Soon your eyes were closed, and you were drifting to sleep.

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

Bradley's growling stomach was the least of his concerns as you dozed in his arms and drooled on his Golden Warriors patch. You were clearly exhausted from how busy and emotional this week was. He'd only just returned from a mission where you and he hadn't spoken for weeks, and then you hosted Career Day at work. Hell, he was still tired, and he'd taken the week off from work.

He thought he had himself under control. He thought he would be able to bring you home and let you have a relaxing Friday night. After all, he was in no hurry. But as soon as you told him forever sounded really good, he felt his muscles coil with anticipation. His body told him to get up and prove to you that forever was what he needed. All he had to do was walk into the bathroom and get the engagement ring.

You seemed to be able to feel the energy he was trying to reel in even as you started to fall asleep. Tonight was not the night. Truly all he wanted to do was hold you until tomorrow morning and let you rest, but his foot was bouncing gently. There was always the chance you'd say no or that you weren't ready to be engaged yet, and he couldn't stop thinking about it. But previous conversations indicated otherwise, and he knew he was ready for everything.

His head tipped back against the couch in frustration. He should have told Nat that he wanted to propose sooner rather than later, but she didn't even know he actually had his mother's ring. His best friend would have riled him up more before helping him calm down.

After kissing your forehead a few times to test how asleep you were, he unzipped the side pocket of his flight suit and carefully removed his phone. You shifted a bit, and your nose twitched in the most adorable way, but you dozed on while he texted Nat to see if she could help him out tomorrow. She already told him numerous times that she liked hanging out with you.

"Bradley," you mumbled, arching your back and stretching as soon as he set his phone down on the couch. "You need dinner," you told him with a soft kiss before standing and reaching for him. He took your left hand in his right one, hoping this might be the last night that you weren't wearing the ring that would signify to everyone else that you'd be his wife someday.

"I came up with a plan while you napped," he said softly. "Dinner and then a shower together and then we'll get in bed early. You look so tired after nailing Career Day, Gorgeous. You need a little break."

His stomach growled obnoxiously. "And you need to eat," you told him with a laugh. "Come on. I'll make you something."

"Nope," he replied, gripping you tight as he stood up with you in his arms. "I'm going to take care of it."

You held on as you guided your legs around his waist. Your lips on his scarred cheek took him all the way back to the early days of those flirtatious emails. "Okay, handsome," you whispered, kissing him softly. "I'm not going to argue with you tonight. It's our first weekend with you back home, and I've been missing all of this. I'm finally off tomorrow, and we can relax all day."

When Bradley set you down on the kitchen counter with a kiss to your perfect lips, he heard your phone vibrating on the coffee table and tried not to grin as he asked, "Want me to grab that for you?"

"Please," you replied, looking beyond cute perched between the stove and the wilted bouquet in the makeshift Miller High Life vase. When he backtracked and picked up your phone, Bradley saw that the text notification was from Nat, and he knew he was going to have to take her out for another steak dinner soon as a thank you.

"Oh," you said when you tapped your screen. "Natasha texted me."

"Really?" he asked, feigning surprise as he took inventory of what the refrigerator had to offer. It was honestly a little scary how much he'd eaten since Monday.

"Yeah," you murmured, eyes skimming the message. "She thanked me for inviting her to Career Day. And," you added, giving him a cautious look, "she wants to know if I want to hang out with her tomorrow afternoon. We still have money left on the winery gift card."

"You should go," he urged, pulling everything out to make pancakes for dinner. "I love that my girl gets along with my best friend."

You were chewing your lip nervously. "Yeah?" you asked, thumbs poised like you were ready to type back. "Even though I literally just told you I can't wait to relax with you tomorrow?"

Bradley chuckled, knowing he was leading you in the direction he wanted you to go. But of course you'd be in good hands. "Gorgeous, we can still sleep in late. And as soon as you get home, I'm hoping you'll feel so in love, you'll want to cuddle with me for the rest of the night."

"I always feel so in love with you, Bradley."

He abandoned the eggs and butter as he whispered, "Say my name again?"

"Bradley."

It was another hour before the pancakes were ready.

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

"I thought we were going to sleep in," you whispered, lips brushing Bradley's as his hands explored your naked body. It was around the time you usually woke up for work, and you were still tired. But his words had you pushing him onto his back.

"I missed you so much, I'm still making up for lost time."

His hands were big and rough as you took them in yours and pinned them above his head. His body was beautiful in the early light, all muscular angles and ruddy cheeks. You kissed his biceps and then his stubbled cheek and then his lips. He was already hard, you could feel him. Bradley was strong and sexy, and he was yours.

"I'm not going to lie... I love how much you missed me," you told him before kissing your way along the side of his nose. "Because that's how much I missed you, too."

Bradley's kisses were sweet, yet they lingered. Your hips moved slowly against his body, setting the pace exactly how you wanted it. Your reaction to him was always effortless. His wide pupils let you know it was the same for him. 

"Baby," he whined as you tightened your hold on his wrists. He was rubbing himself up against you, looking for the friction you needed as well. Slick with arousal, your pussy welcomed the tip of him, and you rolled your hips slowly, taking him inch by inch until you were full. "Oh, fuck, Gorgeous," he rasped, lips parted as he looked up at you with those pretty brown eyes. "You feel so good."

You went slowly, and your hands eventually found their way to his shoulders. Bradley coaxed you closer until you were kissing him as you worked your hips in a steady rhythm that you knew would give you both what you wanted. You thought about every cold morning you woke up here without him while a bead of sweat rolled down along your spine. You got lost in the way he smelled and how his hair felt between your fingers. He was yours.

"I love you," he groaned. "Oh, I love you so much."

You came on his cock as your movements turned jerky, and he filled you with cum as you whimpered his name. Then you eased your body down so you were laying on top of him. "This is how I want to spend the rest of my life," Bradley whispered. "Loving you and fucking you and cuddling."

With a soft laugh, you relaxed enough to fall asleep again while he ran his fingers along your back.

The next time you woke up, it was three hours later, and Bradley wasn't in bed. He wasn't even at home. After you pulled on his sweatshirt, you found a note on top of the sandwich he made for your lunch in the refrigerator. 

Out for a quick run with Nat, and then I'm stopping at Home Depot for Edith. I love you.

You enjoyed your sandwich quietly in the kitchen while taking inventory of the grocery situation. Bradley already ate everything which made you smile. It would take a few weeks, but you'd make sure he bulked up again. Maybe you could get him to go shopping with you tomorrow morning.

When you sat down on the couch with your phone, you were pleasantly reminded of how sore you still were from the past few days with Bradley back from deployment. The gentle ache brought with it the memory of how much better your orgasms were with him than alone. You really needed to start getting dressed since you were sure Nat was going to want to head to the winery after they finished their run, but you stayed sprawled out on the couch until Bradley walked back inside.

"Hey, Gorgeous," he rasped, still a little sweaty in his gym clothes and carrying a bag from the hardware store. "You got enough rest?"

"I did," you giggled as he tossed the bag onto the coffee table and straddled your waist. "Do you think we should buy a bigger couch at some point?"

"Nah. This one's more fun," he replied as your fingers threaded through his damp hair. "Means I can get nice and close." 

Would this needy feeling for him ever go away? You hoped not. But just as soon as he really kissed you nice and hard, he was pulling away. Bradley smacked you lightly on your rear end where he spanked you the other night.

"You better get ready to go with Nat. And I need to fix Edith's mailbox and get my free piano lesson."

"And then when I get home, we're cuddling and watching a movie right here," you told him firmly, patting the couch cushion.

"As long as you still want to."

You rolled your eyes. Of course that's what you were going to want to do. Maybe you and he could even enjoy some more wine after you had wine with his friend. You were smiling as you thought about the plethora of wine you might be enjoying today as you got dressed in some jeans and an oversized sweater. You skipped makeup, because it was Saturday, and when Natasha arrived, you walked outside with Bradley.

"I love you. Call if you need me," he crooned, kissing you and waving before turning toward Edith's house.

You must have been watching the sexy way he walked for a little too long, because Natasha honked her horn and yelled out the window, "I want some wine!"

"Sorry!" you told her, laughing as you climbed in the passenger seat.

She was pulling away from the curb when she replied, "It's nice to see you so happy again. You seemed to have a good time at Career Day, and now you're all smiles for your boyfriend."

"I missed him so much," you said, watching Bradley get smaller in the side view mirror as she drove. "I felt instantly better when he got home from Norfolk."

"You're going to freak out later," she mumbled, making a left turn.

"What?" You weren't sure you'd heard her correctly.

"Nothing. You ready for some wine?"

"Absolutely. We can finish off the gift card," you told her. "And I found another winery for us to try next time that serves frozen wine slushies."

"That sounds like heaven. Thank god you fell in love with Bradley so we can have girls' days."

That put a permanent smile on your face. Just knowing that Natasha thought you and he were a good match really meant a lot. She'd known him for a long time.

"How was your run earlier?" you asked, settling in for the ride.

"Running in February is always better than running in July or August," she replied easily. "I might have to start bringing headphones again though, because the man will not shut up about you the whole time."

You covered your face with your hands while she laughed. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. It was so bad at times before he met you, I used to have to put my earbuds in and pretend I was listening to him complain about his exes. It was always the same thing. Nat, I don't know how to break up with her, but she's kind of mean to me. Nat, I can't keep taking her to the bar, because she flirts with everyone else. Nat, why is she being so selfish? Nat, I feel like she's just using me. Nat. Nat. Nat. Nat. Nat." Her voice softened as she said, "It's not like that with you at all. Now he just wants to know if I think his date ideas sound stupid or romantic. And if I think he's crazy for already having you move in."

"What did you tell him?" you asked immediately.

She grinned as she switched lanes. "Trust me when I say I've given him some solid date ideas. And I told him he would have been miserable if he waited any longer to ask you to live with him. That man is so solidly in love with you, it is disgusting."

"The feeling is mutual," you whispered as your cheeks burned.

"I know. Now let's enjoy some wine while we talk shit about him. I've been way too nice today up to this point."

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

When Natasha dropped you off after four hours of wine and conversation, your cheeks hurt from smiling so much. You were already looking forward to hanging out with her again soon.

"Want me to tell Bradley you'll run with him tomorrow morning?" you asked, leaning back in the passenger side door as you stood next to her car.

"Nope," she replied, shaking her head. "There's no way he's going to want to get up and run in the morning. Tell him I'll see him at work."

"Okay," you replied, confused by her thought process. Bradley usually liked getting his cardio workouts in with a partner rather than alone. You'd follow up with him about it in a minute. "Thanks for driving. Wine slushies next time?"

"Wine slushies next time. Enjoy your night," she said with a wink.

You waved as she drove off, the sky getting dark and the air cooling down even further around you. Edith's mailbox next door looked perfect once more, so Bradley must have finished that project. You shivered as you hustled up to your front door ready to get inside and into the warmth of his arms.

The living room was a little darker than usual when you walked in, and then you realized it was because the only light was coming from your candles which had been placed around the room. You were about to call out for Bradley and ask him why he was burning every single candle you brought with you when you moved in, but then you froze.

"Oh my god," you gasped, taking one stumbling step further into the room to get a closer look. The flickering light illuminated dozens and dozens of paper airplanes all folded up and taped to the dark blue wall above the couch. They were arranged beautifully, and you swallowed hard when you realized they spelled out a message.

MARRY ME?

It was just two words, but they took up the whole wall. Your fingers were shaking as you brought them up to your lips, and then you heard Bradley's voice.

"Hey, Gorgeous," came that familiar rasp. You turned to face him as he stood there in one of his tropical print shirts and his worn out jeans with a nervous smile on his face.

"Bradley?" You glanced at the wall and then back at his face. You weren't even sure if your words were intelligible as you muttered, "Paper planes?"

His smile widened. "It's all the letters you and your class sent to me. You know... when you were looking for a Naval aviator to write back and answer a few questions? I guess a few questions turned into a lot more than that. And a simple correspondence with a gorgeous fourth grade teacher soon made me realize that you're the woman of my dreams. My pen pals changed my whole life." He nodded toward the wall. "Your students helped me fold them up yesterday."

"They did?" you managed as he took a step closer until he was right in front of you, and then and sank down onto one knee. 

"They did." He was all vulnerable brown eyes and sincerity as he looked up at you and said, "I love you. And I have something for you, Gorgeous." He swallowed hard. "It was my mom's." He held up his right hand, fingers curled in a loose fist. You watched as he carefully unfurled them, revealing a ring resting on his palm. "I want you to have it. Unless you don't like it. It's from 1984, and it's definitely vintage, so I won't be upset if you tell me you'd rather have something more modern." He was rambling, but you could barely breathe from the butterflies which were fluttering hard against your ribcage. "Maverick was holding onto her engagement ring for safekeeping. I had no idea until he heard me talking about how desperately I want to marry you."

"Bradley," you gasped, trying to hold back your tears as you sucked in shallow breaths. "Are you serious?"

You'd known him for less than a year, but you never felt this comfortable or safe around another person before. You never felt so loved. When he raised his hand a little higher like he was ready to hand you the ring along with his heart, he said, "I'm serious. You told me forever sounds good to you. It sounds good to me, too. I think we should do it. Will you marry me?"

There was really only one acceptable answer when you knew he belonged with you. When you were certain your future and his matched up perfectly. When there was no chance you could love anyone else like you loved him.

"Yes."

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

Yes. Yes. Yesss! Thanks kiddos, for making it extra special. I don't think any of them will be surprised to find their teacher sporting some new jewelry at school. Bradley plus Gorgeous equals forever.

@hotch-meeeeeuppppp

@solacestyles

@daisyhollyxox

@blog-name6996

@bcon24

@avada-kedavra-bitch-187

@katiebby04

@marantha

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@sadpetalsstuff

@local-spidey

@schoollover

@lex-winchester

@nicole01-23

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@samsgoddess

@bellaireland1981

@sagittarius-flowerchild

@mygyn

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@lyn-js

@furiousladyking

@godsfavoritebabe

@bethabear12

@halo-mystic

@sherlockstrangewolf

@theamuz

@khaylin27

[heartz4tob]

25/08/24 23:59

i made the decision to stop caring so much about you. gosh how stupid i was for pouring my heart out to God about you when i didn't cross yours once. i'm gonna say this one more time. i have deleted all evidence of you in my camera roll, i cut off the long hair that i treasured that i thought you would've liked, i blocked all your friends and the reminders of you that would be an obstacle in this journey. but one last time i want to recap on everything since i've fallen for you:

the moment i saw you in whoever's post i knew i would fall head over heels for you. you stood out to everyone in that photo and i was determined to know who you were. once i found out your name through stalking everyone you knew, i became obsessed well not until after qasim. i fell in love with the idea of you knowing nothing about your life other than the basic stuff.

i really wanted to know you toby. i wish you knew that. the day i followed you on instagram i didn't know if you'd follow back (i wish you didn't, this wouldn't have happened) when you did that's when all hell broke loose. and when i found out that you won poty award, i was so so proud of you. you will never know how proud i am of you toby. and when i found out you got an academic award for whatever you achieved i was beyond proud of you. i am your biggest and no.1 supporter.

but i was obsessed with getting your attention and getting you to notice me. i'd follow up on everything about you, i was desperate for your love. and when i found out you could've loved another i crashed out. i unfollowed you and wanted you out my mind in hopes that "out of sight, out of mind" would work. it didn't. it made me even more obsessed with you.

and when i saw you days after i tried removing you from my life, i was so kilig to the bone. the way you smiled and the way you looked under the sunlight made me melt. (no pun intended) like why did you have to look? i get it my mom honked the horn but you looked at me? ME? i actually wish your eyes never met mine.

i love you toby but im not letting you take over my mind, heart and life. you've brought me nothing but doubt and stress. you made me skitz out night after night making me change myself in ways so i could look appealing to you. i've prayed to God for 30 minutes just to get an answer. you will never know what i said. you made me believe there were good people in the world but at what cost? you made me happy and miserable all at once. how is that possible? i will never forget all the sadness you made me feel but if you ever need me my arms are wide open for you. i am not waiting for you anymore but my heart will continue to wish you Godspeed until we die. good luck with your basketball stuff and good luck in the next academic year.

and this is not my position to say but if you ever feel bad about yourself please consider my thoughts. if you saw yourself through my rose tinted glasses you'd never have a bad thought of yourself again. no matter how much people tell me, i think you're perfect in my eyes. God made you with so much love and care that i can practically see Jesus Christ through you. you're beautiful and you'll never hear me say that. (Solomon 4:7)

i wish nothing but the best for you. and one day i hope you find a woman of God who treats you perfectly. a proverbs 31 woman. i pray that she builds you to become an ecclesiastes 5 man. im so sorry but ive had enough. i've had enough of all the doubt and sadness loving you brought to me. although this whole thing put me through some tough stuff in not going to be a liar and say it was a waste. i enjoyed my little fancy for you even if it meant tears being shed. i mean hey, that's life. loving you made me realize that love can be silent and that i can love someone without knowing them properly and with no words exchanged. you made me believe that i do indeed hold love in my heart and it isn't all just bad in the world.

i truly believed it was you and me. and if my prayers are answered and we are in Gods plan i hope when we meet again in the future that we make it, and i intend on waiting forever if that's the case. (Genesis 29:20). cause gosh i wanted it to be you so bad. but if it's not you then that's okay and i'll learn to be okay with it. and to be honest i really do not see myself loving someone that's not you, i hoped it was you from the beginning. and i pray if it's not you and me in this lifetime that it's you and me in the next one. "sa susunod na habang buhay" is associated with your name in my heart.

but if you did reciprocate the love i have for you, i'd be the best you'll ever have. the love i have for you is unhealthy at this point. and in all honesty i was more pulled in by the idea of loving you than building my relationship with God first. i'd be as loyal as a dog to you. you could break my heart 1 million times and i would still rather that over giving it to someone else. gosh toby i love you so much. the love that i have for you in my heart needed more space so i planted the love i have for you in things i loved too. i envied anything you loved knowing ill never be those things. inanimate or not. how crazy do i sound right now?

you looked like a prayer i made to God about my future husband and i was gutted realizing that you may not be that. i know deep down that you're a good guy toby. don't let that potential go to waste and please don't be consumed by the bad people around you. keep your dreams alive and i just pray and i pray so hard that you end up succeeding in what you aspire to do. if you can't be with me i pray you be with God. build that relationship between you and Jesus. keep going. i'm here on the sidelines rooting for you.

please, if you feel like the world is mean to you, run to me. call out for me and i'll be there for you. i'm an idiot for you.

this whole account made me realize how deluded i am. and i don't think i can go like this for longer before i actually go skitzo, and, for the last time,

i love you toby. goodbye. 💗

[madlymine]

Plot: Too violent for me and lacks originality. Rated it 5.

Characters: The toxic relationship between Da-Reum and Dong-Yeon + their individual performance is the highlight of the drama.

Lessons learned: - don’t ruin people’s lives because you are feeling miserable. - family before anything. - when you are in a car and you want to warn your kid not to cross the road or get in the wrong car, HONK the horn! instead of panicking & struggling to open the seatbelt to leave the car & save your kid….

a year ago 

[papermatisse]

apartment 5d || K.SW

♘ pairing: neighbor!sunwoo x f!neighbor!reader

♘ genre: fluff, crack

♘ word count: 8k

♘ warnings: cursing, slight suggestive scene (nothing too explicit), eavesdropping, cheating

♘ synopsis: (y/n) had just moved into the city and was still getting accustomed to the onslaught of noises all around, coming from both outside her apartment and within the building itself. through the thin walls of her new home, she becomes inadvertently invested in the lives of a couple who live just next door and seemingly don't know she can hear everything they say, as well as everything they do.

♘ (a/n): here comes year three of wishing one of my best friends a happy birthday via fanfic against her own will! happy bday @biaswreckingfics ! I hope you have an amazing day ❤️!

disclaimer I did not proofread this. thank you 👌

It's been a month since (y/n) first moved into the city. A month since she had taken the risk to abandon the life she had grown so accustomed to in search of something new. A month since she'd packed her bags and bid farewell to the town she'd known her whole life, to the people she had become well acquainted with in her years as a resident. A month since she found herself holed into this small, cheap apartment on the outskirts of the city. A month since her entire life had changed, and she's still speculating on whether or not it was for the better.

The city was definitely the change she had been seeking. A complete 180° from the small town life she'd always known, and she couldn't help but to draw comparisons between the two. For one, there was a constant white noise of clamor just outside her window. The sidewalks were almost always littered with people rushing to and fro to get through the day. While they seemingly each ignored one another in lieu of getting to their destination as swiftly as possible, there was somehow always overlapped and nonsensical chatter that drifted up to her apartment window. The monotony was always accompanied by the various mechanical acoustics of the vehicles which passed by, frequented by the honking of horns and the occasional holler.

At night, she'd lay there enviously yearning the life she abandoned. She reminisced on the sound of cicadas screeching in the daytime and grasshoppers chirping at night. The sounds of nature she took for granted. Instead of the songbirds which would greet her in the mornings with their lovely little melody, she was instead jostled awake by the violent caws of a crow which deemed it his responsibility to ruin her slumber any chance he got.

And if the outside were bad, the inside of her apartment wasn't any better.

Above her resided a tenant she could only assume was a 1950s housewife of some sort, given the 24/7 clacks of high heels rushing about through the apartment. It had become so frequent that (y/n) was sure she knew the exact layout of their residence—the clacks would travel to one area three times a day for meals, to another area which would follow the sound of water, and then would cease in another area for the night. Rather than feeling any sort of contempt for the tenant, (y/n) could only speculate how her feet were still in tact whilst wearing such torturous footwear.

The apartment below housed a tiny, aggressively angry dog, and (y/n) knows this because of the constant violent yaps the canine would emit quite frequently throughout the day, as it were his sole ambition in life to make everyone as miserable as he was. If it wasn't the crow, it was the dog seemingly waking her up, and at this point, (y/n) began to speculate that she was some sort of a Snow White character who only attracted the most demonic and hell-raising of creatures to be in her immediate vicinity.

To the right of her apartment was a tenant who played classical music aloud. The intricate melodies of a symphony wading through her apartment was a welcomed presence, even more so when she could make out the tenant’s live piano playing. It was nice, and she was glad to have situated her home office right against that wall of the apartment. It not only boosted her productivity, but it also served as a reprieve from all of the chaos that wreaked havoc in every other sector of her apartment.

Though it was the apartment to the left of her own that seemed to capture her attention most. The apartment that rested just alongside her bedroom wall. One that created the most clear vision of the tenants that resided there, to the point that (y/n) even knew their names. She knew their living situation fairly well, and she honestly believed that at this point she knew more of the people who lived there than their closest friends did. Purely because no couple in their right mind would act in such a way in front of people, which made it convenient to (y/n) to get to know their characters in such an intimate way.

“You inconsiderate son of a bitch.”

“What did I do now? What could POSSIBLY have angered you now?”

(y/n) grimaced as the arguing once more began, slowly shutting the book she'd been reading, knowing fully well that there'd be no space to concentrate once the two on the other side of the wall eventually get into it.

It's been a month since (y/n) first moved into her apartment, and a month since she'd come to learn about the couple who lived in apartment 5D.

The lady’s name was Renee, a name that is frequently uttered in irritation by the man. Her voice was thunderous yet shrill, rising in pitch whenever she got especially angry. She also had a penchant for expletives and has spewed out quite a few creative obscenities on the spot that has thoroughly impressed (y/n). Her grievances were the ones most often echoing through the apartments, exposing the raw and unfiltered personas of the couple to (y/n)’s ear, as if the plaster between them served as a confessional booth of sorts.

The man's name was Sunwoo, if his girlfriend's yelling were any indication of who the recipient was. Unlike Renee, his voice rarely ever reached her level. Yet his responses were incredibly sharp, oftentimes being the calming agent that settled these disputes. Or at least quells Renee’s burdens for the time being as she huffs off to another section of the apartment. (y/n) would hear Sunwoo’s tired sighs afterwards, oftentimes loud and defeated.

She found it odd that such a tumultuous and unhealthy dynamic still managed to remain as is. How they managed to remain together when every single time they met face to face, another shouting match commenced. (y/n) could feel herself crumbling with the weight of the ordeal and she wasn't even involved in the slightest. Though it did encourage her to invest in noise canceling headphones for when the yelling got more intense than usual.

A few days had passed since their last altercation, and (y/n) was both relieved, but also incredibly curious as to what could have happened to cause such silence in the apartment. From what she recalled during their last session, Renee had stormed off as she usually does at the end of their fights whenever Sunwoo snaps back and says something she can't refute. Nothing different had occurred, so what could have possibly prompted the radio silence on the other end?

She tried not to dwell. It was a rare and blissful peace that she had forgotten about: the ability to go to bed without being jostled awake by a sudden screaming match. A privilege she needed to take advantage of before things went awry once more. And she knew things would certainly go awry eventually. Though for the time being, (y/n) went about her life calmly.

There was still the bird outside her window who refused to settle for any sort of peace, no matter how much bread (y/n) offered as a bargain to quell the issue. There was still the dog downstairs who never seemed to quit making its presence known to the world, incessantly yapping away with little to no breaks in his schedule. There was still the lady upstairs seemingly performing a whole dance routine of sorts in the clunkiest heels humanly possible, practically ensuring (y/n) were to hear her every movement no matter where she went. And there was still classical music flooding the opposite half of her apartment whenever she walked by, more recently showcasing some Chopin pieces that spoke to (y/n)’s heart and offered just the smallest scrap of heaven in the fiasco surrounding her. But for the time being, the side of her apartment housing her bedroom was quiet, and she savored the moment for however long she could.

(y/n) found herself nestled into bed, quietly reading her book before the time to sleep came along. There was a tranquil peace lingering in the air, the mayhem outside gradually morphing into calming white noise as she grew more accustomed to the city and its multifaceted nature. Notes of her vanilla candle, long extinguished by now, still seemed to endure in the wake of its stint, and the soft glow of her bedside lamp basking her room in this gentle, orange hue brought a grin to (y/n)’s face. One she couldn't help but to embrace as she came to the realization that this apartment with all of its quirks and its flaws had finally started to feel like a home to her.

Wanting to bask in the afterglow of this revelation, (y/n) was pulled from her thoughts at the subtle shift in atmosphere, her hushed moment of mundanity now fading away as she attempted to zero in on what exactly had disrupted her.

A silence settled over the room, the muffled cacophony of activity outside being filtered out while (y/n) eyed the room carefully, as if scoping out for the source of whatever had suddenly occurred. Though she had a strong inkling that deep down she knew exactly where to search. As if on cue, there was another sound. So minuscule, yet it immediately drew (y/n) to turn around, facing the wall which separated her from apartment 5D.

Tentatively, she leaned forward against her better judgement, pressing her ear against the white expanse of the room. Muffled voices, speaking at a normal volume. Nothing out of the ordinary directly, though still strange given the inhabitants on the other side and their usual dynamic. Though there was this nagging voice biting at her conscience. Something felt… amiss. It rubbed her the wrong way, but for what reason?

Before she could even begin to decipher this feeling, there was a sudden shift in the narrative, one that completely perturbed (y/n) where she sat. At first it had been but a momentary jostle, a sound she may have misconstrued in her deep state of curiosity. Though then it happened again, and it had become an undeniable fact. The once muted laughter that traipsed through the thin walls, piquing (y/n)’s interest in the lack of tension radiating over to her side through the sheer ire the two shared for one another, had slowly morphed into this unmistakable cadence that had not only (y/n) feeling flushed, but also had the entire room blushing at the turn of events.

Never before had her walls felt so thin, to the point that she could hear every creak of a bedframe, hushed whispers and moans exchanged between the two lovers in the apartment next door. A newfound intimacy that on any other occasion would have had (y/n) applauding the two for finally making up, but currently as she was being inadvertently exposed to such an exchange, she was wholly uncomfortable and found herself seeking refuge on her couch for the night, wiping away the memory through the soft tunes playing from her noise canceling headphones.

A few days had passed since the night that her neighbors had finally made amends. As if by some force of nature, it had gone radio silent all this time, with not even a single breath to be heard. Perhaps they'd felt guilty for having unwittingly forced such an act of voyeurism unto her, but no matter the reason, (y/n) was truly grateful for the silence that now greeted her at night.

With her newfound vigor, (y/n) had found herself taking walks every other morning. The sun had felt somehow warmer, the breeze that blew by felt cooler, and even the sparse trees that lined the concrete expanse of the city felt greener and perhaps even livelier. Friendly faces came few and far, though when they did, she couldn't help but to reciprocate the greeting, offering a smile of her own as she wandered around aimlessly until finally approaching the apartment building again.

Before she could pull open the door, a voice suddenly called out to her.

“Excuse me! Can you hold that door for me?”

Turning around, (y/n) had at first been hit with a sense of familiarity, as if a long lost friend had finally returned, though when she finally came face to face with the person, she was left completely and utterly blank.

Aside from the fact that she'd never met this man before, she felt her mind spiraling into nothingness upon being suddenly attacked by this male reincarnation of Aphrodite. He exuded this inherent confidence as he strode her way, a casual gait even as he lugged a duffel bag and suitcase with surprising ease given his lean build. His plush lips pulled back into a charming smirk as he slipped into the building, a soft thank you coming from him and further demonstrating the low timbre of his voice.

She would have remained standing there, perpetually awestruck by the encounter with the gorgeous man, but when she turned, he was still there, seemingly waiting for her with a gentle quirk of his head.

“Oh, no problem at all!” She quickly responded, shutting the door behind her and shuffling forward alongside him. They walked in sync, both headed towards the elevator.

“Are you new around here?” The stranger asked, his eyes still seemingly insistent on staring at her. His big, round, warm, coffee tinted, glistening eyes that had her once more in a daze, thinking of more ways to describe this man's mesmerizing gaze. “I only ask because I haven't seen you around.”

“Yes, I just moved in a little over a month ago, actually.” The elevator had opened just as they reached it, some tenants pouring out of the vessel to go about their day, leaving (y/n) and the man to themselves as they entered. Wordlessly, she pressed the fifth floor.

“You just moved in last month and we live on the same floor? Have I been living under a rock?”

“No, apparently you've been living on the fifth floor.” It was a stupid response, but it was enough to garner a chuckle out of the man, which in her book felt like the most gratuitous victory she'd ever achieved. “I've mainly kept to myself so I wouldn't blame you for not seeing me.”

“I'm the same way. This was actually the first time I traveled out of the city ever since I moved her.” He gestured to the bags laid out around him on the floor. “My mom has been insisting I visit her, so I thought there's no better time than the present.”

“That was my thought process when I first decided to even move into the city.”

“How has it been treating you so far?” (y/n) sighed at his question, picking apart her brain for the proper way to describe her new life without delving too deep into it, considering this was merely a formality type conversation given their situation.

“It has its pros and its cons. I'm still getting used to things around here, but it's not so bad.” She took a brief pause as she mindlessly glanced at the floor sign, just reaching floor three. “The neighbors can be a bit rowdy, but it's nothing some noise canceling headphones action can't solve”

“I didn't realize it was that bad,” he laughed, beginning to pick up his bags as the fifth floor neared. “I guess it's convenient I'm the last door in the hall. Not stuck between two other apartments.”

By now, the elevator had dinged, and the doors slid open to reveal the plain, white washed walls of the fifth floor. He allowed (y/n) to leave the elevator first, falling after as they walked down the hall. She stopped at her apartment, the humble little 5C, and she glanced over at the man as he stopped at 5D. Suddenly, her mind had begun churning out thoughts once more, cleared from the delirium the man had instilled upon her with his visuals. Though now, her brain was working faster than she'd had preferred.

“Sunwoo?” Before she could catch her herself, she had already called out his name. He paused, looking over at her with a pleasantly surprised expression, lips tugging up into another smirk, though this one wholly amused.

“You know my name.” A simple statement, one that was more intrigued than anything else, but (y/n) had felt her eyes widen with the name that had come out of her mouth.

“I'm sorry, I'm not a stalker or anything.” She began, eyes darting away from his and to the oak door of her own apartment. “It's just thin walls, so I can occasionally hear voices.” Tentatively, she glanced back at Sunwoo, now with an unreadable expression. Again, not disgust towards her. Just… monotonous. Almost zoning out as she spoke, though still very much so listening. “I'm not an eavesdropped either. I don't mean to listen, it just happens.” This time, she cringed at her words, wanting to just slip into her apartment and act like nothing happened. But she just kept talking. “If it's any consolation, I'm glad to hear you guys are doing well again! You know, the thing that happened earlier this week with the…” Her tongue stopped before she could clarify any further, pursing her lips together into a thin line and looking at Sunwoo once more, though this time, his expression truly had shifted from its prior monotony. Now, he looked perplexed. Eyebrows raised, jaw tightened. There was this spark in his eye, though (y/n) became more so distracted by the twitch that ensued before she could decipher that fleeting spark. “I'll get going now.”

Dread.

It was the predominant feeling that had now taken over her body. As if the optimism that had temporarily filled her days with light and happiness and all but dissipated in lieu of this heavy, unforgiving emotion weighing down upon her. Her thoughts revolved around the conversation earlier, regretting every word that spilled from her mouth. Sunwoo’s expression felt cemented into her brain, that final look of disdain as she continued to talk.

Of course he'd be pissed. She just outright confessed to having listened in in his tumultuous relationship, to the point that she had even gotten his name down. What a fantastic first impression, and perhaps the last to be quite honest. She'd only just met him a few hours ago, but he would probably avoid her like the plague from here on out. And she wouldn't blame him.

Beyond the dread of it all, there was this ache in her heart. A twinge of remorse. The familiar feeling of going head first into something that could've been amazing, only for it to come back and hit you. It was silly, but (y/n) really had played a bit into her fantasies. Imagining a meet cute with a city boy, especially one as gorgeous as Sunwoo. He'd take her out to the hottest parts of the city, showing her all the greatest hole in the wall restaurants, staring at the moon on the fire escape cozied together while the city thrived beneath them. It was fanciful and unrealistic, but there really was a moment where she truly thought Sunwoo could be the boy of her dreams. Only for that fantasy to be crushed within minutes of meeting.

As if to twist the knife in her heart, she heard a door open. Not in her apartment, but in 5D.

“Hey, you're back early.” Renee’s voice spoke. It was surprising to hear her sound so civil, but given how the two had made up, it was only expected that this would now be the content she hears henceforth. “Why didn't you text me? How'd it go?”

“It was fine.” Sunwoo responded, though his voice was cold, lacking that easy-going lilt he had with (y/n) in the elevator. She was curious, but she didn't want to dwell on it, instead already moving around to get up and stay in the living room for a bit. Before she could stand, however, Sunwoo abruptly continued on. “Who did you have in my apartment a few days ago?”

(y/n)’s breath had halted as she froze in her spot. It felt as if she'd been caught doing something wrong, though that couldn't be the case. Cautiously returning to her prior position in bed, she waited for Renee’s response.

“What are you talking about?” It was somewhat delayed, just a second longer than it should have been.

“You know what I mean. Don't make me repeat myself.”

(y/n) turned her head, pressing her ear against the wall to better hear them. At this point now, the guilt commonly associated with eavesdropping had long died, now fully invested in whatever was about to happen.

“I don't know. I don't have time for this nonsense. I come back from work to greet my boyfriend and–”

“Renee.” Sunwoo’s voice dripped with disdain, this hostile edge that brought the conversation to a sudden halt. An uncomfortable silence settled over the apartments, and (y/n) held her breath for Sunwoo's next move. “I leave for a week to visit my mother. I entrust you with taking care of things here. And the minute I leave, you decide to cheat on me?”

(y/n)’s eyes widened, hand clamping over her mouth to silence any imminent gasp that would have slipped past her lips. A cold chill settled in her blood, numbing parts of her body with this overwhelming anxiety that rooted her in her place.

“I did not cheat on you! Don't accuse me of something when you–”

“I already know, so it won't do you any good to gaslight me further than you already have.” There was another brief silence between the two, only to be interrupted by the first sniffle.

“Sunwoo, I would never try to hurt you! It was a moment of weakness! I regretted it the minute it happened. I don't know what came over me. Please, you have to forgive me.”

“Renee, please leave.” By now, Renee:s sniffling had become full blown sobbing, mumbling continuous and incomprehensible nonsense regarding forgiveness and regret. Though (y/n) could mentally picture the scene inside just from the noises that had become acutely familiar to her.

Sunwoo walking into the bedroom being followed by Renee as her cries traveled about the apartment. A dresser drawer being yanked open, only for Renee’s cries to grow even more intense. The closet door opening with its telltale creaking noise that always accompanied it. Hangers jostled about for some time, and then there was a heavy thud followed by the sound of wheels on the floorboards. All the while, with these various acoustics, Renee just wept and wept with no end. In a way, it tugged at (y/n)’s heartstrings, but if what Sunwoo had deduced from (y/n)’s slip up earlier were truly a fact, then she held no sympathy for a cheater.

“You can get the rest of your stuff throughout the week, preferably when I'm at work.” Sunwoo spoke, voice tired and exasperated, though Renee’s shrill response came almost immediately, just as garbled as it had been for the past few minutes.

“I don't want to go. Don't let me go. I'm sorry. Please.” Reminiscent of a petulant child who didn't get exactly what they wanted. Words slurring together, forced out through the onslaught of tears that had weakened her vocal chords by now.

“I already talked to your mother before you came home. She's expecting you. Please leave now.” Somehow that seemed to do the trick, as the crying slowly faded from the scene. A door closed, sending the neighboring apartment into complete nothingness. Vaguely, (y/n) could hear Renee going down the hall towards the elevator, still crying, though nothing sounded from Sunwoo’s side. She couldn't make out anything he was doing. Though perhaps that was for the best.

With the climax of the event having subsided, the atmosphere once more settling to what it had been previously, the guilt of having listened in on their entire breakup now dawned upon (y/n), and she reclined into bed, turning off the bedside lamp and shutting her eyes, hoping to forget everything and rid herself of the regret plaguing her mind.

This was a bad idea. This was a certifiably bad idea. The urge to run away and hide in her apartment was strong, but it was far too late now considering she'd just finished knocking on the door. The last thing she wanted was to ding-dong ditch this guy who had gone through such a traumatic event less than 24 hours ago. Though she was still debating the semantics of whether it would be beneficial for him to see the face of the woman who essentially drove the stake into his relationship. Perhaps it was best to retreat and act like nothing happened.

Before she could make her move to evacuate the situation, the door creaked open, unveiling a tired and broken looking Sunwoo. He seemed drained, as if the lively color that had made up his person just the day before had now been depleted into a sickly dullness. Darkness encircled his eyes from lack of sleep, though a tinge of redness in their whites indicated the tears he'd expelled that night in lieu of sleep. His body hunched over itself, having to lean onto the doorframe as support whilst simultaneously using the door as a crutch.

“Hi,” (y/n) began, voice tentatively lowered as if to not startle him away.

“Hey.”

It was a curt response, one weak and gravelly from misuse. It was enough to show (y/n) that he had gone through a lot, and the guilt once more ate away at her. She debated on how to proceed with this, stringing together different combinations of words to express herself to him, but nothing felt right. Nothing felt appropriate for him, nor for the situation at hand.

Sunwoo began shifting, pushing himself off the doorframe to open the door wider, granting (y/n) open access to his apartment.

“Come in?”

She was hesitant, glancing back at him as if to confirm this is what he really wanted, though after being met with his indifferent countenance, she deemed it safe to enter.

His apartment was very much so a reflection of her own. The rooms and furnishings were reversed with the kitchen on the right of the entry’s hallway instead of left. To the left was where the bedroom resided, where it shared the wall with her own bedroom. Though as fascinated as she was by this, she kept to herself and merely followed Sunwoo to the kitchen where he got to making the two of them coffee.

There was an eerie silence that settled over the apartment, even as he toiled away at the counter. A strange emptiness that presumably Renee had filled in, though now felt almost barren.

“I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am.” (y/n) spoke softly, wary of her voice would carry in the still room. Sunwoo let out an amused scoff.

“You heard everything?” He asked.

“A little bit…”

“So why are you apologizing?” He turned around, sliding her a mug of coffee while opting to stand and drink his. He leant against the counter, his coffee just beneath his chin, letting the best radiate up and warm his face. “If anything, I should be thanking you.” He took a sip of his beverage, meanwhile letting (y/n) to stew upon his words for a brief moment. “Who knows how long this has been going on. Or how much longer it could've gone. All without my knowing of it.”

An understanding settled upon (y/n), and she felt the tension leaving her body as she relaxed into her seat. It's true. Renee had been cheating on Sunwoo, taking advantage of his absence to do such a despicable thing. Had it not been for (y/n) and her incessant talking met with her unintentional listening, Sunwoo may have never known. He may have continued with the relationship, or whatever you would call their dynamic. Screaming matches every night, hateful comments thrown back and forth, an ongoing Cold War that at any time could blow up in their faces. (y/n) put an end to that. She was the spark that incited this whole chain of events which led Sunwoo to where he was now.

“You're already aware, but… things had gone bad ages ago. I don't even remember how it started. But next thing you know, it was just arguing every single day. Sometimes for no reason. It was awful. I knew I should've ended it by now, but it was so difficult.” He was staring off into space as he spoke, though then turned his head down towards his drink. “I kept remembering the good times we shared. The memories we made. The life we built together. I kept thinking it would eventually pass and we could return to how it was.” Sunwoo took a deep breath and continued. “Weeks had gone by and at that point, I realized how toxic we had become. I mean, I haven't even spoken to my friends in months because of my relationship with Renee. When she started distancing herself from me, I realized how… alone I had become. How isolating a relationship can be. I had no one to turn to.” Sunwoo paused before offering a slight chuckle. “You're actually the first person to enter this apartment since Renee and I started living here. Well, aside from the guy Renee cheated on me with.”

It was a bitter comment, but it was enough to get (y/n) to start laughing, and soon Sunwoo followed suit. It wasn't anything hilarious, though just the way these circumstances played out that seemed so utterly bizarre and unfortunate that one couldn't help but to use comedy as an escape of sorts.

“I did think it was a bit weird that just after you guys argued, you were suddenly in bed together. I just thought that meant less arguing for me to hear.”

Sunwoo's laughter slowly quelled into a gentle smile, a satisfied hum expelling from him as a response. When the silence of the room returned, it didn't feel as heavy as it had before. It felt neutral. A comfortable sort of atmosphere. One that didn't need Renee to bring activity to it. One simply at ease as is.

“Thank you,” Sunwoo spoke softly, finally meeting (y/n)’s gaze. His eyes were glassy, a fond smile stretched upon his face. He looked… relieved. At peace for perhaps the first time in a long while.

“No need to thank me,” (y/n) responded, grinning back at him. Her heart felt healed just by seeing his calm expression, as though her impromptu visit was actually necessary for him. His words returned to her, regarding how different his life had become when Renee came into the picture. An indignant feeling rose within her at the woman who had tortured Sunwoo in such a way, and an idea soon sparked in her head. “If you do want to repay me, however, how about you show me around the city? I'm still new, so I'd like a tour from someone who has experience in this regard.”

His trademark smirk once more tugged at his lips, and for a brief moment, (y/n) could see the Sunwoo she had met the day before. The suave and charismatic man who had captured her attention with his breathtaking existence. The one who glowed with life and vigor, practically a walking embodiment of the sun in his unbridled radiance. And even after such a tumultuous break up and in the midst of grieving, he still managed to show glimpses of his lively self still thriving somewhere within him.

“Sounds like a plan.”

“Are you alright?” Sunwoo’s concerned voice captured (y/n)’s attention as she blinked away the delirium slowly seeping into her vision. Glancing over at said man confirmed her suspicions. His brows curved in worry, a pout settling on his lips, nervous eyes scanning over her features to discern her sobriety.

“I'm fine, I'm just a little tired and a little tipsy, nothing bad.” It was true, she was just feeling drowsy at the moment, though that didn't settle well with Sunwoo who had already turned to their bunch of friends seated around them.

“I'm going to take her home, is that alright?” He announced, already beginning to gather their stuff. Everyone nodded, all mumbling words of confirmation. Sunwoo had now turned to her, staring down with a dopey smile as he held out his hands. Instinctively, (y/n) accepted his offer, allowing him to pull her to her feet. After waving goodbye to everyone, they headed out of the lounge, and into the busy streets of the city. Even at this hour, the nightlife was bustling and hectic. It was astonishing to see, even after a year of living here.

After a brief cab drive back to the apartment and an elevator trip up, (y/n) was finally back at her apartment, sighing aloud at the relief of being back home. Pictures now lined the walls, showcasing friends and family and all of her cherished memories. By the windows were plants, potted and hanging, vines dangling forth and encompassing that entire sector of her home. Along the many surfaces of her apartment was clutter and knick knacks from old magazines to finds at the thrift store she couldn't bear to leave behind to just cool rocks she found along her route.

She collapsed onto her an unceremonious huff, spread out along its plush exterior and embracing the peace and comfort her apartment provided. A peace and comfort she worked tirelessly to achieve. Though she couldn't take all the credit to herself.

“Here, drink.” There was a soft clink of glass along wood that drew her eyes to the coffee table where Sunwoo had placed her water. He sat at the other end of the sofa, taking out his phone to pass the time as (y/n) got herself situated.

Sunwoo had become a surprising, yet welcomed addition to her daily life. What had started as a simple tour around the city soon became adventures finding the most niche and worthy hole-in-the-wall restaurants the city had to offer. And soon, a beautiful friendship had blossomed.

“You know today is a special day.” She hummed in response, allowing him to continue. “It's been a year since I first met you.”

She blinked in wonderment, not having expected something so sentimental to come out of Sunwoo’s mouth. A smile had spread across her face as she slowly sat up to face him.

“Really?” He nodded with a grin of his own, putting his phone away to face her as well.

“Yeah. In the elevators.” The memory has come rushing back to (y/n), recalling how smitten she had been for Sunwoo, and then how mortified she had become upon realizing he was the apartment 5D tenant. “I had just come back from visiting my mom's. I was dreading coming back to be honest. I didn't want to see… Æthelred the Unready.”

(y/n) snorted, covering her mouth with her hand. It was a silly, nonsensical codename used when helping Sunwoo to move on from his previous relationship. (y/n) thought using an alias would prevent him from relapsing in the recovery process. Though it's been ages since they mentioned the dreaded name, both official and fake.

“But then I saw you. You were a new face. Refreshing. Something different in that monotonous life I was trapped in.” He leaned his head back along the couch, eyes drifting up to the ceiling as he continued to recall the past. “I thought you were nice and friendly, so you were definitely not from the city. Again, I thought that was refreshing.” There was a pause before Sunwoo chuckled to himself. “And then that's when you said the thing.”

(y/n) cringed, groaning into the cushions and about to defend herself, but Sunwoo continued.

“At that point, I knew you had to have been heaven sent. Like my own guardian angel. Because nobody from the city would outright say anything like that. They wouldn't care. They wouldn't pay any mind. Had it been anyone else, I could've been stuck in that relationship for who knows how long, literally unaware of what she was doing behind my back.”

“I have faith you would've ended it on your own even without my help.”

“I don't think so. It was a really scary time for me. I had become codependent on her. I'm pretty sure I would've ignored all the red flags. More than there already were.” Before (y/n) could urge him to move past this discussion, lest he linger too long on this former, detrimental relationship of his, he had changed the subject on his own. “Tomorrow will be the day we became friends. When you came over to my apartment to apologize, and then we set up our city tour.”

“That's so cool that you remembered that.” (y/n) mumbled, still leant against the back of the sofa watching Sunwoo reminisce on their history. “What else do you remember?”

“I remember everything with you.” He replied. “Next week will be when you insisted I call up my old friends.”

“And look where that got you. We just finished hanging out with them. I told you they wouldn't be upset at you.”

It was true. Sunwoo had been terrified to reconnect with his friends after having ghosted them essentially upon his ex’s insistence. The only ones who gave him a hard time were Chanhee and Eric. Eric just wanted to poke fun at him and make him play hard to get, though he had discretely accepted Sunwoo’s request the moment he answered the phone. Chanhee was just because he didn't want Sunwoo and his “annoying ass antics” back in his life, but Sunwoo managed to weasel his way back either way.

“I'm still debating if it was good to call Chanhee. He keeps demanding I buy him lunch every week as repayment for ghosting him.”

“Chanhee does that to everyone, he just gives them a different excuse every time. Last week he made me pay for his lunch because we accidentally wore the same shirt.” Sunwoo laughed, loud and boisterous, prompting (y/n) to follow suit.

“I'm not paying for his lunch anymore.”

“You will, he always manages to swindle people.” She reached out and patted his arm. “What next?”

“Hmm… Next month is when you helped me move out of here so I don't get any memories of Æthelred the Unready.” Again, the name caught her off guard and she found herself laughing all over again, even with the bittersweet memory of Sunwoo leaving.

They had only just became friends, hanging out all the time and visiting one another every single second of the day. Even at night, just before she'd fall asleep, he'd give a little knock on the wall that separated them, and she'd respond back with a knock on her side. It was comforting. It was a nice dynamic she had gotten far too used to, because the next sequence of her plan in helping Sunwoo move on was for him to abandon all things Æthelred the Unready related. That meant the clothes she left behind, pictures of the two of them, trinkets that reminded him of her, and at the end of it all, the apartment itself. (y/n) had a harder time letting it go than he did, trying to get him to delay the move just by a few weeks, but it was no use. His lease was already ending, so moving out seemed as good an option as any to him.

His new apartment wasn't too far from her own, and he still wound up visiting her as much as he could, so she did feel a little silly crying as she brought his boxes up to his new place, as if bidding farewell to a soldier off to war.

“I still think it was dumb,” (y/n) replied, frowning at the memory. “It was redundant given you're here all the time either way.”

“Yeah, but it's in your apartment. With only you to greet me. No bad memories. You replaced them all.” His voice had softened, low enough for only her ears to hear. At the change in atmosphere, (y/n) found herself hesitant to meet his eyes again, instead staring out at her glass of water condensing by the second, droplets clinging to the glass exterior and sliding down onto her coffee table.

“What happened next?” She asked, leaning forward to retrieve a coaster and preserve the sanctity of her coffee table. Surely not to derail Sunwoo from his perceived intentions.

“A week after I moved out was when we went to that carnival. The one that was like… crawling with clowns.”

“That was so unnecessary!” She hissed out, grimacing at the memory of that hellscape of a carnival and its infestation of clowns of all varieties. As she grimaced at the memory, Sunwoo merely laughed at her misery. Though she wanted to glare at him for his teasing, she was glad to see that he had assumed his normal persona, and she felt successful in having redirected the conversation.

“What happened after that?”

“I told you I liked you for the first time.” Shit. She spoke too soon.

It had been off handed, something he mentioned in passing as he dropped her off at her apartment. It felt so casual she nearly missed it. Though when she looked up, there was this undeniable tenderness in his eyes. Those big, brown eyes that always caught her off guard. And just as always, she averted her gaze, merely wishing him a good night before retreating into her apartment, pretending it had never happened.

‘It was too soon,’ she had insisted. ‘He was still in the mourning process. He wasn't ready.’

She didn't know how to respond, though that seemingly didn't perturb Sunwoo who just moved on.

“A few weeks after, you bought me that instant coffee machine. We spent hours testing out all the flavors.”

A giggle escaped her lips, remembering the chaos of drinking nearly ten cups of coffee.

“I don't think any human being should be capable of having that much caffeine in their body in one sitting.” She commented.

“It was a few weeks after that when we took that road trip with the gang.”

A fond smile spread on her face as she recalled that time. Everyone shoved into various vehicles, driving for hours together to reach their camping site. A lakeside front with a handful of cabins nestled into the woods. Everyone enjoying themselves, swimming and roasting marshmallows and staying up all night watching movies.

“That was so fun.”

“Yeah. The day after we arrived was the second time I confessed to you.” Damn it. Caught off guard once more. This time, (y/n) did meet his gaze, where he was already staring back at her, a neutral expression across his face.

It had been when the others had all gone inside to their designated cabins, but (y/n) wanted one more marshmallow. Sunwoo stayed behind to keep her company, and to help extinguish the fire after. The night was still, the a half moon shone down on them, wispy clouds drifting overhead and shielding the stars above. Crickets filled the white noise of the area, accompanied by the crackling wood of the dying fire, all while (y/n) desperately sought out the last few flames to heat her marshmallow. And once more, as casual as can be, Sunwoo confessed to her. As if it were as natural as breathing. As if he hadn't almost given her a heart attack, nearly making her lose her marshmallow.

His eyes had been so earnest, practically pleading with her, yet she once more dismissed him, having quickly shoved the s'mores in her mouth and scuttled off to her cabin with a muffled goodnight.

Meeting his eyes once more felt surreal. There was no longer that ambitious glint that had been present that very night, though instead a calm and collected gaze steadily trained on her. She reached over to her water to take a sip, delaying the inevitable as much as she could. She couldn't run away now. He had cornered her in her apartment. She should've known, but he always managed to catch her when she least expected it. This time trapping her in her own home so she couldn't run off. He was expecting an answer, and she was already trying to scheme ways of leaving.

“You were healing…” (y/n) insisted with a cautious tone, unsure of how to broach the subject at hand as she had always managed to avoid it previously.

“(y/n), I was over Renee weeks before I met you.” His response came unexpectedly, curt and to the point, no space for arguing. “You were the one who gave me the clarity to take the next step I needed to. I was in a loveless relationship that I had already moved on from. I was just trapped, and you helped me.” He shifted ever so slightly, gently skimming his fingers along (y/n)’s arm to draw her back to him. “You don't have to wort about me. You never did. I always appreciated your concern, but please know I'm okay. I'm healed.” His hand now encompassed her bicep, gently pulling her closer to him. His other hand reached up towards her face, carefully turning her head to face him properly. “You can stop running away from me now.”

(y/n) was surprised to say the least. It was a given that she had been running away, though through the inflection in his voice, she knew he didn't mean it in a physical sense. He knew she was running away from her emotions. He knew she had been redirecting her own growing affections towards him, instead hiding behind the guise of helping him through his breakup. He knew it all. And she could no longer hide.

The look in his eyes felt so utterly honest, his words equally genuine. He had laid himself out before her, time and time again, patiently waiting for her to accept him. And the realization had absolutely awed her. The fact that it wasn't her waiting for him, though him waiting for her. She had been running away this whole time, and he had been chasing closely behind.

“(y/n), I love you.”

Love.

He loved her.

Every other time he confessed, he had always said liked. Though now, knowing fully well the impact of his words, laying out his cards for her to accept him as is, he confessed his love for her.

Their history flitted past her eyes like a movie, all the memories he brought back to the forefront of her mind showcasing the happiness he brought her, the way he changed her life for the better, the myriad of emotions that ran through her being whenever he was around. And she realized why he had confessed his love for her of all things.

Because this entire time, from the very moment she met him to the present, she had liked him back.

“I love you, too.”

[cherryblossomsandhydrangeas]

The Cultivation of the Hydrangea - Chapter 2

Read Chapter 1

You can also read this on my Wordpress.

Word Length: 13, 439

Time to Read: 73 Minutes

Summary: Kaoru still sleeps, and the world moves on without him. The news of his comatose state brings new problems while his friends are faced with more hardships.

Reminder: All scenes with triggers will have an -X- at the beginning.

-X-

Pigeons harped and fluttered their iridescent feathers as honking horns screamed upwards toward the dusky, cloud-covered sky. An almost oppressive sadness filtered through the morning air, indifferent to the boisterous sounds of an awakened city.

A small band of Toyota Yarises were driving along the highway following one after another down the busy roads. The three following cars all had one person seated within while the leading car contained two passengers. Inside, the radio played on low volume as the duo conversed.

“And now for the Crime Report. Just two days ago, a man by the name of Furuya Kazu was arrested after an altercation in a parking garage where he attacked two citizens with a baseball bat. One of the victims was thankfully unharmed while the other was taken to Naha General Hospital for treatment. Detectives of the NPD have found evidence that may link Furuya Kazu to a drug smuggling ring and an unsolved homicide case from five years ago...”

“What's this world coming to? You can't even walk to your car anymore without worrying about being attacked.”

“It's been dangerous, and it's only going to get worse if we don't get some good men in office.”

“Still, can you imagine? I hope whoever got hurt is alright.”

To their left, a grey Mazda signaled for a lane change. As it crossed over, the two couldn't help but notice its tinted back window pane. A small family of orange and purple stickers danced in a circle of flowers while a jolly, white shiba jumped all around them.

“In more pleasant news, Diet Member Shindo Ainosuke is planning a charity ball for wayward and underprivileged children with half of the proceeds going towards the orphanage and the other half...”

“Do you think they'll find the person who hit Raki?”

“I don't see why they shouldn't. It happened within the city, so there had to have been a witness. It's only a matter of time; you needn't worry, Masami.”

Masami sighed. Curling a slim finger around her black bangs, she tugged hard. “I'm worried that the witness might be a coward and stay silent.”

She tugged at them again. The thought of the criminal going free had her needlessly worrying at her hair, and her bun, already loose from being jostled against the back of a first-class plane chair, threatened to come undone completely.

“I'm a mess,' she thought miserably, frowning at some of the wrinkles she saw in her sleeves. She hadn't had the time to steam her yukata while she was double-checking her luggage and assuring that the plane tickets were safely secured in her purse. She'd barely even had time to wash her face and brush her teeth, what with the equally frantic movements of her room companion and the too-small bathroom they'd been afforded.

“For their own sake, they'd better have a backbone,“ her husband grunted.

Three red lights stopped them before they turned right on an intersection of a shopping district. A McDonald's, a KFC, and an A&W passed them along that road, the smell of chicken, beef, and hashbrowns wafting through the cool interior of the car.

The radio spoke up with an ad. “Come on down and get a large, steaming bowl of heaven at Keola's Ramen Shop. Made with fresh ingredients, never frozen, all day, every day from 6am to 10pm. Yes, come on down and get your money's worth at...”

They took another right turn. A blinking, yellow light yelled at them to hurry up at another intersection. Overhead, a flock of scarily precise birds rained down on unsuspecting windshields.

"Brrbrr! Brrbrr!" The grey phone nestled in the center's cup holder vibrated vigorously; its notification light blinked rapidly.

“Is that work?“ The woman frowned. “I hope there's not another problem.”

“There better not be,“ was the reply as she grabbed hold of the device. “Will you check?”

“It's Kenshiro. The new IT hire arrived and is fixing the damage from the attack. We may have to buy some replacement computers,“ she said.

“That's fine,“ he replied. “As long as they're not trying to get me to come back. It was difficult enough getting here on such short notice.”

Masami sighed dejectedly. “It had to happen at a time like this.”

The last thing any person wants is to be forced to stay at work when a loved one is admitted to the hospital; however, that's exactly what happened to them. It was only through pure luck and neverending persistence that they were able to catch one of the earlier flights to Naha.

The thought of her child nearly brought her to tears. “Oh god, my baby.” She sniffled into the back of her hand.

“It's going to be alright." A hand left the steering wheel to squeeze her thigh.

Some time later they arrived at Naha General, driving past a partially rusted welcome sign and a lichen-covered fountain. The parking lot was a maze of cars, vans, pickup trucks, and pruned juniper trees protected within concrete slabs. It took longer than they would've liked before they found four spots close enough to one another.

“Argh! I'm never using a neck pillow again.“ A brown-haired male said as he shut the door to his vehicle with one hand and cradled his aching nape with the other. “For something that's supposed to be comfortable, I feel like absolute shit.”

“I told you those things were a waste of money, Kouga.“ Another man with a similar face said as he stepped out of his driver's seat.

“And for once, you were actually right. Ahh!” Kouga cracked his neck, grunting in relief as the pain subsided.

Masami slipped from the passenger's seat. Finally free from the confined space, she took her chance to let her hair down, her silky tresses pouring down her back all the way down to her waist. She only let the strands breathe for but a moment before she was hoisting them back up into a neat bun. She attended to her clothes as best she could, pulling at her lavender yukata's sleeves and hems.

'It'll have to work for now,' she thought and glanced over the rest of her family.

Her husband was fixing his clothes as well, tugging at his emerald tie and dark brown suit jacket. His chin was covered with the burgeoning five o'clock shadow he hadn't had the chance to shave before they left for the airport, and his eyes were shaded from lack of sleep. Kouga was a little worse for wear, his shirt was only partially wrinkled and his jacket was unbuttoned halfway, but his tie was completely undone, falling across his chest in two red ribbons. Koutetsu had forgone his jacket and tie entirely, and the crease in his pants had seen better days. However, the last and oldest of the brothers looked as if he'd only just gotten out of bed. His glasses were askew, his blue tie undone, and his shirt looked like it came straight out of a hamper.

“Are you alright, Kouhei?” Masami asked, eyeing his dour countenance.

“I'm fine.“ The man responded as his car locked with a press from his keyfob. “I haven't gotten much sleep the past couple of days. Don't worry about me, okaasan.”

“I haven't slept much either.“ The woman smiled solemnly. “Let's make sure to get a full night's rest after we leave here today.”

Fully situated, the family moved as one towards the hospital. A murky entrance door greeted them at its front, and as they walked in, they saw the reception area was filled with an army of people. One woman sat in a corner cradling her bloody arm in a white towel. Another sat near the front with a baby latched onto her nipple. One man in the very back was leaning backwards in his chair holding an icepack over a large bump on his forehead. And a city worker was laid across three chairs in the middle row, gripping his stomach with an anguished face.

As they got closer to the welcome desk, one particular occupant caught Masami's eye. A young boy, face scrunched up in pain as he hunched over his oddly bent wrist. Sitting on either side of him were two other children. One was muttering words of reassurance and praise while patting the injured's back and the other silently held all three's skateboards in their lap.

“Skateboarding,“ the middle-age woman shook her head in disproval.

“Can I help you?” The receptionist called the family up.

Masami smiled as she stepped closer. “We're here to visit Sakurayashiki Kaz-Kaoru,“ she corrected herself.

“Date of birth?”

“March 27, 1993.”

A nod. “What's your relationship to the patient?”

“I'm Sakurayashiki Masami, their okaasan.“ She nodded back to the men. “Sakurayashiki Daishi, their otoosan, and Sakurayashiki Kouhei, Kouga, and Koutetsu are their elder siblings.”

The receptionist nodded again as they scrolled through the patient's information. After a bit, they stopped, frowned, and leaned back in their chair. “Hmph, that's strange, he doesn't have you down in his chart at all. All I see here is a Nanjo Chiyoko, a Nanjo Benjiro, and a Nanjo Kojiro.”

Masami forced herself to keep her smile. “They're emergency contacts. Our family works in the mainland, so we aren't able to be in Naha as much as we'd like.”

“I see. Well, when he wakes remember to remind him to add you to his chart, just in case.“ They responded. “Well, you're clear to go. You'll have to wash your hands before you enter the wing, but he's in room 108 right down that hall.”

“We will, thank you!” The family walked off.

One quick detour and the family went through the directed doors. The ICU was like an entirely different universe to the rest of the hospital. Stark-white walls with black trims lined the halls. The floor tiles shined aquamarine. An eerie quietness snuck up behind them along with the distinct smell of bleach and lemon-scented cleaning chemicals.

“At least some part of this place looks decently maintained,“ Koutetsu muttered. “And here I was wondering if we could have Raki moved to another facility.”

“Koutetsu,” Masami scolded. “At least wait until we're in private!”

The door to 108 was much like the rest of the wing, white and black and in much better condition than what they had previously seen. Daishi slid it open without a second of hesitation.

“Oh, Raki,” Masami whispered as she strode into the room. “My baby.”

A bandaged body lay on the bed dressed in light blue hospital garbs. Dark purple bruises sat across their slender face, and a long, clear tube trailed from their mouth. The heart monitor attached to their finger beeped slowly but steadily to the woman's relief.

Masami ran a hand over long, braided locks, curling her finger around a few loose strands. She smiled, thinking back to the many times she'd spent by the chabudai singing with her child as she brushed their soft, rose-colored hair. How they'd eat anpans and drink black tea afterward while watching television.

Her fingers itched for the brush in her carry-on.

“Look at her. So peaceful,“ Daishi said as he rested a hand on Kaoru's forehead. “Almost the angel she should have been.”

“Still an angel,“ Masami chided softly, looking up to share a smile with her husband.

Kouhei walked around to the other side of the bed and took up a chair closest to his comatose sibling. He stared intently at the odd, ovular-shaped bruising across their pale skin. Reaching over, he rested a hand on their splinted arm.

“I wonder where her child is?” Kouga mused as he ran his own along the end of the hospital bed.

“More than likely with Nanjo Chiyoko,” Koutetsu mumbled. “I can't imagine she'd leave them with Kojiro-kun.”

“She might've if he's the father,” Kouga countered.

“And we can't know that without a test,” Koutetsu retorted.

“We can ask for one. I can't imagine Little Kojiro's changed much since his teens. I doubt he'd want a child attached to his name.” The older twin shrugged. “Not that I can blame him. I wouldn't want a bastard attached to my name either.”

“I find it hard to believe that the Nanjo's haven't had a test done already, considering Raki ran to them.“ Koutetsu shook his head. “It's only practical.”

“None of us have ever even seen the child,“ Kouhei interrupted them. “It's useless to speculate the father in these matters.”

Masami sighed deeply as the brothers argued. Her Raki hadn't been the only one to become close to the Nanjo family as she and Kojiro were growing up. Nanjo Chiyoko used to be a dear friend of hers, yet they had broken apart so easily and hadn't spoken a single word to one another after their last phone call.

“It's not an entire waste of time,“ Kouga tapped the bed. “Whenever Raki decides she's tired of being alone, she can come right on home. Our dear niece or nephew can be raised properly, and the father...well if he's worth something then maybe we can make a deal out of it. Then the last seven years won't have been stressful for nothing.”

Kouhei ran a hand through his black locks. “You only think in numbers, Kouga.”

“Numbers are the most important part of a business, brother dear.“ The twin smirked. “If you're going to be the next head of the company, you'd do well to remember that.”

“Kouga's right,“ Daishi interjected from his spot beside the bed. “Whoever the father is is only mildly important. Sooner or later, your sister is going to let go of those delusions of hers and realize we only want what's best for her. And don't fret about Nanjo Chiyoko; even if there is a blood relation, a court will rule in favor that our family is more financially suited to Raki's and her child's needs.”

With his declaration, the family fell into a careful vigilance. Masami, Daishi, and Kouhei stayed close to the bed while the twins strayed to the walls. A good hour passed before a soft knock echoed against the door.

“Good morning.“ The family turned as the nurse entered the room. “Sorry to intrude, but I have to do my rounds.”

“It's no problem at all,“ Masami said, moving away with her husband in toe. “May I have your name?”

“I'm Nurse Yagi Eno.“ The woman smiled brightly.

“It's nice to meet you Yagi-san,“ Masami crossed her fingers below her belt. “I'm Sakurayashiki Masami, Kaoru's okaasan.”

“Oh, you're relatives?“ The nurse blinked, looking the family over. “I never would have guessed. None of you have the same hair color as Sakurayashiki-sensei.”

“It's a recessive trait from my side of the family,“ Daishi commented. “Truly a rare blessing. The last person to be born with Sakura-colored hair was my third great-grandmother. My otoosan wept with joy when they were born.“ He thrust his chin in Kaoru's direction.

“Oh really? How interesting!“ the nurse said as she picked up Kaoru's chart.

Eno checked Kaoru's vitals and made sure that all the machines were in working order. While she did, Kouhei's eyes once again wandered over all the injuries that his sibling had sustained. Though all of the wounds were horrible, the facial trauma was still the oddest one out of many.

“Is it normal for the face to bruise like that after being hit by a car?” Kouhei asked.

“Depending on how fast the car was going, how they were hit, and how they landed afterward.“ Nurse Yagi shook her head. “To be honest I'm just shocked that they got away with no organ damage and only a few broken bones. The cuts along their back suggest that they skidded across the ground, but there was more dirt than gravel in the wounds. They had two head fractures, one in the back and one in the front; the back one was after impact, but I'm uncertain how they got the one on their right temple. They wouldn't have survived a head collision with a car, but their back injuries negate the idea that they could have hit their temple first.”

Kouhei's eyes narrowed. 'Strange,' he thought, 'Could it not have been a car accident?'

“I wonder what they were doing out so late at night?“ Koutetsu pondered. “Sakurayashiki Calligraphy is closed during the weekends, so they should've been at home.”

“Oh! I can answer that,” Eno chirped. “They were going home from a costume party.”

“A costume party?”Masami blinked and cocked her head to the side, bewildered. “Such a silly thing so late at night?”

“Mhmm, him and two of his friends,“ Eno said. “It was a bit strange seeing Sakurayashiki-sensei being hauled in wearing a ninja costume. And his friends were even stranger.”

“I thought it was two random men who brought them here?“ Kouhei's brow rose.

“Are you sure they were their friends?“ Kouga crossed his arms. “Were they any suspicious to you?”

“Suspicious? Well, one of them had this large tattoo on his shoulder; it made me a bit nervous.“ The nurse made a circular motion on her body. “And the other was wearing some scary-looking face paint, but I kind of thought that was for the costume. The first one wasn't wearing a shirt and the second was wearing some weird spandex type thing.”

Both of the Sakurayashiki elders smoldered. They knew that their daughter had had a penchant for sticking around the more unsavory types, but they would have thought that with such a successful career she would have strayed away from such a lifestyle.

Masami let off a worried whimper. “And this tattooed man? What did he look like?”

“Oh, he was a walking sculpture!” the nurse exclaimed. “He's the most muscular man I've ever seen. He had dark skin, dark red eyes, dark green hair, and the tattoo was of a sun. Do you...know anybody like that?”

“Kojiro,“ Daishi muttered distastefully. “I'm not surprised he would deface his body.”

“And still dragging our youngest into trouble,“ Kouga added before addressing Nurse Yagi. “Thank you, Miss, we do know someone like that. Fortunately, it's not some yakuza types.”

“That we know of,“ Daishi grunted.

Eno smiled. “I'm glad. Well, I have to make my other rounds. You have my condolences, and I promise to give Sakurayashiki-sensei the best care possible.”

Kouga went and took the woman's hand in his own. “Thank you, genuinely.“ He smiled at her.

As the nurse left the room, Koutetsu spoke, “I can't see Little Kojiro joining a gang. Delinquent he may have been as a child, but a life of crime?”

“I see no other way for that little diner he calls a restaurant to be so established without some backside dealings.“ The father's eyes narrowed. “The Nanjos were never well off. He shouldn't have even been able to make a down payment on a building, especially one in such a high-traffic area.”

“Perhaps Raki loaned him some money?” the twin suggested. “She's always been soft on him.”

“Then that's a debt he owes to our family. If that's indeed the case, then it's good leverage for later. Good thinking, Koutetsu.”

“Thank you, Otoosan.”

Masami walked back to the bed and took Kaoru's face in her hands. “Going out so late at night with two men. I know I taught you better.”

“She's always been stubborn.“ A hand found its way to her waist. “Enragingly so.”

Masami looked back into her husband's golden eyes. “I always thought that her delinquency was a phase, something she'd grow out of, but she just can't seem to let it go. God sake, what if she's still affiliated with all those hoodlums from back then? They could be gangbangers by now, Daishi! You know the type of things they do to young women!”

The matriarch let go of her child and leaned into the patriarch's touch. “What do we do? If she's still meeting with those sorts of people behind closed doors, who knows what sort of trouble she could get into? What if something like this happens again, or worse? She's a mother; she needs to stop!”

“She's had plenty of problems over the years, and not just flaunting herself around petty criminals.“ The man shook his head. “From her nightmares to the anxiety, and the trangenderism, I'm surprised she's as stable as she is.”

Daishi ran a soothing hand over his wife's lower back. “Mental illness is common. She just needs to see a professional.”

Masami sniffled and wiped at her eyes. Daishi wrapped his arm around her, squeezing her tightly as she wept. Around the room, the brothers watched as their usual serene stepmother broke down, her shrill cries adding a heavy pressure to the already tense air of the room.

Through tear-stained fingers, Masami found Kaoru's form again, limp and cold in the folds of the hospital sheets.

“Oh, Kazumi, please wake up soon.”

--

“How could you?! I trusted you!”

“Trusted me? Hah! You fool; I was only using you this whole time!”

“But why? Weren't we friends?”

“Friends? I don't need friends. I only need power!”

“You villain! You fiend! I'll never forgive you!”

“Hahahaha! And what are you going to do about it? I'm all-powerful!”

“I hate you!”

“What are you doing? No! Ahhhh!”

And so the villain fell, down, down the jagged cliff's edge, their body smacking against sharp stones, piercing their arms and legs and torso again and again until they were nothing but a bloody mess of misshapened holes.

“Curse you, Toma!!!”

Splash!!!

Their body came down, and a large burst of ocean water erupted from the sea. Wisps of blood trailed from their puncture wounds, creating a thin cloud of bloody mist as they fell deeper into the abyss.

And so they sunk. And sunk. And sunk. And sunk.

And then they hit wood.

“Oh no,“ another voice interjected. “What a sad end to a friendship.”

Ainoshin nodded, staring down at the fallen, bulky action figure spread eagle on the hardwood floors. “They were a bad person.”

“Indeed. Akiba hurt Toma's entire family and their village. They had to be stopped.“ The man smiled. “But what is Toma going to do now?”

“Hmmm,” the boy blew a raspberry. He sat cross-legged on the floor, resting his chin in the palms of his hands as he thought.

“Hmmm....Oh, oh!” A lightbulb formed over his pink-haired head. “He could be an adventurer!”

“An adventurer? Well, what sort of adventures will he take?” the caretaker asked.

“Umm?”

Knock knock knock. The two jumped at the sound of a heavy hand at the front door.

“I got it!“ the child chirped and shot off into the living room with a flurry of tiny, stomping feet.

From his spot at the dining table, Benjiro heard the door unlock, then the knob turn, and lastly a grunt of effort as his grandson pulled the door open.

A gasp. “Kojiro-ojisan!” the boy cried out.

“Hey, Ainoshin,” came Kojiro's deep voice, “I got you something.”

Another gasp. And then an excited squeal.

“Thank you, ojisan!“ Benjiro heard an “oof” from his son. Ainoshin had jumped up and hugged him.

The front door closed with an audible click and clack as the lock slid into place. “So, where's your sobo?” he heard Kojiro ask.

“Your haha's in bed.“ The father called from the kitchen. “Come in here with me, Kojiro.”

He could hear his son shuffling off his shoes and slipping on his house slippers as little feet clambered back to him.

“Jiji! Jiji! Ojisan got me chocolate.” Ainoshin ran in, cradling a matte green box with a gold ribbon tied around it. The boy held the package high over his head for his grandfather to inspect.

“Oh really? How nice of him.” Taking the chocolate, Benjiro laid it on the side of the table. He smiled. “You can have some after supper, okay?”

“Aww.“ The boy let off a pout but nodded and sat back down on the floor with his action figures.

“Chichi,” Kojiro called as he walked into the kitchen. “Hey.”

“Hey yourself,“ Benjiro greeted, eyeing the way his son shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against the door frame. “Come and have a snack with us,“ He gestured to the spread he'd laid out.

Sitting on the table was a plate of toasted breads, small round jars of two different nut butters, and plentiful bowls of chopped strawberries, bananas, blueberries, kiwi, and figs. A steaming, black pot of coffee sat on a mat next to his father.

“How did you know I hadn't had lunch today?“ Kojiro smiled, sitting down in the seat across from his elder.

“Knowing you, you probably just got done with a run,“ Benjiro chuckled and moved to fill a plate with the man's preferred fruit.

“Nah, I had my run this morning. My sous chef kicked me out again, so I decided to come visit you and haha,“ Kojiro replied as he accepted his plate. “Thanks.”

As he slathered almond butter on a piece of toast, Kojiro addressed Ainoshin. “So, little man, how've you been?”

Ainoshin smiled and held up his defeated villain. “I'm okay. I've been playing with jiji.”

“Oh really, what have you guys been playing?” the chef asked through a mouthful of bread and fruit.

“Monster Hunters!” the boy cheered. “Jiji is the leader of the Adventurer's Guild.”

“Oh? And what's your sobo?”

“Sobo's the leader of the Healing Circle.”

“Ooo, sounds important.”

“Mhmm, and chichi's a prince, like me!”

Kojiro did his best not to snicker. “Oh, I didn't know I was talking to royalty! Forgive me, my lord!”

Benjiro scarfed down his piece of banana and blueberry bread before he spoke. “Ainoshin, how about you go get your other toys to show your ojisan, huh? I'm sure he'd love to meet Ricardo, Ami, and all the others.”

Scarlet eyes shimmered in delight. “Okay!” The boy was gone in a flash.

“That'll give us a minute,“ Benjiro smiled and bit into another piece of toast slathered with peanut butter. “He has so many toys, he'll spend forever choosing just one.”

Benjiro took the coffee pot and filled a cup for his son. “Now, how are you doing?”

Kojiro shook his head as he accepted the drink. “I'm...still not entirely okay. There...hasn't been any change with Kaoru.”

“Is there any bad news?”

“Not really, no? His injuries are healing up nicely, just that he hasn't woken up yet.”

“Then that's good.”

Kojiro hummed. “And how are you doing, chichi?”

“I'm fine.“ The fifty-eight-year-old nodded. “It's my day off.”

“That's great. You need a break every now and then,“ the son said. “And haha?”

“Her back was hurting real bad this morning, so I made her rest. I keep telling her it's because she keeps picking up on that boy, and that he's getting too big for her, but she just won't listen. Stubborn woman.“ The man giggled at the thought of his wife.

“Well, long as she's actually resting,” Kojiro smirked. “Knowing haha, she's upstairs crocheting something.”

“She better not be,“ Benjiro looked up at the ceiling as if he could look through it to see an ailing Chiyoko.

Kojiro nibbled on his fruit while his father refilled his own cup.

“This chocolate looks fancy,“ Benjiro noted, poking at the gift box with a finger. “What store did you buy this from?”

Kojiro paused for just a moment as he thought up an answer.

“It's from one of those new specialty stores in town,“ he lied.

The twenty-six-year-old spared a glance at the no doubt pricey package of variety chocolates. It was one of the two surprises that he'd gotten the other morning after being woken up by a call from his manager.

“Sensei's van is in the back alley,“ Sayuri had said warily to his sleep-wraggled brain.

It'd taken him a minute for him to put two and two together, but, as soon as he did, he'd hopped out of bed like a frog dropped into a pot of hot water. He'd nearly toppled down the stairs while pulling on his clothes and stumbled outside to his awaiting staff.

And then there it was. Kaoru's van was parked right in front of Sia La Luce's back door. The entire thing sparkled from ground to roof; the wheels had been washed, the windows had been scrubbed, and if Kojiro was going to be generous he'd say that the damn thing had been waxed as well.

'One of capmen must have a crush on Kaoru,' he thought as he opened the driver's door. There, cheekily strapped into the driver's seat, was the box of chocolates.

He'd immediately known it was far too expensive for any of the tracks maintenance workers to afford, and the only thing stopping him from smashing the damn thing right then and there was the knowledge that all his employees were watching him.

“Um. How is this here?“Jona had asked.

He'd shared a look with Sayuri, and the two made up a quick lie. Luckily for him, there were more S members scheduled to work that morning than regular people.

Benjiro stared hard at his son for a moment. “Did you buy these for Kaoru?”

Kojiro blanched. “Uh, no.”

“Then you bought them for Ainoshin?” The elder man raised a brow. “Cause you don't like sweets.”

Kojiro ran a hand through his curly locks, cursing the man who'd bought the chocolates in his mind.

“Fine, yeah, they were for Kaoru.“ He gave a lackadaisical shrug. “Decided that Ainoshin should have them before they go bad.”

“Mhmm,“ Benjiro replied.

The two ate a bit more in silence. The fruit was devoured until their fingers glistened with their juices, and the coffee pot was drained halfway.

'Speaking of Kaoru...' Kojiro thought as he chewed.

“So, chichi...” Kojiro took a moment to formulate his question. “What's your whole part in this...plan?”

Benjiro gave him a crooked smile before sighing, “You're haha told me you two talked already.”

“Yeah.“ The son licked his lips. “You know I'm not mad at you, right?”

“I know, but I wouldn't be upset if you were,“ the father stated,

The elder Nanjo leaned back in his chair with a hand against his ear to make sure that Ainoshin wasn't coming back yet. Hearing nothing, he started,

“I wanted to tell you in the beginning,“ Benjiro muttered. “But I eventually came around to Kaoru's and Chiyoko's reasoning.”

The fifty-eight-year-old rested a hand on the table. “You see, Kaoru was thinking of you. But I was thinking of the both of you.”

Kojiro said nothing but nodded in acknowledgment.

The father continued, “There was nothing you could have done for Kaoru in Italy. Telling you would have just put you off your studies cause you would have been so worried about Kaoru and the baby. You not knowing was the best thing for you at the time.”

“Sakurayashiki Daishi beat him black and blue.“ The chef frowned. “He was already in a bad way from his boyfriend leaving him, and then I left right after. When I was in Italy I could only talk with him every so often cause I couldn't afford a good phone and internet plan for overseas calls. I was already worried sick about him.”

Benjiro's eyes hardened at the mention of Kaoru's father. “He did. Which is the other reason I went with Kaoru's plan.”

“Hmm?” Kojiro leaned forward.

“Trust is a big thing with Kaoru; I don't really have to tell you that“ The man reached over for a sip of drink. “And he would not have trusted me if I told you he was pregnant. I wouldn't have been able to be there for him like I was.”

Kojiro bit his lip. “Did...was it hard? For him?

Benjiro took another sip of coffee. “Of course it was.”

Kojiro's stomach dropped. Pushing his plate away, he gave his father a severe look.

“What else can you tell me about after I left?” he asked.

“I can tell you a lot. The real question is do you want to hear it from me?” the elder replied. “Wouldn't you rather hear this from Kaoru once he wakes up?”

“I..” Kojiro looked down. “Yeah, I do want to hear it from him. But...as far as I know, he won't be waking up anytime soon.”

Benjiro smiled into his cup. “Kaoru's always been stubborn. He'll wake up soon. I just know it.”

Kojiro huffed. “You're right about that. Now I hope you're right about-"

“Ojisan!” something soft and white was shoved into his line of sight.

Kojiro startled and leaned back a bit. “Hey, buddy! So, what's this?" He focused his eyes. “Oh, the leopard?”

“This is Ricardo,“ Ainoshin plopped the stuffed animal into his uncle's lap. “He's the strongest guardian ever!”

“Oh really,“ Kojiro smiled as he eyed the toy. “And what does Ricardo keep safe?”

Just as he'd thought the other day, Ricardo was in impeccable shape. Its glossy, amber eyes were like a deep, never-ending pool of water. Its coat was free of stains and rips, unlike the other furry guardians he'd seen on his last visit. And his stitched-on smile was almost menacingly sharp, like at any moment he'd open his mouth and bite Kojiro's head off.

He looked brand new compared to the other toys. It was a little unsettling.

“Me!“ the six-year-old answered. “Ricardo keeps bad dreams away and fights monsters while I sleep.”

The chef nodded in understanding. Knowing Kaoru, he was probably worried that his child would inherit his chronic nightmares and insomnia and sought out a mitigative measure. Having an all-powerful leopard friend who could destroy all evil was probably a good sleep aid for a child.

Kojiro looked at the stuffed animal again. Ricardo stared back into his very soul. “He's so brave and cute!” Kojiro grinned at the boy.

Ainoshin grinned back. “Chichi made Ricardo!”

“He's had that leopard since before he was born,“ Benjiro added, “Almost inseparable.”

“And this is Chika,“ the child laughed as he dumped another animal in the man's lap.

Chika was a brown teddy bear, a veteran, Kojiro noted, in the fight to keep nightmares away from her young prince. She wore her battle wounds with pride, her missing right eye not seeming to affect her in the slightest and her reattached arm was still as good as the other one.

“This is Leonard!” The one-eyed tiger from the other day was settled right next to the bear on his lap.

“And this is Hana.“ The poor eviscerated panda.

Looking past his little nephew, Kojiro spotted a mountainous pile of dream fighters. A duck, a swan, and a chicken took the lead, while many other animals took up the rear. At the rate they were going, the twenty-six-year-old was going to be drowned in a pile of fluff, colorful fabric, and unblinking plastic eyes.

“And this is Sakura!” Ainoshin sang as he held up the swan. His smile was as bright as the sun itself, and his eyes were like all of the stars in the cosmos combined. They were full of innocence and joy, oh so similar to golden ones of years past.

Kojiro resigned himself to his fate.

Looking over to his amused father, he spoke. “So...who's your favorite guardian?”

--

When Sia La Luce was open for business, it was a revolving door of satisfied diners. In and out people went, sitting at the white-clothed tables, addressing the well-tempered staff, and munching on the more than decent menu offerings.

However, during its in-between hours, it might as well have been an establishment for ghosts. The mahogany bar shined, but reflected no faces, glasses chimed, but were filled with no wines, plates squeaked and glistened but no entrees were set upon them. The music was off, and no appetizing smells drifted from the back.

Normally when the thirteen-year-old graced the restaurant's doors, the first thing he saw was thigh-length pink hair swishing back and forth while black armored forearms tinkered with the mechanics of a talking skateboard.

It was utterly wrong, Miya thought as the door closed behind him with a chime, for Cherry to not be sitting in that seat.

“Miya, done with practice already?“ A familiar voice greeted.

“I thought your sous chefs said they kicked you out?“ the teen questioned as he pulled out a chair and threw his bag on top of the nearest table.

“They did, but a truck came with more than we ordered, I was upstairs, and it was the middle of the lunch rush,“ The chef smiled at him from the kitchen window, “I don't think anybody could really complain if I helped unload a few boxes and then took inventory.”

Miya stared hard at the man's mouth and frowned hard from behind his backpack. It was so fake.

'Don't pretend to be happy, idiot,' the teen thought.

“Make me something without tomatoes then,“ Miya ordered and pulled out his switch.

“I'm gonna need more information than that Miya.“ Kojiro huffed and tossed his towel over his shoulder. “How about a mushroom risotto?”

“Too much cheese.”

“Chicken cacciatore?”

“I had chicken for lunch.”

“How about some aracini?”

“What even is that?”

“Basically deep-fried rice balls.”

“No thanks. If I wanted onigiri, I'd go to a konbini.”

“Miya, I will serve you spaghetti.”

“And I'll leave a one-star review.”

“Miya.”

“Have you visited Cherry again?”

A pause. Kojiro looked to the side before replying. “No, not since I last took you to the ICU. How about some cappon magro?”

“Why not?“ Miya set his switch down. "That was three days ago."

“...I just...not right now, Miya.“ A clang came from the kitchen.

The young skater hopped from his seat and flew to the bar, one knee propped up on a chair while his hands pressed down so hard on the countertop that his palms burned.

“But why?“ Miya pressed. “You can visit him whenever you want. Don't you want to see his injuries getting better? To know what happened isn't permanent?”

Again, Kojiro paused. He looked over the youngest member of their little skating group, his teeth clenched and eyes pink around the edges. After seeing Kaoru in the hospital, the boy had settled somewhat, but now it looked as if his nerves were frayed all over again.

“What's really the matter, Miya?“ Kojiro held back a pained look. “I know you're worried about Kaoru, but that's not why you're asking me, is it?”

The young prodigy flinched, falling back to the wooden flooring of the establishment. He crossed his arms, putting his back to the chef.

Miya bit his lip hard. “Adam chose Reki.”

“...What?”

“He chose Reki,“ the boy repeated. “And that idiot accepted.”

--

-X-

The next night, for the first time in his life, Joe hated the rapid pumping of his heart as they stood before the metal gates of paradise.

Hundreds of skaters road ahead of them through the tree-lined mountain tops. The group was still at the entrance inside Cherry's Blossom's white van as they waited for the capmen to check for pins.

“I wish Shadow could've come,“ Reki said from the middle seats. “Sucks that he's still in the hospital.”

“He said he would be watching from his phone,” Oka replied from the front passenger seat. “So, he's still with us in a way.”

The car ahead of them drove forward and a shadow-faced capmen approached the van.

“Stickers and pins?” was all he said.

Five pins glinted as the man passed a flashlight through the vehicle. For once, Joe felt nothing as he shifted his jacket on his shoulders.

“Go ahead,“ the man nodded.

There was very little chatter as the group drove up, the wind whistling through the cracked windows the loudest speaker out of them all. Huddled together, Reki and Langa whispered to one another, while Miya, Oka, and Joe sat with stiff postures and straight faces.

It was ten minutes to midnight when they finally found a parking space.

“Are you sure about this, Reki?” The keys bit into Joe's hand as the engine died. “No one will think less of you if you back out.”

The teen smiled at him. “I'm sure. “

Joe took a moment to stare at the boy through the rear-view mirror. Gone were the bags under his eyes, the ruffled, unkempt hair, the slouched posture, and barely there voice. His eyes, which once looked like smoking ashes dying under drizzles of rain, were once again bright braziers topped off with gasoline.

The decision he was making was utterly foolish, but at least it was the normal sort of decision Reki would make.

It was five minutes to midnight by the time they made it up to the starting line. A sizeable crowd huddled together along the sticker-covered fencing, a cacophony of voices, some indecipherable from one another forming a mob of gossip, rumors, and bets.

In the middle of it all stood a figure shrouded in crimson clothes and washed-out traffic lights. A cigarette burned between his black, gloved fingers as he stood straight, the wind blowing through his midnight hair and cape; his longboard sat between his feet.

“I was beginning to wonder if you'd changed your mind or not, Little Red,“ Adam simpered as the group approached. “Oh, and look, you even got Joey to come back.”

At the sight of their chiseled, curly-haired god, the Sunflowers immediately flew into a joyous frenzy, all jumping, laughing, and crowing away.

“My man Joe!”

“Joe!”

“Joe! You're finally back!”

“Joe, how's Cherry?!”

“Where've you been, Joe?!”

“Glad you could make it, Joe!”

Despite their ardor, the fangirls' and fanboys' words bounced right off the Musclebound God's chest and crashed to the ground.

The Matador of Love chuckled at the stone-hard look set upon the Six-Pack Skater's face. “What's wrong, Joe?“ he asked with a mocking smile. “Usually, you love their attention.”

Joe narrowed his eyes at the man. “I'm not in the mood”

Adam huffed and tossed his cigarette to the side. “How's our darling Cherry? I haven't had the chance to visit him myself just yet, but...from what I've heard, sounds like he needs a kiss from a prince to wake him up.”

The Six-Pack Skater clenched his fists. “Adam...”

“Hey!“ Reki stepped forward and glared. “Don't talk about Cherry like that. He's not your darling anything.”

Adam crooned, “Oh, Gingersnap, you really don't know anything, do you?”

The redhead growled, “I'm gonna make you eat your own words. And after that, you're gonna apologize to Cherry and stay away from Langa.”

Adam's mouth quirked. “Oh?”

The God of the Mountain lifted his board, pointing its sharp horns right at Reki's eyes. “Then tonight I'll decipher your true nature, little red ant, and see what's so special about you. And after that, I'll get to watch over and over how my Little Langa reacts to what's left of you.”

At his words, Miya took a step forward as if to run up and push the elder man away from his friend; however, a firm hand grabbed hold of his shoulder, keeping him in place. Miya looked back in shock and betrayal, while Langa simply shook his head.

“I don't plan on losing tonight. I'm going straight to finals to race against Langa, “Reki stated determinedly.

The eyeholes of Adam's mask flashed scarlet. “Ahah! Let's get this over with, shall we?”

Almost in unison, the two got in position against the starting line, eyes focused on the traffic light just a few feet away.

“Stomp him out, Adam!”

“You got this Reki!”

“Does this guy really think he can take on Adam? What a joke!”

“Make him apologize to Cherry-sama!”

“I'm betting money on you, little red dude. Try to last at least a minute and a half!”

“You betted on this, you idiot?! Dude's gonna get trashed!”

The horn blared, and the crowd grew silent. Ahead, the flag lady stood in the middle lane, S's symbol held high above her head, its white fabric billowing in the wind.

Three...two...one...

“Bzzzt!”

--

-X-

Adam was going to kill him.

“Reki, just forfeit already, you idiot!” Miya hollered at the megatron. “It's not worth it!”

Another punch broke the skin above the redhead's eyes and blood spilled out, painting his cheek a deep crimson. Even just watching the screens, everyone could see the heaving breaths of the younger skater as the Matador of Love battered him.

“Joe!” Miya called to the man. “We have to do something!”

“It's no use,“ the two turned. Snake stared past them, his green eyes unblinking on the scene before them. “Adam's already made up his mind to destroy him in every way possible.”

“Ahh!,“ Their eyes flew back to the screen. Adam wrenched Reki's head back by his hair. The boy hissed, baring his blood-covered teeth.

“Come on now, “Adam murmured with sickly sweet charm, “Is that really all you've got?”

With what seemed to be a simple flick of his wrist, Reki's feet flew back off the rear of his board and his face fell down upon the hardwood of its desk. His jaw clattered. His teeth ached.

The boy's body involuntarily tried to curl in on itself as hands flew up to his mouth and he rolled off his board. "Ngh," Reki grunted and forced himself to stand.

"Oho!" Adam whistled at the glare the teen threw at him. "Ready to go again?"

The crowd watched as the beating continued. Reki was dragged, thrown, run down, tossed, slammed, and tugged. Adam's onslaught seemed relentless. A few people screamed in terror as the Matador crushed the teen against the jagged rock walls of the tracks.

“He's gonna kill that guy.”

“Holy shit, man!”

“Oh man.”

The two racers were coming up on one of the steep ledges of the track.

“Ah, I'm bored.“ Adam stretched while Reki looked dazedly ahead, body rocking side to side on his board. “I thought you would've given me more, but I guess this is all you have to offer. Shall I end it at this corner?”

“Is he...gonna toss him off the cliff?” a horrified voice whispered.

“Oh god. Oh my god.“ Another had broken into tears.

On the lower levels, Reki's friends watched in abject horror. Unstoppable tremors rocked Miya's body. Sketchy had hidden himself inside Oka's collar. Langa stared on with clenched fists and clenched teeth.

Joe felt far away. Adam looked back at the boy, the darkness ebbing away from the sockets of his mask. His grin was wide, sharp, and full of malice as he reached a gentlemanly hand out towards the unmoving Reki.

'He's really going to kill him,' Joe stared at the screen unblinking.

He could already see the next moments clearly. A body flying over the edge of the cliff, slamming down against sharp rocks before they slipped into the open air. They'd almost look like they were flying and not falling from a deadly height. When they finally hit the group, the body would burst and collapse in on itself. Blood would stain the track, the person it gushed from unrecognizable.

He wouldn't look away. Not when he should have stopped this beef from happening in the first place.

Wait...

“Hold on, what!”

“He's speeding up!”

“Is he...” Joe whispered and flinched as the situation came to him. “Is he seriously going to ride off the side of the cliff?!”

“No way!”

“He's insane!”

“He's gonna kill himself!”

“Go, Reki!” Langa shouted over them all.

And go he did. The blood-covered redhead scaled down the side of the cliff, flipping over rocks that would surely send him tumbling. At the edge, a large, curved rock pointed high into the night sky. With an unwavering grin, Reki shot up the ledge and soared.

“He's flying,“ someone said in awe.

“He's so high,“ another gasped.

The drones that surveyed and recorded every inch of the tracks were too low to capture this moment, but the sheer confidence and elation that exuded from the teen high above the crowd could be felt as if it was a ray from the sun.

And as he came down, the elation extended to the onlookers. No more fear clouded over them as the ground came closer and closer. And no one was surprised when...

He landed it.

“Whoo!” the crowd screamed in delight.

“Holy shit that was awesome,” a woman screamed.

"Amazing, little red dude!"

"Go redhead go!"

"You're so cool, redheaded dude!"

Reki flew around a sharp curve. "My name isn't Redhead; it's Reki, and don't you ever forget it!"

Cheers flew all around the mountain. Whether it was because people were truly impressed with what the teen had done or were just relieved that they didn't see him die could never be known. All that mattered in that moment was the beating of their hearts, the blood pumping through their veins, and the wheels gliding down the track.

“Oh, Gingersnap, you can't expect to win this on a fluke.” In only a few seconds the Matador of Love had caught up.

"Tch. Damn, "Oka hissed.

With a cry of thunder and a clap of lightning, the sky opened up. A sea of rain fell soaking everyone and everything within seconds.

“It's gonna be even harder for Reki to win now,“ Miya murmured fearfully.

On the track, Adam irritatedly flicked rainwater from his face. He looked ahead to Reki, who soldiered on, uncaring of his headband that slowly slid down his face to his neck.

"Tsk." The man shook his head. "I loathe the rain. All it's good for is ruining decks, the ultimate enemy of skateboarding."

He glared at Reki's back. 'I should finish this all ready.'

Another curve was coming up and fast. Both skaters got low, sliding along the muddy track. Adam's wheels couldn't get a good grip; he was sliding far off his mark. And Reki-

"What?!"

"Hold on?!"

"Wait a minute?!"

Adam gasped and then snarled. "How?!"

The rain did not bother the soaked redhead. Reki flew around the curve and sped down the straightaway, nearly leaving the Matador behind.

'How is he...' Adam's gaze zeroed in on Reki's board. 'Those wheels!'

"He's using wheels specifically designed for rainy weather," Langa informed his group, "That's why he isn't losing his grip."

"Huh, really?" Miya looked on. "Then that's why..."

"He was going so slow in the beginning," Oka finished. "He knew it was going to rain?"

"Mmm." Langa looked on, eyes glittering with pride. "Reki bet everything on this."

It was quite a sight to behold, seeing the Matador of Love falling behind someone nearly a decade his junior and nowhere near his skill. The muddy tracks made it look as if Reki was a master and Adam was a rookie.

Adam growled. "That's it!"

He stomped down, sending his longboard flying into his hands as he glided along the slick ground. He charged forward through a wooded area of fallen sticks and free-falling leaves and popped out right ahead of a still-approaching Reki.

Adam whispered into the pouring rain. "I call this the Full Swing Kiss."

Alarms blared in Joe's mind. "No!"

Miya screamed. “You can't take that hit!”

Everything happened in slow motion. Reki flew ahead, looking as if he meant to meet Adam head-on, while Adam's board swung straight toward the teen's skull. Below, everyone watched with bated breaths as the seconds ticked forward.

One...two...thre-Slam! Adam's board connected, and a wet thump sounded. The Matador grinned at the sight of his opponent's jacket flying up, certain he'd see the boy's bloody mangled face in just a moment- when suddenly he gasped.

"Whoa!"

"No way!"

"How did he?"

Reki's jacket flew up, wrapping around the mountain king's board as its wearer slipped fully free from its confines. The teen ducked low, riding under the older man's arms and out of reach of his attack.

Seeing what had happened, Adam bared his fangs and tried to quickly turn round, intending to smash the teen with a second strike.

“You brat-Guh!”

Thump!!!

Silence.

“....”

“....”

“....”

'What?'

Befuddled, Joe looked all around him. The Gallery shared the same look upon his face, eyes and mouth open wide while rainwater splattered against their shocked faces.

“Was that...Adam?”

“No, couldn't be...could it?”

“Our Adam?”

“No way!”

Oh, but it was. Laying there in the muck, body spread out wide like a pinned toad, covered in impurities, was the Matador of Love. His board lay ahead of him, ripped away by the unforgiving elements; it too was covered, stained, ruined.

Joe looked on with a fluttering feeling in his heart. He couldn't help but feel empathy for the fallen man in those first moments, but those feelings were quickly overwhelmed with feelings of pure and utter joy.

His shoulder shook, “Mmhmhmhm....”

“Joe?” Oka looked over, concern coloring his voice.

“Pfft-Tahahaha. He had it coming!” The sound came out loud and blithe.

As if following the Six-Pack Skater's cue, many more raucous arose. All at once, the mountain was swathed in laughter.

"Ahahahaha, is this serious!"

"Pft, seriously? Is that seriously Adam?"

"What a loser!"

"Hey!" Miya called to his friends. "Let's get to the finish line!"

Flying ahead unimpeded, Reki smirked as the factory came into view. Along the way, many watchers cheered him on, waving their hands and boards like flags of support.

The factory was filled to its brim. Bright white lights shined down on all the cheering inhabitants. Standing in the center closest to the finish line, Rek's friend jolted in delight when the redhead rode in on the catwalk.

"You're almost there, Reki!" Langa called.

"Just a bit further!" Miya added.

A couple feet away from them, Snake was astonished. "Is Ainosuke-sama...actually going to lose?"

Reki leaped off the edge of the staircase and flew down, slamming down hard on the concrete ground floor. He continued on, lowering himself to gain more speed.

Cli-clack! The teen stumbled. Shocked, he looked down and watched as his cracked wheel forced his board to jump and slow down.

'Did it break when I landed the first time?' he thought.

"Unforgiveable. Unforgiveable. Unforgiveable. Unforgiveable. Unforgiveable. Unforgiveable. Unforgiveable. UNFORGIVEABLE!"

A cold front blasted through the open doors of the factory. The lights shook from the power of the wind, blinking on and off. A new body flew in on the catwalk covered in a red mist.

From his spot, Joe saw the rage controlling the Matador, his face twisted into a demonic grimace. "Hurry, Reki!" he shouted. "He's closing in!"

Above, the Matador of Love leaped from the catwalk, and screams of terror erupted. He grabbed hold of a loading chain with one hand, the other keeping his board firmly under his feet. He leapt again, landing on a line of shipping crates.

"You...WORTHLESS TRASH!" He growled, using his board to smack away rolls of rebar.

The metal clanged against the ground, and Reki looked back, the King of S not far behind him. He gritted his teeth, willing his wheel to hold on, and shot forward.

Hearts were beating out of chests as the two raced neck and neck to the finish line. Red and yellow seemed to cross at exactly the same time, and the skaters went flying from their boards, skidding along the dirty floors.

"Woohoo!" The Gallery cheered. "That was awesome!"

"That was moving, kid!"

"Reki! His name is Reki!"

"That was moving, Reki!"

Reki! Reki! Reki! Reki!"

"Reki!" Langa shouldered himself through the boisterous crowd, running towards the still-downed redhead. "Reki, are you okay?"

"Ugh, "Reki smiled at the other from his place laid out on the concrete. "That...was so much fun! I love skateboarding!"

"Reki!" "Reki." The two looked as the rest of their friends ran forward.

Reki grinned at Miya. "So, what'dya think?"

Miya sniffed, wiping at his eyes. "You...did alright...for a slime."

"I think he was pretty great."Joe, chest still full of pride, winked at the teen.

"Can you stand?" Oka kneeled on the other side of the boy. Sketchy chirped and jumped to the ground. "Do you need help?"

Reki looked down at himself, wincing at the sight of himself. "I-

“You."

The group froze. The Gallery grew silent and fell back into the dark corners of the factory. The crimson-clothed figure stood up from the spot where he'd been thrown on all fours, breathing heavily.

The Matador of Love limped closer. “How dare you? You think just because you know a couple tricks and your way around a board you'll amount to anything? You think you can get in my way, stop me from taking what I'm rightfully owed?"

Langa moved in front Reki, eyeing the Matador with a cold stare. Miya hunkered down behind his friend, eyes wary.

Adam exhaled. "Eve. Langa-kun. Dear. Darling." He moved forward again. "Get out of my way, so that I can teach this ant a lesson."

The pastel-haired teen said nothing in reply but stepped back closer to his friend.

"Can't you see what he's doing, trying to rip us apart? Or has he already gotten into that head of yours? Are you trying to leave me?" He moved even closer. "Leave me all by myself in a world made just for us?"

Scarlet eyes were flush with anger as he came up on the three boys. His breathing grew more ragged, and his body shook.

“You worthless little-

“Stop it; that's enough!” The Six-Pack Skater flashed in front of the kids. “The beefs over. You won, Adam. Leave the kid alone.”

Adam hissed, "Move."

Reki shakily hauled himself up off the paint-covered ground, his friends' hands hovering just centimeters above his skin, wanting to help but wary to touch him.

Adam tried to move around Joe, only for the taller man to intercept him again, walling him off from the injured teen.

The battered redhead spoke. “Joe once told me something. “You don't want to end up alone, especially by your one hand.”

A crackle of thunder shook the factory, and many lights died at once, shrouding the room even further. The Matador himself seemed to be held by the darkness, cradling his sullen form.

“.....Ah..Ahahaha!” Adam suddenly cackled.

Joe narrowed his eyes as the man continued to howl. It was a sharp, harsh thing that reverberated in his throat, his drenched, mud-covered epauletes jerking up and down.

Adam bared his fangs at his ex-friend. ““Don't end up alone”? Is that what you really told him, Joe? You of all people?”

Adam took another step forward, bringing himself nose to nose with the Six-Pack Skater. Scarlet and burgundy met head-on, a lightning storm versus an icy tundra. Behind them, Oka moved in front of the younger skaters, his arms held out wide.

An even larger aura of anger had enveloped the Matador, fully directed at his fellow man. “You,“ he chuckled darkly. “The man who plans on dying alone because he's scared of being rejected?”

The rain-soaked god of the mountain let off a growl. “You talk all you can about confidence, romance, and aggression, but you're the biggest coward around! Too afraid to take what's right in front of you!”

“Hey...”Reki started.

“Shut up!” Adam shook his head. “I've had him and thrown him away, and yet you can't even relish in something you've had this whole time!”

The man lashed out, grabbing hold of the lapels of Joe's jacket. Unafraid, the Musclebound God of Skateboarding simply pushed the man back, keeping his hand pressed against his mud-stained vest.

Joe's voice was as hard as stone. “I've never had his love. His friendship? His care? In abundance. But he also gave that to you and more, and you didn't even appreciate it.”

Adam snarled again as Joe continued. “You threw away one of the few people willing to go to hell and back for you. One of the few people who damn near begged to understand you. He loved you, and you tossed him away like he meant nothing.”

All at once, the Six-Pack Skater summoned his strength and separated the two with ease. Adam slid back a couple of feet, his eyes dimming to a darker, bloodier red beneath his cracked mask. “So next time you want to talk about how alone in your world you are, think about the person you abandoned.”

Turning away from his former friend, Joe walked over and took ahold of Reki's waist, throwing one of the boy's arms around his shoulder. “Come on, kid. Let's get you to a hospital.”

“But, Joe, I'm fine.”

“Langa, get the van.”

“Okay.“ The Canadian nodded, ripping the keys from Joe's waist and running off.

“Eh, Langa?! Joe, are you even listening to me?!”

“No. Miya grab his other arm and help him walk.”

While the two dragged the protesting redhead into the pouring ran, Oka collected the teen's board, and Sketchy growled at the rain-soaked god standing in the flickering lights of the factory. The group wandered off, unable to hear the next words that came from the Matador's mouth.

“Last I checked, you abandoned him too. But I'm only too fortunate...I won't be alone much longer.”

--

“That was amazing, kid!” Hiromi's voice boomed.

“Thanks, Shadow!” Reki laughed.

The warm-colored, overhead lights beamed down on them within the quaint, olive-colored hospital room. Langa sat on Reki's left, his cerulean eyes wandering over the chattering redhead's body in search of secret injuries the hospital staff might have missed while Miya sat on his right, both scolding and congratulating his friend in tandem with Hiromi's own elated speech. Oka and Kojiro sat in the chairs nearest the bed, with the brown-haired manager holding Reki's phone so that the teen didn't have to.

“You had me worried for a while there, but I'm glad you made it out alright.“ The florist let off a hearty laugh.

“More than worried.“ A gloved hand fell atop the injured teen's shoulder. Oka sighed, “You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

The boy gave him a sheepish look. “Ehehe.”

Reki looked as if he'd gotten into a fight with a roll of toilet paper and lost. His hair, though brushed free of any stray debris, still looked as if a bird had made its home in the middle of his head, ready and waiting to deliver its eggs. The swelling on his right eye had gone down a bit but was still a plump, firey red. Anyone else who saw him would have described him as the sorriest loser they had ever seen.

But in all their eyes he couldn't have been more of a winner if he tried.

Oka smiled. “I don't think I've ever seen anybody laugh at Adam before. You've made history tonight.”

Reki exhaled deeply. “I think I made history by coming outta there a-okay?”

“A-okay?” The two turned to Langa who looked at his friend with fire in his eyes. “He was treating you like a ragdoll, Reki!”

The redhead struggled to shrug. “It's not that bad.”

“Not that-you're a mess!” Langa's eyes molded into the sharpest steel. A sweatdrop formed on Reki's forehead as the other high schooler stared him down. “He could've killed you.”

The others watched the two high schooler's have their back and forth. Even though Reki's injuries were serious, they luckily weren't life-threatening, even if the nurse had said the teen was “the second worst skateboarding accident he's ever seen”.

The redhead winced as he moved his arms up and down in a placating manner. “Fine, fine! He did a number on me, alright? You don't have to look like that, dude; it's not the end of the world.”

Somehow, Langa's gaze became even sharper.

Reki shook his head, a small blush tinting his cheeks. “Seriously, man, I'm still not used to this new you.” He lowered his hands, rubbing at his sore arms.

Miya swatted his friend as he tried to prod at a couple of his bandages. “Stop it, slime! You'll never get better if you start messing with them.”

And he truly was a long way to recovery. Even his most minor injuries- the cut above his eye and a dislocated shoulder- would take a bit of time to fully heal. Yet those had nothing on his back, reduced to a shredded mess of rock-filled gashes and rashed skin. The nurses had been as gentle as possible peeling off his tattered, bloody, dirt-covered clothes that stuck to his wounds before tossing them in a biohazard bag, cleaning him up, and layering on ointment and bandages.

“You should be lucky that your injuries were light enough that you can go home in the morning,“ Miya glared.

Reki cringed. “My ma's going to kill me.”

“You'll deserve it for being an idiot,” Miya sniffed.

“Hey!” Reki exclaimed.

Knowing it would be a while before the next nurse came to check the room, the five talked and talked about the past few hours. It wasn't long before Reki's phone had to be plugged into the wall socket to keep Hiromi on the line. At some point, Langa tapped out of the conversation, leaning back against the wall deep in thought while the others slipped into the S app to rewatch some of the highlights of Reki's beef.

“Pfft, he just goes down like a deck of cards!” Miya sneered at the image of a laid out Adam on the track.

“More like a bowling pin,” Reki giggled. “God, I didn't even see this happen!”

“Well, it happened! Best part of the beef. Somebody even made a gif out of it,” Hiromi said with a bellowing laugh.

“Holy-what tag?” Miya demanded.

“Think it's on #burntbeef,“ the man replied.

Oka snickered when Miya found the tag and started jeering again. The mood of the group had lightened considerably ever since they'd left S and gotten Reki proper treatment. However- Oka turned to look at Kojiro- there was still one of them that was being unnervingly silent.

“Well, all in all, I think this is the best outcome we could've expected,” the twenty-eight year old said. “I'm mostly just glad he's got his spark back.”

Kojiro turned to him, his eyes dark and glossy. “Yeah...he's gonna start complaining about having to rest as soon as he gets home, but at least the kid can still walk.”

Oka shook his head, knowing what the other said was true. “I'm gonna have to take him off the schedule again until he gets better. Tell me though, did we really have to drive an extra thirty minutes to come to Yoshioka Health Center? There's nearly a pool of blood in the back seats; it's gonna be hell to get out.”

“I think if I walked back into Naha General dressed like this again, they'd send me to the psych ward.”

“Ah, right. It would be suspicious if you showed up with another injured person in the middle of the night, dressed in the same clothes and everything, wouldn't it?”

“Yeah. Last time I went there I was still getting some weird looks, even in my day clothes. I think if I showed up with an injured kid, they might actually try to kill me.”

“Tah, it's possible,“ Oka smiled. “How is Cherry by the way?”

“He's...well they haven't felt the need to update me, so I'm assuming he's probably the same. Wounds healing, but he's not waking up.”

“Joe?” The man looked to the bed.

Langa had a pondering look on his face. “Earlier...what was Adam talking about?”

At his question, the other four immediately quieted and looked toward the still shirtless man.

Kojiro stared at the young Canadian for a moment. “Why are you wondering about that?” he answered with a question.

“I'm curious.“ Langa blinked. “He really wanted to hurt Reki. But then he got so mad at you. He's never done that before.”

“Yeah.“ Miya frowned at the thought of the Matador of Love. “He said some wild stuff.”

Kojiro watched the cogs turn in Langa mind, his focus once again centered on the King of S. His brows were pinched tight, wrinkles forming on his forehead. While anger still showed through his crystal blue depths, curiosity was well at the forefront too.

'He wants to know more about him?' Kojiro thought. 'Even after all that. What's going through your head, Langa?”

Who knew what type of danger the rookie would get in if he got fixated on the obsessed Matador again? Would telling him about their shared past even assuage his curiosity? Or would it make it worse? Was staying silent and keeping his secrets any better? For, if he couldn't get his answers from Kojiro, wouldn't that send him straight towards the man he wished he could stay away from?

Kojiro sighed wearily. “There...was a time when the two of us were in love with the same person,” he said, thinking back to swan-like singing and a blushing face framed with sterling silver.

The three children gaped. On the other side of the line, a choking sound could be heard from Hiromi.

“What?! Really???” Reki nearly shouted.

“How?!” Miya squawked.

Kojiro shrugged. “They were a member of our old skating group. I fell for them first, and then Adam came along and fell for them too. It just sorta happened.”

“Did you two fight over them?” Langa asked. “I remember Adam talking about rivals in love some time ago”

The chef shook his head. “It was...you can't really call it a rivalry or a competition because “they” were never a prize to us. We just wanted to be around them, to impress them. They were the topic of a lot of Adam's and I's coversations when it was just the two of us. I think we bonded over our love for them just as much as we bonded over skateboarding.”

“A love triangle.“ Oka grasped his own chin, contemplative.

Kojiro let off a small, jaded chuckle. “I...guess you could call it that.”

“What were they like?” Miya wondered aloud, “For the both of you to fall for them?”

“They were...” Kojiro licked his lips. “Beautiful. Creative. Wild.” The man chuckled again. “Never easy to please. A bit stand-offish. Scarier than death itself if you pissed them off, but at the same time so bright, passionate, and lovely when you got to know them.”

The more he spoke about “them” the more they appeared in his mind, their soft, styled hair, their sharp, starlight eyes, their mocking, upturned lips. Every little argument they had ever had came back to him, every moment of quiet and trust. He reveled in those memories, each and every one, though it didn't stop his heart from freezing with loss and breaking from grief.

“They eventually ended up with Adam,“ Kojiro said almost in a whisper.

Another amazed yet inquisitive sound left the boys' mouths.

“You got rejected?!“ Hiromi's shocked voice came over the phone.

The Six-Pack Skater huffed. “You can't get rejected if you never revealed your feelings in the first place.”

“But...” Hiromi wanted to say more but stopped himself.

“I wasn't upset,“ Kojiro smiled. “I was happy because I thought Adam would take care of them, give them something far better than I could. All I've ever what was for “them” to be happy.”

“But Adam abandoned them,“ Miya countered.

Kojiro clicked his tongue. “Yeah. Yeah, he did. And I'll never forgive him for that.”

“What happened to them?“ Langa asked.

“They're..." the man settled on the word, “fine." "They still attend S and everything; the two of them just act like the relationship never happened.”

“That's strange,“ Oka interjected. “Doesn't Adam usually...destroy the people he “loves”?”

“He did destroy them.“ Kojiro looked towards the window, out unto the darkened parking, drenched from the heavy rainfall. “....just not physically. While they're still functional, there's still a part of them that hasn't been the same since.”

“What a bastard.“ Miya crossed his arms.

“Yeah. I can't imagine anybody with that guy coming out okay. Still, it's weird no one ever talks about them,“ Reki muttered. “You'd think they'd be more popular if Adam used to like them and they can still skate; he's not exactly subtle about that sort of stuff.”

Kojiro paused for just a moment, but that was all it took. A hissing sound came from over the phone. “You alright, Shadow?” Reki asked.

“Uh...yeah, kid. I just...uh...thought of something.“ The twenty-four-year-old's voice sounded disturbed. “I'm fine..don't worry about it....Uh...Joe?”

“Yeah?” Kojiro replied, already having an idea as to what the man was thinking of.

“Shit man,“ Hiromi coughed. “I'm sorry that happened...for the both of you.”

“It's alright,“ the chef said. “I'm the one who seems to come out better every time anyway.”

“But still...holy shit man. If I was...your friend...I would've punched the bastard in the face the second he returned to S!” the florist fired back.

Kojiro snorted. “That's my job.”

“Langa?” a soft voice called from the door.

“Mom?“ The boy abruptly hopped to his feet.

Standing in the entryway was a nurse. The frame was gripped tightly in her slender hands. Her eyes were wide with both fear and relief.

“My colleagues told me a redheaded skater with the name Kyan was admitted,“ she muttered. “So it really was Reki-kun. Are you alright?”

“I'm okay, Hasegawa-san.“ Reki gave the woman a lopsided grin.

She strode into the room, taking her time to look over her son and smushing his cheeks- to the boy's utter embarrassment- when she was done before turning towards Reki. She checked his chart, then the bandages covering his patchwork mess of a back. When her eyes finally settled on Miya, the thirteen year old swiftly shook his head, murmuring that he was “Totally fine. Not even a scratch”.

“At least you didn't break any bones,“ she sighed. “Please be more careful, Reki-kun.”

The redhead gave a weak laugh. “Yes, ma'am.”

Satisfied that the children were- at least somewhat- alright, the nurse turned her gaze towards Oka and Kojiro.

“And you two are?“ Nanako raised a brow.

Despite being a foot and a half shorter than Kojiro, the woman gave off an aura that made the two men want to take several steps back from the kids. The two were immediately inundated with images of a ferocious, mother bear huddling over her pack of cubs.

'I...really need to start zipping up this jacket.' A bead of sweat formed on Kojiro's forehead as the woman's gaze drifted to his bare chest. Her hair stood on its ends. He could see spirals in her eyes as no doubt millions of ideas appeared in her head.

“Mom!” Langa quickly grabbed her attention. “Joe's a friend we met at the skatepark a while back! Oka is my manager from work.”

The woman didn't look all that convinced with his answer. “Joe?”

“It's a nickname.“ Kojiro smiled awkwardly as he zipped up. “Some of my other friends call me that and it just kinda stuck.”

Nanako's brow rose a bit more. 'Ah, Kaoru, now I get why you get so pissy when the kids call you Cherry in public.'

Langa continued. “Reki got really hurt, and I knew you were still at work and Mrs. Kyan was probably asleep, so we didn't want to wake her. We called Joe 'cause he lived close to the part of town we were in.”

“Sorry about..all this,“ Kojiro laughed weakly. “When I heard the kid hurt himself I just kinda rushed out of the house as soon as I could.”

The untrusting look stayed on her face, but at least the spirals subsided. She looked the two over again, searching for something they couldn't name. “Well,“ Nanako's hands found their way to her hips, “Thank you for bringing Reki-kun. I'll take over from here and drive these three home when he's discharged. Besides, I need to tell Masae-chan everything Reki needs to heal up properly.”

“Eh?!“ Reki's tried to wave his hand in a negating gesture, only to hiss in pain. “That's not necessary, Hasegawa-san!”

“No, no,“ The woman smiled, “Masae-chan is always telling me how worried she gets when you sneak out of the house, and this is far more serious than any other injury she's told me about.”

Reki flushed harder. “Aw man.”

Oka spoke up. “Well, it's better to leave kids in their parent's hands anyway. Before we go, I'll need to bring their boards in from the van.”

“Nanako nodded. “Lead the way, please.”

Despite the three teens' protests, Kojiro and Oka were quick to give their goodbyes and promised to check in on them later. On the way to the car, the mother spoke up again.

“So, they called Joe, but how are you here, Oka-san?” She looked at him.

'Shit,' the man thought before he replied. “I had just left a friend's house and was walking by the skatepark when I heard the three on the phone with Joe. Reki was in pretty bad shape, and I was checking to make sure he didn't have a concussion by the time Joe came by with the van.”

“Ah, I see,“ she said before looking to Kojiro. “And, may I have your real name, sir?”

“Right,“ he managed a small smile for her. “My name's Nanjo Kojiro, ma'am. I met Reki, Langa, and Miya a few months ago at the park and offered to teach them some tricks.”

“You skate, Nanjo-san?” She blinked.

“Yeah, since I was little. I've been in love with the sport for a long time, and the kids seemed to love it just as much as I did, so I wanted to pass on some advice.”

“Mhmm,“ the woman hummed. “And what do you do for a living?”

“I'm a chef and restaurant owner,“ Kojiro replied. “I own Sia La Luce, an Italian restaurant.”

“Oh, really? I'll have to look it up later. I've never had Italian before.“ She finally gave the man a smile. “I'm sorry for being so rude. It's just that...Langa sneaks out so much now, and, while I'm happy he has friends, it worries me.”

“That's understandable,“ Oka said while Kojiro nodded. “I'd be worried sick about my kids if they went out and I didn't know what they were really doing.”

“Skateboarding can be really dangerous,“ Kojiro said to her, “I know I got my fair share of scrapes, bruises, and breaks back in the day. But Langa's really talented. His skills from snowboarding really transferred over for the better, and he's improving a lot. He rarely falls anymore.”

“He told you he used to be a snowboarder?” Nanako looked surprised.

“Kinda. I have a friend who knows a bit about well everything, and they speculated before Langa confirmed,” the man replied.

The van was waiting and parked haphazardly underneath the building's awning when they got outside.

“Oh dear, that's a lot of blood,“ Nanako gasped when Oka opened the back doors. “I'm sorry, I'll pay to have it cleaned!”

“It's no worries,“ Kojiro shook his head. “I'd rather the back seats be full of blood than not have Reki get some help.”

Nanako's smile grew as she accepted the skateboards. “May I have your numbers?”

Oka and Kojiro blinked as the woman continued, “It's just...for a piece of mind. If I know that you two may be out with them at night and you can call me if there's ever a problem and-

Kojiro huffed at the franticness in her voice. He was far too used to anxious people. “Sure thing. It's...”

Once the numbers were secure, Kojiro and Oka piled into the van, while Nanako went back inside.

“Good night, Nanjo-san, Shokichi-san,“ Nanako waved from the entrance doors.

“Goodnight, Hasegawa-san,“ the two called.

The engine shuttered to life, and the van slowly crawled out of the parking lot and into the streets.

"Ah, "Oka sighed and leaned back in his seat, "Those kids are going to give me grey hairs early."

The pockets of the man's jumper rumpled and a high-pitched yawning sound came from within. Sketchy slowly peeked his head out, looking up at his owner's tired eyes, and yawned again.

"That seems to be the top point of their bullet lists," Kojiro smiled. "Now, what's your address so I can drop you off?"

"Huh?!" Oka jumped up. "You really expect me to go home and not help you with that mess in the back?"

"You don't have to do that."

"Don't have to. Want to," Oka grinned. "Besides, it'll be faster with two hands."

"Oh, so you know a bit about cleaning up blood, huh?"

"Yeah! All we need is some hydrogen peroxide, soap, detergent, and..."

---

Chapter 2 down! I'm really happy with this chapter. I'm sorry it took so long for this one, the action section of Adam and Reki's beef gave me a block for a couple days while I also had a minor health problem.

I figured that Langa would just call his mother mom in english and not Japanese because he probably spoke more english in Canada and it would be kinda hard to switch after using one referal for her for so long, especially seeing as he's only been in Naha for just some months, and he also had a problem with some words in the beginning episodes. This was one of the reasons why I'm using both honorifics and the Japanese words for relationships. The other is because of people's statuses in the story. Both Kaoru and Ainosuke are referred to with the honorific "sensei", one because of their occupation and the other recognized for his talent. It wouldn't do their characters justice to have people simply calling them "Mr. Shindo" and "Mr. Sakurayashiki" because that's too common and doesn't hold a lot of weight. I also can't constantly keep writing "Diet Member Shindo" everytime someone spoke to or about Ainosuke, that would get stale fast.

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Original Character List Sakurayashiki Daishi – Kaoru's father, 58yrs old Sakurayashiki Masami – Kaoru's mother, 46yrs old Sakurayashiki Kouhei – Kaoru's eldest half brother, 37yrs old Sakurayashiki Kouga – Kaoru's second half brother and the first born twin, 35yrs old Sakurayashiki Koutetsu – Kaoru's third half brother and the second born twin, 35yrs old Sakurayashiki Ainoshin – Kaoru's son, 6yrs old, soon to be 7yrs Nanjo Chiyoko – Kojiro's mother, 58yrs old Nanjo Benjiro – Kojiro's father, 58yrs old Yagi Eno – ICU Nurse

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Okaasan – Mother Otoosan – Father Chichi – Papa Haha – Mama Sofu & Jiji – Grandpa Sobo – Grandma Ojisan - Uncle

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Read the Next Chapter

[babygray]

Driving home, feeling miserable. There’s a steep incline on the way.

As I drive up the incline, the person behind me starts tailgating and flashing her high-beams and fucking honking her horn at me to go faster up the incline that my car’s little engine can barely handle at 40km/h.

Well.

You know what’s a super fun thing to do? The speed limit.

For five, ten kilometers. And purposely slowing down whenever she gets too close or flashes her high-beams again.

Like I should give a fuck.

It cured my depression. It dried my tears. Misery loves company, and I hope that, when she finally saw my face after being stuck behind me for what was probably only five minutes, she saw how happy making her miserable made me.