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scarlettriot · 3 years ago

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Along for the Ride PT 1

Pairing: KirishimaxF!Reader

Summary: A drunken mistake had you marking the little Plus One box to your snobby cousin's wedding. Kirishima told you not to worry, if you couldn't find a date, he'd go with you. When the wedding gets moved up, there's absolutely no time to find a date and you're now about to be traveling to America with Kirishima on a private jet no less, dreading having him meet your rude and impossibly arrogant family.

Contains: Kirishima and Reader both come from very well-off families. Plus-Sized Reader. Fluff. Hurt/Comfort.

Warnings: Kinda smutty for a minute. Minors DNI. Drunken Sex. TW: Manipulative Family Relationships. TW: Body Image Issues

A/N: This story has been rolling around in my head for a while now. I might rewrite this and repost. Or I might just post the whole thing soon. I dunno yet. It does get smuttier.

Word Count: 4,974

"What's up with Y/N?"

Eijiro stepped out of the locker room with a towel slung over his shoulder and made his way into the kitchenette where Mina was chugging a bottle of water before getting back to her patrol. His eyes were trained on their mutual friend out on the patio, pacing.

You had your phone pressed to your ear, the high neck of your hero costume unzipped to your collarbone and he noticed your gloves discarded on a chair.

"No clue." Mina shrugged. "She got back from patrol and she noticed a bunch of missed calls from her mom. She's been out there, flailing on the phone for the last fifteen minutes now."

The three of you had met in your second year at UA when you transferred into their class and were quickly accepted by their little squad of friends. You were a bit quiet at first but quickly found comfort in the group. Eijiro had grown especially close to you when you both interned with Fat Gum.

Late nights traveling on the train back to school, a few close calls while helping patrol, and days spent playing cards while you both healed up in the hospital left plenty of time for Eijiro to get to know you better than most. It was how he knew you had a pretty bad relationship with your family, why you hated returning home for the holidays almost as much as you hated any and all forms of tomatoes.

He considered going out there just to see if there was anything he could do but before he had the chance, you were sliding the glass door open. "Oh, good, you're back." He offered you a bottle of water for your throat that he assumed was sore after that argument. "I- um- can I borrow you for a second? Alone?"

Mina snorted a laugh. "If you guys wanna bang it out on the counter you can just say so. I gotta go to work anyways."

Eijiro threw the towel at her as she left the room leaving you two alone. "What's goin' on?"

You hoisted yourself up on the countertop while he leaned against the fridge. "You remember my cousin's wedding that's happening this winter?"

He nodded. He vividly remembered the both of you getting waste a few weeks ago when you were filling out the RSVP and accidentally marking 'plus one'. Then you ran around trying to find White Out but he'd told you if you didn't find a date or have a significant other by the time of the wedding, he'd just go with you.

You argued that your family was bat shit crazy, had more money than they could spend in their lifetime and because of that, they were among some of the rudest people you knew, and you didn't want Eijiro or anyone else around that.

The thing was, Eijiro already knew that and was still okay with going. He came from money too. A lot of it. His family was just more welcoming than yours, the wealth never really going to their heads. But, he reminded you that he'd ran into enough people like those in your family that he knew how to handle them. You finally agreed to let him accompany you, leaving the plus one box checked but the name line blank.

"Well, my cousin just found out that surprise, she's pregnant! And, obviously, she can't have a wedding while seven months along so they've decided to move the wedding up to this weekend."

He nearly choked on his own spit. "This weekend? As in four days from now?"

"Yup! Saturday at 4 in the evening. Oh! No one's supposed to know she's pregnant either. So, I'm just supposed to compliment her on how flattering her dress looks, how thin she is," Your hands strangled the water bottle between them, "And I have to find something flattering to my figure because my mother has seen me in my hero outfit and she's so glad I wear a mask because if anyone knew her daughter ran around looking like I do, well, it'd ruin her!"

You massaged your temples circling back to the actual point, "Anyways, I just wanted to bitch for a sec and let you know you're off the hook since four days is just a little short notice and I told her my plus one wouldn't be able to get the time off that fast."

He pushed off the fridge. "Well, wait, hang on! I'm not letting you go in alone to deal with them! Hell no! You need backup!" You looked almost taken aback by his abruptness, "Yeah. I can work this out. Is the wedding at the same place it was supposed to be or has it moved?"

"No, it's still that fancy lodge in California. I was planning on leaving Friday morning and then coming back either Sunday night or Monday morning since my mother insists I go to their brunch the following day. But, Eijiro, I already have this weekend off..."

"Denki owes me a favor or twelve. He's supposed to be off this weekend too, I'll just see if he can cover me."

"And if he can't?"

"Then..." He pressed the back of his hand to his forehead, "Y/N, am I feeling warm to you? I think I might be starting a fever!"

You folded your arms, shaking your head, "Thought you said lying isn't manly."

"Technically, correct. But, what would be real unmanly is for me to let you deal with your family's bullshit all alone." You watched him closely, "To be honest, I'm sure we could just explain you had a family thing come up and asked me to come along for moral support. I don't really think anyone would think twice about it. Hell, you took a few days off to console me when my turtle died suddenly!"

"Eiji, you refused to eat."

"And you brought me my favorite dumplings! Same thing!"

You might have shaken your head at him but your arms opened wide. The telltale sign you wanted affection. He walked forward, consuming you in a tight hug. Your arms latched around his neck, face buried in the hollow of his throat. "You're the best."

"I just do what I can."

>>><<<

You should have canceled. Instead of Eijiro faking sick to get out of work, you should have faked it with your mother so you didn't have to go in the first place. You crumpled to the floor of your bedroom in pure frustration amidst the twenty or so outfits and dozen pairs of shoes you'd thrown out of your closet trying to find something that your mother would deem appropriate.

It wasn't your fault you had a fuller figure. You worked out, ate right, not to mention your job kept you very active, and yet your, hips, ass, and breasts were by no means subtle.

Your mother had also insisted on the dress being floor-length and modern, "Do try not wearing all black. It's a wedding, not a funeral. And, get your hair looking natural, please." And, just like that, 70% of your wardrobe was out the window!

"It's open!" You called from the floor when the doorbell rang.

"You really should lock this." Mina tutted, walking through the door with a bag full of takeout.

"I do. At night."

"Honey, it's 9 PM."

"Night like bedtime."

Mina just rolled her eyes and walked into your tiny kitchen. "I see the dress hunt is going well."

"I actually figured it out!" You got off the floor, careful not to step on a heel as you made your way to the pink haired woman, "I'm just gonna go in my birthday suit. I figured, my mother made my body technically therefore she can't disapprove of it. Because, you know, she's never done anything wrong in her life!"

Your best friend snorted out a laugh and passed you the take-out container stuffed full of stir fry. "you're a wonderful person, you know that?" You loved the fact Mina didn't even have to ask what you wanted.

"If you'd just move closer to work then you could pick it up yourself and I wouldn't have to bring it to you."

"Too expensive." You declared after a mouthful. "You pay almost twice as much as I do per month and I just don't see the point. I have damn near the same amount of space you do for half the cost!"

You adored your small one-bedroom apartment. It was perfect. Right above a bakery that you visited each morning after your run and a little balcony that provided you with the most stunning view of the sunset.

"You and Kiri, I swear." Mina just shook her head and curled up with her food on the loveseat. "I thought he'd end up with the biggest house out of us all the moment we started making that real Pro money. You've seen his parent's house. It's massive! You could get lost in that place!"

Eijiro's place was barely bigger than your own. He lived in the same condo he had since you'd graduated UA, claiming it was perfect for him in each and every way. But, you knew that he donated a sizable amount of his paycheck every month to charities, the same as you. With savings to spare, neither of you saw the point in hoarding it and therefore the small condo was all he could afford with what he actually kept.

"Just don't understand how a guy that big can live in such a tiny little space. At least with you, it's you know, physically feasible."

Eijiro's bedroom was barely large enough to fit the king-sized bed the man needed to sleep comfortably and even then, his feet were dangerously close to dangling off the bed. And, as if the man's ears were burning, your cell phone went off under a pile of discarded shoes.

Shark-E: Figured out your dress situation? If not, I'm just gonna pack like ten different ties and hope for the best.

You: Yeah! I totally did! I'm just gonna wear this birthday suit I got and call it a night.

You chuckled at your own joke all over again. Watching the grey ellipses appear and then vanish, appear and vanish again. After a third time, you took pity on the man.

You: Joking, Ei. I still don't have it figured out but Mina's over so, hopefully, she can help.

Shark-E: Gonna give me a damn heart attack! Seriously, I wouldn't put it past you just to see the look on your mom's face. Tell Mina hi and good luck to you. I vote the dress from the Hero Gala two years ago.

You: Hi from Mina. Can't. Too much boobs.

Shark-E: You take that back right now! There is NEVER such a thing as too much boobs!

You chuckled to yourself, putting your phone down, and then finished off the last of your delicious dinner, thinking about the dress Eijiro mentioned.

You wondered if maybe there was a way you could make the thing work but it was so very low cut. So much tape had been used to make sure no slips happened but damn was it worth it! The beaded bodice with the sparkling long sleeves, gods, how you loved that dress.

"I'm inclined to agree with our shark boy. You're busty, who gives a damn. You looked hot as hell in that dress."

"My mother, that's who. As much as I'd like to not give a flying fuck what she thinks, for some dumb reason, I do. On top of her telling me that the amount of cleavage I would show would be vastly inappropriate for a wedding, she'd also say the way it hugs my hips makes them look too fat."

Mina rolled her eyes. "She's such a piece of work." Pushing herself up, she held her arms out to you, wiggling little pink fingers for you to take. "Come on then. Let's get you sorted."

"What about that one you wore to the charity art thingy with Kyoka last winter? The one with the silver top."

"Silver is too close to white." You called out from within your closet.

"What! Not true!"

"You know that. I know that. Every person with two brain cells knows that, which is why most of my family does not know that."

"Fine..." She whined and started sifting through the opposite end of your closet. "Oh, what about this?" Mina waved about the blue and green plaid skirt that made up your uniform from your middle school days when you lived in America. "Please try this on. I'm begging!"

You were pretty sure it wouldn't even go over your thighs anymore.

"It's got a better chance of fitting you!"

Mina threw it at you anyway. Slipping off the sweats you wore, somehow, someway, you were able to tug it on AND get it zipped, barely. It no longer covered your ass but you still enjoyed the way it swished around when you wiggled your hips.

"You could be fulfilling so many people's fantasies right now." Mina mused.

You pulled the skirt off and sweats back on, throwing the former back at her. "Yeah, you can take it and go fulfill Hanta's fantasies if you like. Not like I've got anyone to impress." You pulled down a dress you bought on sale a year ago but Mina was quick to dismiss it.

Too puffy, she said and then held up one that was from Momo. "I needed to get it shortened and I don't have time for that now."

"Wait..." She hummed and dropped the Momo dress. "I know what it should be!"

Mina hurried through the closet, grumbling about not finding it. "Just tell me which dress and I can tell you where it's at."

"It's that one you got for grad night and then you got sick and couldn't go!"

"Mina, Mina I can't wear that! That's actual vintage, not like, made-to-look-vintage!"

"But it's so elegant and has that off-the-shoulder sleeve thing. The wedding is at a damn sky lodge! It'll look so pretty in the snow! Ah! Found it!"

She yanked up the long, elegant gown from the garment bag you'd never removed it from. There wasn't a single wrinkle in the burgundy fabric. It looked just as beautiful as the day you found it in that second-hand store, on a mannequin with gaudy stage jewels that you just had to buy so the look was complete.

You ran the back of your hand over the velvety fabric, soft to the touch. "It'll be too tight now. If I was the same size I was at graduation-"

"Bullshit!" Mina cut you off with a dismissive hand, "You've got hips now. We aren't 18 anymore! It's not like it's some clubbing dress. And I bet no one would say a damn thing about your figure if they knew how easily you could crush them with those thighs!"

A smirk tugged at the corner of your lips. Without quirks, you gave every single one of your classmates a run for their money in hand to hand. Most were fairly easy to beat. You could usually take down Eijiro in about five or six minutes and Katsuki in half the time. Funny enough, it was Ochaco that gave you the hardest time.

"I'll consider it. But help me find something else just in case."

>>><<<

It was another two hours before you finally agreed on an a-line, empire waist green and gold number that had been the bridesmaid's dresses for Tetsutetsu's wedding. Mina thought they were a crime the first time they had to wear them, she had no idea what you were thinking.

That's why the moment you were preoccupied with trying to find yet another dress for the Sunday brunch, Mina pulled out her phone.

You: DO NOT, under any circumstances, allow Y/N to wear the green dress. She's bringing two because she can't decide. Red is the winner!

Jaws: Aw, come on. If she likes it, let her wear whatever she's comfortable in. She'll be under enough stress already.

You: Kirishima, it's the dress from Tetsu's wedding. The one that looks sparkly baby food.

It took him a second to respond.

Jaws: Alright. Understood. I thought you guys looked good but damn, she hated that dress.

You: We all did.

Mina looked at the message chain again and couldn't help but asked, "Are we just gonna ignore the fact that you and Eiji are flying all the way to America, last minute, to attend a wedding together, even though you're not together?"

"We've flown to the states before."

"For work!" She sat up eagerly. "This is different, Y/N! This is a date and not just a, like, casual date but a wedding date!"

You poked your head out of the closet. "No, it isn't. This is a friend helping another friend who stupidly mismarked an RSVP." You corrected very plainly but Mina wasn't one to give up so easily.

She whined, dragging out your name, "You guys have been doing this thing for ages. Why do you have to be so stubborn about it all!"

"What's that supposed to mean!"

Mina started ticking off points on her fingers. "He was the first person you opened up to at UA. You saved his life when he was busy saving Katsuki's life second year. You spent all that time interning together, became sidekicks together. Went to America together for three whole months, ALONE, and you honestly expect me to think there's nothing between the two of you!"

The truth of it all was simple really; 17 year old you had a massive crush on Eijiro Kirishima. He was sweet, always listening to you, providing comfort when you needed it, and always encouraging you to push your limits. He was bright and honest, a little slow in the head from time to time but that made him all the more endearing.

He was also head over heels in love with Katsuki Bakugo.

It was why you never made a move. Never spoke a word of the feelings you harbored. You didn't dare to cross that line with him because you couldn't ever hold a candle to the explosive man.

In the three years Eijiro and Katsuki spent together, your brain finally started registering Eijiro as just a friend, nothing more, and certainly nothing less. You thought your heart had followed suit but it was becoming more and more apparent that wasn't the case. Because the night he showed up at your door, tears in his ruby eyes, every lock you put on your heart broke open.

The same way you couldn't hold a candle to Katsuki, Eijiro couldn't hold one to Izuku. You knew exactly what he was feeling even if you never intended to tell him. Too overcome with fear. If Katsuki came back... that'd be it. Eijiro would go back and you wouldn't even blame him!

Still, the redhead consumed a decent chunk of your heart though, you couldn't deny that after the three months you spent together in America, gathering intel on a smuggling ring, living in the same apartment. The groggy, 'good mornings' when his voice was still scratchy with sleep, hair falling in his eyes. The late nights bandaging wounds and killing cheap bottles of wine while watching terrible American reality shows.

It was those bottles of wine that did you in on your second to last night in America. Supplying you with courage and draining your sense of reason, allowing you to crawl onto his lap, into his arms. You could still remember the pressure of his lips on yours, those sharp teeth gently dragging along your lower lip.

Scared hands tracing the curve of your ass before taking handfuls to squeeze. The laugh that came from you was unlike anything you heard before, something so genuine that you couldn't reproduce.

How it felt when he lifted you up and took you to his bed, laying you down taking his time removing your clothes, and watching with awe as you pulled away his own. The way he looked over top of you, his hair a curtain of red around you just before you closed your eyes, gasping while he filled you.

You also remembered the guilt that crept into your head during the wee hours of the morning, the doubt that was louder than the snores coming from behind you.

It made you slip from under his massive arm, gather up your clothes from his floor, you tucked the blanket around him, and pressed a kiss to his temple before padding out of the room.

You told yourself you'd talk to him about it if he brought it up, but he never did. Not the next morning, or night, not on the plane ride back home, nor anytime since. It was a memory you'd hold close to your heart, one you wouldn't let slip away or share.

"There's nothing there, Mina. We're just good friends is all." You lied with a smile on your face, something that had become surprisingly easy to do.

If only you knew that Mina saw right through it. That Mina already knew the truth of it all.

>>><<<

It was nearly one in the morning when your phone rang. The goofy picture of Eijiro with face half painted at a festival a few years back never failed to make you grin.

"It's a little late." You answered by way of greeting.

"Don't pretend like you were anywhere close to sleeping, you little night owl."

Chuckling at the nickname that had followed you since high school, "What's up, Eiji?"

"I was going over flights. You said in the office that you wanted to leave on Friday?"

"Yeah. I have patrol tomorrow and I didn't find any flights after 6 PM so, Friday is the earliest."

He was quiet on the other line for a moment. "Yeah, you don't have patrol tomorrow, or work at all for that matter."

You sat up a bit straighter in bed. "Um, yes I do."

"No, you don't. I called Mina, asked her if you'd mind taking that shift for you and, since she knows what's happening, she agreed the extra day for travel would do you some good. So, she's covering you tomorrow then you're off work until next Wednesday. As for me, thanks to all that overtime I put in when Denki, Kyoka, and Hitoshi got married, the three of them are splitting up my days so I have until Wednesday too."

Eijiro sounded impossibly proud on the other line, you could almost see the smirk on his face. "You've got this all planned out, don't you?"

"And a bag nearly packed. Just need you to tell me what ties to bring."

"Gold, burgundy, and black."

"Thought your mom said no black for you?"

"She said no black for the wedding. She said nothing about black at the brunch!"

You couldn't wait to put on the tea-length dress that had been a favorite for years. Satin with a lacy top and, best of all, pockets.

He let out a rumbling laugh that fell off into comfortable silence as you laid back in your bed, lights still on, the room still a mess. You tapped the speaker icon and laid the phone on the pillow right beside your head, listing to the various sounds of Eijiro moving around.

A door creaking open, a hanger clattering against another, and a zipper. "And just like that, I'm all set."

"Don't forget your passport or hero license."

"I have one in my wallet and the other in my backpack."

You swiped up on your iPad, off Netflix, and going to google, lazily searching through flights. "So, did you find any good flights since you've clearly been looking?"

Another chuckle, "Eijiro, why are you laughing?" More stifled giggles had you sitting up in bed again. "Just tell me a site you were on. They're just flights, what's so funny?"

"There isn't a site."

"You said you were checking flights."

"And I was... on my family's jet."

"Eiji! No! No, no, no! That is supposed to be for their business or hero things! My stupid cousin's wedding is neither of those things!"

"Relax, Y/N. My family has multiple and they don't have any business trips planned right now anyways. I already cleared it with my mom. Seriously, I just mention your name and she's likely to let me have it for a whole year at least. Plus Todoroki's is back up in working order so the agency is covered too."

Damn, why'd he have to be so good at planning from time to time! You'd completely forgotten about the second jet his family had. Always opting for the larger one since the few missions they needed it for required them to bring fifty or so heroes along.

"Besides, if we fly private, we can land at an airstrip closer to the venue and won't need to drive four hours on top of a ten-hour flight."

"Alright, okay, thank you but, let me take care of the rental car, please. It's the least you can let me do."

"Deal. I just have one more question for ya."

"What's that?"

"Wanna leave tonight?"

You nearly dropped your damn iPad in shock. "Eijiro! What the fuck has gotten into you! It's the middle of the night!"

"I'm excited!" He boomed, "I haven't had a vacation in months!"

"I hate to break this to you, buddy, but this isn't going to be a vacation. You really shouldn't get your hopes up. This isn't going to be a good time with laughs and fun memories... my family, they just, they aren't those kinds of people."

"But we are." He stated matter-of-factly. "If they want to have sticks up their asses then let them! We'll have a good time on our own, laugh and make fun memories! So, what do you say, Y/N? I can be at your place in fifteen. I just gotta put shoes on and grab my keys..."

"Wait, hang on. Are you forgetting that we need someone to, oh, I dunno, FLY THE PLANE! Actually, we need two someone's, can't forget about a co-pilot!"

He hummed happily and you rubbed your temples. "You, you have a pilot and a co, don't you, Eiji?"

"Mhm! There is a company we use. Two can be at the hanger in an hour and every hour after that. I just have to make the call and get the flight plan approved which will be done before I even get to your house."

There was literally no reason to say no. You had mostly everything packed, nothing you needed to get from the store, all you had to do was put on pants and pack up your hygiene bag and you were ready too. Maybe getting there quicker and getting the whole thing over with would be better than staying home dwelling on everything.

"Better put your shoes on."

The glee in his voice, that was enough to make this whole thing worth it, "I'll see you soon."

>>><<<

Eijiro reached into the backseat and plopped a bag down on your lap the very moment you were buckled in. "Had to make a pit stop." He explained.

"It's after two in the morning, where'd you have to..."

"Just open the bag and don't complain."

You found it filled to the brim with all your favorite snacks.

"I'm sure the plane will have a bunch of snacks we can raid but I know for a fact they don't have these." He held up a pack of cookies and creme flavored pocky that had been his favorite for as long as you'd known him, quickly followed by your favorite flavor too. You also found a massive bag of gummy worms and jolly ranchers.

"So, what you're telling me is our teeth are going to rot by the time we land? Not that I'm complaining."

You ripped open the bag of ranchers knowing that was what he'd go for first and sure enough his hand dove inside just as he pulled away from the curb. You could hear his dangerously sharp teeth biting through the rock candy like it was nothing while you still rolled one around your mouth.

Eijiro asked you about the resort you'd be going to, wondering if you'd been there before or what other stuff you guys could do when you weren't dealing with your family. "I figured we could fly back Monday night or Tuesday morning, you know, just play it by ear in case there was anything else we wanted to do."

More than anything, you wished you could just leech a little bit of that excitement from him. The glimpses of his smile you caught as you drove under the street lights made your heart ache.

"What?" He asked with that wide smile of his. You'd been caught staring, red-handed.

"I, uh, I just don't know what to tell you."

You could see the subtle change of his grin, watch as it softened and his hand came to rest on your thigh. "Hey, it's gonna be fine! And if we run into them while out doing stuff, you can just avoid them or hide behind me!" At least hiding behind Eijiro is an easy thing to do, damn mountain of a man.

His thumb slowly brushed back and forth. "'S gonna be okay. I'll beat 'em up if they're assholes!"

You snickered at his Katsuki impression and let the drone of the radio fill the air around you both. Enjoying the silence the rest of the way to the hanger with Eijiro's hand atop your leg.

#mha #bnha #kirishima x reader #kirishima x y/n #eijiro kirishima #kirishima smut #mha x reader #mha x y/n

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hercleverboy · 4 years ago

Text

surprise

matthew gray gubler x reader

based off of this request > heyyyy i saw that you’d possibly write for mgg, so to keep it sweet and simple, could i request a fluffy fic about you surprising him on set after not seeing each other for a while.

genre > fluff

wc > 1.9k

after weeks without seeing her boyfriend, the reader decides to surprise him on set.

It had been three weeks since Y/N had seen her boyfriend.

An awfully long, seemingly never-ending three weeks.

He’d gone to a different state for the film he was currently working on and was going to be gone for five weeks in total.

She’d wanted to go with him and found it hard to say no when he’d asked, but she had work commitments that she had to uphold. Matthew had understood, obviously, being the compassionate partner he was. He’d told her she was more than welcome to stay at his house while he was away. They didn’t live together yet, having only been together for five months, but Matthew had made space in his wardrobe for her clothes, and the house was full of little objects she brought with her from home. Like her toothbrush sat by his by the sink, and her hair straighteners inhabiting one of the drawers in his desk. She practically lived there at that point, and Matthew was always telling her - ‘You know, you might as well move in now. All of your stuff is here already’, accompanied by that cheeky grin of his.

She wanted desperately to visit him, knowing she had two days off work coming up and could afford to go and visit Matthew for a long weekend. However, she was hesitant. Five months wasn’t a long time, although they had been friends for a few months before they officially got together. She knew she was in love with him, she’d told him as much and had never been happier than when he returned the sentiment. But she couldn’t help but worry that it would seem clingy if she visited him, especially while he was working. Would he even want her to visit? Her head spiralled with what ifs and possible outcomes. She didn’t want him to feel smothered, or even be put off by it all.

At first, she figured she would just wait for him to get back. It was only another two weeks that he was gone for, she could handle that, right? Right. But then again, there was only so much that facetiming and daily texts could do.

She missed him.

She missed waking up next to him, cooking dinner with him in the evenings. She missed his presence, more than anything. The house was too big for her alone, it felt cold and empty without his warming presence.

She was sat on his couch, clicking through the channels when the familiar ringtone cut through the air. She picked up her phone, swiping right to answer the call. She held her phone up with a smile as happy face of her boyfriend filled the screen.

“Hey, baby!” He beamed, with his usual excited tone. “How are you?”

“Hi! I’m good, I’m good. What about you, how was your day?” She could see from the background that he was back at his hotel, obviously having just gotten back from set.

“I’m great, now that I’m talking to you.” He smirked at the joke and laughed when Y/N shook her head at him with a smile. They chatted for a little about this and that, and Matthew made several jokes that nearly had her falling off the couch in laughter. That was one of the things she loved most about him, his humour. It never failed her.

As their laughter died down, she noticed how he seemed to just be staring at her through the screen, a small smile on his lips.

“What?” She asked shyly, her cheeks turning red as she blushed.

“I miss you, you know.” His voice had become more serious, now holding a hint of sadness in his tone.

She frowned a little at the sudden change in his tone, but still smiled sadly. “I miss you too,” She could feel herself getting slightly upset as she spoke. “So much.”

He could tell she was getting upset, and so quickly changed the subject. “Well I’ll be home soon! Two weeks, if I’m lucky. Then you won’t be able to get rid of me.” He joked.

She rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically. “Oh, god help me.”

He gasped theatrically, placing a hand over his chest, feigning hurt. “I can’t believe you said that. Maybe I’ll just stay here forever.” He counteracted.

She just laughed at his sarcasm, shaking her head. “No, no! You have to come back, I’m going crazy here in this big house without you.”

A comfortable silence fell between them.

“When you come home, I’m never letting you leave again. I hope you know that.” She grinned.

He just smiled. “Yes ma’am.”

They talked for a little while longer before saying their goodbyes, promising they’d speak whenever he was next free to talk. As she clicked her phone off, she tossed it to the side with a sigh. There was a hole in her heart when Matthew wasn’t with her. It was like she was incomplete without him. It was funny, she thought, how in five short months he’d become the most important person in her life.

She stared blankly up at the ceiling, head swimming with thoughts. She recalled how sad Matthew had looked when he told her he missed her, how his usually radiant energy dropped, and his tone was miles away from his usual one. Then, the idea popped into her head.

Go visit him. If he doesn’t want you there, you can just go, right?

She knew they hadn’t been together long, but as much as he tried to hide his upset while they were on the phone, she could see it in his eyes how much he missed her.

Within the hour, she had flights booked to visit him, and had been in contact with one of his co-stars, Jenny, who she’d met before as Matthew and her had worked together on a previous film, back when they were just friends. His co-star had agreed that Y/N coming to visit would help boost his mood, as she noticed how he’d seemed pretty down as of late. With her suitcase packed and ready to go, Y/N headed off to the airport; excited but still nervous.

She was exhausted from the pretty long flight and had taken a moment in the airport bathroom to freshen up the best she could, before heading towards the set, where Jenny had agreed to meet her. Jenny and her chatted as she showed Y/N to Matthew’s trailer.

“You know how excited he’s gonna be to see you, right?” Jenny teased, nudging Y/N with her shoulder.

“You think?” Y/N asked, still nervous he wouldn’t want to see her.

Jenny turned to her, a look of shock on her face. “You are joking, right? I know you’ve not been together that long but trust me when I tell you that man is absolutely head over heels for you.”

Y/N just smiled, still unsure.

“He’s been so low these last few days. We all asked if he was okay, and he’d give us this forced smile, kinda downplay how upset he was that you weren’t here.” She gave a sad smile as they rounded the corner, coming up to where Matthew’s trailer was.

“Well thank you so much for your help.” Y/N thanked, giving Jenny a hug.

“Not a problem, Matthew’s just finishing up a scene, so he should be back in about 15 minutes.”

Y/N bid Jenny goodbye, thanking her once more before walking up the steps into his trailer, closing the door behind her. She looked around, taking a deep breath before taking a seat on one of the chairs inside. She closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing and stop her slightly shaking hands. Why was she so nervous? He was her boyfriend, after all. And if he’d missed her as much as Jenny suggested, then he’d be happy to see her.

Y/N was knocked from her thoughts at the sound of the trailer door creaking open. She could hear Matthew calling goodbye to some of his co-stars, his laughter sounding out as he made some joke. Oh, how she’d missed hearing that sound in person. He entered the trailer, eyes cast to the ground, still not having noticed her presence. It was only when he turned back after closing the door behind him that he lifted his gaze from the floor, his eyes widening in shook as his eyes landed on her. She was stood in front of the chair, and sheepish grin on her lips.

She raised her hand in a little wave. “Hi.”

Matthew seemed frozen, like he couldn’t believe she was really stood in front of him. As soon as he came back down to earth a large smile appeared on his lips and he surged forward, wrapping his arms around her in a warm embrace and lifting her from the ground. “Y/N! You’re here!”

She squealed as he picked her up, her arms going around his neck. “I am.”

He pulled back, lowering her down gently. “What- what’re you doing here? Not that I’m not happy to see you, obviously.” He asked with a smile.

“Uh well, on the phone yesterday you just seemed really down, and I figured me paying you a visit might help you keep your spirits up.” She shrugged, and he looked down at her like she was something he’d never seen before - an angel walking the earth.

He just smiled at her words, bending down and hugging her again. “I missed you so much.” He whispered, pressing a kiss to her head.

“I missed you too. I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner. I guess I was just scared I’d be overstepping.”

He pulled back slightly, a frown on his face. “Why would you think that?”

She shrugged a little. “It’s just we haven’t been together that long and I didn’t know if you- if you even wanted me to come and visit.” It sounded silly and insecure now that she was saying it out loud, but her worries were quashed when Matthew adamantly shook his head.

“Y/N I don’t care how long we’ve been together. This is exactly what I needed. I needed you.” He grinned, cupping her cheeks in his hands.

Y/N breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank god.” She grinned, giggling a little.

He beamed back, moving forward to gently press his lips to hers in a long-awaited kiss. When they pulled back, he smiled down at her. “How long do I have you for?”

“Four days, it’s all I could get off from work. I’m sorry, I should’ve asked you first, is that okay?” She bit her lip. But he just chuckled at her, nodding.

“It’s more than okay.” His voice cracked a little, and the sound made her frown. She noticed the tears forming in his eyes.

“Hey. Don’t get upset, it’s okay.” She whispered, and he gave a small laugh, moving her thumbs to wipe under his eyes.

“I’m sorry. I just missed you. So much.” His hands came down to rest on her waist, pulling her closer.

“I missed you too. But hey, you have four days of my undivided attention. I’m all yours.” She joked and he smiled.

“Good, cause I reckon we have a lot of time to make up for.” He smirked, leaning back down to kiss her again.

When they pulled back, she just grinned up at him. “So, you gonna show me around set?”

His face lit up. “Of course! I’ll be the best damn tour guide you ever met.” He joked, offering her his hand as he pulled her toward the door. Just before they reached it, he turned back to her. “I love you, you know that? Thank you for doing this.”

She blushed, basking in the warmth that those three simple words brought her. With his job, their relationship wasn’t always going to be easy, but they would make it work.

“I love you, too.”

Tag list > @beyonces-breastmilk @pinkdiamond1016 @itsmyblogandillreblogifiwantto @thelovelyrose @averyhotchner @cynbx

#matthew gray gubler x reader #matthew gray gubler #mgg #mgg x reader #spencer reid #spencer reid one shot #spencer reid x reader #criminal minds

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girlmeetsliv3 · 5 years ago

Text

Lilies of the Valley VI

A/B/O!BTS x Reader

Flowers can have different meanings depending on the flower shape, color, and method in which they are presented. Lilies are my favorite for such a simple flower can have so many distinct meanings.

“Why is there a missing flower you ask? I have left it out for only you could complete me.”

Release Date: 06/05/20 @ 7 pm

previous ~ next

It had been three days since YN had broken the fever and experienced her heat. The past days had been uneventful mainly, as most of the alphas remained hidden away in the main house. Like a routine, each of the men would swing by to check on her: Taehyung in the morning, Jimin for lunch, and Yoongi at dinner. It had been annoying at first, but YN had become accustomed to their presence which after dwelling on it for some bit she surmised was their plan. Then there lay another issue which had entirely slipped her mind until earlier this morning when she had received a call from her mother.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Oh, it’s so nice to hear your voice. You really should call more often we all miss you.”

“I know. Sorry, I’ve just been busy.”

“I was just calling to remind you about your sister’s engagement brunch. Seeing as you didn’t rsvp.”

Shit. “Yeah, um, about that -”

"No excuses. You promised you would go." There was a brief pause before her mother spoke again. "I know you're worried, but it's the 21st-century darling. Mates aren't as important as they used to be. People are a lot more open-minded nowadays."

“I know, Mom.”

“I just miss you so much, YN. It would mean a lot to the family if you showed up. You might regret not being there and your sister has promised that they’ll be no unmated alphas so you don’t have to worry.”

“Alright, mom. I’ll be there.”

Now YN had a little over twenty-four hours to convince her mates to allow her to go alone. It would be easier to steal the crown jewels. Though she appreciated it, the men had been noticeably tenser since her heat and she couldn’t predict how they would react. So, perhaps it would be best to wait this out. Yes, that’s what I’ll do. No point in damaging the delicate peace that had been established between her and the pack.

"You seem distracted," Jimin commented as the two of them sat at the edge of her bed watching some random sitcom YN had settled on. In front of her was a bowl of ramyeon that had been cooked by Seokjin. It hurt her pride to admit that it tasted delicious as if the man needed any more positive qualities to be attributed to him. "I was just wondering how everyone is." If the alphas were still out of commission, it would be an easier escape. The betas were still protective over YN, but less so.

“Ah, about that. We were wondering if you wanted to join us for dinner tonight? I promise everyone will be on their best behavior.”

YN doubted that sincerely, but it wouldn’t hurt her to show up. It would better her chances of convincing them, by demonstrating that all the effects of her heat were gone. Though there was one thing to account for. “Is that okay? So soon after their ruts?” YN was sure hormones were bound to be raging and it might not bode well for her either, but Jimin gave her the sweetest of smiles when he said. “Of course, we’d never do anything to put you in harm's way.” How could she not believe him? Even when deep down she knew it was a lie.

It stank. To be entirely honest it wasn't a bad smell, but it was so intense that YN could practically choke on it and that's what made it unpleasant. The manor was less polished than the first time she had been there, but not so. Before it looked like something one would find in the cover of architectural digest, now it simply looked lived in. Even if it was warmer these days, YN still covered up drowning herself in jeans and a large wool sweater. Yoongi hadn't commented anything when he came to pick her up, merely intertwined his hands in hers, and led her towards the dining room. The second she crossed over the threshold, arms swept her up into the air. Jungkook's musky scent filled her senses.

“I missed you.” He said, before placing her back on the ground. It took all her will power, not to recoil from the young alpha and he seemed greatly pleased at that. “Yah, Kookie. Let her be, you stink.” Hoseok scolded, as he helped set the dishes. As YN glanced around she saw everyone settling into their seats, her eyes met Seokjin’s briefly and he flashed her a smile. One that, subconsciously or not, YN returned. However, someone was missing as there were only six in the room.

"Where's Namjoon?" YN asked, looking around. Everyone seemed to stiffen a bit but refrained from answering. Suddenly, YN felt hot breath caress her ears causing her to jump slightly. Namjoon chuckled before placing his arms on her hips, "Right here, Lily." Before she could respond, he moved away towards his seat at the front. YN went to sit between the beta's like last time but found the only available space was between Jungkook and Hoseok. Great. This is going to be a long night. From what little she knew about ruts, YN knew that alphas tended to be a bit needy afterward - especially if they were mated. YN hadn't assumed this would matter much since her partial bond was tied to Jungkook and not the lead alpha, but it seemed to affect them all nonetheless. On the one hand, there were the peering eyes of Namjoon and Jungkook moving his chair ever so slightly closer to hers whenever he thought she wasn't looking. On her other side was Hoseok, whose legs would brush hers under the table.

Then there was Seokjin, who simply smiled at her whenever their eyes met - which was a lot. Even though the atmosphere wasn’t as tense as the first night, it still felt suffocating to her. She was beginning to look forward to the trip, preferring to stay a weekend with her stingy relatives rather than the men.

“Are you alright, YN? You’ve barely touched your food.” Suddenly all eyes were on her, she nodded meekly trying to play it off but the damage had been done.

Hoseok’s palm came to rest on her forehead and she wasn’t sure how he was supposed to check her temperature given how warm he was. “You are a bit warm.”

“Do you not feel good?” Jungkook spoke up beside her, as he tucked a loose strand behind her ear.

“I’m fine. Just a bit warm that’s all.” Immediately Namjoon gestured for the air conditioning to be lowered. All eyes were on her now and despite how uncomfortable it made her, it did present an opportunity. Here goes nothing. "I wanted to speak to all of you about something." The change was minuscule, blink and you'll miss it sort of thing, but had YN been paying attention she might have noticed the darkened look that crossed over then men's faces. How their eyes became hooded in anticipation.

“My sister is engaged and I’m supposed to be attending a family brunch is her honor.” At this all seven of them visibly slackened, tension exiting their bodies.

"That's fantastic," Jimin spoke, lips pulled upward into a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Unfortunately I've got work, so I won't be able to meet the family just yet."

Wait. What? “Uh -”

Taehyung's baritone voice echoed loudly, "I can't either. Have to help Jimin." It was then that YN realized she'd been misunderstood. They thought she was asking for accompaniment when all she had been doing was informing them. Cautiously her eyes turned to Yoongi, who merely shrugged. "I'm overdue for a deadline." No.

“Well,” Namjoon cleared his throat. “That settles it then, you’ll be going with us.” If the smile he flashed her was meant to be reassuring, it accomplished the opposite of its goals.

"Promise me, you'll behave." Yoongi wrapped his arms around Hoseok's neck puckering his lips as the lead alpha leaned down to kiss him. "No promises." He smirked, before placing the last of his luggage in the trunk. YN could swear it was a week-long trip with the number of clothes the men had packed, not to mention all the last-minute wardrobe changes they had forced on her. There was a bigger issue that hung over YN's head, much larger than her being stuck with only Alphas for the entire weekend, it was that her family wasn't aware of her current living situation. All they knew of her 'mates' was the incident and YN didn't think they'd be so inclined to welcome them into their home.

So, they had booked a hotel. It didn't really address the issue but considering YN was certainly going to arrive late, her childhood home was bound to be taken up by relatives. Once in the car, the atmosphere was quite tense though that was mainly because Jungkook had almost thrown a temper tantrum when he saw that YN was sitting between Seokjin and Namjoon. Not him. "Jungkook if you don't quell your hormones, I will buy you a literal dog house for you to sleep in." Seokjin threatened, earning a few snickers and a pout from the young alpha.

YN stared out the window seeing the houses move by as Namjoon scrolled on his phone. Whenever YN was in cars she always thought of what she should do if an escape needed to be made. The fault of that might be on all the spy movies she grew up watching. The other might be the Omega protection course she was forced to take in college which engrained survival skills such as: covering up, self-defense, and how to escape a kidnapper. Fun things. She was beginning to wonder whether or not escape was possible when it dawned on YN that her eyes had been situated on Namjoon’s phone the entire time. The man in question had noticed as well.

“Sorry, I zoned out.” She rushed to apologize.

Namjoon smiled, “Don’t worry I noticed. I was just setting up an appointment with Dr. Lee.” Who? "She's an OB. I spoke with her to get you off suppressants." Ah, right. YN had yet to tell them that her prolonged heat was more her due to misuse than the suppressants. Sensing her discomfort, Seokjin grabbed her hand and squeezed it tenderly. "Don't worry. We'll figure it out." YN couldn't figure out if he'd been referring to the suppressants, the family visit, or everything that was happening. It didn't matter, YN didn't believe him for a second.

Instead, YN took a deep breath and closed her eyes, preferring sleep than having any more interactions with the alphas. She knew once they arrived, she would need all her strength. Her family wasn't bound to be happy at not being informed at their daughter's mating status - not to mention who her mates were. It seems Jungkook was wearing headphones for YN could barely pick up the rhythmic thumping of bass, but that was enough to lull her into a nap.

When YN awoke, she found herself strewn across the laps of the men. Though she had not opened her eyes, she sensed her head was resting on Hoseok's with her feet at Namjoon's. Delicate hands weaved themselves through her hair, their calming nature causing YN to shift in order to feel the sensation more. She swore she heard the muttering of a 'cute' before the glare of the sun hit her face, forcing her awake. "C'mon, baby. Rise and shine." Yn grunted and stood up, the back passenger door had been opened but all of them had remained in place. In her groggy state, YN rubbed her eyes and asked. "Why'd you move me?" Instead of an answer, she got a pat on the back and Jungkook tugged her off the car.

YN's eyes widened in recognition as she saw Yeong-gwang's school grounds in front of her. It had been years, but the school's arches remained as pristine as she remembered them. Its Rococo inspired architecture is a clear demonstration of its wealth and status. YN's parents could just barely afford tuition and only received a scholarship because her grandfather attended. "What are we doing here?" She wanted to move her eyes away, but they remained frozen on the platinum gates. A place that once held such fond memories was now only a place of tragedy for her.

“Your sister wanted to meet here.” And as if having called on the devil herself, she appeared.

“What the fuck are they doing here?!”

Sorry this update is short, but that’s because the next one is going to be long and important.

Tag List:

@hxsxxk-180294 @saxpam24 @trixsterbi @mel-gonzalez07 @cstobitk @dionysus-png @taekimxx @moonlitehunter @joonie-grim @wonderlace19 @sugashaye @rosey-roseu @mintaemark @ciderxi @soloikeadates

@alex--awesome--22

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muertawrites · 4 years ago

Text

Two Halves - Chapter Six (Zuko x Reader)

Part Five

Word Count: 2,100

Author’s Note: Wow it’s been a clusterfuck this week. I’ve been exhausted and unable to concentrate for the past few days, and then today when I tried to release this chapter for patrons it turned out that all of Cloudflare was down, so something like 12 million sites worldwide were just completely unreachable. I plan to force myself into going to bed early tonight so I can actually get myself back on track and be productive over the weekend (I have two requests I want to publish so they don’t get pushed back into all my ideas for next month, and I also want to look into other ad providers outside of Adsense so I can start saving up money for my eventual move out of the country). I promise that next week will be less of a bummer chapter. Here’s hoping sometime we’ll actually catch a fookin break, m8.

~ Muerta

You stand in the portrait hall, awaiting its newest addition with Rina; she grips your arm, clapping giddily as the towering scroll unfurls to reveal the painted image of you and Zuko beside one another.

In it, you're seated to his left side, mirroring the generations of other wedding portraits that line the massive hall; what's different is not only the color and style of your robes, but the fact that Zuko’s hand rests on your shoulder, yours clasped firmly within it. When he did so, the royal historian who was present instructed that the Firelord and lady were never depicted touching one another - you'd placed your hand over his in a unified stance of defiance. You'd also been asked to remove your betrothal necklace for the portrait, and had told the historian in a few choice words exactly why it would be staying on; you still feel the rush in your veins of hearing Zuko mumble “that's my girl” under his breath.

“Oh, it's gorgeous!” Rina exclaims, bouncing excitedly on her toes. “The Firelord looks so handsome in a Water Tribe silhouette; I'm so glad you did this!”

You laugh, hugging her by the arm that's hooked with your own and unable to deny the fact that the Southern style tunic you had the seamstress make for him does provide a nice view of his body, highlighting more of his broad shoulders and sturdy midriff than the billow of traditional Fire Nation robes. It also pairs well with his chest plate, making him look every part the skilled warrior he is instead of some aristocratic monarch ruling only by privilege. Beside him, his fingers locked between yours, your gaze steely and knowing behind layers of ink, you look like a weapon instead of just a wife; you start to think there might be much more reason Hakoda arranged your alliance with Zuko than just forming a concrete tie between your nations.

“My lady,” one of the palace messengers addresses you, bowing respectfully as he approaches. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but Advisors Sung and Qiang request an audience with you in their offices.”

You and Rina look between each other, Rina’s eyebrows raised in confusion.

“Just me?” you ask. “Should I also send for the Firelord?”

“No, your majesty,” the messenger says. “The councilmen asked that only you be sent for.”

You nod, bowing to the messenger in thanks before taking Rina’s arm once more, walking in pace with her to the administrative wing of the palace.

“They’re sure to send me out of the room,” Rina tells you, speaking in a hushed, conspiratorial tone. “I’m unsure about Advisor Sung, but Qiang has never trusted servants with any kind of information; he used to work information security under Firelord Ozai until he defected after Prince Zuko’s banishment.”

“If he won’t allow you in the room, you’ll wait at the door,” you state. “Whether he likes it or not, I still have more power than he does.”

When you arrive at the international affairs office, Qiang and Sung are seated around a small table, primed in wait for you. You make a point of not bowing in return when they do so upon your announcement, instead choosing to simply nod in greeting. Sung smiles at you in his polite, pleasant way as you sit, while Qiang eyes you with a cold, almost uncertain stare.

“My lady,” Sung welcomes you, “I apologize for bringing you here on such short notice, but there are urgent matters that must be discussed. As you know, Advisor Qiang has taken the liberty of guiding me as I adjust to my new position as the head of international affairs, and we’ve been mulling over the matter of your wedding portrait for the past few days.”

“More specifically,” Qiang interjects, “we’ve been discussing the stunt you pulled in deciding your wardrobe. Many people across the Fire Nation are not pleased to see their Firelord in Water Tribe garments.”

“It was simply a tunic,” you calmly defend yourself. “The only other change was to the color. Has anyone taken issue with the fact that I wore a Water Tribe dress under a Fire Nation robe?”

You glance between the two men, expecting the question to be entirely rhetorical - you know the answer already, but as you guessed, they’re either too cowardly or too correct to say it aloud.

“We understand your intentions,” Sung replies after a beat, “but we’re uncertain the execution of your ideas is as tactful as it should be; I know I needn’t remind you that we’re still living in very unstable times as of the end of the war.”

“I understand your concern, but I don’t think the nature of our mixed heritage is the most pressing issue at hand,” you say. “The world experienced a century of cruelty under Fire Nation imperialism - it’s important that we reform our militant image in every way we can. Dressing me like a traditional Firelady when I very clearly am not one would have upset far more people than just our citizens.”

“The Fire Nation is still very powerful,” Advisor Qiang argues, “even with the abolition of many of the Earth Kingdom colonies. Upsetting our people could have consequences that reach beyond the mainland’s borders.”

His words are spat at you almost like a threat. You tilt your chin a little higher, meeting his gaze without faltering.

“What do you suggest, then?” you ask.

“We want to keep watch on you,” Qiang tells you. “Our aids will accompany you as you gain more freedom from the Firelord and guide you to ensure that your actions reflect the image the nation wants to see from their leader.”

“This sounds like something Advisor Yong should oversee,” you evenly contest. “I'm certain my husband would like to have his say, as well.”

“We simply wanted to present the idea to you,” Advisor Sung cuts in. “We thought it might give you more peace of mind to have someone beside you; teach you how to properly present yourself to the people of the Fire Nation.”

“You can send your aids to keep tabs on me,” you reply, “but I am still your superior. Firelord Zuko has been more than an adequate mentor. I don't need another one.”

“Do you suggest we have you answer to the Firelord on our behalf, then?” Advisor Qiang asks, sounding skeptical.

“I'm stating that I don't answer to anyone,” you respond. “Zuko is my equal. You're the one born and raised in the Fire Nation - you should understand that better than anyone.”

Qiang fixes you with the chilled, empty glare you noticed your first day in the council’s meeting chambers. You keep your own expression blank, refusing to avert your eyes from their lock on his.

“My lady,” Advisor Sung addresses you, “I promise you, we mean no offense. We truly have your best intentions at heart; we understand that the culture of the Fire Nation is very different from that of the Southern Water Tribe, and only want to keep you safe in the wake of Advisor Fen’s passing. We believe taking extra care in how you interact with our people is the only way to move forward.”

“Alright,” you say, standing abruptly. “I'd like some hands-on training, then. I need fabric to build my wardrobe with, and want to explore my new home. Gather your aids - I’m taking them to the market.”

To say that people are shocked to see the Firelady out amongst common folk is an understatement.

You travel in a rather large group, flanked not only by Rina, Iroh, and Toph, but three of Qiang and Sung’s aids and a small army of royal guards. People flee when you approach, some of them going as far as to fall to their knees before you, bowing out of fear; each time, you offer your hand and help them back to their feet, explaining that you're only out to do some shopping. Once more onlookers notice your kind, gentle handling of those who cross your path, panic turns to interest, many people staring at you as you pass or calling out to you, saying hello; a little girl manages to get past the guards, scurrying out of her father’s flower shop and through their legs, stopping in front of you with an adorably clumsy bow to present you with a dandelion she picked from between the cracks in the cobblestone street.

“Why, thank you!” you exclaim, daintily taking the flower from her chubby little hand and bowing in return. “It's very beautiful, just like you.”

You twist the dandelion into your hair before walking the girl back to her father, who apologizes and thanks you profusely; you assure him it's no trouble.

“How very touching,” Iroh says to you once you continue on your way. “I wonder what the aids will tell their superiors.”

You huff, smirking at him out of the corner of your eye.

“Probably that I don't inspire enough fear,” you mock. “I thought the dictatorship ended when my dear father-in-law was thrown in prison.”

“The memories of his reign are still very fresh,” Iroh explains. “A brute hand is all much of the Fire Nation knows in a leader; it is hard to bring change.”

“I still don't like our little entourage,” Toph remarks, loud enough that the men trailing you can certainly hear. “Aang never travels with guards, and he's got a way bigger target on his head than you do.”

“Yeah, but he can also bend everything,” you remind her. “I've never even held a spear.”

“I'm blind and I still kick hella ass,” Toph replies. “You don't have an excuse.”

You roll your eyes, grinning as you shove her sideways so she stumbles; she laughs, coming back at you with a hard punch to the boob and blowing a raspberry into your face. You can't help but cackle, taking her into a headlock and scruffing up her hair.

“My lady,” one of the aids pipes up, her nose wrinkled in disdain, “this isn't proper etiquette for a Fire Nation queen.”

“Oh, spirits forbid anybody be human,” Toph groans. “The war is over and this is a leisure trip. People have to get used to the Firelady acting like a person instead of a government puppet.”

Rina takes hold of your arm, leaning in close to your ear.

“I like her,” she whispers. “Can we ask her to stay?”

You laugh, shaking your head.

“I wish,” you mumble back, “but Toph sort of just does what she wants.”

You choose a small, cozy-looking shop to buy fabrics from, everyone in the group (save for the aids and guards, who have no choice but to wait outside) making easy, pleasant conversation with the owners; they're a relatively young couple from Omashu, who came to the Fire Nation after the war to trade fabrics that weren't widely available in either country, wanting to bring more options to each place. Their shop is filled with soft cottons and delicately embroidered patterns, many laced with shimmering metals and gems only found in the Earth Kingdom; you purchase a few yards of almost everything, leaving them a contact to the palace so that they can come and discuss expanding their trade routes. Everyone is pleased except for the aids, who look on with disapproving glares.

When you return to the palace, you find not only Zuko awaiting you, but Qiang and Sung as well; you hardly acknowledge the two councilmen, instead going straight to Zuko’s side.

“Rina sent me a message about your meeting this morning,” he murmurs. “I told Advisor Yong, too. They should have come to both of us.”

You nod, taking him by the arm and leading him away from the larger group, out into an open corridor surrounding a courtyard that sits off the entrance hall of the palace’s administrative wing.

“There has to be something we can do, right?” you wonder. “We’re above them. We have the final say in everything.”

Zuko sighs, taking your hands within his and holding you close to him, chests pressed together.

“We’re supposed to,” he says. “But my grandfather taught my father and sister how to manipulate their way into power. Lots of other government officials learned it, too, and it hasn’t completely gone away.”

Advisor Qiang passes through on the other side of the courtyard, eyeing you with his signature frigid gaze as Advisor Sung and the aids trail behind him. You look away from him, focusing only on Zuko.

“We have to keep the people on our side,” you murmur. “The government may be able to manipulate itself into submission, but they're no match for everyone else. The world beat them once - we can beat them again.”

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my-happy-little-bean · 3 years ago

Text

The Bookkeeper – Chapter 6

Chapter 6: 50 First Dates

pairings: logicality, prinxiety words: 3369 chapter warnings: mild swearing, mild NSFW content, reference to death chapter summary: and hijinks, do in fact, ensue.

[read on ao3] [masterlist]

< previous chapter

–

Roman has been on two dates before.

It’s not like he couldn’t get any– oh, he could get many– but he never really considered the several outings he’d been on ‘dates’. He had met a lot of wonderful people, but when the star met the moon, he didn’t need any more stepping stones; he had landed, safe and sound, in the clouds.

And he thought about his first date (he liked to think they had only been on one date before a series of adventures) almost constantly. He thought about it whenever he would travel idly through stories detailing a million first dates. He thought about it whenever Logan wasn’t around to guard his precious books. He thought about it whenever the thought of his first book nook crossed his mind.

Roman has been on two dates before.

His last date was so boring, it killed him.

His first date, however, was in a library.

“That simply won’t do.”

Logan threw yet another argyle vest into the growing pile of sweater vests on his bed.

“What should I wear then, Roman?”

“For a first date? Something else.”

Logan groaned, turning back to his wooden wardrobe and fishing through all his clothes.

“This isn’t a first date, Roman.”

“Riiiiight. On a completely unrelated note, Patton told me that he wanted you to have this!”

Roman flew up to Logan and blew him a kiss. A flurry of red magic hit Logan’s cheek and left a lip-shaped mark. Logan huffed, swatting the magic away as Roman simply laughed, flying into his wardrobe and giving a few clothes a red aura — Roman’s stamp of approval, Logan presumed.

Logan begrudgingly picked out a few of Roman’s selections and began to try them on.

“He is simply accompanying me on this...art-venture,” Logan continued, slipping on a white button-up. “It is in the pursuit of knowledge–”

“Call it what you want,” Roman cut him off, tossing a bit of magic to neatly fold Logan’s sleeves just below his elbow. “But I’m telling you, you’re on a date.”

“And how exactly would you know that?”

Roman narrowed his eyes at Logan. “I’ve had a very full life before becoming your magical librarian, thank you very much.”

“...Right.” Logan cleared his throat. A beat of silence passed. Logan half-expected Roman to lift the mood right back up, but all he did was stare at him.

“I...I’m sorry, Roman,” Logan finally said.

Roman’s aura dimmed. “It’s all good, Specs. I just...I’ve never seen you care about something this much before. I’m just trying to help.”

Logan paused, before hesitantly outstretching his hand towards his wardrobe. A trail of navy blue magic was thrown into the closet like a rope and pulled out a grey blazer towards him.

“Fine.” Logan put on the blazer and went over to the full length mirror leaning against the wall, adjusting the collar. “Say this is– hypothetically – a date. What would you recommend I do?”

“Stand a bit straighter and be yourself,” Roman recited, flying up behind Logan and forcing him to straighten his posture. He eventually rested on Logan’s shoulder and smiled. “You tend to show others a good time when you’re having a good time, Logan. I don’t think there’s much you can do that’s wrong.”

A pause. “Except for wearing ivory socks when they should be eggshell-white.”

Logan huffed, going over to his dresser as Roman floated right off him. Mid-way through switching out his socks, he heard bells chiming downstairs. Logan checked his watch.

“How is he already here?” he muttered to himself, slipping on some black dress shoes and taking one more look at himself in the mirror. Logan sighed, smoothing out his tucked in shirt. “How do I look?”

“...Just fine, Lo.” Logan caught sight of Roman’s smile falling in the mirror. “You look just fine.”

Logan nodded and rushed down the stairs, Roman trailing not too far behind him. When he got downstairs, he found Patton sitting on the armchair, waiting for him. He wore some bootcut, light-washed jeans and a long, grey cardigan over a light blue dress-shirt. In his hair were little, blue and white plastic butterfly clips buried between each curl. His eyes went starry and wide behind his round glasses as he stood up and grinned.

“Hey! You look just– wow .”

Logan felt himself go warm. “Er, thank you. You...you look good...too.”

He could hear the muffled sounds of groans behind him.

Patton giggled, outstretching his hand towards Logan. “Shall we go?”

Logan swallowed down his nerves and took Patton’s hand, wordlessly nodding.

As Patton led Logan out, Logan turned around to face Roman.

“Roman, are you sure you do not want to join us?” He patted his small shirt pocket. “You’re always welcome to.”

Roman’s expression twisted ever so slightly.

“I’m fine here, Specs,” he finally said with a faded smile. “I don’t know, maybe I can really get some work done around here without you.”

Logan stuck his tongue out at Roman before finally turning back around and out the door.

Patton smiled and leaned his head against Logan’s shoulder as they began walking towards the theatre. Logan initially stiffened at the contact, but eventually relaxed his shoulders and let himself melt under Patton’s touch.

Logan took one more look through his shop windows as they passed by it. He caught a glimpse of a blur of red near the shelf behind the front counter. A few seconds later, he saw a brown book floating through the air.

But before he could catch sight of what the book was, Patton dragged him past the window with a smile brighter than the stars above him. And then he was gone.

—

They arrived early at the theatre, settling in their seats with a large bucket of popcorn. Logan watched a few trailers that advertised some of the romantic-comedies that would be playing for the next few weekends. He grimaced.

“Why do these movies...hm, how do I say this – exist?”

Patton laughed. “Maybe someone felt like they needed to exist! Every story means something to someone, Lo.”

The title and tagline of a rom-com flashed on the screen in front of him: " Around Him for 80 Days": Your Hot-Air Balloon of Love, flying soon next week…

Logan stared at Patton with a deadpanned expression. Patton sheepishly smiled.

“Okay, so maybe the answer is money…”

Logan snorted, popping a piece of popcorn into his mouth.

The lights around the two eventually dimmed, and Logan let himself be immersed in the movie, as cheesy as it was.

The film eventually began with bright, blue, all-too-cheery skies. And as the film progressed, the plot, Logan told Patton, stayed fixated in its ‘lightly humorous but completely unrealistic’ nature; which, Patton informed him, was not the point.

The movie followed the shenanigans of Henry falling in love with a girl named Lucy, who suffered from anterograde amnesia. Logan did his best to keep his mouth sealed at every inaccuracy, if only to impress Patton, who was beaming the entire time. He even found himself following in Patton’s laughter like some sort of a strange puppet (though there were some moments that admittedly made him chuckle on his own).

However, against his will, Logan found himself endeared to the story towards the end. He watched the blurry VCR footage of a wedding unfolding in front of him with wide eyes and, for a brief moment, felt himself being pulled into an unknown world that was still similar to his own. The film’s message wasn’t too hard to extract. Two people were able to form a bond that transcended their adversities because of love and...

‘And someone wanted to share what that feeling was like.’

Logan snuck a glance at Patton, who was tearing up at the end (of course). His vision went blurry for a split second, a flash of navy blue flickering in his line of sight; and then, it was gone.

Logan reached inside the bucket of popcorn to see if there was anything left, and felt his hand graze Patton’s. Warmth fluttered in his chest. Of course.

When they left the theatre—and eventually got the ice cream Patton had promised—Patton rambled on and on about the movie, with Logan quietly walking beside him. Logan switched his focus between Patton’s words and the cool, night air hitting his face. He furrowed his brow as he became lost in his own thoughts.

‘ Everything was real, even that story which wasn’t real– but it felt real, it is all real…’

“How about you?” Patton said, snapping Logan out of his trance. “How’d you like the movie? I know it’s not really your thing–”

“No no,” Logan said with a smile, toying with his spoon in cup. “I cannot believe I am truly saying this but...but I enjoyed it.”

A gasp. Patton stopped dead in his tracks beside him. He rolled his eyes.

“Oh come on , you drew this out of me...”

“Logan Fray– the Logan Fray– enjoyed a ‘nonsensical’ romance movie?”

“It was a fine story, Patton, no need to over-sell this–”

“I can’t wait to tell Roman!” Patton’s smile was oh-so blisteringly bright as he danced ahead of Logan, nearly dropping his ice cream cone and singing a song Logan didn’t recognize. Logan chuckled.

The streets felt emptier in Patton’s company, Logan noticed. He wasn’t quite in solitude, but he was not overrun by a crowd of thought, opinions, and expectations held by not only others, but himself — it was just him and Patton; it was just the two of them together.

“What’s on your mind?” Patton asked, suddenly beside him. Logan blinked, then shook his head.

“Nothing, Patton. I am having a lovely evening with you.”

Patton squinted at him. “You have your thinking face on.”

A pause.

“I am just thinking of how I could tie this experience to my research,” he finally responded, a feeble attempt at a lie. Patton’s mouth thinned into a small frown.

“Ah...right.”

Patton continued to walk, now alongside Logan in an awkward silence. Logan, not really knowing what he had expected, followed suit.

“Logan?” Patton asked after a few minutes.

“Yes?”

“...Why do you want to know what the meaning of art is?”

Logan frowned. “I have to, for my–”

“For your speech, yeah,” Patton finished for him. “I know it’s for your speech, but...”

“It could possibly serve as an onset to a prospective publication,” Logan tried again.

“It just seems sad,” Patton blurted out. “Don’t you think?”

Logan felt his heart drop, almost ashamed. Patton seemed to catch on almost immediately.

“Sorry, that was like– wow, so uncalled for–”

“You’re not wrong.” Logan squeezed his eyes shut. “You are not wrong at all.”

They walked in a bit more silence before Logan sighed.

“Sometimes, after what feels like a lifetime of barely-surmountable adversities...you tend to lose sight of the path, let alone what lies at the end of it.” Logan looked at Patton, eyes wide and earnest. “Have you ever felt that way?”

“A little, but not as much as you do, maybe.” Patton shrugged. “I have never really lost anything. Though, I have never had too much to lose, heh.”

“I see,” Logan murmured.

A beat of silence.

“I suppose art has always followed me,” Logan said, voice barely above a whisper. “My grandfather would bring stories to life in front of my very eyes, every single night. And then...well, they died with him. At some point in my life, I couldn’t live without his stories and...and now I can . There...there must be a reason for that, no?”

“I’m not sure.” Patton looked up at Logan. “Do...do you think you have ever really lived without his stories?”

Time seemingly stopped around them as Logan felt himself taken aback by Patton’s question. For a few moments, he thought about the shop, the way the books on the shelves have always been there. He thought about his grandfather and the stories he would bring to life. He thought about his parents and the hazy memory of the summer days he’d spend with them in the backyard, looking at insects with a magnifying glass and a toothy grin. He thought about his magic, the way it was first pulled out of him and into the air above his head in a swirl of faintly-coloured wind.

He thought about Roman, and how he’s always been there. Always.

(And in his chest, Logan felt a puzzle– one he almost forgot was ever fragmented– slowly piece itself back together.)

They eventually find their way back to Fray and Far Fables, with Logan mostly quiet the whole way back. He had reassured Patton that he did nothing wrong; he was just thinking, as he always did. Patton didn’t press on.

“Well, here we are,” Logan said as they neared the front door. He awkwardly shifted in his place in front of Patton, averting his glance to the floor.

“Here we are!” Patton echoed back with a nervous laugh. He smiled at Logan regardless. “I had a really good time, Logan.”

“I did as well.” A pause. Logan hesitantly added, “I...I enjoy spending time with you.”

“Aw, Lo! I like spending time with you too!” Patton smiled, almost embarrassed. “You...you make me think! And I like thinking with you, really.”

Logan couldn’t help but look at Patton. Under the faint lights of his shop, Patton’s eyes looked like a mix of honey and wine, sweet and tempting. And Logan never realized it until now, but his freckles reassembled the same sort of stars he always saw in Patton’s smile.

Logan blinked, and felt Patton’s gaze on him narrow; perhaps he was under similar examination.

“Um...I should get going.”

Patton laughed, even more nervous than the first time.

“Oh! Yes, of course!” He rubbed the back of his neck. “And hey, thank you for indulging me in these silly art-ventures, heh. I know you don’t have to, but...well, it’s nice to know that you’re getting something out of these.”

“I…” Logan took a deep breath. (For a brief moment, he wondered how one would encapsulate this crazy and horrifying feeling in a campy romantic comedy.)

“I get more from being with you, Patton,” Logan finally said. “You...you challenge me in a way that reminds me that there is more than just a...a finite answer. You make me want to seek more .” A step forward. "And...and there has to be more."

And before he could say anything else, Patton leaned forward on the tips of his toes and pulled Logan into a kiss.

—

Here’s what Logan knows.

He knows that despite there being something out there, there is nothing—truly nothing—in this life. There are bonds and spirits and magic that surround the world, sure. But you come from nothing and leave, ultimately, with nothing, because everything you could ever want to have is left behind.

However, he now knows this as well: the very act of creation immortalizes what little space you make for yourself, and everything that he once believed was true is actually—and this is rather unfortunate—complete and utter bullshit.

Logan felt his back hit the door as Patton pressed against him in their kiss. He swore he could feel both their hearts racing through their clothes. And in that very moment, Logan decided that he would do just about anything to be as close to Patton’s heart as possible, as if the two of their heartbeats could create a symphony if they were just a bit closer, closer, closer.

Logan fumbled for the door handle and with a struggled twist of his wrist, he sent the two of them stumbling backwards into the shop mid-kiss. Patton pulled back for a moment to let out a breathy laugh. Logan, almost desperately, ran his hand through Patton’s hair and pulled him into another kiss, and another, and another.

They bumped into a few display tables, knocking a few books onto the floor. Logan jumped back at the noise, then looked at Patton. Patton was still clutching onto Logan’s blazer collar, his cheeks glowing red. He wore the smallest and shakiest of smiles. A few of the butterfly clips in his hair were askew, and Logan didn’t even know when this happened, but Patton’s cardigan was completely undone, as well as a few buttons of his shirt.

He nodded towards the staircase and Patton nodded, seemingly breathless.

As they were heading up, it dawned on Logan that he had never had someone else upstairs since his grandfather passed. It was mostly rather small and, quite frankly, unimpressive. A rush of insecurity flooded Logan’s being, but all too late.

There were two doors when they reached the top: to the left was a small, cramped bathroom; and to the right, his bedroom.

Patton looked at Logan, who sighed and braced himself as he opened the right door.

In typical attic fashion, the ceiling was slanted towards a small window near the back of the room. Underneath the window was a kitchenette with a sink and a few appliances, as well as a rack of pots and pans lining the walls beside the window. His bed rested on the right side of his room, and across from it were rows of shelves filled with old books and picture frames, with some boxes and drawers laying underneath. A string of fairy lights and small light bulbs were strung from each shelf and illuminated the room with a warm glow.

In a small interlude from their intimacy, Patton looked around in awe.

“ Wow. I can’t believe this has been up here the whole time.”

Logan shifted in his place, taking a deep breath.

“I know it is not much, but this...well, this is home. Always has been.”

“I love it, Logan.” Patton looked up at Logan with a small smile. “I love it.”

Logan grinned, a mix of relief and realization settling in his chest. He felt himself become lighter in Patton’s presence as he pulled Patton into another kiss, one that was softer than the previous ones.

And Logan held Patton close as if he was every answer he was searching for, as if their embrace could create a space in the vast world for just the two of them; as if life was no longer empty, but full.

Logan held Patton close in a warm, ‘ thank-you-for-all-of-this’ kiss, and then closed the door behind him.

—

When he heard the sound of the door closing upstairs, Roman decidedly floated up from behind the counter. He looked at the staircase and in his mind, remembered the sounds of Logan and Patton’s hurried footsteps leading to Logan’s bedroom.

Roman flew over to lock the front door and took a glance out the window. He stared at the place where Logan and Patton were standing before he had hidden behind the counter; he recalled the way they looked at each other, the way they held each other in such closeness and warmth. And he recalled seeing something that he knew Logan wouldn’t have noticed: he saw the glow of a pulsing, navy blue aura surrounding Logan when he kissed Patton.

Roman held his gaze with the city outside of the shop, and realized with a shattered heart that he had been in here longer than he had originally planned for; that someone was waiting for him in the same way he knew Logan had been waiting for someone like Patton (even if that someone was there, he was always fucking there–)

At that moment, Roman realized that he held every answer that his new life ever needed, yet everything was out of reach once again.

Fighting back tears, Roman locked the door and quietly floated back onto the surface of the front counter. The brown, leather-bound copy of The Midnight Forest laid open in front of him.

Roman looked up at the staircase one more time, forcing himself to not hear the giggles and the creaking of the bed and the love, love, love.

He steeled himself and silenced it all, before pressing his hands against the pages of The Midnight Forest and disappearing in a flurry of red smoke.

—

next chapter >

#TS Storytime 2021 #gabbie writes things #sanders sides #sanders sides fanfic #logicality #prinxiety #logan sanders #patton sanders #roman sanders #virgil sanders #logan/patton #roman/virgil #logic/morality #creativity/anxiety

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akimmito · 4 years ago

Text

Heroes are made by the path they choose

Previous | AO3 | Next

___________________________

Chapter 3

The Paris news continues to speak of the Akuma two days after the event, Marinette is stressed coping with the disaster that remained on her catwalk. Unlike in previous years, Paris is not ready to deal with another Hawkmoth again, and the city's mood fell immediately from the moment appeared. Fashion week continues, but everything feels bad. They have not officially left the apartment since the event, although they have been going to the MT headquarters.

She looks at the cup of chamomile tea that Hugo, her butler?, was kind enough to prepare to help her relax, but she knows that a tea won't help her.

"Mother, we should get out of town. You're pale. ”Damian approaches her and analyzes her posture, obviously she didn't sleep the night before because she was checking the security cameras distributed by Paris looking for the origin of the butterfly, but they are more than five hundred and Max's algorithm barely reduced it to one hundred and twenty cameras. He's concerned about her health, he knows how she gets when she focuses too much on a task.

"Do you want to go to the country house?" She asks putting her head on her arm, dozing off from lack of sleep and the calming effect of chamomile. She just needed a distraction from her mind.

"Yes, you could use a break. Felix can take care of everything in the MT and if they need us, we are a portal away. "He maintains his neutral expression, there are days when he reproaches himself for caring for the woman who decided to adopt him knowing that he's a trained killer, but today is not one of those. She never wanted to change it, not as he thinks his father would have done if he had gone to live with him... Bruce Wayne doesn't tolerate murder, after all. The MT is curious, they dance a lot on the gray line. He was lycky to get them.

"Yeah... you're right." Mariette straightens up and rubs her eyes. If they are going to travel, she must avoid falling asleep until they are in the car on the way to the country house. "That reminds me, we can take Ringo, the vet says that its leg is already better and that he can be transferred from the shelter without problems. "

Damian is encouraged by the news, the little cub was shot in the leg by some thieves, the owner despised him taking it as lost, but he asked his mother to help it heal so that it would not die. The puppy is alive and they can take it to a place where he can be safe and be a happy dog. They made the right decision.

"Go get your bags ready. Maybe we will get to lunch time. "She gets up and picks up her phone, she must notify the employees that they will arrive earlier than planned.

Damian goes to his room being followed by Longg, he must get everything he will carry ready. Not even fifteen minutes have passed when he has everything ready, keeping comfortable clothes to be able to play with his pets in the extensive terrain, very different from his normal residence.

Marinette and Damian live on the top floor of an apartment building just four blocks from the Eiffel Tower, she likes the evening view and even has a window where she has placed a mattress. Damian also became a fan of that same location and became his favorite area within the apartment, although he prefers the Animal Shelter and the country house, both of which were bought especially for him, all because she couldn't fill the apartment with animals (despite of her own desires to do so).

The only pet in the apartment is a very demanding fluffy white cat who likes to be the center of Damian's attention, who gets angry on weekend trips to the country house, where it's forced to live with the others animals ... dirty and unworthy of be a Lenoir. The cat is very proud to be the favorite and it hates with all its might the cat of country house, which always steals the child's precious attention (with dogs it doesn't get in because they are very large, two German shepherds, a Garafiano shepherd and an Australian Shepherd, plus a Bernese Mountain puppy.)

Damian is ecstatic with the prospect of spending six days on the country house, although the cat, named Dafne, doesn't look happy and even growled at the boy when he tried to grab it the first time, now it has already relaxed and brought its bad humor to its transport box. He closes the box and takes his things, now all he has to do is wait for his mother to stop being a mess to they can leave.

"Do you have your suitcase yet?" Marinette asks going from one side to another in the rooms, Damian doesn't even answer her and he only goes out to the living room to wait until she finishes messing up the whole apartment. "Hugo, where are my sketch books?"

They're already packed, Miss Marie. Also the fabric catalog of the next collection and the general balance of the month."

Hugo is a very English man to someone who lived in France most of his life, but she's not going to question him about it (Max did a very good background check). He started working with her a year after founding her brand and somehow managed to discover the MT and is now an unofficial member, making her escapades much easier by having him cover her. She's grateful to heaven for making her cross her path, she would have gone mad without him already.

"Thanks, Hugo."

"Hugo, did you pack the Kwami and Dafne meals?" Damian asks when the man returns to the room. He's eager to leave to meet his pets, he sees them every week, but it's not enough time.

"Of course, the extra order for cheeses was also made for the country house."

"Oh, Hugo! You're the best, I hope you live a thousand years!" Plagg arrives full of joy and almost dares to hug the man, but that is not his style, on the contrary, he cheers for the excellent service. "I wish all my kittens would treat me like you. "

Marinette enters the room with her suitcase and looks at Plagg with mock annoyance, amusement seeping into her gaze. She misses Tikki, she was always the voice of reason, but Plagg has a unique way of keeping her high spirited and, with the stress of her life, very much appreciates his presence, daring to consider he more effective than encouraging words from Tikki.

"Yeah, right? It's not like I paid for all your cheese. ”Plagg flies towards her and repeats the action, causing her to finally laugh at his games. Longg lets out a small snort from his position near the boy, he had not made any noise and that causes others to be surprised by his presence sometimes. Damian rejoices when he sees the others jump off for forgetting that Longg is active too.

"Shall we go now, mother?"Damian takes out some Dior brand sunglasses and the black mask from his handbag to prevent his face from going out in magazines or social networks without his consent, he doesn't understand what is the interest in them, they are only people with a little money and a brand that becomes more famous after each show. In any case, they shouldn't be interested in him and he detests those who do.

"Yeah, we can go now."

Damian smiles with pleasure putting on his dark glasses, which are already part of his daily wardrobe because he always accompanies Marinette to all kinds of events, the least he can do is learn to combine brands and styles for each time he goes out. He usually opts for black, although lately he no longer cares about trying styles and clothes that he would never have considered wearing.

When they go out to the main entrance, where Hugo is already waiting for them with the car, he have already put on the mask and, of course, a curious spectator treats them as if they were the stars of an Oscar-winning film. At least no one can notice his annoyed expression under the mask.

They enter the car and Damian takes the opportunity to get Dafne out, it prefers to travel like this and they will not change vehicles as when they leave the country, he can carry it all the way. Everyone thinks that he’s too spoiled, but he considers that it's fair since it's the only animal that he's allowed to keep at home.

As the small Lenoir family moves towards the country house, in the MT, Kagami destroys the training dolls with a saber, under the watchful eye of Luka who, from the second level, watches her move with the fury of a hurricane. He mentally notes placing the doll replacement as part of the following month's expense.

"If she continues like this, she will come looking for us to fight with us." Luka turns to the person who has just entered, Alix stands near him, appreciating the power of the cuts and the lethality of the Japanese woman. "The little demon would have a good training match with her. "

"Mari sent a message, they will be at the country house. "

"How envious, I wish I had a place like that to escape to." She yawns, leaning on the railing. "But duty calls.”She mutters when her phone starts ringing to the rhythm of the Seven Nation Army, which means it's a call from work. Alix walks away just waving.

Luka smiles softly, it's a calm day. Perhaps everyone is a little more tense, stressed and with excitement itching their hands, but it's very calm, life continues its course regardless of the problems that may exist. The insignificance with which life itself deals with the matter gives he the certainty that they will solve it, that this time there will not be a third party that stands in their way of recovering Nooroo.

The voices are loud outside the training room and he can see the moment when Nathaniel and Kim enter arguing, Marc is a few steps behind them looking at them with an undoubtedly irritated expression, as if they had been on that same topic for a long time.

"I tell you, if we were to work with someone outside the MT, it can't be Batman. I love my privacy, thanks. ”Nathaniel says tired, he despises eternally the heartless blonde who brought up that subject only to leave saying he had job. Kim is not an official member, hei tournaments trips and constant swimming training prevent her from being one, so he doesn't fully understand why the MT remains so in the shadows (even with the irony that the Parisian media talks about they with the same frequency as Jagged, Clara and other famous faces).

"He would help a lot, you know."

"Yeah, but he would also discover the Miracoulous and that is a resounding no. Our duty is to protect them and the less people know it, the easier it'll be. "

"They mention it in the news!"

"In fact. "Marc speaks behind them, tired of hearing them repeat arguments. "Since decree No. 35 of the current French government was released, any mention of the Prodigies in the media will be sanctioned according to the provisions of the MT, that is to say, us, and of the Parisian heroes, also us. It has even been included in the Constitution as a secret of identity and provenance for the protection of heroes. Chloe was devastating when she demanded a law that protected us and the Kwami, without lying, she put all the cards on the table without mentioning personal gain. "

Kim is speechless, he really didn't know that. When was the last time he updated on the laws in his country? He might as well break some and he wouldn't know it. To take into account, just like talking to Chloe about it.

"You see? Now that we are done with this, can we train? "

Kagami destroys the last doll at that moment and turns to the newcomers, has released all her frustrations.

They are supposed to be starting the investigation into the new Hawkmoth, but the mayor's office has requested that they refrain from starting the investigation for a week, he does not understand the irrationality of that request. She's very angry at the mayor's negligence, the longer they delay the investigation, the harder it will be to track him down. Still, it annoyed her more the way Marinette and Felix so easily accepted orders… when they don't take orders from anyone, they can move around the edges of the law, but they're not below it.

"Has Mari-hime arrived?"

"She texted that she'd be at the country house with Damian, she needs the break," Marc replies before heading to the locker room to change into training clothes.

"Where's Felix?"

"Work." Nathaniel growls the answer and then follows his boyfriend, just thinking about the blonde makes him bitter. An hour arguing nonsense with Kim is enough to put anyone in a bad mood, he doesn't understand how Max can be such a good friend with him.

Kagami frowns and hands the saber to Kim before leaving the training room, she's angry again. What do Marinette and Felix intend? She rarely understands what goes through their heads.

Luka comes down from the second level to intercept Kagami, she's being overbearing on the whole miraculous butterfly issue. He knows that Marinette doesn't play with the affairs of the MT, she doesn't endanger them on purpose and they don't make hasty decisions, only one person is more cautious than she and that is Felix, if the two agreed to wait, they have something keep in mind.

"Kagami." He calls her, but she doesn't stop. "Kagami."

"I'm not listening to you, you're going to defend them."

"I ask you to think about it more deeply. Mari is very serious about retrieving the butterfly clasp, she knows what she's doing."

"Oh, Yeah. I really believe that." She looks at him annoyed, in front of him.

"You are upset, but don't let anger cloud your thoughts. We are all frustrated, eager to fight, but we will only hit a wall if we rush. You have to know when to take a break, this is a good time. "

She purses her mouth, holding back the words. He's somewhat right, their cannt just run into the unknown pretending they know where they are going. Her only answer is a nod before she resumes her journey, perhaps she should go see her mother and stay away from the MT until the break ends or another Akuma appears, whichever comes first.

_______________________________

Damian @DamianLenoir

Ringo is better and today he will meet his new brothers, he is a very happy puppy.

[Attached photo]

Alix @LostHeroBunnix

Why did I think opening an art school would be fun? I should have kept my skates.

Felix @GrahamV_Felix

Should I yell or yell at the worthless one who flooded the set? I just had to turn on a tap, not recreate the scene of the Biblical Flood.

Nath @NathanielKC_twt

@GrahamV_Felix Being nice and not giving a scare of death to the people around you could help you the other people not flood the set. Did you know?

Felix @GrahamV_Felix

@NathanielKC_twt And become Marie? Is not my style.

Marie L. @MarieLenoir

@GrahamV_Felix @NathanielKC_twt Too much style for you, it doesn't fit with you; p

Chloe B. @BourgeoisQueen

Marie take me with you! @MarieLenioir

Damian @DamianLenoir

@BourgeoisQueen NO.

______________________

Ages:

Tomoe T: 50. Bruce: 45. Dick: 28. Luka: 26. Jason: 25. Marie and her group: 24. Tim: 19. Damian: 10.

#dickinette #maribat #dick x marinette #ml x dc

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amoveablejake · 4 years ago

Text

My Five Key Songs of April 2021

Another dive into my currently playing

Here we are, the last Sunday of another month and time for my five key songs of the past month to make an appearance and vie for that all important track of the month place and with it earning its place in the playlist of the year. Without further ado lets hop to it:

First out of the gate:

‘El Cortez’ by US Golf 95

After a brief hiatus from being constantly listening to Vapourwave this month I returned to the genre in full force. I’ve been listening to Vapourwave records over and over again and it will therefore come as no surprise to see at least one track appear here. I have spoken about the album ‘Casino’ before from which this track is lifted from and you know what, I’ll give it some air time again. This is a song that transports me into a hotel lobby or even a casino as the title suggests. Its the song that is playing whilst you wait in the lobby to venture out, its the song that greets you when you come back from the heist and the one that is gently wafting through the air as you nurse a drink in the wee small hours of the morning. This track for me is pure escapism and once again helps to fulfill my heist pulling fantasies.

‘Get Down Saturday Night’ by Oliver Cheatham

If there is one thing that I adore, it is a fake radio show format worked into an album. This can be found on the ‘Reservoir Dogs’ soundtrack, infact ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’s’ album has it aswell, but also the Grand Theft Auto compilation albums for Vice City have it aswell and oh boy are they a treat in particular the Fever 105 album. This Funk Soul radio station feels like it could be the b side to ‘Jackie Brown’ and or that it could be whats playing in the background of many Elmore Leonard novels. Its hard to pick only one song from the record after I’ve been listening to it all month but I’ll go with ‘Get Down Saturday Night’. It has a rather chilling appearance in ‘Ex Machina’ but other than the horror of that, its a song that should be played throughout the week to gear you up for the weekend and could be in the getaway car after you’ve robbed the Vegas casino. What is this theme of heists that is going on, its almost as if I’ve got a bank robbery story on my mind. Is that an easter egg? Whose to say

‘Bonita Applebum’ by A Tribe Called Quest

As with the Vapourwave genre this month after a period of absence I have returned to one of my favourite bands ‘A Tribe Called Quest.’ Last month for our album of the week I spoke about how important they are to me however, I didn’t really do as deep dive into their music so shall we change that. ‘Bonita Applebum’ is from Tribe’s debut album and boy does it feel like it in the most perfect way. This is a song that shows the band’s bravado and charm all in one. It feels like a record that they had to fight to keep in rather than being the first choice from any record label. In many ways, it could be the definitely track of the record for showing the band’s personality and it could well be the best track on the record. The problem is you then look at every other song and think damn, they’re all perfect, how can they compete with each other. Rivalry with its other songs aside, ‘Bonita Applebum’ is a song that seems to absorb the sunshine and should always be playing when its warm outside. This might be the song for the summer and I wouldn’t be surprised if it makes another appearance on the tracks of the month feature.

‘Great Pumpkin Waltz’ by the Vince Guaraldi Trio

It has been a little while since I have written about Vince Guaraldi so let me change that. ‘Great Pumpkin Waltz’ from ‘It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown’ is another example of why the Peanuts specials have the best scores around. The entire album for the Halloween special for Charlie Brown and his friends is flawless but this track is my particular highlight. It may not reach the same dizzying heights of perfection as we see from ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ but then again what song possibly could. This time, rather than being completely wrapped up in the glow of the fire and the lights on the Christmas tree in our hygge fantasies, we are walking home, hearing the crunch of autumn leaves underfoot and dreaming of hues of oranges and browns. This is the song that will make you want to reach for your autumn wardrobe essentials and have your playwright beagle accompany you everywhere.

And here we are, the track of the month, ‘Make Me Love You’ by Dan Mason

Really, it was always going to be a Dan Mason song that featured as the track of the month. I have listened to no artist more than him this last month as he has accompanied me on my lunchbreaks in the office and as I read before bed. ‘Miami Virtual’, the album from which ‘Make Me Love You’ is lifted from, is quickly becoming one of my staple and favourite albums. It is a record that despite me only finding it a few months ago taps into so many of my memories. It has no reason to feel this way but a great sense of nostalgia surrounds it for me and I can’t quite shake it. As I work my way through the tracks I feel a great sense of warmth and happiness that makes me jump right back to the beginning the moment the record stops playing. Choosing one song from the album to feature here was difficult however, I’ve gone with ‘Make Me Love You’ because there is something about it that really hits home. It feels like an end of the day song, or one that you listen to as you’re flying home looking at your country from above. Its a true joy to listen to and has more than earned its place in the twelve song playlist of the songs of the year.

So there we have it, the five key songs for April 2021. Looking back at them it does seem that there is a theme of unwinding and relaxation in many cases after a heist has taken place. As I have touched on before, is this hinting at a project I’m working on? No, it couldn’t be, right? Because after all, I definitely don’t leave easter eggs and hints throughout these blog posts do I?

Can you feel the wink directly at the camera?

-Jake, a man dreaming of walking through Palma listening to ‘Miami Virtual’, 25/04/2021

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wernerherzogs · 6 years ago

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there it is, finally! the list of my favourite hl fics of All Time.

disclaimer: some of these i have read only once and forever ago, but i’ve got them saved in a folder, and i vaguely remember them Meaning something to me when i read them, but basically -- if you read something from this list and end up not enjoying it, sorry not sorry! i operate on nostalgia sometimes, it’s possible i wouldn’t be that into some of them now, too, but whatevs!

i made myself stick to one work per author, otherwise this would be endless, but if an author’s nickname is bolded, it means i’ve had the time to read all of their works, and recommend them all.

i’m fairly certain i’m forgetting stuff (especially those stories that i’ve never saved/bookmarked), so i’ll try to keep this updated fairly regularly -- whenever i remember an old fave, or fall in love with something new. i’ll make sure to reblog this post then.

the order is completely random. this is a list where every work carries equal significance, even if not always for the same reasons. it was supposed to be alphabetical, but turns out i’m far too lazy for that. (shocker.) i took the liberty of shortening some of the original summaries, because this post is going to be Too Long anyway. rip.

enjoy! hopefully.

***

blackjacks running down my back | sequel by dangerbears (+ lj) (~10,000)

AU. university stuff. best friend stuff. music stuff. sappy stuff.

try to not remember (rather than forget) by hereforlou (59,602)

He hadn’t left, but that’s what it had felt like most of the time. Just as if one day Harry had up and left him.

(Or, the one where Harry wakes up.)

Like Real People Do by moodlighting (58,469)

Harry is Louis' soulmate but Louis isn't Harry's - it takes Harry a while to figure it all out.

a prayer for which no words exist by Eliane (34,313)

Louis is a few seconds away from blowing up a rather important section of the New York subway when he sees Harry for the first time.

Who Painted the Moon Black by throughthedark (requires an ao3 account) (95,697)

“People died,” Harry whispers so quietly Louis strains to hear. “People died, and I killed some of them. How does life just go on after something like that?”

Louis shakes his head. “I don't know. It just does.”

hold on to your stars before they fade by adelagia (31,740)

The first time they meet, it is sunrise, and Harry is naked.

(Or, the one where Harry is a lost fairy, and Louis takes him in.)

Lambing Season by HelloAmHere (24,544)

“Shut up,” Louis says, an involuntary grin tugging at his mouth. It’s not every boy who will stand in the middle of a cold barn in a suit and play musician trivia. “I’m Louis.”

//lambing season brings sleep deprivation, noisy alarms, cold barns, demanding animals, and warm strangers.

Wild And Unruly by 100percentsassy, gloria_andrews (123,655)

Harry is a cowboy sitting on the biggest oil reservoir in Wyoming, and Louis is the paralegal assigned to pressure him into selling his land.

Walk That Mile by purpledaisy (149,570)

A Route 66 AU where falling in love was never part of the plan.

the dead things we carry by MediaWhore (25,316)

“Oh,” Mrs. Padley says, clearly taken aback. “You two know each other?”

There are some things people never fully come home from. Until, one day, if they’re lucky, home comes to them.

i believe him when he tells of loving me by bitterlee (28,894)

louis doesn't remember harry. harry takes him home.

Come Along With Me by darkofthenights (28,032) (requires an ao3 account)

An AU where Harry is a magician and Louis doesn't believe in such a thing.

Dust Off My Wings by eravain (19,882) (+ download)

AU where the boys are cottage neighbours, Louis develops an obsession with the mysterious boy next door, and the end of summer is really just the start of everything else.

Boys of Summer by sharktoothedfawnskinned (49,545)

What he wants is for this to be a forever thing, not someplace Harry spent the summer once. What he wants is for this to be more than a memory.

(New Jersey beach town AU.)

ever ever after by hattalove (22,645)

“Happily ever after, huh?” he can’t help asking, in a voice that’s softer than he’d like. Harry seems to sense the fragility of the moment. He settles down, containing the excited flailing of his hands, and mirrors Louis’s position. “Of course,” he says. “Don’t you have those here?” Louis bites his lip. “M’ afraid not. It doesn’t really work out that way for most people.”

or, an enchanted AU. sort of.

heroes of the orange skies by queenmcgonagall (30,656)

Louis likes bathroom walls and Sharpies, Harry likes metal, Zayn likes Liam and Liam likes Zayn, Niall is wise, and they all go to the zoo.

Empty Skies by green_feelings (134,048)

For three years, Harry has been running from his past. Now, he is moving to London and pledges to fulfil his only dream -- making it big in the music industry. Not everyone has a place, though, and the competition is tough. As is his past catching up on him.

Louis is part of the biggest boy band of the world, and getting there had meant a lot of hard work, as well as sacrificing parts of his heart and soul. He's still happy. Maybe not as happy as he could be, but who is he to complain?

nocturne in silver and blue by tinyweirdloves (97,594)

louis is a fallen star and harry brings him home. told over the course of fourteen years.

life does not go backward, nor does it tarry in yesterday by bottomlinsons (4568)

Louis and Harry are Knights of the Round Table and Camelot has a dragon problem. (Arthurian AU)

In This Light by exhilarated (99,234)

Harry is a wardrobe stylist who likes to live in the moment, and Louis is a popstar who looks dreamy in double breasted jackets. Harry never stood a chance.

our little corner of the world by brownheadedstranger (29,913)

AU. Louis is stuck in his mom's diner for the summer. Harry is the line cook with a pickup truck.

Every Arrow That I Aim Is True by estrella30 (24,890)

Louis doesn’t say anything again so Harry whispers, “Just stay here with me for a while, yeah? I’ll take care of you.”

Louis is quiet. He never picks his head up, but Harry can see the pillow move from where he’s nodding and his fingers tighten around Harry’s. “Yeah,” Louis says. “Yeah, all right.”

i'm not calling you a liar (just don't lie to me) by hazmesentir (33625) (requires an ao3 account)

Louis can't stop lying. Harry runs a farm. Somehow, he squeezes the truth out of him.

An Eternal Enigma by goldenquill (67,478) (+ download)

Louis is a reluctant king with a head full of fairy tales, and Harry is an emotionally challenged musical prodigy. Zayn is a hopelessly romantic painter, Liam is the castle’s resident ghost with sporadic amnesia, and Niall is the accidental head of the kingdom’s most prevalent spy ring. Very loosely based on the lives of Ludwig II of Bavaria and Richard Wagner.

all my love was down in a frozen ground by navigator (16,033)

Louis goes to the woods.

AU very loosely inspired by the creation of Bon Iver's first record.

walk my days on a wire by sunshiner (38,586)

“We’re here because we have inventive managers,” Louis says, giving Harry’s leg a little nudge with his knee, but all that’s going around in his head is, I think I'd be in the same spot in every possible universe.

or, when actor Louis Tomlinson used to daydream about dating Harry Styles, this is not what he had in mind.

take my hand (and my heart and soul) by bananasandboots (45,623)

"I – yeah. Hi," Louis finally answers, slowly, awkwardly. "I um. Sorry. I heard about your accident. You're alright?"

Or, the one where Harry hasn't spoken to his best friend in sixteen months and can't remember why.

These Inconvenient Fireworks by wontsitstill (190,000) (+ download)

Future AU in which nobody tries out for X Factor but the boys end up finding one another eventually anyway. Louis is a jaded bastard who owns a cat named Duchess and teaches drama to teenagers, Harry is an idealistic aspiring photographer/part-time footy coach, Zayn teaches English lit and wears leather jackets, Liam saves people from burning buildings, and Niall is Niall.

things have gotten closer to the sun by starseas (49,276)

when a solar flare is announced to end the world in twelve days, harry reunites with the people that he used to know better than the back of his own hand.

Harry Styles Cooks... by sunsetmog (ongoing)

In which Louis Tomlinson can’t cook, there’s a very special shower curtain, and Harry Styles used to be a baker.

Or: Louis owns all of Harry Styles’ cookbooks, and he never intends to cook a single thing out of any of them.

101 Uses For Dragon Eggs by colazitron (42,249)

Louis just got back from a three week assignment yesterday and today was only supposed to be paperwork he needs to do to finish that up, before he was going to leave early and enjoy the weekend. And then Zayn, the traitor, emailed him about a bloke who was rumoured to have found a dragon egg and apparently live tweeting the whole thing.

Don't Want Shelter by FullOnLarrie (ongoing)

Louis and Harry have known each other all their lives. Friends as children, they danced around each other as teenagers, and have spent the last twenty-five years either screaming at each other or not speaking at all. Except for that one time ten years ago…

When Hurricane Nicole threatens the coast, they end up stuck together in their families' old vacation home that they begrudgingly co-own.

Escapade by dolce_piccante (requires an ao3 account) (146,241) (+ download)

In the grand scheme of things, finding a date for a wedding should be no problem for Louis Tomlinson. He's rich. He's handsome. He's reasonably well behaved. But when the wedding is for his lifelong best friend (and former boyfriend), and is happening in under a month, finding a date for the ceremony and accompanying festivities becomes more of an adventure than he ever could have planned for.

Whether Clouds or Clear Skies by onewasturning (25,861)

“Harry,” Louis says, “last night I had an experience bordering on profound.”

“You’re making it sound like you did something sexual with my muffin,” Harry says.

Or, Louis gets into the habit of stealing baked goods while Harry’s busy keeping tabs on the weather.

the dead of july by whimsicule (117,446)

Being an Avenger means continuing to be Captain America and smiling and being honorable for the public and Harry does his best. But it doesn’t give him time to figure out who he is supposed to be once he takes off his uniform and puts the shield to the side. Just being Harry had always involved Louis, and Harry fears he doesn’t know how to exist without him.

or: Harry is Captain America, and Louis’ been dead for 70 years.

In the Clear by aclosetlarryshipper (80,751)

After Princess Gemma and her fiance Niall are captured by the witch from across the land, Harry and Louis are forced on a journey together to save them.

Featuring Lumberjack Liam, Magical Zayn, unsolicited tattoos, and untangling the past.

Also known as The Larrietale.

a house built out of stone by robpatFF (22,486)

Louis has a used bookshop and Harry has a habit of claiming things that don't belong to him.

out of the blue corner by fallingaway (85,422)

Louis is a boxer banned because of doping. Harry is a journalist following the story.

with your love we could breathe underwater by luminescents (28,542)

Harry’s brow furrows, a look of confusion spreading over his face. “But I am real. I exist, see,” he says, raising a hand out of the water and wiggling his fingers at Louis.

AU where Harry is a mermaid, Louis is a human, and they both discover a lot more than they anticipated.

dancing in the dark by clairdeloune (74,709)

Harry comes out and it brings more than he's expected.

Untangle Me by suicxne (103,000) (requires an ao3 account)

Or the one where Harry and Louis finally get it right.

California Sold by isthatyoularry (123,536)

Notoriously closeted boyband member Harry Styles is famous on a global scale, meanwhile Louis, as his best friend, is back home in Manchester, living the typical life of a 24 year old. When Harry needs Louis with him in LA, a publicity stunt gone wrong changes their friendship forever.

A fake-relationship AU between two lifelong best friends.

you came into my life by disgruntledkittenface (57,180)

When the Queer Eye cast and crew sweep into Louis’ small town and fire station to make over his best friend and coworker Liam, Louis’ carefully constructed walls start to fall down and he has to face his fears – and the only guy he’s ever been able to see a future with.

like cabbages and kings by you_explode (60,875)

When Louis was a kid, he had a series of very vivid dreams about a place called Wonderland.

Loyal Knight and True by rainbowninja167 (51,569)

Oh, Harry thinks, mouth open on a silent gasp. This is how it happens.

In contemporary Oxford, Harry Styles and Niall Horan run a magical bookshop, unbowed by an entire academic establishment that insists magic doesn't even exist.

for now (and forever) by orphan_account (sadly can’t remember the actual author) (83,283)

"Listen to yourself," Harry laughs, shaking Louis' shoulders. "Don't you think it's a bit weird to con the country you're supposed to be serving?"

Louis is going into the Army, Harry is going nowhere, and there's nothing like a little identity fraud between friends.

Say You'll Remember by whisperdlullaby (93,521)

au. louis and harry are best mates that are only half aware that they're also soulmates. alternatively, louis goes to university and harry travels the world, and they always manage to find their way back to each other.

takes place over nine years, in which they love and hurt, make mistakes and learn, and above all, grow.

Faking It by TheCellarDoor (46,173)

A uni AU in which Louis has been Harry’s best friend since he offered him cubed fruit on the playground, and they spend more time cuddling in their dorm beds than they do apart, but it’s not like that. Or is it?

Battle Cry by Velvetoscar (21,377)

Harry's got a heart, a soul, and a band. And with that, obviously, comes a future paved in great success, right? So all he has to do is win the Battle of the Bands, right? Simple.

What's not so simple is the fact that Louis Tomlinson is his biggest competition. And also happens to be made of everything that Harry's ever wanted.

Take Me Where I Cannot Stand by LoadedGunn (13,988)

Harry can agree that being husbands in space presents some challenges. Sometimes they have to escape mindless cannibals, sometimes they're being held hostage, sometimes Louis doesn't want Harry to get pregnant, and sometimes someone slips on a banana peel. But that's all part of the fun, isn't it? They could have been juggling geese.

(Firefly AU where Harry and Louis are co-pilots in life.)

Just Me, You, And This Box of Matches by tomlinsunshine (87,020) (requires an ao3 account)

Louis is fairly sure that his new neighbour is going to destroy him. And also their apartment building, and the dumpsters outside, and all the forests within a thirty mile radius. But. Mostly him.

you're an egg if im an egg by giraffesaretall (1252)

au where one direction are eggs.

#SURPRISE MOTHERFUCKERS #fic #fic rec #top fics #i know no one rly expected me to do it by this point #so that's exactly why i did it lmao #:)#pretty sure i've recced 80% of these before so like #sorry for the disappointment #also ik i'm missing a lot #but i just spent a few hours on this so #have this as a start i guess #now excuse me when i go pass the fuck out #also i'm sure the app will mess up the formatting so #sorry about that!#long post #(also some faves got deleted and i didn't find them in #my folder. sad times. :( )

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balancingdiet · 5 years ago

Text

Tabula Rasa

Detective Conan & Magic Kaito Characters: Shinichi/Kaito Words: 3100 ish Chapter: (1) … (17) (18) (19)

Shinichi always finds his neighbour weird. But he didn’t expect to find his neighbour lying on a patch of grass and donned in Kaitou Kid’s costume, too.

Shinichi had experienced a fair share of pain—both physically and emotionally—to understand how some of them could feel familiar. But he never knew pain could be nostalgic too.

The sudden, sharp pain hit between Shinichi’s brows again.

It came in a set of three, a cooing sound, and then another...

Shinichi opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was white, but it wasn’t the culprit that was pecking his forehead. Tamago, or whoever that dove was, had flown away once Shinichi stirred and woke up, and the whiteness he saw was the rumpled bedsheet he had laid his head and accidentally fell asleep on.

Shinichi straightened away from the side of the bed and on his chair, and it was only after a second then he registered Kaito’s bed was empty.

Widening his eyes, Shinichi spun around in his seat, and he found relief when he saw Kaito standing on the balcony (his navy blue shirt camouflaged him well against the dark sky, but his white pants exposed him bright). He was facing the street and dangling his bandaged hands over the railing.

When Kaito fainted in his arms, Shinichi thought of bringing him to the couch in the living room, like what he did during that incident long, long time ago. But he decided to carry Kaito up to the bedroom, thinking it would be a better place to rest for him. Turns out, the clock on the wall now showed an hour before dawn, meaning Kaito woke up not long after he fainted.

And what a plot twist, it was Shinichi that rested instead.

Shinichi stood up from the chair, not realising the existence of the blanket over his shoulder until it fell off and pooled on the floor. He stared at it for a moment longer than necessary before picking the blanket up and looking at Kaito’s back again.

He didn’t feel as though he deserved this.

Shinichi placed the blanket back on the bed. And now that he could properly look instead of fussing over Kaito’s comfort and tending to his hands previously, he noticed the bed was small. Or rather, it was small because of how sparse Kaito's bedroom was; there was nothing much, besides the bed, a corner desk, and a wardrobe.

To think that Kaito had make this home permanent… The first floor definitely fooled Shinichi well.

Tentatively, Shinichi walked to the balcony and slid the glass door aside. It was breezy, and the moisture in the air smelt thicker than Shinichi last remembered when he first arrived home.

”You’re awake,” Kaito said as a greeting.

Shinichi closed the balcony door shut and approached the railing. “Same back at you.”

“You snored.”

This was the last thing he expected the conversation to start with. Shinichi scowled. “I did not.”

Kaito laughed. “You don’t need to feel embarrassed. Your snore is pretty soft anyway.”

"Don’t change the subject," was what Shinichi wanted to rebuke, but he pursed his lips, unable to form any words as he continued to stare at the side of Kaito’s face.

There was no subject, or anything, for Shinichi to say in the first place—

“How much do you know?” Kaito suddenly said as he continued to face the dark streets below.

“...What?”

Kaito pulled out one of the fragments of the shattered red gem from his pocket, which Shinichi had gathered from the backyard and placed them all on Kaito's desk.

“For starters,” Kaito said as he fiddled the shard with dull interest. “Do you believe there’s a gem that can shed tears of immortality?”

Immortality?

Shinichi stared.

For someone who once shrunk by ten years of age, it was hard for Shinichi to say he didn’t believe it, even if he didn’t want to. But in this context and from the way Kaito asked, he wasn’t sure what the correct answer should be.

“Maybe,” Shinichi said instead.

Kaito squeezed the shard in his fist before pounding it over the railing. Shinichi winced.

“To be honest, I don’t,” Kaito said. “But if I don’t, I don’t have anything else to pin on for all the sacrifices that had been made.”

From Kaito's reactions and the evidence in his hand, it was clear all the countless heists Kaitou Kid had done wasn’t to obtain this so-called tears of immortality, but to destroy it.

But why?

And what sacrifices?

As though Kaito read Shinichi’s thoughts, he spoke, “Kuroba Toichi, my dad, was the first Kaitou Kid.”

Shinichi widened his eyes.

“He died at the hands of the people who were seeking for this same gem, but I didn’t know anything back then. I’d thought he died due to a magic accident.” Kaito cleared his throat. “And so, the first Kaitou Kid disappeared from the surface of the Earth.”

It wasn’t hard for Shinichi to construct the timeline calculations in his head, and his heart swelled at the realisation of another horror in Kaito’s past.

He was only eight.

“Years later, I found a secret basement that my dad left behind. I didn’t think much of the consequences but only wanted answers, so I decided to be the ghost of the Phantom Thief.”

“…Why are you suddenly telling me all these?”

Kaito tilted his head. “After all that earlier commotion, I figured you'd want to know.”

Shinichi hesitated. “But not at the expense of your feelings.”

Kaito chuckled, yet nothing about his laughter sounded real to Shinichi at all. “It’s okay,” he said.

”How is this okay?” Shinichi wanted to yell back, but all the thoughts and words and sorrows of the entire moment were stuck as a lump in his throat. What’s more, this was just the start of Kaito’s past. How could Shinichi, much less Kaito, be able to bear it if they continued to delve deeper into it?

And about Aoko…?

Kaito regarded Shinichi for a while. “It seems as if you know something.”

Shinichi inadvertently glanced away, only proving Kaito’s suspicion right.

“Back to my first question.” Kaito turned around to lean his back against the railings. “How much do you know?”

Shinichi pursed his lips.

“Tell me,” Kaito urged.

“…I happened to chance upon a few things and made my own guesses.”

“What are they?”

As the wind started to pick up and howl in the originally silent night, Shinichi reluctantly explained the things he thought he would carry to his grave—about Kaito’s unconscious apology to a person named Aoko, the hospital conversation, and the blue rose he found in front of the clock tower. But it wasn’t just unravelling Kaito’s secrets that made Shinichi horrible; having to see the weight pressing down on Kaito’s shoulders as he continued made everything much worse.

By the end of everything, Kaito finally nodded. “As expected of the Detective of the East, you’re right,” he said. “Aoko… She died three years ago.”

“I didn’t mean to—”

“I know.” Kaito raised a hand. “Just let me bring some humour into this conversation, can you?”

Shinichi returned a wry smile. It seemed the least he could do.

“Those people you mentioned earlier,” Shinichi began. “Are they some kind of organization?”

Kaito nodded as he pocketed the shard back into his pocket in silence.

“Are you pissed because you were expecting my answer to be… something exciting? Like, maybe someone from a deadly, criminal organization was hunting me down because I’m a threat to their secret plot?”

So it wasn’t just a taunt Kaito made back then. There were some truth in there too.

“The organization—"

“Done and dusted like yours,” Kaito said. “In fact, I believe it was led by a member that worked under the Black Organization you destroyed. Everything slowly fell apart after you finished them.”

Shinichi said nothing, still struggling to get his feelings towards Kaito’s response straight. There was relief for another end of a criminal organization, but there were some things that didn’t make sense—like why Kaitou Kid still existed if everything was over—and also the guilt, that if Shinichi had brought the BO down sooner…

“About Aoko.” Shinichi swallowed, not sure if it was right to call her name like this. “Did she die in the hands of the same people who killed your father? Before their downfall?”

Something flickered in Kaito’s eyes; it was so brief, yet impactful enough to send even more guilt towards Shinichi’s way.

“It was before, but no, it wasn’t because of them,” Kaito said, and he raised his head to stare at the sky above them. There was a heavy pause, then he added, in a lower tone: “She died because of me.”

What?

“Since Aoko was young, her mother hadn’t been the best of health,” Kaito continued looking at the sky. “Just a few months after her family moved into my neighbourhood, her mother fell ill and had to be admitted into the hospital. Aoko visited her every day of the week, and I accompanied her several times. But after battling the illness for a year, Aoko’s mother passed away.

“Years later after we reached the eligible age, she signed up for a volunteering program in the hospital. And I followed too. Since then, it became our weekend thing; I would perform magic performance for the patients and visitors and she was my assistant. But everything changed after I started becoming Kaitou Kid.

“Life got busier for me, but I still managed to squeeze in some time to attend at least two sessions a month. Aoko obviously noticed the changes, but rather than questioning me about it, she was still grateful.” Kaito suddenly gave a bitter laugh. “She was always grateful.”

Shinichi nodded understandingly.

Kaito continued, “But things changed even drastically after those men that killed my father confronted me, while revealing they were searching for Pandora—the alias of that immortality stone. Since then I started planning and focusing on stealing gems. While hoping to find Pandora first, it was also to lure them out so I could bring them down easier.

“A year or so later, I discovered a rumour that said the Pandora was in Japan. I tripled my heists' activity and worked like hell to find it, and as a result, I’d severely neglected Aoko and missed all the volunteering sessions I should have gone.

“Then, on the night of my heist, which was also the night when Aoko went to the hospital to volunteer, a fire broke out at one of the facilities.” Kaito glanced at Shinichi. ”I’m not sure if you remember or know, but it was on the news.”

Shinichi frowned. “The hospital you invited me to?”

Kaito nodded.

“I… I don’t recall.”

“It’s fine, you don’t have to.” Kaito licked his lips and took a deep breath. “Well, a fire broke out, but…”

“...”

“But, sh— she...”

“She didn’t make it out in time,” Shinichi whispered, finishing the sentence Kaito had trouble completing.

After a long while, Kaito nodded again. But he wasn’t exactly calm.

He was simply… gone.

Shinichi parted his lips, ready to explain how the fire was an accident, and that it wasn’t Kaito’s fault. But as Shinichi took a breath to speak that, he knew Kaito had probably heard those words over a thousand of times, and beyond that, they weren’t the things Kaito needed at the moment.

So all Shinichi did was raising a hand and reached out for Kaito’s shoulder, giving it a light pat.

But that pat was like a wrecking ball, because the next thing Shinichi realized, tears welled up in Kaito’s eyes, like a gush of water bursting out from behind the broken glass walls.

And those waves surged Shinichi, sending him in a swirl of his own tsunami too.

“The gem I stolen that night wasn’t even fucking Pandora, and those scums didn’t appear during that heist either,” Kaito choked out before pressing the palms of his bandaged hands into his face. “So in exchange for that wasted night, Aoko died.”

Shinichi felt a sting in an eye before rubbing it away.

“Maybe she was lost on the floor. Or maybe she was trapped behind some damn door. But one thing I know for sure was if I wasn’t doing some fucking heist that night and was there with her for the volunteering session, she wouldn’t have died,” Kaito continued to blabber, “I couldn’t save my dad the last time, but I believe I could have saved Aoko.”

“Kaito—”

“And what else?” Kaito interrupted as he swung his arms back to his side, showing his slightly swollen eyes. “Oh, yeah. Sometimes when I’m flying, I’d see a vision of the burning hospital. I usually could control it, but on the night you found me, I had to stab myself in order to gain back my senses and flight control because the panic attack was too overwhelming—”

All of the sudden, Kaito grabbed the front of his blue shirt and heaved.

Shinichi held onto Kaito’s elbow. “Hey, are you okay?”

"I’m good.” Kaito sniffed and afforded a quick, reassuring smile before his face grew serious again. “Do you remember the time you told me to take a break? I actually did before, for two years.”

“The period you suddenly disappeared,” Shinichi said.

“Yeah. I stopped being Kaitou Kid after their downfall, but... I didn't think it was enough to account for the sacrifices.” Kaito patted a hand over his pocket. “Pandora owed me this much.”

Sacrifices...

“Did Aoko know you’re Kaitou Kid?” The words rolled out of Shinichi's tongue.

During the seconds as Kaito mulled over the question, Shinichi started to panic, wondering if it was a wrong thing to ask. But before he could retract his statement, Kaito left the railing and walked back into the bedroom.

Shinichi followed, closing the glass door behind him.

By his desk, Kaito pulled out the first drawer and took out a blue notebook. He caressed the cover with a form of gentleness that Shinichi never seen him had before—not even when handling those million-dollars’ worth gems he’d shone under the moonlight after his heists.

Then, Kaito passed the book to Shinichi.

Shinichi tentatively accepted it. “What is this?”

“See for yourself.”

Suspicious, Shinichi flipped to a random page.

Dear Diary, Today, Kaito and I went to Tropical Land. I know I should at least be a little bit happier—

Widened eyes, Shinichi shut the book and snapped his head back at Kaito. “This is Aoko’s diary?”

Kaito nodded. “Her dad, Inspector Nakamori, gave it to me.”

“Inspector Nakamori?” Shinichi froze once he realized the connection. “Isn’t he the head of the Kaitou Kid Task Force?”

“He was,” Kaito clarified.

Shinichi had to take a moment before the words sunk in. "They were related..."

Kaito gave a half-smile. “Life’s just so funny sometimes.”

“Then…”

“He’s now retired from the Force and helping his brother with the ski resort business in Niigata,” Kaito said. “After Aoko’s death, I told him everything; it’s the least I could do.”

“What did he say?”

Kaito chuckled, though it sounded hoarse at the end. “He told me I should get on with my life.”

But it didn’t work out, Shinichi’s silent words hung in the air.

“Then, before he moved, he found the diary and gave it to me, hoping I could find closure or something," Kaito added.

That didn’t work out either, Shinichi thought bitterly again.

Shinichi fumbled with the book. It was light, yet weighted heavy with the history of Kaito and Aoko’s life journey together, at least till the point when the fire took her away…

“I don’t think I have the rights to read it,” Shinichi eventually said.

“You were mentioned in there though.”

Shinichi blinked. “What?”

“Edogawa Conan, the Kid-Killer.” Kaito smiled, and there was finally a tint of genuine brightness in his eyes. “You were her idol.”

Shinichi scratched a finger on his temple. “Um…”

“Actually, I think you two could’ve been pretty good friends; Both of you are quite similar—Always all about justice, fun to tease, and Tamago...” Kaito’s voice broke off a little. “Tamago loves... loved her too.”

Shinichi swallowed, staring at the diary in his hand. “I wish I could meet her," he said, with all the truth he could ever put in a sentence. He looked up at Kaito. “Is there... anything else I can do?”

“No. You’d done more than half of my job when you took down the Black Organization.” A tug pulled at Kaito's lips as he rubbed a thumb over the other bandaged hand. “Besides, you’ve been... a very good distraction...for me.”

Shinichi wondered if he could agree the same.

A low rumble came from the outside, and through the view of the balcony glass door, Shinichi could see the trees swaying in the distant.

“You should go before the rain pours,” Kaito said.

“Are you sure you want me to read this?” Shinichi asked again, lifting the diary.

“The truth is, I’m rather tired right now.” Kaito popped the second button of his blue shirt and slumped onto the bed. “It'll probably answer the remaining questions you have.”

In all honesty, Shinichi was never intent on needing an answer, but if Kaito wanted him to have it, he really had no reason to go against his wishes. He held the book to his chest.

“Do you want me to stay—”

“If it’s for any other circumstances, I would say yes.” Kaito grinned, though barely passing the mark. “But for now I want to be alone.”

“Ok.” Shinichi nodded. “I’ll go.”

“Thanks.”

Shinichi turned towards the door.

“He told me I should forgive you, that’s how I can lessen my pain.”

He wrapped a hand around the knob.

”And you. Only if you know I forgive you, then it will lessen yours.”

(Then what if the only person who could forgive you, was no longer around?)

“Tabula Rasa.”

Opening the door, Shinichi took one last glance back, watching as Kaito wearily climbed under his covers.

“You know... there’s a difference between hiding and starting anew.”

Shinichi still hadn’t figured out which one fitted Kaito more, but at least for now, he knew Kaito wanted to be alone.

Closing the door behind him, Shinichi left for his own home.

#kaishin #kudo shinichi #dcmk #Kuroba Kaito #detective conan #tabula rasa

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fortunei · 5 years ago

Text

chaotic good apartment AU snippets 02

Another hilda/lys, continuation from the previous one.

Lysithea felt her rest was comfortable. She usually toss and turn during her sleep with fever, or at times she would wake up many times after trying hard to sleep, accompanied with pounding headache. Her sleep just now might be dreamless, though she thought it was the longest, worth-while sleep she ever experienced. She was awake groggy. The residual fever remained, but then, as she was content, it is all that matter.

“Sleep well?”

Lysithea replied Hilda’s question with a nod.

Hilda was there, holding her close just like how she remembered before she drifted off. Hilda held a book with one hand while she coddle Lysithea by the other. The sky outside the window has yet to be darkened, the remnant of bluish orange hue as a sign that the night soon is coming stayed there. The prospect to be seen sleeping has been embarrassing for Lysithea, not to mention if she happened to sleep restlessly. But she knew Hilda won’t mind.

The leftovers from when Hilda made her porridge and helped her to meds were stacked on the floor.

“So, how about a bath? I’ll wipe you down before I prep for dinner.”

Lysithea blinked, unsure to response. A change of clothes should be nice, though she have tied Hilda with her selfishness (and neediness, she must add) for long enough already, while she has yet to rest after her trip.

“I …”

“You sure never change, huh? I already say so many times that it is okay to ask me for anything~” Hilda spared a cheeky grin, as though she has read Lysithea. “You are never a burden, Lys.”

The reassurance was quite enough. Usually, Lysithea would argue. Thinking back of how she has stopped Hilda earlier on one of her whims (the kiss, oh, her face slightly burns at remembering), she digressed.

“W-Well then …”

The pinkette seemed to not let go even for long to tidy stuff. Hilda kissed the crown of Lysithea’s head before she got up, “I’ll go fetch the water. And, oh, you won’t mind if I picked your clothes, also your undies—“

“Just—just get to work on it!” beet red, Lysithea pushed her away.

“Aye aye, ma’am.”

---

Hilda was back with a bowl of lukewarm water and two fresh towels. She set down the bowl by the table on the right side of the bed, then Hilda shuffled for the change of clothes. The pinkette told Lysithea to undress but she was somehow alerted, especially to the fact that Hilda got a face full of glee as she re-entered the bedroom.

“Please, just pajamas, not something outrageous.”

“When exactly I ever dress you in something outrageous?” Hilda didn’t turn away from skimming the wardrobe’s content. Lysithea was worried. “But oh, this might be a nice chance for me to put you up with sexy—”

“Hilda.”

Hilda laughed. Lysithea’s groan fell to deaf ears. “Now, now. Go undress, I’ll start from your back.”

Lysithea sat near the edge of the bed. She turned so that Hilda won’t find any difficulties moving back and forth to dip the towel on the lukewarm water. She felt a creak on the bed as Hilda sat behind her, the new pair of pajama laid near the pillow. Lysithea waited as Hilda wordlessly wrung the damp towel before proceeding with the wiping.

“Mm!”

“Is it too hot?”

“O-Oh, no. It just … feels different. It’s nice.”

Lysithea can feel Hilda’s sigh of relief brushing against her ear. “Tell me whether it is too hot or something.”

Words to describe Hilda as she is immersed in her work are thorough and meticulous. At first, Lysithea will never think Hilda can be defined as such. Her free-spirited manner and teasing personality, also her outlook in appearance were polar opposite of Lysithea. One might say she’s lazy, cheeky, or someone who used looks as their weapon (for this one, Lysithea is not wrong, though) from the initial impression. As time marches on, though, Lysithea was there to see the surprise.

Hilda is, in fact, a dedicated woman—be it to her work, or to her personal life.

The pinkette did her wiping slow, making sure that the towel retained a right amount of water or else she would wring it again. She stopped just on the waistband of Lysithea’s pajama, tilting close to reach her abdomen.

“... Will you let me wipe the front, too?” Hilda’s voice was smaller, slower. As though it is a plea. Then again, Lysithea knew it wasn’t a plea. They are threading a dangerous line here and Lysithea can tell what Hilda might feel without having to turn around and see her.

Hilda is holding herself back. And, no, Lysithea has kept her away from giving out her germs by kissing, she shouldn’t tease Hilda too much for her own good.

“I’ll wipe it myself.”

“Okay.”

Lysithea didn’t waste too much time. She then slip on the new set of pajama and gave the used towel to Hilda, who was wearing a flat expression. It wasn’t an anger, though it is unreadable at best.

Two weeks they have been apart from each other, only to reunite while Lysithea is sick. It’s never been a pleasant thing to be this close but unable to enjoy each other’s comfort.

“Hilda.”

“Hmm?”

The pinkette was busy rinsing the damp towel near the now cold bowl of water as Lysithea sneaked up her arm to the latter’s waist in attempt of a hug. She ran her thumb on the exposed skin of Hilda’s shoulder before settling for a chaste press of lips.

“… Sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for, Lysithea.” Hilda chuckled. “Just hurry up and be healthy, then we can be out for little date before weekend ends.”

Lysithea rested her head to Hilda’s back, reeled on the flex of muscle from the languid movement of Hilda’s hands and scapula, also reeled on the warmth of the hug while waited for her to be done with cleaning.

“What do you want for dinner?”

“Soup is fine. I think I can walk better to the living room now.”

“Great, we can watch something while we’re at it, then.”

“Tell me about your trip.”

“Of course.”

#hildalys #chaotic good apartment AU #wrt #hilda valentine goneril #lysithea von ordelia #AU prompt

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lightsburnbrite · 6 years ago

Text

Such a Thrill: Part 4

As irritated as Karina was with Leon, she found that he never really strayed far from her mind. That almost made everything worse.

It seemed like what he had said about being busy was true, both his instagram and snapchat accounts were relatively quiet and he only sent her two or three texts. It apparently didn’t click in to him that she hadn’t responded.

By the end of the week, Karina was looking forward to going to Marwin’s.

When she got there, Olga was already working on dinner and Karina was relieved to find that they would not be going out that evening, but tomorrow night instead. She walked through the rest of the house in search of Marwin, finally finding him in his office.

“Hi,” Karina walked over and kissed him on his cheek. “Can I help you with anything?”

Marwin looked up, glasses resting low on the bridge of his nose and raised an eyebrow. “That’s an unusual greeting.”

When Karina just shrugged, he chuckled. “There’s a stack of grant applications on the table. Go through and pick out five that stand out the most to you.”

“Oh, so I get to decide who gets money?” Karina smiled broadly.

Marwin laughed at that. “No, I don’t think that would go over well with the rest of the board members. You can help me pick a few finalists, however.”

Karina pretended to frown but sat down on the large leather sofa that faced the fireplace and began to thumb through the stack. “So where are we going tomorrow night?”

“The National Museum.” Marwin took his glasses off, figuring he would not be getting much more work done as Karina was in one of her chatty moods. “A friend of mine is retiring and has donated a large portion of his private collection to the gallery. There is a reception to honor him tomorrow.”

She sighed and covered her eyes. “You’re kidding me. I just drove two hours to get away from Munich.”

Marwin sucked his teeth facetiously. “Things not going well with the new romantic prospect?”

With a frown, she rolled her eyes. “I have no idea if he can even be considered a romantic prospect and he has a girlfriend so there’s that.”

“Does he know about me?” He seemed particularly amused by the conversation.

Karina turned to face Marwin now. “It’s not like you’re my boyfriend so why does he need to know about you?”

“Well, if you’re going to be snippy about him seeing someone else does he not have the right to know that you regularly share my bed?”

“And how exactly am I supposed to explain our arrangement?” Karina laughed, but there was a bitterness behind it. “Marwin pays my bills and buys me expensive things because I keep him company and have sex with him?”

He shrugged as he stood. “Explicitly stated, that is our arrangement.”

That elicited a frown from Karina. “I have sex with you because I want to, not because you pay me to. Besides, does it really count as sharing your bed if you kick me out as soon as you come?”

“That’s not entirely true,” Marwin walked towards the door and looked over his shoulder. “I let you stay for a few minutes.”

While Marwin expected her to follow him to the next room, Karina stayed put and folded her arms across her chest. “Well, would it kill you to be a little affectionate?”

“Yes, it absolutely would.” He nodded succinctly.

Karina gave a little snort as she let her hands fall to her ides. “You know, I don’t need to be here. I don’t need to stay.”

“You are absolutely correct in that.” He had turned to face her at this point. “However, I thought you would have figured out that pouting and petulance get you nowhere. Are you joining me for dinner or not?”

While Karina’s frown increased, she walked over to follow Marwin to the dining room. They sat down, directly across from one another, at the large table and Marwin smiled to himself. “Your dress for tomorrow was inspired by van Gogh’s The Starry Night. I can’t wait to see it on you.”

Karina nodded but looked down at her soup.

Marwin had picked up on her shift in mood but this one didn’t seem to pass quickly like he had become accustom to. Finally, he put down his spoon. “I want to make it clear that you are free to leave whenever you wish.”

“I know.” She rested her forehead against her hand, still looking down. “I don’t want to leave. I just wish you would act like you enjoy me being here.”

Marwin let out an incredulous snort. “If you want someone to sit at your feet and lick your hand then I suggest you get a puppy.”

They sat in silence for a period of time before Karina shifted in her chair. Gently folding her hands in her lap, Karina had yet to raise her eyes to meet Marwin’s “May I be excused from the table?”

He looked at her, waiting for some sort of acknowledgement but ultimately realized that she was not going to look at him. “Of course.”

Karina stood and soundlessly walked out of the dining room.

Marwin frowned but turned his attention back to his dinner. By now, he fully expected to be attending tomorrow’s event by himself. Once he had finished the meal, he walked upstairs and knocked on the door of the room that had become Karina’s. When she didn’t respond, he let himself in.

Karina was laying on the bed, absolutely still, but Marwin was able to tell that she was still awake. He sat on the edge of the bed and cleared his throat.

“I’m sorry,” He took his hand and smoothed out a wrinkle in the quilt. “That was unkind of me.”

When she didn’t respond, he continued. “Would you…do you want a puppy?”

Karina sat up now, but her head was still bowed. “I want someone to love me.”

“I’m not the right person for that, Ekaterina.” Marwin reached out and put his hand over hers. “I have reasons for my lack of affection, for the details of our arrangement. You absolutely deserve someone to love you, but it should not be me. Especially not now.”

When he looked at her, there were tears streaming down her cheeks, her breath coming in short, soft gasps.

“I think,” He hesitated but shook his head at himself and continued. “I think we should end this. It’s not healthy for you.”

“What if I don’t want to?” Karina sat up straighter and turned rigid out of sheer defiance.

Marwin stood. “That’s not necessarily up to you. I’ll continue to support you, financially, but this part of our arrangement ends now. I would still like for you to accompany me to the museum tomorrow, but after that I think it would be best for you to return home.”

“I don’t need your money, I don’t come here for your money!” Karina stood as well and struggled to match Marwin’s stride as he turned to leave the room.

He stopped walking and turned to face her. “I am completely aware of that. However, I feel it is all I have to offer you at this time.”

“Can I please-” Karina stopped herself and waited for Marwin to face her. “Can I stay with you tonight?”

He closed his eyes and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, before he gestured towards her bed. “We need to talk.”

“I thought that’s what we were doing?” Thoroughly confused, she stopped trying to hide her desperation but followed him to sit down on her bed.

Marwin smiled. “You have been perfectly happy with the way things are up until very recently. Tell me, what has changed?”

Karina shook her head. “Nothing. I enjoy being around you and-”

“Nothing has changed?” He tilted his head to the side. “Not even an uncertain relationship status with an attractive football player?”

She shook her head again, adamant. “This has nothing to do with Leon.”

Marwin laughed but attempted to hide it by clearing his throat. “We have our playful banter as usual but suddenly you wish for me to stroke your ego and pledge my undying love to you, something you have never asked before. Tell me, have you ever heard of transference, Karina?”

When she returned his gave and frowned, he continued. “Simply put, it is redirection to a substitute. When the young man-”

“You’re saying that I only want more from you because Leon is…I mean, I don’t know what’s going on with him…but that’s…” Karina covered her eyes and shook her head out of frustration. “Fine. Goodnight.”

“Karina,” Marwin had grown weary of the conversation but tried his best to hide it. “Alright then, goodnight.”

Once the door had closed and she heard the lock catch, Karina pulled her legs up to her chest. The more she thought about it, if he didn’t want to see her anymore then he would get his wish. Standing up, she went to the wardrobe where she kept her suitcase and made sure she had all of her things. She left the clothes, the bags, the jewelry, the shoes, all untouched. Maybe he’d had a different girl in here the next weekend and it would all be waiting for her.

Waiting a bit longer, Karina finally closed the bedroom door behind her. She walked softly past areas where she thought Marwin or Olga might be, not wanting to explain herself. Even more, she didn’t want to admit to Marwin that he was probably right. Karina knew that she had come to a place where she cared about Marwin. He was enigmatic and had a dry sense of humor but the longer she was around him, the more she realized that he was kind and compassionate even though it never showed outwardly. Yet put the two men side by side and Karina knew she’d go with Leon without hesitation.

The only problem was that Karina wasn’t sure Leon would choose her over his girlfriend and that wasn’t something she was willing to find out.

Karina watched the gate close behind her in the rearview mirror as she chose Ghost’s Infestissumam to be the soundtrack of her journey home. The clock read 1:07 as she pulled into her reserved parking space. When she cut the engine, a series of texts and alerts popped up which she scrolled through until she saw Leon’s name and paused.

you awake?

Karina’s finger hovered over the little grey bubble before she swiped left to open the text. She sighed before deciding to reply.

Just got home

Almost instantly, he replied

can I come over?

Hesitating for a minute, she closed her eyes and shook her head to herself, defeated.

Fine.

She grabbed her bag from the backseat of her car and trudged up the few steps to the lift. Glancing at herself in the mirrored walls, Karina knew there were dark circles under her eyes but she figured Leon wouldn’t really be paying attention anyway. Once inside, she tossed her keys on the counter and tucked her suitcase away in her bedroom before returning to the kitchen. After splashing some water on her face, she poured a glass of water and waited for Leon’s arrival.

When Karina opened the door, it put her at ease to see that Leon looked exhausted as well.

“Hey Mausi,” He smiled broadly. “I’ve missed you.”

Karina stepped back to let him in and smiled back, despite herself. “Hey.”

“So, uh,” Leon turned back to face Karina, but she cut him off by kissing him.

Relieved to see that he was wearing joggers, Karina rested her hands on his waist briefly then set about getting him hard and repeated the actions of their previous engagement. Leon was surprised by her forwardness but made no attempt to stop her. He rested a hand on her shoulder and massaged the base of her neck but ultimately needed to pull his hands away and use them to brace against the wall.

Once he had met a much needed release, Leon wanted nothing more than to sprawl out in Karina’s bed with her next to him. He pulled up his pants and started to follow Karina as she walked towards her bedroom until she stopped and turned around.

“I’ll call you later.” Karina looked at the floor while making a slightly awkward gesture with her hand. “I just feel like being alone right now.”

Leon frowned, making no attempt to hide his disappointment. “Really? I mean, I know I’ve been busy but I thought we could hang out for a bit. I miss you.”

She hadn’t expected Leon to be wanting anything more than a quick encounter before leaving. As much as Karina wanted to invite him to stay, she was adamant about keeping him at an arm’s length until she could figure things out.

“Not tonight,” She closed her eyes and rubbed them before briefly massaging her temples with the heels of her hands. “I’m tired. Can you let yourself out?”

#Leon Goretzka #Such a Thrill

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unofficialxstyles · 7 years ago

Text

GYM RAT-Chapter One

“Did you not hear me the first time?” I cast my gaze in his direction, glaring this time. “We do not talk about it,”

Liam picked up on the distress hanging on my last word and true to his best friend, asshole roommate nature, he balled it up and shot it straight to my chest.

“Gym, Robin. Just say it, you’re going to the gym,” he cheekily whispered, his lips upturned into a half smile.

Oh fuck.

I reckon I had made better decisions in my life. Granted, there were not many of them but I liked to think that after years of semi-adult decision making, I had made at least one decent decision.

Like, for example, going out on that McDonald’s Chicken Nugget run at three in the morning just last week because really, there was no way in hell anything could come between me and my need for chicken nugget.

Hence, having had experience making decent decisions, anyone would think that by now, I could handle any and all that came my way.

I mean how hard could it be, right?

Clearly, I was dead wrong and by the time I had realised it, I had made the single most grave decision of my life.

Looking back, perhaps I should have thought about it thoroughly before muttering anything. I could have done a million other things and gone back to it or I could have decided not to make a decision when I was running on four hours of sleep-and away from a mounting pile of work. There were alternatives, basically, but I chose to be hasty, anyway.

Nothing new there.

“So, Robin, when is this happening?” Liam questioned from where he sat-front left from where I was. I grunted, indicating both my displeasure and unwillingness to answer. Liam, unfazed, pressed on. “It’s today, isn’t it?”

Ah, yes, go ahead and remind me.

“Fuck off, Li,” I mumbled, fingers still poised over the keyboard, my eyes skittering across the screen as I typed grand plans for my next lesson. “Yes, it’s today. Now will you shut up about it?”

I could feel Liam smirking through my laptop screen but I refused to confirm my suspicions, telling myself I needed to focus on the task at hand instead. The lesson plans were due almost three hours ago and any time between now and midnight, my boss would give me a ring, barking from the other end of the line about how teachers should have discipline and time management and all the bloody crap I had heard a million times before. I, therefore, had a goal to accomplish before the exact moment all hell broke lose on my ear drums-it would not survive another round merciless torture, sadly. Talking to Liam and/or entertaining him, would not help my case in the slightest.

“Aye, Rob. Teachers don’t swear now, do they? I don’t know why the idea is so adverse to you, anyway. Whichever way you look at it, this is a good thing. Firstly, you didn’t have to pay for it. Secondly, how hard could it be? And thirdly…think about that bet with your brother,” Liam listed, unaware and unconsciously unsupportive of my immediate goal.

“Did you not hear me the first time?” I cast my gaze in his direction, glaring this time. “We do not talk about it,”

Liam picked up on the distress hanging on my last word and true to his best friend, asshole roommate nature, he balled it up and shot it straight to my chest.

“Gym, Robin. Just say it, you’re going to the gym,” he cheekily whispered, his lips upturned into a half smile.

Oh fuck.

I reached for the cushion, conveniently located to my right, and launched it at him. Liam ducked just in time and chuckled darkly before standing up, stretching, and strolled in the general direction of his room. As if to rile me up further, he ruffled my hair on the way out, mumbling the forbidden “G” word into my ear.

Asshat.

By the time the little interaction was over, the words on the screen had begun to float, my mind elsewhere as I glanced at the time on my laptop and noted that I had exactly two hours, five minutes and thirty seconds before my date with death. Considering I needed an hour to actually get there and another hour to talk myself into it. I shut my laptop close and heaved out a long sigh, throwing my head back against the sofa, mumbling a series of profanities.

The act alone caused me to once more consider why I had made the decision in the first place and for the millionth time, attempt to find a way to wiggle out of it. I had thought of several, by the way, the most extreme (and really, the most fool proof) being faking my own death but even that was thrown out the window. Apparently, unless someone produced a death certificate, your membership continued to be valid and you were expected to turn up.

So much for the G word not being a place for torture.

Knowing I had to move it or risk being late and unprepared, I placed the laptop on the already overcrowded coffee table and proceeded to change. Needless to say, when I opened my semblance of a cupboard, I found nothing appropriate to wear because anyone who knew me probably would have known that active wear was definitely not my wardrobe staple. After rummaging around the depths of the abyss that was my pile of clothes, however, I found a lone sports bra, a pair of what looked like sport shorts and an oversized t-shirt.

These would have to do for now.

Stepping out afterwards, I grimaced as I caught my reflection in the mirror Liam had installed by the kitchen, next to the fridge. “For flexing”, he had reasoned. The girl staring back at me wore a perplexed, grumpy expression and looked nothing like Robin Westwood, king of sweat pants and graphic t-shirts. At that very unfortunate moment, Liam stepped out from his room-and gasped dramatically.

“You’re doing it!” he teased, standing next to me, poking my arm repeatedly as if it was the button at the end of the Ninja Warrior course. His wore an amused expression, though I could not deny the underlying excitement beneath it. “You, Robin Westwood, going out on a weekend and to the most holy of places,”

He then had the nerve to mimic the sound of stadium cheering followed by a corny version of a rain (read: victory) dance.

“Liam, for the last time. Can we stop talking about it? We all know I’m going to die there,” I replied flatly, sauntering over to the kitchen to fill up my water bottle. If I was going to die, I was going to die hydrated, at least.

“You’re not going to die, Rob. Would you stop being over the top about it? Give it a try; you’ll find that you like it,”

“In what universe?” I questioned. “Do you remember how to work the microwave?”

I capped my bottle and slid it into the pack I had.

“Why do I need to know how to use the-” Liam stopped himself and rolled his eyes, running a hand through his close crop. “For the last time, Rob, you’re not going to die,”

By then I knew it was pointless arguing so I waved my hand dismissively, having worked up enough courage to actually walk out the door.

“Have fun, Robin! Can’t wait to hear all about it!” I heard Liam shout as the door closed behind me.

One could only hope.

The trip to the G word seemed longer than it actually was. I attempted to distract myself by burying my nose into my phone, eyeballs deep in ASOS and the sneakers section. That, however, proved to be feeble because half of my brain was reminding me of my impending doom. When the train halted at my stop, I all but dragged my feet out and up onto the street.

Then, as if the universe was mocking me (or trying to show me a sign), a thing happened.

During my second stab of effort to distract myself from the walk to hell, someone ran into me-and it was not one of those light shove, brush past kind of ran into, either. It was a full-blown attack, not unlike the one Captain America unleashed upon his enemies. It came from the back and caught me extra off guard, causing me to stumble, and tumble, face forward onto the pavement ahead of me.

Ah, fuck.

“Damnit! It’s a pavement, not a bloody track,” I muttered, rolling over like an injured puppy almost immediately to save my bruised ego. I pulled up and dusted my knees, which were thankfully spared from the assault, just as a pair of bright green shoes came into my line of vision.

“Sorry, love,” came the unexpected reply that sounded male, an undertone of genuine regret lacing his voice. A hand shot out to accompany the bright green monstrosity.

I always told the kids at school never to hold a stranger’s hand, mostly for hygiene purposes, but looking at me now, they would probably have raised eyebrows and trust issues because against my own damn advice, I took the hand, hoisting myself up. Any effort to get up on my own would be futile without me looking like an injured bird and there was already enough embarrassment in the last two minutes to last me an entire week.

“You really should be more careful,” were the next words I said. It should have been a ‘thank you’, I know, but I was far too high strung and the last thing I needed at that point was to deal with people who did not follow pavement etiquette.

Even if the stranger was rather cute.

After making sure no major organs and limbs were compromised in the mishap, I had a good look at the stranger, curly man bun and all. He was tall, lean and wearing a dimpled smile with his shorts and t-shirts. Lucky for him, his green eyes bore a hint of remorse or this encounter would have gone much worse.

“And you really should not be looking at your phone while walking. You would have heard me shouting a warning,” was his reasonable come back. “What was so interesting, anyway? Your ex-boyfriend’s new man?”

“What?”

“Nothing. You’re okay, right? I don’t have to pay any insurance? Your boobs are intact?” Stranger Danger went on, giving me the once over. I had to fight the urge to cover myself at the mild invasion of privacy, though I did roll my eyes for his pleasure. His eyes trailed back up to my face and he nodded, as if silently approving of what he saw.

“My boobs are fine, thank you,” I replied sarcastically,anyway, my arms crossed over my chest. “Don’t go around hurting other people,”

“I won’t,” His expression was solemn for a minute before the dimpled grin was back and he raised an arm up in farewell. Then, to my utter shock, he bowed.

Actually bowed.

Before I had a chance to say anything, however, Stranger Danger hurtled ahead in the direction he was headed to before, leaving me with furrowed brows and a bout of genuine curiosity. I should probably add that my mouth was hanging ajar, too.

Nothing was going right-or glamorously-for me it seemed.

The inkling of doom coupled with the tiny catastrophe with Stranger Danger should have served as warning for me to turn back and never head to the G word. I should not have cared about the obscene fee they would make me pay to cancel the membership or my brother’s smug grin when he won the bet but Robin Westwood was nothing if not a fighter.

So, mumbling my thirty seventh profanity in a span of thirty minutes, I plodded to Hell.

A/N: HELLO! This is my first fic in a while so fingers crossed that you liked it? This is sort of inspired by a friend of mine who’s a real life personal trainer and he joked once that he wanted to star in a movie centred around gym/training etc so idk this came out somehow? Anyways!! Questions: What’s your first impression of Robin? How’d you think she’d fare at the gym? Let me know what you think here!

#1dff #1dff updates #harry styles #harry styles au #harry styles blurb #harry styles fanfic #harry styles fanfiction #one direction #one direction au #one direction blurb #one direction fanfic #one direction fanfiction

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chocobroobsession · 7 years ago

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Fell in Love with the Girl at the Rock Show

Author’s Note: Yes, I took the title from Blink 182′s “The Rock Show”. (Coincidentally, I’ve never seen them in concert.) I had been discussing my past concert experiences with a coworker when this idea popped into my head. How would Ignis react to going to the type of concerts I go to? So this is what I came up with. I took inspiration from my own personal concert experiences and from one of my friend’s. I had several bands and concerts in mind when I wrote this, so that’s why it may seem like a weird mix of events. Ignis x fem!reader. Word count: 6500

Ignis wasn’t quite sure what to think the moment he laid his eyes on you. The Crownsguard favored the black attire of the Lucian royalty, and honestly, you looked like you could fit right in with Noctis and his group. Only, you weren’t part of their group.

He looked you over, his eyes traveling down and then back up, and gulped. Asymmetrical haircut, several studs in each ear, black eye makeup, a choker, some sort of t-shirt with nonsense written on it, dark skinny jeans, and leather motorcycle boots was all he saw at first. You looked like you fit in with Noctis and Prompto, alright. He felt almost slightly intimidated by your intense stare, but once his eyes met yours, he was deeply smitten. Your eyes bore into his and he suddenly appreciated the beauty beyond the interesting wardrobe.

Ignis had been walking around Insomnia with Noctis, Gladio, and Prompto in search of a diner. Ignis had insisted on cooking for the group, but Noctis wouldn’t hear of it. Tonight was about relaxing and enjoying the summer night. They had almost made it to the restaurant when Prompto spied you walking in their direction up ahead.

“Hey, isn’t that (Y/N)?” he excitedly nodded in your direction.

Noctis turned his head and blinked. “Oh yeah, I think it is.”

Ignis and Gladio exchanged a look of confusion and turned back towards the younger members of the group.

“Hey, (Y/N)! How’s it going?” Prompto suddenly yelled.

You hadn’t been paying any attention to the group of men ahead of you on the sidewalk. You were too busy checking your phone, looking up concert dates. You jerked your head up as they approached, a flicker of recognition crossing your expression.

“Oh hey, Prompto! And Prince Noctis! Ha, I haven’t seen you two in years—since graduation. How’s it going?” You stashed your phone in your pocket as the group encircled you on the sidewalk.

“It’s been too long! Things are going great! We’re just heading out for some food. Wanna join us?” Prompto offered without consulting the rest of the group.

You glanced at the two tall men in your former classmates’ wake. One was large and burly and almost looked like he should be in a biker gang while the other, although dressed in dark colors adorned with skulls, looked too posh to be in the company of the other three. You saw him give you a once over, and though you assumed he was scrutinizing you, your eyes were met with a soft, curious sea of emerald. You were definitely intrigued. “Um, sure, if that’s okay with all of you? Prince Noctis?”

Noctis smiled. “How many times have I told you to drop the ‘prince’ part? Just Noctis. Sheesh, you’re as bad as when we were in high school.”

“Ah, so you all know each other from school then,” Ignis spoke up. “I’m Ignis Scientia, by the way, and this is Gladio Amicitia.” He motioned from himself to his friend and you smiled.

“I’ve heard those names before from Noctis. The advisor and the shield. It’s nice to put names to faces now. I was in the same grade as Noctis and Prompto. I had several classes with them and I sometimes ate lunch with them.”

“Yeah, and she had the best taste in music!” Prompto piped up.

Pink tinged your cheeks. “Well, I don’t know about that. But I’m glad you enjoyed what I picked out to play. I don’t know about you, but I still listen to the same type of music. I’ve expanded a bit and I listen to harder stuff as well, but I can’t say I’ve changed too much there.”

“Prompto still listens to anything and everything, but he still loves all the bands you introduced us to,” Noctis added.

Ignis had no idea what you were referring to, but he found you interesting all the same. You ate with the guys and you all chatted for hours. Ignis was surprised to know that in spite of your rocker appearance, you were part of the professional workforce.

“Looks can be deceiving, huh?” you winked at him, causing him to blush in return. You could tell he was a skeptic, but you could also tell he wasn’t one to judge based on class. Prompto was a commoner such as yourself and yet he was best friends with the crown prince of Lucis. Ignis asked about your shirt design, and you laughed and explained that it was for a band. In fact, you had recently picked it up at their concert.

“I mean, I’m a professional and all and I am used to dressing up and carrying myself with an air of eloquence and dignity, but honestly, I need an escape sometimes. That’s why I love concerts. I can be myself—let my hair down, so to speak. The music, the crowd, the atmosphere—it just gets you on this high and it lasts for weeks. I love it!” you sighed happily, thinking about all the fun you recently had at that last concert.

At the end of the evening, you were surprised when Ignis lingered while the others made their way out of the diner. He seemed to struggle internally as he fought to pick out the right words to say. You had a feeling you knew where this was going, so rather than torture him with silence you boldly asked him if he wanted to hang out sometime. Relief washed over his handsome face and the two of you exchanged digits. You had never been the type of woman to go for someone who seemed so regal and polished, but you were attracted to the prince’s advisor all the same.

One wouldn’t think that the two of you had much in common, but surprisingly you did. Dating Ignis Scientia was effortless and you couldn’t be happier. Ignis adored you and loved how passionate you were about various things in your life—your family, your friends, your job, him. And even your beloved concerts. As much as you had in common, the two of you did not share musical tastes. Ignis was used to the popular rock and pop bands the radio stations blared thanks to Prompto’s insistence that he who rides shotgun controls the radio. While the music didn’t annoy Ignis, he didn’t exactly go out of his way to listen to it on his own, either. At home, he preferred to listen to soft instrumentals while he cooked. You, on the other hand, liked to listen to music with heavier rhythms and screaming vocals he failed to understand. He thought they sounded garbled and weird. You didn’t mind, however. You could be fairly versatile when it came to music, so if anything had to be played while you were in the car with your boyfriend, you let him control the stations. You weren’t going to subject him to your tastes because as much as your similarities brought you close, your differences shaped you as well and made life with your boyfriend amusing.

After months of dating, a trial of sorts sprung up. You had attended several concerts without Ignis at this point, simply because you didn’t want to burden him with something he probably wouldn’t enjoy. You always had a friend who was eager to go with you, and Ignis wanted you to have a night out to de-stress and have fun. He even gifted you with tickets for one of those concerts himself. You had thought it was sold out, but he miraculously produced a pair for you and your friend and you couldn’t help but wonder if he somehow used his position to score your admission, but he kept his lips sealed. This time, a concert was quickly approaching and panic was setting in. You had a second ticket but no one to claim it. All of your usual concert buddies were busy or couldn’t take off work.

Ignis came over to your apartment after work and you unloaded your woes onto him. “Hmm, why not ask Prompto to go with you?”

You let out an exasperated sigh. “I did, but he already promised Noctis he’d go to that midnight video game release the same night!”

Ignis’s face fell. “Right. I had forgotten all about that. Noctis has several meetings to attend the following day but he insists on going to that release. I don’t know why video games and movies have to premier at midnight during the week.”

“But Ignis, it’s more fun when things come out then! You get to stay up all night and finally get the thing you’ve been waiting months for! You’re exhausted, hungry, and cranky, but getting it makes up for it!” you laughed.

He smiled warmly at you. “I suppose I see the appeal. Although I must say, your concerts occur on odd days. The weekends make sense, but a Thursday night? Do you really not have anyone else you could ask? Even Gladio?”

You snorted. “Ignis, Gladio may look like he fits in at the concerts I go to, but we both know that big softy prefers pop music to what I listen to. I guess I’ll just have to go by myself.”

“I’m sorry, darling,” Ignis patted your arm. He then thought a moment before adding, “Actually, why don’t I accompany you?”

You couldn’t hold back the cackle that escaped your throat. “Ignis, get real! You don’t even like my music! I know you’ve had combat training and you’re a strong man, but I don’t know that you could handle this!”

He pretended to be offended. “You dare say I cannot handle a simple rock concert? Darling, if there’s anything that offends me more, it’s when people underestimate me. How bad could it be? You go to these all the time. I would gladly escort you to the concert.”

“Don’t make it sound so dignified, Ignis. It’s not a ball. Just a concert. And they can be really…rough sometimes,” you snorted.

“Define ‘rough’.”

“Well…” you began, absentmindedly scratching the back of your head. “About a year ago, I was at this concert and I nearly got trampled by a crowd surge. We were so packed in there, my feet literally left the floor for a solid five minutes before I got dropped. I’ve sported several injuries after a concert before. It’s a pain in the ass to cover when I have to go to work the next day, but I’ve managed in the past. Plus most venues have bars, so you can imagine the type of people you encounter when alcohol is involved. I’ve had beer thrown on me more times than I can count! Plus other venues allow smoking so you come out reeking of cigarettes. I’m used to that by now, but I have a feeling you’ve never been in such places.”

Ignis was stunned. He hadn’t considered the concert environment before. He never saw you until the day after your concerts when you had slept it off and showered. You had indicated that the recent concerts had been rather tame compared to what you sometimes attended, and this upcoming concert had the potential to be one of the rougher ones. He wasn’t sure what he was plunging into, but he loved you and wanted to ensure your happiness. “Like I said, do not underestimate me, darling. I am going with you.”

You couldn’t help but throw your arms around your boyfriend and plant a lingering kiss on his lips. “Thank you so much, Ignis! You’re literally the best! I really hate going alone, so you’re saving me here. I really hope you’re not miserable. It could be fun, you know?”

He chuckle and pulled you into his lap. “Well, this will be an interesting venture, that’s for sure.” Though he couldn’t deny seeing you beam like that melted him, he also worried that he was in over his head.

The day of the concert arrived and you met him at his apartment. You let yourself in and was surprised to be met with an empty room. You listened intensely and noted a shuffling noise coming from his bedroom. You entered the room and suppressed a giggle at the sight of your boyfriend. He was standing in front of his closet in nothing but a pair of boxer briefs and socks. He had a hand on his chin as he pondered what to wear. There were clothes strewn about the room—lying on the bed, crumpled on the floor, hanging out of drawers. Ignis was too lost in thought to notice your arrival.

You snuck up behind him and wrapped your arms around his bare torso. He jumped at the unexpected contact. “Having trouble there, dear?” you allowed a small giggle to escape as you noted the blush spreading across his cheeks as he turned to face you, still in your arms.

“Is it really time for the concert already? I intended to be ready before you arrived!”

“I figured that. Can’t decide what to wear to your first concert?”

He bowed his head in shame. “Yes. I don’t want to stick out but I also have no idea what to put on.”

You smiled and nuzzled your face into his chiseled pecs. “Don’t stress, love. Just be yourself. Believe me, you won’t stick out. I’ve seen a variety of people at concerts and you’re nowhere near as weird as some of them.”

He rubbed his face into your hair. “Wait, are you calling me weird?”

“Maybe. But it’s okay because I’m weirder,” you laughed as you broke the embrace to browse his closet.

“But what exactly is weird for a concert, though?” he asked as you searched through his vast closet.

“Well, at this one concert, I thought I had missed some sort of memo when I walked in to find that most of the women were in lingerie. I hadn’t seen that band live before, so I wasn’t sure what their usual fans were like. For real, most of them wore the kind of outfits I reserve for the bedroom,” you explained nonchalantly.

Ignis reddened at the thought of seeing you prancing around a public concert in the lingerie set he recently purchased for you. “Oh, well, normally I am supportive of people dressing how they please, but that seems a tad out there.”

“Oh, I agree,” you replied. “It was just kinda funny. I felt like I was the odd one out in my shorts and t-shirt—like I was the one who was overdressed! There was even this one woman pulling her man around on a leash. He was wearing leather pants and a harness.”

You turned towards Ignis momentarily to gage his reaction, and you were amused to see that he wore a worried expression. “Ignis, relax! I’ve seen this main band before. The fans wear actual clothes. We’ll be fine.”

Finally discovering what you had been searching for, you held up a shirt and pants and asked, “What about these? I’ve seen you wear this outfit once. You’ll want to be comfy and wear something you don’t mind possibly getting dirty.”

“Alright, I suppose that will do,” he replied as he held out his hand to take the garments.

The two of you left his place not looking quite as mismatched as usual. You wore a low-cut black tank top, dark skinny jeans, and black high-top sneakers. You shouldn’t have been surprised to see that Ignis had never owned a pair of sneakers at any point in his life. Luckily, his boots worked out well with his black pants and grey t-shirt. He fiddled with his black leather gloves as the two of you walked towards your car.

“Nervous?” you arched an eyebrow.

“No, nervous isn’t the right word. I do not know what to anticipate. It bothers me when I cannot get a feel for what I’m getting myself into. Your stories of past concert experiences are so peculiar and varied.”

“So, the strategist can’t stand going in without a proper strategy. Makes sense,” you reasoned. “It will be fine, Iggy. Trust me. I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”

“Bad? Happen to me? Darling, I can’t say I’m going into this with high hopes if all my combat training will go to waste and I’ll have to rely on your tiny form to protect me,” he attempted to suppress his grin but the gleam in his eyes gave him away.

“Ha, ha, very funny. I may not be trained up like you and the rest of the Crownsguard, but I can hold my own at concerts. Being short, I had to learn to fend for myself or get eaten alive. You’ll see what it’s like when we get there.”

Ignis allowed you to drive your car since he didn’t know where the venue was, plus you insisted that the part of town it was in wasn’t meant for the more upscale vehicles such as his. “You know, you’re really not putting me at ease here,” he sighed as he stared out the passenger’s side window.

“Ah, Ignis, you know how it is. I don’t feel bad coming into this part of town. Not really. All of the concert-goers walk in big clumps so we feel safe, but if you’re late getting in you don’t end up in a monitored parking lot. My friend ended up blocks away in the rain once and her car got keyed. I try to see the best in people, but there are always undesirables who take advantage of the situation. I just don’t want you to have to worry about that sort of thing.”

“For something so small, you attempt to act rather tough darling, but so far you’ve proven yourself to be quite the softie,” Ignis mused as he reached over to tousle your hair.

You shot him a sideways grin. “Yeah, well, you’ll see how it gets once we get inside. Concerts do things to people. I just hope this doesn’t scare you off or anything.”

Ignis still wasn’t sure what you meant by your seemingly ominous warnings, but if he could face someone such as Cor the Immortal in combat training, then surely he could handle this rock concert. You were able to score a spot in one of the secure parking lots by the venue and you laughed, happy that the price wasn’t too steep. Ignis was appalled at the amount of gil you shelled out, but you quickly explained you had encountered worse and that really the price was worth it and he would understand more about what you meant after the concert.

The two of you filed into the queue outside of the building and waited for nearly an hour before the doors were opened to let everyone in. You were accustomed to having to turn out your pockets and be patted down before entering, but it still bothered you every time the female security guard popped your bra in the front.

“What was that for? I understand being patted down for security measures, but popping your undergarment like that?” Ignis spoke as he placed a hand on your back as you walked through the double doors into the building.

“Eh, I don’t like that part, but it’s to make sure I didn’t smuggle anything in my bra. People do that, you know. Even after going through security, people manage to pull all sorts of ‘contraband’ items out. It’s fine though. The first time it happened it caught me off guard and I thought she was trying to cop a feel. Just wait until it gets packed inside. You get accidentally grabbed in all sorts of ways when the crowd surges.”

Never one for PDA, this bit of information worried Ignis a tad, but he gulped and followed you into the unknown. He was surprised at how quickly the place filled up, even though the two of you had been fairly close to the front of the line. He noted the building excitement in you, especially when you realized how close to the stage you were and how there weren’t too many tall people to block your view. Your comment made him self-conscious, seeing as how he was six feet tall. He glanced around, but thankfully he didn’t see any significantly shorter people behind him; he would have felt guilty for blocking their view.

After some time had passed, the opening band took the stage. The crowd went wild with people cheering, screaming, and whistling. Ignis was shocked to find the origin of one particularly loud cheer came from your mouth, but you just smiled and shrugged.

“My, you are quite the enthusiast, darling,” he grinned down at you.

You rolled your eyes and returned his smile. “What can I say? I told you, the energy in this place is ridiculous and infectious. Plus I really like these guys. I’ve never seen them live before, so I hope they sound as good now as they do on their record.”

The music started and Ignis thought his eardrums were going to burst out of his ears. It was incredibly loud when the guitarist struck his opening chord. He took note of the location of the speakers and cringed when he realized you had maneuvered the two of you right by an impressively large congregation of them. He idly wondered if he should have brought ear plugs, but it was too late now. The song started up and the crowd began moving to the rhythm. Ignis looked down to see that you moved right along with the music, jumping up and down with the beat, one hand in the air, singing along. The cacophony was nearly unbearable, but seeing that look of pure joy on your face tugged at his heartstrings.

After the first couple of songs, Ignis began to appreciate the music a little more. The songs were rather catchy, and even he found himself bobbing his head to the beat. You stole a glance at him every so often, and it warmed your heart to see that he wasn’t miserable like you feared he would be. This could turn out to be a great concert after all.

The opening band just had one more song to go, and you knew it was going to be their most popular song. Just as the bass played the intro, a mosh pit suddenly opened up beside you. You quickly grabbed Ignis by the wrist and pulled him away from the people who had jumped into the opening circle. You could barely hear the question he attempted to yell at you.

“What’s going on? What are they doing? Why are we moving?”

“Ignis, that’s a mosh pit!”

“A what?”

“A mosh pit. People get in it and jump around and dance and push. I don’t know how to describe it properly. Just watch.”

“You jump around and dance. Why don’t you want to be in that?”

It was cute how clueless Ignis was to the concert life. “Have you seen me? I’m so much smaller than those guys. Yeah, I’ve moshed before, but I’m getting older and it’s getting harder to recover from it. That, and the last time I was in one, I got hit pretty hard in the face and I nearly broke my nose. My double black eyes lasted nearly a week!”

“Goodness! That sounds awful! Perhaps we should stay back?” Ignis responded, eyes wide with concern.

Ignis put a protective arm around you and pulled you further away from the mosh pit that was quickly starting to fill with rambunctious people. You weren’t going to lie—you liked this protective side of him. Not one to linger, however, he soon dropped his arm and allowed you to jump to the beat unobstructed. The song was just moving into the chorus when you noticed a rather buff guy in a white t-shirt making his way around the outer circle of the mosh pit. You watched as he purposefully punched a girl who was standing near the edge of the pit. You couldn’t help the gasp that escaped your lips as you watched her cry out in pain and turn towards who you assumed was her boyfriend. He puffed out his chest and squared his shoulders, but the perpetrator had already moved to a different edge of the circle. You watched in horror as he danced around and punched several other women. The people in the mosh pits could be a lot to handle, but most weren’t so outwardly violent. You saw that the man was approaching your section, and you braced yourself, unsure of what was about to take place.

Prepared as you were, though, you weren’t anticipating what happened next. You had turned your head away to look at the band, only to return your gaze back to the circle where you found yourself making eye contact with the man in the white shirt. He looked you dead in the eye with an expressionless face and pulled back and landed a rather hard punch right on your bicep. You saw the punch coming, but the crowd was too packed for you to cringe away. Ignis watched it happen, as if in slow motion, unable to intervene. He had been watching how the guitarist was playing his instrument behind his head and hadn’t turned to see why you had stopped jumping until it was too late.

You cried out in pain, gripping the top of your arm. You’d been hit plenty of times at concerts, but never intentionally in such a manner. The man had punched you, no holds barred, and as tough as you tried to be, you felt a small tear escape one of your eyes. Ignis immediately leaned forward and wrapped his arms around you, careful not to put pressure on your throbbing arm. His face was right against yours as he loudly spoke in your ear.

“Oh my Gods! (Y/N) are you alright? I am so sorry I was unable to stop that ruffian. Do we need to get you out of here?”

You leaned back into Ignis, already feeling comforted by his close proximity and his scent amongst the sweaty bodies surrounding you. “It’s okay, Ignis. I’ll be fine. I’ll have a bruise, for sure, but I’ll live. Besides, look, that guy is making his rounds again.”

Ignis turned his head back towards the pit and saw that you were correct. The man in question began jumping around the circle again, punching people as he went. Ignis let go of you and straightened up. He was standing behind you, so you couldn’t see what he was doing, but you could feel the tension rolling off of him. He was angry, and you wondered what he was going to do. Ignis was never one for violence, always preferring to be civilized and best people with his intellect. You respected that about him, but in that moment, you were pissed. You wanted to give that guy a taste of his own medicine. You readied your fist and waited for him to come your way. You weren’t going to fight fair. A hit to the nose should teach him not to mess with you anymore. Just as the man got beside you, you pulled back to deliver the blow, only to watch in awe as Ignis’s gloved fist shot out of nowhere, striking the guy right in the side of the head. The man doubled over, holding his head. He then turned towards Ignis, looking thoroughly offended, acting as though he had been hit unprovoked. He slowly made his way in the opposite direction, sneaking fearful glances back at Ignis.

You knew it was petty, but you couldn’t help the cackle that slipped out. “What now! Can’t take a hit? Yeah, you better walk away!” you called after him. You turned completely around to face Ignis and saw a fire in his emerald eyes. “Ignis! Wow! What was that all about?”

Ignis breathed slowly through his nostrils, calming himself down a notch, before fixing his eyes on you. That look of concern had returned and he reached up to cup your cheek. “I don’t know what came over me. You very well know I never like to resort to violence but I don’t think there was another way to get through to that man. After he punched you and ran away like a coward, I saw him going around punching other people, namely women. It is never polite to harm any person without reason, and he needed to be stopped. Besides, he hurt you; I couldn’t just let him get away with that.”

You closed your eyes and smiled, leaning into his warm leather touch. You reached up to hold his hand to your face before speaking. “I never thought I’d be saying this, but that was the sweetest thing you have ever done. I don’t know if you saw, but I was actually about to hit him and you literally beat me to the punch. I’m a bit disappointed, but grateful all the same. Thank you, Ignis. Though I must say, I’m the one feeling like a jerk here. Did you just hear me egg him on after you hit him?”

Ignis smirked. “Yes, well, you can be naughty, kitten, but considering you’re sporting an injury, I’ll look the other way just this once.”

You laughed and turned back just in time to hear the outro to the song. The band exited the stage and you turned again to chat with Ignis until the main band made their entrance. Temporarily forgetting your throbbing arm, you threw your hands in the air and let out a whoop with the rest of the crowd. You thought you had been pumped before, but nothing compared to this feeling you possessed right now. You loved this band. You had seen them before and you tried to catch a show every time they came to the area and you already knew this would be better than their last concert.

Very quickly, as you anticipated, the crowd surged forward the moment the intro to the first song filled the room. You nearly lost your balance, but you felt Ignis’s hands grab your waist and yank you back up. The crowd continued to clump together, pushing, pulling, and tugging, but this time, you had Ignis, which meant he stood his ground and kept you from being swept away or crushed against one of the men in the immediate vicinity. There was nothing worse than having your chest flattened against a sweaty stranger’s back. Ignis sensed your uneasiness at the weight of the crowd against you, but he continued to hold you in place and shove off anyone who got too close to you. It was nice to have that kind of protection for once. Once the song continued and the crowd calmed a little, he relaxed his hold on you and you began jumping.

The concert carried on with the band playing many upbeat, hard songs. As he listened, Ignis understood why you liked the band. The drummer practically ran on the double bass and he swore he felt the beat will his heart to thrum along at the quickened pace. The bassist wove intricate lines in between the chords of the backing guitarist while the lead guitarist’s hand practically flew up and down the neck as he wowed the crowd with his impossible solos. The singer was difficult to understand at first, especially with the screaming backing vocals, but after a couple of songs, Ignis could pick out the lyrics and realized just how deep they were. No wonder you adored that band so much. In the past, Ignis would have been loath to admit it, but he was genuinely enjoying himself. The music was infectious and even he found himself smiling and jumping along with you and the rest of the crowd. When the band played a ballad, he wrapped his arms around you, kissed your cheek, and swayed along with you. Seeing Ignis actually having a good time made you love him that much more.

Ignis didn’t get so caught up in the music that he missed out on your little show. He had noted during the opening band how you sang along and jumped around, but with this band, you were livelier. You knew the lyrics to every single song and you not only sang the words, but belted them out. Your face was full of expression and he enjoyed watching you more so than the band. You started out alternating between jumping with the crowd or head-banging, but soon you threw your whole body into the rhythm, dancing while you continued to sing along.

At one point, you nearly stumbled and ceased your actions and Ignis finally tore his eyes away from you to notice why. A particularly tall man, probably taller than Gladio, had moved in front of you, obstructing your view. He couldn’t help his height and you knew it, but he had shoved you aside to stand in front of you and so you couldn’t help but be annoyed. You got to the concert early to get close to the stage so you could actually view the band and here he was literally standing in your way. Ignis peered around the man and did the only thing he could think to do. He waited for the next crowd surge to step in front of you, grab your hand, and pull you forward. After doing this several times, he managed to get the two of you even closer to the stage and you could see better than before. You turned around to thank Ignis only to be met with his lips against yours, offering a lingering kiss as opposed to a peck; you were surprised, but happy all the same.

Ignis thought your smile lit up that darkened room in that moment. There was concert chaos surrounding the two of you, but all he saw was you. He was so happy to share this experience with you. You turned back to the band and the two of you jumped and head-banged, and danced the night away until the very end. At one point, Ignis dared to take out his phone and snap a few pictures for you since he knew it was hard for you to hold your phone up and jump at the same time. He even found himself chanting for an encore with the rest of the crowd and he reached up and caught you a pick when the guitarist threw his out into the crowd.

The lights came on and you saw that you were hand in hand with the strategist. Under the harsh lights, you noted that his hair had become disheveled and stuck up at rather odd angles in places and fell in others. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead, and his glasses were slightly askew. You smiled and reached up to fix his hair. He returned the favor, tucking a stray strand back behind your ear.

You made your way to the merchandise table and bought yourself a new t-shirt with the band’s logo on it. You laughed out loud when Ignis too picked out a t-shirt for himself and then paid for both of them. You had a feeling this suave gentleman would look like a god even in a t-shirt and jeans. That was an image you didn’t want to get out of your head and couldn’t wait to witness in person.

The two of you were suddenly exhausted, but thankful you had parked close to the venue. Walking a couple of blocks would have been next to impossible in your current state. Once back in the safety of your car, you started up the engine and started to shift into reverse until Ignis’s hand on your own stopped you. You looked at your boyfriend and couldn’t deny the vast amount of adoration in his eyes.

“Darling, I had a lot of fun tonight. To be perfectly honest, I was a little apprehensive and I wasn’t sure what I had agreed to, but I really enjoyed myself. But the show those bands put on was nothing compared to the one you put on for me.”

You turned away, facing straight ahead, crimson rising to the surface of your cheeks. “What do you mean? The show I put on?”

Ignis laughed and brought your hand up to his face and kissed your knuckles. “The way you jumped and danced along. The way you sang all the lyrics. The way your face lit up when they played your favorite songs. I just found it so endearing and adorable. I am rather envious of how passionate you get. I didn’t realize music could mean so much, but the lyrics were rather emotional and deep and the music was intricate. I see now why you like going to concerts. I’m so glad I got to share this moment with you.”

“Aw, Ignis, you make it sound so poetic. It was just a rock concert. But thank you. It means the world to me that you came. I was afraid you’d hate it, but I’m really glad you had fun.”

Ignis leaned towards you and pulled you in for yet another kiss that night. “I love you, (Y/N).”

“I love you too, Ignis.” Intimate as the two of you had been, neither of you had exchanged those words before. Sweaty and tired as you were, you felt the moment was absolutely perfect.

As you pulled out of the parking lot, Ignis cleared his throat and bashfully requested, “So, darling, would it be alright if we listened to some of your music? I’m curious to know what other bands you have in your collection.”

“Of course, Ignis. I have music on my phone. Here, just plug it in to the aux cord and pick something,” you grinned.

The two of you listened to music all the way back to his place where he offered to let you spend the night since it was late. You had some clothes and a toothbrush over there, so you were more than fine taking him up on his offer.

The next day, Ignis texted you about how Noctis made fun of him for being exhausted at work even though Noctis himself had passed out in one of the royal council meetings due to having stayed up all night playing his new video game with Prompto. He said that even though he was pretty sure he was on his third whole pot of Ebony, he was happy he had accompanied you and even went so far as to ask when you planned on going to another concert and could he possibly tag along as well. Sleep-deprived as you were sitting at your desk, you couldn’t help but smile thinking about how a rock show managed to bring you and Ignis closer together.

#final fantasy xv #ffxv #ff15 #ignis scientia #ignis stupeo scientia #ignis x reader #ffxv fanfiction #my writing #i made something cute for once #and not sinful

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leiyahime · 7 years ago

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Fanfic - Let me show you the sounds of the world - chapter 8

Shuusei's moving to the Tasogarekan as the first of the Zweilts to live with Yuki.

Have fun!

Start of a new life

Shuusei was completely left alone with his own stuff when it came to packing. His parents were occupied with fighting about who could keep which part of the household.

It was only thanks to Hotsuma’s parents that he somehow managed to get everything he needed packed. Hotsuma’s dad had some serious talks with Shuusei’s parents. It was completely irresponsible to let a barely eight years old boy manage to organize boxes or suitcases and sort through his belongings to decide what he would take with him and what could be thrown away. Of course this was not Shuusei’s first life, and yes, he remembered much of the happenings of his former lives but he was still no more than a little boy, no matter how much he remembered, no matter how skilled he was in fighting or how much stronger he was than his classmates simply because he was a Zweilt.

So he had the help of his partner, his partner’s family and even Yuki with getting everything packed and sorted out. It were even Hotsuma’s parents who had to transport Shuusei’s boxes to the Tasogarekan.

“My parents have never been here...” Shuusei mused quietly when the three boys had just carried one box of Shuusei’s belongings to his room and put it down. “They were never interested in me... Or what I’m doing as long as I just didn’t cause trouble...”

Hotsuma looked at him and then came to him to hug him tightly. He didn’t want his partner to feel so down but he didn’t know what else he could do to cheer him up. Yuki looked at them helplessly. The two younger boys completely understood that Shuusei’s situation was harsh. They couldn’t understand why Shuusei’s parents seemed to throw him away so easily.

“Shuusei-kun...” But for now he couldn’t do anything for his friend but leave him with his partner.

“I’m sorry... I... I don’t know... Thanks for being here, Yuki.” He smiled at God’s Light, but didn’t let go of his partner.

“Of course. If I can help you...”

Shuusei thought a few seconds but then shook his head. “Not right now. Thank you.”

Yuki nodded. But when he looked at the two he decided to leave them alone for a while, ready to help whenever he was able to do something. But right now Shuusei needed his partner, not him.

Hotsuma brushed his fingers through Shuusei’s silken hair. He loved him, his caring, wonderful partner who just wanted to be loved by his parents.

Shuusei closed his eyes and held Hotsuma tightly in his arms as well. He was so glad to have him. And he never wanted to lose this one person. “As long as you’re at my side, I can survive,” he said, knowing Hotsuma couldn’t understand him.

But they didn’t get the chance to cuddle long because Hotsuma’s parents appeared with more of Shuusei’s stuff.

“There are two boxes left. Do you want to take one?” Hotsuma’s dad asked the boys and Shuusei nodded. He didn’t want his partner’s parents to do everything he was supposed to do, so he let go of Hotsuma and went to the car accompanied by him so that they could get another box to the room. Yuki seemed to have waited somewhere because he was now back again to help them. When the car was empty Mr Renjou looked at the boys. “Do you want to say goodbye to your parents?” he asked Shuusei who thought about it, but then nodded.

So they drove back to Shuusei’s old house, where everything was empty by now, vanished into the moving vans. But now only one was left. His father seemed to have gone already. Left to live with his new woman.

“What do you want?” His mother who had been about to leave as well asked when she noticed him coming towards her. “Your room is empty, I’ve checked it.”

“I... wanted to say goodbye...” Shuusei said quietly, looking up to his mother who just looked down on him coolly.

“Okay then. Goodbye. Have a good life.” His mother said without much emotion. “I just hope you don’t cause the poor steward too much trouble.” Without any further reaction she turned around to get into the last waiting van. Shuusei felt tears burning in his eyes. That was it? That was how he was left by his parents? He felt the smaller hand of his partner in his. Of course Hotsuma had come along. He hadn’t understood what Shuusei’s mother had said but he had seen that it had been a very cold farewell and that his partner was shocked about the lack of care his mother showed toward him.

They were reminded that they were standing in the middle of the street by Hotsuma’s mother who gently pushed the boys towards the car. “Let’s go back to the Tasogarekan. You two need to rest”, she signed when both boys were in the car.

“May I stay over tonight?” Hotsuma asked. It was not planned for this weekend because the usual training schedule was disrupted by Shuusei moving, but Hotsuma wanted to stay at his partner’s side.

Mr and Mrs Renjou looked at each other over the car’s roof but then both gave their approval. Then they went back to the place Shuusei would have to call his home. And now he was properly greeted by Yuki who also seemed to care about him. Even his uncle was there now.

“You should have told me that you would bring your things over so early. I wanted to help, too,” Reito said.

“You could have asked your sister when she wanted the house to be empty.” Shuusei replied distanced. Perhaps he shouldn’t be this cold but he was still emotionally hurt.

Reito got the hint and knelt down in front of the boy.

“I’m sorry. But I really want to help you. I don’t approve of your mom’s actions.”

Shuusei pressed his lips together. Perhaps he didn’t deserve better. Perhaps by living here he got more than he deserved. He didn’t know what to say or to feel. The only thing that kept him a bit grounded was his partner’s hand which held his although he again didn’t understand the conversation.

“Shuusei?”

He looked up when Hotsuma’s mother talked to him. “Do you want to spend New Years’ with us?” she asked both talking and signing for her son to get it as well.

“What?”

“Do you want to spend New Years’ with us? We would be happy to have you around.”

“Hey I wanted to spend that day with my nephew!” Reito protested. Shuusei looked from one adult to the other. Right at this moment he couldn’t understand why anyone besides Hotsuma would even want to spend time with him. And now there were even three other people, adults even, who wanted him to spend New Years’ with them. And he felt unable to cope with this situation.

Hotsuma’s mother seemed to see his struggles and so she proposed: “Why don’t you let him stay with us and pick the boys up on the 1st and go to the temple with them?”

Reito thought about it and then he nodded. “What do you think?” he asked the two boys who looked at each other.

Then Hotsuma grinned. “Yes, let’s do this!” he signed after he head let go of his partner’s hand. And so it was decided. “See, you are not alone! There are still many people here who like you.” Hotsuma grinned at his partner although Shuusei couldn’t return this right away.

“I’ll go to my room,” he announced and left everyone behind.

Hotsuma stared behind him.

“Have I said something wrong?” the blond boy asked looking after his partner’s retreating figure.

His mother embraced him shortly before she let go of him and explained: “No. I guess this is just a bit much for him. It’s hard for him. Go after him and keep him company. He needs you now.”

Hotsuma nodded and went after Shuusei who had just started unpacking the boxes in his room.

“Don’t you wanna rest?” Hotsuma asked when he was beside his partner.

Shuusei shook his head. “I don’t want to think. And if I rested I’d think too much.”

Hotsuma nodded. “I want to help you.” He said and looked at Shuusei questioning if he would be okay with this.

Shuusei thought a bit. Then he pointed to the box with the word “books” written on. “Would you sort the books into the shelf over there?” he asked.

Hotsuma nodded. “How do you want to sort them?” he asked, knowing too well that Shuusei was a person who liked his room to be tidy and his stuff in some kind of order.

“I don’t care. Find a way.” Shuusei said and went on with filling his wardrobe. They didn’t talk while they worked but at one point Shuusei put a CD in the old player in his room so that the silence was not too heavy. At one point Hotsuma’s parents looked inside to ask if they could help the boys unpacking but now they managed alone so Hotsuma’s parents left them alone not without telling Hotsuma when he had to be home the next day.

When he was finished with his clothes he looked over to his partner who seemed to be fully concentrated on his task to sort Shuusei’s books and took good care about which book he put next to which book and a small smile crept on Shuusei’s lips. It was adorable how much care Hotsuma put into his task and Shuusei swore to himself that he would keep Hotsuma’s order as long as he would keep these books.

But then Shuusei turned to the next box to find a new place for all of his stuff for school. Thank god he had a large desk so that everything fit into it and he even had space left for other useful things.

They were not yet finished when Reito called them to dinner.

“Do you feel ready for training tomorrow?” Reito asked the bys.

Hotsuma shrugged and looked at Shuusei.

“Yes. It will work out. I don’t want to sit around and think.”

Reito nodded. “So we will pull it through,” he said and Shuusei approved. “Good.” Reito ruffled through his nephew’s hair who protested.

Then they entered the dining room and Hotsuma’ eyes widened. The table was full of food and the chef looked at Shuusei.

“I know it’s no happy welcome for you, Shuusei-kun, but nevertheless I wanted to prepare a great meal for tonight. A full stomach also kills dark thoughts!” The chef said and Shuusei smiled very weakly. He was not too hungry but it looked indeed delicious.

“Come on Shuusei!” Hotsuma pulled his partner to the table where Yuki and Luka were already sitting on their places and were now joined by the other inhabitants of the house who did their best to distract Shuusei from his dark thoughts so that the boy indeed felt a bit better when he crawled into his bed which was already occupied by Hotsuma who refused to sleep in his own room now that Shuusei wasn’t feeling well. And Shuusei was once more happy that he had his partner at his side. He hugged Hotsuma and fell asleep faster than he had expected.

#uraboku #My writing #renjou hotsuma #Shusei Usui

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stevedonnellyfaith-blog · 5 years ago

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Sacred Song (Post 101) 8-12-15

Natalie and I have continued our game of YouTube tag throughout the last several weeks. It passed the time nicely on our Maryland excursion, but we have also found that it is pretty fun to play on short expeditions as well. The pop music stations that Natalie prefers become drearily repetitious when we don’t break things up, although it is entertaining to listen to her accompany the artist as a background singer. Sometimes Nicholas sings along to his music as well, but I probably shouldn’t disclose that. Playing music on YouTube instead means that I can intertwine songs that I like in between the sandwich ends of inevitable Taylor Swift anthems.

One night last week we carried the game of tune tit-for-tat that we were playing on our phone into the house, across the kitchen and to the breakfast table where my mother was getting ready to serve my father his supper. Curious and knowing that he likes all things Gaelic, I pulled up a video of a scene from the movie Empire of the Sun in which a young British lad stands at attention and salutes through the barbed wire fence of a Japanese internment camp singing the Welsh lullaby Suo Gan as zeros takeoff into the sun. For me Suo Gan is a particularly haunting song because the melody is the same as the hymn Christ Before Us which I first encountered on my Emmaus weekend nearly two years ago. Hearing a particular hymn at a peculiarly emotional time can add a spiritual impact to a song for a specific person that it may not have for other people. Morning Has Broken can similarly bring tears to my eyes, because it was sung at Pam’s funeral service.

As it turned out my father’s love of Gaelic music did not include any special feelings towards the Welsh classic, but we did share some memories about walking into an English church in some town that I could not recall where we arrived just in time for an afternoon rehearsal of the parish boys’ choir. They were very talented. The idea of pulling up hymns on YouTube did intrigue my father, surprisingly. He asked me to play Jesus I Come for him, which, he explained, was the hymn they were playing at the Tremont Baptist Church when he entered there for the first time. My mother had evidently invited him to her church when they were dating. My father agreed; he would have also probably agreed to try bungee jumping had my mother suggested it and that particular form of stupidity existed anywhere else other than in the Australian outback at the time of their 1960’s courtship. Instead of the Sunday morning’s boredom that my father probably expected, he experienced a powerful intervention by the Holy Spirit into his life through the gateway of a beautiful hymn sung by a talented choir.

So I searched his request, queued up the hymn, hit play and passed him his favorite sacred music on the little midget screen of the IPhone5 that I most often use for scrolling Facebook. Although the music didn’t sound special to me, it caught my 78 year old father like fly-paper. He sat transfixed at the breakfast table totally oblivious to me and to the usual bustle of my family interacting about our kitchen at dinner time. The kids could have been having chicken fights and he would not have noticed. As far as I could tell, my father was 650 miles and 60 years eastward sitting in a pew in a famous New England church with the girl he loved, encountering awesome beauty of Jesus Christ sung about him by angelic voices. I wished that he could stay there for longer than the odd five minutes of the hymn. I envied him. For a time he was through the looking glass or had tumbled through the fur coats of the magic wardrobe that I often hope to find but rarely do.

You would think that it would be easier to have that type of heavenly experience than it usually turns out to be. I had hoped for a trip back through the years to simpler times on the family excursion we took to a Cleveland Indians game last Friday night. Nicholas, Natalie, Stephen and I made the trip, but it didn’t turn out quite as I had planned. First of all I was very tired, having worked some early and long days on Monday through Thursday completing a project that we had begun almost a month before. Things were also progressing well with our house purchase. It seemed like a good chance for some family-style rest and relaxation. Also the Tribe was having a dollar hot dog night promotion with a fireworks show as a nightcap. Our plan seemed all in order.

Like a good father, I had wielded the proposed trip as a motivating sledgehammer thought the preceding week. Stephen, for instance, because of his illness, habitually complains about small or imagined injuries like blackouts and falling out of bed on a near continual basis. The last week he had added mysterious arm stiffness to his list of hypochondriac symptoms. Whenever I offered to delay our trip until he felt better, his maladies made an immediate improvement. Stephen is gravitationally attracted towards quality meat products at entirely too reasonable a price-point. He is not above taste testing gas station sushi so dollar hot dog night is right up his alley.

Natalie was also on her best behavior throughout the week. She was quite excited on Friday night when I arrived home from the boomerang ride of my Youngstown round trip. That is when the threads of my carefully woven plan began to unravel. I had arrived home early and, unfortunately, exhausted, hoping to catch a quick cat-nap before H hour. Unbeknownst to me, Nicholas had committed me to driving over to my brother’s house to pick up Abby’s car for which my father was paying to have a stereo installed as a birthday present. I stayed awake for the mini-excursion that set us off our Cleveland bound time schedule by about an hour. We would be significantly late. Strike one.

Still, we were a happy bunch as we drove towards the RTA Station on Shaker Blvd (RTA is Cleveland’s BART.) Natalie and I sat together. Nicholas and Stephen sat separately as Stephen had acquired a case of oppressive halitosis that he attributed to dry mouth from his medication. Natalie and I talked quietly until our train came to a kerchunking halt at an interchange station for us. Natalie, Nicholas and I assembled in column formation in the aisle. I looked over to Stephen to see why he was not following. I could see that he had adopted a posture to arise, but was stuck in place. He was frozen and I could tell that he was experiencing a focal seizure, the malady that he had been reporting to the disbelieving me for the last several weeks. I had watched Pam have hundreds of focal and full seizures during the period of time between her two brain surgeries. Like my dad’s trip back to Boston, I was transported to another place and time as I watched my son struggle to stand, a time that I had hoped never to visit again. Father Groeschel would describe that location as a point on the pathway inclining up a hill called Calvary.

Because he finally stood after a few dozen seconds and showed no ill effects, we decided to proceed to the game despite the scare. I think I am glad we proceeded; it was an excellent and terrible outing all at once. We got there late, but the seats were the best that I have ever bought – that’s what happens when Nicholas goes to the box office with my credit card. Interestingly we discovered that Natalie despises hot dogs, but will eat three in close succession when she is starving and Nicholas is buying American sausages like he is feeding Slimer from the movie Ghost Busters. Stephen had another focal seizure with a similarly quick recovery when one of the Indians unexpectedly knocked a hanging curve into the bleachers to tie the game late. It was an Indians game, though, so they lost in the ninth inning on a home run to a Twins outfielder that is old enough to have been in high school while I was in college. Happy that Stephen had made it through the game without a more significant medical incident we headed home without waiting for the fireworks.

So it is Tuesday, as I write this. I am in the ER with Stephen to get his condition checked out. He seems to be OK, but without a local doctor, the ER seemed the quickest alternative to get blood work, a CAT scan and access to medical specialists without the bureaucracy of referrals. Frankly, I don’t care to be in another hospital, ever, but I realize that this is a necessary trip. I would feel better if Father Luke from St John Vianny in Walnut Creek would happen in soon to anoint Stephen and pray with us, but I think we are out of his jurisdiction. John Muir was tough to revisit for Nicholas’ treatment, anyway, but it was also seemed as comfortable as an old shoe, albeit with the possibility of a chance meeting transporting me back to a good or bad place in another lifetime.

Today things turned out well with no bad news in either Stephen’s scans or labs. I drove him home later after discharge thankful that he is relatively healthy. We stopped on the way back at Arby’s and at one of the parishes that we might eventually choose as our own to visit Jesus in Adoration. On the road again towards Streetsboro, I reconsidered again why all this inconvenience might have happened knowing that Stephen’s actual health remains largely the same. Sure it was good to get him checked out, discover a good hospital and get assigned a family doctor for a follow-up visit, but why was I put through this dry run of worry and fear for the umpteenth time. Was God holding me back a grade for some lesson that I should have learned one, two or three years ago?

Then I remembered the conversation that I overheard among the doctors at the nursing station from my perch by the door of Stephen’s transient ER suite. They were preparing to inform a patient and family that multiple unexplained lumps had been discovered throughout the lungs in some other poor patient’s scan. Thoughtfully, I removed the mini rosary that I had received at Emmaus from its place on my dashboard and prayed a Divine Mercy Chaplet for another family that got bad news while Stephen and I received our discharge paperwork.

#God #Jesus #The Holy Spirit #The Virgin Mary #Sacred Song #Christ Before Us #Suo Gan #Emmaus #hymnal #Morning Has Broken #Jesus I Come #The Lion the witch and the wadrobe #Divine Mercy #Father Groeschel #Calvary #Father Luke #St John Vianny

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