#...well it would've been exactly a month later if i didn't have to just touch up a line or two in 125 😩

[kaiowut99]

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters GX Episodes 124-125 Subbed (Finalized)

(Previously: Episodes 122-123 Subbed [Finalized])

(Check out my Subbed!GX Stream Masterpost!)

TURN-124: An Academy Divided! The Hunger Duel

With zombie students on the prowl within the academy and materialized Monsters roaming outside, Judai and the others have been driven into critical circumstances. Even so, they strengthen their defenses, such as by building a barricade to protect the remaining students. But in the midst of it all, Harada, Teraoka, and Yamanaka escape, unable to bear their hunger, and go missing. As Judai and the others look for these missing students, they hear from Martin, who attempts to trade the food storehouse for the power plant area near Judai and the others. They duel for these areas, and the three students are their opponents, bearing the Masks of Laughter, Apathy, and Anger. O'Brien, Johan, and Jim take them on, but...

TURN-125: Johan, Jim, and O'Brien VS the Three Masked Knights

The duels for the food storage area continue as Johan faces the Mask of Apathy, O'Brien the Mask of Laughter, and Jim the Mask of Anger. Johan is gradually cornered by the Mask of Apathy's Silent Space, while Jim gets his Life reduced by Angered Anchor Knight. O'Brien is composed as he duels, soon realizing that these duels are a ruse as he speeds up his match. Johan and Jim, after hearing the truth from O'Brien that it is all a ruse, change gears and start to counterattack, as well. Elsewhere, Rei sees Vice-Principal Napoleon run off out of worry for Martin and brings Judai along to go after him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wanted to get these done a bit sooner after 122-123 took longer than ideal, but at least it's exactly a month later that I'm posting these lol. Episodes 124 and 125 are now finalized! Not a bad pair of episodes as the students start getting to their food breaking point after a few days in this new dimension, all the while a certain someone, through Martin, starts to make their move. While we probably could've used a bit more around the concept of Spirits fusing with people--or at least who the Card Spirits were--it was an interesting idea which allowed some time to shine for Johan, Jim, and O'Brien, with O'Brien showing some of his ex-soldier instincts as he realizes that Martin set their duels up as a ruse to cover up what he was really after--the three Phantasm Cards?! It's also hard to go wrong with another episode helmed by Kyoung Soo Lee's animation team in 125, semi-jarring as the quality bump could be coming off 124 from Chi Man Park and Sun Ming Nam. (Also, Judai finding out that Martin is Napoleon's son is always classic.) (Also also, I really wish the dub kept O'Brien silently walking away as Mask of Laughter reads the effect of his Draw Bomb, instead of making Axel tell him what it is; dampens the comedy there originally.)

Animation error-wise, I applied a fair few fixes across both episodes; 124 mostly saw its errors in the second half of the episode and were more quality-of-watching fixes like split-screen timings with half a handful of quick card error fixes--or I should probably say "pawful" with a Pharaoh-related error in the preview involved, too--while 125 had the most that I picked up on and fixed, with a few card errors, the aforementioned Pharaoh error, and more QOW stuff. Breakdown under the cut below as always for the interested!

Anywho, enjoy! I'll probably do some preliminary setup for 126 and 127 as I shift gears to more proper work on the TFSP re-translation and get work done on Kite and Kotori's story events, along with some other interesting code sleuthing I've been slowly working on related to that voice update I shared the other week, and also look at ARC-V "Dub-Uncut" episode 2 a bit more. Depending on how I feel after 126-127 in terms of what I want to work on, I may decide to either do 128 on its own or do 128-130 together as 128 leads into the Judai/Johan/Martin duel that culminates in Yubel's reveal 🤔 (May also depend on which route gets to coincide with the GX remaster starting in April, lol.) Stay tuned!

Fixes and Edits! (124)

As Judai and the others hear Martin suggest trading the Food Storage Facility for the Power Generator Complex in their territory, after Judai notes that it's buried in sand, Johan wonders why he'd want that area before Kenzan whispers to Judai about going ahead and trading it because it's apparently useless--but as that overhead shot of them starts, Johan's missing his closed mouth in the 3-4 frames before he starts to move his head. Quickly fixed in Sony Vegas by masking/splicing in his closed mouth from a later frame and adjusting it for where his head is at the start of the shot.

Later, once everyone is outside and Johan, Jim, and O'Brien decide they'll be the ones to duel the Masks, we get a shot of each staring down their opponents--but in the first one with Johan and Mask of Apathy, there are two issues as they slide in for their split-screen: 1) the first frame of the split-screen slide-in has them already halfway into the screen, leading to the slide-in not being as smooth as it usually is, and 2) just as it looks like they've set up the split-screen and connected their splits, there's another frame of movement where they actually fully move into position. Fixed #1 by re-doing their splits in Sony Vegas to be more fluid/natural, masking/splicing each split over the still shot of them and moving them accordingly, fixing #2 in the process.

A bit later as the duel gets underway, Johan, Jim, and O'Brien join a split-screen to shout "Duel!" as we cut to their Disks activating, while the same is done with the three Masks--though in the last frame of their split-screen, before we see all three of their Disks, Mask of Laughter's split changes to show his Disk first, with the sky background behind him; the background then changes as we cut to see all three of their Disks so that the ground under him is behind his Disk the way it is for the others'. Fixed in Vegas by just replacing this error frame with a flash white frame so that we get a white flash going from their split-screen into their Disks to match Johan, Jim, and O'Brien.

The very next shot, we see Johan and Mask of Apathy's LP counters pop up as they get underway, both sliding in for a split-screen as Johan lets him go first--but because, with the exception of Johan and Apathy being drawn with their Disks on and Johan going on to slide back out as Apathy takes his turn, this is the same shot as #2 above, the same error with the un-smooth split-screen slide-in happens. Fixed in Vegas by reprising the edit I did there to make the slide-in more fluid, tweaking things slightly with the new split borders I applied for consistency with the rest of the new footage here.

A bit later, as Mask of Laughter makes his first move, Fool Clown's effect makes him discard his hand, but the Laugh Bombers he discards this way then hit O'Brien for damage--as he discards, two issues come up: 1) he doesn't have Fool Clown in Monster Zone #4 on his Disk, where he'd placed it in the prior shot and we see it in subsequent shots, and 2) noticed while fixing #1, there's a quick frame [the one linked earlier] as Laughter moves his hand away from his Cemetery where there's a blank gap between his fingers, and the part of his Disk under his hand should be visible there. Fixed in AfterEffects, #1 by placing a Fool Clown proxy I whipped up into place in Monster Zone #4, then masking Laughter's hand in over it as it moves in to send the cards off and then backs away, while I fixed #2 by actually masking in the corrected gap between his fingers from the clip in #6 below (being the same shot again, save for some shading differences on Laughter's and Mask of Anger's hands) and then applying slight masks along the edges of his cards to overlay them over what remained of the blank gap.

Sometime after that, during Mask of Anger's first turn, he discards to activate the effect of his Angered Anchor Knight--but as he does, like in #5 above (being the same shot), his Knight is missing from Monster Zone #4 on his Disk. Fixed while fixing #5 in AfterEffects, as I could simply copy/paste the effects I used on Fool Clown to apply them to the layer with the Angered Anchor Knight proxy I put into place.

During the preview for 125, we see Pharaoh come up to Rei's leg to get her attention, and there are two quick issues that come up: 1) there's a quick movement frame (lasting for three frames) where Pharaoh's upper left leg/paw isn't fully drawn in towards the bottom, causing the ground behind him to be visible under the last brown spot, and 2) the movement frame immediately after (also lasting three frames) has the same leg/paw missing its spots suddenly before they come back in the next movement frame. Fixed both in 125 proper first using Photoshop and Vegas, as I first used Photoshop to fill in the missing skin to fix #1, fixing #2 by using the next frame with his leg/paw spots back to cut out the leg itself and duplicate it into the error frame in #2, adjusting it to fit and erasing any extra parts I didn't need as it was in a similar enough position to work--once both frames were fixed, I mixed them into the preview's footage in Vegas.

Immediately after #7, we see Rei turn towards Pharaoh before looking past him to see Napoleon running back into the Academia--though as Rei turns to look at Napoleon, her collarbone vanishes for some reason. Fixed using Photoshop and Vegas for 125 proper first, using the frame right before she turns as reference to splice in her collarbone lines and adjust them slightly in the movement frames as she turns towards Napoleon; once fixed, I then mixed the six or so fixed frames into the preview's footage in Vegas.

Fixes and Edits! (125)

During the recap of 124 at the beginning, we see the shot of Mask of Laughter sending his hand to the Cemetery through Fool Clown's effect to hit O'Brien with damage, with the same error in missing Fool Clown in Monster Zone #4 on his Disk, along with the same blank-gap error between his fingers in that one frame. Fixed by reprising my fix from 124 proper.

Getting into 125 proper, as Johan reacts in shock at Mask of Apathy having another Magic Card to use in Silent Torment, Apathy slides in on a split-screen to explain its effect, but Johan moves a frame before Apathy's split starts to slide in. Fixed in Vegas by redoing the start of Apathy's slide-in slightly so that he starts his slide-in during the frame Johan starts to move.

A bit after that, cutting back to Jim's duel with Mask of Anger, Anger activates Angered Anchor Knight's effect again to deal Jim damage, but as his Knight's anchor closes in on Jim, his Weathering Soldier is missing from Monster Zone #4 on his Disk, which we also see it in in the very next shot as his LP go down. Fixed using AfterEffects by applying a proxy, then applying some motion tracking to zoom it in while the Zone's visible.

A bit later, after Napoleon and Rei worry about Martin and why he's doing all this, we see a montage of all the Duel Zombies roaming inside the Academia--but when we see Shou and Ayukawa, their decks are missing in the deck slots on their active Disks, while all the other Zombies have theirs in place (and later, as they walk towards Judai and Martin, their decks are there). Thought of fixing this, but due to having to find a similarly angled shot or two to then try to mask into place and move with them, possibly using motion tracking, I left it as-is.

Sometime after that, Napoleon decides to sneak back into the Academia to try and find Martin, which Pharaoh notices; he scoots over to paw at Rei's leg to get her attention, but there are two quick issues that come up: 1) there's a quick movement frame (lasting for three frames) where Pharaoh's upper left leg/paw isn't fully drawn in towards the bottom, causing the ground behind him to be visible under the last brown spot, and 2) the movement frame immediately after (also lasting three frames) has the same leg/paw missing its spots suddenly before they come back in the next movement frame. As noted under 124, I fixed both in 125 proper first using Photoshop and Vegas, as I first used Photoshop to fill in the missing skin to fix #1, fixing #2 by using the next frame with his leg/paw spots back to cut out the leg itself and duplicate it into the error frame in #2, adjusting it to fit and erasing any extra parts I didn't need as it was in a similar enough position to work--once both frames were fixed, I mixed them into the footage in Vegas.

Immediately after #5, Rei turns towards Pharaoh before looking past him to see Napoleon running back into the Academia--though as Rei turns to look at Napoleon, her collarbone vanishes for some reason. As noted under 124, I fixed this using Photoshop and Vegas for 125 proper first, using the frame right before she turns as reference to splice in her collarbone lines and adjust them slightly in the movement frames as she turns towards Napoleon; once fixed, I then mixed the six or so fixed frames into the footage in Vegas.

Later, after O'Brien figures out that these duels are a ruse and gets his turn underway, the first time he uses Fire Back to re-summon Fire Trooper, he notes that Mask of Laughter will take another 1000 points of damage; he slides in on a split screen and chuckles as he drops to 1500 LP, only for O'Brien to slide Laughter out of the split-screen by moving to activate a second Fire Back--but Laughter starts moving for the slide-out a frame before O'Brien starts to move, and the slide-out also lasts about 12 frames when they're usually about 7-8, causing it to be slightly out of sync with the slide-out SFX. Fixed this in Vegas by first timing it so that Laughter sliding out happens as O'Brien moves, then by snipping out a frame or two of the slide-out to slightly speed up the slide-out to time it better with the SFX.

A few shots later, as O'Brien sends Volcanic Buckshot to his Cemetery as Fire Back's cost, Mask of Laughter takes another 500 points of damage--as the fire from it fades out around him, the Fool Clown that had been on his Disk from the start of the shot suddenly vanishes as soon as it's visible through the fire again, leaving a hole in his Disk that shows the background behind it. Fixed this in AfterEffects, applying my proxy and applying motion tracking to track the shot's movement as it shook around (which did pretty well overall given the fading fire obscuring some pixels) adjusting the brightness on it as the fire fades out, while also applying a solid color layer which I used to mask in some recreated fire lighting on top of the proxy for blending, fading it out as the fire faded.

A bit later, as Jim's about to play his first Time Stream, we quickly zoom up from his Disk to his upper body as he does so, but he's missing his just-summoned Cenozoic Fossil Warrior Skull Pawn in Monster Zone #4 on his Disk when we see it. Fixed in AfterEffects by applying a proxy, giving it some blurring to blend it in with the motion blurring going on.

A few seconds later, as Jim finishes explaining Time Stream's effect, joined on a split-screen by Mask of Anger, he declares his summoning of Mesozoic Fossil Warrior Skull King as their split-screen splits apart, but two things happen: 1) for the first frame of the slide-out, Jim's split is missing its border, and 2) the split-out itself lasts only two more frames. Fixed both in Vegas by re-doing their split-out to be a more fluid 7-8 frames long as they usually are, fixing #1 in the process by making sure Jim's split holds onto its border.

A bit later, after Jim's Skull King destroys Angered Anchor Knight and Mask of Anger uses his effect to bring him back, Jim says he was waiting for that; a confused Anger slides in for a split-screen as Jim explains that Skull King can attack twice and deal piercing damage, causing Anger to gasp and Jim to slide him off their split-screen to have Skull King's second King Swordplay attack happen--all the while, two things happen: 1) Jim moves for their split-screen a frame before Anger starts to slide into place, and 2) the border between them is still there in the first frame as their split-out starts, with their split-out lasting only three more frames. Fixed these in Vegas by first redoing Anger's slide-in to be timed with Jim moving for it, applying some motion blurring on his redone split for blending in the initial few frames, then by redoing their slide-out to be a more fluid eight or so frames as usual, fixing the ghost border issue in the process and timing it so that Anger's fully offscreen as Jim first moves to order Skull King's second attack.

A few scenes later, after Mask of Anger's LP hit zero and Teraoka is freed, Jim exhales in relief as everyone behind him cheers his win, though he's missing Skull King on his still-active Disk in Monster Zone #4. Fixed in AfterEffects by applying a proxy, applying gradual Gaussian blurring as the perspective transitions from him to everyone behind him.

A bit later, during Johan's last turn, Mask of Apathy tries to activate another Silent Magic Card from his hand in response to Johan activating Ruby's effect Special-Summoning his other Gem Beasts, but Johan slides in on a split-screen for a retort, saying that he won't be breaking his Ruby--though a few things happen as Apathy gasps and Johan slides him off the split-screen to use Rainbow Ruins's negate effect: 1) Johan's lip flaps end a second or two before he finishes his line, and 2) Mask of Apathy is moved within his split a frame before he starts to properly slide offscreen as Johan moves. Fixed both in Vegas, first by masking in a few extra lip flaps to fit the end of Johan's line, then by redoing Apathy's split's slide-out so that he slides out as he was during the full split-screen.

Honorary Mentions for the one error as Rei calls out to Napoleon after the eyecatch as they run down a hallway and her jacket is drawn with short sleeves (when her jacket's sleeveless), as well as the one while Judai, Rei, and Pharaoh run up to Martin and Napoleon near the end where the animation team didn't color in the end of Pharaoh's tail (I probably could've handled this one as it was a seven-frame job, but not being able to properly tell the spiky bits of his tail apart, I thought to leave it).

[wordsarelife]

—mine

pairing: theo nott x fem!reader

summary: your’s and theo's relationship throughout the years

warnings: canon typical violence near the end, mentions of the war, blood and death

note: feel free to request stuff for the christmas calender!!

theo was startled by a sudden voice who called out his name, he turned around, the book he was about to push into the empty space still in his hand. 

"nott" you had muttered, arms crossed and the surprised expression on his face when he turned around had almost made you lose it. you quirked a brow at the missing reaction. "i guess you don't even know my name?" 

"sorry" theo winced and you could see how umcomfortable he was simply because he knew nothing about the person standing in front of him. 

"don't feel too bad" you shrugged. "didn't know yours until you borrowed my favorite book for four weeks and i had to beg madam pince to tell me the name of the person who had it" 

"well, sorry again" theo held the book in your direction. "you can have it now, if you still want it" 

you completely ignored the book, until theo sighed and put it back in the empty space on the shelf where it belonged. "guess not" he muttered to himself. 

"so, tell me, theodore nott" you followed him back to the table with his things. "what tempts a guy like you to borrow a book like that?" 

"well, without meaning to insult you, i'd say it is more male literature than female isn't it?"

"you're a moron if you really think something like female or male literature exists" you sat down in the chair across from him. "i wouldn't declare sherlock holmes as male literature, more preciously i would say that most boys are too daft to even understand half the things arthur conan doyle mentions and to your information i'm taking great insult to whatever the hell you just said"

"geez" theo's eyes had widened, he found you a bit odd, annoying even, but he couldn't help but feel all the same intrigued. "like what you just said isn't an insult. most boys are too daft, huh?" 

"maybe daft is a bit too harsh, i admit that" you rolled your eyes, a smile on your lips, "but i'd say most are too impatient to read those books, yes"

"well, you're not wrong about that" theo nodded "i can't remember the last time one of my friends touched a book that wasn't part of a class" 

"that's quiet sad, i'd say"

"i agree" theo smiled. "so, now that we're on the same page, do you mind telling me your name? i feel like i deserve to know it"

"no" you grinned just as the smile vanished from his face. "i decide when you deserve to know, theodore nott" you left him sitting there, speechless about the sudden rejection. 

you never actually told theo your name. he only found out when you managed to borrow the memoirs of sherlock holmes for two months straight. 

the next time that the two of you talked was a few months later, at the beginning of december. snow had fallen and the hogwarts grounds had turned into a beautiful white landscape. 

the snow was poudry, but you managed not to slip as you made your way through it. your body tightly wrapped in layers of clothing, the thick ravenclaw scarf almost reaching up to your eyes as the falling snow hit your face. 

"not the right weather for a stroll, is it?" theodore nott had caught up to you, not exactly spotting the right outfit for the wuthering cold. 

"well, i know there's a reason you're a slytherin and not a ravenclaw, but i would've expected you to be just a little smarter, nott" 

theo looked down on his clothes just as you did. "i was actually just going for a smoke"

"in the middle of a mild snowstorm?" you quirked a brow. "i'd say it's not the right weather to be doing that either"

"you're a real know-it-all" 

"tell me something new, nott" you rolled your eyes "it's exhausting to always be right, you know?"

"i bet it is" theo shrugged sarcastically. "there had to have been a reason you got sorted into ravenclaw"

"well, as said before, i can see why you weren't" you shrugged with a grin. 

theo sighed. "another dig at the outfit, really?" 

"well, considering you're standing here discussing with me and getting yourself wet, i'd say i'm allowed to keep judging your outfit" 

"fair point" theo nodded and you were surprised he gave up so easily. "are you coming or what?" he asked, ready to walk back inside.

"no" you shook your head "you go ahead though, wouldn't want you catching a cold, who would faint during potions then and entertain the rest of the class?"

"hey, that was one time" he called, as you walked away "how did you even hear about that, we're not in the same potions class?"

you just shrugged and send him a smile over your shoulder. he was standing in front of the doors to the castle, soaked from head to toe and you had to admit, theodore nott was a (beautiful) sight for sore eyes. 

it wasn't like you minded theo's company, but you noticed how he started hanging around the places you frequently visited during the weeks to come. 

theo had it especially easy when he realized that you stuck to your routines during the week, making it impossible for him to miss you once he had figured it out. 

monday and wednesdays after class were spent in the library, doing homework or reading a book from your list. tuesdays you helped madam pomfrey in the infirmary, healing minor injuries or filling up medicine cabinets. thursdays were reserved for your friends, playing card games or just spending time together in the common room, you always found something to do. 

fridays were flexible and you often decided what to do spontaneously. sometimes you did a little tutoring, on other fridays you helped madam pince sort through books and put them back where they belonged or you continued reading the book you had begun reading that week. saturdays and sundays were for remaining homework, hogsmeade visits and drafting letters to send back to your family on the start of the next week. 

"you're not being slick, you know that?"

it was a friday and you were putting away books, when theo kept lingering around you, like he had done that past week. 

"what?" he asked, looking up from the book in front of him, a confused tone to his voice, clearly trying to mask that he knew exactly what you were talking about.

"well, i was sure you knew stalking was considered a legal offence" you noted.

"stalking?" he repeated. "i'm not stalking you"

"now, you're not not stalking me, are you?" you send a tight-lipped smile in his direction. "i do admit that it might be a question of definition, though" 

"aren't you a bit full of yourself if you think i would be stalking you"

"that was offensive" you rolled your eyes "and i'm pretty sure i'm not imaging you turning up everywhere i went this past week. and considering i didn't know you until a few months ago, i'd say that you only started doing that recently"

"well, i didn't"

"okay, you didn't" your shrugged and turned back to the shelf, reaching for another row of books from the trolley beside you, before you pushed them in a row one after the other. 

theo furrowed his brows, surprised by you just letting him get away like that. he knew he wasn't being slick, hell, he even knew that he was behaving like a stalker. you weren't wrong in the slightest and theo felt a bit called out by your words. but on the other hand, you hadn't said anything about being opposed to the idea that he really did go everywhere you did.

you waved at him, before you pushed the trolley into the next row of shelves. it didn't take long for him to follow, already making a decision in his mind. 

"go out with me" 

if he had startled you, you didn't show it. you didn't even blink at his suggestion, rather ignoring him like he was a fly on the wall, as you continued reaching for books on the trolley.

theo pushed the trolley to the side and stepped into the empty space. the next time you tried to reach for a stack of books, you touched his chest instead. 

"you're still here, nott" you noted the obvious. 

theo had to admit that he was a tad bit unsettled by your ignorance. he wasn't sure if you really hadn't heard him or if you just ignored the question, because he had made you uncomfortable. 

"you know, normally stalkers don't look so scared" you smiled mischievously. 

"i'm not stalking you, but i can understand if my company made you uncomfortable and i apologize if i have gone too far"

"you're a bit weird, you know that?"

"this is a serious topic, y/n" 

you smiled at the honesty in his voice and sighed. "do you really think if you were making me uncomfortable or i was scared of you i would continue to speak to you?" 

"well, no—"

"i'm not a child, theodore nott, i can voice when i'm annoyed, but i respect your manners" you smiled "and if anyone follows me around like a lost puppy, i'm glad it's someone with at least a little intellect"

"little intellect?" theo repeated offended. 

"you might be smarter than i thought, but you're really bad at this" 

"i know" 

"well, would you now let me sort in the rest of these books? you're kind of in the way"

theo, nodded, the disappointment flashing over his features just like a wave of water. "i guess that's a no" 

you waited until he had stepped aside and pushed the trolley back in it's original position. your hands reached for the row of sherlock holmes books and you held them up at him like a trophy. "that means yes, obviously" 

theo spent exactly three days brainstroming what to do for your date. his friends tried their best at helping him, more than interested to finally hear something about the mysterious girl theo had been infuriated with these past weeks. 

"is she that hideous?" blaise asked on the third day of theo's hard thinking.

"what?" theo raised his brows, he had been too deep in thought to even hear his friend.

"blaise just asked if your girlfriend was hideous, i'd hit him if i were you" mattheo shrugged, stiring the pot. it had been a particular slow morning and he had to admit that it would be quiet entertaining to see blaise and theo fight each other. 

"five galleons on blaise" enzo added, before theo was able to say something. 

"have a little faith in him" pansy said next to theo. "he might not look like it, but the boy has a wicked right hook"

"this is just embarrassing" draco threw the newspaper down in front of him. 

"what?" pansy giggled "the newspaper or that theo and blaise are going to slap each other even more stupid"

"take a guess"

"guys" theo sighed, annoyance already taking over the worry that was bubbling inside him. "i'm not going to fight blaise and y/n is not my girlfriend"

"no yet" enzo wiggled his brows.

"y/n, huh?" mattheo said with a mischievous smile.

"oh god" all colour drained from theo's face. "please tell me the two of you didn't hook up with each other"

"close to it" mattheo shrugged. "she tended to my wounds in the infirmary once and i could tell she had the hots for me"

"wasn't she the one who said you had the charm of a troll and the brains to match?" blaise offered with a smirk.

enzo's mouth almost hit the table infront of him by how fast it flew open. "that was y/n?" he giggled.

theo had to smile. "that does sound like something she'd say"

"she sounds lovely" draco nodded sarcastically "but at least she never saw mattheo naked. that does make her at least a little likable"

"i already love her" pansy quickly said, before draco could continue his judging. "seems like she knows how to handle little annoyances" 

"i'm not a little annoyance"

"yeah" theo nodded "you're a quite big one, actually" 

theo couldn't tell what had led him to the idea for your date, but he had known in that moment what the both of you should do. 

"so hot chocolate was your huge idea?" you smiled as you sat down in the booth across from him, the server already putting down two mugs with steaming hot drinks in front of you. 

"i saw how your friends gave you their hot chocolate packages after dinner and figured this might be something you liked" he shrugged "and before you call me a stalker again, i'm just very attentive to those around me"

you giggled as the grandma at the table next to you send you a worried glance at theo's words.

"he's harmless" you laughed in a way to assure her. 

theo managed an awkward wave and the woman turned away quickly.

"well, it seems those around you are very attentive too" you giggled. 

"i'm sorry" theo tried to hide behind his mug, feeling a tad bit ashamed at the awkward encounter, but having to laugh at the same time. 

"don't be" you smiled honestly "rather tell me something i didn't already find out by snooping around"

"you snooped around?" theo exclaimed surprised. 

"i had to get even, after you found out everything about me" you shrugged "i met this lovely boy, i think he goes by the name enzo, who told me a whole lot about you"

"oh god, no" 

"quite interesting to hear about all those things from someone who has no interest in sleeping with me"

"what? i don't—“

"so you don't intend to sleep with me?" you smiled. "don't be ridiculous, theodore nott"

"i'm just not used to being this straightforward, admittedly"

you completely ignored the surprise swinging in his voice and went on with your story. "enzo did give me some exciting information and i wanted to talk about one thing in particular"

theo was ready to close his eyes and open them back up after you had screamed and left him sitting alone at the table. he had to admit that he wasn't particularly proud of his dating history (or lack of) before he met you and he was sure you weren't happy about that either. 

"before you say something" he interrupted you, before you were able to let the words slip past your lips. "i'm not like that anymore, i was young and not interested in a relationship and just wanted a bit of fun—"

"what are you talking about exactly?" you asked, a susprised smile on your face. 

"that wasn't what you wanted to talk about, was it?" theo asked and you shook your head giggling. 

"i mean, don't let me tell you what to talk about" you managed to say between your laughter. "we can talk about your previous hookups if that's something you'd like to discuss"

"i'd rather not" theo shook his head and his cheeks turned rosy. 

"fine" you smiled "now back to my question: how did you manage to play out that prank on professor binns in our third year?"

theo's features relaxed at the simple question and he smiled, recalling the memory. "so it all started with a ridiculous idea from mattheo and me getting roped into something stupid again"

you spent the rest of the night talking and ordering one hot chocolate after the other. there was not one second of awkward silence, even as theo brought you back to your common room. 

"i had a lot of fun tonight" theo smiled, hands sinking into the pockets of his trousers. 

you had admired how well dressed he was when he had come to get you in the afternoon. 

"me too" you said honestly. "i can't wait for the next one"

"so there will be a next one?" 

"don't be ridiculous, theodore nott" you smiled, before telling the password to the eagle ontop of the door. "of course there will a next one" you slipped into the common room and away from the smiling boy in front of it. 

"are they weirder than you?" 

the voice startled theo, as he was standing in front of the shelf in the library. he turned around, not surprised that it was you who had asked that question. you mostly started your conversations in the middle, without so much as a hello or some kind of warning. 

"what?" theo wasn't sure what else to ask.

"you friends of course" you shrugged, like that had been obvious "we've been together for a month and i've never even met them" 

"well, you have met them" theo corrected. "like in the hallways or during dinner" 

"you know what i mean, theodore" you rolled your eyes. "i don't think a grunting sound could be classified as me meeting someone"

"that's just blaise, honestly" theo muttered "but pansy waved to you during dinner more than three times now"

"theo" you pushed "either something is completely wrong with them or me and i'd like to know what it is, now" you sighed, before you added "just say if you're ashamed of me or something, i know i can be a bit rude to people i don't know"

"tesoro" theo sighed "i'm sorry that i let you think that. they're just annoying, that's all"

"and you thought they would scare me away?" you smiled, touching his cheeks with your hands. "you stalked me for weeks and i'm still dating you, aren't i?"

"that's never gonna be funny" he called after you, as you walked out of the library. "fine, breakfast at the slytherin table for you tomorrow" 

"aye, aye" 

"she's not hideous" was the first thing you heard when you sat down at the table the next morning. 

"well, you aren't either, zabini" you smiled, not even fazed by his assumption. "even though theo warned me about you" 

"burn!" enzo called, exchanging a high five with pansy. 

"i'm so glad we finally get to meet" pansy smiled. "i've just been waiting to have another girl around, it sometimes gets to much with all the testosterone"

"i don't know how you manage, honestly" you smiled.

to say theo's friends and you hit it off immediately would be an understatement. it took approximately ten minutes for you to become part of the group. enzo and you had been friends before, unlikely study partners, after you had helped him on a potions assignment once. pansy was ready to keep you by her side for the rest of the year and even blaise took a quick liking to you.

mattheo and draco were harder to break. mattheo, still having a pretty hurt ego about you turning him down the year before, was sure that you were just dating theo to get back at him for whatever reason and draco was just not interested to have any relationship past a simple hello and goodbye. 

you didn't mind their antics, even if theo repeatedly apologized for it. 

yours and theo’s relationship lasted for exactly two years. theo broke up with you one day after your anniversary.

the break up was painful, the fight that followed even more and still, you held him that evening, both of you understanding the severity of your situation and the war that was waiting to happen.

“theo” you cried, rushing through the ruins of the courtyard just months later. 

you had been on different sides after all. you had followed harry potter into the war and theo had been bound to his father and to the promise the man had given to the dark lord. just like draco, mattheo, pansy, blaise and enzo. 

your friends had gotten lost in the fight and despite not being supposed to, you were desperately screaming for them. 

you ran back into the castle, not having found theo outside. you send curses at the death eaters that tried approaching you, having more luck than an actual plan. you were simply determined to find him. 

you were thrown down to the ground as the doors of the room of requirement suddenly appeared and flew open. just as quickly as they had opened, they closed again, spitting out people in the procress, before the fire was tamed behind the doors. 

harry potter, hermione granger and ron weasley were standing up from the ground slowly, black powder darkening their cheeks and clothes. 

it took a moment for you to realize who the other two people were, as you quickly got up from the ground. 

draco was breathing just as heavily as blaise was, both trying to fill their lungs with air. 

“oh god” you mumbled, before you finally started moving, your legs guiding you into the direction of your friends, falling into their arms and pressing them close to you. “i’m sorry, i’m so sorry” you cried. 

blaise and draco held onto you just as tight, not being able to let you go as they cried into your hair.

“be honest, draco” you said when you broke the hug, completely ignoring the trio next to you. 

“theo” draco muttered, knowing what you were talking about immediately. blaise and him exchanged a look. 

“is he dead?” you asked, heartbreak already burning in your limbs and throat. you were ready to mourn, ready to lose your life just like him. he had died for the wrong cause, but you hoped, heart heavy in your chest, that death was more forgiving than his life had been. 

“we don’t know” blaise finally said. “we got seperated in the halls, theo—he was looking for you i think”

“i have to find him” you muttered, touching each hand of the boys in front of you. “stay safe” you kissed both of their cheeks, before you turned on your heel, running down the corridor opposite of where you had come from. 

“theo!” you called once more, running up the stairs and through various hallways, hopeless to ever receive an answer.

“y/n” a voice called and you almost crumbled from the surprise it reached you with. hope was hard to keep and you had thought, really thought, that he was dead. 

theo wasn’t dead, but close to it. he was laying on the ground, his back against the wall, while the rest of his body was bathing in his own blood. his cheeks were empty of any colour, lips dry and almost blue as he looked up at you with tired eyes. 

“oh god” you muttered in shock, slipping onto the ground beside him, your uniform soaking up the blood like it was water in the lake. your hands touched his chest and the big glass shard that was stuck inside of it. theo hissed in pain. “sorry, sorry” you whispered. 

“they surprised me as i came down the corridor” he explained. “i was looking for you”

“you found me now” you whispered once more. 

“i don’t think they meant to do this” sweat dripped from his forehead. “they were kids, not older than fourteen, but they left and they took my wand”

“oh god” you repeated as you shook your head, holding his face in your blood soaked hands and kissing his lips softly.

“i thought you were dead” tears slipped over his cheeks and you shook your head crying. 

“i’m gonna help you” you said quickly, before reaching for your wand and using it’s magic to extract the glass from theo’s body. he was winding on the ground, the pain probably unbearable. but you had to do this in order to help him. he would heal, he would survive and that was all that mattered to you in this moment. 

“i don’t want to fight” theo cried “not for them, not against you” 

“i know, my love, i know”

the healing had begun, slowly but surely his wound closed up, only leaving behind the blood around you and the worry on your face.

“come on” you said, as soon as he looked less pale. you took his hand and he followed you through the corridors of the castle, standing next to you when you had to fight death eaters, even beginning to send curses himself. 

“you don’t have to fight, theo” you called over the loudness of the fight. “confringo! i don’t want you to fight against him” 

“i’m not leaving you” theo called back, his voice nearly drowned out by the deatheater across from him, who was screaming curses and uttering threats about theo’s betrayal at the same time. “he doesn’t mean anything to me”

“what?” you send the deatheater flying against the wall, effectively knocking him out. your wand was now facing theo's death eater too.

“i don’t care for my father” theo said, before he too send the man flying. “i only care for you and your well being”

you made sure it was safe, before you pulled him in and kissed him so passionately that you almost forgot you had ever been apart. “don’t ever let me go again, theodore nott” 

“i wouldn’t dare, y/n l/n” 

you took his hand, walking back into the entrance hall, looking if you were needed anywhere. that’s when you saw them coming over the bridge. 

“he’s here” you said, pushing theo behind you if there was really anything you could do to save him. “he’s—“ you paused, as the both of you walked closer up behind the rows of people already standing in the courtyard.

“harry…?” your voice was quiet, as you adressed the boy you had put all your hope in. someone you hadn’t known well, not well enough to be on first name basis, but what did it matter now that he was. what was he?

“harry potter is dead!” voldemort announced loudly, while the deatheaters broke into laughter. 

ginny weasley dashed forward with a heartbreaking scream. “no! no!”

“stupid girl! harry potter is dead, from this day forth you put your faith in me” you looked down onto the ground in front of you and then back at theo, who looked like he was being painfully tortured by voldemorts words. he too had set his hope into harry.

“it’s done” you said softly. “the war is over”

“we lost”

“harry potter is dead!” voldemort repeated once more “and now is the time to declare youself. come forward and join us.. or die”

your ears were drenched out by the wailing sound in your head. it was loud that you missed everything neville said. you pressed your eyes close, wishing to be anywhere else. to be free from this destiny, but you knew you could never just leave. you wouldn’t be able to leave all these people behind. 

it was theo‘s voice that woke you from your half sleeping state. the word he muttered was foreign on his tongue, but ignited a flame inside of you immediately. 

“harry”

your eyes snapped open like a gun shot had rung through the air. but it wasn’t the sound of a gun. it was harry potter, who was running and firing spells at voldemort. you just had seconds to react, before the fight broke out again, no end in sight. 

you had never thought to be happy that a war continued.

but continuation meant that you hadn’t lost yet. there was a chance to win as long as harry potter was alive. 

when voldemort finally dies, it’s nothing like you ever imagined. he bursts into the air, pieces by pieces disappearing until only his wand is left. 

the deatheater in front of you let’s his wand fall to the ground and you don’t have any interest to finish the job as you sank into theo‘s arms. content is flashing through your body and immediate tiredness is dragging you down. theo holds you as all your weight crashes against him. 

you‘re tired of fighting and of war and death and fear. there is nothing in your head, apart from the thought that you will never have to endure all of that again.

theo and you went away after the war.

you travelled europe for a year, before you came back to hogwarts to finish the school year you were still missing. 

theo got a job at the ministry, you started working at hogwarts. he proposed to you the day that you signed the contract. 

your wedding was beautiful. pansy and luna were your bridesmaids. draco and mattheo were theo‘s groomsmen. all of your friends were there. you had even invited the golden trio, it was only thanks to them that the both of you were still alive and able to celebrate your connection.

“you lost your bow again, robin!” theo picked up the little pink bow and clipped it to his suit, knowing that your daughter was way too busy to even hear him call for her. 

“maybe you should just give up” you suggested, picking up luke who was softly hitting your leg, seemingly tired of walking. 

“but she looks so cute with it!” theo protested, the disappointment sipping from his voice as he pushed the trolley through the wall. 

“it‘s no use if she always loses them” you shrugged. “what is it? like the tenth one you’ve gotten her in the past month alone? just wait until she’s older, love”

theo sighed, but nodded at your suggestion. 

“grace, robin” you called, looking around the people in front of you to spot your girls. 

“well, lucky you’ve got me” mattheo popped up next to you, robin in his arms, as he threw a wink in your direction. 

“why are you even here, mate?” theo asked annoyed “you didn’t have any children the last time i checked”

“well, theres still a few women we’re not a hundred percent sure about yet” pansy joked as she appeared in front of you. “hey sweetheart” she kissed your cheek, before she took luke out of your arms. 

“haha” mattheo rolled his eyes. “i was just accompanying my nieces and nephew’s like a good godfather and uncle should do”

“nope” theo shook his head. “you’re still not grace’s godfather, one daughter of mine has to be enough, riddle” 

“yeah, yeah” mattheo shook his head, clearly not caring about anything theo said “we’ll get there eventually”

“no, we won’t, that’s the point—“ 

“hello nott” blaise greeted, draco following, scorpius and grace behind him. you sighed in relief, glad you daughter had not gotten lost.

“blaise” theo nodded, while you went around the trolley, hugging both men. 

“amazing style choice” blaise pointed against his chest and theo's eyes fell down on his own chest, having completely forgotten about the bow he had pinned there. “looks great on you, mate”

“it’s robin’s”

“sure, keep telling yourself that” blaise said with a sarcastic smile “i heard denial is a river in egypt, y/n”

you giggled, but promptly stopped when theo elbowed you. “you’re my wife. mine” he muttered between clenched teeth, but clearly joking. 

draco took a look on his watch. “there are places we have to be, aren’t there?” he set a hand on both scorpius’ and grace’s shoulder, who were talking to each other excitedly.

“of course” you nodded, following your friends to the platform and hugging your daughter so close, as if that might make her leaving a little less hard. “stay with scorpius, sweetheart. stick together, the both of you” you advised. 

“i think isaac was trying to safe a department for the three of you” blaise told you daughter, who smiled gratefully. 

“yes, mum” grace nodded, before you swapped places with theo, who was already crying. 

“write to me every week, honey!” he declared. “stay far away from professor trewlaney and close to your mother as soon as she’s back at work”

“theo” you shook your head “she should have space to develop” you watched grace and scorpius board the train, waving as it slowly left the station.

“i’ve seen people develop at hogwarts!” he shook his head “it lead to a pregnancy in your case, tesoro”

blaise and draco choked on their spit simultaneously.

“that was after i became a teacher and you know it, dear husband”

mattheo held robin away from him, to take her in fully. “were you made there too?” he muttered, more to himself than anyone in particular.

“mattheo!” draco, pansy and you scolded loudly. 

“hey guys!” enzo appeared behind you suddenly, startling all of you. “oh no, they’re already off, aren’t they?” 

you nodded sadly, feeling sorry for the poor bloke who couldn’t arrive on time if his life depended on it.

“half an hour too late” draco exclaimed with a look at his watch. “as always”

“well you know the traffic is being a bitch” enzo slapped a hand to his mouth, before he took a quick look at evie next to him. “sorry, love. well everything’s been a b-word since jacky started forcing me to use muggle transportation.”

“i do not envy you one bit” mattheo shrugged.

“well, evie” enzo shrugged “the train is gone, but i hear that the weasleys have this super cool car, that—“

“no!” you shook your head, taking the little girls hand in yours. “i’ll take her!” 

“so get-together at yours or what, nott?” mattheo asked “gonna have to know which of your kids were conceived in hogwarts” 

“mattheo!” all of you scolded at the same time.

[todomatsuno]

Art by @cavematsu and old au shared with @girlymatsu and @ichikos ! The run down is tottys wife passes away after giving birth to their son, and 8 months later we fuck and it’s bad for both of us.

Tw: maternal death, intoxication, implied abusive relationships, mutual pity sex, grief and child neglect

Christmas party

You look so much like her it's insane. Todomatsu can see the similarities to the point where the differences might as well not exist.

But they do, and you pale in her memory. Like a generic copy of Todomatsu's dead wife, which is probably why he always thought about you during work.

Not to keep you in his back pocket, you weren't an option and Todomatsu would never betray the love of his life. Not for you - not for the poor man's Dani.

Your lips aren't as full as her's were, but that lipstick shade is close enough. Your complexion a bit more cool, almost murky in comparison to Dani's warm hue. Your eyelashes are not as full, but you have less laugh lines.

Even though Todomatsu never thought of you as Dani, nor Dani as you but it was easy before to tell the difference. Your voice is higher than Dani's naturally low pitch, despite being the same weight your fat pooled almost equally in your upper and lower half while Dani's shape was more a pear than hourglass.

She didn't need this much mascara, and she didn't need glasses. Dani kept her hair styled in a cute pixie that took much longer than Todomatsu would ever expect to maintain.

Under the Christmas lights Todomatsu can see all of the differences, but in the face of the similarities they might as well not exist.

You're bursting out into laughter, spitting out a bit of alcohol at a joke Osomatsu made at Todomatsu's expense. Dani would've laughed like that too, Dani had laugh lines from the amount of unadulterated joy she felt, and Todomatsu can see the hint of your overbite and beyond that your tongue. It's color and shape... Todomatsu looks away feeling flustered.

"He used to be afraid of the dark too." You lean over and push Todomatsu by the shoulder with tears in your eyes, "What?! For real?!"

A beauty mark right next to your lip, one right under your eye. Dani's mirrored the positions exactly.

Todomatsu's known you for a long time but he's never met with you outside of work. Why would he when he was so happy and in love?

You'd given him advice to relay to Dani, you'd even given him some old baby clothes before the ultrasound revealed Matsumatsu's sex. You offered tips based on your own history with a heart condition and the hardships you faced when dying during pregnancy.

But you lived and Dani did not.

"That was such a long time ago, Osomatsu-niisan. I'm not like that anymore." Todomatsu looks away again but he can't keep his eyes off of you.

You're throwing back another shot of sake and Todomatsu takes a drink of his own after each one. You keep smiling and touching him, and Todomatsu wonders would it be alright just this once?

Do you want him?

Would you care if he pretended you were Dani? After all its only been eight months, surely you'd understand the pain Todomatsu's going through. It's so hard to lose the love of your life, and Todomatsu has needs...

If you'd be willing to help him, he'd make it worth your time?

After all, aren’t you always offering to help Todomatsu out? His work, that he gratefully pushes off onto you, his child that he drops off in the early mornings so Todomatsu can sleep for at least an hour without wanting to smother the little bastard. Todomatsu let’s you give and give, and surely you want something in return.

You want him, right? For Todomatsu to repay your kindness, by letting you replace what he lost? That’s your goal, isn’t it?

Why else would you care so much? Isn’t the excuse, “I know how hard it is to lose someone,” a bit too lame? You’re divorced too, and for as long as Todomatsu’s known you, there’s this vibe of insecurity and over eagerness.

This time Todomatsu has something to give back. Maybe Todomatsu can repay you for everything you’ve done, he won’t ever promise you Dani’s place -but…can’t Todomatsu get what he really wants more than anything? You can stop doing the other favors if you need to, but this one is the most important.

Todomatsu has needs and you’re the only one left to fulfill them.

You're doubling over in laughter after Erina's pun. Dani would've shot a joke back thrice as funny without hesitation but you're choking trying to get your rebuttal out.

When you make eye contact with Todomatsu it terrifies him because that's not how his Dani smiled.

"I met your twin today at work, why didn't you tell me about her?" Todomatsu told Dani conversationally, she looked at him with confusion, "My twin?"

"Yeah another new recruite. You guys both have the same birthday and last name, it's almost as if you don't take me seriously or something."

Dani asked for the information and it turns out no, when she stared at your contact card she giggled and said, "Jesus Christ I can't expect you to remember me in a murder line up, could I?"

Simpson and Simplins. August 1st and August 2nd, in the same year too. That day when he learned these things about you Todomatsu automatically edited them in his memory so these aligned perfectly with his Dani.

Erina's talking again and Todomatsu's downing his 6th drink of the evening. He probably shouldn't have anymore.

"If you could have sex with one real person in all of history who would it be?"

The smell of gingerbread is gonna make Todomatsu sick, but jeez his dick is so hard thinking about the answer.

"My dead wife." Todomatsu's eyes begin to water and Osomatsu sucks in a breath next to Erina, he even starts scratching his cheek awkwardly. "Who died in childbirth eight months ago, I'd love to have sex with her one last time."

Just a few simple simple gestures and suddenly Dani is back in front of Todomatsu, alive and well with her swollen stomach and beautiful smile.

"My body still yearns for her." You snort immaturely next to Todomatsu, leaning over and Todomatsu slumps to the table.

"Lemme see her."

You slowly slurp from your shot glass, judging Dani critically, before swallowing the entire drink. "The ultimate downside of finding the one is she might die and leave you wanting." It's half bragging, half pure grief that has Todomatsu extending the phone towards you.

So you can see what you're being compared to. The perfection that was his Dani. You're drunk and when you finally wobble enough to sit up straight the first thing you slur is, "I pick your dead wife too."

What?

Todomatsu blanks, "She's so hot I want her to ruin me." You then snatch the phone from Todomatsu and show it to Erina, "Look how hot this dead girl is! If I knew how a threesome worked, boy say..."

You start pouring yourself another drink, but Todomatsu reaches out without thinking to stop you. He briefly tries to calculate if you're too drunk to make a move on, if it'd be wrong to try to take you home.

"What's wrong, Todomatsu-kun?" You ask, "I think you might've had enough tonight." Todomatsu gingerly pries the bottleneck from your hands.

"Don't worry, I'm actually faking this." You tell him with a wink which immediately lets Todomatsu know you've had too much. "Alright." He humors you while Osomatsu and Erina sneak off into their own little world.

"No, I definitely am." You look a lot more aware and less loopy than before. "In fact I can sound perfectly normal if I wanted to." That's a scary little trick. Your voice switches to its sober cadence.

"Are you lonely, Todomatsu-kun? I know I am these days."

Maybe Todomatsu was actually the drunk one because one moment you asked him a question, the next Todomatsu finds himself in his back on your bed.

When'd he get here, when did you take off his clothes? All Todomatsu can remember is a few disconnected sensations of pure ecstacy. Like a high he'd been chasing forever.

Todomatsu's Dani wouldn't have played coy for so long, she wouldn't have hinted at what she wanted. She wouldn't have used a joke to cover her desire.

Dani wasn't vulgar by any means, just open. She wanted Todomatsu and she let him know that without the confusion of subtly.

He can't close his eyes for this, not really. If Todomatsu closes his eyes then Dani disappears and all he'll be left with is your voice, and not her appearance.

You're beautiful in your own right, but you don't know how to touch Todomatsu like Dani could. He can still remember how she would drag her nails across his chest when she rode him. You're just clutching Todomatsu's shoulder with an unsteady grip, like you might push him away any second.

She's almost you, Todomatsu thinks when your nails hurt him. You're smiling - that's so it's familiar, your teeth catch your bottom lip just like his Dani's, and as Todomatsu lifts his pelvis you puff out like a gasp.

You say Todomatsu's name and he murmurs Danielle's. He can't look away, even as your head whips down in confusion.

"Hey?" Your voice isn't gentle, but even though it's clear you're offended you aren't shoving Todomatsu yet. You're still grinding so you can't be that mad.

"Don't call me by her name." Todomatsu shivers, so your voice can get that deep too? If he tries his best those dark freckles have their positioning flipped, and Todomatsu can pretend that the hints of your dark hair are actually a part of the ceiling.

Your glasses are pressing into Todomatsu's elbow where he's gonna keep them. You aren’t supposed to have those.

"I'm not her." Todomatsu blinks and he can't even see you anymore in his bleary vision.

"Todomatsu." You're losing your resolve quickly because Todomatsu remembers how much you loved it when he fucked you like this. "Keep up that energy, babe." Why didn’t you say it like how you’re supposed to?

Why did you say, “Please keep it up,” instead? Don’t you remember how you used to talk to Todomatsu?

Todomatsu hears your voice and corrects the mistake that goes through in ear out of the other, "I like that, Totty." Why would you say that, Dani? Of course you like that... oh Danielle... Does that feel good?

That whimper isn't right - and Todomatsu's lucky that he can't see a thing because he's sure the expression on your face doesn't match the mischievous, toothy little grin he's used to.

Todomatsu's grateful for the tears he can't wipe away, he's appreciative that your hips feel just a little lighter than before too.

When you were pregnant it was so hard to lift you like this. When you were - Todomatsu in a panic touched your stomach to make sure that little bastar- his son. Your son. Isn't there to kill you?

He sighs blissfully when he realizes your stomach is only padded with fat.

The noises he's making are harder to conceal, and you're not as passionate as before. "Please."

Todomatsu whines, "Don't make me beg, Dani." You snort, and that's his girl. Tease me, grab me by my hair and bite into my neck. Dominate me in every way, make me submit. Todomatsu's missed you so much, and he's been so good.

"C'mon now." You break the spell momentarily.

"That's not my name...This is getting uncomfortable," You still haven't stopped riding Todomatsu and he hasn't stopped pumping his pelvis into you.

"Could you actually at least not say her name?" You're mumbling something about trying to be understanding of his grief, but you're starting to feel bad.

"I know I'm not as pretty as she was, but can it just be me and you? Please?" You're cupping the bottom of Todomatsu's cheek, trying to wipe away his tears.

"You're making me feel worse than I already do." Todomatsu can hear what Dani would've say in his ears. This is getting pathetic all around, babe. If you're gonna sleep with someone else, at least do it properly. You can't triple cuck everyone involved and make it not weird.

Todomatsu swallows, trying to pick his next words carefully, he's being greedy and can tell he's not gonna get another shot at fucking Dani again.

You've finally stopped moving altogether, Todomatsu's tears have been dabbed from his cheeks and you look more terrified than he'd ever seen you at the office.

"No..." You suck in a breath, the absence of warmth will be missed but only briefly. "You're just as beautiful as she was I... you seriously look exactly like her, so I was being rude. I'm sorry."

Dani would've cussed Todomatsu out, she would've crashed her lips into his, and kissed him until he couldn't breathe. Dani didn't do jealousy, she knew she had Todomatsu wrapped around her finger and it took very little to regain his fleetingly wandering attention. That's what she did two years ago when you first showed up at the office. So Todomatsu wouldn't forget about her.

"You're not Danielle, and I know that." You settle next to Todomatsu to study the ceiling.

You're quiet.

"I don't want to be your band-aid."

That's bullshit. The selfishness in Todomatsu wants to scream hypocrite! Liar! Instead Todomatsu tilts his head up to look at your ceiling with you.

"Why not?" He asks softly so the rage in heart settles, "Isn't that the whole reason you're sleeping with me? Aren't you using me as your bandage?"

This line of thinking catches you off guard, "I wasn't imagining my ex." You defend yourself half heartedly, Todomatsu can tell you're picking your words carefully. "I didn't call you the wrong name." You don't even sound jealous.

"But you would've been here with anyone else since it's not as if you like me, or that I'm special to you." You roll over but don't kick Todomatsu out yet.

"You left your ex so you're lonely, and my wife was taken from me so now I'm lonely. Let's be each other's band-aids for tonight."

Todomatsu knows you've got one argument left in you and it's the same one he'd use in your position in order to hit under the belt.

Do you really think I'm okay with being her replacement?

No.

"Just say my name, okay?" That's such a pathetic request, and Todomatsu pitied you almost as he pities himself when you pull him ontop. "Don't call me Danielle, please." You're on the verge of tears, Todomatsu can hear just how vast that pit must be.

You sound so alone.

"I won't, Robin." You've looped your arms around Todomatsu's neck, and he kisses you tenderly when he slides between your thighs. Todomatsu understands his grief like he knows the back of his hand.

But this?

Todomatsu didn't expect to shift his attention from his own pain to the suffering of someone else. You're cautious in your neediness, like you're afraid that Todomatsu will say or do something that bruises you further. Your tongue is shy and skittish, your lips yield to Todomatsu's, you melt like snow under the warmth of his touch.

He hates having this much control. You feel so good wrapped around Todomatsu to the point where he could let you dissolve him. Swallow him whole until there's nothing left to give.

Todomatsu feels so alone.

The word slips out sincerely under Todomatsu's tongue, through his teeth and into your mouth. "Thank you so much for this." You pull away and Todomatsu murmurs them more into your neck, pressing a few kisses as he goes.

It feels so nice, so warm. "Thank you, Robin." Todomatsu pities you an incredible amount when the friction slicks, you really want to hear your name. "Thank you, Robin." You're squirming, and so much wetter.

If Todomatsu lifts your leg, you hold it there, if Todomatsu pins your hands you stay still. He can manipulate and control your body which is a freedom he's unaccustomed to. There's places to touch that Todomatsu's never felt before, new textures that he wants to explore, differences in anatomical variations. He wants to know more, to consume it. To bite, chew and swallow this novelty.

Dani wasn't submissive, Dani wasn't like this, and it's not Dani that Todomatsu is nailing to this bed. He's only been thinking of you - his Robin... No, Todomatsu tries to stake claim but it feels wrong. You're not his Robin. He doesn't own you, or can align himself with you in that regard. Todomatsu's heart still belongs in that urn sitting on the mantle of his living room. On that alter, with that picture, in the dust with his Danielle.

Danielle's Todomatsu is crying again, and you've just closed your eyes. You're ignoring Todomatsu's whimpers and sniffles, instead letting him bleed out in order to dress your own wounds.

"I love you?" You don't even sound convinced when you speak, Todomatsu can't tell if it's a poorly timed but legitimate confession, or if you're saying them in order to fulfill a fantasy.

"I love you too, Robin." Your eyes pop open wide, with the most lovely surprised smile, "You do?!" God, you ask so drunk and sweet that Todomatsu can't even feel guilty for lying.

"I always have." He plays along, that relief in your expression can't be wrong. "Ah! Th-thank you too then!"

You were wet before, and Todomatsu was enjoying fucking you but now, you're lying to Todomatsu and he's lying to you in turn. It's only been a few minutes but the sound of someone moaning his name, and saying so dishonestly honest 'I love you', while rolling their hips.

Todomatsu cums faster than he thought he would, and the second he does he breaks into a sob as he lies to you one more time, "I love you Robin." A major betrayal, and Todomatsu realizes with a jump he didn't use protection. Todomatsu cheated on the love of his life tonight and he didn't even use a condom.

You could get pregnant - Todomatsu could lose you too, he could kill you just like he killed his Dani. Todomatsu settles onto your chest, heaving hard to suppress the urge to hyperventilate. He won't throw up if he can find your heartbeat.

Todomatsu is driven by logic, there's nothing to he done at this point, if you're pregnant you'll get an abortion. He won't let you die.

Todomatsu nuzzles you until he locates your pulse. With an ear pressed Todomatsu stops choking, he stops writhing and his breathing stabilizes.

It'll be alright, Todomatsu won't make the same mistake twice. He won't.

_____________

This marriage is out of convenience since you seem hell bent on getting another kid. "Y'know, I'm kinda scared you never actually wanted to sleep with me. You just wanted to get pregnant."

Todomatsu's frustrated a bit since you only talk about the children, and work. He doesn't know a thing about you other than you love babies.

"I wouldn't have done that when I could just steal my cutie pie." You bow raspberries on Matsumatsu - Touhimatsu's cheeks. It's gonna take time getting used to, but Todomatsu is getting better at remembering his baby's new name.

Your toddler pokes Todomatsu's one year old son, then demands kisses of her own. The three of you are really affectionate, Todomatsu thinks with

envy. Over the months Touhimatsu's has become brighter of a child, now smiling at Todomatsu more than ever. He began crying and calling for mama so often you told Todomatsu you weren't leaving your son by himself.

Your son.

You claimed Touhimatsu as flesh and blood for months now, and he's come to love you as his primary caregiver. You sing to him, feed him, play, nap, change him and do all the little things Todomatsu was too tired to do with a smile. You look like his mother too, there's no denying that fact. Your physical appearance aside, the care you show for Touhimatsu is the exact amount you show for Vivi.

Touhimatsu is loved more as your son than he ever was by Todomatsu alone.

"Touuuhibibabyy!" You're singing one of your silly songs, and Vivi joins you, then Touhimatsu babbles along. The three of you start singing some love song you altered the lyrics to be appropriate for familial love.

This picnic is peaceful, the breeze is nice, Todomatsu's two children are laughing while you play a game of peakaboo, and everything feels wonderful. Todomatsu hopes the bittersweet taste will leave him soon, but for now he's glad he can witness this family. One day Todomatsu will feel apart of it by choice.

One day Todomatsu knows he'll feel happy that this is his life, one without conditions, or Dani's death as a prerequisite. One day Todomatsu will say, "I'm happy to be alive, and I love my family." and he'll mean it with his whole heart.

But for today, Danielle's Todomatsu sits with her on that mantle, in the urn, between the ribs of her shrine. He's smiling for her right now, but soon Todomatsu will smile for himself.

[thatonepunkkid]

Hair Problems | Punkie's Diary

Y'know what I think is stupid? Having a hair styling business that won't let you book ahead of time.

Backstory, so about a month ago I got a new cut and look for my hair. Before it was long and ombré and now it's short and I have a peek-a-boo style for dye. The reason I've always had long hair and ombré was because I didn't want to go through the hassle of needing to schedule a bunch of hair appointments to maintain the length of short hair or for root touch ups. And today I was reminded of that exactly.

My current living situation is this: I live in school dorms away from home and I can't contact my family stylist to do my hair because they're located in my hometown, which is the city neighbouring where I go to school. Meaning if I want to get my hair done I either have to go home or find a new stylist where I'm currently living. Can you guess which one is the easier option? Well, turns out, going home would've been the easier option to do ironically.

I found some hair spots around the area where I go to school, a good bus ride away, but the issue I found was that they didn't allow ahead-of-time booking...

Yep... you read that right.

Normally, day of booking wouldn't be a problem if you were getting a haircut. It's just a cut, all you need are scissors and other things like that to do it. My issue is for me is that it's not just a cut, it's also a root touch-up. So for my case bleach and colour are needed. So, guess who wasn't prepared to do bleaching and colouring for my hair when I walked in for my appointment?

What?!! A hair styling business with day of booking not prepared to bleach and dye hair?!! Who would've guessed?! It's not like in order to actually be prepared to do those treatments they need to know ahead of time in order to have the bleach and colour ready... -_-

Ok, so I couldn't get my hair done that day. Whatever. That barber shop sent me to another place that did walk-ins assuming that they could do colour. They couldn't either. No surprise there. You need to know ahead of time if your customer is going to get their hair dyed so that way you have the products ready. They weren't ready. I don't blame them for that.

So what's my issue then? My issue is I wasted around 3 hours at the mall to end up with nothing. I went to the mall early because, by the time I booked my day of appointment, it said that they wouldn't be able to take me in until two to two and a half hours later. So, while I waited I just did my grocery shopping and things like that, after two hours I went to my appointment only to be told that I couldn't go. There was no point in me staying at the mall because nothing was going to happen, but I couldn't go back to my dorm yet because I had to wait an hour for the next bus to come. So I was literally at the mall for around 3 hours rotting away. That was my issue.

Like, I'm never going to blame a place for not being ready for not-so-simple walk-ins. That's completely understandable. But when a place tells you that they have the equipment for everything and are ready for a day of appointment no matter what it is only to tell you when you walk in that they're not ready and they weren't prepared is where I need to draw the line. Literally all of this could've been avoided if I could book ahead of time so the place had time to prepare for my hair care. In the end, that whole thing just wasted my time and ruined that barber shop's impression on me, which sucks because I looked at reviews and that place seemed pretty good. Thankfully the other place I was recommended allowed me to make an appointment. So next week on Tuesday I should be able to get my hair done.

But seriously, I'm probably never going back to that first place I went to.

[i-cant-sing]

It's very hard to come up with romantic yanderes but I've just got this idea:

Imagine Toji Fushiguro being betrothed to you, Y/n Gojo. Ever since he was a kid, he was told that he would marry the Gojo Saturo's older sister to make the clan stronger.

Now we all know that Toji hated being told what to do, so he swore to himself that he'd never marry you once he grows up. In fact, Toji grew up hating you because all the elders tried to drill it into him that he only existed to marry you and he's useless otherwise.

Alas, Zenin clan did end up forcing Toji to marry you. However, Toji remained defiant even after marrying you. He did not care that you were actually in love with him, he told you once that this was a "marriage of convenience" and that he'd never touch you with a 10 foot pole even if you were the last person on earth because you're a "manipulative bitch". Now reader is 100% confused because she didn't understand why Toji resents her, but decides to work on this marriage for the sake of her family.

Toji cheats on you, slept around with pretty much anyone and everyone, ended up having Megumi with someone and then forced the baby into your lap, wasn't home much because he'd much rather risk his life doing a bounty hunt than sleep in the same bed as you.

You on the other hand, continued to surprise him as you took it all with a smile. When he told you he was cheating on you, you just nodded and asked if he'd like you to run him a bath. When he dropped Megumi in your lap, telling you it's his son, you smiled and cooed at the baby, promising to take care of him. Whenever he tried to sneak out of the house early morning, you'd come out of the kitchen with his lunch, wishing him a safe journey.

He thought you were crazy. No one in their sane mind would react how you had.

Toji won't lie, he may have not fallen for you, but you had managed to soften up his heart and change his opinion of you from "I MF HATE HER-!" to "She's alright."

He doesn't remember what exactly it was that made him fall for you, but it mightve been the time when he found out how you lied to Zenin clan when they asked if Toji had been treating you well or not. You smiled gently and sang hsi praises, and he couldn't figure out why you did that. You had no reason to, your clan was superior to his, they would've protected you. Toji knows how respected and loved you are by your family.

Or maybe it was when he'd return home with injuries and you'd stay up all night taking care of him. There had been quite a few times when he was near death's door, and it was you who had brought him back.

Or maybe it was the fact that Naoya told him that it was you who paid the Zenin clan to give Megumi to Toji. You paid, out of your own pocket, not your family's money, but your own. For him. And you never told him.

It was selfless acts like these that made Toji realise he was in love with you.

You'd always been so selfless, haven't you?

Eventually, Toji began to show you affection, began being the husband you deserved. You didn't change much, responding the same way you always had, a smile and a submissive nod.

One day, you had off-handedly mentioned to him how you don't think its safe for Megumi to be left with the Zenin clan.

The next day, Toji had returned with the news that he and Megumi were no longer associated with the Zenin clan. An act of love.

However, this act of love turned out to be the worst decision he'd ever made because 6 months later, you'd handed him the divorce papers.

"What is this?" Toji asked, frowning at the contents of the paper.

"Divorce papers. Now, I've already packed my bags, Megumi is still at school with Gojo so you can talk to him later. Don't worry, I'll explain that I found someone else or you can say that it was you who dumped me- whatever story you wanna go with, Toji. I'm fine with it!" You said nonchalantly as you rolled out your suitcases.

"Y/n. I- what are you talking about? What is the need for this?!" Toji demanded, slamming the papers on the table. "Why are you leaving?!"

You looked confused. "Huh? I thought you'd be happy?" You shook your head. "Toji, we are not a real couple. Now, you'd be free to marry whoever you want, and I can move on with my life."

"What are you saying?"

"A marriage of convenience." You smiled. "That's what you said on our first night. Now, you're free."

"No- why? Why now?" Toji asked, blocking the doorway.

"Well, I was gonna leave you after the first month. But then I saw how Zenin clan treated you and I realised you were just a victim in this. If I'd left, I knew the repercussions would've been deadly for you. So I stayed. Then you brought Megumi, so more the reason to stay. But when you told me you'd left the clan, oh! I was so happy! I'd have left the same day, but I wanted to make sure they didn't come after you or Megumi later. So I waited for a few more months and now we're here!" You explained with glee. "Now, you can sign those papers and send them over whenever you feel like-"

"No."

"No?"

"No." Toji repeated, tears in his eyes. "No. You- you're not leaving. You can't. I still- I need you. I love you."

"Is this about money? Because I can still send you some even after we're separated." You sighed and tried to move past him. "Toji~ don't make this harder than it needs to be. Move aside, please." But Toji shook his head and hugged you, his large form completely engulfing yours, and he sneakily threw your bags to the side.

"No. You can't do this to me." He said, hugging you tighter when you tried to wriggle out of his arms. "I love you, Y/n. I fucking love you!"

"Toji, just sign-" Toji pulled away from you, grabbing your chin gently before slamming his lips against yours.

"We can leave, huh? We can go somewhere you like, spend away some time, hm?" He kissed you again when you tried to turn him down. "Just the two of us! I can show you how good I can be. I- I promise, I won't ever hurt you again, I'll be the best husband! I'd do anything for you!"

"Anything?"

"Anything."

"Then sign the goddamn papers, Toji." You pushed him off, but he fell to his knees, once again blocking the door.

"Please don't do this." He begged, on his knees, hugging your torso. "I was made for you. Don't do this."

"Stop this, Toji. You're acting like a child. You don't need me anymore, so stop being so selfish." You said, throwing away your bags and hopping over him to get to the door.

"I'll kill myself." That stopped you dead in your tracks. Toji walked up behind you. "If you step outside of this house, Y/n, I swear to God, I'll kill myself." This was his last resort, blackmailing you to stay. You're too selfless, you care too much.

You turned around, with tears in your eyes. Toji felt guilty for pulling on your heartstrings like this but he'd cross any line to make you stay.

"Y/n-"

You slapped him across the face.

"How dare you?" You asked. "How dare you use that against me?" You raised your hands to slap him again but Toji caught your wrist.

"I'm sorry, but it's true. I'll kill myself if you leave. I'll have no purpose in life, nothing to look forward to if you're not here." Toji said, kissing your palm.

"Fine then." You pulled you hand away as Toji smiled. "I'll make sure to bring flowers over to your grave. Or would you like me to spread your ashes instead?" Toji's face never fell so fast. "If you wanna die, then so be it. I'm done feeling guilty for stuff I didn't do." You turned around to leave, only for Toji to grab you from behind and pull you to the basement (that he kept locked because its where he worked). You were freaking out as Toji dragged you down to the room he'd forbade you from ever entering. In a matter of seconds, Toji had grabbed something from the shelf and injected you with it.

Toji cooed sweetly as you fell limp in his arms. "Shh, go to sleep. You'll feel much better when you wake up." He stoked your hair for a few minuets before pulling out some cuffs and chaining you to the bed.

You think you dont have a reason to stay? Fine, Toji will remove that IUD device and give you a reason to stay.

[idy-ll-ique]

See You Tomorrow On The Other Side.

Pairing: Vampire!Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

Genre: Fluff, Smut

Warnings: unprotected sex

Requested: nope

based on this prompt.

Summary: Nothing wrong with just wanting a taste, is there?

Author's Note: Hiya peeps! enjoy!

---

Wait, why is it so cold?

Y/N blinked her eyes open, flinching when she felt blinding pain in the side of her neck. Touching it, she found out that she was bleeding. What in the world…? "What the fuck?" she mumbled, moving to turn on the night-light but instead, she heard loud gagging noises coming from next to her on the floor.

She froze. I live alone. And then her instincts kicked in. She started screaming, only for her mouth to be clamped shut by a cold, freezing hand. "Shut up! Don't scream!" a raspy voice hissed. "Who the fuck are you?" Y/N demanded, though her voice came out muffled. "Forget that— why the fuck does your blood taste so gross?" the man asked instead.

Y/N's eyes widened with fear. "My— you— who are you?!" she yelled. "Shush! It's the middle of the night!" the man groaned, "My name is Bucky Barnes, happy?" Y/N huffed, clutching the side of her neck. "And what the fuck do you mean by your blood tastes so gross?" she questioned. "Did I stutter? I mean exactly that. Why the fuck is it so disgusting?!"

Y/N froze for the second time that night. Her first thought was that it was a dream, but the very real pain in her neck and the blood on her fingers suggested otherwise. The man— Bucky— he bit her neck. And that had only one reasonable explanation. "Are you a vampire?" she blurted out.

"Aye, see? Knew you were smart," he beamed and she stared at him, shocked. "Vampires aren't real." His face dropped and he rolled his eyes. "Then how do you explain me?" He flexed and Y/N scrunched her nose in mild annoyance. "First off, you're too annoying. Second— what the hell are you doing in my house?!"

"What do you think I'm doing?! I was hungry! Now answer my damn question— why is your blood gross?" He tapped her on the forehead twice. She blinked. Well, since this night couldn't get any crazier… "I have anemia? I guess that's why. Now you answer my question! Why did you select me to be your food?"

"Because you look like a snack?" he offered sheepishly but she only raised an eyebrow. Bucky blushed a bit; he very well couldn't tell her that he had had a crush on her ever since he had seen her— that was a few months ago. Nothing wrong with just wanting a taste, is there? "Okay wait, come back to you— you have anemia?"

"Uh, yeah? Why do you care? Go away, dude, you got your taste, you didn't like it, now leave me alone!" Y/N scoffed, turning to lay back down but Bucky put an arm around her, pulling her back up. "No, we gotta talk about it. Are you taking anything for it? Supplements, Vitamin D pills…?" Y/N stared at him.

"No," she replied flatly, "Medicines taste bad and I've already come to terms with my condi—" Bucky scoffed harder. "Really? You are a dumbass, you know that? I'm bringing you the medicines tomorrow, and you're gonna take them every night in front of me, got it?" Nothing wrong with being worried about your darling's health.

"Do you usually get this involved with your prey/food?" Y/N deadpanned. "You're not— don't argue! If you're not going to take care of your health, I'm going to have to do it for you," Bucky huffed. "As sweet as the sentiment is, I think the fuck not. Goodnight, Bucky, I will not see you tomorrow." She gave him a sweet, fake smile and lay down.

This time, Bucky didn't stop her. "Dumbass," he muttered under his breath as he stood on the window sill, promptly turning into a bat before flying away into the night.

---

"Hey, welcome home!"

Y/N screamed, almost dropping her bag of groceries on the floor as she whirled around to see Bucky sitting on the couch in the living room, flipping through the pages of a magazine. "Couldn't figure out how to turn on the TV," he muttered as Y/N eyed the magazine. She couldn't help but snort. "Ancient."

"Hey, rude." He narrowed his eyes at her and she narrowed hers right back. "Okay, had your fun reading the magazine? Now get lost or I'll call security," Y/N threatened him and stood in front of him, her arms crossed. He smirked and rose to his full height, causing Y/N's resolve to crumble.

He was much, much taller than her. "Go ahead, do it, baby girl," he whispered tauntingly, leaning in so that their faces were inches apart. Y/N whimpered involuntarily at his sweet scent, slapping a hand to her mouth in horror when she realized what she had just done. Bucky burst out laughing. "See? You want me here."

"Flatter yourself, Barnes," she mumbled but the truth was, she did want him there. The previous night, she had failed to notice just how beautiful he really was; now, she found out. He was also funny, charming, caring and sweet— not bad company. "So, am I cooking dinner for one or for two?"

"You? I'm cooking dinner! And you're gonna eat whatever the hell I'm going to make. Go take a bath in the meanwhile, I'll handle it." Bucky ushered her towards her bathroom and she blinked. "What, I— hey! Wait!" He stopped pushing her. "Why are you cooking for me?"

"Because your dumbass doesn't eat shit it should be eating and instead eats what it shouldn't! You're anemic, and yet I never see you eating food that has high levels of iron in it. You just don't care about your life, do you?" Y/N laughed, pinching his cold cheeks. "You're really cute, you know? Dude, I'll be fine—"

"Okay, how about this? I'm doing this for myself because your blood tastes gross and I gotta fix it," he suggested. "I have a solution: why don't you go find someone else to be your food? Look, my blood tastes bad, so why waste all your time trying to fix it? Get someone else, kill them!" Bucky pulled a face.

"Kill them? You think you'll die if I bite you?" Y/N nodded slowly. "Um, no, sweet pie, you won't die if I bite you. You'll… maybe get sick for a few days, but then you'll be fine," Bucky explained. "What if I don't want to get sick for a few days either? Just go away, find someone else, make them sick!" Bucky pouted.

"You really don't want me to be here?" he whined. "I— Fine! Fine! Cook whatever the hell you want, stay, but on one condition." A huge smile bloomed on the vampire's face as he nodded. "You don't get to bite me, ever." His face fell. "Not even a little…?" Y/N shook her head. He pouted harder. Y/N stared back, unwavering.

"A little, small bite…?"

"Bucky, don't push it," Y/N warned and Bucky immediately raised his arms in surrender. "Now go take a bath, I'm making food." With a small smile, Y/N entered the bathroom, starting to fill the tub up with water as she sat on the toilet seat, thinking back a few hours.

How did this even happen? First, she wakes up to find a stranger on her bedroom floor gagging on her "gross" blood; second, he reveals that he is a vampire and third, he wants to take care of her and wants her to get better. Teenage her, who was quite fond of Twilight, would've loved this dude.

But now? Y/N was still skeptical, but at least Bucky hadn't pulled any sketchy shit. So far, he had been nothing but sweet. "Maybe I can give him a chance," she whispered to herself. She had no doubt about the fact that he was a vampire; he was always cold, had sharp, pointy teeth and she had practically seen him turn into a bat last night.

So yeah.

Y/N was going to allow a vampire to take care of her.

"Oh good, you're here," Bucky called out when she finally walked out of her room in her pajamas. "Smells good, what did you make?" Y/N smiled, sitting down at the kitchen island. Bucky placed a plate in front of her. "Beans. We'll start small. Do you eat meat?" Y/N nodded, eating a spoonful of the beans.

"Mm," she groaned, "These are so good! You're a great cook, Bucky." He rubbed the back of his neck shyly as Y/N beamed at him. "Thanks. My ma taught me, back in the 1500's." Y/N's eyes widened. "How old are you?" she asked with disbelief as she picked up the bread he had prepared along with the beans.

"A few centuries. You kinda lose count after a long time," he laughed. "Were you born a vampire or were you turned into one later in life?" Bucky pondered for a few seconds. "I was born one. My ma and my pa were both vampires." Y/N nodded before looking at him with a curious look. "What do you want to ask?" he teased upon seeing her expression. She chuckled.

"Can I become a vampire too?"

Bucky froze. "Do you want to be one?" he spoke slowly. "I mean, sounds cool, don't you think? Of course, I'm not completely sure, I just— wanna know how you turn someone into a vampire. Can you turn someone into one?" she blurted out. Bucky gulped hard; God knew he had been dreaming about turning her into a vampire ever since he had seen her.

Vampires having relationships with humans wasn't uncommon but he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. And with vampirism comes one boon— immortality. So, if he turned her into a vampire, they could be together forever and always, literally. "I— I can turn people into vampires. All it takes is a neck bite."

Her brows furrowed. "But you bit me last night, am I—" Bucky shook his head. "You aren't a vampire, Y/N. There is a specific spot on a person's neck that you have to bite in order to turn them into a vampire. I didn't bite you there." She nodded and exhaled. "Good. I don't wanna be a vampire just yet, gotta think more before making a decision."

"So in the future maybe, you'll be open to becoming a vampire?" Bucky asked, his hopefulness shining through in his voice. Y/N laughed. "Wanna turn me into a vampire that bad?" she teased and Bucky looked away, an embarrassed look on his face. "I'm not desperate," he muttered. Y/N finished eating her dinner, did her nightly routine and got into bed.

Bucky soon approached with two pills in his open palm, his other hand holding a bottle of water. "Just gulp it quickly and you won't have to taste the pills," he reassured her as she eyed the pills with disdain. Putting her doubts aside, she quickly downed the pills, pulling a face as she did. Bucky ruffled her hair.

"Good job, sweet pie! See, easy, wasn't it? Now get a good night's sleep, I'll see you tomorrow evening." Y/N lay down on the bed, pulling the covers on top of her as she smiled sleepily at Bucky. "Goodnight, see you tomorrow," she yawned and Bucky gave her a huge smile before jumping out the window like he had done the night before; flying into the night as a bat.

---

"Bucky! Are you here?"

Y/N walked into her dimly lit house, confused. All the lights were off, the house lit by candles placed strategically here and there. She could smell roses too. "Hi, sweet pie." A gasp escaped Y/N lips when Bucky walked out of the kitchen. He was dressed in an all-black suit, a suave smile on his face. She stood frozen as he approached her, taking her hand.

He pressed a kiss to her knuckles and Y/N found her voice. "What is this, Bucky?" she chuckled. "Our six month anniversary, sweet pie. Did you forget?" he pouted. Y/N laughed harder. "We're not dating." His smile stayed confident. "Would you like to?" She paused mid-laugh, staring at him through wide eyes filled with disbelief.

"Are you… asking me out?" she whispered and Bucky nodded. "Oh my— yes! Yes, Bucky!" She ran forward and jumped into his arms, ignoring how cold he was as she hugged him tightly, burying her face in his neck. As he stated, six months had passed since Y/N and Bucky became friends and Y/N was quickly falling for him.

He was literally perfect. There was nothing she didn't like about him; she had even gotten over the fact that he was a vampire. "Oh, fuck, I thought it was gonna fail," Bucky laughed as he pulled her flush against him, one arm wrapping around her waist as she other cradled her head. "No way, Buck, I've liked you for a while now."

Both of them walked into the kitchen, where Y/N got another shock. The floor was covered in rose petals; they formed the shape of a heart. There was a bouquet of roses sitting on the dining table as well, between two plates of delicious-looking food. Next to the vase were two bottles of expensive champagne, and two glasses.

"How long did this take?" she whispered, snuggling further into Bucky's arms as she admired the scene in front of her. "A few hours. But all worth it." He pressed a quick kiss to her temple. "The rose heart looks awesome," she grinned, thanking Bucky when he pulled out her chair for her. "Ha, thanks," he laughed.

They maintained a light-hearted conversation as they ate dinner; afterwards, Y/N took a relaxing bath, took her medicines and got into bed. "Bucky," she called out tentatively and he turned to her. "Yes, my love?" She smiled shyly. "Will you stay the night?" Bucky grinned broadly. "Thought you'd never ask."

He stripped down; only in his boxers as he got into the bed with her. Before he could lay down Y/N pulled a pro-gamer move on him and straddled his lap, rendering him speechless. "Sweet pie," he groaned when her lips came crashing down on his. He grabbed the back of her head and pulled her close, kissing her deeper.

Somewhere in the kiss Bucky's hands reached the hem of her t-shirt and he broke the kiss to pull it off of her. Another few minutes in, Y/N found herself laying on the bed stark naked under Bucky, who was equally as naked, his hard length poking at her tight entrance.

"Bucky," she whimpered as he slid home, a deep moan leaving his lips. "Fuck, sweet pie, so fucking tight," he praised, one of his hands toying with her breasts as the other grabbed her headrest, using it as support as he thrust into her repeatedly. Y/N's hands fisted around her bedsheets, the pleasure in her abdomen becoming too much to bear.

"I'm close," she announced breathlessly and Bucky dropped his head, pressing kisses to her face. "I'm close too, just a minute more." Y/N tried her best to hold the pleasure in as Bucky's thrusts started becoming sloppier. "Such a good girl for me," he grunted as he felt himself inching closer to the edge.

"Let go for me."

Both of them let go at the same time, Y/N cumming around him with a soft whine as Bucky shot his load into her with a guttural snarl. "Oh, fuck," he panted as he fell on top of her, both of them out of breath. "Bucky, I— I wanted to ask you something," she whispered shyly as Bucky rolled off of her, only to pull her closer to him. "Yes, darling?"

"I wanna be a vampire."

Bucky turned to look at her, wide eyed. "Are you sure?" She lowered her eyes and nodded. "I— I love you, Bucky, and there's no one I'd rather be with than you. So please, make me— make me immortal." Bucky blinked back tears and cupped her cheek, tilting her chin up. "All mine. My beautiful girl. I love you too," he whispered, leaning in to press a soft kiss to her lips.

He then strayed to her jaw, peppering it with kisses until he finally reached her neck, nuzzling into it for a few seconds, breathing in her scent. Soon, he found the spot— the one that would turn her into a vampire. "It'll sting just a bit," he warned her, "Then you'll go to sleep. When you wake up, the transformation will be completed. Are you sure you want this?"

"I have never been so sure of something in my entire life." Bucky smiled and pressed a quick kiss to her spot before sinking his teeth into her neck; Y/N winced a bit at the sting but overall, felt fine. When Bucky pulled away from her, he was wiping blood off his lips. He then reached down and picked up her t-shirt.

Y/N smiled sleepily as he cleaned her neck, admiring the mark for a few seconds. "Looks good. And tastes much better." Y/N giggled and slapped his bare chest, making him grin. Both of them then lay down on the bed, arms around each other as they closed their eyes.

"Goodnight, Buck."

"Goodnight, princess, see you on the other side tomorrow."

---

A/N: Thanks for reading, leave a like if you enjoyed!

[peakyscillian]

Break | Cillian Murphy x Fem!Reader | One Shot - Prompt |

Summary: Based off of the break up prompt lists. "I've thought about it. All night. And I think we both should take a break." & "I loved you. And I don't think I could ever forget you. Had things never gone south, I'd— I would've grown old with you. I'm so sorry, but I can't do this anymore." Warnings: Language, heartbreak. Request: Anon. A/N: Okkkk I struggled to break up with Cillian because why would I?. This has a little bit of Joe Cole x reader as well. I'm so sorry if I also break your hearts wirth this! Let me know if you want to be on my taglist!

•Break•

You had given up and decided to head to bed once the clock turned to midnight, you were waiting up for your boyfriend. You'd been doing that alot lately. Cillian would wander in whenever he pleased, not letting you know where he was or had been. You were barely exchanging words when you were around each other, and the last time you'd been intimate was a distant memory.

The thought of not even having him try to kiss your face all over when he returned from a few weeks filming was enough to make you hiccup out a sob as you stood in front of the bathroom mirror, you were losing him and you had no clue what had caused it.

You threw back the heavy duvet, climbing under it, you grabbed for his pillow it smelt just like him and you needed that right now,you needed to know you could have something of him close. The bedroom door opening and the light from the hall signalled he was back, you hadn't seen him since 7am that morning you were rushing out the door to work, had managed to slip a kiss to his cheek as he busied himself with making breakfast, he had grumbled a see ya later as you closed the door behind you.

Rolling over you watched as he undressed, dropped his clothes into the hamper just inside the wardrobe and headed for the bathroom, you heard the shower turn on, with a sigh you left the bed, opening the bathroom door you sat on the marble side, waiting for him to finish.

His blue eyes flicked over you as he stepped out, your eyes trailed over his body the carved out abs on his stomach, his broad shoulders all the working out for Peaky Blinders was paying off. "Do you even love me, anymore?" you asked arms folded across your chest, Cillian stopped dead in his tracks only moving to wrap a towel around his waist, the water dropping from his hair onto his back. His muscles flexed as his huffed out a breath ""I've thought about it. All night. And I think we both should take a break" his voice was calm, carefully measured he hadn't turned to look at you. Without a word you moved from the side, biting back tears you left the bathroom, heart shattering with every step. Grabbing the pillow you had been curled into you snatched your phone from the bedside table, the charger and your laptop. Cillian had appeared from the bathroom. You looked at him, the hurt evident on your face "I'll be gone tomorrow" you didn't look back as you left your shared room, heading for the guest room furthest away so he wouldn't hear your heartbreak even more. Sure enough the next mornig, you were gone and Cillian knew he'd made the biggest mistake. *** Cillian spotted you sat out on the terrace, of course you would be here, you'd spent years of your life around his castmate, years of friendship formed between you all. Of course you'd be celebrating Paul and Annie's engagement with them. He just wasn't prepared to see you with Joe, you hadn't spoke to him at all in the year since he broke up with you, you had made sure the house was cleared whilst he was away and you'd definitely diverted his calls. You were sat at the table, in a simple denim summer dress, your hair was shorter but it suited you, you were leaning in close to Joe, his smile was definitely down to you, you always knew how to make people happy. He knew how bad he'd treated you, how he'd left you wondering every evening at home, whether he'd return or not. The press and pressure of your age had got to him, he needed a private life craved one but the fact he'd stepped out with you half his age and so open had pulled his life into the spotlight, he couldn't deal with it so he had hurt you in the process. Helen and Natasha had told him about your relationship with Joe, with how it had all happened so naturally after you had reappeared from hiding away from them all, Joe trying his hardest to mend your heart. Sophie had been so angry with him, told him he was selfish and ridiculous to think anything outside of your relationship mattered so much that he had to break your heart that way. Cillian just hadn't expected to have to deal with seeing you curled into Joe's side, dropping kisses to his cheek the way you had with him and then you were walking up the path to the kitchen where he'd been hiding. You had stalled slightly at the sight of him, the sight of him there in front of you, after a year of avoiding him, you had childishly ignored his calls not wanting to hear him reason with you over his decision, not wanting to hear his stupid excuses. You walked past him, straight to the bathroom in the hall, stealing a few extra minutes to catch your breath after that familiar scent of his aftershave caught your senses and knocked the breath from your lungs. It had took you months to even want to speak to anyone about him, Helen had held you so many times as you sobbed, as you cursed her closest friend, wished him some kind of pain like the one he had caused you. Joe had took you out on a friend date, something to make you feel normal and then at the end of the night his lips had brushed yours and you felt so many emotions, you'd cried right there on your doorstep, he wrapped you tight in his arms, rocked you on the sofa whispered promises you weren't sure you could believe.

You had believed them though, you'd let him in even with the fear of judgement from others, about moving on within the group but he had brushed all those fears away, he'd let everyone know when you were ready and the support was enormous everyone just wanted you happy. Cillian was waiting outside the bathroom, he need to speak to you, he needed to hear your honey coated voice once more, it had been too long. "Hi y/n" he spoke softly not to make you jump. You smiled at him, not quite reaching your eyes "Hey Cill, how are you?" you had took the polite route, you didn't want to ruin Paul and Annie's day. Cillian had nodded sipping from his drink, a little shocked at how easily his nickname had left your lips "fine, yeah good, you?" You lent against the wall "great thanks" you bit at your lip eyes darting across his face, his hair was longer his preffered style, he looked tired but you knew he'd be out in New York filming for a new movie, Helen sometimes couldn't help but mention him. "does he treat you right?" Cillian couldn't help himself, he needed to ask. You let out a small laugh "He does thank you for the concern, but really you didn't exactly treat me right towards the end"

He deserved that he knew he did but it didn't hurt any less "You never let me apologise for that" You simply rolled your eyes "I loved you. And I don't think I could ever forget you. Had things never gone south, I'd— I would've grown old with you. I'm so sorry, but I can't do this anymore" you pushed away from the wall, heading back out into the garden. Cillian watched you go, watched as Joe greeted you half way back to the table, concern on his face, he watched as you reassured him, kissing him hand squeezing at his arm, he knew that touch he knew how that felt and he had to try his hardest to hold back his emotions as you turned to look right at him, giving him a small smile before taking your seat again. Cillian made his way to his own seat, next to Finn and Sophie who turned to include him in the conversation, his heart pounding at the fact he really had lost you now, and he only had himself to blame. *** Taglist. @queenshelby @cloudofdisney @janelongxox @datewithgianni @elenavampire21 @magicalpieex

[adrikazu]

XIAO X READER : almond joys

PART THREE

series CW: highschool AU, hu tao, tartaglia, cats, xiao, venti, halloween, sleepovers, ETC

ex: Y/N, their simple life with cats, and their friends. usually things like this wouldn't occur, but due to Hu tao's way of doing things, it did. And now? you're stuck seeing this arrogantly attractive person with golden eyes and pretty hair, who likes cats just as much as you, all the time.

part 2!

Skies were a blue, a color greatly missed. The toothbrush they held almost slipped out from their hand onto the floor and their uniform seemed to be just right.

Skies were a blue, a color greatly missed. The toothbrush they held almost slipped out from their hand onto the floor and their uniform seemed to be just right.

Skies were a blue, a color greatly missed. The toothbrush they held almost slipped out from their hand onto the floor and their uniform seemed to be just right.

Cat bowls were full with handmade nutritious goodies and they cats overjoyed it. Y/N stood by, watched them and cooed to their feline family.

Their mixtures of brown, white, and blue eyes felt ethereal. Could such a beautiful cat be real?

They stayed up late studying, finishing homework, and more.

It was becoming more of a workload with Mom out of town.

Y/N kneeled down to touch Julianne who closed her eyes and rested against their hand.

"I might have to get you guys some baby sitters hm?"

The cat paid no attention, while the others were beginning to finish up.

Y/N sighed.

"I found this note in the pocket of my uniform this morning."

They took out the demolished note of paper.

The washing machine tore it to bits but they were big enough for it to recognizable as a note.

"Wonder who it's from. I certainly can't tell fuzzy hand writing now."

More cats began to surround drowsy Y/N.

"Oh yeah, before I forget,"

They got up from the floor and approached their book bag. Inside, they took out the familiar pink and useless object.

The cat licker.

Y/N thought it would've been no use to try it out, but it would be funny if they recorded the cat licker having no effect on their cats.

They took out their phone and then the car licker inside their hand and pet the cats.

To their shock the cats, indeed, leaned in the licker more than a regular pet.

"..." Y/N stayed silent.

They deleted the video, and they would never reveal this secret to anyone. Quietly, they placed the toy into a random cabinet.

Y/N ran for the hills, or to be precise, to the school. Today was going to be a half day because of an early Halloween event going on. The weekend was coming, which meant Halloween.

I didn't even realize, they thought.

Decided on a pretty solid statement; Hu tao would gain some popularity and have some event outside of school for the holiday.

No one really understood why Y/N went to school so early. To be fair, they didn't exactly why either.

Early bird catches the worm, yet they wake up so tiredly and lazy.

Soon enough slow steps were taken in the schools direction. In all honesty, Y/N's mother was just in the country side for some months to take care of their grandparents.

Y/N's father you say? Well, he's on a trip to Inazuma. Neither Y/N nor their mother know how he's going to get in but, they wish him safe travels.

The closer they got to the school, to more students they began to see. Consider the amount of students in total they saw was around 5 or less, though.

The school doors weren't opened yet but they would be in a few minutes so Y/N just had to stand around.

They glanced over to some benches but noticed the rain from yesterday had doused them head to toe. Or seat to legs?

Hu tao texted Y/N.

6:58 AM : October 29

who tao

HEEEYYYY IM GONNA BE LATE!!!! the nusery home grandmas sensed my intentions and threw hands!!!!!

Y/N laughed, but decided against scolding her.

Y/N poop face

alright, i'm probably gonna see childe so prepare yourself for his shit later

who tao

roger that!!!!!!

—

The doors opened.

And Y/N caught a jet black headed hair boy next to a familiar blue haired person with cyan braids.

And then it hit them. "Ohh that Venti guy whos one of the school student leaders!! Didn't they say they were going to be a bard?"

Again, social interaction by itself was not one of Y/N's talents. So they shrugged it off and went to the direction of their homeroom.

The cyan and black haired pair passed them while Y/N stood in the doorway of their homeroom just in case Childe was there to terrorize them.

They felt eyes burn into the back of their head so they turned around, and was met with amber eyes who had eyes similar to a cats.

"A cat...!?" Y/N's jaw dropped for a moment before looking at all of the persons features and recognized it was the boy from the rainy day.

They never noticed his eyes but they were surprisingly unique and beautiful.

"Hey! You're Y/N right? We've been buddies for more than a couple projects in our classes the last two years."

Y/N came back to reality.

"Oh! Yes! I am, I remember you. What's up?"

The cyan braids person questioned while Mr. angry kitty cat pants crossed his arms and huffed behind it and looked to the railing down to the cafeteria.

"Did you see my note?"

Y/N deadpanned.

"The note huh..."

They said the next few lines with a blank yet embarrassed face.

"My washing machine turned it into grains of rice..."

The future bard and Mr angry cat looked at them with two widely different expressions.

Venti bursted out laughing, holding their stomach.

"Man! That's funny, well I'll tell ya in person!"

They calmed their laughter.

"I wanted to tell you about this slumber party Hu tao's having this weekend before she tells you."

Y/N looked at Venti confused.

"Why'd you wanna tell me first?”

"Hu tao will probably go on and on about decorating her house and all of that you know?"

Y/N paused and thought.

"You do make a valid point... but I don't mind listening to her rant. She's gonna need someone to listen to her shenanigans anyway."

Venti nodded.

"Either it be the Counselor, or a dumbbell."

Both of them chuckled.

"Are you going?"

Venti asked, a widening smile of excitement on his face.

"I probably do. When is it being held?"

"It starts tonight, it's probably gonna be a party until 2am and then the people who were invited to sleep over stay for maybe 3 days until monday."

Y/N huffed and crossed their arms.

"I hope she doesn't hex us."

"Venti if I go missing and you survive take care of my cats will you? I don't trust Childe with them."

Venti chuckled nervously.

"A-Actually! My best friend right here loves cats! Right Xiao!?"

Xiao...

Xiao returned out of his spacing out session.

"Cats...?"

"Yeah! T-The... fluffy things."

Y/N chuckled.

"Are you allergic?"

Venti made an incomprehensible sound of fright.

"H-How'd you know!"

"It's painfully obvious! Well glad I know now, my rag dolls have more fur than hair on that Razor kid's head..."

Without either of them noticing, Xiao perked up at the mention of the rag doll breed of cats.

"You're going too, right?"

Venti nodded.

"Hu tao joked about this plus one system so I'm gonna bring a friend."

"In that case, I don't have a lot of friends."

Y/N laughed.

"Thanks for letting me know! Wanna exchange numbers just in case?"

"Sure!!"

"What an enthusiastic pair..." Xiao thought after glancing at the two a few times.

"Wow so much time went by... guess time goes quick when you're having fun with one of the student leaders and their best friend."

Y/N smiled and Venti laughed, Xiao picked up on the subtle reference and attempt to appreciate his presence.

"I've gotta go to homeroom, I'll see you guys later today maybe."

Y/N waved away and entered the classroom.

Once again pencils danced and erasers assisted, and today things went slow again.

Hu tao's house was actually not too far from

Y/N's, although they would avoid it just in case they would see something gruesome or scary,

like a murder from the nursery homes.

Will soon the bell for lunch become what drives Y/N to the brink of their sanity?

We will never know.

Or maybe will, in a few months of school if they keep hearing it everyday.

Y/N's mind wandered, and many thoughts had come into place.

should I ask Venti to come with me to Hu tao's place? I don't want to deal with all the possible jump scares.

But considering how Venti is... wouldn't they also be scared?

Oh but they're bringing Xiao I think.

He seems pretty tough, maybe a scare from Hu tao wouldn't surprise him in the least.

I'll be sure to ask them!!

THE BELL.

Y/N immediately escaped their thoughts and stood up. This time, the teacher wasn't giving off homework sheets.

So they took this chance to speed out the door, then slow down and head down to lunch.

Today they didn't exactly have anything planned.

Hu tao arrived late during class so Y/N couldn't talk to her and she'd probably take a little while to answer right now.

Neither Y/N and Hu tao have heard from Childe since yesterday, but they saw him having a conversation with Lumine near La Signora's class.

But, speak of the devil.

"Y/N! Hey!!"

Y/N glanced over to the direction they heard their direction.

Hu tao was running at sonic speeds and almost tackled Y/N. She erupted in laughter while Y/N smiled and chuckled.

"Hey I heard you've got some news for me?"

Hu tao let go and gave Y/N a confused look.

"Hehe... what news? I don't know any news?"

Y/N crossed their arms and struck a confidence posture.

"Oh? So there's no Halloween party and slumber party?"

Hu tao's eyes widened and laughed loudly.

"Halloween party!? Who told you!?"

They laughed, and then responded.

"Your dearest, Venti the Bard."

Hu tao seemed to grind her teeth.

"Ohoho they're gonna pay for revealing my surprise to you."

"Oh no~ Well I do have a question. Who's invited to the slumber party part?”

Hu tao paused and thought for a minute.

Who DID I invite? I can't even remember clearly, Hu tao thought.

"You and Venti for sure, I think the twins who moved here, maybe Childe??? But Venti's bringing his friend Xiao. But Xiao's a tiny jerk! I think I'm taller than him! You've seen em right!?"

Y/N thought back and laughed.

"Yeah yesterday when I was gonna walk him I offered him to walk with him home since he seemed nervous."

"Woah making moves are we?"

"No way, I think he might hate me."

[macandriley]

5x10 – A Very MacRiley "Analysis"

Well, I definitely didn't expect to be making another AVMA post, but I am a woman of my word.

Below the cut, I will be discussing last night's episode of MacGyver (2016) titled "Diamond + Quake + Carbon + Comms + Tower"—particularly in reference to the relationship between Mac and Riley (with mentions of Mac x Desi as well).

So if you haven't seen it yet, do be aware: this post contains spoilers.

Without further adieu, let's get into it.

The Cold Open

Here we see Mad Scientist Mac tooling around in his kitchen, rambling about pressurized carbon and diamonds. I won't bore you by going into details, but I will give a brief rundown:

Bozer walks in.

Bozer is weirded out by Mac's strange behavior.

Mac reveals he intends to propose to Desi with a diamond he cooked up in a box (side note: I am so here for conflict free genius diamonds).

But I digress.

I won't lie and say this entire thing was surprising. The intended proposal was a touch predictable; everyone on Twitter had been hypothesizing about it for weeks before the episode even aired.

Still, when I heard those words come out of Mac's mouth, my heart absolutely shattered.

I pictured a wedding. Having to watch them say I do while Riley stood off to the side.

And then logic set in.

Why on God's green earth would this man want to marry a woman he's only really been on good terms with for a few weeks? Why would he want to take that next step when she's been so hesitant to even call him her boyfriend?

Well, Mac himself said it best. "Ever since I lost my dad and Jack, I've been thinking about the bigger picture. And a commitment to make things work is exactly what Desi and I need."

Problem One

As Mac said, this newfound craving for marriage does not come from a genuine desire to take that next step. It's influenced by loss. By grief.

Which isn't inherently an issue. Mortality is a great motivator for soul-searching and self-discovery.

However, when it comes to matters of the heart, acting out of grief can often be more detrimental than helpful. It can cause you to cling to what you have left, sometimes in ways that are unhealthy.

Which brings me to:

Problem Two

Mac clearly does not view marriage with Desi as something he truly wants. As an act of love or genuine devotion.

To him, it seems more like a desire to force things to work. Like a business contract. "If we're married, we have no choice but to talk it out."

Which makes sense when you consider that, in 4x04, Mac admitted he and Desi were clinging to the familiar instead of actual substance. He wants to make it work because the alternative is being alone.

And to be frank, that doesn't frame MacDesi in a very good light at all.

I Probably Shouldn't Tell You This

Before Mac, Riley, and Desi are sent off on their mission to Mexico City, Bozer pulls Riley aside and, presumably, tells her about Mac's intentions to marry Desi.

I won't go into detail on that here, but it's important to later scenes, so I felt it deserved a mention for that reason alone.

Plus, it only further confirms, at least in my mind, that Riley still has enough feelings for Mac for Bozer would worry about her. So...a win?

Got A Secret, Can You Keep It?

After Mac runs off to play Murdoc's little game, Riley and Desi follow him. One thing leads to another, and the trio winds up on the roof of a skyscraper, unable to unlock the doors and get back inside.

Cornered, they are absolutely at Murdoc's mercy.

So what does this glorious psychopath do?

He tells Mac the one thing he has never been able to figure out on his own. That Riley had feelings for him and buried them deep, deep down. That having to watch him and Desi was genuinely hurting her.

I love this scene for several reasons. The most important of them being: I really don't think either of them would have said anything if Murdoc hadn't done this.

They are both so self-sacrificing. So willing to give up their happiness so that they won't get in the way of other people's' joy.

Getting that little push opened them both up to experiencing feelings they'd previously denied. Which is super important for people like them, who don't have a lot of experience with touchy-feely type situations.

And the best part?

I think Desi truly realized all of that. She wasn't mad. She wasn't bitter. She saw this happen, realized the lengths Riley went to to protect her feelings, and accepted it. She refused to let them be distracted by it, and looked after Ri like a real teammate would.

Her not holding that against them isn't something I would have expected way back when this season first started. But you could really see that, as much as she probably didn't enjoy hearing that, she understood it.

Sidebar - Desi

While I think the shift in Desi's character is abrupt and I would've preferred a more transformative storyline, I'm honestly not mad about how they're writing her.

If this continues to be how she's written, and it all remains consistent, I can personally overlook the sudden shift in behavior for her.

Because honestly, Peter Lenkov was a dick, and I can get not wanting to continue on with the toxicity he injected into D for even a moment.

Hug It Out

When all is said and done, Mac lets Riley know that they don't have to talk about it. Which is super considerate, if a little obnoxious.

She, being the wise and tired babie she is, decides it's best to be honest. So she explains what happened in Germany. And finally, after months of waiting, it's all laid out in the open. Just like that.

There is not much to analyze in this scene other than the hug itself.

Riley shuts her eyes, holding onto him like she can't quite believe he's real and Mac sighs, because god, he did not expect for his day to go like this. And he definitely didn't think he'd feel so oddly satisfied that it did.

So they just stand there, rocking slightly, comforted by each other's embrace.

The only word that came to mind when watching it go down for the first time was: safe. They almost looked like they were at home in each other's arms. At peace.

And as someone who has loved these two deeply since season one, it's so heartwarming to see them have that kind of connection with someone. Even more so to see them find it in each other.

Knock Knock. Who's There?

Mac. That's who.

Late at night, after contemplating his proposal again (boy, why?), we see Mac leave his house. He shows up at an apartment building, knocks on a door, and...

Oh look, it's Riley's place.

She's shocked.

He asks if her feelings are really gone.

And...cut to black.

I am not foolish enough to assume this will be easy. It's entirely possible she'll lie and say she's over him to uncomplicate things.

But this is the closest we have ever been to canonization. And I think it speaks volumes that Mac is the one making the first move.

We don't often get to see the more emotional aspects of this show through his point of view. It's usually the people around him who are allowed to feel things, and him who deals with the aftermath.

Yet here we are. He was the one to seek out Riley. To take the leap.

And I think that speaks a lot to his own emotional growth.

In Conclusion

Monica Macer is the bait and switch queen. 5x10 was an emotional ride I did not ask to go on, but I'm pleasantly surprised by the final destination.

Here's hoping I can write another one of these after 5x11.

[bill-y]

INURE

Peeta Mellark x male reader

[ We all know who Katniss Everdeen is, but what if Primrose hadn’t been chosen but another boy from another unfortunate family? YOUR family. ]

Info: This is basically a reader insert and I’ve changed a few rules, not ground breaking though. The reader is a bit bland for now but I plan for his actions to be different. Because he has different moral grounds from Katniss and such. Would appreciate feedback! FEEL FREE TO POINT OUT TYPOS. GRAMMARLY SOMETIMES DOESN’T DO MY DYSLEXIC ASS JUSTICE

Part five: Click here, butters, elpacho, last meheecan.

Part six: You're here, dumb!

Part seven: Finally here!

Wattpad account: L0calxDumbass

Peeta and I end up helping Haymitch to his compartment, the reek of vomit and alcohol wasn't exactly pleasant.  Since we couldn't set him down the bed, we ended up hauling him to the bathtub, setting the shower on him. 

Peeta gave me an odd look when I laughed awhile ago; there was no humour in the situation after all. Forming a good impression wasn't really on my agenda. "It's alright; I can take it from here," he said.

I nodded, "Okay," I nodded, putting my lips together. "Do you—need me to call those Capitol people?" I asked, stumbling over my words. My confidence seemed to have been drained at some point.

He shook his head "No, I don't want them," he responded. I nod for the last time and head to my own room, relieved that I don't have to wash putrid vomit off Haymitch's chest hair, or something. Though it would be the perfect "revenge" for the people working here, I get why he doesn't want to see them. 

I wonder, why does he want to help such a wreck? Was he simply kind like the time he gave me bread? Or was he using this to gain Haymitch's favour? A feeling of nervousness bubbled up within me, a kind Peeta Mellark was way more dangerous than an unkind one. Not everyone in the district can afford to be kind, so kind people make such a mark on me.

I looked at the packet of cookies at the table beside the fancy bed—a lump formed in my throat. Kindness would've been nice, but not in this situation. I sighed, taking my attention to the window instead. 

There stood a lonely yellow flower, a dandelion. It took me back to the schoolyard, all those years ago. My eyes had just left Peeta's bruised face when I saw that dandelion; hope rose within me that moment, I plucked it gently from the ground and hurried home. I grabbed a small, broken bucket and grabbed Nal's hand and headed to a meadow. It was filled with the same flowers.

It was the first moment where Nal smiled after our Father's death. He loved the way the flowers smelled and looked. However, he was quite upset because we had to eat them, with the rest of the bakery bread. My father loved his plants, maybe a bit too much. 

I remember countless hours we spent in the woods looking for a specific type of plant, whether for eating or for medicine. He had me memorize them by heart, which took a couple of years because I got distracted halfway through. 

The next day, we were off to school. I hung around the edge of the meadow after, contemplating whether I should jump the fence. My mother couldn't get a job, well, she didn't want to. She thought the whole District would shame her the moment she stepped out of our crumbling home. It made no sense to me; we had nothing to lose anymore.

Which is exactly why I went under the fence, retrieved the old, leather-bound daggers my father made from scraps and wood. It was pretty frail, but if you handle it carefully and throw it properly, it won't break—most of the time.

I didn't go beyond twenty yards that day; I didn't feel confident enough to go deeper, fearing I'd get lost in the forest. I took home a small rabbit that day, we hadn't had meat for months, so it honestly looked like a full course meal, like the one we were served in the tribute train.

My mother isn't the greatest cook, so she burnt a couple of bits, mainly the thighs. But it still filled us. The woods became my second home, escaping the sad atmosphere my mother gave off and the pressure the Peacekeepers would regularly make us feel. 

The hunting started slow, but each time I went under, I went deeper. I stole eggs from nests, jumped from tree to tree and managed to shoot a squirrel or two down. I struggled with the fish; my father would always throw his dagger to the fish with little to no effort. Whenever I'd throw mine, it would miss. It took me a couple of times to figure out the water distorts my vision.

The plants were no effort; I knew which one to pick, which ones were poisonous. The signs of danger used to terrify me back to the fence until I gathered enough courage to climb the tall trees, then I stuck with it, not liking the feeling of being chased. The wild dogs would always leave me alone after a while.

On July 15th, I finally signed up for the tesserae, carrying the first batch of grains and oils in the same broken bucket I used to gather those dandelions. I patched it up with some scrap bark. On the 15th of every month, I would put my name once again. I still had to hunt; grains weren't enough. We still needed soap, milk, thread and many more things we used to have. I began to trade in the hob, learning how to hold my tongue in the process. My father used to trade there as well; he used to do all the talking while I watched, stayed silent. 

And so I simply tossed the game I had to their tables. They caught on fairly quick; I'd only speak up when it came to bargaining or when I'd change what'd I'd buy. Or when I would insult wild dog soup. My father was a charismatic man, always able to persuade people to buy whatever. Not me, though, I was like a sore thumb. Painful, to talk to at least.

My mother wasn't very enthralled with the fact that I had been hunting, too much like my father, she said. That's when we argued, "Don't be stupid like your father!" she shouted. I remember my face contorting to anger, how my fists clenched as she continued to scream. 

I finally exploded, "Why don't you go out and get a job if you don't want me hunting, then? You'd rather we starve?!" I said, slamming the table. "I won't die, I won't end up like father! I won't be Capitol's pig, neither was he!" 

"But if you do die?" She argued back, tears flowing down her cheeks as she gripped both my shoulders. "I'm only thinking of you, Y/n!"

I scoffed, glaring at her, "If you're thinking of us so much, then why aren't you helping us?! If I don't die being accused of rebellion, then I'll die because of those stupid games because of you!"

"Don't blame me for this! It was your father's fault for being brash—" She reasoned, but I cut her off by pushing her off me. I stared at her as if she grew three heads. "They asked you," I whispered, "All you did was nod, you could've lied."

Her green eyes shook at my words, "Lie to the Peacekeepers? The Capitol? And get us killed as well?! I only what your father wanted," 

"They didn't have anything on father! It was your voice that gave it away! It's your fault that he's dead, now we're over here starving because you can't get over yourself—"

Then there was a sting on my cheek. She had slapped me. My eyes landed on a crying Kunal; guilt surged through me, so I ran. I ran to the woods and slept on top of a tree, humming a soft tune to the mockingjays next to me. They listened and sung back. I fell asleep to their lullaby, surprisingly, not falling off.

I found my hand on the same cheek my mother slapped that day. I was going to die the same way I said, how ironic. I won't be able to apologize or tell my mother I loved her anymore. A sigh left my lips as I continued to stare out the window. 

I clenched my fists, punching the wall as my breath hitched. I let out a groan, holding the stinging part of my hand. I glared at the wall, grumbling under my breath before I decided to fall asleep, not wanting to think of my regrets and what I could've done. As I closed my eyes, I only hoped my dreams would be pleasant. 

"Up! Up! Up! It's a big big day!"

Effie Trinket's voice awoke me from my dreamless slumber. I groaned, muttering profanities as she left my compartment. I tried to imagine what it was like in that stupid wig--- well--- head of hers, it made my head hurt.

I had fallen asleep in the green shirt, causing it to become wrinkled, the. Not that I cared, there will be some stylist stripping me anyways. I shuddered at the thought of Capitol people touching me, what a nightmare. My eyes landed on the packet of cookies on my bedside table. I decided to grab it.

I entered the dining compartment, still half-lidded and yawning. Effie Trinket brushes me with a cup of black coffee. She was muttering obscenities, probably because of Haymitch. Peeta held a roll, looking somewhat embarrassed  "Sit down! Sit down!" Haymitch said.

Peeta flashed me a smile, amused by how dishevelled I look. To be fair, I wasn't a morning person, I find waking up to be a tiring task. I rubbed my eyes, the packet of cookies still in my hands as I slid down the chair.

They served an enormous platter of food. I'd hate to admit it, but I was starving. So for the first time, I decided to stab it with the fork, not sure what to do with the cookies so I pocketed them. I figured I'd eat them much. . . much later.

I chewed slowly, glare on my face as my eyes struggled to remain open. I didn't even notice the orange juice next to me because of it. Peeta nudged me, handing me a cup of brown, rich liquid. It was quite warm. "They call it hot chocolate," he said. "It's quite good,"

My green eyes moved from him to the cup, then back to him. As if asking for permission. I sniffed, muttering a "thank you," before I took the cup from him. The moment the hot chocolate touched my lips I felt awake.

Not only was it hot, but it was also amazing. I've never tasted anything like this before. Coffee was a luxury, this I cannot even fathom. After I've drained my cup, I put it down and muster a sheepish smile. "Is there more?" I asked, my voice hoarse.

Effie seemed to be excited by my sudden interest. "Glad you're finally appreciating the finer things," she quipped as another cup was passed to me. "Right," I responded, gripping the cup tightly.

I stopped eating when I felt somewhat full, only asking for more hot chocolate. Peeta is still eating, breaking off bits of roll and dipping them in his hot chocolate.

Haymitch hasn’t paid much attention to his platter, but he’s knocking back a glass of red juice that he keeps thinning with a clear liquid from a bottle. Judging by the fumes, it’s some kind of spirit. I don’t know Haymitch, but I’ve seen him often enough in the Hob, tossing handfuls of money on the counter of the woman who sells white liquor. He’ll be a mess again by the time we reach the Capitol.

"So, you're supposed to give us advice," I said, taking a sip of the hot liquid. He grinned, "Here's some advice, stay alive," then he burst out laughing.

My brows furrowed, "Ha. Ha." I let out, unamused. I glanced to Peeta, surprised to see Hardness in his eyes. Usually, he looked mild. "That's very funny," he said as if adding to my remark. He suddenly lashed out at the glass in Haymitch's hands. It shattered, spilling the blood-red liquid on the floor. "Only not to us,"

Haymitch took this opportunity to punch Peeta straight in the jaw, knocking the boy out of his chair before turning around to reach for more spirits. I stopped him, driving a knife into the table, between his hand and the bottle, barely missing his fingers.

I expected some sort of retaliation, but that didn't come. "Oh, well what is this?" he said. "Did I actually get a pair of fighters this year?"

Peeta rose from the floor and scoops up a handful of ice from under the fruit tureen. He started to raise it to the red mark on his jaw.

"No," Haymitch stopped him. "Let the bruise show. The audience will think you’ve mixed it up with another tribute before you’ve even made it to the arena."

"That’s against the rules," said Peeta. "Only if they catch you. That bruise will say you fought, you weren’t caught, even better," said Haymitch. He turns to me. “Can you hit anything other than the table?"

I shrugged, pulling the knife off the table. "Your head or. . ." I said, before tossing the knife in between the seams of two panels. If I was confident at one thing, it's my aim. But not so much with a bow.

"Stand over here. Both of you," ordered Haymitch, nodding to the middle of the room. We obey and he circles us, prodding us like animals at times, checking our muscles, examining our faces. “Well, you’re not entirely hopeless. Seem fit. And once the stylists get hold of you, you’ll be attractive enough.”

Peeta and I don’t question this. The Hunger Games aren’t a beauty contest, but the best-looking tributes always seem to pull more sponsors. Though I do enjoy the fact that the stylists are likely going to have a hard time styling me.

"All right, I’ll make a deal with you. You don’t interfere with my drinking, and I’ll stay sober enough to help you," said Haymitch. "But you have to do everything I say,"

Of course, there's a catch. "Fine," Peeta said while I shrugged carelessly, sipping on my hot chocolate. "In a few minutes, we’ll be pulling into the station. You’ll be put in the hands of your stylists. You’re not going to like what they do to you. But no matter what it is, don’t resist," Instructed Haymitch

Oh, well there goes my plan on being a general nuisance. Damn you, Haymitch.

He takes the bottle of spirits from the table and leaves the car. As the door swings shut behind him, the car goes dark. There are still a few lights inside, but outside it’s as if night has fallen again. I realize we must be in the tunnel that runs up through the mountains into the Capitol. The mountains form a natural barrier between the Capitol and the eastern districts. It is almost impossible to enter from the east except through the tunnels. This geographical advantage was a major factor in the districts losing the war that led to my being a tribute today. Since the rebels had to scale the mountains made them easy targets for the Capitol's air forces.

Peeta and I stood in silence. My finger raised, mouth opening but I decided it wasn't worth it and awkwardly shuffled to one of the windows. He seemed to have caught on, however. "Nice view, isn't it?" he joked.

"I guess if you're blind," I answered dryly, raising the warm cup to my lips. "Sophisticated darkness, my favourite type," I finished.

He chuckled, walking next to me, the train slowing on cue. My muscles tensed as the sunlight entered the compartment. It was blinding. After my eyes adjusted I finally saw the Capitol.

I would be lying if I said it wasn't beautiful. Rainbow hued buildings that tower to the sky, possibly beyond. Shiny cars rolling on the fancy, clean pavement streets. The cameras failed to capture its beauty. It would've been perfect if not for the fact that the oddly dressed colours, wearing blizzard wigs and painted faces exist.

They looked painfully artificial. I much prefer the natural tones of district 12. "Eugh, how do they look at themselves?" I muttered, catching the attention of Peeta, who chuckled at my comment.

Huh, I forgot that he was there.

The same disgusting people began to point at us, enthralled. I was sickened, they couldn't wait to watch us kill each other like wild wolves. I suppose that's better than ending up at soup.

I stepped back, a scowl on my face. No longer able to stand the obnoxious attires and the mocking smiles of scums. Peeta held his ground, smiling and waving at them.

He only stopped when the train stopped at the station, blocking up from their view. "Who knows?" he said. "Some of them may be rich."

My body seemed to freeze as I took one last sip of the now-luke warm hot chocolate. That's when I realized, I had misjudged him. Not that I can read people well.

Which made sense, if I could I would've known that his father visiting me, offering to help Haymitch only to challenge him and now, waving and smiling at those slugs. He had a plan in mind.

He hasn't accepted his death yet. Peeta Mellark, the boy who gave me bread was fighting hard.

And that terrified me.

word count: 2.8k

Hey guys! sorry for the long wait! Had to take a break!

tags;

@nin3s

[local-cry-baby]

It's A Promise (Barry x Reader)

so sinnoh remakes (and premakes?!) has been confirmed and of course the first thing I had to do was write a short fic on one of my favorite rival of all time

Sorry but I had to ten year old me had a massive crush on this character lol

writing; short story

word count; 2781

genre; friendship & hurt/comfort (very subtle romance)

reader; gender neutral

au; takes place after the events of DPPt (also Barry has freckles if that counts)

summary; your plans for summer has been hijacked by a certain hyperactive boy

Image

Half asleep you heard the Starlys chirp and trill and the Kricketots chime in harmony with one another, announcing the arrival of morning. You shifted slightly in bed, pulling the covers closer to you and yawned. The best feeling in the world you believe was hearing the sound of the world rousing to the start of a new day and knowing you didn't have to wake up along with it. With a content sigh you roll on your side, slowly drifting off to sleep...

Tap! Tap! Tap!

You furrow your brows slightly at the sound but quickly relaxed, smiling softly to yourself...

TAP! TAP! TAP!

You assume it was just a Starly or two messing outside your window so you chose to ignore it, opting to pull the covers over your head. You sighed again, this time in annoyance, as you try to fall asleep...

Click! Scree!

"Psst! (Y/N), are you sleeping?"

Your eyes open in disbelief as you immediately recognize the voice and just process the fact that he happen to somehow open your bedroom window to ask the obvious. 'Say it ain't so.’ You turned to face your window to see Barry there, arms resting on top of the sill as he watched you with a curious expression which was soon beaming with excitement once he saw you. "Oh good, you're awake!" Like you weren't sleeping to begin with.

"Wha? Barry what are you doing here?" You asked groggily. "Aren't you suppose to be at Pastoria City with Wake?"

"It's summer, duh! Crasher Wake gave me the week off and since your school is closed for vacation I thought it was perfect to catch up and hang out together this week!" Barry had this lively vibe around him that practically made him glow like a ray of sun leaving you dizzy with exhaustion. You plop back in bed with a groan knowing your plans to sleep in till afternoon for the whole week was ruined. "So at first I was thinking of going to the Great Marsh like we use to for old time sake" Barry began as he climbed right in sitting at your windowsill. "But I heard today would reach the hottest temperature ever in Sinnoh history!"

"Really now?" You asked in a monotonous voice. How hot can it possibly be in the coldest region in the world.

"Get this, 72 degrees! Can you believe it?!" As someone who was born and raised in Hoenn, a region where temperatures can reach up to the high 90s during the late summer you weren't exactly impressed. "So change of plans! We're going to spend the day at Sandgem Beach so pack your things!"

You glanced at the digital clock on your bedside. It read 6:22AM. "Barry it's too early! Can't we go like at 10 or something?"

"No way! We have to go now otherwise it'll be full if we go any later!"

"When is Sandgem Beach ever full!? You can barely even call it a beach!" You turned away from your friend, wrapping yourself up in your blanket. You were not getting out of this bed.

"Come on (Y/N)!" Barry whined. "We haven't hung out in so long! I literally spent all night planning this week out and you're just going to turn me down?! If Lucas and Dawn were here they would've agreed in going!" You can hear the irritation in his voice but underneath it was a hint of dejection. Shortly after your journey with the trio came to an end things changed. Dawn moved to the Kalos region a year ago to continue her study on Pokemon and just a few months afterwards Lucas left to Unova for reasons unknown though you had a hunch that it had something to do with that officer Looker. Barry spend most of his days at Pastoria’s gym, training intensely with Crasher Wake. As for you your parents never supported your dreams of becoming a Pokemon Trainer and your battling skills were left to be desired so you dropped it to continue your studies and follow a more reasonable career.

Although you didn't look at him you can feel him gazing at you, presumably with a pout or with Lillipup eyes. You groaned in defeat. "Fine."

Barry barely let you finish your sentence as he responded, "Really? Awesome! Don't forget to bring your Pokemon along with you, alright? And don't show up late otherwise I'll fine you!" With that he jump out your window and let out a yelp. "Don't worry! I'm alright!"

You sighed, wondering how anyone could have so much energy so early in the morning as you practically dragged yourself out of bed to start the day.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

Sandgem Town was quiet, the majority of the residents still asleep or just starting their day. You haven’t been in Sandgem in quite a while yet walking down the somewhat familiar road invoked a nostalgic feeling. You paused, looking at the houses on the street till you spot the familiar lab down the road. Professor Rowan’s lab. It almost felt like yesterday when you took your first step through Route 201 alongside your friends Lucas and Barry (although the latter practically raced his way there) to get here with your first Pokemon, Riolu. You couldn't help but smile at the memory before going on your way to Sandgem Beach. And, as you predicted, it was empty saved for Barry.

He stood at the edge of the boardwalk, his back facing you as he perform some stretching exercise. His team was already out of their Pokeballs, enjoying themselves. Infernape was meditating, Roserade, Snorlax, and Staraptor were sunbathing, Floatzel was swimming, and Heracross was attempting to bury itself in the sand, seeking warmth. Taking out three Pokeballs from your belt you released your team: Lucario, Lopunny, and Vaporeon. Your Pokemon looked around their surroundings before glancing up at you in surprise. When was the last time you actually brought them somewhere that wasn't home or your school’s campus? “Go on you guys. Have fun!” With that said your Pokemon went off to do their own thing.

Lucario sat beside Inferape, joining it in meditation and Lopunny bounded excitedly over to its long time crush, Roserade, the Bouquet Pokemon vastly annoyed that its peace was disrupted as it escaped from its crushing grip. Lastly, Vaporeon decided to take a swim, dipping into the ocean and blending itself into its surroundings, disappearing from sight.

The commotion between Lopunny and Roserade caught Barry's attention as he looked over to notice you. "Too slow!" He yelled running over to you. Not even giving you a chance to say something he grabs your arm and drags you over to the boardwalk. Once he lets go he begins to take off his shirt.

"Ready for what?" You asked.

“Barry!” You never saw your friend shirtless before so you couldn't help but feel flustered. Though he didn’t seem to care as he carried on anyways. As you assumed, Barry had a lean figure, what you didn't expect however was the amount of freckles he had. Although Barry had freckles dusting his cheeks and nose they were barely noticeable compared to the ones on his back and shoulders which were far more prominent. Realizing you were staring longer then normal you quickly turned away, trying to hide the awkward blush.

Luckily, Barry didn't notice. "Ready?"

"To swim!"

You look down at the blue water before dipping a bare foot in. It was ice cold. "It's freezing!" You exclaimed.

"It's not that bad!"

"Thanks but I pass" you said, waving a hand dismissively.

Barry pouted but it was soon replaced with a mischievous smile. "Alright then, suit yourself." He said, surprising you. Barry wasn't one to easily let things go without trying to convince you first. He's up to something, you know it. You were about to ask but he had already left your side as he jump right into the water, splashing you head to toe causing a sharp gasp to escape your lips from the sudden shock of being doused in icy water. Barry pop back up to the surface with a triumphant smirk, his bright eyes gleaming with playfulness.

"You suck!" You yelled causing him to laugh as he dived back underwater. Soaked to the bone there really was no point in staying out of the water in hopes of drying off soon, not with this cold breeze that made it impossible to warm up. You remove your hoodie and shorts revealing your (color) swimsuit before setting them down on the boardwalk and slipping into the water. Since you were already cold the frigid water didn't get to you, feeling more welcoming then before.

You looked around for your rival, trying to spot the blonde in the murky water but only saw his Floatzel which was lazily floating around. "Barry?” Something suddenly grabbed onto your ankle causing you to scream in surprise and flailing to get away, kicking away whatever touched you.

Barry appeared right beside you, clutching his left cheek. "Ow! Seriously?! You just kicked my face!"

"Well you shouldn't have grabbed me like that!" You said. He only stick his tongue out at you before swimming over to the boardwalk, crossing his arms and resting his head atop of it. You watched him as he stared up at the blue sky with a content expression, droplets of water clinging on to his hair as it shined in the morning light. Seeing him like this gave you the same flustered feeling from before. You couldn't quite wrap your head around as to why though. You’ve known him since kindergarten. So why all of a sudden you felt awkward around him?

"What’s up?" You didn’t even realize that he had stopped gazing up at the sky in favor of looking at you.

“What do you mean?” You said, turning elsewhere though it was in vain since he already caught you this time around.

“You were staring at me just now. It was pretty weird.” You try to think of something to say, mainly to defend yourself but to your relief he changed the subject. “So how’s school?”

You shrugged. “It’s alright. Senior year isn’t difficult compared to the other years since we’re more focused on applying for college.”

“Do you know where you want to go?” You noticed his words were a bit quiet and reserved unlike his usual chipper and noisy self.

“Well I was hoping to go to University of Unova since it’s known for having the best (career) course” you explained. “Though my parents aren’t too keen on me going that far so I might just stick to Goldenrod University.”

“I know that but...” He trailed off for a moment, thinking of what to say. “Can’t you just go to Canalave College instead?”

“Goldenrod!?” Barry’s sudden sharp tone made you flinch. “Why so far?” He was looking at you with a hurt expression that made you feel guilty despite the fact you didn’t do anything wrong. At least, you felt like you did nothing wrong.

“Well compared to Unova which is practically halfway across the world. Johto is just south of Sinnoh.”

“Barry, Canalave College doesn’t even have programs on what I’m going for.”

“Ugh, this is why I’ve always hated school” Barry grumbled, letting go of the boardwalk just to sink further into the water leaving just his eyes visible to you, glaring down at nothing in particular. He almost resembled that of a pouting child.

You didn’t understand why he was so upset about your plans or why he was trying to make you change your college decisions. Unless… “You don’t want me to leave?”

Barry barely let you finish your sentence as he quickly got up. “It’s not that!”

“Then what’s the problem?” You pressured.

At this point Barry wasn’t even looking at you, opting to just randomly glance around the area. “There is no problem! It’s just...” With a sigh he finally looked at you. Honey colored eyes stared at your (e/c) ones, his cheeks gaining a bright shade of pink. “I thought even though Lucas and Dawn left at least I still have you around.”

You couldn’t help but frown. You didn’t realize just how attached Barry was to you and the others until now. Naturally you felt bad but you certainly couldn’t change your plans for him either as much as it hurts you to see him like this. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think you would be this upset about it but it’s just how it is. Eventually we have to go our own way to live our lives. Right now you’re training with Crasher Wake to become one of the best Pokemon Trainer ever. At some point you’re going to leave Sinnoh to follow that dream, right?” He remained silent but nodded in response. “Just because we’re not going to be together like old times doesn’t mean we’re no longer friends. You’ll always be my best friend no matter what.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I guess I was being over dramatic.” You couldn’t help but smile when you saw his expression brighten. That was until he started giggling leaving you perplexed.

“Huh? What’s so funny?” You asked

“Sorry I just found the whole ‘you’ll always be my best friend’ bit kind of cheesy.”

“I was trying to cheer you up you douche!” You snapped unable to control your blush of embarrassment as Barry continued laughing. Seeking petty revenge you bought your fingers to your lips and let out a sharp whistle. Without warning your Vaporeon splashed out between you both before spouting water right in his face. He sputtered in surprise as he attempted to shield himself.

“So that’s how it’s going to be huh?” He challenged before calling for his Floatzel who immediately appeared by his side. Already getting the cue of what was going on the Pokemon retaliated by spraying sea water over you by spinning its propeller-like tails. Oh, it’s on now. Barry however was already a step ahead of you as he mounted onto his Pokemon’s back. “Good luck trying to catch me Slowpoke!” He taunted with a smirk before promptly swimming away from you. You knew Vaporeon was nowhere near as fast as Floatzel but you sure as hell weren’t going to let him get away so easily. You got on Vaporeon’s back and began swimming after the two, unable to contain the childlike excitement and determination you were getting from the chase.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

For the first time since you moved to the chilly region you truly felt the warmth of summer in Sinnoh. You and Barry sat on a bench right outside Sandgem Beach, not bothering to change out of your swimsuits as you ate popsicles and watch the afternoon go by. Residents glance at you both with odd looks since beachgoers rarely, if ever, visit their town but neither of you mind at all. After having that impromptu water fight you both decided to have a Pokemon battle, for old time sake. Of course you lost but you didn’t mind. Its been so long since you felt the fun and adrenaline that battles gave you that you completely forgot why you enjoyed them so much in the first place.

“Hey (Y/N)?” You looked at Barry who took a small bite from his orange creamsicle. “I know I said it was cheesy but is it true? I’ll always be your best friend no matter what?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t lie to you about that.” You had just finished your (flavor) popsicle, dumping the stick in the trash can beside you. He remained silent and although he said he was fine you notice still a hint of sadness in his expression as he stared off in the distance. Placing a hand on his shoulder you diverted his attention to you as you beamed at him. “It’s a promise.”

There was a sudden shimmer in his eyes and you wonder if he was tearing up when he quickly rub at them. “It better be otherwise I’ll fine you ten million PokeDollars if you replace me!” You couldn’t help but giggle, Barry joining in.

“So what’s the plan tomorrow?” You asked.

“Well I was thinking the Great Marsh maybe. If you’re fine with that.”

You nodded. “I bet I can catch more Pokemon then you.” You smirked when his smile faded into an annoyed expression.

“As if! I’m totally going to kick your ass!” He said swatting away your hand when you attempted to ruffle his hair just to irk him.

Needless to say, you were pretty glad he woke you up this morning.

[eagles-translated]

Answering Eagles questions before the season 3 finale (Part 2/2)

I've received a bunch of questions since 3x08 and 3x09 dropped, so I compiled all the questions into two posts. I had to split them up because Tumblr only allows 10 images per post. Anyway, keep reading to see my answers and enjoy! 👇

There might be some kind of collaboration between Amie and Ludde like last season—we have only heard snippets of Ludde's song submission to the music school and it wouldn't surprise me if we saw Amie perform the song in its entirety in the last episode. I touched on this a little in part 1 of answering these questions.

It seems like Amie singing at the end of the season has become kind of a recurring theme. She performed “Follow” in 1x08 and “Second Sight” in 2x10 (on the radio, but my point still stands). I wouldn’t be surprised if they followed this trend by having Amie perform a new song in the season 3 finale.

I'm not sure if she'll recommend Ludde to the record label, though. I honestly still feel like Amie's whole storyline with sending in a rather basic demo written by two teenagers with little to no experience and then getting praised on it with comments such as "it's going to be a real summer hit" felt so unrealistic to me. Maybe they only said that so Amie would accept their offer or something, but that's still very strange because she would have still said yes without a doubt.

I can understand that they thought Amie was marketable as a person and there was this bonus with her having gone viral before on Felicia's Instagram, but that demo did not seem good enough for me to be immediately released as a single and then have them decide on the spot that Amie would be given a contract.

I mean, come on. It never felt earned because we never really saw Amie struggling with her songwriting journey to achieve this dream. Sending in one demo to one record label and having them immediately want to make a whole album with you just doesn't happen in real life unless the song is extremely good or you have a very unique voice. Amie is really talented but there are hundreds of people just like her, if not thousands. I was never convinced by her getting signed so quickly in season 2.

I understand that they wanted to establish her as a successful artist, but that felt so rushed. I was so sure that the record label would screw her over and steal the song rights to record it with another artist who was already established, and that we'd have to see Amie work even harder to achieve her dreams. But we didn't get that at all. Where was the struggle?

Anyway, I'm getting a little off-topic here. To be honest I have a lot of problems with the writing sometimes, even if I still love the show and its characters. Of course I wanted to see Amie achieve success (and I was happy when she did), but the journey there was so bizarrely easy.

She didn't start to seriously work on making her music career become a reality until season 2. Amie had dabbled in music prior to that, like when she auditioned for the school band and did that performance of Follow, but she didn't truly start to work towards it until season 2 when she decided to have her work sent to professionals in the business. And then, just five episodes later, she gets contacted by the record label in Stockholm.

To put this into context—season 2 took place somewhere around March, and episode 5 around three weeks into April. So when Ludde first started helping Amie it took less than two months for her to get signed. You could argue that the song was just that good or that Amie is just that talented, but it never felt like a realistic storyline to me.

So, back to your question! I need to stop getting so sidetracked while answering these haha. I don't think it would be realistic for the record label to hire a teenager with no professional songwriting experience, likely a very small portfolio of his own work in both size and variety, having a criminal record, and on top of that being infamous in the press for abusing his ex-girlfriend. If Amie offered the ultimatum to her label that she'll only return with Ludde, who has an incredibly bad reputation right now, it feels like she would be running the risk of losing the contract entirely.

There's only so much her label can put up with. We've seen Amie ignore their calls with no intention of reassuring them that she's coming back soon. Honestly, with the way things are looking right now it makes the most sense for the contract to be dropped. By Amie or by the label, I don't know.

The episode description for the season finale says that Ludde will get some sort of justice and it could be about his music (or something related to whatever Andreas is doing).

I believe Amie will be doing a live performance of Ludde's song at a New Year's Eve party in episode 10 but I doubt that Ludde will be picked up as a producer. If he actually does I would find that to be a very unrealistic plot point, to be completely honest with you.

This is an issue I had with 3x08 and 3x09 as well. I had a hard time actually enjoying the moment between Felicia, Klara, and Amie knowing that her family was getting increasingly worried for her and even thought for a short moment that Felicia was lying dead at the bottom of the ocean. All that could've been avoided.

To add, it didn't make a lot of sense to me that when Klara finally decided to call someone she called Amie instead of Elias. An ex-friend of Felicia's instead of her brother who could've helped a lot more. What was Amie supposed to do when she showed up at the hotel, exactly?

I know there was the thing with Klara only knowing Amie's number off the top of her head, but there is no reason why she couldn't have gone down to the reception while Felicia was sleeping and asked to use a computer just to get a quick message to Elias. Like, "hey, Felicia attempted something bad but she's safe with me, we're at this hotel in this room but she didn't want me to call anybody, I don't know what to do". That would've been so much better than keeping quiet about the situation for nearly 24 hours.

I know that Klara probably has trauma from leaving her dad at the hospital after his suicide attempt and that she probably didn't want to go against Felicia's wishes. I understand the first part 100%. But Felicia was in a very bad place emotionally and was thinking that her whole family hated her when that wasn't the case. I feel like in a situation like that you kind of have to be the bad guy just to ensure the family that Felicia was safe. Even if everything turned out alright in the end, it could've gone so much worse if Felicia had wanted to be kept hidden for longer.

The ending of 3x08 was super tough to watch and I can't imagine the feeling of thinking your only daughter/sister drowned herself after you just yelled at her and showed no support. Klara couldn't have known any of this, but I feel like she should've at least contacted Elias if she wasn't taking Felicia to a hospital.

Elias calling Amie would've been an easy solution to this whole debacle but we would've lost the drama. It's still somewhat of a plot hole though, like you said.

Thank you for reading that whole post @detectivejulesohara!

The clip you're referring to was posted on Yandeh Sallah's Instagram account, so not in a trailer for this season.

I think that was either just fanservice or it will appear in season 4 since it was posted in May of this year, and I believe the filming of season 3 had already wrapped by then.

It might indicate that Elias and Amie will be a couple by season 4 (this actually seems very likely regardless if this is actually part of a scene or not).

I think Elias is getting increasingly frustrated with hockey and the fact that he doesn't really have any other ambitions to strive for. He was raised with nothing but hockey surrounding him and it's in his blood. Elias got drafted to the US at around the same age as Mats, but Elias left after a year because he just wasn't progressing.

That must feel like a huge step back, and on top of that Mats was probably thriving in his successful career around the age that Elias is now. It's a tough difference in success to have weighing on your shoulders when you're in a team that's second to last in the rankings.

There's even the accusation in the press that Mats paid for Elias to advance in the rankings, and I'm sure that's going to affect his career negatively.

I think Elias overworking himself could also be the result of him feeling like he has to prove that returning to Eagles—a small club that is probably having their worst season ever—was in fact the right choice and not the death of his elite hockey career. That choice was very questionable from the very start and his agent advised against it. Even Mats found it strange. Elias said that he didn't really have a choice most likely because of the clause in his contract, but then he also claims to Mats that things just turned out that way.

Ludde: You don’t regret coming back [to Eagles]? Elias: I didn’t really have a choice.

The idea that he didn't have a choice in the matter doesn't seem accurate. His agent told him there were other alternatives like Jokerit (a professional ice hockey team based in Helsinki, Finland) and that they could find something better than Eagles. Elias seemed kind of defeated already and the decision to return to Eagles didn't feel thought-through at all. It's almost like he just didn't care.

Agent: [...] Jokerit has called and I’ve had a great conversation with them, so they’re on. Elias: You know what? Let’s skip all the trouble. Let’s go with Eagles, it’ll be great. Agent: What? Elias: I’m so tired of moving all the time anyway, plus I’ll be close to my family. Agent: Wait, I thought that you— Eagles has big economical problems, and… Sorry, but their season started awfully. We can get a better team. You understand, right? Elias: Yeah, but we can’t get a team that needs me as much. Plus— If they say they want to see development, I’ll give them that. Agent: Wait— They’re under the line. We’re talking about qualifying down directly. You can’t in earnest believe you’ll change that on your own. Elias: It’s perfect. I’ll only go up, as you like to say.

It also seems like he's maybe realizing that hockey isn't everything and that there are other things he might want to explore and pursue in his life. I think Elias is feeling kind of stuck right now. He's been training his whole life for one purpose which is a professional career in hockey, and maybe he feels like Mats wouldn't allow him to quit. That option doesn't exist to him.

Like you said, Mats had that comment where he labeled Ludde a "quitter" and Elias stressed the fact that there shouldn't be anything wrong with losing interest and deciding to pursue something else.

Mats: Can you imagine that he’s just quitting? I mean, I’m completely— He really didn’t strike me as a quitter. So fucking close. [...] Elias: [...] Ludde, he’s… He’s not a quitter, he’s just didn’t want it anymore. That should be fair.

However, quitting is seen as failure to Mats. Mats dropped everything when he got drafted. He left his relationship with Petra seemingly without a second thought, because hockey comes before everything for Mats. Felicia even mentioned back in season 1 how her father was just a voice in a telephone for most of her childhood. He barely had any presence in her life because he was busy with hockey.

When Klara tells Elias that he's always putting hockey first, he gets angry but he doesn't outright deny it. In fact, he kind of changes the subject to shift attention away from Klara's claim.

Klara: This— You haven’t changed at all. You’re always putting yourself first. Elias: Excuse me? Klara: Yes, it’s either you or hockey. Elias: Stop! What the— Klara: I can’t take this. Elias: Are you leaving now? I wasn’t the only one you dumped. You’ve been acting like shit to Felicia. Yeah, and Amie and Ludde too, for that matter. You haven’t thought about that? So don’t come here and say I’m the egoist.

This is kind of an interesting thought—that maybe Elias subconsciously knew that was Klara is saying is true to some degree and that he has been putting hockey first. He decided to get on the train to the draft combine in Seattle instead of staying with Klara, and a year later he realizes that things didn't turn out the way that he'd planned and he returns to Eagles.

Maybe Elias is trying so hard to be someone who he just isn't, and it's affecting so many aspects of his life negatively. He lost Klara, he had to repeat almost his whole last year in high school because of moving to the US, and now he seems to be stuck in Oskarshamn. He's previously expressed to Amie that this isn't necessarily where he wanted to end up.

Elias: [...] Hey, is it just me or is there something about this town that… It sort of feels like no matter how much you try to get away, it… It pulls you back somehow.

It's kind of strange that he doesn't want to be in Oskarshamn, and yet he was the one who chose to return. Maybe he somehow feels like he has some purpose there because it keeps pulling him back. He just doesn't know what that purpose is.

Elias tried coming back to Eagles to turn things around for them, and they did win a game against the Capitals but that victory was later tarnished by the fight that broke out between the two teams (and to add to this, the loss of Ludde who used to be one of the star players and Klara as a sponsor). That kind of overshadowed their whole victory. Elias was very determined to do something to help and it very much feels like he needs Eagles to succeed—he needs to sort of "redeem" himself.

Elias: [...] Can I do anything? Can I go talk to— I could go talk to the sponsor. Mats: Let’s deal with it later. I’ll solve this. You have to go to school now. Elias: But we can finish talking— Mats: You can— No. Try to think of something else. Alright?

I think that Elias's desperation for Eagles to do well could absolutely lead to him eventually deciding to be a coach. He doesn't really seem to want the life that Mats had after seeing how success turned out for him—a broken family that he barely cares about because hockey occupies his mind more than caring for his children or repairing the relationship with Leila.

I think Elias being a hockey coach could suit him, but I would also love to see him exploring things outside of hockey—maybe even his interests outside of sport entirely.

I kind of agree with you on this. Klara has apologized to Felicia and been forgiven, but we've never seen her properly apologize to Amie for filming that video of her and posting it on social media. Amie and Ludde were in the wrong, yes, but that video being posted was humiliating for both of them. They had to deal with the ramifications of that for months after with the whole school judging them in silence.

To be fair, the video was posted a long time ago in the show's time frame (nearly two years ago if I'm right?) and they all kind of moved on from it. To add to this, maybe she felt it would've been kind of awkward to apologize with Felicia in the room.

Felicia was so hurt by that video being posted and I think it would feel very weird for her that Klara would apologize for posting the video when it's the sole reason Felicia found out what had been done to her. Without that video, she would've probably gone a few more months without being told what happened at the Halloween party.

I'm waiting for a Klara and Amie reconciliation in this season finale. I feel like this is something that should be discussed between just the two of them, and maybe they'll sneak in some blessing from Klara with the whole budding Elias and Amie relationship? I'd be happy with just a reconciliation, though, but I'm unsure if we'll get one. I have a feeling they'll start the season finale with a time jump and I don't know if Klara is even going to be in Oskarshamn by that time.

If we don't see them reconnecting in the season finale I will be pretty disappointed, to be honest.

Thank you! I really appreciate you too @lunawedlers (your gifsets are absolutely magical)!

This question was sent in a while ago but as season 3 had just started airing I was very excited to see the development of Elias and Amie, mostly because the director had been hinting on Twitter that something would happen between them this season. I've been really interested in them ever since 1x03 and so far the wait has been worth it.

I think all episodes have great visuals, but if I had to pick one I would probably say 3x06. All those shots of Elias and Amie on the walk through the park, the drone shots, and then the view from that bench spot were so gorgeous visually. That answer is more of a scene rather than a whole episode haha, but I think they really made the beauty of Oskarshamn stand out in those shots.

I think Amie will have some sort of performance in the final episode of a new song and that Elias will be watching her! After reading the episode description for the final episode and seeing that there will probably be some New Year's Eve party going on, I have a feeling that Amie will be performing. She's always had a performance of a new song in every season finale and this one should be no exception.

They tricked us a little in the season 3 trailer with us thinking that Elias would be at one of Amie's concerts in Stockholm, but now I'm sure that this scene fits in at the New Year's Eve party.

I think we should keep our expectations low for a kiss between Elias and Amie. They just started developing their relationship, and I like the slow pace they're going in. They're not rushing anything. I also have this feeling that their development has deliberately been so slow because they're sort of "saving the best for last".

Elias and Amie are fan favorites and their relationship has been very talked-about from the beginning. I can see the writers maybe having decided to push their relationship more towards the end of the show, which is why we haven't really gotten any Elias and Amie content until now. That's frustrating if you're impatient and I've seen some people thinking that maybe Elias and Amie won't happen at all, but I don't think we need to worry at all. The fact that Elias and Amie's development has been so slow should indicate that they're much more likely to be endgame.

A kiss in episode 10 could definitely happen, but I don't know. Maybe they'll drag it out further. As I've said before, if they don't get one in season 3 they will absolutely be getting one in season 4. I've noticed that it's always best to keep your expectations low when it comes to this couple.

The episode description for the season finale said this about Elias, which some have interpreted to be about Amie.

New Year’s Eve is here. [...] But is Elias brave enough to say what everyone else already knows?

This could mean anything, really. I'm actually leaning more towards this being about an individual thing rather than Amie being involved. It could be about Elias admitting that he's been overworking himself and not eating properly, or coming clean about the fact that maybe he doesn't want a career in hockey. This is something that everyone else already knows, so I think it might be about hockey.

Felicia has observed the overworking, Mats has told him to stop with it, and Ludde might've had some inkling about it while he was still on the team. Even Amie has probably also noticed that he's been spending a lot of time at the gym lately.

I could absolutely be wrong about this though.

Thank you for the question @lunawedlers!

This is a hard one because season 3 has had so many strong episodes already, and usually my favorite episode ends up being the season finale because it's basically the culmination of the whole season. I really loved 2x10 for this very reason since the ending montage was so well done.

If I had to pick between 3x01 - 3x09 though I would probably have to say it's a tie between 3x04 — Date night and 3x05 — Wounds! These two episodes showcased what Eagles should be all about so well, which is relationships plus the struggles you go through as a teenager in a small town, and then of course hockey. The hockey game episodes are really good, even if I don't think 3x05 topped 2x05 (the game where Ludde got tackled and knocked out).

I loved the contrast in Date night of the budding relationship between Elias and Amie and then that fight between Felicia and Ludde on the cliff. That whole scene between Felicia and Ludde on the cliff was actually really beautiful, especially when the sun had gone down.

It was interesting to see how this sweet gesture from Felicia turned into a fight between the two of them. I thought that was very realistic, because no matter how big of a gesture Felicia made to apologize there were still underlying problems that they needed to talk about.

I also loved the "non-date" between Elias and Amie in this episode. It was cute to see them goofing off before the movie started and then talking about it on the way home. I liked how Elias could connect to her on how they had both returned to Oskarshamn.

The recent episodes that dropped last week (3x08 and 3x09) were very strong and discussed some important subject matters, but I had a few problems with them that I discussed in a question above. They were dark, but not necessarily bad because they needed to happen.

However, I have to say that I prefer Eagles when it's about hockey and teenage relationships. 3x04 and 3x05 made me kind of nostalgic for season 1 and I liked the vibe they both had.

I agree, but I think we could maybe get a combination of both! Relationships can have all these romantic and sweet traits like you described, but also be more passionate and show public displays of affection.

I think Elias and Amie fit the more laid-back and sweet characteristics, but we have yet to really see what Amie is like in a relationship. We've seen her with a crush on Ludde and we got a glimpse of that thing she had with Robin (which was apparently a relationship but I did not pick up on that at all), but we don't really know what Amie is like in a relationship. Maybe she's never really had a "real" one, either.

Nevertheless, I'm excited to see what's in store for Elias and Amie. I'm very positive that they will eventually become a couple in season 4.

[mamabearlarusso]

Holidays are Always Hard

Well, I never expected this weekend, to be easy, but did it have to be like pulling teeth?

It started off decent enough. Reconnecting with Sam was a pretty great highlight, even my mother/son time with Anthony wasn't too bad. I knew he was thinking about how much his father wasn't there, but he didn't really say anything. Just kept eyeing the food and being hesitant as if I wasn't doing it right, or at least not the way Daniel would have made it. It just made the elephant in the room all the more eager to trample through camp, when Monday came around.

I went to go wake the kids up at first light, as per tradition, and I was already tense. Sam was already awake and in the shower, always planning ahead for this day. Walking into Anthony's room flipped a switch and of course the fight started....

"I'm not going!" He said from under the covers, facing the wall and the pillow over his head.

"But we always go!"

"Yeah, Dad always goes too, is Dad gonna be there?!"

*nails digging into my palms* "Anthony..." He had me there. I couldn't think of how to turn it around with out raising my voice at him.

"I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THE DUDE, AND DAD'S NEVER COMING BACK, SO I DON'T EVER HAVE TO GO AGAIN!"

"ANTHONY!" Sam burst in the room, towel over her wet head, furious as she yanked at the covers. "Don't you dare talk like that, Jiji loved you! Now get ready!"

"NO!"

I'm about to lose it, I don't know if I'll yell or break into tears first. "Okay Anthony, fine, you want to be like that? You can stay in the car, but you're still going, so it's up to you whether you get dressed or stay in your pajamas!"

I had to get out of there and get on with the morning, before I said or did anything worse. I just wanted that day to be done with and stop reminding me of everything I had lost.

We got to the cemetery, Anthony, out of his cartoon pajamas, just sat there with crossed arms. (Had nothing else to do since Sam, took and hid his gameboy. Might want to keep an eye on that. She's just being a sister and she's understandably upset right now. Just saying.)

Sam and I were both quiet as we walked up to the gravestone. She set down her bag full of everything, bowed and got down to business. She set the paper lanterns up on top, and her phone between them. Pulled out a giant towel to kneel down on, as she rested the incense burner at the base of the stone and lit it. Then she pressed play on her phone to play one of his favorite songs, as she silently clipped away at the bonsai.

I just stood there, bouquet of flowers in my arms, not knowing what to do. It had been months since I had been there, so much was still fresh back then and now it was all starting to come back. *eyes started to water and almost as if on cue, Sam started humming along to the music* I couldn't help myself, tears rolled down my face and I laughed. *wiping my eyes* "Oh you!" I knelt on the towel and laid the flowers on the grass in front of the burner.

"I remember the first time you caught me crying, I was so embarrassed. A grown woman, crying for her daddy. But you told me, 'Everyone cry. Miyagi cry. You need cry, you cry.' *wipes eyes again* Then you sang that song. I'll never forget how calming, comforting and refreshing it was, to see a man so okay with crying.

Hope you're having a good time where ever you are, but I think I'm just about done crying. It's just time. I'm sure you've seen everything going on, but you don't have to worry, time to get my sh--uh, my stuff together and put this train back on the tracks. *kisses my fingers and touches the stone* I miss you, Old Man. Thank you."

As I got up and asked Sam if she was ready, she reached in the bag for a couple more things, "almost!" She stuck the little flag in the ground and in place of the burner, she set two paper cranes. "We love and miss you, Jiji."

---

On the way home the SUV was quiet again, until Sam asked if we could visit my dad's grave. I tried not to show how much that simple question had effected me, but my hands definitely tightened around that steering wheel. Kinda just side stepped the whole situation, making some comment that it wasn't in this cemetery, but we could go some other time. After all, we had to get back and do some digging.

I took them to the storage unit, where I keep everything from before I met Daniel. The look on Sam's face when she saw just how much there was, made it all worth the nerves I had getting here. We loaded several boxes in the trunk and headed home.

By the end of the day, Sam and I were in the den, hip deep in albums--photo and record. Anthony, who said he was going straight to his room when we got home, staggered back down when he heard Sam make a big deal about my comic collection. (I still don't know what that was all about, but it sure was nice to see her smile again. That's happening more the last few days.)

---

I must have fallen asleep after the kids went to bed, because I was still in the den buried under a chest of old mementos, a random letter still in my hands. But it sounded like someone was in the kitchen...cooking...at this time of night!?

I staggered out, just barely making it out of the labyrinth of boxes' contents everywhere. Then I heard a voice holler out, I never thought I would hear again.

'Honey, if you want me to sew that new patch on your jacket, just leave it on the chair and I'll get to it later.'

'Mama?'

She set a plate down on the table without even looking up, before getting back to the stove. 'Come on, hurry up and get to eatin', you've got a lot on your plate, now don't'cha?'

'Where's Dad?' I searched all around the room.

'Oh he's around here somewhere. How are those grandbabies of mine?'

I sat down looking at the food, not knowing how to start. 'Mama...I screwed up...with them, with the men in my life...with Dad, and...with you...I...'

'Oh honey, you were still just a baby then.'

'I know, but--'

'but nothing...you're not eating.'

'You didn't know all that you do now. Everytime you got upset that I was butting into your life, you didn't realize I was just making sure that you'd be okay without me. Your father and I decided not to tell you that I was sick, until they had to take me to the hospital. That was our decision as parents. We wanted you to enjoy that time as best as you could. We never blamed you for being mad, holding it against us or acting out. We understood that you had every right to, but we would've done it over again the same way in a heart beat. Because we knew you never get those years back.

Deep down you know that, or else you wouldn't have done the same, countless times with your little ones.'

'Exactly! You never get those years back, I should have been there, every last minute, with you!'

All of the sudden Mama's sitting next to me, holding me in her arms, stroking my hair. 'Sweetie, you couldn't have known, when you ran out in pain, that things would have escalated so fast. You didn't cause it to happen, okay. There was nothing you could have done...it was already in his hands.'

Then she looked at me with the biggest smile, 'Now eat your breakfast and tell me all about my grand babies!'

---

I woke up back in the den, laying in the fetal position on the couch, hugging my ratty, old teddy bear and I swore I could smell her perfume in the air. Then I remembered the letter on the table and sighed.

Mandy,

Sweetie, if you're reading this, I want you to know...

Grabbing the letter and teddy bear, it was time to go upstairs and get ready for the new day.

[unprofessional-bard]

Out of Touch

Pairing: Jacob Frye x Reader

Warnings: Jacob being Jacob (aka a lot of teasing/flirting), just some grabbing around (nothing to explicit), angsty at first but ends with a slightly heated fluff.

Summary: Jacob has been your bodyguard for the past month under strict orders from poor Evie who had been dealing with your father's unnecessary worrying. Jacob is a rough, reckless man who killed and you were the daughter of a man who had taught you manners and raised you as if you were royalty. Two complete opposites... right?

Author's Note: Okay nsjdjdjdsjns this is basically a Han/Leia AU... I've watched the originals again and wanted to write a fic with their chemistry: a scoundrel and a princess - Jacob and my lovely readers 😚 And of course a big thank you to @marshmallow--3 for helping me when I got stuck while writing 😊💘

This fic is for readers of all genders! If I've written anything that says otherwise please please please let me know!

Enjoy!

"Ugh!" You huffed for the umpteenth time that day because of the boredom eating away at you. All you had been doing for the past month was to sit on your armchair in the library with a hawk watching over you. Or should you say, a rook?

A rather handsome rook at that.

"What is it now, your highness?" Your supposed bodyguard groaned at you.

"Would you stop calling me that?" You snarled at him as you pushed the wood in the fireplace around with the steel poker. The poker was dirtier than you imagined, which annoyed you even more as your hands got covered in ash and dust. "This whole being stuck at home thing is really getting on my nerves..."

Jacob gave you an offended look: "You've been stuck in a big, empty house with the most handsome man in all of London for the longest time, yet you still complain - unbelievable..."

You didn't bother looking at him as you walked to the door. If it were your first week with Jacob, you'd be gasping, throwing a book his way, yelling at him to shut up with his infuriating flirting; but you were used to it by now and chose to ignore him for the sake of your nerves.

You were born in London, but your family moved to Paris when you were younger and now, ten years later, you were back in London -not as settlers but as guests- with your father. Your mother had passed before you could begin your assassin training and it wounded your father deeply, leading him to cancel your training and keep you out of the "assassin" business. It didn't anger you before because you didn't care, grieving and moving on from your mother's passing took a toll on you and it took too long. When you turned 16 however, you started realising what a great opportunity your father had taken away from you and so you've been upset with him ever since. Five years had passed and here you were, stuck with a reckless assassin named Jacob, who's father was friends with your own for a long time until his recent passing.

The reason you were stuck in the house with the said assassin was nothing but for your own safety, at least that's what you've been told by a variety of people. How hard was it to put you in a carriage and let you sail back to France?

Too hard apparently. You didn't even really know why your father was in London in the first place. He kept saying "assassin business" and hid things from you, why did he even bother bringing you along in the first place?

"Remind me, for how long more will I be stuck with you?" You walked to the living room, Jacob right behind you.

"Two more weeks," he shrugged. "Why, bored of me already, your worshipfulness?"

You sighed loudly in irritation, to which he replied: "I bet I can get you to make those sounds with my-"

"Will you shut your gob?!" You turned around, eyes and arms wide open, shouting at him. "The audacity you have, if you were half the person your sister was-"

"Oh don't bother," Jacob spoke suddenly with a tone you haven't heard before. "I'm too 'wild' and 'vulgar' and 'rebellious' for the likes of you people, I know. Spare me the lecture."

Your anger cooled down and you almost felt sorry for him, thinking about how upsetting it must be to always being compared to someone, not better than him, but different. He didn't look you in the eye as he turned around to leave.

"I just wish that you'd cut it out when you're told to cut it out," you said quietly, not wanting to start up a fight with him. "Anyways... I am going out."

That made him halt in his tracks and turn around: "I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me." You said, determined. "I am going out and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

"Oh, trust me, you don't want to know the amount of ways I can stop you from taking another step," he said, still shocked.

"Well, I don't care. You either come with me or stay out of my way because I am going ou-" Just as you were reaching for the door handle, you felt your body being pulled backwards and pressed harshly against the wall.

"Good lord-" you gasped involuntarily. He was pressing against your body from behind, your face trapped between the wall and his face which was only inches apart from yours. "You make it so difficult sometimes."

"I do, I really do..." Jacob nodded as he held you in place but he wasn't hurting you . "You could be a little nicer though. Eh, admit it, sometimes you think I'm bearable."

A moment of silence settled between you as you pushed him off yourself and turned around, still leaning against the wall, rubbing your wrist: "Occasionally- maybe, when you're not acting like a rotter."

"Rotter?" He raised a brow at you. "Rotter..." he repeated as he very slowly closed the space between you two and gently grabbed your wrist. He smirked like the rascal he was as he carefully massaged your wrist - you both knew it wasn't hurt at all. "I like the sound of that."

It took you a short moment to realise what he was doing: "Stop that."

"Stop what?" He asked, confused.

"Stop that," you repeated, trying to pull your wrist away from his big hands; "my hands are dirty."

"My hands happen to be dirty too, your majesty. What are you afraid of?" His voice was low and it couldn't have been deeper.

"Afraid?" You tried to act confused as you felt the distance between you close even more.

"You're trembling..." he pointed out.

"I'm not trembling," you tried to chuckle but instead your voice trailed off.

At this point, he was towering over you: "You like me because I am a rotter... There aren't enough 'rotter's in your life."

"I happen to like polite men-"

"I am a polite person," his nose brushed against yours and it was then, you realised, he almost had you.

Just before he could close the little distance between you entirely, you pushed him off with little force and immediately went out the door.

Jacob was absolutely stunned at your sudden act and followed you out: "Oi!"

You smirked to yourself as you skipped around the streets amongst the throng of people, thinking that Jacob will have a hard time finding you and dragging you back home. Ten minutes were all you needed and before he knew it, you'd be back as if you hadn't stepped outside at all.

Well, you were wrong.

Just after three minutes of walking around the streets you finally took a turn and stopped to rest on an empty alley, but only after 20 seconds of freedom and starting to feel joyful because of finally being by yourself, you were harshly grabbed by your waist and shoulders once more and were pulled into a small cabinet behind you.

You yelped but a big, familiar hand muffled the sound as it closed over your mouth.

After you stopped moving and stood still, Jacob dropped his hand onto your shoulder and the other remained around your waist. Your back was, once more, pressed tightly against him; his breathing on your neck sending involuntary shivers down your spine.

"Let go," you demanded quietly.

"Sshh-" Jacob ignored you. You weren't exactly sure what he was up to, but it was starting to become suffocating in there.

"Let go, please..." you asked, softer this time. Although he wasn't pressing you down entirely and you could easily move out of his hold like you did minutes ago, Jacob noticed how you weren't really fighting to get out of there but decided to reply anyway.

"Don't get excited now," He whispered half arrogantly and half disturbed.

"Well, Mr. Frye, being held by you isn't quite enough to get me excited."

But your reply seemed to excite him: "I'm sorry love, but we haven't really got the time to do anything else at the moment."

Jacob let go of you just in time as some nasty looking Blighters finished passing by and stepped out of the cabin with you.

You straightened your clothing as Jacob growled: "Do you have a death wish? What were you thinking?!"

"Perhaps I do," you replied angrily but you didn't raise your voice at him. "What do you care? Other than getting an earful from Evie and your little gang of assassins?"

"Your father-"

"Of course," you sighed. "But you needn't worry, Jacob. If he cared about me even in the slightest, he would've respected my choices and left me back in Paris instead of getting me into this mess."

"But he does care about you, a lot in fact."

"Really?" You asked, smiling bitterly. "If he had cared from the beginning, I would've been an assassin now and we both wouldn't have been stuck in that cursed house for weeks! Maybe if he didn't wail as he does with everything and lost himself in his assassin business and actually cared for me, then he would've made sure I could take care of myself instead of 'protecting me from the dangers of the world!'"

You didn't realise the tears rolling down your face as you finished yelling at the once more stunned Jacob. After a moment of quiet, you began sobbing and broke down, falling onto your knees.

Jacob calmly approached you and kneeled down beside you, wrapping his arm around your shoulders and putting his hands on them.

"Please take me home," you sobbed quietly as you leaned in to rest your head on his chest. He didn't move while you cried a little more and thought about how hard it must've been for you. He couldn't imagine what he'd do if he wasn't an assassin and he understood your frustrations with your father.

He gently moved and picked you up bridal style. You had neither the energy nor the state of mind to fight him about it and let him carry you, wrapping your arms around his shoulders and burying his head in the crook of his neck.

"Hmph," Jacob hummed thoughtfully as he aimed his rope launcher to the edge of a roof. "Hold on tight love."

"What do you me-" you began but got interrupted when you heard a thwip, then a far away clang from above you; and just as you felt Jacob's arm tightening its grip, with a whoosh, you suddenly gasped.

In a matter of seconds, you were launched in the air and landed on a rooftop in Jacob's strong hold. How did we not fall?! you thought.

"Jacob!"

He switched your position from his arms to his back: "If this doesn't excite you, I don't know what will." he said smugly and just as you hugged his back tighter, he repeated the motion with the rope launcher and down you went.

You were surprised at how strong both Jacob and the rope was as it carried you across the sky, downwards to your house. It took maybe a little over a minute but it felt like more - and it certainly did pump some adrenaline through your veins. You shouted and laughed all the way through which put a different kind of smile on Jacob's lips.

You both almost fell over when you landed, but Jacob grabbed your legs and found his balance. You were right in front of your door, which made you sad as you had the most splendid time in a long while. When he let go of your legs, you only grabbed onto him tighter.

"What's this then?" Jacob smirked as he tried to turn his head around when you didn't let go. He could feel your heart beating on his back and it was still beating like crazy.

"Your grace demands that you carry them into their chambers," you demanded in an exaggerated way and smirked backed. "You asked for this, I told you to stop calling me those names."

"Very well," he sighed in defeat and adjusted your form on his back, then went to open the door. If this was all it took to make you smile, then so be it.

Jacob carried you all the way upstairs to your room but instead of dropping you on your bed right away, he somehow effortlessly switched back to the bridal hold.

Your smirk dropped from your lips as you noticed that you were trapped in his hold. He gazed at you for a while -your disheveled hair, your beautiful eyes, crimson cheeks that matched your perfect lips- and then slowly lowered you onto your bed, but as he did, he carefully climbed on top of you; he gave you enough time and space to tell him to stop or push him off, but you didn't.

Jacob moved closer until your noses touched and quietly asked: "May I have my kiss now?"

Without hesitation, but slowly, you lifted your head up and connected your lips with his in a soft, passionate kiss; he, however, immediately grabbed your face and pressed you back onto the bed.

Incredible was one way to put it, arousing was another, but you truly couldn't find the words to explain how utterly delicious that kiss was. Your hands were quick to find their place, cupping his face, his beard an absolute delight to feel on your fingertips.

Just as everything was getting more heated, however, there was a calling of your name along with Jacob's from downstairs.

"Damn..." you cursed, breathless.

"We'll continue this darling... later." Jacob smirked devilishly, he was as out of breath as you were. He quickly jumped off you while you called your father.

You both quickly fixed your attire and went out of your room to greet your father. A sour expression settled on your face, which Jacob noticed. He quickly but gently pushed you against a wall and gave you another toe curling kiss.

"Thank you, Jacob..." you managed to say when he detached his lips from yours. "For today- for everything, really. Much as you infuriated me, you also made this past month more bearable."

"My my, is this a confession?" Jacob said with a brow up.

"Don't get cocky," you pushed him off and went downstairs.

Maybe it was a confession, maybe it wasn't, nevertheless it would be better if you kept it to yourself, for you'll be on your way back to Paris in two weeks.

... But then again, you could make your last two weeks more interesting. He said it himself, you two weren't done yet - it wouldn't hurt to have a little fun and make this a memorable trip, right?

[evil-fork]

Yandere Narancia x Reader

warnings: violence, blood, stalking, angst

----

A sinking feeling settled deep in the pit of your stomach as you hurriedly ducked behind the corner of a pastry shop. You clenched your purse closer to yourself, chest heaving as the reality of the situation finally sunk in.

He wasn't going to stop, was he? You had thought he moved on, and yet here he was--stalking you from a distance. Did he not know that you'd noticed him? And how did he always know where you were?

You closed your eyes and took a deep breath, remembering all of the events that led up to this.

You first met Narancia two months ago.

It was late in the evening and you had just finished buying groceries. You were in a hurry, trying to get back to your apartment before the sun went down.

About five minutes into the trek back home, two bulky street thugs approached you from the shadows. Before you could even react, one of them roughly ushered you into an alleyway. The other stood at the entrance, glancing around for any witnesses.

Your heart leapt to your throat when you spotted the glint of a knife. The groceries clutched in your hand slipped through your fingers and clattered to the ground with a damning thud.

"Look--there doesn't have to be any trouble," the dark-haired man said in a rush. "Just hand over the cash and you can go."

You were frozen in shock, unable to move. You knew that you should reach for your bag and do as you were told, but for some reason you couldn't take your eyes off of the blade.

Would he kill you after he took the money? He couldn't be serious about letting you go unscathed, right? You'd seen their faces. But trying to run wouldn't end well for you either--you were unarmed and outnumbered.

Apparently you had taken too long because all of a sudden, the knife was pressed up against your cheek. A small bead of blood trailed down from where it dug into your skin. You felt the burning sensation of hot tears prickling the corners of your eyes.

"Hurry it up already! Do you want this to get more ugly?" The man snarled, drawing closer to your face.

You tried to flinch away, but you couldn't retreat any farther--your back was pressed up against the cold brick wall. He had you cornered.

As the knife pressed down harder, a loud gurgling sound suddenly broke the silence. Startled, the thug withdrew slightly to look towards the entrance where his partner was stationed. It gave you enough time to push him away with both of your arms. He stumbled backward with a yelp so you made a break for it.

His hand shot out to grab you again, but before he could wrap his meaty fingers around your wrist, another hand reached out and pulled you forward. You were pushed behind the newcomer protectively as he stood in front of you like a human shield.

"Get your hands off of them, you bastard!"

Your savior promptly aimed a well-timed punch straight into the thug's nose with an enraged shout. The man let out a pained cry and clutched at his nose as blood spurted forth, staining his hand with a river of red.

But the new arrival didn't stop there--he rushed forward to land another punch and when the thief fell down to the ground, he reeled his foot back and began to furiously kick the man's curled up body. He cursed exclamations of "Asshole!" and "Motherfucker!" inbetween kicks, each strike seeming to gather more and more force.

You were immensely grateful for his help, but you couldn't just stand around and watch as he beat a man to death, deserving or not.

Taking a tentative step forward, you stuttered out, "H-hey! I--I think that's enough! He's unconscious...!"

Your words seemed to break him free of whatever trance he'd been put under. He froze mid-kick before lowering his foot back down to face you. The rage that had previously occupied his face was all but gone, instantly replaced with a good-natured smile. He subtly stepped in front of the bloodied and beaten body, almost as if to hide it from your view.

"Hah--sorry about that! I guess I got a bit carried away," he said sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. "I had to make sure he couldn't get back up to hurt you. I'm Narancia, by the way!"

He held out his hand eagerly for a handshake.

It was spattered with blood.

You stared at it for a moment, unsure what to say.

"Oh! Whoops," Narancia immediately withdrew his hand to wipe the blood off on his...skirt--thing? When his hand was sufficiently clean enough, he offered the limb back out to you.

This time you took it without question, not wanting to upset him. He'd saved you, but you didn't know what to make of his casual regard for being covered in blood. It screamed danger.

Narancia shook your hand vigorously.

"(Y/n)," you introduced. You didn't see any harm in giving him your first name. "Thank you. If you hadn't come, I don't know what would've happened..."

As you went to pull your hand back, his hand tightened for a moment. You tugged a bit harder and he finally released it, his hand twitching at his side.

A moment of silence passed before he noticed your discarded grocery bag. The contents were splayed across the concrete, having rolled out of your bag when you dropped it earlier. His eyes widened at the sight, and he snapped into action.

"Ah! Your groceries! I'll get them up for you!"

Before you could protest, he was already moving to pick up all of the fallen items. Once they were all gathered up and placed inside your bag, he strolled back over to you. You thanked him and reached out to grab the bag, but he pulled it back at the last moment.

"Hey--it's really dark out! It would be safer if I walked you back home, right? There could be more of those guys still hanging around," he said, looking at you worriedly.

You didn't exactly want to lead a stranger back to your apartment, but you didn't want to walk home alone either. It was dark and the streets would be even more dangerous than before. Logically, you would be safer with him--someone who genuinely seemed concerned about your well-being.

You nodded. "Alright."

The two of you carefully stepped over the other body blocking the exit, Narancia holding out an arm to steady you. You smiled softly, your anxiety finally settling as you both walked. Narancia chattered away about his favorite foods and how you had the same tastes as him, having noticed the pizza sauce in your bag. You told him about your favorite recipe and he listened keenly, despite admitting that he wasn't much of a cook himself.

Before long, you were already standing at the entrance to your apartment building. You had such a great conversation with Narancia that you completely lost track of time. Once again, you sincerely thanked him for all of the help. The night could've ended much worse for you.

As you took your bag back, you paused at the feeling of his hand on your cheek. You looked up at his face, which had gone completely blank. All except for his eyes, that is. There was something dark swirling in the depths of his violet eyes--some emotion that you couldn't put a finger on.

You felt a shiver crawl down your spine and you pulled away, covering the trail of dried blood with your own palm. "I'll clean this up later. It's not as bad as it looks," you said reassuringly.

His eyebrow twitched once, and then a wide smile stretched over his face. "I've been cut before in the same place! And look--" Narancia pointed to his unblemished cheek. "No scar, or nothin'! It should heal just fine, I promise!"

You simply smiled back, inwardly wondering how many fights he must have gotten into in his youth. It was probably a lot, if tonight was anything to go by.

"Well, it was nice to meet you, Narancia," you said sincerely. "I wish it had been under better circumstances, but still--thank you. Be careful getting back home yourself, okay?"

Narancia seemed extremely touched by your words, an expression of complete adoration creeping over his face. He nodded enthusiastically. "I will! I'll see you around, yeah?"

"Of course! It's a small world."

And that had only been the beginning.

Even during your first encounter with Narancia, the signs had always been there. When the news reported the deaths of two serial muggers the day after, you hadn't even thought to look closer at the faces pictured on the TV. You'd gone on with your day, too worried about getting ready for work and not even thinking to put two and two together.

Everything started out fine. You would "happen" to run into him, and the two of you would get along very well--laughing and giggling over some silly joke of his, or even discussing your favorite music artists over lunch. It didn't take long for him to wiggle his way into your social circle, soon becoming a treasured friend among few.

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end eventually.

You don't know precisely when it happened, but Narancia started to become very...clingy. Slowly but surely, it was like your entire life began to revolve around him and him alone.

Whenever you wanted to make plans to hang out with another friend, he was always there to convince you otherwise. He would tell you about how he only had his family to talk to, and that you were his first real friend in years. It would make you feel bad for even considering leaving him alone.

But then he started to insert himself into your life even more, pushing the boundaries as far as he could.

You'd come home to find him waiting on your couch, uninvited. If you hadn't recognized his familiar clothing, you would have called the police.

The door had been locked--only you had the key.

"Narancia?" you said, desperately wanting to give him the benefit of the doubt. "How did you get in? The door was locked..."

"Oh, that?" He slapped a hand over his pocket. "You weren't here so I just used my knife! I hope you don't mind!"

You were at a loss for words. The way he admitted it so casually left you with an uneasy feeling. Did he really think breaking and entering was acceptable behavior? You could overlook many things when it came to Narancia, but this was too much.

"...I actually do mind, Narancia."

"Don't worry, nothing's damaged or anything!" Narancia assured you, standing up to show you the intact doorknob. He looked almost proud.

"T-that's not the issue here," you sputtered weakly. "You just broke into my apartment--why did you do that?"

He finally seemed to realize that something was wrong. His face scrunched up and he looked at you with uncertainty. "I thought people who were dating are supposed to let themselves in...?"

Dating...? Where had he gotten that idea from?

"You think--" You stopped to gather your thoughts.

Athough he was greatly overstepping your boundaries, you still couldn't bring yourself to treat him too harshly. Narancia was a child at heart, he couldn't comprehend why what he was doing was wrong. You had to be careful with this.

You took a deep breath. "Narancia," you started. "What made you think that we were dating...?"

"We've gone on so many dates already!" He looked at you as if it were obvious, gesturing wildly. "And we hang out all the time! You have my phone number--of course we're dating!"

You slowly shook your head. "No, Narancia. We hang out as friends. We're not dating."

Narancia looked like a lost puppy. Your heart clenched painfully inside your chest. "Then what do I need to do so that we can date? Please, tell me! I'll do whatever you want!"

You wanted so badly to reach out and comfort him, but you knew if you did it would only give him the wrong idea. He needed to learn that your friendship wouldn't end in romance, as you didn't feel the same way. You saw Narancia as too much of a kid, almost like a younger sibling.

"I'm sorry," you apologized solemnly, averting your gaze. "I don't see you that way. I can only be your friend--nothing more." Better to honest with him, than to dance around the issue.

Narancia marched up to you and gently grabbed your chin, tilting your face up so that you would look him in the eye. "Am I moving too fast?" he asked, desperate to understand. "Is that it? I'm sorry if I did something wrong!"

You were trying to spare his feelings, but it seemed like he was going to make you say it outright. "You're barely an adult, Narancia. I see you more as a younger brother."

The emotion that flickered through his eyes in that moment could only be described as despair. "B-brother...?" His expression crumbled under the weight of your words.

You looked away as guilt began to eat at you.

"I--" His voice sounded choked, and you could tell that he was trying his best to hold back tears. Narancia lowered his hand and stepped past you, toward the front door. "I've gotta--go." A sniffle. "I'll...call you later, okay...?"

From that day onward, nothing was ever the same.

Narancia would send phone call after phone call, begging you to rethink your decision. He told you that he would do whatever you wanted--that he would change and become more mature if you would just see him as a man. You told him that you weren't looking for a relationship, but even that didn't work.

Eventually, you were forced to make a tough decision. He was becoming too overbearing, refusing to listen to anything you had to say. You couldn't even get through dinner without your phone blowing up from multiple missed calls. There was a point where enough was enough, and you truly believed that this was that point.

You grabbed the phone and held it up to your ear.

"(Y/n)! You answered! Just hear me out, what if I--"

"Narancia," you said, cutting him off. "If you won't respect my wishes for us to remain friends, then I don't think I want to see you anymore. I'd hate to lose you as a friend, but this is getting to be too much...

There was nothing but silence on the other end.

"Hello?" you tried. "Narancia...?"

You were answered with a click as the phone abruptly hung up. As you set the phone back down on the table, you tried to gather your thoughts into something coherent. Perhaps it was for the best that he responded in that way--you definitely needed some space.

The following few days were like a blessing. It seemed that Narancia had finally accepted that he couldn't woo you over. The phone calls stopped completely after that night. You didn't see him around town anymore, but you understood why. Sometimes distance was the best cure for unrequited crushes.

Apparently, you were wrong.

It started a week after your last phone call with Narancia.

Whenever you would leave your apartment building, you'd start to get the feeling that you were being watched. The hairs on the back of your neck would stand up, and you would feel on edge for the rest of the trip. Sometimes you'd even see a glimpse of familiar colors out of the corner of your eye, but when you turned to look, it would disappear.

You didn't want to believe that it was him, but your suspicions were finally confirmed.

You opened your eyes to stare out at the wall of your hiding place, purse still clutched tight to your chest. Your breathing was elevated, your anxiety skyrocketing. He'd been following you all this time, hadn't he?

Not knowing what else to do, you dug into your purse, fumbling for your phone. You could call the police. Except, you didn't have any proof that he was stalking you...and he hadn't done anything to you yet. Would they even take you seriously? What were you supposed to do...?

A thought suddenly occurred to you.

...You still had Narancia's number.

Hands shaking, you brought your phone up to your face to scroll down to his contact information. The digits stared back at you ominously as your finger hovered over the call button. You would tell him to stop, and if he didn't--you would call the police.

You finally pressed dial, waiting with bated breath. There was an echoing click as the call was immediately picked up.

"Narancia," you quickly whispered into the speaker. "Please stop this. I know you've been following me. It's scaring me..."

"You called! I knew you would!"

His response didn't come from the phone.

The phone slipped between your fingers as you looked over. Narancia was leaning up against the opposite wall with his arms crossed, a victorious grin lighting up his face. You felt the world tilt around you.

He pushed himself off of the wall to come closer.

"I asked the gang for relationship advice and they told me about this old saying!" Narancia scratched the back of his head. "What was it again...? Oh, right! Something about setting the love of your life free, and if they come back it was meant to be!"

You froze when he threw his arms around you, hugging you tight. He held on to you as if you would disappear, your face pressed up against his toned chest. You wanted to say something--anything, but you couldn't seem to formulate any words.

"And you called! You came back! Looks like it was meant to be, (Y/n)!"

[igotyouniverse]

Breathe Me - Chapter 2 [nct vamp au]

Description: After dropping out of college and coming home for the first time in two years, 22-year-old Ava Lee gets caught up in a mystery surrounding the people she thought she knew for so long. Between friendship, affairs and true love the young women finds herself being pulled into a  nightmare she would never wake up from.

Pairing: Oc x Taeyong , Oc x Johnny [side: markxoc, tenxoc, lucasxoc, jaehyunxoc]

Included Members: Taeyong, Johnny, Mark, Lucas, Ten, Jaehyun, Doyoung, Haechan (maybe more)

Genre: Drama, Romance, Angst, Fantasy

Warnings: some swearing I guess and some umm angst (this chapter)

suggestive content, strong language, violence, blood, death. probably more, not sure yet (later chapters)

a/n: yeah who doesn't like awkward encounters in cafés and bookstores? Plus an awkward party with a big surprise? Sign me up. Anyway, that's the second chapter for this baby. I got carried away a lot, so it turned out a lot longer than expected but I honestly didn't want to split it up. A lot is happening! I'm honestly so excited for the third one as the main plot will start there and let me tell you – it will go WILD, haha. Enjoy ♥

ch. 1 || ch. 3

･.｡*†*｡.･◆･.｡*†*｡.･◆･.｡*†*｡.･◆･.｡*†*｡.･

“Oh, hey Ava. Haven't seen you in forever. How are you? That's exactly what he said.”, Ava told her best friend while savouring her freshly baked croissant.

Yunmi sighed and took another sip form her third coffee. “I mean you actually didn't see him in nearly three years.”

Ava shot her friend a glance and snorted. “Yeah, well, that's not my bad. He decided to completely ignore me for no reason at all.”

“Yeah, because he's a jerk. That's a fact.”, Yunmi said with a smile, trying to comfort her friend.

“Totally.”

“A handsome jerk, tho.”, Ava added and drank a sip of her water, trying to avoid her friend's gaze.

“Yup, we all got eyes. But I still don't get it. I mean you two didn't even hook up, did you?”, she felt Yunmi's eyes staring holes in her body.

“No, I've told you a hundred times. We just kissed. I think I'd remember if I hooked up with fucking Johnny Suh.”, Ava sighed with frustration in her voice. Of course she thought Johnny was attractive. Well, not only attractive. It was like she was just drawn to his simple presence. Not to mention, that he was funny, smart, caring and overall just a good person. Or that's what she thought before he decided to just erase her out of his life.

She just couldn't get a hang of it. The memories she had of that night were just magnificient. The farewell party was fun and chill. Everyone enjoyed themselves while dancing or just having drinks. She wasn't even that buzzed, especially not in the moment she remembered so clearly it even felt a little surreal sometimes. But she could remember so clearly how she talked to Johnny for hours about everything. It wasn't the typical smalltalk they usually had – she told him about her worries for university, her feelings about this god forsaken town and even managed to tell him that he crushed on him for years, not having the balls to ask him out. Him being the best friend of her brother didn't make the whole situation easier, though.

And then, just like in all these movies she binge-watched with Yunmi he actually kissed her. And not like a friend, no, she remembered his lips on hers so clearly. The softness of them and how perfectly fit on hers like they were just meant to be. Yet, it felt like a dream sometimes. She felt how much passion the kiss had, it was breathtaking, like a sweet drug she couldn't get enough from and yes, she absolutely would've slept with him but she knew that he was a gentleman. They just chuckled at each other before he brought her home, promising to call the next day before her flight would take off.

But that never happened.

“Maybe you should try talking to him? Like face-to-face. You won't be able to avoid him forever, especially because of Mark.”, Yunmi said and tried to read her friends emotions but Ava just chuckled.

“Watch me.”

The café Yunmi picked out was next to the bookstore Mark worked at. Ava remembered how the spot was always closed and under construction but apparently it opened a few months ago. The style was simple and comfy. It was a light store with paintings on the walls and different types of plants everywhere. Huge windows allowed a view over the main street and the small park right in the middle. It seemed oddly familiar to Ava, even though she never set a foot in this building. But something just felt like she's been there before but she couldn't figure it out.

“I need more coffee.”, Yunmi said and pouted looking at her empty cup.

“Dude, that was your third coffee.” Ava laughed and looked at her friend, with just a tint of worry in her eyes.

“Happens when you work as a nurse. Night shifts are just so tiring here. Nothing happens anyway but I wasn't able to take a nap because I had to do all these papers.”, she said annoyed and pouted at Ava, holding up her empty cup.

The girl sighed and smiled, standing up to get her friend her needed refill.

Ava went up to the empty counter and looked for the young waiter she saw earlier but to her surprise another young man came out, looking at her with warm eyes.

“Can I get a refill please?”, she asked politely and handed the guy the cup after he nodded. His eyes focused on her for just a second, but for her it felt longer. Did she know him? His hair was dyed in a ashy-blonde color, hair framing his delicate facial features. His eyes looked warm yet they had something deep and maybe even dark about them. The way he moved looked elegant. She eyed him just for a second longer, trying hardly to think why he looked so familiar. She even felt like she somewhat heard his voice before. She squinted her eyes trying to take a look at his name tag but apparently he didn't even wear one.

“Here. Do you need something else?”, he asked.

Ava froze for a split second, realized how impolite it was to stare at a person as bluntly as she did.

“No, thank you. I really like the place, though. It's pretty.”, she smiled lightly and took the cup.

The guy thanked her, his face lightened up, a smile appearing on his face, which made her feel warm all of a sudden. Why did his smile see so familiar?

She hurried back to the table her friend was sitting, giving her her desperately needed caffeine.

“Who's the guy at the counter?”, Ava asked.

Yunmi immediately turned around to take a look at who her friend meant.

“Taeyong. He owns this place.”

After Ava stayed silent, not quite sure if she knew him or not, Yunmi added,

“He lives together with Johnny and Jaehyun in that house. We met him there once, don't you remember?”, Yunmi asked and raised a brow.

“I don't know. I guess? You know how bad my memory is.”, Ava chuckled and stared at her glass of water before giving her friend a smile.

Honestly, she wasn't sure if she remembered. Maybe she did meet him back then. Maybe not.

“He's cute, isn't he? He even makes the pastries himself.”, Yunmi said and took a bit of her sandwich after inhaling her coffee.

“Yeah, he is nice, I guess.”, Ava said, looking over at the counter where Taeyong stood. She saw how his eyes met hers, holding the eye-contact for just a bit before he turned around and went to the back.

Weird.

“There will be a party tonight at their house.” Yunmi said, eyeing her friend once more. After Ava didn't answer right away Yunmi sighed.

“We should go. It will be fun.” she added.

“Since when do you want to go parties?”, Ava asked her friend, raising her brow. As long as she remembered Yunmi and her weren't the type of girls who went to parties. They usually preferred a good movie night with food over drinks and bad music. Even in college, Ava didn't attend many of those famous college parties she heard about.

“Their parties are usually really nice.”, she smiled softly and started to play with a strand of her brown hair.

“Mh-mh. Their parties or just someone at their parties?”, Ava teased her friend, poking her cheek.

Yunmi pouted a light shade of red on her cheeks. She caught her.

“Well, you won't know if you don't join.”, Yunmi poked out her tongue at Ava, laughing softly at her.

“Fine. But if I see Johnny I'll leave.”, Ava said firmly and looked at her hands for a second. She really didn't want to attend another party where he was after the last time, even if it was years ago.

“He lives there, genius. Of course he will be there. But it will be fun, I promise. Maybe you could even use the chance to talk to-”

A glance of Ava cut her friends words off, holding her hands up in defeat.

“Fine. Or ignore him. Just come with me. I'll introduce you to some cool people, okay?”

The girl groaned until she gave in.

“Okay. I will be there. Mark probably wants to go too, anyway.”, Ava said and rummaged in her bag, trying to find her phone.

“Probably.”, Yunmi answered, seemingly uninterested if the boy would join them or not.

“Mh, can't find my phone.”, Ava muttered, unable to find anything in her bag anyway.

“Well, the bookstore is right next-door, I'll just ask him there. I think he's working.”, she looked to her best friend who seemed to have spaced out for a second.

“You join me?”, she asked, touching Yunmis hand for a second. Her best friend shook her head, smiling at her.

“No no, I need to take a nap and a shower before the party. Just, um, say hello from me, will you?”, Yunmi stood up, taking her jacket over her arm, helping to put the empty plates and cups on the empty counter.

“Yeah, sure. See you then.”, Ava said putting the rest of the plates on the counter, a bit surprised about the sudden haste her friend was in.

She sighed taking a look around the café once more before leaving it for the day. Ava tried her best to not overthink the whole situation and slowly walked to the next door on the street, leading into the small bookstore her younger brother worked at.

She strolled through the filled shelves, inhaling the magnificent scent of all the bound books walking up to her most favourite isle – old classics. Her fingers trailed over the spines, feeling their different textures. She used to read a lot, every week a new book in her hand, ready to savour it in just one sitting. Back then, it felt easy to just sit down, a book in her hands and shutting the world out completely, focusing only on the words forming these beautiful pictures inside her head, making all these thoughts haunting her in real life go away just like that. When did she lose this talent? Nowadays, she just couldn't get herself to actually read a book. She continues to buy them, placing them prominently on her nightstand, in hopes for her to just grab it in the evening but the pile of books just grew bigger and bigger over the weeks until she finally stopped to even buy them. She hoped to get back into her once most loved hobby. Even if it was just for a few minutes.

“Hey, didn't expect you to visit me.”, she heard Mark saying and turned around, a big smile on her lips.

“I wanted to surprise you, I've actually met with Yunmi. We had breakfast in the café next door.”, Ava answered and looked at her brother. She chuckled mildly. He looked so grown-up and mature in his plain black shirt with his round glasses on, his dark hair falling into his face. She realized how different he looked from the last time she saw him. Unbelievable that he was already 20 years old.

“Oh-Uh, yeah it opened up a few weeks ago. The owner is Jaehyun and Johnny's roommate.”, Mark said after he scratched the nape of his neck. “H-How's Yunmi? She alright?”, he asked casually while sorting a book from his hand into the shelv.

“Yeah, I guess. She said hello but had to rush home.”, Ava answered, shrugging her shoulders.

She eyed her brother and how he fumbled with the hem of his shirt, he seemed to want to say something but decided not to.

“Anyway.”, he exhaled loudly and cleared his throat before smiling at Ava. “I'm happy you're visiting. Want me to show you around? I mean you technically know it, though.”, her brother chuckled.

But as the good sister she is she nodded and let her brother show her all the different types of book they had and which authors occasionally came to give a reading. Seeing his eyes lighten up just by the name of  these authors made her heart melt. He explained passionately the several differences in their writing techniques and why they were his favourites. He told her how he fell in love with classic literature, especially romance and tragedy.

Ava listened to him swooning over different works and their means to past society, yet he even read modern novels. She looked at all the books, most of them she already read by herself when she was younger. She felt proud seeing him glowing up, doing what he loved without hiding.

“I just hope I'll be half as good as them.”, she heard her brother sighing when he put down the last book.

Ava put a hand on his slim shoulder and smiled at him warmly.

“I’m sure you will be. Trust me, I will be your biggest fan!”, she laughed and ruffled his hair, making him scrunch his nose before trying to fix his hair.

“Please. I appreciate the encouragement but it's still a long way. Plus mom and dad are still not very fond of the idea of me becoming an author. They think it's still a phase and that I will soon realize it's stupid and become a doctor like – well.”, he shrugged his shoulders before speaking out his thoughts.

Ava bit her lip. “I will tell them.”, she said, not believing her answer.

“When will you, though? I mean, I'm not pressuring you. I get it, it's hard but don't you think it will be even harder the longer it lasts? They're not stupid.”, Mark said looking at his sister, his eyes were filled with worry.

“I know. I'm just – imagine their disappointment. I need a plan, you know?”, she muttered, trying to avoid his gaze. She felt guilty for lying but she would feel even worse seeing the disappointment in her parents eyes when they realize she wasn't that perfect daughter they saw her as.

“Promise me you'll figure something out, okay? It's not healthy.”, he said, looking up when he heard the door open.

“Yes, I promise. Just give me some more time, will you?”, she pleaded at him, pouting as best as she possibly could.

“Sure.”, he rolled his eyes, sighing deeply before he put on a smile and waved at the new customer.

Ava turned around and saw two young men walking in.

“Hey guys, what are you doing here?”, Mark said and smiled, walking up to his friends.

Ava just sighed, silently asking the universe why it made life for her that hard.

“Hi.”, she just briefly said, trying not to look directly into Johnny's eyes. She even managed to ignore him and just gave Jaehyun a smile which he joined.

“Long time no see. You look good.”, Jaehyun said and brushed his hand briefly at her arm.

Ava chuckled, putting a strand of hair behind her ear.  “Thanks.”

She felt Johnny looking at her standing next to Jaehyun, eyeing both of them. Just like she wanted him to do.

“We're actually looking for books for the café. Taeyong wants to have some more for visitors to read.”, Johnny said after clearing his throat. Ava's eyes wandered to Johnny's just for a quick second but she already found herself being mesmerized by his presence once again. She liked the way he wore his black hair, the strands falling into his face just perfectly. Her gaze locked at his lips while he spoke with Mark about the books Taeyong wanted and even though the name still rang a bell in the back of her head she couldn't free herself from the way Johnny's lips moved. She knew how soft they felt, recognizing the feeling just too well.

Her thoughts moved back to that night like they always did and the urge to confront him about why he decided to let her hang like that grew stronger. She knew that it would probably was just a kiss for most people but for her it felt so differently. It was romantic and intimate, just how she imagined kissing him over and over again when she was younger. Plus, him declaring his feelings for her made that memory even more perfect. Yet, it all shattered when he ignored her.

She felt a hand on her back and then a breath at her ear, before Jaeyhun whispered

“You good?”

She felt the grin on his face when she rolled her eyes and nodded.

For a split second she saw how Johnny turned his head towards her, looking away just another second later, continuing to talk to Mark.

“Will you be at our place tonight?”, Jaehyun asked, not moving his hand from her back.

“I guess so. Yunmi asked me, too.”, Ava smiled at Jaehyun, wordlessly thanking him.

“Well, you can't say no now. I'd be happy if you came.”, he smiled at her paired with a short wink before laughing with her.

She heard Johnny clearing his throat and looked up to him.

“Anyway, we should head back to the café or Taeyong will be mad at us for leaving him alone for too long.”, he said while taking books off Mark's arms he seemed to have collected for them.

“Sure.”, Jaehyun said and smiled at the others, before looking down at Ava again. “See you tonight then, can't wait.”, he said, stroking her back slightly before leaving behind Johnny.

Ava felt her brother's piercing gaze on her back while she tried to look away, shrugging her shoulders.

“Stop staring at me like that.”, she hissed at Mark and rolled her eyes. She finally looked at him but he just shook his head, wanting to say something but all he did was open his mouth for a second before closing it again, raising both of his hands.

“None of my business.”

･.｡*†*｡.･◆･.｡*†*｡.･◆･.｡*†*｡.･◆･.｡*†*｡.･

Ava's head felt already heavy without any alcohol in it. She stared at the dark street in front of her, trying to concentrate on driving the car her parents gladly allowed them to use to drive to the party. Of course, she didn't even want to drink. She didn't even want to attend the party at all but she had to admit that she was curious – curious about how the people had changed, curious about how they'd behave and obviously curious about certain of these people whose names she didn't want to think about again.

Even when the last time she visited the house was three years ago she remembered the way so clearly as if she'd just was there yesterday. She took a glance at Mark who was sitting next to hear, looking out of his window, seemingly way up in his own thoughts she wished to read.

Ava sighed quietly, focusing her eyes on the street. She felt anxious about meeting all these people. No one knew about her not so graceful career, still thinking she studied medicine on some ivy league college back in the city everyone dreamed of living.  The thought of them asking all these questions she already had to answer her parents made her shiver. Maybe she should just hide in a closet until Mark wanted to go back home. Would be smarter than awkwardly running into someone again – once a day is enough.

Yet she took hours to get ready, carefully picking out an outfit, lipstick and the way she wore her hair,  trying to look casual but not too casual. The chance of running into him was just too high for her to not try to make herself look presentable.

The street got more narrow, leading into the woods where the house was.

“I still don't get why they're living in the woods.”, she sighed and looked at Mark for a second before driving on the long gateway leading to the house.

“Taeyong inherited it from his grandma or something.”, Mark answered, waking up from his thoughts.

Ava just nodded, already seeing some more cars and people standing outside. She couldn't see enough to look at their faces. The girl quickly parked the vehicle and stretched her arms once she got out, looking around. The late summer air was still warm and comfortable yet one could sense the upcoming autumn as some leaves slowly turned darker.

The siblings walked down the path leading to the entrance, which led to a huge front yard. It was lighted with small paper lamps, showing off some of the landscaping done. She even heard a fountain splashing somewhere. She looked around, not quite sure if she'd remember the place at all. The house was surrounded by a traditional stone fence and she wondered how old it was. Ava could already hear the people enjoying themselves, with loud music pounding in her ear.

From what she saw through the darkness and the sparse light the house itself looked huge enough to  probably fit a hundred people. The door was left open, shoes flooding the entrance area.

After bumping into dozens of people greeting her, smiling and waving she helplessly looked at Mark who was still right behind her looking for someone.

“You made it!”, Ava heard Yunmi screaming in her hear, an arm around her waist, pressing a kiss on her cheek. Ava could smell a note of alcohol in her friend's breath and chuckled.

“How much did you already drink?”, she asked but Yunmi waved her off, her gaze meeting Mark.

“Oh hi Mark. Nice to see you, how are you?”, she asked politely while resting her head on Ava's shoulder.

“Uhm, I'm good thanks. And you?”, he scratched is neck, looking away, probably trying to find his own friends.

“Life's great.”, she answered and laughed, removing her head from her friend's shoulder to take a sip from her cup, shaking it in front of Ava's face.

“Want something? I can totally mix you a drink.”

“No, thanks. I don't drink.”, she answered and smiled apologetic.

“I'm gonna look for Johnny. Hit me up when you want to go home, alright?”, Mark said and disappeared in the moving crowd of people.

“I take it you don't want to look for Johnny?”, Yunmi asked her friend, directly looking at her, rolling her eyes when Ava shook her head.

“Nope. So, who are these cool people you wanted me to get to know?”, Ava smiled.

Yunmi entangled her fingers with hers and dragged her through the crowd, brabbling something about a girl and a boy.

Not long after Ava spotted to semi-familiar people her friend shouted at. A girl with a black long bob smiled warmly and waved.

The boy, a bit shorter than her, with short black hair smiled and greeted her. “Ava, you must remember Ten and Sunhyung, right? We went to Highschool together.”, Yunmi introduced them but Ava wasn't exactly sure who they were. She barely remembered anyone from Highscool, though. At least not their names.

“We were in another class, though.”, Sunhyung chuckled.

“Nice to meet you. So what are you guys doing?”, Ava asked them.

“Well, we're actually officers right now. Ten is my partner.”, Sunhyung explained and smiled at Ten, who just nodded and raised his cup.

“Not on duty tonight, though.”, he winked and exed the rest of the liquid.

“Yunmi told me you're studying medicine? Pretty cool. How's life in the States? This town must bore you to death.”, Sunhyung chuckled and looked at her cup, seemingly disappointed that it was empty.

“I'm actually enjoying it. It's like a vacation.”, Ava answered and hoped no one would ask her to further elaborate on her studies, which weren't even real.

“I'd give everything to travel to a real city. The only “crimescenes” we're looking at are rather boring. It's mostly just noise disturbance or someone's speeding who isn't from here.”, Sunhyung rolled her eyes.

“Hey, last week we had one burglary!”, Ten protested.

“You mean the sixteen-year-old boy who stole some Vodka from the store? How exciting.”, his partner answered sarcastically and laughed.

“I need a refill, you want something?”, Yunmi asked in the group as she apparently spotted something at the bar which needed her attention.

Ten and Sunhyung both nooded eagerly. She didn't bother to look at Yunmi, knowing she'd say no anyway.

Ava's eyes followed her friend to the bar, by which a tall young men stood. She saw how Yunmi straightened her back and smiled at the guy, who she probably knew. Ava noticed how her friend pushed her long hair back and saw how her mouth formed into a laugh after the boy said something. Ava tilted her head, trying to figure out if the knew him or not. She would probably remember a guy like him. He was handsome, yet his face had something sheepish when he talked to Yunmi.

“That's Lucas.”, she heard Sunhyung say and snapped out of her thoughts, “He moved her two years ago. Always hangs out with Johnny and the rest.”, she added and Ava raised her brows. She was pretty sure she never saw or even heard of him before.

“I swear Yunmi has the biggest crush on him. Always swooning over his hands or something.”, Ava heard Sunhyung continue and asked herself why exactly her best friend didn't tell her anything about that guy.

“Well, quite obvious that they're flirting.”, Ten added and nodded.

“Yeah, I'm betting they end hooking up tonight.”, said Sunyhung.

“Never. Both won't make the first moves. They're flirting for months and nothing interesting happened.”, her partner replied.

“Got it in my guts. Tonight is the night.”, Sunhyung nodded with a stern voice.

“Pff, wanna bet? 50 they won't hook up.”, Ten chuckled.

“Make it 100.”, Sunhyung answered, looking at her partner while shaking his hand.

Ava's gaze meanwhile scanned the room for someone else. As if someone read her thoughts, Johnny came down the stairs with Mark right behind him.

Johnny's eyes met Ava's for a moment and she clenched her jaw. She noticed how he was moving towards her and how her heart began to beat faster in her chest.

“I'm gonna get some water or something. Be right back.”, she mumbled and quickly disappeared in the crowd, trying to keep herself as small as possible. Her eyes searched for a kitchen, which she finally found. Gladly, there weren't any people in it. Probably because the whole alcohol was at the bar and no one here wanted to drink something else.

She sighed and looked for a water bottle but all she saw were some empty cups.

“What are you looking for?”, she suddenly heard a way too familiar voice and turned around just to see Johnny standing in the door frame, a small smile on his lips.

“Just some water.”, she answered quietly, trying her best to look away from his dammed face. She saw how he moved next to her and opened a door next to her which apparently belonged to the fridge. Just a second later he handed her a bottle of cool water. Ava looked up and mumbled a quick thank you but it was enough to catch him smiling again, which made her heartbeat increase.

“I'm glad you came.”, Johnny said and leaned with his back against the door, looking down at her.

“Yunmi practically forced me to. It's nice, though.”, she answered, fumbling with the bottle in her hands, not sure what else to do with them.

Silence flooded the room and all the questions burned on her tongue. Taking a deep breath, she managed to look up at him, meeting his gaze. She locked her eyes with his for much longer as initially wanted and already felt how she got lost in his gaze just like everytime he looked at her.

He was handsome. His black hair messily falling into his face, his beautifully shaped lips curling upwards to form a small smile. Johnny's dark eyes seemed to look right through her.

“Can I ask you something?”, Ava finally found her voice and gulped, without breaking of the gaze.

“Anything.”, he answered, his voice unusual quiet.

“I need to know why you ignored me after that night.”

“What exactly do you mean?”, his brows furrowed.

“My last night here. You kissed me. You told me you'd call me the next day but you never did. And when I tried to reach out you simply ignored all my messages.” she sighed loudly, breaking their connection for a second, to gather her thoughts, “Seriously I felt so stupid. I still do.”

“Ava, listen, it's not what you think.”, she heard him answer and looked at his eyes once more.

“Then tell me, Johnny. Seriously. It's driving me insane.”, she pleaded, letting her arms drop in frustration.

Silence came up once more. The girl's frustration grew with any second passing by, not sure what she could say to finally get him to answer properly.

“I really thought about every single reason why you did that.”, she sighed, pain growing inside of her body, “And the only possible reason left is what you never liked me at all.”, she said, her voice just a small whisper, anxious about his answer.

“It's not that I don't like you. It's quite the opposite.”, Johnny said as she looked up at him again.

“I can't believe you.”, she sighed and furrowed her brows, thinking about his reasons why when he liked her.

“Listen, I'm sorry if I had hurt you but it's not that simple.”, he tried to explain but Ava just snorted and chuckled bitterly.

“Seriously just tell me directly into my face that I imagined all of that and that you're not interested. I'm not a kid and you're owing me that.” she answered, pressing her lips together.

“I can't tell you that because it would be a lie.”, now it was Johnny who sighed.

“It's the only possible explanation. Don't you want to tell me that you're not interested because you don't want to hurt me? Honestly, it would've hurt less if you'd just told me instead of ghosting me for years!”, her voice got louder such as her thoughts, which were going crazy inside of her head.

“That's not it.”, now frustration filled his voice as well. Ava looked into his face, seeing how he pushed his hair back, seemingly unsure about what to say.

“God, this is so stupid. I'm just gonna go.”, she dropped her arms in defeat, tired and annoyed. She didn't want to maintain this nonsense conversation when she wouldn't get a proper answer anyway.

Just when she wanted to move out of the door she felt Johnny's hand on her shoulder.

“Just – don't go, please.”, she heard him say and rolled her eyes.

“Then tell me why.”, as soon as she turned around she felt how Johnny laid his arms around her figure, pressing her against his chest softly.

“I'm sorry. I honestly am, please believe me.”, she felt how he buried his head in heir hair and wrapped her arms around his torso, her heart hammering loudly in her chest.

“I want to.”, she mumbled in the material of his black shirt and tightened her grip around him.

It felt unbelievably good to hug him, yet she still didn't get an answer from him, making her anxiety rise inside her body. She still didn't know why and the sudden touch confused her even more.

Ava started to wiggle when she realized her thoughts wouldn't shut up. Reluctantly, she looked up at him, loosening the hug a bit, yet not ready to let him go completely.

“This is confusing. I just want to know what's going on, please.” she pleaded once more, locking her eyes with his, just staring into them, trying to find answers.

She felt how Johnny moved one of his hands up her back, reaching her head, carefully putting one of her strands of hair behind her hear, his hand lingering on her cheek.

Her breath quickened when her eyes wandered over his face, absorbing every inch of it, until she stopped at his just perfectly shaped lips. She licked over hers, memories of how his tasted on hers flooded her mind. Her gaze went up again, meeting his once again that night.

The girl was once again hypnotised by his gaze, unable to look away this time.

Without further thinking about it, she put her hands on his neck and pulled him closer to her, to finally press her lips on his. His lips were just as soft as she memorized them, fitting on hers just as she remembered. The kiss was careful, still anxious about his reaction but when he actually pressed her closer to him, deepening the kiss her mind went completely blank.

Her eyes fell shut, her fingers slightly tightening on the back of his neck, trying to keep him even closer. Their lips moved in perfect sync, just as they belonged on each other. The girl cherished every second of it, how his hands cupped her face while one thumbs caressed her cheek, touching her so softly, as if she could break any second. The taste of his lips were sweet, she couldn't even taste a bit of alcohol, which ensure her that this was what he wanted.

As soft as the kiss was, she knew she wanted more. She needed more. After all these months of anxiety, pain and worry she finally kissed him again. Ava opened her mouth for him, allowing his tongue to play with hers, just like she always wanted to be kissed by him. Her fingers buried in his thick her, while his hands trailed down her body to rest on her hips.

Just before she could press her body closer Johnny pushed himself away, as if he'd burn himself.

Completely puzzled, the girl stared at him, not understanding what was going on.

“I can't. I'm sorry.”, she heard him say, his voice sounding strained, as he quickly ran out of the kitchen, leaving Ava alone once again.

She stared at her hands, her heart still beating fast, trying to catch her own breath. The girl felt how tears formed in the corners of her eyes and how her chest, which felt so light and carefree the other second, now felt like some heavy stone was laying on it, stealing her breath away. She had the sudden urge of fresh air and stumbled out of the kitchen, trying to leave everyone in that house behind her while not being seen. She couldn't manage to explain her situation to anyone. She wanted to be alone.

Ava breathed in the cold air and closed her eyes for a second, trying to get as much distance as possible between her and that house. She took a look at her smartphone to check the time but it wasn't even midnight yet, and she didn't want to be a killjoy and spoil Mark's fun. She made her way out of the garden and looked at the woods behind the property and stopped for a second. She heard how the wind whistled through the branches and how the leftover leaves trailed through the air. Her heart was still pounding in her chest, the latest event flooding her mind. This didn't make any sense to her. Why did he kiss her again? It wasn't just a casual kiss, she could feel that. And this time it wasn't her freaking imagination. The way he hold her and returned her kiss, the way he pressed her against his body – that wasn't imagination.

She actually believed him. She trusted his words yet he was acting like something completely different was on his mind and she just couldn't figure it out. Her thoughts went crazy and she felt how her throat got sore. Why did he stop when it felt so good? Any why did he leave her like that, not explaining his behaviour once again.

Ava kept going towards the trees, sometimes looking up at the sky which wasn't as clear as she thought. Thick black clouds were blocking the moon and stars and she sighed, yet it felt nice to move and properly breathe since the air in the house was muggy and way too hot. Or maybe it just felt like that to her. Her body felt exhausted, yet still full of adrenaline. What did she do wrong? Once again, she went through all the possibilities and couldn't get the hand of it. She didn't want to get hurt again by him, yet there she was. Feeling exactly the same as two years ago. It felt like some kind of absurd Deja Vu.

She flinched when she heard a loud crackle next to her and squinted her eyes, when she couldn't see anything. For a second, she thought someone was here, probably some drunk people enjoying themselves in the woods. She rolled her eyes and continue to stroll when she heard a noise again, but this time it sounded more like a hiss. Ava turned around, trying to see anything but it was too dark. Maybe some brainless jock saw her and tried to scare her.

Another crunching noise, this time right behind her, made her flinch once more, the hairs on her neck standing up. She felt her muscles tighten, when she turned around yet still no one was there. The girl looked a round several times, until she decided to head back to the house which she only saw in some distance thanks to the lights outside. Maybe she could just wait inside the car until Mark wanted to leave the party.

For a few seconds, it was silent again when she heard another noise, this time way closer to her, besides her.

Ava started to run, fear suddenly filling her body as her breath and heartbeat quickened, a feeling of danger flowing her body. The noises got louder, someone was definitely following her. She heard fast footsteps approaching her, whispers and hisses starting to echo inside her head, making her want to scream. She shook her head, trying to leave the voices behind but it was like they were just stuck, burying every other sound under it.

The blood pulsated in her head, breathing loudly. Sweat running down her forehead while her feet tried to run as fast as she could, yet she didn't seem to come any closer to the house.

A dark laugh suddenly appeared as she saw a black figure suddenly standing in front her, which made her stop in her steps, almost falling over.

She couldn't see a face, nor anything else which could possibly explain who it was. The figure took a stop closer to her, making her move backwards until her back met with once of the trees, the tree bark scratching her back uncomfortably.

The girl blinked once and the figure was gone, her blood still pulsating in her veins. She gulped, looking around before continuing to run in the direction she thought was the right one, while still turning her head every other second.

Suddenly she felt a breath on her neck, paired with a deep chuckle, making her stop in her tracks once more. She wanted to ask something, scream, anything but it felt like she suddenly had a lump in her throat. The voices inside her head growing louder and louder with each second passing by.

As soon as she wanted to start running again, a hand grabbed her wrist, forcing her to stand still. The grip was harsh and strong, not moving an inch even when she tried her best to wiggle her wrist free. She grunted and tried to take a look at the person behind her but she couldn't move at all.

“Oh no, you can't look at me. Not now, dear child.”, a voice said. It was more of a whisper than a real voice. The sound seemed hypnotic.

“There, there, hold still. Don't scream now.”, he said as she tried to wiggle herself free until her body stiffened. Suddenly, it was like all the noises she heard a second ago were gone. She didn't hear the whistles of the wind, the arches or their leaves. Nothing. It felt like the was in a vacuum, only the voice echoing in her head, telling her to hold still.

“You see, it's nothing personal.”, he continued and chuckled, sending shivers through her body.

“It's just, you got to understand that you're part of something bigger.”, she felt a hot breath on her neck again, making her want to scream but it felt like she lost her voice.

He heard him click his tongue, followed by a cold finger stroking over her neck.

“Such a  pity. So beautiful. I see what he's found in you, honestly. But, you know, sacrifices must be made. And such a pretty one.”, the voice continued.

Tears started to form in her eyes, rolling down her cheek, burning her skin. She didn't know what was going to happen but she felt afraid. More than that – she feared for her life. Something in his presence made her body fill with this primal fear.

“Oh, so pretty while crying, what a sight.”, a finger wiped one of her tears, chuckling mildly.

“You know, I like it when they scream. And now you need to scream, so he can hear you, you know?”, like a snap, Ava seemed to found her voice and screamed in a high-pitched voice.

Suddenly he let her go, making her stumble over her feet, her knees meeting the cold earth. She coughed while pulling herself up, commanding her body to start running again. When her feet started to move and her thoughts came back, the voices also did. They laughed at her in different tones, from every direction. It felt like a circle was around her, closing closer around her, laughing louder with every step she took.

Another desperate scream fell of her lips as she pressed her hands against her ears, trying to make the voices go but they got even louder, so loud she felt like becoming deaf. She couldn't even hear her own breath anymore, while tears ran down her face.

“It's so much fun to play, don't you think?”, she heard his voice echoing inside her head again, the screams suddenly disappearing.

“You know why? Because I always win.”, a chuckle echoed inside her head, turning into a loud laugh next to her ear.

“Maybe he'll find you, maybe he won't. I hope he does, otherwise it would spoil the fun.”, the voice added and she felt the grip on her wrist again.

“Ah, I'd really want to keep you for myself, such a shame.” he sighed, her body stiffen again, whilst she felt like choking, unable to bring out the slightest sound.

“It's nothing personal against you, my love. You just picked the wrong person to spend your time with, that's all.”

Her eyes widened in fear, her mouth suddenly hanging open without leaving a  sound when the world around her suddenly turned pitch black.

･.｡*†*｡.･◆･.｡*†*｡.･◆･.｡*†*｡.･◆･.｡*†*｡.･

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