#A hidden place to store my drink and a snack without getting in trouble for eating in the embalming room

[yappacadaver]

He and I would make a great demon fighting combo because he likes to lock people in the building alone and I like to be left alone

[chocochar]

Hi I would like to request a scenario with the female reader having a fire eater quirk where she can eat flames and spit it back out 10 times hotter. The only trick is she can't produce her own flames. I would picture this reader as a delinquent who spray paints but isn't an actual villain till dabi notices her. End it as you like. Cheers ❤❤❤

(AN:  I think people are catching on that I like writing for Dabi.... lol Anywaaays so this took a different direction than intended. It also was waaay longer than expected too XD but yeah, I hope it’s okay! Reader is 18, a senior in school)

        (F/n) pants as she rounds another corner, running as fast as she can. She holds a spray can in one hand and a black mask hides her nose and mouth, her (hair color) hidden by a beanie and the teen dressed in a black hoodie and jeans to help her hide if she finds an alley she can slip into.

        "Get back here, you punk!!" She hears the policemen behind her shout and she picks up the pace, her legs growing tired and lungs screaming for air but the student keeps running. No one tries to stop her, although they probably figure the cops will catch up eventually and they don't need to get involved. 

        Fortunately (F/n) has come to know these streets like the back of her hand, so slipping down an alleyway she yells back,"Come on, move a little faster!" She can hear there footsteps growing more and more faint as she turns corner after corner starting to slow down herself. Finally she slips between two dumpsters, kneels, and makes herself as small as possible with her hood hiding her face. They're coming, but clearly they don't have a clue where she went when they turn down this alley, panting and ready to give up.

        "Damn, where did that kid go?"

        "I swear I saw them come down here," one replies, the two looking around and getting ready to pass the dumpsters. "Damn kids, spray painting a business." They stop in front of her a couple feet from her, and she stiffens wondering if they found her. 

        'Cops can be blind, but if they see me I'm gonna have a real rough time getting away this time...' She can only see their shoes under the hood but they haven't turned to face her yet so maybe not. She can hear a third set of footsteps coming from the other side of the alley ahead of them, the shoes tapping on the pavement with a slow pace.

        "Hey, you, you seen a kid running through her, dressed all in black, wearing a mask?" The first cop asks the third person to show up; slowly and carefully (F/n) starts raising her head to get a better look at them since they appear distracted. She freezes seeing the immediate fear on the men's faces when the unknown person gets closer.

        "W-Wait a sec, you're-"

        She jolts back in shock when suddenly bright, blue flames begin engulfing the two men and more than half the alley.

        'Wh-What the hell-?!' The teen presses as far back against the wall as possible feeling the heat licking at her face from the intense blaze and watches as one cop manages to use his quirk to deflect them long enough for him to run, his partner already a charred crisp on the concrete. The flames disperse and once the cop is gone and the third set of footsteps start up again, coming this way. (F/n)'s heart is pounding and she feels fear building the closer this murderer gets; they probably don't even realize she's there, and wracking her brain for information judging by the flames color, intensity, and their targets the person must be-

        "Pigs, always gotta make a fuss when they see us," a deep, rough voice speaks up breaking her train of thought and she looks up wide eyed when the unknown man steps into view; Dabi, from the League of Villains! She is silent, starting to shake when he stops and turns his head looking down at her. His intense stare and the way his blue eyes seem to almost glow in the shadowed alley, and the expression she can't read. For this moment she forgets how his quirk won't harm her and only stays still, hoping he'll just keep walking and ignore her. She may be considered a delinquent but a villain is still a villain, even if his quirk can't harm her he's still bigger than her and can overpower her if things got physical. 

        Fortunately he only says,"Guess I found you, not like they're looking for you now, though." before he looks ahead and keeps walking, passing the corpse without a glance and stuffing his hands into his pants pockets. She cautiously peeks out and watches him leave, her shaking ceasing but the girl not moving until she can't hear the click of his boots anymore.

        When he's gone she stands and gives a look at the body, swallowing. She didn't know this would happen, but it still doesn't help the sick feeling settled in her gut as she rushes out of the alley just as sirens are heard.

[X][X][X]

        A week has passed since what happened and (F/n) can't seem to get it out of her head.

        The fire, the death, the intense gaze, they won't leave her mind and even when trying to focus in school (which she doesn't focus much normally) she keeps looking back on that day. She did feel bad for the cop, even at certain points blaming herself despite knowing his death had nothing to do with her. But the main thing on her mind is Dabi. 

        What if he comes to find her and kills her too to get rid of a witness or something?

        He's apart of such a dangerous villain group, why would he let some trouble making kid off the hook? (F/n) has had run ins with the cops before, and while the other cop managed to survive he's been in the hospital in severe, life threatening conditions so they haven't been able to get anything out of him. Her quirk is known by the police, they wouldn't believe her, and worse may try to pin it on her. Maybe he assumed that.  Or she just wasn't worth the effort.

        This mixed with her dad's drinking getting worse she's left with little to nowhere to turn, and almost considers running away or moving in with her grandparents.

        Either way she's been watching her back more than usual, avoiding alleys for now just in case. Who knows what he'll do if they come across each other again.

[X][X][X]

        "(F/n), why the hell did you choose there to tag?!" 

        It's been 3 weeks since the incident, and (F/n) and her friend Hide are out tagging again. The two decided to spray paint the side of a very popular hero store, and now are once again running from a few police who were out on patrol.

        "You do know we could run into heroes right? Did you think about that?!"

        "We've almost lost them, Hide, here you take that way I'll go this way," she points, the two reaching an intersection. (F/n) goes right and Hide takes off left, the (brunette, red head, etc) running as fast as she can and luckily finding an alley entryway ahead right when she rounds the corner. 'I should be able to lose them in there!' She thinks, turning in and looking for a hiding place or ladder she can use to hide up on the buildings.

        But it seems she's made a grave mistake when her eyes meet very familiar cerulean. He's using his flames again, this time on some local gangsters judging by their clothes. Two piles of ash sit side by side on the concrete while the rest manage to run while he's distracted by her showing up. Dabi is staring at her, only this time his face shows more expression. He looks pissed, his brows furrowed and flames flickering over his right cheek and from his right elbow down to his fingertips. She's not shaking this time, but she still is frozen under his intense gaze as he faces her, his hand now covered in the blue fire.

        "You really don't have any other strategy, do you? Stupid kid," his voice is gruff and lacking emotion like before but there's a hint of something dangerous mixed in and lifting his hand he smirks. "And here I thought letting you go last time wasn't a bad idea, but sounds like you brought more cops this time too. Guess I'll have to take care of you this time before we run into each other again."

        (F/n) doesn't have much time to react when fire bursts from his palm aimed for the teen but luckily she breaks out of her frozen trance and pulls her mask down revealing her lips and face. Just as the fire reaches her she starts sucking it into her mouth, every inch being pulled into her mouth and filling her up. Dabi stops and actually looks taken back, his smirk gone and eyes suspicious. "You eat-?"

        Before he can finish she puffs her cheeks and his eyes widen, the man jumping out of the way behind a dumpster just in the nick of time as this time fire blasts past where he's hiding. She blows the fire out of her mouth like a dragon as it makes an 'o' shape, it not being as widespread as his own but he can feel how much hotter it is, having to cover himself behind his coat just to make sure his skin doesn't get worse or burn off completely. When it disappears he peers out, still processing this girl's quirk. It's.... Powerful and deadly, and works really well with his own.

        The sound of her running causes him to jump to his feet and rush out of the alley, watching the teen run off.

        He can hear the sirens in the distance as well as seeing people running, meaning it's about time to go, but he gives a second glance where (F/n) had ran off before disappearing back into the alley.

[X][X][X]

        "You encountered that Dabi guy?!!" Hide exclaims, the two at (F/n)'s apartment eating snacks and playing a multiplayer game together. He noticed how out of it she seemed when they met up, and now that she admitted what happened she's honestly wondering if he believes her or not.

        "Yeah, this isn't the first time either," she says, having trouble concentrating on the game. Her dad will be home soon, she wants to leave before that but he'll just get made again. "I managed to use my quirk, though, caught him off guard."

        "But like, isn't he a scary dude? He and the League? Aren't you scared?" Hide inquires, the boy watching her now and gauging her reactions. 

        She nods, then shrugs, setting the controller down. Without the hoodie the light bruising that's all but gone along with more recent marks on her wrists and arms is out in the open, the girl not hiding them when in front of Hide given he knows the culprit behind them. 

        "Yeah, but I doubt I'm worth that much trouble, they're probably too busy plotting more dastardly deeds," she laughs although it's light and almost forced. Hide sighs, patting her back, but hearing a car door slam she stiffens and he groans.

        "Want me to stay? Or do you think he'll be okay today?"

        She hates involving her friends in her personal things, especially when her dad is involved, so she shakes her head, forcing a smile and saying,"It should be fine, you should go home."

        The night air is crisp and cold biting at (F/n)'s bare skin as she rushes through the dark streets. She didn't even bother with a jacket, a new bruise on her forearm and the girl biting back the tears threatening to fall. 

        'I hate him, so much, I just... I wish he'd just disappear! Why can't he see how he treats everyone?! Why mom left us?! Why-'

        "Y'know, without that mask and get up you're actually pretty cute."

        She stops abruptly and freezes up when that familiar voice hits her ears again. Slowly she turns around and watches as Dabi steps out from the shadows, hands in his pockets and his expression aloof as always. His eyes are scanning the girl until they land on her arms, the lighting from the stores making it easier to see the bruises. She's sure it was just a trick of her eyes but it almost looked like his own turned soft, or something like it, but she's sure her mind is just messing with her.

        "Looking to kill me again?" She asks, facing him and while she's trying to stay strong he can already see how she's crumbling inside. "I didn't bring cops this time, but that doesn't matter, huh? You just want to take me out cause I'm a nuisance right?" Her tone has bite to it, while still being shaky with a tremble. But something tells him it isn't because she's scared of him. 

        Holding out her arms she exclaims,"Then do it, do it already! I won't stop you this time!" She waits for him to burn her to a crisp just like the others but is confused when he just rubs his neck and replies,"Keep it down already, do you want to wake up the whole neighborhood? I didn't expect you to be so noisy."

        "You... Aren't you going to kill me? Isn't that why you're here?"

        He shrugs, saying,"Keep being loud and I might, it'd be a shame to burn that pretty little face." But his words don't hold that same threatening tone like they did earlier that day, more like it's just an open threat. Her cheeks turn pink but she ignores it.

        "Then I'm leaving-" She turns ready to keep going.

        "Wait, dollface, I wanted to talk," he moves quickly stepping in front of her. They're only a foot away from each other now allowing her to smell the smoky scent on him and get a better look at his features, namely his scars, staples, and piercings. She takes a small step back in surprise and meets his hypnotizing orbs, also realizing he's.... Handsome, something she really couldn't admire before or ever think she'd have that sort of thought. Despite the scars and staples she feels her cheeks flushing, hell those add to his look; she almost wants to reach up and feel them, see if they really are real or not.

        She shakes her head and misses what he says while scolding herself in her head,'He's a villain, and he tried to kill me, stop being weird!!' "Wh-What? What did you say?"

        He narrows his eyes, not enjoying the way she's staring at him and even zoning out. To him she's most likely looking at his scars, whether that's a bad or a good thing he doesn't really care. But he lets it slide this time and repeats himself.

        "I said, dollface, I'm here to talk to you about something important. To be honest the League would've probably kidnapped you either way, but judging by those something tells me that won't be necessary," he gestures to her arms, and even surprises her when he takes hold of the one with the newest bruise and starts looking them over more closely. "Been a while since I've seen something like this..." he mumbles to himself, not stopping her when she yanks her arm back and tries to hide them, brows furrowed.

        "What did you need to talk to me about, and how important is it?" She asks without hesitation, her own wounds clearly being a touchy subject too. He puts his hands back in his pants pockets and stares at her, the teen shifting uncomfortably under the gaze of the beautiful cerulean.

        "The League is looking to recruit you," these words completely catch her off guard and her eyes grow wide while her mouth gapes. "Well, it's more like I was for once impressed by someone not looking to be a hero so I decided to tell our leader about you. After he bitched about adding another to our pile of misfits he agreed it'd be beneficial to add you on." He waits for her response, watching her face for any change in reaction. Her mouth closes slowly and she looks down, her mind buzzing and the girl almost wondering if she heard him wrong. She had to right? Slowly the reality sinks in as to why he came looking for her, the fact he admitted he was impressed with her quirk was quite the surprise too. He definitely doesn't seem the type to hand out compliments often.

        Looking back up she rubs her arm, biting her plump lip. Which he can't help but watch a little; she's cuter than he was expecting, and he oddly has this weird feeling stir in his chest when he looks at those marks all over her. They resonate with him, his own memories flooding through his mind, and while she'd be very beneficial to the League he now has other reasons for wanting to recruit her. He wants to learn more about her, get to know her, and show her how corrupt their society is. He also has this underlying feeling of protecting her, something he wouldn't do for anyone else but somehow this girl is different.

        "And why should I go with you?"

        "Because, sweetheart, we've been in the same boat as you. Mistreated, used, turned away when we needed help. This is a society full of falsehoods, corrupt bastards sitting on top, they care about you about as much as they did about the rest of us. And we want you to see that too," he states, before taking a step back and pulling his hand out of his pocket, holding it out for her to take. "I want you to see that. Come with me, and you won't have to worry about those ever again."

        A smile comes to his lips, waiting for her answer.

(AN: Okay so like, this was way longer than intended, like 3000 words and counting, also I left it open ended for either a possible sequel or for the reader to decide.  Also he’s totally not Touya in this lmao (〃￣ω￣〃)ゞ I hope it's okay, story also took a different direction too, hope Dabi wasn't OOC and hope you enjoyed lol)

[mymelodyheart]

Highland Destiny Chapter 15 ~The Road Trip~

Jamie was surprised to discover that Claire was a light traveller. She produced a duffel bag, a laptop case and her everyday tote bag, even though he had told her they would be travelling in a campervan, the distillery's promotional tour carrier. He thought his choice of transport was a perfect way for Claire to see the Highland's countryside and to allow her to rest when the necessity arises, albeit the distance from Inverness to the Isle of Skye was more or less two and a half hours drive.

After Claire's admission to her feelings, there was a notable air of constraint and shyness on her part, and Jamie attempted to ease the awkwardness by giving her a quick tour inside the Frisealach distillery before retrieving the campervan from the compound. So he was moved to see her eyes lit up when she stepped inside the vehicle, her earlier discomfiture forgotten.

Standing close by, he heard her gasped as she took in the interior open-mouthed. Inside was a fully equipped kitchen with hidden nooks and cabinets for storage, a comfortable upholstered living space, a TV area, a mini wardrobe and shower compartment.

"Oh my word, Jamie!" she gushed, looking at him wide-eyed, before proceeding to open cupboards for brief inspections and touch the smooth surfaces of the kitchenette. "This is so luxurious...it's like a proper house. Goodness, I can live here...it has everything."

Coming from behind, he wrapped his arms around her, loving the feel of her warmth. "Ye like it, Sassenach?" he whispered, burying his face into her freshly washed hair.

"Like it? Are you serious? I love it! I have been on the road so many times with uncle Lamb...but this," she whistled under her breath, throwing her hands in the air at awe. "...this is something else. Good Lord, back then we slept under the stars or in a tent and travelled in jeeps or four-wheel drives when work took uncle Lamb to North Africa. The nearest thing to luxury we had was spoon and fork." she recounted chuckling, clasping the arms around her.

Without letting go, Jaime gently guided Claire to the back, reaching out to slide the trifold door in front of her, unveiling the sleeping quarters. "Ye can sleep here Sassenach if the journey gets too much for ye. I read somewhere that pregnant women need plenty of sleep," he explained matter-of-factly.

Claire blinked and let out an "Oooh" at the sight of the king-size berth, one hand flying to her mouth, as her face turned crimson. "Oh, my God! This bed is massive...you will be able to actually fit in it without your feet hanging at the edge."

He laughed. "We can both fit in it...want to try?" It fascinated him that Claire could still blush at a sight of a bed despite the fact she was pregnant with their baby.

Detaching herself from Jamie, Claire quickly scrambled onto the mattress, loving the feel and smell of the clean, crisp bed linen underneath. "Definitely huge enough!" she confirmed giggling as she rolled from one end of the bed to the other, delighted, like a child in a candy store.

Jamie followed suit and laid on his back, turning his head to face her. "Och aye...it's definitely big enough! Actually, I've never slept in here before...we've only used the campervan when we're doing tours across the country...ye ken...promotional kinds of stuff." He bounced his weight lightly, testing the spring beneath him. "It's actually kinda comfy."

Claire rolled onto her tummy and edged closer to Jaime. Beaming with joy, she leaned forward to give him a quick peck on the lips. "Love it!" she said, smiling.

Before Jamie can put his arms around her, she was already up on her feet, hands reaching out to pull him up. "C'mon soldier, show me the Highlands."

..........

It was late afternoon by the time Jamie and Claire hit the road, but there was still plenty of daylight left to enjoy the scenery. Although partly cloudy, the Spring weather held up despite the forecast of light rain, which was unusual for that time of year in the northern part of Scotland. They had made a pit stop earlier to buy snacks and drinks to fill the mini-fridge for their journey at a village supermarket, and Jamie was amused when Claire grabbed a box of frozen ice cream cones.

"Don't ye think it's still too cold for ice cream, Sassenach?" he had asked playfully as they were checking out at the til.

"Definitely not!" she clucked, nodding in approval of her edible acquisition. "Everyone knows that ice cream is worth the trouble of being cold. Like all things virtuous, you have to suffer to gain the reward."

He laughed, retracting on his earlier statement. "Och, ye dinna need to worry about the cold. I promise ye, it will be nice and warm in the camper."

Jamie noticed the change in Claire's food choices. Usually, an advocate for healthy eating, opting for loads of greens and fruits, he noted her preference of late was more of a sweet fare. There was too a certain glow about her since leaving the hospital earlier, her recent ordeal blotted out of mind, or so it seemed. The pallor on her cheeks from the day before was replaced with a healthy flush, making her recovery quite a remarkable turnaround. Joe had warned him that there could be a delayed reaction to her trauma, but so far so good, Claire seemed fully recuperated.

The weeks that had followed after the charity ball had been like hell for Jamie and ever since Claire was back, he had been trying his utmost best to slow it down for her sake, until that minor hiccup with the engagement ring. He realised it was proving to be a difficult commitment as his senses were permeated by everything that was Claire, being very close together on this trip, and his hands having a mind of their own, tend to reach out and touch her whenever she was near. He wanted her so badly but was afraid he could jeopardise her recovery.  Damn Christie!  Instead, he focused on pointing out the sceneries and landscapes they passed on the road, telling her stories of Scotland's past and the battle of Culloden hoping that would be enough to quelch his mounting yearning.

..........

True to his words, the inside of the camper van was very warm once they were on the road, and Claire and Jamie had quickly changed into something more comfortable before setting off. Claire for once wished she had something more alluring to wear, instead of her well worn and shabby jean shorts and an over-sized red-black flannel shirt. Growing up, Claire rarely shopped for clothes, and when the opportunity did arise, her choice was always practical and comfortable. For some reason, it did cross her mind that Jamie must think she was scruffy and dowdy. Although still attentive and caring, Claire couldn't help but noticed Jamie's demonstrativeness was more subdued than usual.  Maybe he's disgusted with all the sugary junk food I'm eating!  Suddenly feeling annoyed with herself, she tried to dismiss her thoughts as a silly rumination of a hormonal pregnant woman, and instead, she directed her attention on the trip.

The camper was already moving when she finally took her seat next to Jamie. As she sat down, Jamie gave her a glance over, his eyes lingering on her bare legs. Noticing his gaze, she felt conscious of her clothes. "It's uncle Lamb's shirt, and it's comfortable," she explained defensively, as she looked down her front, unwittingly fidgeting and tugging at the hem of her top.

Smiling, he reached out and squeezed her thigh. "Sassenach, you look beautiful more than ever," he said softly and sincerely.

Lightening up, she smiled back at him and settled to enjoy the countryside views. 

She loved listening to Jamie talked so passionately about Scotland as he pointed at glens and mountains he had trekked and told her stories and myths of standings stones and cairns. He was at his most element whenever he spoke of his country's history and culture, his sky blue eyes lighting up when he answered her curiosities. Claire had always loved travelling, and being on the road with Jamie had brought back memories of her childhood adventures with uncle Lamb.

"I'm really looking forward to seeing Skye, especially now that you've told me all these wonderful stories," she mused, feeling grateful for the trip.

"Weel, I was thinking, since ye've had a long day, we should stop for the night near Eilean Donan Castle. I know we're not too far from Skye, but there's this place I'd like ye to see. I ken ye will love it Sassenach," he suggested with his comical wink, making her laugh.

"I'm quite sure I will," she agreed, smiling. All of a sudden, craving for something sugary, she offered, "Want some icecream? I know it's dinner time soon, but I really fancy something sweet."

Jamie grinned. "No, ye go ahead Sassenach. I can't be eating and driving at the same time. I'll do."

Claire quickly got up from her seat to get the frozen coned ice cream from the fridge. She had been hankering for some sweet treat ever since they set off and had tried to suppress it, having had her few shares of puddings in the last 24 hours. The craving had won, and she didn't care anymore.

Settling back, she peeled off the wrapping from her treat and bit a big chunk from the top, her eyes closing as the sweetness filled her mouth. It was vanilla ice cream with chocolate covering on the top. Sensing Jamie's eyes on her, she blushed. "Want some? It's delicious!" she offered, extending her arm to let him have a taste.

Jamie just shook his head and stared for a long time.

"Jamie watch the road!" she cautioned. "What's with you?" Her hands went to her mouth, thinking she was covered with ice cream.

He blinked and turned his focus on the road again. "Och, sorry, Sassenach..."

Thinking Jamie's scrutiny had something to do with her mouth being smothered in a sticky mess, she got up to get some wet wipes.  Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ, I must look like a hodgepodge of grubbiness!  As she was about to return to her seat, she was surprised the camper van had halted, and the ignition turned off.

"Jamie, is everything alright? Why are we stopping?" she asked as she looked out the window. She noticed they were parked at the lay-by.

She glanced up as she saw Jamie leave the driver seat. "Jamie is something the matter?" she asked, concerned, noticing a funny look on his face.

He walked over, his eyes dark as the ocean blue. "No, Sassenach, I'm not alright," he replied hoarsely, openly appraising the sight of her like she was some forbidden fruit, the movement of his Adam's Apple visible. "I ken ye want to take things slow, but I'm dying inside from wanting ye. If I don't have ye now, I'm going to implode."

"W-Wot?" She stared at him, shocked.

He continued to stare at her, his eyes penetrating and his face a picture of yearning. "I want ye, Claire. Will ye have me...now?"

Transfixed, Claire dropped the packet of wet wipes and ice cream cone from her hands and licked her lips as she felt her mouth go dry. Just one look had always been what it took, and she was lost forever in those azure abyssal depths. Something primal took over her, and she could feel a delicious heat scattering from her core, like tiny fiery sparks igniting every nerve and particle alight. She couldn't speak, so instead, with unintentional slowness and shaking hands, Claire unbuttoned her flannel shirt as she watched his eyes strayed lower to the visible bare skin.

Without waiting for a further invitation, and in one deft movement, Jamie pulled her to him, his tongue parting her mouth, probing and teasing, savouring the taste of her. "Christ, ye taste of vanilla and chocolate," he muttered in her lips, as he licked the residual sweet off its corners, before trailing kisses along her jawline and nipping her earlobe. Impatiently he pushed her top down from her shoulders, and with dexterous fingers, he unfastened her jean shorts, sending them sliding down the floor.

Spellbound, Claire twined her arms around his neck as he lifted her from behind her thighs. She could feel him hot and hard, throbbing against her, and instinctively, she slithered her body, rubbing herself against him, making him groan and his abs clench. He laid her down onto the bed, and she watched him pull down her lace panties too eagerly, accidentally ripping the seam of one side. They paused, looking at the torn fabric and then at each other. "What's with your promise of making verra slow love to me?" she teased, trying to imitate his accent.

"We're not in Skye in yet, Sassenach," he answered, a lopsided grin slowly spreading across his face. Then he ripped the other side with a quick, sharp tug, making her squeak in surprise.

Jamie quickly shed his shirt, sweatpants and his boxer shorts, his eyes never leaving hers. Completely naked, he laid between her thighs, spreading them wider apart. Before she knew what he was doing, he pulled her by the waist to hook her legs on his shoulders and to cup her arse with both hands, raising her to kiss her most intimate part. She felt his tongue dart along the folds of her slippery cleft and holding her breath, she clutched tightly on the bed covers as a moan passed her lips. His tongue skimmed and dipped, savouring the taste of her, as one long arm reached to rub her nipples with the palm of a hand, before teasing it with circular motions with his forefinger. She thrashed and gyrated while holding his head firmly between her legs with one hand as one climax rolled after another, propelling soul-shattering spasms to spread through her body.

Her whimpers were hushed by his kiss, and she could taste herself in his mouth. Releasing her lips, he whispered, "Open yer eyes Sassenach and look at me." She did as she was told as he pinned her arms above her head, his eyes lusty and dark. His cock slid inside slowly, stretching her and making her back arch to embrace a renewed assault. He began to thrust rhythmically, one hand raising her arse for deeper penetration, his breathing fast and hot on her neck. His strokes were hard and powerful as he slammed into her over and over again, her legs wrapped tight around his waist. They stared into each other's eyes as their adjoining bodies moved to the beat of their pounding hearts, faster and faster. As he felt her tremble and tighten around him, he picked up speed, lowering his head to kiss her hungrily, plunging deeper and grinding harder. Another powerful thrust and Jamie found his own release, arching his back with a loud grunt before settling gently on top of her.

..........

The hard-won intimacy of their lovemaking had eased the sexual tension that had been building between Jamie and Claire. Whatever uncertainty or hesitancy they had before their trip, it had all dissipated, and it was like a rebirth for their blossoming relationship.

It was already dark when they arrived in a small village of Torridon, and they found a place to stay for the night in a private cottage managed by the village inn. It was called The Boat House, and it owed its name to its proximity to the water's edge overlooking the loch. Claire couldn't wait till morning to see the view as she caught partial glimpses of the lake and surrounding forest in darkness.

Tired and hungry, they made their way to the inn for some nourishment, giggling like a couple of teenagers as they took their seats in a semi-crowded pub. They were oblivious to their surroundings and had only eyes for each other, their minds far from the ordeal that happened less than 24 hours ago. Even the worry of Claire's pregnancy was replaced with optimism and hope as they talked about the future and discussed names for their unborn child. They held each other's hand as Jamie told stories of Lallybroch and of his sister, absorbed in each other's company that they didn't see the approaching figure towards their table.

It was only when a shadow fell upon them that they both looked up, Claire's face turning into one shock astonishment.

"Hello there...my name is Stephen Bonnet an' ah've cum ter collect me missus," drawled an amused voice in a thick broad Irish accent.

"Stephen!"

"Sassenach???"

[shooter-nobunagun]

Quarantine UST 5

//Seriously, writing for such a sustained stretch is...unprecedented...I think I haven’t done this since the beginning of my intro into this fandom. Maybe this period of time is good for something after all.

And yes, I definitely binged my way through FF7R as soon as it came out...

The days seemed to pass in a blur; yet as Sio woke up after another night of binging Netflix with Jess, it felt like nothing had changed, either. She’d adjusted to the rhythm of her new life fairly well: sleep in until 10am or so, leisurely troop downstairs for breakfast after brushing her teeth⁠—usually Adam was already up and frying some eggs, or sometimes they picked up coffee and pastries from a local cafe⁠—clean up, then she might go for a walk outside or spent some time in the yard while catching up on emails and texts from her family and Asao-san. By then, Jess and Mahesh were usually awake, and they’d all gather again for lunch (or in the other twos’ case, brunch), and afterwards Sio usually would do her training, either by herself or under Adam’s watchful guidance. Then it was free time (which usually involved another stroll outside), dinner, sometimes a group activity, and then everybody retired to their rooms for the night.

Recently, the group started venturing out a bit more; at first it was just to the local cafe for drinks and snacks, but yesterday the group’d gone for another grocery run, this time at the farmer’s market. Even with all the restrictions in place, Sio was glad to be able to spend some time outdoors again, and picking from the wide variety of fresh produce was much more fun than going to the grocery store.

Yawing, the sniper continued lounging in her bed, absentmindedly scrolling through her texts from last night. Her parents were doing okay (actually most of Japan seemed alright by comparison) though obviously they were concerned about her health and safety. Asao-san’s latest couple of messages contained the usual news and gossip, although the last one before she signed off left the sniper blushing and covering her face.

[Asao Kaoru]: By the way, how are things with Jack-san? You two seem to be getting awfully close... (ΦωΦ)~ Did you get any more peeks in during training?

“Moou, Asao-saaaan!! I-It’s not like, that!” The sniper screeched, tugging her hair. “Jeeze, why does everybody keep assuming we’re gonna...hook up or something like that...” 

Admittedly, her own brain wasn’t helping matters; at this point, she’d given up on denying her attraction towards him⁠—besides her nightly little ritual, she’d already had at least one...steamy dream involving him and no clothing. “Ugh...why do I have to make things so complicated...”

‘I just want to get to know him better, not get a crush on him! Besides, knowing him, he probably has a girlfriend waiting for him back in London. Or at least, had one...unlike me...’ A cool, good-looking guy like him who was the epitome of the tall, dark and handsome type? Sio looked down at her own flat chest, unfashionable haircut and childish face, and sighed. ‘Yeah right; I’d never stand a chance. He’s probably got way more experience and prefers girls who look like Newton...’

The thought depressed her more than she expected; even though she knew her chances were slim, and that shacking up with your platoon leader probably wasn’t the best idea, the thought of not getting any closer than just friendly teammates made her heart sink straight to the ground. ‘I know I’m just a below-average high schooler, and I don’t even have anything going for me except my e-gene; but even I can still hope, right...?’

She moped about all through her morning routine, not really bothering to fix her hair or wear anything aside from putting on a pair of shorts (why bother, it wasn’t like she was cute or anything). Walking into the quiet kitchen, she pulled out a box of cereal and some milk, sullenly eating her cold breakfast.

“Good morning, Sio dear. Oh goodness, is something the matter? You’re looking awfully peaked...you don’t feel ill, do you?” Jess came down the stairs, Sio a bit surprised as it was unusual for the blonde to be up before noon. “Hmm, you don’t seem feverish...”

“Oh, good morning, Jess-san.” She heaved another sigh, not really interested in finishing the rest of her soggy bowl. “It’s, nothing...I’m not sick, I guess I just feel...”

“The quarantine blues?” The sniper nodded, and the blonde patted her shoulder sympathetically. “There there, it’s perfectly normal. Things are unprecedented, you can’t expect to keep your spirits up all the time in a situation like this.”

“Yeah, well...I guess I’m surprised I’d let it get to me. I mean, all things considered, it’s not like we’re suffering or anything. There’s a lot of people who have it way worse than us...”

‘Yeah, and here I am moping about because I have the hots for my platoon leader even though I don’t stand a chance...’ 

Jess nodded in sympathy. “Definitely, I can see that. But you know, that doesn’t mean you can’t feel bad, either. I can’t say the past week has been much of a vacation, despite what Mahesh likes to claim. Feeling down about everything that’s been going on is understandable, and it isn’t healthy to pretend otherwise.”

“True...thanks, Jess-san...um, I guess it does feel a little better to talk about it.” Sio stirred her cereal a bit, surprised that she was finally having a true conversation with the blonde that didn’t involve a fear of tongues and kisses (mostly).

“Of course, dear. I apologize for my earlier behaviors...but I am still serious when I say I do want to be there for you, should you ever want another ear,” the blonde smiled kindly at the younger girl. “By the way, where is Adam? Don’t tell me he’s still asleep?”

“Eh? Adam-san...uh, I dunno. He’s usually here by the time I wake up, so...” Sio shrugged. “It’s not like I checked his room, but maybe he went out for something?”

As if on cue the front door unlocked, both girls turning around as Adam walked in, bag in one hand and a tray of drinks in the other. Sio rushed out to the foyer to help him unload and disinfect the door, keys, etc.

“Speak of the devil; we were just wondering about you,” Jess commented as Adam finally took his seat at the table. “New place this time?”

“Yeh; was checking out local places online yesterday and thought this might be a nice change of pace.” He passed out the drinks; only Mahesh’s chai latte remained untouched as the trio started unwrapping pastries and other baked goods. “Ogura, you’re alright with tea, correct? They didn’t seem to have anything like sencha, but I got jasmine, if that’s okay.”

“Oh, yes please; and thank you, Adam-san. You could’ve waited for us to get up,” Sio offered as she took a sip of her beverage. “I kinda feel bad for making you go all by yourself...”

“Eh, it’s fine. Even I like taking a break from cookin’ once in a while.” Their leader shrugged as he drank his coffee (pure black, no sugar or cream). “Besides, it’s nice to get some fresh air when it’s early in the morning. Also less folks t’ dodge...swear to god, every time we go out it’s like playing a game of Frogger...”

Sio sweatdropped, but it was true; as much as she cherished her daily walks, there was a reason why she preferred running on the treadmill. Trying to avoid other passerby who were also exercising or walking their dogs and also not getting run over by traffic... It was a good thing the yard was decently sized, and the days were slowly starting to warm up. The sniper glanced out the windows, where the golden rays were starting to bathe the garden with their yellow hues.

“Actually, I’m gonna eat out in the garden. The weather’s been so pleasant lately, might be nice for a change.” She took her tea and croissant with her; to her surprise, Adam followed. “Oh? Did you...also want to eat outside?”

“Why not; like you said, today seems to be shaping up to be pretty nice...would be a shame to spend it all indoors, again,” he gave her just a the slightest hints of a smile, and Sio felt her stomach fluttering with butterflies. Maybe she wasn’t insane for thinking it would be possible? Maybe?

“U-Um, s, so, how was the rest of the city?” She was stuttering again, much to her dismay; didn’t she get over this already?

Adam didn’t seem to notice, or at least, he didn’t comment on it. “Hm, mostly the same; not that many folks about, but all the better for me. At least we can still get takeaway and drinks.” He finished the rest of his cup. “I was surprised Jess’ up so early; usually she and Mirza sleep ‘til past noon...”

“Heh, me too.” Sio grinned as she finished her croissant. “Mm, this croissant is super flakey...so good...” If it weren’t for their training and exercise, she was sure she’d have gained at least 5 pounds by now. Even in the midst of a pandemic, San Francisco’s culinary scene did not disappoint; and that wasn’t even counting their cooking nights.

“To be honest, I’m more surprised you’ve been able to stick to a decent wake-up time every morning,” Adam teased, “considering someone always had to wake you for a morning meeting back at the Logan...”

The sniper nearly spit her tea back out. “H-Hey! Well, you’re always banging on my door every other morning anyway for some thing or other...so I figured, I might as well just save us both the trouble and get up anyway,” she pouted, cheeks tinged with pink. “Besides, those meetings were way early; if there’s one thing that’s better about this, is that I can at least sleep in a little...”

Adam smirked behind his sandwich, glad the sniper couldn’t see his face. For if she could, he was sure she’d be able to notice the warm flush spreading across his features, including his ears (mercifully hidden by his hair). She was adorable, really; the innocence of a girl, yet she was surprisingly insightful and able to see a clear line from point A to B, without being bogged down by details. ‘Not to mention that wit, when she actually works up the courage to talk back,’ he noted, recalling many of their previous conversations where she’d sparred with him using nothing but words.

Cunning, intuitive, determined and sincere; it was amazing how quickly his opinion of her changed, not just since she joined but even from the beginning of this quarantine. Hardly any of her quirks seemed detrimental now; silly at most, and charming at best. Was this what poets meant by love causing you to see everything through a rose-tinted lens? Even her appearance, which most people would probably consider average at best, gave him a flurry of feelings whenever he thought about them: large, round maroons, that cute bob with uneven bangs that could probably use a trim soon, and her slender, lithe figure... Adam swallowed and tried to turn his mind away from more lustful thoughts, but it was useless. It was obvious she was probably the most flat-chested female holder next to Geronimo, but it didn’t detract his attentions at all; if anything, he felt it suited her quite well. Once he’d caught a glimpse of those salacious photos Capa had distributed, and they gave him a bit of a shock—her willowy frame saddled with two huge water balloons that seemed to defy gravity, nevermind the fake, prancing-around poses the clones took.

All-in-all, good things definitely come in small packages, he decided. In fact, the smaller the better. Sio wasn’t that short, but her slight frame made it seem so, especially compared to him. He’d never paid attention, but Adam was sure the sniper would probably be just the right size for spooning, cuddled between his arms and those petite breasts could fit just right in his palms—

‘Hoo boy, stop right there Adam; you should not be thinking of your fellow holder in such a manner...’ But even his inner consciousness sounded half-hearted, as if it were just repeating things because that’s what was expected. And maybe it was right; even now, he still quarreled with himself on whether or not he should even pursue anything beyond friendly camaraderie with the girl. Her ambiguous feelings towards him aside, what if they got in trouble? What if it ended up interfering with their duties as e-gene holders? Or worse yet, what if it didn’t work out and the subsequent fallout ended up destroying their entire platoon?

“Adam-san?” He jerked up at her voice, having been lost in his own turmoil for the past couple of minutes. “Are you okay? You seem kind of...glum.”

You’re not wrong there, he almost said, but only shook his head. “Nah; just thinking about...stuff.”

The sniper nodded. “Yeah, I get that...I’ve been, kinda thinking on a lot of stuff too...”

Now it was Adam’s turn to be surprised. “Oh? Somethin’ else botherin’ you lately?”

“Ah uh, I mean nothing really...specific,” Sio squirmed, caught off-guard by his question. There was no way she could admit her burgeoning feelings for him. “I just...guess the whole pandemic situation is kind of getting to me, even though all things considered, this isn’t that terrible. But somehow things just feel...off.”

“Yeh, I get that too, sometimes. But I mean, this isn’t exactly a normal situation; people are sick and dying, we’re stuck in this house and still have to do our best to try and maintain a ‘normal’ life—and that’s not even counting the Objects mounting another attack at any minute.” Adam cut into the remainder of his muffin with a knife. “It’s normal to feel distressed about it—hell, I think I’d be more concerned if you weren’t...”

The sniper nodded, though she didn’t seem keen on finishing the rest of her pastries now, instead fiddling around with her fork. Adam felt a bit guilty; he hadn’t meant to ruin her nice garden breakfast with something gloomy like the virus. Especially not after they’d managed to have a normal, decent conversation.

“Hey uh, squirt? Y’know, if you need some time to yourself, you can skip your training for today,” he offered, the sniper blinking in surprise. 

“Oh...I-I mean, it’s fine, you don’t have to make an exception for me; it’s not like I physically feel bad or anything...”

“Don’t worry about it; I wouldn’t want you around that equipment when you’re all distracted like this, anyway. Last thing we need is an accident,” Adam muttered. To be sure, she’d definitely improved quite a bit, but sometimes he still did worry about her.

“...Are you saying you don’t trust me to handle myself?”

“...I’m just taking precautions.”

“Hnnn...” Sio didn’t say anything more, instead sullenly sipping the rest of her tea. 

Adam sighed inwardly. Why were girls so fickle to deal with at times? “...By the way, not sure if you’re interested, but one of our other care packages finally arrived, and they got our request for a game console plus some of the latest games, so...”

He didn’t finish, but Adam could tell by the way her eyes gleamed the second he mentioned the word Playstation. ‘Ah, so she’s also a gamer...’ Somehow he wasn’t surprised; it seemed natural that a military otaku would also be into video games, though he was curious if she played genres other than shooters or military sims.

“...What sort of games did they send?”

“Oh, I haven’t gone through them myself yet, but I’d assume a pretty wide variety...why, was there anything in particular you’re looking forward to?” Adam replied nonchalantly, testing out the waters. Maybe this would be a good opportunity to spend some time with her in a casual setting...

“Nothing really, but I mean, if there’s something good...” Her eyes shifted a bit over the edge of her drink, meeting his for a second before they darted back down at her plate. “I’ve been hearing a lot about Apex Legends...the guys from the Fifth Platoon are always talking about it.”

“Hm; I’m not that interested in battle royale types; I was actually thinking more along the lines of action RPG or adventure...”

They surreptitiously looked at each other for a few more seconds, before Adam suddenly got up.

“...You wanna go take a look, squirt?”

“...Okay.”

The two fast-walked back into the house, rushing by Jess who looked at the two in surprise and a yawning Mahesh, whom Adam barely had time to point to his drink—“don’t blame me if it’s cold, it’s not my fault you slept in”—and straight into the living room, where the 70-inch flatscreen sat in pristine condition, having only been used as a Netflix machine thus far. The package was still unopened, Sio carefully wiping it down first as Adam sliced the box open with ease.

“Oooh, what’s this? Looks like a headset...wait, oh my god is this one of those VR things everyone’s been talking about?” Sio’s eyes glittered with excitement as she dug around. “Wow, I wanna try it out later!”

“Let’s see, here’s the PS4,” Adam carefully set the machine up, along with its cables, “and as for games...well, looks like they did include Apex Legends, so if you want to give it a shot squirt, go ahead. Other than that...Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, whatever the latest iteration of Call of Duty is, Devil May Cry 5—that might be fun—Monster Hunter: World, and...well well,” Adam let a low whistle, “what do we have here?”

Sio looked over his shoulder, eyebrow raised as she read the title. “Final Fantasy 7...wait, isn’t this game super old?”

“Look closer, squirt; it’s the remake. I don’t know how those bastards managed to pull it off with everything that’s going on, but I know what I’ll be playing tonight.” Adam tried not to sound too eager, but it was hard; Final Fantasy VII, while already dated by the time he was old enough to enjoy video games, was still considered a classic, and he’d secretly been hoping for a chance to play it as soon as it was announced.

Sio looked on in wonder as Adam diligently set the rest of the system up. He seemed much younger for a change, almost like a puppy instead of a wolf. His boyish enthusiasm was charming, and Sio felt like she was seeing a part of his true self, for once. It made her feel warm all over, but not in a horny way; rather, it was the joy of seeing him genuinely happy for once, instead of shouldering the burden of being their leader. ‘So I was right about him being a gamer...I knew that Metal Gear Rising t-shirt was more than just a coincidence.’

“Well, I guess I know what we’re playing then...” Now that everything was finally ready, she took a seat on the couch next to Adam; both sets of eyes now glued to the giant screen as the opening sequence panned over the in-game city of Midgar, the classic theme blasting from the speakers.

Though Sio didn’t know much about the Final Fantasy series (famous as it was, she preferred her games with more bullet-hell sequences and tanks), within a few minutes she could see why it was so revered, and why Adam was so excited. Movie-quality graphics aside, the action was tightly-paced and almost non-stop, Sio getting more engrossed herself as Adam deftly controlled the action on-screen. Before either of them knew it, it was past lunchtime; the only indication any time passed at all was Sio’s stomach complaining rather loudly after Adam finally got Cloud & co. past chapter 3.

“Whoa, I didn’t know it was so...cool,” Sio sat down to their late lunch (Chinese takeout), still in a bit of a daze at her mind replayed the action sequences and storyline. “No wonder it’s so popular...”

“Oh yeh; holy hell, they did a banger of a job remaking it,” Adam dug into the boxes with relish, barely paying attention to what was going into his mouth. “Shit, the graphics, characterization, soundtrack—and the overhauled ATB system is amazing—”

“I like the characters a lot! They look so realistic...well, as realistic as anime characters can get,” Sio mused, remembering the intro with one very well-rendered Cloud Strife. “So, I’m guessing you like a lot of JRPGs then...?”

Adam nodded. “I do, but I’ll play pretty much anything, honestly. I think the only genres I don’t do are racing and puzzles.” He shook his head, emptying the rest of his plate. “You? I prefer it when the action’s hot, bonus points if it’s got a great story.”

“Uh, I don’t play that many RPGs in general, but sometimes I do if it’s really good. But uh, yeah, I...prefer shooters like Ikaruga, or Biohazard—er, I think they call it Resident Evil outside of Japan? Oh, but there was that one series that came out a while ago, and I was surprised because I also liked the plot a lot...it’s called Bioshock?” 

“Somehow, I’m not surprised to hear that; a military otaku like you, would be shocked if you didn’t have some type of shoot-’em-up as your top three,” Adam smirked, Sio laughing sheepishly. “Anyway, if you wanna start your own file while I’m working out, go ahead; like I said, you should take a break today, get some time in for yourself.”

“Ah—oh, uh, okay...thanks,” Sio trailed off as Adam left, presumably to change and then train. “Well...guess I’ll try playing by myself.”

The console booted up, and soon the sniper settled into a comfy pile of cushions, learning the battle system based on what Adam was doing earlier. While years of shooters—first person and otherwise—had honed her reflexes fairly well, Sio had to admit this system of ATB, materia, and character swapping was a bit of unknown territory. Luckily the game was generous with tutorials, but she still struggled a bit against her first real boss, after the beginning section was over. She groaned as the ‘game over’ screen flashed, kneading her temples. 

“Man, I thought I had it! What happened...did I not use the right skills?”

“You might wanna check your materia slots, squirt. Those’ll matter a lot in the coming battles.”

A low, husky tone breathed right next to her ear, and Sio nearly jumped out of her skin. “Aaagggh! A-Adam-san, don’t do that! You scared the crap out of me...” She protested, hugging a pillow to her chest as Adam chuckled.

“Sorry squirt, but I was curious to see how you’d do. Didn’t wanna interrupt the fight, though seems like you’re gonna need to retool your party’s materia and gear first.” When he left, Adam was curious if the girl would continue playing Final Fantasy, or pop in another game. But it seemed Cloud Strife’s fabulous chocobo-locks had worked their magic, and he returned from training to find the sniper valiantly trying to defeat the motorcycle-crazy Rosche.

“Hrrm...I don’t really know what some of these descriptions mean. Magic I get, but things like MP up? Chakra?”

“Budge up a bit there, squirt, and I’ll give you some tips.” The sniper scooted to make room for the silver-haired man, as he plopped himself onto the couch and took the controller. “First off, always get HP up; more health never hurts. And then of course, healing...”

Sio nodded, but in reality she was only half paying attention. Adam was sitting right next to her, along with those chiseled muscles still glistening with sweat as his shirt clung to those washboard abs...swallowing thickly, she forced herself to listen to his advice, but even his scent was distracting; there was sweat, but it wasn’t offensive, mixed with a rather musky odor that she couldn’t quite place...

“—and this should be a pretty good setup,” Adam finished. “Uh, squirt? Ogura?” He snapped his fingers in front of her face. “Oy, snap out of it; what’s gotten into you? 

“A-Ah—huh? Hai? I-I’m, fine...” Adam raised an eyebrow, but Sio snatched the controller back before anything else happened. “Th, Thanks for the advice...I think I’ll be able to get him this time...”

Adam blinked. “...Alright. Well, good luck then.” 

‘Was she checking me out?’ Though he tried not to rouse suspicion as he left, he’d definitely noticed Sio staring at more than just the screen while he’d been redoing her party members. ‘And I’m pretty sure she wasn’t randomly looking around the house.’ Oh no. The sniper definitely had a long way to go if she wanted to be more discreet about her little voyeuristic habits. 

The thought of their innocent little sniper actually being not-so-innocent made him hot all over again, and Adam groaned, because he knew this was the kind of heat that couldn’t be solved with simply a cold shower.

“Bloody hell...” ----- “Well, it sure seems like you two have found your quarantine activity,” Mahesh commented at dinner that night, both the sniper and the Ripper arriving long after the food arrived. “Sorry, we just went ahead and ordered some stuff we thought you’d enjoy.” He pushed their respective bentos towards the other two. “But it’s Japanese tonight, Sio, so hopefully it’s up to your standards.”

“Mmm...oh man, it’s so nice to eat Japanese food again...” Sighing with delight, Sio eagerly dug into her chicken karaage, potato salad and white rice. “A-Ah, that’s not to say the food we’ve been getting is bad or anything, it’s been really fun to try a lot of different cuisines and taste everybody’s home cooking too...”

“This is really good; I guess they weren’t kidding about San Francisco being a melting pot,” Adam nodded in approval. “Good thing DOGOO’s footin’ the bill...I wouldn’t fancy being the one having to pay for all this.”

“Just like they’re paying for all your gaming purchases?” Jess smiled knowingly at the other two, who proceeded to turn oddly pink. “What are you two playing anyway that’s got you so engrossed? It must be good, if you two are willing to skip dinner.”

“Oh, uh, it’s the latest Final Fantasy VII Remake! I’ve never played it before, but Adam has, and then I started playing it too and it’s just so good and the battles are super cool and it’s a lot of fun to play--” Sio started gesticulating wildly, chopsticks flinging rice haphazardly and Adam had to sternly remind her to not toss food everywhere.

“Oy squirt, calm down! Say it, don’t spray it.” He muttered, flicking a piece of rice off his shirt.

“And then they even sent a VR headset! Which I’m super curious about,” Sio finally finished her bento, so they could talk without the risk of food flying about. “You guys should try it out too! I-I mean, not that I’m forcing you two to play video games if you’re not interested...”

Mahesh hummed in amusement, looking at least mildly fascinated. “I’m probably a ‘casual’ gamer by yours and Adam’s standards, but I’d be willing to try out this virtual reality deal. I wonder how it compares with Capa’s illusions...”

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Sio grimaced, still remembering all those inappropriate pictures Capa took (and then distributed, the nerve of him). “Pervy old man...”

“Well, certainly we won’t have to worry about that. Let’s all check it out, then; Jess, you in?”

The blonde nodded, though not without conceding that gaming wasn’t really her thing, but it might be fun to watch others. 

“I’m more of an analogue girl; I don’t care that much for all those flashy explosions on screen, but bring me a set of Catan or Dixit and I’ll play any day.”

Now the entire squad was circled in the living room, the large windows open for some fresh, night air. After some rigging, Adam managed to figure out how to configure an output so those who weren’t wearing the headset could see what was going on, via his laptop.

“Alright, now who’s our first lucky contestant? Sio-chan, since you seem so excited, why don’t you go first?”

The sniper squeaked, not being used to put on the spot. “M, M-Me? U-Uh, I’ve been playing a lot of games today, s-so, why don’t you or Jess try it?” She laughed nervously, hoping they wouldn’t force her to take center stage.

“Yeh Mirza, you seem awfully eager to see how it works...why don’t you give it a whirl,” Adam goaded. Those dark eyes seem to meet his in a challenge, before the Indian resolutely put on the gear.

Everybody else watched eagerly as the screen loaded up. “Whoa; I’m not going to lie, the graphics aren’t photorealistic, but it sure feels like you’re somewhere else,” Mahesh gingerly stepped around, everyone suddenly giving him a wide berth as he set up the boundaries. “Please warn me if I’m about to run into something, or someone; I can’t exactly see anything in the real world...”

“I wonder if we’ll ever get to the point where it’ll feel even more like we’re inside a different world,” Sio said quietly to Adam, as Mahesh started playing a rhythm-action game called Beat Saber. “I don’t like Capa, but I have to admit his AU weapon is incredible. When I was doing those training exercises, it really felt like I was in a jungle, or in the middle of Shibuya...”

“Maybe; but I think we’ve got a ways to go,” Adam responded dryly, arching an eyebrow as the Indian flailed his arms all over the place. “...Definitely a ways to go.”

After a couple of tracks, Adam couldn’t take it anymore; seeing Mirza’s piss-poor coordination and timing destroyed any sense of fun or pleasure from the thumping EDM/techno tracks provided by the game. “Alright, you’ve had your fun. Let me give it a try.”

“More like Adam can’t stand Mahesh butchering those songs anymore,” Jess whispered, and Sio giggled. “He doesn’t like talking about his hobbies, but I know for a fact he’s into these music-type games. Who else do you think petitioned to get that dancing revolution machine installed in the Logan’s workout room...”

Before Sio could fully realize that statement, Adam took over. He selected a track that none of them had ever heard of before, and despite this being his first time playing, immediately notched the difficulty up to Hard. “Someone’s tryin’ to show off, eh?” Mahesh teased, but that didn’t seem to deter the silver-haired man one bit. If anything, Adam was laser-focused on the track before him, slicing through the colored blocks flying past with coordinated ease, as if he’d memorized the track beforehand.

“Whoa, he’s so good...how the heck does he know where to slice and stuff? I can barely keep up with what color they are, let alone what direction to hit,” Sio murmured, staring at the neon-colored action in awe. “There’s no way...he hasn’t played this before, has he?” She watched as Adam completed another combo streak, his multiplier at the max of 8x. “What the hell...”

Mahesh shrugged. “Who knows; I don’t think so, since VR is so new, but that’s Adam for you. Always full of hidden surprises...and probably some he hasn’t even revealed yet.” The trio watched in silence until Adam finished the track, with an impressive score of A, to their fervent applause.

“Well that was an ace performance! Especially for your first try.”

“No kidding; what, can you see the blocks before they appear or something? Sure you don’t have some hidden ability to see the future?” Jess jokingly suggested, though for some reason Adam flinched a bit at the statement.

“...Ha ha, real funny. If you must know, it helps a lot when you’re familiar with the song...”

“Eh? Adam-san, so you like this type of music, huh? Electronica?”

For some reason the sniper’s question made him blush, his cheeks turning even redder than they already were from the faux-workout. “Uh, yeh...I listen to a whole bunch of stuff, just so happens I recognized this track, and uh, decided to give it a go...”

“Now now, no need to be modest! Music or not, you really are good at this type of stuff. I guess we shouldn’t be surprised, given how skilled you are on the battlefield...” Mahesh praised.

“Yeh, and it’s a good thing you’re a defender-type, not an attacker; otherwise we’d be long dead already,” Adam replied sarcastically, making a jab at the Indian’s less-than-stellar hand-eye coordination. “Anyway, I’m headin’ up; that took more out of me than I expected, and I want a quick rinse before bed. G’night.”

“Oh uh, good night, Adam-san,” Sio watched curiously as he climbed up the stairs. “I wonder if he’s upset about something...it’s not that late,” she glanced at the clock, which just hit 10:30pm. “Maybe he’s tired.”

“Or, more like someone’s just bashful. Don’t worry Sio, he’s not offended. I just don’t think he’s the type who likes being the center of attention all of a sudden,” Jess mused, as Mahesh picked up the controls again. “Ironic, considering he’s our de facto platoon leader.”

“Well, you don’t have to be outgoing to be a leader, I guess.” Sio nodded, reaffirming her thoughts. Adam was not the smoothest talker, but he had a certain charisma, especially on the battlefield. While Nobunaga’s e-gene was invaluable for strategizing, she wouldn’t deny that Adam knew how to adapt and call the shots, especially in the heat of battle. It was the same type of charisma she felt now, that inexplicably drew her towards him, despite his stoicism and sometimes abrasive words.

‘Though, he’s definitely less harsh, now. Not just his words, but the way he acts, around everybody too...’

He was a kind person, she decided. Probably just not used to letting his guard down, and Sio had a feeling that was partly due to his childhood, of being alone and having to fend for himself. ‘Kinda like me, except I’m just super awkward and terrible with talking to people in general...’

“I liked that song he played...I don’t usually listen to music without lyrics, but it’s really catchy. I kinda wanna listen to it again...” Sio pondered as the rest of the group finally decided to retire for the night.

“Why don’t you go ask him?” Sio blinked in surprise as Mahesh sidled up next to her. “He said he’d heard it before, right? Maybe he can share it with you.”

“Ah, I—uh, I don’t, wanna bother him with something trivial like that...” She laughed nervously, though Mahesh simply winked at her. She stopped short of the attic staircase right before the room, and looked up. The door was already closed, and he was probably already asleep, but Mahesh’s suggestion repeated itself in her mind.

‘Actually, maybe I will...after all, why not. I’ll ask him tomorrow...what kind of music he likes...’

If she was lucky, maybe he’d even offer to let her listen to some. Flushing hotly at the thought, Sio quickly went into her room and dove underneath the covers.

‘Ah Sio...what are you getting yourself into now...’

[thetriggeredhappy]

9 “My head hurts.” for Speedingbullet ~ also you're now my new fav fic author

thank you very much, you’re very sweet!! (warnings for me being mean to scout again)

9.) “My head hurts.”

Sniper really didn’t intend for things to go the way he did. He really didn’t mean any harm. Honest.

Before he joined the team, Sniper was aware of the concept of pranks and whatnot, sure, but he’d never really been subjected to any, or done them to other people. He didn’t go to college (a place where, allegedly according to Engie, pranks happen a lot) and he didn’t technically finish his last year of required schooling and even before that the closest thing to a “prank” that his classmates would do was essentially beat him up. Black eyes and bruises and bloody noses were their idea of a hilarious after-school activity to rope him into.

But on the base, he was introduced to actual pranks. The inside of Demo’s eyepatch being coated in syrup while he’s asleep, Soldier’s helmet being covered in dozens of sparkly stickers, plastic wrap over the door to the kitchen, things like that. Things that were actually a bit funny and not anything worse than annoying and inconvenient to the person being pranked.

At some point, Scout, main prank-maker of the team (years of experience under his belt, apparently) had tried to get Sniper. Salt in the sugar bowl. He’d sat down with coffee, the terrible “acquired taste” stuff that Spy occasionally drank because he mysteriously couldn’t find the normal stuff, and put a spoon’s worth into his mug to make it more bearable. Stirred it. He hadn’t noticed what Scout’s expression was until he lifted the mug to take a sip and made eye contact over the rim. Absolute interest in what Sniper was doing, just a smidge too much to be normal, and no focus at all on the bowl of cereal before him, which just wasn’t normal.

He took his sip, and it was only with that suspicion in the back of his head that he managed to keep from making a face at the taste of it. And then Sniper had a choice to make, and he did so quickly.

He drank the entire mug without flinching. Scout’s confusion rose with every bob of his adam’s apple.

“Something on my face?” Sniper asked neutrally when he put the empty mug down again, the very picture of normalcy.

“Uh,” Scout said, and shook himself from his shock, “I, uh, no. No, you’re good.”

A few beats passed, then Scout picked up the sugar bowl, glancing down at it. He hummed to himself, tipping a bit into his cereal, then putting it down and taking a bite.

He choked immediately, then looked up at Sniper, who was trying very hard not to laugh. “Oh, fuck you.”

That had been the beginning of a little prank war between the two of them.

Scout had done plenty of things. A glitter bomb from an envelope that looked just like the envelopes they received with information for contracts. Taken about half a dozen stray cats from the nearby town and put them all in Sniper’s camper while he was in the base doing laundry. Replaced all the cans of beans and soup that he had stocked up in case of emergencies big or small with cans of brussel sprouts. Given Engie twenty dollars to make a tiny little device that made a little beeping noise every two minutes and fifteen seconds, and promptly hidden it under Sniper’s mattress, driving him bonkers for a total of an hour and a half before he finally found it. It was worth noting that Sniper did lock his door, the little bugger just knew how to pick locks apparently.

Sniper’s major form of retribution for most of the pranks was to act either like it didn’t bother him or like he enjoyed what Scout did. He ended up cooking the brussel sprouts for dinner one day, and talked to Scout about how friendly all the cats were and what their names now were, and Scout was clearly extremely annoyed to see Sniper acting completely normal when he went to battle the day after the beeper incident. But for pranks like the glitter bomb, which left him in a sparkly uniform when he went to dinner, he did feel the need to deliver actual retribution.

Which is why he put an armadillo in Scout’s room. And a small non-venomous snake in Scout’s room after he then started locking his door. And the friendly owl that liked to pester Sniper for snacks in Scout’s room through the window when he asked Demo for help moving his door slightly closer to the floor. He just found that Scout tended to react a lot to animals and kept running with it.

Also he broke Scout’s door once, but to be fair that wasn’t part of a prank. That was a different thing. Which was only tangentially Sniper’s fault technically sort of. He apologized. He got a second glitter bomb.

And admittedly, their little prank war had died down a bit after that, mainly because they’d gotten on somewhat friendlier terms somehow during the mayhem. He wound up talking to Scout occasionally, the younger man just sitting himself down when Sniper was making a campfire or otherwise sitting outside his camper and doing things. In return, sometimes he tried to say hello to Scout when he passed him in the rec room. But then Sniper had suddenly been faced with what he thought was the perfect opportunity.

He’d been out doing his shopping, having headed to a bigger town to get some more specific things that he needed that weren’t easy to find elsewhere, when he’d seen it. The energy drinks Scout chugged like water most of the time, big palettes’ worth of them. Three different flavors, although he’d only ever seen Scout drinking two.

And next to them, the same three again. He walked closer, pondering if maybe Scout would appreciate getting a bulk package of the drinks instead of having to do a twice-weekly run to the store in town to buy a few six-packs. And he’d picked up one of the packs, looked it over, and noticed a little blurb written on it.

“Caffeine-free!”

The plan hit him almost immediately, and he moved to start piling cans into the cart he’d gotten.

From there it was simple—a trick he’d learned years and years before from an oddball “friend” to sneak alcohol into concerts. Sealed drinks being all that was allowed, he learned how to open cans and close them again without it looking any different. It was the work of an afternoon to empty out the cans of Bonk! into the sand (both the Cola and the Fruit Punch flavors just to cover all his bases) and replace them with the caffeine-free versions. Then he waited for the next time they did a supply run, and put it in with the rest of the groceries.

But then, things got… strange.

Scout was fine that first day, a Friday, not particularly groggy at all. During the lunch break in the middle of the day he chugged a good bit more of the soda than even he was usually known for, and didn’t eat anything else, but otherwise acted about the same.

By Monday, things had taken a significant dive.

He first noticed that Scout was almost late. That was extremely strange for him. Scout was usually among the first to report, and would mingle and pester the rest of the team. But instead, he was dashing in five minutes before they were headed onto the field, sleeves not even rolled properly and one shoe untied, looking completely out of it. He stammered an apology, then set about fixing his whole situation.

Through his scope, Sniper kept cursory track over the team so he’d be able to know whether someone could feasibly be passing by or if it was a spy. And what he saw of Scout was funny for a little bit, but quickly grew worrying, and then terribly guilt-inducing.

Scout was fully off his game, running erratically but in a way that was clearly unintentional, getting his attention diverted by sounds of gunfire only to miss the sounds much closer to him. His chatter on the comms was limited, and Sniper caught sight of him getting gunned down over and over and over again.

When the mid-day break was called, a bit earlier than usual, his first sighting of the kid since that morning was of him sitting on a crate, elbows on his knees, head held tight in his hands, talking quietly to Medic, who looked extremely concerned about the situation. Within a few moments the scene had brought over Engie and Demo, and everyone looked fairly grim.

Spy noted the scene happening, then glanced at Sniper, and his posture went rigid at Sniper’s expression. Presumably it was one of guilt, because that’s what was rapidly overtaking Sniper.

“What did you do?” Spy asked sharply, voice a hiss.

“Nothing,” Sniper said quickly, defensively.

All at once, Spy was stood just behind him, a hand on his shoulder, the other holding a knife in the bend of his back, cutting through the stitch of his vest and pressing hard enough to make Sniper’s heart skip a few beats. “Interesting answer. Because our local little idiot has been feeling horribly, terribly under the weather all day, and this is rapidly becoming the sort of problem that gets him in trouble with noteworthy individuals,” he said, voice the kind of lighthearted that made Sniper aware that he was probably about to be killed if he so much as stuttered. Then the weight of what Spy was saying to him sunk in, and he paled in realization. Scout could get in very real trouble for such a drop in numbers. Very, very real trouble. And in their line of business, bad things usually happened to those who got in trouble with their employers. “I just found it interesting, the way you were staring at him just now.”

“I didn’t mean any harm,” he managed, voice hoarse. “Really, I didn’t!”

“I’m going to ask you this exactly once, bushman,” Spy said, voice low now. “What. Did. You. Poison him with?”

A pause. “Oh! No, no, mate, you’ve got it wrong, I—I didn’t poison him! I just—“

The slightest bit of additional pressure from the knife.

“Really! I just switched out that caffeine nonsense he drinks for the same stuff but without the caffeine. It was just supposed to be a prank, I, I didn’t think he would get like this. Figured he’d be a bit groggy and that’s all!”

Spy swore to himself under his breath. “You’re an idiot, bushman,” he hissed. He shoved Sniper a step forward. “Go explain to him what you did. Now.”

Sniper did walk over.

Medic had moved away to talk quietly with Demo, but Engie was still there, sitting next to Scout, a comforting hand on his shoulder. He looked up as Sniper approached, giving him a little, worried smile.

“Er,” Sniper said, fidgeting with his hands for a second before just sticking his thumbs into his pockets. “Scout, can I talk to you for a mo’?”

Scout hummed out a little noise like agreement.

Sniper glanced at Engie again, who took a moment before he realized what Sniper meant and went to get up and give them space. He gave Scout one more pat on the shoulder before he went.

Sniper took his place, hands to himself. “Er. So… you’re not doin’ so well,” Sniper tried.

Scout groaned, shoulders sinking further. “I dunno what the fuck is wrong. This shouldn’t be happening,” he said, voice quiet. “I’m fuckin’ dying over here.”

“Yeah?” Sniper asked, guilt corroding at him quicker by the minute.

“My head hurts,” Scout started. “I feel like I’m gonna throw up. My hands won’t stop shaking and I can barely reload a gun. I didn’t sleep at all last night or the night before that or the night before that and I can’t get a good breath in and I feel like I’m five fuckin’ seconds away from freaking out. Just the usual gunshots and screaming make me start shaking even worse and basically I fuckin’ hate everything right now an’ wanna die. I felt like shit all weekend too but it’s just getting worse and worse.”

Sniper swallowed hard.

“And I dunno what the fuck the issue is, I—I only ever start gettin’ shaky and gross feeling whenever I go without getting caffeine for a few days, and, and I’ve drank like three cans and kept ‘em down and everything and I—I dunno the fuck else to do,” Scout said, and there was an underlying kind of distress, dismay, panic, misery that made Sniper fold in on himself.

“Didn’t realize… you needed it that much,” Sniper said carefully.

Scout sighed, his breath leaving him almost explosively. “Yeah, because I didn’t want nobody to know. Only the Doc was supposed to know, because we kept tryin’ all kinds of meds but none of ‘em worked right, and we figured out if I just drink a fuck ton of caffeine it works better than most meds. So he found some stuff with a ridiculous amount of the stuff and now I drink it all the time or I can’t think right or do anything.” A second sigh, and Scout looked like he was trying to melt and sink into the ground. “And now everybody knows that I’m a fuckin’ idiot who can’t do shit or think right without drinkin’ enough liquid energy to give a bear a heart attack. And I’m maybe having the worst day ever and I just wanna go curl up and down half a bottle of headache meds and try and sleep until everything stops sucking so much.”

Sniper was pretty sure he was going to keel over dead.

“But hey,” Scout said, a dreary, sarcastic attempt at optimism in his voice, and lifted his head enough to look at Sniper, and he hadn’t noticed earlier, but his face was pale and his eyes had bags and circles under them that may as well have been bruises they were so dark. “At least you’re over here. Talkin’ to me. That’s really not like you. Good to know you give that much of a shit about me to come listen to me whine.”

Sniper had to look away, squeeze his eyes shut.

“Anyways, you said you wanted to talk to me?” Scout asked, putting on a terribly brave face despite how objectively horrible he was feeling.

“It was me.”

A pause. Sniper couldn’t look up. “What?”

“It was me. I switched your Bonk! out for some caffeine-free rubbish.”

Another, different pause. “You what?” Scout asked, voice quiet.

“It was meant to just be a prank,” Sniper said, head falling to his hand. “I thought you’d get all drowsy for a little while, be sleepy and a bit off your game and confused. I didn’t mean to make you feel this sick, and… and I’m sorry.”

Silence for a good minute or so. “Snipes, I’m gonna fucking kill you.”

Sniper nodded. “I’d deserve it,” he conceded, glum.

“I’m gonna fucking kill you.” Sniper got shoved, and was sent sprawling on the dirt. “You fuck! I can’t believe you!”

“I know, I’m sorry,” Sniper tried, sitting up.

“God damn it if you weren’t so cute I’d break you right now!” Scout exclaimed, bat in hand, red-faced and positively fuming.

“You think I’m cute?” Sniper asked, a bit surprised.

“Not the topic of conversation right now! You’re a bastard!”

Sniper fell back onto the dirt, staring up at the sky. “I’m sorry,” he said again.

“You owe me,” Scout declared.

“I know.”

“Big time,” Scout added.

“I know.”

“You’re takin’ me out after we clock out today and you’re buying me more soda and then you’re getting me dinner,” Scout finished.

“That sounds fair.’

“…Fuck you,” Scout said once more before he stormed off.

Sniper remained on the ground for another few moments, silent.

“…Cute?” he repeated to himself quietly.

[serenlyss]

For the Sake of a Smile Chapter 5

Rating: G Relationship: terumob, teru&reigen, teru&ritsu, shigeo&ritsu Chapter Summary:  "A good cook is like a sorceress who dispenses happiness." — Elsa Schiaparelli Crossposted to AO3: Chapter 5

Chapter 4 // Chapter 6

---

Teru’s first shift is with Shigeo, which he appreciates, because the amount of work Reigen has for him to do on the first day is overwhelming, to say the least.

The diner itself is, at the very least, clean, but it’s hard to tell when everything is strewn about as haphazardly as it is. Even the kitchen is in a state of semi-organized chaos, to the point that Teru is quickly developing a slightly irrational fear that one of the cabinets he peeks into will result in an avalanche of empty tupperware containers falling on his head and creating even more mess for him to organize.

He and Shigeo start with the parlor. There isn’t much to be done, but Teru is insistent on getting the boxes out of sight of potential customers. “They’re eyesores, and no one wants to see a bunch of junk sitting around when they’re trying to relax and eat,” he’d told Shigeo with a scoff, and had immediately begun to move them into Reigen’s personal office. The owner himself is out on a supply run for the next half hour or so, which leaves Teru and Shigeo to rearrange things however they see fit. Which ends up being however Teru sees fit, since Shigeo seems to have little to no opinion on how the parlor is laid out.

“Push those square tables up against the wall, under the windows,” Teru instructs, nudging a larger circular table toward the center of the room from where it had been banished to the lonely corner of the diner. “They’re much better for pairs, so we should use the space in the middle for larger groups.” He wonders how Reigen had managed to run this place at all with how badly organized it seems to be, but, well, the important part is getting it back into working order.

Shigeo follows the order without any fuss, sliding the little square tables up against the wall of the parlor. “Oh, that makes a lot of sense,” he comments, moving to fetch the chairs he’d left behind so he can set them up on either side of the relocated tables. “You know a lot about this.”

Teru snorts, waving his hand noncommittally. “It’s really just common sense, once you get down to it. A lot of restaurants are set up this way, since it’s space-efficient and easy to map out as a waiter or manager,” he replies, sliding the first of six chairs into place around the circular table he’d been working on. “This will at least make a better first impression that the disorganized mess it was earlier.”

“Reigen never seemed to mind how the tables were set up earlier, so I never bothered to change the layout,” Shigeo admits. “I always figured that if he wanted to change things up, he’d tell me.”

Teru bites his tongue on what he wants to say, that Reigen had fallen out of love with this place a long time ago and wasn’t exactly passionate about improving, and instead just says, “He’s definitely going to like this layout much better. Just look at it, it’s feeling more inviting already!”

He and Shigeo stand side-by-side at the kitchen door, looking out at the new parlor. With the eyesore of Reigen’s boxes of junk removed and the tables rearranged to fit the newly-opened space, the parlor really does look a whole lot cleaner and more professional. “There’s still lots of work to be done in the kitchen and on the outside, but I think this place has real promise,” Teru comments, placing a hand thoughtfully on his chin as he surveys the new space.

“You’re right, it does look nicer,” Shigeo agrees with a smile. He glances up at the clock hanging over the front door, blinking in surprise. “Oh, it’s almost lunch time already! Ritsu will be here soon, I should hurry.” He turns on his heel and steps into the kitchen, flipping on the coffee machine and retrieving a paper coffee cup from a stack in the corner of the store.

Teru follows him, blinking in surprise. “Ritsu comes here?” he echoes, watching as Shigeo measures out cream and sugar from memory. He must do this quite often, to be able to follow the process so effortlessly.

Shigeo nods his head, flashing Teru a small smile. “Most days, whenever I’m here working,” he confirms. “He doesn’t like the food here, but he usually comes by to get a coffee before his student council meeting. Reigen always messes it up, though, so he only comes when I’m scheduled to work.”

Teru fights the urge to snort in amusement at the thought of Reigen messing up a simple coffee order (Did the guy even know how to cook? Teru had never seen him make anything.) and leans his back against the edge of the counter as Shigeo works. “Just coffee? And he was concerned about my eating habits,” he says, half-teasing and half-serious.

Shigeo shrugs. “He usually brings a snack to eat, at least, but he doesn’t always get to it before lunchtime,” he explains. As he speaks, the bell hanging over the diner door chimes, signaling Ritsu’s arrival. “Oh, that’s him! Teru, will you go greet him?”

“Oh, sure,” Teru replies, reaching up to adjust his uniform apron as he heads toward the door leading out of the kitchen.

Ritsu is already inside, and the door falls closed behind him with a gentle puff of air as he casts his eyes around the new parlor. He looks confused and a little surprised, his bag slung over one shoulder as he stands just inside the doorway. He meets Teru’s gaze across the parlor. “Looks like you two have been busy,” he comments, expression falling back into careful neutrality. “How’d you get Reigen to move all of his crap?”

Teru grins mischievously. “We didn’t ask permission,” he replies with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Shigeo’s working on your drink already, it should be done soon.”

He sees the brief flash of something cross Ritsu’s face--he looks amused, or maybe even impressed--and then he gives a nod of his head. “It looks good,” he says, the closest thing to a compliment that Teru’s ever heard from him. Then he lifts his hand and tugs at his sleeve, glancing down at a watch hidden beneath his uniform blazer.

Shigeo emerges from the kitchen as he’s checking the time, a steaming cup held in his hands. “Ritsu! You’re just in time,” he greets with a little smile, his eyes crinkling every-so-slightly in their corners the way he does when he’s especially happy. “How long are you staying today?”

“I’ll sit down for a bit, but I don’t have much time to hang around before my next class,” Ritsu explains, pulling out a chair at one of the tables near the front door and slipping into it. Shigeo joins him, pulling up a seat on the other side of his brother.

Teru frowns; it’s the lunch hour, but neither of them are eating anything. “Shigeo, didn’t you bring a lunch?” he asks. He’d eaten before his shift himself, but Shigeo had been working since before the lunch hour had begun.

Shigeo shakes his head. “Ah, no. I work during the whole lunch hour a few days a week, so on those days I usually just survive off of snacks in between classes and then eat dinner at home,” he explains with a somewhat sheepish smile. “I’d get in trouble if I ate in class, though, so I usually just eat on my way out of work.”

Teru falls quiet after this, and Shigeo is quick to divert his attention back to Ritsu, asking him about his student council meeting and what other classes he has left before the club activities after school hours. It’s not healthy to skip meals like that, even if it’s only sometimes, he thinks to himself, but I guess they both have pretty busy schedules. It’s hard to find time when you’re trying so hard to do everything. He runs a hand through his hair, brushing his bangs from his face briefly before they fall back into place.

“What’s your favorite fruit?” he asks suddenly, cutting off whatever explanation Ritsu is currently in the middle of giving as he’s struck by a sudden idea.

Two pairs of eyes turn to look at him abruptly, Shigeo’s wide with surprise while Ritsu looks almost offended to have been interrupted. “Our favorite fruit?” Shigeo echoes, blinking repeatedly. Teru can practically hear him trying to figure out where in the world the sudden question came from. He exchanges a glance with Ritsu, then answers, “Um, strawberries, I guess?” he says after a moment of quiet, his words slow and hesitant.

Ritsu furrows his brow with clear suspicion on his face, but hesitantly answers, “I like peaches. Why?”

Teru grins, pleased, and points a finger in the pair’s direction. “Come back after your club activities tonight, okay? I’m going to have something special prepared,” he commands, leaving little room for argument with the authoritative tone he takes. “Think of it as a ‘grand re-opening’ surprise”

Shigeo still looks confused, mumbling a soft, “But we were never closed,” under his breath, but doesn’t reject Teru’s proposition. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to drop by after clubs. Are you going to cook something, Teru?”

Teru flashes Shigeo a cheeky wink. “You’ll just have to come and see,” he replies teasingly, turning toward the kitchen once more. “Don’t forget, okay?”

He nearly misses the way Ritsu rolls his eyes as he and Shigeo gather their things in preparation to leave. “Okay, then. See you later, Teru,” he concedes with a small smile, still looking a little bewildered. That was alright, though, it would be more fun if he showed up to be surprised.

Teru listens until he can hear the door falling closed behind the retreating brothers, then rolls up his sleeves and gets to work digging through Reigen’s pantries.

---

Even with his prep work and the extra little surprise he’d decided to prepare, Teru still finds himself with a lack of work to do as the afternoon wears on. Reigen returns not long after Ritsu and Shigeo leave, hoisting bags of groceries, and Teru is quick to delve into the new stock in anticipation for his little surprise. He doesn’t even let Reigen in on it, even when the man asks; he’s surprisingly lax for someone who’s meant to be Teru’s boss, and he doesn’t seem to mind Teru taking charge of the kitchen at times while he sits back and observes from afar.

“You make me go out of my way to buy fresh fruit and then don’t even tell me what it’s for?” Reigen complains, attempting to crane his neck to better see what it is that Teru’s been working on. It’s evident that his curiosity is killing him, but Teru isn’t about to reveal his secret just yet.

“Just wait until Shigeo and Ritsu get here, okay? There’s one for you, too,” he chides, a spoon gripped in one hand, which he uses to beat together a pinkish mixture he’s blending in a small mixing bowl. He has the bowl settled in the crook of his elbow, and once he’s satisfied with the mixture’s consistency, he lifts the spoon to his mouth for a quick taste. He hums, pondering for a second, then reaches for a glass jar filled with sugar.

Reigen leans his elbow on the counter from where he’s sitting on a bar stool in the corner of the kitchen and lets his chin rest in his open palm, observing Teru with curious eyes and a slightly furrowed brow as he spoons sugar into the bowl and beats it in. “You move around the kitchen like you were born in it. Honestly, it’s kind of hard to believe that you’re self-taught,” he admits, and there’s a familiar sort of glint in his boss’s eye that reminds him of the contemplative way Ritsu sometimes regards him.

Teru shrugs, tipping the bowl so that the mixture can be poured evenly into four identical champagne flutes. “I’ve told you before, I’ve done this since I was just a little kid,” he replies, the same answer he gives Reigen every time he brings up Teru’s comfort in the kitchen. “Is it really so odd?”

Reigen cracks a smile and shakes his head. “Not at all,” he replies flippantly, pushing himself to his feet as Teru sets the flutes in the fridge to cool and set. He checks the kitchen’s clock. “Club activities get out in half an hour. Is that going to be enough time for you to finish?”

Teru nods, flashing Reigen a confident grin. “Oh, that’s plenty of time.” It just needs to sit for now, so he goes to the sink and busies himself washing and drying dishes until he hears the telltale ring of the front door’s bell signalling Ritsu and Shigeo’s arrival.

Reigen goes out to meet them while Teru puts the finishing touches on his surprise, and Teru catches bits and pieces of their conversation from beyond the kitchen wall. It’s mostly polite, typical stuff, but Ritsu sounds more on edge than usual in response to Reigen’s presence; he’s not terribly fond of the diner’s owner, and he’s made his opinion of Reigen explicitly clear in the few days Teru’s known him. Then again, Ritsu doesn’t seem terribly fond of anyone other than Shigeo.

Brushing a strand of blond hair from his eyes, Teru sets the champagne flutes on a serving tray and sweeps dramatically out of the kitchen, making his way over to the table where the three of them have taken up residence.

Shigeo is the first to look over at him, his eyes meeting Teru’s for a moment before flicking down to the treat he’s brought with him. “Is this the thing you wanted us to come try?” he asks.

“Yup! There’s one for each of us,” Teru replies with a smile, plucking the tall, thin glasses from his tray and sliding one in the direction of each of the people gathered around the table. Then he sits down in the seat opposite Shigeo. In front of him is the promised treat, a champagne flute through which he can see layers of colorful gelatin. “I call it “rainbow jelly”. Each layer is a different flavor, and there’s a bit of mint mixed in for a little extra freshness,” he explains. “It’s made with real fruit, so it has a lot of vitamins in it, but it’s small enough and easy enough to eat that you can eat it even when you don’t have a lot of time, like in between class periods or meetings.”

Shigeo blinks, looking down at the glass and tugging out the little spoon stuck in the top of it. “Is that why you wanted to know our favorite fruits?” he asks.

Teru nods his head enthusiastically. “Give it a try!” he urges, eager to see how his dessert is taken.

“Well then, let’s see what you’re capable of, kid,” Reigen hums, and takes the initiative of taking the first bite at the table. Shigeo and Ritsu follow closely behind, metal spoons clinking against the glasses’ surfaces, and Teru dips his own spoon in, breaking the top layer of strawberry jelly as he expectantly watches the faces of his companions.

“It’s good,” Shigeo and Ritsu say, nearly simultaneously.

They look up at each other with wide eyes, surprised, and then Shigeo softly giggles, covering his mouth with his hand. “I thought you didn’t like sweet things,” he says, eyes crinkling in amusement. “You used to tell mom that sweets were for babies when she’d try to give you any kind of dessert.”

Ritsu flushes pink at the accusation, sputtering. “That was when I was like, five!” he argues. “I don’t hate desserts, I just don’t always want to eat sweet things.”

Reigen laughs aloud, leaning over the table to toss playful jabs in Ritsu’s direction, and Teru lets a smile of his own bloom on his face for a moment. There’s a warmth in his chest that he hasn’t felt since leaving home, the kind he only used to feel when he’d cook something new for his siblings back home. He leans his head on his hand and props his elbow up on the table, and watches the scene unfold from the sidelines. It really does feel different when you eat with someone important to you, he thinks to himself, watching the way the tension leaves Ritsu’s shoulders as he banters with his brother and bickers with Reigen. Even the typically stiff Shigeo seems to be relaxing at last, an easy smile coming to his face that’s brighter and more unwithheld than the ones he gives to his classmates at school. It’s nice to see him unwind like this.

Teru lets himself relax as well, chuckling softly alongside the table’s conversation, and lets himself think for just a moment that maybe, this could be a place where he could belong.

[the-schwayest-batman-around]

The Wild Years

OOC: This was a belated birthday present for a great friend, @kirameku, who wanted to know my thoughts on Terry during his wild and crazy years. So here is a short drabble for your entertainment.

~ ~ ~

For Terry McGinnis, being sent to his own room was getting easier and easier. He could get himself in trouble, say how he was failing science class or even mention he was cutting classes to be sent upstairs, but he didn’t need to. These days, his folks were arguing more and more and wouldn’t even notice if Terry slid upstairs. They were arguing about anything these days. If his Mom was out with friends, his Dad would begin to ask who she was with. If his Dad came home late from work, his Mom would be arguing that his Dad was avoiding time with the family. When this almost daily event happened, Terry could sneak into his bedroom to play video games, text his friends, or do what he had been up to for the last bit: see his friends.

Everyone at school was always checking on him, seeing how he was or making comments that Terry would be joining the “Split Family Club”. Dana checked in on him and usually wanted to hang, but she brought up Terry’s family situation all the time. He needed to ignore everything and there was one friend he knew he could trust.

Terry had texted his friend earlier today and agreed to meet him down the block. Terry would just have to prepare and make his way there in the next five minutes. He stuffed the bed with pillows and locked the door. Even if his parents could force the lock, they would just see a figure resting in the bed. It was full proof and would do well until Terry could sneak back inside at 2 or 3.

Terry opened the window and poked his head out to check the coast. No one was in the backyard and his baby brother’s room was dark. His Mom wouldn’t be in there to get a break from all the dumb drama going on.

He shimmied onto the window ledge and closed the window shut. This was old hat for him and he could do this in his sleep. Terry braced himself and lept towards the nearby tree branch. The leaves rustled and the branch jerked up and down from the sudden weight. The bark dug into his palms, but Terry held on. He ignored the all too familiar pain before climbing his way towards the trunk. Shimmying himself down, Terry glanced up at the two story McGinnis home one last time. No one was looking out and most of the house lights were off. He was almost home free.

Finally at a comfortable leve, Terry jumped down, his legs taking the fall to the ground with a hard thump. He needed to work on his landing, but he didn’t want to be late. Terry rushed down the sidewalk. Terry and the McGinnis family lived in the 30s of Neo-Gotham and didn’t have to worry about nosy neighbors. It was too late and too dark for anyone to recognize the young teen going down to the end of the block.

He came to the corner, looking around for a moment. Very few people were out and those that were were busy moving. It was Gotham and no one, not even the night owls had time to stop. Terry checked his old phone again to check the time. He didn’t need to wait long as a salvation came in on a loud, beat up black truck.

“Hey there shrimp, you lost or something?” The driver, poking his head out of the window, was sporting the biggest grin on his face. Terry couldn’t help but match his smirk with his own as Charlie ‘Big Time’ Bigelow motioned for Terry to get on in. “You’re right on time Tiny!”

“Like I’d be late, Charlie!” Terry said as he scrambled around the car. Traffic honked but Terry ignored them as he planted himself firmly in the shotgun sheet and slammed the door shut.

He had met Charlie some time ago. He was the cool older kid that everyone insisted was bad. Charlie wasn’t though. If schway could be a person, Terry was certain it would be Charlie. He was free from his parents and was always looking to make a day brighter. Right now, Terry needed it.

Charlie didn’t ask questions. He was the one lone person that was willing to give Terry a break from life and never tried to dig up any of Terry’s life drama. While everyone was asking Terry what was wrong, how he was feeling, and where he was going to go, Charlie instead stole a six pack of beer and gave it over to him when Terry admitted his family life wasn’t doing well. It was the first beer Terry ever had and it tasted god awful. It was like warm gasoline and hot ass mixed together. The young teen had coughed and sputtered and Charlie just laughed, telling him to try again. Terry eventually mastered it and could now handle any beer that was given to him.

“So where are we going?” Terry asked. “Down to the 5th to break some windows? The club?”

“Nah, kid. July’s got a party going on and we need to bring some favors” Charlie said as he swerved around a nice looking car. The driver honked and Charlie held out his finger, twirling his middle finger out with a cocky grin. Terry couldn’t help but laugh, mimicking Charlie. He couldn’t get away with this anywhere and instead of being scolded, Charlie laughed. “That’s the spirit!”

“They deserved it” Terry pipped in. Terry was happy to see Julio though. Julio “July” Jimenez was another friend that ran with Charlie. He could fight just as well as Charlie could, having been raised in the lower levels. He was also the one person who had a place of his own and no family. It meant more often than not, July’s place was where everyone wanted to be.

"We’re gonna get some goods at the gas station” Charlie insisted as he turned onto the highway to start going down the various levels of Gotham. “Snatch and grab. You in?”

~ ~ ~

This wasn’t Terry’s first time with Snatch and Grab. He had seen Charlie and his friends do it plenty of times before. This was just the first time Terry was doing it and he had the harder job. Armed with an empty backpack, Terry was going to focus on the snatching part after Charlie finished pumping gas. They couldn’t go in together and Terry would need to act fast. He’d go to the snack section and began stuffing his backpack with anything good. Chips, dips, drinks, but nothing kiddie like soda. If he could grab extra stuff like any condoms, lighters, even some booze, it would really make the party better.

Charlie had a tough task too. While Terry snatched, Charlie would be distracting the guy at the counter. It made sense since Charlie was of age and could ask for things behind the counter without looking weird. Cigarette packs and even detergent pods were all back there. If Terry pulled this off, he’d even lend Terry one of the magazines in the back as a reward.

Terry would have done it for free, but the idea of getting his own nude magazine was too good to pass up. Besides, if he could sneak out of the house, he could easily do this. Charlie had pulled his truck up and was getting it gassed. Grabbing a dirty Gotham Knight’s ball cap, he stuffed it on Terry’s head. Terry grimaced and swatted Charlie’s hands.

“Be quick, Terry” Charlie insisted. “In and out; no slowing down. Got it?”

“Got it.” Terry fought back the nerves working through his body as he watched as Charlie entered. He wanted to prove himself and this was a great chance to do it. Some of Charlie’s gang, especially some of the girls Charlie was having a thing with, thought Terry was a dreg just following along. Terry wasn’t and was going to show them how he could hang with guys like Charlie and Julio.

A minute passed, the time that Charlie said he needed. Terry tugged his backpack straps and began heading inside. The gas station was run down and not in some kind of retro way. Everything was tiled brown, tan and beige from the floors, the walls and the counters. The few splashes of colors advertised coffee, the pretzel dogs, and a turkey sandwich. No one else was here except for Charlie, thumbing through the magazines and the cashier who was keeping his eyes mostly on Charlie.

Terry didn’t stay still for long. He began moving quickly to the back. Terry had seen Charlie and Julio do this plenty of time, where one of them would loop around the store and begin stocking up on goods. It was plenty of time for Charlie to get whatever he needed before launching the next step in their plan. Terry did his best to be silent, his shoes sticking on the floor from dry soda or dirty mop water before he wrenched them free. He passed the the sizzling hot dogs, the stench drenching the air in heavy meat. Terry gagged, but didn’t stop there, passing by the sandwiches, some cheap truck supplies before spotting what was on the list: beer.

There weren’t any single bottles or cans Terry could grab. Instead, he was going to have to grab a six pack and hope he was strong enough. Opening the door, he felt the cool refrigerator air hit him before glancing back. Terry was in the far back now and from where he was, hidden from the cashier. Darting back to the beer, Terry quickly looked around before grabbing two six packs of Lit Beer. As tempted as he was to get the Buzz Soda, he snapped the door shut and pressed ahead.

“Heeeey, I’m ready to check out.” Charlie’s recognizable voice carried inside the store. Terry could hear him crystal clear and knew it was time to start heading the front. Hoping the residual gunk from his shoes didn’t make too much noise, Terry scampered with the aisle, ignoring the beer weighing down his bag. The cashier had a thick accent, asking Charlie if the magazines was all he wanted and that he’d have to see Charlie’s ID.

“I need some other stuff too. Got any Silk Cuts? The filters if you got ‘em.” Terry was at the snacks now. His heart was racing, the thrill consuming him as he looked back and forth. There was still no sign of anyone and he couldn’t see any cameras. His face was hidden and they’d be long gone by the time anyone saw them. That was what Charlie said anyways.

Terry waited for a moment as Charlie fished out his fake ID. He gave it five seconds before he quickly began grabbing what he needed. Dip was easy to grab and stuff in but chips were noisier. They’d crinkle and alert anyone listening that someone was grabbing them. A little noise was fine but too much and he’d be caught red handed.

Terry worked quickly before grabbing three bags. His backpack was ready to burst and his back was already screaming in agony with the weight. The beer was weighing everything down. Terry just hoped the back would stay together long enough to--

“YoHOOOOOOO!”

A hearty laugh cut through the store. Terry looked around and saw a clown walk in, totting what Terry thought was a laser gun the cops had only been given recently. He looked as old as Charlie and had the same amount of muscle as him, but he looked like a dreg with all the grease paint on him. Terry knew what this was: a Jokerz member.

The clerk and Charlie froze in place, as the Jokerz laughed again. The dreg was clearly happy about this as he aimed the gun right them. “Your ATM wasn’t working outside, so I figured I’d ask for a cash deposit.”

Charlie was bigger and could have decked this guy into next Tuesday, but he wasn’t armed. Instead, he stepped back, arms raised as the cashier began to hurriedly open the cash drawer. Terry didn’t even have to see his face that Charlie was giving this guy the evil look and wanted nothing more than to deck him.

Terry hadn’t been noticed despite taking a quick peek to see what was going on. The snack counter was his cover from anyone in the store. His mind was racing as fast as his heart. His friend was stuck at gunpoint and could be shot. Terry looked around, trying to figure out something. Should he rush out and tackle the guy? No, Terry told himself, he'd get shot. He could try and distract the gunman, but Terry was stuck on the how.

Looking down at his backpack, Terry saw one of the cans of Lit Beer. An idea struck him and with little options left, he hoped it would be enough. Terry dove his hand down into the bag, snapping the can from the plastic rings. The chips rustling from the bag was distracted as the drawer clung open, the dreg saying “In the bag! In the bag now! Come on!” His gun was shifting too and from Charlie and the cashier so neither or them would get any funny ideas.

Terry moved back around, going down one of the aisles until he saw what he was looking for: the sandwich containers. It was filled with all sorts of sandwiches: the only good sandwiches like chicken, turkey, turkducken, fish, and then the not so good ones like the hamburgers that were dry and crumbly and a BLT that had more green and plant life on it than was advertised. It also just so happened to be in the complete opposite direction of the cashier.

Terry took aim and hurled the can of Lit Beer. It spun in the air before crashed into the side of the container with a loud THUNK! The can crashed to the ground, ruptured from the two sudden impacts as the beer splashed out in all directions. It was too far away to hit anyone but the noise was enough for the gunman to spin around. “WHO’S THAT?!” he called out.

Everything happened so fast. Charlie stepped forward and sucker punched the Jokerz thug with a hard right hook. The goon crashed to the ground, the gun clattering to the ground. Terry floored it, now rushing past the beer puddle as Charlie moved forward and kicked the gunman in the gut. The man wretched as Charlie kicked him again, and again. Terry was moving fast, heart pounding in his ears as Charlie lept over the man, scooped something up and rushed forward. All the while, the cashier was grabbing his own gun, aiming the old shotgun right at the Jokerz who was quivering and coughing on the floor.

Terry and Charlie didn’t look back. They didn’t even look to see if anyone else was in the parking lot. They hopped into Charlie’s truck before flooring it. The truck lurched forward, peeling out of the parking lot before another CRASH could be heard. Charlie and Terry were jolted forward but kept driving as quickly as they could. Terry looked back, only to realize they had never pulled the fuel nozzle out of the truck as it flailed behind them, the pump now effectively ruined.

Charlie laughed. It was an adrenaline filled guffaw before he let out a long cry of victory. “TT! That was the schwayest! Did you see that? DID YOU SEE THAT?!”

“Y-YEAH!” Terry was also laughing now. His body was shaking, trembling in his seat as Charlie continued to laugh. That was incredible and they had managed to get away with everything they had. They had done it! They had won!

~ ~ ~

They pulled the pump out a few blocks away. Charlie said that someone would probably want it for scraps and it could be useful. It didn’t even matter though. TT and Big Time had taken down a Jokerz dreg and were riding high off that all the way to Julio’s party. "Wait ‘til I tell everyone what we did! You’re moving up TT. Maybe we’ll do some bigger stuff soon.”

“Bigger?” Terry asked, but was clapped on the shoulder by Charlie. Terry hid the wince so he couldn’t get an arm punch for flinching. “How much bigger?”

“Bigger than you or me kid.” Charlie looked behind the chair and grinned. Terry got a look and noticed the Jokerz’s gun had been lifted instead of the magazines or the cigarettes. “Now come on. Let’s party.”

[pengychan]

[Coco] Old Habits

Title: Old Habits Summary: Héctor did not expect to bump into Ernesto when he ran inside his old shack in Shantytown to escape paparazzi. Ernesto did not expect to find himself stuck with Héctor in his hiding place, with the press right outside to boot. But it happened, and it wouldn't be the first time they worm their way out of trouble together. Characters: Ernesto de la Cruz, Héctor Rivera Rating: K

A/N: This fic was written for @babycharmander. She asked for something about Héctor running into Ernesto while pursued, making Ernesto face the choice to either help him or not. A lot of the details were left up to me and this is what I came up with - hope you like it, BC! (And yes, it did end up getting longer than expected. I have no control over my own writing.) Also, a huge thanks to @senoraluna for beta-ing this!

***

“Señor!”

“Señor Rivera, wait!”

“Just one word!”

Sorry, hombres, I know how this goes. If I had a word with each of you, I’d be stuck all night.

“Were you visiting a woman, señor?” someone yelled just as Héctor turned a corner, ducked under a line of drying clothes, and kept running. “We saw you with her! Does your wife know?”

… All right, now Héctor was definitely not going back to have a chat. Dealing with the press was a pain in the tailbone, and dealing with paparazzi was worse. Good thing that Imelda paid no heed at all to tabloids, although she did occasionally read them for a laugh.

“Well, looks like we’re divorcing. Again,” she’d told him the previous week, looking up from a copy a client had forgotten in the store.

“Oh. Did I leave you for Frida Kahlo again?”

“Apparently, I did.”

“I’m sure she’ll make you happy,” Héctor had muttered. They’d laughed, and the magazine had winded up in the rubbish bin. The same would probably happen to whatever story those guys came up with after he lost them, because he was not going back to give any kind of explanation. It would be twisted into slander anyway, and give away his surprise for Imelda’s birthday.

After the pains he’d taken to find out out her exact measurement to give Ceci without asking suspicious questions, he wouldn’t let a bunch of paparazzi spoil it. They could come up with all the crap they want as long as that stayed a secret for another month.

“Señor Rivera, look!”

There was a sudden flash behind him - a camera, of course - and Héctor rolled his eyes, still running. They would get tired of chasing him sooner or later, he thought... and then he saw his way out as soon as he turned the corner, avoiding to bump into a couple more guys.

A gondola, just about to depart.

Well, he thought, here goes nothing. It always worked, back when he was trying to get away from a guy or two he may or may not have a debt with. Worst that could happen now, he’d miss and shatter every single bone of his body on some street or building down below.

It was still a better option than having to explain paparazzi who was he meeting and why, with a camera shoved in his face. And besides, he could still be lucky and land in water.

“Señor Rive--!”

Héctor didn’t listen: he sprinted, and took the leap just as the gondola began going down the cables. He missed the back of it, but he was able to grab the rail and hand on, letting out a grito of triumph before he glanced back over his shoulder.

“Hah! Sorry hombres, but I’ve got someplace to-- are you serious now??”

Under his stunned gaze, two of the paparazzi - the other three were snapping pictures like mad, and Héctor faintly wondered what kind of story they were going to attach to him hanging onto a gondola - put their cameras around their neck and took off their belts, clearly planning to zip down the cable after him.

They were persistent, Héctor had to give them that... but he wasn’t going to give them was an interview.

Héctor glanced below, saw that the gondola was going over water, and he did what seemed the most obvious thing to do: he grinned, yelled ‘adíos!’, and let himself fall.

***

Splash.

The surface of the water closes above him, drowning out his cry, and Héctor opens his eyes to see the sun shining through the surface. He flails his arms, kicks… then his feet touch the bottom, and he pushes himself up without thinking.

He breaks the surface with a gasp and a cough, blinking water out of his eyes, to hear howling laughter. He stands there - he can stand, after all, water reaches just below his chin - glaring up at Ernesto. He’s sprawled one the flat rock they’d both been standing on only moments earlier, and he’s cackling like mad, holding onto his stomach. “Hahahaha! You look like a drowned rat!”

Héctor pouts. “This isn’t funny,” he protests, only getting a dismissive wave of his hand. Héctor would like to climb up and push him into the water, too, but he knows he can’t win: he’s six and Ernesto is ten, and much bigger and stronger than him.

“I told you the water’s shallow. See, you can stand,” Ernesto grins, and gains himself a scowl.

“And what if I didn’t?” Héctor snaps. The possible answer - I could have drowned - fills him with too much dread to contemplate. Unaware of his thoughts, his friend is shrugging.

“Then I’d have pulled you out,” he says, and Héctor can believe that; Ernesto is a very good swimmer. The dread in the pit of his stomach fades as Ernesto holds out his hand.

“Come out, hermanito. I’m getting hungry,” he grins. “And I know where to find a snack…”

***

Ay, rayos, I’m going to be so late for dinner.

With a groan, Héctor shook his hat to get rid of at least some water and put it back on his head. It hadn’t been fun, swimming all the way to land… and realizing where he was after pulling himself up on the old wooden dock. A very familiar old wooden dock.

Shantytown was... different, now that everyone had gone to live in Ernesto's empty mansion: empty, silent, eerie. There had always been a sense of impending doom hanging around, as Héctor supposed was normal for a place where people went to wait a second death, but the people in it... they had made it bearable. There had been a sense of kinship, a community of sorts - fires to keep warm, drinks to be had, laughter and jokes. Not that bad, to be honest, but now there was none of it - just the husks of empty shacks, and complete silence. It was… sad.

“Señor Rivera!”

All right, I’ll take the sadness over this.

“Don’t you ever give up??” Héctor blurted out, turning. He’d managed to lose most of them, but there were two paparazzi right past the stone arch leading to Shantytown, holding up their cameras and snapping pictures. Héctor couldn’t even begin to imagine how they’d tracked him down; he’d dealt with loan sharks who were less persistent than that.

“What are you doing here, señor? Is it connected to your old dealings? Have you not turned over to a new leaf?” one of the guys was yelling, running towards him, and Héctor rolled his eyes before turning to run - again. He knew the place better than they did, and he had a good head start. Soon enough he was hidden from sight among old shacks, and headed straight for the one he used to live in. He’d lock himself in there, at least for now, and think of something.

Héctor threw the door open, ran in, and slammed it shut. He was about to reach for furniture to block it when a sudden gasp caused him to wince, turn… and then freeze, his mind blank.

Sitting on the ratty mattress in the corner, clad in an threadbare black coat and staring back at him with the wide-eyed gaze of a rabbit caught in the headlights, was Ernesto.

***

“Come on, don’t be a rabbit! I’ll give you boost - it’s not like the fence got any higher, you know!”

“It’s not the fence!” Héctor protests. Really, how much of a scaredy cat does Ernesto think he is? They have climbed the fence to get in old Rafael’s orchard more times than he can count.  “You know that he got a dog!”

“Hah! So what? Are you scared of some mutt?” Ernesto sneers.

“Well…”

“You are! Ay, you’re such a chicken.”

“S-so what? You’re afraid of cats!”

That hits a nerve, and Ernesto’s face turns red. “Wha-- I not afraid of cats! I just don’t like them. You can’t trust a cat.”

“Says the guy who pushed me in the stream.”

“Fine, fine. Sorry. Stop whining,” Ernesto mutters with a roll of his eyes before folding his hands to form a step. “Come on, climb up.”

Héctor does climb up, and once on top of the fence he’s relieved to see there is no dog in sight. The way Tomás described it, it sounds like old Rafael got himself a hell hound straight from Satan to guard his fruit trees. “What if the dog finds us?” he asks as Ernesto climbs up as well. He’s on the chubby side but still good at climbing.

“Then we’ll just outrun it. Or climb up a tree,” he says, and pokes him in the ribs. “Will you jump, or do I need to throw you down?”

“Don’t!” Héctor exclaims, holding on the fence, but of course he’s not really alarmed. He knows his best friend would never let him fall from that high up, and he doesn’t: Ernesto just laughs before jumping down himself. His landings need some work, but he bounces back like rubber and turns, holding up his arms.

“Come on, jump. I’ve got you.”

And he does jump, of course, because there is no doubt in his mind that Ernesto will catch him.

He always does.

***

“What are you doing here?”

Ernesto’s voice came out as a rather undignified screech, but right there and then - on a dusty mattress in a derelict shack, head hurting, just awakened from his drunken stupor by a slamming door to see just about the last person he wished or expected to see - he was several miles past caring how dignified he sounded like.

If anything, it looked like the feeling was entirely mutual. Héctor stared down at him with wide eyes, opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again. Had he been any less terrified - their alebrije, was it there, too? - Ernesto may have sneered something about looking like a fish underwater. When Héctor finally spoke, his own voice was shrill.

“What am I-- this is my place!”

Ernesto blinked. “... What, do you want it back?”

“Yes! I mean, no! I mean--” he wildly gestured at their dark, damp, depressing surroundings. “What are you doing here?”

Several responses came to Ernesto’s mind, from a slew of insults to ‘I asked first’, but he was still too stunned to say any of it. Maybe I drank too much and am dreaming this up, he thought, his eyes shifting to the empty bottle on the ground before turning back to Héctor.

“Hiding?” he finally replied. Héctor blinked.

“Ah. That… makes sense. The police is looking for you.”

And now I have been found, Ernesto thought. The idea should have terrified him, but instead he just felt so, so empty. Maybe it was alcohol, or exhaustion, but the idea of trying to somehow fight his way out of that made him feel nauseous. Hell, maybe a jail cell would have an actual bed.

“Who else is here?”

“Who else-- ah.” Héctor reached to rub the back of his neck, seemingly as unsure as him as to how to handle the situation. Ernesto supposed it was an improvement from being unceremoniously tackled on the ground, but the thought it put in his mind - I am too pathetic to even bother kicking - stung more than that. “No one.”

“... No one?”

“No.”

“No police?”

“No.”

“Giant alebrije?”

“No.”

“Bloodthirsty wife?”

“She is not--” Héctor began, only to pause when Ernesto raised both browridges. Eventually he shrugged, as though to concede the point. “... Not here.”

“You’re alone.”

“Yes,” Héctor replied, only to suddenly shut his mouth and stiffen - clearly realizing, a few moments too late, that telling that to a man on the run and with excellent reasons to break a few of his bones was probably not a smart decision. Not quite up there with deciding to drop everything they had worked for because he apparently couldn’t stay without his damn wife and brat for a few more weeks, or accepting one especially stiff drink from him, but close enough.

Except that Ernesto’s head hurt, he was tired and hungover, and it wasn’t like he could kill him. Worst thing, he could maybe managed to break a bone or two. Maybe he’d even be overpowered; Héctor looked much better than he had last time he’d seen him. No, he would just wait for him to leave, because he’d have to leave, and then he’d run off… somewhere else.

Never mind he had no idea where else he could possibly hide without being seen.

Unaware of his thoughts, Héctor was scowling. “But people know I am here,” he declared, crossing his arms. Ernesto scoffed.

“Sure,” he muttered, reaching for the bottle on the floor on his right. He shook it, and found it empty. “You’re a terrible liar.”

“No, really. I’ve got paparazzi at my heels.”

That caused Ernesto to stiffen, the empty bottle falling from his hand. “You-- what?”

“I was running away from paparazzi, and--”

“You brought the press here?” Ernesto blurted out, gaining himself a raised browridge.

“... I take it you’re no longer in the mood to pose for pictures?”

All right, so maybe he would try killing him again after all. Ernesto stood suddenly with a snarl, quickly regretted it when he stumbled forward - tequila did not do wonders for balance - and leaned against a wall. “I hate you,” he informed him instead, eyes shut.

He heard a scoff. “And here I thought you could never hate me,” Héctor snapped, and Ernesto shook his head, fighting back a sudden, absurd urge to defend himself.

It wasn’t a lie. I didn’t. You left me no choice, got in the way. I wished you hadn’t, but you did and why, damn you, why did you choose them?

“I--” he began, only to trail off when a voice reached him through the tin wall, much too close for comfort.

“Señor Rivera! Why are you running?” someone was calling out. It was a good question, really - why run from the press? Everyone adored him now, the adoration that had once been reserved to Ernesto. The thought stung just as Héctor groaned and pushed an old table in front of the shack’s door.

“Oh no, I’m not dealing with this,” he muttered. Ernesto glanced at the empty bottle again. He could pick it up, and hit hard enough to knock his head off his neck, and possibly fracture the skull. It would keep him down for a while, and let the paparazzi find him like that while he slipped awa--

The door handle rattled suddenly as someone tried to open it from outside. The table moved, just a little; it clearly would keep no one out for long. Ernesto was pretty relieved he’d thought of boarding up the windows before moving in.

“Señor? Are you in here?”

Héctor stepped away from the door, then turned to him, looking suddenly lost. The entire situation was ridiculous and somewhat surreal, but something about that look struck him - because in so much senselessness, that was a familiar sight.

He had seen that look on his face before, several times.#

***

“Woof! Woof!”

The moment a dog’s barking reaches their ears, Ernesto finds himself mildly impressed by Héctor’s leap: he seems to jump five feet up in the air before he turns, pale as ash and eyes wide. He looks so lost, and he immediately turns to him for reassurance, guidance, help. Of course he does; that’s what big brothers are for.

And Ernesto is there to do his duty. “Up the tree,” he exclaims, and climbs up fast, safe in the certainty his friend is following suit… except that he can’t.

“I can’t reach!” Héctor - who to his annoyance will grow taller than him but not just yet - calls out, his voice thin with fright. His hands can’t reach the lowest branch of the orange tree by just an inch - and before Ernesto can tell him to try climbing on the next tree, there is a thundering growl that causes his heart to leap somewhere in his throat.

The dog old Rafael got to guard his orchard is really as big as Tomás said - a shaggy thing that is probably a mixture of several breeds, with gleaming teeth bared in a snarl.

“NETO!” Héctor shrieks, flattening himself against the tree, and it’s the last thing Ernesto will remember clearly. The next few moments are a whirlwind with several things happening almost at once: the dog leaps forward, Héctor shrieks again, Ernesto jumps down on the lowest branch, holding down his hand to grab the collar of his shirt and pull him up.

Next thing he knows, he loses his grip - not on the shirt, but on the tree. The ground rushes up to meet them, knocking all air out of their lungs, but the sting is the last of their worries: the dog comes to loom over them, blocking out the sun, and Ernesto knows they’re in trouble.

***

Looking back, much later, Héctor would come to the conclusion that maybe he’d overreacted: he was running away from paparazzi, not from a mob out for his bone marrow. But maybe, after a while, who he was running from did not matter: after decade after decade of bad decisions involving the wrong people something had kicked in, a fight-or-flight instinct that logic couldn’t fight.

A poisoned glass may have been enough to kill him, but habits are much harder to die… especially old ones. So, at a loss, he’d done exactly what he had done so many times when he’d been a gap-toothed brat running amok in Santa Cecilia, the sun no his back and his belly full of stolen apples, suddenly faced with a problem: he’d turned to Ernesto.

For a moment, Ernesto just stared back at him. He seemed confused, as though he’d just seen him sprouting wings. Then there was something - a shift in his expression - and, suddenly, he spoke quickly. “... This way. Quick,” he said, and went to the middle of the room to lift up a trapdoor that opened up on the water below, and that hadn’t been there back when Héctor lived in the shack. “I hope you swim better than you used to.”

“I can try,” Héctor found himself saying, stepping closer. As he lowered himself in the water - as they swam right beneath the dock and then along it, keeping hidden from the paparazzi still trying to get into the shack - Héctor thought again that everything about that evening was surreal. One thing, however, was certain.

Even in the Land of the Dead, old habits plainly refused to die.

***

“We’re not dead.”

“Don’t think so.”

“Do you think the dog is broken?”

“... I’m not sure.”

Both Héctor and Ernesto blink, sitting up. Before them, the huge dog sits on its haunches, staring at them in obvious confusion, before tilting its head.

Well, those eyes seem to say, why aren’t you running?

“Er… nice… nice perrito?” Ernesto finally croaks, and holds out a hand in front of the dog’s nose. The dog seems to grin at them with teeth that seemed more than capable to bite off that hand… and then just licks it with one big, slobbery swipe of its tongue. They exchange a stunned look before Ernesto grins. “Hah! It was all for show! It was playing! I knew it!”

“You did not!”

“And you were so scared!”

“So were you! You climbed up a tree and-- and you tried to pull me up, too!” he adds, then pouts. “And you couldn’t do it,” he adds, raising an eyebrow. “Not so strong, huh?”

“Hey! It’s not my fault that you’ve got the heaviest butt this side of Oaxaca!”

“Not true! You’re the one who’s gordo, and--!”

They squabble some more, pet the dog and eat fruit until they feel they could burst. They laugh at their own fear, gloat about their bravery, promise each other to never tell any other kid that the dog is actually completely harmless.

It is a good afternoon, the kind you put aside like a log to burn in winter, for harsher times, but they have no idea: harsher times are still years away. Few years, but may as well be a lifetime. They’re just two boys, happy enough not to realize just how happy they are, having a normal day like many normal days.

***

“This was my weirdest night in a while.”

“Good for you.”

Resting against a stone wall, well out of sight from the docks, Héctor allowed himself a long sigh of relief and took off his hat, pouring some water on the ground. Somewhere in the distance, a clock chimed, letting him know he should have been home for dinner something like forever ago. He groaned. “I’m in so much trouble.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Yes, I am!”

“Which one of us is the wanted man again?”

All right, good point. Héctor cleared his throat, and found that he didn’t really want to dwell on all the reasons why he was a wanted man. He didn’t want to dwell on the reasons why he should throttle him right now. He just… wanted to go home.

“... Heh. Imagine what a scoop they would have had on their hands, if they found us both in there.”

"Hmph. Sensational: Héctor Rivera found cheating on his wife with none other than Ernesto de la Cruz. I can just see the titles."

"... Really?"

"You don't seem to understand how tabloids work yet," Ernesto grunted, and looked away. His soaking wet coat clung to him in a way that made it look like he was wearing a plastic garbage bag. He ran a hand through his wet hair. “Just about the last thing I want, being found by anyone. Why do you think I bothered to drag your sorry culo out of there?”

Hey! It’s not my fault that you’ve got--

“... The heaviest butt this side of Oaxaca,” Héctor muttered. The sudden stab of nostalgia was bad; the confused look Ernesto gave him was worse. He didn’t remember.

Of course he doesn’t, he chose to forget. Swept it all away for songs and fame.

“Never mind.” Héctor said, and stood, fixing his vest. “Those guys will give up and leave eventually. Just stay out of sight until then.”

Ernesto scoffed, still sitting against the wall. “Am I supposed to believe you won’t run to tell everyone where I am?”

“You have my word.”

“Why?” Ernesto demanded to know. He sounded surprised, and oddly angry.

Héctor said nothing at first, because there was nothing he could say without sounding ridiculous - because he didn’t want to acknowledge the ache in his chest at the sense of déjà-vu he had felt for a moment, like for a brief moment an entire century had been erased as they fell back into old habits. He finished fixing his vest before he spoke, without looking at him.

“... Because we’re done,” he said, and that was it. He walked away without another word, and Ernesto did not call out for him. He headed home without turning back, as he should have done another night one century or so earlier. It didn’t really matter anymore that, at one point, there had been a boy who’d cared for him. He had chosen not to anymore, and a brief moment of familiarity did nothing to erase that.

Habits die hard, but things change, and sometimes beyond repair.

[endoftheroad1983]

Trouble with Steve pt 6

Trouble With Steve part Six (new)

Steve Rogers x Reader pt 6

Y/N sat back after the look in Steve's eyes. The crackling fire fill the silence between the two of you. After a few moments Y/N gave in.

“So we need to go back to the tower?” She sipped more on her drink. She welcome all the alcohol she could get before she had to leave her comfort zone.

“Actually, there is a safe house that I want to take you to. We will be safe there.” He was now rubbing his hands together. A safe house alone with Steve? That would be a dream come true if your brain would stop tell your heart no.. Things have been weird around you two.

“I want another hour before we leave.” Y/N suddenly demand.  Steve didn't cover up the guilt stricken face that wash over him.

“Of course.” He softly agree.

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

A cabin in the middle of the National Yellowstone Park was not what Y/N had except Steve to take her. After a very long drive, Which You slept through most of, they reach a three bedroom, two bath cabin. It was breathtaking view that awe her.

“ I quit and now I’m moving here.”

“Your hilarious.” Steve chuckle at your joke. Y/N spinning on her heels to face him.

“Who says I'm joking? I'm going to put a lavender garden under the kitchen.” Steve froze for a moment as he could actually see you doing this.

“I don't think we will be here that long.” Steve burst your dream bubble. He frown a bit when he realise he had cause your face to scrunch up.

“We can pretend. Where's your imagination?” You tease him lightly as she wonder into the kitchen.

After a tour of the house, Y/N went back downstairs to the living room. A book shelf of DVDs indicated that there wasn't any cable out here. That didn't bother you one bit. You venture into the kitchen for a snack. Only to discover that the place was empty. Steve walk in to see the confuse look on your face.

“I'm heading out to the store now.” He smile when he saw her face.

“I can't come?” She question with a small pout.

“And risk H.Y.D.R.A  knowing where you are? I don't think so.”

“Oh yea, I forgot that I'm in protection.” She shrug it off. “I guess that I will take a bath in the master bath. Did you see the size of that tub? You could fit three people and a dog in there! I'm going to see if I can get Nick to give me this house!”

Of course Steve saw the tub, he had place his bags on the bed before going through the house to make sure everything was bolted before bringing her in. A light blush crept into his cheeks as he thought of you in the tub.

“I won't be gone very long.” In an attempt to change the subject Steve blurt out the his first thought. His eyes quickly drop to the floor.  Was Steve malfunctioning again? You thought to yourself, well I really hope not. Y/N was enjoying the nice time alone with him.

“Maybe we can catch a flick when I get back?” Was it a question or was it a suggestion? Y/N didn't know which. But she paid no mind to it when her heart was trying to bust out her chest. They rarely spent that kind of time together.

“Sure that sounds like fun!” She beam at him as she pass him to go upstairs.

A couple of hours later, Y/N found yourself bathed and clothed. You wonder around the house taking in the architect in the frames. You were upstairs admiring paintings that hung on the wall when you heard a car pulling up. You quickly pinned herself to a side of a wall with a window. You peek out just to see the back of Steve as he pull brown paper bags from the back. After a moment of still watching him, you felt sure that he was the real deal.

You bounce into the kitchen to see Steve bring in the last bag of food and a pizza. You quickly help Steve put everything away.

“I hope you don't mind that I pick up food for dinner. I know how much you enjoy cooking.” A blush kiss your cheeks at his words. How did he know that? It's true you cook a lot at the tower in your spare time but you didn't openly admit that it was very therapeutic for you.

'No that's cool. Not in the mood to mess this pretty kitchen up yet.” You made your way to the cabinets and beginning pulling out plates and cups. You sat them down on the island and went for the fridge for something to drink. By the time you got back to the island the plates where already gone. You left the kitchen to find Steve setting the table with plates.

“Hey, lets be really bad.” You lean up against the door frame with your arms cross over your chest. Steve froze in his tracks. His eyes look up to you after a minute of him regaining his bearing.

“Bad?” His question put a smirk on your lips.

“Yes totally bad. Let's take everything into the living room and start our movie night.”

You push away from the wall as your eyes wonder over to his. He was still quiet. Did he forget that he had suggest movies before he left or was this another glitch he was having? You weren't sure so you stay just ask quiet. Right when you were about to say that they didn't have to, Steve's eyes brighten and he gather up the plates again.

“Sounds good.”

The rest of the night went smoothly as you two shared a great pizza and watch a couple of movies. Neither one of you wanted the night to end so a third movie was pop in. Sadly you didn't make it past the first half hour of it. That day's events caught up with you. Little did you know that Steve had fallen asleep a few minutes after you.

You didn't know what time in the morning it was but a car door shutting brought you from your sleep. You look over to see that you had fallen asleep on Steve's shoulder. Your eyes scan his face. He had heard the door as well.

And then another one.

Before you had time to react, Steve grab you by the shoulders and flung you to the floor. You were now pin under Steve hidden between the couch and table. The weight of his body on you wasn't that bad so he must be holding most of his weight.

The front door open and shut without a care in the world. Then the door open again.

“You can't just walk in here. You are in danger.” Sam's voice relax the both of you. Steve look down to meet your eyes with a smile. Before you guys could move or even speak the living room light flicker on cause both of you to shield your eyes from the harsh light.

“What the Hell is going on in here?” A  female voice demand. You raise your eyes to see that Abby had her hands on hip hips.

“Steve?”

“Sam?” The guys greet each other with questions.

“We fell asleep on the couch and woke with the cars doors. I thought we were under attack.” Steve explain first. It hurt your heart a bit to hear the excuse but it was probably the truth.

“She wouldn't stay still and demand to leave my care.” it was Sam's turn to answer, “I tried to reason with her but...”

“Ah, you call that reasoning? I want to be protect by Steve and not you.” Abby cut him up with such venom it was clear to you that she got whatever she wanted, “Why are you still on top of that slut of yours? It looks like me getting here was for the better. Now I can save you from her.”

Your blood began to boil. Did she just call you a slut? Steve let go of more of his weight to keep you down. Y/N began to mumble about a broken jaw will keep her quite for awhile.

“Ok Lady, hold up.” Sam grabbed her by the shoulders to lead her into the kitchen, “We'll give you a minute to wake up.” Sam inform. Abby didn't look to thrill about that idea but went with him none the less.

“Thanks, Sam.” Steve yell after him.

Steve's eyes stay glue to the doorway there were in for what seem forever. He then drop his baby blue eyes down to yours. You didn't hide the anger that was in you.

“Are you good?” He whisper to you. His lips being very close to yours that you almost forgot that your anger. You nodded as your eyes continue to stare into each other.

“Are you sure? Cause I don't need you putting her into the hospital.” Steve wink at you before lifting his body of of you. He stretch his arms over his head as his head shook form what just happen. After that he took off into the room.

You, on the other hand, just lay on the floor. You were to stun to move at first. The cold air and overtaken the warmth of Steve's body that was against you. You shudder at the thought of being wrapped around him. You force yourself up off the floor and decide to just hit the hay for the night. You shuffle into the kitchen for a glass of water. Abby was in the middle of chewing out Steve. For real?, who is this chick? You thought as you collect your things. It seem she was undisturbed by your presents.

“I thought you had a special mission you had to go on.” She threw out at him. Your eyes meet with Sam’s, who wasn't holding back the grin on his face. He threw a wink your way as his smile put a bigger on on you.

“I do. It's just...” Steve was cut off by Abby ranting again.

“Oh so shacking up with her is more important then me?” She threw your way. You paid no heed as you took a spot next to Sam. You had decide to stay and watch the show.

“You both are in equal amount of danger.” Steve finally snap at her. Abby was unfaze.

“Then why does she get you to protect her? She can do it herself and I don't want Sam to watch over me.” Abby pouted her lips as she walk over to Steve where she place her hands on his chest. She then reach up on her toes to whisper something in his ears.

A deep red blush ambush Steve's face as Sam's smirk disappears. Sam and Y/N exchange glances. What happen between this two?

“So pretty please? Can I stay with you, Captain?” She pour a whole bag of sugar on him. Steve was putty in her hands. Jealousy hit your heart so fast that you had to contain the gasp in your throat.

Now your blood was beginning to heat up. If she wanted to be with Steve so bad then it was fine by you. Steve was nursing a sudden smile when You broke their train of thought.

“Sounds great! Sam, I'll have my things ready in ten.” And with that you storm the stairs taking them by two.

You reach your room with ease. Your stuff, thankfully, was still mostly pack. You race around the room looking for anything that was left out. How could you be so dumb? You actually believe that this was a vacation with Steve. But of course it was ruin all thanks to Abby.

An image cross your mind, it was the one were Steve was blushing with great force of the things she was saying. How could you be so dumb? Steve isn't the cheating type so it means one thing. He was going to cut ties with you. A escape sob burst out but it was the only one.

You maintain yourself as you search for your bracelet. You had it on at your sisters when Steve met you there. Dread wash over you. You had left it in Steve's bathroom. Forget it, it can stay there! Your brain was the one to answer and you swiftly agreed to it.

Gathering all your stuff you made your way down the stairs into the kitchen. Abby was glue to Steve’s side but you made sure to ignore the situation. Sam was sitting at the island. His eyes widen when you came rushing through.

“Ready Sam?” You ask hurried through the kitchen to the back door. A pang of guilt ran through your veins as you knew you should of went out the front door, Because the second you open the back door, it was slam shut again.

The action took you off guard that your mouth dropped open with no real response. You look up to see Steve and his long arm and hand bracing the door shut with all his strength.

“You can't keep me here.” I whisper over to him. Not having the real strength to talk louder.

“Enough!” He bellow out. You flinch at his loudness. You had never flinch at him before but he's never been this anger before.

“No one is leaving.” He told everyone in his super soldier voice.

To be continue...

[aj-the-psycho]

The Hour: Sanders Sides Story - Chapter 12

CUPID FUCKED UP

TW: None

Summary: Roman is angry; Virgil is angry; Remy and Logan are confused and worried.

AO3 Link

Logan have warned Roman numerous times about taking care of himself. He almost never listened. Roman hated going to the supermarket. Usually, he would just buy whatever he needs in an insane quantity, so he doesn’t have to shop again until the next month. Most times, he would forget he bought certain things and whatever it was that he bought would end up unusable at the end of the month. Which was a waste of money!

Now, it’s time for shopping again. Roman hated shopping—unless it was for clothing or anything like that.

It was still early in the morning, it’s quite warm outside and the sky was clear. Perfect. He didn’t have class that day, so he planned on staying in his room until noon to write his theater project. However, after seeing that he had run out of food—not even a grain of coffee was in the kitchen—he had to drag himself out the door. He had to drive there, because he knew he wouldn’t be able to carry all his stuff by hand.

A gust of wind blew on his face as he entered the store. He took out his phone to look at the shopping list that he had lazily put together that morning. Browsing through the aisles mindlessly, he added all the stuff he need into the shopping cart. As he moved from one aisle to another, he saw something that made his brain burn with both anxiety and anger.

----------

They’ve been outside for an hour and a half. Remy was being loud again, but it didn’t matter because the sound of the city drowns his voice—a little bit. He had dragged Virgil to Roast & Grind to buy coffee and then they went to the park. They didn’t do anything there, just strolling around. Virgil was quiet the whole time while his beloved cousin rambled on about nothing.

Somehow, they ended up in a supermarket, buying snacks. Virgil didn’t mind the supermarket. It was nicer than any of the places Remy had brought him to that morning. The Russian boys always find the supermarket a fun place for some reason. They always cause mischief, big enough that they could annoy some people, but small enough of a trouble that they could get away with it. One time, Virgil made Remy put four bags of glitters on the fruits and vegetables section. People were so confused when they saw their fresh produce were glamorous. They were pretty sure that was probably a health hazard.

This time, Remy made Virgil dump two whole bags of candies into the flour in the bulk section of the supermarket. It was funny watching people’s faces when they find candy treasures clumped in their flour. One lady tried to take all the candies out, but it was a sticky situation. She gave up eventually, throwing the scoop into the container in frustration, which made a puff of flour flew onto herself. It made her more furious.

“I’m getting some cereals,” Virgil said, snickering and walked to the cereal aisle. Remy followed him, still laughing at the lady’s misfortune.

Once they were on the cereal aisle they picked their cereals. They didn’t bring enough money with them, so they could only choose one. Virgil preferred Honey Bunches of Oats, while Remy opted the classic Froot Loops. It was one or the other, not both. They debated on who will win—which one of them gets to bring their favorite cereal home.

“I picked first, so I’m totally getting this,” Remy insisted, hugging the cereal box onto his chest. He narrowed his eyes as a show of threat, but his sunglasses blocked them.

“What?! I’m the one paying, so it should be mine,” Virgil argued, tilting his head to the side, as if that sealed a deal between them.

“Okay, fair enough. Next time it’s my turn, Virge.”

As they turned to leave the cereal aisle, Remy’s eyes found someone familiar looking at them.

“Oh hey, girl. What ya ‘doin?”

----------

Roman’s eyes widened when he heard Remy speak to him. He was about to turn around, but it was too late. Remy was already walking towards him.‘Does this guy ever take off those sunglasses?’ He hesitantly looked over Remy’s shoulder to see the other guy who was with Remy. Yup, it’s him.

“Virge! C’mere, it’s my friend, Roman.”

‘Shit! shit! Shit! ¡Carajo! That’s him.’ Roman had to put a face of indifference to avoid suspicion from Remy.

While Roman was having an internal panic, Virgil was much the same, though he did a much worse job of hiding it. He stood frozen as Remy walked closer to him. Apparently Remy knows his soulmate? He didn’t realize how easy it was to recognize his soulmate and what’s more infuriating was that this guy was a literal living embodiment of a Leonardo Da Vinci painting. A sudden wave of anger flooded his chest. What did he ever do to this guy that made him hate Virgil?! They didn’t even know each other! Virgil shoved his tightly-clenched fists into the pockets of his hoodie. He’s going out of there.

As he turned his back to walk away, Remy called out to him. His anger rose up quickly and frustration was starting to show on his face by the way his brows furrowed so tightly. Virgil turned back around to face his cousin. Remy had a welcoming smile on his face, urging him to come closer. The guy—Roman, he remembered—was very different, however. He was giving Virgil an angry, knowing glare. He was just as furious as Virgil was.

Roman was annoyed. And angry. And worried. And a million other things. He never hated the universe this much before. ‘This is gonna give me a serious writer’s block later.’ He hadn’t expect it to be this easy to just stumbled on his soulmate. He hated the fact that he actually had one.

Virgil stomped forward. He gave Roman an intense glare in return, which the man had not expect. Soon after, an intense glaring match ensued. Remy was confused. He wasn’t stupid to suspect that there’s nothing going on between these two. But, what was it?

“Um, girls, y'all alright?” Remy asked, sliding his sunglasses down on his nose in slight concern.

“Fine.” Virgil said sternly, breaking the intense glaring contest and opted to look at Remy instead.

Roman’s brows furrowed even more. He admit that this… emo… guy was pretty cute. He looked even better in real life compared to when he had his hour. Though Roman didn’t care about that at the moment. He dug his nails into his palms, twisting his foot in agitation. How dare the universe throw this bullshit on him!

“Well, alright then. Wait for me here Virge, Imma get some drink.” Remy started walking away. He then turned back around, saying “Don’t go anywhere.” His tone sounded like a warning. Virgil didn’t like it one bit.

After Remy walked off to get a drink from the fridge, Roman and Virgil just stood in the middle of the aisle awkwardly. Virgil didn’t want to look at Roman. Anxiety and nervousness was starting to bubble up in the pit of his stomach. His hands were starting to get slick with sweat. He huffed an angry sigh. ‘What the fuck is wrong with me?!’ He finally spared a glance at Roman and saw that the guy was staring—no, glaring—at him. The anger from earlier started to simmer again in him.

“What?!” Virgil said defensively. An underlying heat of anger was hidden—poorly—behind his words. He crossed his arms in front of him, as if closing himself off.

“Dude, what is your problem?!” Roman responded with anger just as intense as Virgil’s. He was annoyed. To add to that, this guy just snapped at him?!

“Huh—” Virgil mocked a laugh—“I thought you’re the one with a problem. I didn’t even do anything to you.”

“Look, I don’t know what’s the deal with you. So, if you have a problem, just spit it out, emo nightmare!”

“Alright!” Virgil was getting more frustrated. His voice wavered with anger and… anguish? He didn’t exactly know what he was feeling. All he knew was that it was nothing good. “For one, what did I ever do that you hate me so much?”

“Why would I hate you when I don’t even know you?” Roman hissed through clenched jaws. His grip on his shopping cart tightened in contained fury.

“Stop acting stupid like you don’t know who I am!” Virgil burst in anger. “You don’t hate me? Well, that's not what you said in the note!” Virgil stomped away from Roman. He was fuming.

Little did they know, Remy had been listening to the whole ordeal from an aisle away. At first, he didn’t know if those two will actually start talking to each other. He didn’t expect their “conversation” to start with anger. It wasn’t even a long conversation and they both were already consumed with a hot mess of fury. ‘A note? A note… the note? They’re soulmates?’ He tried to come up with ideas on what could possibly had been written on the note to spark such anger in his lil’ cousin. He knew more than anyone that if Virgil is angry—doesn’t matter about what—he would most likely blame himself and it does not end well for him.

‘Roman, khuy tebe. I’m gonna beat your ass!’

He quickly followed Virgil out of the supermarket. He grabbed Virgil’s wrist and immediately let go. Virgil’s face was red and his eyes were bright with unshed tears. His breathing was heavy. Shallow and uneven.

“Hey, hey. Stop, calm down. Listen to me brateyek. Breathe slowly.” He brought Virgil’s palm onto his chest, gently instructing him to follow the rhythm of his breathing. After a while, Virgil calmed down, enough for Remy to be able to touch him without making him flinch. “Alright, what time do you have class?”

“Eleven…”

“Okay, ma'am, we have two hours to talk. You’re going to tell me what just happened is all about.”

“Remy, no. I’m fine.” Virgil insisted. He didn’t want Remy to know. About the note, about his soulmate. About the rejection. He didn’t want anyoneto know about it.

“Milaya, no, you’re not.”

“Fine.” Virgil sighed in defeat and let his cousin dragged him back to his favorite coffee shop.

----------

Logan didn’t know how to deal with this. This is far too complicated for him. He could solve complex math and physics problems in minutes. He could spew out facts about so many things—he’s basically a walking encyclopedia—but not this. This, he cannot seem to understand no matter how hard he tried in the past.

“Logan, stop staring! What am I gonna do? If Remy finds out about that, he is so going to kill me. I mean, he’s smaller than me, but that guy is feisty!”

Roman had called Logan urgently right after he was finished with grocery shopping. He didn’t buy half of the things he had in his list. He had told Logan that he needed to see Logan as soon as possible. Fortunately, Logan was free at the time so he welcomed Roman to his apartment. Roman didn’t say the specifics of his urgency, but Logan said yes anyway. He hadn’t expect this kind of outburst, however.

Now, laying on Logan’s lap, screaming about his soulmate problems, which he wouldn’t have if the universe had enough sense not to give Roman a soulmate. Logan was rather helpless, looking down at his best friend with confusion and annoyance. If it wasn’t only for the fact that they had known each other for twelve years, Logan would have kicked Roman out.

“Roman, I do not know if you are aware, but are you sure you want to ask me about this? Maybe I should call Patton to help you.” Logan said with furrowed brows. He truly was confused. “Besides, I thought it was your fault that you wrote that in your note to your soulmate.”

Roman let out an infuriated gasp. Did Logan seriously just said that? “How dare you! And no, I don’t need Patton’s help. I don’t even know him.”

“Well then, I really don’t know how I’m going to help you, because frankly, I despise anything that involves feelings and emotions.”

“Fine, Logan. Whatever. If I had to speak to Patton, just so I don’t get murdered, I’ll do it.” Roman finally said reluctantly. He was actually rather intrigued by Logan’s offer. “Logan I have a question. How are you and Patton?”

“I don’t understand what you are asking, Roman.”

“I mean, how are you guys doing in this whole… soulmate thing?”

“Relationship wise, there isn’t anything really happening. Patton and I are very different, but as of now, we are quite good friends. Patton is always so bubbly and upbeat, it’s rather overwhelming to keep up with him at times, but I’m fine with it. He was so happy a few days ago when Damien—who, if you remember, is Patton’s twin brother—found his soulmate. I didn’t think anyone could get that excited unless they were a child, but I thought it fit him…” Logan trailed off, realizing that he was rambling about Patton to Roman. He bit his cheek, fighting the warmth crawling on his face.

Roman raised his eyebrows curiously. Logan never talks about anyone like that. Slowly, a small mischievous smile bloomed on Roman’s face. Is this really happening?

“Sooo…” Roman draw out his word, “you’re saying you like him?”

“What, ya—no… I mean, no. I—I don’t know. Maybe?” Logan’s cheeks was starting to get redder.

Roman made a small clicking sound with his tongue and gave Logan a knowing smile—which Logan absolutely hate—and pat him on the back. “So, when can I meet your boy?”

“My boy?”

“Shush, Logan. Call Patton.”

“Alright.”

**********

Spanish stuff (tell me if I made any mistakes):

¡Carajo! [Fuck!] --- Russian stuff (tell me if I made any mistakes):

Хуй тебе! Khuy tebe! [Fuck you!]

[denisecua]

While working on our Taiwan itinerary, I realized there aren’t as many available travel tips and guides online about the country, as there are for Hong Kong, Japan and Korea. So upon getting back from my trip, I figured I should let my experiences be learning grounds for your future travels here. And without further adieu, let me present to you Taiwan (or Taipei) in lists of tips, tricks, hits and misses.

Flight: AirAsia

Very cheap roundtrip flights from Manila to Taipei– PHP 3,000 without check-in baggage and PHP 5,000 with 20kg of check-in baggage. Both include (strictly) 7kg carry-on allowance. Travel tax excluded.

AirAsia flights to Taiwan is only once a day apparently. Took the 11:15 PM flight out and the 1:45 AM flight back to Manila.

One of my fastest check-ins ever, especially during departure. Finished everything in 15-20 minutes! Way less people compared to Cebu Pacific which had super long lines heading to Taipei at the same time.

Flight was comfy, and the plane was nice and clean. Leg room, as you can expect, is quite limited, such that when I’d cross my legs, my knees would hit the next seat.

No blankets for lending!!! You’d have to purchase their AirAsia-branded blankets at PHP 500. Not cool! Or should I say, too cool because I was nearly freezing?!

For in-flight meals, you have to pre-book them if you don’t want to take chances. Pretty cheap, at around PHP 150-200 a meal.

Weather in August: H-O-T!!!!

August is Taiwan’s hottest month. Clearly we didn’t research prior to booking! Can go as high as 38 degrees Celcius!

Recommendation: Don’t book in August so you can maximize your stay! We got tired too easily due to the debilitating heat.

Money

Their currency is New Taiwanese Dollar.

Conversion from NTD to PHP is 1.7.

For money exchange, you have to do it at the airport upon arrival or at the banks. They don’t have FOREX stalls everywhere like in Hong Kong. So carefully plan your exchange in advance.

For pocket money, average spend a day (given our itinerary — available upon request) would be at around PHP 3,000-4,000 excluding shopping.

Accommodation: Meander Hostel

Definitely a place I’d recommend if you’re traveling on a budget! It’s a hostel but with private rooms.

Got the Triple Room with 1 queen bed and 1 double bed–comfy. Spacious enough. Looks new and clean. Has minimalist design.

Had troubles with the air conditioner–wouldn’t get cold enough for a day or two!

Shower area is more than sufficient, and heater works great! I could take showers for hours. Jk.

Total cost for 4 nights was at PHP 17,000 but thanks to Agoda Rewards, we got it for PHP 15,000. Just PHP 5,000 per head! So affordable!

No windows in the room; could use better lighting = Not very ideal for girls who spend a long time putting on makeup!!!!

Has a common room at the G/F. Very cozy and you can mingle with fellow travellers. You can also bring food and eat there. Has free-flowing water and wintermelon tea. Also coffee, milk tea, bread and fruits in the AM for breakfast.

Not allowed to bring outside shoes in. They give you slippers to use. Not sure if that’s hygienic but I think they sanitize it after every use. The upside is that you don’t have to bring your own slippers anymore.

Location is a-ok! Just 10 minutes away from Ximending on foot. You just have to walk one straight line/street so you won’t get lost. Also has nearby convenience stores.

Transporation

From Taoyuan International Airport, we shared a cab going to our hostel since it was late already (2AM) and it was cost-effective given that we were 4 people.

Getting around is mostly thru their MRT which is super easy to understand. We didn’t have to buy stored value cards since buying single tickets was always a breeze. Never a line! MRT is also very clean and not so crowded.

Most frequented line is the blue line–Bannan. That’s where Ximen is located right smack at the middle. This is why I recommend you choose a hotel in Ximen, since it’s close to the many areas you’re likely to visit as a tourist.

Going back to airport, we asked help from our hostel and they booked us a 9-seater van for just NT 1700. Not bad! From Ximen to Taoyuan, we only took 40 minutes.

Advantages of Taiwan over Hong Kong

Much, much friendlier people.

Less fast-paced so you can travel more calmly.

Cleaner, especially the toilets!

Generally cheaper.

Shopping

For international clothing brands, they have H&M and Uniqlo in Ximending (more expensive though) and GU, Pull & Bear, ZARA, and Bershka in Taipei 101 area.

They also have the usual sports stores like adidas, Nike, New Balance, and Jordan  in Ximending, but I never entered. Hihi.

Speaking of Ximending, they say that’s Taipei’s counterpart of Myeongdong in Seoul. While I still managed to have fun (because I will always, always find a way to shop successfully), I recommend not expecting too much. I found that there aren’t as many interesting stores, and even their food offerings were underwhelming.

Highlight for me was the skincare variety. They have super cheap sheet masks, so better hoard! Go for 86 Shop and Paris Strawberry, as they have better pricing. More on this here.

For Taiwanese delicacies (pasalubong alert!), buy from the corner/semi-hidden stores that don’t look fancy. The well-lit and nicer-looking ones have higher prices. For instance, I got salty yolk cookies for just NT 120 a pack while at the better-looking stores, they were selling it to me for NT 180. Nonetheless, they all provide free tastes so you can make sure the goodies are yummy before you buy them!

Re: Supermarkets, I’m not sure if I was just blind but there weren’t so many. I only found Jason’s Marketplace in Taipei 101 and in Ximending (near Exit 1 of Ximen Station). My favorite purchases were the frozen fried rice–huge variety (salmon, sausage, hawaiian, kimchi, smoked pork, etc.) and super cheap (NT 48–definitely more affordable than the Spam kimchi fried rice packs in Korea). Note: Put in carry-on because it’s not allowed for check-in baggage.

Food

Gudetama Cafe in Zhongxiao Dunhua is super cute! But, food could be better. I say don’t go there starving. Just get snacks or desserts there for Instagram purposes. Do note that you have to reserve in advance. I did thru eztable.com, and they require advanced consumable payment of NT 200 per head.

Yong Kang Street has a lot of restaurants and stalls you can try out: Scallion Pancakes (yum!), Smoothie House (line too long), etc. They also have the first ever Din Tai Fung there but waiting time is usually about 45 – 75 minutes. Personally, I find that it tastes the same as those in HK and SG, and nothing more.

Mala Hotpot!!!! Best hotpot buffet ever!!!! Their beef cuts are so generous, premium and lean! Soup tastes heavenly! They also have unlimited Haagen-Dazs ice cream with about 12 flavors. Unlimited canned drinks, too, and free-flowing coffee and tea. YUM YUM YUM! Per head: NT 598 for lunch and NT 698 for dinner and weekends. Note: Must call ahead of time for reservation.

Chose Raohe Night Market over Shi Lin because they say it’s less crowded there. Didn’t regret it. Place isn’t packed, and has good variety of food stalls. Do come with friends though so you can share food and try a lot of different things. My faves from there include the Walking Steak Cup and the big-ass chicken. Oh and the candied strawberry, too, for dessert!

7-Eleven is also close to my heart because they have this microwavable packed Spicy Chicken similar to KFC’s Hotshots that taste so yummy! Also very cheap at NT 38 if I remember correctly.

Mos Burger (originally from Japan) is also

Milk tea!!! If you’re not watching your sugar and dairy intake closely, go all out!

Attractions

Taipei 101 is a must-visit because it’s a key attraction in Taipei. It also has many stores from fashion to food. The Observatory is another thing. You pay about PHP 800 and the lines are excruciatingly long (maybe because we went on a weekend) and the view is meh. The outdoor viewing was also closed when we visited so that added to our disappointment.

Visited Huashan 1914 Creative Park for the “Hello My Name is Paul Smith” exhibit. I found that it was a breath of fresh air from the usual Taipei scene. Very artsy place! The exhibit was funky and colorful as expected. You’d leave the place with very nice pictures for sure. The entrance fee is not bad either at NT 280 for foreign visitors, and exhibit is set to run until September 3, 2017 only. [Note: Clearly, I published this too late.)

Joined KKday’s Day Tour from Taipei at USD 33 each, inclusive of bus transfers starting from Taipei Main Station but exclusive of entrance fees and food:

First stop: Yehliu Geopark for the rock formations. Very unique but also very hot. Remember to wear sunscreen–we forgot!!! Good thing this was first in the agenda, otherwise we’d have no energy to go around given the vast place and the hell-like heat!

Commercial: Be wary of the time. If tour guide says meeting time is at 11:00, she really means it. Otherwise, you’d get left behind just like our friend. Hahaha! It’s funny now but it was stressful at the time it was happening.

Second stop: Shifen Old Street for the lantern flying and lunch! For the lanterns, you can buy based on what you wish for (i.e. Wealth, Marriage, Happiness, and the like) and they cost at NT 200 a piece. You also get to write and draw your wishes on it usng a chinese pen (mopit), and take photos/videos as you let it go up in the air. They do this along the railway. As for the food part, I say it’s one of the best! We had Yakult slushie, barbecued chicken wing with rice inside, fried cuttlefish, and peanut ice cream roll. Gooda gooda in mah belly! ❤

Third stop: Shifen Waterfalls — underwhelming to be honest! I don’t know, maybe we were exhausted at this point but walking all the way to the falls didn’t feel worth it. It was smaller in person than in the photos. 😦

Fourth stop: Jiufen. If you’re a fan of the movie Spirited Away, be sure to visit! But if not, I honestly didn’t find it that interesting. It’s just an old alley that’s uphill–so many steps. We kept grumpling because we were so tired and sweaty and I was having allergies from my sweat and sunburn from Yehliu. We wondered how come the oldies have more energy than us. Hahaha! Highlight: Cute cat shops. There are about three!

Things I’d Do If/When I Go Back

Elephant Mountain because a pretty Canadian girl we met at the hostel recommended it for its view — you can see Taipei skyline including Taipei 101; I realize the skyline is only nice when the tower is in sight.

Cat Village because nobody wanted to go with me 😦

Mala Hotpot because it’s the bestest!

Meander Hostel because I miss their sofa :))

National Palace Museum because the hostel people said it has interesting treasures from China. Hmmmmm.

IKEA because apparently Taiwan has one!

Ichiran because apparently they just opened there, and we were plain oblivious.

    [Long Overdue Post] A Roundup of My Taipei Trip While working on our Taiwan itinerary, I realized there aren't as many available travel tips and guides online about the country, as there are for Hong Kong, Japan and Korea.

[jouissezduprintemps]

Masquerade

Rating: T Words: 3380 Fandom: Naruto Summary: Another incredibly self-indulgent fic with Halloween themes, just to cover all the cliche fanfiction bases. The gang puts on a Halloween bonfire on top of Hokage mountain. Tenzo is disappointed when Kakashi doesn’t attend. Kakashi ANBU era. KakaYama.

It was a longstanding tradition for the young ninja of Konoha to spend Halloween on top of Hokage mountain. For the most part, the distance from the village proper kept them out of trouble and, more importantly, away from any impressionable children. It was a fair compromise; the older adults had them out of their hair, and they could do pretty much whatever they wanted without getting into trouble. So long as the Uchiha police force was left out of it, no one bothered them. Naturally, it became a cherished event that required a community effort each year on the part of its participants.

As the son of the hokage, Asuma put on a show of organizing the event. He did it to try to build up some good standing with his father in case things went sideways, but Lord Hiruzen didn’t need to know that. It was dusk on Halloween when he and Kurenai arrived to set up. Wood needed to be gathered for the bonfire, tables set up for food and drink, and a general eye kept on the situation.

Asuma was a sight, bare-chested and wearing a leather skirt, which he insisted on (incorrectly) calling a tunic, piling firewood in the middle of a well-used pit. His cape, shield, and gladiator mask sat out of the way where Kurenai busied herself setting up the sparse furniture.

Like her companion, she also wore a cape tied around her shoulders, black overtop a ruby red gown. Her eyes were heavily lined and her lips were painted dark, while her fangs made her the perfect vampire. Asuma only stopped making terrible innuendos at her choice of costume when she threatened to leave him alone with the set-up, and a temporary truce had been called for his sake.

Iruka, ever-helpful, arrived just as the sun set, bringing several bags of snacks along with him. At sixteen, he was one of the youngest members of their little group, and he had almost been forgotten in the preparations. With less time to come up with a costume than he would have liked, he settled on a makeshift werewolf outfit. Without a mask, he’d painted the tip of his nose and wore a pair of ears he’d found at one of the stores that were still open. He’d taken an old pair of gloves and added fur to the backs, creating ‘paws,’ and his hair was down and purposefully disheveled. He hurried to Kurenai and helped her get the food he’d brought out into bowls.  

It was painfully obvious that Izumo and Kotetsu had just finished their shift at the gate. What little forethought they put into the event had them trade clothing and accessories, which they proudly declared as a stroke of genius to go as one-another. Asuma was going to berate them, but the cases of alcohol they’d procured quieted him before he could. At least they put a little effort into something.

Anko arrived with Genma in tow just as Kurenai threw a match onto the bonfire. Genma was wrapped from head to toe in medical bandages, clearly attempting to dress as a mummy. Anko apologized for taking so long; Genma had gotten halfway through when he decided that wrapping himself was too much trouble. Genma blamed Anko, who wouldn’t let him go ‘as a mummy-human hybrid,’ for their tardiness. She made a sound too much like a hiss for comfort, and he couldn’t be sure if she did so because she was dressed as a cat or if he was about to be on the wrong end of her serpentine jutsu.

Bickering broke out between Anko and Izumo when they realized they’d both brought alcohol, insisting that the other had agreed to bring food. Iruka attempted to step in, informing them that he’d brought snacks of his own accord, but he retreated before they could turn on him. He received a pat on the shoulder from Kurenai for his valiant effort.

The fight came to a sudden halt when Tenzo appeared, walking backwards as he guided Guy down the path. Guy was wearing an inflatable sumo wrestler costume, much to his own delight and Tenzo’s inconvenience. Unable to see his own feet, Guy had required his assistance getting up the uneven mountain terrain, and Tenzo had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Of course, Guy could have waited to inflate his costume until he reached the top, but that would have been far too easy.

Tenzo was dressed like a knight in shining armor, only missing a horse to ride in on. He was fighting with the faceplate of his helmet as he continued to motion Guy forward, stopping him when the ground became even. “There. Just… try to watch where you’re going?” he requested, large eyes filled with worry that his friend might just fall off the mountainside.

“Thanks for your help, friend!” Guy beamed his trademark smile and slapped Tenzo on the back hard enough to make his faceplate fall. With a huff of exasperation, Tenzo removed the helmet altogether, earning a gasp from Kurenai.

“Your hair!” she exclaimed, drawing attention to the newest arrival.

Tenzo smiled awkwardly and scratched the back of his head, where his now-short hair stuck out at odd angles. “Yeah, I cut it,” he admitted, as though it wasn’t obvious. “Is it that bad?” He’d hoped that cutting his hair would make him a little less androgynous, as his frame had started to fill out in his shoulders and chest. To him, it just didn’t look right anymore.

“It’s not bad at all,” Asuma assured him. “Hell, you could pass for my age, now!”

“You look hot,” Anko added her support. “I mean, you were cute, but now you’re hot.”

“Thanks, I guess,” Tenzo chuckled. He brought the bags he was carrying over to Kurenai, who was relieved that he’d brought more food. They’d probably have people coming and going most of the night; their small group would ride it out, of course, but not everyone wanted to spend their night drinking around a bonfire.

The moon began to rise as familiar faces came and went from the gathering. Hayate stayed for just a few minutes before leaving for guard duty, unable to stay. Those who had the night off were making the most of it. Someone brought along music and a stereo, which livened the crowd considerably. The space between the bonfire and tables became a makeshift dance floor that Anko didn't hesitate to join.

Tenzo sat by the fire, bottle in his hand as he scanned the crowd. He'd assumed that Kakashi would be here; if his friends extended the invitation to Tenzo, he almost always made sure to show up. As of yet, his senpai hadn't shown his face. Despite his best efforts not to look depressed, Iruka noticed his aura and sat down beside him. The werewolf bumped him lightly with his shoulder, inquiring "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Tenzo lied. "I'm just not good at parties." To his relief, his companion seemed to buy it.

“Me, either.” Iruka spared a glance over his shoulder at their companions, most of whom were thoroughly enjoying themselves. “Kurenai invited me when we ran into each other at the store. I felt like I couldn’t say no. And, well, she and Asuma disappeared almost a half hour ago.”

“Yeah, sounds about right,” Tenzo chuckled, setting his empty bottle down by his side. He extended a gauntleted hand to his companion. “Tenzo,” he introduced himself.

Iruka shook his hand, responding in kind. “Iruka. So, don’t know anyone here, either?”

Tenzo shook his head. “No, but look.” He used his index finger to indicate his friends in the crowd. “Like you said, Kurenai and Asuma are just gone. Izumo and Kotetsu,” he pointed to the pair, who were engaged in a drinking contest, to the amusement of those around them, “no way I’m getting in the middle of that. Then there’s Anko and Genma,” he gestured to the group dancing nearby, “who definitely don’t want a third wheel, the way it’s going.” He shook his head in amusement. “And then, there’s Guy.” His flamboyant friend was dancing erratically in the way only he could, as others gave him a wide berth due to his costume. “I’m pretty sure Kakashi stayed home, so here I am.” He shrugged.

Iruka snickered in amusement. “I’d toast to that.”

“One sec.” Tenzo pushed himself up from the ground and skirted the edge of the dance floor, slipping past to the tables of food and drink. He grabbed an unopened bag of chips and two drinks to bring back to his new friend, in a much better mood now that he had someone to talk to. Rations in hand, he turned around and ran headlong into another partygoer. “Shit, I’m sorry,” Tenzo apologized, dropping his cargo to catch the man’s forearm, keeping him from stumbling at the impact.

“No, it’s my fault.” The man steadied himself, clearly trying to save face. He was clad from head to toe in black, his eyes covered by a mask and his hair hidden by a black bandanna. A sword hung from a belt around his hips, and the apologetic smile he gave made Tenzo forget to breathe. For a fleeting moment, the beauty mark on the left corner of his chin and his dark eyes gave Tenzo a feeling of déjà vu; his thoughts were interrupted when he was handed the provisions he had dropped.

“I believe these are yours, Sir Knight.”

The man’s eyes glinted in a way that Tenzo couldn’t read. He felt frozen in place, somehow managing to ask, “I’m sorry, who are you?”

The man held his arms out to either side of him in a vibrant gesture. “I’m a pirate. I guess it’s not as obvious as I thought.” He drew his sword for emphasis, twirling it in his hand once before sliding it back into his scabbard.

“No,” Tenzo shook his head. “I mean, what’s your name?” To prompt his acquaintance to answer, he added “Mine’s Tenzo.”

A smirk pulled at the corner of the man’s lips. “Ah, but, see, you’ve ruined it. There’s no mystery left to the knight in shining armor.” He made a tutting sound as he took a step closer. Leather made contact with Tenzo’s skin as the man ran his index finger just below his jawline, making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. “I’m disappointed.” The man broke his gaze away from Tenzo to look past his shoulder. His eyes darkened in a way that made Tenzo’s pulse rise. “It seems you’re wanted elsewhere, Sir Tenzo.”

He’d completely forgotten about Iruka. The poor guy probably thought Tenzo had abandoned him. Although, if he was honest with himself, he was incredibly tempted to do so. He turned around and saw Iruka standing, looking through the crowd from beside the bonfire. When Tenzo looked back, the man was gone. Heart pounding, he purposefully made his way back to the fire, conscious of every step he took. Apparently, he appeared as shaken externally as he was internally.

“You okay?” Iruka asked, voice filled with genuine concern.

“Yeah,” Tenzo murmured unconvincingly. He sat back down and opened his bottle, draining half in one go. The last few minutes were best kept to himself. Who would believe him if he told the story? He stared into the flames, trying to forget what was almost certainly a drunken daydream. If he didn’t know better, he would have sworn he saw jealousy in those eyes.

Iruka decided not to press him. Trying to regain the cynical merriment they felt earlier, he lifted his bottle to Tenzo, asking, “To shitty friends?”

Tenzo chuckled. “You know it.” He clinked his bottle against Iruka’s, and they both drank to their toast. Iruka launched into a story about his latest mission, and Tenzo paid him half of his attention, just enough to nod and respond at the appropriate times. His eyes searched for the man dressed in black, and he used his sensory perception to probe for unusual chakra. There were too many foreign chakra signatures for him to sift through, and he didn’t think to get a reading when the man was in front of him. Remorsefully, he decided that the man in black had probably left.

Two drinks later, and Tenzo was able to give Iruka his full attention once more. Both men had forgotten their disappointment at being left by their friends, and they thoroughly enjoyed one-another’s company. Iruka finished the last of his drink and sighed, looking up at the sky. He studied the crescent moon before declaring, “I think I’m gonna head out. It’s getting late, and I was asked to substitute at the academy tomorrow.”

Tenzo snorted his amusement. “You’re going to be hungover around a bunch of kids?”

Iruka laughed, scratching the back of his head. “Yeah, maybe I didn’t have the best judgement tonight.” He smiled at his companion. “But I had a really good time.”

“Same,” Tenzo agreed, sitting up straight. “Think you’ll be hanging out with us now?”

Iruka smiled to himself. “I’d like that.”

“Hey,” Tenzo spoke as Iruka got to his feet, “Study hall. Keep the kids quiet, and you can take a nap.”

“That’s a good one. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good luck.”

“Thanks. It was really nice to meet you, Tenzo.”

“You, too. See you around, Iruka.”

The werewolf gave a friendly wave as he left the light of the fire, and Tenzo felt content. He’d managed to become friendly with Iruka on his own, without any forced interaction. He made a point of planning to invite him to the next get-together, if Kurenai didn’t beat him to it. It would be nice to have someone his age and a little more his speed to spend time with, more so if Kakashi arbitrarily decided not to attend.

With nothing left to entertain him, Tenzo got to his feet and collected the trash he and Iruka had accumulated over the last several hours. The bonfire had begun to die, but the stragglers that remained didn’t seem to have any intention of going home soon. He disposed of their garbage and went in search of firewood; his jutsu wouldn’t be any good in this situation. The wood needed to be dry, and any he produced was still alive enough not to burn.

He did his best to skirt the edge of the party, avoiding getting in the way of any of the various pairs that had formed through mutual attraction, alcohol, or both. Once he lent Asuma and Kurenai a hand by rekindling the bonfire, he intended to head home, where he could get a much-needed shower and sleep off his drinks. Absentmindedly, he wondered if Kakashi bothered to call or send a message with today’s flimsy excuse. Doing so would be an acknowledgement of wrongdoing on his senpai’s part, so it would depend on Kakashi’s mood.

Tenzo rounded the back of the building in the direction of the nearby forest. Before he could react, his back thudded against the wall, knocking the wind out of him. He began a series of handsigns to protect himself, but he halted midway when he could assess his situation. The man in black stood in front of him, gloved hands against the wall on either side of Tenzo’s shoulders. His smile was playfully predatory. He made no move to force Tenzo to remain, but Tenzo didn’t try to escape. He felt like he couldn’t move his body even if he wanted to.

“I thought you’d left,” Tenzo stammered, inwardly cursing that the wall was made of stone that he couldn’t phase through.

“I was waiting for you to get bored of that puppy.” His eyes held the same dark look as before. “It took longer than I thought.”

“Sorry,” Tenzo apologized out of habit before realizing with a start what he’d said. What surprised him more was that he meant it. Cautiously, he lifted his hand, extending his fingers to the edge of the man’s mask. His fingertips barely brushed the cloth when his wrist was forced back, ruining his effort.

“If you keep doing that, I’ll have to leave.” The smile that followed felt like an electric shock. Slowly, the fingers around Tenzo’s wrist unfurled, releasing him.

His brain had stopped working, and Tenzo’s signals were crossed; he could blame the alcohol or the hour, or even this man in front of him. Before he knew exactly what he was doing, he had closed the distance between them, one hand on the back of the man’s neck as he kissed him hungrily. The only thought that crossed his mind was Fuck it.

Taking this as permission, gloved hands tightened around Tenzo’s hips as he fell back against the wall, pinning him in place. When teeth captured his lower lip, Tenzo moaned before he could stop himself, making way for the other’s tongue to slip inside. Tenzo’s arms moved his face to his shoulders, where a hand on the back of his head kept them together. His fingers twisted in the black fabric, unable to get ahold of the hair underneath.

They broke apart for air, and Tenzo was left panting as lips and teeth caressed and worried the skin below his jaw, trailing down to his collarbone. The temptation to give in was powerful, but the one part of his mind that remained lucid kept throwing thoughts such as ‘You’re in public,’ ‘You’re drunk,” and ‘You don’t even know this man.’ His body screamed that none of these things mattered, and when the hands on his hips moved down to roughly grab his ass, the first two were forgotten.

In desperation, Tenzo’s fingers worked against the knot of fabric that stood between him and the chance to wrap his fingers in the hair of the man dragging his tongue across his pulse point. Once he succeeded in loosening it, he tugged it away with a single, swift motion, regrettably removing the lips from his neck as he took more than the cloth back.

From beneath unruly silver hair, a now-familiar set of dark eyes looked at him in betrayal. Half-lidded as they were, they still shone in disappointment, compounded by the downward turn of the corners of his mouth. “Maa,” Kakashi groaned in frustration, “Tenzo, why do you have to ruin all the fun?”

“S-senpai?!” Tenzo was going to have a heart attack. This is how he would die, horny and surprised. It had been almost two good decades, he supposed.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t know.” The pout in Kakashi’s eyes was reflected in a slight pursing of his lips, which Tenzo found overwhelming. His puppy-dog eyes were hard enough to resist when he didn’t have to see the rest of his face. “My kouhai is supposed to be one of the best sensory ninja we have.”

Flustered, Tenzo shook his head, trying to hide the color in his cheeks. “You were suppressing your chakra! Don’t try to make me feel bad!”

Kakashi leaned in to nuzzle the crook of his neck, speaking with his lips against skin. “So, I was just some ruffian with a bunch of lucky guesses? You wound me.”

“Kakashi-senpai...” Tenzo tried his hardest to sound exasperated.

“Mm?” He clicked his tongue when he didn’t get a response. “Maa,” he repeated, “at least now I know why you spent so long with the puppy. I didn’t think you wanted to find me.” Kakashi pulled back, his fingers brushing through Tenzo’s short hair. “You cut it.” He wrinkled his nose. “My Tenzo has long hair and would have recognized me. Who is this imposter?” His tone was playful, but he did his best to look disapproving.

“You’re dramatic.” Tenzo rolled his eyes, doing his best not to focus on the possessive Kakashi used.

Growing impatient, Kakashi pressed his body into Tenzo’s, letting his hand slip underneath his shirt. “How long are you going to complain?” he demanded, nipping at his ear. “We were having such a good time. I can put the mask back on, if it’d help.”

“Pervert.”

Kakashi hummed in dismissal, choosing to focus on something much more pleasant.

[lovinitkpop]

Brown Sugar and Honey

This one is about a new girl group at SM. You could say EXO sister group there may be a love line put in it who really knows. I mean I know but then again I might not know. Heads up I’m sorry for any spelling mistakes or grammar mistakes after rereading it over and over I can’t deal with it.

Oh the reason I came up with this title is because the main OC is black and DO KyungSoo looks damn sexy and handsome when his skin is dark and tan and NOT WHITE WASHED!!!!! STOP THE WHITE WASHING!!!!!!!!

If there is a love line then it will be my first Kyungsoo series. Hope you like it but if you don’t guess what I don’t give two shits leave my blog then. Anyways enjoy bye.

Warnings: Fluffy, Angst, Language, Bullying, Stupid, May not make senses, Brain frat, May not have smut, Trigger, Suicide talk, Racism, Blood, etc.

Pairing: OC x DO Kyungsoo

Chapter 38

November 2, 2019

Renesmee looks around nodding as she pulls the dolly behind her walking into one of the rooms. “Thank you again for helping me bring in all these boxes.” She says looking at the staff and they nod.

Renesmee sits down relaxing as she waits. She pulls out her phone texting everyone telling them where she is. She looks up seeing the door open.

“Did you ever get the pumpkin spice flavor to work?” Ten asks walking in with the others.

“Must you be so basic Ten?” Taeil asks looking at him and Renesmee just smiles.

“Hey leave my baby alone and yes I did.” Renesmee says looking at them.

“Did I hear there’s a pumpkin spice flavor?” Wendy says walking in and the others laughs looking at her.

“I should start charging to make this stuff.” Renesmee says tilting her head to the side. “This is getting too big.”

“Aww is our little vampire tired?” Sooman asks walking into the room. Following him is the others and Renesmee stands up bowing to them all.

“No finally I’m okay.” She replies smiling before looking at the boxes. “Umm where to start?”

“These are yours.” Renesmee speaks pushing three boxes over to Sooman. “I didn’t know how low you were, plus the whole new flavor thing.”

“GG these are your boxes.” She says pushing over six boxes. “They have your name on them.”

“Thank you Nessie.” Sunny says looking at the boxes. Hyoyeon smiles helping with the boxes.

“Next um ah here’s EXO.” Renesmee says waving her hand to the 9 boxes to her right. Chanyeol and Junmyeon nod walking over grabbing them.

“NCT!” She says clapping her hands together looking at them. “Umm yeah these are all of your boxes.” She says waving her hand behind her.

“I swear you’re the ones I have to make the most for.”

Johnny smiles walking over with Taeil and Ten. “That’s cause out of 21 members half of us drink it.” He says and she sighs Chenle runs over hugging her before helping the others.

“Red Velvet these 6 boxes are yours.” Renesmee says and they nod grabbing the boxes. “That’s everyone I left ours at the dorm so they got it this morning.”

“Thanks Nessie!”

“No problem guys have fun, try not to scare people okay.” She says watching them take their boxes and leave.

After Nessie finishes in the room she cleans up before leaving. Déshì walks up behind her hugging her. “Hey there kid want some candy?” He asks and she smirks.

“No but I’ll take a poison apple.” She replies looking up at him. “Where have you been?” She asks smiling and he smiles back.

“Work, family and more work.” He says letting her go. “Sorry I went mia for a while but I got really busy.”

“Nah you’re fine, but you really should introduce me to your family.” Renesmee says walking backwards looking at him.

“How about next year, my wife just opened a new café and bakery so she’s really busy too.”

“Next year works after my birthday because I’ll be in China for Go Fighting remember.” She replies stopping and he stops nodding.

“Yeah that sounds good, now let’s go out to eat.” Déshì says turning her around walking to the door.

November 5, 2019

“So did I get the building?” She asks looking at her mom walk back in. She walks over taking the bags from her going to the kitchen.

“Can I come in first?” Rosalie says and Renesmee just smiles nodding. “But yes and it really big a lot of office space.”

“I know that’s why I picked it.” Renesmee says smiling still. “Nice big café area and lounge area too.” She adds and her mom just stands there watching her.

“You know this is the second the happiest I’ve seen you in a long time.” Rosalie says folding her arms and Renesmee stops. “You’re only this happy with Kyungsoo.”

“Not now.” Renesmee says as she keeps putting stuff up. “Oh and thanks for stopping at the store for me been busy.”

“So how are you going to do this?” Rosalie asks as she starts to help put the rest of the stuff up.

“Well I’ll still need your help of course.” Renesmee says smiling batting her eyes at her mother. Rosalie rolls her eyes watching her.

“Fine.”

“Plus I’m almost done with my outfit, I will stay hidden.” Renesmee says holding up her fist. “Also Rai and Déshì will be helping behind the scenes though.”

“You know I’m proud of you and will always be behind you.” Rosalie says kissing Renesmee forehead.

“Thank you mom.” Renesmee says hugging her. Renesmee walks over to her table looking over the blueprints.

Rosalie walks over looking at the prints. “This is the first floor, gym, dance room, rage room, saunas.” Renesmee speaks pushing her hair behind her ear. “Of course check in area and waiting room.”

“Plenty of rooms on the 2nd and 3rd floor for the therapy rooms, plus the cafeteria and café.” Renesmee adds nodding looking over the prints. “Also quite rooms for those who need to calm down first.”

“Wow you really planned this all out?” Rosalie says looking at Renesmee and she nods.

“I have people I can turn to and I have place I can call my own and hide.” Renesmee says nodding a she speaks. ��I want to help people that don’t, the bonus is this is taking my mind off my memory.”

“You really are a people pleaser.” Rosalie says outing her hands on her hips. “I know you have a comeback next month so I’ll make sure all this gets done.”

“Okay just please make sure you keep me in the loop no matter what.” Renesmee says standing up. Rosalie nods looking at her and Renesmee hands her a tube. “Here copies of the prints.”

“Okay thank you, I’ll keep you up to date.” Rosalie says taking the tub and Renesmee nods smiling. “Well I have to go I have a business meeting today.”

“Okay have fun with that, if you see Déshì tell him I said.” Renesmee starts to says and Rosalie looks at her waiting. Renesmee smiles before sticking her tongue out doing a raspberry.

“Ugh I swear you two are childish.” Rosalie says as she picks up her bags. Renesmee just smiles going back to the kitchen. “Make sure you eat something today.” Rosalie says as she leaves.

“Okay see you later.” Renesmee says and Rosalie says goodbye before closing the door. “What to cook?”

Renesmee smiles making herself a small snack before going to her room. “I guess I can write more of these letters.” She says grabbing her fear box out the closet. “Not that I’d ever tell her this but I guess this really is helping.”

November 9, 2019

Jisoo sits there with Renesmee smiling and Renesmee hums looking at her. “What are you smiling about?” Renesmee asks watching her.

“Sehun just texted me.” Jisoo says her smile getting bigger. “See this is where we went last week.” Jisoo shows Renesmee the picture.

“How long have you two been going on dates?” Renesmee asks looking back at her phone.

“Uhh maybe like 25 dates.” Jisoo says as she thinks. “Maybe more, why?”

“You two need to talk about this before you really get caught.” Renesmee says looking at Jisoo. Jisoo pouts looking down at her lap. “He really likes you.”

“And I really like him.” Jisoo mumbles and Renesmee smiles poking Jisoo cheek seeing her blush. “But I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why do you say that?” Renesmee asks looking at her. Jisoo sighs shaking her head.

“EXOLs don’t want them to date.” Jisoo says looking back at Renesmee. “They want EXO to die alone and unhappy.”

“Well what do you expect?” Renesmee says looking back at her phone nodding reading over the text.

“Okay let’s say you were to date Kai and the fans find out huh?” Jisoo says pulling her knees to her chest. “What would you do?”

Renesmee sighs tilting her head thinking. “I guess ignore it or break up.” She says nodding as she speaks. “But you see I’m black so there for I couldn’t date another idol without it causing trouble.”

“Sis you’re half black half Chinese besides you really don’t even look that black.” Jisoo says and Renesmee smirks.

“That’s cause I’ve been staying out the sun, I lost my tan.” She replies shaking her head. “Tell him how you feel.”

Sehun walks into the room holding flowers. “Yeah just tell him how you feel.” He says agreeing with Renesmee. Jisoo blushes seeing him walk over to her.

Jisoo stands up looking up at him. “Flowers?” She asks and he nods giving her the flowers. “Thank you.”

“I know you’re wondering why, but your sister over there is right.” Sehun says and Renesmee hums looking at him. “I’m here to say I want you to be my girlfriend officially.”

Jisoo smiles hugging him and he smiles. “That’s when you say yes.” Renesmee speaks up watching Jisoo.

“Yes.” Jisoo says looking at him and Sehun leans down kissing her. Renesmee smirks shaking her head as she lays on the floor.

“Alright let him go Ji I’m sure they have a comeback to get ready for just like us.” Renesmee says covering her face with her arm.

“She’s right I’ll text you later.” Sehun says kissing Jisoo cheek. “Good luck.” He says before leaving.

“Now was that so hard the talk wasn’t even that long.” Renesmee says rolling onto her side facing the wall. “You’re welcome.”

Jisoo turns and looks at her smiling. “I may not see your face but I can feel.” Renesmee speaks holding her hand up pointing at Jisoo. “Go scream outside.”

Jisoo hums pouting sitting back down next to Renesmee. “Fine I won’t scream.” Jisoo says looking at her flowers.

[watsonrodriquezie]

My 14 Favorite Keto-Friendly Snacks

Keto tends to discourage snacking. Not as in “If you’re keto, you’re not allowed to snack!” More like “If you’re keto, you probably won’t feel the need to snack as much.”

Still, hunger strikes. Situations arise where you need a little something to nourish you in the moment without having to cook a meal. This isn’t a problem. But you do need to be prepared—or else risk derailing your efforts.

A snack must be instantly available or take no more than a minute or two of preparation. A snack shouldn’t be something that makes you groan or use more than one or two bowls or pieces of kitchen equipment to prepare. It should be an afterthought.

What are my favorite keto-friendly snacks? I’ve got 14.

1. Coconut Butter

As I mentioned in last week’s “Day in the Life of Keto” video, my go-to keto-friendly snack is a tablespoonful of Artisana coconut butter. It’s sweet, without having much sugar. It’s creamy, without having any dairy (if you care about that sort of thing). It’s full of fiber, which some people have trouble finding on a keto diet. And it’s right there, waiting, ready without any real preparation.

2. Brad’s “Stu Can’t Stop Chocolate Bark”

Stu is my writing partner—and buddy Brad Kearns’ dog. Stu can’t stop barking once he gets going. “Stu Can’t Stop Bark” is Brad’s edible, polyphenol-rich homage to Stu.

Take a pound of 80%+ chocolate and break it up into pieces. Add half to a double boiler or glass bowl set above a boiling pot.

As chocolate melts, add 3 tablespoons of coconut oil. Stir to combine.

Add two cups of chopped macadamias or other nuts to a large mixing bowl along with the rest of the chocolate.

When chocolate/oil mixture is completely melted, pour it into the mixing bowl. Stir until everything is melted and evenly distributed. Really coat those nuts.

Spread half the mixture evenly into a 15 x 10 inch glass baking pan. Drizzle three tablespoons of almond butter across the top. Optional: sprinkle coconut flakes or coconut butter across the top.

Spread the rest of the mixture across the top. Sprinkle sea salt. Optional: sprinkle coconut flakes or coconut butter across the top.

Refrigerate until solidified. Remove from pan, cut into squares with large chef’s knife. Keep refrigerated or frozen until ready to eat (immediately).

Do not give Stu, or any other dog, Stu Can’t Stop Bark. They can’t process the theobromine in the dark chocolate. To a dog, chocolate bark is way worse than a bite. To a human, it’s pure fuel.

3. Avocado Mashed With Sardine

This one takes a small amount of preparation (about a minute). You could make it ahead of time and leave it in the fridge, but the risk of a browning avocado is too great for me to bear. What’s a minute anyway? We all have plenty of those laying around.

First, grab a can of sardines. Wild Planet in EVOO is my preferred type. Open it up, dump it in a bowl. I don’t always include all the can oil. Sometimes my dog Shanti gets it, sometimes I keep it. There will be plenty of fat either way.

Next, add a diced avocado.

Add a sprinkle of salt.

This is where choice enters. I’ll either squeeze a lemon over the bowl, or add a tablespoon of Primal Kitchen Green Goddess dressing.

Stir to combine.

Double it up and you have yourself a solid meal.

4. Mac Nuts In Greek Yogurt

Either is a great snack by itself. Together, they become more powerful than you can imagine. Mac nuts are inherently sweet, especially once you’ve removed sugar from your diet and increased your appreciation of subtle flavor. Because the yogurt is so thick, the mac nuts are suspended throughout the entirety rather than pool at the bottom as happens with runnier yogurt. Every spoonful nets you yogurt and mac nut.

5. Keto Coconut Cheesecake Bites

Go read the post, make the recipe, and report back. Better than expected, right?

6. Three Raw Egg Yolks

More than a snack, this is a quick cognitive pick-me-up. Egg yolks are loaded with brain-boosting nutrients like choline. Many of the nutrients in the egg yolk are encased in phospholipids, making them highly bioavailable and potent—similar to liposomal supplements. The vitamin D in eggs is “stronger” than the vitamin D in supplements, for example. The omega-3s in pastured or omega-3-enhanced eggs are more potent than those in fish oil.

7. Toasted Coconut Flakes

There are places that sell them unsweetened; these are a good example.

But you can also toast your own quite easily. 325° F oven, baking sheet, single layer, dash of salt, 10-12 minutes or until desired brownness. If you like the results, play around with some additional spices. Turmeric with black pepper. Curry powder. Cayenne. Cumin and garlic powder.

8. Boiled Eggs

For my money, the egg is the perfect keto food. Nice protein—fat ratio, excellent micronutrient profile (especially if you go with pastured eggs). They boil nicely, too.

Hard-boiled eggs store well for days in the fridge. You can chop them up, mix with mayo and mustard, and have delicious egg salad in under a minute. You can eat them straight up with bit of salt and pepper. You can devil them.

Soft-boiled eggs don’t store as well in the fridge, especially if you make the yolks as runny as I like, but they’ll last for at least a few days. And let’s be honest: soft-boiled eggs never last long. They’re too good. My personal favorite way to eat a soft-boiled egg is to toss it in salt, turmeric, and black pepper. Another good way is to make marinated kombu and tamari soft-boiled eggs.

9. Smoked Oysters

Crown Prince smoked oysters are a hidden gem in the grocery aisle. You get a big dose of zinc and iron. All you have to do is pop open the can, grab a fork (these get messy, so don’t use your fingers), and get to snacking.

10. Nori-Wrapped Tuna Salad

First, make tuna salad. I always go basic here. Primal Kitchen Mayo, tuna. I do drain the tuna, either drinking the juice or, again, giving it to Shanti. Leaving the liquid in with the tuna and mayo gives it a wet texture I don’t prefer.

I’ll keep a big container of that made ahead of time. Then I just spoon it into nori, fold together, and cram into mouth.

You get a nice dose of omega-3s, selenium, and protein from the tuna, along with iodine from the seaweed.

11. Cold Leg Of Lamb With Sharp Cheddar

This isn’t a constant presence in my snack arsenal. I don’t always have a cooked leg of lamb sitting in my fridge. But when we do make leg of lamb, I make sure to save at least half of it for leftovers the rest of the week. Cold roast lamb is way better than cold roast beef. The two don’t even compare.

It’s medium rare, always. I eat it with a wedge of sharp cheddar, always.

12. Cold Chicken Leg

My old lunchtime standby when I didn’t have time to throw together a Big Ass Salad, the cold chicken leg is made for quick snacking. It comes with a handle. It has excellent texture—there’s something about the chilled fattiness of the thigh that makes it incredibly tender. I’ll keep a sack of cooked chicken legs (always whole, drumstick and thigh) in the fridge for easy access.

I love fresh roasted chicken, right out of the oven, and my favorite piece to eat is the thigh. But there’s something special about the cold chicken leg. A cold breast I could take or leave.

13. Crudités With Dip

Crudités are just sliced or whole raw vegetables served with dip. A traditional crudités platter comes with vinaigrette, and that’s a good option, but you have others.

Yogurt mint dipping sauce, bacon guacamole, guacamole, (my personal favorite) chipotle mayo.

There are millions of combinations. Possible vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green beans, asparagus, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumber, onions. Almost anything works.

FODMAP-sensitive folks might want to be careful with some of the raw vegetables. Choose wisely. Don’t eat a plate of raw broccoli if cooked broccoli gives you stomach issues.

14. Roasted Veggies

Every once in awhile, I’ll cut up a big mix of veggies (drawing on the list mentioned in the crudités section above), toss them in avocado oil, salt, and pepper, and roast them at 425° until I see what I like. I’m going for char, for browning, for caramelization. Some of them get eaten right away. The rest go into a glass container and into the fridge for snacks.

Eat cold.

Those are my 14 favorite keto-friendly snacks. What are yours?

Thanks for reading, everyone. Take care.

[fishermariawo]

My 14 Favorite Keto-Friendly Snacks

Keto tends to discourage snacking. Not as in “If you’re keto, you’re not allowed to snack!” More like “If you’re keto, you probably won’t feel the need to snack as much.”

Still, hunger strikes. Situations arise where you need a little something to nourish you in the moment without having to cook a meal. This isn’t a problem. But you do need to be prepared—or else risk derailing your efforts.

A snack must be instantly available or take no more than a minute or two of preparation. A snack shouldn’t be something that makes you groan or use more than one or two bowls or pieces of kitchen equipment to prepare. It should be an afterthought.

What are my favorite keto-friendly snacks? I’ve got 14.

1. Coconut Butter

As I mentioned in last week’s “Day in the Life of Keto” video, my go-to keto-friendly snack is a tablespoonful of Artisana coconut butter. It’s sweet, without having much sugar. It’s creamy, without having any dairy (if you care about that sort of thing). It’s full of fiber, which some people have trouble finding on a keto diet. And it’s right there, waiting, ready without any real preparation.

2. Brad’s “Stu Can’t Stop Chocolate Bark”

Stu is my writing partner—and buddy Brad Kearns’ dog. Stu can’t stop barking once he gets going. “Stu Can’t Stop Bark” is Brad’s edible, polyphenol-rich homage to Stu.

Take a pound of 80%+ chocolate and break it up into pieces. Add half to a double boiler or glass bowl set above a boiling pot.

As chocolate melts, add 3 tablespoons of coconut oil. Stir to combine.

Add two cups of chopped macadamias or other nuts to a large mixing bowl along with the rest of the chocolate.

When chocolate/oil mixture is completely melted, pour it into the mixing bowl. Stir until everything is melted and evenly distributed. Really coat those nuts.

Spread half the mixture evenly into a 15 x 10 inch glass baking pan. Drizzle three tablespoons of almond butter across the top. Optional: sprinkle coconut flakes or coconut butter across the top.

Spread the rest of the mixture across the top. Sprinkle sea salt. Optional: sprinkle coconut flakes or coconut butter across the top.

Refrigerate until solidified. Remove from pan, cut into squares with large chef’s knife. Keep refrigerated or frozen until ready to eat (immediately).

Do not give Stu, or any other dog, Stu Can’t Stop Bark. They can’t process the theobromine in the dark chocolate. To a dog, chocolate bark is way worse than a bite. To a human, it’s pure fuel.

3. Avocado Mashed With Sardine

This one takes a small amount of preparation (about a minute). You could make it ahead of time and leave it in the fridge, but the risk of a browning avocado is too great for me to bear. What’s a minute anyway? We all have plenty of those laying around.

First, grab a can of sardines. Wild Planet in EVOO is my preferred type. Open it up, dump it in a bowl. I don’t always include all the can oil. Sometimes my dog Shanti gets it, sometimes I keep it. There will be plenty of fat either way.

Next, add a diced avocado.

Add a sprinkle of salt.

This is where choice enters. I’ll either squeeze a lemon over the bowl, or add a tablespoon of Primal Kitchen Green Goddess dressing.

Stir to combine.

Double it up and you have yourself a solid meal.

4. Mac Nuts In Greek Yogurt

Either is a great snack by itself. Together, they become more powerful than you can imagine. Mac nuts are inherently sweet, especially once you’ve removed sugar from your diet and increased your appreciation of subtle flavor. Because the yogurt is so thick, the mac nuts are suspended throughout the entirety rather than pool at the bottom as happens with runnier yogurt. Every spoonful nets you yogurt and mac nut.

5. Keto Coconut Cheesecake Bites

Go read the post, make the recipe, and report back. Better than expected, right?

6. Three Raw Egg Yolks

More than a snack, this is a quick cognitive pick-me-up. Egg yolks are loaded with brain-boosting nutrients like choline. Many of the nutrients in the egg yolk are encased in phospholipids, making them highly bioavailable and potent—similar to liposomal supplements. The vitamin D in eggs is “stronger” than the vitamin D in supplements, for example. The omega-3s in pastured or omega-3-enhanced eggs are more potent than those in fish oil.

7. Toasted Coconut Flakes

There are places that sell them unsweetened; these are a good example.

But you can also toast your own quite easily. 325° F oven, baking sheet, single layer, dash of salt, 10-12 minutes or until desired brownness. If you like the results, play around with some additional spices. Turmeric with black pepper. Curry powder. Cayenne. Cumin and garlic powder.

8. Boiled Eggs

For my money, the egg is the perfect keto food. Nice protein—fat ratio, excellent micronutrient profile (especially if you go with pastured eggs). They boil nicely, too.

Hard-boiled eggs store well for days in the fridge. You can chop them up, mix with mayo and mustard, and have delicious egg salad in under a minute. You can eat them straight up with bit of salt and pepper. You can devil them.

Soft-boiled eggs don’t store as well in the fridge, especially if you make the yolks as runny as I like, but they’ll last for at least a few days. And let’s be honest: soft-boiled eggs never last long. They’re too good. My personal favorite way to eat a soft-boiled egg is to toss it in salt, turmeric, and black pepper. Another good way is to make marinated kombu and tamari soft-boiled eggs.

9. Smoked Oysters

Crown Prince smoked oysters are a hidden gem in the grocery aisle. You get a big dose of zinc and iron. All you have to do is pop open the can, grab a fork (these get messy, so don’t use your fingers), and get to snacking.

10. Nori-Wrapped Tuna Salad

First, make tuna salad. I always go basic here. Primal Kitchen Mayo, tuna. I do drain the tuna, either drinking the juice or, again, giving it to Shanti. Leaving the liquid in with the tuna and mayo gives it a wet texture I don’t prefer.

I’ll keep a big container of that made ahead of time. Then I just spoon it into nori, fold together, and cram into mouth.

You get a nice dose of omega-3s, selenium, and protein from the tuna, along with iodine from the seaweed.

11. Cold Leg Of Lamb With Sharp Cheddar

This isn’t a constant presence in my snack arsenal. I don’t always have a cooked leg of lamb sitting in my fridge. But when we do make leg of lamb, I make sure to save at least half of it for leftovers the rest of the week. Cold roast lamb is way better than cold roast beef. The two don’t even compare.

It’s medium rare, always. I eat it with a wedge of sharp cheddar, always.

12. Cold Chicken Leg

My old lunchtime standby when I didn’t have time to throw together a Big Ass Salad, the cold chicken leg is made for quick snacking. It comes with a handle. It has excellent texture—there’s something about the chilled fattiness of the thigh that makes it incredibly tender. I’ll keep a sack of cooked chicken legs (always whole, drumstick and thigh) in the fridge for easy access.

I love fresh roasted chicken, right out of the oven, and my favorite piece to eat is the thigh. But there’s something special about the cold chicken leg. A cold breast I could take or leave.

13. Crudités With Dip

Crudités are just sliced or whole raw vegetables served with dip. A traditional crudités platter comes with vinaigrette, and that’s a good option, but you have others.

Yogurt mint dipping sauce, bacon guacamole, guacamole, (my personal favorite) chipotle mayo.

There are millions of combinations. Possible vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green beans, asparagus, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumber, onions. Almost anything works.

FODMAP-sensitive folks might want to be careful with some of the raw vegetables. Choose wisely. Don’t eat a plate of raw broccoli if cooked broccoli gives you stomach issues.

14. Roasted Veggies

Every once in awhile, I’ll cut up a big mix of veggies (drawing on the list mentioned in the crudités section above), toss them in avocado oil, salt, and pepper, and roast them at 425° until I see what I like. I’m going for char, for browning, for caramelization. Some of them get eaten right away. The rest go into a glass container and into the fridge for snacks.

Eat cold.

Those are my 14 favorite keto-friendly snacks. What are yours?

Thanks for reading, everyone. Take care.

[cynthiamwashington]

My 14 Favorite Keto-Friendly Snacks

Keto tends to discourage snacking. Not as in “If you’re keto, you’re not allowed to snack!” More like “If you’re keto, you probably won’t feel the need to snack as much.”

Still, hunger strikes. Situations arise where you need a little something to nourish you in the moment without having to cook a meal. This isn’t a problem. But you do need to be prepared—or else risk derailing your efforts.

A snack must be instantly available or take no more than a minute or two of preparation. A snack shouldn’t be something that makes you groan or use more than one or two bowls or pieces of kitchen equipment to prepare. It should be an afterthought.

What are my favorite keto-friendly snacks? I’ve got 14.

1. Coconut Butter

As I mentioned in last week’s “Day in the Life of Keto” video, my go-to keto-friendly snack is a tablespoonful of Artisana coconut butter. It’s sweet, without having much sugar. It’s creamy, without having any dairy (if you care about that sort of thing). It’s full of fiber, which some people have trouble finding on a keto diet. And it’s right there, waiting, ready without any real preparation.

2. Brad’s “Stu Can’t Stop Chocolate Bark”

Stu is my writing partner—and buddy Brad Kearns’ dog. Stu can’t stop barking once he gets going. “Stu Can’t Stop Bark” is Brad’s edible, polyphenol-rich homage to Stu.

Take a pound of 80%+ chocolate and break it up into pieces. Add half to a double boiler or glass bowl set above a boiling pot.

As chocolate melts, add 3 tablespoons of coconut oil. Stir to combine.

Add two cups of chopped macadamias or other nuts to a large mixing bowl along with the rest of the chocolate.

When chocolate/oil mixture is completely melted, pour it into the mixing bowl. Stir until everything is melted and evenly distributed. Really coat those nuts.

Spread half the mixture evenly into a 15 x 10 inch glass baking pan. Drizzle three tablespoons of almond butter across the top. Optional: sprinkle coconut flakes or coconut butter across the top.

Spread the rest of the mixture across the top. Sprinkle sea salt. Optional: sprinkle coconut flakes or coconut butter across the top.

Refrigerate until solidified. Remove from pan, cut into squares with large chef’s knife. Keep refrigerated or frozen until ready to eat (immediately).

Do not give Stu, or any other dog, Stu Can’t Stop Bark. They can’t process the theobromine in the dark chocolate. To a dog, chocolate bark is way worse than a bite. To a human, it’s pure fuel.

3. Avocado Mashed With Sardine

This one takes a small amount of preparation (about a minute). You could make it ahead of time and leave it in the fridge, but the risk of a browning avocado is too great for me to bear. What’s a minute anyway? We all have plenty of those laying around.

First, grab a can of sardines. Wild Planet in EVOO is my preferred type. Open it up, dump it in a bowl. I don’t always include all the can oil. Sometimes my dog Shanti gets it, sometimes I keep it. There will be plenty of fat either way.

Next, add a diced avocado.

Add a sprinkle of salt.

This is where choice enters. I’ll either squeeze a lemon over the bowl, or add a tablespoon of Primal Kitchen Green Goddess dressing.

Stir to combine.

Double it up and you have yourself a solid meal.

4. Mac Nuts In Greek Yogurt

Either is a great snack by itself. Together, they become more powerful than you can imagine. Mac nuts are inherently sweet, especially once you’ve removed sugar from your diet and increased your appreciation of subtle flavor. Because the yogurt is so thick, the mac nuts are suspended throughout the entirety rather than pool at the bottom as happens with runnier yogurt. Every spoonful nets you yogurt and mac nut.

5. Keto Coconut Cheesecake Bites

Go read the post, make the recipe, and report back. Better than expected, right?

6. Three Raw Egg Yolks

More than a snack, this is a quick cognitive pick-me-up. Egg yolks are loaded with brain-boosting nutrients like choline. Many of the nutrients in the egg yolk are encased in phospholipids, making them highly bioavailable and potent—similar to liposomal supplements. The vitamin D in eggs is “stronger” than the vitamin D in supplements, for example. The omega-3s in pastured or omega-3-enhanced eggs are more potent than those in fish oil.

7. Toasted Coconut Flakes

There are places that sell them unsweetened; these are a good example.

But you can also toast your own quite easily. 325° F oven, baking sheet, single layer, dash of salt, 10-12 minutes or until desired brownness. If you like the results, play around with some additional spices. Turmeric with black pepper. Curry powder. Cayenne. Cumin and garlic powder.

8. Boiled Eggs

For my money, the egg is the perfect keto food. Nice protein—fat ratio, excellent micronutrient profile (especially if you go with pastured eggs). They boil nicely, too.

Hard-boiled eggs store well for days in the fridge. You can chop them up, mix with mayo and mustard, and have delicious egg salad in under a minute. You can eat them straight up with bit of salt and pepper. You can devil them.

Soft-boiled eggs don’t store as well in the fridge, especially if you make the yolks as runny as I like, but they’ll last for at least a few days. And let’s be honest: soft-boiled eggs never last long. They’re too good. My personal favorite way to eat a soft-boiled egg is to toss it in salt, turmeric, and black pepper. Another good way is to make marinated kombu and tamari soft-boiled eggs.

9. Smoked Oysters

Crown Prince smoked oysters are a hidden gem in the grocery aisle. You get a big dose of zinc and iron. All you have to do is pop open the can, grab a fork (these get messy, so don’t use your fingers), and get to snacking.

10. Nori-Wrapped Tuna Salad

First, make tuna salad. I always go basic here. Primal Kitchen Mayo, tuna. I do drain the tuna, either drinking the juice or, again, giving it to Shanti. Leaving the liquid in with the tuna and mayo gives it a wet texture I don’t prefer.

I’ll keep a big container of that made ahead of time. Then I just spoon it into nori, fold together, and cram into mouth.

You get a nice dose of omega-3s, selenium, and protein from the tuna, along with iodine from the seaweed.

11. Cold Leg Of Lamb With Sharp Cheddar

This isn’t a constant presence in my snack arsenal. I don’t always have a cooked leg of lamb sitting in my fridge. But when we do make leg of lamb, I make sure to save at least half of it for leftovers the rest of the week. Cold roast lamb is way better than cold roast beef. The two don’t even compare.

It’s medium rare, always. I eat it with a wedge of sharp cheddar, always.

12. Cold Chicken Leg

My old lunchtime standby when I didn’t have time to throw together a Big Ass Salad, the cold chicken leg is made for quick snacking. It comes with a handle. It has excellent texture—there’s something about the chilled fattiness of the thigh that makes it incredibly tender. I’ll keep a sack of cooked chicken legs (always whole, drumstick and thigh) in the fridge for easy access.

I love fresh roasted chicken, right out of the oven, and my favorite piece to eat is the thigh. But there’s something special about the cold chicken leg. A cold breast I could take or leave.

13. Crudités With Dip

Crudités are just sliced or whole raw vegetables served with dip. A traditional crudités platter comes with vinaigrette, and that’s a good option, but you have others.

Yogurt mint dipping sauce, bacon guacamole, guacamole, (my personal favorite) chipotle mayo.

There are millions of combinations. Possible vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green beans, asparagus, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumber, onions. Almost anything works.

FODMAP-sensitive folks might want to be careful with some of the raw vegetables. Choose wisely. Don’t eat a plate of raw broccoli if cooked broccoli gives you stomach issues.

14. Roasted Veggies

Every once in awhile, I’ll cut up a big mix of veggies (drawing on the list mentioned in the crudités section above), toss them in avocado oil, salt, and pepper, and roast them at 425° until I see what I like. I’m going for char, for browning, for caramelization. Some of them get eaten right away. The rest go into a glass container and into the fridge for snacks.

Eat cold.

Those are my 14 favorite keto-friendly snacks. What are yours?

Thanks for reading, everyone. Take care.

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