#Ah mini ficlet!

[adelacreations]

Fusion Dance:

I think someone mentioned this on discord but how would Lord Billy react to a pocketverse Billy?

So I wrote a bit of a ficlet to go with this Tagging @neonponders and @wrecked-fuse as well XD enjoy this little blurb I vomited out!

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Sometimes, Billy wonders why he even bothers anymore. Steve Harrington has gotten along well with his children, it was important to him. But that came with getting involved with his children's antics. Both him and that boy-child of his. Sorry. Dustin.

He was getting better at remembering his name. For the sake of Lucas, who has a little crush on Steve's son. Regardless of that fact, the castle had been livelier than Billy has ever seen. Or was used to. Even with his servants bustling around. Anyways. "Steve...darling. What is that in your hands?" he asked slowly staring at the cupped hands of his lover. Steve only grinned, holding his hands out towards him, "Have a peek, Lady Bird~" His children claimed that they had found something in the courtyard and dragged Steve to go and check it out. Billy hadn't cared much, it might have been another bug or small mammal. Not...whatever this was.

It was small and...

Billy pressed his lips into a thin line, he really had no idea what he was looking at. Where was that-ah there it was, in the bottom left drawer. He didn't use it all that much anymore, his magnifying glass but it helped. Especially now, squinting as he peered through the glass. He said nothing at first, just staring at what he was seeing. "What a peculiar creature you are." Everything and everyone was small to him, he always had to be careful not to crush the many good things he had in his life with his abnormal strength. But this.

Glaring up at him was a mini version of him. Well, kind of. This one had a mullet, an opened red shirt and jeans. With a small pout on his face. It-he, well he was adorable. The poor thing was shaking though, might be through fear. Billy had that affect on people, for better or for worst.

Billy guessed that he could fit into his pocket if he put him in there. "I suppose your name is...Billy?"

"Where's my Biwwy!"

Billy raised an eyebrow at Steve who shrugged a little bit, "The little guy apparently got lost, stumbling into some weird portal or something from what he said. He's far from home."

"Clearly," Billy muttered in response, reaching out with one finger to poke at the little's cheek. "I won't hurt you." Billy wasn't going to comment on the warm feeling he felt when the miniature version of him clung to his finger, his eyes watering with tears and bottom lip puckered.

"Okay...where's my Stevie...?"

Oh. They were a pair. He and Steve looked at each other, the other mouthing 'no Stevie' to him. Huh, the poor thing really did get lost then. Steve grinned up at him, "We are a pair."

"Seems like I can never get rid of you then," Billy said with a smirk, leading over to give Steve a kiss. "We should get this one something to eat first, and maybe getting that agent of yours to help get him home." Steve scowled with a roll of his eyes, opting to bringing the little Billy to his chest, allowing him to slip inside of his coat pocket.

"Hopper isn't my agent."

"Hm."

"Billy!"

---------

"So that was how they found him in hanging on one of the candle holders. Sorry about that, you must have been really worried about him."

Billy paused in his reading, the quiet chomps and clattering of the plate next to him were the only other sounds in the main hall. He had to bar the kids from coming around the little Billy with their sickles. They had pouted only to relent when the little guy had yelled at them. Billy closed the book in his lap, taking up the crimson wine glass and taking a sip.

"I think your friends are here-"

"Biwwy!"

Little Billy jumped up from the saucer, waving his arms at the people following Steve. Billy raised an eyebrow at the two...well regular versions of themselves. Then again, they had the little ones already, there shouldn't be that much of a surprise.

"You're big."

Billy smirked, snapping his book shut and standing up from the couch. He grinned at the shock on both of the other Billy and Steve standing before him with a little Steve in that Steve's pocket. "9 foot 6, but who is really counting here?"

"Stevie! Cwere! He has coowkies!"

[mandiemegatron]

ꜰᴏᴜʀ ᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ ᴡᴇ ᴍɪꜱꜱᴇᴅ

A Trafalgar Law/YN mini ficlet ✨️💖

Rated: G

Fluff, slow romance, Law being annoyed that he has emotions.

A/N: A lil gifty-poo for my friend @baka-tsuki - I hope you have a better night bestie and I hope you enjoy this lil treat 👀✨️💖

We love soft Law in this household! I hope you all enjoy 🥺💖✨️

Header by @baka-tsuki / @baka-tsuki-2 💖

The first time Laws skin brushed yours, it was like a spark had run through his fingers as he handed you a cup of tea, crawling up his entire arm until the tingles settled at the back of his neck. You didn't notice how the tips of his ears burned, and he breathed a soft sigh of relief when you turned away. He locked himself in his office the rest of that night, his face buried in his hands as an irritated huff left him every once in a while.

Annoying.

The second time, your shoulders had bumped each others as you leaned on the railing up top, enjoying the last few moments of sun shine as it set for the day. He knew you loved sunsets, always finding you watching the sun fall into nothingness every time the sub was ascended and somehow found solace in spending those quiet moments with you.

His heart skipped a beat as you sighed, an almost lost look on your face as the sun finally disappeared beyond the waterline, looking up at him with a small smile. It skipped again as you thanked him for staying; he was unable to return the smile but gave a short nod instead, basking in the grin you gave in turn.

Incredibly annoying.

The third time, you'd stumbled into his office, holding your bleeding left shoulder. Your knees hit the ground and he was out of his chair in a flash, gently yet firmly grasping you by the uninjured shoulder.

"Y/N-ya, what the hell happened?!"

He hated how his voice cracked, shock and worry slipping through the cracks in his skin as he flew into doctor mode. He didn't even give you a chance to respond as he summoned a room, the both of you disappearing in a blue bubble and ending up in the infirmary.

He helped you up onto a table, making quick work to scrub his hands as speedily as possible at the sink before rushing back over to snap on his medical gloves. He gently removed your bloodied hand, giving a low huff as he examined the damage.

"O-one of the boilers had a leak- I didn't move in time- OUCH, mother fucker, can you not?!"

He glared down at you as you snapped at him, his thumb pressing a bit too roughly right on the border of your burned skin. You both stared each other down before you relented, giving a roll of your eyes before looking down at your dirtied work boots.

There was an excruciatingly heavy silence that hung around you both as he worked, his fingers practically flying over your skin as he disinfected and brushed a salve over the burn. You hissed and groaned, squeezing your eyes and hands into fists, fighting back another snark as you bit the inside of your cheek.

"You need to be more aware of your surroundings-"

Your head snapped back to him, and you gave him the darkest look you could, trying to convey that you already understood and felt stupid enough as it was. It took him a moment, but it clicked eventually, causing him to sigh with an air of annoyance as he reached for the gauze.

"... at least I'll have a cool scar?"

His eyes were wide as he turned back to you, unable to wrap his head around how quickly your attitude changed, an almost cheeky grin covering your features as your feet swung back and forth slightly.

"Woman, you are absolutely insane, did you know that?"

You gave a chuckle and shrugged, unable to keep the grin from your lips.

"Ah, but of course! It keeps the locals away."

Law couldn't stop the snort that bubbled up, rolling his own eyes as he began to wrap your upper arm and shoulder, his lips pressed into a firm line for a moment before he retorted,

"No wonder you fit right in. Apparently, I have a habit of adopting weirdos." His voice was almost mocking, though a joking tone made its way through easier than it had before. How he ended up here, able to make jokes with one of the most annoying yet cute people ever, perplexed and irritated him to no end.

Absolutely, incredibly annoying.

He had just finished cleaning you up, moving less than a space away as he snapped off his gloves, tossing them onto his tray when you suddenly grasped his one tattooed hand with your uninjured one, a gentle thumb brushing over his knuckles.

"You are the best doctor in the world," you gushed with a slightly smaller smile, giving his hand a gentle squeeze before letting it fall back to his side. Your cheeks burned as you finally looked up at his face, feeling your stomach flip-flop as his own cheeks flushed pink.

"Yes, I'm aware."

He internally smacked himself over the head, sighing with a huff as he ran the hand you didn't touch through his messy hair.

"... I, uh ... thank you."

You gave him a swift thumbs up and hopped off the table, quickly making your way to the doors as you threw over your shoulder,

"Anytime, boss. See you at dinner!"

Before he could respond, you flew out the doors the second you opened them, slight panic on your face as you booked it to your shared room with Ikkaku, ripping the door open and slamming it shut. Your back hit the door and you exhaled slowly, trying to calm your racing heart.

"Ugh, disgusting. Who said you could give me feelings, you rat bastard," you murmured to yourself.

The fourth time was that night, out on the deck once more as the sun slowly fell behind looming storm clouds. Law made his way to you and glanced over your wrapped shoulder, ignoring your sounds of protest as he gently poked and prodded.

"Oi, come on man, that sucks- ouch, Law!"

He stopped, his hands not moving from your skin though his eyes met yours, an unrecognizable look in his eyes. You rarely, if ever, called him his name. He decided then and there that he could listen to you say it over and over and never get sick of it.

"Y/N-ya, I apologize."

His voice was low, genuine in his apology as his eyes never left yours. His heart jumped when your eyes flickered to his lips, your own pressing into a thin line as you stared back up at him. It was only a few moments before you sighed softly through your nose, eyes closing as you leaned into him.

"I'm too tired to argue with you," You moaned out, the side of your face meeting his chest as he turned to hold you. He was stiff, an embarrassed look on his face as he thanked whatever gods were up there that everyone else had retired inside for the night.

As the sun finally disappeared, Law looked down at you, his gaze meeting the top of your head. After a moment, he gave a sigh of his own, his forehead meeting the top of your noggin as he finally began to relax. It felt so foreign, having a warm body in his arms and the feeling of warmth that filled his chest.

"We should go in," he murmured into your hair, unwilling to move or lift his face from your hair. His stomach flipped when you chuckled softly, pulling away enough to look up at him with an almost pleading expression.

"Can we just stay out here a little longer? Please?"

Your plea was so quiet, the sound almost not meeting his ears, and he couldn't fight back the small smile that washed over his lips as he relented.

"Alright brat, just a little longer."

Maybe... not that annoying.

A/N: WEEE WELL, there we have it !!! It took me about 3 hours to write and beta so if there's any mistakes, it's cos I was stoned and missed it! 😂✨️💖

I hope you all enjoyed, please like and relbog if you did, we love a soft Law in this house 😭😭😭😭

Love you all, be good my little tangerines! ❤️

[cxrruptedpens]

𝓟𝓪𝓼𝓽 𝓕𝓮𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓐𝓻𝓬𝓱𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓝𝓸. 1

Little mini ficlets that focus mainly on Medic and Scout’s relationship in regard to the story. :3

Post-Battle Worries

“You know, liebchen? You surprise me with how worried you get for my safety. I could’ve easily healed this with the medigun.”

A gentle husky laugh sounded off in the medbay. It was the daily dose of battles in a seemingly endless war. Medic had sometimes gotten hurt in his line of support, but his wounds would be enough to stir the protective wrath of the colonel. Scout was tending to a few machete wounds that cut deep in the lieutenant’s arm and midsection, his eyebrows stiff and arched with anger. Not towards Medic, but towards the damn BLU Sniper that managed to get such a hit on him. Damn bastard.

“Ludwig. I’ve every right to be worried for you. You’re already risking your damn life badly enough that I’m concerned whether you’re even considerate for your safety or not. So I won’t apologize if I’m ’too protective’ of you.” Jeremy said with a sigh. His gaze softened as best as it could just to keep his fire extinguished within. If anyone thought Soldier was the angriest or most stoic, wrong. Scout had gained enough backbone that he wouldn’t overreact to insults anymore. If anything…he was barely teased anymore.

The lieutenant just smiled and allowed the younger man to tend to his wounds. With every wrap and tighten of the medical gauze, Medic could see just how dedicated Scout was in keeping his lover alive and well. God forbid anything happened to Medic, he’d let this world burn in vengeance.

“Ah well I suppose that is understandable and I certainly won’t judge you for reacting in such a way. But you should loosen the knot,” Medic said before snorting, pressing a gentle finger to Scout’s forehead, feeling just how fretful his face was, like his skin was resisting the slightest of touches. “Your face will get stuck like that if you continue to frown like that. Can’t have you getting grays early can I?”

Scout felt his tension be lifted a bit from that snark and he couldn’t help but chuckle. Wiping away the leftover blood that had dried, Scout smiled faintly and sighed, taking a breath before looking Medic in the eyes, blue eyes making contact with steel gray ones. Medic was right, he took his war duties a bit too seriously. He wasn’t letting himself breathe after every fight and battle. It was taking a toll on his health. Physically, emotionally, and mentally.

The colonel sighed and embraced the doctor before him, a delicate hand palming the back of the lieutenant’s head in a protective and caring gesture. “Sorry doc. I just can’t bear the thought of losing the one person keeping me sane throughout this entire bullshit.” Jeremy confessed with a soft tone, his voice lowering to nothing short of a whisper as he stared at the infirmary bed they were sitting on before burning holes into the walls.

“No need to apologize, liebe. I find it admirable more than anything.” Ludwig hummed and returned the embrace, one of his hands, free from the rubber gloves, slowly caressing up and down Scout’s back, tracing every contour of muscle that led to a rough patch of skin that was the foundation for a patterned patch of scars. Scout felt his body relax to the touches, even though his mind was still running around and fuming in a raging hellfire, that nagging desire to go through everything to protect his team, his soulmate, creeping about in his head once more…

[andiwriteordie]

hello andi! for the mini prompts, some platonic snarky madcleric gossiping w each other if you would be so inclined? xx

lark!!! oh my god i love madcleric so i am OBSESSED with this prompt!!! they are Best Friends to me, okay? so have this little ficlet!

(also this isn't explicitly stated, but this is set in the same universe as let our walls cave in in case anybody cares hehe)

—

swear i don't love the drama

Wednesdays are Will’s new favorite day of the week.

Okay, that’s maybe a bit of an exaggeration, and Will knows if he tells Mike or really anyone else in the Party that Wednesdays have become his favorite day of the week, every single one of his friends will throw a temper tantrum. Especially when they learn the reason why.

But hey, Will can’t help it. The others can get over it. 

Because Wednesday afternoons at 3 PM are for one person and one person only.

Max Mayfield.

See, the two of them have a new tradition. Every Wednesday afternoon, he and Max will drive over with Rosie the rottweiler to the local coffee shop, buy themselves iced coffees (surprisingly, they have the same exact order), and sit down at the same table near the back of the coffee shop. If someone is sitting in their spot, Max will make up some excuse to guilt them into moving. Rosie the rottweiler even bares her teeth sometimes for an extra dramatic flare.

And yes, Will had been absolutely mortified the first time it had happened, but then Max had joked that the world still owes them both reparations for… you know, saving the world and ending up with a lifetime’s worth of physical, emotional, and mental trauma. The least the citizens of the world could do was allow them to sit in their favorite spot.

So, that had been that. 

Very quickly, Wednesdays had become Will’s favorite day, and every week, he finds himself counting down the days until he and Max are able to hang out again. He consistently comes back from their little coffee shop dates with a grin on his face, and every time, Mike always wants to know what new gossip Will has learned this week.

…

Oh, yeah. 

That’s the other thing about the Wednesday Will and Max coffee dates.

They use this time to talk about everything… and everyone.

“Okay, so catch me up,” Will says, after he’s helped Max into her own chair and taken a seat across from her. “Who is Steve dating now?”

A grin forms on Max’s face, and she takes a sip of her iced coffee. “Some guy who’s going to the same college as him and Robin,” she says. “According to Robin, this guy acts just like Eddie. She says the resemblance is uncanny.”

Ah, Eddie Munson. Unfortunately, Will had never gotten the chance to meet Eddie, but from what Mike and Dustin have both shared with him, Will thinks he… probably would’ve gotten along with him. At the very least, they could’ve bonded over DnD and maybe shared some music recommendations with each other.

Plus, from what Robin has told him about Eddie, it might’ve been nice getting to know an older, gay teenager because when he was young and still in the closet. Maybe he and Eddie didn’t have that much in common besides DnD and liking guys, but still… Will thinks he probably would’ve liked having Eddie as a friend.

“I mean, that could just be a coincidence, right?” Will asks curiously. “Also… I didn’t realize Steve was bi. Good for him.”

“I don’t think he did either,” Max chuckles, stirring her coffee absently. “And look, I’d think it was a coincidence too, but here’s where it gets weird, Will.”

She pauses for dramatic effect, and Will rolls his eyes. Max likes to do that when she’s about to share some really juicy gossip. It’s a bit ridiculous, but honestly, Will loves it. If they’re going to gossip like they’re Karen Wheeler and all the moms of the Hawkins parent-teacher association, they might as well act like it too.

“Guess who the guy looks like, Will,” Max says with a grin.

Will raises an eyebrow. “Who?”

“Jonathan!” Max exclaims, and Will damn near spits out his coffee. 

“No fucking way,” he says, staring at his best friend in shock. “Wait, so… Steve is dating a guy… who looks like my brother but has the personality of Eddie? Seriously?”

“Seriously.” Max nods. “Robin says it’s the craziest thing, but she thinks it makes sense. I mean, your brother’s an attractive guy, so that makes sense, right? And I don’t really remember that much from the week that Eddie joined our little group—you know… ‘cause I was worried about being brutally killed and stuff—but from what Robin can remember, Steve and Eddie really hit it off.”

“Damn.” Will leans back in his chair, still reeling from this new information. “That’s… damn, okay. Well, good for Steve… I’m glad he’s figuring this out and stuff! But… Jonathan and Eddie.”

“Jonathan and Eddie,” Max confirms, taking another sip of her iced coffee. “Crazy, right?” 

“Didn’t Eddie hold a knife to Steve’s throat?” Will recalls, thinking back to the stories Dustin had shared with him from that week. “And I’m pretty sure Jonathan once beat the shit out of Steve the week I went missing.”

Max purses her lips together. “Sounds like he has a type,” she remarks, and Will nearly chokes on his drink again.

“Max!”

“I’m just saying!” Max laughs, leaning back against her chair. “It sounds like Steve’s type is…”

Her voice trails off, and slowly, a look of horror forms on Max’s face. “Oh no.”

Will raises an eyebrow. “What? What’s wrong with you?”

“If Steve’s type is who guys who could beat him up, that means…” Max shudders. “Holy shit, Will. Steve got the shit beat out of him by Billy the first year I moved to Hawkins.”

“No,” Will says flatly. “No, absolutely not.”

“I’m just saying—”

“Steve Harrington’s an idiot,” Will interrupts, making a face at his best friend, “but I refuse to believe that he’d have a thing for your asshole step-brother. He fucking hit Billy with a car, remember? And he confessed later that he didn’t even know Billy was flayed at the time. No way Steve had a thing for him. He’s too good for Billy.”

Max exhales; then, she takes another sip of her iced coffee. “You’re right, you’re right,” she agrees. “God, I thought we were about to have to drive across the country to knock some sense into Steve. Rosie doesn’t like long car rides, so that would’ve sucked.”

Will laughs, and he reaches over, patting Rosie’s head gently. “Well, we would’ve taken lots of breaks, right, Ro?” he says with a grin. Rosie lifts her head slightly, and she wags her tail, clearly excited to be receiving attention from Will. “Anything for you, Rosie. Aw, you know I love you!”

“Dude, stop trying to steal my dog,” Max complains, kicking Will’s shin lightly. 

“Not my fault your dog likes me so much,” Will retorts. 

“Byers, I know you feed her scraps under the table sometimes,” Max deadpans. “It is absolutely your fault she likes you so much. Can’t believe you’re trying to steal a service dog from a blind girl. That’s just a new level of fucked up.”

“You’re a drama queen,” Will deadpans in return. “And here I thought I was dating the world’s biggest drama queen. Nope. That honor goes to Lucas and El.”

A grin forms on Max’s face at the mention of her partners, and she reaches down, petting Rosie’s head. “I wear that title like a badge of honor,” she says dryly. “Especially since it means I beat Mike at something. I know that he probably hates that.”

Will rolls his eyes; then, he takes a drink of his ice coffee, leaning his head on his hand and looking at his best friend. “Okay, so, besides the Steve drama, did you learn anything else from Robin?” he asks curiously. “Because Mike and I learned some really interesting things from Nancy and Jonathan the other day.”

The grin on Max’s face just grows, and she leans in closer to Will. “Robin doesn’t think Steve’s little fling is going to last,” she reports. “Vicki agrees with her, and they’ve got a bet going on for how long Steve will be with the Jonathan/Eddie doppelganger. But other than that… that’s all I’ve got. What do you have for me, Byers?”

Will smirks, sipping on his iced coffee. “Okay, are you ready for this?”

“Hell yeah. I was born ready.”

Will just laughs, and he smiles at his best friend, before recalling the gossip he’d heard from his brother: “So, Nancy sometimes still talks to Murray, right? And they were on the phone the other day, and apparently…”

[bumblepony]

for the ficlet thingy!

I finally got to your request @clickergossip, and I can not say how excited I am about it!!! Here is the story under the cut and cross-posted to AO3.

This is based in an AU that @mariatesstruther and @clickergossip created on Tumblr, where Maria is a superstar who ends up with Tommy as her fake boyfriend to appease the media. They soon become not fake boyfriend and girlfriend.

Joel Miller's Day Off

"Joel, it's so great to see you. Where are the girls?" Maria asks, taking some of the bags from Joel's hands.

"Sarah is tryin' to talk Ellie down from leavin' her swimmin’ suit in the car. She ain't too happy with what we bought at the store, but it was all they had after she left hers at the house." Joel says, looking back to the rental car where Maria can see the two girls arguing hotly.

"Oh, poor kid. Ok why don't you go in and Tommy will show you to your rooms. I'll talk to the girls and see if I can get this figured out." Maria says, moving away quickly. She's almost out of earshot when she turns suddenly and says, "Oh, and Joel, I invited one of my friends, Rose, along, if you see her, please be nice."

"When am I not nice." Joel responds, and Maria gives him a look like 'really' before moving off to the girls.

---

"So yeah, this is gonna be your room, and Sarah and Ellie are sharing a room down on the east side of the house. Kevin's room is over there, and little Mateo' is bunking in with Maria and I except on the nights the nanny is gonna be here." Tommy says, handing Joel a mini-map of the house with directions to all the different activities in the area. "You got this wing pretty much to yourself, except for Maria's friend, who's the next door down."

"Yeah, Maria was saying somethin' about her. Rose or somethin' like that." Joel says, dropping his luggage onto the bed so he can start unpacking.

"Yeah, Rose, that's her name." Joel hears a hesitation in his brother's voice, and he turns around.

"What? Are you gonna tell me I should be nice to her too? Maria already beat ya to it," Joel complains, putting his hands on his hips and popping his knee out in frustration.

"No, nothin' like that, I was more gonna say you might wanna watch out for her. She's ah, I can I say it. Your type." Tommy smiles when he sees Joel's face get flushed.

"What do you mean my type, I don't have a type." Jole grates and turns back to his bag.

"Well, we'll just see, won't we," Tommy says with a laugh before closing his door.

---

Joel comes out to the pool with black swim trunks on and a white t-shirt on top. He's just putting his bag down with sunscreen and water bottles when Sarah and Ellie come out of their side of the house. Sarah has got on a purple one-piece with sparkled detailing down the side, and Ellie is dressed in a black one-piece with white piping and matching black board shorts. She’s also wearing a bright lime green rash guard sleeve on her right forearm. He pushes his sunglasses up and looks her up and down.

"Where'd ya get that," Joel asks, his brow furrowing.

"Ah, Maria's friend gave it to me. She said she didn't need it she has another suit." Ellie flops down on one of the beach chairs. "This place is pretty bitching, it's gotta be nice having rich and famous relatives who can fly you out to that Bahamas for Spring break." She says enviously. Ellie was a foster kid who had been placed with him and Sarah about 6 months ago, and she was still getting used to the idea that she wasn't going to be going anywhere anytime soon. It had been a rough go so far, but things seemed to be getting better.

'Yeah, it is nice, I'd say." He reaches into his bag and throws a bottle of 60 spf sunscreen at her. "Put that on."

Ellie moans when she looks at the bottle. "C'mon Joel, this stuff is like a damn sweater."

"I don't care, with your fair complexion, you are gonna burn at the drop of a hat, put it on." He says, his tone brooking no arguments.

Ellie groans again, and Sarah comes over and sticks her hand out. "Here, Ellie, give it to me I'll put it on for you, then you can help me with mine." Ellie huffs, but she hands the bottle over to Sarah, and they work together to get the job done. Joel can't help the smile that creeps on his lips while he watches the two of them laugh and joke like they've been sisters forever. He hasn't told Ellie yet, but he and Sarah had talked about it, and they had decided they were gonna try to make her placement with them permanent. He'd already reached out to Marlene at the foster agency and got the paperwork started for adoption.

He tugs his shirt off and starts to apply his own sunscreen when he gets to his back and is about to call Sarah over to help him when he hears a voice behind him.

"Would you like me to help you with that cowboy?" Joel turns around and nearly does a double-take. It's a woman, her skin brown and lustrous in the sun; she only comes up to about the middle of his chest, and now he understands how Ellie was able to borrow a suit from her. Though she's got a fair amount more going on in the top area than Ellie probably ever will, Joel immediately cuts his eyes back up to her face in embarrassment when he realizes he was staring a little too long. She's wearing a bright blue one-piece with cutouts in strategic places, Joel can feel the blush creeping up his chest and neck when she smiles at him, a knowing look on her face.

“What’s that?” Joel stammers.

She reaches up to push up her matching blue heart-shaped sunglasses, and Joel can see that she's got a set of long blue acrylics on her fingers. "I said, would you like some help getting your sunscreen on? Then you can help me with mine." She says, holding a hand out to him and wiggling her fingers as she slides her glasses back on.

"Oh sure, thank ya," Joel says, handing her the bottle. "Ah, you must be Rose then. Maria's friend?" Joel asks, turning his back to her.

"That would be correct," She says before sucking her teeth and hitting him gently on the shoulder with her hand. Joel turns his head to look at her his forehead creased with confusion. "Could you sit down, maybe, I don't usually climb guys on the first date, and there's no way I can reach your shoulders properly otherwise."

Joel blushes again and shuffles over to one of the beach chairs. He hears her make her way over and then her hands are moving on his back and shoulders, carefully rubbing the sunscreen in. Joel hears a snort and looks up to see Sarah and Ellie staring at him, their hands covering their mouths, holding back laughter. Joel gives them both a glare, and they turn around and run off laughing to the other side of the pool, where Maria has just come out with Tommy and a baby Mateo in his adorable onesie swimsuit.

"Those your daughters?" Rose asks.

"Ah yeah, Sarah, she's the taller one. She's mine by birth. Ellie, there is a foster, but we are hopin' to have her with us permanently soon. Ah, shit, we weren't tellin' anyone that yet, we want to talk to her first about it. Please forget I said anything." Joel's not sure why he told her that, she’s got him felling wrong-footed somehow.

"Don't worry, cowboy, I won't say anything." She slaps the bottle onto his shoulder, and he reaches up and grabs it. "My turn." Joel stands up and moves out of the way. She doesn't bother to sit down, knowing he will have no problem reaching her back and shoulders.

"Thank ya for lending Ellie a swimsuit. She left hers at home, and the only ones they had at the store were not her style. She’s a might self-conscious.” Joel says, working the sunscreen into the soft skin of her shoulders. The back of the swimsuit cuts down her back to an almost indecent level but lets up just before it reaches too low, Joel finds himself wondering what the rest of her body looks like under the swimsuit. When he feels an uncomfortable heat start to build up at the base of his spine, he moves his eyes back up to her neck.

“It’s not a problem. I remember what it was like to be a 14-year-old girl.” Rose says, waving her hand in a shooing motion like it really wasn’t a big deal. Joel moves his hands down to her back, managing to finish without sneaking any more peeks. He places his hand gently on her shoulder and squeezes when he’s done.

“Finished.” He says, and she turns and gives him a megawatt smile. “I’m gonna go dip my feet in the pool. Wanna join me?” She asks, resting a delicate hand on his forearm.

Joel gulps his adam’s apple, bobbing up and down, and he has to clear his throat before he can answer. “Ah, sure, I’d like that.” She moves off, and Joel watches her sway her hips as she leaves.

Shit, Tommy was right. Joel knows he’s in fucking trouble.

[stranger-rants]

Dying to Live

Mungrove Week - Day 1: Out of The Upside Down

A Mini Ficlet About Cheating Death Part 1 of 2 (Also on AO3, here!)

The Death Year Curse strikes few, poor unlucky souls with the year of a their death written on their wrist. No one knows what triggers it, but some say it’s divine punishment for something shameful the parent or parents of the child have done. It almost always strikes the first born sons - how biblical. There must be some truth to it, because Billy’s death year emerges on his wrist the same year his mother leaves.

1985.

Billy was terrified of death as a child. The agony of dying. The unknown. 1985. He would be 18 in 1985. He would die in 1985. The thought of how it would happen plagued him for a while, but in his mother’s absence he grew so used to pain that death almost felt like a reprieve. A dream. He began courting death. Drinking. Driving fast. Smoking excessively. Snapping back at his father to welcome a beating…

After all, he wasn’t going to die yet.

There was still a part of Billy that fought the curse. He was stubborn like that. He tried in school. Worked multiple jobs, you know - just in case? Maybe he survives this stupid thing and what would surviving get him if he had no plans to live? Christ. Both life and death looked bleak for Billy, but he persisted.

Billy could not possibly predict the way in which he was going to go. Who could? He didn’t know why he fought so hard against it, despite knowing deep in his heart that this was the way it was going to end. Perhaps it was his one last attempt to defy fate. To not be controlled. The monster’s sharp tendrils pierced his sides, soaking his clothes in blood. The pain was unreal, but it would be over soon.

.

Eddie got his curse the year his parents got arrested, and his uncle took him in. When Eddie innocently asked what it was, Wayne didn’t know what to say but he figured that honesty was the best policy. After all, people would talk and they did talk. They said his parents must have made a deal with the devil. That Eddie was destined for “hellfire,” but Wayne always assured he did nothing wrong.

1986.

Eddie decided he wasn’t going to let that stop him from living it up while he still could. He was here to have a good time, not here for a long time. He slacked off in school so he could enjoy the finer things in life. B Movies. Comics. Dungeons and Dragons. Metal. Of course, there was the recreational drugs and alcohol, too - what could it hurt?

After all, he wasn’t going to die yet.

Thinking about death… he tried not to do it, but hearing about the mall fire a year before did keep him up at night occasionally. What a terrible way to go. Eddie had always hoped he died easy, but in a cool way. Like getting electrocuted by his electric guitar by accident or something. That seemed rad. Eddie avoided conflict in the meantime, and took it easy. He didn’t care if it made him a coward.

Never could he have imagined inter dimensional bats ripping into him. He chuckled a bit to himself as the blood filled his mouth. Yeah, what a terrible way to go. Ah, well. At least he was able to save his friends some time? Hopefully? It’s not like he would be alive to see it, and that’s perhaps the part that sucked the most about all of this.

.

Everything was dark for a while, like being asleep without dreaming. Then Eddie awoke. Everything looked the same as Hawkins, but wrong. Cursed. Strange. The woods around him were dark with creepy, crawling creatures of the Upside Down all about him but they didn’t do much of anything to him. Didn’t acknowledge him. It was like he was… dead to them.

“Welcome to hell”

Eddie sat up with a jolt upon hearing the voice.

The Billy Hargrove of Starcourt Mall Fire Legend held out his hand to help Eddie up. He looked like a ghost, all pale with dried blood on his clothes. He didn’t seem real until Eddie took his hand. Solid.

“Am I?”

“Dead? Yeah,” Billy replied, without much decorum.

“Shit,” Eddie ran his hands over his own shirt, checking his wounds. Nothing was there. It was if he was never mauled by dozens of demobats. “Holy - this is, what? You-You’ve been dead for almost a year! You been here this entire time?”

“In hell?” A painful look flashed across Billy’s face, “Yeah, I guess.”

Damn. It felt like an eternity had passed. Billy was starting to go crazy with no people around. He hated that. The neediness he felt despite being, well, dead. When he imagined hell, he thought of endless suffering. Fire and brimstone. Devils poking him with spears. This was like that in a way. The endless suffering part, except the suffering was mostly the solitude, and there were the strange creatures…

How could it not be hell?

“Dude,” Eddie huffed, looking around them and patting the dust off his jeans, “this isn’t hell.”

Billy frowned.

“Then what the hell is it?”

[mintchocolateleaves]

So, @detectivegeekshin and I were talking about a DCMK crossover with Supernatural. And now this exists.

1.

It starts when Kudo Yukiko burns on the ceiling of the Kudo mansion. Flames as hot as the sun scorch the building, burning through wood and furniture, bricks and cement charring as the heat amplifies.

Kudo Yuusaku yells at his son, Shinichi, to run, to get out of the house before it is too late. He shouts when Shinichi lingers, gaze staring up at his mother, telling him to take his adopted brother, Heiji, and run.

It does not take long until the house is cinders. Yuusaku leaves the house a widower, trying to keep his emotions in control, staying calm for his two sons. Shinichi does not cry.

Beside him, Heiji - only two - cries out in shook, horrified at the flames that tickle his face. Shinichi reaches forward and wipes away his tears, deciding that he will keep Heiji safe no matter what happens next. He squeezes Heiji's hand, hugs him close.

When Yuusaku books them into a motel for the evening - the first of many long evenings to pass - he does not mention Yukiko. He does not talk about the fire, or its cause, but he does warn Shinichi about monsters under the bed and how it is now his responsibility to keep his brother safe.

Shinichi nods in understanding. He is only four, but he will not forget this moment. It is the pivotal moment between normal life and abnormal life. It is the day Yuusaku promises to teach him how to hunt down the monsters, before they can pray on him first.

2.

By the time Heiji reaches eighteen, he's decided that he wants nothing to do with monsters. All he wants to do is become a detective and live a long, normal life.

It's probably why, after a huge family argument, he leaves his adopted father and son behind, enrolling in law school and attempting to live a mundane life.

His family leave him alone, and Heiji is glad because his life brightens, and it's actually happy, for once. He starts to think about a future with his girlfriend, Ooka Momiji, instead of a future hunting down demons and expelling ghosts.

He moves into an apartment with Momiji when he is nineteen, and he thinks that finally, finally, everything is going to be work out. Everything is fine until one evening he hears a noise from another room in the apartment - until he has to grab the baseball bat he keeps by the door, going to face the intruder in his household.

Everything is perfect until Shinichi breaks into his apartment at two a.m on a Saturday, bright eyed and smiling at his little brother.

"How's it going Hattori?" he says.

He's not called Heiji by his first name since they were kids. Sometimes, Heiji thinks Shinichi does it just to piss him off. Other times, he thinks Shinichi's just scared to let other people know how much he cares for his younger sibling. It's probably because he enjoys being problematic though, Heiji thinks.

"Kudo..." Heiji says, because two can play the surname game. No honorifics.

Momiji enters the room behind him, wraps her hand around his arm and asks if everything's okay. She's calm, as if she hadn't been worried about any intruders seconds before. Heiji watches as Shinichi smiles slightly, his lips turned upward in that way he does when he gains new puzzle pieces.

"It's fine." Heiji says, crossing his arms, "t'is is jus' Kudo Shinichi."

Momiji turns to Shinichi, who is leaning against their kitchen table, and offers a confused smile. She says, "the brother you've told me about... Does he not have a concept of time?"

Shinichi sends her a tight-lipped smile. It is the sort of smile that asks why she's asking him questions that should have obvious answers. He's here for Heiji's help on something supernatural related.

He has a habit of that, Shinichi does - he constantly expects others to understand what he's talking about. It's frustrating, especially to Heiji, who kicks himself every time he can't follow Shinichi's thoughts and conclusions.

"He's here for a favour," Heiji says, his voice flat. "Although it is a little inconvenient time-wise."

Shinichi gives him that smile again. It tells Heiji that he's shown up late just to spite him, because he can. It pisses Heiji off, and he wants to hit the other man for a moment, but he doesn't. He can't let himself be the hotheaded little brother he's always been labelled as.

"I wanted to make sure to get you when you weren't busy." Shinichi says, voice smug. "Couldn't be sure what you were doing during the day, so this was the only time."

"And why'd you break in?"

"Ah, that," Shinichi sighs. He shrugs, "that's just because I couldn't find a key in your plant pot."

Heiji feels his eyebrow twitch in irritation. For a moment he considers tossing Shinichi out of the room - he's always been the stronger of the two, it wouldn't be impossible. Except, Heiji hasn't been keeping up with the fitness regime he'd done in the past, so maybe it won't be so simple...

"Wha' do ya' want?"

3.

Kudo Yuusaku has gone missing.

This is the first thing Shinichi tells Heiji, and it is the thing that eventually leads to Heiji deciding that he will help Shinichi with the case their father had been working on before his disappearance.

Heiji is not that excited about it, because he's not a big fan of the supernatural, not after all that he's seen. He doesn't understand his university classmates when they talk about ghosts and werewolves - they've got no clue what the supernatural is like, and they want to be a part of it.

"Come on," Shinichi says as they're making their way to the car. He hops into the driver's side, tells Heiji about the case they're going on - 'Several male kids have been found drowned, it's a really complex case actually' - and warns him against picking the music because Heiji only ever picks terrible music.

Heiji sends him a look that tells him to shut up.

The silence that follows is deafening but Heiji doesn't want to break it. He's not talked to Shinichi since the first argument, had grown tired of constantly being the only affectionate one, always being forced to feel small at his older brothers looks.

Sure, it's just who Shinichi is. That doesn't make it acceptable though.

4.

The children have been killed due to a woman in white, a vengeful spirit trying to enact revenge after the death of her children. Shinichi seems to figure it quicker than Heiji does, but he tells Heiji it's only a lack of practice and experience - not skill.

It doesn't make Heiji feel any better.

As they are driving back in the car, Shinichi asks if this is what Heiji really wants, a normal life living as a law student, soon to be detective. He doesn't look at his brother when he asks, but from the way his hands grip the steering wheel, Heiji can tell that Shinichi's waiting for his answer.

"Yes," Heiji says. "I want to stay with Momiji-chan as well, I... I like living like this."

Shinichi scrunches his nose as if to ask 'why?' before shrugging his shoulders. He says, "fair enough."

When he drops Heiji back at his apartment, Shinichi doesn't even wave. He stays at the wheel, staring forwards as Heiji shuts the door behind him. He doesn't bother giving Heiji his number - it's not like Heiji's expecting them to stay in touch, not when Shinichi's too stuck in the abnormal to agree to acting normal for his brother's sake.

As soon as he sets foot in his room, calling out for his girlfriend, Heiji feels worry trickle down his spine. He gets a sense of foreboding, a bad feeling that something is about to go, very, very wrong.

"Momiji?" He calls, making his way to their bedroom. He doesn't see her as he collapses in their bed, but he thinks that she'll come home soon.

Something drips on his cheek. Blood.

Momiji is on the ceiling, and as Heiji looks up in horror, she burns. She burns the same way Kudo Yukiko burnt over seventeen years before.

5.

It could be argued that everything begins with the death of Kudo Yukiko.

It could also be argued that it only spirals out of control when Ooka Momiji burns in a similar way.

However, it all really begins when Heiji walks from his apartment, reopens the door of Shinichi's car and tells him to start driving.

I might continue this, if people want it?

Other fics of mine can be found here.

[welshdragonrawr]

Accidents and Understandings

A tidbit from a ficlet I’ll probably never finish. 

If only it had been a clean break. 

At least then the shaft might have been repairable. 

Alas a thick wound-round of tape or a gelatinous glob of hot glue would do no good. Not for the two halves of fine wood lying in her lap. Well, more like two-thirds of one end and the other third baring the thick handle. 

Lying in her lap in two pieces, the formidable cane looked like little more than kindling for the fireplace. One of the girls had even outlandishly offered to stick it back together, but the way the wood had splintered meant it couldn’t be done without further damaging the piece and would not be the same even if it had worked. 

Although her frosty exterior had been somewhat warmed a little with her time employed at Miss Robichaux’s Academy, it was common knowledge among all students not to antagonise the lady in lavender who wandered through their halls. Wilhemina Venable was a force to be reckoned with, perhaps surpassed only by the Supreme, when she was not happy. Or so the rumours had said. And right now, sat upstairs alone in her given room, her most invaluable possession in irreparable pieces, Wilhemina Venable was Not. Happy.

A knock at the door drew the red-head’s thoughts from the broken cane for all of a moment. Just long enough for dark eyes to glisten with deep ire at whoever thought it was a good idea to disturb her now.

Surely most of the students knew by now not to bother her in her sombre moods. She had made example enough of more than one of them who had unintentionally crossed the wrong path at the wrong time. The cordial Supreme hadn’t been too happy about the last dressing down Venable had doled out among her cohort, but after a brief discussion they had come to some mutual understanding that so long as Ms Goode kept them in line, Ms Venable would not have to. 

It didn’t stop the Supreme’s frustratingly chipper wife from trying her damndest to break through Wilhemina’s stubborn walls still occasionally, but it was a start. And she could avoid singular tall swamp witches a lot easier than several dozen students.

[oh-for-fic-sake]

It’s A Match Chapter One

Masterlist

Disclaimer

Summary: Filming is over and Henry returns home to and empty house. And he doesn't like it, things are getting to him and he doesn't want to be alone anymore. Then his brother suggests online dating, it sounds mad but henry decides to give it a shot. If worst comes to worst he just deletes the profile. He has nothing to loose right?

Warnings: Angst, Swearing, Cheese, Self Indulgent Fic, Rpf, Plus sized reader.

A/N: so I wrote this before the whole 'girlfriend' shock and everything that has followed. I was of two minds whether to ever post it but honestly, this is my blog and I've clearly stated that i am going to continue writing Rpf. I want to do a little ficlet/mini fic and well here we go. It wont be smutty just  somewhat angsty then fluffy. Enjoy~

Taglist: In Reblogs.

Henry slumped back on the seat in his conservatory and sighed, from here he could see his brothers and their wives outside, each snuggled up on the out door wicker sectional he had got to have the family over. It was the first family get together for over a year. He was happy, god it was amazing to see them but... He couldn't help being a tad envious.

They all had a family, wife and kids to go through this shitstorm in. He had no one, well he ha Kal. But that was it he sighed and looked away sipping from his cup slowly takeing a moment for himself. He needed to just chill, but it was getting hard... This year had really knocked him back he was at an all time low he hadn't felt like this for a long time. He knew he was depressed, he felt stupid there was no reason to be but there we go.

Henry had been getting himself all twisted for a while now, filming the Witcher helped but now that was over and he was home alone. Left with his thoughts in a big empty house.

"Sooo little brother want to tell me what's going on or am I gonna have to get mum in here?" Henry jumped at the voice and spun around to face his brother who was keeping a safe distance at the door. Wiping his hands down clearly just having washed them again.

"I ah its nothing, you know me I'm a worry wart" he said waving off his older brother he didn't want to bring down the mood of the small gathering, it was why he had come in here to take a breather.

"You called us all here for a visit hen, out of the blue when lockdown is still being eased out. Its clear you don't want to be alone, yet your sitting in here alone." His older brother said leaning on the door frame folding his arms trying to figure out what was really going on. He could see his little brother was hurting he wanted to help.

"I've got Kal" Henry said with a chuckle and looked about for the bear only to frown and sigh seeing the room was empty apart fro  him and his brother.

"Kal's outside with the kids hen, what's up? You can tell me you know" henry sided as his sibling  moved sitting in the small seat across from him. He knew that his family would listen but he felt so... spoilt like he was asking too much and was being selfish. It wasn't like him.

He grunted leaning back choosing not to look at his brother instead focusing on the cup in his hand. He spun it slightly then heaved a sigh. He wasn't getting away with not speaking about it, he was going to air out his worries one way or another. With his brother or his mother, and he loved his mother but this was? He wanted to keep this issues close to his chest. So far only Kal knew about his problems.

"I... I've had enough... just had enough of fucking covid and being alone... i felt isolated before all this shit kicked off and now?" He vented releasing all the fears he had. It was tough, he was a family man without his own little family, he hadn't managed to find anyone to share his life with and it got to him. He tried being sincere and polite, he took care of himself and tried staying true to himself but... something was missing it had to be! On paper he was a safe bet a good man! Yet his relationships never worked. There were different opinions or his other half couldn't handle the life style or they tried changing him or they couldn't put up with the way he loved so furiously- so openly wanting to always hold and kiss them. It just never quite worked.

"Its- fuck everything has just caught up with me...worries I've had for a few years now I could ignore them you know? I had other stuff going on, was always out and about meetings and press tours I was busy! But now?" He tried putting his feeling into words but he was conscious, he didn't want to whine or bitch about his life. He loved his work and the life he had made for himself he just? Wanted someone to share it with.

"Now after covid you've got all the time in the world to think?" Henry nodded agreeing with his brother. Covid had made him face these fears head on. He has been alone for the best part of a year with the uncertainty of his work and filming quarantines and isolations.

"Yeah, it hurts I'm... I'm in deep and I? I don't know how I'm getting out of this slump" henry finally said outloud, his brother dipped his head listening to him as he ranted. Started letting out all the frustration and anxiety out but stopped short with another growl closeing his hand around the cup tightly hissing in frustration then looked away.

"And what's caused it? I know you hate being alone but?" Henry sighed shaking his head as his brother tried coaxing more out of him. He drew in a shaky breath wanting to cry, he was just so lost and upset over being upset and alone.

"Two lock downs... Two alone- I? If this carries on for the next few years I don't... I don't want to be alone anymore! I want to settle down, I want an actual personal life! A relationship a family and? How? How am I gonna find all that? They want fame or money or something! Women never seem to want me for me, they say the do then judge me for my hobbies- I'm a geek I like tech and games and fantasy! And women don't like that" he spewed the words like they were venom, half ashamed of being so dramatic but the fear was real. Henry was scared, he wanted love. He wanted a family of his own, and it seemed impossible, now more then ever.

"I want to meet someone who will take me as I am, for me and I just I'm giving up. I'm giving up on it I can feel it, almost forty and look, alone unmarried no kids-I have no one to share my life with, it hurts am I not good enough for that?"  He hung his head as he spoke the final words put loud. He felt so vain and full of himself when he said them out loud, his skin crawled.

But it was how he felt, being the muscular decent looking man he was didn't go with his personality. He was a geek and the woman who were drawn to him didn't want that. And the woman that shared his hobbies normally weren't confident enough to even speak to him. Society's views on acceptable couples had put Henry in no mans land.

"What about online dating?" His brother spoke up but Henry just grunted rolling his eyes frustrated.

"What? No I cant do that I'd be fucking swamped" he hissed in irritation frustrated at the mere suggestion of him trying to date online.

"Whoa hold your horses let me finish I mean come on Hen there's bound to be hundreds of shy sweet women on there, I mean girls that are into your hobbies and stuff aren't usually the ones out and about partying and stuff, so its more likely they will be online" his brother quickly explained before Henry could pop off on one and shut him down.

Henry opened his mouth and stopped himself. That was a good point. Many of the women he would click with weren't going to be in bars or fancy parties. They were normally shy and at home most of the time reading or playing games.

"I... You really think i could meet someone? Meet the one online?" He asked in a small voice warming to the idea. His sibling smiled and nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes little brother, your a down to earth guy, just make a profile and have a look, if you don't like what you see you can delete the profile" henry nodded slowly thinking it over. There'd be no harm if he failed well he'd be no worse off, a little disheartened but that's about it.

"Look write down a few things you want in your dream girl, have a pseudo name like fucking I don't know Hank! Or something and say your a runner on set or something" his brother spoke up quickly as Henry sat back and actually thought about it seriously. He was right, henry could tweak things and be careful about what he shared and if he did meet the one then she'd understand... He could explain the predicament he was in. That he just wanted someone who liked him for him. And he would only reveal himself to her if she was the one and he was sure she would understand. As long as he was himself and honest about everything else in his life then there was no harm... and if he used proper photos of himself just... half cropped out then? It wasn't catfishing? Because he was being himself just using the nickname his mother used to call him.

"O-okay so be myself but... Just tweak a few things? So they don't know its me?" He reiterated to his brother still trying to figure out the morality of this whole idea.

"Yes! No full on pictures, no photos of Kal either new photos henry not old, maybe of your eyes up or something? Girls love blue eyed boy- not your right that brown will give you away... you could even fuck em up with a behind the scenes character photo? I mean come on how many men use a superman photo for their profile these days?" He encouraged wanting more then anything to cheer up his little brother.

"I yeah... That could work ,thank you- I'm sorry I got so worked up it... Its just getting to me now" henry apologised but his brother shook his head and chuckled standing up to go back outside to the others that were all happily chatting in the garden.

"I know Hen, look just give it a go, you might be surprized... come on lets get back out there, after all you are the host~ you cant just run off and hide" henry grinned standing and following his brother. It was decided, he'd give online dating a go!

A week later Henry sat at the computer everything was ready, he'd taken some precise photos and had spent the last half hour writing a profile up. He had felt a little guilty about this... Was he lying? Technically it was him, he was going by Hank which was a nickname his parents gave him as a child, luckily this site didn't require a surname because honestly? He had no clue! To fend off some guilt he had thrown in a behind the scenes photo of himself as superman it wasn't much but it helped take the edge off. The other photos were cropped and there were a good few just so that the women knew he wasn't technically a catfish; he even did one with him covering half of his face with a piece of paper with Hank scrawled across it. At the time he felt silly but it helped with his anxiety over the whole thing.

He paused for a second eyeing the screen rereading the profile over and over trying to make sure it was alright and honest. And it was, he had explained a little about himself, his hobbies and interests and his job... Only brushing over he worked for the film and tv industry recently working for Netflix he hadn't exactly explained what he did but there was enough information.

With a deep breath he clicked the button his mouse hovered over going live with the profile. Now all he had to do was wait and hope he caught a good womans eye. Within moments a few profiles popped up, matches. He scanned them flicking through some of the profiles and felt his heart crack. They were all full of badly filtered photos and used slang that to be honest he didn't even understand. What was so hard about using plain English?

He growled growing frustrated clicking through what were clearly a bunch of wannabe sugar babies. Each profile had a main photo a little bit of info then a few more pictures added to them. He scanned each one quickly going through the motions judging each one. 'Too far away... Your clearly not even eighteen?... Oh you like dc? Really hate to break it to you but thor is not a dc character' Henry grunted as he bypassed what felt like hundreds of women each with their own 'duck face' selfie most advertising their Instagram pages some even ballsy enough to add their only fans pages.

'Wait a second who was that?' He paused and scrolled back up and eyed the image on screen. It was a face on photo a cute woman smiling uncomfortably. Unlike everyone else's there was no distorting blur or heavy editing, the only make up was in the form of eyeliner in a set of black slightly uneven cat eyes. A slightly skewed black flicks making a point of no editing on the photo.

She was a full figured woman with proper kissable round cheeks and a sweet nervous grin. Her eyes were what got him, they were kind and genuine he could see she was uneasy about the photo but she was beautiful. She lived about half hour away which wasn't to bad.

Henry clicked the profile and scrolled down she didn't smoke, drunk occasionally and had no children. She did however have a college education in animal care and ran a small business. Centred on dogs by the looks of it. He moved further down reading the profile.

Y/n, 30, business owner, e/c, 5'4, curvy

I'm shy so will take a while to warm up to you. A honest woman, sometimes to honest I don't seem to have a filter 🤗 I'm laid back and tend to be sarcastic and I love animals I'm a kc certified dog breeder as well as run a small successful business that caters to dogs. So if you are allergic or don't like dogs then leave now but thank you for clicking🙃

I spend most of my free time gaming or reading. I enjoy the fantasy genre and love dc and marvel (though I love dc just a tad more🤫)

I have one fur baby in the form of my lovely girl Amii who is a three year old malamute. Yes malamute not a husky or Akita so again if you don't like dogs or big dogs I'm not the girl for you.

I'm looking for someone to have fun and maybe build a life with. Covid has been tough being single and decided that it was about time I tried this whole online dating thing. If you want to chat pop me a message 🥰

I do not have a personal Instagram, snapchat or only fans! Stop asking for pictures!😠😠

Henry's face split into a huge grin. She seemed to good to be true. She was wholesome, successful in her own right and looked fun. She didn't seem to be full of kale and bullshit. Just genuine and? Henry couldn't put his finger on it but there was something drawing him to this woman.

True to her word there was no Instagram link, no only fans or snap chat or anything. He scrolled further seeing photos of her and the biggest fluffiest dog he had ever seen in his life. She was sitting down next to who he assumed was Amii her dog and he melted. Y/n looked happy and content, living her best life.

There was nothing that sent alarm bells ringing, no racey photos or 'Netflix and chill' innuendos. The profile was clean and genuine.  He was right the woman was a little chunky but extraordinarily beautiful. The curves suited her and made her look more... cheerful and he could tell she was strong aswell, you had to be to have a huge dog like that about you.

There were photos of her walking a large pack of dogs in the wood; that he recognised! They were the very same he took Kal to only ten minuets down the road, he even recognised the small logo of her company on the jacket she wore. He had seen dog walkers wearing the same jacket so he knew of her brand. I he remembered correctly the company offered dog walking, grooming and kennel facilities as well as offering Breeding services helping stud dogs and stuff. They also helped advertise registered breeders and took in rescues for rehoming. It was a brilliant little company that he had even used for Kal once or twice to get his teeth cleaned and nails clipped, because Kal was a bugger for his pedicures!

He moved further down seeing more photos of the woman a small section with the games and tv she liked. Witcher was in both the tv and games category aswell as peaky blinders, Vikings and a few other shows.

Henry paused as he saw the chat button. Should he? He but his lip twisting on the spot in he chair rocking from side to side. What harm is there? He could just send a message she looked like a fun loving woman, he shared the same interests and stuff... so why not?

His fingers hovered over the keys ready to type out the words. But he choked. His mind ran blank what does he say? Hi? I saw your profile? Does he ask for a date? What does he do?

He let his hands fall and growled. Then scanned over the side of the message bar seeing a few pre-typed responses.

'It's a match!' 'You look fun, lets chat' 'I like your profile picture'

He winced they all seemed... wrong? Somehow they were polite and all but it- they wasn't personal or anything just... not quite right. He looked down as Kal came padding over and slumped next to him resting his chin on his foot with a loud sigh. With that Henry had an idea typing away a little message and hitting send before he could really think.

You sighed typing away the latest wage slips and added up all the various overtime, you really needed some more staff on now that lockdown was coming to an end. Thankfully animal care was essential so you hadn't been hit too hard a few staff were on furlough as they were extreme high risk and shielding but you were going out of your way to make the premises covid safe. Luckily it wasn't too hard as much of the business was just a few staff and lots of dogs.

You frowned when a chat icon popped up in to corner of your screen. 'Hank?' You though trying to remember if you knew a Hank? Maybe a client or some old friend... but you honestly couldn't recall. You l saved your document and clicked the small icon bringing up a chat and frowned a you read the little message.

'I call my dog bear but he has nothing on Amii, Shes the fluffiest dog I've ever seen in my life she looks perfect for bear hugs😅'

'what the hell?' You cursed scrunching your nose up at the screen rereading the words. That's a bit random... you clicked his icon a small photo of half of his face then froze as a dating profile opened up. 'Oh... shit' you said seeing that your own profile you'd set up a few days ago out of curiosity had garnered the attention of the handsome blue eyed stranger. You swallowed biting you lip thoughts of finishing updating your records now gone as you scanned Hanks profile and a small smile crossed your face.

Hank, 37, works in the film industry. Blue eyes, 6ft, muscular.

Decided to finally try this online dating, unsure what to say other then I'm looking for a life partner. I like to think I'm funny and laid back. I'm fit and active but that doesn't mean you have to be, but maybe my lady could come for walks with me and my four legged son? I promise he's my best freind and a good boy.

My job is tough and I'm away for long periods of time, but when I'm home I like to play games and am into warcraft. I paint miniatures when I can. Fantasy and superheroes are a big part of my hobbies so if you don't like all things geek then I'm probably not for you.

But if they are? Then feel free to message me, I will reply when I can.

You read and re-read the profile And your hands hovered over your chicklet keyboard. Biting your lip, do you respond? He seemed sweet and real... if that made sense. You took a deep breath. What was the worst that could happen? Asking for a plane ticket? You decided to take a chance and typed back a reply hitting send whilst you had your nerve and then flushed.

"And they say fluffy dogs only lure in women~" You giggled to yourself  moving a hand over the huge fluffy girl beside you giving her pets whislt thinking of a reply.

[pastorpresent]

Hi, do you write on ao3? Cause after that little ficlit you wrote I would love to read more of your work

Ah thank you so much, that means a lot!!

I do have an ao3 (kittychatuwu) but I don't have anything spn on there at the minute, since a lot of my fics tend to be quite short. If you go on the #mywriting tag on my blog, it shows all my mini fics/ficlets/headcannons tho!

Thank you again my lovely <33

[sins-of-a-spider]

Little Shop of Horrors Starker AU

Listen- I recently rewatched the movie and wasnt able to get this out of my head. I wouldn’t call this HCs or even a ficlet.. its just a rewritten plot with Tony as Seymour, Peter as Audrey, Beck as Orin and Audrey II as Ultron. Enjoy I guess? I wouldn’t mind doing mini ficlets of this at all. I love the dynamic of Peter as Audrey and Tony as Seymour 🥺💕 I had to skip a few things and slightly change the plot as a heads up, spoilers ahead obviously:

—————————

Tony and Peter work at a mechanics shop owned by Stephen Strange. Tony is always trying to come up with more ways to bring people in whether it be making small trinkets or even busting peoples cars to force them to come in.

Tony has been crushing on Peter since he started but the poor little thing is already spoken for. He comes in covered in bruises and always late but he’s an absolute angel in looks and personality. Peter always insists that Strange is too hard on Tony and makes him take on too much for the shop. Peter and Tony will sit in the back on particularly slow days and tinker together as well, showing off Peter’s brilliant mind he keeps hidden away.

One day in the middle of the afternoon there was a total eclipse of the sun. A strange event no weather channel predicted. Tony had been parts shopping when it happened. He turned around and there it was. The strangest most peculiar machine he’d ever seen. He bought it immediately and affectionately named it Peter II.

Finally on a particularly rough day for sales Peter had the idea to display the machine Tony had found to drive sales. It immediately had people coming in just to see it and upon entering buying a trinket or schedule a large repair. By the end of the day the business was booming again.

That was until the machine shut down, it no longer lit up or vibrated in its place all on its own. Tony tried everything until finally he accidentally cut his finger. When the blood came close, its gears turned shuddering at the distance.

“No- you gotta be kidding me. Blood?! You run on blood?! Fuck- alright. Only because you’re making me a millionaire overnight.” Tony chided, placing his finger to the top of the box and letting it absorb and suck away the red liquid greedily.

Tony’s feeding continued until the machine started to grow. Machines don’t grow. With every drop of blood it was building onto itself, its wires extending and steel plates shifting to accommodate its size. This was something else entirely. Once again the machine shut down when its thirst conquered all.

When Tony went to cut his finger, it spoke.

“Feed me.”

“Excuse me- you- you talked! You! What? Are you some sort of advanced AI-“

“FEED ME!”

“Ah- shit i’m almost sucked dry give me a few hours to recover.”

“Feed me Tonyyy~ Feed me all night long.”

The machine that seemed to have gained its own self awareness and abilities to communicate demanded blood. Much more of it, and fresh. It demanded fresh dead bodies to consume to keep it running.

At first Tony refused, that was until across the street he watched Peter’s boyfriend Beck arrive outside, hitting the poor thing and calling him names, dragging him inside Peter’s tiny apartment.

“Deal. He looks like computer food to me.”

The plan was in place. Tony lured Beck inside the shop and Peter II took it from there, consuming and grinding the man’s flesh into nothing but mush.

With Beck going missing, Peter was distraught the next day finding out that the man never made it home. He was questioned by police heavily and only left alone when he broke down into tears. Tony was quick to comfort him.

“He was never nice to you anyways, maybe its a good thing he disappeared.”

“Thats the problem I… I’m relieved he’s gone…. I’m-I’m relieved and- and I shouldn’t be! Its wrong for me to want him to disappear!”

“I don’t think its wrong at all. I’m here for you, always have been. You know- I would treat you right.”

Peter looks up at Tony, catching his eye. Then… suddenly there was Tony. He always had been there, was the good guy Peter always dreamed of being with. Tony was the one. They sealed their newfound love with a kiss.

Fame and wealth poured in when news outlets caught wind of the talking self-aware and developing super computer. Interviews, blog posts, photographs, radio talk shows, everyone and everything kept Tony busy and his pockets full. But a guilt was growing in him. He was no killer, and this machine would need to eat again, and eat quick.

He had to do something.

Before he had time to develop his plan, Peter was caught in its trap. Peter had come to the shop to clean things up in preparation for a tv interview the next day. Peter II started to sweet talk him, drawing him in closer. It was then it struck. Winding wires and cables grabbed onto his limps, pulling him into its killer steel maw. Tony came just in time, saving his boy and using an ax to chop the makeshift arms and hands.

Peter II attacks, lurching at Tony with every bit of its strength. Almost toying with him as it mocks, laughing at the weakness of man and flesh. Finally, with a final blow Tony breaks an upper water pipe, blasting the AI and frying its servers.

The horror is over. Finally Peter and Tony are able to live in peace somewhere thats green.

[thedamageofherdays]

I read a variety of Evanstan and Stucky fics this week and revisited some old favourites. A good reading week I would say :)

Favourites are marked with a 🌻

Won't you tell me (you're scared too) by hellobeautworld @hellobeautworld [Evanstan, 6k words, Teen]

Before his brain – or his heart, in fear of it being its last living hours, Chris isn’t exactly sure which one is in charge right now – can talk him out of it, he speed-dials the most intimidating phone number he has ever set eyes on. And he had to make a lot of terrifying phone calls to a lot of terrifying people. It rings three, four times, until that familiar, always a bit hesitant, but yet so easily excitable, voice comes on.

“Hey, Chris, how are ya?"

Chris takes a very deep breath to keep from blurting out the truth. That he is so damn scared of what he’s about to do that he just wants to run away. Straight into those now a bit less heavily muscled arms, if possible.

nostalgia isn't forever by wintersoldier1989 @wintersoldier1989 [Evanstan, 904 words, Explicit]

This ficlet was inspired by a tumble prompt.

"I wish you would write a fic where… Seb comes home a day earlier than expected from filming and catches Chris watching Political Animals and feels all soft until he realizes he's got a hand showed down his pants in between all the blankets... now he either is very flattered and goes to say hello on his knees or he's a bit :( cause "so you like young me better than this old thing? *pouts*".. either way Chris is mortified at getting caught and red all down his chest :)"

The smirk on Seb’s face when he realizes what’s going on. 😏

Chris would blush furiously, that pale Irish skin turning a bright shade of red from lust and a hint of embarrassment at being caught with his hand in his pants with this particular ahem viewing material. It’s no surprise that both of them have aged over the course of their 10+ year relationship. And as much as Chris loves the grey in Seb’s beard these days, he’s always had a soft spot for his boyfriend’s baby face. It takes him back in time, reminding him of all the longing heated glances, fumbling hands and nervous butterflies.

Closer by musette22 @musette22 [Evanstan, 5k words, Teen]

The relief that floods Sebastian at seeing Chris alive and well is intense, lifting some of that debilitating weight that’s been pressing down on his chest all evening, but it’s short lived. Because Chris looks... Well, he looks unfairly gorgeous as always, with his beard and his soft, cerulean eyes, but he also looks nervous and just a little bit shifty.

The feeling of unease grows when Chris shoots him a smile that’s tense around the edges and says, “Hey, Seb. Can we talk for a moment?”

Sebastian’s stomach drops, a physical sensation that makes him suddenly grateful he hasn’t had any food all day. He swallows through a tight throat, then takes a step aside and gestures for Chris to come in. “Sure,” he says hoarsely. “What’s up?”

Chris smiles at him again, and wow, yeah, he’s definitely nervous.

“Sit down for a minute, okay?” Chris orders gently, taking a step closer, and Sebastian closes his eyes. This is it.

🌻 Soul Searching by musette22 [Evanstan, 20k words, Explicit]

So?” Scott asks after a while. “You wanna tell me how you’re really doing?”

A little hesitantly, Chris says, “I don’t know what to tell you that you don’t already know.”

“Sure you do,” Scott says easily. “How ‘bout you start with telling me why you were going around telling everyone you were going to take a break from acting, only to then sign up to two big new projects in the past month or so?”

Chris picks at the label of his beer bottle, looking a little sheepish. “Ah,” he says. “I was kinda hoping everyone’d forgotten about that.” He sighs, dragging a hand over his face. “I mean, I was honestly planning on taking a break, but then I had a couple of weeks off and I just- I just realized I would have all this free time on my hands and no one to spend it with, you know?”

There it is, Scott thinks.

🌻 I've done some things that I shouldn't have done (but I haven't stopped loving you once) by musette22 [Evanstan, 59k words, Explicit]

After the release of Infinity War, Chris and Sebastian each take some time off to recharge. Chris is staying in Scarlett’s lake cabin on his own and invites Sebastian up to come and spend some time with him. Due to busy work schedules and a number of other, more personal reasons, Chris and Seb haven't been as close lately, something which neither of them are very happy about. This mini-vacation presents a chance for them to revive their friendship and maybe (definitely) explore if there might be something more. Over the course of a week, and with a little help from meddling friends and co-stars, the boys learn to build bridges, to be vulnerable and take chances, and to stop letting fear rule their lives.

Angel in an Ambulance by deucalionsvision [Stucky, 1k words, Teen]

Bucky twists his ankle while drunk, and his flirting greatly impedes the hot paramedic's ability to examine him. Said paramedic doesn't really mind.

🌻 Rites of the Wild by dreamsinthewitchouse @dreamsinthewitchouse [Stucky, 2k words, Mature]

When they move, it’s into Steve’s direction, and two things become clear at once.

One, the person has only one arm. Two, they’re covered in blood.

OR:

Steve is a nature photographer in an unfamiliar forest. Bucky is a maenad who saves Steve from their bloodthirsty siblings.

Fic & moodboard for Stucky Week 2021, Day 5: Alternate Universe

🌻 pillow feathers by wearing_tearing [Stucky, 2k words, Mature]

“Steve,” Bucky whispers, trying to tug at one of the blankets wrapped around him.

Steve snuffles and scowls in his sleep, bringing his legs up to his chest and effectively stopping Bucky from tugging anything. He also rubs his face against Bucky’s pillow, making a little soft sound in the back of his throat.

“Fuck, but you’re cute,” Bucky murmurs, lips twitching.

🌻 odd ways by peterbparker [Stucky, 2k words, Teen]

“And it would have been an amazing night with my son if he wasn’t distracted by the hot guy on the other side of the room,” Sarah sighed, shaking her head. “He’s been looking over at you for the past fifteen minutes.”

Bucky choked on the mouthful of beer he had just taken. 

“What?” he croaked. Things were starting to make a little more sense now. 

“Right?” Sarah said, waving her hand towards her son. “He completely ignored my garden stories because he’s been making eyes at you so I decided to come over and introduce myself.”

or; Sarah Rogers being a nosey mother, Steve Rogers blushing a lot and wishing the earth would swallow him whole, and Bucky Barnes being confused and amused for 2000 words

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Hello hello!!

I wondered if you could give me some tips on good short Johnlock fanfics?

Hey Nonny!

Ah, honestly, my biggest advice is to just write what YOU want to read! People who write stories that they themselves would enjoy really shows in the writing. For me, I like slice-of-life short stories, hence why most of my own ficlets are exactly that. I like writing about inner feelings and essentially WHAT they are thinking in the moment. Fics like that help me connect better with the characters, and, in turn, my readers will pick up on the love I have for that moment in the works I post.

I DID do a small mini masterpost for a Nonny awhile ago looking for some writing advice, so you can check that out if you would like, for additional thoughts, but honestly just, if you have an idea, jot it down on a google doc or something. If you have a whole scene in mind, write the scene and then write the additional things you need for it. You DON'T have to write "in order". I know when I used to write fanfics more regularly, I actually ALWAYS started with the climax since that was the visual I had in my head, and then I wrote "how we got here". It helped me make the story make sense.

So yeah, not a LOT of tips from me other than just write whatever comes to mind, and NOT because you think it will become popular.

Anyone have their own tips to add?

[my-robot-heart]

I got a sweet prompt on ao3 that I wanted to see if I could do a sort of mini lizzington ficlet for-but then it turned into a longer ficlet so I'll be posting the rest up on ao3 when I write it.

could you,if you get time, do one where red and lizzie have just been dating for a short while and Lizzie finds out she is pregnant.she has Agnes from tom,who red loves like his own but doesnt think red wants another child,so she goes to leave.red finds out and rushes to the airport to stop them and bring them home

Lizzie grabbed the pregnancy test off the shelf in the drugstore hurriedly, her hands full already with a teetering basket and Agnes, who was tugging her in the direction of the candy display. Just in case she told herself, aiming for nonchalance, but in truth mentally freaking out just a little bit. Her eyes met the cashier's and she smiled, as if to say I know, right? but the teenager's face remained impassive as she scanned through the pregnancy test, and Agnes's package of skittles.

It had only been a week. She had been late before. But somehow, the second time, she just had a feeling she couldn't quite put her finger on. A physical remembrance of the time before, with Agnes. And so she drove the two of them home, set Agnes up with a favourite book and her stuffed pig, and shut the bathroom door behind her. Only a week. It was probably nothing.

As she waited the five minutes for her result, her mind couldn't help but return to the night she and Red had spent together. It had been- unexpected. And wonderful. And... hopefully nothing more. Whatever happened, she was certain that while Red accepted Agnes as part of her package deal, he was not looking to start a family of four, especially when they'd only just become honest with each other about their feelings. If it was negative, she'd just throw out the test and make sure to be more careful in the future. If it was positive... she didn't want to think about that.

She glanced at her phone. 5 minutes exactly. Turning the test over, the large blue + sign stared back at her. Positive. She flushed the toilet, shoving the test in the back of her bathroom drawer, and went out to get some dinner ready for her and Agnes.

Later that night when Agnes was asleep, Lizzie held her phone in her hands, debating over whether or not to call Red. And just when she was about to call it a night, the phone lit up. Of course. He'd always had impeccable timing, she thought accusingly.

"Red. Hi."

"Hello Lizzie." His voice was deep, sexy. She usually loved talking to him on the phone. But tonight-

"What's up?" She attempted friendliness.

"I was just thinking of you," he said, and she felt a pang in her heart. "Should I come over? Is it too late?"

Lizzie hesitated. "I... don't think you should come over tonight. Agnes had a hard time falling asleep," she lied. "I need to be quiet."

"Ah," he replied, knowingly. "Quiet. I had something in mind that would be slightly... louder. Best to see you another time, then, Lizzie."

She agreed. "Yeah. Probably best to do that."

Even over the phone he could sense something was up. "Is everything okay, Lizzie? You sound... upset. Did something happen? Is Agnes alright?"

She nodded, belatedly realizing he couldn't see her. "Agnes is well, Red. I think I'm just- tired."

"I wish you a sound sleep, then, Lizzie. Goodnight."

"Night, Red." She said, and hung up.

[rarn-the-sad]

school breakfast | ficlet

"What is it?" Pidge asks Lance, confused. "Why do you look like that?"

They get no response. Lance just saw the boy who sits next to him in chemistry. The boy who laughed at him when he blew his mixture up. The boy who said, "Here, you just measured it wrong." The boy who makes Lance feel so stupid. Lance swears he hates him.

"Ah." Pidge says comically, realizing who Lance is looking at. "What's he doing?"

"He's eating a yogurt parfait? It makes no sense. Someone as bad as him would eat like," Lance pauses, "Mini wheats, or oatmeal. You know, all the evils of breakfast."

"I think you should say hi." Pidge says, "And for the record, not everybody eats 3 bowls of fruitloops every morning, Lance."

"I rather die than say hi."

"Well get ready to die then." Pidge smiles and pushes Lance towards the boy's table.

The boy turns from whatever conversation he was listening to and faces the person suddenly in front of him.

"Oh, Lance. Can I help you?" He raises an eyebrow.

Lance winces. Pidge walks away. Their job is done.

"Hey," Awkward pause. "...Buddy." Awkward grin. "Did you do last night's chem homework?"

"You don't know my name." The boy smiled.

"Sorry I don't keep track of the names of EVERYONE I talk to."

"It's Keith. And you already did the homework, I saw you getting started at the end of class yesterday."

A redness forms on Lance's face. Who pays that much attention to people? Lance thought.

"Well, yeah. But I didn't finish it."

"Right." Keith says, doubtful, but takes out his paper regardless, "Let me just fill in this last answer quick."

People at the table have started to turn their attention to Keith and Lance. Which usually wouldn't make Lance uneasy, but something about Keith made him nervous about everything.

"Here ya go." Keith says after a brief minute. "Give me it back at the end of breakfast period."

Lance scanned the paper and saw something at the bottom.

It was a phone number.

[patcaps]

"i think you're marvellous"

Pat usually sat and enjoyed the peace after his club of the day ended and the other ghosts drifted off to do their own things. He loved them all, he did, but their activities could so often get rowdy and out of hand and more than a little tasty, so the immediate quiet that followed was one he savoured as much as he savoured their time together.

Everyone usually left, the Captain included, but this time the older man lingered behind one sofa with his arms folded behind his back.

“Well, that one was particularly exhausting,” the Captain said, an eyebrow arched. He rounded the sofa and sank down onto it with a small noise. He rolled his shoulders, then slouched and crossed one leg over the other. “Still, not as hectic as last week.”

Pat laughed as he recalled Food Club the previous week, where Thomas and Julian had almost gotten into a physical fight over the concept of nibbles. It really was quite ridiculous, even with the stress of having to prise them apart.

“You’re telling me,” Pat said wearily, but his voice was light and filled with good-natured humour. He plonked himself down beside the Captain and pushed his glasses up, never one to pass up the opportunity to sit with him. “I do my best. I’m no Captain, but I like to think I’ve gotten quite good at wrangling that lot, keeping them occupied and that.”

The Captain squinted at him for a moment, brows pulled taught, then looked away. His stick rested over his lap, his legs bounced idly, and he seemed at genuine ease. His moustache even lifted at one side with a smile. “True as that is, Patrick, you do a rather fine job here.”

Pat brightened further, his hands on his knees. “You think so? I always thought... Well, I dunno, really. I didn’t think my way of leading things would be your cup of tea.” He was warmed and pleased to hear the Captain say such a thing, rare as it was to elicit any kind of compliment from him.

“On the contrary. Differences in leadership are an opportunity to hone one’s own skills, learn from the next man and so on. I admire your approach - for the most part, at least. I think you’re marvellous.”

The words hung in the air for a thick pause of time. The Captain tensed, and Pat watched him with his eyebrows raised in surprised. A rare compliment was one thing, but being called “marvellous” had definitely never happened before.

“Ah. By which I mean, of course, that your leadership is marvellous.” The Captain’s awkward smile was a brief flicker on his lips and he made sure to avert his gaze, suddenly much more interested in the carpet.

“Thanks, Cap,” Pat said quietly with a smile. He hadn’t a clue what else to say, even if his brain distantly screamed at him to say something else.

All at once, the Captain was on his feet, straightening his posture and tucking his stick under his arm. Back in control, Pat realised - back on guard. It was a shame, really; Pat always enjoyed the afternoons where they would simply sit together and enjoy the company. It was a more regular occurence of late, and Pat had always thought that it ended much too soon every time.

“Well, I’d better go and make sure they’re not somewhere else tearing each other’s hair out,” the Captain said.

Fingers drumming anxiously against his knees, Pat nodded. “‘Course, yeah. Shout me if you need a hand.” He laughed, trying to ease the tension that had wormed its way between them.

It helped a little, because the Captain nodded with a smile. “Will do,” he said, and with that, he turned on his heel and marched from the room.

Pat watched him retreat, eyes on his back until he was out of sight. He was left with the funniest feeling in his chest that he just couldn’t shake.

-

Send me a PatCap prompt and I’ll respond with a mini ficlet!