#Also I shouted THANK YOU at that scene with Amaya

[hercynianforest]

Revelatio Noctis

For Rayllum Month 2024, prompt: "I still love you" - reconciliation

One-shot fanfic, from Rayla's perspective (angsty, fluffy, rated T, I guess). Enjoy! :)

The rustling of her sheets and Rayla's own breathing were the only sounds that cut through the silence of midnight, as she turned around in her bed for what felt like the fifth time in a minute.

It wasn't exactly helping her to escape her restless mind. Ever since they had returned to Katolis from their mission, she had found herself being haunted by what general Amaya had told her in the great bookery.

She was surprised and slightly annoyed at this. Now that they had Aaravos' prison in their care (not exactly a peace-inducing state of things, in her opinion), shouldn't her first priority be to figure out how to free the trapped souls of her parents and Runaan?

The heat of shame crept up her face. Why wasn't she in the library right now or consulting a Xadian mage about this? Instead here she was, the great moonshadow elf warrior - tossing and turning because of a boy!

A snarl escaped her lips as she sat up. Things between her and Callum had definitely gotten better, so why was she so preoccupied with their relationship? Wasn't it obvious that they needed more time?

"That's only what you want to believe..." a little voice in her head responded.

Rayla frowned. Was this true?

Ever since general Amaya had opened her eyes about how selfish she had been in leaving Callum behind, she had realised that protecting him hadn't been the only reason for her solo adventure.

Opening up to Callum and her love for him scared her. That was the truth. And it had been easier - way too easy! - to just go back to "being strong on her own", than to stay and face that fear.

Fear of getting hurt, fear of getting abandoned, fear of herself, fear of being loved and cherished for exactly who she was!

Rayla clenched her knees and bit her teeth. It was hard admitting these things to herself, much harder than any physical fight she had ever faced. But then again that was what Runaan had focused on in her upbringing and there had been no "big feelings"-times. She was starting to think it wasn't as silly as she had thought at first. Maybe not silly at all.

Sighing, she got up and put on her cloak. There was only one way to get rid of this ruminating - she had to talk to Callum. "Share your burden", as general Amaya had called it.

Acting on a whim, she decided to climb out of the window and nimbly jump over to his, instead of taking the easy route. She felt like she wanted to turn back time and get another chance at that first meeting after two years. Only this time she wouldn't pretend like everything was okay (she cringed at the memory).

Her heartbeat echoed much louder in her ears than her knocking, but finally she heard footsteps and a slightly anxious "Who's there?"

"Callum, it's me," she replied. "Can we talk?"

"Rayla?" Callum's voice sounded even sleepier after he opened the windows and stared at her in surprise (an incredibly adorable combination, as she noticed).

"I'm sorry for waking you up," she started, before jumping into the room. "I couldn't sleep and felt like talking to you might help, but I understand if you'd rather wait until-"

Here she was interrupted by Callum. "No! I'm fine with talking now. What's the matter? Is it your coins?"

She bit her lip. Dear Callum! Always so eager to help, even when it meant discomfort or trouble for himself. Had she ever truly appreciated him? A strange war between shame and love seemed to rage in her chest.

"No, actually it's not about that." Ugh! Even he thought this should be her priority! "I came here, because..." She took a deep breath. "Because I wanted to apologise for leaving you two years ago."

The silence that followed these words was definitely louder than the one she had been annoyed with before.

"Oh," was all he said.

Rayla had to will herself to stay standing where she was. Her insides were screaming at her to run, to lighten the mood, to change the topic - anything but this!

"Yes," she continued awkwardly, feeling confirmed that he was still angry - and rightfully so! "It was wrong and selfish and stupid. I thought I was doing it to protect you from the dangers that came with my mission, told myself that you deserved rest and peace after everything we had gone through...but the truth is that I was scared of how our relationship might develop without constant threats to keep us on our toes."

Now that she had started, she didn't want to stop. Just get it over with.

"So I ran away. I literally ran away from you and my feelings. I'm so sorry, Callum!" Tears she didn't know had gathered, began to spill from her eyes, unbidden. Heavens, he must think me so weak and pathetic!

"Rayla."

To her surprise, his voice wasn't dripping with disgust, but was ladden with tenderness. She startled slightly when he cupped her cheek.

"Rayla, look at me." It wasn't an order, it was a gentle invitation. She still couldn't believe her ears and next thing she knew, her eyes were telling her nonsensical things too.

Instead of scorn, she saw nothing but love and concern shining in his green eyes (was there a candle burning in the room? Or was it the moon? She neither knew nor cared).

"Rayla, you're not weak." The fact that he had spoken her name three times in a row in this impossibly tender tone now wasn't lost on her. She felt dizzy from the delight of it.

Then the meaning of his words sank in. "But Callum - how can you say that? I hurt you so badly, and all just because I couldn't handle my own emotions! How is that not weak?"

Was she actually begging him to be angry with her? Goodness, she was more messed up than she had thought!

"You made a mistake. That's not the same as being weak. If you were weak, you wouldn't have returned. You wouldn't have figured out all these things about yourself. You wouldn't be brave and caring and just...you wouldn't be you."

Rayla shook her head, trying to make sense of what he was telling her. It was such a completely new perspective, so different from what she had grown up with!

But Callum hadn't finished yet. "If you were weak, you wouldn't be Rayla. And I wouldn't have fallen in love with you."

There was the slightest hesitation at his last words, as though he wasn't sure whether she would reciprocate his feelings.

A bell was ringing in Rayla's ears, it was just too much - here he was, treating her with understanding and praise when she deserved none, but also implying that he wasn't sure whether she still loved him? Had he been thinking that she had left because of that?

She gasped audibly at this last thought.

"Callum, I hope you don't think...or ever thought that I left because of anything you did, or because my feelings for you changed!"

He looked vulnerable now, like a timid little child, who wasn't sure what kind of answer was expected from him.

Her need to protect his feelings was stronger than her shame and fear.

"Callum, I still love you. I always did. It won't ever change."

The atmosphere of the room changed immediately. It was as though the walls themselves were heaving a sigh of relief.

He didn't respond anything, and all she knew how to do to emphasise her words, was to hold his gaze and place a hand over his on her cheek.

Then his gaze dropped to her lips and he leaned in...Rayla watched it with no wish to run or hide, those feelings seemed to be something of a long distant past.

She had always been baffled at how soft his lips were, but not having kissed in two years...she felt like her whole body was melting and all that existed were the sensations and movements of their mouths. Not to forget his scent (Books. Definitely books, with something slightly musky that reminded her of his scarf), his breath on her skin, his hand on her waist (when had that happened?)...

It all ended too soon for Rayla's taste, but she guessed they had to catch their breath.

There was something reassuring in the way they held on to each other. She wished this moment would never end, as she lightly rested her forehead against his.

"Rayla?"

There was no uncertainty or concern in his voice now, just pure love.

"Yes?"

"I'm glad you couldn't sleep tonight."

She laughed and he soon joined in. It had been so long since she had laughed like this, she hardly recognised the sound. It was a special laugh, her Callum-laugh.

"Same here," she mumbled fondly, resting her head on his chest now, with the intention to stay there.

~End~

[bokutoslittlebird]

Family Vacation

Bokuto x reader x Akaashi

Author’s Note : no incest, I promise ; the request included some slight BokuAka interaction, however I made it more than slightly ; the hot springs resort is loosely based on three different locations under the Kinosaki Onsen in northern Hyogo [Mikuniya Ryokan, Yutouya Ryokan, Nishimuraya Ryokan]. Each one offers different things, but they all have some common aspects that I liked: seafood served during winter months [November - March], traditional ryokan, and options for the hot springs [indoor, outdoor, and family] ; holy fuck is this wrong.. but holy hell is it erotic

Warnings: introduction of the Bokuto family, best friends to lovers au, playful teasing [about reader’s virginity], some mlm [Bokuto x Akaashi] interaction, fingering, face-sitting, handjob, blowjob, cum eating, spit exchanges and mentions, no penetrative sex, virgin!reader, virgin!Bokuto

“Oh, [Y/N]! I’m so glad you could make it!”

“Thank you for having me, Bokuto-san,”

“Oh, dear, call me Fuyumi! You’re practically family, anyways,” she smiles, eyes crinkling as she does. Her smile makes you smile, bowing in respect as if you haven’t known her for years.

The Bokuto family always spent their winter vacation before New Years at an Onsen in Hyogo. Yasurai-fukurou was well known for their hot springs throughout the year, but their meals included seafood in the winter. Kōtarō and Shinjiro both love seafood, especially crab, so it made sense the Bokuto family would come to this place specifically. Winter meant snow, and snow meant the garden view from the spring was gorgeous, having the silver lining the green foliage as the pebbles along the ground glistened with melted snow, cold and slippery. It was Kōtarō’s and Machiko’s favorite season, so it was an added bonus. The family had the money to spend, treating the members to a relaxing trip. Even Keiji, Kōtarō’s friend, joined them his first year at Fukurodani.

You didn’t usually attend, yet you always wanted to. Your family celebrated holidays differently, so you often found yourself swamped with family activities around December, only getting free to hang out by the time school started back up. Always wishing to go, you finally got your wish this year. With the stress from school this past semester, your family decided to let you choose what to do, so you declined spending the holidays with your family. Instead, you were free to spend that quality time with the Bokuto family. Fuyumi practically begged Kōtarō to invite you, knowing you’d be alone, so you didn’t have to worry about inviting yourself. There was one problem, however.

“[Y/N] should room with us!” Machiko points out. “She can’t board with boys!”

“What do you take us for? We’re her best friends,” Kōtarō waves off his sister. “I worry Amaya might try to wrestle her,”

“She could use the practice!” She pipes up, only to be shut back down. “I wouldn’t hurt her,”

“Why not let the girl choose herself? It is where she will stay, in the end,” Shinjiro said. Although he was right, you suddenly felt your heart tugging in two different directions. Machiko and Kōtarō gave you the puppy dog eyes, begging to choose them. A heavy sigh came from you as you weigh the options presented in front of you.

“I trust Keiji and Kōtarō, I’ll room with them,”

“No!” The two girls dramatically shout, falling to their knees. Fuyumi laughs, patting your back.

“Good choice, dear,” she compliments. You know why. Her daughters may be considered mature and adults, but they are both hectic and chaotic in their own way. At least with Kōtarō, he has Keiji with him. There’s no reason to mull over the decision, you know full well that Keiji and Kōtarō wouldn’t hurt you.

Once settled into each room, your bedding laid between the two of them, the trip to relax in the ryokan was in order. The two genders were separated, of course, so you sat in the spring with Machiko, Amaya, and Fuyumi. It wasn’t a bad thing, being with the three, but you knew Machiko and Amaya like to tease you.

“Gosh, [Y/N], you’re so innocent! You’ve never done anything?” Amaya’s face made it seem like she was much more malicious than on the surface. “Even I had a couple boyfriends that I had special adventures with before your age,”

“Excuse me? Amaya!” Fuyumi scolds her daughter. “You never told us this,”

“Why would I? You and dad never allowed me to have a boyfriend until I graduated. Kōtarō even had a girlfriend in his second year,” she pouts, puffy cheeks making her less malicious and much more adorable. Though unintentional, her words make your mood sour, Kōtarō’s slipping from her lips. Machiko notices this, however.

“Well, Kōtarō is a boy and I told your father to make sure he doesn’t do any of that dating stuff, but it seems like he did,”

“You know, I’m kind of tired. I’m really relaxed,” you mention, moving to exit the water. “I should lay down and take a nap,”

“Oh, are you sure? Dinner will be served soon,” Machiko holds out her hand, as if to stop you. You’re quick about getting out, rinsing yourself off before wrapping a robe around your naked body.

“I’m sure. Wake me when dinner’s ready,” you cheerfully smile, waving to them as you leave the setting. Your smile falls, an artificial thing as you continue to pad towards the room. Passing the window leading to the garden, you notice the cascading of the white snowflakes, shimmering in the light from the outdoor lamps. It’s peaceful, the way it floats down to the ground until it rapidly melts, joining the slush forming on the pathway. A sigh leaves you, heart aching from the words Amaya let spill.

It wasn’t her fault, you tell yourself that as you continue to the room. Amaya doesn’t know, but Machiko does. Machiko has always had the older sister intuition, knowing when her younger siblings had something to hide or something embarrassing. Whether it was from her years of travel around the world, or just a trait of hers, she could pinpoint things that made you want to crawl in a hole. What does Machiko know, exactly? Your big, fat crush on her little brother.

Kōtarō has been your crush as long as you’ve known him, aka since you guys were waddling around with chubby legs. Your family and his family live near each other, so it made sense for you two to play a lot as children. As the years passed, your admiration for him evolved into a crushing thing, yet your young mind wouldn’t allow such a horrid thing to be spoken. No, it festered until you broke down one day in high school and confessed to the dark of the night, the only witness of your confession was the moon. You confessed that you loved him, you were in love with him, nobody else could compare. It hurt even more now, knowing you were falling in love with him while he was loving someone else. Even Keiji probably loved Kōtarō, knowing how close they were. You wouldn’t put it past them to be in a relationship, either. Each thought accompanied a step you took, each one bringing tears to prickle your eyes as you finally shut the door to the room, and your problems.

With the dark encompassing the room, you found yourself easily situating yourself on the ground to cry, curling up in a ball as you did so. A pathetic scene, you knew it was, yet you couldn’t help yourself.

After you left the ryokan, Shinjiro happened to be talking to the boys in front of him, both of them flushed red from the warmth of the bath and the topic at hand.

“I knew something was off in the way your mother encouraged you to invite her! I never thought it’d be that, however,” his guffaw had Kōtarō sinking into the water, bubbles coming from his nose as he huffs. Keiji looks at him pitifully, but doesn’t do much of anything else.

“She doesn’t even like me like that. This trip was a mistake,” Kōtarō mumbles, his mouth going back under the water. Keiji sighs, looking into the water where his distorted hands lie. Before he can speak, Kōtarō beats him to it. “I have to go to the bathroom. I think I’ll leave early,”

“You sure it’s just that?” Shinjiro teases. “Or are you going to wait for your lovely friend?”

“Okay, maybe it’s a bit of both,” he huffs, cheeks puffed out. Keiji lets the words die on his tongue, letting Kōtarō leave the spring without any reason to look back.

Shinjiro sighs, rubbing the back of his neck as he looks into the water. “Maybe I went too far. I shouldn’t tease him about his crush, it seems like it’s important to him. I don’t think she sees him in that light, anyways,”

“She does, actually. I think she’s been in love with him for a while,” he confesses. Shinjiro’s eyebrows rise as the words sink in. However, he is quick to understand. No longer laughing and joking, his smile is more bitter and sad. A pity smile.

“And you’ve been in love with her, haven’t you?”

Keiji turns his head to the side, yet he nods. The red dusting his cheeks is no longer just the warmth of the water. Shinjiro moves closer to Keiji, putting his hand on the younger man’s back.

“Then tell her. You both need to confess, not let this fester and turn into something ugly. Don’t let this ruin your friendship with Kōtarō, either. It’s not worth it,”

“I know. I know, Bokuto-san,”

“When you gonna call me Shinjiro? Or even dad? You need to let loose, Keiji!” He laughs again, getting Keiji to crack a smile.

While Keiji ponders how he should go about this, Kōtarō trudges up to his room for the week, unaware you’ve also turned in early. His mood has taken a turn for the worse, hair deflating as he pouts. No matter what, he’s always found himself finding your validation to be the most important. Throughout the years, he’s reached out to both you and Keiji for validation, finding them both to be important to him. While he knows Keiji partially does it just to make him happy, which he is thankful for, he knows yours is genuine. Even when he forced himself to move on, knowing you didn’t see him in that light, he found it hard. You followed him into his dreams, gleeful chimes of your laughter as the future he aims for bloomed into an obtainable goal. Yet, he’d wake up to see the empty space beside him, a brutal reminder that his dreamt future would stay in his head, playing on loop until he could do something about it in the real world.

When his door comes into view, he sighs, relief flooding through him. As he gets closer, he hears a soft voice from inside. Leaning his ear against the shut door, he hears you — a squeak of his name, accompanying a soft mewl, most likely held back due to the thin walls. Even he understands what you’re doing, it’s not like he’s never thought of you that way, finding himself wishing you could relieve his stress in the best way possible. As to respect your privacy, and settle his nerves, he quietly creeps away, to his parent’s booked room. He decides to use the toilet in there, giving you a few moments to finish your own business.

Leaning against the door once more, he doesn’t hear your heavy breaths or your moans and mewls, so he slides open the door to see you under the covers, laptop shining in your face as a movie plays. “Hey, what’re you doing here?”

“Huh?” You jump, turning to see Kōtarō’s large frame at the entrance of the room. It’s scary, the way he seems to have popped up after you finished, or attempted, getting off on thinking of him. “Oh, Kō. It’s just you. No more hot springs for you?”

“Oh, no, I found it to be getting too hot,” he lies, rubbing his neck. The robe you’re wearing is the one you put on after exiting the spring, so his perverted little mind knows you’re completely naked underneath. Not only that, you’re probably nice and slick from thinking about him—

He stops himself, hearing your voice. “Did you hear me? I asked if you wanted to watch the movie with me,”

“Oh, sorry, off in my own world. Uh, sure, what is it?”

“Crown for Christmas. A sappy romance Christmas movie, from America. It’s very predictable, but it’s cute. My mom loves it, so I brought it to watch,”

“Oh, that’s interesting,” he hums, lying on his own bedding. He didn’t move closer to you, giving you some space, but he finds himself panicking when you move closer.

“Can’t see if you’re all the way over there, dummy,” you giggle, pressing play. He can’t find it in himself to focus, the movie being background noise to his thoughts. The hot springs help to add a special glow to your skin, making it seem smoother than before, and you smell so nice, not to mention he can feel his cock throbbing at your soft voice calling out his name. What would it be like if he used his own fingers, would you be able to hold back? Or would you come completely undone as you came on his fingers— even better, his cock? Just the thought has him groaning, head shoved into his pillow as you pause the movie, probably confused.

He looks up, seeing your dazed expression — yep, totally confused. He sighs and shrugs, apologizing. “Are you okay? You seem.. tense,”

“Tense?” That’s one way to describe it, he supposes. “I’m just.. dad was teasing me earlier. That’s why I left. I’m.. remembering what he said,”

“Oh, I get that. Amaya kept teasing me about girl stuff, so I left. Machiko tried to stop me, but I was already out of the water,” you admit. It’s not the full truth, but that’s okay.

“Girl stuff? Like what?” Kōtarō never shied from girly stuff, including the weird stuff that happened to girls like puberty and the menstrual cycle. You chalked it up to his older sisters being shameless, never making it seem gross. Even when you started your period in class, Kōtarō was there to help you, a knight in shining armor.

You wish they were less shameless.

“Oh, um, you know, the romantic stuff,”

“Like? Boyfriends?”

“Yeah, I’ve.. never had one. No experience on my end. Amaya was teasing me because she had a couple of boyfriends before my age, so it.. it didn’t hurt my feelings, but it made me feel some kind of way, you know?” Your attempted explanation was kind of butchered, trying to explain it without giving too much detail. Kōtarō wouldn’t judge you, of course not, it wasn’t something to judge you about.

He knows the feeling, being inexperienced.

“W-Well, if you want any experience before going into the dating scene, I could.. always help you,” he whispers. His words hang in the air, settling into both of your minds. He’s berating himself for using such a lame line to try and get in your pants, but you’re trying to find a way to say yes without seeming desperate. However, “I mean! I have experience, so I could help you! I’d say I’m pretty good at doing stuff. Oh! It could be like.. any advice or something.. hands on,” he whispers the last part again, his confidence melting like snow on a summer’s day when your face falls.

It isn’t you don’t want it, you just would prefer him to not word it like that. It reminds you of Amaya’s words and the pain in your chest, the churn in your stomach. “If you’re gonna be like that, maybe I should ask Keiji,” you huff, turning your body away from his. Focusing on forcing your stomach to stop twisting in knots, you don’t even notice when Kōtarō closes the laptop and presses himself against you. Well, not until you feel something pressing into your back. “Kō—”

“Don’t be like that. I’ve never actually gone all the way, I’ve been saving that for someone special. I can help, though, if you’d let me,” his breath fans over your ear, sending shivers down your spine. His arm snakes under you, pulling you into his stomach while he lays on his back.

“Kōtarō!”

“You’re stressed, gotta loosen up a bit. I’m helping,” he just says, making sure your legs are hooked over his. With the lack of clothing under the robe, your nether region is spread open towards the door, sending your adrenaline skyrocketing. Kōtarō is quick to ease that, his thick fingers spreading open your folds while his middle finger rubs against your sensitive clit. “You’re absolutely soaked, do I turn you on that much?” He’s grinning, you know he is. Gritting your teeth, you keep your mouth closed as you focus on the feeling of his fingers, now sliding up and down and collecting your slick.

Kōtarō doesn’t want to tease you for too long, slipping his middle finger into your cunt as you mewl, hand coming to cover your mouth. “What a reaction. I wonder..” he trails off, pulling his finger out, only to add in three fingers. You’re arching, legs tending against his as he fingers you, lips pressing themselves to your hair and ear. When his tongue flicks out against your ear, you squirm and he grunts, his left arm keeping you firm against him. “Sensitive, are you?”

He doesn’t get any vocal confirmation from you, but the way you’re clenching around his fingers tells him all he needs to know. He makes sure to keep his thumb bumping against your clit, adding pressure. You can feel the familiar feeling, the beginning of an orgasm as he pumps his fingers into you. With a squeal of his name, your nails dig into the meat of his arm, liquids spilling out of you and all over Kōtarō’s fingers. The squishing sound enters your ears, legs tensing as you mewl, his fingers rubbing themselves against you some more.

“You’re so wet.. I bet it’d be easy to slip my cock in there, wouldn’t it?” His voice is low, a rumble in his chest as your cunt clenches at the thought, your wildest fantasies so close to coming to fruition when someone clears their throat. You pop up, Kōtarō jolting and keeping you on his chest as he moves.

Keiji is looking at the both of you, a heavy blush adorning his cheeks. The room is dim, only the lights from outside the inn illuminating him. He’s right at the door, right in front of where Kōtarō was just fingering you. Kōtarō’s hand finally leaves from between your legs, glistening wetness shown in the lamplight. “If you want to give her experience, you need to go over everything involved in foreplay, Kōtarō. There’s more to prep,”

“M-More?” your voice is small, barely a whisper as you find more slick oozing from you, Keiji entering the room. He kneels down in front of you, still held against Kōtarō’s chest.

“Has he even kissed you, yet? Or did he go headfirst into fingering you?” When you shake your head, Kōtarō himself sucking in a breath, Keiji knows he was right. With the elegance he always exudes, Keiji tilts your chin up towards him. “Then, allow me,”

The kiss is gentle, yet not simple. His lips are firmly against yours, molding perfectly as he keeps your chin tilted. As he deepens the kiss, you find your hands grasping at his own robe, feeling yourself lighter than you were when you had entered the room. Keiji moves to pull away, a brisk kiss on your lips once more before swiping his tongue over your bottom lip, sending heat all over your body.

“Akaashi..” Kōtarō whines, his grip on you tightening. “This is supposed to be my time with her,”

“Well, you’re going too fast. Why not elongate the time spent together, hm?” His voice sends tingles down your spine, his hands removing you from Kōtarō’s grasp. “Lay back, Bokuto-san. You’ll get your turn,”

Your brain is going haywire as he speaks, undoing Kōtarō’s robe with unconscious grace. He’s not doing it on purpose, you know he isn’t, it’s just how he is. Once Kōtarō has been disrobed, you find more heat springing to your cheeks as his muscles ripple and flex. The lack of light prevents you from seeing everything, but you’ve always found yourself insatiable when thinking of his broad frame and what hides under his clothes.

“Give me your hand, [Y/N],” Keiji’s voice has you coming back down to earth, yet you find yourself once more shy with Kōtarō’s legs spread, his cock heavy and so large in Keiji’s hand. You comply, though, your much smaller hand joining Keiji’s around Kōtarō’s girth. It’s so much, the way it feels and the heat of the skin under your fingertips. A soft groan comes from Kōtarō as Keiji moves his hand, his other hand shuffling you between his legs.

“This is called a handjob, [Y/N],” Keiji says. You nod in understanding, realizing he’s teaching you. “Moving your hand up and down the shaft is the basic function of it, but you can also use your fingers to tease the slit, like so,” he demonstrates, swiping his thumb over the small slit, puffy and red where Kōtarō’s cum is dripping from. The simple act has Kōtarō throwing his head back, moaning as his hand covers his mouth. The walls are thin and if his family is back, they probably have a good idea of what’s going on.

“I see,” you hum, continuing to move your hand up and down the shaft. Keiji nods, seeing you’re understanding.

“Or tease his balls, like cupping them or massaging. Don’t squeeze them hard, though. It won’t feel very nice,” his hand moves to cup and tease Kōtarō’s balls, the man himself laying on his back as his face turns red, the ministrations getting to be too much. “There’s also a blowjob, but we can teach you that next time,”

“N-Next time??” You squeak, jumping a bit. Whether it was a one time thing or the beginning of a relationship didn’t cross your mind. His words, however, seem to please you more than imaginable.

“Of course, darling. We’re not done here, either. Why don’t you let Bokuto-san show you what other kinds of pleasure he can give you?” At Keiji’s words, Kōtarō pops up with a bright smile on his face.

“Sit on my face, baby,”

“Oh, woah, wow, uh..” you stop, unsure how to politely decline. His mouth and nose, down there? Not to mention your weight on his head? You were sure he’d regret his decision. “I don’t think”

“I’ll be fine. C’mon, I gotta show you what else my mouth can do besides dirty talk,” he winks, sending more heat to your cheeks, making you feel rather hot for a winter’s day, clad in only a robe. Keiji seems to read your mind, taking your robe from your shoulders, the belt falling undone easily from the previous activities. Once you’re down to your birthday suit, Keiji presses a kiss to your shoulder blade, a whisper to go that sends you crawling closer to Kōtarō’s face. He grins, eagerly taking your thigh and placing it on the other side, keeping your drenched cunt close to his face. He says something, but only a muffled noise comes out, his tongue swiping along your folds.

With your back to him, Keiji wishes he told you to face him and watch, yet he finds the scene of you erotic. He may have a bit more expertise than you and Kōtarō, it seems that’s all that’s needed. He smiles, gaze catching on the way Kōtarō’s fingers dig into the fat of your thigh, making indents. Completely forgotten, Keiji spits a glob onto Kōtarō’s cock, him jumping at the feeling. With a few more pumps of his hand, he flicks his tongue against the head.

Kōtarō’s moan has you mewling, the sound acting as a vibration as your fingers tug harshly on the silver and black strands. Though not as long as they were in high school, there’s enough to grasp and pull on. The wet sounds from behind you has your head turning, eyes falling on Keiji’s mouth wrapped around Kōtarō’s cock. It’s an erotic scene, his head moving up as more of the length is revealed, his blue eyes settling on your own as you feel a nip down below. So focused on Keiji, Kōtarō wants your attention all on him. Keiji chuckles, almost like a hum, that vibrates around the cock in his mouth that has Kōtarō moaning.

The tongue that flicks against your clit has you squirming, restrained mewls and moans leaving your lips as hands tug on his locks. Kōtarō licks and suckles on your clit occasionally, then moves down to prod and swipe over your entrance. The position makes it easy for him to breathe, but he moves down further. New position has you squealing, hands flying to your mouth as you squeeze your eyes shut to focus on the pleasure. Another moan from Kōtarō that sends shivers down your spine, heat to your core, accompanying the obscene noises of Keiji sucking Kōtarō off.

With Kōtarō’s nose bumping against your clit, his tongue’s only focus is on your pretty little cunt, sucking and swirling his tongue. The sensitivity from earlier makes quick work of you, hunching over as your thighs tighten around Kōtarō’s head, his strong hands keeping you from hurting him as you gush all over his face. A moan comes from him as he laps at your juices spilling over his face, his own orgasm coming as Keiji takes him down as far as he can. Globs of white cum spurt from the side of Keiji’s mouth, a gagging sound as he struggles to swallow it.

A hand on your shoulder has you leaning back, falling against Keiji’s chest with his cheeks puffy. Kōtarō manages to look up at the scene, gaze fuzzy as he watches Keiji kiss you once more, cum seeping from where his lips meet yours. When Keiji pulls away, his tongue is out, pushing the dripping cum into your mouth where the rest lies. It’s enough to have Kōtarō hard once more, a dark and heavy blush settling across his cheeks and nose.

The thick appendage pressing into your back once more has you gasping and jumping, some cum spilling out your mouth and down your chest. As it travels between the valley of your breasts and over the perk nipples, Keiji takes it upon himself to lap at the milky droplets. You gulp down the rest in your mouth, making a show of it by tilting your head up, throat contracting as you swallow it all. Kōtarō finds himself unable to look away from the scene.

“Ah, seems like someone’s still raring to go,” Keiji breaks the silence, eyes glancing back to look at Kōtarō’s cock, once more standing tall and proud. He then looks to you. “Shall I let you handle this one alone?”

[ko-chan-the-blueberry-donut]

Fate’s Divergence Chapter 4

@the-bagel-queen

@astraskylark

@theanxiety-tm

@terra-mations

@deyinger

Thank you all for so much support for this story! I’m glad people are enjoying it so far!

Disclaimer: I don’t own Dragon Prince

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Callum tossed and turned, restless, in his bed. His eyes drifted to the moon, its glow reminding him of the elf girl’s white hair. He wondered what she was doing right now. Was she sleeping soundly? Was she restless just like him?

He hoped she was comfortable. He remembered his first night as a prince in the palace. He was super jumpy—constantly startling at any shadows in his new room. Everything was so foreign to him…

He sat up, a realization dawning on him. He had at least his mother when he first came here to help him settle into sleep while she didn’t appear to have anyone. His mother and the king didn’t mention she had any family. Was she an orphan?

Callum rose out of bed, his mind trying to uncover the mystery of the elf girl. He remembered how his family said Xadia couldn’t help her—was she upset Xadia kicked her out because she helped humans with the Titan’s heart?

“She must be lonely…” Callum whispered to himself, grabbing some stuffed animals to take with him to give her. “I’ll give her some of my toys to make her feel more at home!” He concluded quietly, smiling at his great idea.

He surveyed each toy critically, making sure to grab the dragon stuffed animal as well as tons of other animals. He hoped these made her happy. They were gifts from his mother and auntie. Hopefully, she didn’t think him too babyish for having them.

“It should be fine. Girls usually like stuffed animals…” Callum tried to reassure himself, remembering Claudia proudly showing off to him her own collection of stuffed toys. With that assertion, Callum crept out of his room, struggling with all his stuffed animals in his arms, and snuck down the hallways to where he remembered was the elf’s room. Luckily there were no guards patrolling down his hallway yet or else they definitely would notice a small boy almost drowned in stuffed animals. Arms overflowing with the plushies, he felt he dropped some before finally getting to his destination.

Arriving at her door, Callum silently opened it, sneaking inside. As soon as he opened the door, however, he could hear crying. Alarmed, Callum hurried inside the elf’s room, closing the door behind him so no one would catch him.

There she was on the bed, curling into a ball and sobbing her heart out. Callum’s heart squeezed uncomfortably at the scene. The moonlight washed over her like a pretty glow, highlighting her snow-white hair, horns, and pink pale skin. Seeing her, Callum was reminded of the beautiful princess with long hair trapped in her tower waiting for someone to come see her.

Dropping the toys, he scurried over to her side and laid a hand on her shoulder, not reserved at all in touching her.

The elf seemed to have finally realized she wasn’t alone for as soon as he touched her, she jolted and gazed up at him. Callum retracted his hand hurriedly, not wanting to scare her, and held up his hands in surrender.

“Hi!” he said, nervous and waving awkwardly. What should he say? He knew she didn’t speak Common and he didn’t speak Elvish. “Um! Don’t cry! I’m not gonna hurt you!”

Her eyes lit up in recognition, and she backed away a bit from him, scared.

“Hurt?” her eyes were alarmed and Callum rushed to reassure her.

“No! No hurt! I come in peace!” he tried to convey. He hoped she knew some more words.

“No… hurt?” this time, the elf furrowed her brow in confusion, trying to grasp what he was saying. He detected her voice had a strange accent.

“Right! No hurt! Just here to help!” Callum smiled reassuring her. He hurried to where the toys were discarded and brought them to her. “Here! I brought these to help you feel better!” Callum excitedly showed her his toys.

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

Rayla blinked, not expecting the human child to show her what she presumed to be his toys. Her hand reached out tentatively, the boy watching her with an encouraging smile. She paused.

“No hurt?” Rayla checked again, her suspicious eyes finding his, ready to detect any sort of lie. The boy nodded.

“No hurt.” He assured her again. He climbed onto the bed, getting closer to her, before showing her his toys again. “No hurt.” He repeated.

Rayla studied him, and found he was not lying. The boy was not there to hurt her. She traced his features with her violet eyes, remembering him with her kidnappers. It seemed he was their offspring.

What did this mean? Was he not aware she was going to be executed? And yet, his presence here, the fact that her door wasn’t locked like she thought, her kidnappers being gentle with her… all signs were pointing to possibly another reason she was here.

But… the titan’s heart! She saw it. Why else would these humans keep an elf if it wasn’t for Dark Magic? She remembered Runaan’s stories. How humans only wanted power and nothing else. They were heartless and cruel.

So why was a human child sharing his toys with her?

Rayla reached out a hand again, hesitantly petting the soft fabric. The boy’s smile grew in happiness, and he handed her the dragon plush.

“I know you can’t go home to Xadia, but this guy will always protect you! He’s like your Dragon King, right?” the boy asked. Rayla furrowed her brow, trying to pinpoint words she recognized, and found he was referring to her king. She gazed down at the stuffed toy, and sure enough, he did resemble her king.

“Amin aran…” Rayla mumbled in mourning, touching the stuffed toy. Tears shined in her eyes, and the boy began to panic.

“Oh no! He wasn’t supposed to make you cry! Do you want another toy?” the boy asked, but Rayla couldn’t understand him. She clutched the dragon toy tight to her chest, shaking her head. She wished someone knew Elvish so she could talk to someone. She appreciated the boy’s efforts, but it wasn’t the same as Runaan or Ethari or her parents.

However, the boy surprised her again when he crawled over and hugged her to his small frame.

“No hurt!” the boy repeated. He gestured to the stuffed toy and himself. “No hurt. You’re safe here.”

Rayla sniffled. It seemed he was trying to comfort her. She didn’t understand why. She didn’t understand humans at all. She was tired and scared. The boy held her close as she cried, clutching the stuffed dragon between them.

Somehow, his embrace made her feel less alone.

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

Sarai had risen early. She was accustomed to this since having Ezran, for he needed feeding in the early hours. Harrow was dressing for the day, preparing for today’s event of Viren’s spell. Both he and Sarai were solemn, knowing what the kingdom of Duran lost in order for them all to be saved.

“We will meet the delegates of Duran first before performing the spell.” Harrow told her. He gazed down at the memento the queens have given him to deliver to their daughter. “We need to pay respects.”

“I agree. If it wasn’t for them buying us some time, we wouldn’t have made it.” Sarai was also thinking about little Aanya. She couldn’t imagine how Aanya would grow up now, without the love of her mothers.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the doors.

“King Harrow! Queen Sarai!” the guard called. Harrow went to open the doors. The guard was huffing, as if he had run all the way to their chambers.

“What is it?” Harrow asked. The guard gave them a frantic look.

“Prince Callum is not in his bed, Your Highnesses!” the guard informed them. Sarai and Harrow immediately went to follow the guard.

“Where could he be? He usually doesn’t wake this soon after sunrise.” Sarai carried Ezran with her, clutching him close, as if afraid some unseen force would take him as well.

“Don’t worry, Sarai. We’ll find him.” Harrow reassured her. He gave a determined look at the guard. “Search everywhere! If he was taken, they couldn’t have gone far.”

Soon Amaya was called to join in the search, as well as some other soldiers. The more time passed, the more they worried something could’ve happened to Callum. It isn’t like him to leave his room and not come to the royal bedchambers if he had woken early.

Passing through a hallway, Amaya noticed some stuffed animals on the floor. She recognized them as Callum’s immediately. Curious, she followed the trail of more stuffed toys before she arrived at a bedroom door.

Amaya gently opened the door, peaking inside, her eyes critically taking in the surroundings before landing on the large bed in the middle of the room, the gentle glow of the morning sun shining on the occupants in the bed. The sight that greeted her made her eyes soften. She waved to a guard passing by to get the king and queen. Soon, her sister and her husband were rushing down the hall.

“Is he hurt?” Sarai fretted. Amaya smirked.

It seems your boy is getting his flirting started early. Amaya said. She held open the door. Look inside.

Sarai, Harrow, and a few guards peaked in, and sure enough, Callum was safe and sound, and he was cuddling the elf girl to him in his slumber. The elf girl allowed Callum to snuggle her, clutching his stuffed dragon Sarai had given him close. Everyone felt their hearts warm at the scene.

“We were so concerned with giving the elf privacy we didn’t think to check here at all.” Harrow whispered. Sarai gave him a smile.

“We certainly are silly.” Sarai agreed. She, Harrow, and Amaya made their way into the room, dismissing the guards. Sarai went towards Callum, caressing his cheek. “Callum, sweetheart, it’s time to wake up.”

“’m comfy…” Callum groggily protested, bringing the elf girl closer. Harrow, Sarai, and Amaya had to contain their giggles. However, it was Ezran who decided there was enough quiet.

Baby Ezran gave a loud shout, wanting to join his brother on the bed, and Callum and the elf girl sprung up, disoriented and startled. Callum wouldn’t let go of the elf girl, trying to protect her, before he realized it was just his family. Sighing in relief, he eased his grip off of the elf girl and smiled sleepily.

“Hi mom!” Callum yawned. He then became more aware and gave them a quizzical look. “Did something happen? Why is everyone here?”

Ezran, seeing his big brother awake, held out his arms from Sarai’s hold to indicate he wanted to be with him. Sarai gave both her boys a fond smile.

“Nothing’s wrong, sweetie. We just didn’t know where you were.” Sarai reassured him.

“Oh, I was with Moonlily!” Callum simply said, standing on the bed and going to give Ezran a kiss. The three adults were confused.

“Moonlily?” Harrow parroted.

“Yeah! We don’t know her name yet and she reminds me of those pretty flowers I saw in a book about Xadia once, so I am going to call her my Moonlily!” Callum told them happily, gesturing to the elf who was watching them warily from the bed. He turned back to the elf, grasping her hands, pulling her to stand on the bed too. “Moonlily! Come here!”

“Boy works fast.” Harrow teased Sarai, who rolled her eyes, but she was also smiling.

As for the elf, she eyed them with distrust, which Callum noticed, and he rushed to soothe her.

“No hurt you!” Callum told the elf. The elf girl gave him a skeptical look.

“No… hurt.” She said, doubtful. Callum turned to the adults.

“I think she thinks we’re going to hurt her. I found her crying last night and she seemed really sad.” Callum frowned at them. “We’re not going to, right?” he began to panic, thinking he put his Moonlily in danger.

“No, sweetheart! Of course not.” Sarai immediately reassured Callum.

“She’s our guest here, Callum. No harm will come to her as long as I am king.” Harrow promised. Callum sighed in relief.

“That’s good. I don’t know how to tell her she’s safe.” Callum appeared sad. “It hurts when she cries.”

Harrow, Amaya, and Saria exchanged looks before glancing towards the elf who was watching them with suspicion. Sarai put Ezran down on the bed, and the elf watched fascinated at the baby human boy crawling to her. She knelt down on the covers, reaching out a hand shyly.

Ezran didn’t waste time and clutched some of her small fingers with his even smaller ones. He giggled happily at the feel of her skin, and the elf couldn’t help but smile nervously.

“Vedui' ai Edan” the elf said. Sarai couldn’t help but give a smile at the wonderful scene.

“Little one,” Sarai called, making the elf glance at her. “We won’t hurt you. Please don’t be afraid.” She reached a hand out and ruffled Ezran’s hair, who gave a shout of delight.

The elf examined her critically, and the three adults made sure to appear non-threatening as possible. The elf chanced a look at Callum and Ezran again, appearing pensive about whether or not to trust them.

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

Rayla observed the adults in the room, weighing their words—or the ones she did know—in her head. It appeared they too, were not trying to hurt her.

If they meant her no harm, then why did they take her from Xadia? Rayla was frustrated. She wanted answers, but it was clear with the language barrier she wasn’t going to get them.

It was clear to her they were in Xadia now to get a magma titan’s heart, but for what? And why? If she knew these things, she could find it easier to determine motives, to judge for herself if she was truly out of harm’s way or not.

Rayla couldn’t help but chance a look at the human boy and his baby brother. They gave her happy smiles in return. The boy really didn’t think his family was going to hurt her.

For now, she would have to believe in him.

She turned to the three adults watching her curiously, and got up, picking up the baby human and handing him to her kidnapper.

“No hurt?” Rayla checked again, looking for any deception.

“No, little one.” The woman said, smiling gently, taking the baby into her arms. “No hurt.”

Rayla sighed in relief, nearly collapsing on the bed. It wasn’t all the answers or everything she needed to know, but it was knowledge that was comforting all the same.

For Rayla, that was all that mattered for now.  

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There’s chapter 4! I hope people enjoyed the Callum and Rayla interactions!

Translations:

Amin aran = My king

Vedui' ai Edan = greetings small human

[eirianerisdar]

Sins of the Father, Part 1

Summary: What if Claudia hadn’t managed to heal Soren and brought him back to the castle, still paralysed? Viren hears the news from the depths of his cell, and comes to terms with what he has done to his son.

More TDP fanfic! This will probably be a four or five-parter!

>In the end, they didn’t even have the decency to tell him in person.

Viren was sitting perfectly still, head tilted back against the grimy wall with his chains pooling around his wrists and ankles, when he heard it: the careless, too-loud whisper of a guard come to relieve the previous shift. Guards lined the corridor every five paces, Viren knew.

“Did you hear? His children have returned.”

Viren’s next inhale caught in his chest, and he very nearly tilted too far forward in his haste to catch the next words; his chains clinked softly against each other, and he held his breath for one long moment, fearful that the sound might alert the guards that he was listening.

For a moment, the two helmeted shadows slanted along the faint candlelight outside the bars of his darkened cell were still.

Then, the sound of spittle hitting stone. “Pah! Weren’t they sent out to seek the princes? What use was that? King Ezran was found and safely returned by General Amaya’s soldier yesterday.”

Viren ground his teeth. The guards had fairly flung that latter piece of information in his face a day previous as they slammed down his tray of food.

One of the shadows leaned closer towards the other, conspiratorially. “That’s beside the point right now - scuttlebutt is fairly on fire up in the barracks. Rumour has it his lordship’s children didn’t come back...whole.”

And just like that, Viren forgot how to breathe.

Not whole.

Not whole like he was, drained with magic and without access to the creatures he used to rejuvenate his appearance, or not whole as in...

And even as his heart paused before its next beat as though considering whether to go on, as the chains around his wrists and ankles grew instantly heavier - the question appeared before him.

The only question that mattered.

Claudia or Soren?

And perhaps, at this moment, if Viren had been allowed time to think, he might have shamed himself by entertaining the fleetest idea of a preference - but the guard had not stopped speaking, and the answer to the question was there.

“They made quite the scene, apparently. I have it on the authority of the guard at the gate that the Lady Claudia galloped in like there were demons at her heels and didn’t even dismount before she started screaming for her father.”

The second guard snorted. “Fair chance of that coming to any use. What was she screaming for?”

The next words would remain carved into Viren’s memory forever - beyond the image of his wife’s straight-backed form as she rode away to her homeland, beyond the horror in his heart when Queen Sarai’s breath halted right before his helpless eyes.

“Her brother. He took a dragon-tail to the chest and fractured his spine four days ago. He’s paralysed. Can’t even raise his head to drink.”

Viren jerked.

His chains clattered in an echoing cacophony across the grime-stained floor; there was a flurry of motion outside.

Viren halted, chest rising and falling in rapid, uneven breaths.

A moment of silence.

“Do you think he-”

“Shh! Go, go. It’s my shift.”

In the half-shadow of his windowless cell, Viren began to shake.

There was a roaring in his ears that was louder than the memory of Thunder’s gaping maw descending on him and the late Queen; the grey-purple backs of his hands in the darkness, still blanched with the marks of dark magic, shivered in his gaze.

Soren was-

His son was-

Claudia’s lighthearted voice tumbled out of memory, a conversation in Viren’s study which had taken place only a fortnight previous but seemed an age ago now, here in the dank shadows of this solitary cell. “Let’s say we’re attacked by giant bumble-scorps and they’re all like bzzz! Bzzz! and flailing their scorps at us like bzzz! - and I’m forced to choose between saving the egg and saving Soren. What should I do?”

Then, Viren had found himself momentarily speechless - he had looked from Claudia’s dancing, joke-filled green eyes (his former wife’s eyes) and down to the carpeted floor, because she had, in the unassumingly brilliant way of hers, voiced the question he had refused to ask himself.

Claudia had laughed and poked fun at him for not recognising a joke when he heard it, but she had been only a dozen steps to the door when he spoke.

He had taken the guilt and the shame and compressed it into a sphere so tight beneath his sternum it burned, and made the decision for the good of Katolis.

Just as he had made the decision regarding Harrow’s life, and later, to abandon the princes.

For the good of Katolis, and for mankind.

“The egg,” he had said, with that firm, unyielding authority that he knew his daughter would understand. “If you have to choose, choose the egg.”

What horror and sorrow had now bred from his words then?

What had he done?

What had he done?

Viren’s blood flared to fire in his veins, and he scrambled forwards on his hands and knees even as a deep, warning hiss from the worm in his left ear whispered, “Be still!”

Four days ago he would have listened without question. Now, Viren raised his head and shouted with the barking, staccato voice of a throat completely dry:

“Guards!”

The clang of a spear against the bars of his cell. Contempt from the shadows of a guard’s helmet. “Quiet, prisoner.”

“Still yourself and listen to me!” Aaravos’s sly murmur hissed urgently in his ear. “If you do not-”

Viren wet his cracked lips with a tongue so dry it hurt. “Guards!” he snarled, voice snapping like his son’s back must have, out in the wilderness against a dragon he was not equipped to fight. “I need to speak to Opeli!”

A guard’s laugh reverberated down the half-light of the corridor. “Mere prisoners have no right to summon a member of the High Council at whim, no matter their station before their crimes, traitor.”

Of all the words the guards could have chosen, that was the worst.

Traitor. Traitor, he who loved Katolis best - had sacrificed anything for his country and his people, and now had even sacrificed the happiness of his firstborn son.

Viren’s snarl turned into a roar.

“BRING HER TO ME!”

He had no magic here with him, and the voice in his ear would not give it - but the words lashed out of him with such desperate power that for a moment he fancied that the walls shook and the flames of the torches wavered in the corridor.

A muffled curse outside the cell. The rasp of swords being drawn, steel-toed footsteps on the flagstones. A figure in the armour of the citadel guard, silhouetted before the bars of the cell.

“Lord Viren! This is your last warning! Quiet down or we will-”

Viren was straining at the very end of his chains now, and cared not that the taste of iron coated the back of his throat and that steel carved into his wrists and ankles.

“I NEED TO SEE MY SON!”

Whatever the guard did next Viren did not know. The world was spinning before his vision, and the drum of his heart in his head had drowned out all else.

Half-blind with desperation and shivering from unspeakable emotion, Viren laid down the last treasure he had reserved, even bound in the depths of the castle’s deepest dungeons - his pride.

His head lowered to press into his hands, fisted in the grime of the sawdust floor.

The worm was still and silent in his ear.

“I need to see my son,” Viren whispered, with none of the fire of moments previous. “Please. Let me see my son.”

Soren.

And there, curled in his uttermost fall from grace, Viren could only wait.

To be continued

This is part 1! I’m cross-posting this to FFN and I’ll continue with it when I have time. I’ve been pretty busy studying and I only started writing this an hour ago because I couldn’t study any more. For more TDP fic go to my masterlist on my blog, especially His Father’s Back, a look at Soren’s search for his father’s love since his youth.

Viren’s a very intriguing antagonist in the sense that he truly believes what he’s doing is right; I’m not defending him in any way, but I loved what tdp season 2 did for explaining the relationship between him and his children, and I couldn’t help but examine it. Credit to @wafflesrisa, my twin, for giving me the plot bunny in the first place.

I’ll also put some links in the replies since tumblr isn’t working with links so well! Thanks for reading and I welcome feedback!

[punkscowardschampions]

Bea & Fraze

Bea: *Bea felt sick. She'd felt sick the whole day, not able to focus on any task, told off for daydreaming (as if), waiting for this moment to come, thinking SO hard for a way out of it but still not having a solid one by the time the bell for lunch rang and Miss was calling out their names. Crosslegged on the carpet, being 'Agosti' gave her no extra time to prepare either. There was only Josh Abbott and Amaya Adams before her on the register. She was a School dinner kid, that meant getting in line to be led to the dining room to get your tray of whatever shit they were serving today. The packed-lunch early years' kids stayed in the classroom, having their sandwiches and crisps and whatever else where they'd been doing their colouring and ABCs earlier. Trying to swallow the lump in her throat as she cleared it, and then trying to look the way the movie stars looked when you were annoying them, narrowing your eyes, raising a brow like you were so stupid, instead of shamefaced embarrassed, when Miss faltered at her interruption and the class tittered, expectant. 'Yes, Katie, what is it?' 'I've not got my lunch money, Miss.' Of course, it had to be drama, huffing and puffing with the classroom helpers who shook their heads, some with equal annoyance, some with pity, Miss making a big scene of 'Why not?' and then 'Well HOW did you forget?'; pondering out loud if she could be trusted to bring money in tomorrow, if that would be allowed and on and on it went, the kids getting rowdier again, laughing and sneering, all that bullshit washed over her anyway, she didn't care about them. Just standing there, still and expressionless, wishing they'd hurry up and make a bloody decision. Protests, pointing out 'I'm not even hungry anyway' batted away with annoyance 'You HAVE to eat lunch, Katie, don't be ridiculous!' Everyone loving how in trouble she was. This was all his fault. She hated him so much. Trying not to care, because that was the punishment, and if she wasn't embarrassed then he hadn't won, hadn't got what he wanted out of it, had he? She stood there, jogging her right leg up and down, the 'I'm bored of this now so you all should be too' look plastered on her face, fixed so tight it ached to maintain it on days like this. She caught eyes with that freckly boy, who hadn't joined in with the laughing yet, and wasn't looking at her just to see how much trouble she'd be in. She didn't know how she could tell, but she just could, she narrowed her eyes at him, furrowing her brows, as if to say 'What do you want?'* Fraze: *Lunch was proper class, not the cheese sarnies and deffo not the bruised fruit that his ma kept putting back into his bag day on day like enough threats and hard looks would make him eat it on one of 'em. Nah tah. Apples or oranges he could kick or lob decent but bananas were fucking scratty shit. It'd been a laugh when Joe showed him how to shove one up a car exhaust, yeah, but he couldn't reckon on one of the lads keeping watch every time. They were too soft, like. And he could hear his ma now if he got caught, feel how far he'd have to duck out of her way if the news caught her when she was home. Forget her having his knackers in a vice like she did his da, he wanted to be let out for footie, free to smash any other scally at the beautiful game whenever he fancied. That was what he was thinking about 'til it got gegged by the bullshit around him kicking up a notch. Alright. Fuck's sake. It was all going off from what he could tell 'cause that girl who was always on her tod hadn't got her spends, which shouldn't be nothing 'cept the teachers were being well cackhanded as per and keeping her pure embarrassed. Or so he'd have reckoned if he hadn't kept glancing, like. With one more he recognised how fuming she was. It was just the same as how he got, but she weren't handling it in any of the ways he did. Or didn't. Depending who you asked. He kept waiting for her to shout or swear or throw the tray and leg it, but there was none of that. Alright then. She had his full attention with the rest. 'Course that made him feel bad 'cause he wasn't stupid, he knew she didn't want any of 'em staring, but for every knobhead that he elbowed or glared at to shut up, more joined in laughing or pissing about that he'd have to make himself noticed too to deal with. That would be stupid. What then? It felt like ages before he worked out that he was gonna give her the fruit and half of whatever else Joe had thrown into his lunchbox this morning. Longer before he stood to do it, meeting the girl's eye for the first time. He made his voice loud.* Miss, she can share with me, I've got loads. Bea: *She didn't have to wait long for an answer, not that it was an answer that satisfied her, AT ALL; fucking hell. She shook her head, trying to protest but it was lost under how much Miss was wetting herself in excitement, literally clapping her hands together, making more of a show of how considerate and kind he was being, and how they should all make more effort to be like that to each other. Like, yeah, this boy was usually one for acting up, making her job harder than she liked, but no need to go overboard. Apparently so, though, at least Bea weren't the only one in this silly pantomime now, that gave her some solace and pride back. Not that it was hers to keep, a 'Thank you, Frazier' forced from her by their stupid teacher. As if that weren't bad enough, she was then plonked down next to him on his lunch table, as if he'd agreed to be her 'bezzie mate', as they'd probably put it. She scowled down at her shoes, kicking the table leg in frustration. This was so shit. She jutted her chin out, looking up at the blonde kid with defiance, and a shrug.* Thanks but keep it, I don't need anything. Fraze: *His eyes would've rolled back into his head at miss' bullshit if he'd let 'em, but right now, he only had eyes for who he'd lumbered himself with this break without knowing why he'd bothered. She wasn't, this girl whose voice didn't match his (too posh for 'round here), or really sound like it should come out of her either (too quiet for the anger he saw was there, barely hiding). She talked like someone off the telly but she kicked out at the table like she belonged at his, squeezed between his ma and da too, like. Same temper. Call this the mad kid table, yeah? Katie sat down and everyone stopped craning their necks and finally put some food in their gobs. Good. Still, his nose scrunched itself up at the teacher's continued fannying about, fuck the pat on the head. He didn't do it for that, he weren't no goodie two shoes and nobody called him Frazier, not even his ma when she was on one. He'd just wanted everyone to shut up and they had now. So whatever. Job done, yeah? Go away, miss. When it was only them two he emptied his bag out onto the table, and giving the lunchbox a hard shove towards her as she tried to refuse, in a way that matched her attitude and unmistakably said, 'yeah, you do.' Or, 'it's lunchtime, what else are you gonna do, watch me eat?' * Bea: *Bea scowled at him, taking a little less than half, what she knew she was meant to, including the battered banana that was starting to smell like what she knew as booze from all the people's breath she'd smelt in on. Gross. She was resolute on not eating any of it anyway, even if her stomach was growling, feral with the hunger, making her mood worse, it was always worse when she was hungry, all of it. She remembered Sunday mornings with her Dad, crispy bacon on fluffy white rolls, yellow pools of butter. Vague remembrances of him telling her not to tell her Mum soured by all the things she wasn't allowed to tell now. Not hungry anyway. Yeah, right. All they'd had in this morning was those rusk things Luce liked so much and it didn't feel right taking anything from her, even when she felt so empty she might fall in on herself. Candy from a baby, yeah? Didn't take a genius to know that made you the bad guy. And there wasn't room for three of 'em in one house, was there. There was only one baddie in the films, maybe a gang but they only counted as one 'cos they was bad in the same ways. She weren't nothing like him or her, nah, fuck that forever. No one was gonna be bad like they were to her, to Luce, never. She shook her head, not wanting to be here, in these thoughts, in her head, again. He had a point on that, even if he was annoying with it; What else was she gonna do? She tore her half of the sandwich up, playing with it, acting like she was always just about to put it in her mouth but always got distracted before she could.* I owe you then. Fraze: *He'd fucked up, she was telling him that every way but saying it out loud so it didn't matter how, why or because. His ma would say 'are-eh' all sarky if she were here, he reckoned and that jogged him on to get over it. Stop being soft. Sulking, like. If you don't like it, do something that voice inside told him. His da would. Joe would. Even little Tommo would have a go, if only by throwing a wobbler loud as a baby brat could. Fine then. Fraze turned to her with a shrug, shaking his head that nah, she didn't owe him fuck all. Meaning it. Well, it went boss, 'course it did. No effect. She was just still pissing about like she'd never seen a sarnie with the crusts cut off before. Maybe she was up herself like some of the other's said, too good to eat with him or any food made for him, like. That'd be right, after he'd put himself out. He kicked out at the table leg himself to settle his stomach back, using more force that she had, before bothering to try to fill it and replace the frustration with fullness. 'Cause that made you happy, yeah?* It's just cheese. *He stuffed the whole of his share of sandwich into his mouth as if to prove it weren't that bad, chewing with the same fierceness. Blue eyes burned into green unflinchingly as if forcing her to watch him would also make her copy the actions and eat. Like she was Tommo's age and it was that simple.* Bea: *She looks down at the table leg pointedly, raising a brow, 'What'd it ever do to you, like?' also throwing a cursory glance the adult's way, yeah, they were getting noticed.* Thanks a bunch. *She smiled sweetly, as if it were a genuine thanks, shoving a bit of the sandwich in her mouth sharpish, they'd be over like a flash to make her otherwise, least this display had 'em focusing on the kid choking on their crisps again, 'stead of them.* Well, I do. So think what you want fast or I'll decide for you. *She said, matter-of-fact. Savouring the first bite of food she'd had since...3 o'clock, yesterday? And that was only the sweets she'd settled on from Al's, should've gone for something more filling... She frowned.* And I know what cheese is, by the way. *Obviously, the boy was regretting being 'nice' to her now. Standard. Not like anyone else bothered. Oh well. She turned her body to face away from him, arms folded in her lap, body language closed. Cheeks pinkening at the idea he thought she was trying to be his friend, and not only that, but he was going to be like all the rest and be so openly against the idea. Well, think again.* I'll stop talking to you, how's that for a favour? Fraze: *He followed her gaze to where it went when it broke off from his and saw that he'd probably be in trouble if he didn't stop. At the very least one of the teachers would try and make him do that counting to calm down thing which never fucking worked and made him feel like such a twat. He sighed, exactly how he so often heard one of his parents do, without knowing he'd made a sound never mind done his own copying. There wasn't any consideration in his next action either, Fraze just did it. Broke the chocolate bar down the middle and assigned her the bigger piece. Like she was him and he was Joe. He handed her share to her, wordlessly, not taking no for an answer, like. Not waiting for one. No fucking way was he gonna let her decide anything for him. So yeah, he was thinking on his feet. And gonna make a quality choice, obviously.* Go'ed giz us some sweets then if you're gonna cry 'bout it, like. *He shrugged again, giving pretending that the idea of getting anything decent from her (just 'cause he gave her half a manky sarnie, handful of crisps and a banana) wouldn't make his day. A grin escaped anyway. He couldn't help it, how she talked made him want to. It was dead funny.* Yeah? *He raised his eyebrows as if he was pure shocked by the idea of someone knowing what cheese was. *Well, no take backs, you said I can have whatever I want, shit sarnie or nah. * He nudged her, playfully, grinning. *Okay, but what if what I want is for you to chat to me, what you gonna do then? Fucked it for yourself, haven't you? You've gotta set boundaries for me, see, or I want it all. Bea: *She tried to not look at the chocolate as if she'd never seen any before, save him taking the piss again. Also save melting it in her palms, waste; she was about to take a bite, 'cos they were eating lunch now and it was pointless trying to fight that, especially as hunger always got worse if you had SOME food. It was like teasing yourself, poking the bear or whatever it was that adults said. Once you had a little, you NEEDED more. But fat chance she was letting that comment go unanswered, dickhead! She kicked his foot closest to her, not hard nor nothing, didn't need the teachers back 'on 'em and didn't need to make HIM cry, like.* I.don't.cry. Get that straight. *Bea took a bite now, for emphasis.* Right then, easy. Come with me after School, get it sorted. *She nodded, happy to have it sorted by time the day was out, and happy he'd picked something she could give or she would've had to get creative. Blinking at him, at what felt like a sudden change of heart from the boy, and concealing the grin that tries to form in return of his, she shakes her head.* Nah, it's one for one, you don't get unlimited favours, idiot. And you'd rather have sweets, wouldn't you? *Bea shrugs, finishing the chocolate, licking her lips clean.* Fraze: *He laughed, no shame at it now that she was finally reacting in a way he was used to, shaking his head again, harder this time.* All girls cry. End of. *Ma's didn't count, like, and she didn't know his, so whatever. That could be the story and he was sticking to it. She had hers and the way she was telling it meant he'd get sweets. If she wasn't full of it, Joe would lose his mind. They all would. Ali would definitely cry and she wasn't allowed chocolate or sweets yet to know how good they were. His grin widened at the idea of having something none of them did, for once. But the voice was back as soon as he had that thought, turning it into more of a frown, telling him that if he showed the rest of them what he had, he'd have to fight to keep every sweet and losing wasn't just about sharing, it was shaming. Fuck. He'd have to eat 'em all before he got home. There weren't decent enough hiding places in the flat to risk anything else. The fucking dog would sniff 'em out and he'd be in the shit like he was at Easter. Fraze clicked his lunchbox shut, why the hell was he thinking about that? Stop being a div. She'd gonna think you are, and worse.* Alright. I'll ask. *Easy said, 'cause like he'd already, to himself, she didn't know his ma. Or that there was no chance she'd let him go down the shops with the new girl at school 'cause he asked nice. Still, he nodded himself to convince her (at least) that it was happening. Fuck knows what Katie would be like if she reckoned she still owed him. Nah tah, to that. But wait a sec, he might not have to be the loser mama's boy in her eyes though if this after school plan went tits up. She was right, 'course he wanted sweets, but he still knew better than not to take advantage of the possibility that he didn't, just in case. He was a McKenna for fuck's sake.* Who says? Bea: Well you must only know really pathetic girls then because I never cry so you're wrong. *She stuck her tongue out at him, not even checking if any adult was looking now. She believed it, though; Loads of the kids in their class, girls AND boys, still cried every morning when their Mums left, clinging to their legs, begging 'em not to leave... And barely anyone took the piss out of them, much. It pissed Bea off. She could handle the ones who just wouldn't have nothing to do with her, suited her fine anyway, but the ones who thought they were funny or hard or whatever were the worst. Didn't have time or energy for it, didn't they get it? She shook her head. Still, this one, Fraze, they ACTUALLY called him, not Frazier, wasn't being like that right now; So for this lunch break, (JUST this one, like), she'd 'play nice' as Miss always told her to.* If you can't come tell me what's your favourite and I'll still give it you tomorrow morning, swear. *She held out her pinky to him.* I say. What, you wanting something for every single bit of your lunch or something? That's a bloddy cheek, init? *She smiled, to show she was joking.* Fraze: *His eyebrows rose in proper surprise for the first time since they'd sat down together. She weren't backing down, maybe she was right that she weren't like other girls in their class? She already hadn't pitched a fit when he swore or run off to tell on him like others did when he did in front of them. But he couldn't let her know that, could he? Still a McKenna, like. If she earned it, he might give her a clue. Maybe. For now, he just had to fight back. With a laugh he balled up the empty crisp bag and threw it at her, not hard, but aiming for her head. 'Course it was a direct hit. A teacher moved towards the table at speed, but he reckoned it was worth it anyway. She'd be well impressed, how could she not be? Before the telling off could come and stop him, Fraze continued to grin proudly as he linked his finger with hers, making sure she did promise even if she was mad at him now. And he nodded too.* Well, I like Sherbet Lemons best, remember that, yeah? In case and just 'cause.* He grinned back, trying not to show how happy it'd make him if they could go to the shops sometime. He didn't like girls, but if she weren't, basically (and they both agreed, or as good as, that she weren't a standard one, at least) then it was alright. Fuck it. He laughed that off with what else she said.* Nah, not for this shit show, but next time I save you, for sure. I'll step my game up. Then you'll owe me big and won't wanna refuse. Bea: *She saw the hit for what it was, a challenge. She wasn't, however, as fully certain on what the response he was after was, especially when the big grin came. If he wanted her to cry, good fucking luck, boy. The teacher who marched over and made Fraze not only apologize to her but get up and put his crisp packet in the bin, helped her work it out, giving her no time or chance to respond with violence, like. Instead, she made funny faces behind the woman's back at him whilst he was at the bin, sticking up her middle fingers (being careful that only he saw because SO many of the girls would love a chance to dob her in for anything). As he sat back down she smacked him upside the head, shaking her own, bemused but not necessarily mad.* NEXT time? What makes you think I'll need you EVER again? And what's bigger than sherbert lemons? *Her eyebrows rose questioningly with her grin, to show she expected an answer* Fraze: *His apology was about as sincere as her thank you earlier, like, 'cause he knew she weren't mad at him. If he was sorry for anything it'd be the lunch bell going. This was a proper laugh and girl or not, Katie was sound. He didn't even get mad himself when he had to get up and clean up 'cause she made sure. No promise needed. It should've wrecked his head that this posh girl with no mates he hadn't spoke to before today was pulling the same tricks on him right now that he did to keep the lads thinking he was boss but he didn't. Maybe it was just that he'd already worked out they were the same and she belonged with him on the angry kid table or he could've been having too much fun watching her to care. Either way, like his ma and da always said, he'd take what he could get. Keep on loving it, yeah? It helped that she could hit an' all, better than most of the other boys on his street. Fraze was so impressed that he wanted to blurt that news out to her there and then, but he didn't. Couldn't 'cause that'd only show that she didn't need him, any time, probably, and she'd win. He wanted that way less than Sherbet Lemons, if he admitted it out loud or not.* What makes you think you won't? You got form now, ain't yous? *He shrugged, stomach twisting, though he didn't know why any possible answer she could give in reply would do that. So what if she never wanted to see him again? Give a fuck, yeah? He was popular, he didn't need her as a mate. She needed him to be hers, if anything. Remember.* Plenty of shit is, I can fit loads of 'em in my mouth if I want. I'll show you later on if you don't reckon so. Bea: *Back to scowling, getting up from her seat, metal chair legs scraping on the vinyl floor as she pushed away from the table and away from him, slamming her chair under the desk with more force than necessary. Why'd he have to say that, like that? Oh well. It was only a lunch time, like she'd said. And the bell was due to go in five, according to Miss' loud voice ringing too close in her ear.* Oh, piss off, Frazier. See you later.*She tutted turning away from him sharply. Bea busied herself with helping clean up, a task she usually left to the rest of her class, only pretending to help, like. She kept catching his eye from across the classroom, unable to stop herself for some stupid bloody reason. She made mental note to sit as far away as possible from him when it was carpet time next.* Fraze: *He didn't know what he'd said or done but he knew what he couldn't and wouldn't. He wasn't sorry. Not for anything. Not ever. He weren't no pussy, like. And he deffo weren't the kind of soft lad that trailed along after a stupid girl. Older lads took the piss out of any that behaved like that, he'd heard 'em, under the slide at the park, bevvied voices carrying, loud and proud. The old pissheads that stumbled out of the ale 'ouse in the afternoon were the same but only in volume. He was meant to keep away from them, his ma and da made him swear. Not these lads though, they were cool. Decent. Fraze puffed his chest how he'd seen these teens do and turned away. Another job done. 'Cept his back wouldn't stay to her, wanting to be aware of what she was doing and if she cared what he was. Or not. Jesus Christ. Why and what the fuck? Alright she was funny, but not enough of a laugh to be a proper bitch. Fuck it, if he found out what he'd done wrong it'd stop winding him up, yeah? He'd ask her next chance he got and that'd be that. End of. He just didn't like not having the answer. He'd get that and get over it. Easy. Then he'd get his sweets and go home. Like she said, nothing beat his faves anyhow so whatever.* Bea: [Home Time] Bea: *It had been dead hard avoiding the freckly kid all afternoon. Harder than it should be. He was no more on her radar than the rest before this, like, but now it seemed everywhere she turned, he was there, being all loud and...well, loud, really. It didn't help when they were sat on the same table to do puzzles, snatching pieces from the other before they got place it becoming a game that almost got her to grin when she remembered what he said and she had to remember to scowl at him again. Idiot. Form? What did that even mean? And he could fucking talk. His Mum always picked him up, and he had a Dad too, he'd picked him and his Brother up too sometimes, with the little boy and girl which must be more family. What did he know about anything, like. Absolutely nothing. Baby. Home time was easily her least favourite bit of the day. All the Mums and Dads and Nans and older Sisters and Brothers waiting in the playground, the way all the other kids ran to the window, all excited to see who was there for them, waving until they'd be allowed out to jump into their arms, tell them all about their day as they walked hand in hand to their lovely Home where they'd have fish fingers and beans for dinner in front of kids' TV before bath time and being tucked up in a cosy bed and read a story 'til they fell asleep and got to do it all again tomorrow. She hated them all. But she had to stick close. She weren't no idiot. She knew how dead easy she could get snatched by some wrong'un. So she changed the way she went home, switching it up every day. Following a different family every time, so they didn't get suspect and ask her where her 'Mam' was, all concerned. Safety in being confused as one of theirs, with an adult to protect her. She'd never followed freckled boy, he didn't live the same way she did. Anyway, his Mum stared too hard and Bea didn't like it at all. Miss tried (and failed) to get everyone to calm, back crosslegged on the carpet as she did the last register to make sure everyone was accounted for and sent to the right family and home. Bea reckoned they spent half their day saying 'Here', as if it was possible to get out. She'd tried, plenty of times. It would be easier when they were in proper classrooms like the bigger kids but they were still treated like such little babies. Fraze was sat about three kids away, so she leaned behind, tapping him on the shoulder, giving him a silent thumbs up and then a thumbs down, to gauge if he remembered. He had. So when her name was called, number three, she spoke loud and clear over the overly-excited chittering of everyone else.* Miss, I'm going back with Frazier and his Mum today. *When Miss nodded, how little she cared clear, Bea went to gather her bag from the cloakroom, hanging about there 'til they got to the Ms on the register; That's where he was, right?* Fraze: *It was piss easy ignoring that girl for the rest of the afternoon, like. He had loads of mates, more than anyone else in the class had 'cause who didn't like him, 'cept her now. But he weren't thinking 'bout that, was he? If he thought he was properly gonna, it was all grins and chatter and laughter. Being louder than all them other sounds going on in his head, learning it off Joe, everything what not too do 'cause his brother could be well quiet and frowny and he didn't like that. Fuck no. Besides, his ma and da were loud all the time, even sleeping they snored and snored. Jesus, his ma could say more with one of her looks than miss said all day, and everyone on their street knew it. Like everyone in this class knew he was the funniest, best at footie and fighting by miles. So there. Katie could reckon whatever else she wanted. What did he care? He was Fraze McKenna. End of. Still, he couldn't help trying to get the girl to grin again, wanting to see it same as before, share jokes that half the rest of 'em never got. Fuck knows why. Maybe she was right, and he was different too, not just better. And they were both more like the older lads under the slide than the babyish girls who hid under their tables playing pretend. He'd been weighing that idea up for a bit himself anyway. He could hurt his big brother if he wanted, and sometimes he did want to. Katie could hurt anyone here if she felt like it ('cept him, 'course) and he reckoned she did, maybe more than sometimes. That went round and round his head 'til the bell rang and he had something else to think on. Home time. Time to worry 'bout other shit. At least today if was only if his ma would let him go to down the shops or nah, Joe would say it could be worse and he weren't wrong 'bout none of that stuff ever. His brother could be trusted to be right when Fraze weren't sure if he'd dreamed things or muddled them up. Joe knew what was real and what weren't no matter what. Alright then. Fine. He'd just get permission to go. No need to fucking cry 'bout it, only man up, she said she'd bring the sweets tomorrow if his ma said no, swore as well. He couldn't lose. Fuck it. Fraze charged out to do exactly that as soon as he could, without looking back to check if the new girl was keeping up with how fast he could run. Unlikely. He was proper fast. He nearly smacked into his ma with the force of it, like, but she just laughed. Ruffled his hair, glaring back at him when he tried to do one to make her stop, before cracking up again. Fucking hell. Pure embarrassing. He tried not to go red and get his words out. If he made this quick she couldn't do anything else to make him look stupid, yeah? Besides ask loads and loads of questions about where he was going, who else was, and what Katie's mum reckoned about it. Fraze stamped his foot impatiently through each one, earning a less jokey look of warning. Oh come on! He answered every one, he weren't gonna do it smiling while she made him look like a twat, was he?* Bea: *Bea rolled her eyes, as he ran out, surprised he didn't fall and scrape his knees on the tarmac the way he kept looking back at her. She couldn't help but smile smugly to herself, making sure to take her time just as smugly, swinging her bag at her side as if she was in no rush. 'Cos she weren't in no rush to chat to his Mum, no thanks. He could bloody sort that, she'd be doing the rest; favours didn't extend that far no matter how much of a hero he chatted he was. She hung back, bored, as she did the usual Mum thing and he went all pink. Bea looked the lady up and down, studying. Fraze didn't look loads like his Mum. They were both blonde but she was more pale, and her eyes were really big and it was creepy, she decided there and then. She was young, younger than the Mums that all stuck together looking everyone else up and down, but not the youngest by any stretch, the Mums who looked like they should still be at big School, like. Probably about as young as her Mum and Dad had been...That made her dislike her more. Bea did her best to stay out of it, even though he was being such a boy and making a right mess out of it but she instinctively chimed in when she asked what her Mum reckoned.* My Mum don't reckon anything, she's dead. *You find out quick it's a decent way to shut people up, or make 'em feel sorry for you and give you what you're after, simple as. Fuck, even Nan could be tapped for stuff when she was having one of her days where she wanted to go on and on about how much she loved and missed her 'little girl' wailing and sobbing so dramatically like she was trying to get an Oscar. Of course, ran the risk of her calling her 'Kathryn' (even though that weren't even her full name or nothing) and saying she wished she was the one that died instead but, who cared? Not like she didn't wish her Nan was dead too so it was fair. She copied Fraze, stamping her feet too, making eye contact with his Mum as she grinned, willing her to relent.* Fraze: *Fraze blinked when Katie told 'em about her ma ('cause he didn't know that or anyone else who had a dead ma, only some lads without das, dead or taken off by the bizzies for a stretch) but his own didn't flinch, she just asked instead what 'whoever was looking after her' reckoned then, not missing a beat, and calling her 'kid' which made him go even redder, like, his own eyes basically begging her to shut up, but his ma weren't paying no attention to him, only the girl next to him. It wasn't a look he'd had aimed at him before so he didn't have a clue what it meant, good or bad. Either way, he reckoned it was best to try and hurry this shit along. Not that his ma was having any of this. 'Course she wouldn't. He weren't born yesterday even if she was treating him like he was in front of this girl. He tried saying 'please' and everything, only screwing his face up a bit around the word, 'cause a whole bag full of sweets wouldn't disguise the taste of having to. If she was proud of him, she never said though, insisting that yeah, they could go to the shops if she went with them. FUCK! Arlarse weren't the word. Right, this weren't happening. No way was he going with his ma along to hold his hand like some baby. He'd rather starve. Or never speak to Katie again, ever, than have her think that's the kind of lad he was. Tah, ma. Honestly. Cheers so much. His face was burning up to his ears, it was shit enough she'd see that, they both would. Fraze scowled, shaking his head, fiercely.* Nah. Forget it. Bea: *Bea raised a brow, disbelieving. Was this lady actually daft? She gestured around her with an encompassing shrug of her shoulders.* You see 'em here? They reckon it's fine, adult. *Putting thick disdain on the 'adult' because the 'kid' had rubbed her up the wrong way so sod you, whoever's Mum you are, give a fuck. She let's it sit for as long as she can but sighs, inevitably relenting when she won't and he's about to blow his top with it. Poor boy. More hassle than they were worth, parents. Glad she didn't have any, like. Sure. Bea was sure she didn't want/couldn't have her coming if she were gonna stick to her promise, and she always did so. She'd try once more to get Fraze to come with, thinking it'd be good to impress him with all the sweets she could get, for free; but if his old lady was gonna be a pain in her arse she'd have to settle for just getting him his share tomorrow morning. No fun in it but at least she wouldn't owe him no more.* Look, my Nan's husband- *She had to call him Grandpa when he was here, to show how close they were to people and what a great man he was to raise the orphan girls, but he weren't here and she took the small amount of satisfaction it gave her to disobey him here and now-* is a Doctor at that surgery right there, see? I ALWAYS go to the corner shop after School, he watches the whole time, yeah? I'll bring him back safe. But if you're REALLY worried about YOUR child, I'll just go ALL BY MYSELF then. *Emphasis as a challenge, like are you concerned for real like you're fronting or are you just like Miss and the rest? As long as you're seen to have done your bit, then fuck off, kid, I'm blameless and don't owe you shit. Go on, disappoint me, like.* Fraze: *He couldn't believe what he was hearing, nobody talked to his ma like that, even his da knew better than to try it, like, but fucking hell, here was this tiny girl, half his size, giving it all that and more 'cause she weren't fronting that she weren't scared or anything, she just properly weren't. Fraze's chest felt tight and his stomach was well twisty, making him reckon that maybe he didn't want sweets so bad any more now. Wide blue eyes went from Katie to his ma and back again, not daring to blink in case he missed a sec of what either of 'em were gonna do next. He watched for everything that weren't said out loud an' all, 'cause that was the thing with his ma, she could be quieter than Joe ever had, when she wanted, but there was always something going on. Like he said, she was always loud, not always in the shouty way of it or whatever though. And right now he reckoned he could hear her thinking. Deciding about shit. More than if he was allowed sweets or nah. He swallowed hard, waiting, counting not to calm, exactly, just...fuck knows.  He made it to 3 when he saw his ma do one of them smiles of hers that he tried to copy in the mirror whenever Joe weren't about to catch him. And then swore he felt the nod she gave as much as saw it, breathing out himself at the same time. Yeah? She was really saying it was alright instead of kicking off? Oh my god. His jaw was about to hit the floor, unlike his ma's which he knew was set as much as her mind was made up. She told him to 'go with his friend'. (The unspoken McKenna code passing between 'em with a look as he made sure to stand as tall as possible so his ma knew he understood that he was meant to look after this girl and would. Could easy.) He barely listened to the rest, knowing she'd be telling him the usual shit, to get his arse straight back to the cafe, no messing, blah blah blah, but he did hear her invite Katie back too, catching his classmate's eye quickly, unable to stop himself from hoping that she would come with after, get a coke with him and stick around. He liked her again and this time he really wanted her to know it. Be friends proper like his ma reckoned they were. But even more than that, he wanted to see if he could impress her too, somehow. For that, he needed time and opportunity so fingers crossed. The boy grinned widely, feeling it on his face but not caring who else saw. Things were going his way, why shouldn't he? Fuck off if you don't agree.* In a bit, ma. *He threw the words over his squared shoulders, feeling her watch him how he was sure she would they both until they were out of sight. Fine. He weren't mad. Not now.* Bea: *She wasn't sure how Fraze's Mum would react. Most adults (the normal ones) didn't know how to react to her, she made them uncomfortable, she did the other kids as well. Hell, even some of the bad adults she saw way more of couldn't handle her, just like old Al in the corner shop, she shook her head, smirking at the thought of rinsing him of all the good stuff, yet again. This time with someone to show-off to and share her spoils with. She liked it when she made people uncomfortable, it was better than the ones she didn't, they're the ones who made her feel like that instead and she hated it. Telling her how clever and grown-up and funny she was, but in the voice you'd use to talk to a baby so she doubted they fucking meant it. But she was. Had to be, so she had to take some damn pride in it too, thanks very much and fuck you for thinking otherwise. As much as she doubted the lady was gonna belt her one, still, Bea didn't reckon on a smile either; It ALMOST caught her off-guard, to the point she smiled back, before quickly wiping it off her features as if it never happened. Pretend it was to get out of here faster, whatever. She did a fake polite smile back when the invite came, knowing she couldn't already- but when she caught him trying to catch her eye, all eager and earnest- her reply that NEEDED to be 'No, thanks' stuck and instead she said nothing, just nodded her head dumbly. Oh well. She'd dash after, make whatever excuse worked best, no problem. Walking off from her with a bemused nod, kind of shocked that that had actually worked but proud it had, she stood up as tall as him (well, she wasn't, but back as straight and shoulder's pushed as far back, like), side by side. The shop really was only a few buildings down the road from their School and you only had to cross one tiny sideroad which was easy unless you was a total moron and she didn't think he was, actually. She looks up at him, grinning back, his infectious.* How many Brothers and Sisters you got then? *Bea asked, unprompted, wondering if there was more she'd not seen before or what.* Fraze: *He was pure made up to be doing this, he weren't allowed when it was him and his big brother together, though they did it secretly when ma and da weren't about to stop 'em, this was different. Proper. They'd asked and they'd got, that didn't just fucking happen, day to day. Not to him. Not with his ma. So there was no pretending he weren't happy. Simple as. He was bouncing on his heels all the way along, free and loving it, like. Fraze didn't look back once, wouldn't. He barely stole any the girl walking with him, 'til she spoke, breaking the easy silence. His eyes met hers then, searching for how she felt in spite of the grin he could see, making sure. Taking it serious, everything his ma hadn't needed to tell him to do and he hadn't needed to promise to. He shrugged at the question, surprised if she really didn't know already 'cause for some reason it was always something people did.* 2 Brothers and a sister. *He grimaced at that word same as he had with 'please'.* But she's just a baby, like. Whatever. *He meant that. Ali weren't annoying yet. Less than Tommo already was, following 'em about like a little shadow. Fuck that and fuck off.* Ma and da like me best though. *He laughed. The boast was half true, he was his da's fave, way more than Joe, who was a mama's boy. Like or nah. *An' they got a girl now so they ain't need no more, thank Christ. *He paused, looking at her again as he remembered what she'd said before about her own family, the only thing he knew about her other than her name and her anger. His eyes and voice both softened as he spoke up.* Soz 'bout your ma. That's shit. Bea: *He had loads of energy, like. It was hard for Bea to keep up, honestly, but she did her best not to let it show. That was par for the course when you never got enough food or enough sleep, you get used to faking an acceptable, undetectable level of 'fine' to keep from the more exhausting conversations no one wants to have. Simple as. Still, conversationally, he was easy to keep up with. So she had seen them all before. Bea nodded, pleased she had some experience to relate to what he was saying.* My sister too. *It was hard to tell how old babies were, they all sort of looked the same but she reckoned Luce was a bit younger than the little girl she'd seen with Fraze's Dad a few times. Fatter though, and she didn't walk yet or say much. It worried her a lot but she didn't wanna think about that right now when she had all the other time in the world to do that, right now she actually had something else, so appreciate it whilst it lasts. She laughs, meaning it, ruffling his hair like his Mum had, having to get on her tiptoes to reach.* Nah, bet they tell you off ALL the time. Bet you're- *She gets off him, quick, shrugging away, pulling her jacket 'round her tight but making a sound like she ain't even bothered, though she's walking faster.* If you reckon that's shit, my Dad's dead too so wha'd'ya think to that? Fraze: *Fuck's sake. It was going decent, she liked him again, he could see it, hear it when she laughed and feel it when she took the piss that it was playful same as before with the crisp bag, but he didn't keep his mouth shut and let it be. Why? She was the one with the dead ma, she knew how shit it was without him to tell her. Knobhead. She turned into Joe when their ma and da came home late or they woke up in the night 'cause the door was going again, like. If he tried another sorry she might hit him, or worse, cry like she reckoned she never. Either way, she wouldn't hear the apology 'cause she didn't want it. He blinked hard, scratching the back of his neck as he caught up with her increased stride. That bit was easy, finding something to say weren't. Fraze frowned and thought. It came to him after a sec.* I reckon you'll do all right, my ma and da don't have parents, never have, and they're sound. *He pulled the girl back by the sleeve of her coat, not rough like he would've if she actually was his brother, but insistent still, looking at her.* You won my ma round, like, and that ain't something I can do. Bea: *More nodding. Least that made sense, why his Mum had been nice to her, like. Dead Parents club. They didn't call it that, but she'd overheard him telling some well-meaning old biddies that that's where she went...Support group? Yeah, support group, that he'd found a really amazing one for her with other kids with dead Parents, sometimes dead Brothers and Sisters too, for a change. It was all bollocks, she didn't go nothing like that. Fuck, probably reckons if he lets her start chatting that all his secrets and feelings will come spilling out, never mind her own. Joke. She didn't really feel much about her Parents anyway, truly. No offense. Didn't have time for it. If she ever had the luxury of time to think on them, she just got angry at them for leaving her here because if they hadn't, all the rest of her problems wouldn't exist, so then she would have time to miss 'em like everyone reckoned she must/should. When Fraze pulls her back, she considers telling him, God, not all of this, but some of it, she decides against it, though. HIS Parents ain't dead, after all, and holy fuck she bets nothing like what's happening to her has EVER happened to him; So he ain't gonna get it, couldn't. She shrugs, less aggressively than before, sort of smiling that weird half-smile that was a bit sad too, that she'd learnt from the films, fluttering her eyelashes at him all for effect.* I am cuter than you. Fraze: *There was a huge part of him, growing every second, it felt like, that wanted to know what going on, behind everything, but just like his ma (who never even locked the bathroom door but still kept 'em all at arms length still) he had no clue how to get Katie to show or tell him either. He couldn't scream at her or hit her. You weren't allowed to do shit like that to girls, and everyone else saw her as one even if them two didn't, so he'd get in trouble if he dared try anyway. And he didn't, dare, like. Not 'cause he wanted sweets, fuck them honestly by now, he'd basically forgot 'bout the whole debt thing. But 'cause he couldn't stop thinking about her coming to the cafe with him and maybe tomorrow, sitting together 'cause they wanted to, instead of miss saying they had to. He shrugged back, staring at her openly, fed up with so many secrets around all the time. Fuck cute, that was for babies and animals and that. She was more. Impressive and fierce and...what? He needed to find a word for the new girl that was just better. Cooler. Properly decent. Something that fit.* You ain't cute, you're boss. Bea: *It isn't that the prolonged eye contact made her uncomfortable, it was that it DIDN'T, and she didn't know what to do with that at all. She was used to people looking at her, and those people and their looks making her want to rip off her own skin because it crawled so much. As much as their hands and eyes would roam all over her and- And she knew what to do with them, stare back, to hide all that...grossness, that she felt underneath, because that's what they wanted to see, so you couldn't let 'em. She had to make it hard for them, not as fun, or else, what the fuck did she have? But Fraze wasn't looking at her like that. Or making her feel any of that. But she felt SOMETHING, not nothing, like when people looked her up and down who didn't know. What did he know, though? It was confusing. Bit like the word he called her. She still didn't know exactly what it meant, when they said it the way they did 'round here, but she knew it was a good thing so she was happy. She smiled, opening and holding the shop door for him with a wink as they reached it.* You'll see. Fraze: *She smiled and he was back to winning. Nah, feeling like a winner was more like it. He smiled back, putting his weight on the door before it could knock her over, like. She really was tiny, smaller than any other girl in their class by loads but he'd never noticed until she squared up to his ma just now, which didn't make sense 'cause 'course that made her seem bigger. Why was he thinking 'bout how she looked anyway? Weird that. She weren't no boy he was looking to fight, working out his odds and that was the only time size mattered. Fraze told himself to shut his gob and went in, looking 'round 'til he found where the sweets were and went towards 'em. This shop had shit loads, if he had spends he could go well mad in here, like. Get more than a handful of his faves. His ma hadn't given him any though so that weren't likely, was it? He could hear her voice in his ear, saying 'take what you can get, kid' so he started filling one of the little paper bags with Sherbet Lemons, but he'd only thrown a few in, nowhere near enough to stop her owing him, when something else drowned out that wisdom. He turned back to the girl, sharply, stopping. Fraze kept his voice low, trying not to embarrass her again.* How you gonna buy these without any money? Bea: *Al was a nervous sort of man but Bea could see he was even more nervous than usual now that she wasn't alone, his eyes darting back to Fraze enough to be odd but he clearly couldn't help it. Probably reckoning the little girl had told the little boy all the bad things unassuming old Al liked to get up to with her. She grinned at the man fiercely, taking power in that thought, linking her arm with the boy's and Al smiled back best he could, all meek and licking his lips even five seconds making them all wet. Disgusting. Bea peered down into Fraze's pink striped bag and frowned up at him, talking loud to show she could, it weren't no secret.* Get more! Get stuff for your Brother's and Sister too, if you like. We can have whatever we want. Al and me are good friends, aren't we Al? *A mumbled 'Oh erm, yes, of course we are. Help yourselves, kids. Any friend of Katie's...' as he worried the skin on the back on his neck, coughing into his elbow furiously, going pink like Fraze had earlier with his Mum.* Bea made a big show of peering at every shelf, taking her time, 'Hmm'ing' out loud, tapping her index finger on her lips, in time to the tapping of her foot. She was really taking the piss today, trying a 'sample' of every pick 'n' mix going, shoveling jellybeans into her mouth and handing the boy as many, firing them into his mouth, see if he could catch them. It was a right laugh. Made better by the fact Al was getting mad but still couldn't do anything, even when she 'accidentally' knocked over a whole display of chocolate bars. He was still just laughing, in such a nervous, fake way and tutting over the top dramatic, cleaning up behind 'em. The power she felt in him being able to do fuck all was immense, it was why she came back every day. It was why he was so mean when he got his chance. Worth it though. Worth it to make him fucking squirm. In the end she got some of those little sugar mice for Luce, they were kinda gross and she didn't really like letting her sister eat them either (she was big enough and everyone knew sweets were bad for you) but her little sister loved it when Bea made them scurry about, pretending to nibble on the mouldy cheese way past the turn, acting like they were gonna bite the horrible dog's tail off, she proper giggled, like- Yeah, those for Luce and she didn't really fancy anything herself, feeling sick from how much she'd ate just to show her accomplice that she could, to show Al too. She felt full as well though that was impossible. Full of it, like. That's what she'd heard Miss say about the freckly face in front of her, dead affectionate though, like, not on a day when he was actually winding her up proper. He was just...likable. Bea liked him, she decided. Pulling him out the door, giggling, waggling her fingers at Al behind 'em who looked like he was about to cry, the absolute pussy.* If you come back with me again, you can have more, don't have to share your lunch or nothing. Just don't tell no one else. I only share my secrets with people who are worthy, okay? Only us can do it, not even your Brother can come...No offense. *She stuck her pinky out again.* Deal? Fraze: *Linking arms was the kind of playground shit that stupid girls did and he didn't like it, but he liked that she did, that she was over the top happy from the first sec she did it so he didn't pull away. Besides, the bloke weren't happy 'bout none of it, and Fraze liked him even less. Instantly. He was the kind of bell end his ma warned 'em off of, he felt that. Acting all nice to hide the sketchy. Loads of 'em did it, you had to have your wits, like. And a decent jab, which his da had taught him an' all. The way Katie called him a friend got his back proper up, not just 'cause he wanted to be hers, though he did. It was the way she said it, with the same voice his ma and da used when people came 'round, late. He felt sick over it, didn't want anything, would rather she was a dipper too, like him and Joe sometimes were, with little things you could hide easy. But every time he tried to shake his head nah or get words out to tell her they should just bail now, fuck this for a bad idea, the girl handed him something. It was tempting to go home the hero, sweets for everyone and as many inside him, like. He couldn't deny that. And anyway, if this man was a wrong'un then he was owed it. Worse too. Until he could tell someone, maybe make his da come 'round and scare the cunt then why not, yeah? They were good sweets, he couldn't deny that either, especially when she made a game of getting him to catch 'em. He laughed with none of the nervousness he felt in his guts when Katie did that, finding it even funnier when they fell on the floor. Al would have to sweep each of 'em up. Have fun, knobhead. He grinned wider than he had before now, 'til it almost hurt, picking out loads more sweets and chocolate than his ma would ever let him keep hold of, just 'cause. If he could leave this place with empty shelves, he would, to see how smiley Al would feel 'bout him taking everything. His ma would be proud of that much, he reckoned. It made him feel better, a bit. Brave enough to stick his own fingers up at the bloke when she waved, like it was how he treated shitty adults as standard. Still, he breathed out a huge breath once they properly left. The street under his feet felt massive suddenly and well bright. Fraze shook his too heavy head, only stopping when his new mate spoke to him, his eyes widening instead, both eyebrows rising up really high. That was alright by him, it meant he didn't have to ask any stupid questions when his face did that for him. A hand ran through his short blonde hair, too many thoughts to think.* Okay. Yeah. *He couldn't help grinning again, he knew she was only saying that stuff about him so he'd keep his mouth shut, but he liked it. Being treated like a winner by someone else without a fight and having a secret that even Joe wouldn't know. Sharing it with her. He nodded, redoing the promise. It didn't feel decent enough though, not for now, and not as soon as he'd had a better idea. The boy spat into his palm quickly and held it out for the other to shake.* Deal. Bea: *She knew what the other girls in their class would do if Fraze so much as attempted to do this with them, (though, why would he? He was always just playfighting with the other lads and generally tormenting the girls that came near and tried to make him play Mums and Dads with them or something), they'd shriek in horror and run away, hysterical giggling or crying, either to tell the Teacher or talk to the other prissy girls about how gross boys were. Bea just reckoned they were lucky if a bit of spit was really the grossest thing they could imagine. How lucky to be such a little Princess that you never have to touch anything unpleasant, that you can run and scream, and people will listen. She spat into her own palm, with more enthusiasm than necessary, (fueled by her annoyance at every other girl who wouldn't), and shook his hand real strong, like, looking him square in the eye, serious.* No takebacks. Your Mum will let you now she knows me so don't be tryna get out of it, alright? I'll know. *She poked him in the chest to show she meant it, but turned her serious tone into a playful one, grinning again, wiping their spit onto the chest of his School jumper.* Boss, yeah? Fraze: *He didn't know how he knew she'd do it before she did, he just reckoned she would. Without any of the other bullshit other girls brought with 'em, like screaming or telling tales of him. Anyway, who was she gonna tell, her granddad? He weren't scared of no coffin dodger and she hadn't called by him that anyway, so maybe she could stick him less than the teachers. Sounded like it, and yeah, if he knew more blokes like Al, no wonder. Fuck it, he weren't sorry 'bout spitting and he didn't have to be, 'cause she'd done the same back before he could even blink. So there. All Fraze could do now was hold her serious gaze.* I ain't never. I only say what I mean, nothin' else. And I reckon I like you, now. Kid. *He added the last word with a cheeky grin, doing the best impression of his ma's voice that he could, which by his own reckoning was pure decent. He'd practiced a lot, like, to make Joe and the younger 'uns laugh. He hoped she would too, fingers crossed. Every grin of hers made him do it too, if he realised or nah, but the boy felt this one, how it kept growing when she was grosser than him. He looked down at her hand when it touched him, small as fuck, but really strong against his chest. He wanted to put his own on top of it, or something, for a sec, 'til he blinked the moment away. Don't be stupid, he told himself, as quick. Why would Katie want that? Why did he? He forced himself to look away, blushing, a bit. Fucking hell. This was the most embarrassing thing that'd happened all day. He shrugged hard, pretending it was that easy to get past it. His voice, only his own again, steady and loud.* Yeah. You comin' to the cafe then? Bea: *Her face hurt from how big she was beaming but she didn't mind none, didn't even care how much she was showing all her cards right now, 'cos he had first so that made it alright for her as well. It was nice, different, but still nice. She really hoped he meant it and they could have some more fun, get in some more trouble. It'd make her days a bit less shit, she'd have less time to think about when she had to go 'Home'. No sense worrying 'bout it whilst she weren't there, couldn't be, HAD to be in School. It'd be ace if they could be kinda mates. Bea even let the 'Kid' slide because it was funny how much he could make himself sound like his Mum, she laughed, able to see the funny side when the woman herself weren't the one saying it at her. She felt him tense up under her fist, she didn't know why but instinctively dropped it back to her side, feeling bad she'd made him feel bad, though she didn't get it. Not like he was afraid of her, like he thought she was gonna thump him, surely? Maybe he thought she was gross? She let it slide, as well, knowing he'd only get dead moody if she tried to ask, (she would've too so), walking further on in the direction of the cafe. It was her turn to tense up. She wanted to. Even though his Mum and Brother would be there too, she really did want to stay with him, keep having a nice time. A lot, actually. But Luce...Bea bit her lip, conflicted. What was ten more minutes? But, how much would she enjoy them when she knew anything could happen in a split second and it was bad enough she had to spend 6 hours every day away from her, not able to keep an eye on Nan, keep her Sister safe.* Will your Mum put my coke in a to-go cup for me? I can't stay long. I have to go look after my baby Sister. Fraze: *She hadn't said nah and that put the smile back on his face, though his face still felt a bit hot from the hand thing and his stomach was doing that twisty shit again 'cause it was ready for her to go running off home and keep him waiting for tomorrow, like. That's what girls did, yeah? He'd seen it on telly and heard it from the lads at the park, both couldn't be wrong. No way. So she was different and he was lucky. And today was a good day where this girl kept being boss. End of. He weren't gonna ask why. Alright, maybe later when she had properly gone and he was in bed, trying to sleep, but not now. While they could, Fraze intended on having as much fun as they could. It weren't like he'd forgotten that he needed to impress her too for everything she'd already done. Easy it'd be 'cause they had ages before it was time to go pick the others up and head home. All he had to do was think of something that she'd reckon was 'worthy' again. He weren't no thicko, he'd get it done. Somehow. He was about to open the door, holding it open for Katie this time, when he worked out that she'd stopped. He hung back with her, waiting for the reason. It weren't the one he expected, 'bout getting in trouble for staying out or feeling sick from so many sweets and he blinked for what felt like the hundred millionth time that day. What? He looked at her confused.* Can't your nan or grandda do that? But yeah, she will. 'Course. Anything for one of my mates, like. Bea: *Any potential annoyance at him not getting it was assuaged by him calling her his mate. It felt good, on the inside, it was her turn to go pink, facing away so he couldn't see it, that and her stupid big smile. She weren't even arsed about all the kids at School who wouldn't be her friend, because they clearly didn't know shit, why'd she wanna be friends with idiots like that? And she reckoned him the same before but he was showing he was different now, somehow, even if she hadn't totally pinned down how, yet. It didn't matter, if they were mates, she'd have time to work him out, she was smart enough. Easy. She shrugged, being casual with it as she walked in the cafe, like it weren't the big deal it was.* ... Sure, but she makes me help her.  *Rolling her eyes at him all 'adults, yeah?', making it as relatable as she could, like, come on, get it and drop it quick.* Fraze: *He nodded, pulling a face of his own 'cause his ma was like that, on at him if he told Tommo to fuck off even though he weren't the one being annoying in the first place. So what if that was his little brother's first words? He'd fit right in then, yeah? You're welcome, like. He could answer the door for 'em next time armed with that and all the pointing he did. The grimace turned realer then, he'd only said the stuff in his head but Fraze just couldn't joke about that shit. Never. It made him scared and weren't having that ever, but especially now, with her. He nodded at his ma as they walked in, exaggeratedly as he made his fingers into a gun and put it to his head, miming dead for a sec after, to show Katie he knew exactly what she meant and 'course it was the same for him. He pulled out a chair for the girl at the table Joe was sat at, homework book already out, the one next to empty seat he was gonna take though. It didn't take long after they'd sat down for his ma to come over too and he told her quickly what they both wanted so she'd go again. He'd been embarrassed enough by her, knowing she'd ruffle his hair again on her way past to piss him off. It was fucking worse, she told him that they had to share 'cause she weren't 'made of money' even when he basically shouted back at her that Katie had to leave soon, trying his best to barter for the cup deal. FUCKING HELL. It was this table's turn for a kick and his to get pulled up by his collar so his ma could 'have a quiet word in his ear'. The whole cafe knew what she was really saying. His fists clenched as he went, no chance of calming down as he stared back at the two of them left at the table.* Bea: *Bea watched the whole performance from start to finish, mix of amusement and curiosity, sat passively on her chosen-for-her chair, opposite Fraze's Brother, who sat as passive. More. He wasn't even slightly interested, it seemed, barely looking up when voices were raised, tables kicked and his Brother dragged off. She got it. Your normal's your normal, no matter how unlike anyone else's it might be. God, she got it. The things she knew were bad that she didn't bat an eyelid at now, blinking like her friend had whenever she said something he weren't reckoning on. When him and his Ma were gone out back, she turned to properly study the Brother, Joe, weren't it? You wouldn't pin 'em as Brothers, for a start. He was dark where Fraze was blonde, long hair 'stead of short, shorter than him too even though he was the year above, brown eyes where his were blue, devoid of any freckles when the other boy was entirely covered. Opposites. Again, she got it. She loved her little sister but she was the weirdest looking thing and she was glad she didn't look like that, sorry Luce. The boy, Joe, smiled up at her, bit nervous, she smiled back, apologetically, not meaning to have been staring for that long. She didn't get out her Homework, no intention of doing it, even if she had the time. She sipped on the shared coke, taking the blue straw so Fraze would have to have the pink, smirking. It was a funny taste, but it seemed grown-up. She'd only had coke before now from stealing the dregs other people left in places like McDonalds. Pretending to be with this family or that, she'd never been noticed, good at looking like she belonged somehow. Her friend came back scowling, slumping in his seat dramatically. She pushed the glass over to him, like he had his lunch earlier today, nudging him with her shoulder to say 'Cheer up, mate'.* Fraze: *He was so fucking mad, knowing that his first shot at impressing the girl was gone already and not reckoning on having long for another, if she was even still there when he got back. Joe could make her wanna leave by being west in his own way if their ma didn't. He should've taken her someone else, somewhere pure cool, like the park, but he didn't reckon it until now, while he was meant to be listening to his telling off. Forget that shit though, it was always the same bollocks over and over, them reckoning he should do what they never did themselves. His ma and da weren't calm. Joe weren't, still as he sat. So why should he listen? It was stupid. Yeah, alright his ma didn't have loads of spends but neither did Katie and look at all the sweets he'd got. She coulda stretched to another coke to make him look boss too, if she'd wanted. But nah, she wanted to keep him a baby. Fraze didn't make a sound, dared not 'cause it'd make her keep him here longer away from his brother and mate, but he grimaced through every sec. Couldn't not, like. 'Til his ma started saying stuff he didn't expect, questions about Katie which made his eyes widen (again). There weren't much else he could give her, answers wise, all he knew 'bout this girl really was that she had a baby sister too, dead parents and lived with her grandparents (he didn't have any to compare to, 'course but they sounded annoying) He weren't gonna tell anyone 'bout Al, he'd promised and there weren't anything to say even if he hadn't. It was more of a feeling he had, not words and thoughts. How was he meant to explain that? If there'd been no promise, or he was a snitch, his ma still weren't giving him chance, talking and talking herself. The only question out of loads that he did answer was when she asked him if they nicked the sweets she'd already clocked him having. He didn't want her thinking Katie was a dipper when she weren't and he definitely didn't want to be marched back into that bloke's shop and made to give 'em all back. No fucking way, tah. He waited for her to kick off or call him a liar ('cause it weren't the proper truth, leaving Al out the picture) but his ma just let him go back to the table with one of her looks ('cept not exactly, and not the kind he reckoned on getting either). He went, but it didn't feel like winning, even being back with his new friend. He didn't like that look or what it might mean if he brought this girl back to the cafe again.* Bea: *Bea didn't like how it felt now. Dead awkward. She knew his Mum didn't actually like her, yeah, shocker and give a shit, lady, stop staring at me too; but that was seeming to matter more now it wasn't just them two. Probably 'cos she'd got him in trouble with his Mum and he was angry with her now. Shit. She didn't mean to do that, like. Not trying to make and break friends on the same day. Oh well. Guessing she'd leave before she could make it any worse, she got up almost as soon as he was back, leaning over to take a big gulp of the drink as she did.* Thanks for the drink. *She raised her voice loud enough so his Mum would hear too, show she had manners, actually.* See you tomorrow then? Fraze: *Fraze wanted to kill his ma right then and if looks could kill, he would've, without feeling bad, at all, like. As soon as Katie got up, he moved himself, holding onto the sleeve of the coat she hadn't taken off (again) to keep her at the table she'd leaned over for longer, shaking his head.* Don't go yet. *His voice sounded dead weird and he was glad he couldn't see whatever the fuck his face looked like, 'cause he'd only wanna take the piss out of himself and now weren't the time.* We've got loads of homework, like. *He could give a fuck 'bout that, he weren't gonna do it and even if the new girl was, he knew she didn't need his help, miss loved to go on 'bout how proper smart Katie was, but it was the first thing he could think of. Fuck's sake. Maybe he was a thicko. Fingers crossed she'd reckon on what he actually meant and he wouldn't end up more embarrassed that he'd already been today. Worth a shot, yeah?* Bea: *She looked down at her cuff, and his hand attached firmly to it, still, looking back up to his face, resolve softening instantly, seeing how mad he WASN'T at her, just his Mum. Instinctively, she'd drawn her hand up into the coat when he'd made to grab her, but she now had a strong urge to reach down and grab his hand back, to hold it for a while. Her fingers felt itchy from it, but Bea resisted. Booting her dropped bag back under the table, she smiled, sitting down again. Leaning down to get the homework book and a pencil out.* Alright, boff. *She stuck her tongue out at him.* Fraze: *She sat back down next to him and he breathed out hard, but making it the kind of 'oh fuck off' sigh he'd heard both his parents do as he made a face back at her. It quickly turned into a wide grin though, Fraze couldn't help that, his ma was cleaning the other tables, Joe wasn't trying to be matey with his new one (he did shove some sweets his brother's way, just in case he was gonna open his mouth to say something) and she was sticking around. He was made up to take all that. Homework weren't gonna keep him happy, but he reckoned he could think of something else to do with his book if he tried hard. Thinking, the boy blew bubbles in the glass with his straw, biting down hard on the tip when he realised he had a pink one. Tah ma, bet that was you, an' all. He nudged Katie with his elbow, showing her his 'masterpiece' when was done. It didn't take long, it was piss easy to make a flipbook, his ma had shown him and Joe ages ago and it weren't hard to draw a version of their teacher getting a lunch tray dumped over her head by the last page. Not impressive either, but he couldn't raid the cafe kitchen like she had Al's shelves. He weren't doing this to score points anyway, just make her smile. Or maybe laugh, that'd be best.* Bea: *Bea watched him studiously, over his shoulder, uncaringly brazen like, so she could try and work out what exactly he was doing. She laughed happily when he showed her the finished product. It was like a tiny film or something, she had no idea how it worked but she thought it was really clever. Not to mention funny, especially the look he'd drawn on Miss' face.* Cool! Show me how. *She bet Luce would love these. She could make her ones about the dog and the mice, make up stories to go with them...Yeah, that'd be good, she'd think it was like magic, her big brown eyes shining out from her pudgy little face. Fraze obliged, clearly feeling proud to know something she didn't but he was a patient teacher with it too, her tongue poked out in sheer concentration. By the end, she'd drawn Al, slipping on some gumballs and falling straight on his big bum, mop bucket landing on his head to add insult to injury, crying big, fat cartoon tears. She grinned up at her friend, seeing if he liked it, and could tell who the fat, bespectacled old stickman was meant to be. She whispered in his ear, so the other's couldn't hear, the cafe quieting down as they got closer to closing time.* You didn't tell your Mum nothing, did you? Fraze: *She did laugh and it made him feel weird, but not in the bad way he had in the shop or his ma had with her questions. It was like when he was little like Tommo and his da used to chuck him around and flip him upside down, all that kind of shit. When he laughed too, Fraze couldn't get his breath properly, as if he'd run really far and fast, and his face hurt (the same as when he had contests with his boy mates to see how could fit the most food in their gob) 'cause he was grinning so much. It got wider once she asked him to show her how to make a flipbook and again when she had her own go, but he weren't mad. Couldn't be. Honestly, he couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so NOT mad and not only that but happy instead. Happy, even though she was better at drawing than him by miles and normally he hated coming second at anything, announced out loud by somebody or in his own head, like. For a sec he almost told her how good she was, reckoning she'd like to hear it, but before he could, Katie got closer to him than she'd been up 'til now and he forgot any of them words. The upside down feeling was back, 'cause her hair was long and soft and it tickled his cheek when she moved (which should've been annoying but was only confusing 'cause it weren't ) and he knew it smelt nice but not why or what of. He knew too that, like her hand earlier, he wanted to touch it, but again, not why he did. He shook his head firmly no to both things, but couldn't stop himself from reaching to put every strand that'd got him behind her ear where it should be, telling himself it would get in the way of him talking into hers if he didn't.* 'Course not. I promised, didn't I? I always keep 'em. Bea: *She could tell he liked her, for real. She weren't being 'up herself' nor nothing, like everyone reckoned she was; But she couldn't help it when it was THAT obvious, could she? What was she meant to do? Ignore it? Pretend the opposite was true? That was just stupid, if you asked her. Anyway, she liked that it was obvious. Why was it meant to be all sly and secret and make you feel confused and wrong? It was like that with him, with all of them, and that was just... bad. Really bad. She appreciated how easy kids her own age made it. And it felt nice. Good. Nothing weird in it, she was the one in control too, knowing more than all of them always. Some of them didn't even know what it was, the feeling. She reckoned Fraze probably didn't. He didn't like girls, he'd said. He was one of those boys. The footie and fighting and running around being lairy boys. Some boys would play with the girls, preferred it, enjoying all the attention and love they got lavished on them if they were willing to be the Daddy, or worse, much worse, the Doctor. She'd kissed lots of boys under the slide, or in the Wendy House, when the Teachers weren't looking, but ONLY when they were being the Dad. Doctors and Nurses made her skin crawl. It made her wonder if these kids knew him like she knew him, the way they insisted on playing it. Too hands on, too in your face, too...everything. She'd give any boy, or girl for that matter, who came near her with the stupid plastic stethoscope a slap. No, that wasn't even the point right now. Focus on what he was saying, not doing. He's your friend, an actual friend, don't ruin this like you do with all the others who give you the time of day. They weren't going to kiss RIGHT NOW. In front of his Brother and Mum, for God's sake! So stupid. She shook her head, letting more strands of her strawberry blonde hair fall in front of her face, the tight ponytail she did before leaving the house a laughable mess by the end of the day, hair wild and essentially loose. It wasn't like she WANTED him to tuck the rest behind her ears too, nah. She smiled at him, a little breathless, a little pink, to show she weren't shaking her head at him, only herself.* Good. Me too. Fraze: *He smiled but couldn't look back at her at the same time, he needed to take a breath and a drink so he did both. Too fast, nearly knocking the glass of coke properly over. Thank fuck it only wobbled but didn't fall 'cause he was in enough trouble with his ma. Still, he shrugged, acting like even if he didn't mean to be that div, he didn't care that it'd happened. He was Fraze McKenna and he was cool, end of. Especially now she reckoned so too. This girl who weren't like the rest and he'd already told was well boss. He turned back to their homework books, clearing his throat, all 'ahem' like he'd seen loads of adults do before they said something important, like, deciding that now was the time to let her know what he reckoned to her picture of Al. He made his voice standard volume again, hoping his ma would hear it an' all ('cause she could draw or paint anything he'd ever thought up and asked her to do, unlike his da who weren't as decent as Katie, somehow.)* You're dead good at drawing, you know. Bea: *Bea went to steady the glass, grabbing it from him when it didn't fall and he was busy playing it off; taking a huge, gulp, finishing it for them with a grin.* 'Fore you're wearing it, like. *She explained, similarly loud enough for his Mum to hear too, the lady already not reckoning much to her manners as was. She smiled big and proud with the compliment he gave. Usually she didn't really care about approval or compliments or any of that shit from people, like Miss, definitely not from any of them. It was just telling her stuff, about herself, which she already knew? Like, thanks. Saying, well done, YOU'VE impressed ME. But from Fraze, it was I'M impressed by YOU. She didn't know if those things were really any different or if they just felt it, but it was like sunshine.* I just practice a lot really... *It was true. It was quiet, easy to do anywhere, when she couldn't sleep, when she weren't allowed to. And it was almost like being somewhere else when you could focus, see the picture so clearly in your head, put all your energy into trying to make it as real as possible on the page in front of you. .She did it to try and remember too. Where she'd lived before. Mum. Dad. It wasn't good enough to take her back, though. Maybe when she was older and really good, maybe then- No. Never. She shook her head. Invariably thinking about Luce now because that's how it worked, literal trade-off she hadn't asked for. That was mean. She was a baby. This wasn't her fault, she didn't ask for it either, she didn't do anything wrong- but neither did I, Bea thought.* I better get going now. *It probably seemed out of nowhere but it weren't, she'd stayed way longer than she should've, than she meant to. She really did have to leave this time. Running all the way Home, heart already thudding hard into her ribs before starting.* Thanks for lunch again. See ya tomorrow.

[amymation101]

Animation Reviews: The Dragon Prince

Hello again lovelies. T’is once again I. Don’t know why I’m pumping these out so fast except that I find them to be really relaxing for me. Which is probably why they are so terrible and if you can read my ramblings with anything resembling enjoyment you are a better person than I am. Anyway...the next show that I want to talk about is The Dragon Prince, a show that has really blown up in popularity and deservedly so. Once again I’m going to try to avoid spoilers as much as possible because I feel everybody should see these shows and judge them for themselves. Anyhoo, here we goooooo!

Characters: This is a major strength of this show right away, especially for me. It’s pretty much common knowledge at this point but the creator of The Dragon Prince was one of the head writers for Avatar the Last Airbender and boy does it show. Just to be clear, I mean that in the best possible way. The Dragon Prince has a huge cast that it juggles very well. To try to keep this section under control I will just be focusing on what could be considered the main characters but know that all the characters in this show, from the mains to the sides to the background, all give the impression of being well rounded and fully realized. So with that out of the way, onto this mess of a section. The main trio Callum, Ezran, and Rayla work off of each other beautifully and balance each other out. But what is most fun to watch is how they both do, and don’t, fit into stereotypical roles. Ezran (the crown prince of one of the Human Kingdoms) is the heart of the group and also, one could argue, the wisdom. Despite his young age he is adept at reading people’s characters and makes his judgements on that rather than the biases of the world in which they live. His decision to trust people and his compassion drives the story forward and it is his actions that get the ball rolling. Watching his interactions with his older brother Callum will also give you a case of the feels. Once again, sibling relationship done right. Rayla, the muscle, uses her combat (read: awesome elf assassin) prowess to get the group out of many a tight spot. But that’s not all Rayla is. Her sense of humor is sarcastic and witty and she is the source of both the most heartbreaking and side-splitting moments in the show. I don’t think I can oversell what a complex character she is and how much she will steal your heart. As for Callum, oh sweetie. I suppose if you had to label him, he would be the brains of the group, but as with all these characters, he is so much more than that. Awkward and unsure of himself, he is a character who doesn’t know what he has to offer, while unwittingly possessing powerful potential. I just…*wipes tears from my eyes*... love characters like this. He is also a bit of a goof and his back and forth with Rayla drives both the humor and their character development. All of the characters in The Dragon Prince are like this though. Although you can technically slot them into character tropes, they are really much more than their assigned role. They are complex is what I’m getting at. The other main characters to note are Soren, Claudia, Viren, and King Harrow. Soren and Claudia are a brother and sister duo who are truly a joy to watch. Their popularity is enormous thanks to their complex relationship with each other, the wildly different relationship they each have with their father Viren, and the fact that they are giant walking memes. Soren is probably the closest thing the show has to the stereotypical “all muscle but no brains” character type. But as I keep saying over and over again, there is more to him than that. He has his moments of sweetness, protectiveness, and an incredibly relatable moment of stress-eating that made me absolutely fall in love with him. Claudia is a mage in training, frighteningly powerful but goofy and more than a bit spacy. Together they are a dream team of hilarity and, for all you fanfic writers out there, tons of unexplored potential angst. Ugh. I could go on about them all day but I suppose I should try to get to a few more characters before I head to story town as this section is already becoming more of a train wreck than I could have ever imagined. Viren is the character everyone loves to hate, but once again as with all these characters, I feel that there is more to him than meets the eye. That’s all I’ll say about him at the moment as I don’t want to get into spoilers. King Harrow is a fantastic father to Ezran and Callum, with his relationship with the latter producing some most excellent feels. I’m going to group the last characters together even though they each deserve their own spot simply because The Dragon Prince has a huge cast (as stated previously) that are all, say it with me now, really complex. Aunt Amaya and Gren are two notable standouts of the side cast, as is Runaan, the stoic but lovable leader of the Moon Elves. But this section is taking up way more space than I was originally anticipating so let me just leave you with this: all the characters in The Dragon Prince are fun and ~complex~ with plenty to talk about with each of them and enough of them for everyone to find a favorite (or a dozen favorites in my case).

Story: The world of The Dragon Prince is very high fantasy, what with all the elves and dragons and magical creatures running amok. That said, it does do a few new things with this very familiar setting. First of all, the conflict driving the plot and world of Xadia and the Human Kingdoms is surprisingly nuanced for a kid’s show. Not too surprising when you remember that it’s from the same writers as ATLA, but even in that show there were very clear “good guys” and “bad guys”, especially in the beginning. In TDP (I’m getting tired of typing The Dragon Prince over and over again) however, who the “good guy” is and the “bad guy” is muddled. The humans do a bad thing and the elves and dragons do bad things in return. No one is really the unambiguous good guy or bad guy which leads to both sides feeling justified in doing terrible things to each other. It’s messy and all too real. Which is why it is so important that our main trio (two humans and an elf) are the ones who try to right a wrong together, in order to demonstrate that peace and cooperation can be attained and that war is not always a foregone conclusion. It’s not smooth or easy and there is still much to reckon with on both sides, but there is hope for the future. So, with that little preamble out of the way, what is the story of TDP? It is essentially a retrieval mission to get the titular dragon prince back to his mother after he was thought to have been assassinated but was instead kidnapped by the humans. This doesn’t seem like much of a plot, but this allows for the world of TDP to come to life in the form of the places and people met along this journey. I don’t want to get into spoilers so I won’t say much more about the plot for the time being. Just know that sometimes simplicity can lead to the most ~complex~ storylines and character development. Now, it is time to move onto what could be considered the elephant in the room when talking about TDP.

Animation and Character Design: Sooo….the character designs in TDP are actually quite lovely. Everyone has a distinctive design and color palette. The colors in particular have special meaning to the characters and are a good showcase of both their personalities and where their loyalties lie (look at Callum for an example of this, his mixture of reds and blues is quite thematic about how he feels out of place in this world as well as giving a little nod to the politics of the Human Kingdoms as well). The backgrounds also deserve a quick shout-out. They are beautifully detailed and a real treat to the eye. As for the animation, well, it appears to be rather hit or miss with people. I admit that I did not care for the animation until about halfway through my first time watching (yes, I am a huge nerd and have seen the show three times and counting) because by that point I was so engrossed in the story and characters that the animation hiccups no longer mattered to me. On my second watch, I didn’t have any problems with the animation at all, most likely because I was used to it at that point. And really... it’s not that bad. Sure, it could be smoother in some places, but it is overall serviceable and even glorious in some places. The action scenes are particularly well served by the animation. And this is coming from someone who has expressed her displeasure with 3D or 2.5D animation that tries to look like 2D in the past. Plus, if it bothers you too much, but you liked everything else, the creators have gone out and said that they are going to work hard on making the animation smoother next season. So yeah. I guess that about covers it. I feel like I only barely touched the surface with this show. Especially with the characters and all their **~~complexity~~**. I highly recommend this show if you are a fan of ATLA, enjoy fantasy, enjoy adventure shows, enjoy fun character writing, and enjoy world-building. The Dragon Prince pairs nicely with some popcorn and soda or other such snacks and is available on Netflix.

[crypticbeliever123]

Chapter 6 of my fanfic on AO3. Please let me know what you think.

After her father’s passing Sara spent a lot of her time organizing the hunt for more fugitives. So far, they’d hunted down an ogre, a harpy, two gremlins, a basilisk that was nothing like the Harry Potter books described, a vampire that Mick was more than thrilled about killing and bragged about endlessly, and quite a few demons. Len hadn’t joined them on any missions since his return, not wanting to make a scene in his current form, which always happened as soon as someone saw a monster in their midst.

Despite knowing this, however, Gideon kept insisting that he go to join the others on the Bridge. So he did and when he got there he found Sara tossing him some sort of watch.

“What’s this?”

“A little something I had Ray whip up. Seeing as how you can’t really leave the ship looking like you do without drawing attention we figured you could use this to disguise yourself,” Sara answered.

“I call it a personal image inducer. It basically uses advanced holographic technology to cover your form with your human image instead of this. Not that there’s anything wrong with this look or anything. I mean it’s a decent look and-”

“Haircut, shut up.”

“I see,” Leonard nodded.

“Personally I think the gadget is a bit unnecessary. I mean it’d only take me a couple of minutes to whip up a good old-fashioned glamour charm-” Constantine began.

“Thanks, but considering what a huge failure you’ve proven yourself to be the past few weeks I think I’ll stick with the tech. It’s more reliable and Ray actually knows what he’s doing,” Leonard interrupted, slipping the watch on and activating the disguise.

“Aw, thanks,” Ray smiled at the compliment.

“I’ll have you know that I do know what I’m doing when it comes to magic. I just haven’t seen anything like this nor has anyone else that I can think of. You wouldn’t expect Edison to invent a time machine if all he’s ever known is light bulbs and phonographs, would you?”

“No, because time travel has nothing to do with light or sound, it has to do with time and quantum physics or whatever the hell it is. Meanwhile, what you do is just a bunch of spells and all spells have to do with is magic which you claim to be an expert on.”

“Alright, that’s it. You know I have had enough of you whining about how much of a screw-up I am just because I need more time to solve your petty little problems!”

“You wouldn’t think it was so petty if you were stuck in a twenty-four seven adrenaline rush with heightened everything driving you crazy, day in and day out. You think it’s so easy for me to be like this? Huh? Do you?” Leonard screamed as he shoved the demonologist.

“Alright that tears it!” Constantine shouted, balling his fists, ready to strike before Sara intervened.

“Would both of you knock it off?! I’m tired of the two of you fighting over this. Leonard, John will find a cure for you when he can. You have to be patient. No one in all of magical history has ever come across a changeling who couldn’t change forms anymore, so it might be a while before a solution can be found. And John, I get that Leonard can be a bit abrasive at times but he’s just as frustrated as you are, especially since he feels like he’s going out of his goddamn mind all the time from being stuck in changeling form for this long. So just both of you give each other some space and let’s get on with the mission, shall we?”

“Fine. What’s the mission?” Leonard asked.

“According to records famed monster hunter Van Helsing was spotted hunting an unidentified creature in 1848 Victorian England, which is odd considering that at the time he would have been about half the age he’s reported of being in these accounts,” Gideon answered.

“Shit,” Len muttered under his breath.

“What’s wrong?” Zari asked.

“I know Van Helsing. He tried to kill me countless times when I was in monster land. He’s a relentless, sadistic maniac who enjoys hearing his victims scream and watching them writhe in pain. Personally I think the only reason he became a monster hunter is so that he could kill something and not go to jail for it.”

“How’d a human end up in the monster realm?” Nate wondered aloud.

“According to the rumors back in that hellhole, he was trying to kill a witch but her magic versus his backfired and sent them both into monster world. The fact that he’s survived what might as well have been centuries as the only human in a land of monsters has made him a very, very feared individual amongst supernatural creatures.”

“Hold up. Centuries?” Wally asked.

“Yeah. Time doesn’t really exist in monster world. No aging just a lot of endless misery. Most of us just kept track of the days passing by tracking our sleep patterns.”

“Well however long he was there he’s out now and hunting something that we should probably also get to. Not to mention the fact that Helsing being a number of years in his own past could almost certainly screw up the timeline. So, everybody strap in and let’s go hunt us a hunter,” Sara said in her usually snazzy way.

“I love her send-offs,” Wally said with a big grin.

The team arrived in 1848 England and because of cholera outbreaks in the area were forced by Gideon to go to the Medbay to receive pre-emptive shots to prevent getting sick. After exiting the ship the team split up to search for Van Helsing and whatever creature he may have been hunting.

“Ugh, I hate shots. My arm feels all itchy now,” Mick groaned as they searched the area.

“No one likes getting shots, Mick, but would you rather your arm itch or would you rather start puking your guts and have severe diarrhea before ultimately coming to a painful and gross death?” Leonard asked.

“Fair enough. How’s the watch working out for ya?”

“Works well for a disguise but I’d really rather actually be able to change back into my old self. Seriously, Mick, I know people think you’re the hotheaded one between the two of us but when I’m like this I-” Leonard said before being bumped into by a pedestrian.

“WATCH IT!” Leonard snarled, grabbing the man’s arm roughly.

“Sorry. Sorry,” the man whimpered before running off.

Leonard sighed, shaking his head before turning back to his partner.

“See what I mean?”

“Yeah. That was even worse than when Red Jr. tried to take a photo of you to send to the Flash and you pinned him to the wall. By the way, the kid don’t accept stolen phones as replacements.”

“Yeah well he shouldn’t have tried to snap a picture of me in monster mode. Why he had to blab to Team Flash that I was even alive I’ll never know.”

“Could be worse. He could’ve-” Mick started to say before someone in the distance caught his eye.

“Mick?”

“Amaya?” Mick said, ignoring his partner completely as he ran into the crowd to chase after his former teammate who for whatever reason was in 1848 England.

“Amaya!”

“Mick!” Leonard shouted, trying to catch up to him before getting shot by a blow dart in the neck.

He turned his head to where the dart came from to see an unfortunately familiar face.

“Didn’t think you could get away from me that easy did ya?” Van Helsing said with an evil grin as Leonard passed out to the sound of sinister laughter.

[smilinstar]

Fic: this space between us (it’s nothing but stardust and the absence of you) - 4/6 (Legends of Tomorrow; Rip/Sara)

Fandom: Legends of Tomorrow

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: Rip Hunter/Sara Lance (Time Canary)

Summary: Or Close Encounters. Five times Rip and Sara find themselves stuck together and somehow manage not to make out, and the one time they (finally) do . . .

Author’s Note: Lol this is just an excuse for me to write the tropiest fic full of tropes. I’ve separated it out into six parts, cos the first part ended up being more than the 500 words I was planning. Oops. Please read. Please enjoy. And maybe let me know? :-)

Can also be read here on AO3

Part I | Part II | Part III

] IV [

2084, Bank of China Tower

Hong Kong

----

 “Ray? Talk to me Ray, what’s going on with that counter?”

“Uh, still counting down, but I’m nearly there. Another ninety-six seconds, but I think I can get there before it hits ten? Five? Three seconds?”

She takes a calming breath, tries to ignore the heat of Rip’s worried gaze on her.

“Firestorm? What’s your status?”

“I think we can get to two of the secondary charges in time, but the third one? I don’t think we’re gonna make it Sara.”

“Where is it?” It’s Rip who asks, finger pressed to his left earpiece.

And there’s a determined, reckless glint in his eyes that she’s seen numerous times before, and she does not like it. At all.

“Underground parking lot, south side of the building.”

Her eyes widen when she realises where they are, directly above it, a few floors up. Doesn’t take long for it to register with Rip either, because he’s heading for the doors leading to the stairwell before she can even reach out to him.

“Rip! RIP!” she calls out after him, but he doesn’t take heed, and then she’s running.

He’s flying down those stairs, the soles of his boots not even touching the ground as he holds onto the rails and jumps down the last few steps at each turn, coat billowing out behind him.

He pushes open the door leading into the parking lot, and he’s spinning on the spot as he turns, eyes scanning for the explosive.

“Over there!” she says, spotting the flickering red light on one of the central columns.

He gets to it first, eyes laser focussed on the mess of wiring attached to the incendiary device.

“Can you disarm it?” she asks him.

He doesn’t answer her, instead says with his voice remarkably steady, “Get out of here Sara.”

“What? No!”

“Sara . . .”

“In case you’ve forgotten, I’m the Captain here!”

He breathes out heavily, “I have not forgotten Captain Lance, but there’s a, uh,” he stops, and it looks like he’s doing the mental calculations, but she thinks he’s probably just taking a stab in the dark, “fifty percent chance of this working. Maybe. Possibly. Unless of course Dr Palmer fails to disarm the main bomb in time, then there’s . . . no chance . . . so it doesn’t make sense for the both of us to risk it, now does it?”

Sara shakes her head, ignoring his words and choosing not to answer as she turns on the spot away from him before she does something stupid. Like punch him or worse, kiss him, for his stupid display of heroism and idiotic selflessness. So, instead, she takes a deep breath in and out, and presses at her earpiece again, hoping against all hope for some good news; “Ray? Tell me you’ve got this?”

“Nearly there, just give me . . . two . . . more . . . seconds and YES! I HAVE STOPPED THE BOMB PEOPLE!”

She literally sags with the relief, her chin dropping to her chest as she breathes, “Oh thank God. You? And I don’t say it enough, are a genius, Ray!”

“Well,” Ray says then all coy, and she can imagine his aw shucks, me? face, and just like that she remembers why she’s so reticent with her praise in the first place.

She clears her throat, and straightens up, gets back to the point, “Okay, we can do the pat on the backs later. But right now, I need you to focus Ray, and talk Rip through disarming one of the secondary devices. Can you do that?”

“What?” and his momentary elation disappears, only to be replaced again with panic, “Why are you guys still here? I thought Firestorm were flying those out of here?”

“There’s not enough time to get to them all, and there’s not enough time for this either Ray!” she snaps with mounting frustration and fear. Her eyes turn back towards Rip to find him already watching her, his own anxiety rippling through every muscle he has tensed.

“Okay, okay,” Ray breathes out, “Rip?”

“Yes, Dr Palmer, I’m here.”

“Okay, alright, tell me what you see . . .”

She can barely stand to watch and so she diverts her attention to the other matter at hand whilst they work.

“Nate? Amaya? How are we doing with evacuating the building?”

“All clear, but you guys really need to get out of there!”

“We’ve just got one-”

“No, Sara, listen to me-” Nate cuts in, his words rushing out of him in one breath, “there are four, not three secondary charges. You can’t get to the last one in time! You guys have to leave! RIGHT NOW!”

Rip turns his head to look at her. And despite her best attempts, she thinks the expression on her face gives it away.

“What?” he asks, “What is it?”

She swallows, decides to tell him the truth, “there’s a fourth charge.”

Because of course there is. That’s just their luck.

And she knows he doesn’t need to be told their chances are futile.

She can see it.

She can see it flicker across his face, and it isn’t fear. It’s acceptance. And that? That has her more terrified than she’s ever been before. There’s a little bit of anger there too, but she thinks that anger is born from too many things to count, and it’s too much to process now. Not with him looking back at her like that.

“Go,” he says.

She doesn’t budge.

“I’ve got this Sara. Get out of here!” he tells her again, louder, more forceful, this time.

And she feels entirely frozen in place, struck by an alarming sense of déjà vu.

Except this time it’s a different set of eyes that stare back at her.

There’s always been a sense of ‘what could have been’ with the loss of Leonard. She’d cared about him, a lot. And maybe that could have turned into more over time, but they weren’t really given the chance to find out. She’d grieved him, she’d grieved the loss of a possibility, but she’d moved on. She’d cared about him. Of course, she had. But she hadn’t been in love with him.

This?

This feels different.

Different in a way that has her rooted to the spot, refusing to leave, refusing to kiss him goodbye.

And whatever it is, she thinks it must be written all over her face, because his hands still as his eyes hold hers and her name leaves his lips, heavy with sorrow and an apology that she doesn’t want to dwell on because she thinks it’ll only break her heart. And if she’s going to die, she’d rather its left whole in her chest when she does. Because, of course, he doesn’t feel the same. Because, he’s said it himself, out loud and in not so many words, there’s only ever been one. And time never bent its will to save her, no matter how many times he railed against it.

But she’ll never blame him. And she’ll never hate her.

Envy may tear at her, but she won’t let that turn to hatred.

Because he deserves better than that.

The man who’s saved her too many times to count and still doesn’t believe he’s worth the same.

And so she holds his gaze, doesn’t let the fear make her waver as she steps up beside him and turns to look at the chaos of wires in front of her. “What can I do?” she asks evenly.

She feels him watching her, before he turns away and points to one of the wires, “Hold that steady, and pass me one of your knives.”

She smirks. “How do you know I have more than one?” she says, reaching into her boot, and passing it over, handle side up.

“Because,” he says, pressing the blade against the blue wire, before pausing to look back at her, “you’re Sara Lance.”

And there’s something about her name being the last to leave his lips that, despite her best efforts, breaks her heart anyway.

He doesn’t blink as he cuts through the wire with a single slice, and she can’t look away from him either.

At least this time, she thinks, this time, she’s not alone.

But then . . .

Nothing.

Nothing happens.

He’s still standing.

She’s still here, breathing.

And she can’t help the bubble of laughter that leaves her. She grasps hold of his arm and squeezes just to make sure, and looks back up to find him shaking his head in disbelief. Disbelief that he managed to disable a bomb. Disbelief that he dodged death once again.

Of course, that thought only lasts a few seconds. A sudden tremor shakes all around them and under their feet and she remembers they aren’t quite home free yet.

There are cracks running through the concrete, zig-zagging above and below, dust falling all around and in the distance a cacophony of people yelling and shouting on the surrounding main roads, together with the sirens of the Chinese authorities and emergency services rushing to the scene. It all adds to the blare of car alarms and the rumble of concrete, the shatter of glass, and the whine of steel metal beams bending in the foreground.

And yet, all she really hears is the beat of her own heart pounding in her ears, and him.

“We should-” he starts to say.

“Run?” she finishes.

This time it’s him holding out his hand, and she doesn’t need asking twice as she slips her hand into his, squeezing tight, before he pulls.

“Run!”

Part V

[lotrewrite]

Episode Commentaries PART 2

I got home later than intended this evening so unfortunately I could only do a few episodes! Hopefully I’ll be able to get to the rest across the weekend. As previously, I think everyone’s done a super job and I’m really loving reading these summaries! Can’t wait for the finished piece :-D

Without further ado…

LOTREWRITE: For some reason this appeared way down in my inbox, so I missed it! More comments for everybody!

Episode 8

-          I’m not as familiar with the Constantine tv show so I’ll leave the commentary on characterisation to people who have more experience with it (I really only know him from his Arrow cameos). I do however love Constantine as a character and I’m very much looking forward to seeing him.

-          There seems to be a bit of disconnect between the opening scene with Rip running/being chased and the Legion apparently only just then deciding to capture him – I would have assumed that it was the Legion hunting him down/he was trying to escape the Legion? Perhaps something along the lines of D and Eo arguing and Eo snaps and says like:-

For example:

[EO: I know, Dahrk, believe me – which is why we agreed on an easier target, remember?

D: Ah. So you’ve finally found him, then.

EO (grins darkly): Oh yes. Right down to the very day and everything.

D: Well, aren’t you talented.

EO: I’d say I try, but…it’s really quite effortless at this point. Tell me…how do you feel about ninjas?

D narrows eyes…]

LOTREWRITE: An alternative suggestion is that we could start in media res with Rip running away from someone through feudal Japan - and then do the “several hours earlier” thing.

I would be interested in a bit more time in Japan, though, especially spent on the ninja subplot with Mick

-          I wrote Ray’s suit as having broken down completely in the Invasion episode but reading this I’ll change it to a breakdown with repair potential (or at least, he insists it can be repaired!) because I really like the image you have of racing to get Rip, only Ray’s suit and Sara’s hesitance mean they miss their chance (in a race against a speedster they were always gonna lose lol)

-          Reeeally like the Mick bit about ninjas.

-          Verrry much looking forward to Queen B’s appearance!

-          Shout outs! Love ‘em!!

-          Also love how you kept what Booster was to Rip and Eo ambiguous

-          How do we find out about the compass in the first place? (I may just be forgetting something)

LOTREWRITE: This is actually a good point - either Constantine has to inform them that he can’t help them with info/Rip but he can give them a compass OR we have to seed a reference to the compass in an earlier episode. And either way, we should definitely have characters using the compass in episodes following this.

-          Great points of contention with Oculus!Len towards Mick, Jax/Amaya towards Sara

-          I like the Legion scenes we get in this episode, especially when it shows D and Eo’s double standards re brainwashing and inherent suspicious nature

-          I like the reference to Jason/Etrigan, but personally I’d make it less flippant; like John should be clearly sarcastic when he says ‘Etrigan’, and the others just grimace at each other, maybe?

-          Overall quite liked this episode, but I’d just be careful of pacing and maybe jigging around the scenes so that we close on maybe the reveal of brainwashed Rip or something, especially since it might follow a scene where the Legends hear Zed make the predication and brush it off, believing that Rip would never betray them? That way there’s an emotional punch before the closing titles. Just a thought.

-          Thanks for this, looking forward to it!

Episode 9

-          Nice opening scene

-          I like the mention of a ‘re-set’ for Gideon, since it kinda links in with the themes of episode 12, which I worked on!

-          I really like the build up across the episode and the way it plays out, overall it flows quite well

-          Good interaction between the team, and also that it’s immediately picked up on that ofc it’s a trap

-          Really good scene with Mick, Sara, and Rip

-          I’m just reading through it all again and finding that I want to leave positive comments on each paragraph, the pacing is really excellent in this episode, good job

-          Very well balanced episode overall, actually – the more serious notes are cut well with Ray’s adventures in miniature and the action builds up naturally

-          Love the image of Ray going back to normal size while still on Mick!

-          Good ending, really liked this episode, nice work.

Episode 10

-          Love this opening, and it acts as a bit of emotional relief from the heaviness of the previous episode

-          I love how excited the guys are about pirates, even while Ray is in the process of being a nerd

-          Captain Jack Sparrow reference

-          I’d vote for the Legends just being interrupted, since we don’t want to play up Ray overdoing it too much, it’s already pretty obvious

-          I like Madam Ching recognising Sara as Captain, it shows off her sharpness and intelligence

-          Ray trying out a Cold persona seems a bit abrupt here, especially since he seems to have settled on being a swashbuckling pirate for the day and Mick wouldn’t really have been carrying around the cold gun. However I think that if this happens in the episode, it’ll need a build up somewhere in a previous episode (there needs to be a bit of a build up to this topic/theme – maybe foreshadowing in previous episodes, it would only need a few lines here and there, and some commentary from O!Len to finish it off – it could be similar to how Ray was ‘recruited’ in the original season?). Then he can bring the gun with him while taking on a more ‘badass’ pirate persona, maybe trying to impress Mick? Just some thoughts.

-          I like the plot of the episode, very engaging

-          Nice almost-catch by Ray of Mick’s ‘hallucinations’ (maybe there can be a couple of people giving each other side-eyes behind Mick’s back?)

-          Just mind the pacing a little bit, particularly in the latter half of the episode – it seems like there’s a lot of ‘epiphanies’ for Ray in a short amount of time

-          Love the ending, with the pirate battle and the pirates naming the ship the Waverider

-          Super looking forward to this episode, nice work.

Episode 11

-          I do like the opening, but does it lean it too heavily on revealing that Len is real, since we’re sort of seeing something from his perspective? Before this he was basically just a ‘hallucination’, revealed to be real in the next episode through his interaction with Gideon. Just a thought.

-          I like that it’s a kind of ‘quiet’ opening, though, especially considering all the swashbuckling and energy that the previous episode would have had, so it gives us a nice atmospheric relief

-          I like that the team is pretty concerned, and that Mick actually mentions the ‘Induction Process’ he’d gone through

-          I like the juxtaposition of the seriousness of this episode (themes/plot etc) compared to the pirate episode previously (not that the Pirate episode doesn’t have its serious moments, but it’s pirates and that’s going to be fun no matter what!)

-          I like Amaya coming face to face with some of the future’s less shiny aspects

-          I prefer the second option with Stein (i.e. arguing that they could change time but in a way that doesn’t cause an aberration), he (or Jax?) could also name-drop Lily since it’s natural she’d come up

-          I like seeing Ray come into his role as researcher, and the way the team react to Mick when he tells them he’s ‘hallucinating’ again (yes to Jax reaching out to him)

-          Yes to Mick and Jax adorable engineering duo, please

-          Yes to positive Amaya Ray interaction

-          Pretty intense moment with the Greenpeace member, it really drives home the Legend’s decision to let the ship sink – they’re actively taking a life and they understand that

-          How does the Greenpeace member know what the spear piece is and where it is?

-          Maybe after they get the piece of the spear, spare a moment for the Legends to actually watch the ship explode and sink, and have a moment for them to process and accept that this is a part of their job and responsibility (then just after that scene show the Legion’s ship lingering for a moment, having failed to get their piece, and they leave, etc? Just a thought.)

-          Good afters interaction with Stein and Mick, Mick and Jax, Ray and Sara

-          Great ending scene, very dramatic, love it

-          Thanks for this!

Episode 12

I wrote this episode so I’ll reserve comment, only saying that I’ll be adjusting the end of the episode to take account for the ending of episode 11 (i.e. who brings in Len), and changing the atmosphere of the episode so that it’s slightly lighter (but still creepy! In a good way), given the heavy themes of episode 11. Comments are of course welcome.

Hope that was all okay! This was all I could manage tonight, but I’ll try to get to the others over the weekend. Thanks for all the amazing efforts, you guys! :-)

- Kako-Pumpkin

[saikostories]

HAIKYUU - The Dark Spots on the Sun pt2

As Shoyo had expected, the day had dragged on longer than he thought. It was excruciating to sit through Maths, and even worse to watch the teacher ramble on about god-knows-what in History. However, what Shoyo did slightly look forward to, was his free period. He wasn’t in a place where he wanted to see Hoshi per se... It was more that he felt good about studying for this test. He had really concentrated during English as to write as many notes down as possible. The more I write down, the easier it will be for Hoshi- Nanami... to teach me. That was the thought pattern that was going on throughout his head. So when it came to that free period, Shoyo was quite happy to see that his work in class had payed off. Maybe it was because he actually concentrated... or perhaps it had something to do with Nanami’s teach style... either way, it further heightened his belief that for once in his life, Shoyo could actually pass a class that he didn’t enjoy.

“Thanks for all your help Nanami... I’ll try to get the work that you set me done tonight ready for our lesson tomorrow.” Shoyo said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. The good thing about this free period meant that he only had one more class and then it was volleyball. After that, it was homebound to make sure Natsu was okay and food was on the table

“No problem! Your notes being colour coded will help a lot to memorise the important parts... though you already have that covered thanks to Yachi-san!” She said taking a step forward towards Shoyo and putting her hair behind her ear. She was slightly taller than Shoyo was but what made him uncomfortable was the proximity between them. Shoyo took a step back and smiled slightly.

“Yeah... Yachi is really good with that sort of stuff. She’s also a really good manager too.” Nanami frowned a bit at that. But it disappeared shortly after.

“Well... Maybe I could come watch you after practice? It would be nice to see how good of a volleyball player you actually are...” Shoyo gulped and nodded.

“S-sure... I mean, we’re just doing drills today but we might have a practice match so if you want...”

“Great! I’ll come watch after class!” She waved as Shoyo ran down the hallway to get to class.

Yachi’s a good manager huh?

-

Nanami stood at the door of the gym, slowly peering through to spot the usual colour of Shoyo’s hair. Upon spotting it, she smiled and waved.

“Hey is it just me... or is that unbelievably cute girl waving at us?” Noya said to Tanaka, causing him to spin around and open his eyes wide.

“Oh my god... I spy an angel! What is she doing here?” Tanaka said. Tsukishima raised an eyebrow and tutted.

“She’s a first year in the Class 1. Yachi’s friend I think...” Yamaguchi said. “Nanami Hoshi.” At the mention of her name, Shoyo turned to face the doorway and smiled back. The rest of the Volleyball players watched with open mouths as Shoyo ran up to her to say hello.

“Hey Shoyo! I came to watch like we said.” She put her hands behind her back ad twisted her body side to side. Shoyo nodded and pointed to the bench that was currently being occupied by Kiyoko and Yachi.

“Hey Nanami! I was right, we did some drills and we’re just about to start a practice match if you’re interested in watching.”

“Oh you know me.... I’m always interested in watching you play Shoyo-kun!” Shoyo felt his face heat up again as she batted her eyelashes and took a step forwards. Behind him, he could also sense every single pair of eyes from his team mates pinned onto the back of his head.

“Did I just hear that right? Somebody is actually interested in that idiot?” Kageyama scowled, annoyed that Shoyo was wasting time talking to a girl.

“What are you jealous that the most popular girl in school likes that hyperactive child over you?” Tsukishima mocked.

“Yeah I don’t know if you were insulting Kageyama or Hinata on that one...” Kinoshita deadpanned. Yamaguchi laughed awkwardly as they watched the setter scowl even more. “Oi Kageyama, you know if you keep scowling like that your face is gonna be stuck like that you know!” The team laughed as a loud Shut Up! erupted in the gym. Shoyo jogged back after Nanami had taken her seat on the bench, just in time for the whistle to blow.

“Right! We’re gonna be doing another 3 on 3! We’ll have Kageyama, Hinata and Tanaka on one team.... Followed by Sugawara, Asahi and Nishinoya on the other. The rest of you will be practicing passing and setting  in pairs outside.” Coach Ukai said as Kyoko and Yachi got out the score board. As the teams took their places on the court, Shoyo smiled at Nanami, happy she was there to watch him. It felt weird that the most popular girl in school had taken an interest in him... but nonetheless, it pushed him to do well.

The game started and went how any normal game should go. Shoyo would try his best to hit every spike, receive and serve that he could. Especially since Nanami was paying close attention. For some reason, he felt the need to impress her. Not because he had any interest in her or anything... but it still felt exciting and thrilling to be the centre of one’s attention. Especially since there was a significant lack of it at home.

Eventually, Shoyo, Kageyama and Tanaka had one 25-23. Nanami stood up and clapped hard, surprising everyone on the court. Shoyo blushed and smiled a little at her enthusiasm.

“That was amazing shoyo! You were jumping and running and catching.... It was like a huge... orange... blur!”

“Really? you weren’t too bored?” Shoyo asked nervously. Nanami shook her head.

“Not at all! I totally get why you love it, I mean you’re sooooo good! I hope I can come watch you when you play again.” Shoyo nodded and took a sip of his drink.

“That’s sounds great... I’ll uh let you know when we next have a match....”

“Hinata! Hey idiot! We gotta practice! Stop flirting and get over here!”

“I’m not flirting bakeyama!” Shoyo yelled whilst blushing nervously. “I... I gotta go but um... I’ll see you tomorrow? For tutoring?” Nanami nodded eagerly.

“I can’t wait! Good luck on the rest of practice!” She said as she walked away, waving. Shoyo smiled back and watched her walk away.

Even if she wasn’t someone that Shoyo was interested in... She’d be a nice friend....

-

“Hello? Anyone home?” Silence. Looks like she’s still at work... or She’s passed out from drinking too much. Shoyo walked around the house, peering into the different rooms to try and see if Amaya had gotten home. If she had, it meant that Shoyo was in for it again tonight. Nanami had caught up with him after volleyball practice, which, thanks to Noya and Kageyama... had run late. Again. “Natsu? You here?” Slowly, the sound of a door opening sounded and a tearful Natsu tiptoed over to her brother. Shoyo knelt down and pulled her into his arms. “Hey... are you okay?” Natsu nodded and Shoyo sighed quietly, happy that she had yet to fall victim to her mother’s abuse. “Come on. I’ll get dinner on. I think we have some rice and chicken left over from the other day. You hungry?” Natsu nodded and wiped her tears away.

“Shoyo... mom picked me up and she didn’t say anything. She hasn’t said anything at all since she got back. She just shouted at me and told me to go wait for you to come back...” Natsu whimpered as more tears fell from her eyes. Shoyo hushed her again and pulled her back in for another hug.

“Where’s mom now? In the kitchen?”

Natsu shook her head and pointed to where the lounge was. Quietly, Shoyo could hear the soft buzz of the TV, signalling that Amaya had indeed fallen asleep. Shoyo stood up and got the left overs from the fridge, whilst Natsu rambled on about her day. Slowly, she was starting to stop crying. Shoyo always loved it when she talked about how her day went. She rambled on about her friends, her teachers, the school pet that they recently got and how they all agreed to call the new goldfish “iki”. He also felt happy when Natsu showed him the drawing that she had done in her art class. It wasn’t a masterpiece by some famous painter... just a simple drawing done by a six year old. Though Shoyo couldn’t help but think that it was the best drawing he’d ever seen. On it was a small boy.... and a much smaller girl holding hands in front of a house under water. Hovering just in between their heads, was a tiny goldfish rightly labelled Iki. Shoyo took it and slipped into his pocket. If he showed Amaya this, she’d most likely just rip the thing up.

“Where the hell were you today?” Shoyo widened his eyes. He was hoping that he could get Natsu to go into her room before their mother woke up. But now that she had, they were both stuck in the kitchen.

“I’m s-sorry mom... I got a flat tire so I had to stop at a friends house to-” Shoyo couldn’t finish the sentence before he felt a large thump to the side of his head, knocking him on the ground. This time, he hadn’t anticipated the beating. Normally, it would be done after dinner.

“Don’t lie to me! I know you stayed late at that stupid volleyball club! How many times have I told you to quit it!? I don’t care if you have to leave early but you will get home, you will cook food and you will do as I say! Is that so hard to do!? Or do I have to beat it into you again!?”

“N-no mom-” Shoyo’s breath caught in his throat as another punch to his face sent him flying to the ground. As he tried to get up, a foot slammed onto his back, knocking him to the ground again. Amaya crouched down and twisted his arm around his back. The pain from the unnatural position made Shoyo wince out loud in pain and a tear threatened to fall.

“What is wrong with you? Why are you such.... a dissapointment....” Shoyo opened his eyes and looked into his peripheral vision. Natsu stood staring, eyes wide at the scene in front of her. He wished that he could tell her to go away, to run into her room and not come out until he said it was okay like they always did. But instead, he could only cry out as Amaya pushed on his back again, causing his head to his the ground hard. What am I going to do? How can I get her to stop?

“I’m sorry mom, please, I won’t be late again... I promise...” Amaya tutted and stood up, whilst taking another swig from the beer bottle she had placed on the table.

“I don’t care what you do. Just remember for next time or else I won’t be so lenient, go it? You’re a disgrace... You should have just died when your father did. Better yet, you should have died in his place. Pathetic, useless and forgotten.” Amaya snatched the bowl of rice from the table, a new bottle of beer from the fridge and stormed into her room. With a slam, Shoyo pleaded that this was it for the night. Amaya hadn’t been lying. Compared to her usual beatings, this wasn’t half bad... However from what Shoyo had gone through the night before, plus not eating breakfast nor lunch for two days in a row, throwing of course two, two hour sessions of volleyball a day....

He felt like he had been hit with a sledge hammer.

He couldn’t move. Every fibre of muscle in his body screamed in agony. How long can I go like this? Before I eventually break?

“Shoyo?”

“I’m okay Natsu... Why don’t you go get ready for bed? I’ll be right there....”

“But Shoyo...”

“I said go to bed Natsu.”

...

“Okay...” Shoyo waited until he heard the soft click of Natsu’s door shutting before he curled in on himself and fully embraced the pain that he felt. He stayed like that for a couple of minutes, until eventually he grew bored and pulled himself up. Limping his way to the bathroom, he made sure that the light from Amaya’s bedroom was truly off. That must mean she’s finally asleep. Good. Once he got into the bathroom, he gasped a little. The bruise that he had gotten yesterday had reformed and darkened to a blackish colour with yellow around the edges. He also had another bruise on his forehead that was starting to form. He reached for the hem of his shirt and pulled it up. There, he found a cluster of bruises appearing on his ribs. Nothing permanent but a little bit or arnica cream certainly wasn’t going to make this go away. What was he going to tell the team? That he fell of his bike again? That he walked into a door? He winced as he stretched to get the cream... only to land on a smaller bag. He reached a little further and pulled it out.

Mom’s makeup bag.

He had never used any obviously... But he started to wonder if he could potentially use this to cover up some of the bruising? His mom had roughly the same colour skin tone... so perhaps if he watched a tutorial or something he could figure out a way to put some on. Opening it up, he grabbed what looked like to be what he needed... a small tube labelled ‘concealer’. Sounds about right. I’ll use it tomorrow when Mom leaves. She won’t notice it’s gone that way. He puts the bag bag to where he finds it and heads to the kitchen to make lunch. Thankfully, there was enough for lunches for the both of them tomorrow. If he missed another day then he wasn’t sure he’d be able to survive on the same energy. Plus I still have to do that homework Nanami set me. Damn it. After lunches for tomorrow were made, Shoyo tiptoed to Natsu’s room and knocked in the same pattern he did every night. When he heard nothing, he opened it slightly. Sure enough, Natsu had fallen asleep. Shoyo creeped in and gently sat down on the bed as to try and not to wake her up. She looked so peaceful... yet the frown on her face and the way she scrunched the covers up in her hands told him otherwise.

“I’m sorry for worrying you Natsu...” Shoyo whispered softly. “I promised you I’d be the best brother in the world.... Well I don’t think I’m doing that good of a job...” he gulped and took a shaky breath. “I’ll protect you Natsu.... I swear it. She’ll never lay a finger on you okay...” he bent down a gently pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll never leave you alone with her okay?”

-

Shoyo couldn’t sleep well that night. When the morning came, he snuck in to the bathroom and did his best with Amaya’s makeup to hide the bruising on his face. It didn’t cover them up completely but it did make it look way better than it had before. Natsu had taken her lunch already... in which she smiled when she found the meat bun that Shoyo had been given fro, Kageyama and therefore not eaten. Amaya had not said anything when she left. She didn’t even spare a glance at her son nor her daughter. So far... if Amaya was to be like this the whole week... He wondered if she would still go on that business trip. For Natsu, it was imperative she went. Shoyo had already planned ahead too. Natsu was to stay at a friends house for the week. This was actually better for her, because not only did she have a friend to hang out with than her brother, but it gave her a chance to have real meals. Like pizza and fish and meat. Stuff that usually would be too expensive to buy on Shoyo’s allowance.

Shoyo sat on the steps of the gym. He had left slightly earlier, claiming he had to meet with his teacher about a school project. The truth is, he had no energy for Kageyama’s usual racing. He wanted a morning where he would walk to school peacefully... giving him time to think of a backup plan if Amaya came home early. And to do the homework Nanami had set him. Soon, he heard the loud thumps of feet on the ground come to an abrupt halt in front of him. Shoyo however, didn’t bother to look up. His head still heart from yesterday.

“You’re already here.”

“Yeah.”

“Have you been waiting here long?”

“No.”

“What’s with the short answers? Too lazy to act all hyper?” Kageyama teased with an eyebrow up. Shoyo shrugged and lifted his head to finally look at Kageyama. The setter frowned at Shoyo’s face, clearly noticing the bruising and the badly applied concealer. “Oi idiot. What happened to your face? Fell off your bike again?” Shoyo smiled weakly and shrugged again.

“Ahhh.... there you two are. Didn’t race today?” Daichi appeared around the corner with the locker room’s keys in his hands. “Seriously... I ought to just give you the keys... saves me having to get up in the morning.” He laughed slightly and unlocked the club room. Kageyama as usual came barrelling in to try and get changed first. Seriously.... everything’s a competition with you right? Shoyo thought to himself. Daichi looked over at the middle blocker and raised his eyebrows. “Woah Hinata you’re already changed. Guess you can help me put up the net whilst we wait for the others.”

Shoyo had thought ahead. If he had gotten changed at the locker room, the likelihood that the team would see his bruises on his ribs were probable. This he didn’t need. He’d probably get changed in the toilets later, or pretend that his uniform was in the wash and not wear it today. Anything to make sure they didn’t notice. Shoyo nodded and followed Daichi out. Kageyama however had eyes fixed on his team mate. Something to him... wasn’t right. Somethings off. He’s acting way too different. Shoyo followed daichi silently. When he started setting everything up for morning practice, he still stayed quiet.

What am I going to do if mom comes home early? What do I do with Natsu? What do I do if she founds out I’m not there?

“-ta. Nata. HINATA.” The sound of someone yelling shook him out of his trance and Shoyo’s head snapped up. He had completely forgotten he was supposed to act normal. Yet here he was overthinking things and not saying anything.

“Y-yes?” Shoyo stammered as he looked up. Huh? Coach Ukrai? Since when did he get here?

“Are you listening to me?”

How long have I been spacing out for?

“Y-yeah... sorry... I ugh... well I was just...”

What the hell are you doing!? Speak normally for God’s sake!

“Anyway... We have two days exactly until we leave. For those of you who have exams tomorrow... good luck! It will be a shame if you have to miss out. Dismissed.”

I wasn’t focusing for the entire practice!? What the hell!?

“Hinata. Can I talk to you for a second?” Shoyo nodded as he walked up to Takeda. For some reason, Shoyo felt like his heart was in his throat. That entire morning practice had been an blur to him. One minute he was helping Daichi... the next he was finishing morning practice. He couldn’t remember a thing. Was I really that occupied with thinking up a plan for mom?

“Mr Takeda... I just want to let you know that I...”

“Hinata are you okay?”

Huh? Shoyo froze in place. Please don’t tell me after all that my cover was blown!

“I’m only asking because it doesn’t seem like you’re yourself lately. You’ve been spacing out all practice. Like something is on your mind...”

“W-well I just...”

“If it’s about your exams don’t worry... I’ve been keeping an eye on your report card and apparently you’re doing very well in English. Your teacher is really happy that you got yourself a tutor... plus you seem to be really concentrating in class...” oh right.... the exam.... I forgot about that... “I just want to let you know that it’s okay to take a break. Studying 24/7 is not good okay?” Shoyo nodded. So he thought I was just stressed.... I can go with that.

“Don’t worry sir. I’m perfectly fine. Tomorrow I have a good feeling I’ll do really well, and I’ll be able to go to Tokyo with you all.” Takeda smiled.

“I’m glad, just know that as your teacher... I’m here to talk about anything if you need me okay? Now go. Get to class.” Shoyo nodded and ran towards the school history department.

Yeah. I’ll be fine.

Natsu will be fine.

Everything... will be fine.

-

“So basically you have to look at the ending form of the verb and decide whether that should be in the imperative form or the conditional.” Nanami had been helping Shoyo out more and more... not just in English but in all sorts of subjects... Maths, Japanese, history. She had been a big help to him lately. At this rate, Shoyo even thought he could move up a class. “It’s really good Shoyo, I think you definitely can pass this test tomorrow...” Shoyo nodded as he packed his books away and stood up ready to go for lunch. He was happy he finally got something to eat this time. Even if it wasn’t much. He was also happy that Natsu hadn’t noticed the extra sandwhich that Shoyo had slipped in to her bag. Normally, she’d be the one to pass him some of her lunch, saying that they made cookies in food tech so she was okay. Shoyo didn’t really believe her... but he hadn’t had the heart to call her out on it. Nanami followed Shoyo until they reached his class. At one of the desks, sat Kageyama, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, who waved as they waited for Shoyo to sit down.

“Thanks again Nanami.” He was just about to leave when she grabbed his arm, surprising him a little. He winced as she held on, remembering the bruises Amaya had caused the night before. She doesn’t let go though.

“So listen... I was wondering if you wanted to go grab coffee or something... You know... after school next week?” Shoyo’s arm was aching a little bit more now. He nodded slowly.

“Sure I uh... I have a week training program in Tokyo next week but I’m sure we could afterwards?” Nanami’s eyes widened happily and she finally let go of Shoyo’s arm.

“Brilliant! It’s a date! I’ll call you Shoyo-kun!” She cried as she ran towards her class in the hall. Shoyo sighed and rubbed his arm, before walking over to his teammates to sit down. They each raised their eyebrows in suspicion.

“So you and Hoshi huh? That’s fun....” Yamaguchi asked innocently as he started eating his way through a bag of chips. Shoyo shrugged and opened his own paper brown bag.

“Hm... i think she expects more from me though... I’m not really looking for a serious relationship.” Shoyo internally winced as he looked down. His sandwich he had prepared had fallen apart to look like a jumbled mess in his lunch bag. He sighed and picked up the banana and threw the rest away in the bin. Looks like I’m not eating that much again today.

“Hey Shoyo!” Shoyo turned his head to see the familiar faces of both Tanaka and Nishinoya entering his class. He smiled and waved a little hello, whilst gesturing for them to sit down. Tanaka looked over to what Shoyo was eating and tutted. “Seriously you’re not eating again?” Kageyama frowned at that.

“Yeah Shoyo... you can’t just eat fruit all day and nothing else. I mean I know it’s healthy but your need to eat way more if you want to have enough energy for practice...” Noya added. Shoyo smiled his usual fake smile and shook his head in protest.

“I’m fine seriously! Nanami made me a muffin earlier so Technically I already ate.”

“Okay... I just don’t want to clean up a dead Hinata from the volleyball court because you haven’t had anything sustaining. Here take this.” Tanaka passed him a pack of biscuits. As much as Shoyo wanted to say no... he was getting reeeeaaaally hungry. It was starting to really affect him. He nodded a Thankyou and took the food.

As they group talked, Shoyo would stare out of the window like he usually did in class. Tomorrow was his test. He had to do well. If he didn’t, then he could Kiss Tokyo goodbye. Plus, with the extra classes he’d have to take, it would surely mean that he wouldn’t get home on time. That out Natsu in danger. What did I do if she does come home early? Either way it’s not going to be good for me at all. A hand on his arm snapped out of his thoughts and he turned to see a worried Yamaguchi peering at him.

“Shoyo... are you okay?” He blinked a couple of times and checked the clock. What? Two already? Did lunch really go that fast!? I literally just sat down though! Have I been spacing out that long!?

Shoyo couldn’t find the words that were stuck in his throat. It was getting too hot in this classroom. Too stuffy. He couldn’t breathe for some reason.

“I-I’m fine... I was just thinking that’s all...”

“That’s dangerous...” Tsukishima replied under his breath but loud enough for everyone to hear. He frowned when Shoyo didn’t react. Instead, he pulled his arm away from Yamaguchi and took a step backwards.

“I-I’m sorry.... I... I have somewhere... I need to be.” Shoyo didn’t even let any of them mutter another word as he grabbed his bag and ran to his next class, taking a detour and going the long way. He was panicking, he was overthinking the whole business-trip situation. He just needed to relax and act normal.

“Did I say something wrong?” Yamaguchi asked the group. Noya and Tanaka shared a glance. Something wasn’t quite right with their underclassman.