#And now 10 years later I get my heart broken by this EGG

[an-established-butt-dent]

Var lath vir suledin

Soft, soft lips - they haunt me in my dreams.

[the-jellydex]

The Vancouver Aquarium

Recently, I had the privilege and honour of visiting the Vancouver Aquarium!! It was very nice, and I'd like to give my honest review :)

Jellyfish Exhibit Rating:

Diversity - 7/10 - Only limited to Rhizostomeae and Semaeostomeae jellyfish (no combs or hydrozoans), but they get extra points for showing the rare "Stalked Jellyfish"

Presentation - 7/10 - Most exhibits had more jellyfish per square meter than normal so it was very pretty. One seemed kind of sad though.

Learning - 10/10 - Accurate information paired with engaging visuals, along with dedicated and knowledgeable staff. Here's a shout out to Noah I love him so much 🙏🙏

can we also appreciate how at every opportunity they get, the staff will thank the indigenous nations by name (there are multiple) that have owned and taken care of the land that the aquarium resides in? I respected that a lot haha.

So to start... I believe we entered at an auspicious day (even though it wasn't the weekend, when the jelly touchpool tanks are open)

That's right!! A local school was visiting the aquarium at the same time we were ^-^!! How exciting is that? I felt so much nostalgia haha... I wish I could've done something like this in elementary school ;w;

OK, so going into the aquarium I was already very excited, and seeing this made me gasp !! :>

(unfortunately, I spooked my mother, so um. Yeah)

Unfortunately they 1) Do not currently show the Phacellophora camtschatica in the aquarium and 2) call it the "Fried Egg Jelly" (actually, it's not too big of a deal but I prefer to call it the "Egg Yolk Jelly" since the Mediterranean Jelly resembles a fried egg.

Hey, did you know that the Association of Zoos and Aquariums recently released a jellyfish care guide? I ended up quoting it when I talked to one of the staff, hehe

Now, most of their exhibits are divided by world region- but the jellyfish (as with most exhibits it seems) are grouped into one... except for the Papua Jellyfish, which is the first tank placed in the Tropical Exhibits.

It's verrrry large (larger than any rhizostomid exhibit I've seen) and there are many, many jellyfish! Unfortunately the strong light and deep blue background made it pretty difficult to get good individual pictures (all of mine came out blurry :<), but they were so cute and small.

The jellies often bumped into the ground, and one was swirling around on the bottom, unable to get back into the flow (perhaps it was in-between the two circular currents?). Anyways something told me that this exhibit wasn't as well-looked after as the other ones :<

I did see a couple of really broken ones (sorry for the bad lighting, but here was a jellyfish that had most of its bell ripped up), and it just broke my heart. Most of the jellyfish were in fine condition, though, so I think it's just the normal ripped bells and appendages that you can find in any jellyfish exhibit.

Curiously enough, however, this exhibit shows information cards for three different jellies when in reality there is only one species (The "Spotted Jellyfish") in the tank. I'll explain my theory why later when I get to them.

JELLYFISH HALL!!! There are many glowing sea nettles hanging from the ceiling, along with two life-sized lion's mane jellyfish!! :). The lion's manes also glow in different colours.

Also, if you notice, there's a very large crowd gathered in front of the sea nettle exhibit- and that's because I was INCREDIBLY, INCREDIBLY lucky to stop by RIGHT when they were doing a live jellyfish feeding. I cannot even begin to articulate how fortunate I was to accidentally stumble upon this.

Anyway, here's the obligatory jelly card haha :)

Here is speaker Noah, a 3rd year in his Marine Conservation degree showing us how amazing jellyfish are. I appreciate him a lot he gave me a lot of good information, which I'll just list down here:

The liquid inside of the measuring cup is in fact Jellyfish Food!

Usually, they are fed Artemis sp. naupili (sea monkeys, as he said it, or brine shrimp), but there were some other goodies added into the mix as well- like squid and herring.

This was all mixed in with a bit of gelatin- as sea nettles prefer to eat their food in bigger chunks.

These sea nettles are not fed with moon jellyfish- though the AZA Jellyfish Handbook does recommend to do that since sea nettles are medusivoric, and require jellyfish in their diet to grow properly. Apparently, the gelatin acts as an adequate substitute ^-^!!

Also Noah knows about the Monterey Bay Aquarium let's give him a round of applause ^-^!!! He said i should go there but. Well. I already did :3.

I could've went into more detail about the Cnidocyte explanation, but I'm probably not the best person to be teaching total beginners and children about jellyfish because I'd be way too technical (I was literally the only person in the crowd who was cheering lmao).

Here's a screenshot of the feeding video I took! (I'll upload the full feeding video if there's popular demand for it haha)

Anyways, after that excitement... it was time to look at the rest of the jellies.

This was the sign in front of the moon jelly exhibit. I just thought it was interesting to see what the aquarium defined as "Jellyfish" (this definition can vary from aquarium to aquarium) Here, we can see that the Vancouver Aquarium considers Comb Jellies, Molluscs, and Salps as jellyfish. (this is more inclusive than my own personal definition- which excludes molluscs haha)

There was a bigger tank (that I did not take a full picture of... stupid Donut) that did include the Mediterranean and Australian Spotted jelly. They actually looked... a lot bigger in person than I thought, haha.

Now, I think the reason why these jellies were not roomed with the Papua jellies was because while they were originally a part of the exhibit, the two jellies actually outgrew the tank became too big to room with the small Papua jellies. These were housed in a tank that was about as big (if not bigger) than the Papua jelly tank- and there were not as many jellies per square meter in here.

Still weird that they kept the information cards about the jellies though... I guess it would've been too unsightly to remove?

Ok, I also forgot to take a full view picture of this exhibit but don't be fooled by the pretty jellyfish. This exhibit was kind of... lacking, imo. I can only really describe it with a diagram of sorts.

This is a circular tank, but I'm guessing there were two opposing currents on either side. All of the sea nettles had migrated to the right current, making that half look too crowded and the other side completely empty. It didn't help that when all of the jellyfish were on the very shaded bottom, the entire tank was dark :(.

// Can we just say that them mentioning one of the Japanese names of the jellyfish is AWESOME? I've only seen this on the japanese wikipedia haha- though there was no mention of "Ninjas," only in military warfare in the Sengoku Period by Sanada Nobushige. Well. I'll correct my statement if it ends up being wrong later.

Quick break to visit my hero, Mackenzie Neale :). I'm a big fan of your work!!

Alright, now to visit the Moon jelly exhibit (it was honestly one of the most densely packed tanks I had ever seen- very impressive :>)

I made an instagram reel going over the sexual dimorphism of moon jellies- maybe I'll post it on here if I feel like it haha :3

^^ They have more infographics like this but this is the only one I took a picture of... awe :<.

OK, so with all of the main jellyfish out of the way... now started the hardest part of my journey: Finding the elusive, rare Staurozan (Stalked) jellyfish. These are so rare, apparently they're difficult for even scientists to get their hands on. I absolutely had to see them for myself.

Unfortunately... I kept running around in circles trying to find it (I had asked a staff member earlier where the exhibit was... but I forgot lol. I ended up having to ask two more people. It's tucked away in an unmarked Polar exhibit btw :>!!

Here was the gift shop I ended up visiting, there was a Japanese Sea nettle with a heart on it- awww

Anyways, I promise, after like 20 minutes of searching... I finally found the polar exhibits!!

They had (one) hydrozoan jellyfish here... and it was a picture. An unnamed picture. For the record, it's called the "Battering Ram Jellyfish," according to Lisa-Ann Gershwin. It's a part of the Narcomedusae group, which have similarly positioned tentacles.

And now, in another fit of I did a dumb... I didn't take a picture of the two wall tanks... because the Vancouver Aquarium HAD to be confusing with them for some reason :/

this is the tank on the left! It has the Stalked Jellyfish card......... but the tank itself has NO Stalked Jellyfish...? I had NO idea why and it's driving me mad.

This tank was to the RIGHT of the tank with the card (ie. A TOTALLY SEPARATE TANK), BUT THESE ONES WERE THE ONES THAT HAD STAUROZOA?????... I have no words.

I actually ended up noticing them first because of their weird "firework-like" structure was different from the other corals, but I didn't know if they were actually staurozoa until I saw the card. Anyways, very confusing, but definitely the most magical and rewarding experience you could have in the aquarium. I'll leave out the directions to find this place so if anyone decides to visit the aquarium, they can just look for the staurozoa themselves :>

... and finally, that ends our jelly tour of the Vancouver Aquarium. Before you head home, though, why not pick up a cute little eco-friendly jelly plush on your way out?

She's a beauty, that's for sure!

[whydoyouwantmyname]

Imagine Being Sirius’s Daughter (Part Four)

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

-The last day of Summer break you asked Remus if it was okay that you went to Hogwarts, which he at first wasn’t sure if he wanted to agree to, but he could see in your eyes that you weren’t going to let it go.

-When you arrived he thought you were going to go straight to Dumbledore’s office, so imagine his surprise when he saw you start towards the dungeons. He decided to go to Dumbledore’s office, knowing that he was not wanted where you were going.

-You lightly knocked on Snape’s office door, to which his nasally, groaning tone leaked through the wooden door, “Come in.”

-When he saw it was you, he looked disappointed, “Miss Black, I was unaware the moon would be full tonight.”

“It’s not, I just wanted to come talk.”

“About? If it is regards to the grade the Weasley boys received last term, it is too late to change.”

“No, it is about him.” Snape looked away, he never imagined the daughter of one of his bullies would ever come to discuss the Potter boy with him.

“My father tells me that you used to be close with my Aunt Lily, that was until she started dating Uncle Prong.” You stated, not revealing the real reason, since you were sure that Snape regretted calling Lily a mudblood, “Harry is starting school tomorrow.”

“I am aware.” Snape hissed

“Are you okay?” You asked, as he lifted his head towards you again, “I mean this is the son of the woman you love.”

“Yes, and you are the child of the man who killed them. Now your spineless father might not have been the one holding the wand that stopped Lily’s heart, but he might as well have.” He hissed, advancing towards you, “You want to know why I have never liked you Miss Black, it isn’t because of how your father treated me, or how I was the test subject for your uncle Prong, or that I lost your aunt Lily. Oh no foolish girl it is because you act just like your father, reckless, pompous, ignorant... I am shocked your friends haven’t figured out you will probably turn on them just as fast as your father did. I can’t stand the sight of you because when I look at you, I see the man who turned on the Potter’s, who told the Dark Lord exactly where they were to kill them.” Snape was in your face now, his hook nose close to yours as he hissed, “Now get out.”

-You left immediately, tears brimming your eyes as you hurried towards Dumbledore’s office. When you got there Remus looked towards you immediately, and saw the sorrow in your eyes. His long legs carried him quickly towards you, before engulfing you in his arms, and pulling you into his chest. Your voice barely auditable as you muttered, “I would like to drop Potions.”

-Later that night you went to Hagrid’s, figuring he wouldn’t be there, cause it was dinner time for a certain three headed dog that Hagrid had been hiding in the forest for several years. You loved Fluffy, and normally when Hagrid would go to feed him you would tag along. So when you opened the door to see Hagrid standing at the fire you couldn’t help but raise some questions.

-He told you the bare minimum, he wasn’t able to reveal much to you, at the request of Dumbledore. But he told you that Fluffy was guarding something for Dumbledore, and that no matter what, you couldn’t bring up the fact that you knew about Fluffy, or the music. You agreed.

-The day you were supposed to get on the train, you woke up early and made Remus breakfast. Eggs Benedict, sausage, bacon, and strawberries lined the kitchen table as you pours some orange juice into the clear glass cups, the pot of coffee brewing. You knew that today was going to be hard, since Remus never liked saying goodbye to you, but today was going to be extra difficult, for both of you.

-While you cooked you had no idea how you would react to seeing the boy you were supposed to grow up with. The last time you had seen Harry was Halloween in 1981, when you were two. You also wondered how Remus would react, I mean this was the boy that should have also been calling him Uncle Mooney, the son of his best friends who were violently taken from the world too young. You couldn’t imagine the pain he would feel.

-When he awoke, and trudged into the kitchen he yawned, “You’re up early.”

“Couldn’t sleep.”

“Excited to start your third year?” He joked as you turned your head slightly, “Course I am.”

“Do you remember what classes you chose?” He joked, already knowing that when you filled out the list you made sure to pick classes that you knew the Weasley would take.

“Yes Uncle Mooney.” You smiled, before taking his empty plate and serving up the freshly cooked breakfast.

-You both ate in silence, before Remus cleared his throat, “Have you heard from your dad in a while?”

“Not since June.” You muttered, “You?”

“No, he hasn’t written me in a while Love.”

-When you were finished you loaded the dishes into the sink, ready to clean them, however Remus stopped you, “I’ll do those later my Love, do you have your trunk packed?”

“Course I do, triple checked it last night.” You smiled as you looked towards him, ready to face the world.

“Good, better grab it then, would hate for you to be late, cause than who will entertain the boys?”

“Lee can handle it, I promise.”

“sure he can.”

- When you and Remus arrived on the platform you immediately looked around for Lee, Fred, and George, however you saw none of them. You turned towards Remus, ready to tell him you would stay with him and wait, but when you turned you saw he was scanning the platform as well. You knew it wasn’t for your friends however.

-When you finally caught sight of the Twins they had just run through the barrier, and went racing towards you, the two leaving their carts to hug you. However before you could say a word you saw a face you hadn’t seen in almost 10 years. His hair was shaggy, and a dark, chocolate brown, his skin was fair, his body was engulfed in clothes clearly too large for him, which caused him to look as though he was lean and tall. He was looking around the platform in wonder, a snow owl sitting atop his trunk, as his broken frames hung from his nose. You could see the shimmer of his green eyes, your Aunt’s eyes, but if it wasn’t for those eyes you would have sworn you were looking at the face of your Uncle Prongs.

-Your eyes immediately watered, but that didn’t stop you from turning to look at your Uncle Mooney, his own eyes transfixed on him, as a tear freely fell down his face. You broke away from the twins without a word, and hugged Remus, who was looking at Harry Potter as though he was an old friend.

-When Remus got to the car, he shut the door, and immediately broke down. The tears flowing like a river as he beat the steering wheel and screamed. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that Harry didn’t get to have his parents, it wasn’t fair that he couldn’t grow up with you, it wasn’t fair that he was dressed in hand-me-down clothes and his glasses were broken, it wasn’t fair that he looked like he hadn’t eaten a decent meal in 10 years, It wasn’t fair that Dumbledore didn’t just give Harry to him like he had you. It wasn’t fair that he lost his best friends, it wasn’t fair that his best friend killed them, it wasn’t fair… None of it was fair. As Remus screamed into the empty void of the car his tears were falling faster and faster at the thought of how unfair life had been for both Harry Potter and [Y/N] Black. 

-When he finally drove home, he dragged his feet into the eerily quiet cabin, the room was dark, and cold. He slowly advanced towards the armchair and sunk into it, and let his thoughts consume him.

-When you boarded the train you couldn’t find Lee, so you and Fred snagged an empty booth while George went to find him. As soon as the door was closed though Fred looked at you, “Why do you look spooked?”

“Huh?” You looked towards him

“Well you took one look at that kid who went through the barrier with us, and your whole demeanor changed, and now you just look sad.”

“Remember when Uncle Remus was telling us stories last summer about my dad, and Uncle James?”

“Yeah, they both were bloody brilliant.” Fred smiled as you looked into his eyes, noticing as well the smallest smudge of dirt on his nose, “Well that was my Uncle Jame’s son. We haven’t seen him since he was 1, and honestly I doubt he even remembers us. Seeing him was like looking at my Uncle James again.”

-Later when George returned he sat down in amazement, “Lee is hanging out with the cool kids, but you’re never gonna guess what Ronny just told me?”

“What?” Fred replied, but you already had a feeling what the news was gonna be.

“That kid that ran into the barrier after us, that’s Harry Potter, the Harry Potter.”

“Wicked.” Fred smiled, however his eyes then grew large as he looked towards you, your head turned towards the window.

-When you were all getting off, Fred and George looked over at Lee and stuck their tongues out at him, causing you to smile slightly.

-At the feast Lee slid into the spot next to George, which of course led to a series of teasing, “Oh look who decided to join the big boys again?” George teased

“Who are you again, Levi, Jason, Kevin?” Fred taunted

“Oh what Lee, did the girls turn you down?” You asked with a smile as Lee rolled his eyes, expecting nothing less then that from the group of you.

“Haha very funny guys, and for your information [Y/N], Angelina actually agreed to go to Hogsmade with me on our first trip.”

-The boys immediately started to chatter about the prospect of Lee making moves on Angelina, but your attention was pulled away by the doors of the great hall swinging open. As always a hoard of 11 year olds filed into the great hall, McGonagall leading them towards the hat that would decide their house. As the pack pasted your eyes were searching for one little boy, but instead you found Ron, who wasted no time waving at you and the boys as he passed. Waving back though you saw the boy beside him, and watched as he continued to walk away, as you did, you caught the eyes of Snape, his own eyes glued to the boy whose face would remind him of yet another one of his childhood tormentors.

-As they called the children one by one you couldn’t help but chuckle at Fred and George’s banter, “Imagine if Ronnie gets put in Slytherin, Mum would have a heart attack.”

“I don’t think he would ever be cut out for Slytherin, honestly with how much he eats, he will probably be a Hufflepuff, that way he is closer to the kitchen.”

-Before you could add your two cents into the topic, you heard his name, “Ronald Weasley.”

You watched the small ginger boy approaching the stool, and as he went to sit down you shot him a reassuring smile, knowing there was only house where the Weasley Family belonged. The hat didn’t even touch his ginger hairs before it screamed out, “Gryffindor!”, causing your whole friend group to erupt into cheers, as George and Lee scooted over to make room for the newest lion.

-After a few more minutes you heard his name, a hush overtook the hall as some whispered, “The Harry Potter?”

-As he approached the stool, Dumbledore’s eyes found yours, your frame leaning forward as you waited for the hat to speak, praying he would go anywhere but Slytherin. You had no idea that Dumbledore was even watching how you reacted, knowing that you wanted nothing more then for him to be in Gryffindor, that way you could finally get to know the boy whom was supposed to practically be your cousin.

-Fred’s hand slipped to your thigh and gave it a gentle squeeze, he was the only one who knew how much the hat’s words would affect you. He was praying that he got gryffindor, that way it was easier for you to befriend him.

-When the hat screamed out Gryffindor, you and the boys all rose to your feet, along with the rest of the table, and cheered. Your cheer was by far the loudest. The small boy made his way towards you, and plopped right next to you, across from Ron, and the guys leaning around you to clap him on the shoulder.

-Once the sorting was over, and the food had appeared you all began introducing yourselves to the first years. George of course lead the introductions, “So this is Lee, the charmer who has the loudest voice, I’m George, The handsome twin, this is Fred, the slightly less handsome twin, and that’s [Y/N], she is basically our mum.”

“Mum would be pissed if she heard that.” Ron replied, as he stuffed his mouth with mashed potatoes, causing you to smile, “No Ronnie, she would absolutely agree.”

-You couldn’t help but look at Harry out of the corner of your eye as you all chattered at the feast table.

-That night when Percy took all the first years to the common room, you stayed at the table with the boys, just chatting and catching up. That was until Professor Dumbledore appeared behind George and Lee, his eyes on you as you looked up from Lee’s story and made eye contact with the headmaster. “Miss Black, a word?”

“Course headmaster.” You replied, quickly swinging out of the table before watching him go back down the aisle towards the facility table, your motions matching his in the opposite aisle until you both met at the end, without even a look he made his way towards the hidden chamber hidden underneath the Great Hall, the floor littered in the many treasures of Hogwarts, fully carpeted, the fire roaring as McGonagall slowly rose from the chair placed infront of the fire.

“Minerva, Albus, what if the meaning of this?” You asked, eyebrow arched as Dumbledore took a soft breath, “Your uncle informed me your first year that you were in corespondences with your father.”

“Firstly, the people I am in contact with is no importance to you, and secondly, why are you choosing now to make this a topic of conversation?”

-He was quiet for a second, his long finger going to his half moon spectacles to push them farther up his crooked nose, before he turned his head to look at McGonagall. However just by the expression on both of their faces you knew.

“You think I am going to tell him about Harry...” you whispered.

“We are just concerned for the boy [Y/N]. You have seen the state of the boy, and I have seen his family, they are horrid muggles. We don’t want him to deal with a harder life then he already has, and many death eaters would love to...” McGonagall started, however you were quick to cut her off.

“Then you shouldn’t have ever let him go to them, you should have sent him straight to us, Remus was one of the Potter’s best friends, and in the event of my father being wrongly accused...”

“James and Lily stated they didn’t want to send him to Mooney!” Dumbledore’s voice was raised as your eyes grew in frustration, “They specifically stated if something were to happen to them, if Harry was in need of rehoming... he was to go to either your father, or his Aunt Petunia. Seeing how your father was unable to care for him, we respected the Potter’s wishes and sent him to live with Lily’s sister.”

“Yet he was good enough to raise me?” You snapped.

“It was what your father would have wan...”

“What my father wanted.” You interrupted him with a chuckle, “What my father wanted was to raise his own daughter, for someone to defend him when he was framed for murdering his friends, yet None of you saved him from Azkaban. So do not tell me about what my father wanted Albus.”

-A pause lingered in the air after your words slipped from your lips, your blood boiling as you hissed, “I didn’t plan on telling my father a word anyway, so if you will excuse me, I would like to go back to my common room?”

“You are dismissed Miss Black.” Dumbledore’s voice was soft as you stormed from the hidden room and into the Great Hall, not even stopping to talk to the boys, who all turned to see you leave when they saw Fred perk up.

-When the grand doors slammed behind you, Lee mumbled, “What do you think they said to piss her off so badly?”

-He got no reply, because as soon as the door slammed both Weasley boys were up, and hurrying towards the door themselves, hoping you hadn’t gotten too far.

-They saw you on the stairs, you were almost to the Fat Lady when George called out, “[Y/N]!” This caused you to stop your ascension up the stairs, your hand gripping the railing as they also stopped, “what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just.... I’m just tired.”

“Bullshit, we know when you’re lying [Y/N].” Fred replied as you gave a dry chuckle, “Nothing gets past you two does it?”

“Nope, we figured after all this time you would have figured that out by now.” George replied, as you slowly turned, your eyes red and glassy as the tears threatened to fall, causing George and Fred to Easter no time bolting up the stairs, and almost tackling you onto the steps as they hugged you.

-They sat in the common room with you, they got the small table you all always sat at and pulled out the Wizard Chess board. George looked at you and smiled, “Ready to lose Black?”

“In your dreams Georgie.” You forced a smile, as Fred looked between the two of you, a smile on his face as you moved your pawn to D4.

-Each twin took a turn playing you, and acted baffled when you won. However you knew they were letting you win, cause when it came to games the Weasley Twin sometimes went for blood.

-After you played both twins once, you looked at them, “So now you and George are gonna destroy each other.”

“Bullshit, I want a rematch.” George barked, playfully pushing Fred from the seat as you smiled, Fred dramatically fell out of the chair and pretended to scoff at his brother as he took the observer’s spot.

-After round 2 against Fred, the younger Weasley, and Harry had joined the table, each standing on a side of George as you easily took Fred’s king. “You are getting sloppy.” Ron voiced.

“You think you can do better Ronald?” Fred asked, eyebrow raised, “You try.”

“Is that okay?” Ron asked you, a blush spreading across his cheeks as you grinned, “Course Ronnie, Fred, Move.”

-Ron won against you, a grin on his face as his knight claimed victory against your king. “You definitely cheated.” You joked

-Ron looked at Harry, “Harry, you wanna try? I promise playing against [Y/N] is easy.”

“I haven’t a clue how to play.” He whispered, as you joked, “It’s okay, I’ll go easy on you.”

-When Harry took the seat across from you, you turned the board around, making it so that he was allowed to make the first move. “You just gotta tell them where you want them to go.”

-The whole time you played, you were giving tips to him, along with the three ginger boys, however whenever Harry had a question, he asked you.

-Harry won the first game, to which he smiled wide, “I won?”

“Looks that way, now one of them have to try to beat you.” You smiled, looking to Fred, “Wanna try knocking him out Freddie?”

“Alright, but I’m not gonna go easy on him just cause he is a first time player.” Fred replied as you switched spots. However Harry looked over to you, “think you could... maybe...”

-He didn’t even have to finish the question, your feet guiding you to the small space between his seat and the wall, your arms crossed as you watched, offering help to him whenever he asked.

-He won against all of the Weasleys, the last one he played was George, who replied, “You know it is no far that it was 2 against 1.”

“And he’s never played before, we did the same thing when Charlie taught Ginny how to play when she was 5.”Ron replied, as George crossed his arms, “Yes but Charlie didn’t have our strategies memorized like [Y/N].”

“You’re just pouting because a first timer beat you, don’t worry Georgie, your ego will bounce back.” You smiled.

-After Harry beat George, the two younger boys excused themselves to their corridors, while George stretched and muttered something about going to his trunk quickly to get the prank journal. When he left the table Fred looked at you, “So your dad was best friends with the Potters?”

“Yeah, he was.” You whispered, “They basically were family to my dad, like I called his parents my grandparents. Uncle Remus told me that James was the first person other than his mum to see me, and that when I was a baby I adored him, I would cry whenever him or Aunt Lily left the room. I still have pictures too from their wedding in my room, not a day goes by that I don’t think about them.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell me?” His hand stretched towards your hand, as it slowly cupped around yours.

“I figured it wasn’t important.” You lied. Truth was you didn’t want him to put it together, you were scared that you would lose all of them if they knew your dad was in Azkaban, for betraying the Potter’s.

-Fred’s hand didn’t leave yours, even when George returned to discuss all the pranks they had plotted without you. It felt comfortable, and while you and Fred thought nothing of it, George definitely noticed.

-When you all finally went your separate ways to go to bed, George bumped his twin on the shoulder, “So are we gonna talk about that?”

“About what?”

“About what, this boy tells me about what, as though him and [Y/N] haven’t been holding hands for over an hour.” George muttered, as Fred smiled, “Honestly George, it’s not a big deal.”

“Fred, just ask her to Hogsmeades already.” He instructed, “That way I can stop watching you try to suppress your feelings towards her.”

-When the boys went to Potions that morning, they were so excited that their first class was with you. However their smiles fell when you weren’t there at your normal table. The next class they had was Care of Magical Creatures, and when they saw you there, George was the first to state, “You missed Potions?”

“Sorry, I must have forgotten to tell you, I... Ummm dropped potions. I have a private tutoring lesson now for it with Dumbledore.” You replied.

-Both boys went up to McGonagall later that day, and asked if she could ask Dumbledore if they could join you. When she asked, his smile grew, “Of course they can join.”

-Dumbledore apologized for his outburst when you went to his office for the potion lesson, to which you stated, “All is forgiven.”

-Your father still hadn’t written you.... which was concerning. However it didn’t stop you from writing to him daily.

-You wrote to Remus about what Albus said to you, to which he replied by writing Albus a long letter explaining that if he ever did that again, he would be going to Hogwarts directly to correct the interaction.

-A week after classes started, Fred walked up beside you, “Hey [Y/N]?”

“Yes Freddie?”

“You know how we are going to be going to Hogsmeade at the end of the month?”

“You mean we aren’t sneaking into Hogsmeade for once in the dead of night and going legitimately now, when everything is open?” You replied with a grin, as you reflected on all the times you used the Marauders Map to sneak into the village, hoping Charlie, and Percy never saw you.

“Yeah, well I was wondering if you would wanna go with me?”

“I thought we were all going together? I mean Lee is going with Angelina, but I assumed you, George and I were...”

“Nevermind, it was a stupid question...” he stated, “I mean I should have just assumed you were going with us.”

-George and Lee were so proud of Fred for asking you on proper date finally, however when they saw how upset he looked they questioned his appearance, “She ummm didn’t realize I was asking her on a date.” Fred replied, causing both boys to fall silent.

-Dumbledore loved having the three of you, and found that soon his favorite part of the day was your class. Some days it felt as though you all exchanged stories more than learned anything.

-You spent at least one night a week at Hagrid’s hut discussing life over tea. It was here that he told you about his plan to make Harry a scrapbook of pictures of his family. You gladly agreed to help.

-Your first school trip to Hogsmeade was a ball, you three started off at Three Broomsticks, and drank three large mugs of butter beer each. Fred was insistent on paying for yours, and once you finally agreed George joked, “You paying for mine too?”

-You then looked at Fred with a grin, “It’s only fair.”

-After The Three Broomsticks you three ventured to Honeydukes, where you all gawked at the endless rows of sweets.

-Before you left you bought 5 cauldron cakes, along with 10 chocolate frogs and a tin of Sugared Butterfly Wings.

-You ended the trip at Zonko’s, where Fred and George gawked over everything in the store. Both boys touching everything and turning it in their hands, as they observed the products. While they were doing that you had managed to wander away slightly, and bought two nose biting tea cups. Placing them into your bag you walked back over to the boys, who were debating quite loudly who to prank with the dungbombs.

-Upon getting back to Hogwarts you gave two of the five cauldron cakes to Ron and Harry, then you tossed the tin to Harry, and looked at Ron, “Now don’t go eating these all in one night.” You instructed before reaching into your bag and pulling out the ten chocolate frogs. The boys both look at you with sheer joy, and thanked you for the gifts.

-You also gave the twins their cauldron cakes, and the tea cups, both looked at the off white porcelain and muttered, “Wicked.”

-That night Fred sat next to you at dinner, and as soon as Lee sat down you asked, “Soooooo, how’d it go with Angelina?”

“She didnt show, she was supposed to meet me at the tea shop. So I just came back here.”

“Why didn’t you come find us, we told you we would be at the Three Broomsticks before we separated?” George asked

“I didn’t want to drag you guys down. How was it though?” He asked, his frown turning up a bit as George went into a monologue about the trip, leaving you and Fred to just listen as you slowly devoured the food on your plates.

-That night when you were turning in for the night you looked towards Angelina’s four poster, “So why did you do it?”

“Do what?” She asked confused

“Agree to go on a date with Lee Jordan, but instead you stood him up? Let me guess, you and Katie thought it would be a better idea to go to the hair salon and get your hair done?”

“Last I checked what I did was none of your business [Y/N].”

“It is when you hurt my best friend’s feelings, so this is how it is going to go, you are going to apologize to him before your first class, you are going to be honest with him about your feelings and than you are going to make it up to him by actually going with all of us next time. And if you don’t, I’ll hex your broom, and make your hair change colors, do I make myself clear?” Your tone was menacing, and you knew Angelina was aware that you were the brightest witch of your year.

-She agreed to the terms, and that morning at breakfast Lee sat down smiling, “So Angelina apologized, and you’re never gonna guess why she stood me up?”

“Why?” Fred asked, before shoving a fork full of eggs into his mouth.

“Turns out she was on a date with Oliver.”

-When the boys told you that Harry was on the Quidditch team you were ecstatic.

-However that first game you were nervous for him, and nearly lost your mind when he crashed onto the pitch. However as soon as he spit up the snitch you cheered the loudest.

-When the broom started to jerk around in the air, you were trying to see who could have been muttering a hex on it, as you muttered a counter curse. That’s when you saw Snape mouthing something, but you knew Snape’s behaviors well enough to know he would never try to charm Harry’s broom.

-The next trip to Hogsmeade Angelina joined, as promised, and actually had a lot of fun. After when you were all walking back you bummed her arm lightly, “Thanks for that by the way.”

“No problem, maybe Oliver will want to come to the next one, then we can have a double date kinda.”

“How?”

“You and Fred....”

“Fred and I aren’t dating.” You stated softly, “We’re just friends.”

“This coming from the girl who shared a butter beer with him, and who he gave his jacket to when you said you were cold.” She laughed, “I don’t know about you, but that seems an awful lot like you two are dating.”

-That night you and Harry actually stayed up late talking, you never brought up anything about your lives crossing, but you just talked. It was a common occurrence.

-Yes he twins were jealous of Harry at one point, but that was just because after every quidditch match you would go congratulate him first. However when you would go congratulate them you would wrap them both into tight hugs, and suggest going to Three Broomsticks to celebrate with Fire Whiskey.

-On the night of Halloween when you were all sent back to the common rooms you were frantically looking around for Ron and Harry, your heart racing as each second ticked by. When you finally saw the two dirty boys and the mousy brown haired mess of curls you went rushing over to Harry and engulfed him in a hug, “Don’t scare me like that again you two.”

-After that day, Hermoine joined your group, which you liked, because you knew how beneficial it was for the Twins and Lee to have a girl in their friend group.

-She loved getting to know you, because you challenged her intelligence daily.

-Fred never brought up you both going to Hogsmeade together again.

-One night while you were helping Fred with his transfiguration homework, you both feel asleep on the love seat. Harry woke you both up the next morning before going to his first class.

-As always you finished the term with the top grades in your class, and for once the Twins got higher than a A in potions.

-You drew names for secret Santa that year, however one of you kept drawing your own names, so finally after drawing names 20 times, you finally got your person, who happened to be George.

-The twins begged you to stay at Hogwarts that year, knowing that you couldn’t invite him to have Christmas at your house. As much as you wanted to stay though you told him you had to go home. You needed to see your Uncle, and get pictures for Hagrid’s secret project.

-You sat alone on the train ride back, and watched the countryside whiz by.

-Remus was so excited when he saw you get off the train, and you wasted no time running up to him to give him a hug.

-Over the holiday, you had made arrangements to stay at Hogwarts with Hagrid for the full moon. You were not allowed to go to the actual castle because you didn’t want the boys finding out why you were there.

-On the car ride home, you were informing him of Hagrid’s plan, and he quickly agreed to donate a few photographs to the cause.

-As soon as you got home you started going through the old photo box, Remus was insistent however that no pictures of the other Marauders or the first Order would be included. However he thought it was fine that you included a photo from James and Lily’s wedding, where they were holding you while dancing.

- Remus had told Hagrid you would both be attending Christmas dinner at his house, meaning you were going to be at Hogwarts. You also knew that Harry and Ron might stop in, since Hagrid and Harry had gotten so close.

-As soon as you got to Hagrid’s, you saw all the boys playing in the snow through the window. Hagrid poured your tea and stated, “They all came to wish me a merry Christmas, figured I let them play in the snow with Fang for a bit. I must say though, those two twins haven’t been the same since you left [Y/N].”

“I figured they would have been overjoyed that there was no parental figure there anymore to harp on them.” You joked before sitting down next to your father, and sipping your tea.

-Hagrid got teary eyed looking over the pictures you and Remus had picked out. However he tried to cover it, “it feels like only yesterday you were little like this [Y/N], now look at you, all grown up, getting the highest marks of the grade.”

-He got you a biker jacket for Christmas, it was all black, and had little studs in it. “Your father had one just like it when he was here, I figured it was only fair you had one too.”

-Remus got you a cassette player, and a few of the classics. When you opened it your mouth gaped open, “I love it.”

“I figured you would, it was something your father brought back with him one summer after staying with Uncle James, he took it everywhere with him and blared all this muggle music.” Remus smiled, as you popped in a tape and pressed play, as Queen started blasting out of the speaker.

-“There’s one more present for ya too, Dumbledore delivered it this morning. I guess Molly sent all the boys presents here, along with one for you.” Hagrid pulled the familiar brown wrapped present out from under his little tree beside the couch. A cute little golden bow was stuck on the top of it. As you unwrapped it you expected to see just the sweater, however on top of it laid a enevelope, with your name beautifully written across the front. As you carefully opened it, you couldn’t help but listen to Remus’s laughter as he watched Harry playing with the Weasleys in the snow, “It appears as though one of your boys just tackled Harry into the snow.”

-You knew that just seeing Harry from afar was going to give Remus so much joy. You turned and whispered, “Of course he would.”

-Inside the enevelope was a card, on the front you noticed it had hand drawn flowers littered all over, with your name once again printed on the front in the same handwriting. Inside the letter small specks of glitter started to float out, and you couldn’t help but smile when you saw her message, “Hope your Christmas is magical.”

-Your sweater that year was a dark forest green and the letter was in a light grey, as though you were a Slytherin. You slipped it on immediately.

-You had stayed late at the hut, sipping tea and laughing. Occasionally you had peaked out the window to watch the boys but as soon as the sun started to set they had all retreated to the castle, and Fang came back to the hut. As soon as Fang saw you, he leapt onto the couch and rested his head on your lap, his eyes immediately shutting as you pet him. Soon he was fast asleep.

-However in less than an hour there was a knocking on the door, which Hagrid answered, expecting that the other professors had come to join you all for dinner, however when he opened it, he was greeted by two tall, slightly muscular, ginger boys with red cheeks, and huge smiles. “Where is she?” They both stated at the same time.

“Where’s who?” Hagrid was blocking the doorway, so neither saw you turn on the couch to look back at the back of Hagrid’s frame.

“[Y/N].” They both stated, before pushing past him and into the hut. As soon as they saw you looking at them, they both lifted their arms and cheered loud enough to wake up Fang, before running around either side of the couch and engulfing you in a hug. Remus chuckling as Hagrid whispered, “Howd they know?”

“Call it best friend intuition.” Remus replied, knowing fully well that they probably saw your name on the map.

-You also knew that’s how they knew you were here.

-You all moved to the floor, Fang curled up in his bed as you were seated between the two gingers, each of you joking amongst yourselves as Remus watched. As soon as you saw Hagrid put the apron on though you were standing up, and hurrying over to help, grabbing your own apron to throw on as you helped him extract the food from the oven and stove. the boys had also gotten up to help but Remus stopped them, “Don’t even try boys, they have a system on doing this.”

-After dinner you and the boys went outside to play in the falling snow, both boys wasting no time throwing snow at you, before tackling you into the cold. As soon as the snowball fight started both boys picked you up at some point, and threw you over their shoulder as they ran through the snow. Laughter filling the air as you all raced around in the dark snowfall, hurling small bulger sized balls of snow and ice at one another.

-As you all played in the snow, Remus and Hagrid sat inside the hut and talked, at some point Hagrid looked at Remus, “Thank you by the way.”

“For what?”

“The pictures, I know that these were probably hard for you to part with.”

-After two hours outside the Weasley Twins and you were laying in the snow, watching the snow float onto your faces, your bodies slowly sinking into the frozen water flakes. Remus opened the door and looked out into the darkness, watching the snow softly land on the three of you before calling out, “It’s time to go home Love.”

-This caused you to quickly sit up, the boys slowly mimicking your action as you looked to either of them, “Well boys, it’s been entertaining.”

“Do you think Remus will let you stay?” George whispered as you looked towards him, you smile falling slightly as you replied, “Sadly no boys, but don’t worry, I’ll be back before know it.”

-Hugging the boys goodbye was harder then you expected, and before heading into the hut you watched both of them ascend up the stairway towards the castle. Once inside you and Remus quickly used the floo powder system to return to the cabin. 

-Two days later you returned to the hut, and spent the night with Hagrid and Fang. Those days you were there Fred and George never opened the map, so they had no idea you had returned the castle.

-While you were there you and Hagrid made a handful of bake goods, and over a dozen cups of tea.

-When you got on the train, it was really strange not sitting with Fred and George, however Lee saved you a seat in the booth with him, Angelina, Katie, Oliver and Lavender Brown.

-When you got to the platform, you heard your name loudly exclaimed, turning you saw the red headed, younger twin race towards you, arms wide open as you opened your own, and collided with you. His tighting squeeze engulfing you as Lee chuckled, “Goodness I wish you greeted me like that George.”

“I absolutely do, you just never notice when I do.” George replied, as you rolled your eyes.

“Speaking of your better half, where is he?” You rebuttaled

“Back at the common room, he claimed that he didn’t feel well.” His fingers made the quotation hand gestures when he said didn’t feel well.

-When you were in the common room you saw Harry in his H sweater, and couldn’t help but smile, “So you are part of the tradition now too?”

- That night You, and the three boys sat around the fireplace, the soft glow of the flames highlighting Fred and George’s faces as you and Lee sat facing them, each of you held boxes on your lap as you each joked and discussed your holidays. Finally it was Lee who spoke up, “Well I’ll go first, I got Fred.”

-As he handed the box to Fred you couldn’t help but chuckle, since Lee had already told you what he had put in the box. Fred’s eyes shifted between the two of you as he slowly started tearing the paper, “It’s not a dungbomb that’s about to go off is it?”

“No, besides if it were, why would we all be sitting around you?” Lee answered.

-Inside was a self help book on maintaining healthy, romantic relationships, he read it and looked horrified, and then asked, “Do you think I’m gonna be a shitty boyfriend?”

“No mate, just figured you would just need all the help you can get.”

-You went next, “Well I got George. However I have to apologize in advance, cause I didn’t get you a relationship self help book, but if you need to I am sure Fred will let you burrow his.”

-When George opened his box, he revealed a maroon and golden scarf, with a matching hat. On top of the hat was a small pompon. He looked to you as you replied, “Your mum taught me how to knit last summer.”

-He immediately put it on.

-Fred went next, and tossed the box to Lee, “Merry Christmas mate.”

Inside the box was a tiny cube, which was painted a metallic orange color. There was no opening to it, or any other indications of what it actually was. However Fred was beaming with pride as Lee turned it in his hands, and finally he asked, “What is it?”

“A prototype, George and I cooked it up while you were gone. It is the first prototype of a product we would like to create for our joke shop, and there will be a secret trigger word which will cause it to multiple and release a foul smelling gas.”

“Fred accidentally set it off though when he was wrapping it though so sadly it won’t work, but it took Flich a whole week to get the stink out of the common room.” George added as you looked at the product in Lee’s hand.

“What if instead it was a wind up toy, that way you couldn’t accidentally set it off.” You suggested, as both Fred and George looked at you, the wheels in their head spinning as they processed your suggestion.

-Finally George spoke, “You’re a genius Black.”

-George looked at his lap, “So I got you a present, but Mum hasn’t sent it yet.”

Your eyebrow raised, “Do I get to know what it is?”

“No, it’s a surprise, but I am really sorry it isn’t here yet.”

“It’s fine Georgie, just means now I’m not gonna talk to you till it comes.” You joked.

“You can’t be serious.” He whined, as you looked to Fred, “Freddie, why isn’t George here?”

“He’s in the hospital wing, gave himself a black eye from slipping in the court yard.”

“Come on guys this isn’t funny.” George whined, revealing much to his unamusement that all of his friends had also joined in on the joke.

-For a week whenever you were all together you would make up different sonarios as to why George wasn’t hanging out with you all. Whenever he spoke you would also joke that George was using telepathy to speak to you all. However when you were not all together, you would interact with George. You apologized as well for starting the joke.

-The day the present came, George slammed it on the table in front of your group, “Here it is.”

“Bloody hell George, where have you been all week, we were worried sick.” You sighed as you looked at the ginger.

“Well it all started when I was trying to prank you guys, but Snape saw me before I could pull it off, and he locked me in detention for a week in the dungeon, and had me organized his ingredients and potion cabinets.”

“That sounds awful.” Lee exclaimed as you pointed towards the box, “So what’s this?”

“That is your present Miss Black, which I request you open at your earliest convenience.”

“Well I better open it after I finish my 5 parchment paper, and save the world, and...” you joked as you snatched the box from him.

“Don’t forget you also have to babysit Fang, and you told Harry you would play quidditch with him.” Fred interrupted.

“You also said you would do mine and Freddie’s parchments as well.” Lee added

-When you opened it you were treated with a red velvet box, and turned it in your hand, “What’s this George?”

“Open it to see.” He instructed, before looking to Fred with a smile.

-Inside was a hand painted, white oval. Within the oval was a small, colorblocked painting of a dragon. The outside of the oval was decorated with braided red and white string. As you looked at it, George stated, ���Mum picked it up in Romania for me, they call it a Martisor, and they gift it during the Martisor holiday, which they celebrate on the first day of spring. The red and white strings on top are supposed to symbolize that you will have a joyous year.”

“Where did you get this?” You whispered

“Mum picked it up for me in Romania when they were visiting Charlie, that’s why it took so long to get here.” He beamed as you looked at him, “Thanks Georgie.”

Part Five



[kim-lexie]

true beauty.

THIS DRAMA WAS UN-EXPECTANT. HILARIOUS. CUTE. AND PRECIOUS. we got cha eunwoo, our bae. with our newest bestest boy, hwang in-yeop. and our queen, mun ka-young. what else would one need in a drama?! i was excited when they announced the creation of this drama, because like so many of us i love the webtoon. that is overlooking the faults of the basis of the theme with shallow standards of beauty, it is great. and i love our characters. i especially love how the writers of the drama utilized the great structures of the webtoon’s characters and created another world. i rate it a 10 out of 10.

we follow our leading lady im ju-kyung as she overcomes bullying at her old school for being ‘ugly’. she was cast out and a ‘dumpling runner’, running around for the group of bullies. she finds a passion for makeup and masters it, becoming a new person with a ‘new face’ after putting it on. she starts life at a new school with her new face. she stumbles into an old place of comfort without her new face, the comic book store, and runs into the school prince, lee suho. this ensues with a bout of lying; unsuccessfully, because suho knows that she is the same im ju-kyung that started at his school. he protects her secret, and it leads their relationship to grow closer. we follow them through their years at high school, as she hides her face and later hiding their relationship from their classmates. this drama continues to follow them through their young adult years. 

now on to the spoilers…

overall, once again i must always state that i don’t love it when they take this shallow perspective and over dramatize the conventional aspects of beauty. im ju-kyung, who is supposedly not conventionally beautiful and they dramatize her redness and pimples, etc. she does all these wild things to hide her true identity from those around her at school. thankfully the writers did not try to pull that ‘oh my goodness, i didn’t know that was you under the makeup’ game because our suho is not a shallow cookie and looks below the surface. because that game is ridiculous and i would have died. i am thankful the ending that this drama took, because i was nervous especially at the start that it was going to go the duration of the show with no-one knowing her true face, like the webtoon. thankfully we had a character revelation unfortunately not on her own timing. but she had grown as a person and had a team of people behind her allowing her to shine and overcome. we love character development. it’s great. it makes my heart happy. we started the drama with her completely swallowed whole by the perception that she wanted to portray to those around her, not showing her true beauty. because she was a beautiful person who wanted to protect those around her, and once she let go of this facade and mask she was able to fully be the person she was destined to be.

i loved suho’s character in this. he had so many layers and i love that they didn’t make it like the webtoon in this aspect. i love how their relationship started in the comic store and ended there. he grew so much, and became livelier because he knew im ju-kyung. his character was so stoic and overcome with sadness at the start. his best friend committed suicide and he blamed himself for this, which was completely out of his control. im ju-kyung showed him that it was not his fault and they came to protect one another. also love how the writers had him pursue music producing at the end, and even produced for seo-jun’s debut. he was such a great son, after him and his father finally reconnected and then he suffered a stroke, crazy! suho went to the states to care for his father. definitely lost in this, he broke up with ju-kyung as to not hold her back, which was silly and even though he was across the world they could have made it work. they’d been through so much worse, but that’s for another drama universe.

han seo-jun our brooding character with a light personality just beneath the surface. i loved seeing his character at home and with his crew, compared to walking through the school halls. (hello, ‘okey dokey yo’). his character always fiercely protected those around him and i just love seo-jun. i love that he came to pursue his career as an idol, and ended up debuting at the end. he worked so hard and deserved the world and more. and i have to say i hate the second male lead dramas, because they break my heart. he changed so much because im ju-kyung’s character grew him and challenged him in new ways. i knew seo-jun would not get the girl. i knew this from the start. did that stop me from loving his character? no. no, it didn’t. did it stop me from cheering for him, even though i loved suho? no. so who ends up heartbroken in the end with him? me. i do. so here i am weeks after the finale, thinking about how seo-jun told ju-kyung that suho was leaving for the states to  send her running after another guy, and ultimately bringing the two of them together. thinking about all those years suho was in the states, when seo-jun treasured their friendship and was with her quietly supporting her in her dreams, for her to ultimately leave for suho. sad. that’s what it is, the definition of sadness. and goodness gracious where is my seo-jun? i will love you and treasure you honey. you do not need ju-kyung, i got you boo.

i must add that hwang in-yeop can show up in my life any day, and i will graciously stop everything and marry this man. i love all of his dramas thus far, his character from the interviews i’ve seen, i love him. he is a favorite. i am expectant for the upcoming dramas he will surely steal the show in.  

the friendship between seo-jun and suho was so multifaceted. i love how we saw how their relationship was before when they were a trio, and then the brokenness when seo-jun blamed suho, to then seeing them come together because they realized they both cut one another off when they should have leaned on one another instead. it was sweet and i loved their bromance moments. they truly stole the show away. it was hilarious and fun with them together. and i appreciate that the relationship between suho and ju-kyung didn’t break the two apart in the end.  

i need to make note how much i love im ju-kyung’s family. like her siblings were iconic. her sister im hee-kyung and her relationship with eui-sik, the homeroom teacher. ICONIC. and im ju-young, her brother, and his precious attempts at winning seojun’s sister’s heart. PRECIOUS. i would 10 out of 10 watch a spin off with the focus on these characters. i loved when ju-kyung’s mom realized all the trauma that her daughter endured how she went to mending the broken pieces to rebuild their relationship. and i love how sweet her dad was, always encouraging her dreams. and i love how they all wanted the best for her, and supported her dreams of becoming a makeup artist. 

i am so sad that whenever we get a great friendship between our leading ladies they end up in awful relations at some point in the drama. our kang soo-jin and im ju-kyung were the best of friends. she even found out about ju-kyung’s secret and protected her to get back to the tent when they were on the trip. and then when ju-kyung started to date suho, soo-jin got everything twisted. i appreciate how suho let her know that no matter the situation he would not have ended up with her, because he didn’t see her in that way. and i loved the seo-jun put her in her place and confronted her for posting the photos of im ju-kyung online. i am thankful that we had the revelation for soo-jin’s character and came back to apologize to ju-kyung in the end. it was sweet and genuine. she came to see why she was like the way she was, grew from it, and apologized for her past behaviors. 

i love how suho and ju-kyung’s world’s connected. from the comic book store, to high school, to her sister working at his father’s music agency. it was complete destiny that they ended up together. i love a good ‘it is destiny, it was meant to be'. 

the webtoon drama inception was REAL. i loved that they added those little easter eggs throughout the drama with the little connections to ‘extraordinary you’. i loved it. 

favorite moments. 

the flashback comic book store scenes. 

the games at the camping trip.

roar...like any and all instances of this. precious. 

ju-kyung confessing that she liked suho to seo-jun, and crushing my team seojun heart.

suho and ju-kyung’s first kiss.

suho daring to hand ju-kyung a cup in the elevator. ㅋㅋㅋ

seojun and suho fighting over making the best dumplings at ju-kyung’s house.

seojun showing up to help his sister, and im ju-young getting so excited that han seojun came to save the day. 

im ju-kyung sticking up for herself against her new and old school bullies. like the legit fist fight and then the one when she stood up for suho. when they came for her man she was like ‘heck no, not today honey’.

seojun and suho at the hospital and having to care for each other to complete daily tasks. really brought them together again. > also this accident was super dramatic. but we love that everything was chill in the end. 

im ju-young being traumatized by his eldest sister kissing her boyfriend, and then encouraging ju-kyung and suho to kiss.

tteokbokki between seo-jun and ju-kyung.

‘okey dokey yo’...ICONIC to say the least. 

the ost.

the ost did not disappoint. we even got cha eunwoo and hwang in-yeop tracks! here are my top favorites including the beautiful cover renditions:

‘call me maybe’ by SAya

‘i’m in the mood’ for dancing by yuju

‘starlight’ by chani

‘love so fine’ by cha eunwoo

‘flowerpot’ originally by alex, covered by hwang in-yeop

‘it starts today’ by hwang in-yeop

‘how do you do’ by chani

‘to you my light’ originally by maktub and lee raon, covered by hwang in-yeop.

[spectacularlyignorantt]

From the dining table

March 2017

Louis sat in the kitchen looking around, dust covering every possible surface. Princess Park, their first home, the place they bought together without telling anyone and then never sold after the breakup. Maybe because they couldn't see each other and not end up in bed, regretting it in the morning. Maybe because they both knew this time apart meant nothing. They were destined to be together, a love no one could understand, right?

The last time he saw Harry was after the presentation of his single Just Hold On on the X-Factor, but they had not been a proper couple for around a year. If you didn’t count the sex, of course. Louis didn’t. Sex didn’t mean much, not when he knew what it felt like to be in a relationship with Harry Styles for 5 years. They would have stopped seeing each other when the band started the hiatus if it wasn’t for his mom's health getting worse. Harry stood next to him all those months, giving him comfort, keeping her company when Louis was too tired to stay awake. Harry was part of his family, after all. And Louis knew Anne, Gems and Robin felt the same way about him. 

The reason for their break up was a mystery for everyone, a question never answered. They belonged together, no one could say the opposite after expending time with the couple for 10 minutes. Either you were blind or disgusted by their love, in a cute way. 

Louis knew, of course. It was a decision, more than anything. They felt like the only thing holding them together was the band and decided to take a break to figure out if there was more than that. So they never sold their first home because there was no chance they weren't going back together. 

Lately, Louis wasn’t so sure about that. To be honest, he wasn't sure about anything. The sky was pouring like it should be, for mood purposes. The lump in his throat made breathing hard, the weight in his chest holding him down in the chair. He closed his eyes, he wasn’t going to cry. The promise he made to his mother was still clear in his mind and it was killing him. Because lately, it felt like Harry had forgotten about them. With his solo music, the movie, all that pr girlfriends Louis knew he hated. All that glamour, all those lights. Why would he be thinking about Louis? Maybe they were right, maybe it wasn’t destiny but circumstance. 

Things got worse recently, after Niall went to his flat a couple of days before, wearing that big old tee and Louis told him he smelled like Harry. He wasn’t jealous, not really. It was Niall, for god’s sake. But Niall was around his baby a lot, they had a close friendship not many knew about. Something about the unusual sadness in Niall's eyes told him much more than the calls Haz never answered. Harry didn’t want him anymore. They were done. 

The pressure in his head felt compressive like the one in his heart. All those shots, pints and pot weren’t a good combination. Neither was that boy with curls but the wrong shade of green when he woke up that morning in a hotel room, unable to remember much about the night before. But what else could he do? How could he go to Harry right now and tell him he was sorry for his insecurities? For ruining everything without a good reason? How could he tell him he was sorry? Liam and Oli said he needed to give it time, but everyday felt a little bit more far away from home. So he came back. 

There was a notepad where they used to write the grocery list sitting on the counter, next to the fridge. He took it and the pen on the table, the dim light coming from the closed window. He didn't know what to do, how to get out of this pain, this love. How to be himself again. 

So Louis did the only thing he felt like he could do right: he wrote a song. It was more of a letter, really. But it was shaped like a song, that was his strong suit after all.  And Harry loved to see him write, once upon a time. Used to dance with him in that kitchen, used to make him pancakes in the morning. They used to talk and fuck and chat for hours between those walls. 

To Harry: 

Woke up alone in this hotel room

Played with myself, where were you?

Fell back to sleep, I got drunk by noon

I've never felt less cool 

We haven't spoke since you went away

Comfortable silence is so overrated, Harry

Why won't you ever be the first one to break?

Even my phone misses your call, by the way

I saw Niall the other day

He said you feel just fine

I see you gave him my old t-shirt

More of what was once mine

I see it's written, it's all over his face

Comfortable silence is so overrated

Why won't you ever say what you want to say?

Even my phone misses your call,

And by the way

Maybe one day you'll call me and tell me that you're sorry too

But you, you never do

Woke up this boy who looked just like you

I almost said your name

We haven't spoke since you went away

Comfortable silence is so overrated

Why won't you ever say what you want to say?

Even my phone misses your call

By the way…

 He stopped there, unable to continue. His hand was shaking, the tears were smushing the ink on the paper. What a fucking cliche, crying after promising himself he wasn’t going to do it. Nothing could hurt as much as losing his mum, nothing could compare. So why was he crying? Why couldn’t he just fucking stop?

Louis got up from the chair and walked away from the dining table, leaving the notepad there. He knew deep in his broken heart that the next time he came back it was going to be there. Left and forgotten, just like that house and those memories. Louis left it there next to his allowance to feel sorry for himself. He needed to grow up, get away from those parties and false people. He was going to get his shit together, write away his feelings and find his sound. 

And if Harry didn’t want him in his life, then there was nothing left to do, right?

May 2017

 The recording of Back to you was finally over and now they need it to work in the music video and he wanted to film it on Doncaster. It felt right to go back to his ‘home’, if he couldn't go back home, you know what I mean? It went well with the theme. 

Louis was driving back from the studio to his flat when a notification popped out in this phone: Harry’s album was out and apparently, people thought a couple of songs were about him. Louis wasn't going to be surprised if they were, both wrote about each other a lot along the way. And the fans loved to link things, made up theories about the Larry situation. Something he wished he could out and say ‘yes it was true but it's over now, please stop tagging me, it hurts’. It didn’t. not as much anymore. 

Or that’s what he thought until he heard track 4, Two Ghost. He knew those lyrics, Harry had written them years ago. That is what they used to call each other’s public images: ghosts. Images without a soul. What a young and dramatic pair they used to be, back in 2013. 

He didn't cry with that one, maybe because of its familiarity. And he wasn’t even mad about the songs about girls, he knew Harry better than that, even after all this time. 

Next was Sweet Creature, the one everyone was speculating about, and honestly Harry, ‘two hearts, one home’? The song felt different. Maybe because he thought that Harry didn’t really remember about their lost home, about being young and in love. Too young to know, most people used to say. What a fool he was for listening. Now he knew, and it was too late. 

Kiwi was funny in the most depressing way for him, Woman felt like an anthem, it felt like Harry’s jealousy, his deep and most dark possessive behavior. But then, when a chord from a guitar came in he went to his phone to check the name. He wasn’t quick enough, tho. The first verse stopped him right there. It was a good thing he parked in his apartment building a couple of songs ago. 

Because there, in the shape of the last song of H’s first album, it was Louis' letter. His feelings in a notepad, in the shape of an awkward song. Almost word by word, Harry’s voice filled the car with calmness and longing, a branch of olive. He was giving the first step. If those little easter eggs along the album weren’t enough, he took Louis letter from two fucking months ago and put it there. He probably had to push the label to do it, with such short notice. Harry went out of his way to let him know it wasn’t over. 

Harry went back to Princess Park, just like him. He went back home. 

 ----

His friend picked up the phone after two missed calls. 

‘Oi Lou, how ya doin?’ the thick Irish accent wasn’t enough of a distraction. 

‘Hey lad, I’m fine. Sorry to bother but I need to ask you something’ he could hear the urgency in his own voice. 

‘Never a bother mate, whatever you need’ Niall, always the optimistic. Louis loved him. 

‘Is Harry staying here? In London I mean’ 

‘What? What's going on?’ and then ‘Oh, the album is out, innit?’ 

‘Yeah…’

‘Okay, well, Harry was going to be with Nick today so yeah, he must be doing press shit’

‘Of course, makes sense, thank you mate. I will explain later ’

‘Sure, use protection’

Louis rolled his eyes but didn’t deny the implications. The car came to life once again and he started driving to Harry’s house. The one they used to spend time in when they had some time between recording and touring. He didn’t even feel annoyed by the traffic, listening to the album all over again. Letting his body welcome Harry once again.

Of course, he still had his keys, drowned deep in the glovebox. He wasn’t going to enter the actual house, but it wouldn’t have been smart to stay outside on the street, someone could recognise him. 

So once he parked in front of the building and noticed Harry wasn’t home, he closed his eyes and took a breath after what felt like hours. The next time he opened them there was a hand taping on his windows, he had fallen asleep.

It was a big hand adorned with rings and some nail polish. Louis knew what it felt to hold it more than he knew his own face. He took a deep breath and opened the door. Harry was waiting outside, a small smile making just one dimple appear. It was the first time they had seen each other in months but Louis felt like no time had passed. And if Louis was going to turn into an idiotic helpless cliche then it better be because of a boy as wonderful and beautiful as him. There was no one else. Harry was it. 

‘I thought it was going to take you longer ’

‘To listen to the album or to get my shit together? ’

Harry seemed to consider his answer for a second, the dramatic little shit that he was. Then he smiled and Louis forgave him immediately. 

‘Both’

Louis laughed and took a step closer to the love of his life. 

‘I’m sorry, baby, I'm really sorry ’

‘Me too’

‘If you let me kiss you right now I’m never letting you go again. It's your choice’

‘Never wanted you to go in the first place’

‘Right answer’

And then they kissed because there wasn't much left to say. At least not right now. The conversation could wait for the next morning, once they had sex, pancakes and maybe a little dance in the kitchen. For old times sake.

----

Soooo, I wrote this because I couldn’t get the idea of Louis writing this song out of my head. And like, it sounds so much like Harry’s writing, this is not a theory at all. But I liked the idea so yeah. It’s probably gonna be my first and only fic about Larry, hope you like it. 

All the mistakes are mine and its noy my first language, sorry if the grammar is trashy. Thanks. 

[disruptivebychoice]

Merry Go Round

Writing a merry go round

A repetition as its set

Wondering when it became so complex

Intricate, with statues of mythical

The vibrant colors with movement whimsical

Remembering the scene

Of a childhood dream

False promises made

Only to see it time and time again

Believing words of one day

But seeing how it began to fade

Learning at a young age that plans fall through

Taking me from child to teen years

Finding the harshness clears

That what was once told

We’re only lies that continued to unfold

The innocence that kept what was untrue

Found misfortune, becoming true

Where memory lane found what was unspoken

The pain of promises broken

Adolescence replayed these tiny fairy tale dreams

Crushed and realizing

That life was never what it seems

Creating a new neglect

As time was spent on resent

Losing reality,

As the depression worsened

Never grasping

The meaning of worth

Recollecting how it started

A childhood cursed

With eyes only after serendipity

With issues that started the shame

Growing older, the mind clung making it blame

Finding out that breath taken rapidly

No longer was from excitement

But from remembering the past

While choking on anxiety

That will always last

Finding out at age 16

That being sheltered

Ended with secrets scattered

A heart that was shattered

An outcast to the light

Because I was the youngest

I always felt shunned, deserted

So a merry go round became parties

Popularity, rebelling

I lived a double life worth telling

But that’s what I learned

It was what had been kept from me

Those years all along

When all I wanted was to belong

Be included, instead of burned

But I was betrayed,

Everything was not what I was told

So the connections role

Played in my mind

Who was I?

When everything I knew was a lie

This I couldn’t define

Finishing high school,

Lead to addiction down the line

Now as I travel back in time

I know that people can con easily

Swaying personalities

Conniving to be pleasing

Growing to sustain

Trust issues with reasoning

But are these the stereotypical issues?

Shouldn’t this be earned?

Before letting someone in

Where friendship can begin

I’ve learned that growth is possible

We can understand our pasts

Finding a new and improved path

I will always belong to me

Even if people see me differently

I don’t allow myself to become

Varying versions of who I was

I’m only one person

To this day and age I live

Looking to truth within

I’ve changed my outlook

On how it could have continued defeating

I can now look back knowing

I may not have had a merry go round

Where music played the tune

And unicorns were made of gold

But I found adventure

Outdoors in different scenes

Without a parent,

Just friends and me

The dried grass scene

And a tire swing

The sounds of wailing shrieks

As speed was up to those

Found fearless to ride round and round

As it spun continuously turning

Until stomachs were churning

But we threw our heads back

Until we were so fast, we felt stuck

Wanting to take a leap of faith

Be the first to jump off

Cause the last was a rotten egg

Before the spinning would stop

Fall and tumble in the dirt of the grass

Knowing the stomach’s nausea wouldn’t last

Getting up 10 minutes later with giggles

To do it again

Because the wrong passed

As we bounced back

By changing the sadness of what was missed

I found acceptance to the child

That began me for wild

By remembering the bliss,

Never forgetting the old

But knowing which one to miss

Realizing the promise of one day words

Don’t have to actually let on being cursed

We can recreate and imagine

A new kind of way

Where the promises that were broken

By that of others

Don’t have power to tear apart

That we can choose to proceed with caution

So we don’t get hurt by another’s heart

We can keep the promises that we make

Hold ourselves with integrity

Finding that the way we were raised

The way we continued on

Can be defeated as we admit the wrong

Giving in to honesty

Saying what we mean

And meaning what we say

So we never get lost

Or go astray

Because promises work both ways

But the one I’ll choose to believe

Is the truth of my own

The one that always stays

[is-that-another-soulmate-au]

This idea was given to me by @mypureessence and it was just the thing to get me out of my writers block funk.

So please enjoy this ride. 😌

Cold, it was cold day when the elders came to visit Hakoda and Bato in their hut a year after the passing of Kya. Hakoda was hesitant to welcome them in but they insisted it was important. Once everyone was seated they pulled out three sacks, one no bigger than Hakoda's own head and the other two closer to the size of 10 year old Sokka.

"What are these?" Bato asked with confusion evident on his face.

"These belong to your children" Elder Skola said with a firm gaze, she took out the smaller item and held an ancient egg the color of the sky with deep brown specks all around "this belongs to young Katara, normally we would wait to give her the egg until she turned 10, but with the war its dangerous already to travel once. She is connected to a soul who has somehow managed to survive for a long long time. This egg will hatch when she meets them" Skola frowned "we fear that the creature inside might not have survived, but Tui and La instructed us to deliver them now"

Hakoda looked to Bato and then back "and that one is for.."

"Young Sokka" elder Tinuel said as he removed the much larger eggs, on was a deep reddish brown with a golden glow at the top and bottom and the other was a mossy grey with bronze specks all around. "He has been blessed with two soulmates of this era"

"Thank you elders, is there anything else?"

"Yes, Young Katara's egg connects her to a powerful and dangerous journey. But with the help of her mate she will overcome many struggles. And young Sokka's connects him to both independent and powerful futures. They will journey later, but they will never be alone."

That day was cold. But the promise for their children was warm.

Now here Sokka and Katara stand on broken ice block staring at a beacon of blue light shining into the sky and a boy stumbling over the edge of the exploded iceberg. "Stay back!" Sokka shouted but then the boy collapsed and Katara rushed to catch him.

He woke up and they soon ventured back to the village with GranGran questioning about the beacon only to stop when she saw the egg attached to Aang's back. "Huh" she managed out

"What? What is it?" Aang said with a raised brow

"That egg of yours looks pretty fuckin old... katara, doesn't that egg look pretty old? And about the size of a grown man's head?" Kanna gave a cheeky grin and Katara blushed

"Give me a second, I'll be right back" she darted off and Sokka pouted with his arms crossed when she came back with her egg in hand "say, would you mind holding my egg?" She asked with a smile "and... can I see yours?"

Aang gave a confused look but shrugged "sure, but Ive already tried this before" sure he tried before but when Katara took hold of his egg and Aang took hold of hers they both glowed and hatched, releasing a blue parrot mouse and a white parrot mouse, the white mouse taking refuge on Katara's shoulder and the blue mouse taking refuge on Aangs. All the while they hatched there were glowing lights all around them, circling around them until the beings took their place and the lights then made swirling patterns on Katara and Aang's palms.

"Woah" Katara said in a whisper

"Yeah, woah" Aang said with an even softer whisper.

Sokka felt jealous in that moment but he pushed it away to give his sister the moment she deserved. He smiled as he watched them hug.

That day ended in a different way than it began, they found themselves thrown into a cat and mouse chase while searching for a waterbending master. A few days later they were on Kyoshi island and Sokka was training with the warriors after being put in his place. "So you have an egg?" Suki asked after she got the upperhand

"Yep, I have two of them actually" Sokka said with false confidence, the truth was he was terrified of that fact, two people he'd have to protect and he was terrified of them getting hurt.

"Oh cool, so do I" Suki said with clear pride as they separated and dusted off their uniforms

"You do? Wow, that sounds fun" he turned to her and smiled "can I see them?"

"As long as I can see yours, its not everyday you meet someone else with a soul egg, let alone two!"

And thats how they found themselves at the center of the town with everyone surrounding them because 'no! Eggs are rare! The likelihood of you being soulmates is too high to not test infront of everyone.!"

Both of their eggs were matching and they reached for the warm red and gold egg first, nothing happening when they held eachothers so they handed them back, then came the mossy stone. The instant they took hold of the others they cracked open and two blue deer jays one with a bronze feather on their tail and the other with a silver tail, the Silver finding Sokka's head to be the perfect perch and the Bronze finding that Suki's hand was an optimal perch.

All the while the hatching happened they were surrounded by bronze and silver glowing lights that ended up making swirling patterns on their right palms that seemed to resemble flames. A clue.

Of course they didn't realize that this was a clue just yet. It took all the way until Zuko joined the group for Sokka to catch on.

When he led Zuko to his room at the temple he watched Zuko gently place two eggs on the ground surrounded by small blankets recognized both of them, the firey one and the mossy one. His eyes went wide at the sight and he cleared his throat "well, make yourself comfortable.. home sweet home and all that"

And when Zuko turned to him, only showing his clearly partially blind scarred side and smiling. His heart fluttered. Oh no... that man that he feared for so long only had to send him a soft smile and he couldnt talk "right... yeah" and he scurried off with Aang who, thankfully asked no questions.

When Sokka and Zuko managed to get Suki, Hakoda and Chit Sang back, with Suki's remaining egg being in a cage and her blue deer Jay in a smaller one, Toph metal bent the cages open and. After that Sokka pulled them all into Zuko's room, Suki still holding her egg and he ran off to grab his own and came back into the room.

"Zuko, look" he lifted his egg and tilted his head towards both Suki's egg in her hands and Zuko's two on the ground "give it a try?"

Zuko stammered and flushed a bright red but noddedand they took the eggs out to the group where Zuko handed them his mossy egg which upon being held by both of them opened to reveal a small blue deer jay with a golden tail feather that nestled up right on his shoulder and cooed at him. All three of them were surrounded by the glowing lights until they landed on Zuko's hand in swirls forming a flame. "Now.. these"

The trio sat on the ground in a triangle formation and set their own red and gold eggs in their laps. Carefully they each rested a hand on the other twos eggs and the ttio were surrounded by golden flame like lights while three little cat dragons emerged from the eggs, one a shining bronze with deep green horns and whiskeres, one a deep ocean blue with pale silver horns and whiskers, and one a dark black with red horns and whiskers. When the three dragons found their place curled in each of their laps, the black in Zuko's, the blue is Sokka's and the Bronze in Suki's, the golden lights found their way onto their palms, finishing the symbol on their right and creating a swirling koi on their left.

Oce the lights settled the entire group stammered for words until Aang hopped up and excitedly exclaimed "dragon cats!!" To which the scaly cats meowed in unison at him. "Awwwww!!!!"

During the battle one the day of Sozins Comet their animals kept a close watch over all of them and once the battle ended and the trio were back together on the day of Zuko's Coronation they pledged to never be too far apart from one another. The animals were certainly a fun every day event for the staff the dear jays being named Floofy, Una, and Li while the cat dragons were named Kya, Gi, and Ursa.

On their wedding day the animals behaved their best, but once baby Izumi was born Kya attached herself to the baby, instantly imprinting on her. Then came baby Yue 3 years later, and it seemed that all but Una and Gi imprinted on this beautiful baby. After that came little Koda and Tanni 2 years after, these two were instantly Una and Gi's favorite duo.

[lovemesomesurveys]

What time are you starting this? It’s 3:49AM. Name? Stephanie. Nicknames? Steph or Sis. Date of birth? July 28th. Sex? Female.

Height? About 5′4.  Eye color? Brown. Where were you born? Somewhere in California. Number of candles on your last birthday cake? 32. D; Pets? I have a 4 year old doggo named Princess Leia. Hair color? Dark Brown. Piercings? Just my earlobes. Town you live in? I’m not sharing that. Favorite foods? Eggs, ramen, chicken tenders, garlic parm and lemon pepper boneless wings from Wingstop, pastas, turkey or bologna sandwiches, potatoes in various forms, and pizza. Ever been to Africa? No. Been toilet papering? No, and I’d never participate in something like that. Love someone so much it made you cry? Yes. Been in a car accident? No, fortunately. Croutons or bacon bits? Croutons. Favorite day of the week? I don’t have one really since my days seem to just blend together. Favorite resturant? I don’t have one. Favorite flower? I don’t have one. Favorite sport to watch? None. Favorite drink? Coffee, Starbucks Doubleshot energy drink, Coke, Cherry Coke, Dr. Pepper, Cherry Dr. Pepper, Pepsi, Cherry Pepsi... lol clearly I like the cherry flavored sodas. And *gasp* I like Coke and Pepsi, highly controversial I know. Favorite ice cream flavor? Strawberry, mint chocolate chip, birthday cake, cookies and cream. Warner Bros. or Disney? Disney. Favorite fast food restuarant? I guess Jack in the Box because I really like their chicken strips. Carpet color in your bedroom? Tan. Whom did you get your last email from? From one of the stores I’m subscribed to. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? I don’t wanna max out any credit cards. What do you do most often when you are bored? I do the same things regardless: scroll through Tumblr, do surveys, check social medias, watch TV, read, color, play The Sims... Most annoying thing to say to me? I hate being told to “calm down.” Bedtime? I fall asleep in the early morning hours. Favorite TV show? I have several. Last person you went out to dinner with?: I haven’t gone out to dinner in quite awhile. Been out of country? Once when I went to Mexico. Believe in magick? No. Ford or Chevy? Ford. What are you listening to right now? An ASMR video. Have you ever failed a grade? No. If you have, what grade did you fail? -- Do you have a crush on someone? No. Do you have a bf/gf? No. If so, what is their name? -- How long have you been together? -- What are you wearing right now? A t-shirt dress. Would you have sex before marriage? I don’t plan on getting married, I just want to be in a long-term committed relationship with someone I’m in love and feel comfortable with before engaging in that. Have you ever had a crush on any of your teachers? Nope. Are you a virgin? I am. Do you smoke? No. Do you drink? No. Are you a player? Np. What are your favorite colors? Pastels, rose gold, sea foam green, coral, and yellow. What is your favorite animal? Dogs and giraffes. Do you have any birthmarks? Yeah, one on my right elbow. Who do you talk to most on the phone? My mom. I don’t talk on the phone except for quick calls from my mom or sometimes from my brother who call to ask/tell me something real quick or my mom might call on her lunch at work to talk for a bit. They’re just brief calls. Have you ever been slapped? No. Do you get online a lot? Yeah, I spend a lot of time online. Are you shy or outgoing? I’m very shy. Do you shower? Yes. Do you hate school? I’m not in school anymore, but no I wouldn’t say I hated it. Well, not overall anyway. I definitely felt that way at times, but there were parts I liked.  Do you have a social life? Nope. How easily do you trust people? I don’t really have a trust issue, I just have a hard time opening up and expressing myself to others. That even includes people I’m close to. Would you ever sky dive? Nooo. Do you like to dance? I don’t dance except for like nodding my head to the beat or moving my arms or hands a little.  Have you ever been out of state? Yes, a few times. Do you like to travel? I do. Have you ever been expelled from school? Nope. Have you ever been suspended from school? Nope. Do you want to get out of your hometown? Yes. Are you a brat? I feel like I’ve been acting like one nowadays. I’m just so irritable and moody and snippy all the time. :/ Have you ever been dumped? Yes. Do you like snapple? Sure. It’s bee awhile since I’ve had it, though. Do you drink a lot of water? Not nearly enough. What toothpaste do you use? Sensodyne. Do you have a cell phone? I do. Do you have a curfew? No, I’m 32 years old. I actually never had a curfew, though. There was no need to set one because I didn’t go anywhere.  Who do you look up to? My mom. Are you a role model? I wouldn’t say so. Have you ever been to Six Flags or Cedar Point? I’ve been to Six Flags several times. What name brand do you wear the most? I have a lot of Adidas clothes, shoes, and accessories. What kind of jewelry do you wear? I hardly ever wear jewelry, but if I do it’ll likely be bracelets. What do you want pierced? Nothing. Do you like takin pictures? Not of myself. Do you like gettin your picture taken? No. Do you have a tan? I have a slight tan from my beach trip earlier this month. Do you get annoyed easily? Yes. Have you ever started a rumor? No. Do you have your own phone or phone line? I have a cell phone. Do you have your own pool? No. Do you have any siblings? I have two brothers. Have you ever been played? Yes. Have you ever played anyone? No. Do you get along with your parents? I do. How do you vent your anger? By crying. Have you ever ran away? No. Have you ever been fired from a job? No. Do you even have a job? Nope. Do you daydream a lot? I suppose so. Do you run your mouth? No. What do you want a tattoo of? I highly doubt I’ll ever get one. What do you have a tattoo of? I don’t have any. Are you rude? I truly don’t mean or intend to be, but like I said I’m so moody, irritable, and snippy nowadays that I feel like I probably am kind of rude at times. :/ What was the last compliment you recieved? On my hair, I think. What is your lucky number? I don’t believe in luck, but my favorite number is 8. What does your hair look like right now? It’s really short. Could you ever be a vegetarian? No. Describe your looks? Really short dark brown hair, brown eyes, some freckles, thin, about 5′4... quite average, nothing special. Would you ever date someone younger than you? I’d much prefer someone older but in my range. I wouldn’t date anyone younger than 30. Would you ever date someone older than you? Yes. When was the last time you were drunk? Almost 10 years ago on my birthday. How many rings until you answer the phone? I don’t answer after a certain amount of rings. Have you ever been skinny dipping? No, and I have no desire to ever do so. If yes, when was the last time? -- When was the last time you went on a date? It’s been a few years. Do you look more like your mother or father? My mom. Do you cry a lot? I feel like such a crybaby nowadays.  What phrase do you use most when on the phone? I don’tave a certain phrase I always use when on the phone. Have you ever been chased by cops? No. What do you like most about your body? Nothing.

What do you like least about your body? Everything. When did you have your first crush? When I was in 3rd grade. When was the last time you threw up? It’s been a few years. In the opposite sex, do you prefer blondes or brunettes? I don’t care. Do you ever wear shirts do show your belly? No. What about cleavage? No. Is your best friend a virgin? No. What theme does your room have? It doesn’t really have one. What size show do you wear? I wear a size 6 in women’s US. What is your screen name on AIM? Aw, rip AIM. How are you feeling right now? Tired and hungry. When was the last time you were at a party? Back in June for my bro’s grad party. Has there ever been a rumor spread about you? No. What is one of your bad qualilties? One of many is that I’m very stubborn. What is one of your good qualilties? I’m understanding. Would you marry for money? No. What do you drive? I don’t.  What kind of music do you like? I like variety. Would you ever bungee jump? Nooo. What is your worst fear? Losing my loved ones, never getting better/getting worse, never doing anything with my life. Would you ever join the army? No. Do you like cows? Sure. If you were to die today, what would you do? Uhhh. If you had one last word to say to someone before you die, what would it b? I would tell them I love them and thank them for everything. Do you like to party? I like small, chill get togethers.  Hearts or broken hearts? Uh, hearts. Moons or stars? Stars. Coke or pepsi? Both. Favorite scent? I have a lot. Favorite band? One will always be Linkin Park. Would you ever dye your hair red? I was dyeing my hair red for the past 5 years and plan on doing so again when my hair grows out more. How many languages can you speak? I’m only fluent in English. What time are you finishing this? 10:47AM. I fell asleep at some point so I finished this later.

[muselover1901]

Re: prompts. “Quarantine.” Alternatively, something based off urban legends. Thanks!

Well it took me forever, but hey, the world is crazy and I am just so proud of myself for finishing this Quarantine AU for you! It’s definitely WAY bigger than a drabble (at just over 2700 words) but I had a lot of fun writing it and it really pushed my abilities as a writer. Thank you for the ask! Enjoy :)

Edit: Now posted to AO3

Here With(out) You

“Are you getting close to finishing? It’s almost eight o’clock and we haven’t eaten dinner yet,” Zen says as he plops down beside Shirayuki—well, not exactly beside her, but just outside the orbit of her ever-present sticky notes, journal articles, and scratch-paper lesson plans. She acknowledges his presence with a noncommittal hum before continuing her vigorous typing on the laptop balanced on her knees. Even before the pandemic, it wasn’t totally unusual for Shirayuki to work late—she is a graduate student, after all—but lately she has been spending every waking hour on either her lab’s vaccine research or creating online lessons for her introductory biology students.

Zen’s work-life balance honestly hasn’t been much better, but since most of his work as the Mayor’s Chief of Staff involves writing reports and attending video call meetings, he can turn off his computer at the end of the day and walk away from work. Shirayuki, unfortunately, does not have the same luxury.

His stomach growls, upset at the lack of food this late in the evening. Zen reaches over, guiding a stray hair behind her ear before setting his palm against her shoulder to get her attention.

“I can make us something easy, if you want. You really should take a break to eat something.”

Shirayuki doesn’t respond. He squeezes her shoulder gently and dips his head to try to catch her gaze, but she reacts with naught but a firm pursing of her lips as she scrutinizes her screen even more. Zen gives her a small shake, as if to wake her.

“Hm?” She blinks up at him, broken from her trance, her voice sounding thin and tired. “Sorry, Zen, I really need to get this done tonight.”

She gestures vaguely to the smudged sticky-note to-do list by her laptop keyboard, the usual tasks of exercise, meal prep, and do something fun with Zen and friends crammed between terms he half-recognizes as different types of data analyses.

“We have our Friday meeting tomorrow and I need to have the preliminary results ready to present.”

“It’s fine,” he says, rubbing his hand up and down her arm and offering her a tender smile as she turns back to her spreadsheet. She is such a hard worker, and right now she’s both working to save lives and to educate the next generation of scientists. Now was not the time to be selfish—even though he misses spending time with her, they just have to push through. And if that means Zen has to cook meals by himself, without Shirayuki’s incredible culinary talent for support, then he will gladly put his limited skill to use.

“How about I make pancakes?” he suggests, “I think we still have some eggs that need to be used, so I could scramble them too—if you want?”

Without looking up, Shirayuki murmurs a dry, “Sounds great, thank you.”

Zen stands and makes his way to their kitchen, rolling up his sleeves as he goes. Even after three years of living together and countless Sundays spent chopping endless armies of vegetables as they prepped meals, there are few dishes he trusts himself to cook properly. It’s Mitsuhide and Kiki’s fault, really. When they were his roommates sophomore year, he tried his hand at a simple vegetable stew to feed Mitsuhide’s hockey team at their annual fall party. The final product honestly wasn’t half bad, but he forgot to peel the vegetables, which gave the soup a mild dirt-like aftertaste.

He honestly thought he would be able to laugh it off and learn from such a minor culinary mistake, but it turned out almost no one was willing to let him live it down—even Shirayuki couldn't resist the occasional jab when they cooked together. Indeed, one of the last times they enjoyed quality time together was during a massive day of meal prepping after their first pandemic shopping trip. Hours of chopping and grating and sautéing had driven them a little crazy, and Shirayuki had broken out in giggles while he diligently peeled his seventeenth potato.

It had taken some prodding, but eventually she managed to hold back her laughter enough to snicker, "It’s nice of you to actually peel them this time."

He’d responded with the most convincing glare he could muster before selecting a particularly long piece of peel from the pile on the counter, turning to her with a dangerous smirk, and depositing said peel on top of her head. This only served to bring back her laughter in full-force, the contagiousness of it gripping him and dragging him along until their whole house reverberated with the ridiculousness of it all.

Unlike vegetable soups, Zen had yet to mess up a batch of pancakes in his lifetime, a fact which he was quite proud of. That’s why he’d chosen to make them for Shirayuki the first morning after she stayed the night at his place. They’d groggily rolled out of bed, blushing furiously as they realized that their late-night study session for Advanced Composition had ended with both of them passed out on top of Zen’s covers with their laptops discarded by the foot of the bed. He’d insisted on making her breakfast before she left, partly because he felt bad about their awkward start to the day, but mostly because he’d been smitten with her for months and he just wanted to keep doing things with her.

Zen smiles at the memory as he gathers the ingredients and begins measuring out the flour. Even after all this time, he still treasures every moment together. And now, as they are stuck working from home for the foreseeable future, he misses her more than he did before they moved in together. Although they are around each other nearly all day, every day, they hardly interact outside of breakfast and a kiss goodnight. He sighs and forces his focus back to mixing the batter. Shirayuki is working hard and here he is being selfish again. He should be stronger.

Pushing down his loneliness, he flings himself into scrambling eggs and flipping pancakes with gusto. He quickly finishes the first set of pancakes, butters them, and stacks them neatly on Shirayuki’s plate next to her portion of eggs. For the final touch, he sprinkles a hint of powdered sugar across them and places a little dollop of fruit preserves on top. Hopefully these would look appetizing enough to entice her into taking a break from work to eat. With her plate in hand, Zen makes his way back to the living room and sets her meal on the coffee table.

“Food’s ready,” he announces. “Please don’t forget to eat.”

Shirayuki pauses, tired eyes flicking away from her screen to meet his and offering all the gratitude she can muster. “Thank you, Zen. I promise I will eat as soon as I finish this analysis.”

Zen offers a quick smile in return before heading back to the kitchen to make dinner for himself. He’d better check on her soon, just to make sure she doesn’t get sucked into her work despite her promise—although it is never intentional, her basic needs often fall by the wayside when she is hyper-focused like this.

Fifteen minutes later, Zen returns to the living room with his own stack of pancakes (chocolate chip) and scrambled eggs (sprinkled with his friend Obi’s homemade hot sauce, because the pain was always worth the flavor). And just as he feared, Shirayuki hasn’t touched her food.

“How’s it coming? Are you going to eat soon?” Zen settles into his spot on the couch next to her and cuts into his pancakes with his fork.

“Hm? Oh yes, I figured out why that regression was behaving unexpectedly, I had just flipped the variables.” She bites her lip. “I guess after I fixed that, I just moved on to the next thing.”

Zen reaches out to tenderly place a hand on her cheek and guide her eyes away from her screen and to his own. Her eyelids droop a little, and he notices a small crease between her eyebrows—she looks so tired. He drags his thumb across her cheekbone and her eyes flutter shut as she relaxes into his hand.

His heart skips a little at the intimacy of their position; after all, it had been weeks since they had really shared a moment like this, just comfortable in stillness with each other’s full attention. Eyes still closed, Shirayuki reaches up to hold his hand against her cheek and sighs as she turns her head to press her lips against his palm. With a gentle squeeze of his hand, she releases him and turns to exchange her laptop for her plate.

Although she continues working while they eat, Zen is relieved to see her diligently taking bites between bits of code. It doesn’t take long before she cleans her plate entirely. With a yawn, Zen stretches and rises from the couch before collecting their dishes and returning to the kitchen to clean up. The clock above the stove reads 10:08pm.

How did it get so late? He’d just have to head right to bed after this. Dozing off during his morning call with the Mayor was not how he wanted to start his day tomorrow.

After finishing the dishes and changing into his sleep shirt, he returns to the living room to let Shirayuki know he’s going to bed—apparently she still has a couple hours of work ahead of her, but she promised she’d come to bed as soon as she was done. With Shirayuki resigned to her work for the night, Zen heads to their bed and does his best to get comfortable. As the weight of the blanket settles over him, he melts into the mattress and takes the deepest, most relaxing breath he’s taken all day. Despite his body giving in to its need to rest, Zen’s mind still races with thoughts of the meeting tomorrow morning and of the latest case counts in the city. God, he can’t wait for the day when all of this chaos is over. He and Shirayuki could take a weekend off and hike Mount Koto just like they did senior year after finals. He sighs at the thought.

Visions of them packing their picnic supplies into his old backpack flash through his mind. He’s smiling as he makes Shirayuki’s sandwich with the mustard by the meat and the veggies under the cheese, just the way she likes it. The sunshine warms their faces as they walk along the trail, and Shirayuki is a vision in her button-up hiking shirt and sunhat, all glowing skin and bright smiles. He reaches their picnic spot first, so he spreads their blanket and sets out their food. Shirayuki’s still a ways behind, but she’ll be there with him soon, he tells himself. She will. He busies himself smoothing the blanket and making sure her sandwich is arranged just so with a nice serving of chips and a gleaming red apple.

He’s just about to polish her apple for a second time when he realizes he doesn’t hear the crunch of her footsteps on the trail anymore. Panicked, he shoots up from his seat and runs over to the trail to try to find her, to no avail. Maybe she went off-trail to relieve herself? No that can’t be it, she’s taking way too long, and she would have told him if she was going off trail, right? Oh god—what if she hurt herself and she’s stuck somewhere down the trail? Zen abandons the picnic and runs as fast as his legs can take him down the trail, until—

He hears the faint tapping of fingers on a keyboard. Looking across the trail, he sees the edge of a laptop screen poking out from behind a tree. As he approaches it, the sound gets louder and louder, until it feels almost deafening and Zen has to cover his ears to avoid the incessant din. He looks around the tree’s thick trunk and sees Shirayuki in front of the screen, her hair disheveled and eyes unblinking as she types away.

She’s absolutely overworking herself! Zen can’t let her keep doing this. He should have caught it before it got this bad, he should have pulled her away from work and made her take care of herself. Regardless, he refuses to let this go on any longer. He takes a deep breath, removes his hands from his ears, and reaches out to set his hand on her shoulder as he always does when he needs to get her attention. His hand goes right through her, as if she were a ghost.

He wakes to find her side of the bed empty.

Zen’s sleep shirt is clinging to his sweating chest and the sheets are tangled up in his legs. He kicks them off and rolls over with a groan. So much for getting a good nights’ sleep before the meeting tomorrow morning. He reaches for his bedside lamp, trying to feel the small switch in the dark. It takes him a minute, fingers clumsy and sleep-addled, but he finally finds it with a click and squints against the soft, yellow light. He yawns and drags his phone towards him by its charging cable and groans again when he sees the time. 2:37am.

With little desire to return to the stifling sheets, he decides it’s best to just get out of bed and have a glass of water before trying to sleep again. He shuffles out of the bedroom, and as the door clicks behind him, his tired mind peripherally registers that the living room light is still on. But with water being his body’s primary goal, he drowsily continues on to the kitchen and downs a full glass in three big gulps when he gets there. With his mind cleared from the coolness of the water, he realizes that even though the living room light is still on, Shirayuki’s persistent typing is absent.

When he reaches the living room, he finds Shirayuki on the couch, slumped to the side with her lips parted and a quiet snore escaping her with each exhale.  Her laptop is open and teetering dangerously close to the edge of her lap, but the screen has long since shut itself off. There’s still a pencil behind her ear, too.

With as much gentleness as he can muster this late at night, Zen extracts her laptop and moves it over to her desk so it can charge overnight. He removes the pencil from behind her ear and brushes her hair away from her eyes.

“Shirayuki, come to bed.” Her eyes crack open ever so slightly, and she grumbles but does not stir. Zen sighs. Even in sleep—no, especially in sleep—she’s as stubborn as ever.

“I’m going to pick you up, okay?” She mumbles something unintelligible, but’s all the affirmation he needs. He pushes his arms underneath her knees and shoulders, steels himself, and scoops her up. At first, her head lolls to the side, but then she turns and nuzzles against his chest. He can’t help but smile down at her as he carries her back to the bedroom and slowly places her on top of the sheets.

“Shirayuki, you should change out of your clothes,” he says.

She stirs a bit before slurring, “Don’t wanna. Wanna sleep.”

“If you don’t change now, you’ll regret it in the morning. You know you will.”

At this, Shirayuki groans and pushes herself up off the mattress. She insists he help her take off her clothes, which makes him laugh and blush in equal measure.

It’s only after she is changed and settled under the sheets that he finally lets himself sink into their bed again, mind and body finally relaxed with the knowledge that she’s next to him and already half asleep. He turns off his bedside lamp with a click and lets the rhythm of her breathing lull him back to sleep. Just as the last remains of his consciousness are about to slip away, he feels the delicate press of fingers against his shoulder, the tickle of a whisper against his ear, and the softness of a kiss against his temple.

“Thank you, Zen. I love you.”

[benkouji726]

Five times they behaved liked an old married couple and one time they really were

Written for MalexWeek 2020, Day 2. Fic Prompt: Trope Day.

Summary: They found their way back together.

The fic actually contains 2 tropes: 90% of “The Old Married Couple” and 10% of “Shipper on Deck” because I like cliches SO MUCH.

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

1. Bickering

They had been staring at each other across the booth in Crashdown for five minutes now.

Michael broke down first. “Looks like they all bail on us.”

Alex snorted. “Gee, what clued you in? Is it the fact that we’ve been sitting here for half an hour now and still no one showed up? Or the texts we JUST received from our so-called friends declaring they all have to ‘BAIL ON US’?” He even made the air quote gesture, the bastard.

So something crawled over someone’s ass and died today. “Really? Your are gonna be like this.”

Alex ignored him. Great.

“Do you want me to leave?” He asked, and pathetically hoped Alex would say no. Because even a snappy Alex was still better than no Alex at all.

Alex answered his question with a question. Of course he did. “Do YOU want to leave?”

Michael shook his head, and decided to throw in some moment of truth. “Honestly? I think they set us up, because in the past two weeks I may or may not have whined many times to them about how much I missed you.”

Alex seemed oddly angered by that. “Well, you sure have a funny way of showing that. Because last time I checked, my phone number is still the same, and I go to the same bar and the same diner on a daily basis, safe to say I’m not the hardest person to find.”

Michael muttered something under his breath.

“What is that? I crack code, I don’t read lips.”

“I said I didn’t want to see you dating someone else!” Shit. That was a mistake.

Alex froze for a moment, then he said, slowly. “You mean you don’t want to see me dating after you and my best friend ended your relationship which lasted almost ONE YEAR right in front of me?”

Michael deflated. “OK. That’s fair. But I really missed you. Can’t we just like, be friends? We’re still friends, right?” He might sound a little too desperate, but he honestly didn’t care anymore.

“I don’t know, Michael”, shit, why did he always have this chill when Alex called his first name? It’s like Pavlovian reaction at this point. “How do we do it? Say ‘what’s up, bro’ every time we see each other?”

So he really was gonna be like that. Well, takes two to tango.

“Or we could, you know, discuss our mutual dislike of the disgusting eating habit of dipping the fries in the milk shake thing”, he pretended to think for a moment, “oh, sorry I forgot. It’s only MY dislike.”

Alex smiled at that. He took a fry, dipped it into his milkshake, threw it into his mouth, chewed, swallowed, and then said, still smiling sweetly, “Yet you screamed so loud that one time when I dipped your cock into the milkshake and licked it clean.”

Michael choked on his clean, fry-crumbs-free milkshake. “You are not playing fair.”

“And you’re surprised? I didn’t climb the military ladder so fast by being nice.” Alex smirked.

Michael smirked right back. “Yeah, you’re kind of a sore loser. You didn’t speak to me for two days when I beat you at Mario Kart”.

“That’s because you cheated!”

“How does one cheat at MARIO KART?”

“I don’t know! Maybe you used your Tele...” Alex stopped himself abruptly when their waitress appeared to ask them if they needed some refill.

They both declined and headed right back into their argument about who was the better gamer.

When Michael finally stood up to get their bills (they argued about who should pay the bills too, Michael won), it was already two hours later, and they both had a big smile on their faces.

Alex watched Michael go to the cashier, a little too intensely, so he didn’t notice the little old lady at first, she had to wave her hand in front of him to get his attention.

He turned to her, confused. “Uh, can I help you?”

She patted on his shoulder. “My husband and I were like this too”, she said, wistfully, “we used to bicker all the time, but our hearts were in the right place”, she looked at Michael’s direction and back to Alex, “you and your young man are gonna be just fine.” She patted him once more, and went away.

Huh.

——————————————

2. Finishing each other’s sentences

They were at the supermarket together when Alex said, “why...”

“Does Liz need so many eggs? Beats me. She said she needs them to do some kind of experiment, but I highly suspect it.”

“And why...”

“Did she send us to get these? According to her, we need the legwork and some fresh air because she said and I quote, you are talking in codes and I reek of oil at this point.”

“I’m...”

“Getting a little annoyed by me right now? You want me to stop finishing your sentences? Well, it’s not my fault you are this predictable.” He was asking for trouble, Michael knew. But he couldn’t help it. Alex and Forrest had broken up for a week now, and Alex still didn’t tell him, he had to be informed by Izzy, it was a little irritating.

Alex narrowed his eyes. “You think you know me so well.”

“Apparently I do.” He smiled innocently.

“You’re not that complex either, you know”, Alex stepped forward, right into his personal space, “I can read you like an open book.”

So it was game on.

For the next two weeks, they were trying their best to beat each other to the punch, finishing each other’s sentences, sometimes even saying things before the other could even open his mouth.

Kyle snapped at last.

“Would you PLEASE stop?” He groaned, “We get it. You’re dating now and you are stupidly in love and you know each other SO WELL. Just, get a room, OK? Other people are still trying to find their soulmates or something.”

“We are not...” They spoke at the same time.

“Great, you’re upgrading to saying things unanimously now?” Kyle threw his hand into the air. “I give up.”

They both blushed. Unanimously.

——————————————

3. Touching casually

They were both leaning onto the table to study some printed out files from another secret government agency that Alex found and hacked, Alex was writing out code patterns to determine which one fit the file, when Michael suddenly discovered something.

In a hurry to write down his thoughts, he didn’t try to get another pen. He reached out, grabbed Alex’s pen-holding hand, and wrote down a keyword. His head bowed beneath Alex’s chin, some of his curls brushed his face, so Alex used his free hand to brush it away, he lingered a moment there, as Michael finished writing the word but his hand stayed there, thumb gently rubbing Alex’s in a slow circle.

Then Alex pulled away, and they continued discussing the file.

Things escalated real fast after that.

At first it was just a hand on the back, a pat on the shoulder, that sort of things. But then they often stood near enough that their hips were touching, Michael sometimes threw his arm around Alex’s shoulder when they were laughing together, or Alex would play with Michael’s hair when they were sitting on the same side of the booth, listening to their friends or talking to them. It was nothing sexual, they were friends, friends stayed in each other’s personal space ALL THE TIME, right?

Then one day, they were having a group movie night. They decided to sit on the sofa, so naturally no one else wanted to sit on it. With that much room, they sat down, a foot or so between them.

Halfway through the movie though, Alex was rubbing his right knee. Michael took one glance at him, and immediately sat beside him. He lifted Alex’s right leg onto his left, and put his hand on Alex’s knee. Alex let out a moan.

The whole group was looking at them now. Alex blushed.

“I, his hand...” Alex took a breath and regained some control back, “you all know aliens run hot right? His hand is like a thermos, it’s good for my knee.”

“You know”, Liz began, “You don’t need to explain here. People do this all the time for their loved ones, it’s sweet.”

“But”, Isobel cut in, stopping whatever Alex was trying to say, “next time, don’t do it in front of us, maybe? If I hear my brother-in-law moan again when I die, it’ll still be too soon.”

“Guys, stop teasing them”, Max said, at which point Alex had already given up, “they’re not even dating”.

“Yeah”, Maria went in for the final blow, “because the old married couple don’t date anymore. You guys really should make more of an effort if you want to keep the sparks alive, you know?”

“You mean we should just ditch you all to enjoy our little world, just the two of us?” Alex crooked his head, playing along.

“Aww, honey, you’d do that for me, for us? I thought you said we should keep our friends company or they’d be too boring a bunch.” Michael added.

He never took his hand off Alex’s knee.

——————————————

4. Pet names

“Darlin’, I’m home!” Michael called out, as he entered their secret base.

Kyle looked up, confused. “Since when did you begin to use pet names for each other?”

Alex didn’t even spare Michael a glance. “I didn’t. He is just being a dick.”

“Oh, sweetheart, you wound me. And you’re such a pretty liar, considering you called me ‘Mikey’ just the other day.”

“Sarcastically, yes.” Alex rolled his eyes. “Now would you please cut the bullshit and come look at this?”

Michael fluttered his eyelashes: “For you, sweet cheeks? Of course.”

Kyle wanted to leave. He also wanted to die a little.

Then Alex turned his full attention to Michael, and said in an almost robotic voice. “Gee, you are so kind, my little teddy bear.”

Kyle was wrong. He didn’t want to die a little. He wanted to die A LOT.

Michael, on the other hand, smiled like a cat finally got the cream. “Don’t mention it, pumpkin.”

His eyes twinkling, his tone teasing. But there was also genuine softness and gentleness in his overall demeanor, like he was standing in front of the most precious person in his whole life, and he called his name.

Alex rolled his eyes again. But when he looked back down, there was a secret smile tugging at his lips.

——————————————

5. Couple’s therapy

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” How was this his life, Alex wanted to ask.

To his credit, Michael looked bashful for once. “I’ve been seeing this therapist for four months now. And she said we could use a couple’s therapy, so she gave me this Groupon. I thought it’d be great for us.”

Alex stared. “You do know we’re not actually a couple, right?”

Michael looked a bit hurt by that, but he recovered quickly, “We kinda are, though. We both haven’t seen any other people for about half a year now. We spend almost all of our free time together. We touch each other constantly. We talk about everything and anything. Everyone assumes we’re at least hooking up, some think we already eloped!”

“Friends also do that kind of things together. And other people’s opinions really don’t bother me”, Alex didn’t look at him while saying this, so there was still hope right?

At this point, any hope was worth fighting for.

“Yeah, except friends aren’t normally in love with each other.” He said, looking right into Alex’s eyes, daring him to deny it.

Alex hesitated, and resigned. “When is it?”

—————————————

Dr Brown already knew so much about him it was a little unsettling.

“Have you talked anything other than me during your sessions?” Alex couldn’t help to ask.

“Of course!” Michael sounded offended. Meanwhile Dr Brown said, calmly, “Very little.”

Michael threw a betrayed glare at her, but she just smiled.

“So, what do you want to know?” Alex was always direct, “fair warning though. I refuse to talk about my childhood, my parents, my family, my job, my gay struggles, or anything from my past, including my past with Michael.”

“That’s OK”, Dr Brown still smiled, not bothered at all. “I only have one question for you.”

“What’s that?”

“You walked in, already in combat mode, because you treat any foreign environment as a threat, not to mention this foreign environment might force you to open up which you only do when you are around a certain and small group of people. But then Michael walked in too, and your stance changed. You were still in combat mode, but you also put yourself in a protective position, slightly in front of him. Meanwhile, you relaxed noticeably as if you trusted him with all you’ve got. When you sat down, you leaned to him unconsciously, and every time he spoke or touched you, you were calmed and grounded.”

Alex’s voice was raw when he spoke. “That was not a question.”

“So my question is”, she continued, “why do you still deny it, when you’re clearly in love with each other and already in a steady relationship?”

Alex didn’t have an answer for that. He got up and left.

————————————

+1 “How is your headache”

He’d been avoiding Michael for three days now. He was miserable in all of the days.

He was debating whether he should quit being a coward and finally get what he wanted when there was a knock on his door.

He was not even a little surprised that it was Michael.

He was surprised by the flower though.

“What is this?”

Michael held out the flower, eyes pleading. “Wanna take you out for a date.”

“I haven’t slept well these past days, my head kinda hurts, going out is not something I want to do now,” Alex said, and rushed to say the next bit because Michael looked devastated, “But we could stay in, order some take out, and watch Star Wars together?”

Michael relaxed a fraction. “You mean rewatch Star Wars.”

“Yeah, well, I have this habit of falling in love with something and never managing to fall out of it, don’t I?”

Michael smiled, a little teary. “Guess we have that in common.”

——————————————

They ate, they talked, they watched Star Wars.

Then Michael was crowding Alex into the back of the couch, and asked tentatively: “how is your headache, honey?”

To that, Alex replied with a kiss.

[toomanystoriessolittletime]

Devil in disguise 2/3

Summary: You weren’t the girl who get attention from guys. You were the friend that always ended up alone at the bar, nursing her drink until you got home by yourself, while your friends took home someone. That’s how you suppossed this night would go to. Until an Apple Martini you didn’t order was set down in front of you. Looking around to make out who had ordered it for you, you saw him. John Wick.

Pairing: John Wick / F! Plus size Reader

Wordcount: 4.101

Warnings: smut

A/N: Thank you all so so much for the response to the first chapter. I hope you like the second one as much as the first.

Masterlist

Taglist:

@meetmeinthematinee​ / @hisdeadwife​​ / @fanficsrusz​​ / @mrrightismrreeves​​ / @ladyreapermc​ / @theolsdalova​ / @pinkzsugar​​ /   @ivymiiru​​ / @paanchu786​ / @penwieldingdreamer​ / @greenmanalishi​ / @itsmydreamlifethings​  / @blackeyedangel9805​  / @wiskey-chaser

It was a week later, you were definitely not sleeping in his sweater because you missed him, when there was a knock on your door. It was Saturday morning and you didn't really have plans for this weekend. You hadn't heard from him, or Nadia in fact and if it wasn't for the sweater you were wearing, you would think you dreamed last Friday night. You couldn't stop thinking about him.

His eyes lighting up as he talked about his hobby. Books. The pain as he told you about his ex-fiance, the woman he wanted to get out of this business for. The woman he wanted to marry only to find out that she had been hired by his employer to make him agree to the last thing he had done. Your heart broke for him.

Another knock on your door made you jump.

“Who's there?” You asked.

“It's John.” A voice called back making you almost choke, your eyes wide in surprise as you looked down at the clothes you were wearing.

“I brought breakfast,” he added. Looking around your apartment, you thanked God you had a nightly cleaning session. You looked at yourself in the mirror, as you walked towards the door, your eyes widening, pulling his sweater over your head, throwing it towards your bedroom, straightening the thin tank top you were wearing underneath. Undoing the messy bun you had on the top of your head, you shook your hair and put your glasses straight.

“I wasn't expecting company,” you said, the door still closed in front of you.

“Can you make an exception?” He asked, and you smiled. Slowly you opened the first then the second lock, opening the door.

“How did you find out this was my apartment?” You asked, looking up at him.

“It was the only one without a name on it.” He grinned, looking down at you. You still hid your body behind the door. John was wearing jeans and a gray shirt, a leather jacket over his shoulder and a full bag from a place called Continental on his arm. His hair looked soft, sunglasses on top of his head. It was the complete opposite of his look last week.

“Are you going to invite me in or do I have to eat all that by myself?” He asked sheepishly.

“First I need to change, but please come in.” You opened the door and waited for him to step through it, closing it after him.

“The kitchen is the last door on the left side.” You said quietly, admiring how his back stretched his shirt. He turned around, his eyes wandering over your whole body, making you bite your bottom lip before his eyes were on yours again.

“Hey.” He smiled, stepping closer to you.

“Hey,” you whispered as he leaned down, finding your lips in a soft kiss that made your breath hitch.

“I'm gonna...” you stuttered, gesturing towards your bedroom. Grinning he nodded before he turned around and walked to your kitchen.

You found him trying to work your coffee machine when you got back to the kitchen. You had put on your favorite sweater dress and some fluffy socks. You had no idea what the day would bring now that John was here, but you had intended to spend your whole day studying for one of your exams next week.

“Do you need any help?” You ask, making him jump.

“I wanted to make coffee...”

“The machine is broken.” You giggled, making him sigh as he chuckled and shook his head.

“How do you drink coffee then?”

“I don't. I stopped last year. I have a huge collection of tea though.”

“Tea it is then.” He smiled.

“So John... What have you been up to since last week?” You asked, suppressing a moan as you took a bite from the french toast he had brought. He had brought a very big collection of all the breakfast dishes you loved. French toasts, Pancakes, Sandwiches, Waffles and Eggs... 10 people could eat from that alone.

“Your friend Nadia...”

“Oh, she's not my friend anymore,” you interrupted him.

“Thank God.” He laughed.

“Well, I brought her home and picked up my last check from her father. And after that, I have tried to figure out what to do with my life now that I can choose what to do.” He said.

“And have you come to any conclusion?”

“Not really. I bought a house a little outside of New York I wanted to live in with... Anyway, now that that's not happening I'm thinking of maybe leaving the country... But to be honest I have no idea. I don't know how to live outside of this... world.” He sighed.

“John, how long have you been doing... what you're doing?” You asked.

“Since I was 15... which would be almost 35 years.” He said after a while. Looking at him you didn't know what shocked you more. That he had been... killing people for 35 years or that he was 50 years old.

“Wow... Okay, I need to process this. You are 50 years old? No way.” You said. Shyly he looked at you before he nodded. “Well not yet. My birthday is in 6 weeks.”

“Still. How do you do it?” You reached out stroking his cheek.

“I don't think about it very much?”

“You're 24 years older than me...” you said quietly.

“Is that a problem?” He asked.

“I don't know,” you said honestly. Because you didn't. The only relationship you ever had was with a man your age. And it didn't end well...

“I can understand that.”

“But maybe we can find out? I like you, John. Despite everything you have told me last week, I like you and I want to find out if this could be something.” You shrugged nervously. “I mean if you want to. I still don't know why me in the first place, but...” You were interrupted by his lips on yours.

“I like you too.” He smiled against your lips.

“Yeah?”

“Why else would I drive to see you on a Saturday morning with so much food I could feed an army because I didn't know what you liked most?” He asked.

“John?” It was the same day, dinner time and John had stayed the whole day. You would have loved to go out with him, but you really had to study. He was perfectly fine with it, sitting next to you for the most time, reading a book he had picked from one of your shelves, his arms around your shoulders, making it hard for you to concentrate on anything but him, but you did manage. He had announced an hour ago that he was to cook dinner and had left with your key to buy some groceries.

“I brought you some brain food,” he said as he walked in, his arms loaded with bags to the kitchen and came back with a muffin, kneeling down in front of you.

“Has anyone ever told you that you're pretty perfect, Mr. Wick?” You smiled.

“No one,” he said.

“Well then let me be the first,” you said, taking the muffin to set it down next to you on the couch before you wrapped your arms behind his neck.

“Give me another week and I'm pretty sure you'll be over me,” he said.

“I don't think so,” you whispered, leaning into him as you kissed him. Moaning against his lips, as you felt his tongue brushing over your lips, you parted your lips, letting him push you against the couch, both of his hands on the headrest as he deepened the kiss. Out of breath, you looked up at him, his lips flushed, his hair in front of his eyes.

“I'm going to make dinner now,” he whispered.

Nodding slowly you bit your lip as he slowly pushed himself up, walking out of the living room. Sighing you rolled your eyes. How were you supposed to think of anything but his lips now?

John coming over on Saturdays kinda became a weekly occasion. Your last exams were coming up and you were stressing out. So John made it his goal to take care of you.

He even quizzed you when you were on the verge of a nervous breakdown, rewarding you with kisses that stole your breath, making you crave for more. What made it all weirder for you was that he didn't expect anything in return. He seemed to want to take care of you, making sure to always be there for you.

You never had someone in your life who took care of you like John did. It still was a mystery to you what he was seeing in you. The chubby medical student. It wasn't that you were uncomfortable in your body. It was the way other people looked at you when you wore a dress that was a little shorter. When you were buying chocolate at the grocery store as if it would be a crime.

You loved your body, as long as you were by yourself. It was the outside world that made you think as if something was wrong with you. They didn't know you had danced ballet for most of your life. Even now when you had the time. Or that you hit the gym twice a week. All they saw was a few pounds where they weren't supposed to be, giving them the imaginative right to judge you.

But then there came John. Who saw you for what you were, not for how you looked. And you were falling for him. Hard. And there was nothing you could do against it.

It was the week before your final exam, you had been working 20 hours shifts at the hospital when John called you in the middle of the night, out of breath, his voice strained.

“Are you okay, John?” You asked sleepily, looking at the clock. 3:28 am.

“I'm sorry to wake you. I didn't know who else to call.”

“It's okay. Did something happen?” You sat yourself up, reaching for the lamp on your nightstand.

“I'm not sure. Dog hasn't been on his feet the whole day and she hasn't eaten and I'm getting a bit worried.”

“You have a dog?” You asked surprised, searching for your glasses.

“I do.”

“Has she been drinking?”

“I don't think she did.” He sounded worried.

“Hm... I don't know enough about dogs to tell you if you should be worried. There is a pet clinic down the street where I live that is opened around the clock if you want to be sure.”

“Okay. I'm going there now,” he said.

“Uh. Okay. Good. I'll meet you there,” you said right away.

“You don't have to.”

“I want to, John.”

There was a pause on the phone before he sighed.

“Okay. I'll need an hour.”

“Meet you there.” You said and ended the call.

An hour later you found yourself in front of the pet clinic, you had put on some sweatpants and a hoodie, your hair in a messy bun when you saw John's car approaching the building. He got out, quickly kissing you as you met him at his car, before he opened his passenger's door, carrying out a beautiful gray pit bull.

“Oh, she looks sleepy.” You said, carefully reaching to stroke her head.

“I know. That's what worries me.”

“Let them take a look.” You said, opening the door to the pet clinic for him.

“See? She's going to be okay.” You said, putting your arm around John's waist, your head on his shoulder, as you waited for Dog to be finished. She was getting an infusion of fluids and a shot of antibiotics.

“Thank God.” He whispered exhausted.

“Do you want to stay over? You don't have to drive back home. That way if something else is up with her we are right around the corner.” You proposed. He looked at you.

“You have your exam in two days, I don't want to get on your nerves.” He said.

“I wouldn't have offered, if you would, John. I would check in on your hourly anyway, so you're really doing me a favor here.” You winked at him and yawned in the next moment making him chuckle.

“Come on. I'll take you home.” He finally said, kissing your temple as he saw his dog slowly walking towards him on her own feet.

After you had put out some blanket for Dog to lie on, you made your way back to your bedroom getting your clothes off on your way. You had left your tank top and shorts on beneath, and all you wanted to do was go back to bed. Snuggling into your bed you sighed.

“John?” You called for him and heard him coming nearer.

“Yeah?”

“Are you coming? I'm dead tired.” You asked.

“I can take the couch.” He said. Propping yourself up on your elbows you looked at him confused.

“Why would you do that?”

“I didn't want to assume...”

“Come here, John.” You smiled. He turned the lights off behind him, took his jeans off and slipped under the covers next to you. You snuggled to his body immediately, sighing when you felt his arms around you, pulling your closer, your head resting on his chest.

“Do you have to get up early?” John asked.

“I have the next two weeks off...” You whispered, eyes already closed.

“Good.” He whispered, kissing your hair before both of you fell asleep.

You woke to someone kissing your neck, your back pressed against a warm body. Sighing you tilted your head, making him chuckle behind you.

“Good morning.” His raspy deep voice whispered against your ear.

“Hm...” You smiled pushing your body against his as you stretched, making him moan as your ass rubbed against his growing bulge, making you gasp.

“What time is it?” You ask.

“It's almost 11. I was already out with Dog.” He said, feeling his big hand ran down your side, resting on your upper thigh.

“And what do we do with this young day?” You ask, moaning as his other hand sneaked under your top.

“We could stay in bed...” He suggested his hand grabbing one of your boobs, making you groan.

“What has gotten into you?” You ask.

“Too fast?” He asked.

“God no.” You laughed and turned around to look at him.

“You have been nothing but a gentleman the last... 6 weeks. I can live with a bit faster.” You said, your hands resting on his naked chest. Your finger tracing one of his many tattoos. His hair was still damp, he must have been in the shower before he got back to bed.

“Careful what you ask for, Princess...” He whispered, turning your body, so you were on your back. He leaned above you, his weight resting on both of his arms next to your head as he leaned down and kissed you hard, pressing his body against yours.

“Princess?” You asked as he left your lips and kissed your neck.

“I still don't know your name.” He smiled against your skin, his beard lightly scratching, making you shudder. Slowly he pulled off your top, throwing it away as he knelt between your legs. As he looked at you you felt shy all of a sudden. There he was, a dream of a man, having eyes for no one else but you. Shaking your head you smiled shyly, looking away from him.

“If you don't want to...” John said.

“Kiss me.” You whispered, pushing yourself up to sit, your chest against his.

“Please.” You added looking up at him. You felt his arms coming around you, keeping you close to him as he carefully kissed you. Bringing your arms around him, holding onto him as he stole your breath you whimpered when you felt him bite your lip.

“Fuck me, John.” You whispered against his lips, making him moan.

“With pleasure, Princess.” He said lowly, his eyes dark.

“John...” You sighed, your nails gently scratching his back, as his hands wandered down your back, grabbing your ass, pushing your body against his.

“On your back, hands above your head.” He whispered demanding, making you swallow.

“Yes, Mr. Wick.” You smirked, letting yourself fall on your back, crossing your arms above your head.

“Keep them there.” He grinned, leaning down, kissing the valley between your breasts.

“Yes, Sir.” You sighed, feeling his warm hands on your hips his fingers slowly pulling your shorts down, leaving you completely naked in front of him.

“So beautiful.” He whispered, kneeling between your legs, his eyes roaming over your body. Slowly he leaned down, finding your lips in a kiss before he kissed down your body. You were grabbing the headrest of your bed by now, the urge to touch him becoming overwhelming as he kissed your hipbone. Looking up at you as he lay between your thighs you bit your lip as he put a soft kiss on your clit.

Spreading your legs for him he kissed your outer lips, making you whimper before he ran his tongue through your folds, humming like it was the best thing he tasted in forever as you moaned.

“Fuck John.”

“Not yet.” He grinned, wickedly looking up at you between your thighs before he really got to work. Kissing, nibbling, sucking on your clit while you felt his hand massaging your inner thigh, his hand stopping over your entrance, looking up at you, his mouth sucking hard on your clit as he entered you with one of his fingers. His arm, holding your hip down, pressing it to the mattress you groaned, panting, as he flicked his tongue over your clit, his finger finding that spot inside, you could never reach yourself, making you quiver. Adding a second finger he put pressure on the spot while he sloppily kissed your clit.

“Don't stop...” You moaned, your legs crossing him in.

“Are you close, Princess?” He asked, adding a third finger, replacing his mouth with his thump, rubbing your clit as he leaned up, kissing you. Moaning into his mouth as you tasted yourself on his lips.

“Please...” You moaned against his mouth.

“Please what?” He asked, breathing heavily as he looked at you, leaning over you.

“Please fuck me, John.” You whimpered, rolling your hips against his hand.

“Not yet.” He said again, sucking harshly at one of your nipples.

Throwing your head back you moaned out his name as you were surprised by your orgasm, riding it's waves until you felt your body relax. Out of breath as you looked at him, cleaning his fingers from your arousal, making you bite your lip.

“John?” You asked, making him raise an eyebrow.

“Let me ride you.” You let go of the headrest, pushing against his chest, making him fall on his back, as you straddled his hips. His hands coming down on your thighs with a smack. You moaned leaning down to press your body against his, kissing him hard.

Enjoying the feeling of his strong chest against your breasts you moved your body, your hands sneaking into his tight boxer shorts, gasping as you palmed his big cock.

He helped you as you pulled down his underwear, both laughing as it flew through the room.

Rubbing yourself over his cock both of you moaned, his hands coming to rest on your ass, his hands massaging your skin as he looked up at you, jaw clenched. Eyes dark.

Reaching for his cock you pumped him twice before you raised your hips, lining him up against your entrance and slowly sank down on him, never breaking eye contact, enjoying the feeling of him stretching your inner walls in the best way possible. Moaning when he filled you completely, you stilled, John pushing himself up, one of his arms on your back as his other hand came to rest on your ass, he slowly began to roll his hips, making you whimper.

“You feel so good... wrapped tight around my cock.” He groaned, his lips finding your collarbone, his tongue tracing its line before he kissed the top of your breast, while he kept rolling his hips against yours. Slowly you began to ride him, holding on to his body, as he guided you up and down, sucking on your nipple as you threw your head back.

Putting his face between your hands you guided him up to you, kissing him with a hunger, when he took both of your hands, pulling them behind your back, and holding them there with one hand, making you gasp.

“Let go, Princess.” He whispered as he thrust hard up into you, making you moan out loud as his hips slapped against yours. While he was more or less tying your hands behind your back he leaned his body on his other arm and began to fuck into you roughly, fastening his pace, grunting, while you kept repeating his name like a prayer. You could feel your orgasm building, your knees already shaking.

“Are you gonna come for me again?” He asked low. Not being able to form a single word you only nodded, your little finger brushing over his wrist of the hand that was holding yours behind your back. He let go of his grip, taking your hand into his and watched you with dark eyes as you tried to keep eye contact while your second orgasm made you almost pass out. Whimpering you let him fuck you through it, breathing hard as he slowed his pace, your head falling down on his shoulder. Laughing you looked at him.

“I think I can't feel my legs.” You said.

“I'll take that as a compliment.” He grinned smugly.

“You wanna come in my mouth, John?” You leaned close against his ear, feeling him twitch inside you.

“You'll be the death of me.” He moaned as you clenched your muscles around him, making him slap your ass as you laughed and climbed off of him on wobbly limbs.

Kneeling next to him, you took his cock in your hands pumping it a few times before you sucked the tip in, enjoying the taste he left on your tongue. Swallowing him until you almost gagged your bobbed your head, trying to keep a pace as you felt his hands on your head, gathering your hair so he could look at you.

“I'm wanna fuck your pretty mouth one day...” He groaned, watching down at you sucking his cock, his hair clinging to his sweaty forehead.

“What's stopping you now?” You asked releasing him with a plop, pumping him with your hand. You reached for his other hand, as you leaned down, looking at him the entire time as you wrapped your mouth around his cock, raising an eyebrow at him. Shaking his head you felt his hips move slowly at first, testing how far he could go, when his hand grabbed your hair harder, pulling it slightly as he continued to move his hips, thrusting into your mouth deeper and deeper, making you gag. Relaxing your throat you rested one of your hands on his hip, in case you had to stop him.

“I'm gonna cum, Princess.” He moaned. You hummed around him, watching him fall apart, tasting the salty bitterness he released, swallowing every single drop of him.

Biting your lip as you released him his arms pulled you up to lay on his chest, his lips finding yours.

“I think I'll keep you.” He said against your lips, pushing your hair out of your eyes, as you entwined your legs with his, enjoying his warm arms around you.

“That's convenient, I wasn't going to let you go.” You breathed back before you let your head rest on his chest.

[bobasheebaby]

200 Brooklyn 99 Prompts

Rosa

1 “Talk to him, that's what friends do.” “Nope. I'm gonna wait 'til I'm on my deathbed, get in the last word and then die immediately.” “That's your plan for dealing with this?” “That's my plan for dealing with everything. I have seventy-seven arguments I'm going to win that way.”

2 “I'm already seeing somebody, NAME.” “Oh, and just like that, things got interesting.” “And just like that, I left.”

3 “NAME is even wearing his/her formal leather jacket.” “It's the one without any blood on it.”

4 “Right, that's the guy/girl you said the lame stuff about. Like he’s/she's a good listener.” “Sorry, what do you look for in a guy/girl?” “Real stuff, like the shape of his/her ass.”

5 “Sorry I'm late. I had to go back to the deli and return my Everything Bagel. In what world does everything not include beef jerky?” “All of them.”

6 “He/She also likes to look up recipes online and go, "Who's got the time?"

7 “Thank you, NAME. Your entire life is garbage.”

8 “NAME , tell us about your family.” “I have one.”

9 “Anyone over the age of six celebrating a birthday should go to hell.”

10 “I am dating his/her nephew/niece. Now we are hanging out on weekends. What is next? Oh! Small talk.”

11 “Wait, is that a smile I see?” “Possibly. My immune system is too weak to fight off my smile muscles.”

12 “Whoa, what happened? You know what, forget it. I'll just read NAME’s notes.”

13 “NAME? Are you stuck in there?” “No, I'm in here by choice.” “Oh, 'cause I hear some banging noises as if someone was struggling to open the door.” “No. That was the pipes.” “Or, is it the sound of you learning how to ask for help? You know, you can't spell ‘independent’ without ‘dependent.’” “And you can't spell ‘Go [bleep] yourself’ without ‘[bleep] you.’”

14 “I've said "excuse me" more times this morning than I have in my entire life. Twice!”

15 “Oh, nothing better after a long shift than coming to BAR NAME. It's like Cheers, where everybody knows your name.” “A place where everybody knows your name is hell. You're describing hell.”

16 “So, what is this? Casual, serious? I need to know how to make fun of you.”

17 “NAME and I broke up. He/She ate soup too much.” “What, like every day?” “It happened twice.”

18 “So, what are you drinking?” “I'll have a margarita. But, like, a skinny margarita. So, like, tequila, lime, and a tiny splash of agave.” “Mm. I refuse to order that.”

19 “What are you looking all wistful about?” “Just thinking, about relationships and love, and how I'm way better at them than I thought I'd be. Should I do a TED Talk on it?” “Doesn't seem any dumber than all the other TED Talks.”

20 “Why didn't you tell me? I had no idea things were getting that serious.” “Yeah, it's very embarrassing having feelings.”

21 “So are you bringing someone to the wedding?” “No, I'm taking a break from dating for a while.” “What?” “I'm sick of asking people how many siblings they have. Oh, is it somewhere between zero and two? How fascinating.”

22 “I grew a goatee and it looks amazing, and I know you can see it.” “Of course we can see it, NAME. It's horrible.”

23 “It feels like you're being a little harsh.” “Thanks, good note. I was going for extremely harsh. I'll turn it up.”

24 “Are your senses heightened?” “I think I might be pregnant, not bitten by a radioactive spider.”

25 “You're what sneezes are!”

26 “Seriously, you guys should stand up once in a while. You know, for your hearts.”

27 “NAME, this is dumb. I'm just gonna go.” “No, no, no. You promised me more time. I still have seven minutes.” “I really don't want to miss my flight, and I cannot physically stand the way that room smells anymore.” “Just breathe through your mouth.”

28 “You know, some people say, ‘Mo money, mo problems,’ but those people are idiots. Money's amazing.”

29 “Dude, just admit you ruined everything and turned our lives into a living hell. No biggie.”

30 “We don't want anyone getting alcohol poisoning, so if you throw up, you're disqualified.” “I never throw up. I just tell my stomach to deal with it. My body is terrified of me.”

Jake

31 “I also have a hairline fracture in my thumb. Mankind's least important finger, am I right?”

32 “I wasn't hurt that badly. The doctor said all my bleeding was internal. That's where the blood's supposed to be.”

33 “How much could I possibly owe you? Fifty, sixty bucks?” “Two thousand, four hundred and thirty seven dollars.” “Dollars?! Wait, of course dollars. Why was that the part I was surprised by?”

34 “So, I'm going to grab a healthy breakfast.” “Are those gummy bears wrapped in a fruit roll-up?” “Breakfast burrito, but yeah.” “I pity your dentist.” “Joke's on you. I don't have a dentist.”

35 “I'm talking to my credit card company. I tried to get an online subscription to the New Yorker and they declined me. Apparently, based on my previous purchases, they assumed it was fraud. That's crazy. I'm fancy. One time I had coffee-flavored ice cream.”

36 “Rules are made to be broken.” “They were made to be followed. Nothing is made to be broken.” “Uh, piñatas.” “Glow sticks.” “Karate boards.” “Spaghetti when you have a small pot.” “Rules.”

37 “Hey, can I ask you something?” “Mm-hmm.” “If the toilets drain into the ocean, does that mean a tiny shark could swim up and bite me in the butt?” “No, not at all.” “Psh, lame.”

38 “NAME, super important question. Which one of these shirts should I wear to dinner with your dad/mom tonight?” “Those are exactly the same.” “I have a signature look, NAME.”

39 “Hello, good sir, I'd like your finest bottle of wine, please.” “That will be $1,600.” “Great, I'd like your $8-est bottle of wine, please.”

40 “I am straight-up depressed. NAME’s been doing her best to cheer me up. He/She gave me this sticker this morning just for waking up.” “Ew, it's like you're dating your teacher.” “I know, it's so hot.”

41 “Wait. Before you say anything, I want to guess what happened based on your face. Someone died. No! You won a prize. I'm not getting better at this.”

42 “What is the bandwidth on the wifi here? We have much content to stream.”

43 “Oh, you sweaty, chair-spinning morons. You're gonna get us out of here.”

44 “Sir, I think I speak for all of us when —“ “He/She doesn't.” “He/She doesn't.”

45 “So, your brother/sister's a bit of a nightmare.” “I wouldn't say that. I mean, at most, he’s/she's a daymare.” “Those are so much scarier.” “Yeah.”

46 “Look, NAME, I burnt two hundred calories.” “That's your heart rate.” “Yeah, that checks out.”

47 “I don't slump, people. I opposite of slump. I pmuls. That's slump backwards and it's what I do. I pmuls all over this bitch.”

48 “Excuse me. We were just looking for a place to —“ “Boink.” “Yes, boink. That's my preferred term for it, too.”

49 “Thank you for doing this. I love you.” “Noice. Smort. I love you too.”

50 “Adult parties? I believe they're called orgies.”

51 “I have a sexy voice!

Champagne.

Mountain range.

Hugs.”

52 “Has anyone ever told you you look just like a statue?” “Yes.”

53 “NAME, you're smiling. It's very weird. Like seeing a turtle out of its shell.”

54 “You look happy. Let me guess. Your egg sandwich fell on the floor, and they gave it to you for free.” “No. Can you do that? Why doesn't everyone just drop their sandwiches on the floor?” “I was trying to insult you.” “And instead you gave me an amazing life hack!”

55 “So, we gonna talk about what happened back there? I haven't seen someone cry that much since NAME heard they were remaking ‘First Wives Club.’”

56 “Hey, there, NAME. Everything okay?” “No, I'm having a meltdown.” “Props. That was amazing.” “Thanks. It was a lot of work.”

57 “Almost makes me wanna take things seriously all the time. But then I'm like ‘boobs, farts, boobs, whatever’.”

58 “Ahh, babe, this is so nice. There are hot stones on our butts for no reason.” “Not on mine. My butt stones keep falling off, because I'm so tense about NAME being here and ruining everything.”

59 “Okay, don't shoot! That's how people get shot.”

60 “Rule number 3: Let's not have sex right away.” “Cool. Cool cool cool cool cool. No doubt, no doubt, no doubt. Good rule. No sex. Good rule.”

Charles

61 “Okay, but I thought since you were in charge, maybe I could be your right hand man? Your Tinker Bell?” “Tinker Bell?” “Let me tell you something about Tinker Bell. Tinker Bell is a loyal lieutenant and a real thorn in the side of Captain Hook.”

62 “NAME, why don't you show Danger what a fax machine is.” “Okay. Imagine a letter had unprotected sex with a phone.”

63 “Hey, NAME, are you ready to go streaking?” “What?” “That's what my dad/mom and I called getting blonde streaks in your hair. We used to do it to our ponytails on road trips. You just take a little lemon up top, and let the sun do the rest. We called it giving each other road head.” “You just said you called it going streaking.” “It had a couple names.”

64 “So we have good news, and we have bad news.” “My Nana always said, ‘Bad news first because the good news is probably a lie.’ Fun fact: she made me cry a lot.”

65 “What about me? What if something happens to NAME, and he never gets to meet my baby? I don't want to hang out with some stupid baby who's never met NAME.”

66 “Oh, you're right. I'm gonna tell him/her. It might not be today. It might not be tomorrow. It definitely won't be later than tomorrow. So pretty much today or tomorrow then.”

67 “No! I was eavesdropping. I'm always eavesdropping.” “I don't like it.” “Look, I didn't spend the last seven years watching your love ripen, only to have it sullied by a city hall wedding. You're getting married right here, right now.”

68 “I know you think my judgement's clouded because I like him/her a little bit.” “You doodled your wedding invitation.” “No, that's our joint tombstone.” “My mistake.”

69 “How many times have I smacked you in your face?” “Lost count.” “And you still have no fear of me.” “I'm trying to read your womb vibe.” “Exactly. Knock it off.”

70 “Okay, first of all, NAME, you look amazing. Secondly, I made an appointment at the salon with Nikki, for you, under the name Gabriella Fuentes de San Miguel Estrada. I had fun with the name.” “Clearly.”

71 “He’s/She's got a type, which is really any one but you.” “Yeah, that was my ex-husband/ex-wife's type, too.”

72 “Sexy train is leaving the station. Check out this caboose. Later, sluts.”

73 “I can't wait to see you, my luscious little breakfast quiche. I just want to draw you a bubble bath and spoon-feed you caviar. I think we should open up a joint checking account. I love you. [pause] What am I doing?” “It's okay. I hung up right after ‘Chucklebunny’.” “Help me. I've gone Full NAME.”

74 “Do you desire a crispen potato?” “Oh, don't mind if I do-ble. Wait a minute. Crispen potato. Why are you fancy talking.” “How dare you, sir/madam. I speak the common tongue.” “There it is again. You only do that when you're lying or hiding something.” “Hiding? Ha. Pish-posh.”

75 “Hey, donut holes. Don't mind if I do. Eurgh! Fish? Fish donuts, NAME? What is wrong with you?” “It's takoyaki. I'm drowning my sorrows in octopus balls.”

76 “Put on a T-shirt for all I care. It doesn't matter what you wear.” “Of course it matters. He has to wear the smaller checks. Big checks wash him out. Where are you, NAME?”

77 “Ooh, if they have your phone, we can track where they're going. I have ‘Find My Phone’ set up to track you. What? I do that for all my friends, not just you.” “Show me.” “There's no time!”

78 “You okay?” “Yeah, no burns. The doctor said I was lucky my body was so damp.”

79 “You guys have been down here for two hours. What, did you have sex forty times?”

80 “What? You don't need closet space. You have, like, one outfit.”

81 “You just graduated pie school, bitches. [pause] Sorry I said bitches, I'm just really worked up.”

82 “So, I know you're NAME’s best friend, and —“ “Did he/she say that? Did you get that on tape?” “No.” “No, he/she didn't say that or no, you didn't get it on tape? Doesn't matter. Either way, you screwed up big time.”

83 “What you did is the culinary equivalent of unprotected sex.”

84 “That's right. Boom. Just kicked Santa in the testicles.”

85 “No, there's no one in my life. [wink] Sort of a sad thing to wink about, I realize now.”

86 “NAME! Were you dreaming about NAME again?” “Why did you wake me up?! I told you never to wake me up!”

87 “You used all the touching time, NAME. I get 100% of the goodbye touching time. 100%.”

88 “Do you wanna know why he/she went out with him/her and not you?” “Yeah.” “Because he/she actually asked him/her out.”

89 “NAME, will you taste this batter?” “Mm-hmm. Hmm. I think it's a little off.” “You know what's off? Your mouth! Why NAME lets your stupid tongue anywhere near him/her I'll never know. Nope, I forgot the sugar. That's on me.”

90 “There's no need for NAME to see me unleash the beast.”

Captain Holt

91 “Look at you. Always working. What happened to my fun big/little brother/sister?” “Fun? I was never fun. You take that back.”

92 “It's the most fun day of the year. Something you wouldn't understand because you're not programmed to feel joy.” “Yes, but my software is due for an exuberance upgrade.”

93 “Sticks and stones, NAME.” “Describing your breakfast?”

94 “NAME, how are you feeling?” “Better today. I even managed to eat some plain toast this morning.” “Smart. Something bland.” “That's my favorite breakfast.”

95 “Joining us for lunch, Sir?” “Oh, no, I've already consumed the required calories for this day period.” “Yummy.”

96 “You all right, NAME? Tough weekend?” “I went to Barbados with my husband/wife. We wove hats out of palm fronds and swam with the stingrays. I've never been happier.”

97 “Maybe I should wing it. Love, it sustains you. It's like oatmeal.” “Okay. Okay. Not bad for winging it.” “I lied. Took me two hours to write that.”

98 “I do not have a problem. If I want to play Kwazy Cupcakes, I will play Kwazy Cupcakes. Kwazy is a difficult word to say in anger, but I think I've made my feelings clear.”

99 “This place is so romantic.” “Yeah, and so intimate.” “Don't worry. I'm not listening to you. I'm just thinking about how this sea bass is cold but not as cold and cruel as the hands of fate that have thrust my entire life into darkness.” “Ah, damn it. I just ordered the sea bass.”

100 “Yeah, and your new shirt is very aggressive and confusing. Is the pineapple the slut, or is it calling someone else a slut?” “Clearly the pineapple is the slut.” “Huh.”

101 “Oh, I've caused a problem. I think I am getting a text message. Bloop. Ah, there it is.”

102 “So nice of you to greet us, NAME. I thought surely you'd still be crushed under that house in Munchkinland.”

103 “So, do you NAME --“ “Yes.” “And do you --“ “Yes. Yes. We do. We're married.”

104 “I mean, don't people call you NAME?” “How dare you.”

105 “So you lied to me? Out of pity. You pity me.” “I wouldn't put it that way.” “I would. I am offended. I am angry. I am very tired. So I'm gonna take a nap, but when I wake up, oh, you are in for it.”

106 “Look at that. You've helped me find my smile.”

107 “Huh. Meat from the street. Sounds like a fun treat. Hah. I'm a poet and ... I didn't even know I was rhyming those words. But it happened anyway.”

108 “Oh, look at that. An alert. I'm probably trending already. What? My account has been deactivated?” “Twitter thinks you're a bot.” “Why? I am a human. I am a human male/female.”

109 “Care to sit? I'm sure you'd like to take some weight off your cloven hooves.” “Call me the devil, NAME? How original.” “Actually, I was calling you a goat. You goat.”

110 “NAME! I'm coming with you.” “Thank you, NAME.” “I'm also coming.” “Not necessary.”

111 “Spot checks are done. Needless to say I'm thoroughly underwhelmed.” “Huh. From your expression, I would have guessed constipated. Or chilly.”

112 “NAME, you have a pretty low bar for what you consider drama. Once, I used an exclamation point in a email. You called me Diana Ross.” “I assure you, in this case, I do not exaggerate.”

113 “I know they say it's not good to have a TV in the bedroom. Which is why I don't.”

114 “NAME, did you just laugh?” “Uproariously.”

115 “You know when you play along with the robot jokes, it kinda ruins my enjoyment of them?” “Yes, I know.”

116 “And what do you hope to get out of this, NAME? Let me guess revenge on Dorothy for killing your sister?”

117 “It was a good game though for a dumbass.” Okay, you're kinda overusing that one. Maybe switch it up a little bit.” “Oh, good note. You dick.” “That landed good.”

118 “Dancing over. Situation defused.” “No!”

119 “All right, NAME, I'm sick of you wasting time. So, yes, I spilled some minestrone on my pants and I'm sitting in my underwear. Happy?”

120 “You found me. Drinking seltzer in the shadows.”

Gina

121 “It's a sloppy Jessica. Mac n cheese, chili, pizza on a bun. Its everything I've wanted to eat for the last 48 hours.” “What happened? I thought you were gonna 'last forever bitches.'” “Turns out I gave up easy. You hear that bitches? I gave up so easy.”

122 “If NAME had a twin, he/she would have eaten him/her in the womb.”

123 “Wait a minute, I think I just figured something out. I got to go.” “Aren't you forgetting something?” [person a gives Person b a kiss on the forehead] “Uh no, pay your bill! Damn, who raised you?”

124 “The English language can not fully capture the depth and complexity of my thoughts. So I'm incorporating Emoji into my speech to better express myself. Winky face.”

125 “All right, gang. Diet day 4. How's everyone holding up?” “Honestly, I'm going to last forever. You hear that bitches? I'm gonna last forever.”

126 “If I die, turn my tweets into a book!”

127 “The only reason I didn't tell you is I don't value you as people, so why be honest?”

128 “Breakups are a cartoony thumbs down. They make people feel face-with-Xs-for-the-eyes.”

129 “I'm sorry. I just don't think this is something you're good at.” “What? The only thing I'm not good at is modesty, because I'm great at it.”

130 “Click. I just captured the exact moment you realized you had failed. I guess we all got something out of this.”

131 “It's so addictive, right? I play so much that when I close my eyes at night, I just see cupcakes instead of my normal dizzying array of flashing lights.”

132 “Forget your ex with meaningless sex. It rhymes because it's true.”

133 “NAME. NAME. NAME, I screwed up, big time.” “NAME, given your daily life experiences, you're gonna have to be more specific.”

134 “So, talk to me, goose. How are we looking?” “Sexy, but not like we're trying too hard. Like, sure, we're trying, but it's almost effortless.”

135 “Give me the ring.” “You sound like Gollum.” “That means nothing to me. I don't see those movies, I'm too pretty.”

136 “Oh no, six drink NAME isn't fun. He’s/She's just sad. Damn it!”

137 “I never have second thoughts. That's the luxury of having great first thoughts.”

138 “Ugh, constantly getting NAME’s approval is the worst.” “Yes. I can only imagine.”

139 “You think you can just bully people, but you can't. It's not okay. I'm the bully around here. Ask anyone.”

140 “This just might work out after all.” “You're damn right it will, 'cause we're a ragtag, scrappity, fart-dumb, moron parade, smart-ass team!”

141 “Okay, NAME, stop freaking out. I have the day off. I can step in and help.” “Yeah, me too. I'm not off, but I come and go as I please. It's part of my charm. I'm like an outdoor cat.”

142 “Gina, please keep an eye on NAME today. He's/She’s gonna say something to the wrong person and get himself/herself punched.” “Sure, I'd love to see NAME get punched.” “Try again.” “I will stop NAME from getting punched.” “Correct.”

143 “Oh, I want him/her out. But I'm too scared to tell him/her. “ “All right, listen. I know that your spirit animal is a caterpillar that's been stepped on —“ “Mm-hmm.”

144 “What are you creeps doing? You made me look away from my phone. You better pray I didn't miss a text.” “In the two seconds you looked away?” “Seventeen texts. All of them important.”

145 “What is my favorite soup?” “Chicken noodle.” “Potato leek.” “Corn frickin' noodle. I mean, chowder, damn it.” “You're all wrong. I've never had soup.” “Don't bother. They all suck.”

146 “Okay, so that plumber was useless. But we are two smart and capable people who can definitely figure out how to fix a toilet.” “Of course we can. The internet will tell us what to do. She always does.”

147 “It's crazy how much he/she flirts with me.”

148 “Good morning.” “For whom?” “For you-m.”

149 “So he/she didn't say what happened, which can only mean one thing.” “He's/She’s in a fight club.”

150 “What's up? How can I help?” “Well, when I was a kid, I invented a magnetic flashlight clip so I could read under the covers. This clip and I went all around the world together the Shire, Sweet Valley High, Terabithia.” “But never to a friend's house, huh?” “Uncalled for.”

Amy

151 “That stuff with us is in the past. We talked about that.” “I know, but that was before you saw me in this dope ass tux. I mean you must be freaking out.” “Oh, I really am. I'm really into rented clothes. I love how many butts have been in them.”

152 “You know, we're birds of a feather, you and I.” “I hate cliches.” “Cliches are the worst.”

153 “And now I don't know what to do.” “I think you do know what to do.” “Thanks, NAME.” [leaves the room] “I have no idea what he’s/she's gonna do but that's the safest way to give NAME advice.” “Yep.”

154 “Insult me all you want, for I have only this to say —“ “Victory shall be mine!” “I heard you practicing in the shower. You can't surprise me. Letting me into your life was the worst mistake you ever made.” “Cool, fun take on our relationship.”

155 “NAME, where you at?” “Four drinks.” “What's four-drink NAME again?” “Why don't you come over here and find out?” “Right, Horny NAME”

156 “I'm sorry. We only excluded you because you're kind of an over-texter.” “Over-texter? That's not even a thing.” “Oh really? So you don't remember the time you sent 97 unanswered texts in a five-minute span?” “My phone vibrated itself off the desk. I think it was committing suicide.”

157 “What the hell? I used NAME's exact recipe. I know I'm not a great cook, but I love following instructions.”

158 “What's going on? Is this a dream? No, I'm not holding a label maker.”

159 “My power went out last night and my alarm didn't go off.” “Your alarm is power dependent? You brought this on yourself, son.”

160 “I'd also like to apologize for my friend. His /Her parents didn't give him/her enough attention.”

161 “I'm in! A bet which improves someone's manners? Double score.”

162 “He’s/She's scared.” “He’s/She's not scared. With all due respect, NAME, NAME has no feelings.”

163 “I'm so cold even my fiery dance moves aren't keeping me warm.”

164 “I'm sorry. I tried to be myself and they hated it.”

165 “All right, someone's gotta go out there and kill that feathery bastard. NAME, you're always looking for an excuse to behead something.”

Sergeant Jeffords

166 “It was like taking candy from a baby.” “Why are you giving candy to a baby in the first place? Don't give candy to a baby! They can't brush their teeth!”

167 “I was raised on disco. Little NAME loved to hustle.”

168 “Or is your favorite artist really Taylor Swift?” [Scoffs] “No.” “Lie.” “All right, fine, she is. She makes me feel things.” “She makes all of us feel things!”

169 “Urgh, what's in these?” “Potatoes, butter, a little milk. Oh, and I ran out of salt, so I used baking soda.” “Why wouldn't you? They're both white powders. Of course they're interchangeable.” “Yeah.”

170 “I warned you against using donuts. They're my trigger food.”

171 “Hey, NAME, you know how you're really good at doodling?” “I know you think you're complimenting me, but calling them doodles is an insult. You a big fan of Picasso's doodles?”

172 “Your tone's braggy but your words are real sad.”

173 “See, NAME? Tough love works.” “Damn it! NAME proved the wrong point.”

174 “Now, be respectful and grieve your asses off.” “I don't know why this is happening.” “NAME, I love it. Everyone follow his/her lead!”

175 “Everything's spoiled. My lunch is ruined. My chicken, my potatoes, pasta, my meatballs, ham, my yogurt.” “Wow, that's a lot of yogurt.” “I love yogurt.”

176 “Kind of seemed like you were gonna get up and leave after saying all that.” “I was, but I think I hear NAME.”

177 “You better look cute in this picture, or no one's gonna want you. Do something with your damn paws!”

178 “My tolerance has really changed since I had kids!”

179 “I'm hungry!” “Oh, you're in luck; the fanny pack is filled with granola.” “Mmm! Loose granola.” “I don't want fanny granola! I want steaks and whiskey!”

180 “You probably can't tell, but I'm flexing my brain like crazy right now.”

181 “What's that smell? That's lavender. NAME loves lavender.”

182 “Okay. Excuse me. Can we please eat? My body is starting to digest itself. NAME needs nutrients!”

183 “Don't look at me. NAME wastes all that time building muscles, make him do it.” “Oh, come on, you all know these are just for show.”

184 “Sorry? You bumbling son of a bitch. You just ruined my life. I hope you get hit by a truck and a dog takes a dump on your face.” “Nothing to see here. Just a little hypoglycaemic rage. Move along.”

185 “I feel like a proud mama hen whose baby chicks have learned to fly!”

Hitchcock

186 “NAME, why do you have your shirt off?” “Can't spill food on your shirt if you're not wearing one.”

187 “What bet? What are you guys talking about?” “Seriously? The bet? They've been keeping score all year. It comes up all the time. What are you doing all day?!” “Nothing. Why, you want to hang out?”

188 “So you just want us to lie on the ground and do nothing like a bunch of losers?” “Yes, precisely.” “No!” “Jackpot!”

189 “I don't like it. Something stinks.” “Well, I'm sorry, but I refuse to mask my natural musk with a bunch of chemicals.”

190 “My God. NAME, are you the only person still making sense?” “Yeah. It's bad.”

191 “All right, food is ready, decorations are set, guests should start arriving any moment, and the chairs are still perfection.” “He/She said they're perfection. I'm so proud of you, buddy.” “It was you. You made this happen.”

192 “Who do you think it's gonna be?” “I've no idea.” “I bet it's me. I just hope I'm ready.”

193 “Okay, look, this was maybe a weird way to start the night, but the good news is, we can still make our dinner reservation and no one got hurt.” “Actually, I cut myself real bad.” “Of course you did.”

Scully

194 “Oh, so your plan is to not take this seriously at all?” “Oh, I am as serious as a heart attack. No offense, NAME.” “Nah. Mine are never that serious. I call 'em ‘oopsies’.”

195 “I miss my home chair.” “You miss a chair?”

196 “Are those thumbtacks? What the hell, NAME?” “I thought they'd make good confetti.” “Why?”

197 “All right, anyone else have questions? NAME, NAME, you've been weirdly silent.” “We didn't want to say anything that would get us uninvited.”

198 “Okay, first of all, I want to say that this was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make. There is so much talent in this room.” “Just tell us, bitch. Act as if you already have the role.”

199 “I'll be back. Don't move.” “Not a problem. I hate moving.”

200 “Where should we begin? Do you have any experience with puzzles?” “Yes. I've never solved one.”

[gegabriels]

For the story requests. I would like to see how Grantaire and Enjolras got their cat, Mouse, and how they chose her name, since she is mentioned in a few of your recent stories.

Grantaire nervously knocked on the door to Enjolras, Combeferre, and Courfeyrac's apartment. He swallowed, his hands fidgeting. One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. Grantaire considered walking away. But then, the door opened, showing a very frazzled looking Combeferre, in blue pajamas, without his glasses on. Combeferre yawned, wiping at his eyes.

"Who is it?" Combeferre asked, squinting, only able to make out Grantaire's shape without his glasses, not any of his features.

"It's me, Grantaire," Grantaire replied, Combeferre frowning, and stepping backwards,

"Come in, come in… What on Earth do you need? It's 10:00 pm," Combeferre demanded, walking into his room, and returning a second later with his glasses on. Combeferre yawned again, sitting down on the couch in the living room, giving Grantaire an expectant look.

"Y'know, average people don't head to bed at 10:00 pm," Grantaire commented, Combeferre resting his head on the blanket that was laid overtop the couch,

"Yes, well, average people didn't get back from working a twelve hour shift, only to have to put up with their two over-excited friends afterwards, and find out that one of their friends broke his toe again! And average people also don't randomly knock on their friend's door past 8:00 pm without reason," Combeferre argued, closing his eyes. Grantaire bit his lip,

"Wait… Bossuet broke his toe again?" He questioned, Combeferre nodding. Grantaire sighed,

"Ah," He murmured, Combeferre motioning to the empty space on the couch besides him,

"Sit," He ordered, Grantaire instantly doing as he said, "Now, what brings you here, my friend?" Combeferre asked, "Enjolras is out with Courfeyrac, trying to get to the store before it closes, since Courfeyrac broke the eggs again," Combeferre said. Grantaire frowned,

"Broke the eggs?" He repeated, Combeferre motioning towards the kitchen,

"Yes, he dropped them," He confirmed.

"And why did Enjolras go with him?" He asked,

"He was going to drop by the pharmacy real quick anyways, so it worked. Out of melatonin, again. I told him to get it last week, but no," Combeferre grumbled. Grantaire nodded, glad that he had caught Combeferre alone,

"Listen… Um, about next week," Grantaire began, Combeferre pressing a finger over Grantaire's mouth with a smile,

"Enjolras' birthday?" Combeferre stated, Grantaire blushing,

"Yeah… What do you think he'd, like, want?" He murmured. Combeferre thought, for a second, glancing around the room. The living room of the house was basically manageable chaos. Courfeyrac, Combeferre, and Enjolras' work papers were scattered in every direction imaginable, and there were blankets thrown randomly about the room, alone with a pillow here and there. It was dark outside, and the main lights were off, the only light in the room coming from the tall lamp in the corner.

"... Well, you could get him what you get him every year. Another friendship bracelet," Combeferre said with a smirk, Grantaire going even redder than he had been before.

"I just… I know what he likes, but I don't know if he'll like it, you know what I mean?" Combeferre raised an eyebrow,

"That's rather redundant, don't you think?" He replied, Grantaire sighing, running a hand through his black curls,

"I know… I know," He muttered, Combeferre sitting up straight,

"So, you want me to give you suggestions for gifts that Enjolras wouldn't despise?" He guessed, Grantaire nodding.

"You know, it's the thought that-" Combeferre began, Grantaire cutting him off,

"Counts, I know," He dismissed, Combeferre glancing out the window of the living room for a moment. The sky was already black, and a bit of moonlight was seeping its way into the room, lining the edge of the carpet.

"A cat," Combeferre suddenly said. Grantaire frowned,

"What?" He asked incredulously.

"A cat," Combeferre repeated, yawning, and giving the door to his bedroom a longing look.

"Does… Enjolras even want a cat?" The thought of Enjolras with a tiny, furry kitten curled up in his lap made Grantaire laugh. There was no way.

"Are you kidding me? He adores cats, but I always objected to getting one, because pets are messy," Combeferre explained, "Why else would he always feed the strays outside of the Musain?" Grantaire blinked,

"Uh… As part of his whole "feed the homeless" thing?" He said, shrugging, "Do you and Courfeyrac even want a cat, though? I mean, since you guys all live together, and all." It was Combeferre's turn to shrug,

"I can put up with a cat, and Courfeyrac loves them, though he loves dogs slightly more," Combeferre supplied, Grantaire still in shock over the fact that Enjolras could like cats, "I see that face you're making," Combeferre commented, Grantaire blushing,

"W-What, what face?" He asked, even though he very well knew the answer,

"Your 'I just realised Enjolras is a human, face.' It's actually wrong, though, I think he's a cat," Combeferre muttered, his head half-buried in the couch again.

"Alright, you need sleep," Grantaire declared, Combeferre rolling his eye that was currently visible,

"No, seriously, I swear I've heard him purr before…" And with that, Grantaire decided to leave Combeferre in peace.

_____

"Thanks for this, Jehan," Grantaire graciously said, as Jehan unlocked the door to his apartment.

"No problem. It's actually me who should be saying thank you to you! My apartment only allows one pet, but when I saw these poor little babies, shivering in the rain… I just had to do something," Jehan murmured, Grantaire smiling. Jehan had the biggest heart anyone could ever have. Grantaire and Jehan stepped into Jehan's apartment, Jehan closing the door behind him.

Jehan's apartment had an array of colors, much like Courfeyrac's room, but all of Jehan's colors blended and matched in beautiful ways. The apartment was warm, and smelled like a combination of basil, and some sort of spice. A few of Grantaire's paintings were hung up in the room, a large framed picture of the Les Amis proudly displayed on the center of the front wall. Jehan led Grantaire over to the door to the spare room in the apartment. Jehan twisted the doorknob, opening the door, only to immediately have a brown and white kitten run out. Jehan quickly picked up the little fluffball, entering the room with Grantaire, closing the door, and placing the kitten down on the floor.

In the corner of the room, under the desk on a blanket, lay a brown and black tabby, the mother of the three little kittens scrambling around on top of her, and the kitten who was determined to be named Houdini by its future owner. Grantaire couldn't help but coo at the adorableness of the kittens, and the mother cat gave him a less-than-impressed look. Jehan pet her,

"This is Luna," Jehan introduced, "And these four are her babies." Grantaire nodded, crouching down, and getting a closer look at the four. There were two brown and white kittens, one black kitten, and one brown kitten. The brown kitten strutted over to him, her tail raised high in the air, as she sniffed his knee, before digging her claws into it, and clambering on.

"Ow," Grantaire said, gently detaching the kitten from his pants. It gave him a dissatisfied mew, and Jehan laughed,

"These three are boys," He said, pointing at the kittens who had gotten over Grantaire's arrival, and had gone back to annoying their poor mother, "And the one you're holding is a girl." Grantaire nodded,

"Which would you recommend for Enjolras?" He asked, Jehan thinking for a moment,

"Well, I think he'd like this one," He pointed to the brown and white kitten, "Or the one you're holding. They've got the biggest… Character." Grantaire nodded once more, giving the kitten he was holding a glance over,

"Her then," He decided, Jehan smiling,

"Alright! I've already dewormed the bunch, and they should be good with fleas," He informed, "She's eight weeks old, just old enough to leave Luna. Since you can't give her to Enj until tomorrow, do you have a litter box and kitten food at home? Is your house heated enough-" Grantaire cut Jehan off,

"She'll be fine," He reassured his friend, Jehan sighing, and taking the brown kitten, kissing her forehead,

"I'll miss you, baby," He whispered, before placing the kitten in front of Luna. Grantaire raised an eyebrow, "It's so she can say bye to her mom!" Jehan defended. Luna sniffed the kitten, licking her head, before Jehan handed her back to Grantaire, getting the carrier in the corner of the room, which had blankets inside of it, "Here, you put her in." Grantaire gently placed the brown kitten inside of the carrier. The kitten made a few panicked squeaks, as Grantaire lifted the carrier up. Luna growled, having heard her kitten's distress, and Jehan ran his fingers through her fur, calming her.

"Byeeeee kitten!" Jehan exclaimed, Grantaire smirking, before walking out of the room, and exiting the apartment.

_____

"So…" Grantaire gave the kitten, who was now sitting on the floor of his, Joly, Bossuet, and Musichetta's living room, an expectant look, about a day later, "What's your name?" The kitten blinked at him, Grantaire frowning, and turning his head towards Joly, who was making a sandwich in the kitchen, "I think she's broken." Joly rolled his eyes, walking over, and picking the kitten up,

"She's a cat, Grantaire, they don't speak English," He said, smiling at the kitten, before immediately setting her down, "Oh, oh, wait, I was reading an article about diseases transmitted by cats-" Grantaire quickly cut him off,

"She doesn't have a frickin' disease, Joly," He stroked her tiny head with his thumb, and she let out a few tiny purrs, digging her claws into his shirt, and scrambling up to his shoulder. Grantaire smiled,

"I almost want a cat myself," He murmured, Joly raising an eyebrow, and sitting down on the couch,

"Mhm, you can barely take care of yourself as it is," He replied, Grantaire sighing,

"I know," He gave the kitten another few pets, before lifting her up, and placing her back inside of her carrier, "Gonna head down now." Joly nodded, supportively patting Grantaire's shoulder, before walking back into the kitchen. Bossuet and Musichetta made their way into the living room, Bossuet tripping over his own feet, and landing face first on the couch. Musichetta shook her head exasperatedly, turning towards Grantaire,

"You taking her down now?" She enquired, Grantaire nodding.

"The meeting was pretty cool today," Bossuet said, "Less political stuff and more of Combeferre telling embarrassing stories of Enjolras when he was two, and Enjolras hiding under a table." Musichetta tugged Bossuet's head off of the couch cushion, sitting down in its previous place.

"I like the political talk," She defended, "I want to help make a change." Grantaire snorted,

"Yeah, hate to break it to you, but nothing we do will actually change anything. When was the last time that it did? The people in power don't care," He argued. Joly joined the conversation, walking into the living room with his completed sandwich,

"That's why the people in power need to go down, my friend," He said, Grantaire opening his mouth to argue. Musichetta shook her head,

"Alright Mr. Negativity, go deliver that kitten," Musichetta instructed, Grantaire lifting carrier up, the kitten mewing from inside of it. It was Enjolras' birthday that day. Everyone had already wished him a happy birthday, and given him a gift. Except for Grantaire. Grantaire hadn't. If this bothered Enjolras, he had done a great job of hiding it, as he hadn't given Grantaire as much as a glance the entire meeting. Grantaire left his apartment building, heading out to the streets, the kitten loudly protesting the chilly May air. Thankfully, Combeferre, Enjolras, and Courfeyrac's apartment was nearby, and the kitten was soon back inside of a warm apartment building, as Grantaire made his way up the steps to the Triumvirate's floor. She still didn't seem thrilled about being carried around, however, and Grantaire did his best not to jostle her any further.

Grantaire's heart thudded in his chest, as he stood outside of the door to Enjolras' place. Tentatively, he lifted up his fist, and knocked on it. There was a clambering sound from the other side, and Combeferre opened the door,

"Oh, hello," Combeferre greeted, giving Grantaire a nod. Grantaire nodded back, Combeferre glancing at the carrier,

"You can place it behind the couch," Combeferre directed, Grantaire nodding, and stepping into the living room, sliding the carrier containing the brown kitten behind the couch. The living room seemed even more messy since the last time he'd visited, with even more papers scattered everywhere, and something that looked suspiciously like confetti thrown into the mix as well. Probably Courfeyrac's doing.

"Where are Enjolras and Courf?" Grantaire asked, Combeferre readjusting his glasses,

"I believe they're throwing pillows at each other," He answered, Grantaire blinking,

"Throwing pillows?" He repeated, Combeferre sighing,

"Yes, because apparently the appropriate way to celebrate one turning 22 is for one to act like a 2-year-old," He sarcastically said, walking over to Courfeyrac's room, and opening the door, returning a moment later with Enjolras and Courfeyrac beside him.

"Oh. Hey Grantaire," Enjolras murmured, sitting down on the couch, not spotting the carrier behind it. Grantaire couldn't help the blush that spread across his face,

"H-Hey Enjolras, happy birthday," He said, Enjolras giving him a genuine smile,

"Thanks," He replied, Grantaire nodding. Courfeyrac gave Grantaire a confused look,

"Why are you here? Is it about the 5 dollars? I'll pay it back!" Courfeyrac exclaimed, Grantaire raising an eyebrow,

"...What 5 dollars?"

"Nothing!" Grantaire smirked,

"Anyways, I'm here because I have something for Enjolras," He informed, locking eyes with Combeferre, who went behind the couch, taking the cat carrier out, and handing it to Grantaire. Enjolras eyes widened,

"Is that-" He began, as Grantaire opened the carrier, gently removing the brown kitten, and placing her in Enjolras' lap. Enjolras froze, giving Combeferre a shocked look, Combeferre giving him a smile in return. Enjolras gently stroked the kitten, the kitten purring, and stretching her tiny body out across his lap, showing off her light brown tummy.

"Uh… Happy birthday?" Grantaire murmured, Enjolras tenderly picking the kitten up, and placing it in Courfeyrac's lap, before approaching Grantaire. Grantaire felt himself stiffen in fear, despite the fact that he was at least a head taller, and three times more muscular than the blonde. Enjolras then proceeded to pull him into a short hug. Grantaire smiled, wrapping his arms around the blonde. They parted after a second, their blue eyes meeting, and time itself seeming to stop, before Enjolras finally looked away,

"You were in on this?" He asked Combeferre, Combeferre giving him a thumbs-up.

"And I kinda knew," Courfeyrac piped up, "But I didn't know Grantaire was the one who was gonna bring the cat. Say, where'd you get it?" Enjolras ran his fingers across the kitten's body, picking her up and cradling her against his chest.

"Got her from Jehan, remember how he took in those strays?" Grantaire responded, Courfeyrac nodding,

"What's her name?" He asked. Grantaire shrugged,

"Up to E." Enjolras opened his mouth, Courfeyrac raising an eyebrow,

"Don't you dare name the poor thing Revolution," He warned, Enjolras rolling his eyes,

"It's a good name!" He defended, Courfeyrac face-palming,

"You can't name a little baby kitten Revolution!" He protested, Grantaire tapping the side of his face in thought,

"I can go over her features, if that helps. Brown, tiny, like a little mouse…" Enjolras snapped his fingers,

"Mouse," He decided. Courfeyrac giggled,

"Mouse the cat?" He enquired, Enjolras lightly smacking the side of Courfeyrac's head, causing him to giggle even more. Mouse approved of her new name, and voiced her opinion with a meow, as she rolled over in Enjolras' lap.

"C'mere Ferre, hold Mouse," Courfeyrac prompted, Enjolras holding her out to Combeferre,

"No thank you," Combeferre started, Enjolras shoving the furball into his lap anyways. Combeferre sighed, but pet Mouse anyhow, and the three began a lively conversation together. Grantaire stood up,

"I'm gonna go get Mouse's stuff from my apartment, and bring it over," He said, quickly heading towards the door. Enjolras exited the living room, following after him. Grantaire froze, as Enjolras approached, certain that things were all going to go to shit,

"Hey, thank you," Enjorlas murmured. Grantaire giving him a small nod, "You can come over and see Mouse, if you'd like," Enjolras offered,

"Really?" Grantaire asked,

"Really," Enjolras confirmed. Grantaire blinked,

"You wouldn't mind?"

"No, it'd be nice to spend more time with you anyways," Enjolras mumbled, Grantaire grinning,'

"Uhm, great then," He responded,

"Great," Enjolras repeated, looking back towards the living room, "I better go make sure Courfeyrac didn't accidentally sit on Mouse or something." He gave Grantaire one last awkward glance, before walking off.

Grantaire needed to make sure that his heart didn't forget it's job, as it thumped wildly inside of his chest.

[yeontanismypresident]

Our One and Only | 04

Word count: 2,516

Genre: Fluff, angst, possible future smut

Summary:  The members didn’t think they could be any more content than they were at the moment. They were getting to become known worldwide and have inspired a significant amount of other hybrids to follow their aspirations. However, when Y/n strolled into the room, they realized they could turn out to be quite a lot more satisfied.

A/N: Okay wow it’s been 832 years since I’ve updated this story and I apologize for that. I just haven’t been the most motivated person, but I think I’m back! I don’t know how I feel about this chapter, so let me know what you think. Let me know in the comments if you’d like to be tagged 💕

01, 02, 03, 04 (Links will be added shortly)

Chapter Four

When you woke up the next morning, you weren't expecting to be smothered to death. Okay, maybe that was an over exaggeration, but in your defense, it's not always the ideal way to be woken up by your niece shoving a pillow in your face and giggling. All the while your boyfriend was recording it and laughing in the background.

"What are you two doing?" your voice cracked slightly, and you rubbed the sleep out from your eyes. Yuna jumped up and down on your bed, while screaming, "It's time to wake up aunt y/n! It's already 10am!!" The next time she was about to jump, you grabbed a hold of her and brought her close to you. She giggled and got out of your arms, jumping off the bed, and walking over to where Hyuk was sitting. She climbed into his lap and cuddled into his chest. Usually when you saw her interacting with him, you would smile and be elated that she liked him. Though for some reason, all you could think about was how cute it would be if Hyuk was one of the other boys. You frowned and furrowed your eyebrows as soon the thought left.

"Why couldn't you have given me, I don't know, maybe another hour of sleep," you groaned while you got up and headed into the bathroom. "Because, I'm leaving tonight and I want to spend lots of time with you!" You slightly frowned at that, forgetting she was leaving already. it does make sense, since she has to go back to school tomorrow, but you wished she got to stay for more than one night.

Shaking the thoughts from your head, you smiled at her as you finished brushing your teeth, “Well then, let’s get a start on today then. Shall we?” Yuna nodded her head rapidly and gave you a huge grin. Both Hyuk and Yuna followed you out of your bedroom and into the kitchen. Yuna brought over her coloring books and asked you to read to her in English while she colored. As you were reading to her, Hyuk got started on making breakfast.

“Uncle Hyuk? What are we having for breakfast?” Yuna asked him as she continued to listen to you and color a picture of a dog and cat. The picture started to remind you of Jimin and Hoseok, so you quickly looked away and continued reading.

Giving you a smile when he caught your eyes, he answered the child’s question,” I’m making some pancakes, eggs, and bacon.” She squealed and both you and Hyuk laughed at her antics. As soon as the food was done, you set the table and helped your boyfriend with bringing the meal to the table.

It was quiet as everyone ate, though the silence was broken five minutes later by Hyuk’s voice, “I’ll be leaving around noon for work and won’t be back for two days.” When you gave him puppy dog eyes, he tightly closed his eyes and joked around, “Yah! That’s not fair! You know my weakness is your puppy dog eyes and cute pout!” You threw your head back and laughed loudly, as Yuna just watched the two of you tease each other.

On the other side of the city, the boys were in their living room thinking over everything that had happened the night before. They were all extremely tired and wondering where they had gone wrong. Namjoon and Seokjin had stayed up talking about why you had sent the message. Hoseok had stayed up wondering why you didn't want to talk to them anymore, while Yoongi had stayed up with thoughts of it all being his fault for being rude to you during the fan meet. The maknae line had all fallen asleep in the same bed, cuddled up and their tails intertwined, with dried tears on their cheeks. It was Namjoon that broke the silence that had settled over them; "Think back to last night. Did anyone say something or text her something that she would take the wrong way?" his voice was scratchy and low as he talked. A chorus of 'no' rang through the room. he groaned, running his hand through his messy hair. It was silent for a few more minutes before Jungkook timidly spoke up, "Do you think her boyfriend has something to do with it?" Low growls rumbled through everyone's chest, their tails swishing in anger. They were all thinking the same thing: If that Hyuk guy so much as laid a hand on you then he was dead. "I'll kill that mother fucker if he touches her," Hoseok growled loudly, causing the others anger to increase. Before it could get too out of control, Jin calms everyone down. "Okay, okay, no one is killing anyone. No matter how much we hate the guy, we can't kill him," Jin's voice was stern as he told the others this. Jimin then decided to challenge Jin, "Can we at least scuff him up a little bit? He deserves it after he tried to hit her last night. He's lucky a child was there or else I would ha-" "Jimin, stop. Now," Jin cut him off with a heated stare. Once again growls and snarls were leaving the other members, and all Jimin could do was glare down at the floor.

Jin rolled his eyes at the group of tense hybrids, “You guys need to calm down. We have to figure out why she texted us about leaving her alone. Has she answered anyone’s texts?”

“No, she hasn’t even opened any of them. I’m worried about her Jin Hyung,” Taehyung’s voice held pain, just wanting their mate to talk to them. At least let them know she was okay and not hurt.

Hoseok put his arm around Taehyung’s shoulder, his tailing wrapping around his middle in the process, “We all are TaeTae. We just have to give her some space. Maybe she’s just confused on why she’s feeling this way.” Hoseok could tell they were still doubtful, so he tried again to cheer them up, “I mean, you guys saw she was sticking up for us and taking our side. She’s already feeling the bond.”

That seemed to be the right thing to say, since as soon as the words left his mouth, he could see his brothers’ faces light up and their shoulders untensing.

As soon as Hyuk had left for work, you went and grabbed your phone off of your nightstand. You know you said you wouldn't contact them anymore, but you were curious as to what they had replied to your text with. While you waited for it to turn on, you walked back into the living room to see Yuna watching TV.   "Yuna, what do you want for lunch? We can order in takeout or go to that diner down the street," you said and sat next to her. She looked to be thinking hard on what she wanted to do, so while she thought it over, you looked at your phone as it had finally turned on. Your eyes widened as soon as you saw the number of notifications you had. There was at least 100 unread messages. At least 90 of them were from the BTS members. The rest of them were from your brother, parents, and uni friends. Yuna waved a hand in front of your face, "Auntie, I decided what I want to do!" "Which one did you decide on?" you said as you tickled her tummy. She giggled and wiggled away from you, "I wanna go to the diner!" You hummed, pretending to think, and when she giggled and pushed you, you finally agreed. She cheered and went back to watching the TV intently. You looked as well and saw it was actually switch to YouTube. Seeing the boys on the screen dancing and singing made your heart skip a beat.

You set an alarm for 2:30pm and then sat back and watched as your niece danced cutely along with the video. It took her half an hour to tire out and resign to sitting and watching them. After she sat down, you got up and headed to clean the mess in the kitchen. If you had time, then you would tackle the mountain of homework. You had finished your math homework five minutes before your alarm went off, signaling it was time for lunch. Walking back into the living room, you saw Yuna asleep on the couch, with the music still playing on the TV. You gently shook her arm, waking her up so you two could head out to a late lunch. 

Instead of taking a taxi, you grabbed Yuna's hand and started walking in the direction of the diner. It would only be a 10 minute walk, and exercise was always good for you. The walk was filled with laughter and talking about BTS. Even though you really didn't want to talk about them, you hadn't even answered their messages and you didn’t know if you ever were, you knew they were some of Yuna's favorite people. Besides, she was leaving later this afternoon and you would never have to talk or think about them again. Well, at least until you see Yuna again.

When you got to the diner, you walked in and sat in the booth closest to the counter. That way it would be easy to pay and you can get out fast. The waiter came over and took your drink orders, before leaving and allowing you and your niece to talk. The same waiter came back a few minutes later with your coffee and Yuna’s banana milk and took your orders. As soon as he left, the bell above the door rang throughout the room, signaling some customers had entered. Naturally your head turned to see who it was, and you almost choked on your drink when you saw who it was. Standing right there were the seven men who were taking over your thoughts and making you question your relationship of three years.

It seemed as though Yuna hadn’t seen who came in or the reaction you had, for she asked you, quite loudly as well, “Aunt Y/n, who’s your favorite BTS member?” Your eyes widened and your cheeks reddened to a dark red as you saw her question had gained their attention. Your already widened eyes widened even more when you saw the maknae line running towards your table with their tails wagging behind them.

“Y/N!!!” Taehyung screamed as soon they got to where you sat. Both him and Jungkook sat by you, while Jimin took the seat next to Yuna. The rest of the boys slowly walked over, and even though you could tell they were trying to appear calm, their tails, bright eyes, and bright smiles told you they were just as excited as the younger ones. Hoseok sat next to Jimin, and the other three sat behind them in the next booth, but turned towards you all.

Seokjin gave you an apologetic smile when his eyes connected with yours, “Sorry about them, they just missed you is all. You don’t mind us sitting with you, do you?” It was clear they were hopeful you would agree. Their eyes told you all you needed to know.

“Of course you guys can!” Yuna spoke up before you could get a word out, causing your eyes to widen and mouth to drop at the little girl. They all giggled at your face and you closed your mouth quickly.

It was silent for a few minutes, enough time for the waiter to put down the food you ordered as well as the guys’ food. Yoongi broke the silence with the question that was on all of the guys’ minds, “So, who’s your favorite member?”

All you could do was stutter for a few seconds, before you finally found the right words, “Yah! You can’t just ask me that Yoongi!” They all laughed and you couldn’t help but to join in on their fun.

“Bye Yuna! I’ll see you later!” you kissed her forehead and got up from your crouch. Turning towards your brother, you hugged him, “It was good seeing you, though I wish we could have had more time to hang out.”

Jay chuckled, squeezing you tightly before he let you go, “Thanks for watching her this weekend and taking her to the concert.” You told him it was no problem and watched as he and Yuna got into the taxi, driving them to the airport.

You watched their taxi drive away, lost in your thoughts once more. This time, you were wondering what you were going to do for the rest of the night. It was only 5pm and you had finished all of your homework. Someone cleared their throat and you turned around to see the seven hybrids still standing there. If you were being honest, you had forgotten they were there while you were saying your goodbyes. There was an awkward silence and you knew you should break it and speak, but for some reason you didn’t know what to say. Although there was one thought that kept repeating and was starting to get annoying.

You knew you shouldn't, but you couldn't help but to invite them over to your apartment. Hyuk wasn't going to be able to visit for another 2 days, seeing as he has some work thing in Incheon, so there shouldn't be any fighting. And you just couldn't explain it, but you were drawn to them and couldn't stay away. Jungkook's voice broke you from your thoughts, "Y/n-ah, are you okay?" Looking up from your feet, you took in your surroundings, trying to figure out what to say. You were stood outside the diner with the seven of them around you in a semicircle. All around you, people were walking past. "Jagi?" it was Yoongi who brought you back to reality this time. "Huh? Oh yeah I'm fine. I was just thinking..." you trailed off, suddenly afraid of making them uncomfortable. That was the last thing you wanted to do. Namjoon gently put his hand on your arm, and softly asked you, "Are you sure you're okay?" "Yeah! I was, uh, just wondering if you guys would like to come back to my apartment.." you asked, your voice shy and nearly a whisper. It was quiet as they all just stared at you with wide eyes. Not being able to take the silence any longer, you tried to take it all back, "I mean you guys don't have to! I just thought we could all hang out some more..." All of a sudden, they all broke out into huge grins, their tails either wagging or swaying in excitement. You tried to stop the giggle that came out of your mouth, but had no luck. Judging by their reaction, it was a good thing you let the sound escape.

It was Namjoon that nodded his head and gave you a verbal response, "We'd love to come over."

@child-ofthe-moon-and-leaves, @chari-a, @cjisluckycharm, @huhuehuey, @childfmoonn, @goldenkookss, @jiminsreina, @i-am-canada-13, @eilowyneleyne, @2seokkyo, @lokathefemale, @raja-in-demigodishness, @shelley-hennig14, @theshiningmoonsblog, @agoddesswithablade, @the-argus-eyed, @btsstan4life, @jinniepeachxo, @purpleheartsfortae, @nari2220, @k00kjals, @yasbts705, @moxxie84, @breadcaaat, @kpopgirlbtssvt, @kamibyul, @minyoongi-infiresme, @shaelin444, @acadevintage, @theashofwkm, @row-row-row-your-fandoms, @peachesandcreamsthings, @dinorahrodriguez, @morgsstudies-blog, @feed-my-geek-soul, @elazarofir, @lsuzi, @xsmilebitesx, @miraisnotavailable, @vannilacake, @omgsuperstarg, @danithearmy, @galaxy-gamer-girl, @vincent-stargogh, @im-emo-motherfuckers, @aijoukook, @stargazingmoonchild, @tzuyyyuuu, @heart-of-shadows-and-starlight, @starrliter, @livelifewondering, @valiantcollectorofsandwiches

[kainetestament]

Falcon and Winter Soldier Episode 1 and 2 breakdown.

My oh My, Marvel is really giving us some sort of like a reality check in here. They added twists here that our current society are facing to hopefully “probably” teach us about our humanity as an individual.

In Episode 1, the series started out with Sam being on a mission in Tunisian Airspace to save Captain Vassant, who is now help hostage by LAF, there’s no reference to LAF in the comic, but here in MCU – it is describe as a criminal organization who is taking advantage of the commotion of the reverse blip in order to make profit. And here, Batroc makes his appearance once again after his first appearance in Captain America and Winter Soldier. Just a quick fact, Georges Batroc is portrayed by Georges St-Pierre, who not only shares his first name, but St-Pierre is a MMA Champion with a record of 28 matches of 26 wins and 2 losses, *woooot*, no wonder his moves are so fluid.

Moving on, Sam is now in Washington giving his speech as he surrenders Captain America’s shield, in which he believed will be put in the museum in honor and respect for Steve Rogers, but little did her know, there was a conspiracy behind it (which we’ll discuss later). James Rhodes still tried to talk some sense out of him, but Sam’s always reply with “It feels like it belongs to someone else. That someone else is Steve.” But let’s try to pay attention to what Rhodey say’s to him back.

World’s a crazy place right now. People are… Well, nobody’s stable. Allies are now enemies. Alliances are all torn apart. The world’s broken. Everybody is just looking for somebody to fix it.

It makes me think that Rhodey is specifically referring to Wanda when he said nobody is stable, not the people of the world specifically, because when we speak to someone, we know that everyone else are experiencing hardship, but we will always use someone as an example for the conversation, but on this case, they avoided referencing Wanda directly. Also the series takes place “months after the blip”, we don’t have the exact timeline yet, but we do know it takes place after WandaVision (two months earliest) and before Spider-Man Far From Home. So Rhodey receiving a report of Wanda’s actions, and Vision’s revival and Westview rampage is not impossible. The “Allies are now enemies. Alliances are all torn apart.” reference can have double meaning, considering what they did in WandaVision where they made the audience feel there’s more to that statement. But this can be an easter egg to Dr. Strange where they use the same tagged line for the movie prep while the alliances could referring to Avengers itself (though it already is, but they still considered that HQ as their home till Thanos destroyed it), S.H.I.E.L.D (we know this is not the same SHIELD of Nick Fury as he is now in space as hinted in SM:FFH), S.W.O.R.D (with Hayward abusing his authorities), and possibly the Sokovia Accords because of what Wanda and Vision did in Westview. But as I said, because of what Marvel did in WandaVision, in the end , they could probably just dismiss it as some government related stuff.

We now have Barnes who is reliving in his nightmares of the killing. Plate Number 10872 FQ is a reference to Marvel Comics called Introducing the New Captain America and Bucky that was publish in October 1987, where John Walker is now the new Captain America as shown at the end of the episode. Other think I actually like about Bucky’s therapy session was when the doctor asked for his phone, he is using a flip phone, not just any flip phones, looks like a AT&T Cingular Flip 2 (I guess it pays off learning about phones because I used to work for them, ahahaha), and since its year 2023-24 in this timeline, it’s quite fun to see this small detail done so perfectly because AT&T no longer service 2G signals since January 2017 (if I remember it correctly), to give way into 5G services. Anyway, this attention to detail about Bucky using a 4G flip phone is pretty amazing. And how am I guessing this is an AT&T phone? Well, in Infinity War, the phone Steve gave Tony is also another AT&T Flip Phone which I think is a Z223 (a 3G flip phone – not to be confused with Z222 which is a 2G version and both phones look identical). It’s quite funny actually that AT&T, who is the parent company of WarnerMedia (WB who owns DC) is very present here.

Then now we see Sam going back to his family whom he hasn’t visited for quite some time. Here he sees the struggle of his sister, and tried to offer his help. We can probably assume as per his behavior that when they go to the bank, their loan request will be approve because of his affiliations of saving the world and for being the Falcon, but reality check slapped him hard, the guy didn’t even bother listening to their plans and straight out denied their loan application – which was made clear in Episode 2 as to what the problem could actually be.

We now also see Bucky answering the set-up date Yori made for him with the woman name Leah, who works as a waitress at the Japanese Bar/Restaurant called Izzy. As their conversation proceeded, Bucky ran away to find Yori under the pretense of owing him his lunch, when in reality, it was his guilt of killing his son who became witness of his assassination.

Episode 1 ends by introducing the new Captain America, holding the shield Sam surrendered in the museum.

Episode 2 started with John Walker visiting his Alma Mater, Custer’s Grove High School. His full introduction even played Captain America’s theme song only re-arrange to match modern era. During his interview for GMA, he mentions that “I’m not Tony Stark, I’m not Doctor Banner, okay? I don’t have the flashiest gadgets, I don’t have super strength. But what I do have is guts.” Mentioning these lines could probably a way of him to get the sympathy of the people, by saying I’m not Tony Stark is like an indication that he doesn’t have the money, brains (to invent), or Iron Man suit that can make him powerful. By saying he’s not Doctor Banner, who have seven PhD’s and can transform himself into the Hulk, and debatable as the strongest Avenger, he can make almost like an assurance to the people that as an ordinary human, he have the guts to fight to the best of his abilities.

Bucky who is watching the whole interview, have a smirk on his face for disbelief and disappointment that his best friend’s shield is now in the hands of a wanna be. It then cuts to Sam who is also in disbelief that everywhere he go, he is seeing the face an unfamiliar guy wielding the shield that Cap gave him. He got ambushed by Bucky to told him he shouldn’t have surrendered the shield to which Sam replied “No, of course I didn’t know that was gonna happen. You think it didn’t break my heart to see them march him out there and call him the new Captain America?” – which I believe is his wholehearted feeling as he was cheated and betrayed by the government. But let us also pay attention to what Sam said after Bucky told him “This isn’t what Steve want.”

Oh my God. So what do you want me to do? Call America and tell ‘em I change my mind?

It’s easy to assume that the government and him probably had a conversation about becoming the new Captain America, but more than likely he declined, that’s why in Episode 1, Rhodey told him “I see you’re gonna make me ask. Why didn’t you take up the mantle?” Well, it’s probably more complex than his “It feels like it belongs to someone else.” –but we’ll talk about it in a bit.

I find it really funny about Bucky jumping off the plane feeling nervous, yelling even. I think the purpose of the director and writers are doing this is basically to give Bucky the opportunity or making the audiences feel that, even though he was an emotionless, robotic-like assassin, he can change and by including the rules his therapist gave him, can help him gain his humanity back.  

1.    Can’t do anything illegal.

2.    Nobody gets hurt.

3.    Unspoken (probably to introduce himself not as the Winter Soldier but Bucky Barnes or just simply smile). Dr Raynor only says that “The whole point of making amends is to fulfill rule number three.”

Also I really just wanna guess who those under 10 contact numbers are. We are sure its Dr. Rayner and Sam, I’m guessing it also has Steve’s old number, I wanna guess T’Challa too, so that’s four of them. Hmmmm, can’t really think of anybody else.

By the way, the SMILING thing. Right now, Bucky’s smiling is so unnatural, but even so, if he keeps on doing it, one day, he can smile naturally. And now we can also see him showing another kind of emotion, NERVOUSNESS – when he was about to jump down the plan. I'm pretty sure if he is his former Winter Soldier, he won’t even feel the slightest nervousness jumping off the plane, let alone landing gracefully, in contrast to here where he landed, let’s admit it, quite shamefully, even Torres will surely agree with me here. Then there's also the AGGRAVATION towards the new Captain America because of the shield. And the most important part of his humanity that’s resurfacing is his GUILT or CONSCIENCE, where his nightmare and Yori’s presence speaks very loudly.

While Bucky is stealthily walking, Sam references him as a White Panther, which is basically him being Caucasian and came back from his like rehabilitation in Wakanda, he has become like opposite of T’Challa’s Black Panther. And now Bucky corrects him by saying his new moniker is now White Wolf, a name that T’Challa bestowed on him (if not referred only).

Now for the action part, we get to witness once more Bucky’s Super Soldier ability by seeing how he outruns the second truck and catch up with the first truck, and these are 14-wheeler trucks (they’re scary in real life ahaha). Anyway, the battle began after the suspected hostage turns out to the head of the group, threw Bucky onto the windshield of the second truck, then pulled up by the other two members on top of the truck and John Walker and Lamar Hoskins joining them after.

I’m pretty sure STACKIE fans out there went nuts with a bit of that fan-service they did, when Falcon dive under the first truck on the way to the second truck to save Bucky, but I think the wings got caught on the ground making Sam loose his balance that’s why they went rollin’ on the yellow flower field – which looks like either chrysanthemum or daisy, which is in flower language, Yellow Daisy means a good friend while Yellow Chrysanthemum can mean neglect of love or sorrow. It actually looks more like daisy, it’s just that the leaves kind of looks like chrysanthemum… I could be wrong, but if it is daisy, then putting a yellow daisy here will be could actually mean that a good friendship is about to start and the chrysanthemum could mean their sorrow stemming from Steve and living up to his expectations.

We now have Bucky and Sam being invited by John and Lamar to ride with them on their jeep stating that it’s about 20miles to the airport and they need a ride. After joining them on the jeep, we now can see finally having a proper conversation. But we can see that Sam actually have to asked them twice about what are they doing there, they have successfully avoided the first time by stating that they checked their location thru Red Wing and on the second time, Lemar responded with “Well, they provide the resources and we keep things stable.” Then John followed it with “Yeah, violent revolutionaries aren’t usually good for anyone’s cause.” –which from my understanding, still doesn’t answer Sam’s question, that why Sam sarcastically responded with “Usually said by the people with the resources.” Then now John offered the two to join them, in which Bucky frankly declined, the Lemar tried to rub salt on their wound by saying their asses were getting kicked till they show up, that starts to tick off Bucky, until he mentions he’s called Battlestar, which pissed Bucky off even further. I’m not really sure why he got pissed after hearing that, but I’m guessing (yes, guessing, meaning I'm not sure) that the reason he got pissed was because Lemar have a hero name, pretty much like Bucky being the Winter Soldier/White Wolf and Sam being the Falcon, and of course Steve being the true Captain America, Bucky probably felt insulted that not only America made a new Captain America, they even gave him a side kick with a hero name.

Bucky got off the jeep first then John apologizing to Sam by saying he’s not Steve and is not trying be like him, but trying to be a Captain America in his own way. Sam left the jeep as well after he felt insulted when John wanted Sam and Bucky, who are Steve’s best friend and partners, to be his wingmen. John clearly have no idea of what their relationship really is and calling them Steve’s wingmen rather than Steve’s friend or partner, but he used wingmen, that John interprets as they are just someone that supports Steve, he’s clearly belittling them, that’s why Sam scoffs and responded with “It’s always that last line.”

We now see the Flagsmashers arriving on a place of one their group’s supporters to get some rest. Their leader Karli received a text message saying “You took what’s mine. I’m going to find you and kill you.” –which I think is a message from John Walker. Because in the comics, John became like a super soldier from Powerbroker, and in here, we can probably theorized that the real reason he is in Munich is to get his hand on the serum but Karli stole it from him before he could get his hands on it.

We now have Sam and Bucky on military plane and Bucky telling Sam that they should take the shield back, in which Sam told they can’t do it just like that cause the last time they did (also in Germany), Sharon – Peggy’s niece who was also a CIA, helped Steve and Sam get their weapons back (shield and wings before the airport battle in Civil War), then they went on hiding until Thanos came, and Bucky was taken in by T’Challa to cure him at Wakanda. Sharon was punished for her actions, and she will be making her appearance any time soon since the ED also have her picture included but her name is not yet present since she hasn’t made any appearance yet.

Bucky brought Sam to Baltimore, MD to meet the Black Super Soldier, Isaiah Bradley. As they walk thru the neighborhood on the way to Isaiah’s house , looks like the show have already hinted what’s about to come in the future. The kid upon being introduced called Sam the Black Falcon, instead of just simply the Falcon. Sam played with the kid by asking him “Is it because I’m black and I'm the Falcon?” and the kid confusedly replied with “Well, technically, I mean, yes.” Then Sam playfully responded with “So are you, like, Black kid?” and they started laughing it off. But if you look at it from a different perspective, it is kind of like the premonition, because within their conversation, it can only be done by them, because if a white person actually say that phrase? I’m pretty sure, that laugh in the end will not be present. There’s more to it but I’ll discuss it after.

Sam and Bucky arrived at Isaiah’s house, and Bucky introduced him to Sam by saying “He was a hero. One of the ones that HYDRA feared the most, like Steve.” As their conversation proceeded, Isaiah explained that others like him that were sent in Goyang never came back, so the military sent him to deal with Bucky and he won that battle. But instead of being celebrated as a hero, the military or government decided to brand him and put him in jail for 30 years. I’m not gonna use his comic s counterpart since MCU have their own story retelling. But as I mentioned before, it’s a premonition.

Then Bucky and Sam left the house and Sam feeling a bit frustrated due to disbelief that other than Bucky and Steve, there’s another Super Soldier still alive for decades. Then here comes a bit of reality check in America. A patrolling police catches them having an argument. Soon after, the police asked for Sam’s ID but didn’t asked for Bucky’s but instead asked Bucky if this man is bothering him. Now this is actually quite a very, very good reality check and I applaud the Malcolm Spellman and Kari Skogland for putting this kind of a wakeup call here. These scene or event is very powerful and it mirrors the reality of the black community experiencing the racial profiling from the police brutality in America. We can also see the house behind Sam that says STOP THE VIOLENCE, then on board beside it reads words like, HEAL THE SICK, STOP KILLING, PLANT A SEED, LOVE, TRUST. It was not until Bucky dropped the hint by saying “Do you know who this is?” and one of the police recognizing them as the Avengers and the police stared at Sam for bit and realized its Sam Wilson aka the Falcon and started apologizing by saying he didn’t recognized him since he isn’t wearing his goggles. With the police instead of just letting it go, still tried to look for a loophole, but sadly the loophole is not with Sam, but with Bucky, who missed his therapy session because of going with Sam on Munich then to Baltimore.

We now see Bucky being released thru John Walker’s authority and Dr. Raynor summoning both of them for a therapy session. The scene started out quite funny but later on, it hit hard again. Dr. Raynor asked Bucky why Sam aggravates him.

Bucky: Why did you gave up that shield?

Sam: Why are you making such a big deal out of something that has nothing to do with you?

Bucky: Steve believed in you. He trusted you. He gave you that shield for a reason. That shield, that is… that is everything he stood for. That is his legacy. He gave you that shield, and you threw it away like it was nothing.

Sam: Shut up.

Bucky: … So maybe he was wrong about you. And if he was wrong about you, then he was wrong about me.

Sam: You finished?

Bucky: Yeah.

Sam: All right, good. Maybe this is something you or Steve will never understand. But can you accept that I did what I thought was right?

         We can now also see that before Bucky leaves, it dropped yet another hint of what’s about to happen by asking his doctor, “What was rule number two again?” which is more likely will be broken and even Dr Raynor acknowledges that it will.

         I’ll skip John Walker scene, and now we have Karli loadingthe plane with their Super Soldier serum supply. When a member of Flagsmashers stay behind to delay the Power Broker’s, one of Power Broker’s men who is seen wearing a bullet proof vest was seen talking over the phone saying “They got away.” whom I think he’s reporting to John Walker.

         Now let jump back with Sam and Bucky. Sam asked Bucky what he’s thinking, Bucky responded with “When Isaiah said my people”… Sam understood that when he said “my people” – meaning white people that’s why Sam said “Oh, don’t take it to heart. That’s not what he meant.” To which Bucky corrected him saying “No, he meant HYDRA. HYDRA used to be my people.” And now they are off to see Zemo and now we see Zemo inside his cell.

 Pheewwwwww, that’s a long post… ahahaha, see you on the next one, still working with Snyder Cut but im still considering of I should post it or not, after all, so many groups out there already made a video and article out it…but we’ll see…

[silwenworld]

Summary:  

 Ten years ago, Agent Robert Gold had lost almost everything, and now the only thing keeping him moving is a promise given a long time ago. He won't rest till he gets all those responsible. But is the current case really connected or has he finally cracked? How does Lacey French, the woman from the casino that seems not to have ever existed, fit in all of this? The clock is ticking, old enemies are done with hiding, and when he can't even trust the MI6, can he trust Lacey while knowing he shouldn't?

 (A James Bond AU/Mashup which basically means that there are some Bond easter eggs but it doesn't follow the storyline of any movie/book) 

Category: M  

Chapter 10: Papa

warnings: heavy angst. Character death (not graphic).

[A03] [Previous Chapter][First Chapter]

29 years ago...

He could count the number of times he had cried on the fingers of his one hand. From as long as he could remember, he had been told that men couldn't and didn't cry, and when caught shedding tears, there had been consequences. Even young as he was, he had killed without blinking with the same expression on his face as the one when he was eating breakfast. Yet right now, as he held the small bundle in his arms, the tears were flowing from his eyes like a river. His hands didn't shake, but he was sure that it was only because that if they did, he would indeed have dropped the most precious possession in his entire life.

It took Robert Gold one glance at the face hidden in the blanket to know he would lay his life if needed for the little boy. And small he was, too small even for his likening - born almost a month before his time.

At first, he hadn't believed the hospital when they had called him telling him that he was now a father as listed in the birth certificate. That he had a son waiting for him as his mother left without a word, leaving no contact details of hers, only his. He had known of course who the mother was - the relationship with Millah had been a mistake from the start, and he had been sure not to hear from her again ever since they had broken up seven months ago - but he hadn't said a word. 

He hadn't known what to think on his way to the hospital. He was 21-years old, a naval lieutenant with prospects of getting a job at MI6 - what he was supposed to do? He couldn't raise a kid all on his own! He wasn't a father's material, hell - he didn't know how to be one considering how shitty his own father had been!

But all those thoughts had disappeared the moment his eyes had landed on the small boy lying in the hospital crib - or more like in an open incubator. He hadn't known what to do - too afraid to touch the child, to make any sound but fighting the deep yearning to do so anyway. So he had approached the crib warily and for a moment considered turning and running away, but then the boy had opened his eyes and let out a small wail.

Robert had reacted without thinking, picking the child up, awkwardly at first but more firmly after a second, making shooshing noises, hugging him close to his chest. One look in the boy's eyes had been enough to know he was his son - they had the same eyes, dark, brown and big. The child looked at him and then, had done something Robert couldn't have predicted even if he knew how - he freed his small hand from the blanket and had caught him by the nose. That had been when the tears had started. That gentle touch of the little hand on his face.

"It's alright, Papa's here," he whispered, sniffing. 

The boy looked at him with those big, brown eyes, not wailing anymore, but more curious about the strange man's long nose, and Robert laughed softly.

"Yeah, I know. Weird, right?"

He would do anything for the boy. He just knew it.

"Sir?" The nurse's voice startled him, and he turned around. His hands tightened the hold on the child as if afraid he would be taken away from him. "I'm sorry, but the mother didn't fill out the name."

He looked down at his son, a small smile curling the corner of his lips as he saw the boy was already back to sleep, snuggled safely in his father's arms.

"Baylen. Baylen Neal Gold."

*

"Bae! No running in the halls!"

"Sorry, Papa!"

Gold shook his head fondly before looking back down to the file he had been reading. His son was now four years old, and the amount of energy the boy possessed was frightening at times. He still didn't know how he had survived the furniture-climbing faze or let's-try-to-eat-everything-I-can-get-my-hands-on faze, but somehow they had managed to get to this point in time. Gold had been slowly climbing in the ranks, and even if his job at MI6 right now considered of more desk job than any actual fieldwork, he couldn't complain - this way he was able to raise his kid and spend some real time with him, not worrying whenever he would be back home at night or not. Being a secret agent was one thing - being a single parent at the same time? A whole different matter eternally.

Robert tapped his pen on the table three times then made a few annotations on the side of the report, frowning. They had lost three agents in a matter of one month all because of some stupid decisions from the higher-ups. He would probably have to pull some extra hours at work to clean the whole mess up. He knew the organisation needed a change, but he was still too low in the ranks to make any move. With dismay he closed the file with a snap and put it back in the briefcase, closing it by using his fingerprint. Yes, his connections were growing, but they weren't enough. Sooner or later, he would find a way to put the right person in the right place - well, as soon as he would find them. He couldn't do it by himself as he had someone far more important to worry about. And speaking of which, it had been all to quiet for the last couple of minutes.

"Bae?" 

No answer. 

With a frown, he circled the desk and made his way towards the living room. Being a part of MI6 had its advantages. The salary was one, as he couldn't see himself being in his age with a kid and leaving in a place like this without it. It also had its disadvantages like the one that his hand almost itched to get his gun, even while knowing it was close to impossible for someone to break in and do something to his boy. 

"Bae? Are you there?"

There had to be a more probable explanation for the silence. Robert's heart was in his throat though in the same way as it always had been at the times his son had been sick - being premature made him prone to infections far too often - or that one time he had almost lost him in the shopping mall. 

As soon as he came around the corner, the hand that had been squeezing his heart had let go. Bae was sitting on the floor, his crayons in a mess all around him, lost in his little word. Gold leaned on the doorframe crossing his arms over his chest. There would be nothing unusual about the whole situation if the thing that his son was currently drawing on were a piece of paper rather than a pristine, white wall. Well, not so clean anymore as right now it spurted a rather nice looking, brown dog which tail was now being finished.

Robert knew he should put on his stern parent face right now, but somehow he couldn't force himself to do that. Instead, the corner of his lips curved in a small smile. 

"Bae," the boy jumped, the brown crayon falling from his fingers and rolling away as his eyes winded. Gold looked askance at his son, masking the smile. "What were you doing?"

"Um...playing?" He asked, hopefully. Gold nodded.

"If that's so, where did the dog came from?" He asked, gesturing at the drawing. The boy looked down, sheepishly and mumbled something under his nose. "What was that?"

"I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"You're angry."

Gold sighed and pushed himself from the doorframe, making his way to his son side in three swift steps. It would not do, Bae already had tears in his eyes and the way he looked like reminded Robert too much of himself when his father had been about to hit him. He would never hit Bae.

"I'm not angry, I promise," he said while sitting down next to his son. "Come here?" he opened his arm for a hug, but the boy shook his head. Gold smiled softly. "Come on, squirrel." The nickname did its job, and Bae crawled over Gold's lap, burring his small head in his father's chest. "You know you shouldn't write on the walls so why did you do it, hmm?"

"I thought it looked nice."

Robert glanced at the drawing that was now somewhere to his left.

"It is lovely, but it would be just as lovely on the paper."

"I wanted it to hang."

Gold nodded, stroking the boy's head absently.

"Well next time you want your drawing to hang, you can draw the picture on a paper and Papa will hang it up for you, OK?"

Bae nodded against his chest, hiccuping slightly.

"If you keep drawing on the walls, we would have to paint them over, and it costs money that we don't have, and we would have to move away from here as it's not our own place, right?"

"I don't want to move."

"Me neither, squirrel, so just don't do it next time, OK?"

"All right."

Gold smiled and kissed the top of his boy's head then glanced again at the drawing of the dog. Well, it was quite a lovely looking dog for a six-year-old. The landlord wouldn't have a say if he framed this one instead of painting it over.

*

"Papa, did you love mommy?"

OK, that question hadn't been the one he was expecting considering the hour. Well, he knew it would pop up sooner than later - he was expecting it to be sooner in fact, but it didn't change the fact that he still hadn't been prepared to answer it. Especially not in four in the morning when it was just the time he was about to get at least a little sleep before going back to work. But then Bae had found his way to his room, looking sleepy and distressed. He knew he could say goodbye to his sleep as the kid climbed his bed.

"I thought I did," he finally admitted as his son settled himself under the covers. How could he explain this to a six-year-old boy?

"So you didn't?"

He sighed and ran a hand over his face. He so wasn't ready for this.

"We were young, made mistakes..."

"Was I a mistake?"

His eyes snapped open, and he turned so fast the bed squeaked. 

"No!" His arms darted towards his son, cradling him close to his chest. "No," he repeated, quieter against Bae's hair. "Never a mistake."

"You sure?"

"Bae, do you know what the best moment in my life was?"

The boy shook his head. 

"When I held you in my arms for the first time, you were tiny, you know?"

"Smaller than now?" Bae pushed away a little bit so he could look his father in the eye. Gold chuckled.

"Aye, a lot smaller. You caught me by my nose, just like that." He caught Bae's nose between his two fingers, making the boy giggle. "You're the most precious thing that I could ever ask for."

"Why did mum leave, then? Didn't she love me?"

Gold could feel tears pricking his eyes, and he hugged his boy close, willing them not to fall. It wasn't fair. He knew it wasn't.

"I don't know, squirrel. I really don't. I'm sorry." He rocked his son as his small shoulders shuddered with silent tears. Bae had never been loud while crying, and Robert sometimes wondered if he got that from him. "I can promise you something." He shifted, so they both were lying more comfortable. "I'll keep you safe - "

" - You won't leave me?"

Robert hugged him tighter.

"Never. I promise. I love you."

"Love you too, papa."

In the end, Gold wasn't the one who had left.

*

"I need to get those papers to the boss, can you wait for me here?"

"Sure thing, papa."

He ruffled his 12-year-old's hair affectionally, which earned him a semi-offended scoff.

"Behave, squirrel. I'll be right back."

"I'm not a squirrel!"

"You are to me!" He called over his shoulder, chuckling. 

He hated to leave the boy here, but he again was working extra hours and had no one to leave his son with so the only option was to take him with him to the office. An office full of top-secret information that would have him sentenced for life at best of any of the secrets would leak out. It was good that some people chose to turn a blind eye that a teenage boy was roaming the headquarters of MI6 for years now.

"Nanny bailed out on you again?" He sighed as he heard Regina Mills' voice and soon felt her presence next to his shoulder as she fell in step with him. "You know he's a teenager, right? They can take care of their own."

"Have you become a mother in the two months I've been away?" He grimaced, but Regina only smirked. M had paired them up four years ago, and honestly, he still didn't know it was still working. Regina was five years younger than him and a nuisance, but ambitious and climbed the ranks even quicker than he.

"I've been a mother for years. I count you as a child."

"I'm older than you."

"So?"

"How am I a child in this?"

She looked at him, pointedly as if it was the stupidest question in the world. Gold cleared his throat and opened one of the folders in his hand, flicking through the pages.

"How's the kid, by the way?"

"He doesn't sound as if he's about to cough his lung if that's what's you're asking," he mumbled distractedly.

"Good. I hate how grumpy you are when he's sick."

Sick was putting it lightly. Bae's month stay in a hospital was still giving Gold nightmares. Masking his unease with a cough, he pulled out a sheet of paper from the folder and handed it to Regina.

"One more for the coup d'etat," he remarked.

"Are you sure about that?" She asked, scanning the page.

"You and I both know that M's been doing a lousy job for years now," they arrived at the elevator and Gold pushed the button. "Give me two, maybe three years tops, and you'll have enough material to bring him down."

The doors opened, and he stepped in, passing the folders to his other hand.

"Gold? Why are you doing this? Why me?" Regina asked.

"I'm not bossy enough to stand the top brass, unlike you," he grinned at her sour look. "Besides, you'll own me a favour."

The door closed, not giving Regina a chance to respond.

*

"Dad? How do you know that you like somebody?"

Gold glanced at his son, his expression illuminated by the laptop's screen.

"You mean like or like-like?"

Baylen grimaced but kept fidgeting with his phone.

"Like-like?"

"Ask them out, and you'll know."

"Papa!"

Gold grinned and relaxed into his chair after closing the laptop. Baylen looked utterly miserable, but for the first time, he was actually enjoying that look on his boy's face. He raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Alright, who are they?"

"Her name's Emma... Her father's a police officer."

Gold bearly restrained himself from chuckling. Trust Bae to make a big deal to him about who the father of the girl he fancied was.

"And?" He prompted.

"She's very good at computers. And funny. And has this beautiful smile that lights up her whole face - what?" His son gave him a startled look at his sudden snort.

"I think you already know that you like-like this Emma, Bae."

Baylen smiled sheepishly.

*

10 years ago...

It was quiet in the house, and Gold let out a relieved sigh, wincing instantly when a pain shot from his ribs with the next step as he limped through the hall. Bae-Neal, he corrected himself - he would always be Baylen for him no matter what the boy said, but he did respect his choices - seemed to stay at the Nolan's today. Gold didn't blame him. The fight they had, had been a serious one. Some words had been spoken in anger that he wished he could have taken back but hadn't got the time to as he had been called away on a mission. 

And it had been one of the hardest ones since he had gotten his status of OO two years ago. 

And ironically, the reason behind the fight with his almost nineteen-years-old son.

"Yeah, go kill others without the consequences! Why don't you!"

I do this so I can keep others safe, and you know it!"

"Right, you know it's been a real fun on those parent projects at school. 'And you, Baylen what do your parents do? Oh, my mum was a bitch who didn't give a damn about me - "

" - Language, son- "

"- And my dad is almost a licensed killer!'"

“That's enough, Bae!"

"One day, you will end up dead! And where will that leave me and Emma?!"

"She has nothing to do with this, Bae."

"Yes, she does! She's pregnant! And it's Neal, for fuck's sake!"

His son had stormed off after that. Gold hadn't been proud of the exchange. They hadn't gotten that many significant fights in the past, but the words his son had spoken had struck deep - maybe because they had been true, but Gold couldn't help his ambitions. With Regina finally in charge, thanks to his mending, and him being a full flagged agent, he couldn't quit. He was addicted to it, always had been. He had promised Bae he would let it go soon, but it didn't change the fact that this mission he just had to carry through. This and the next one too.

Something was brewing. Gold didn't yet know what, but he had a gut feeling - something he had almost perfected during his forty-years of age. Children had started to disappear in the war zones, illegal weapon market was blooming more than ever, and it all had started just a couple of months ago.  And one name had been popping up in the news lately - one he didn't like one a bit.

He couldn't quit. Not yet. Especially not after the reveal that there was about to be another addition to his family.

So, he limped towards the living room, hoping to get to the first aid kit hidden away in one of the drawers. His wounds weren't severe but painful, and he didn't trust the hospitals not to keep him overnight or longer, so he had decided to head home instead. He leaned on the doorframe, resting his head against the cold metal, breathing hard while closing his eyes. It was good that his son wasn't home.

"Papa?"

Or not.

The living room was dark, but when opening his eyes, he could bearly see the outline of his 18-years-old son. Blurry and a little doubled, but Bae's nevertheless.

"Shouldn't you be at Nolan's?" he asked resigned, his voice raspy thanks to the bruising already visible on his throat beneath the collar.

Neal approached him, cautiously, slowly as if his father was a wounded animal met somewhere in the wild. Not far from the truth, really. There was still blood on his suit and not all of it his.

"I came to take my things," his son answered, quietly not really able to hide the worry in his voice.

Gold nodded, focusing on his son's face or at least trying to. Something trickled down his hip and leg. He didn't dare to look down, suddenly thankful for the lack of light.

"I won't keep you waiting."

He fully expected for Bae to brush past him by now, but he was still standing where he had been, not moving. Well, not moving wasn't the right term as he was swaying, but Gold was pretty sure it was due to his own injuries and not his son's movement. Baylen's hand twitched at his side as if he wanted to reach out to him, but stop himself when realising what he was about to do.

"I want to keep them safe."

"I know. I don't blame you," he answered tiredly. He wanted the same thing, after all. Gold had been a fool thinking he could balance both his lives so well. It was a miracle he would able to get as many years with his boy as he had. 

Bae still didn't move.

Gold sighed and pushed himself from the doorframe, waiting to get this over with, but his vision suddenly swayed, and he wobbled on his feet. His mind went woozy, and he must have blacked out for a second because when his vision cleared, he was sitting in the armchair, his son's concerned face hovering over him.

"I'm fine," he grunted, trying to stand up just to be pushed back into the chair.

"On a scale of December 15th to May 24th, how bad is it?"

Gold winced.

"Somewhere in between," he admitted.

Neil nodded and without another word went to get the medkit. His father was a master at concealing his injuries, and for a very long time, Neil hadn't even known what the man's actual line of work had been. He had thought him to be a simple ex-military paper pusher. It had changed on December 15th, when Neil had been thirteen, and he had caught his father cleaning his bloodstained clothes while nursing an ugly knife wound to the side. The wound got infected two days later, and Gold had to go to the hospital. And then, almost three years later, Neil had gotten a phone call from Miss Mills telling him his father was in a critical condition with a gunshot wound to his lung. Since then, he had always asked about his dad's wellbeing when injured varying between those two dates.

But he just couldn't keep doing this.

Still, in silence, he helped his father remove his clothes and, trying not to stare at cuts and bruises, began to clean the worst of them.

"You should go to the hospital," he mumbled while threading a needle. The wound that was bleeding the most - the one just above his father's hip - was deep enough to need stitching.

"Don't have time for that," Gold answered, grimacing. He glanced at his son, and when realising what he was doing, he covered his hand with his, stopping him. "I'll do it myself. You can finish packing."

Bae glared at him.

"I don't think stitching yourself up is the best idea right now, pops," he snapped. He was still angry, but beneath it, all he was first and foremost afraid. Every time he was seeing his father could be the last, and now he was about to become a father himself. He wasn't ready.

"You'll do fine," his dad gritted out through his teeth as the needle puncture his skin.

"It's not like I haven't stitched you up before," he mumbled. He felt his father chuckle by the way his muscles moved, but what had come out of his mouth resembled more a hiss than anything else.

"That's not what, I meant," he elaborated. 

"Yeah? then what?" Stupid old man. Why couldn't he be an accountant or something? 

"You're going to be a fine father. Far better than your own pop."

"Shut up." How could he know what he was thinking? 

"Well, you don't plan on getting your kid to patch you up, do you?" Gold looked down, fondly at his son's concentrated face then hissed again when Bae pulled at the thread. His son didn't answer. Instead, he finished the stitch then bandaged the now closed wound.

"You really can't let this go, can you?" the boy - no, the man, Gold corrected himself, asked. But he sounded so small that for a moment he thought it was his little boy, freshly woken from a nightmare, kneeling before him.

Gold felt tears gather in his eyes, and he couldn't help himself as he ran his hand through his son's hair.

"The next mission is going to be the last, all right?" Bae raised his eyes up at him, and Gold's heart broke a little at how hopeful he looked. "It may take a while," an underestimate, "but I promise - After that? We can all be a family. We all be alive and safe - You, me, Emma and the baby."

"Henry. If it's a boy, we thought we could name him Henry." 

Gold's mouth curved, despite the exhaustion. "And if it's a girl?"

"I thought Tilly."

Gold nodded. "You. Me. Emma. Henry-Tilly. Safe and alive. I promise."

Bae nodded and squeezed his hand. An hour later, Gold was alone in an empty flat. It was for the better - His son was safer that way with a changed ID and all. He would keep that promise.

He didn't know how wrong he was.

*

Children shouldn't have to kill their parents. But their parents shouldn't have been crazy psychopaths either. 

It was twisted and not at all how it was supposed to be. 

"How about that, laddie? You don't have guts to do this."

There were tear tracks on his face. There was no reason to be crying after the man that had made so many years of his life living hell. And yet he was doing just that.

"Poor Robbo, cowering away as always. They might have given you a fancy title and a gun, but you're still a coward."

His right leg hurt, and he could feel the makeshift bandage on his shoulder getting wetter as blood seeped through with every step.

But he needed to see them. He needed to hold them and make sure they were fine. He had his orders, he knew what had to be done, and done it, but he needed to look into his boy's eyes and pray he didn't see him as scum.

"What will you do when I get my hands on that kid of yours, hmm? Nothing. You'll be useless as always, thinking you have it all figured out. You know nothing, laddie."

He could see the blood on his hands even though he had washed them so many times the skin was still red and raw. But he could see that moment playing over and over in his head. 

The struggle.

The fall.

The sharp metal ripping his calf.

The knife in his hand that he plunged into his father's chest.

Watching the light fade from those brown eyes that even lifeless held so much spite that could last for decades.

"Oh, and I've heard rumours... Isn't his girlfriend pregnant? Congratulations are in order for the both of us it seems."

He had held the knife for long enough for his own fingers to stiffen. And even after it was way past the time he should let go, he made sure to check for a pulse. He had found none.

Malcolm Gold was dead.

Killed by his son's hand.

The sick bastard wouldn't hurt another human being ever again, but somewhere deep down where the small Bobby Gold was still hiding in the closet yearning for his Papa's attention, Gold felt sick with what he had done.

So he stumbled down the street, to the familiar block of flats already visible around the corner where the light on the sixth-floor apartment was thankfully still on. Up until now, Gold had visited only once, but now he couldn't keep away any longer.

He was drawn like a moth to the flame, towards his family. It was finished.

Gold found the doors unlocked and somehow managed to climb the stairs despite the agony he felt every time his leg made contact with the step. The hour was late, but it took only ten seconds for Bae to open the doors after Gold had rung the bell.

"Papa?"

Neal's eyes winded in surprise, taking in his father's haggard appearance - the way he kept his weight mostly on his left leg, the dark spot on his pant leg, tearstained face, raw knuckles.

"Bae..." His dad's voice sounded broken, pleading. And this time he didn't correct him about using his old name. Instead, he exchanged his arms and pulled his dad into a tight hug, only a little surprised at how clingy he was when his hands twisted in Neal's shirt.

Neal pulled him inside, closing the door with his elbow, not letting go, taking some of his father's weight on himself.

"I've killed him. It's over."

Neal stilled, hearing his father's muffled voice. He swallowed hard, wanting to know more, but too afraid to ask. Instead, he tightened his arms around the man holding him close.

"Neal?" Emma came around the corner from the kitchen, holding herself steady on the wall. At close to eight months pregnant her back was killing her, especially in the evenings, but it took her only one glance at her soon to be father-in-law to know what would need to be done next. "I'll bring the medkit and ready the coach." 

Neal smiled to her over his father's shoulder in thanks.

"Come on, Papa. Let's seat."

Neal didn't ask what happened. He wasn't sure he wanted to know. It didn't change the fact that he wasn't stupid, and the clues were easy to add up. Because he had spent that night seated next to his father and the man repeated only one word in his restless sleep.

Papa

Malcolm Gold hadn't been the topic that had popped up often, more like close to never, but what Neal knew was enough. Somehow his grandfather had been involved in whatever his father latest assignment was - Involved and killed.

And the one who had pulled the trigger or whatever was no other than Neal's dad.

Neal pushed away, the stray lock of hair from Gold's forehead, wondering how the man could stand his hair that long. There were other questions he wanted to ask but didn't dare to.

So he kept vigil as the clock ticked and his father tossed in his sleep.

*

It had been raining that day. Emma had been out, and later on, he had been grateful - their last conversation summed up in a kiss and a promise to see each other later and not a tearful goodbye with empty promises.

Neal should have known that something hadn't been right. He had never seen the woman in green around his father, and there had been something in her eyes, something maniacal - wicked even that he should have paid more attention to. He should have trusted that feeling that he had inherited from his dad, telling him that something was off about the whole situation. Still, the moment the woman lanched onto him, words like 'trouble' 'his father' 'danger' and 'death' spilling from her mouth. Somehow she had made it seem he could be the only one to get his dad out of a situation he had found himself in, one he shouldn't have been considering he had quit the MI6 two days after he had stumbled in Neal's flat one month ago. So he had gone with the woman, leaving Emma a quick note on the table, after grabbing the only gun in the house and ignoring the red flags that had been even redder than the stranger's hair. 

And he hadn't seen the wicked smile on the woman's face, too preoccupied with the worry about his father. In the end, he didn't use the gun. He didn't even manage to pull it out from his waistband when hands grabbed him out of nowhere and dragged him towards the car. They hit him over the head, and he slumped in their hold, unable to fight.

Before the darkness took him, with a pang of guilt and sudden realisation, he knew one thing - he would never see Emma ever again. 

*

"Bae! Please don't! Not my son!"

"It's OK, Papa..."

"No! No, I beg you! Don't - Agrr!"

"Don't hurt him! You promised not to touch him any more!"

"I lied."

"Papa!"

"Please... Please... Not, N-Not my boy -Not Bae..."

"Oh, poor Robby, can't move that leg, can you? what a shame you won't be getting any nearer."

"Kill me, instead! Don't hurt him. It-It's me that you wa - "

"Oh, and who told you that?"

A scream. 

"Leave him alone!"

"Bae, no... don't..."

"It's OK."

"I'm s-sorry, God, I'm s-sorry..."

"Look away, Papa."

"S-Squirrel..."

"You remember your promise? Keep them safe."

"No- No! I'll kill you! Don't touch him!"

"Just watch me, doll."

"Look away, Papa. Please."

Gold didn't look away. He kept trashing and screaming on the floor, but Neal didn't have the strength to tell him to stop. He wanted so much to tell his dad not to blame himself, that it wasn't his fault.

"P-Please... N-No."

He wanted to say it was OK while it wasn't, to be the brave one while scared, and to have the strength for his dad to remember the smile on his face instead of a grimace. His father's red from crying eyes were the last thing he had seen before he felt a syringe plunge into his neck. 

Bae's only regret as he slipped into the embrace of darkness was that he would never see his own son.

And then the veil closed all around him, and Baylen Neal Gold knew nothing more.

*

"Clear!"

"There's nobody here."

"Have you checked the last room?"

"I'm going in."

"God Almighty... Gold? Gold!"

"Jesus, Is he...?"

"Gold? You need to let him go. We'll take care of him. Let go, Rob."

*

It should have been raining. Instead, the day was as sunny as it could be with only the wind as his sole companion.

No parent should have to bury their child.

Gold tightened his hold on the crutches waiting for the tears to come. They didn't. He supposed he didn't have any left.

"I'm sorry..." he rasped, but no answer had come from the gravestone. 

It was his fault. All of it. His damn fault.

Zelena. His father. The others - how could he be so stupid, thinking that killing Malcolm would have to be the end of all of this? How could he be so blind not to know there had to be more people involved? 

And now his son was dead, his almost daughter-in-law hated him and was on the run, and his grandson was still in danger.

Emma had screamed at him in the hospital, had been closed to punching him when he had taken her boy little boy away.

No parent should have to bury their child, and no parent should have to be separated from one.

And Gold was the cause of both of the above.

In his mind, he was crushing to the ground, screaming, begging for forgiveness. He would do anything to turn back time, but he knew it was impossible. All he could do was to secure the future for the only part of Baylen that he had left in this world. 

Malcolm had said he wanted the boy too, so whoever the twisted man had been working with would be targeting Henry as well. 

Henry.

Gold flinched as if hit. Bae wanted the boy to be named Henry. He would never see his son grow; he hadn't even seen him born. Emma had given birth alone, while the doctors had tried to patch Gold up. By all means, he should still be in the hospital, but only two days after Q had fixed his leg, he had pushed the shock and trauma far into the corner to his mind and told Emma she needed to give up her child.

If that didn't make him a monster, he didn't know what did.

With a sudden spike of anger, he threw the crutch at the gravestone, screaming.

"It's not fair..."

He threw the second one, watched it bounce off the gravestone.

"I'm so sorry, son..." He wobbled, his right leg still unstable despite the brace then fell to his knees. "I'm s-sorry. I'll keep them safe. All of them.... I promise."

*

"Gold? What are you doing here?"

"I'm cashing in my favour."

"What?"

Gold hugged the small bundle in his arms closer to his chest as the wind got stronger. His other hand gripped the cane in a death grip, his arm already shaking. His body wasn't ready to walk without the two crutches, but would sooner crawl than hand his precious cargo to anybody else. It would be the last time he would hold him. His wounds could be damned.

Regina's eyes briefly flickered to the bundle only now realising that what it was hiding was a baby. She opened her mouth to ask what was going on, but she could get the words out, not when she saw the desperate look on Gold's face.

"Please," he begged, and it was so unlike him, she had almost taken a step back from the shock. Gone was the sarcastic man she had known for all those years, in his place stood a broken man that she got a glimpse on the graveyard. "You're the only one I can trust."

She nodded, exchanging her arms. Gold hesitated only for a moment but then, reluctantly and awkwardly, he placed the small boy into her arms. The child opened his eyes and looked at her. She felt something squeeze her heart.

They were the same as Gold's eyes. 

"Those people are still out there. He's not safe till they're gone."

"You're not fit for duty," she mumbled not taking her eyes from the boy, tracing her thumb over his cheek. She heard Gold sigh.

"But I'll be."

She nodded again. "You better be." 

Regina heard the rustle of Gold's shoes and a tap of his cane as he turned around. She raised her head. "Gold?" He didn't turn back around, his shoulders stiff, but he stopped. "What should I tell him? You know, when he grows up?"

"Nothing," he whispered. "He must know nothing - about his parents, me - nothing. For his own safety."

Regina nodded, her mouth set in a thin line and her heart breaking a little.

"I'll keep him safe."

She turned around, her hand already on the doorknob, ready to close the door behind her.

"May I ask you something, though?" Gold's voice stopped her in her motions, and when she turned around, he was looking at her intensively. "Could you name him Henry?"

She didn't ask why. 

"Of course."

She watched him go, and she entered the house with a baby in her arms only when the sound of uneven steps down the street and a tap of a cane faded in the distance.

*

Now...

Heavy clouds hung over London, and the wind was blowing like crazy - a telltale sign that sooner rather than later, it would start to rain. There were no other people on the street that three men clad in black. A dark hat shadowed the middle one's eyes, and only a lightened cigarette was visible from under the brim. Slowly, as if without the care in the world, they approached the large, white house in which only one window on the top floor was illuminated by the lamp inside.

The two men took a step back, when the one with the hat rung the bell, flicking the cigarette away from his mouth at the same time. It took twenty seconds for the door to open, but only just so thanks to the chain.

"Can I help you, sir?" the blond girl asked, her eyes flicking between the three strangers, and the man in the hat grinned.

"I'm here with a message for the lady of the house if she's present?"

"She's busy and can't go down," the girl's tone was uneasy, the answer a little too quick and the smirk didn't leave the man's face.

"Well, that won't be the problem."

The slight nod of his head was the only indication the others had needed. The girl had no time to react as they barged in, tearing the door from the hinges.

"Get the boy," the man order with a bored tone. The girl tried to stop them, but it was to no avail when she got hit in the face, falling to the ground. She grunted and tried to get up only to be stopped by the man in the hat, pointing the gun at her. "I wouldn't recommend it, my dear."

She stayed still, staring at the barrel with wide eyes. It hadn't been long till they heard the sounds of a struggle and one of the goons appeared from the staircase, dragging a ten-year-old boy along with him. 

"Let go of me!" he screamed while trashing and almost bitting his captor's hand. Amusing view, the man in a hat though, watching this amused from the corner of his eye. 

"Shut it, kid!"

"Alice! What are you doing to her!"

"My, my, aren't we a feisty one?" The man asked, standing up and grinning. The kid shot daggers at him as one of the goons twisted his hands behind his back. There was no question to whose blood the kid was.

"Who are you?"

"Let's say I'm your designated driver for a family reunion," he answered while smirking. "Take him away."

"Don't touch him!"

"And you, sweetheart," he turned back to the girl. "Will relay a message for Miss Mills from me. "He bent down to be at the eye level with her. "Tell her that, Mr Pantazis sends his regards."

She got hit in the head, not getting a chance to answer and he got up.

"Sir?" One of his men indicated the door and Pantazis nodded. "Leave them open."

He watched as they loaded the boy into the car. Malcolm Gold had thought he held all the cards - he was wrong.

Pantazis whistled under his nose as he made his way to the car.