#GIRL you are the lost six year old ITS YOUR MOM’S JOB TO FIND YOU!!! Your job is to stay safe!!!

[deathsmallcaps]

I work as the person in an amusement park who watches the children who get lost. Here’s some advice. This also applies to any mentally disabled adults that are under your care. Keep in mind that many places will not look for a minor ages 13-17 unless it is close to closing or they are disabled, as corporate considers it a strain on resources and employee use.

1. Teach them your phone number. Best gift you can give them. I’m not supposed to have my phone out at work but I can cut down dependent’s being-lost-time by probably 400% if I can contact you. It also assures the children That We Are Doing Something and that They Are Helpful and Smart. If your dependent has a poor memory, apparently writing your phone number in sharpie and then covering it in nail polish makes it stay all day, even if they’re sweaty or getting in the water. I haven’t tested this but I’ve heard a lot of moms recommend it. I’ve also seen bracelets with little plates or the beads saying the phone number.

Addendum: your dependent may tell you that they know your phone number, but they actually only know your passcode. True story. This summer has been a lot better, but last summer exactly one child the entire season knew his mom’s phone number.

2. Acknowledge that dependent’s memories are faulty, especially in new places. If you tell them to meet you in X spot or that your stuff is all in Y place, they may not remember where it is or remember how to get there.

3. All dependents, but especially little ones, have shit time sense. They might find your stuff, wait there for a minute or two, and truly believe that they’ve been there for an hour. Half the small kids that are brought to me are ones who *know* where their stuff is, but haven’t seen an adult they know personally in 5 minutes, so they’re going to panic.

4. Don’t take naps!!! And don’t let your dependent go anywhere you can’t go or at least go where you catch them at the end!!! Yes you’re staring at the play structure your dependent entered, but can you see them? No? Then there’s a good chance they went elsewhere. So many of the littler kids that are brought to me are brought by genuine, good-hearted strangers who see lost children and take them by the hand. Away from the spot you’re napping in front of/staring vaguely at.

5. This might just be something from my work, but we will not call dependent’s descriptions over the loudspeaker. This is because if an asshole were to see your dependent, hear the description, know it’s a lost dependent, and decide to steal it, they can then use the excuse, “I know where your guardian is! Come with me!” And then lead them out of the park or toss the dependent over their shoulder. Do you know how many crying and screaming dependents leave the location every day? A lot!!! We’re a fun location!!! We’re not going to know if the dependent is screaming because they don’t want to leave or if a stranger is taking them away. We might call the description over the loudspeaker if it’s past closing time and the dependent still isn’t found. But before that, we will only report it over secure radios across the park.

6. Tell a park worker right away. Preferably someone with a radio. Even if you spot the dependent within the next minute, that means the dependent will have less being-lost time. Especially if we already have the dependent with, you guessed it, me. Also please tell us when you find the dependent.

7. Take a picture of your depdendent at the start of the day! That way security guards can have a good idea of what to look for. One mother told me her daughter was blonde and showed me a picture. Her hair color looked brown to me, but then I knew what to look for in the crowd.

8. Keep at least one person in your group in one spot at all times, especially if you don’t have access to your phone or forgot to give out your phone number to the guards. That way they can find you if they pick up the dependent. If you are the only person in your group, then PLEASE stay in one place or at least stay with ONE security guard. It sucks for the dependent if they can’t find you right away even if the both of you are looking for each other and a guard is helping them. You are NOT helping if you panic and run around. And keep your goddamn phone on you and answer calls from unknown numbers!!!!! God. This is a good time to do that.

9. If you lose your dependent in an attraction like the lazy river at a water park, and you have that ONE person staying in place, then this is what you can do with 1+ mobile people.

A. If only one person can be spared to be mobile, have them pick a spot and stay right there, watching the river go by. Eventually, if the dependent is in the river, they’ll go by.

B. If you have two people that can be mobile, both start at the same place in the river and go opposite directions. If you meet up again without spotting the dependent, well, they’re not there.

C. If you have more than 2 people, you can do B but also station different adults at the lazy river entrances/exits.

10. Don’t blame the dependent! Even if they ran away and/or are pissy that you’re upset once you all reunite, trust me, there’s a 99% chance they’re upset too. Yes, this is a good time to have a serious conversation with them. Yes, if this is a repeated problem, and/or you warned them you’d leave the park if this occurred, you should not back down. But also - they’re dependents. They’re not stupid, and they should be told consequences and dangers so they can make good decisions, but they will never have the adult/guardian perspective that you do. Be kind.

Also please for my sake teach them if they’re brought to someone like me, that it’s THEIR job to be safe and listen to me while us park workers look for you. It’s YOUR job to find the dependent, not the dependent’s job to find you. I had a six year old little girl genuinely toddler-howl at me because she wanted to go look for her mom. I’ve never before heard a kid her age howl like that. I can trick kids out of crying 9/10 times but howling came as a surprise lmao. I think I can manage it now that I’ve experienced it but damn.

Also make sure those kids are DRINKING. Being in a water park is NOT the same as drinking water. They should be drinking every 15 minutes at LEAST, I am NOT kidding.

Also if I call you to tell you your kid is here, please don’t call or text me back after you have the kid. I’m sure other places have phones for these types of things but the only one I have is my personal phone. And I am happy to get the kid off my hands and into your arms, but I’m using my personal phone so plz. Don’t call me back. Absolutely call me if you need directions to my ‘office’ in the park. Don’t call or text me after. I have stories about that hoo boy but this post is already long.

[fortheloveofwonderland]

A Memory Locked In The Heart - Spencer Reid x fem! Reader

A/N - Requested by the lovely @overduelibrarybooks I hope this was the kind of thing you were looking for!

Find my masterlist here.

My taglists are open and requests are open.

Requested: Yes l No

Request: "could u ever write a spencer reid x reader where reader def works for the cia but more as a translator who’s kinda forced into doing agenty things in order to gather intel and on a mandated break she finds out the UNSUB before the team does so she uses herself as bait, and shoots the guy all very badass fashion n then gets interrogated bc ms girl just shot him coldblood and halfway thru she recognizes spencer bc her mother and his mom lived in the same care facility??? idk sorry my mom has paranoid too so it just hits different but u don’t have to write this if u don’t want to i love ur writing <3"

CW: disclaimer: I know next to nothing about the CIA and what they investigate so please go easy on me here. This is all made up so hopefully it makes some kind of sense. Mentions of violence and sex work, schizophrenia, Alzheimer���s, some swears. Mentions of drug use and overdose. Spanish used towards the end is from Google Translate so I apologise if it isn’t completely accurate. Italics indicate flashbacks.

Plot: Eighteen years ago you met a boy named Spencer Reid whilst visiting your mother at Bennington Sanitorium. This time you are meeting under entirely different circumstances; across the table of an interrogation room.

WC: 5.3K

—————————————————————

How did I end up here?

That was a question you kept asking yourself as you rolled into your third hour of sitting in that cold, dimly lit interrogation room at the FBI headquarters in Quantico, Virginia.

Well you supposed you’d have to go back to the beginning to truly work that out.

The CIA and FBI joint task force for a country wide sex trafficking ring they believed to be operating out of DC.

When your team at the CIA had started investigating it was estimated that the ring had close to a hundred women who had been abducted and forced into the sex industry.

A lot of women were believed to have been taken trying to cross the border. Your job as a translator had involved spending a lot of time in Mexico, helping interview witnesses and family members who didn’t speak English.

The FBI involvement had come when women believed to have been part of the trafficking ring started turning up dead.

At last count they were up to twenty bodies. The Behavioural Analyst Unit had given their profile of the man they believed to be running the show.

White male in his mid to late forties. Bilingual. Possibly born in Mexico or an area surrounding the border but grew up in DC, they assumed based on his knowledge of the area. He’s attractive, charming and has a good level of education, he’d need to be able to charm the women into trusting him. He doesn’t have a full time job because he wouldn’t have time for one. All his time and focus goes on his girls. He was tech savvy, incredibly so, he’d have to be, to be able to set up the network on the dark web which enabled his customers to pay for his services.

It hadn’t been going well. Bodies kept dropping and the task force was no closer to catching the person responsible.

This went on for six months. Everyone was exhausted. You kept hitting brick wall after brick wall. It was demoralising.

Your boss had called for mandated time off. You’d all argued but she had been absolutely adamant. You’d all been working yourselves to the bone and she didn’t want you burnt out entirely.

You’d argued but your words had fallen on deaf ears.

“Can I get you a glass of water or something?”

The voice startled you out of your thoughts. You looked up to see the lanky, messy haired agent who called himself Doctor Reid, sticking his head through the door.

“Is coffee an option?”

He smiled brightly at you, a smile you swear you’ve seen before.

“Coffee is always an option.” He told you. “How do you take it?”

“Strong and black. Please.”

“I’ll be right back.”

With that the door closed leaving you to your thoughts once more.

There was something so familiar about the Doctor. His dark yet sparkling eyes, his awkward smile and the way he dressed. You couldn’t place it. But there was definitely something about him that stirred some memory buried deep in your brain. You just weren’t sure what it was.

He returned a few minutes later, bringing your coffee into the room and placing it on the table in front of you.

“Hopefully you won’t be stuck here too much longer. It’s just standard procedure.” he spoke sweetly, his voice stirring the hidden memory.

“Yeah I know. I get it.” you sighed as you spoke, wrapping your hands around the coffee. “Thank you for this.”

“You’re welcome.” he smiled before he started backing out of the room. You wished you could ask him to stay because you felt so much more at ease with him around. But you knew you couldn’t.

He turned to you in the doorway.

“You look cold in that.” He smiled a little sadly at you.

You’d forgotten about your outfit choice. No self respecting CIA agent dressed like you were right now.

“I guess I am a little.” You shrugged.

Spencer instantly shrugged his blazer off of his shoulders and laid it in front of you on the table.

“Thank you Doctor Reid.” you spoke again before he disappeared out the door.

“Goodbye Agent Y/L/N.”

The door closed, his voice reverberating in your ears, dragging you into a long forgotten memory.

As you slipped his jacket on, your eyes fluttered closed, his scent wafting up your nose.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Spencer. Spencer Reid.”

“Y/N. Y/N Y/L/N.”

Your eyes shot back open, a frown on your face.

“Spencer?” you muttered under your breath. “Spencer Reid.”

Where had you pulled that name from? And why did it feel oddly connected to Vegas?

You tried to push the thought away, you already had enough on your mind. There were much more pressing things to deal with than a vague memory from your hometown an undetermined amount of time ago.

***

You’d been instructed to switch off. Your time off should be used to recoup, relax and not to think about the case.

Easier said than done you thought.

Before you’d left the office on your mandated leave you’d taken photocopies of some files and slipped them into your bag. You knew you’d be in trouble if you were caught but you couldn’t help yourself. You wouldn’t be able to relax with this case still open.

As far as you were aware the BAU was still working on it but it provided you little comfort. In your time with the CIA you’d never gotten to be involved so heavily in a case. Your skills were mostly utilised in interview capacities and then you were sidelined.

You’d never had the privilege to work on a joint task force or investigate a crime so brutal.

You felt personally invested in this case. You thought if you could just find that one missing puzzle piece you could crack this case wide open.

And then you’d found it. The golden ticket. The smoking gun. The missing piece.

It had taken five days of your leave and copious amounts of coffee but you’d connected the dots no one else had.

You knew how to draw the unsub out. And you were going to do it tonight.

***

“Let’s start again from the beginning shall we?” Agent Rossi linked his fingers together on top of the table as he looked across at you, still slowly sipping your coffee.

“Oh goody.” You sighed. “Could Agent Jareau not fill you in what I’ve already told her?”

“Humour me.” The old man shrugged.

You didn’t have any ill will against him. Far from it. You were actually a big fan of David Rossi. But you were sick and tired of being treated like a criminal.

“Tell me how you managed to work out how to find him.”

You took another long sip of the coffee.

“All the pieces were there, they just hadn’t been put into place.”

“And how did you piece them together?”

“There was a pattern to where the women had been last seen. It was a guess more than anything. A lucky guess.”

“And the pattern was?”

You sighed in frustration.

“As I told agent Jareau,” you sipped your coffee. “The bars they were last seen in all had ties to Mexico. I’m not a native to DC but I know the area like the back of my hand. They were all either Mexican owned, had a Mexican name or were previously establishments such as Mexican restaurants. I made an educated guess that he frequented places such as these looking for his targets. I just got lucky I picked the right one.”

***

You felt incredibly exposed, but you supposed that was the point.

If you were going to get this guy's attention, you had to do this right.

It was a long shot. Just because Western’s bar was known for its famous tacos did not mean it would be the place he chose to pick up girls.

You just had to hope.

You wore a skimpy skirt that barely covered your ass, knee high boots and a crop top that accentuated your assets.

Your firearm was hidden in your left boot.

Your outfit garnered a lot of looks as you headed through Westerns towards the bar.

You felt men’s eyes on you from every angle, making you feel extremely self conscious. But you needed to keep your cool, exude confidence.

If your guy was here he needed to see you shine.

You ordered a soda to keep your head clear and sat at a table over the far side of the bar. From there you had a good view of the entrance and most of the room. And more importantly, the room had a view of you.

Three hours you sat there nursing your soda. It was a huge stab in the dark, you weren’t really surprised.

You finished your drink and headed out onto the cool DC street.

You made it five steps before you felt a presence behind you.

Just as you were about to turn, something covered your mouth.

You struggled against a pair of strong arms.

A smell wafted up your nose seconds before you lost consciousness.

Chloroform.

***

“Why didn’t you tell your unit chief before you went in?”

“Because I thought it was a long shot.” And because she would have been furious I was working the case.

“So you chose to use yourself as bait?”

“Yes.” You shrugged nonchalantly.

“Do you know how dangerous that could have been?” Rossi raised an eyebrow at you.

You had to refrain from rolling your eyes.

“Yes agent Rossi, I’m well aware. But I had a lead and I wasn’t going to ignore it.” You pulled Doctor Reid’s jacket tighter around your scantily clad body.

You caught his scent again. Coffee. Old books. A hint of peppermint.

Another long shut off memory wormed it’s way to the surface.

“So are you here visiting someone?”

“Yeah.” You smiled sadly. “My mom.”

“Oh.” He returned your sad smile. “Me too.”

“Agent Y/L/N?”

You were brought back by Rossi’s concerned voice.

“Hmm?”

“I said, what happened next? You were chloroformed and then what?”

You shook your head, your mind clouded.

“Can we take a break? I could really use some air.”

Rossi sighed with a small nod.

He stood from his chair and motioned you to follow him.

You got some odd looks from his fellow agents as he led you to the elevators. They all recognised what you were wearing as Spencer’s jacket.

You followed Rossi into the elevator and he pressed the button for the ground floor.

“Agent Rossi, can I ask you a strange question?” You asked as the doors closed.

He gave you a curious look.

“I suppose.”

“Doctor Reid. As in Spencer Reid?”

“The one and only.” Rossi frowned unsure what you were getting at.

“Where is he from?”

Rossi’s frown deepened, not sure he should tell you such things about his team. But you were an agent and you didn’t pose a threat to the team.

“Vegas I believe.”

Vegas. Of course.

“Ok.”

“Why do you want to know?”

“I don’t know.” You chewed your lip. “I think I might have known him.”

“Oh?”

You wished you hadn’t opened your mouth. This was not the time or place.

“I’m probably wrong. Just forget I said anything.”

The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. As you stepped out you pulled Spencer’s collar to your nose and sniffed it.

No you weren’t wrong.

***

Las Vegas, Nevada - 1999

“Hi again.” You smiled at the lanky man, Spencer you’d met a few days ago. “How’s your mom?”

“Still angry at me.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and stubbed the toe of his shoe on the floor.

“She came in recently?”

“Yeah a few months ago. I turned eighteen and I was able to have her put into care.” He blanched, clearly feeling guilty for his decision.

“Do you want to grab a coffee?”

“Uhm sure.” He shrugged.

He followed you through to the day room. It was late and there were only a few patients inside and a few nurses milling around.

You got two cups of coffee from the machine and the two of you sat at a table together.

“Do you mind me asking what’s wrong with your mom?” You dared as you slid him the drink.

He sighed heavily, gnawing on his bottom lip as though his life depended on it.

“She’s a paranoid schizophrenic.” He spoke clinically, words he’d had to say too many times in his life. It was as though he’d distanced himself from it. Like he was giving a patient a diagnosis rather than talking about his own mother.

“Mine too.” You gave him a wry smile. You had something in common, just not something you would like to have in common.

“How long has your mom been here?”

“Three years. She got really bad and my dad couldn’t take care of her anymore. She’s been doing much better since she moved in here.”

“That’s good.” Spencer nodded. “I hope my mom realises I did this for her. For her well being. At the moment she’s just so...angry.”

You reached across the table and placed your hand on top of his. He seemed a little startled by the physical touch but you didn’t move your hand.

“This is the best place for her. I assume from what you said earlier your dad isn’t in the picture?”

He used his free hand to sip his coffee with a sad shake of his head.

“He left when I was ten. He couldn’t handle mom's illness.”

You gave his hand a small squeeze.

“I can’t imagine what it was like for you to have to look after her by yourself. It was hard enough with my dad there. Really makes you grow up fast.”

“It really does.” He agreed. “I’m not sure I ever got to be a kid.”

“I know that feeling.”

After that you spent hours chatting about anything and everything until way into the night. It wasn’t until a nurse came and asked you politely to leave that you realised how late it was.

“I’ll probably see you around?” You spoke as you stepped outside together.

“Maybe. In a few weeks I’m heading out of state. I’m working on a PhD.” He didn’t want to tell you it was actually his second PhD.

“Oh. Ok.” You tried to hide the disappointment from your voice.

Despite the circumstances you’d enjoyed talking to someone like minded, someone who understood. You didn’t have anyone else your own age you could talk to about this kind of thing.

“Maybe we could exchange numbers?” You blushed a little.

“I don’t have a cellphone.” He shrugged.

“Oh.”

“It’s not an excuse.” He sensed you didn’t believe him. “I’m not so into technology. I don’t even have email.”

Normally you would have thought it was just a bad excuse to get out of seeing you again but the look on Spencer’s face told you he was being genuine.

“Ok.” You gave him a shy smile. “Well maybe I’ll see you again before you leave.”

“I hope so.” His eyes sparkled as he looked at you on the dark street.

There was an air between you, some kind of thick tension but you didn’t know what it meant.

“If I don’t see you again,” you spoke trying to ignore whatever it was. “It was really good to meet you and I hope your mom gets used to the facility.”

“You too.” He smiled so genuinely at you, it made your heart skip a beat.

And then you went your separate ways.

***

“Ok, so what happened next?” Rossi wasted no time once you were back in the interrogation room.

“Well I blacked out after I was chloroformed so excuse me if I don’t remember.” You gave him a sarcastic smile.

“What’s the next thing you do remember?” He reworded his question.

“I woke up in a large basement. It was gritty and dingy. And there were other women there too.”

“How many?”

“At least twenty.” You sighed letting your mind travel back to the basement you never wanted to go back to. Not even in your mind.

***

You woke with a start, your head pounding. You gasped for air as though you’d been drowning.

You blinked your eyes trying to adjust to the dark room you found yourself in.

It was cold and damp and you could hear a pipe dripping in the distance.

You tried to roll over but your arm wouldn’t budge. You were met by a loud clanking sound when you tried.

You tugged your arm, hearing the same sound and being met with a sharp pain in your wrist.

“Good luck.” A woman’s voice scoffed. “They don’t come loose.”

You blinked a few more times, looking over to your left arm. There was a heavy metal cuff right around your wrist that was attached to a metal bed frame.

That’s when you realised you were laying on a small cot on top of a ratty, itchy blanket. You were still dressed, thank god.

You suddenly remembered your firearm concealed in your boot. You patted your left calf and sure enough you felt the hard weapon still inside.

That was something at least.

Oversight on their part.

You remembered the voice you’d heard before and turned as much as you could with your arm cuffed to take in the rest of the room.

There were at least forty other cots close together lining the walls, with at least half of them containing the body of other women.

The voice you’d heard belonged to a woman in the cot next to you. She gave you a smile but it didn’t reach her eyes.

Her eyes were broken.

“Hi,” you croaked. “I’m Y/N.”

“Delilah.” Her accent was Spanish. You were sure Delilah wasn’t her real name either.

“How long have you been here?”

She sighed, playing with a strand of curly black hair.

“What month is it?”

“September.”

“Oh.” She frowned. “Not that long then. I’ve been here since July.” She looked confused as though that couldn’t be long enough.

“Delilah?” You narrowed your eyes on her. “What year do you think it is?”

“2018…” she saw your face drop and knew instantly it was no longer 2018.

“Oh gosh.” You felt for her, tears welling in your eyes. “It’s 2020.”

“Oh.” Her face fell. “Wow.”

“It’s ok.” You lowered your voice. “I’m CIA. I’m going to get us out of here. I promise I’ll keep you safe.”

***

“Delilah.” Rossi opened the file in front of him. “Was that Roberta Suez?”

He pulled out a photograph and slid it across the table. You averted your gaze.

“Yes and please I don’t need to see it, I was there.”

“How did she end up in hospital fighting for her life?”

“You know how.” You huffed. “Look I’m starting to get fed up with this now.” You folded your arms. “Carlos Ramirez was a sick son of a bitch. If I hadn’t done what I did he would have killed all those women. I don’t regret what I did.”

“How did she end up in hospital?” He repeated.

“Good lord.” You grumbled. “I’ll talk but I don’t want to talk to you.”

Rossi narrowed his eyes on you.

“No? But I’m so compassionate.” He spoke sarcastically.

“I won’t say another word unless it’s to Reid.” You looked up to the two way mirror. You didn’t know why but you had a feeling he was there.

Sure enough it was barely twenty seconds before the door opened and Doctor Reid himself stepped in the room.

“I got this Rossi.” Spencer told the older man who stood up with a shrug.

Rossi left the room while Spencer took the seat he’d been occupying.

Did he remember you? It had been close to twenty years since you’d last seen each other. Had it not been for the olfactory memory that struck you when you put on his jacket you might never have remembered him.

But you knew the rest of his team was behind the two way glass, or at least some of them were so it didn’t seem an appropriate time to ask such things.

“So agent Y/L/N,” he smiled softly at you. “Can you please tell me how Delilah ended up in hospital?”

“You already know the answer to that Doctor but since you asked so nicely,” you leant your elbows on the table, entwined your fingers and rested your chin the little bridge you’d created. “She had a drug overdose. But you and I both know it wasn’t her who administered the drugs.”

“And who did?”

“I did.”

Your words hung in the air between you and Spencer. He knew the answer, the whole team did. You’d already told Agent Jareau everything.

This was a huge waste of time.

“I administered the drugs because he told me if I didn’t he would kill me. I needed to stay alive so I could save those women.”

“Who said he would kill you?”

“I don’t know his name.”

“It wasn’t Ramirez?”

“No.” You shook your head. “If it was Ramirez I would have shot him. But it must have been one of his right hand men.”

“How would you know that? You’d never met Ramirez correct?” Spencer had a soft tone to his voice which made his line of questioning easier than Agent Jareau’s.

“I’m not a profiler but I’ve been to enough seminars over the years. He didn’t fit the bill. He was young, scatty, he didn’t strike as much fear into the other women as I thought the boss would. I made an educated guess and I was right. If I’d shot at him I would have blown my chance at getting Ramirez.”

***

“Shit shit shit!” You pulled yourself as close to Delilah’s cot as possible with your restraint. “Delilah, keep breathing, try to breath. Fuck I am sorry.”

Tears rolled down your cheeks, the empty needle you’d been made to inject in her vein between your cots on the floor.

He’d held a gun to your head and said he would shoot you if you didn’t do it. You didn’t think he was bluffing.

“It happens a lot.” A woman opposite spoke up. “You’ll soon find out. If she wakes up she’ll have the pleasure of returning the favour.” She gave you an almost manic grin.

If she wakes up. It was the if you were having the issue with.

“Who’s in charge around here?”

She shrugged.

“Don’t know his name. Big guy. Tattoos. Mustache. You can’t miss him.”

“Does he come down here often?”

Again she shrugged.

“Being down here you have a way of losing track of time.” She clicked her tongue. “But he’ll be here for you later. He has to test his new girls.”

Your blood ran cold.

“Test?” You swallowed, pretty sure you knew what she meant.

“He can’t very well expect you to make him money if he doesn’t know how good you are.”

Oh god.

Your heartbeat raced. No, it was not going to come to that. You were a CIA agent and you were armed.

It was not going to come to that.

***

Spencer’s face paled a little at your words. You hadn’t told Agent Jareau that part.

“He was going to...he didn’t…”

“No.” You cut him off, pushing the memory back down. “I had a gun, remember.”

You offered him a wry smile.

“So you know what comes next.”

“I’d like you to tell me.”

The way he said it was more like he was a therapist than an FBI agent. As though he wanted you to tell him so you could get it off your chest, unburden yourself, rather than for interrogation purposes.

“Ok.” You nodded. “He came for me later that night. And that’s when it happened.”

***

“Ahh look at you.”

A deep, Spanish voice woke you.

Your eyes fluttered open and landed on a strong, tattooed man with a mustache standing over your cot.

This must be him.

“Tan hermosa.”

So beautiful.

You tried not to shudder.

You sat up wiggling your legs in your boots to make sure you could still feel your firearm. You could.

“Su nombre es Rosa.”

Your name is Rosa.

Guess again.

“Su nombre es Y/N.”

“Tú hablas español?”

You speak Spanish?

“Si.”

“Eres perfecta.” He grinned menacingly. “My clients will love you.”

He reached in his pocket and fished out a key chain. He reached over you and unlocked your cuff.

You rolled your wrist to try and get your blood circulating again.

“On your feet.”

You complied and stood up. Your legs were shaky.

He grasped your wrist, hard enough so you couldn’t wriggle free but not hard enough to leave a mark. He started dragging you across the room.

With his free hand he undid the four locks on the large steel door and pulled your through it. Once on the other side he took care to lock them all again, keeping a firm grasp on you the whole time.

You were dragged down a long, narrow corridor towards another steel door, this one with just one lock on.

He slid the key in and opened it, pulled you inside and locked it behind him.

The room was much smaller than the one you’d been held in and only housed a single cot.

He licked his lip as he looked at you. His large, thick fingers stroked your cheek and you had to try and hide your disgust.

“En la cama. Ahora.”

On the bed. Now.

You had to pick the opportune moment. You had to plan this just right. You had no doubt he had a gun on him so if you faltered even slightly, he would kill you.

“Qué tal esto.”

How about this.

You made a show of licking your lips and then dropping to your knees in front of him.

“Whoa, feisty. I like it.” He grinned, his meaty hands going to his belt buckle.

Yes. Right where you wanted him.

While he was fumbling with his belt, you reached your hand back into your left boot, drawing your gun in one swift move.

You head butted him in the crotch, sending him stumbling backwards, crying out in pain.

“Mierda!” Shit. “Usted puta!”

You whore!

You were on your feet in a second, your gun trained on him.

“You will never hurt another woman again.” You spat, furious tears suddenly streaming from your eyes.

He looked up at you, his mouth opened to speak.

But the words didn’t come out as your bullet hit him between the eyes.

“Who’s the puta now?”

***

“I would say,” Spencer chewed his lip. “You did what you had to do to survive.”

You breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank god.

“Thank you.” You smiled softly. “And I did. If I hadn’t shot him, who knows how many other women would have died.”

Spencer pushed his chair back and stood up.

“Just so you know, we got word from the hospital a little while ago. Roberta Suez, Delilah, is going to be just fine.”

“Oh thank god.” You felt tears brimming your eyes.

He opened the door and turned back to you.

“Are you coming?”

“I can leave?”

“You were never under arrest.” He smirked at you.

You couldn’t help but laugh.

You got up from the chair and Spencer motioned you out of the room.

“I’ll walk you out.” He showed you across the bullpen towards the elevators. There was an awkward air between the two of you.

Did you say anything? It didn’t seem as though he remembered you, was it worth reminding him?

He motioned you into the elevator first and he followed, pressing the button.

The elevator started its descent.

Time was running out.

“So uhm…” Spencer turned to you and turned too. “How’s your mom?”

A smile broke out on your features.

“I didn’t think you remembered me.”

“Are you kidding?” He laughed. “I recognised you the second you walked in.”

“It’s been twenty years.” You laughed.

“Eighteen years, seven months.” He corrected you. “But I could never forget your face.”

You blushed a little, averting your gaze.

“My moms doing ok. Thanks for asking. How’s your mom?” You looked back at him.

“Recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.” He told you sadly.

“Oh gosh I’m so sorry.”

“It’s ok. These things happen.” He shrugged. “Made it to thirty without having a schizophrenic break but now I have to wait until I’m older to find out if I’ll develop Alzheimer’s.”

The doors to the elevator opened and you stepped out, Spencer close behind.

“I really am sorry Spencer.”

“It’s ok.” He shrugged. “Is your mom still at Bennington? I used to see her when I went to visit my mom but I moved her out a little while ago.”

“Yeah she’s still there. She likes being close to my dad.”

You both hovered by the exit, not ready to say goodbye.

“Can I take you for coffee? If you don’t have anywhere else to be.” Spencer blushed as he spoke.

“I’d like that. A lot actually. But I’d really like to shower and change out of this getup.” You laughed. “How about dinner?”

“Dinner sounds perfect.” He grinned at you.

You gave him a smile and turned to leave but before you made it to the door Spencer spoke again.

“Y/N,” he called your name, his voice cracking a little. “You uh...you forgot something.”

You turned to face him curiously.

He walked closer to you and without a second thought, placed his hands on your face and kissed you.

For a second you stood frozen, in shock of what was going on.

But after a few moments you wrapped your arms around his neck and opened your mouth to deepen the kiss.

When the kiss ended you were both smiling at one another.

“What was that for?” You asked softly.

“Oh you know…” he shrugged with a coy smile. “Just something that needed to be done.”

“I’ll meet you back here in a few hours.” You told him, touching his chest briefly.

“Ok.”

“Bye Spencer Reid.”

“Bye Y/N Y/L/N.” He croaked.

And with that you sauntered out the doors but not out of his life.

***

Las Vegas, Nevada - 1999

“Spencer?” You’d only made it a few paces away from Bennington before you stopped in your tracks, calling his name. “You uh...you forgot something.”

He turned to face you curiously.

You walked closer to him and without a second thought, placed your hands on his face and kissed him.

He stood frozen, in shock of what was going on.

It was just a brief kiss, Spencer was too confused to do anything but stand there dumbly.

“Wh-what was that for?” He swallowed.

“Just something that needed to be done.” You smiled. “Bye Spencer Reid.”

“Bye Y/N Y/L/N.”

And with that you sauntered back down the street, hoping that one day, the universe would lead you back into each other’s lives.

—————————————————————

Taglist (let me know if you would like to be added) -

@muffin-cup

@andiebeaword

@mggsprettygirl @measure-in-pain

[raziroo]

Cotton Candy

Pairing: Lotor x gn!reader

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: Saying "Shit" twice

Word count: 2,076 (yay) (also, I edited this, I still need to update the word count)

Author’s Note: I'm crap at writing dialogues, and this is my first time writing for a gay couple. I'm so sorry if it seems forced or unnatural or shitty. Don't be afraid to call me out.

Story Moodboard!

It’s with a grunt of effort that I manage to lift the carton containing the cotton-candy-maker.

‘Here, dad,’ I say as my dad takes the box from my hands. ‘That’s all?’

‘Yep, that’s all of it. We’ll conquer this carnival with our delicious cotton candy,’ I nod, doing jazz hands while saying the last part. Dad chuckles. I grin.

‘Hey, Honey!’ I turn back, squinting to spot where my other dad is in the crowd of bustling people. Where, where…? Yep, there he is – in his embarrassingly brilliant sunshine yellow and bottle green striped shirt and hot pink trousers, a sharp contrast to his natural bright red hair. Don’t say that it can’t look that bright; you’ll never know just how blindingly bright bottle green can really be until you see the shirt my dad’s wearing. And trust me, he usually dresses in simpler tones; such bland tones that you’d be surprised to know he was capable of wearing colourful hues as well. It’s only that he’s very passionate about his job, and so whenever we set up a booth in fetes such as the current one, he never misses to match the shop logo.

‘Hul-lo, father dearest, how seems to go your day?’

‘Oh, quite lovely, if I do say so.’

‘Well, that’s simply charming –’

‘Alright, enough,’ my other, not redhead dad snaps with an exasperated sort of smile on his visage. You see, my not redhead, a.k.a. brown-haired dad happens to be British. And that means that me and dad would rather paint our teeth blue than to not tease him. ‘You both need to shut it and start helping me with the decorations, now. You know I’m trash at all that.’

‘Aw, now don’t get discouraged,’ I say, patting dad on the back. ‘After all, not everyone can be as blessed as me, can they?’

‘Hey, why don’t you go look around for a bit? You’ve been helping out since before I have.’

‘Yeah, he’s right, pet. You should.’

I huff, rubbing my palms on the fabric of my jeans. ‘You guys sure? I’m not tired, if that’s what you’re worried about.’

‘We’re not worried, we’re just saying you should also get a look, you know? There’s a lot of surprising booths this time around. I mean, there are aliens participating too, so…’

‘Hmm,’ I play with my bottom lip a little, then, ‘yeah, okay. I’ll be back in like, an hour? Forty five minutes? Sound okay?’

‘Sounds great.’

‘Bye, then.’ And with that, I turn on the heels of my Converse, wandering about the pretty stalls and eager children and kissy couples and aliens with curious features.

It really feels bizarre, just how astonishingly fast mankind has accepted the existence of aliens. It seems simultaneously ages and just a day before when conspiracy theorists raged all around the world, presenting baseless theories and concepts as to why and how the three-man squad on the Kerberos mission disappeared. Then came the Galra, bringing along with them global terror – because alien life, intelligent alien life existed and humanity remained oblivious all these millennia, and now they were actually attacking us. It could’ve been, perhaps even was, in some other dimension, the end of Earth. But then a defender appeared; Voltron appeared in all its glory, bringing along with it proof that however much these purple aliens claim that humans are scum of the universe, humans were, in the grand scheme of things, the ones that saved the universe too.

It feels even more puzzling to actually be on a first-name basis with the leader of Voltron; that’s right, I’m personally acquainted with Keith Kogane. It was around six months after him leaving the Garrison did I come across him. He’d been loitering around the neighbourhood, had ended up in a fistfight with some other kids, and along with that a split lip and bruised cheek. I’d been watching. When the fight ended, I (somehow) persuaded him to come along so that I could at the very least provide him with a band-aid.

Long story short, we’d bonded over how our moms were no-shows and how dads were the best and we became surprisingly close friends; the only difference was that after the death of his old man, he lived alone. I’d been adopted by my two current fathers. I told him about how when they’d initially adopted me, I was excruciatingly shy. I wouldn’t even come out of my room except meals. It was only when I came to know that they knew how to make candy floss had I timidly approached them if I could have some, because previously I’d always been grossed out at the thought of having to eat that. I’d overheard this group of kids saying that cotton candy was actually just dyed granny hair, so that’s where that came from.

I love cotton candy now. So much so, that even at the age of twenty-six, I will pout if someone takes some of mine without my permission. As if I’d ever allow them to.

Speaking of Keith, I haven’t seen him in years. We lost all contact when he turned eighteen, and then he went off into space, and even when he came back, I didn’t get a chance to meet him. I bear no ill will, though. He must have formed some close relationships. Our past friendship is comparatively much more trivial.

I spot a booth selling grilled corn. I instantly head there.

As I’m about join the crowd of humans and aliens who also want corn, a familiar call of my name leads me to pull a three sixty.

Lo and behold. Keith Kogane.

Despite him having obviously grown a lot, the face was still the same. I’m sure that, if he gets a split lip and bruise on his cheek right now, he won’t look all that different.

There’s a questioning hesitance on his features; he’s probably wondering if he’s got the right person. My pleasantly surprised smile and raised eyebrows assure him. As I step away from the grilled corn stall, I notice a motley crowd behind him; some are purple, some are holding Voltron plushies, and some look way too curious to be in a carnival. The introduction is going to be fun.

‘Keith! You're gonna live a hundred years - I was just thinking about you. But anyways, it’s – it’s great to see you,’ I say with a little giggle. ‘Though I am kind of surprised you actually approached me. The sixteen-year-old you would never.’

He smiles awkwardly in return. ‘Y – yeah… I, just… oh God, this is – I’m sorry,’ he says, his inner turmoil evident.

‘It’s all good. I know you’re shit at small talk, so… like, introduce me? Maybe?’

He nods rapidly, brows furrowed. ‘Yeah, um,’ he turns to the people behind him, telling them my name, how we met, the whole affair. I give them a wave. Most of them greet me back.

‘And, this is Shiro and Curtis,’ he points to the tall, white-haired yet young man, holding hands with a tanner guy, ‘Lance, Pidge and Hunk,’ he points to a lanky, bright-smiled guy, a buffer, kind-seeming person, and a short chestnut-haired woman who, despite wearing baggy jeans and a baggier tee, looks somehow better dressed than me. ‘Then that’s Allura, Coran, and Romelle, they’re Alteans,’ a woman with enchanting beauty and a regal aura surrounding her, a redhead who’s significantly older than the rest with an impressive moustache, and a youthful appearing girl with a big grin, ‘and Lotor, he’s Galran. The Galran Emperor, in fact.’ Lotor is a tall, lilac-skinned man with aristocratic features who shares the same cheek markings as the Alteans. Oh, and he’s unfairly gorgeous, his hair a luscious mane of white which I just know will be soft. It’s hard not to stare. You remember how I said Allura looked like royalty? Yeah, the way this man carries himself, he has the aura and visage of a God. Even in a white tee-shirt and jeans he looks way better than should be legal.

I rip my eyes away.

‘So…are Noah and Oliver here too? I’d love to see them. I mean, I never did get to thank them to permit a possible criminal to sleep in their house.’

I laugh. ‘Never mind that, but we actually sit up a stall here. I could, you know, maybe even get you guys something to eat.’

‘Free? Please don’t.’

‘It’s nothing, really, just… I don’t know, accept it as a small thank you present for not letting the planet go to shit.’

A bit of thinking. Even after a nod from Shiro, it was Lance who said yes. Good ol’ Keith.

When we reach the stall, my British dad is the only one we find there. He looks up, about to say something to me, when he notices Keith.

‘Dad. You remember Keith?’

‘Your possible criminal friend who turned out to be the saviour of the universe Keith?’

‘That Keith. He wanted to see you.’

‘Oh? Well then,’ he dusts his hands, stands up, and greets Keith. Both of them engage in a conversation.

‘You guys wanna try something?’

‘What do you got?’ asks Pidge.

‘What do we got? Um, we got chocolates, candy, marshmallows, jellybeans, tortilla chips, ice cream, popcorn – butter, cheese, caramel, peri peri – Lays, like, a lot of Lays, and the good old cotton candy. What d’you want?’

So, after providing the humans with two Cream n’ Onion Lays, a pack of tortilla chips, a double scoop of butterscotch and chocolate, a small tub of popcorn, and three cotton candy sticks, I turned to the aliens.

‘I’m assuming you guys aren’t familiar with a lot of this stuff, so you could either pick whatever looks to be good, ask your friends, or I could recommend something. What’ll it be?’

Romelle was the one who asked, ‘What’s ice cream like?’

‘It’s sweet. It’s cold. And it’s like… heaven in mouth.’

‘Ooh. I want an ice cream. The… pink one?’

‘That’s strawberry. You can eat it in a cone, or in a cup.

‘What’s the difference?’

‘Well, the cup you can’t eat. The cone is like a crispy biscuit,’ judging by her face, she didn’t know what biscuit was. ‘I’ll just give you a cone. It’s all on the house, so no worries if you don’t like it.’

I watched eagerly as she licked the ice cream. An unreadable look crossed her face. Then – ‘This is almost as good as Hunk’s cookies!’

‘Really?’ Coran asked, twirling his moustache. ‘Well, then…’ he squinted to read the names of the various flavours. ‘I would like “cookies and cream”. Yes.’ A cone of cookies n’ cream was served.

‘Allura?’

‘Do you have something that isn’t sweet?’ That was a plot twist. I’d have taken her as someone who appreciated sweeter foods.

‘We do. You want spicy?’

‘…Sure.’ Peri Peri popcorn was given and enjoyed.

And last… ‘Lotor. What would you like to have?’

It takes me a lot of will to not laugh at Lotor’s way too analytical expression. ‘What would you recommend?’

‘Me?’

‘Yes.’

‘Out of all this stuff, candy floss is my favourite.’

‘Candy floss… the item that looks simultaneously like a cloud and an old woman’s hair?’

‘Yeah.’

‘I would like a helping of candy floss, then.’

As I hand Lotor a stick of cotton candy, I wait with anticipation for his reaction.

‘How am I supposed to eat this?’

It takes me a moment to process that. ‘Uh, you just… pinch a little of the stuff in between your fingers, then eat it. Or you could just, um, go in directly, which I’m thinking isn’t really your style.’

He narrows his eyes, but follows my instructions nonetheless. Only a second after putting the stuff in his mouth, Lotor purrs.

Everyone around him, being me, Coran and Romelle (Allura’s off telling Lance how great Earth food is), looks with wide eyes and raised eyebrows. Lotor appears as if he’s just died inside. The berry-shaded blush on his face is adorable, though.

'I didn't, like, poison you or something, right?'

'No. It's that... I would never in my lifetimes have expected something so tooth-rottingly sweet to be this delicious.'

'So you're okay?'

‘Yes. In fact, I quite like… this cotton candy.’

I grin.

[amjustagirl]

Chapters: one. ~ two. ~ three. ~ four. ~ five. ~ six. ~ seven.

Wordcount: 3k

Summary: 

Akaashi Keiji catches glimpses of another life in his dreams. He dreams of fields of endless gold, of constellation of stars that light up the night sky. He hears the echo of birdsong in her laughter, her song to the gods in the wind.

(Loosely inspired by Kimi No Nawa)

Masterlist link here 

AO3 link here

Author’s note: This fic is a little different from my usual work, so I’m a little nervous about publishing it. If you do like it, would love if you leave a comment / reblog / anything! 

If you’d like to be included in the taglist, do drop me a msg/ask! 

The first time it happens, Akaashi is in his third year of university. 

The upside of staying in Tokyo for university (his mother cried when he got into Waseda, her alma mater) is that he sees his family almost every weekend for cosy family dinners. The downside of staying in Tokyo for university is that he really has no excuse when his parents insist on carrying on Hatsumode, the first prayer of the new year, at the crack of dawn at the shrine close to their home. It’s not that he minds the tradition per se, but he did just spend all night rushing his projects just so he could adhere to the unspoken rule that no work should be done during the New Year holidays and spend some time flying kites with his little cousins. 

Still, there is something magical about starting the New Year watching dawn break and the world awaken from its slumber just as he reaches the summit of all twenty six steps to the top of the shrine, shrouded in the bare branches of the wisteria trees. He tosses coins into the box, drops into a deep bow twice, chin at waist level, clapping twice before bowing a final time. His mother buys far too many omamori, presses at least half of them into his unwilling hands when the omikuji he draws has a great curse scribbled on it. He’s not superstitious, so it doesn’t bother him, but he knows his mother is, so he does accept the omamori with some grace, though he draws the line at the love charm she tries to sneak into the pile. 

‘Mum, I’m too busy at school for a partner’, he tells her firmly. ‘Why don’t you pass it to Yuji-kun, he’s already started work, but hasn’t found a girlfriend from what Oba-chan tells me’. His elder cousin shoots him a particularly malevolent glare that he meets with a placid smile as his mother diverts her attention to him instead.

The faintest shiver runs up his fingers when he deposits the old charm he found in the corner of his closet, grey and faded with time, in the koshinsatsu osamedokoro, the omamori drop off open only during the first day of the New Year. The shiver turns into a ripple of cool water racing up his wrists and roars into an tsunami of dread when the attendant tells him all deposited charms will be burnt in the ritual fire in a fortnight’s time, but he writes it off as a symptom of his lack of sleep and starts to turn away. 

There’s a sudden echo of a nightmare of raging flames that prompts him to swivel around to snatch the omamori and stuff it back in his pocket, muttering apologies to the shocked attendant. Later, when he has time to process his impulse, he’d find it strange. In the meantime however, the festivities wait for no one, so he distracts himself by eating far too much dango and mochi in between rounds of tossing kites up to catch the wind. His uncles slip him full cups of sake and sweetened rice wine to his mother’s disapproval, which in hindsight he should have heeded, as he stumbles to bed that night, head heavy with alcohol. 

That night he dreams of a girl with curly hair, lying in a field of endless gold - daffodils to mark the dawn of spring. 

‘Also known as narcissus’, he hears himself say, hears himself narrate the myth of a man so entranced by his own reflection in the water that he lost his will when he realizes he cannot have his object of desire. A girlish voice lilts teasingly – ‘the flowers are too pretty to be ruined by your obsession of stories written by grumpy old men’. He wakes up with the ghost of laughter on his lips, but there’s a lingering sense of loss budding in barren soil of his heart. 

It does prompt him to pop by the florist near his parents’ house to order a bouquet of daffodils for his mom to be delivered on the first day of spring. He’s accustomed to the old couple running the shop, so he pauses just for a second when he walks into the store to find a new girl at the counter. She must not be used to customers yet, dropping the bouquet she’s working on when she notices him. 

‘Hi’, she stammers, cheeks pink. ‘What can I do for you?’

‘I’d like to make an advance order for daffodils please.’ 

‘For spring?’ she asks, and he nods, writing down his parents’ address when prompted. ‘That’s a good choice!’ 

She waves him off with a cheerful – ‘please come back again’, and he does not notice that there are stars in her eyes. 

His mother drags him back to the shrine on the third day of the holidays, and he obliges her, ever the dutiful only son, even though the frigid temperature makes his breath puff up into clouds and the tip of his nose turns numb. The old omamori is still snug in his jacket pocket, and as his fingers brush against it, he can feel the threads of the charm unravelling, the fabric almost fragile in its worn, threadbare state but he does not attempt to dispose of it again.  

‘What are you going to do once you’re done with your degree, Keiji?’ His mother asks, when they stop by an old teahouse for a cup of steaming genmaicha, the aroma of roasted rice tea warm against his cold nose. 

‘I intend to apply for a job at a publishing company after I graduate’, he tells her seriously, and she nods, encouraging him to continue. ‘I’m hoping it’s something to do with my major, preferably Japanese literature, better yet if it's poetry, but in this market, I’ll take what I can get’. 

His mother nods, smiling at him fondly. ‘I remember you used to be obsessed with Shakespeare and Greek myths when you were younger, all the way through high school, and your father and I thought that you’d end up majoring in that in university. You really surprised us when you chose to major in Japanese literature instead.’

‘I don’t know why, to be honest. Maybe I had a good Japanese literature tutor?’ He laughs, fiddling with his teacup. 

‘Mm I don’t think so though. I remember you complaining that Raku-sensei was so dull he caused everyone to fall asleep.’ He shrugs, and though she stares at him curiously, she does not pursue the line of conversation any further. 

That night he dreams of waking up in an old wooden house, shivering in a thick futon, the smoldering embers from the irori, mere inches from his face. It’s so very different from his childhood bedroom filled with modern appliances and walls of books neatly shelved in alphabetical order, but he doesn’t notice that in the dark. Instead, he reaches for his phone to check the time, bolting awake because that can’t be, he never misses his alarm, mentally calculating that he must leave the house in exactly fifteen minutes to make it in time for practice when a little boy bursts through the door. 

‘Nee-chan’, the little boy whines. ‘I’m hungry. Time for breakfast’. 

Did he just say Nee-chan? Scratch that - since when did he have a little brother? 

He scrambles out of bed, groping his way in the dark to the washroom. The cold water should wake him up, but when he looks up at the mirror above the sink, the face he’s staring at does not belong to him. No - it belongs to a dark eyed girl with curly hair - but it doesn’t make sense, shouldn’t make sense, because when he reaches a trembling finger to poke at the mirror, he is she or she is him - 

The ensuing panic and confusion makes him jerk out of his dream, but when he rushes to the washroom to check that he’s still himself, he is relieved to see that it’s still him - Akaashi Keiji, with dark circles around his eyes, staring back in disbelief. 

He chalks his strange dream up to the stress he carries around from trying to clear all his course work so he can audit additional classes over the next term. 

Except the dreams don’t stop, not even when he moves back to the university dorms. He keeps waking up drenched in cold sweat, clutching at his arms even though they’re clear of the scratches he sees in his dreams, red and raw and stretching all the way up his elbows. 

‘Be kinder to Hana-chan, Keiji-kun’, he hears the call of the same girl in his mind and he shudders, unsure whether the disembodied voice floating through his mind is a memory from his dream. ‘She’s going through an awfully tough time’.

‘It doesn’t give her the right to hurt you like that’, he can hear his faint disapproval. 

‘Never mind that, it’s not a big deal. What are we reading today – don’t tell me it’s anything like Hamlet. That was horrendously depressing.’ 

‘Midsummer’s Night Dream? It’s a romantic comedy at least.’

‘Only a nerd like you would read Shakespeare in high school – and it’s not even in Japanese!’

‘Hush – you don’t get to complain when I’m reading it out to you.’

‘What on earth is going on’, he mutters to himself. The copious amounts of frigid water he splashes onto his face is no antidote to this madness.

‘Sato-san, are you feeling alright?’ he asks his grimacing classmate in concern, lines of pain etched onto her face. 

‘I’m fine, Akaashi-kun’, she manages to spit out, clutching her stomach with white-knuckled hands. ‘It’ll pass in a bit, I hope’. 

‘Are you sure you’re fine? I could help you to the nurse’s office if that helps’. 

His classmate shakes her head, a blush staining her cheeks. ‘It’s just that time of the month. I apologise if that’s too much information to be polite’. 

Ah. But somehow even though he has no sisters, and his female classmates in high school were oddly reticent about their periods (strange, considering it is part and parcel of being a mammal for far more than a millenium) the steps to deal with this particular conundrum come to him so naturally it’s almost as if the answers were presented to him previously in a dream. 

‘Here’, he passes Sato-san painkillers, chocolate and a hot water bottle he’d managed to talk the university nurse into loaning him, and Sato practically whimpers in gratitude. 

‘You’re a lifesaver, Akaashi-kun’, she tells him and he nods, content that he’s solved the problem so efficiently. 

That night he wakes up in her body again. The room is dark, save for the sliver of white light between the blinds that allows him to discern the growing crimson stain between her legs. 

‘Don’t you know all women have to deal with this nonsense every month? But I’ll tell you a trick - painkillers, chocolate and a hot water bottle will make you feel as right as rain’, he hears her voice declare in his mind, and he startles awake to find himself back in his own bed, blessedly clear of any bloodstains. 

It must be a dream borne out of what happened today, he tells himself firmly and shrugs it off. The rest of his slumber is thankfully shorn of dreams. 

But then these dreams start to crash into his sleep like a series of never ending waves, and he’s a short hop, skip, jump away from falling off the cliff into a distracted madness, the rate his sleep keeps getting disrupted. He keeps waking up in her body, it makes him feel like a creep, wearing her skin like an ill-fitting glove, and he decided does not think about how strange it feels to have twin lumps of flesh in front of his chest (his mother raised him to be a gentleman, after all). 

The contents of these dreams are relatively cyclical. He wakes up at dawn, puts on her school uniform, makes breakfast for the little boy - Toya-chan over the primitive hearth before rushing to school through dirt paths lined with trees. His - or rather her classmates stare at her with a mix of condescension and apathy, and her hours in school are spent in a lonely silence, save when Hana-chan gets up in her face and screams absolute nonsense about staying the fuck away from her, which seems a little dramatic considering she’s the one doing the confronting, but it’s just a dream, so he keeps telling himself. It’s not like he can change anything about it. 

‘Does it bother you? That you’re alone?’ he asks her one day. 

‘Not really. I have you and Toya-chan, don’t I?’ she responds. 

‘I suppose’, he says, voice trailing off. 

He catches glimpses of sun drenched afternoons spent in fields of flowers, glances of dusky evenings spent in the forest basking in the light of the setting sun. He agonizes over stacks of homework, digs for mushrooms in the damp earth, climbs through wire fences to scavenge for eggs in neighbouring farms. 

‘Aren’t your parents worried about you and Toya-chan?’ he can hear himself question her one night. 

‘My mom is dead and my dad can’t be home often, he works on construction projects around Sapporo. He sends cash to me and Toya-chan, and it isn’t always enough, but he tries his best ’, she answers, her voice feather light. 

‘I’m sorry’, he tells her a little awkwardly, thinking about his happy family and wondering how it’d feel like to have them torn away from him so early on in life. 

‘Don’t be’, she replies, ‘Sometimes I wonder if it’s better to have good parents who’re dead or absent rather than horrible parents who’re still alive’. 

He jolts awake again, relieved to find himself back in his bed. It’s barely four in the morning, but he’s not going to be able to sleep after that, so he resigns himself to using the time to get cracking on his college assignments anyway. But he makes sure to call his mother once day breaks and he’s sure she’s returned from the market with groceries in tow, telling her awkwardly that he’s just calling to catch up and hopes she’s been well and ok bye mum I love you very much, heart pounding when he hangs up abruptly. 

He has a standing appointment on the first Thursday every month to meet Kenma for coffee at a café a stone’s throw away from Waseda. They both order black coffee, which is strange for Kenma considering his legendary sweet tooth, but he knows Kenma too well to know that the ridiculously successful game streamer is only drinking coffee to stay awake, the shadows under his eyes deeper and darker than those under Akaashi’s own eyes.  

‘Doesn’t Kuroo-san nag you go to bed at a decent time?’ 

Kenma doesn’t even bother to flick his eyes up, busy gulping mouthfuls of the bitter liquid. ‘Speak for yourself. Not sleeping well either?’ 

Akaashi shrugs his shoulders helplessly, stirring his coffee. ‘Mm. ‘I’ve been having strange recurring dreams and it’s been affecting my sleep’. 

Kenma merely hums in reply, and Akaashi finds himself spilling out the entire weird series of events – though to be absolutely accurate, his dreams aren’t real so they can’t be termed as events, but they’ve been haunting him for the past month so they might as well be at this rate. He explains about finding himself in the body of a high school girl with curly hair and a dimple on one cheek, how he’s lived her life enough in the past month that he can map out her days with startling certainty, how he knows it’s not real – it can’t be real, but his dreams glimmer with such vibrancy that they feel real. 

‘Am I going crazy?’ he asks. 

‘I highly doubt it’, Kenma says, tapping his chin in thought. ‘Maybe it’s like one of those exploration video games where you have to take your time to discover its world to figure out the narrative the game is feeding you.’ 

Trust Kenma to relate everything to video games. 

‘That was singularly unhelpful’, Akaashi says dryly as Kenma chuckles quietly in response. 

He is almost afraid to fall asleep again but his eyelids are weighed down by weeks’ worth of sleep deprivation and soon he finds himself again in her body. 

It’s a clear winter’s night. He’s huddled under a thick blanket to shield himself from the bitter cold, watching the embers in the hearth glow yellow and gold. 

‘It’s late. Can’t sleep?’ 

‘Mm’ he replies. ‘Wondering what tomorrow will bring.’ 

‘You’re overthinking again, Keiji’, she chuckles. ‘Tomorrow’s going to be just another day. You’ll wake up back in your warm bed at the crack of dawn for volleyball practice, attend classes in your fancy private school, and play even more volleyball with your beloved Bokuto-san’. 

He rolls his eyes heavenwards at her words and her laugh this time is loud, bright. 

‘You know I only speak the truth. Now, since you need to wake up ridiculously early tomorrow, why don’t I tell you a bedtime story so you can fall asleep.’

‘I’m not a child’, he replies dryly, but does not object when she starts to narrate the tale of a princess exiled from the moon, who is raised by a humble woodcutter and his wife to become a renowned beauty, with five suitors seeking her hand. ‘That’s mean of her’, he mumbles as she describes how the princess rebuffs her suitors by setting them impossible tasks, drifts to sleep as her voice softens as she describes how the princess falls in love with the Emperor, but breaks both their hearts because she knows she must return to the moon someday. He’s fast asleep when she reaches the ending where the princess leaves all her memories on earth with tears in her eyes, gifting the emperor with an elixir of immortality which he burns, because he declares life isn’t worth living without her. 

‘Goodnight Keiji’, she says, her voice shimmering in the still night air.   

For the first time in a long while, Akaashi wakes up at peace. 

Taglist: 

@1tooru @animeflower26 @kageyamakock

[dream-a-little-bigger-x]

Chapter 16 -- Perfect Harmony | Charlie Gillespie

Summary: Emily Fox is a talented 17-year-old with a passion for all things music. Her dream is to become a successful singer-songwriter one day. But to achieve that dream, she needs to get into one of the most prestigious music schools in her district – it’s all been part of her plan since she was six. Sadly enough, those schools cost a ton of money that her parents don’t want to invest. They don’t even want her to pursue her dream. So, now Emily’s hustling, working at the music store to save up to get into college. That’s until she meets Charlie, an annoying seventeen-year-old boy with the same dream as her. The only difference is, he’s just doing it. He doesn’t need a fancy college to pursue his dream to become famous with his band. He just writes his songs and books small gigs here, there and everywhere. Will meeting Charlie defer her from her dream college, or will he actually help her achieve the dream?

Pairing: Charlie Gillespie x OC (Emily Fox)

Warnings: mentions of death, sexual assault

Important note: the characters of Charlie, Owen, Jeremy and Madison are based on the characters they play on the show and i do not own their names, only OC are mine. The songs aren’t mine either, they’re all from the show except for one.

The song used in this chapter is Sirens by Cher Lloyd

~|Charlie Gillespie|~

A few days go by and none of them are spend without Emily. We help around at the Music Store, write songs, rehearse, and then I drop Emily off at her house where we say goodbye for a good fifteen minutes. “You’re going home today?” she asks me on Thursday evening. We’re in front of the red door, my arms wrapped around her waist and hers around my neck, her fingers tangled up in my hair. “I don’t know yet. I’m okay in Jeremy’s garage.” She raises an eyebrow at me. “I’m sure your parents are worried about you, Charlie.” I avoid her gaze by looking somewhere behind her to try and figure out what to tell her. “Hey,” her voice makes me refocus on her. “Take it from me, running away from your parents isn’t the right option.” “Then why did you?” She releases her grip around my neck and places her hands on my chest, pushing me away a little. “I didn’t run away, Charles. This is different. I would go back to my parents’ if they’d let me.” “Right, sorry.” I tuck a strand of her long brown hair behind her ear. “I’ll go back tomorrow, okay? I can’t face them yet.” “You promise?” “I promise.” A smile breaks through on her face just before she leans in to kiss me one more time. “Good night, Emily Fox.” I plant a kiss on her forehead and step away from her. “Good night, Charlie Gillespie.” She stays put, watching me as I walk away. I turn around once more to throw her a kiss, which she cutely plucks out of the air. I’m so in love with this girl, I’d do anything for her. Even going back to my parents’ house. Anything to make her happy.

I don’t hear from or see Emily the next day. She doesn’t respond to my texts about the new melody I came up with last night or any of my hilarious memes I’d send her during class. She’s not even at the Music Store when I arrive after school. I figure something’s held her up again and decide to just play around with the Black Fender since Ash is too busy with the customers to ask her. Fridays seem busy. The boys arrive around 7 when the buzz in the store has finally died down. “Hey, what are you guys doing here?” Ash finally notices us, a confused look on her face. “Waiting for Emily for band practice,” I reply, placing the guitar back in its place. Ash’s eyes widen and her lips part to let out a huff. “She didn’t tell you what day it is today?” The boys and I exchange glances to check if either of them knows. “Her uncle passed away exactly one year ago. She asked for a day off, and I’m pretty sure she didn’t go to school either.” I swallow a lump in my throat. I can’t believe she didn’t tell either of us. “Why didn’t she say anything?” Owen whispers, that worried look on his face. The same look he had when things didn’t go too well with his sister. A look he seemed to have reserved for the girls he considers his sisters or are his sisters. “She spent this day last year with Mitch, closed off from the world,” Ash replies as she starts sorting through the invoices, which is normally my job when Emily has to close the store. “Do you think she’d appreciate some visitors?” Jeremy asks Ash. “I’m not sure. You could always try? Just don’t push it,” she replies. The boys glance at each other again, all three of us knowing what to do. “And if you do see her, wish her my best.” “We will,” says Owen, “Thanks, Ash.” “No problem.” We leave the store, and suddenly, everything around me seems glum and dark. “We’ll just go check up on her, see if she’ll appreciate some company,” Jeremy suggests. “If she’d rather be alone, we’ll leave straight away,” I agree and then lead the boys to Emily’s house. The road I’ve taken many a times with her before. The road that seems so endless all of a sudden. The road with the red door at the end of it. Even that door seems looming now. We ring the doorbell and wait until Mitch opens the door. His eyes look red and puffy, and he’s in his joggers with a blanket wrapped around him. “Oh, hey, boys,” he greets solemnly and sniffles. “We heard from Ash what today is,” Owen starts, “We wanted to come and see if there’s anything we can do?” Mitch opens the door a little further and steps aside, letting us in. We find Emily in the living room, wrapped up in a blanket with tears running down her face and tissues all around her. My heart breaks at the sight of a broken down Emily. “Ems…” I whisper, catching her attention. She turns her head, her teary eyes wide at the sight of us before she breaks down into sobs again. Her frail body rises from the couch and walks up to us, straight into my arms. As if on automatic, I wrap her up in my arms and start rubbing her back comfortingly. The boys even wrap their arms around us into a group hug. “Is there anything we can do?” Owen asks both Emily and Mitch when we pull away from the hug. “Get you some food or—” he gets cut off by the doorbell ringing. While Mitch goes to open up, Emily looks up at me with sadness looming all around her.   “Can you guys just stay?” she asks with a sniffle. “Yeah, of course,” I reply, tucking a strand of hair that’s stuck to her cheek from the tears, behind her ear. “Anything for you, Emily.” She grabs my hand and leads me towards the couch, the boys following suit. “Madison brought us food,” Mitch announces when he walks back in with Madison behind him. “Mom made some lasagna when I told her what today was,” she explains, placing the tray onto the kitchen table before joining us in the living room. “Hey, boys,” she gives us a wave, which all of us return. “How are you feeling?” She walks up to Emily and presses a kiss to her hair. “Better now,” she manages a thankful smile through all the tears. “You guys want anything to drink?” Mitch asks. “I’ll get it,” Madison chimes in, “You sit down.” Mitch obeys like a lost puppy and takes a seat on Emily’s other side. “What do you guys want? Emily, some lemonade?” The sad girl beside me nods her head before placing it onto my shoulder. “Boys?” “Same,” I reply simply, and Jeremy and Owen tell her the same. “Why didn’t you tell me last night what today was?” I carefully ask, placing my arm around her shoulder, so her head lands on my chest instead. “I kind of forgot,” she chuckles tearfully, “I only remembered when I was writing a song upstairs and it reminded me of him a little and then, you know, I was reminded of what day it was. I’m sorry.” “That’s okay, I just got worried when I didn’t hear from you or see you in the store,” I tell her. Madison hands out the lemonades and takes a seat on the couch. “We asked Ash if she knew if you were up for some company,” Jeremy adds after sipping from his drink. “She wasn’t sure, but we wanted to check up on you anyway and see if we could do anything.” She lifts her head from my chest and eyes the three of us with a small smile cracking through her pale complexion. That’s when I notice she’s not wearing any makeup and her hair is scraped up messily. Still, she appears breathtaking. “I’m glad you guys came over,” she admits, and it makes me smile. “Last year, we spend this day at the hospital and then several weeks home,” Mitch chimes in. “We just sat on the couch, ate tubs of ice cream, watched movies and cried. My sister was the only one we saw when she came to check up on us and brought some food.” “Remember what Bobby said just before he died?” Emily asks her uncle, fresh tears pooling her eyes while a smile tugs at her lips at the memory. “You got to keep on dreaming, Emmy. Catch that feeling,” They quote in unison. I realize that’s why she got so mad when I called her ‘Emmy’. It’s what her uncle used to call her. It’s reserved for just him. “How did your uncle die?” Owen asks cautiously, “If you don’t mind me asking.” “Uhm… He got into an accident,” Emily replies, wiping an escaped tear away, “He was on his way home from this musical conference thing, I don’t remember what it was, and the bus he was on crashed and flipped upside down. Several people died that day.” “He had a collapsed lung and several broken bones. He stayed alive for an hour or so more, until Ems and I got to the hospital, and then he slowly went,” Mitch adds. “He waited for us, wanting to see us one more time before he left,” Emily sobs, and I press her closer to me. “I can’t believe his sister didn’t even come to say goodbye.” “Your mother was in New York, Muffin. She wouldn’t have made it in time.” “She came home a week after he died for the funeral, Mitch. She didn’t even try to come and see him.” I flinch at the volume and anger in her voice. Her parents don’t only not care about their own daughter, they didn’t care about her uncle. Probably because he’s the one that put that dream of hers in her head. He’s the one that introduced her to music. Mitch turns to us now, the sad smile still on his face, and says, “The funeral really was beautiful though. Just like Robert would’ve wanted it. Emily wrote a beautiful song and we had a professional singer come in since she couldn’t do it without breaking down. We almost made it into a whole musical, didn’t we, Muffin?” Emily cracks a smile, nodding. “He would’ve loved that so much,” she sniffles. “Can you sing it for me, Muffin?” Her breath hitches in her throat. She’s thinking about it. I can tell by the way she freezes, then rubs her nose once. “Please?” Emily gets up and grabs my hand, beckoning everyone to follow her. She leads me down a hallway and into a large room at the very back of the house. The lights flicker on, revealing an entire studio. Instruments everywhere, pretty much every instrument that exists, and even a recording booth in the corner. My eyes scan the room before landing on Emily. She’s staring into the room too, as if taking it all in. “I haven’t been in here in so long,” she whispers before taking a step. “Can you guys help me?” she turns to us. The three of us spring into action and set everything up; microphones, instruments – she instructs which ones she wants to use – and plug them into the amps. Mitch and Madi sit down on the couch in front of our set up. “You start,” she whispers to me, and I begin strumming the electric guitar. She then nods to Owen, who begins thumping the bass drum, while she starts singing and Jeremy joins in with bass. “I carry the weight of you in my heavy heart And the wind is so icy, I am numb I carry the weight of you heading back to start With a thousand eyes on me, I stumble on” She shuts her eyes when her voice waivers, and I witness a single tear rolling down her cheek. “I am tired, I'm growing older I'm getting weaker everyday, yeah I carry the weight of you I carry the weight of you” Jeremy and I quit playing for a moment, leaving Owen with the beat that carries Emily into the pre-chorus. “Lay down here Beside me in the shallow water Beside me where the sun is shining on us still” Jeremy and I then chime in again, and Emily’s voice grows with our instruments. “Lay down here Beside me in the hallowed water Beside me where the silver lining stays until The sirens' calling” She takes the microphone from the stand and walks up to Jeremy, a small smile tugging at her lips. The room suddenly feels less dark, less sad. As if something’s lifted. “We follow the sun down low 'til we hit the night And you hold me so tightly It's hard to breathe Oh” She turns to Owen as if speaking to him now. He gives her an encouraging smile, which boosts her singing a little. “And I'm tired, I'm growing older I'm getting weaker everyday, yeah We follow the sun down low We follow the sun down low” She turns around to face Mitch and Madison again, really getting into the song. Her voice grows stronger and stronger with the second. “Lay down here Beside me in the shallow water Beside me where the sun is shining on us still Lay down here Beside me in the hallowed water Beside me where the silver lining stays until The sirens' calling The sirens' calling” She now walks up to me as we slow the music down a little, letting her voice carry us instead. She rests her head on my shoulder for a moment, as if needing to lean on me for strength. “Yeah, I'm tired, I'm growing older I'm getting weaker everyday, yeah” She lifts her head, and takes a step away from me, needing some space. “I am drowning, and you're stealing every breath Take me away and just Lay down here Beside me in the shallow water Beside me where the sun is shining on us still Lay down here Beside me in the hallowed water Beside me where the silver lining stays until The sirens' calling The sirens' calling” Owen and Jeremy stop playing, leaving me with the same solo I did at the start. Emily looks at me with hope and happiness in her teary eyes. Then it’s completely silent for a second. “Thanks, guys,” she whispers, her voice shaky as she breaks down again. The boys and I leave our instruments for what they are and rush up to her to embrace her, forming a shield around her against all the sadness in the world. Mitch and Madison join us, making it the biggest group hug ever. I can tell Emily and Mitch are both glad we’d come ringing at their door. I can tell they appreciate us for it, without having to tell us they do. This group hug and the smiles we receive from them, even on a sad day like this one, is enough for me to know.

Taglist: @parkeret​​ @lukeys-giggle​ @hannahhistorian92​ @gingerxarmy​ @marinettepotterandplagg​ @thequirkybookaholic​ @lovesanimals​  @ashleyleblancx​ @calamitykaty​ @bookdealer5​ @tenaciousperfectionunknown​ Lemme know if you want to be on my taglist for this story/any of my other works!

[writesandfights]

Prompt number six JJ x reader, they didn’t try to get pregnant but when they found out they weren’t mad then reader loses the baby

PROMPT # : 6

WORD COUNT: 2882

WARNINGS: MISCARRIAGE

PAIRING: JJ X READER

ABSQUATULATE

There they were. The two lines that seemed to be able to tell you what the next eighteen years of your life would look like. It was like a haunting feeling that set right over your stomach, this was now a reality that you couldn’t run away from. Your parents would never allow you to do such a thing as abortion and you wouldn;t be able to do the same thing, you couldnt imagine. But you knew one thing in that moment, you had to tell JJ, you had to tell him what happened and now what would be the new life long sentence. A child. JJ was going to be a father and you a mother, you weren’t very old, only a child yourself.

You had to find a way to tell your boyfriend of a year that the one time you guys didn’t use protection was the one time that you now have a punishment. A punishment.. That was a terrible way to put it, a child wasn’t a punishment, it was supposed to be a gift but in this moment it didn’t feel like that at all. It felt like a burden that you would be left behind by the person who cared for you more than anyone else. You decided to take two more tests, the same thing, the bright pink two lines or even the little words, pregnant. It was almost instant, it truly made you wonder how long you had been pregnant for, you had sex with JJ almost over two months ago. It was a romantic moment, out on the boat by the darkness, the stars setting over the sky when the moon peaked out behind some small clouds, a red checkered blanket under the two of you when you both decided it would be okay to not use a condom.

The phone was in your hand as you dialed his number, he was bound to be out with his friends but you needed him at this moment. He had every right to know and he had every right to leave, little did you know it was gonna be the complete opposite of that, he would stay.. JJ had always been scared to be a dad but this time- he knew he was with the right woman to raise a child, you. His voice rang through your ears when he spoke, clearly distracted by that of Pope’s actions, “ hey baby girl, how is movie night with your family, your mom sent me a photo, said you're watching disney movies, the uh little dinosaur I think?”

It was an ironic sentence, little dinosaur, a child out on its own who seemed to adopt a small human as its own. You smirked and took a deep breath in a second, trying to keep your sanctity but it wasn’t going to work at this moment. “ Yeah yeah, I love this movie, but uh, can I come and see you, I want to talk to you about something and before you panic, i am not gonna break up with you, I love you way too much to do that..”

His voice seemed to waver as you can hear his anxiety over the phone, he was used to losing everything, it was just what happened to him all the time. You sighed and had a small shred of hope left in you, trying to figure out what would happen. “ Baby.. I love you so much, I just need you to trust me, okay? Meet me by the old spot, I'll be there in ten minutes. I just have to tell you this is all.” He took a second to answer but heard as he pushed away John B, a common friend that the two of you have in common. “ I trust you, you know that, I’ll be there in a few minutes..”

You walked to the little spot you asked him to meet you at, a small bench that seemed to be hidden from all of the world, it was old and surrounded by woods that never ended. It sort of looked like the narnia movie, the mall pole that had been set over the snowy plains, it was beautiful, something that would draw crowds towards it. That's what this was to you, a sign of peace and hope in the world that seemed to be so desolate and full of drama. You sat there while the little ziploc baggie had the pregnancy tests inside of them, all three, each one a message, hope or havoc, you didn’t know yet.

JJ was nervous when he walked into the little wooden area, the small smile on his lips when he saw you sitting there but clearly saw how nervous you seemed to be. The look in your eyes that had set over your face when he sat down next to you. He panicked and took a deep breath while resting his hand over yours, comforting you even if he didn’t know why. “ baby.. Why are we here? You haven’t wanted to come to this place for some time.. What happened? Is it your dad again?”

You shook your head while breathing through your nose, trying to calm the fear but it didn’t want to go anywhere. It set over you like a giant fog, a haze that wouldn’t go away.. JJ smiled softly but noticed the little bag, the tests, he took it from your hand before you could argue, his facial expression dropped, he was clearly now unhappy rather than anything else, angry, scared, you could see all these emotions built up. “ baby.. Please tell me these aren;t yours. Please tell me that you're not pregnant and that` that these are your mothers and you're gonna have a sister or some shit like that..:”

He stared at you the whole time, he wanted and needed to hear your answer but you knew he wasn’t going to like what you had to say, you were pregnant. “ JJ.. I can't tell you that.. I’m- those are my tests.. We are gonna have a child and I- I think I want to keep it. I know you don’t want to be a dad because of your own parents but- I can do this on my own. I have faith. I understand if you'd want to break up..” You stood up when tears ran down your cheeks, you couldn’t control it, not right now, you were way too emotional and too dependent on your heart for such decisions.

He instantly shook his head when he was still trying to process his own emotions, but he needed to make sure yours came first, you came first. “ Hey.. Hey..” JJ ran towards you when he caught your hand, he stopped you from running away, holding onto you with a little look of fear but also the same comforting eyes he always had. “ I am not going to be going anywhere.. Not now, not ever. I have been in love with you for two years and you were lucky enough to give me the chance a year ago.. I am not gonna walk away from you just because you’re pregnant..”

“ you’re not angry at me..” you spoke weakly and let the tears officially fall down your cheeks, he was fast to move his thumbs up, catching them from falling down. JJ was so undeniably in love with you, he knew it just like you knew it. You looked down and he smiled again, he shook his head when he finally seemed to allow the weight of this take over. He was ready to be a father, he was going to do this with you, whether he had thought he was old enough or not. “ Baby.. we can do this, I know you're scared, terrified of everything that happens from here on out, but I can promise you it's gonna be okay. I can get a job, I can work this all together, we have the money we got- I use it for a house, for the baby. You will not be alone in any of this, trust me.

His confidence caused your fear and your anxiety to die down, moving closer to break the air between the two of you, your soft lips pressed against his. He was so damn perfect and you had been undeniably lucky to have your boyfriend in your life. As you slowly made plans the time seemed to pass with it, JJ did what he said he would, he got a job and saved up all the money he possibly could to use it towards the baby, you had yet to find out the gender and today was that day. You would go into the doctor to find out what your little bean would be, JJ was already coming up with names along with things he would call the child. He was more excited than even you were, a baby, his baby, you swore he told everyone that night, his friends, your parents, everyone.

As the two of you slept, you felt something inside of you, something wrong. It caused you to sit up in a cold sweat, feeling something wet between your legs, it was too soon for this, right? You couldn't’ have the baby now, it was only nine weeks along, right at the point where you could find out gender.. A whine of pain left your lips when it seemed to resonate inside of your stomach, pain, so much more pain than you're used to feeling. When you looked down, you saw what it was, a deep red blood that stained the purely white sheets you spent so much money on. JJ was still asleep when you turned over slightly to see him cuddled into a little ball at your side.

You knew what this meant, the pain that swelled up in your stomach and now the blood that dripped between your legs. A cry of despair left your lips, seeing as you couldn’t breathe it more sounded like a wheeze of turmoil. JJ moaned and moved in his sleep when he rolled over to see what happened, you were awake and his eyes dropped down to the little pool of crimson liquid that sat between your legs. Blood. “ baby.. Y/N.. What's going on?”

“ I lost the baby..” The sentence ripped through you like a freight train, every little word causing your body to shake compulsively. No tears left your eyes, you were only hollow, just a shell of what would have been in the next few years, you lost your child and now - what did you have left. A weak look came over your face when JJ sat completely up and knew what happened. He knew, he needed to hear it, just as you needed to hear it. You were no longer parents, you were now the 4 percent of people that have lost children.

“I’m here.. It’s okay..” He pulled you into his chest, allowing you to just bury your head into his chest, no longer breathing as stable as you once were, it was shallow and completely weak compared to what it once was. He could tell by the beating of your heart and how red your face was, you weren’t breathing, pushing back that anxiety attack. “ Y/N, I need you to breathe for me.. Remember what you told me.. Three seconds in, five seconds out.. Can you do that for me..”

You nodded in agreement and took the moment to breathe, he never left your side but you could hear the racing of his heart. He was upset, he was crying into your hair but never let you go, you needed him and he needed you. “ It's okay.. We are okay.. We- we can always try again in the future, I love you.. I know you want to stay here.. But we need to go to the doctor, please baby..” He picked you up in that moment, holding onto your body when he carried you bridal style out to the house, he didn’t want to let go of you, not until he had to, setting you down into the passenger side of the car, letting you curl into a ball, your head on his lap when you couldn’t bare to leave his side. ‘

“ You're not to blame.. Not one bit.. I promise you that. I love you so much more than anything in this world.. We are still in this together, stay awake for me okay? Talk to me and tell me what I can do to help you? “ You let a shrill whimper leave your lips, holding your hand over your stomach, you couldn’t feel her or him.. They were no longer moving and you had no idea what to say, you were truthfully just blank. “ I- I still want to know what we would have had..”

When you got to the hospital it felt like you were just another case, a number. The doctor laid you down, having turned the sonogram on, putting the smooth liquid over your stomach, when he nodded weakly, you had truly lost your baby. “ I am so so sorry.. Your baby- he passed away in the night.. Due to how far along you were, I- have to tell you.. You need to deliver the child, or it could cause an infection deep inside of you..”

JJ felt your hand tighten around his, shaking his head again, trying to calm your anxiety but it wasn't going to stop, you had to deliver a still born child. He kissed your forehead when they told you what was to happen, you had the child only a few hours later, JJ stood over the crib, the child was no bigger than his hand, but still had a little face, little fingers, he was beautiful. He smiled and let a deep breath leave his lips, along with a small tear going down his cheek. “ hi there.. You're such a handsome little one , I wish we would have been able to hear your tiny cry, your voice.. But you're safe and so loved.. I promise..”

You woke up and heard those words, you were blinking when your vision finally cleared up, JJ turned to see you were up and nodded. “ good morning mama.. He's handsome.. He - he is so so cute..” He moved closer to you, rolling the small bed over when you looked down, it was a child, truly, your child. Though you couldn’t help those tears that fell, they were full of pain and full of happiness at the same time. “ he looks beautiful..” he nodded softly when laying down next to you, the doctor coming in and seeing the two of you, “ we are gonna prepare funeral preparations if that's okay.. We talked to your parents.. They are going to have everything ready, I will be taking the little one, did you try and pick a name?”

JJ swallowed but nodded once more, a name that would suit a little beautiful baby boy like this one, “ we are gonna call him Marcus.. Marcus Maybank..” You turned and kissed his cheek when the doctor nodded, pulling the stillborn child out of the room and left the two of you alone. He rubbed your cheek, trying to sooth your sadness again, he was calming you. “ you did good mama.. So so good.. We are gonna have a child one day.. I just know it, I want- I want to have a baby with you, maybe not now, maybe not in a month, who knows, maybe we will have a child one day. A beautiful baby girl with her mother's eyes and her kind soul or a tough and rowdy boy that has my curly blonde hair.. I love you so much more than you could ever know.. Let’s get some sleep, baby.. It’s been such a long night.. It's gonna be a long day tomorrow..” His sadness was rather evident and he wouldn’t be able to handle his emotions, he had been crying for so terribly long , his cheeks stained a deep red, no longer the tanned color they once were, it was heart wrenching, you could see it. “ I- I know you’re staring at my cheeks baby.. I have been crying for awhile.. You know I don’t like crying..”

“Let it all go baby.. Let it all out.. “ You spoke weakly when he had been pressed into your chest and a moment later his sadness broke through his chest. He broke down into your arms, letting the tears stain your blue hospital gown, he was broken and you could clearly tell just by the look on his face, the pain in his mourning for the child he wanted so badly. In that moment you knew, JJ Maybanks wanted to be a father, but he lost it all just like you did, a blink of an eye and it all got taken away from the two of you. “ JJ.. I love you so so much.. It's gonna be okay, just one step at a time.. Remember, you told me that.. We can do this, we go day by day, we- we can do this.. I know we can..”

[mysterioh]

BUSTED - b.b. part 2

PAIRING: PROFESSOR! BUCKY X READER

SUMMARY: Nat asks you about a certain contact by the name of “Bucky Boo Bear 🐻💖💕💗” and gets the surprise of a lifetime.

WORDS: ~2K

A/N: hi! thank you for all the love on part 1! it was genuinely not expected but very much appreciated! here’s the second part and I hope I was able to make it to everyone’s expectations. 💕

PART 1

"First of all, how dare you?"

"How dare I like math?" Bucky asked with a smug grin that had the redhead fuming.

"How dare you defile innocent girls with your devilishly handsome looks!" she yelled in his office. "Have you seen this face?" she asked, squeezing your face with one hand and shaking it back and forth. "This is the epitome of chastity!”

“I’m amazed you know such big words, Romanoff,” he chuckled.

Nat groaned in replied ready to slap the smug grin off his face. She leaned over on his desk with her palms flat against the wood and daggers shooting from her eyes. Unfortunately, it'll take a lot more than that to intimidate him. 

“You know, I always thought you were a good professor. Distinguished, intelligent, a total hardass at times, but good nonetheless. But now? You’ve lost all my respect!” She said and you gave her an unseen roll of the eyes.  “How dare you take advantage of my friend like this?”

“Nat…”

“You stay quiet!”

“You do realize the feelings are mutual here right?” he asked, “I’m not forcing her into anything.”

“She’s half your age!” she exclaimed. “You can’t just start dating your students!”

“Nat, would you keep it quiet!” you hissed. “What if someone hears?”

“You damn old pervert!”

“Actually, I’m twenty-seven. So that makes me only six years older,” he stated nonchalantly. “Not like I’m expecting you to be good at math or anything.”

“I know how to add, moron,” Nat deadpanned. “I might be failing your stupid class but I know basic math.”

“You can’t call me a moron. I’m your professor,” he replied, growing increasingly annoyed by her belligerent behavior.

“Screw you and your title you gross math geek,” she hissed. “Targeting sweet and innocent girls for your disgusting fantasies.”

Bucky chuckles only fueling Nat’s anger. “She’s not as innocent as you make her out to be.”

You glared at Bucky as he looked at you with a glint of mischief in his eyes. “Am I gonna have to tell her or you?”

“Tell me what?” Nat asked looking at you with a raised brow.

You looked away from her, your cheeks a bright red. “Nothing, there’s nothing to say here.” You said, warning Bucky to not open his pretty mouth.

Bucky gave you an evil look. “She’s the one who started it.”

“No, I didn’t, you liar!”

“Come in,” Bucky called from his desk, eyes fixated on the screen of his computer. 

You poke your head in through the door and smile when he looks up. He returns it. 

You walk inside, confidence oozing from the way you sauntered over to his desk. Maybe it was just him, but there was a sultry air to your strut and suddenly his thoughts weren’t very professional. 

“Hi, sorry to bother,” you said. “I’m really having trouble with 6.3 and was wondering if you could help?” 

“That’s kinda my job,” Bucky chuckled, motioning you to sit in the chair next to his desk. “Let’s see that problem.” 

You chuckled while opening your notebook to find the problem you were stuck on. “So it’s on areas of revolution. I don’t really understand why you would use the Cylindrical Shells Method instead of the Disc Method.” 

You push the notebook closer to him and before he even reads anything he can’t help but admire how neat your notes are. Always made grading ten times easier.

“Alright,” Bucky pulls out a blank piece of paper from one of the several stacks on the side of his desk. “Let’s start by graphing this baby.” 

You pulled your chair closer to his cluttered mahogany desk and right next to his chair to get a better view. Bucky works out the problem, but it’s hard for him to focus. 

On any other day, he could do them with his eyes closed, but next to you he sounds like a nervous tutor on his first day. 

The scent of your perfume is intoxicating. The accidental brush of your hand against his fires him up. The way you bite your lip and furrow your brows in confusion had him fawning inwardly.

You couldn't help but sneak glances at him while he worked. His voice was like a jazzy tune, deep and soulful but smooth and sweet like honey. 

Those little glances morphed into something else and you're stuck staring at him, admiring the nitty-gritty of his features.

Eyebrows knitted in concentration. Steel-blue eyes determined to find a solution. His chocolate brown locks tied back lazily into a low bun with a few rebellious strands shaping his face. Oh, what wouldn't you do to leave a trail of kisses along the sharp angle of his bearded cheek, traveling your way towards those perfectly perfect, plump—. 

"Something wrong?" he asked. 

Your cheeks heated a bright red. "N-no!" You stuttered, quickly averting your eyes from his amused gaze and towards the desk. "U-um, I think I should go!" You quickly began to gather your things haphazardly while Bucky just looked on confused. 

He never said he minded. He didn't really want you to leave. Just not yet. 

"I'll see you in class, professor!" You said flustered. "H-have a good day." 

You turned on your heel to leave but freeze the minute his hand catches yours. His hand was surprisingly warm, fitting ever so perfectly in yours. It felt like you were unconsciously floating off into space. Your thoughts were filled with warm and fuzzy feelings and suddenly, the urgency to leave fades away. 

Bucky brings you back down to earth with a gentle tug on your hand making you turn to look at him, and it's the prettiest thing you've ever seen. 

Him looking up at you. His eyes twinkling in the light peering through the blinds of the window. Lips parted slightly, itching to say something that should never be said in this situation. 

"You don't have to go," he shook his head, the errant strands of his hair jostling as he did. "Can't you stay just a bit longer?" He whispered. 

In a matter of seconds, the schoolbag dropped, Stewart's Calculus was dead in a ditch, and private tutoring just got a bit too intimate. 

Next thing Bucky knows, he's caught in a whirlwind, dazed and confused by the way you're kissing him. The sweet taste of strawberries you had for a snack on the way there still lingered on your lips and had him craving more. Your gentle fingers traveling up his arms and the way you pull on his lower lip in mischief has him going insane. But even as the turbulent storm within him runs rampant, he still has some sort of sanity left. 

"We really shouldn't be doing this," Bucky murmured against your neck. Your heart aches against your ribcage at the sound of his husky voice against your skin. 

"We really shouldn't," you replied breathless, playing with the buttons of his shirt.

Papers with mathematical scribbles were scattered on Bucky’s desk along with a few on the floor. What had started as an innocent review session quickly turned into something else.

It was bound to happen eventually. The lingering gazes in class. The out of place compliments when returning quizzes. Always picking on you in class just to make sure you were listening. You always had a feeling that there was something more underneath all of it and sitting in his lap in the solace of his office was more than enough evidence to prove that your theory was correct.

"This is highly unprofessional, Miss L/N," Bucky stated as his hands slid down your sides. He nipped at your sweet spot.

"We can stop if you want to?" you asked innocently as if what you were doing was pure in its essence.

He leaned back in his leather chair and pulled you closer by wrapping an arm around your waist, making you straddle his hips better. Your body was taut against his with your hands resting on his chest. The look in his eyes denoted desire and you knew he had no intention of stopping.

“And what if I said I don’t want to?”

“Then I’m not going to stop you.”

"You do realize there is no turning back? This is going to change everything."

"Change is a good thing, Professor," you smirked bringing your lips closer to his, your sweet breath tickling his lips. Bucky growls lowly at the name.

"You're a bad student, Y/N."

"You're not so righteous yourself, Prof." you chuckled. "You have wandering hands," you said, alluding to his hard hands hidden underneath your sweater.

Bucky chuckled with a red blush tainting his bearded cheeks. He pulls you into a deep kiss, releasing seven weeks of pent up tension. The feel of your hand caressing his cheek and your core tight against him had him sending to another realm. There was an inkling of fear in him, but the need for you was far greater.

Who was gonna find out anyway?

"You started it?" Nat shouted at you.

"N-no!"

"I'm about to pull out the receipts," Bucky butted in.

"You will not do anything!" you shouted at him.

"Don't shout at me I'm your professor," he retorted.

"And I'm your girlfriend," you whispered at the end. "So I'll do what I want!"

"Babe, you're so bossy." Bucky chuckled. "I think that's really hot."

"Shut up, Bucky!" you shouted, hot and red.

"I can't believe I just heard you say that," Nat gagged. "This is beyond disgusting." She turned over to you, her red locks bouncing behind her. "Y/N, what's your mom gonna say about this?"

"Oh, Mrs. L/N is so sweet," Bucky said just to spite her. "She makes the best baklava."

Nat gaped at you. "He met your mom?!" You smiled sheepishly. "And he ate her baklava?!"

"Yeah, it was really good."

"How dare you eat her baklava?" she asked completely offended

"Well, she offered." Bucky shrugged.

"So your mom knew about this before I did?" Nat asked.

"You know my mom, Nat, she's always nagging me about getting a boyfriend."

"So you decided to pick your professor for the job?" she asked incredulously.

"Would you keep it down?" Bucky asked. "I'm tryna keep my job here."

"Should've thought about that before you started dating your student, math freak."

"Next insult and I'm knocking five percentage points off your grade."

"You can't do that!"

"Watch me," he threatened with a playful smirk.

She pouted at him then towards you. "Dump him right now!"

"Woah, woah, wait a second here," Bucky shouted in defiance.

"I'm not gonna do that, Nat. I really like him." You said.

"Why? He's a loser who gets turned on by math!"

"Well I like this loser!" you pointed at him.

"Don't call me a loser!"

"Fine don't ever talk to me again," she said as she strutted towards the door. "I never want to see you again."

"Nat, we live in the same house." You rolled her eyes at her. She was such a dramatic at times.

"Not anymore. I'll throw your stuff out the window for you to pick up. You can live with your stinky boyfriend from now on."

"Nat!" you hollered as she slammed the door behind her. You shake your head feeling a headache rising.

"She's really something," Bucky commented.

"I think it's the red hair," you said, making him chuckle.

You walk around his desk and take a seat in his lap.

"Sorry," he said.

"About what?"

"You just lost your best friend because of me."

"No," you chuckled, fixing the collar of his shirt. "She's just a bit dramatic. She'll be fine in an hour or two."

"How do you live with that?”

“You get used to it after twelve years.”

Bucky shook his head in amazement. “Wanna come to my place this weekend?" he asked with twinkling blue eyes.

"Can't," you sighed with a smile. "I have a Calc exam on Monday and my professor likes to make them incredibly hard."

"I can help," he offered with a smirk. "I'm very good at math."

"Something tells me we're going to be doing a lot more than just math," you chuckled.

"Maybe take a break or two," he suggested, dipping into your neck and peppering kisses along the curve of it.

"Highly doubt that," you replied as you pushed him away.

He frowns at you as you get up.

"I've got class in ten minutes," you replied. You turned to pick up your bag.

He catches you by the hand and gives it a kiss. "See you later then?" he asked with big puppy dog eyes.

"You are so clingy."

"I like spending time with my girlfriend. Is that so bad?"

"No, I guess not," you chuckled giving him a peck on the lips. "I'll see you tonight then. But not for too long since it's a school night."

"Nerd," he deadpanned.

"Says the guy who gets a hard-on from integrals," you retorted.

"I just like math, okay?"

"That's seriously not normal."

@marshyrebelcloud​ @chuckennuggets1213​

[lastluvbug]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING MY REQUEST since love it so much, I'm asking another one! This time it's gonna be full on angst but there will be happy ending so let's get started! =D can you do a request with a mc who had a terrible back story of abuse? She ended up losing her eye when she was four years old because her father threw a wine bottle at her and age blames herself because he killed her late older sibling and mom when she tried to cheer him up by playing a mini harp? Can be with anyone.

Very angsty, I’ll see what I can do!

Warnings: Mentioned/referenced abuse, mentioned self harm, drinking, and langauge. If sensitive, please do not read!

A Sweet Melody

Once upon a time, music had been so precious to Yuu. It had been her world, her rock, her solace when she couldn’t sleep at night.

She’d pull out her harp, and hum a tune in sync with her elegant plucking. She remembered those nights, dreamt of how free and pure the sound was, how calm she felt as the tension was poured into her song.

She remembered how much her mother and sister loved to listen—after a stressful day, before school, a nighttime lullaby.

All of it seemed so distant, like a fragmented dream that only appeared in flashes, gone so quick the only trace left was the bitterly addictive flavor of nostalgia on her tongue.

Music now was nothing more than a hatred whorled spit in her face. Music had been the thing to lead her younger sister and mother into their coffins six feet below ground. Music had driven her father insane.

It started when she was just barely out of her toddler years, when Yuu was first gifted the stringed instrument. While it overjoyed her to have something so beautiful, her father was nearly steaming with rage.

Yuu’s family was the farthest thing from rich. Her parents worked two, three jobs at a time, hardly creating a stable income as her father squandered his opportunities again and again. Over the course of her short life, Yuu often found herself to be at the receiving end of his fury, whether that mean harsh chastisment scented of alcohol on the smallest of mistakes, or a plain backhand across the cheek.

The day before, Yuu’s father had wasted yet another night at the bar, filling himself the disgustingly thin liquid until he couldn’t walk, nor speak.

“You bitch! How did you afford that? You doin’ something behind my back? Is that it?” He bellowed at her mother, Yuu standing in front of her one year old sister defensively as he stood from the rugged couch, stumbling over to the cluttered counter.

“Dear, please. It was just a gift!”

“Don’t raise your voice at me! How did you afford it?!” He grabbed her mother’s arm roughly, twisting it with his superior strength as she bit back a wince too late.

“Daddy! Don’t hurt her! She just wanted to do something nice!” Yuu interjected, latching onto his free hand.

“Get off me, brat. If it weren’t for little money suckers like you, we would’ve been dining like kings!” He slapped Yuu away, the short girl tripping over her feet and landing on her side.

From across the room, her sister began to wail, clutching her hand-me-down stuffed pet and wiping away fat tears. Yuu noticed how her father whipped his head to the child, eyes ablaze with a plan to shut her up. Acting quickly, Yuu rushed to her baby sister, pulling her out of the kitchen and up to her bed, where she tucked her in.

“Don’t get violent! Not on our daughter’s birthday!” Her mother shrieked as Yuu tramped back into the kitchen, freezing as her father slapped her mother.

“Shut up! You don’t understand what you’ve done, woman!” Just as her father raised his hand to strike her mother yet again, Yuu threw herself into him, temporarily knocking him off balance.

“No, Daddy! Leave Mom alone!” She stood in front of her mother, who fell to the ground on her knees, her arm out beside her as she tried to protect her despite only having just turned four.

A black rage darker than Yuu had ever seen laced every muscle and tendon in her father’s face, fear spiking through her heart and crumbling her resolve as the man recovered from his shock, standing to his full height. “So you think you’re better than me now? You think you can stand up to me? You’re father?” His hand trailed across the counter, searching.

“Dad...?” Yuu began trembling.

“I’ll teach you...” he mumbled, towering above his daughter, “I’ll teach you to stand up to me!”

He raised his hand, and in that split moment, his eyes were clearer than Yuu had ever seen before. He moved with such swiftness, it made her wonder why he’d never invested such concise movements into playing with her or her sister, why he sat drinking his life away on the couch instead of helping her mother work.

That was the last thought she had, before her world was sliced in two.

First, it was the immobilizing pain that made her drop to the floor. Her bones groaned in response to being dropped so unceremoniously on the tile, but was little heeded as her head blew up in flame, her scalp stinging like a thousand wasp penetrations as something warm and sticky dripped down her tear streaked cheeks.

She hardly recognized the scream that pierced the air as she looked around, hand wandering to her eye as she realized... it wasn’t working. She could only see out of her right, and the left was pure, black darkness, not even the silhouette of the room appearing in the emptiness. Yuu stared at the floor, at the blood falling from her face and onto the glass shatterer before her, encircling her like a broken cage.

Her ears rung, and she couldn’t process what happened next. Briefly, she recalled being carried, the sound of her irregular heartbeat, and the flooding of throbbing lights as she faded in and out of consciousness.

Yuu had her father’s words left in her head, imprinted in her brain like a branded cow. “Next time, learn to hold your tongue, bitch.”

All her life she carried the reminder of that day, marred upon her skin and forever labeling her as the “Outcast.” She never saw herself as beautiful from that time forward, and after the death of her mother and sister a mere two years later, never spoke unless spoken to.

<————>

Yuu awoke with a start, being shaken by someone rather roughly.

“Yuu? Wake up, class ended.”

The girl looked to the source of the sound, meeting the wide eyed and worried face of her only friend in all of Night Raven. “...My apologies, Epel...” She mumbled, lifting herself from her crossed arms.

“It’s alright, just... what was your dream about?” Epel asked, standing beside her.

“Nothing i-important, why?”

“You’ve been crying.”

“Hm?” She reach up to her cheeks, her fingers wiping something wet streaked down the plains of her face. “Ah... It really was nothing.” She waved off his inquiry, as well as her tears with her sleeve, seeing that Grim had already long since left her behind.

“If you say so... hey! Since it seems yer—ahem, you’re, not busy, did you want to come with me back to Pomefiore? All this time, and you’ve never been, right?” Epel prompted, making Yuu look up at him from her seat.

“Go with you to Pomefiore? A-Are you sure that would be fine? You guys are known for your beauty, I don’t think I would be very welcome...” Yuu shyly said, ghosting over her scarred eye.

“With the way Vil primps himself daily, I doubt anyone would notice you. Not to mention Rook—the guy’s lost one too many of his screws. He’ll probably be kissing up to our marvelous dorm head, so I’ll be off the hook.”

“What would... what would we even do?”

“We could study? I know I’ve been failing pretty terribly in some of my classes. Or... oh! Come with me!” Epel took Yuu’s hand, dragging her fragile figure down the hallways.

“What? What’re we doing?” Yuu asked, jogging to keep up with the boy.

“We’re going to the kitchens!” Epel laughed, sparking the girl’s confusion.

It was a bumpy run, the two weaving between students rather easily thanks to their short statures, and rounding corner after corner until they approached the gran cafeteria. Following their beelines, they pushed through the rows of starving students, barreling into the back kitchens pleasantly smelling of a mix of foods.

Yuu kept her mouth shut, following timidly behind Epel as she subconsciously covered her eye with a hand, glancing around nervously. Only a handful of people looked her way, that she could tell, and either smiled or laughed, both reactions causing her ears to redden.

“Okay, do me a favor, would you?” Epel broke the tension, turning to Yuu.

“S-Sure.” She answered, biting her tongue for stuttering.

“Grab the peeler and a few of the carving knives. I’ll get the stuff from the fridge!” He gestured towards the row of drawers, Yuu simply nodding.

She watched as Epel bounced to the largely oversized refrigerators, refusing conversation but smiling to himself. She’d never say, her voice hushed from years of humiliation, but she loved the way his soft purple locks fell over his shoulders, or the way his powdery blue eyes sparkled every time he laughed.

It took all of her will power to keep herself from tearing up, that light he shone reminding her too much of her forever dimmed sister’s.

Turning back to her own job, she searched through the drawers, pulling out her materials, nicking her finger on the peeler. Staring at the glimmery bead as it snaked its way down her hand, her body briefly remembered the feeling of metal slicing through her skin, long since healed over her wrists, but recorded upon it nevertheless.

Once upon a time, she’d been so broken that the only sort of release she could find was through blades. The one who’d helped her through those seemingly endless hours of struggle was none other than Epel Felmier.

When Yuu first met Epel, she was a stuttering, anxious mess, tripping over her words and avoiding eye contact like it was the plague. Epel was no better himself, holding his tongue and only making the smallest of conversations. If it weren’t for the one day he caught her stained in her own blood and sobbing in a restroom stall, Yuu believed without a doubt that there’d be no one by her side.

“Yuu! Ready to go?” Epel tore the meddling girl from her mind, who wiped the bead on her pants and carefully arranged the blades in her arms.

“Yes, let’s go.” Yuu nodded, supprssing her inner turmoil.

She’d put that behind her, and had long since forgotten her practices of old.

Epel gave her a soft smile, a bag of scarlet apples dangling from his hand as he encouraged her to go forward.

<————>

“Yuu, quick! Hide over there!”

The girl leapt back, disguising herself behind the curtains draped over a window as Epel stood in front of it, feigning ignorance.

“Ah, you runaway fiend! The great trouble you cause dear Vil! He wishes for your presence in the ballroom immediately.” An extravagantly dramatic voice cooed, and from her spot behind the curtain, Yuu could just barely make out the sight of blonde hair covered by a rather stylish hunting hat.

“Rook-san...! Lovely to see you as well. Actually, I can’t join you today, I’ve uh—I’ve come down with a terrible headache. Send Vil my apologies!” Epel not so cleverly lied.

“Is that so? Would those be get-well fruits then?”

“H-huh? Oh these? These are... well, Crowley gave them to me, said they were a gift from my hometown! I figured I’da bring ‘em to my room, y’know, n’ keep ‘em safe!” Yuu cringed to herself, knowing all too well that Epel was not selling his act.

“Oh my, Epel-kun, please. You may return to your quarters, but do something about that distasteful chatter of yours.” Rook croned, tipping his hat and heading off.

“Tch, “distasteful chatter”? Stupid beauty, what do they know anyway?” Epel grumbled, stepping away from the curtain as Rook’s figure faded away. He pried it open, the sudden flush of light causing Yuu to wince. “We’re alone, you can come out now.”

“Why don’t they like your accent, Epel? Aren’t they beauty enthusiasts?” Yuu asked, stepping into the open hall.

“Hell if I know. They only care about your face, not whatever you are on the inside. It reminds me of the poison apple the legends talk about; gorgeous to the eye, death to the soul.” Epel frowned, slinging his sack over his shoulder.

Yuu deflated, taking the words to heart. If that was true, then she was most surely not welcome in a dorm as proper as Pomefiore. “In any case, let’s just hurry to my room. They usually don’t bother me there.” Epel continued, storming down the corridor.

“Right...” Yuu followed, suddenly feeling unbearably self conscious.

Much to her surprise, the dorm looked empty as Ramshackle, not a single person lounging around or even passing by as they walked. “Where is everyone?” She thought, readjusting the dangerous items as Epel kicked a door open, allowing Yuu inside, almost gasping as she stood at the doorway.

The room was wide and quaint, with a large bay window, an intricately designed table, and a four poster bed that instantly made Yuu jealous. “Impressive, right? I honestly think it’s too much, even tried to convince Vil to give me something smaller.”

“I-I can’t believe this is your room... it’s so pretty...” Yuu marveled, setting her instruments on the table.

“Take a seat, we’re going to be here a while.” Epel instructed, laying his bag down and grinning impishly.

<————>

“I’m done! I’m done—I did it! Look Epel, look!” Yuu burst what seemed like hours later, hands flying to her mouth after she realized how loud she’d been.

“It’s a little lopsided, and it’s not symmetrical, but it looks great! Almost subpar for a rookie!” Epel clapped, looking up from his own work.

Yuu squinted, holding up what she thought was her masterpiece. The apples that Epel had brought were used to teach her how to carve delicate pictures and designs into their flawless flesh, some of which were horribly mutilated in the process, but in the end led to the beautiful fruity art before her. “I don’t see anything wrong with it... you’re such a difficult person to impress, Epel.” Yuu whined, comparing her apple to his.

“Ah relax! I’m just messin’ around!” He joked, waving his hand. He laughed at her dumbfounded face, ruffling her hair in an older-sibling like way, and for once, Yuu found herself smirking, if only in the slightest way.

“Epel Felmier! Do my ears deceive me or are you really—pardon?” Both teens froze in place as Epel’s door flew open, welcoming in a tall boy dressed in Pomefiore’s overly pompous uniform, head adorned with the same hat Yuu saw behind the curtain.

She flinched as his gaze settled on her, and she instinctually pressed a hand over her eye, concealing the horror that further proved the loss of her vision. “Rook, get out! Who do you think you are, barging in like that?” Epel complained, rushing over to the senior and attempting to push him away.

He was abrubtly dropped on the floor as Rook swerved around the boy, stalking closer to Yuu like a predator. “What have we here? Who might you be?” He asked, scrutinizing her face.

“Rook, leave her alone!” Epel demanded, pushing himself from the floor.

Too easily, the blonde pried her hand away, observing the story written in scars over the left side of her complexion. “Oh my...” Rook stared and stared, unexpressive and too close for comfort.

Tears started to brim in Yuu’s eyes, and using what little strength she had compared to the taller boy’s, she ripped herself away, running out of the room and down the hall.

Her heart raced in her veins, in her ears, as she flew down the forever twisting and turning passages, this time crowded with people. She could only dodge and weave between them, with their questioning gazes burning holes into her skull as tears dripped onto the flooring.

Yuu couldn’t seem to escape, the walls wanted to enclose around her, stretching and warping as the path swayed beneath her feet. She could do nothing but dizzily run away, mind lost in her own abyss as she leapt into a dark room, only ignited by the light from outside.

Collapsing in a heap on the hardwood floor, she wearily recognized where she was, or at least the type of place she’d ended up. On one wall, a slenderly long window stretched high above her reach, the opposite completely covered by a mirror. It was a dance room.

Sitting on her knees in front of the mirrored wall, Yuu stared at her pitiful self, tears breaking free of the dam they’d been collecting behind for days. Her hair was messy, falling around her shoulders and sticking to the sides of her face, dampened by the salty liquid. Her cheeks were rosy, nose carrying the same color.

And... her eyes.

One of them, the functional one, was puffy and tear clouded, and the other—the other was gorgeously ruined. A jagged, cracked scar trailed from her forehead to mid cheek, splitting her eyebrow and so thick that it spanned the length of her eye. The iris had lost its color and gone a milky white, the tears almost unrecognizable over the glazed sheen that glimmered over the orb.

Laying a hand on the mirror, Yuu stared into the mutilated gateway, seeing a story that had been left untold for far too long. She saw the death of her family, the heartache they bore through, her failure to preserve the things she loved most.

“Sorry—I’m sorry! I’m sorry I couldn’t save you, I’m sorry I look like this... I can’t breathe without hurting someone!” She curled her hand over the mirror, slamming her fist over it as she rested her head on the cool surface, her tears rolling down and leaving streak marks on the pristine aluminum paint.

Much to her surprise, the lights flicked on, though she did a fine job camouflaging it beneath a mask of melancholy. “So my potatoes were telling the truth. There really is a lost little sprite in my ballroom.” A new voice clucked.

Yuu ignored him, turning around and pulling her knees to her chest, burying herself in her arms. She didn’t want to be ridiculed anymore—didn’t want anyone else to resent her simply because they lacked the patience to break down her defenses.

The click of his shoes against the too cold floor reverberated off the walls, piercing her ears as they came closer, eventually stopping right in front of her.

“Look at me.” He commanded, the girl refusing with a shake, “Why not?”

“Because...I’m ugly, and everyone here is jaw droppingly gorgeous. I don’t belong here, I don’t belong anywhere...” she whispered, almost inaudibly.

“Nonsense. Look at me.” He commanded, this time not giving her an option. Tenderly prying her arms open, the mystery boy lifted her face up with the back of his hand.

Reluctantly, Yuu made eye contact with the person who struck fear into her heart like no other, either for his esteemed position in the school, or his famous physical beauty and harsh words. She stared into the amethyst eyes of Vil Schoenheit, who reflected her terrified and crippled visage in the hues of his irises.

Pushing his arms away, Yuu began weeping again, wiping the forsaken water roughly with her hands. “I’m sorry... I’m sorry for intruding. I-I’ll go.” She sniffled, in the midst of standing when Vil placed his hands over hers, plush and soft.

“Stay. Whatever would you have to be sorry for, dear?” He asked, urging her to sit.

“B-Because—Because I...I...!” Yuu’s voice became strained as she struggled to release the words that so desperately clawed at the knot in her throat. And then—

Vil opened his arms. Inviting, warm, unjudgemental.

“V-Vil...!” She dove into them, wrapping her arms around his middle as she did her best to stiffle her cries. Vil stroked her hair, his eyebrows raising in awe at how silky it was. “I-It’s my f-fault... all of it is my fault! I could’ve s-saved them, b-but I was just so scared!” She lamented, spilling the secrets that should’ve long ago been honored.

For once, Vil didn’t spit out any harsh criticisms, he just sat there silently, awaiting the end of Yuu’s bottled up pain brought to life. When it came, the girl released the boy who embodied beauty, trying to hide her swollen and scarred face. “I’m so sorry for using your time, Vil-san...” Yuu apologized, voice cracking.

“The least you could do is look at me when you speak, darling. Please, look here.” Yuu obeyed, eyes widening in confusion as her chin was rather roughly pinched between his thumb and forefinger.

Vil uncapped the top to his specially created lip gloss, “Hold still.” He said, applying the makeup over her thin lips, “There. See? You’re beautiful, we just... need a little concealer, and some contacts, and you’ll be good as new—partially.” Vil gave her a genuine smile, fooling Yuu into believing that maybe, just maybe he wasn’t going to judge her like everyone else.

“Yuu?!! Yuu?”

The two whipped to the doorway, and were greeted by a familiar lilac-haired first year, who skidded to a halt before Yuu and dropped to his knees, holding onto her shoulders. “I looked everywhere for ya, but this place is just so goddamn huge, it was like weavin’ through a maze! Rook had me runnin’ ‘round the halls like a chicken with its head cut off! Ain’t nothin’ hurt, o-or bleedin’, right?” Epel fast-talked, country accent in full affect as he tripped over his words.

“I’m fine, Epel. All good, see?” Yuu held out her arms, displaying her unharmed frame.

“A-ah, now that’s a breath’a fresh air! I see you been talkin’ with—dorm head Vil!” Epel gasped, face blanching as he sweat dropped.

“Epel. Felmier. What a pleasant surprise.” Vil growled through his teeth, bearing a deceiving smile. “Recovered from your headache, mister?”

“W-well, ya see here, I just—“

“Silence, I’ll not be listening to your excuses. And for the love of the Queen, get rid of that horrid native tongue of yours!” Vil demanded, berating Epel.

“...Yes, Vil. My humblest apologies.”

“Much better. Now! Would you like to explain our little visitor, and why she is here unannounced?”

After a long and tedious process of introducing and expounding her life, Yuu and Epel sat in edgy silence as Vil digested the information, going through a myriad of emotions as the air buzzed with electricity.

Yuu had her fingers crossed that she wouldn’t be sent away, as she’d been so used to.

“It’s decided then. Yuu, dear, follow me, and be hasty.” Vil nodded to himself, standing to his proud height enchanced by his heels as he flipped his hair, clicking off.

“I wish you the best of luck, my friend. You’ll most certainly need it.” Epel sniggered behind his hand, Yuu sending him a withering glare from over her shoulder.

“Oh just you watch. I’m about to sparkle like a million fireflies.”

<————>

Sparkle was a disgusting understatement for the transformation Vil put the poor girl through.

Though it was getting late outside, he still gave her a luxury treatment, which ultimately meant minutes upon minutes of face moisturizers, skin creams, scar healing oinments, and anything in between. Her face was stiff from all the rubbing, almost simulating numbness.

Once that had been finished, Vil wasted absolutely no time before pouncing onto makeup, his specialty. Concealers, eye accentuates, lip plumpers, blush, it made Yuu dizzy with the sheer amount of items the world of cosmetics had to offer.

It felt strange to be touched in such gentle ways, to receive the soft stroke of a brush to her eyelids instead of a slap, or to feel the way the concealer was mixed into the darkly scarred skin of her left side instead of the shattered glass tearing through flesh.

By the end of it all, Yuu didn’t sparkle, she emanated the radiance of a thousand suns, and even though she could only see half of her complexion, she knew beyond a doubt that she was more gorgeous than ever.

“There we are, darling.” Vil clapped, spinning her chair so that she could look at herself in the vanity.

Yuu’s jaw dropped to the ground, her breath hitching as she resisted the urge to cry.

Her scar was no longer visible on her face, the ugly line replaced instead by smooth, seemingly unmarked tan. The bags under her eyes were gone, making her seem at least a year younger, and a pretty blush was blended into her rather squishy cheeks, dusting over her nose. A flawless cut crease was executed over her orbs, the shimmery silver gradient backing to her elongated lashes making her eye pop.

But truly, the most spectacular of all what was lay within. Her irises were both... colored. What was once damaged and ruined was semi-fixed, a contact that matched the color of her functional eye creating the appearance that both were natural.

“V-Vil! Y-You... this...!” Yuu folded her hands in her lap, rendered wordless.

“A simple thank you will suffice, dear.” Vil chuckled, but nearly fell over when he was suffocated in a bear hug.

“Thank you! Thank you, thank you so much, Vil!” She bubbled, letting go after said blonde pushed her away.

“You’re welcome—just be careful! You’ll mess up one of our faces!” Vil snapped, rearranging his hair.

Yuu giggled, still staring at herself in the mirror, when a knock broke the calm partial quiet. “Come in!” Vil articulated, welcoming in two people, Rook Hunt and Epel.

“Yuu?!” Epel stood slack jawed, eyes nearly bursting out of his skull with how wide they were. “You’re so different, it’s amazing. You look amazing!”

“Indeed, madmoiselle! Delicate like the petals of a rose, and crystal clear as the water that rains from the sky! You are truly the sight to behold.” Rook added, earning an elbow to his side.

“Thank you, so much. I just—never thought I would look so whole again, especially after what happened to...” she trailed off, twiddling her thumbs.

“Nonsense, don’t let anyone lie to you. Never take criticism from someone you didn’t ask it from, alright?” Vil instructed, taking her by the hand.

“...Of course, Vil-san.” Yuu answered, for the first time in a long, long while settling into a comfortable laugh.

She’d been broken, far too many times to count. Torn down, crushed beneath the foot of life itself.

But, perhaps with the help of the people she used to shake in her shoes merely thinking about, perhaps she could turn that rubble into a cairn of her success. She’d have to fall to reach her peak, sometimes more than once, and sometimes she’d have to hit the bottom.

Right now, she was inching towards grabbing that first stone, that first layer to her cairn.

Soon, she just might reclaim that sweet melody lost to the tomes of time.

This took a little longer than I expected... I had to rewrite it because my first draft would... probably have gotten me flagged.

I want to say that you. Are. Beautiful. It doesn’t matter if you’re giant or mini, scarred or clean, because you. Are. Beautiful.

On that note, thanks for reading!! I hope you enjoyed!

Stay lovely!

[proxylynn]

Underfell: File Name not Edgy Enough #27

Chapter 27: Burden

WARNING: I WANT NO RESPONSIBILITY OVER SPOILING THINGS FOR OTHERS. THAT BEING SAID, THIS IS HOW FILE NAME NOT FOUND WOULD FUNCTION IN THE AU OF UNDERFELL. BEFORE YOU READ THIS, UNLIKE THE NICE TIME OF UNDERTALE, THIS WORLD IS KILL OR BE KILLED. THIS STORY WILL BE GRAPHIC, GORY, USE SWEARS LIKE NOBODY'S BUSINESS, AND DEAL WITH SENSITIVE SUBJECT MATTERS. FOR EXAMPLE, THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE READ THE FILE NAME RELOCATED SPOOF WILL KNOW HOW I PICTURE THIS VERSION OF LYNSIE COMING TO THE UNDERGROUND. IT IS NOT AN ACCIDENT. IT IS NOT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING DUMB. IT IS BECAUSE SHE CHOOSES TO END HER LIFE. SO TAKE THIS WITH A GRAIN OF SALT. I MADE IT BECAUSE I NEEDED TO LET SOME OF THIS EDGINESS OUT OF MYSELF. WHICH I GUESS MAKES UNDERFELL LYNSIE EVEN MORE TRUE TO WHO I REALLY AM. ANYWAY, ENJOY. ^_^

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

[A quick recap]

My melancholy blinds me to my current surroundings. I only come out of it once a spotlight hits me.

"The hell...?"

Things look funny. No doubt it's a setup by Mettaton. But I'm unsure what this act is. I mean, it looks like a receptionist's waiting room. A desk and some random chairs.

"GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTS...!"

Mettaton zips in wearing a red suit and shoves me in a chair as he takes center stage.

"FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE HERE AT MTTTV WOULD LIKE TO APOLOGIZE FOR THE LACK OF ME OVER THE COURSE OF THE PROGRAM. DUE TO THE LACK PREP WORK WITH MY COSTAR HERE, WE SADLY HAD TO FORGO A THRILLING ACT BACK IN LEVEL TWO INVOLVING HUNDREDS OF EXPLOSIVES!!"

I so freaking called it. I should let him have his moment...Nah!

"I thought you said that act was shit anyway?"

He extends an arm to cover my mouth.

"FORGIVE HER. SHE'S LOST A LOT OF BLOOD AND NOT ALL THERE MENTALLY."

I leer at him flatly.

"BUT...DARLING HERE IS GOING TO MAKE AMENDS WITH US ALL RIGHT NOW. IT'S TIME TO ANSWER SOME BURNING QUESTIONS."

I'm so confused as he lets go and leaps onto the desk, posing dramatically.

"IT'S TIME FOR..."

A large neon sign shaped like him drops from the ceiling.

"BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL WITH A KILLER ROBOT! THE LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW HOSTED BY YOURS TRULY."

Huh. Not a bad title.

"I thought you were working on a courtroom trial program?"

He scoots to now sit behind the desk.

"UNFORTUNATELY, WHILE I DO HAVE THE FUNDS, I DON'T HAVE AVAILABLE WORKERS TO MAKE SUCH A SET. SO...WE'RE DOING THIS INSTEAD."

"Heh...Must be hard to meet your expectations."

"DARLING, YOU HAVE NO IDEA."

A tense dramatic score plays.

"SO, DARLING...ARE YOU READY TO TELL ME EVERYTHING?"

Ah. I see now. Fine, Metta, have it your way. Just be careful what you wish for. You may not like it. Now don't get me wrong. I know my limits. I'm not about to tell him EVERYTHING. I'm not that stupid. But if he wants truth, he's going to get a version that's missing some characters and other junk.

"As you wish. You wanna know the truth? You want to scar the entire Underground? Sure. Why not. What else do I have to lose at this point since you exposed me? So congratulations! I hope you like the prize you've been longing to get. Because I sure as hell don't."

Let the show commence.

[Now our featured presentation]

"RIIIIGHT...ANYWAY...WHY NOT INTRODUCE YOURSELF. LET THE UNDERGROUND KNOW JUST A BIT ABOUT YOU."

I wave with a stupid grin to where I think a camera is.

"Howdy, monsters of the Underground. My name is Lynsie. Last I checked, I'm 5'8'', twenty eights years old, born November 7th, am a Scorpio, blood type A+, and enjoy long naps by the beach."

Am I introducing myself or recording a dumb dating profile video?

Mettaton whips out some cards from his desk.

"REALLY? YOU'RE THAT OLD? HUH."

"Yeah. Why?"

"YOU LOOK OLDER THAN THAT."

I sneer.

"It's the raccoon eyes. Insomnia is a hell of a slap to the face."

"THAT ASIDE...HOW ARE YOU FEELING? YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT SINCE THIS PROGRAM STARTED."

"I'm grateful to have this reprieve. It's nice to not be flung into fight after fight for a moment. I don't like fighting. I'd much rather avoid any conflict if able."

"SUCH A KIND GIRL. ARE ALL HUMANS THESE DAYS LIKE YOU?"

I eye him funny.

"WHAT?"

"Do mean 'kind' or 'stupid'? Because every monster has called me a fool for being nice."

"STUPID IS A STRONG WORD. NAIVE IS MORE LIKE IT."

I rumble lowly in my seat.

"But...To answer you properly, no. Not all humans are like me. Or...I'm not like most humans."

"OOOOH~, SUCH AN AMBIGUOUS ANSWER. FINE THEN, IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE LIKE THAT, I'LL HAVE TO BE MORE BLUNT IN MY QUESTIONS. LET'S SEE..."

He flips through some of his cards.

"OH! HERE'S ONE...HOW DID YOU COME TO FIND YOURSELF IN THE UNDERGROUND?"

Blunt? I'll give you blunt.

"Easy. I tried to kill myself."

[SNOWDIN: Skeleton House in present time]

The mood in the room sours as the human continues.

"Yep. You see, Mt. Ebott has a reputation, a legend dating back lord knows how long, that those who climb the mountain never return. This has made it a popular place to die. Not as bad as the literal 'Suicide Forest' of Japan, but it does the job okay."

Mettaton's screen blacks out.

"Don't give me that look. You wanted this. You wanted the truth. So take it. Take the blunt no holds bar truth of the matter. And you know what else? It wasn't the first time either. I can think of at least five other attempts. Each more pathetic than the last. But, if memory serves me right, I do believe my very first try was when I was still so very small. Somewhere around age six to eight. I had learned that apple seeds contain cyanide, a very toxic poison. Of course, there's not a heck of a lot in a single seed, but if you ingest a lot...well...Kid me didn't know how many were needed. Just that it was deadly. As you can see, I didn't have enough and I didn't try that form of suicide again. I don't try the same kind twice. I'm too fearful of messing things up the second time. What if it only partly works and I end up surviving? Heh...Trying to end it all only to live but in even worse condition? The irony would be such a hilarious joke. Then again, that's my life in a nutshell. One big cruel unrelenting joke."

Toriel's eyes water. She knew her child had her demons, but she knew not just how far back they spawned. Mettaton's screen relights.

"I...I WASN'T EXPECTING..."

"Yeah, no one does. No one expects me to be so dark. But what can I say? I do a damn good job hiding it."

"BUT...WHY THOUGH? WHAT WOULD MAKE A CHILD THAT BENT ON KILLING THEMSELVES?"

She takes a deep breath and lounges back in her chair.

"You ever feel guilty for something? Something you have no idea why you should feel that way for but you just do?"

She runs her hands over her face.

"I don't remember why I asked her that question. Maybe I was just morbidly curious. I knew my siblings were unexpected pregnancies. The eldest never came to be, so whether it was a boy or girl is forever unknown. My brother came about in the randomness of my mom hooking up with my dad. She married my dad because, well, she did like him but also so that he wouldn't be deported once his school visa ran out. He and his family escaped their homeland to start a new life...but did so illegally. Even on the surface, there's no true freedom. Four years into the marriage, I was born. Things only seemed to spiral from there. Dad would stay out drinking. Mom would be pissed. Bro and I would hide in my room and try to keep the fighting out. Mom gave up on him, someone else charmed her heart and would later be the father of my sister. Eight years into this world and they divorce and months later sis is born. She was unknown and with how old mom was at the time, she now suffers from spontaneous seizures."

The girl looks up in thought.

"So a few years ago, I asked mom...Was I unplanned like they were? Was I another surprise baby?"

She looks back down, her face holding a more cold expression.

"No, she told me. You were the only planned one. ...I should've stopped there. *sigh* I then asked...Why? She answered..."

Emotion leaves her.

"We had you in the hopes that you'd fix our marriage."

Silence. Dead silence.

"So much pressure. And to put that on a babe? How was I supposed to solve your problems? How is it my fault you couldn't stand each other when things got rough?! How is a kid supposed to make sure you don't start taking drugs and acquire sixteen felonies?! How is it my job to make sure you don't regret loving someone else?! How is that fair?! Why not take some fucking responsibility for once in your god damn life?!"

She becomes irate, grabbing one of the chairs and beating it into another one till both are useless before ending with a guttural roar that pains the throat in its harshness.

Toriel recalls similar words from her not long after they became close and she found her.

"Child? You're trembling. Is everything all right? Child, please. Just speak to me. Tell me what's wrong."

"I hate you! I hate all of you! You fucking pieces of shit! Why?! Why is it so hard for any of you to care?! I've been missing for days or weeks and none of you care! *sobs* Did you ever love me?! Why did you even bother having me if you don't even care that I'm gone?! *bawling* Why? Why? Someone tell me why...please..."

"I know this isn't the most pleasant of times to ask...But since we've come to know more about each other, I have been curious about something. The humans that fall down here...They tend to not fall down for the happiest of reasons. If it is not too painful...Can you share with me your reason? What made you come to a cursed mountain where none ever return from?"

"*hard sniffling* They used to care. I used to know what it was like to know others cared. I can't remember when they started to pull away. When I became invisible. I just want to know why. Was it something I did? Did I do something wrong? Did I not make them proud? I thought I did everything right. I was a good girl. *voice cracking* I'm a good girl. Aren't I?"

Even Grillby had memories of such talk pop into his head.

"You are an amazing person. You live in his cold place and open this bar to every sad face willing to cast aside their mean spirits for spirits of another kind. You put up with a lot of nonsense, a good bit came from me today, and I'm sorry about that."

"Where is all this coming from?"

"I'm not done. You have been nothing but nice to me. And doing that isn't easy in this world we live in. Since meeting you, you've shown me more kindness than I got from my own family, and this is only our second meeting. Heh, how pathetic is that? I fell into the Underground trying to die, only to end up wanting to live because of the few that showed me any decency. And for that, I give you my thanks."

"Pussycat?"

"I don't know if it was the punch or I'm just in a weird mood. I'm probably making things awkward. No one wants to hear someone ramble about lame junk when at a bar. This is a place people go to forget things. I know I've got a lot I want to forget. Like the three or four times I ran away from home but never had a plan and always had the cops take me back. Or the time I cussed out my grandma because I thought she lost my dog when it turned out my mom had dumped the pup at a shelter and told me it escaped. Or the suicide attempts..."

"Attempts?"

"Oh yeah, there was more than one. Hard to believe, but I'm a very sad person. No, that's being too nice. Depressed is more accurate. 90% of the smiles you see me do are fake. Just part of the mask I wear to hide how truly miserable I really am."

"God, I hate myself. I'm a sad pathetic mess."

Sans now gets a clearer picture of the baggage weighing on her.

"oh! and don't forget, you're making dinner. pap only let that slide because you were practically dead. so don't get any ideas thinking you can get out of it."

"Did you just really say that?!"

"the hell is your problem?"

"Did you really just insinuate she'd harm herself?"

"i dunno...maybe?"

"You can't say that kind of stuff to her!"

"why not?"

"You...You don't know how she came to the Underground, do you?"

"she told me that she fell."

"I'm not comfortable telling you this, seeing as she hasn't and I don't think it's my place, but I can't let you say idiotic things like that."

"okay, weed, you have intrigued me. if she didn't fall, then how did she get here?"

"Well...Falling is how she came to the Underground. But...She didn't fall from an accident."

"you're telling me she..."

"She fell on purpose. She...was trying to die. I don't know about her life on the surface. She doesn't tell anyone about that stuff, not even Mom. But I have been with her since the start and I can tell...Under all that toughness and pass the goofy dork innards...She's very sad deep down."

And that moment that recently happened at Grilbby's.

"enough with the act! you act all calm, with your little quips and remarks. making you look so well put together. but i know better. i know you're just as messed up as the rest of us. so why don't you get off your high horse and get out of my life!"

"You're right. This is an act. Every day, I wake up and I pretend to be this way. To play this role of the girl that never gives in and can smile through it all. I put on my mask and face this world as best that I can. But inside I'm dying. I'm being crushed by insecurities, doubt, depression, and so much negativity that I let myself fall into a pit hoping for the sweet embrace of death. I have attempted to end my life a good handful of times. Each more pathetic than the last. Even now, I'm just a few triggers shy of crumbling into a blubbering mass of tears. Yet there are few things that keep me from doing those bad things now that I'm here. And if putting on this act keeps me in, relative, ease...Then yeah. I'm gonna pretend my ass off that all is fine with me. Because I'm a fucking moron that is too afraid to open up to those closest to me and ask for help!"

Papyrus, of course, takes all this in as vital information he could use against the human. Her emotional and mental instability can be used to manipulate her. Grooming her to be more obedient to his will.

"I'm sorry."

"DAMN RIGHT YOU'RE SORRY."

"No...I mean, I'm sorry for earlier. It was wrong for me to hit you. You just...*sigh* How do I say this without sound like a dweeb?"

"JUST...SAY WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY. DON'T ALTER YOUR WORDS. THEY LOSE IMPACT THAT WAY."

"If that's true, then don't make a big deal out of this."

"W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"I am an emotional wreck and going through so much internal bullshit that it ain't funny. So know that the stupid things I'm about to say are true because this is making me feel very vulnerable and uncomfortable which I think you feel too."

By now the human was breathing heavily over the shattered remains of once recognizable objects, slowly regaining her composure. She stares at the mess for some time. Mettaton doesn't even try to do anything that could get her attention while in such a state. Eventually, she drops the bits in her hands and takes a seat in the chair she spared. Slumping in remorse and holding her face.

"I'm sorry. That...That was shameful. I'll pay you back for the damage."

"DO YOU NEED A MOMENT?"

She rubs her eyes of faint moisture.

"N-No...No. I'm fine. That...That was just a moment of venting weakness. I normally cry this crap out of my system. But...I'm so sick of crying. Yet...That felt good though. So much pent-up bullshit I don't or can't let out was just dropped like weights off my back. ...Does this count as therapy? Because this feels better than that child physiologist mom sent me to after I ran away...the first time."

"SOUND LIKE YOU DON'T CARE FOR YOUR PARENTS."

"You'd think that, but no. Don't get me wrong. I love my parents. They could've been far worse even with the flaws I've mentioned. Dad never missed work and made sure bills could be paid. Mom always made sure we could eat even if it meant she didn't and often broke the law to do so."

Her head lolls back as she lounges.

"It's easier to dwell in the negatives than the positives growing up. It can make for a bitter soul. This is just the tip of a massive iceberg, there is so much more crap hidden below. But now is neither the time nor place to dive deeper into those murky waters. I'll drown if I stay under too long. *sigh* I don't hate them for the life they brought me into. I'm just...disappointed. Disappointed by the choices they made and things they expected to get from them. Disappointed in myself for allowing all that to have so much of a hold on me. Disappointed...So very disappointed...*long drawn out groan* Could we please leave the personal questions for now?"

"VERY WELL."

He flips through the cards.

"YOU'VE BEEN IN THE UNDERGROUND FOR SOME TIME NOW. HOW HAS THAT BEEN? WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE A HUMAN AMONG MONSTERS?"

This gets their attention. The human knows better than to tell all. But she's so far been extremely open. They hoped she was of sound mind enough to remember to keep some secrets.

"Even after all the attempted murder...I prefer monsters to humans. Because at least once the fighting is over, things can be somewhat normal. It's like 'hey, I know I just tried to kill you, but do you wanna maybe hang out for a bit?' and then that happens. It blows my mind how there's no animosity or spite afterward. After Humans fight with each other there's no calm, no peace of it being over, hell, a war might break out if it was bad enough. You never know how bad someone feels after and if the grudge they carry will make them go to extreme measures to make them feel better. Well...Except for the Irish. Those lads can tussle and then be all chummy after like it was a bonding experience. Nice folk. Always fancied them. Heh...Kinda like Monsters. A tough outside but nice inside. Maybe that's one of the reasons they were persecuted too. ...God, my kind is trash. All it knows is hate. We even hate ourselves. And one day...That hate will be the end of us."

She moves some hair from her face. A small smile coming to her.

"Moments like this...It's nice. Brief pauses of reflection and repose. Typically I end up doing this kind of thing in my head or I talk to myself. Funny how that works, the mind I mean. It is a self-aware entity in itself that can be both you and not you at the same time yet won't confuse itself by doing so. Probably why the imagination is such vital part of it. *pause* Heh...My bad. Lost myself for a moment. Back on point...Sure, this all began with you nearly killing me and it's probably just leading up to something else. Something good or bad. Yet till that happens...This is nice."

"SPEAKING OF NICE...YOUR LV HASN'T GONE UP FROM ITS BASE LEVEL. WE'VE SEEN YOU GO INTO FIGHTS, SO IT'S NOT THAT YOU'VE AVOIDED THEM COMPLETELY."

"As I've said...I don't like fighting."

"YOU MUST BE AWARE THAT PACIFISUM IS NOT A RECOMMENDED OR AN EASY THING TO DO IN THE UNDERGROUND. IS IT HARD BEING NICE FOR YOU DOWN HERE?"

"Is it hard for a fish to swim or bird to fly? Nice is my default. I don't have it in me to be genuinely mean. I can be rude or even a bitch, but that's only if that was how I was treated first. The real hard part about it is getting others to understand this niceness is real. Some pick it up with no trouble. But others are difficult. Going so far as to think I'm trying to lull them into a false sense of safety as part of an evil human trap. Can you believe that?"

Sans eyes Papyrus who rolls his sockets at his brother, both knowing damn well she meant him.

"EVEN SO, HAS THERE BEEN A TIME WHERE YOU WANTED TO FIGHT BACK? SURELY EVEN I PROBABLY INCURRED SOME IRE FROM YOU?"

She looks at the mechanical machination with a mix of confusion and annoyance.

"Ire is a strong word. True, I'm not happy about this situation. Exposing me for ratings. One of your goons bashing me over the head. The creepy stalking behavior by watching me through cameras. The needless puzzles and fighting. All of it wasn't necessary."

"I DISAGREE. EVERY BIT WAS COMPLETELY NECESSARY."

"Bull crap."

"NOW NOW, LET ME EXPLAIN. REGARDLESS OF YOUR INTENTIONS, YOU HAVE TO AGREE THAT YOU BEING HUMAN DOES CALL FOR CERTAIN MEASURES TO BE TAKEN. HUMANS DEAL PHYSICAL DAMAGE AND MONSTERS ARE WEAK TO SUCH ATTACKS."

"I know that. Get to your point, Metta."

"MY POINT? VERY WELL. MY DATABASE CONTAINS THE COLLECTED INFORMATION WE'VE GATHERED FROM THE PREVIOUS HUMANS THAT CAME BEFORE YOU. EACH WEAKER AND WEAKER AS TIME PASSED. YOU, ON THE OTHER HAND, HAVE BEEN DISPLAYING STRANGE ABILITIES..."

A monitor comes down, displaying the human in her earlier distress and giving off that strange energy.

"NOT TO MENTION YOUR SOUL HAS BEEN CHANGING IT'S COLOR WITHOUT MAGIC INFLUENCE."

The monitor shows the many different colors her soul was throughout the show.

"SO, DARLING, AS YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING HAS BEEN COMPLETELY NECESSARY. EVERY LITTLE OBSTACLE ALLOWED FOR MORE OF YOUR UNKNOWNS TO BE REVEALED. HOWEVER..."

The monitor goes back up.

"I GET THE FEELING YOU'RE STILL HIDING SOMETHING."

She glares at the robot.

"I repeat, this wasn't necessary. All you needed to do was ask."

She sits up straight and focuses. Her soul emerges...it is a deep dull blue.

"I don't know everything. Seeing as this whole 'soul' thing isn't known on the surface anymore. To use now, the soul is an intangible thing. It leaves when we die and does whatever since no one truly knows what happens after death. But...I do know my soul isn't normal. Not normal from what I've learned here anyway. I possess ten traits for which my soul can become."

Shock smacks them. Even Mettaton spits oil from some port.

"T-TEN?!"

She nods.

"Ten traits. Ten colors. Nine of which are completely fine."

Her breathing falters as she concentrates harder, forcing the soul to change color to her will.

"Blue, integrity. Cyan, patience. Green, kindness. Pink, passion. Purple, perseverance. Orange, bravery. Red, determination. Yellow, justice. White, hope. ...These are my main traits. The nine that make up my core personality. Yet...There is one, the last one, that I will not show you. No matter what."

A question mark appears on Mettaton's screen. Toriel and Sans know full well which one she means.

"WON'T SHOW? HOW COME?"

"That soul is too dangerous. One that I can't control. The black soul of relentlessness."

Papyrus sockets widen. Sans wasn't making it up after all.

"IF YOU TRULY EXPECT ME TO BUY INTO THIS BLACK SOUL NONSENSE THAN YOU BETTER FIND A WAY TO PROVE TO ME THAT IT'S REAL!"

"and how do you expect me to do that? have it triggered and let her kill half the town?"

"OF COURSE NOT! SHE'D NEVER GET THAT FAR INTO SUCH A SPREE ONCE I SLAY HER."

"YOU DON'T THINK I CAN KILL HER?"

"her? sure, you'd kill her no problem. she'd probably let you do it if things got really bad. but the black soul? that's a different story all together."

"YOU TALK AS THOUGH YOU'VE SEEN THIS 'BLACK SOUL' IN ACTION."

"..."

"YOU HAVE, HAVEN'T YOU?"

"that thing isn't something you want to mess with. don't go after something you can't handle."

"YOU DARE THINK THAT PITIFUL CREATURE CAN HARM ME?!"

"no! i don't think it would harm you! i know it would kill you!"

"I have no will over that trait. It consumes me utterly. Coldly targeting anything and everything as a threat, then calculatingly eliminating victims brutally with no remorse by any means. Pain doesn't phase it. It has no fear. But I do. I fear this soul. I fear becoming that...that thing. That beast."

The robot's screen blips.

"YOU MAKE IT SOUND TERRIBLE. IF IT'S AS BAD AS YOU SAY, HOW HASN'T YOUR LV INCREASED? SURELY A MURDEROUS SOUL LIKE THAT WOULD HAVE A BODY COUNT ATTACHED TO IT?"

"I have thankfully been taken out of that state when it happens. My brother down here, the flower you may have seen me with, he's the one that saves me. I don't know how he does it as I only barely register what happens when the Black Soul is in control. But it's one of the reasons why we stay together. He doesn't want to die and I don't want to hurt anyone, so it's a good deal for us both."

"AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT TRIGGERS SUCH A STATE TO HAPPEN?"

"I'm not 100% sure but I have a theory. The worst of times. Moments when I lose all hope or can't take the pain. Mentally and/or physically. It takes over when I can't deal with things. And I guess it tries to 'solve' the problem...by getting rid of it."

Her demeanor is becoming more unsettled as she continues.

"I...I normally am unwilling to share this information. I don't like being personal with strangers. But since this is a live broadcast, and I've basically torn open a can of worms full of my emo baggage, I want this to be known. I need others to understand the danger. Because you all seem to view me as an easy kill. The dumb nice human that doesn't fight back. It'll be easy to get her soul. Hell, if it weren't for the black trait, I'd have given this thing to you guys ages ago. But it's not worth it. There's no point going to the surface, otherwise I'd be more inclined to leave and be subjected to the crap I deal with. And trust me...You don't want to know what I deal with."

Her eyes get dark and her expression serious to the point it's unnerving.

"The death that can possibly happen if the black soul activates and isn't stopped could be limitless. As the bearer of this curse, I remain here. Not because I see less harm if it triggers around monster, hell no. I trust my death to you because I have faith in monster kind being able to handle it. It's because I don't want to risk it being weaponized by humanity. Magic...REAL magic like this is gone from the surface. If it were to be discovered now...Magic will be coveted like any other valuable resource. Blood and dust will be spilled over ownership. The experiments to find a better means of harvesting it, the torture, the suffering, the endless cycle of hate feeding upon the lack of morality. I have no doubt monsters wouldn't even be seen as people. We've done it to different creeds of humanity throughout history, hell we still do it. I...I don't want that for Monsters. Part of me is saying I'm overthinking it, but I can't that optimistic side of me knowing all the fucked up shit Humans do. I don't want you guys to suffer. I don't want to cause harm. I don't want to see any more death! Please!!"

Her eyes are watering and her body trembling.

"I...I-I hate this feeling. This h-helplessness. I'm caged. I'm useless. I'm nothing on the surface. I'm a danger underground. I'm my own worst enemy and I don't know how to fight. *struggling* Why? Why didn't the fall kill me? Why can't I just die? Why am I so weak? I can't even bleed to death!"

She's a mess, weeping into her gloved hands. But Mettaton dismisses this display and keeps going.

"WEAK? YOU SELL YOURSELF SHORT. CLAWING INTO YOUR OWN BODY ISN'T A VERY WEAK THING AT ALL. COME TO THINK OF IT...IN YOUR ENCOUNTER WITH MUFFET, YOU TOLD HER WHY YOU DID IT. CARE TO EXPLAIN WHAT YOU MEANT?"

A recording is played.

["I have just spent an ungodly amount of time trapped in that elevator over there having my soul violated by people that don't even exist anymore on this plane of reality. I have clawed my skin off to stop feeling their hands on me."]

Her face has the look of someone biting their tongue fairly hard to stay in control.

"What's to explain? I meant what I said and said what I meant."

"YOU'RE AVOIDING THE QUESTION, DARLING."

"No. You're refusing the answer."

"YOU SAID YOU'D TELL THE TRUTH!"

"I am!"

Agitation mounts.

"BULLSHIT! HOW THE HELL CAN ANYONE BELIEVE THAT?"

"I don't give a crap if you believe me or not! You weren't the one there!"

"JUST TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!"

"It doesn't matter! You can't do anything about it! No one can! You can't stop people that break the laws of reality!"

Sans didn't like what he was hearing. And none of them liked that her still exposed soul was sparking with that strange energy.

"THERE ARE NO PEOPLE LIKE THAT!"

"How would you know?!"

"IF EVEN A FLY FARTS ANYWHERE IN THE UNDERGROUND, I KNOW ABOUT IT. IF ANYONE WITH ABILITIES LIKE THAT WERE HERE, THEY WOULDN'T BE UNKNOWN FOR VERY LONG."

"Did you not hear my words? They don't even exist anymore on this plane of reality! You can't find people that are outside time and space, you fucking idiot!"

"I'M THE IDIOT?! DO YOU NOT HEAR YOURSELF?! OUTSIDE TIME AND SPACE?! YOU CAN'T EVEN MAKE A CONVINCING LIE!"

"I'm not lying, you insufferable ego-maniacal narcissistic jackass!"

"TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!!"

"I did! Accept the fact there is shit in life you can't fathom or comprehend yet is true! Like Bigfoot, life on other planets, or stigmata! Unexplained phenomenons are the backbones of reality! Deal with it!"

"THAT'S NOT AN UNEXPLAINED PHENOMENON! THAT'S A PURE IMPROBABLE IMMPOSSIBLITY!"

"By who's rule?! Are you God?! Do you know every infallible law the universe runs on?! No! You know nothing! No one does! So stop digging for shit that isn't there before something bad happens!"

"THEN GIVE ME A REAL ANSWER!"

"Stop...Please stop!"

"DARLING..."

"I s̷ái͟d͝ s̷t̢̛o̧͘p̀͟!̵̕͜!̧"

A surge of energy bursts from her soul, the flash whites out the screen and hurts the eyes. While blinded they all can hear the garbled sounds of pain and the sudden thud of weight hitting the floor. Their sight comes back to see the human writhing on the ground and gripping her soul, teeth bared in restrained growling.

"DARLING?"

She struggles to make her body move. Just slightly getting her head off the floor.

"Th͜i͞s͠...͜T́h̴i̵s̸ ̛įs ̕y̕our ̛f́aul͝t͏..̢.̴I͜ ͟a͡ske͝d ͠y̕o͏u t̷o͜ ͜s̛top..̢.̵"

The energy courses from her soul over her form, a brighter than normal light emanates from her clutched soul. She weakly pulls herself up to be supported by her free arm and the reason for the light is made clear, a crack has marred her soul. But that is far from the worst part. Sans spots it before Toriel but she's the one that points it out.

"Oh no!"

"What's wrong?"

"The darkness!"

Indeed. Black began to appear in the human's heart. The darkness corrupting the white light and faintly leaking out of the crack. The girl feels this. Panic flashes in her eyes but she's in no condition to handle so much on top of what has already happened.

"Wh̸en̢ wil̡l҉ ̛yo͡u̶ le͘ar͜n.͞..̡Y͘ou ̴fuc̀kín͜g id̴iot.̸..W͢hén wil̡l yoų ́a̶l̢l͜ léar͘n that͏ ̵y͘our act̵i҉o͞ns ͏ha͡v̛e ͘co͡n̴seq͘uenc͘e̶s͘?͘!"

The distortion. The off tone. The malice that seeped out. Perhaps it was enough proof for the automaton to believe her earlier words. For Mettaton seems to be distracted one second and then takes it all seriously the next. One of his hands snakes under his desk and the next thing to happen is the floor beneath the human opens up, dropping her into the unknown. Glitched roaring echoes as she plummets. A sickening crash leads into dead silence.

"WELL...THAT WAS INTERESTING."

His nonchalance about the whole thing is upsetting.

"SADLY, MY CO-STAR SEEMS TO BE HAVING A BIT OF TROUBLE. NOT EVERYONE CAN HANDLE THE STRESS OF BEING IN THE SPOTLIGHT, LIKE MOI."

His flamboyance is rubbing them the wrong way.

"HOWEVER, DESPITE HER TEMPER TANTRUM AND LACK OF COOPERATION, I WILL ASSURE YOU ALL SHE IS NOT DEAD. I MERELY GAVE HER THE SMALL BREAK THAT SHE CLEARLY NEEDED."

It's likely that the break involved her bones or some body part.

"BUT...I CAN GIVE YOU ALL SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO...THIS WAS THE LAST PRELEWD ACT. THE NEXT TIME YOU SEE US TOGETHER, IT WILL BE FOR THE MAIN EVENT. THE FINAL BATTLE APPROACHES, MY ENCOURAGABLE VIEWERS. DO NOT MISS OUT ON THIS HISTORICAL MAKE OR BREAK MOMENT."

The show shifts into a commercial break.

Toriel begins shaking. She can't deal with this much longer. Grillby does what he can to give her support, but he too has much on his mind. His pussycat unloaded a TON of things and a lot of it was incredibly concerning. Papyrus ushers his brother away from the other two as not to be overheard.

"SO...HOW LONG?"

Sans looks at him funny.

"uh...what?"

"HOW LONG WERE THE BOTH OF YOU GOING TO HIDE THIS PART OF THE SECRET FROM ME?"

"um...which part?"

"THAT POWER. SHE HAS TEN TRAITS, SANS. JUST HOW STRONG IS THAT GIRL?"

Sans scratches his skull.

"i honestly don't know, pap. i didn't even know she had that many. my main worry was always the black trait, so i never asked about others."

Papyrus folds his arms and shuts his eyes in thought.

"i swear, i ain't lying to ya."

"I KNOW YOU'RE NOT."

"then...what's wrong?"

"*HUFF* I DON'T LIKE THIS. I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF THAT WEAKLING BEING POWERFUL."

His eyes open but look at nothing.

"I SHOULD'VE KNOWN SOMETHING WAS OFF THAT NIGHT...THAT PUNCH...SHE WAS HOLDING BACK SO MUCH..."

Papyrus clenches his fists into tight balls of rage.

"THAT BITCH."

"ya know she didn't want to hurt ya."

"THAT'S THE THING. SHE THOUGHT SHE COULD HURT ME. HOW WEAK DOES SHE THINK I AM? THAT'S WHAT'S PISSING ME OFF MORE THAN ANYTHING RIGHT NOW."

Sans sighs. One day his brother will taste humble pie and not like it.

[HOTLAND: LAB]

Undyne finishes off her sixth bowel of ramen and looks at Alphys.

"Well...That wasn't how I thought it was going to end. Was it really necessary to tell him to drop her?"

Alphys takes a few more notes and ponders.

"Would you rather there be no main event? Besides..."

She adjusts her glasses.

"If what the human said is true, then the Black Soul being triggered in an open area would result in mass casualties. The zone in which the ending will be shot in is, for the most part, closed and under my remote control. So even in the event of something going wrong, which the odds of such are highly unlikely, then any and all threats can be dealt with in an optimum manner."

Undyne nods.

"I guess that makes sense. Still...I don't what I saw. There was real fear in the human's eyes."

"Good. She should be afraid. She should be very afraid of what's to come."

"And what's that?"

"That would be spoilers."

"Damn it. *sigh* A human soul with ten traits...Sounds tough. I wanna fight it!"

"It does raise a lot of questions. One, in particular, is on my mind."

"What's that?"

"If a human soul, deprived of magic, possesses ten traits and begins gaining magic...What will happen when it attains 100% magic?"

A cold chill runs through the captain.

[HOTLAND: SOMEWHERE ON LEVEL 3]

I am getting so sick of this crap. Why can't I just die at this point?

"*muffled* Lynsie?"

The voice and light jostling is bringing me back to consciousness. Damn it. Here I go again.

My eyes weakly open to the sight of dirt and rock. Just an inch away from losing the ability to see. Like I need a handicap in all this.

"Lynsie? Are you okay?"

Ah, Flowey. It's about time we met back up.

"*groan* H-Hey, bro. I missed you."

He smiles sadly.

"Are you okay? Can you move?"

I roll over on my back and check myself.

[HP ██████████ 10/40]

[HEARTBREAK level ONE in effect]

I figured that's what happened. No wonder the Black Soul was triggering. Thank goodness for the fall knocking my ass out or things would've gone bad fast.

"I think I'll be okay. Sore, but okay. I'm sadly getting used to falling and possible brain damage."

My answer has him pout.

"What's with the face, bro? You know I'm a tough cookie. I'll be fine."

His face gets full of concern.

"I...I heard what you told Mettaton."

Yeah, you and the rest of the Underground.

"I...I understand now why you didn't talk about your past. Why you kept to yourself. I'm sorry."

God, he's too sweet for this place. I reach over and gently stroke his petals.

"I love you, bro. You have no idea how much it means to me that you care. But don't pity me. I do that enough on my own."

I wearily sit up, shaking my head of all that baggage I brought up for the show.

"I wasn't pitying you. It's just..."

He fiddles with his leaves in a shy way but I cut his words off.

"Bro, I get it. I do. It's the same feeling like when you told me your history. Yet, let's be honest here, you're more mentally mature than me and I'm still not completely okay after getting all that off my chest. We can talk more about it later after this ordeal is over. Maybe over mom's cheesecake? Deal?"

"...You mean it?"

"Yeah. I promise."

He smiles brightly.

"Okay. I'd like that."

I pick myself up and stretch, taking a look around at where we are.

"Don't tell me he dropped me back at the start."

"Nope. This is still Level Three. In fact...I do believe MTT Resort is just past this place."

"...For real? Is it a safe space?"

"Yep. There are shops and rooms to rest."

I hear a heavenly choir sing in my head.

"Finally! The universe throws me a decent bone!"

I regret saying that the moment it leaves my mouth. Flowey looks at me funny.

"Don't take that out of context, you know what I meant."

"I don't know. You and Smiley Trashbag are eerily close."

My eye twitches. Things I wish Gaster didn't show me try to pop into my head.

"Are you okay? You look like you're about to puke."

"Never insinuate something like that ever again."

He shakes his head at me. I try to change the subject before I have a heart attack on camera.

"So...Are you able to follow me to the resort? I'm sick of being separated."

"There's ground outside of it and parts I can reach beyond it, but the resort itself I can't get in without some sort of aid like a pot. Cement and tile flooring is a pain to break into."

"Damn, bro, you hella strong."

There's a deactivated reversed conveyor belt that's attached to the artificial platforms.

"Is it safe to cross? It's kinda giving me 'trap' vibes."

"You should be fine. This is normally the part where the colored tiles would be used again, but you know, stuff changed. It's probably off."

"Ah. Gotcha. I guess...See ya soon?"

"You bet."

He ducks into the ground so I take it as my time to leave this pit. The entire time I feel on edge. With my luck, the trap will turn on and I get screwed. Thankfully nothing happens apart from some jets of flame randomly going off in the distance and making me jump like a wuss. At least it got me to the stairs quicker.

After a quite the climb, I reach the top perturbed yet undaunted as a four-way crossroads greets me, though the two paths on the sides are blocked. More Royal Guards, a cat to the left and some kind of insect on the right, both in that imposing armor.

"Well if it isn't my best customer..."

The Ice Scream rabbit pops up from behind the cart I wasn't paying attention to.

"Fancy seeing you again."

As odd as seeing him here is, he's a familiar face that is a sight for my sore eyes. I approach.

"Hey, guy, what's up? Haven't been seeing you much in Snowdin Forest for a bit."

He leans on the cart like a cool guy.

"Yeah...Been moving around seeing if I can make mad gold somewhere where the weather isn't the same temp as my product."

"Any luck?"

"Waterfall wasn't so bad. Even started a new program with rewards cards. Turn in a card with ten punches and get a free doubling of your next order. Speaking of which..."

He reaches into his pants pocket and hands me a punch card. Some holes have already been made.

"If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have had the funds to get this far. So...Instead of starting your card full, I may have added your previous buys. Can't say I haven't gotten better at my wonderful salesmanship."

I can't help but smile. He's come a long way. I'm proud of him.

"Well then, wonderful salesman, I'd like to add some more holes please."

"Heh...sure. But I'm warning you, prices have gone up. 25G. Got to charge more here 'cause of the heat."

"Understood, my dude. Um...Just curious...Got fudge pops? Kinda have this hankering for something chocolate."

He shakes his head.

"Sold out. The Royal Guards bought those like crazy."

"Damn. Oh well. One blue, orange, grape, and blood. All bisicles."

He fills my order and I pay the 100G.

"Here you go. All five ready to enjoy."

I look at him funny.

"Five?"

"Yep. Five. I definitely didn't toss in a strawberry one because of customer loyalty. Nope. Didn't do it."

Must...resist...the urge...to HUG!!

"...Thank you. That...That means a lot."

He gives me a wink and I practically skip away up another set of stairs. I place the treats in my inventory for now. I know not what crap will happen from here, so healing items are a big help.

I am met by a large complex. Redbrick that's been tagged with graffiti, yellow-tinted windows with some broken, a gold MTT sign with two Mettaton images with devil horns, a black & white checkered awning over the door, two large plant potters that have dry withered flower remnants, and a blood-red or just stained that way rug embroidered with gold MTTs.

"Classy."

I'm about to head inside when something hits my leg. A paper airplane? I inspect it to find it's a note.

[Hey! Go up the creepy alleyway on the right for some great deals!]

"...I'm gonna get mugged, aren't I?"

It's against my better judgment, but this is a neutral zone, so I should be okay. I wearily creep around, following spray-painted arrows, to end up finding two girls gossiping among garbage. They notice me and straighten up.

"Hey! Check it out!"

"Yeah! Check it out!"

"So, like, what's up? I'm Bratty, and this is my best friend, Catty."

"I'm Catty, and this is my best friend, Bratty."

Oh no...More valley speak!?! Why is that a thing down here?!

Bratty is a tall, green alligator or crocodile monster that wears a primarily black shawl with yellow and red details on the sides. She has yellow hair that flows into curls and red lipstick.

Catty is a plump purple cat creature who wears a set of black overalls with yellow buttons and tufts of red fur with yellow highlighted tips coming out from under it on either side. She has black hair with a red streak in it and a yellow earring on her left ear.

"Uh...Hi? So...This is a shop?"

"Like, the best shop!"

"You should buy ALL our stuff!"

Catty gets this blanket out and opens it out to show me their items. They don't have much, just four things, but I can't turn away from these items.

[25G - Junk Food - Has a big bite out of it]

[350G - Rusty Revolver - Bullets NOT included]

[350G - Tattered Western Hat - ATTACK up when worn]

[600G - Mystery Key - Probably to someone's house LOL]

A gun...How the fuck is that here?

"Oooh! I know that look!"

"That's the look of some wanting something!"

"Bratty! We're gonna be rich!"

"Where did you find this stuff?"

"I mean, like, where does anyone get guns, or food, or..."

"We found it in the garbage!"

I so called it.

"It's GOOD garbage."

"It's like, really good garbage."

"Where do you get the garbage?"

"Like, the garbage store, duh!!! ...Waterfall mostly."

"I found a gun in a dumpster!"

I check my gold...I don't have anywhere close to 1,300G for their garbage.

"Um...Maybe we could work out some sort of arrangement?"

They glare.

"That's poor talk."

"You need WAY more money."

What I need is to get that stuff away from them. That stuff is bad enough with humans, I don't want monsters messing with crap like guns.

"Ladies, I'm sure there's something we can do. Shops run on trade. This is just a trade of a different kind. I can't give you the gold, but I can get you other things. There's gotta something you'd both want that I can fetch for you in exchange?"

They mull it over.

"Thanks, but we, like, don't really need anything."

"Oh my god, can you go get us some Dazzleburgers?"

"We don't. Really need. Anything."

"Wait! I'll pay you 1000G if you get Mettaton to autograph my butt!"

Catty seems to be the easier one here. Maybe I can work with this.

"While I do know the guy, I'm not sure I can get Metta to sign your butt."

"Damn."

"Wait...You know Mettaton?!"

Their eyes sparkle.

"...Yes?"

They squeal with fanatical glee.

"Oh my God. Mettaton."

"Oh my GOD, METTATON."

"He's like...My robot husband."

"Actually he's like...MY robot husband."

"I think we're like...both going to marry him."

"We're both like, ALREADY married to him. He just, like, doesn't know it yet."

They're insane.

"Okay...Can I ask what's a Razzburger? I could try to get that."

Their eyes widen in shock.

"You don't know what a Dazzleburger is?"

"Do you, like, live under a rock?"

Don't we all do since this is a mountain?

"Dazzleburgers are epic!"

"They're only sold in the resort."

Interesting.

"Inside huh? Let me guess...Very pricey."

Bratty nods.

"The stuff inside, is like..."

"TOTALLY wicked expensive."

"But, like, this stuff we found is like..."

"TOTALLY wicked cheap."

"You should..."

"Like..."

"TOTALLY wicked buy all of it?"

"Cheap? You're selling a random key for 600G!"

They giggle at me and I sigh. Bitches, man...bitches.

"So where inside am I gettin' them?"

"The MTT-Brand Burger Emporium."

"You have to get them from Bugerpants."

That name...That name brings back memories...as well as sore spots. Douche-cat...

"Burgerpants."

"Yeah, that guy from the store. Yuck, what a creep."

"Yeah! He's a creep! But he's kind of cute, too..."

"C'mon Catty, don't you have ANY standards?"

"Nope!!!"

...You need standers, Catty.

"Yeah, I met him. Not so much a creep but he is a massive prick."

"OK, like, the annoying thing is..."

"He'd be OK if he just treated us with some respect."

"But he just acts..."

"Really weird."

"And then acts like it's OUR fault he acts that way!"

"Like, when we asked him to get those Dazzleburgers..."

"He dropped them and ran away before we could even say anything!"

"We were, like, going to share them."

"Really? I wasn't."

"Catty!"

This zone is full of awful people.

"One last thing...How many you want?"

Catty waves her paws.

"So many! Enough to fill a dumpster!"

"The mega value pack should cover us."

I give Bratty a thumbs up and leave their shady establishment. Now I enter the main building and this time I'm greeted by someone for once. It's either very diamond-like or very origami-like, but above all, it's a tiny monster.

"Welcome to MTT Resort - Hotland's biggest apartment-building-turned-hotel! Whether you're here for a night or still live here, MTT Resort prides itself on a great stay! Just passing through...? Nice! MTT Resort prides itself on being passed through!"

"Interesting business model. Does it work?"

"Oh, indeed it does, human."

"You know what I am?"

"Oh yes! The staff has been informed of your coming and instructed on how to handle you upon arrival."

Oh god, what now?

"Over on your left, we have a dine-in restaurant complete with a stage which hosts a wide cast of live acts. Either comedy done by locals or Mettaton entertains when he isn't too busy."

"Neat."

"If you're feeling like you hate yourself, behind me is the MTT-Brand Burger Emporium, home of the Dazzleburger!"

Well, they know how fast food works.

"All further questions can be taken to my coworker behind the desk."

I scratch my head and shrug.

"Thanks."

I walk away and head for the other receptionist. It's not a bad-looking lobby at least. Red & yellow checkered tiles and the rug from outside continues forward into parts unknown. The obnoxious fountain of Mettaton is gaudy though. I reach the desk and the monster behind it is a weird one. It's blue and its head is a hand with very well manicured red nails.

"Yes, we know. The elevator music volume is super loud and the song is stuck on a three-second loop. We are working on it. Because of this incident, rooms are running at a special rate! 200G a room. Interested?"

Someone sounds grumpy.

"No thank you. I was told to come to you. I'm the human if that helps."

Their head fingers extend in alert.

"Oh! Sorry. I was instructed to inform you on where to go next."

"That would be helpful, yes."

It motions to where the rug is heading.

"If you follow the rug there, you'll be lead out back to the entrance of the CORE. Mettaton will be waiting for you at the top."

"Could I use the elevator instead? All this travel is exhausting."

"No can do. The elevator leads to the Capital and main residence of our people. You're not allowed to go there."

"Oh...That's fine. I didn't want to go there. Just trying to take shortcuts if able."

"*ahem* If you require a small rest, might I suggest renting a room?"

"I don't the gold, sorry."

"That's fine. Mettaton has pre-paid a room for you. One time only."

I'm stunned. Damn him! Why does he confuse me so much?! I want to like and hate him at the same time!

"Um...In that case, sure. Where are rooms?"

They motion again.

"Down the hall to the right."

I wait for them to give me a key or card but nothing is there except awkwardness.

"Is there a problem?"

"No...not really. But...uh...Isn't this the part you give me a room key?"

"What? Room...Key? No, we don't do that. If you leave your room, you'll have to pay again."

So if I enter I can't leave or else I'll have to pay? That's insane!

"On second thought, maybe later."

"Shame. Do let us know if you change your mind. Have a sparkular day!"

I'm getting the feeling they're being nice because they were told to be. Otherwise, I doubt I'd be given such a warm welcome. Oh well. Time to pay a certain someone a visit.

I stroll up to the emporium and find myself paused. I can go about this in many ways. The different choices and outcomes play out in my head super fast. After a few, I settle on something...something that'll leave an impression. I push the doors open. A digital bell sounds. I look at what appears to be a sadder version of McDonald's. And like a mindless corporate drone, he speaks while moping the floor before seeing "who" just walked in.

"Welcome to MTT-Brand Burger Emporium, home of the Dazzleburger. Sparkle up your day (TM)."

He begins to turn around.

"What can I do to..."

His eyes widen seeing me, grinning sadistically at him like a lunatic.

"Uh...help?"

This hurts my throat to do, but it really sells this whole thing. I deepen my voice to imitate Dr. Claw from Inspector Gadget and just laugh. He is unnerved to say the least.

"*menacing* No one will help you."

"H-Hey now...Don't think of doing anything funny."

I walk up to him and he backs away slowly before leaping behind the counter.

"Stay back! You can't hurt anyone in shops!"

I keep the deep voice.

"*menacing* Hurt you? Foolish boy...Why would I do that? It's not like you put a cigarette out on my wrist and bashed my head with a bat!"

That last part was done a bit too harsh and I end coughing. All seriousness leaves.

"*coughs* Nah, man...*normal* I ain't gonna do anything. For reals. I was just messing with ya."

He eyes me funny.

"Riiiiiight...What do you want then?"

"Preferably, my phone."

He flinches, his eyes looking quickly down then darting back up.

"I..."

"Metta doesn't have to know."

"What do you mean he won't know?! He knows everything that goes on here!"

"Look, you either give me my phone, or I'm gonna go back there and take it."

"You're not seri..."

My dead stare shuts him up. He seems to freeze up now. I sneer and put my hand out. He looks at my hand and then starts sweating. I'm beginning to lose my patience.

"You have five seconds."

His fur stands on end and he suddenly slams his face on the countertop, giving himself a bloody nose.

"Sorry, (Ha ha) it's against the rules to talk to customers who haven't bought anything. And talking with you this long has put me in serious shit. If you want this 'exchange' to continue, you're going to make a purchase."

I'm not happy.

"...What do you have?"

[60G - Sorebet - Very popular food.]

[120G - Dazzleburger - Very popular food.]

[300G - Mythical Villain - Anti-Hero Sandwich. ATTACK UP in battle.]

[500G - Biltong Slab designed to look like Mettaton - Don't ask. Please.]

I huff through my nose and shell out the 60G.

"That Sorebet better come with my phone."

"Yeah yeah. Don't get your panties in a twist."

"Fuck you. I wear boxers."

He eyes me with a blush before heading into the back. Might as well chat him up while I can.

"So...Do you know the chicks behind the building?"

"Huh? Oh...Them. Yeah, I know them. What of it?"

"They were talking about you."

"The girls were...Talking about me...?"

Hooked him.

"They mentioned you threw burgers at them and ran."

"Bullshit! That is not what happened."

He comes back to the counter with a glass of frozen dessert and my phone.

"Care to enlighten me?"

He sighs and lights a cigarette. I wonder if he can do that while on shift?

"Never interact with attractive people. Unless you're 'one of them', they're just gonna take advantage of you. Those two chicks asked me to sneak them some Dazzleburgers. And I, the naive teenager that I was, said yes to them. Bad idea."

"What happened?"

He takes a dag and lifts the collar of his uniform shirt open, blowing the smoke in there.

"Does that really keep the smoke from spreading?"

"It's worked so far. *puff* So I went out to the alley to see those two ladies, and uh...you know, see what'd happen next."

"Like...Naughty stuff?"

"...Maybe."

"Nice."

He blushes.

"Anyway...Then my boss comes out of nowhere, sees me, and demands to know what I was doing. I was so startled, the hamburgers in my pockets tumbled out onto the ground. Not wanting to lose face to the girls, I scrambled to pick them up! But, as I was bending down, the weight of the remaining hamburgers...*puff*...caused my pants to fall down."

He expected me to mock him. But I can't feel anything more than pity for the guy. This surprises him and he continues his story.

"Then the girls laughed at me. Everyone calls me Burgerpants now. It's gotten to the point I can't remember my name half of the time. It's even on my name tag for fuck's sake!"

Poor douche cat.

"I think you're the first to not laugh at me or that story."

"Why would I laugh? That's...That's messed up, man."

He takes another drag.

"You know something...I misjudged you, human. I know it ain't much, but, I'm sorry for being an ass."

I rub the back of my head.

"I'll be honest, guy...Since the bar thing, I've seen you only as a prick. The idea of you having hard times and lashing out didn't cross my mind at all. That's my bad right there. Sorry on my part for being a bitch."

He smirks.

"So...You're really not going to tell Mettaton about this?"

He hands me my phone.

"Dude, this stays between us. Besides, he's kinda been pissing me off lately."

"Yeah, he does that."

He takes a deep drag before putting the cigarette out on the bottom of his shoe.

"Can I give you some advice? I'm getting on in years, so take it from me...You've still got time. Don't live like me. I'm 19 years old and I've already wasted my entire life. I'll probably be trapped at this stupid job forever. But wait! There's one thing that keeps me going! If ASGORE gets just one more SOUL, we'll finally get to go to the surface! It'll be a brand new world! There's gotta be a second chance out there for me! For everyone!"

"Maybe. So, what did you want to do before this?"

"Oh...I wanted to be an ACTOR."

"Neat."

"When I first came to Hotland, it was my dream to work with Mettaton. Well, be careful what you wish for! God, look what that idiot has done here. This place is a labyrinth of bad choices. And every time we try to change something for the better, he vetoes it and says that's not how they do it on the surface. Oh! Right! Humans are always eating hamburgers made of RHINESTONES AND GLITTER."

"...I can assure you we don't eat that. Eating that would be very bad for our health. Maybe even fatal. Monsters don't really eat that...Do they?"

His eyes shift and I facepalm.

"And you guys think I'm gonna hurt ya?"

"You should probably get going. The boss will get his gears in a bunch if you take too long getting to the CORE."

"Fine."

I put the Sorebet in my inventory and remember my awkward side-quest.

"Oh! Before I bounce, can you help me with something?"

He tilts his head.

"What?"

"The chicks, Bratty and Catty, they have items I want but don't have the crazy amount of gold. They say they'll trade for a mega value pack. Any way you might be able to help make this trade happen?"

He sighs.

"Really? Do you know how much that is?"

"1300G close? Because that's how much I need."

"...What kind of shit are they selling that's worth that much?!"

I goofily shrug. He groans and rubs his face.

"I can't just give you that much for free."

"Catty thinks your cute."

"...For real?"

I nod. He fidgets, fingers tip-tapping and pitter-pattering.

"Okay, I'll tell you what...You score me a hook up with her and I'll give you the burgers."

Damn you rule of three in side-quests!

"Argh...I guess I can try. It won't be the weirdest thing I do today but it is on the list though."

His eyes light up with excitement. I can't mess this up now. How often does he actually smile like this?

"Thank you! *ahem* I mean...Cool."

I slink out of the emporium and head for the exit.

"Um, excuse me, human...The CORE is the other way."

I groan.

"I know. I'll be back."

Exit building, go into the creepy alley, and meet the girls again.

"Look who's back."

"Do you have the Dazzleburgers?"

I show my empty hands.

"Ha! I knew she'd blow it."

"Sucks to be you!"

"Hold up. He'll give me the goods. But..."

"But...?"

"Catty...Do you really think he's cute? 'Cause he thinks you're hot."

Catty's face flushes. Bratty rolls her eyes.

"For reals? He wants a date?"

"A date? A hangout? A simple meeting while he's working? I don't know. For all I know she can walk in, say hi, and that's it. All I need is confirmation and you get all those shiny burgers."

"Yes!"

"Catty...?"

"What a deal! A cute guy and free food! It's the score of a lifetime!"

"Catty, he's a loser. You hang out with him once, then he wants to hang out... All. The. Time."

"But don't you feel bad for him, Bratty? Poor Burgerpants...Think about how cool we are compared to him!!! We'd be saving his LIFE with our awesomeness!! His LIFE, Bratty!!"

"Uh, so?"

"Think of all the Dazzleburgers he could get for us!!"

And just like that, I feel like shit for doing this.

"...So is he free after work?"

"*huff* I'll be back...again."

Leave the alley, enter the building, meet up with Burgerpants.

"I don't like the look you have there. Did she say no?"

I can't lie to this guy.

"Dude, I'm really uncomfortable with this."

"What's wrong?"

"She said yes. But..."

"She said YES?!"

"I mean, she agreed, but please listen..."

"Ha! Ahahaha!! Yes!!! You've brought a tear to the eye of this old man."

I feel so bad.

"Dude, please...I'm, like, 100% sure she's gonna use you for free food and maybe gold."

"...So?"

I'm taken back.

"Look, you don't think I didn't think of that? I know she's probably going to use me. Everyone does. If it's for the food, I don't care. That's just another way I can stick it to my boss. Speaking of..."

He plops this cardboard case down on the counter.

"A deal's a deal. The mega value pack for the girl."

...Okay, they're made for each other. Everyone here is trash!

"So, uh, what time did she say she wanted to hang out?"

I hate everything about this!!

"I'll be back again."

Take food, leave, exit, alley. At this point, I nearly shove the shit at them.

"Oh my God!"

"Is that the mega value pack Dazzleburgers?"

"OH MY GOD!!! GIMME!!!"

"God, Catty. Try to have some self-control."

"Sorry..."

"'Cause they OBVIOUSLY brought the Dazzleburgers for ME."

"NO WAYYY!!!!!"

I point to the items.

"Trade. Now."

Bratty puts the key and gun into the hat before handing it over to me.

"Thank you."

I put the key in my inventory and equip the other two.

[You equipped the Tattered Western Hat]

[You gain 12 Defense and 5 Attack]

[This battle-worn hat makes you want to crew on straw for some reason. It also raises attack by 5.]

[You equipped the Rusty Revolver]

[You gain 12 Attack]

[An super old gun. It has no ammo. Must be used precisely, or damage will be low. Duh.]

[HP: 40 ATK: 62 DEF: 50]

I am becoming OP!!

"Oh! Give burger-boy this!"

Catty hands me a scrap of paper with her number.

"Fine. I'm just glad this is done."

Back to Burgerpants. I slap the paper down.

"Here's her number. I hope you don't regret this."

His face contorts in a weird way...Is he...Happy?

Sweet! I need to pick a spicy outfit for my little shindig later. Though, now that I think about it, I had to throw away all of my clothes to make room for the outfits Mettaton gave me."

"...What?"

"Don't take it the wrong way. They're just all these...Weird getups. 'Promotional' costumes. For 'holidays'. Or 'specials'. Or 'because he felt like it'. The thing IS though! Most of the time I'm the only employee who has to wear this stuff! Sometimes he even calls me into his office just to...Make me put something on...Then he laughs and lets me go back to work as normal."

My pity meter is breaking.

"Anyways, I won't sweat it. I'll take it casual. NEVER let hot people think you care. That's how they GET you."

And the pity meter dropped dead.

"Good luck with that."

I leave on that note. Fuck this resort. Fuck this quest plot. Fuck this whole damn thing!

Wanting this shit show to be over and done with, I do as instructed by following the rug's path out some doors that have a giant sign above that says "CORE". Lazy-ass designers, I swear.

Weirdly this leads to a balcony. A balcony that has been opened and a walkway built that connects to the massive facility. The light from the resort barely shows half of the path as the CORE itself surprisingly gives off the faintest glow. The CORE is an entirely mechanical complex that is largely black and yellow with red accents. The blah colors aside, what gets my attention are the two monsters that were minding the entrance that slip inside when I show up. I don't like this.

"Flowey, you better be able to get here. I have a bad feeling about this."

Approaching shows more of this crazy thing. The CORE appears to be the most industrial and modern region of the Underground. Ozone, a byproduct of electrical power, is omnipresent below the floor level of the CORE. This could mean the CORE might be made of stainless steel, titanium, or platinum; as ozone is highly corrosive to most organic materials. If this is the case, they could use this stuff. The CORE could be a source of ozonated water, which cleans clothes, sanitizes food, and purifies drinking water. This also implies this might be the greatest source of oxygen in the Underground as ozone simply decomposes into oxygen at high concentrations and temperatures. The only hazard I can think of is that oxygen is a shitty thing to breathe. Breathing pure oxygen at high pressures can cause nausea, dizziness, muscle twitching, vision loss, convulsions, and loss of consciousness. Breathing pure oxygen for a long time can irritate the lungs causing coughing and/or shortness of breath. Higher exposure may cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs and subsequent death. Guess how much more O2 is needed to do this to a person? 20% more. God, Humans are so freaking weak. I'll need to be careful here.

The lobby of the CORE has an elevator to the north and two paths to the left and right. Not a bad looking place, very lavishly decorated, the floors are engraved with intricate patterns and multicolored neon tubes serve as wall ornaments and embellishments. I check the elevator, which is disabled, I'm not shocked at this point. Not much else to do, I go to the path on the right, which turns out to be a small room with a square platform overlooking a pit of fire. Not bad. I do enjoy looking at fire. It's pretty. Moving on! Going through the left path leads to a rectangular stretch of wall-less hallway with a doorway at the end.

"Hmmm...My bullshit senses are tingling. I'm willing to bet a random encounter/ambush is about to happen."

As if cued by my words, something cracks the back of my head and then hits my gut as I turn.

"*wheeze* Called it..."

My attacker appears and my dull cracked purple soul is forced out to play.

[Madjick pops out of its hat!]

Madjick has a typical appearance of a wizard. It wears a curved wizard hat, a pair of boots, and two rotating orbs emitting cross-shaped particles. Madjick has a sly smile on its face, but a pair of bright eyes are hidden just under its hat.

[FIGHT]

[ACT]

[̴͝SP͜͞E͡L̵͜L͟͠͏]͘͢

[ITEM]

[MERCY]

I wonder if SPELL will work on this thing? ...N-No. No. Can't chance it. Stick to normal tactics.

[ACT selected.]

[New options available.]

[CHECK]

[TALK]

[STARE]

[CLEAR MIND]

...The fuck kind of options are these?!

[CHECK selected.]

[MADJICK – HP: 190 ATK: 29 DEF: 24 – This enemy can only speak in magic words.]

Finally! My states aren't shit compared to my attacker. Also, only speaks in magic words is the most fucking adorable thing I've ever heard.

"Abra cadabra."

An orb spawns off to my left and rapid-fires crosses at me. I dodge and the orb tries to cut me off by going where I'm headed. It fires about eight times and moving around is not so great.

[HP ████████████████ 16/40]

Thank goodness my defense got increased during all this crap. I could've been really messed up.

[Madjick flaunts its orbs in a menacing manner.]

It snickers.

"A smug one. I like that."

[TALK selected.]

"You know...I can do magic too."

It looks at me intrigued.

"Yep. I can make your smile disappear."

It pauses before sneering at me.

"See? I made it vanish before your very eyes!"

It didn't seem to like my humor.

"Hocus pocus."

[Madjick begins chattering to itself. Its gibberish dizzies you...Your DEFENSE drops by 1.]

My head feels fuzzy. Did it just jinx me? Are there more types of magic than what I've been told?

One of the orbs begins to chase me while deploying harmful but immobile crosses. Yet due to the jinx, my sense of direction is ass-backward. Left is right and right is left. Up is down and down is up. However...much to Madjick's dismay...I'm used to being incredibly dizzy. My childhood was filled with countless hours of boredom appeased by spinning around till I couldn't see straight.

[HP ████████████████████ 20/40]

Ha ha...Suck on those magic balls, wizard-boy!

"*slur* Is that what you call magic? Boo! Disappointed!"

[Madjick whispers arcane swear words.]

"*slur* Oh...Someone needs to put some gold in the swear jar. I'm gonna tattle!"

It growls.

"Eh eh eh. It's not your turn."

I slap my face a few times.

[CLEAR MIND selected.]

"I wonder where Flowey is?"

[You think of pollen and sunshine. Your confusion abates. Your DEFENSE increased by 2.]

"...What?"

"Alakazam!!"

It tries to surprise me with that following orb trick. But now that I know that move it's not so bad.

[HP ██████████████████████████ 26/40]

Huh? Am I auto-healing faster? Sweet! Surely that only means good things for me.

[Madjick peers at you with strange eyes.]

"What? You scared? My sick moves and auto-healing too much for you? No worries, wizard-dude, we cool. I got you."

The hell did I just say? Am I magic high? Fuck it.

[MERCY selected.]

[New options available.]

[FLEE]

[SPARE]

[SPARE selected.]

It looks at me funny. Then it looks at my HP.

[HP ████████████████████████████████ 32/40]

It flinches.

"Please and thank you."

Madjick accepts my act of mercy.

[YOU WON!]

[You earned 0 XP and 120 gold.]

The fight ends, my soul returns to my body and I give my opponent claps of approval.

"Good show, buddy. Keep up the good work."

It seems confused but nods, hovering away behind me towards the exit.

"Well...That was weird."

My head still feels odd. Nothing a few brain sloshing shakes of the old noggin won't fix. Anyway, no time to question strange feelings or whatever. I gotta get through this so I can get back to Toriel. Onwards I go.

Continuing forward, I enter a room with a bridge that is cut off by a tesla coil. Wow. Hadn't seen that in a long ass time. How much do I wanna bet there's a convenient off switch nearby. Oh, look! A super obvious switch right there on the wall. Who could've ever had guessed! I flip the switch and lasers fire at me! First blue, then blue again, and orange. Thankfully they're slow, so once I triggered the first blue laser I easily hit the deck to avoid the others that pass by.

"Setting booby traps on top of other traps now. Geez, Metta, I'm starting to think you don't like me very much. Well, that's fine. I don't like me either! So come at me already and quit this pussy bullshit!"

Calm down. No need to get riled up. Get through this and go home. Then I can just stuff my face with Nanny's awesome cheesecake and pass out happy. I march on, doing my best not to look down or notice how some of the walls and floors are chipped away. Now I'm paranoid about if any other laser that turns up is functional or decorative.

The path leads into a crossroads with a path to my left and a path straight ahead. My bullshit sense is tingling when I look at the left path. Straight ahead it is.

This room contains a bridge with many blue and orange lasers followed by a massive wall of blue lasers.

"Nope. Just nope. Screw the rules! I have plot armor importance and common sense!"

Fuck this outfit. Fuck this shit! I have lost all my fucks! I get down on the floor and combat crawl the long as fuck cold metal catwalk.

"*muttering* Stupid bullshit. Why do I have to be nice? If I wasn't nice, I wouldn't have to put up with shit like this. Bitches don't end up in laser catwalk traps. But no...I have to be a decent person. *getting louder* I have to be a good girl. I have to not give in to the overwhelming urge to punch assholes for being assholes because that's wrong for dumb reasons! *shouting* Why am I pissing myself off?! This is extremely counterproductive given my current situation! Fuck!!"

I blame all this on Mettaton. That's a healthy way to look at it. Probably not. But I'm not a mental health doctor! The fuck do I know?! After crossing the bridge, I storm grumpily along another walkway only to reach something called "Core Branch".

Turns out the "Core Branch" is a four-way intersection. Fan-fucking-tastic. Man, my mood is fucking sour. Maybe the digital sign can be useful and give me directions.

[North, the warrior's path. West, the sage's path. Any path leads to The End.]

"*growling* This is so...FUCKING STUPID!!"

Nope. Not falling for anymore of this. I choose neither side and go straight. This middle path of the "Core Branch" has me entering a vertical room with a right path leading to the eastern portion of the "Core Branch". There's nothing to my left. It just drops into the ozone, so it's certain death. I'm so sure this place followed all safety measures. There is a sign on the wall that is telling me to "Get lost...And stay that way".

"Wha...Why have signs telling me to leave when you told me to come here?! Stupid metal moron giving me dumb mixed messages."

I hate everything. No monster better encounter me while I'm in this mood. I take out a gold piece and flip it. Heads for straight and tails for the right. It lands on tails so right I go. This has to be the stupidest designed building ever! What the hell was Gaster thinking?! Was he on the drugs? Because this seems like he was on the drugs! 'Cause now I'm at another four-way crossroads. Only now I have two digital signs.

[To the East! This is The End.]

[I cannot fight. I cannot think. But, with patience, I will make my way through.]

A third, and hopefully final, tesla coil blocks what has been established as the exit. This means there's a switch somewhere. F that shit. Know what? You know what'll piss everyone off? I'm gonna do what that sign said. I'm going to be patient. Because if I know Mettaton, and I know massive egos very well, he won't want boring content to be televised and eventually spice things up. I plop my edgy tush under the sign and...wait. Using this time to chill. Let this negativity go and...

*Clank-clank-clank*

Oh hell no!

A large monster ominously approaches. Knight Knight is a monster that wields a great staff with a sun symbol in her right hand. She wears a suit of black armor and what resembles a horned helmet with a crescent moon emblazoned on her forehead. The helmet's eyepiece occasionally widens and un-widens as if it is her mouth. Her torso is dominated by a dragon face whose beak occasionally opens and closes, revealing a small eye. It is unclear whether which face is the true face.

"Let me guess...You're here to make me move?"

"Yes."

"No."

She's confused.

"...No?"

"Did I stutter? I'm not moving."

She readies her spear.

"Then prepare for..."

"Let me stop you right there. I get that you're doing your job and following the law, and blah blah blee bloo, whatever. I have been through one of THE worst days in my life. My mind, soul, and charitable goodwill have been pushed to limits that are very VERY thin now. I am in no mood to deal with any more crap. So I'm going to say this once because I ain't fighting you or moving from this spot till this electrical blockaded is gone...Turn around and go home."

She doesn't take me seriously and laughs.

"Heh heh...You have no power to give me orders, human."

She takes a step closer and I snap.

"I͏͟ ̧̀̕W͝IL͘͡L̴ ̶Ŗ͟͜I͝҉P͘ ̵O͜F̧F̛͞ ̸̀Y̧͡O̡͢U̡͠R ͠H̸EA̶͏D͏͢ ̸̕A͜N͢D S̢̛͜Ḩ̶Į͢T̵̕ ͝D̶̀OW͞N̷̴͠ ҉͞Ý̸̢O̡͡U̡͢R ̸ŅE̴͝CḰ̡̧!͞͞!̧͢"

She stumbles back in shock. The strange energy sparks off me. I regret everything.

"I̵'͘͟͏ḿ͢͞ ̧̕͞so̧̨͡r̴̢ŗ̷͜y̧.̵̛.̢͞.̛p̢l͝ea̷se͢.͟.́͢.leave me. I'm so sorry."

I seem to have disturbed her. She slowly steps back and turns around when she's convinced I'm not going to move.

"Adieu...Human."

She leaves me and I let out a shaky exhale. It's getting worse. I'm losing control. I can't do this for much longer. I haven't been given any proper time to deal with this shit. My internal bottle has been shaken too much! It's going to explode! I...I...

"What the heck was that?!"

Flowey pops up beside me and I'm too freaked out to be startled.

"Sis? What's wrong?"

I hold myself in an attempt to squeeze into a tiny ball of self-loathing. This only worries him more.

"Lynsie?"

I...I can't...I need a break. If only I had my music. I could drown out all this. Lose myself in the lyrics.

"B-Bro..."

"Yes? Talk to me. I can help. Tell me what you need."

"...H-How fast can you get to Snowdin?"

He frowns.

"You want me to get 'him', don't you?"

All I can do is nod.

"I...I can help too. You don't have to turn to him."

My eyes dart to the blocked path. He puts things together. He is a smart boy after all.

"True. Mettaton is that way and the room his encounter takes place in is an elevating platform. I can stretch from my roots pretty far but not THAT far."

He pouts.

"*huff* I guess there's no other option. He does have experience helping you out when things get bad. And he can teleport."

I feel bad that I'm making him do this...again. Like in the dead timeline.

"I...I'm sorry."

"Wha...N-No! Don't apologize. I understand. You're worried. It's okay. We'll get through this. Family helps family. What kind of big brother would I be if I didn't do everything to help? Even if that means getting others to help when I can't."

"...I need a hug...please?"

It pains me to see him hesitate. But vines come out to wrap around me for a bit.

"Thank you."

The vines retract and he extends to nuzzle my cheek.

"It won't be like last time. I promise. You won't kill anyone. No one's going to die."

"H-How do you know?"

"Because you're strong. You just have to believe in yourself. I know I do."

...I needed that. I give him a smile.

"There we go. There's my sis. Now keep that smile. I'll get Smiley Trashbag and we'll be back home with mom in no time."

He really is too sweet for this world. He sinks into the floor and I forgot to ask how he was able to get through this floor. I mean, I guess he said he can get through cement so metal can't be too far of a long shot. Asriel sure is a super strong boy even as a flower.

*BUZZ*

The power to the coil suddenly is shut off remotely like I so knew it could be. Damn it. I was hoping to have more time. How impatient is Mettaton for this? Reluctantly, I get up and walk down this new road. Halfway along this bridge, I am blocked by three vaguely familiar monsters that look like tougher versions of monsters I see in the Ruins.

Final Froggit has spike-like protrusions on its head and eyelids, accompanied by a crown-like muff on top of its head. Its lips are marked with lines, as though wrinkled from age. Its "shoulders" are decorated with sharp excrescents, while the silhouette between its legs forms a face with a triangular smile and cross eyes.

Whimsalot has a more human-like appearance than Whimsun. Also, its antennae are thicker, and there is a muff on their head that branches in two. Whimsalot's appearance is also accompanied by a double-bladed spear and a knight mask. Its ghost-like torso is skinnier and shorter.

Astigmatism's body consists of a large ball and four spiked limbs. The ball is accompanied by two "horns" on each side. When idle, a large eye can be seen on the ball also with three eyelashes. However, it changes from this face to another where the eye hollow is changed with a smile. When having its eye closed, the two side eyelashes become Astigmatism's eyes, while the middle one simply becomes a marking.

I don't know what I must look like to them. Probably dreadful. Because they move aside with not a word being side. I nod in thanks, proceeding to the end which for all I know might be the most tragic moment of my life second to Grillby dying. No! Stop it! Do as Flowey said. Smile. Stay chipper. Think of something silly. Like how dumb this place is. Honestly, was Gaster high making this place? I'll have to ask him later. Nah...I'll ask Sans. Less hassle.

The bridge comes to an end, leading to a shadowy doorway and an elevator that probably would've been super handy but was out of order to pad out the length of this bullshit subplot. Augh...It's so much easier to think my life is a fictional story or internet abridge series. It's the only way my brain allows most of this crap to make any sense.

"So this is it, huh? The epic conclusion of this grand show. Heh...I want to feel accomplished for making it this far. Almost. But all I do feel is..."

I can't finish my sentence. The weight I thought I got off my back earlier begins pressing on me again.

"Nothing...I feel nothing. *sniffling* Damn it...Don't fucking cry!"

With a breakdown seconds away from happening, I enter the doorway to the room of darkness and a door shuts behind me then locks. There is no going back now.

Please...I made a promise...Please...Don't make me have to RESET...Please...I'm begging...Please...

[your-miss-right]

Sonder

Summary: They’re both a little lost, but that’s okay because one day they’ll be found. After all, they say soulmates have the same hiding places.

Chapter 1: Wander

Jungkook doesn’t startle easily, if anything he’s quite fond of doing the big, impossible, and scary. He’s been bungie jumping, after all. If that doesn’t speak of his bravery, he’s not sure what will. Still, that doesn’t stop him from jumping when a tiny voice speaks to his left, making him almost drop his bag of honey butter chips and the six pack of beer in his hands.

“Your eyes are really big…”

He turns his head, eyes flitting from side to side for a minute before he drops his squinted gaze and realizes there’s a small child blinking up at him from underneath a worn bucket hat. His little hands are gripping a clunky transformer  and he’s offering Jungkook a large grin. He looks to be five or so, definitely not old enough to be here alone in the alcohol section, where Jungkook is pondering a second beer purchase.

“Thanks? Yours..too?” He starts and lifts his head to look around, wondering who he belongs to. There aren’t any adults in sight and the kid shuffles his sneakers, making them squeak against the polished floor.

“So how’s your day going?” The kid asks and fumbles with a plastic arm, gaze laser focused on putting it back in place. Jungkook would normally be impressed, those things look harder than Rubik’s cubes, but he’s preoccupied tamping down his growing panic. Is this kid lost? Where are his parents? And why is he so chill about this?

“Um…well I’ve had better,” he answers tentatively and continues peering down the aisle of alcohol.

“Mine’s okay too, Y/n is making a snack run,” he replies and grins again, scrunching his button nose.

“At eleven? Shouldn’t you be in bed?” Jungkook quirks a brow and shakes his head, “Wait, Y/n? Is that your sister?”

“My nanny…she let’s me stay up sometimes and sneaks me snacks when mama isn’t looking,” he presses a chubby little finger to his lips and whispers, “But don’t tell..”

Jungkook nods gravely in understanding, “Kay, well I promise not to tell, but maybe we should go find her? She’s probably worried about you.”

“Ok!” The kid holds out one hand and looks at Jungkook expectantly and again it takes him a second to realize what’s happening.

“Oh right, sorry about that,” Jungkook shifts his snacks around to grab hold of his tiny hand and they begin to make their way down the aisle.

He’s caught between horror and amusement at how open this kid is. Jungkook’s a complete stranger and this kid has deemed him harmless enough to make acquaintances with. He’s either gullible or razor sharp. Jungkook hopes it’s the latter.

They shuffle into the next aisle over where there’s more alcohol, then the next where there’s soda and mineral water. The chip aisle is empty as well.

“Hey buddy, what’s you name?”

“Isaac, what’s yours?” He asks without missing a beat.

“Jungkook, it’s nice to meet you Isaac,” Jungkook grins a warm and hopefully comforting smile. Not that it does much, Isaac seems anything, but scared. Jungkook thinks back on his five year old self and knows he would’ve been in tears by now.

“Likewise,” he replies with his own small nod and Jungkook decides he really likes this kid, he’s not so sure about the nanny though. She doesn’t seem very good at her job if she lost her kid.

“What was your nanny wearing? Or do you know where you lost her? Or what snacks she was getting?” Jungkook peers into another aisle, but it’s empty.

A couple people pass them, but not one seems to be looking for a child. Jungkook is starting to feel panicked again. What if she abandoned him? Is he going to be a dad now? He’s barely getting by with his random jobs, he can’t afford a child.

Maybe I should call Jin or Namjoon? They’d know what to do.

“Well Y/n said she needed wine for her party tomorrow and she wanted something sweet because was sad…”

“Sad?”

“Her evil ex-boyfriend made her cry,” a deep set frown pulls his lips into a cute pout and Jungkook feels a bubble of affection in his chest. This kid clearly loves his nanny very much.

“Oh, I’m sorry…” Jungkook frowns and he means it. He doesn’t know her, but he knows heartbreak and its woes. He feels a pang in his chest at the memory of his relationship’s heart shattering ending. It’d been years ago, but the memory still left a bittersweet taste in the back of his mouth.

Namjoon always said that’s how you know you’re growing up. When you can savor those feelings and embrace them without remorse.

“That’s why I want to find chocolates for her. Nana says chocolate mends broken hearts and makes you feel like you’re in love. Jungkook, where do they keep the chocolates?” Isaac peers up at him and shakes his hand with gentle verve and impatience.

“We just passed it though and it was empty, “Jungkook stops, accidentally jerking the child backwards. He feels like he should know the answer to this. He’s watched way too many romcoms to not know where people would seek comfort, besides alcohol.

“Jungkook?”

“Ice cream! She’s in the ice cream section!”

Isaac meets his eyes, mouth big in realization and he pulls harder on Jungkook’s arm, tugging him forward. They hurry past several aisles only to hear a girl’s panicked voice and the stamping of feet.

“Isaac! Isaac you little monster, I swear to go—d.” Whatever is about to leave her mouth dies as she skids to a halt, almost running head first into Jungkook. He clutches his chips and beer to him, effectively crushing a majority of the chips in his bag. She in turn is holding a pint of vanilla ice cream, flattened marshmallows, and a large bottle of wine.

Her mouth drops at the sight of Isaac and he flings himself at her legs and using his arms to hold her tight. Her eyes flicker between Jungkook and Isaac, no doubt questioning what happened. Jungkook feels his face heat underneath her wide eyed gaze and he can see a tinge of ferocity flashing in her eyes.

“Jungkook helped me find you! I’m sorry for leaving, I was trying to find you something sweet to fix your heartache. Please don’t tell mama, ” he looks up at her with big glittering eyes and Jungkook fights back a chuckle. If anyone knows what a finishing move is, it’s him. His nanny is as good as gone.

She visibly softens and sighs in defeat, “I’m not going to tell her, but you have to promise me you’ll never do that again. You got it? I was terrified.” She drops down to his level and gives him a tight one armed hug. It’s both tender and silly because Isaac is pressed up awkwardly against her bag of marshmallows. 

When Y/n gets back up she pins Jungkook with a calculating stare. It’s then that Jungkook notes the faint red rimming her eyes, the slight puffiness of her lids, and the dusting of red at the tip of her nose. She must’ve been crying not long ago, it might’ve been due to the dreaded ex or having lost Isaac briefly, maybe both.

“Thank you for helping him.” Her attention flickers to Isaac when his small hand comes into view and he gives the marshmallows a gentle yank. Whether it’s because he wants to eat them or he’s trying to be helpful, Jungkook isn’t sure. Either way, Y/n hands them over and he tucks them under his arm with a look gleeful satisfaction.

“It’s no problem, I think I was more freaked out than he was,” Jungkook flushes and brings a hand up to the back of his neck. Ugh, he’s already sweating, gross.

“He’s sneakier than he looks and I was a bit distracted.” Her eyes are narrowed at the blissful boy who is once more enthralled with his toy.

“It happens,” Jungkook shrugs.

There’s an awkward second of silence in which they both eye each other, unsure of what to say. He can’t remember the last time he made small talk like this. He’d forgotten how flustered it could make him.

“Anyway, I’ve got to get this kid to bed or else my boss will throttle me. Say bye little man, we’re going home,” Y/n calls out to Isaac and waves him over.

“Bye Jungkook,” he beams and before Y/n can grab his hand, he takes off towards the check out at full speed.

“Hey, not again!”

Jungkook is about to say goodbye and offer his name, but she’s already lunging forward and dashing towards Isaac. He turns to watch them leave, hand still in the air when she stops and half turns on her heel, her hair flying around her face.

“See you around!” She gives a frantic wave and follows after Isaac who is giggling as she chases him down. His running is more playful than rebellious because as Y/n catches up to him, Jungkook can hear Y/n’s lilting laughter and a happy shriek.

Jungkook doesn’t stop smiling until he leaves the store.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Y/n doesn’t actually like kids. So to say she hasn’t a clue as to how she ended up being a nanny, is a gross understatement. Well, she knows how, it was Taehyung’s fault (he says ‘blessing’, she doubts it sometimes), but that’s beside the point. The point is she doesn’t understand how she pulled it off. There are days when she feels like she got away with a heist, other days she thinks someone pulled a fast one on her.

“How is life at the Hwang household treating you?” Taehyung asks, as he sets a Tom Collins on the napkin in front of her. He scrunches his nose when she sips it and kicks her feet happily.

Y/n doesn’t care that it tastes like an alcoholic lemonade. She refuses to drink like an old man. Also, whiskey tastes like gasoline, but she’ll keep that thought to herself. People in Los Angeles can be pretentious and you never know what hipster is eavesdropping, waiting to rub their obscure knowledge in your face.

“It’s cool, Isaac’s grown on me,” Y/n gives a half hearted shrug, that ironically looks forced and exaggerated to Taehyung’s sharp gaze.

He pins her with a knowing look.

“Okay fine, the kid’s like my best friend. Happy now?”

Taehyung’s smirk is enough of an answer and he continues rinsing his jigger out with an annoying air of smugness.

“Also I think his mom is getting suspicious, I might have to cut back on his cookies. I can’t keep pretending I’m eating all those oatmeal raisin cookies. I hate raisins,” Y/n stirs the ice with her straw before taking another long sip.

“I never understood how that was his favorite cookie. I swear he’s like an eighty year old in a five year old’s body. Does he still watch those science documentaries?”

“Tell me about it and yes. He showed me a video about how the world was going to end. It’s pretty neat,” Y/n waggles her brows and Taehyung doesn’t hide the grimace on his face.

“That’s bleak. He never showed me that stuff.”

Taehyung used to be Isaac’s nanny, but once Taehyung had decided to return to school and study fashion design, he realized he couldn’t continue nannying. Instead he took on a couple bartending jobs to keep himself afloat. Y/n doesn’t know how he finds any time for himself with his packed schedule. The Hwang’s had even offered to double his pay, but when he turned them down, insisting he couldn’t, they asked for a contact.

Taehyung, being the good friend he is, recommended Y/n for the job. Being completely honest he didn’t think Y/n would get the job and neither did she. But they both said, why not try anyway? There were people applying with degrees in children’s psychology. Y/n couldn’t compete with that and she wasn’t expecting a call. Yet, this is what made Y/n stand out to the Hwangs. She wasn’t well versed in various languages, science, or philosophy. She had gone to school for graphic design she knew many adults tended to raise an eyebrow at that.

Once a date had asked her, “Isn’t that a starving artist career?”

Y/n never called him back.

Simply put, the Hwangs had no business hiring her. However what they liked about her is the fact that she has three younger siblings and one parent who was always working, meaning she raised them. She grew up roughing it and she knew grit. In their eyes she could handle anything they would throw at her. Her siblings were proof of that.

They had gone to better schools than her (she encouraged them to chase their dreams), played sports (she was their loudest cheerleader), they’d graduated with honors (she tutored them), and they were aiming for conventional careers that paid way better. Meanwhile she was living the bohemian life, working freelance, living in her tiny studio with her pit bull, Daisy. She was unconventional and for some reason this made her fascinating to the Hwangs. It also made her feel like some rare accessory to flaunt around when their persnickety friends came over.

To be honest she should’ve known better, when Taehyung gave her the Brentwood address, that was all she really needed to know.

“Is Jimin coming later?” Y/n asks and makes note of the slowly filling bar, she knows she should get going soon. She has a line sheet to put together for a clothing brand and some photo editing to do, not to mention Taehyung won’t have time for idle chit chat.

“He said he would, we’ll see. If not I’ll stop by your place later with some cider and pizza. I’ve missed Daisy.”

Y/n grins, “I’m sure she misses your face too.”

“Speaking of missing, how’s the whole Ryan situation?” Taehyung’s eyes have gone soft and he focuses his attention on her. She silently curses and heaves a sigh.

“I’m getting over it, but he’s around…”

“Y/n…”

“I know, I know, it’s just hard to cut someone out like that. I thought I could take being friends, but this…”

Taehyung reaches across the bar and takes her smaller hand in his, squeezing gingerly. “You know how I felt about this situation and how I still feel about it. I can’t keep telling you not to do the things you do, but I’m here for you. Always.”

Y/n swallows down the lump forming in her throat and replies with a small, “Thank you Tae.”

She squeezes his hand in return before letting go and pushing back from the bar. Y/n gathers her things and throws her jacket over her shoulder.

“I’ll let you know if I can make it.”

“Definitely, call me if you decide to come over. If not, no worries, there’s always Sunday brunch. Say hi to Jimin for me!” Y/n sends a jaunty wave in his direction and he winks at her. She doesn’t miss the way several girls bring their heads together to whisper and shoot her looks. Y/n’s willing to bet they’re going to hit on Taehyung the minute she’s out the door.

She steps out onto the sidewalk, the bar’s neon sign shining bright like a beacon in the night. Y/n pulls up a rideshare app and waits, thinking of her dog and the work she can’t wait to busy herself with. Jimin says she’s workaholic, she’s not sure if she agrees. It’s a good distraction that keeps her mind from overthinking and her worries at bay.

Although it’s been inevitable these days. Y/n doesn’t mean to get melancholy; it seeps in like a fog, dreary and cold. It settles on her skin before invading her warmth and chilling her bones, weighing her down, down, down. People are arriving, coming in and out, dressed casually, some more scantily than others, and a couple of guys shoot her flirtatious looks. There’s screaming, chatter, and laughter. The city is alive and she can’t help, but feel colder and colder.

Y/n can’t fight the hollow feeling that takes over her heart, hardening and weighing heavy.

Do others feel like this? I can’t even tell.

It’s strange how being surrounded by people can make you feel even lonelier.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Jungkook hasn’t a clue what he’s doing, he simply does. Maybe that’s why some things have worked out for him? For example he never pictured moving to Los Angeles, much less planned it. He just did. Namjoon and Yoongi had been here first. Both working for a music production company as interns first and then working their way up to actually producing music.

They had small hits here and there, but both were determined to come up with that all time chart topper. Jungkook? Well, he’d been in the middle of a break. He’d disappointed his parents when he decided not to attend University despite having the test scores for it. They couldn’t understand it, didn’t know how to. All they’ve ever pictured for him was business school and a prestigious job at a tech company.

Jungkook on the other hand had been drawn to other things, like art, film, and photography. He felt awful admitting to his parents that he didn’t know what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. At the age of eighteen, what can you want, other than to be happy for the rest of your life?

A well paying job could help, but it wasn’t going to be everything. His parents, they didn’t quite understand that, they tried to, but that was going to take a minute. So after several months working at a clothing store, taking side jobs for photography, illustration, and whatever odd thing that could put money in his pocket, Namjoon called him.

The conversation started off as normal chatter, how they’d been (Jungkook was ok),  how their families were doing (it was tense), who they were dating (Jungkook had been broken up with), and everything else in between. Then somewhere in the middle of the conversation Jungkook blurted out how lost he felt. The comment had sort of caught Namjoon off guard, but being the insightful hyung he’s always been, Namjoon replied with something simple and profound:

You often get lost before you’re found. So why not be lost, if only for a moment?

Jungkook had laughed at the ridiculousness of his comment. He laughed and laughed until he was in tears. It wasn’t until Namjoon called his name that he realized he was crying. He’d never felt so listless and scared, he always had a plan, his parents raised him to have a plan. For the first time in his life, he felt like he was struggling to grasp something, anything to hold onto. If he didn’t, he was certain he’d disappear come tomorrow.

Come here, to Los Angeles. You’ll figure it out. We’ll help.

And they did. Namjoon made a friend, Seokjin was his name, he was older and from Seoul too. He lived in Koreatown, in a two bedroom and he needed a roommate by the end of the year. Not only that, but Yoongi’s friend needed a personal assistant. The girl he’d hired had gotten pregnant and they wanted a replacement in a few months because she was quitting to be a stay at home mom.

So Jungkook spent the next few months saving up a little more for a flight and a new start. At nineteen he packed his bags, told his parents he loved them, promised to visit, and jumped right into the fray.

He’d been in Los Angeles for a few years now, he’d gone home to visit a handful of times. Each time his mom would ply him with food and his father would ask, ‘when is this adventure going to be over?’ Jungkook never knows what to say to them. He isn’t sure how long he plans on being here or if he plans to go back at all. Sometimes he thinks he’s waiting for a sign, a deciding factor that will point him in the right direction, like a north star to take him home.

For now, home is this city, his shared apartment with Seokjin and the tattoo parlor where he works. He’d been an apprentice for a couple years before they let him officially work. He wasn’t always busy, but he was getting his work out there. Slowly, but surely. Although sometimes his impatience and ambitious hunger put him on edge. On those days he wondered if he should take the next flight to Seoul, returning to his parents like a dog with his tail between his legs.

That thought doesn’t sit well with him either and makes him even edgier.

“Jungkookie, your friend is here to see you,” Lita, a petite half Japanese girl calls him and he looks up to find her hovering at the entrance of his work station. Her jet black hair is pulled into messy buns, some strands are covered in iridescent glitter, it’s a cute look. When he’d first met her, he’d harbored the biggest crush on her, until he realized she was happily taken. Her girlfriend Iggy is a pretty blonde, an influencer who on occasion paid him to photograph her and her product shots.

“Be there in a sec!” He drags a long line, finishing the tiger he’d been focused on and sets it aside. He plans on posting the artwork online, hoping someone will be interested in it.

He wonders if he can convince Yoongi to get it done. It’s oddly fitting for the slim male.

“Kookoo,” the voice singsongs and Jungkookie doesn’t fight the excited grin adorning his face. 

“Hobi, what are you doing here?” Jungkook leans against the countertop.

Hoseok tilts his head making his light brown hair fall into his eyes, “Trying to kidnap you, are you closing the shop today?”

Jungkook nods, “Yeah, I had a late appointment and was prepping for some work tomorrow. Are you guys going out?”

Of all the people he’d met, Hoseok has been the most recent addition to his group of friends. He met him at a taco shop, both of them drunk and feeling overly friendly. Jungkook doesn’t know how, but he ended up with Hoseok’s number in his phone. A week later he ran into him at Yoongi and Namjoon’s workplace. Apparently he was a choreographer and he worked closely with one of their artists. It never fails to amaze him how large, but small the entertainment industry is.

“We’re going to the izakaya in the mall and then for karaoke, if you want to join when you get out? Yoongi says he’s treating, but we all know he and Jin will fight to pay.”

“Obviously,” Jungkook scrunches his nose and chuckles, “I’ll be out after 10, but I think I can make it for a late karaoke session? I’ll text you when I’m out and I can meet you guys wherever you are.”

Hoseok reaches a lithe hand out to ruffle Jungkook’s hair, “Sounds good. Namjoonie or I will text you! Don’t work too hard!” He tosses his hand in the air in a rushed wave and makes his way out the door, most likely hurrying to meet their friends for beer and food.

 It’s nine and they close in an hour. Jungkook ponders rearranging his work station or continuing with some new sketches, but as he makes to move away someone catches his eye. They’re standing in front of the shop window, eyes wide and curious.

Jungkook squints his gaze trying to make out the face partially hidden behind the lettering of their business. He’s teetering so far on the side of the counter and stretching to follow this person. He nearly topples over, almost taking Lita with him.

“Watch it kid, you kill me with those muscles and don’t think Iggy won’t come for you!” She points a delicate finger at him and Jungkook winces, an abashed smile on his face.

“Sorry Lita, I was…”

“Distracted?” Lita’s brow arches sharply and she turns her gaze out the door where their unsuspecting victim is studying the shop’s front.

Jungkook isn’t sure if the smirk that graces her face is a good one, but after knowing her for a couple years and being her apprentice, he knows not to underestimate her.

“No, Lita, please!”

His protests fall on deaf ears as she marches out the door.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Y/n had meant to go home, she really did. Instead though, she asked her driver to drop her off in Little Tokyo. It wasn’t far from her studio, but she was going have to face the evening price surge when she requested another ride. It didn’t matter though, she wanted a moment to walk, maybe something sweet to comfort her.

God, I’m going to pay for this later if I keep snacking like this.

Y/n half hates herself, as she takes a bite out of ah-boong. Most of the ice cream is gone, leaving her with ice cream drenched pastry. She doesn’t hesitate to stuff the rest into her mouth as she walks along, careful not to bump the groups of people heading to bars, for late night sushi, or like her, taking long strolls.

She’s considers calling it a night when she sees the bright neon red sign of a tattoo parlor. On the store front window is a skull and rose, thick black lines that look to be hand drawn. The name of the tattoo parlor is written in swirling calligraphy, elegant, but legible.

Ink

The name is simple and straightforward, the artwork inside, is not. There’s frames of hand rendered tattoo art, some of it looks closer to Japanese tattoos with elements of swirling clouds, koi fish, and dragons. Some of it is close to traditional, Sailor Jerry type, the kind you see on soldiers. She sees mermaids with little faces and pouty lips, busty figures, anchors, sparrows and hearts.

Y/n is tempted to wander inside, but it’s not like she’d actually get a tattoo. She doesn’t even know what she’d want.

“Hi.”

A high pitched voice speaks loud and clear, making Y/n snap her gaze to the person speaking. She’s short, maybe barely five foot, slender, and wearing washed out black overalls. Her arms are littered with tattoos, and she can see one on the right side of her neck, but Y/n can’t make out what it is. She looks tough, but her eyes and full lipped smile are sweet, a stark contrast that fascinates Y/n.

“Hello,” Y/n smiles back.

“You want to come in and take a better look at the artwork?” She cocks her head and doesn’t wait. She disappears through the doorway knowing that Y/n will follow. Y/n wonders what it’s like to have that kind of charm and power.

When she steps in she’s mesmerized by the work on the walls. Behind the frames the paint is red, the floor is checkered tilt and she can hear the faint sound of buzzing, almost drowned out by a quiet playlist. At the counter with his arm crossed, is a familiar face. His dark hair is parted on the side, bangs pushed aside, exposing his forehead and dark brows.

He tilts his head and she catches the gleam of his silver hoops, three on each side. When she first saw him he was wearing a baggy pullover, today his arms exposed and she can see the inky black tattoos that decorate his right arm.

“It’s you!”

“I didn’t think I’d see you again so soon,” Jungkook reaches to rub his neck, already feeling the prickle of sweat against his skin.

“Me either, small world,” she nods, her gaze raking over his form. The girl in the overalls meanwhile is watching them carefully, smiling like she has secret.

“You thinking about getting a tattoo? Any particular style?” Jungkook blurts out, voice rushed and words mushed together. Y/n nearly misses it and holds back her laughter.

“I was wandering to be honest. I took a detour on my way home and I liked the artwork on the storefront.”

“The skull and rose?” The tiny girl asks, eyes glimmering, “Jungkookie did that.”

“Really?” Y/n’s brows raised and Jungkook flushes bright red.

“Lita…”

“You should be telling everyone, I’m proud of it for you! We all are.” Feeling like she’s made her point, Lita turns and heads into the back leaving Jungkook with Y/n.

“You should be proud, it’s very cool.”

“Thanks, I guess it’s hard to admit sometimes.” Jungkook kicks a foot back, leaning further and eyes fixed on her.

Another beat of silence settles between them, but this time it doesn’t feel strange and misplaced. It’s not a stumbling pause. It’s filled with tentative want and lingering. They’re both trying to draw this out as long as possible, but are unsure how.

Jungkook thinks back to high school, was he always this awkward? He remembers his first day of school, the opening ceremony, being too shy to join his classmates. He mostly outgrew that, having learned to navigate the city and practiced turning strangers into friends, but it’d been a while since he’d been this flustered around someone new.

He can’t pinpoint why she makes him hyper aware of his fumbling. It’s her, but he can’t place what exactly.

It could be the openness on her face, the red rimmed eyes and the tinge of sadness he first witnessed upon meeting her. He wondered about her days later, was she okay now? Was she hiding her heartbreak? How was Isaac? Did the marshmallows and ice cream make her feel better?

Has she cried again since then? Jungkook hopes not.

“This is so pretty,” Y/n’s voice cuts through his thoughts and Jungkook snaps his gaze to her. She’s pointing at a frame, it’s his artwork, a horizontal frame of looping hearts scrawled and connected through one line. It’s delicate and done in a rainbow of soft pastels.

“Do you want one of those tattooed on you?” Jungkook doesn’t know what possesses him to say this and for a minute he can’t believe he’s said it.

He’s even more surprised when she replies without hesitation.

“Yes.”

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A/n: Can’t say much other than I was inspired by a number of things and this just came out. Hope someone enjoyed this!  Also, there’s a playlist I’ve been repeating as I’m writing this out, leaving it here in case people want to give it a listen :)

[marawritingstuff]

ASHES

Gwen twisted her finger in her short black hair.  Normally, she loved the 500-mile drive from St. Louis to Detroit, the fields filled with horses and cows. Except on holidays, few cars cluttered the highway until she got close to the city.  She cherished her visits to her Aunt Ann with her oversized sweaters and non-stop cups of tea.    Aunt Ann wasn’t her destination today.

           Four hours on the road signaled the half-way point.   She pulled her rusty Camry into a rest stop.   Time to get, yuk, vending machine burning coffee to keep her awake for the rest of the ride.    Gwen even missed her boring job of entering columns of useless data, anything but visiting someone she was supposed to call “father.”   She downed the rest of her coffee and made her way back to the car.

           It had been more than twenty years since she had seen her father, and that was merely a glance across the room at her cousin’s graduation.    The situation was a dire one now.   The diagnosis of Stage IV lung cancer left only one outcome.   He squandered his life on two or maybe three packs of cigarettes a day.    Was it the guilt from what he did?   No, Gwen thought to herself, the man she knew felt no guilt.

           Dang.  She almost missed her exit.   Bringing her thoughts back to the present, she turned off the interstate and made her way to the medical center.   Due to all the problems with Aunt Ann, she was very familiar with Henry Ford Hospital, so it didn’t take her long to find the information desk and the bored volunteer behind it.

           “What room is James Harper in, please,” Gwen inquired.

           “OH! Are you family?”

           “Yes, I’m his daughter,” Gwen said, sighing to herself.

“He is in intensive care, room 201,” the flustered volunteer proclaimed.  “You will

need to stop at the desk at the ICU to gain access.  Do you need directions, I can . . .”?

           “No, I know my way,” Gwen said, already making her way down the hallway.

As instructed, Gwen checked in at the ICU and strolled to her father’s room.  She felt like covering her nose from the antiseptic smell of the hospital but thought twice.

           As she entered the room, she saw a thin figure laying on the bed hooked up to five or six machines. She supposed the purpose was to keep him alive.  She stifled a laugh when she caught sight of the thin frame in the bed, never remembering him under 300 lbs.  Though it disgusted her, Gwen sat in the chair next to her father.

           Within minutes, a nurse came bounding in.

           “Ms. Harper?”

           “Yes.”

           “A doctor will be in to speak with you in a few minutes,” she said, her body shaking at every word.   If the staff only knew how she really felt.

           “Thank you.”

           She continued to look at her father.   She wondered if he could hear her.  The relevancy was immaterial.   There were no more chances for confrontations.

           “O.k., asshole, the time has come. Forty-years later for you to pay.  No last rites for you. I may have only been five, but I know everything that happened that day.”

Gwen was transported back to her five-year-old self. On that snow bound day when

everything changed.  Six feet of oppressive snow trapped Gwen’s family in their tiny three

bedroom home.  The portrait of her family was the usual one; nine-year-old brother Luke watching tv, Dad eating a sandwich on the couch, mom outside working, and Gwen in the corner trying not to make noise.  Hours passed when Mom came in, tears streaming down her face.

           “What’s wrong with you,” Gwen’s father bellowed, his face scrunched up.

           “I can’t shovel anymore.  My back and my hands hurt so much.”

           “The driveway isn’t uncovered yet.”

           Gwen’s mom started to ball.   Gwen didn’t think she would ever stop.

           “Fine.   Give me that stupid shovel and I’ll do it myself.”

           Gwen’s father stomped out of the house.   Luke and Gwen ran to the window waiting for the emanate eruption.      As her father started shoveling, Gwen noticed a strange black figure coming down from the sky.  

           “Luke do you see,” pointing to the figure.

           “Stop making up stuff again, stupid head.”

           This was not the first time Gwen had seen things that others had not. Before she had time to consider the figure further, her mother let out an ear-piercing screech.  Their gaze turned to their father, now laying on the hard ice.  None of them wasted time getting to his side.

           The deep groaning.  Their mother’s scream. Her brother’s crying. These would be imprinted on Gwen’s memory forever.  But above all was the black figure descending upon them.   As it came closer Gwen recognized the shaped as a coal black angel, with wings spanning twice the size of the already seven-foot body.

           “I need to speak to your father, little one, “it said to Gwen, in a voice that shook the child.

           “I’m too scared.”

           “Shut up Gwen, we are all scared,” her mother screeched.

           “I’m talking to the black angel.  He wants to talk to Dad.”

           “Not your stupidness, now,” her mother said, tears running like a river.

           Gwen’s father’s eyes grew large.  It was then that Gwen knew he could see the angel, too.  

           “YOU’RE DEATH AREN’T YOU,” he cried.

           The black angel looked at Gwen and repeated:

           “He can’t hear me.  You have to talk for me.”

           “WHAT, I CAN’T HEAR YOU,” Gwen’s father squealed again.

           “I can hear him, Dad,” Gwen said, shaking, waiting for her father’s response.

           “Well, tell me fool.”

           “You are going to die now.”

           Gwen repeated the angel’s words and her father burst out in tears.

           “But you can sacrifice two for one.”

           Gwen tried her best to repeat again, though she didn’t understand the word “sacrifice.”     “I don’t understand,” her father said through the tears.

           “Choose two to take your place.”

           Gwen barely finished when her father began to shout out.

           “Take the girl and my wife.”

           Her mother, who had thought her husband was hallucinating, jumped in.

           “Take me where,” she began to ask.

           However, before she finished her thought, the angel swiped her mother into his large black wings and held her tight on one side.

           The angel reached for Gwen.

           “I never wanted that stupid child anyway,” her father said.

           “Do you truly want to make a sacrifice,” the angel said, and Gwen repeated.

           “YES.  YES,” My father shouted.

           The angel turned away from Gwen and swiped up her brother in its other wing.

           “What are you doing, take the girl,” her father shouted.

           “Only something you care about can be a sacrifice.”

           Gwen repeated to her father.

           Before he could say anything more, the angel closed his wings, and what once was Gwen’s mother and brother turned into ashes.  The black angel skyrocketed into the air, back where it came from.

           My father got unto his knees.  Perfectly fine but sobbing uncontrollably.  

           “My boy, it took my boy, and left me the little bitch.”

           The story simply became that Luke and her mother were lost in the storm.   For some reason, the police never really questioned the ludicrous explanation.   It became apparent that her father had no interest in taking care of Gwen and she spent the rest of her juvenile years living with aunt Ann.

             Now she was here, watching him die.  

           “Help me,” he whimpered.

           “Help you what,” Gwen asked.

           Gwen turned her head to the end of the bed already knowing what she would find. The black angel.

           “Hello, old friend,” Gwen whispered.

           This time she only got a nod.

           “Sorry, old man, there is no help for you this time.”

           Gwen slunk back into the chair and waited.  And waited.  Deep into the night, an unidentified doctor came in and told her some sob story about them doing “everything possible.”  

           Then it happened.   He began gagging.  All the machines seemed to go quiet.   The nurses came in, giving their apologies.   Then asking what she wanted to do with her “father.”

           “Burn it,” Gwen declared, winking her eye at the soaring Black Angel.

[londonsquitebiggg]

The One -Chapter 2

^^college campus^^^^

Krista’s POV,

After school I headed home and did the usual, helped mom cook dinner, talked with my parents about our days. My dad asked me about Harry and his friends whose names I didn't know. I blushed profusely at the mention of his name, not wanting to be drawn back in to the thoughts I had about him... they weren't the most appropriate which isn't okay because he is obviously not my mate because he would have said something to me, right?

Either way I shouldn't be having these kinds of thoughts about him.. especially because I've never had such vulgar thoughts about any guy no matter how hot they were. Not to mention I'm supposed to be focusing on the fact that I'm going to have my first shift in two days, plus it will be my birthday and we'll have a huge party.

You see, in the werewolf community your eighteenth birthday is the same amount of excitement humans get on their twenty-first birthday. Just instead of getting to drink and become an "adult". It's when we shift for the first time and we get our wolf, we get to start our training, and not to forget we can start searching for our mates.

With me being the Alphas oldest child it's a pretty big deal. My parents are throwing a HUGE party. Inviting every pack member to show off their pride and joy of a daughter coming of age. Once I shift and find my mate, they will take over the Alpha position from my father and ill become our packs Luna.

"Krista, sweetie did you hear anything that I just said?!" My father exclaimed, frustrated that I was not listening to what he was saying.

"Sorry daddy I was just lost in my thoughts. I'm really nervous for my shift." Was my response knowing that he was go easier on me knowing that I was scared. You see I've always been a daddy's girl. My dad and I have always been super close, he wants me to know everything there is about being a good leader and person.

"I was just saying that we should invite Harry and his pack mates to your birthday party. Might be a good opportunity for them to find their mates seeing as our whole pack will be in one place?" Daddy responded.

My breath caught in my throat and the thought of them being there, him being there, making it a lot easier to find out if he is my mate.

"That is a great idea! Would you like me to ask them or would you like to relay the message?" I asked, hoping he would leave it up to me so I would have an excuse to talk to him again.

"You can do it, I do believe that Harry is supposed to be coming over tomorrow afternoon so that I could catch up with him. I haven't seen him under non-pack related circumstances since his mother and Robin got married. But seeing as you'll see him before me and it is your party, I think you should be the one to invite them and show they are welcome here." Was his response as we all finished and mom started cleaning off the table.

After being excused from dinner I decided to retire to my room for the remainder of the evening. I started reading over the notes I had taken today and going over the semester notes before changing into my pajamas, washing my face, brushing my teeth and heading to bed. Not being able to keep a certain brow haired green-eyed man out of my mind.

****************************** THE NEXT DAY *************************************

"BEEP, BEEP, BEEP"

Another morning awoken by that lovely sound. My morning consisted of my normal routine, as finished I walked into the living room where my dad was sitting, I walked over to him and kissed his cheek.

"Morning daddy, I'm off to school I love you see you later"

I walked into the kitchen to tell my mother goodbye, while also grabbing an apple and granola bar before grabbing my bag and walking out to my car and drove to campus. As I pulled into my parking lot and I saw Harry standing there with his group of friends. What a beautiful sight to see first thing in morning. I wouldn't mind starting every day staring at his god like face.

I shook that thought away and shut off my car, grabbed my things, and got out. It was almost like he sensed I was near he turned around and checked me out while taking his bottom lip in between his teeth and winking at me once we made eye contact.

I have to admit, when he does that it's so sexy and a turn on... WHAT AM I THINKING?!?! I felt myself starting to blush so bad that I probably looked like a tomato. I did the only logical thing I could think of, I ducked my head and started walking with my head down into the school as quickly as my legs would carry me.

Harry's Pov,

I was standing outside school talking to the guys about how I am going to talk to the Alpha today about me finding my mate... I know what you must be thinking, "Harry, why not just tell the girl? Why put her and yourself through the torment of waiting?" well you see in the werewolf community, if either party is not of age the older wolf must ask for the families permission before starting a relationship with each other.

Trust me I'm going crazy not being with her but I've been waiting for her for eight years, I'm sure I could last a few more hours until I go speak to Alpha Mayfield to locate her family and go figure out claiming what is rightfully mine!

Speaking of my lovely mate I was knocked out of my thoughts about all the things I couldn't wait for once I was able to officially say she was mine, when I caught her delicious scent. I turned around to gawk at her when I let out a deep but quite growl at the site of her.

She had on a white tight-fitting cropped tank top, with a red, white, and blue flannel shirt over it, light blue Jean SHORT shorts, and converse. Holy shit I was that is girl is trying to kill me! Like hell how does she manage to look so incredibly sexy yet still innocent???

I saw her looking at me and I bit my lip and shot her a wink looking to get a reaction out of her, I know she was trying to hide it but I saw a splash of color make its way onto her perfect face.

******************* AFTER SCHOOL AT KRISTA'S HOUSE******************

As I walked up the front steps of the Alpha's house, I was mentally giving myself a pep talk. I mean, I've known Alpha Mayfield for most of my life but having to tell him I met my mate and figure out how to initiate contact is a big deal. I knocked on the front door. I heard heavy footsteps approaching and I straightened myself out when Alpha Mayfield opened the door.

"Ah, Harry my boy, it's so great to see you again. Please come in, come in."

As I walked in the door there was a faint scent of my mate as if she was here recently, I assume she must be friends with the Alphas kids.

" It's good to see you too sir. Thank you so much for allowing me and my friends onto your territory to look for our mates. It means a lot to us to have your cooperation with the matter. I'm sure you will be delighted to hear that I have indeed found my mate." I told him while I followed him into the living room taking a seat on the couch as he took a seat in the recliner.

"OH! This is great news!!!! I'm so thrilled for you Harry, tell me who is the lucky girl?" Just as I was about to respond to him, that lucky girl come rushing through the front door. I figured that she was here with the Alphas daughter. So, imagine my shock when MY lovely mate walked straight up to the Alpha and gave him a huge hug and kiss on the cheek.

I was stunned! Is she trying to make me mad? Didn't she see I was right here? Are they together? He has a mate and so does she.... ME! and not to mention that she was a lot younger than him... what the bloody hell is going on her...

"Hi daddy how was your day?" Came Krista's greeting, breaking me from my troubled thoughts. It all made sense now, she wasn't his daughters' friend, or his lover, she WAS his daughter.... Holy shit....my mate is the Alphas daughter!

Telling him who my mate was just got a whole lot harder! When I tell him Krista is my mate is there is a 50% chance I am going to be killed. I mean I don't think he would because he knows me and everything but he's an Alpha and we are talking about a twenty-six your old man coming in and taking his only daughter as his own. I know if it was my pup, I would be ... well let's just say if the guy didn't leave with his tail between his legs, I didn't do my job right.

" It was a long day sweetheart! Krista, you know Harry right? He's one of the wolves I told you about, I know you said you were going to invite him and his friends to your party. Oh! And good news he found his mate!" Alpha Mayfield told her with excitement, I could have sworn I saw disappointment flash across her face but she quickly covered it.

Krista's Pov,

NO!!! He can't have mate! I was supposed to be his mate, this totally sucks. I'm so upset I just want to run to my room and cry. I have to suck it up and find out who she is so I can scope out my competition. WAIT! What the freak am I thinking?!?! in less than two days I will be able to find my mate, I can't not fall for this guy who already has a mate!

"So Harry, who is you mate? She sure is a lucky girl! It really is so exciting that you already found her." I fake enthusiasm and acted like I'm not dying on the inside.

"That's for me to know and you to find out" He responded adding a wink at the end.

"I still need to talk to her father and your dad um, because I'm not sure if she is a full wolf yet and also, we don't want you to spoil the surprise now do we?" he was really nervous and distracted as he finished his statement. I don't understand why he is so distracted; it couldn't be because of me could it?

OH MY GOD HE HAS A FREAKING MATE ALREADY GET THAT THOURGH YOUR THICK SKULL!!!

"Well I'll leave so you guys can talk then. Congratulations Harry, she's a lucky girl" As I started to walk out when he calls out "I'm the lucky one" and winks at me I try not to cry and blush, let's just say I bolted out of the room faster than ever before.

Harry's Pov,

I have no idea how to phrase all of this, I will just have to tell him privately in hopes that she can't hear us. Let's just hope I make it out of this alive!

"Sir, do you think we can discuss this somewhere more private? I don't really want to risk anyone hearing." I ask trying to keep my voice from shaking. I mean don't get me wrong I'm not a wimp! But when you find out that your mates father is the Alpha or the strongest pack in the United States it's a bit intimidating.

"Oh, of course come on we can go up to my office. Follow me" We both got up and headed upstairs. As we were we passed a room which I assume belongs to Krista because of the smell, Marcus starts going crazy!

"Mate!! Go to mate claim her as our, mark her so everyone knows who she belongs too!!"

I had to ignore the urge which is super hard considering I'm an Alpha. Once we find our mates the pull is so intense it hurts to be without them if you haven't marked them. I just kept following Alpha Mayfield until we got to a set of French doors which I assumed led to his office.

My assumption was confirmed as he opened them and walked in taking a seat behind a huge desk in the middle of the room.

" So, Harry you mentioned that you weren't sure if your mate was of age yet. Do you know her name? I can look her up in the packs database and then take you to the right place."

I didn't know how to say it, so I kind of just blurted it out.

"KRISTA'S MY MATE!" My breathing heavy and eyes wide as I waited for his reaction. The look on his face was pure shock which then turned into one of fury.

" WHAT?! When did you find this out?!" He screamed back at me, face turning red in anger.

"Sir please calm down, I found out that she was my mate yesterday and I only just found out she was your daughter a minute ago I swear! Had I known who she was, I would have come and spoken to you sooner. " I was scared to say the least. I didn't want to be disrespectful but I also wasn't going to be a coward. I knew what I wanted and that was MY mate, my other half, something that was mine and was made for me just like I was made for her!

"Well you can't tell her that you're her mate!" ... Who the fuck does he think he is? I mean yeah, he's her father and I want him to accept me, I would like to have if approval. But I don't give a shit if he is the most powerful Alpha around, he has no right to say I couldn't be with my mate! I decided it was time to give him a piece of my mind. I don't fucking care if I die, I wasn't going down without a fight!

"Well why the fuck not?!?! I have a right to be with my mate. I don't care if you're the bloody alpha or her father you can't stop me!! You were the one who invited me onto your land so I could find the person that the Moon Goddess created to complete me, And you want to deprive me of that? Deprive your daughter from being with her mate!? " I was really fucking pissed off he has no right to make that decision.

I was trying to calm myself down I could tell that Marcus wanted to take control, I'm sure that my eyes were pitch black right now. If I didn't calm down, he would take over control and there is no telling what he would do.

"Oh Harry, calm the hell down would you! I give you my blessing. I couldn't think of anyone who would be a better fit for my little girl than you." He said helping to calm my anger.

"It's just if you go and tell her now, she won't be able to experience the thrill of finding her mate. The experience of seeking out your smell, locking eyes for the first time and knowing that your hers. I mean I can already see that she is attracted to you, and by the look on her face when I said you had found your mate showed that she is somewhat feeling the effects of the mate bond" He continued.

I could understand what he was saying but I was still confused.

"So what do you expect me to do? I wont be able to hold my wolf or feelings back forever." I told him slightly irritated.

"You don't have to wait forever; you just have to wait two more days. On her birthday she will have her first shift, then she will be able to seek out her mate and you guys can be together. You'll come to her party, heck you and your friends are like a group that sings right? You guys can play at her party." I had calmed down tremendously, still irritated but calm.

Let me just say...

This is going to be the longest two days of my life!!

Krista's Pov,

After I left the living room, I bolted up the stairs taking them two at a time. I opened my door and slammed it closed locking it and flopping down face first onto my bed.

All I could think about was Harry and his mate, who wasn't me. I have this pit in my stomach. The thought of him with someone who isn't me making me nauseous which made no sense to me. I should be happy for him; he has been looking for his mate for eight years and he finally found her! I'm going to start looking for my mate in two days so it shouldn't affect me, I should be focusing on my own mate.

But the thought of Harry and I not being a possibility makes me not want to have a mate. How am I supposed to be seeing him with someone who isn't me? Act like seeing him show affection to another doesn't make me sick? Why do I feel like this?

Is this normal? Why did he have to stumble into my life and make it so difficult?! Why did he have to come and make me like him? I shouldn't be feeling these things for a mated male who isn't mine! I don't understand why he would flirt with me if he had a mate? Maybe Ashlyn was right, maybe he is a player. Maybe he thought that I would be easy, Fall for him just because he's super hot and I'm a nerdy, insecure girl.

I mean I guess in a way that was true, that is what is happening, but I was going to put a stop to this! For the next day and a half, I was going to avoid Harry as much as possible and then once I shift and find my mate I won't even care about, I'll be too focused on my mate and my Luna training starting.

This starts now. I got up from my bed, deciding that I've spent too much time and energy on the god like man that is Harry Styles. I walked to my bathroom turning on my bath faucet and dumped in my strawberry bubble bath, I needed to relax and not think of him!

After shedding my outfit from the day and stepping in. Breathing out a relieved sigh, this is just what I needed. All my tense muscles relaxing, loosening. Sinking into the water deeper, I slowly started drifting into a dreamless sleep.

********************************** 20 Minutes Later *******************************

There was a knock on my bathroom door, my Mother waking me up from my relaxed sleep. My water has gone cold, my fingers and toes are all pruned from the exposure to the wet environment. I pulled the plug, and stepped out of the tub onto my soft bathmat.

Changing into my pajamas and heading down to eat. Picking at my food until I couldn't eat anymore, the pit in my stomach coming back full force. I decided I have had enough of the awful day I retired to my room for the evening. After turning on Netflix and finding "Pretty Little Liars" I curled up in my comfy bed full of fluffy pillow and soft blankets. Eventually falling into a thrilling dream that may or may not have involved a certain green-eyed man.

*****Krista's Room****

[lalaytight]

NCT 127 + Sungtaro as Uni Students

-Information Prior to Reading-

Clearing - When applying to University after the official date of the A level results, national results, the clearing section opens which allows people who did not get the required grades or have changed their mind in term of courses, apply to university and get a spot.

Dissertation - he final project completed in the last year of University, is normally around one set topic and makes up a good chunk of the final grade awarded at the end of the course.

Pre's - Stands for Pre Drinks a social event where alcohol is consumed prior to going to the clubs.

Masters- A second degree normally 12-18 months long in addition to the bachelors degree when you first graduate. Normally more specific than the first degree.

Gap Year- A year taken between finishing up school and going off to university, normally spent either saving for university or more commonly travelling the world and 'finding' yourself in a third world country on a beaten path.

Pull/ going on the pull- The act of trying to get a date or take someone home with you whilst on a night out in the clubs/ pubs. Can be either successful or unsuccessful but is a great past time.

Tactical chunder-  The act of throwing up whilst drunk in order to sober yourself or remove some of the alcohol from your body. Is often done to make room for more alcohol.

Warnings: Alcohol consumption, Swearing, overall shenanigans, phallic imagery (?), Illegal substance usage

Moon Taeil

Taeil is studying a Chemisty Masters. He completed the undergrad and met a girl. The year below and didn't want to do long distance. So he signed up for a master's course so they could stay in the same area. And he has to admit it was definitely a good choice. Not only is he not having to worry about getting a job, loosing his missus to someone else or having to part from his mainly younger best friends.

He considers himself old now and therefore, isn't involved in any of the society's or sports clubs. He also can't be bothered, not between labs and reports he's got to write. He can barely make time to play fortnite yet alone serious sports. But he will sneak into any of the parties being hosted by the societies his friends are a part of. Will bring his own bottle of Gin and never take it home but its all about the atmosphere. And hanging out with his friends.

In class, Taeil works with the same lab partner for everything. He hasn't changed since September and has no intent to. He's not big on making more friends than necessary and he's got this tight bond with his current partner and therefore, doesn't bother looking for anyone else if they have to do group work. He's studious and his reports are always written well. There's also a little smiling moon placed in the top corner of any one he has to print out. It's completely against the guideline published but its so cute he gets away with it each time. Plus he's also a major teacher's pet and will stay late to help clean the lab after a session.

On a night out Taeil is plastered. He's drunk out of his mind but it's the way he likes to be. He's buying everyone drinks. His bank accounts hurts at the end of the night but he only sees it as a good night. He has no interest in pulling or trying to flirt with anyone he's a committed man. But he will attempt to help his other friends settle down. Therefore, he's everyone's wingman. A shit one but its the effort that counts. If he's lost he's by the bar ordering shots for someone he thinks is sobering up too fast.

John Suh / Johnny

What would the great Johnny Suh study at university. Well its nothing you expect it to be. He's studying building surveying. Yeah you heard that right. And he's so proud of it. The looks he gets when people ask him what he does and that's his answer. This big tall buff guy who kinda screams like he's studying something sporty. He's all about buildings. Wont even try to say he's doing archetecture. Rather he'll just bring out a folder of photos on his phone which are just him in his High Vis Jacket in a multitude of poses.

Johnny is the captain of the Rugby team, that's how he met and then adopted Jeno. He can be seen only on Wednesday at the student night wearing his rugby uniform, the university mascot drawn on his face and a bottle of beer in his hand. He starts the sing along of the rugby boys as they walk through campus. You'll know the one, where they talk or chant about their appendages. He cheers the loudest when one of the newer players join in

In class Johnny is that one guy that everyone loves. He's fun he's entertaining and he's just so nice. He's always there to help his other peeps when they're struggling responding to the questions in the course group chat on Facebook. He send's merry Christmas and happy holidays messages without fail. The cutest little messages and stuff and if you didn't expect this great six foot something guy behind the screen you'd be correct. He's so nice and polite and seemingly hard working that he can get away with anything. You wouldn't notice that he does fuck all in a group project. He's just so present you think he's contributed loads. Until you notice the only writing he has on the entire worksheet is his name.

Johnny is the ultimate party planner. He's always responsible for organising the house party or pre's and he gets absolutely everyone around. He know's Jeno and next thing you know the rest of the younger guys are round his house and Johnny's suddenly got like 7 20 something year old sons. He's bringing all the snacks and an endless supply of Magners. Anyone wants a drink, help yourself. On a night out he's the first to break off from the group. He's straight to the smoking area to light up his juul. He spends a little too long there cause he's too busy flirting but he leaves with their insta and then goes to try and bully Mark onto the dance floor. But when Mark protests and he's told to leave Taeyong's son alone, his best partner is crime Jaehyun is right by his side to go thot drop to the 90s club hits playing on the floor.

Lee Taeyong

Taeyong is another masters student. His first degree was in illustration and he hated it. Completely put him off art. He never wanted to draw for a living ever again. Never again. But he didn't know what to do with his degree. That was until he went to a careers event and there was an art therapist present, and he knew this was his calling. Or perhaps he was desperate and the way the man talked seemed to draw him in. Therefore, his masters is art therapy.

Taeyong used to be the president of the music society, and he could have stayed on another year when he started his masters. But he decided to take a step back and instead focus on his studies. Or at least pretend to. Now he just focuses on not killing his housemates and wondering why he stayed in a student house for another year. Not when he could have afforded a studio apartment.

Taeyong feels a new life for art by doing his masters course. He's slowly falling back in love with the thing his first degree ruined for him. And the therapy side is so interesting and new to him that he's constantly amazed. To the point where he goes and actually does the further reading. He might be the only one in the class to do so but that doesn't stop him. The lecturers love him because of his genuine interest in the subject and he always gets the opportunity for anything cool they put on. His interest though can be a little dangerous as he's constantly testing his new techniques out on his roommates and if he has to see one more dick drawn by Yuta one of them will not be attending lectures the next day.

Taeyong contrary to popular belief is not the mom friend on a night out. He is the next morning. But on the night out he's wild. A lightweight who sticks to drinking wine only, he likes to belief he's the light and life of the party. He isn't really but he is the one on the tables at the club throwing the best dance moves. Every time he hits the dance floor its like he starts a performance and you can't take your eyes away. Somehow he's still in control of his movement. It's a miracle but he does it somehow. And the next morning he refuses to admit he was once again performing at the club like he was on a stage in front of millions as he's forcing bread down the throats of every single housemate.

Nakamoto Yuta

Yuta doesn't seem to be a big reader when you look at him. You'd never think he'd spend most of his university time bent over a book reading it to be able to write the report about it. Probably because he doesn't but he's an English Literature student nevertheless.

Yuta belongs to the football, soccer, club and is the captain. He takes great pride in his team but will not hesitate to do a fun meaningless game often. In fact he was the one who suggested to Johnny that the football and the rugby team should play eachother at tennis of all sports to see who was the superior. Before a big match Yuta attempts to organise more practice, but its never okayed by the coach. He still goes to the pitch to wait and is disappointed every time when nobody turns up to his unofficial training session.

Yuta loves his English literature class. Mainly because they do deep dives into the book and he secretly does love reading he just doesn't like being told what books to read. He's passionate about Brontè and can tell you almost anything about the twilight universe. But he absolutely refuses to read the books for the assignments. Rather he'll scroll his way through a couple summaries, a wikipedia page and one of those websites that publish old essays instead. His grades are high and he's yet to be caught not having read really any of the books they've worked on. Rather he just flings around the terminology and hopes its actually being used. Yuta attends every lecture, not because he wants to learn. Rather because he loves going in to his class and talking to the rest of the students on his course. He's a part of a mainly female friendship group and he's not hesitant to tell them when they deserve better than the guy that's stringing them on. He's always there to remind them how they truly deserve to be treated and point out the red flags when the girls try to justify staying with them. He wouldn't ever date any of them, and he's sure many of them think he swings for the other team only. But like he's not going to protest. Unless they're being mistreated by their partners and they need to wake up. He also makes a small fortune selling his old notes to students in the year below, Jaemin has set up a monthly subscription pay to ensure he gets all the notes he can't be bothered to take.

At a party Yuta can be found drinking some sort of liquor and chatting to Doyoung in the corner. The pair are laughing like school girls and having the times of their lives. If you ever approach expect to be disgusted and possibly confused considering how much of a strong feminist he is. The pair can be found having the most controversial conversations possible. Yuta just wants to argue though and Doyoung presents a very good opportunity. When asked later he will never deny what you heard nor excuse his words, only gives a meek smile and then disappears. He's found in the grimiest bathroom normally and he's not alone. Let's leave that one up to the imagination. But he's the self proclaimed king of one night stands.

Kim Dongyoung / Doyoung

Doyoung was confused at first over what subject to take. He was torn between law and criminology. To the point where he had applied and had offers for both courses some of which being at the same university. However, when it came to results days he ended up on the criminology course. He's not pressed though.

Doyoung is not involved in any societies or sports. However, he is pretty involved in another aspect of the university community. He's very frequently involved in the university confessions page on Facebook. He's actually one of the admins. And he loves to approve and post the more controversial confessions. Especially the ones which are most likely to cause massive arguments between courses. He'll accept the confession post it and then just sit back and watch the chaos. He's Admin C.

Class wise Doyoung loves the argumentative side of the subject. Why wouldn't he be involved in the discussions and debates. It's his favourite part and he's always team captain. But when it's normal classwork he's just as involved. In his opinion if he's paying all this money for the course he's going to get as much out of it as possible. He'll do the snazzy presentation for your group project with the transitions background noises and memes. You get high scores because of this presentation. He's top of the class and has no intent of letting that position go to someone else.

On a night out he can be seen purposefully trying to stir the pot. He's a shit starter and proud and its even worse when drunk. You think someone is looking at you funny, he'll say they are and then go with you to confront them. He'll talk about something controversial and try to play devils advocate just to watch your reaction. He is also the one to have the evidence of what happened on his snapchat the next morning. A useful ally to have if you want those pictures deleted.

Jung Yoonoh/ Jaehyun

Big, tall, kinda scary looking Jaehyun is studying education. He's always wanted to be a dad, but his parents warned him of the problems of being a teenaged dad. And then again at having kids really young before you have the money needed to support them. So he had to suck up the desire to be a father until he found an happy alternative. Enter Jaehyun studying to be an Early years, ages 4-8, teacher. He can be the school father to these children and then hand them back to their parents in the afternoon.

Jaehyun used to be part of the football team until he realised he couldn't be bothered. He then tried to dabble in some of the societies but he couldn't find one he enjoyed. Rather he settled in becoming one of the campus crushes. Running a successful instagram account and taking a part in the social media take-over event the student union hosted.

Jaehyun loves his course only when he's out working on placement within the school setting. He hates the class work. But when he's in class that's where he shines, well most of the time. He loves the kids, and they love him. The bond he builds is so strong and it normally works very well in his favour the class listening to what he wants them to do and everything generally seems to go well for him. He's also a hit with the female teachers who are supervising him. To the point where he can get away with nearly anything. He'll never forget the one time he turned up after a heavy night out, hanging out of his boots, to the point he was throwing up in the students toilet and he's charm and good looks meant the female teacher he was working with let him off the hook. He swore never to drink again before going to work but he totally owed it to her for not reporting him to the university for being completely out of sorts to the point where he just put on a film all afternoon and snoozed on the desk.

When he's not got work the next morning Jaehyun is down for the longest night out he can muster. He will drag everyone to the one club that closes at 6am. By the end of the night there's only a few strong solider's left, namely Johnny, Yuta Jungwoo and himself, but he'd never stop. His wallet hurts after paying all the entry fees but it was completely worth it. His favourite student night is the naughties night that is hosted every term, he's screaming along to Beyonce and Fall out boy all night along. He's hit hard by the hangover the next morning but his cuddle buddy Taeyong is more than used to it by now and the pair sit watching reruns of Judge Judy and feeling sorry for themselves.

Dong Sicheng/ WinWin

Included in WayV link pending

Kim Jungwoo

Jungwoo might arguably be the smartest of the bunch and he won't let you forget when he's proudly stating he studies Engineering. He deserves to as well cause the course is hard. He's a mathematical genius and he's dream is to go on to study robotics afterwards.

Jungwoo is a proud member of the Harry Potter society. Well kinda, his housemates all know he's a part of the society and he's very active talking about it to them all. But he won't actively tell people he's apart of it outside his close friends. It's mainly because he's embarrassed that he's one of the younger members normally heavily surrounded by middle aged women. But he wouldn't leave, he's too deep in the fan fiction they're collectively writing. #JusticeforWolfStar.

Jungwoo is relatively quiet in class choosing to stick with his selected course mate group. He doesn't tend to speak to anyone outside his tutor group and instead focuses more on just trying to pass each assignment sent his way. He does try his hardest to stay on top of the work assigned for him, and tries to put his effort in. But as he gets closer and closer to the end of the course he cannot find it in himself to put as much effort in as he did in his second year, he was pissed or high for most of his first year to say he was putting his uttermost effort in. He is however, well known for bringing the best weed brownies to the tutor group parties. It's a secret recipe he refuses to tell anyone how he does it.

If you've lost Jungwoo on a night out he's 1000% in the smoking area. If he's not lit up he's sat there chatting people up left right and centre. It's his favourite socialisation point and he states he can always find the most interesting people in the smoking area. And normally get a couple of free cigarettes out of it. He's the first to ask if you've got a lighter he can use. He's a big fan of hitting the gay club at about 3am because their drinks are normally cheaper and it stays open the latest. Also because there's a chance he'll bump into a drag queen.

Mark Lee

Included in NCT Dream's version

Lee Donghyuck/ Haechan

Included in NCT Dream's version

Osaki Shotaro

Shotaro is another student studying theatre studies. At first he wanted to just study Dance but then decided he liked the idea of studying more of the entire theatre style. So he randomly applied for one theatre studies course. He was accepted and didn't look back.

Therefore, as part of the group studying theatre he has to take part in the productions the university put on. Well it's not a exact demand for the course but it's heavily implied. And Shotaro doesn't mind, especially when he successfully lands the role of Dance captain every single time. It's his favourite thing to go up to the cast announcement list and see his name next to dance captain. He also loves attending all the costume fittings ensuring to arrive as early as possible and drag it out for a little while longer. It's most likely because he's got a crush on one of the students working on the costumes, but he's way too shy to actually ask them out.

Shotaro can normally be found staying late in some of the practice rooms. Despite his dancing skills, being part of the theatre course means he has to be involved in the other sides and his confidence is lacking. Therefore, he is working his hardest until he feels like he's on par with some of the other students. He mainly gets help from Haechan who's taken a liking to the other boy and the pairs mutual love for Justin Bieber solidified their friendship.

Another lightweight, Shotaro is cautious of how much he has to drink at any point of the night. He likes to still be in control and therefore has never been black out drunk. But he has tried a little bit of everything. Plus Yuta has practically adopted him on nights out and therefore, if Shotaro is tempted for a drink he'll get one but never has to pay for it. And no Yuta doesn't pay for it either but they do con some unsuspecting person into paying for them both.

Jung Sungchan

Sungchan was another confused at first on which subject he wanted to study at university. He was torn between just Media and then the more specific Film Studies. Though after one very intense talk from a Film studies tutor at sixth form he did chose Film studies.

He's also involved in the school productions, he has the responsibility of filming the performances, well at least one or two of them, so that they can upload them to the theatre society's YouTube channel. He is also in charge of organising the lightening of the show when he's not working the camera. When he has to focus on the recording he just ends up praying the lightening works as he leaves it partially under the control of Jisung and knows if he dares has a go at the societies baby he's dead.

Sungchan is that one member of the class who seems to always have the best editing software on his laptop and the most intense amount of knowledge regarding it. When anyone asks he only states it because he didn't want to look like an idiot on his first couple days. The truth is that he runs a rather successful YouTube channel where he makes edits and crack videos. Sony after effects is his best friend.

On a night out Sungchan lets loose. He absolutely loves the feeling of alcohol in his system. He becomes clumsy and for his size it can cause many problems but he wouldn't have it any other way. He tends to have to be guided through a dance floor by someone else to avoid bumping into people and spilling his over priced double vodka and coke. He's desperate to head for food at about 2am and rushes to follow someone the instant they mention being hungry.

[nobody-wants-ice-cream]

Everything Wrong With The Umbrella Academy. Episode 5, Number Five.

We Only See Each Other at Weddings and Funerals

Run Boy Run

Extra Ordinary

Man on the Moon

Disclaimer: This is all in good fun! I wanted to do a really nitpicky re-watch of the series and found some really cool and interesting things I didn’t notice before. This is meant to have a Cinema Sins-esque tone. However, I did take off a lot more sins than Cinema Sins would have because I do genuinely like the series and the people that made it possible. So all of the good things got one sin off and all the bad things got one sin added. This is a really long post, so grab some popcorn. If there’s anything that I missed, feel free to add it!

I would also like to add that normally you wouldn’t watch a show this way. I am purposefully looking for mistakes, easter eggs, and other things that we’re not supposed to notice. I am watching not with the goal of entertainment, but for analysis. So most of the things that I sin, I am seeing for the first time. 

Number Five

The apocalypse looks incredible. Well done special effects team! I know I already shouted them out, but they deserve another one. Or two. -2

Five shades Dolores with an umbrella. What a considerate dude. -1

Heat of the Moment is an awesome song. -1

Five’s survival gear. Well done costume department. -2

Also, the progression of skill and age is really well done. -1

Dolores’s little santa hat. -1

And her sunglasses. -1

“Do you remember that little mansion just outside city limits where we-- yeah” Noodle incident. However, the way Five says this implies that I really, really don’t wanna know. +1

Argyle Public Library. Suddenly the reason why Five went there makes sense. -1

How did Five get all the way up there on the library walls? Did he use a ladder? If so, that was begging for him to fall and break his name. +1

Sean Sullivan (who plays Old Man Five) does an excellent job imitating Aidan Gallagher’s vocal patterns and movements. -1

The Handler is the first person Five sees after 45 years of isolation. +1

Title screen lunch box! -1

Also, Five kept a lunch box to remind him of his family. He had Vanya’s book but nothing else with their images on it. I’m sad now, but glad that Five at least had something. -1

Five is so hungover. +1

Luther looks like he’s about to cry when Five tells him about finding their dead bodies. My boy! +1

Tom Hopper is an excellent actor. -1

Five also looks like he’s about to cry. +1

Aidan Gallagher is an excellent actor. -1

Luther lifts up Diego and holds him like Diego is an angry toddler. This amuses me. -1

See! I told you. Diego figured out that Five was involved with the shootings at Griddys and Gimbel Brothers on Patch’s doorstep! -1

“They work for my former employer. A woman called The Handler.” No one in this show is allowed to have a reasonable name. +1

Underneath how callous Five is about Patch’s death, he shows genuine concern for Diego. -1

Diego has not slept at all. And he is planning to go after Hazel and Cha Cha. Good luck with that, buddy. +1

Luther finally gets tired of Five vagueing everybody. Good job, I’m curious too. Er, I was when this was my first time watching it. -1

The Handler decides to wear three inch red pumps to the apocalypse. +1

The Handler is as vague as a Multi Level Marketing schemer would be.+1

The Commission decides to wait 45 years to recruit Five instead of a more reasonable number. Like zero years. Honestly, if I was the Handler, I would have picked up Five as a young, impressionable thirteen year old. Then he would feel indebted to the Commission and wouldn’t have had time to come up with the equations to escape. The Commission has no logical reasoning skill. +1

“You’re saying that I could actually leave here? Go...go back?” Heartbreaking. Sean Sullivan gets another sin off. -1

“All of this, was supposed to happen”. Kate Walsh is a kick ass actress. -1

The Commission is composed of dicks. +1

Five asks Dolores for permission before running off to join The Commission. -1

Five’s mustache. +1

I would watch a spin off of Five’s time in the Commission. Hopefully season 2 explores this more. Dallas plot, here we come? Sin until we get some answers. +1

You can see Five’s epiphany in his eyes. His expression says “I’ve got it! I’ve got it!” -1

The words on Vanya’s book look real. The props department did not have to go that hard. -2

However, whatever notes Five wrote are indecipherable. And for good reason if he was attempting to fool an entire time commission. -1

The fire extinguisher Klaus throws confirms for Five that the portal works. -1

Also, Five is clutching Vanya’s book. It’s like he’s nervous to see them again after so much time. -1

The fall from the portal to the ground doesn’t break, scratch, or hurt Five at all. +1

Also, Dallas plot foreshadowing? Remains a sin until we have answers. +1

I hope that they show Five picking up his hat, radio, gun, and possibly the fire extinguisher and that is why we never found any of those in a grassy knoll. Season 2 better resolve this. +1

“But that’s murder”. Luther, you threw people out of buildings when you were twelve years old. That is also murder. +1

Aidan Gallagher kills the delivery in this scene. Well done. -1

Klaus still has Dave’s blood on his hands. Also, putting Klaus through even more trauma. +1

Robert Sheehan and the heartbroken thousand yard stare. -1

The music choice really works. -1

That emotional, awful scream. -1

The briefcase exploding may foreshadow Klaus’s comic powers. Sin until we get answers. +1

Hazel and Cha Cha casually murdered Claudia. +1

“Unauthorized round trip travel to 1968”. This is how we found out where Klaus went. It requires a bit more brain power to figure out the Vietnam war from here, however, I think that this was a clever way to do it. It brings us back to the reason Klaus ended up there. -1

Honestly, Hazel was right to not carry the briefcase on him. If Five had seen it at Gimbel Brothers then he would have taken it because he knows what it is. It would be an insurance policy or could be used as leverage. Either way, Hazel and Cha Cha were going to lose their briefcase. +1

Allison, you were there when Vanya made breakfast plans with Leonard. Is the coffee and bombolini your way of trying to distract Vanya? Because based on the makeup and the nice scarf, it isn’t likely that you will be successful. +1

Vanya has a framed piece of sheet music. Either that’s some really valuable manuscript or its something kitschy. Either way, it’s a sin. +1

“What are you concerned about?” Vanya, the red flags are everywhere. +1

“Like a woman who’s based her whole life on rumors.” Ouch. Allison is trying to give you genuine advice, Vanya. This was uncalled for.  +1

Leonard is getting progressively creepier. +1

“Can you imagine sharing your birthday with six world-famous assholes who all know they’re better than you?” Choke on that irony. +1

Leonard doesn’t stop her by saying, “Wait, that’s salt!” he waits until she already put salt in it.  Dick. +1

“What happened to the other girl?” Harold, you know damn well. +1

Good use of Beethoven. -1

Klaus is back in the bath. Bookends to his tourture. +1

Klaus is haunted by memories of Vietnam this time instead of just ghosts in general. Trauma. +1

I made eye contact with Aidan Gallagher again. +1

Klaus doesn’t want to talk about Vietnam with Five because the last time he tried to connect, Five jumped away. +1

Five looks really excited to connect about time travel with somebody in his family. -1

Five doesn’t care that Klaus was tortured by Hazel and Cha Cha. +1

Five, Klaus has been tortured and then was in some war (Five wouldn’t know yet) for almost a year. This proves that Five’s decision making is impared. Presumably by his hangover. +1

Diego takes out his dagger from episode 1’s bank robbery. This is significant because of something Patch said. That Diego runs around as a vigilante to prove that what he did with the Umbrella Academy had meaning. Now that that has gotten Patch killed indirectly, he feels upset and confused. The dagger that he used as a child is now a symbol of what he did to Patch. -1

The fridging of Detective Patch. Yes, I’m still pissed about it and will continue to be pissed about it. +2

At this point, Klaus doesn’t know about Mom’s “death”. And I don’t think Five does either. The Umbrella Academy of Not Talking To Each Other should be the school’s full name. +1

Allison and Cha Cha don’t see each other when getting into or out of the chairs right across from one another. +1

Allison is doing the equivalent of social media stalking her sister’s boyfriend. Smart. -1

Extra Ordinary bites everyone in the ass. Thanks, Vanya. +1

Five and Allison have the same slow, blocky handwriting. Did Reggie teach them to write as slowly and as large as possible? +1

Hazel and Agnes’s flirting. It’s cute? -1

Klaus ran down the stairs wearing Grace’s heels and broke his jaw when they were twelve. Trauma. +1

Diego can’t park for shit either. Diego and Five need to learn how to park vehicles. +1

Klaus’s little “Hey, Dave” when he sees Dave’s picture. -1

The show fakes out the vet confronting Klaus. Clever. -1

Diego is genuinely concerned for Klaus. -1

The vet is itching for a fight. Asking a drunk person to apologize? Dumbass. +1

“I’d like to apologize...that you are depriving some village of their IDIOT!” -1

Klaus and Diego get into a bar fight in less than five minutes. Checks out. -1

Agnes sees the birds the way Hazel sees normal people. I like the analogy. -1

Agnes does not own Griddys. Who does? Is she the manager or something? +1

Hazel and Agnes theme. -1

Diego’s face when Klaus says he lost the only person he ever loved more than himself. He’s thinking, “Klaus lost his Eudora”. -1

No way in hell Five would have been able to get up as high as the chalk goes. +1

Five is still using Vanya’s book as a notebook. Checks out. -1

The rifle Five pulls out looks a lot like the one he points at the Handler. It doesn’t look like the one he pointed at Kennedy. Why would Five lie about this? +1

Luther, you murdered people when you were twelve. +1

Luther dangles Dolores out the window by her neck. Logical, yeah. Fucked, also yeah. +1

The level of concern Five has for Dolores. -1

Also, well done creating tension, show. My heart was beating like crazy. -1

The Gigue from Partita No. 2 in D Minor by Bach is one of my favorite pieces.  -1

No one stops playing like that. +1

Allison takes her not-stalking info to Vanya and presents it really accusingly. At this point, Vanya is sick of your shit, Allison. +1

“You’re trying to dig up dirt on a guy that I like, who does that?” Everyone with an internet connection does this for the people they care about. What Allison did was hella extra though. +1

Vanya is getting more assertive. -1

Vanya is a dick to Allison. +1

“They’re a real frickin’ mess”. Understatement of the century. +1

Cha Cha wouldn’t know about the moon mission because Vanya’s book came out before it. Also, Vanya wouldn’t know that Five could time travel. +1

Diego you haven’t slept at all, as soon as you drop you’re gonna sleep like a baby. +1

The motel clerk doesn’t notice Cha Cha’s pistol, which was directly in his line of sight. +1

Diego doesn’t notice Klaus’s footsteps. +1

“Yeah but you also told me that licking a nine-volt battery would give me pubes” “We were eight”. Sibling culture. -1

Klaus saves Diego from gunfire the best he can. Even though Diego still gets shot, sin off for Klaus’s heroics. -1

“Was this all part of your master plan” “Shut up”. Sibling culture. -1

Audition panels are always dicks. +1

If you start an audition the way Vanya just did with the shaky bow contact, you’re fucked. +1

Imogen is a great violinist. Ellen Page is not. It’s really easy to see when they switch out. +1

Allison goes to Leonard’s place with no backup. Come on, even Diego has backup! +1

Allison doesn’t tell Five and Diego about how she got into Leonard’s house when they were breaking in again later. The window would have been much better than breaking the door. +1

Vanya’s powers are distorting her music. It sounds like her intonation is gone. Yet the conductor looks impressed. +1

Allison almost finds Helen Cho’s body. +1

The camera cuts to the attic entrance to show that it will be significant later on. -1

The Hargreeves car has HERMES on its licence plate. A.) nice comics reference. B.) Hermes is the God of Travelers. C.) Of course Reggie has a vanity licence plate. -3

Five and Luther connecting over their forced isolation. -1

Also, Aidan Gallagher and Tom Hopper play off each other really well. -1

“I’ve lived a long life, but you’re still a young man. You got your whole life ahead of you. Don’t waste it.” Luther’s face amuses me. -1

Five threatening while Hazel and Cha Cha doesn’t look ridiculous. I genuinely belive it. Props to Aidan Gallagher. -1

Five and Luther look so confused by Klaus and Diego arriving in an ice cream truck. This is such an underrated scene. -3

Ride of the Valkyries -1

Klaus’s little wave. -1

“Whee” I love Ben. -2

I want to know how they shot this. The behind the scenes after the Handler showed up and stopped time must have been strange to look at. -1

Luther protects Five with his whole body without question. -1

Five puts his hands in his pockets but then they’re behind his back in the next shot with no motion to explain it. +1

The Handler is a creep. She’s into Five. +5

Where and When did Five get that pistol? +1

So many memes come from this scene. -2

Five doesn’t have his finger anywhere near the trigger in some shots, but in others it’s two seconds from shooting the Handler. What’s up with that? +1

The Handler is so, so creepy. The hand caressing Five’s cheek? Eww. That all but confirms that she wants to be his Mrs. Robinson. +5

Kate Walsh plays an excellent villain. -1

Five made a deal with the devil because it was his only option. -1

[Gerard Way and Ray Toro’s “Happy Together” playing.] -1

Cha Cha was planning to abandon Hazel. Otherwise why else would she open the briefcase? +1

Ben gets shotgun. -1

Klaus finally gets to flip off Hazel and Cha Cha. -3

“SHIIT” Cha Cha, you got played. I love my smart boys. -5

Vanya did well at her audition! I’m proud of her! -1

Leonard knows the exact words Reggie would have used to describe Vanya’s powers. And he uses them here. +1

“I got first chair!” Congratulations, Vanya! -2

“No one’s ever believed in me like this.” Fuck you, Reggie. +1

Having sex with Leonard/Harold desereves a couple sins. +2

Helen Cho and Reggie’s book reveal. Leonard is a creep confirmed. +2

Dr. Pogo? More like Dr. Complicit in Reggie’s Bullshit. +1

Overall Review: 

In case you couldn’t tell, this is one of my favorite episodes. Finally, all of our characters are invested in the apocalypse plot, even indirectly. Vanya’s powers emerge, the Handler and the Commission enter the chat, and Leonard is revealed to be a murderer and to have Reggie’s diary. Things are really heating up in this episode. 

I had a really hard time finding anything wrong that wasn’t character flaw is character flaw and villain character is a villain. This is a fun episode. If I wanted to show someone an episode of The Umbrella Academy to get them hooked onto the show, I would show them this episode. It moves at a perfect pace and has enough mystery to keep everyone on their toes. When I first watched this episode, I decided to stay up all night and binge the rest of them. Before I was watching one every couple of days. Episode five is what really hooked me. Props to everyone that worked on it!  

I want to give a special shout out to Sean Sullivan. He did really well playing Five! I hope we see him in season 2 for that one scene. If you’ve read the comics then you know the one. 

Sins: 4

Sentence: Watching Klaus’s breakdown after Vietnam was more than punishment enough.

[winchester-fantasies]

Backtrack - Summer of ‘98: Chapter 6

Backtrack Masterlist

Series Summary: What if you were the one Dean came to instead of Lisa? Rewrite of “Swan Song” and some of S6.

Word Count: 3589

Warnings: smut, first time, virgin reader, fluff, some swearing

Pairing: Dean x Female!Reader

A/N: Chapter 6′s song: Hideaway (Kiesza Cover) by Eliza Shaddad.

Winchester Fantasies’ Masterlist

Mid-August ‘98

You tied the straps of your bikini behind your neck before slipping on your sheer cover-up and going to your closet, pulling out your most comfortable pair of flip-flops. 

You and Dean were going to a beach party tonight. It was Andrea’s twenty-first birthday, and she had decided to have it on the beach. You were beyond excited for her and couldn’t wait to celebrate.

But you were also a little nervous. This weekend would be two months since you and Dean had become an item. To some it might have seemed minuscule, but it was everything to you. 

You’d only ever had one boyfriend before Dean, and with Caleb everything had felt rushed, demanding. But with Dean it just felt...right. He had been the attentive and doting boyfriend; you were never without kisses and cuddles, and your bed was beginning to look like a five-year-old's dream, what with the amount of Beanie Babies Dean had given you. But you couldn’t fault him. He was the best boyfriend you could ever wish for.

You threw your hair into a ponytail and grabbed your sunglasses before heading downstairs. Leah was hanging out with friends and your mom and dad had some dinner party to attend so the house was quiet as you descended the stairs. Once on the main floor, you turned on a lamp before leaving, locking the door behind you.

You ran next door to the Winchesters’, letting yourself inside. You could hear the TV as you walked through the kitchen and into the living room, finding Sam sitting on the sofa. He grinned when you entered. “Hey, (Y/N)!” he greeted.

“Hey,” you said in return, plopping down next to him. 

You’d become a regular at the Winchester house since you and Dean had become official and more often than not, Sam was there, too. You both had grown close and Sam quickly became the little brother you’d always dreamed of having. 

You’d met their dad once or twice but never for long, and when you did see him longer than a few minutes, he was always quiet, gruff, and reserved. He had a sadness about him that seemed to keep him closed off to most people, including his sons. Dean had divulged to you that their mom had died when Sam was just six months old, leaving Dean with a gaping hole only a mother could fill and John with a chasm of hopelessness. 

John would sometimes be gone for weeks at a time, leaving Sam and Dean alone. And although Dean had taken on a few odd jobs here and there, it wasn’t nearly enough to see him and Sam clothed and fed. So you’d taken it upon yourself to make sure they had enough food throughout the time John would be gone and nearly every night found both brothers dining with you and your family. Not that your parents minded. They had taken an instant liking to Dean.

“You coming to the party tonight?” you asked Sam.

“Nah,” Sam shook his head. “I think I’m just gonna stay in. I saw there was a new documentary on tonight so I’ll probably just watch that.”

“Nerd,” you teased, playfully ruffling his shaggy hair. Sam grinned, his dimples pronounced. 

“Is your dad gone again?” you asked.

“Yep,” Sam said matter-of-factly but made no move to divulge more. 

“Do you know how long he’s gonna be gone this time?” you asked, glancing at him out of the corner of your eye.

“Not really,” Sam said. “Probably a few days,” he added with a shrug.

You nodded and pursed your lips. “Do you have anything to eat?”

“Dean got a few snacks from the store earlier,” Sam said, eyes trained on the screen.

“Okay,” you said. “Well, we have leftover pizza in the fridge at home so help yourself. You know where the spare key is.”

Sam turned towards you, a smile once again spreading across his lips. “Thanks, (Y/N).”

“No problem,” you said, gently jostling his shoulder with yours. “I’m gonna go find, Dean.”

You got up from the couch before turning down a long hallway. Dean’s room was at the end and you could see light seeping from under the closed door, music drifting through the wood. 

You rapped lightly on the door before you heard Dean’s voice telling you to come in. You turned the knob, stepping into the room and closing the door behind you. 

You gaped as you glanced up. Dean stood in front of his closet, silently surveying the contents, wearing nothing but a pair of swim trunks. 

“Hey, babe,” he greeted with a grin, turning his head to look at you. 

“What are you doing?” you asked, going to his side.

“Well, I was trying to decide if I should go like this or change back into jeans and a t-shirt,” Dean said thoughtfully. 

“Definitely like this,” you said, more desire than you’d intended seeping from your voice.

“Oh, really?” Dean asked, cocking an eyebrow and giving you a sideways look. 

You felt your cheeks redden and you shrugged. “I mean, only if you really want to.”

“Hmm,” Dean hummed, turning his body towards you before reaching out and wrapping his arms around your waist, pulling you into him. “It’s not really my thing, but I think my girl likes it,” he said with a wink and a cocky smirk.

You felt your cheeks grow even warmer at his flirting, but you made no move to stop him, instead finding yourself flirting back. “Maybe,” you said coyly, biting your lower lip and looking up at him through your lashes.

“Mm,” Dean growled, his eyes darkening. “You can’t keep biting your lip like that, baby. Drives me crazy.”

“Maybe that’s why I do it,” you teased, sinking your teeth into your lip once more for good measure. 

Dean groaned at the sight, and his grip on you tightened. “Seriously, you gotta stop that,” Dean warned.

“Or what?” you asked innocently, quirking your eyebrow. 

“Or I might just have to show you what it does to me…” Dean whispered. 

“Why don’t you then?” you asked, surprised at your boldness. 

Dean seemed slightly taken aback by it as well before he leaned down suddenly, capturing your lips in a bruising kiss. You wrapped your arms around his waist, your hands roaming the bare skin of his back. 

His tongue slid past your lips and into your mouth, exploring and tasting. Dean tended to be a passionate lover, and you found yourself getting lost in him more and more everyday. You knew you were falling in love with him, and as hard as you tried to hold yourself back, to not get too attached, you couldn’t stop yourself. 

Dean finally broke the kiss but didn’t let you go. He reached up, caressing your cheek in his large and calloused hand. His eyes held something you couldn’t quite decipher, but it was something you wanted to witness everyday. 

“We should probably get going,” Dean murmured, seeming reluctant to let you go.

“Yeah,” you breathed, wanting nothing more than to stay like this forever.

But Dean finally pulled away, and you found yourself instantly longing for him once again. You walked downstairs, saying goodbye to Sam before stepping out into the warm evening. Dean took your hand once you reached the sidewalk, making your way towards the beach. 

Dean was unusually quiet and you couldn’t help but steal a glance at him. His head was bowed slightly as he stared at the ground, lost in his own thoughts, and you wondered what was on his mind.

“Earth to Dean,” you said good-naturedly, squeezing his hand lightly.

He looked at you, a smirk on his lips. “Sorry,” he said with a light chuckle. “I was just thinking….”

He paused longer than you expected, and you glanced at him questioningly. He darted his eyes once more in your direction before casting his gaze to the ground again. “I was just thinking about how much I lo...like...being with you.”

A wide grin spread across your lips and you leaned into him, your hand that wasn’t clasped in his, gripping his arm. You rested your head on his shoulder and sighed contentedly as Dean leaned over to place a chaste and gentle kiss to the top of your head. “I like being with you, too,” you whispered, your chest swelling with an emotion you’d never felt before. 

The party was already in full swing when you reached the beach. Music blasted from the old boombox and a large bonfire blazed as the ocean waves lapped at the beach.

“Hey, guys!” Andrea exclaimed, running over to you and Dean and pulling you into a hug. 

“Hey,” you said, laughing.

“Happy birthday, Andy,” Dean said, sending her a wink.

“Thanks, dude,” she returned. “C’mon over! There’s beer, food….”

You laughed again as Andrea all but dragged you over to the bonfire, Dean trailing behind. Andrea reached into the massive cooler, taking out a couple cans of beer and handing them to both you and Dean. 

“Thanks,” you said, popping open the can and taking a sip. “I thought the party didn’t start till 7:00,” you commented, looking around at the crowd.

“It was supposed to,” Andrea said. “But it had a mind of its own, I guess,” she chuckled.

Andrea suddenly rose to her tiptoes, waving wildly as one of her other friends showed up. “Hey, I gotta go,” she said hurriedly. “But help yourself to the food,” she said, gesturing to the hot dogs and s’mores fixings sitting on a small table. You watched as Andrea scampered off before heading over to the food.

You sat down in front of the fire while Dean went to the table, bringing back a plate and settling down next to you. He took one of the roasting sticks and skewered a hot dog before handing it to you and doing the same to his. You both thrust them near the fire, watching as the flames cook the meat. 

You were enjoying the crackling fire and the sounds of festivity in amicable silence when one of your favorite songs came on. Your eyes widened, and you couldn’t help the wide grin that spread across your mouth as you slowly started swaying back and forth.

Dean suddenly got up from beside you and held out his hand to you. You looked at him questioningly, but he gave no explanation, instead gesturing for you to take his hand. You took it, giving him a suspicious look before he led you to the other side of the bonfire.

He abruptly stopped, pulling you into him, his hands resting on your hips. You laughed as he began to move his body, and you wrapped your arms around his neck. 

You moved lazily together, your feet sinking and carving abstract patterns in the sand. Dean stared at you tenderly, and you couldn’t stop the butterflies that filled your stomach.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, his thumb running across your hip gently.

You smiled softly, your fingers playing with the hair at the base of his skull. You were about to say something when Dean suddenly stepped away, grasping your hand and pulling you away from the crowd.

“Wh...where are we going?” you asked breathlessly as you tried to keep up with his long strides.

“I wanna show you something,” he said with a smirk and a wink.

Your stomach flipped as you let him lead you towards a small grove of trees set a ways away from the beach. The sounds of the party soon faded, giving way to the soft sounds of night. 

Dean led you through the trees, helping you step over the loose leaves and small limbs that had fallen to the ground. You gasped when you finally came to the other side of the grove. You stood at the edge of a high cliff overlooking a cove. The sounds of the sea filled the air and the salty breeze blew around you, softly caressing your skin and moving a few strands of hair across your face.

“Wow,” you breathed, shocked that you’d never seen this part of the beach before. “Dean, this is beautiful!”

“It is,” he agreed. “I come here when I’m feeling stressed or when everything feels a little too heavy. It’s my escape…. And I wanted to share it...with you.”

You turned to him, his face lit only by the moon hanging low in the sky. “Thank you for sharing it with me,” you murmured, stepping closer to him. You raised your hand to his face, trailing your fingertips along his jaw.

His breath hitched and his own hands found you, settling on your hips before sliding around to rest on the small of your back. He pulled you forward gently, your chest pressing into his.

You stared into one another’s eyes, reverent, longing. You could have stayed there in that moment for eternity. There was something different about tonight. A shift; something you hadn’t felt between you before. So when he leaned down to press his lips against yours, you couldn’t control the warmth that filled your stomach as electricity rushed through your body.

He shifted slightly, his hands sliding under your cover-up, fingers skimming over the flesh of your sides. 

Since you’d gotten together he was never demanding or impatient - always careful and thoughtful, never touching where you didn’t feel comfortable. But tonight you felt yourself beginning to drown in everything that was Dean, and you didn’t even care. Because tonight you would happily sink.

Your breathing was labored and you were lightheaded when you finally parted. “I want you, Dean,” you whispered, your faces still close enough you could feel the moment the air rushed from his lungs. 

“(Y/N), a...are you sure?” he asked hesitantly. 

“I’m sure,” you said, running your fingers over his temple. “I want to be yours...completely.”

Before you could register what was happening, Dean had you pressed against a tree, his lips pressing into yours with more yearning than you ever thought possible. You kissed him back just as hard, your hands grasping at him blindly, wanting him as close as possible. 

He abruptly stepped away, reaching for the hem of your cover-up and pulling it over your head before reaching for you, swinging you around before gently lowering you to the ground, resting himself between your thighs as you spread your legs. He continued to kiss you before leaving your mouth and trailing his lips down your neck and to your breasts, kissing the tops of the supple flesh.

Arousal washed over you, and your hands left his body, reaching behind you and fumbling for the tie at the back of your neck. You finally undid it, quickly slipping the bikini top off.

Dean inhaled sharply, his eyes raking over your bare chest. “Fuck, (Y/N), you’re beautiful.”

You felt a blush creep up your neck at his praise before he leaned forward, his mouth latching onto one of your nipples. It was like nothing you’d ever experienced before, and you couldn’t hold back the moan that fell from your mouth.

You were sure you could’ve cum just from his current ministrations, but he soon left your breasts, kissing down your torso until he reached the waistband of your bikini bottoms. He looked up at you before you nodded, his fingers slipping underneath and sliding them off.

You shyly spread your legs once he’s dropped the bottoms beside him, and you bit your lip as you watched his face light up at the sight of your wetness glistening in the moonlight.

“Shit, baby,” he breathed, his fingers traveling along your slit. 

You shuddered as he made contact with your clit and you bucked slightly. “Dean,” you mewled, reaching out for him.

“Wait, baby,” he said, running his hands up and down the inside of your thighs. “Gotta get you ready for me.”

You whimpered as he lowered himself between your thighs, his fingers spreading your wet lips before leaning in, his tongue sliding through your folds a few times before finally settling on your clit.

A loud moan escaped your throat as he licked and sucked on your sensitive clit. The sensation was almost too much, and you found yourself tangling your fingers into his hair, searching for anything to hold onto.

“Dean,” you moaned, closing your eyes and reveling in the pleasure. You tensed slightly as he gently inserted his finger into your core, but a tender squeeze of his hand on your thigh reminded you to relax. 

He continued to lap at your clit as he slowly started pumping his finger in and out of you. It felt somewhat foreign but it wasn’t uncomfortable and before long you felt your orgasm approaching. 

Dean crooked his fingers and with that you came, his name echoing through the night as you ground yourself on his face. 

You chuckled breathily, swiping the back of your hand across your sweaty brow as Dean rose to his feet. You could see how aroused he was, the front of his swim trunks tented. 

You swallowed hard as he pulled his trunks down in one swift movement, his cock springing free. Your stomach twisted in trepidation as the gravity of the situation settled over you. You were going to have sex. For the first time. With Dean. He knew you weren’t experienced, and although it hadn’t seemed to bother him, what if you disappointed him? 

Dean seemed to sense your apprehension because he was smiling softly and reassuringly as he settled back between your legs. “Hey, (Y/N). Baby,” Dean said gently, running his thumb over your cheek. “We don’t have to do this if you’ve changed your mind. I’m in this for the long haul. But I’m telling you right now that there’s nothing to be afraid of. You’re beautiful, and I want you so fucking bad it’s not even funny.”

Your sent him a half-smile, sliding your hands along the tops of his shoulders. “I want you, Dean. I really do.” You paused, tracing patterns along his chest absentmindedly. “But...what if I disappoint you? Wh...what if you don’t want me after this?”

Dean remained silent, and when you glanced up, you could see his hard expression even in the dark. “(Y/N),” he said, his voice deeper and gruffer than you’d ever heard it. “None of what you said is true. I could never not want you, and you could never, ever disappoint me.” He leaned down, peppering your face with soft kisses. “You’re perfect….”

He kissed along your jaw, traveling down to your neck, kissing and sucking at the skin. An all new wave of arousal washed over you, and you gripped his shoulders. “Dean,” you moaned, rocking your hips against his erection, silently begging. 

Dean didn’t say anything as he reached between your bodies, lining himself up with you before pushing himself inside. It was strange, and this time there was a slight sting, but he was understanding and gentle as he pressed forward, pausing every few minutes to allow you to adjust. 

He stopped once he was completely sheathed within your depths, forehead pressed against your own. “You okay?” he whispered. 

You nodded, leaning up, pressing a kiss into the side of his mouth. “I’m ready.”

It was Dean’s turn to nod before he gently pulled his hips back before pushing back in. He set a slow and steady pace, carefully watching your face.

After a few minutes the discomfort faded away, giving way to pleasure. The moment he felt you relax around him, he groaned, his face contorting as he fully allowed himself to enjoy the moment. “Shit, baby,” he grunted, gritting his teeth to keep himself from coming undone too soon. “You feel so fucking good.”

“Dean, please,” you moaned, your hands gripping his shoulders.

Dean understood your plea, his pace picking up. His hand slid down your thigh, hooking behind your knee and raising your leg around his waist. You nearly fell apart as he plunged in deeper, hitting your sweet spot. 

“Oh, my god,” you gasped. “Dean!”

Dean chuckled breathlessly as he continued to pound into you. “I know, baby.”

You shut your eyes, your head tipping back as your pleasure built to all new heights. Dean took advantage of your movement, his lips finding your neck. 

You slid your hands from his shoulders to his quickly dampening back, your fingers digging into his shoulder blades. Warmth filled your lower belly and your walls began to flutter. 

Dean buried his face into your neck, his uneven pants ruffling the hair at your temple. “Cum for me, baby,” he whispered. 

And you did, clenching around him, a cry of praise erupting from the back of your throat. Your release pulled Dean with you, his hips stuttering and body tensing as he groaned deeply and emptied himself into you.

Dean pulled out, rolling off you, onto his back. He immediately reached for you, drawing you into his side. Dean’s fingers stroked your hip while his other hand found yours, lacing them together.

Your eyes soon grew heavy as you nuzzled your face into his chest, blissed out from the closeness you’d just experienced. You were on the verge of sleep when you felt Dean press a kiss onto your forehead, lingering. He pulled away, his hand continuing to stroke your skin. 

“I love you,” he murmured, right before you fell asleep.

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

Thank you for reading! If you liked what you read, let me know!! ❤❤

***Please do not share my content on any other platform without my consent.

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

Tags:

Everything:

@divadinag @mogaruke @calaofnoldor @defenderrosetyler @coffeebooksandfandom @emoryhemsworth @satans-0-spawn @fandom-princess-forevermore @titty-teetee @gallifreyansass @swiftrogerswinchesterthot​ @hollymac79​ @codename-nyx​

Dean Girls:

@weepingwillowphoenix​ @akshi8278​ @thesuicidalflower​ @adoptdontshoppets​

Backtrack:

@hazel-eyed-hunter​ @backseat-of-deans-67chevy​ @wickidlady​ @messrrs-prongs​ @tranquility-or-chaos​ @deans-baby-momma​

[holidaywishes]

All Roads Lead To You IV

Part 4: Island Life Has It’s Perks...

  Summary of series: JJ took a job at the old Samson Estate – mostly mowing lawns, cleaning Mr. Samson’s yacht and serving at his dinner parties – for the sole purpose of distracting himself from the fact that he seemed to be the only one left from the crew. Sarah and John B. were still “lost at sea” after almost a year and Pope and Kie were… well, they were becoming Pope and Kie, so he needed something to occupy his time. When a new girl comes to town, JJ thinks it’s the perfect way to let off some steam but it may be more difficult than he anticipated.

  Summary of chapter: Addy packs up to head back to New York, feeling like she’d betrayed her cousin but when JJ asks her to stay, she can’t help but say yes. If only to get to know him better.

  Warning: Fluff, some angst maybe

  Author’s Note: Sorry it’s been so long since I posted another chapter of this but I had to go back and read the last part to see where I wanted to go with this. It’s a bit of a shorter chapter but I hope everyone, who is reading it, is enjoying this series because, even though it’s taking me a little longer, I’m having a bit of fun with it. You can totally send me your thoughts on the series or the characters or anything, on that same note you don’t have to send me anything if you don’t want to. You do you, boo! But I do want to thank everyone who is reading and enjoying this series. <3

  masterlist

  the other masterlist

xx

Addy’s P.O.V

  The day after you got back from the Island where you had your cousin’s birthday, you decided it was time to go back home.

  “Come on, Adelaide,” your dad pleaded, “you just got here”

  “I said I was only coming back for Lexi’s birthday. We’ve had her party, we celebrated, it’s time for me to go.” You countered, continuing to throw things in your suitcase

  “But why can’t you stay a little longer? To stay with your family?”

  “I haven’t been here since I was a kid,” you scoffed, finally looking back at your father, “this place is like it’s been frozen in time. Pictures of me are all from when I was six years old...”

  “That’s why we need you here. To create new memories, take new pictures!”

  “I can’t stay here, dad. This place,” you gestured around you, “the Outer Banks, it’s not home. It’s not for me.”

  “What are you even going back to?” he chided as you zipped your suitcase and pulled it off the bed, putting it onto its wheels before tossing your backpack over your shoulder, “your aunt? You’re not in school, it’s summer! Just stay here”

  “Dad, stop. I’m going home, that’s it.” You said firmly, taking your bags and walking out of the room toward the front door. As you went to open the door, you heard footsteps creep behind you and you whipped your head to find where the noise was coming from

  “Where are you going?” JJ asked as he stood in the middle of the hallway, you dropped your eyes to the floor before you felt a rush of heat fill your face

  “Home” you said

  “Back to New York?” you nodded in response and he sighed before walking toward you, “don’t go. If this is because of what happened... I’ll keep my distance from you if that’s what you want. But you should stay for your family...”

  “It’s not about what happened because nothing happened,” you argued, “and I can’t stay here. I don’t belong here, I think that’s pretty clear.”

  “Addy...” he sighed, “you’ve only been here a couple days. Just stay a little longer, please?”

  “Why?” you asked

  “Because I want you to...” he whispered and you tilted your head

  “What about Alexis?”

  “She just wanted us to convince you... to lie to you so you would think she was impressive”

  “So you two aren’t..?”

  “Together?” he finished your question, “no, we’re barely friends.”

  “You know if I stay,” she continued, “we can’t be together”

  “Who said that’s what I wanted?” he teased

  “I’m just putting it out there,” you smiled, hesitating as he stepped closer to you, “my dad would have a fit if he caught you flirting with me.”

  “Me? Flirting with you?” there was almost no space between you now and your heart began to race as you felt his breath on your cheek, you nodded with a smile, trying to hold your composure, “who says you’re not flirting with me?”

  “Me?” you scoffed, letting a smile play on your lips, “I would never.”

  “I guess we’ll see about that.” He smirked, leaning down to take your bags, his eyes never leaving yours as he did so. He carried your bags back up to your room, walking past your father who smiled at you from the stairs

  “You’re staying?!” he exclaimed and JJ looked back at you with a smile, shrugging at you as he continued up the staircase

  “Looks like it” you replied before he gave you a hug.

xx

JJ’s P.O.V

  It had been almost a week since you convinced Addy to stay in OBX and the two of you had been dancing around each other in an attempt to not be the first one to flirt. Leaving each other with smiles and stolen glances that Mr. Samson hadn’t seen or, at least, that you’d hoped he hadn’t seen, but you’d be lying if you said that you didn’t want it to go further. One day, as you were just about to leave, you found her on the porch watching the sunset while you walked to your bike

  “Hey!” she called, leading you to look back at her, “wanna watch the sunset with me?”

  “Here?” you asked and she nodded, “what about your dad?”

  “Mom and dad went out for dinner. They’ll be back in an hour or two.” You hesitated but put your house keys back in your pocket and made your way over to sit next to her. As your bare knee grazed hers, you noticed a smile creep across her face

  “How are you liking OBX?” you finally asked, breaking the silence

  “The sunsets are nice,” she started, still looking at the sky, “but it’s always so hot here. And everyone is always preparing for a storm”

  “No storms in New York?”

  “Not really. Every once in a while but not like here...” she smiled, “I mean you go down to the docks and everyone is tying things down every other day.”

  “So you still choose the city over the island life?” you smirked

  “Always,” she laughed, “but island life has it’s perks...” You looked away from the sunset to watch her once more

  “Yeah?” You replied and she finally looked at you, a smile continuing to grow on her face before she nodded

  “Yeah” she whispered, leaning toward you slightly, enough for you to lean into her. Your lips finally connected with hers, after days of teasing each other endlessly, and a sweet kiss soon led to her straddling your lap, tongues dancing together slowly as your hands traced their way up her body. Her hands rested on the sides of your neck before eventually moving to play with your hair at the back of your neck. She smiled against your lips when your hands stopped near her breasts

  “What?” you whispered, leaning your forehead against hers

  “Nothing,” she replied, “I’m just ticklish that’s all.”

  “Oh yeah?” you smirked, moving your fingers up to tickle her neck and she let out a high pitched laugh before wrapping her arms around your neck

  “Stop!” she laughed, “ahh JJ, stop!” You gave her a reprieve from your tickling and she was able to catch her breath

  “You really are ticklish aren’t you?” you laughed

  “I told you” she smiled

  “I should probably go,” you sighed, “before your parents get home.” She pouted jokingly before moving off your lap and agreeing with you

  “Probably” she said before taking your hand in hers

  “I’ll see you tomorrow” you replied, kissing the back of your hand and she smiled in response

  “We can’t get caught, JJ” she sighed

  “I know” you added, planting a kiss to her lips before standing up and walking to your bike, Addy following you over to say goodbye, laying a soft kiss to your cheek before you rode away. 

xx

Addy’s P.O.V

  You waited for JJ to ride up and start his day but when he never showed up, you started to get worried. He’d never been late before, much less missed an entire day of work

  “Where’s JJ?” you asked your dad

  “Guess he didn’t think it was important enough to call in sick today” he scoffed

  “You don’t think something’s wrong?” you asked

  “I’m sure he’s fine, Addy. Probably just messing around in the Cut. Maybe he’s more like his dad than I thought...” he sighed and you furrowed your brow

  “What does that mean?”

  “His dad is a drunk. An addict of all sorts. Most of them are”

  “Dad... don’t be so mean” you sneered

  “It’s the truth, Adelaide. They’re not exactly the most civilized people.” You scoffed and rolled your eyes at him before asking Ms. Margaret where JJ lived

  “Why do you want to go there?” she asked and you shrugged

  “He didn’t show up today. As little time as I’ve been here, he’s never not been here...”

  “Mhmm” she hummed before eventually giving you his address. You ran out to your car and made your way to the south side of the island, paying close attention to the houses around you until you found the Maybank’s. You stepped out of your car slowly, stopping to look at the disheveled house where JJ had grown up and you inhaled deeply before going up the rickety steps, knocking on the door

  “Addy?” he groaned as he held his side, “what are you doing here?”

  “Oh my god, JJ,” you said, outstretching your hand to his face, “what happened?” he pulled away from your touch and walked away from you, leading you to follow him inside, shutting the door behind you

  “You should go home”

  “JJ, who did this to you?” you asked again

  “I told you I’d been through worse...” he sighed, referring to what he’d said when you cleaned him up in his tent that day, “this is worse”

  “Did your dad..?” you just nodded as you sat down on the couch, “let me help you”

  “No,” he snapped, “just go home.”

  “No!” you shouted back, “I’m worried about you. You can’t stay here if he does this to you...”

  “He didn’t for a while. But he started drinking again... so it started back up”

  “JJ...”

  “Don’t” he scoffed

  “You can barely stand, it looks like you’re having a hard time breathing too,” you tried, “please let me take you to a hospital or something.” He shook his head, trying to convince you he was fine, that he didn’t need any help and you tried to get him to see that he did and only one thing came to mind, “You’re sure?” you asked, walking toward him until you were standing in front of him, closing off the space little by little

  “I’m sure” he added

  “Good.” You smiled before climbing onto his lap and kissing him harshly, moving your body into his so close that he had to take his hand away from his bruised ribs to hold onto you. He squeezed your sides as your lips moved in sync with his as you started to trail your hands down his arms, letting your fingers graze his muscles as you did so. You broke the kiss long enough to tear his shirt from his body, forcing him to lift his arms above his head and he winced at the strain the movement caused, just like you knew it would, “you okay?” you asked before returning to the kiss

  “I’m fine” he huffed, leaning back into your lips and picking you up to carry you to his bed. When the two of you finally got there, he gently threw you down and you giggled, raising your finger to your mouth to bite your finger as he slowly hovered over you and you wrapped your legs around his hips, hooking your ankles where they met behind his back. You started examining his bruises before he leaned down to kiss you, stopping you from saying anything. Your hands dragged down his chest until they rested on his sides, right on his bruised ribs, he moved from your lips to kiss your neck, eliciting a moan from you that filled the space, you could feel him smile against your skin, “I like this kind of surprise” he teased

  “I couldn’t help myself,” you whimpered, trying to flirt as best you could, “you just looked too good to ignore...” He giggled at your words before pressing his lips back on yours, your legs wrapping tighter around his hips. You had almost forgot what your objective was in all of this until you squeezed his sides once more, forcing him to let out another wince

  “See!” you exclaimed

  “What?” he groaned

  “You’re not okay, JJ...” you scoffed, pushing him aside so you could get up

  “That’s all this was?”

  “How else was I going to get you to realize that you need some help?”

  “I don’t need help!” he shouted and you shrunk down in front of him

  “Fine,” you sighed, “I’ll drop it.”

  “Addy...” he said softly, trying to make it right before you could leave, “I’m sorry. I just don’t need help. I don’t need a hospital”

  “I don’t like seeing you hurt,” you admitted, “and you’re clearly hurt”

  “I’m tough,” he laughed and you rolled your eyes, “look, I’ll be okay. I’ll put some ice on it, take it easy you know?”

  “It makes me nervous, you being here...”

  “I know,” he said, standing up to rub your arm, “but, trust me, I’ll be okay.” He pecked your cheek and sent you on your way, helping you into your car and waving you goodbye as he went back inside while you hoped he took care of himself. You bit your lip before you finally drove off, worrying what would happen to him overnight.

xx

JJ’s P.O.V

  The next day, you showed up to the Estate and when Addy saw you, she pushed you into an empty room

  “What are you doing here?!” she exclaimed, “you’re supposed to be taking it easy. That’s what you said...”

  “I need the money, Addy,” you replied, “plus, I wanted to see you”

  “You could’ve seen me later, when you didn’t have to work. Look at you, you think my dad isn’t going to send you home anyway?”

  “Honestly,” you sighed, “I don’t. He wants the work done, who cares if I have a couple cuts and bruises right?”

  “Don’t overdo it, please” she pleaded

  “Adelaide!” Mr. Samson called for his daughter and she pressed a kiss to your cheek before going back out; you followed her out after a few minutes trying to keep things secretive but Ms. Margaret caught you

  “You be careful, Mr. Maybank” she whispered

  “Are you gonna say something to Mr. Samson?” you asked

  “No,” she replied, “but it won’t be up to me. Especially if you’re not careful.” She smiled at you before looking at Addy, “that little girl hasn’t had the best luck in this house. With this family. And I haven’t seen her since she was a child. If you do anything to hurt her, I’ll have to hurt you.” She chided before winking at you, letting you let out a sigh of relief but knowing that there was probably more truth to the statement than she let on.

  “People really love you huh?” you said to Addy as you walked up behind her outside

  “What?” she replied

  “Ms. Margaret, your parents...” you started, “me. People really seem to gravitate toward you”

  “Ah,” she smiled as if she’d heard this before, slowly turning around to face you, “I’m just new. Ms. Margaret and my parents haven’t seen me since I was a kid and you... well, you’ve never met me before”

  “What about Rafe and Brody?” you asked and she moved away from you

  “Because of the island?” she sneered, “just boys being stupid. They didn’t actually care about me, they just wanted to win”

  “But it was still about you, they could’ve fought against each other for anyone else, but it was for you”

  “It wasn’t for me,” she practically snapped and you could tell you’d hit a nerve, “it was for them.”

  “Alright, I’m sorry...” you said, putting your hands up in defence before sneaking a kiss to her cheek after checking that no one was around. She smiled at your softness and how you kept your face close to hers, leading her to make the next move. Her arms crept up to wrap around your neck and she slowly pressed her lips to yours, smiling against your lips when you led her back to be pushed against the wall, kissing her just as softly as she kissed you. The two of you seemed to be so caught up in each other that you didn’t even hear footsteps approach you from the porch steps, it was only when they cleared their throat did you separate from each other’s lips

  “Lexi...” Addy whispered, her breathing shallow from the kiss. Alexis shook her head as she examined the two of you, looking you up and down as if she was disgusted with you, before ultimately running away, “Lexi wait!”

  “Addy, stop..” you tried

  “I have to talk to her, to make sure she’s okay” she replied, her eyes wide with worry. You watched as she ran toward her cousin who was hastily getting into her car, refusing to talk to Addy and slamming the car door in her face.

  “What’s going on there?” Mr. Samson said as he watched the two girls argue

  “I have no idea.” You lied

  “What happened to you?” he asked, noticing the bruises on your face

  “I ran into a door.” You lied again, still watching Addy try to talk to Alexis

  “Right,” he sighed, clearly not believing you but not asking questions, “get back to work. Porch isn’t going to sweep itself.” You shook your head to bring your attention back to Mr. Samson and grabbed the broom from the side of the house before taking one final look at what was happening in the driveway, where you saw Addy watching Alexis drive off quickly, the car kicking up a fit of dirt and dust in her wake. She glanced back at you just in time for you to notice a small tear fall from the corner of her eye, walking toward the kitchen entrance so she wouldn’t have to pass you to get inside the house.