#He and Sparky are a bit evened-out as a result of this. kind of like if you took Sans and Paps's extremes and shared them between both | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

aonoexpat · 1 year ago

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05-11-2023 (2/3)

The next day we resumed our way inland, made a quick stop at "the T-rex tree":

...and drove down to the famous Buller gorge. The turquoise water was beautiful in the sun when it did come out, and I paid a little too much money to be allowed to walk over a bridge, and then zipline back head-first!

After that thrill we continued on our way, and made it to another so-called Nelson Lake that I hadn't yet visited on my way down the island: lake Rotoroa. Though the views were beautiful and the hikes around there pretty nice, the sandflies were absolutely ruthless and they made it impossible to be stationary outside. This meant dinner had to happen inside the cars, and afterwards we all piled into my van so we would have some company :) And we actually felt an earthquake! We all thought it was one of the others shaking our cars, but we checked online the next day and it had truly been a little earthquake.

The day after that, it looked like we would have to split up once again. So I made my bear wave goodbye to my lovely friend:

And continued on to Motueka. It was very cool to return to a place that I had already been to, which also meant that with that stretch of road, I had officially closed my loop around the island!

The other friend that was still with me and I relaxed by the beach for a bit, and then I got lucky enough to meet the man behind many a backpacker facebook page. We spoke a bit about finding work, about travel plans, and then I asked him about the self-contained certification for vehicles. Contrary to what every mechanic in the country so far had told me, he said Elrond could get re-certified! Apparently he knew a guy who still operated under the old rules, so I immediately got into contact with him. I got super excited because a new certification would immensely increase the resale value. I spent that entire day making the car look nice, making sure all the necessary parts were installed (which included two trips to the hardware store), and after that entire whirlwind, Elrond passed the test with flying colours! I have since received the new certification, and I am so incredibly stoked.

That same man offered to help me get a new warrant of fitness for the car, or WOF. Elrond's previous WOF would expire in January, and since I'm hoping to sell him (WITH PAIN IN MY HEART MIND YOU) in November, that was cutting it a bit close. I decided to take the risk and have him checked, knowing that if he failed, I'd have 28 days to fix him up and get him re-checked a the same place for free. Unfortunately he did fail, on four separate points. My newfound friend and I scrambled to get appointments in with mechanics and sparkies alike, and after half a day two of the four points had already been taken care of, thanks in part to a local car wrecker who has this exact model of car in his junkyard and was kind enough to sell me some parts I needed. The other two points would have to be fixed on the 30th in the morning. This would jeopardise me making it to the ferry, and even if I did it would be stressful. So, I moved back the ferry for what would later become known as the first time. I rescheduled it for November 1st, hoping I could get the car fixed, re-checked, and be on my way on Monday.

In the meantime, I headed to Mārahau. I went for a short, quick hike into Abel Tasman national park before going to see an old friend at an open mic night. I had a grand time playing with him and his band, and thoroughly enjoyed the vibe!

I ended up stealth camping (shh) in the Abel Tasman parking lot, and I didn't get caught 😇 I did make sure to get up early and get out of there, which resulted in me having a prime spot from which to view the sunrise:

I drove on to another familiar spot: Kaiteriteri beach, where I parked the car and took a nap in the morning sun, which felt like absolute bliss. That afternoon I got myself an impulse haircut, and then made my way to Whakatū for Friday night open mic night. As I posted in the moment, I was so happy to be able to see all those wonderful people one last time, and I got to play together with a cherished friend. I sang The Leaving of Liverpool, but I had replaced the place names with Whakatū-relevant places :) I understand that they liked it! I was kindly given a ride back to Elrond by the organiser, and bade him a very fond farewell.

That Sunday I made it back to Motueka and went busking at the market. I hadn't done that in a long time, so it was very nice to refresh my repertoire and make sure my equipment still worked. I met four other musicians, one new and three I already knew. It was so nice to be out in the sun playing some tunes and socialising, though despite me putting on SPF50 sunscreen twice within three hours, I still got burned once again. I was kindly informed of this when I started packing up by two people who had had eyes on my (burning) back for three hours, but had decided to wait to notify me for some reason... I tried to cool it down a little by taking a cold shower by the beach, and then one of my friends joined me there! We got to talking and both enjoyed spending time together, so I moved my ferry once again: to the 4th of November. This seemed so nicely full circle to me, because I arrived in Aotearoa on February 4th, and took the ferry to Te Waipounamu on July 4th!

On the 30th of October, I was at the mechanic bright and early. They took Elrond in, and after about an hour and a half they called me with good and bad news: issue no. 3 had been fixed, but issue no. 4 had turned out to be a lot more complicated (and expensive to fix) than previously thought. New parts would have to be ordered in, and they weren't sure when they would arrive. I tried to get some parts from the wrecker I was now acquainted with, but unfortunately they were very worn too. So I reluctantly agreed to this new plan, hoping I wouldn't have to move my ferry again (foreshadowing who?).

That afternoon my friend and I impulsively headed out to Abel Tasman national park once more, to get my mind off of the car stress, and because she would head South the next morning and this would be our last day together! We had a blast driving up there and walking all the way to Coquille bay and back. I was very grateful to get yet another, deeper look into this stunning park ❤️

I spent some time after that in Motueka, just lying in wait for a call from the mechanic that the parts had arrived. I did some elaborate makeup for Halloween even though I had nowhere to wear it to, and then spent a lot of my time finally sitting down and reading up on the news. Without getting into specific politics on this particular blog, the global situation has me extremely upset and worried. Reading about it, watching videos and talking with friends to get a grip on the situation and actually allow myself to feel how incredibly disturbing it all is left me feeling desperate, powerless and unable to amount to much. Which is of course nothing compared to what people across the world are going through. Luckily I could afford to, because the parts took longer to arrive than I had hoped. After a few days I started to get really nervous, but just then I heard I could bring the car in! It took them a while, but they fixed Elrond up, and gave him back to me at the end of the day. Unfortunately by then the WOF place had already closed, and so I pushed my ferry back once more: to November 6th. And it has remained at that date since!

The next morning, bright and early, I headed over for the WOF recheck. And as I had expected he would, this time Elrond passed. This too should add a bit of resale value to the vehicle, which will be nice after I had to spend a big smack of money on the repairs.

My eye was caught by a sign announcing a garage sale down the road, and I couldn't ignore that. I headed over and got to talking with the lady who was downsizing her house, and as it turned out she was Dutch too! I had a lovely conversation with her and her elderly mother, who proudly announced she had lived 40 years in The Netherlands, and then 44 here. It was endearing to hear her speak Dutch but almost uncontrollably revert back to English every now and then, and the same for her daughter, though she had only lived in The Netherlands for 10 years, which meant her Dutch wasn't as solid as her mom's. I bought two really cute skirts, a top, a sweater and two pairs of shoes that will hopefully be a lot more comfortable to walk in at work than my heavy hiking boots. We'll see!

#aotearoa #backpacking #van life

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dxjiha · 3 months ago

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sparkydx

Stuffler & Stuff || Sparky + Jiha

Ever cursed to frequently fall into Youtube rabbit holes, Sparky landed on videos of a new (and seemingly very popular) kitchen gadget called the "Stuffler" -- a waffle maker that allowed one to fill their waffles with all sorts of ingredients. Like a kid, he got just a tad overly excited to try it for himself and procured one of his own. From the moment it arrived, he was transfixed, filling waffles with all sorts of things. There was, of course, the basics: bacon, egg, and cheese being one, strips of fried chicken in another. He experimented more with fruits such as apples and cinnamon, bananas and peanut butter (he didn't like that one as much, but it was decent), strawberries (okay, that one was pretty fucking good), raspberries and blueberries (not bad at all!) -- but before he knew it, Sparky had nearly a dozen stuffed waffles and, even as ambitious as he was, there was just no way even HE could eat it all on his own, so glancing at the time, he pulled out his phone and sent a text to a neighbor he knew was always up for free food.

Text sent to Jiha 403:

Captain's Log, Stardate 24.08.2024, The Presto envoy has provided the ship's cook with new technology known colloquially as 'The Stuffler', which is heralded as producing an interesting dish called a 'stuffed waffle sandwich'. Culinary Officer Sparky has performed many experiments with varying results and due to the excess, proceeds to distribute the successful results with the rest of the crew in his quarters.

jiha was a man who loved eating, and he would eat all the time if he had the money for it. being a bartender doesn’t exactly make him rich, and he has to pay for both himself and his grandmother. he often prioritizes her getting proper food than himself, making sure she gets different kind of foods which taste and smell good. jiha himself though often lives on cheap stuff from the convenience store, it doesn’t bother him too much, but he does hope he doesn’t have to live like this for forever.

so he’s definitely a fan of free food, so when a friend who lives close by has the habit of sometimes making too much food or needing a taste tester, jiha is happy to help. it doesn’t take him long to show up at the other’s door, he puts on shoes and then teleports. he could teleport straight into the other’s apartment, but that seems a bit rude, so he’s outside the door, a big smile on his face as he knocks on the door.

#put it in →#dxjiha #sparkydx #here to there / thread #teleporting to / sparky #the place is / stuffler and stuff

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underchargedau · 2 years ago

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New sans, new sans! Who is this guy, you might ask (or might not)?

His name is Borealis, and he’s a Timeline Traveller (Kind of like TK!Sans, as an example). A good chunk of his traveling experience is in the pursuit of Magical Knowledge, and one of the resulting places he eventually found himself in was the UnderCharged AU (hence his art being posted here instead of on my main blog). He’s a bit of a nerd, and has a hell of a collection of books stored in a Tower that now sits in a timeline that’s not even his home AU!

He has a brother who is a rival for one of the guardians (Lyor, who I haven’t posted here yet), and he has a pair of mothers (Both of them are Gasters from separate timelines, so he may not have a particular home AU to speak of anyway. oops?)!

I do hope you guys like him!

Bonus stuff - You can probably guess what this implies when you see these:

(Yes, Bori and Sparky are a thing - This was established in a friend’s server and I’m rolling with it C:)

Oh and Sparky’s adopted multiple characters in this one timeline. Why? Because WHY NOT. He retains his dad instincts from previous events but doesn’t remember any of it (In the previous timeline, he had two kids canonically, hence the mention)!

Here’s a little something involving the kids mildly lol (Just Sparky here, but it’s relevant to Bori I promise)

and yeah these doodles are uncolored mostly, don’t worry about that either lol

Bori was originally created to ship with Sparky specifically as I’ve wanted to pair Sparky with another character again for a while, but had a hard time settling on how to go about that until a friend or two mentioned the idea of creating one instead (I wouldn’t normally do this, but they helped me with the creation process through and through!) - From there, I built up what brought him to meet Sparky in the first place and then how they got together! (You’ll find out the details later, this is already getting to be pretty lengthy lol)

#UnderCharged AU #undertale au #ut au #UT #Sparky #Borealis #Bori #Sans #Yeah Bori's a book nerd...#and a magic nerd #dwbi #art #underchargedau #fandomverse #nikki-tine #as of 2024: This nerd's not a sans anymore lol #He's just a part-dragon skeleguy :3

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bard-llama · 2 years ago

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WiP Wednesday: The Tournament of Kingship

so I was actually working on a totally separate fic when this idea came to me and I was trying to figure out how to make it work in that ‘verse when I realized... I could just do canon lmao. So have post-canon Toph and Aang goodness.

After the war, Toph found herself a bit at loose ends. Having run away, she didn’t really have anything waiting for her after they ended the war. Sure, she could go see her parents… but really, why would she? Yes, she loved them. Yes, sometimes she even missed them. But no way was she forgetting the part where she’d been forced to invent a new form of earthbending in order to escape the people her parents had sent to kidnap her and bring her back into line.

She was willing to write to them (via Katara), willing to give them a chance to get to know her, but she was not stupid enough to willingly put herself back into a cage. She would not be seeing them in person – ever, because she couldn’t see.

At any rate, the months immediately after the war were strange, because Toph… wasn’t really needed anywhere. Sokka and Katara had eagerly returned to the South Pole to begin the work of rebuilding their tribe alongside their Father and Gran Gran, family reunited once more. Suki had fulfilled her promise to bring her warriors back home to Kyoshi Island. Aang, as the Avatar, was wanted literally everywhere and was going half mad trying to keep up with all the requests for his presence, zipping all over the world like a lunatic. Zuko, having newly been crowned Fire Lord, was working his butt off trying to reshape the Fire Nation and maintain the peace that still wasn’t quite trusted.

But Toph? Toph… didn’t have anywhere to go or anything in particular she needed to do or… really anything.

She was kind of… aimless, not really sure what she should be doing, so she just stuck close to her friends and ignored all attempts to talk about visits to the Earth Kingdom. In fact, she was avoiding the Earth Kingdom itself, because she just knew that if she was there, someone would have the bright idea to mention her parents being nearby and she just… didn’t want to deal with that.

As a result, she was pretty much always sticking around Sparky, because Sokka and Katara were both cool, but the South Pole was fucking freezing and had no earth.

Well. There was probably earth down there somewhere. And if it was there, then Toph Beifong could bend it. But she didn’t want to freeze her toes off just to learn a new form of bending again.

There was no danger of losing her toes in the Fire Nation and she enjoyed making uptight, racist nobles trip over themselves trying to figure out how to handle the personal friend of the Fire Lord, who was… well, Toph. Experimenting with the boundaries she could push was fun, but it did lose it’s charm after a while, especially when that while was spent doing nothing as her friend tried to drown himself in doing everything.

She barely even got to see Sparky some days.

He’d gotten used to her storming in and kidnapping him for an adventure, but there was a limit to how far Toph could push that. Zuko needed to be made to relax – but he also had a lot of work to do and some of it really couldn’t wait just because Toph was bored.

So when word arrived that King Bumi of Omashu had died, Toph wasn’t really doing anything in particular. Which meant she was the first one Aang found to tell the news to, and then he promptly burst into tears and left her trying to figure out how to play Katara’s role.

It was not a role she was comfortable with, but she did her best. She could understand why he was distraught. Bumi was all he had from his life Before and losing him brought back all the grief of losing everyone else he’d ever known and yeah, Aang had family around him, but he’d still lost his previous family and that just sucked.

So Toph awkwardly patted Aang on the back and let him cry into her shoulder and desperately wished that he’d found someone else first, because anyone would be better at this than her.

Thankfully, Zuko found them (eventually). He immediately wrapped Aang in a warm hug and let Toph slip away to find non-snotty clothes.

By the time she returned, Aang was in the stage of blubbering where he was starting to calm down and Zuko was walking him through some breathing exercises. They turned to her and Aang managed a smile.

“Sorry, Toph,” he said, wiping his face. “Um, actually, I came here to find you to give you this.”

Aang held something out in his hand, but Toph couldn’t tell what it was.

“Oh. Uh, it’s an invitation. Bumi wrote it for you before he–” he cut himself off, breathing deeply and then clearing his throat.

“What’s it an invitation to?” Toph asked cautiously.

“The Tournament of Kingship in Omashu.”

“The what?” Zuko asked.

“It’s – it’s the way that the King of Omashu is chosen. It’s how Bumi became King. Earthbenders from all over the Earth Kingdom compete for the crown and the strongest becomes King,” Aang explained. “Bumi invited you before he… yeah.”

“Why?”

“Um. Well, the King of Omashu is the Strongest Earthbender in the World and obviously that’s you, so…”

Toph’s eyes narrowed, and she felt Aang’s heartbeat spike in response. He wasn’t lying. But he wasn’t saying the full truth.

“Sparky, what’s the invite say?”

Zuko plucked the card from Aang’s hand and read, Hey Brat, if you want to call yourself the Best Earthbender in the World, then you’d better come wipe the floor in Omashu to prove it. With me gone, you might actually stand a chance.

Toph puffed up in offense at the very idea that she needed him out of the way in order to be victorious. Admittedly, they’d never gotten the chance to fight, so she couldn’t swear that she would win against him – but he couldn’t either. Their reputations both held them as the best, but Toph would never get the chance to see if he deserved that title.

Having spent the last few months doing exactly nothing, Toph really wished that she’d made some time to at least spar with Aang’s old friend. It would have been interesting, whichever way the match went.

They would never know now.

Toph’s lips pursed. “All right, where’s this tournament?”

“In Omashu, of course.” Aang’s demeanor was dimmer than usual, but he was upbeat and the relief she felt at that was absurd.

Well. Seemed like she’d be going back to the Earth Kingdom after all. And so close to home, too. No way that would end well, but like hell was she going to let someone else claim the title of Best Earthbender in the World!

“Well, let’s get packing for Omashu, then!”

She could feel Zuko’s wince and apology dripped off his words. “While I’d love to watch you beat people up, I really can’t leave the Fire Nation right now.”

Toph frowned. “You’re not allowed to work yourself to death just ‘cause I’m not here to stop you,” she threatened.

Zuko huffed a laugh. “Don’t worry, my staff have taken to following your example and pestering me about things like eating and sleeping.”

“Good.” Toph punched him.

“I have no doubt you’ll win,” Zuko said, no hint of a lie in his voice or his pulse. “So I look forward to working with the new King of Omashu when you’re done.”

“I’ll invite you to my coronation,” Toph promised.

“Guess it’s just you and me, then, Toph,” Aang said, bouncing on his toes. “We can take Appa whenever you’re ready.”

“Ugh.” For all that Toph loved Appa, she very definitely still hated flying on Appa. “Yeah, all right, lemme get my stuff.”

What felt like far too short a time later, it was time to leave her trusty earth and allow her senses to be narrowed down to Appa’s saddle. Zuko waved as they took off, according to Aang, and then they were headed towards the Earth Kingdom. For Toph, it would be the first time since the Day of Sozin’s Comet that she’d be returning to those shores.

Aang didn’t suggest a detour to pick up Suki or Sokka and Katara, and Toph couldn’t quite bring herself to ask, so it was just the two of them for the duration of the journey.

She really hoped he didn’t cry again, but his friend had just died. He probably would.

Fuck.

#atla #aang #toph #wip wednesday #the tournament of kingship

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chocolvte · 5 years ago

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STRAY KIDS REACTION — doing cute winter things together

AUTHOR’S NOTE — happy holidays (if you celebrate)! i hope you all have an amazing day full of yummy food and lots of presents! i love you guys and i hope you enjoy this little christmas gift from me to you <3

LISTEN TO — jingle bells by frank sinatra

BANG CHAN

kissing under the mistletoe — the mistletoe was chan’s idea. he mostly thought it was cute, but he also just loved how blushy and shy you got whenever he tugged you underneath it.

at first it stayed in place right over the door to your bedroom, but then it started moving. one day it was hanging over your breakfast bar (resulting in kisses and waffles for breakfast) and the next you found it hanging in channie’s car when he offered to drive you to work.

“this is so embarrassing,” you felt blood rushing to the apples of your cheeks for what felt like the millionth time. this time the mistletoe had found its way to your doorstep, hanging right over your front door.

“my love is embarrassing?” chan pouted, loosening his grip on your hips just a little bit.

“no, no, no,” you whined at the loss of his touch, choosing to ignore the way he was biting back a smile as you wrapped your arms around his shoulders and pressed your lips to his. “i love your kisses. but did you have to put it over the front door? now the neighbors will tease us.”

“shh, they’re just jealous,” channie teased, kissing you again, and once more for good luck, before finally leaving for work.

MINHO

going ice skating — “it’s okay, y/n,” minho laughed, both of his hands outstretched towards you. “i won’t let you fall.”

it wasn’t fair. minho looked like some kind of prince, with tiny little snowflakes dusting his soft brown hair and his eyes looking all sparky, and here you were, your whole backside sore from the amount of times you had fallen over.

“yes you will,” you huffed, a frustrated pout taking over your rosy cheeked face. “you already did. twice! and you laughed at me, you jerk.”

“because it was funny, baby,” minho bit back a smile, reaching forward to hold your hands himself. you wanted to be mad at him, but he was too cute and smiley for you to stay angry at him longer than a few seconds. “you’re so cute when you’re clumsy.”

“yeah, yeah, just don’t let go,” you shot him a playful glare, holding onto his hands tightly.

“i won’t,” minho shook his head, suddenly serious. he skated a little closer, pressed a kiss to your lips, and sent you a genuine smile. “i promise. no one’s mean to my baby except for me. not even a patch of ice.”

CHANGBIN

snuggling and drinking cocoa — it was one of those bitterly cold days that made the floor feel like ice against your toes and the air outside sting against the apples of your cheeks. the only option was to stay inside all day, snuggled underneath a heavy protective layer of fluffy blankets and soft plushies.

“we need cocoa,” changbin mumbled against your temple, pulling you even closer. you were already almost all the way on top of him, but binnie was in an especially cuddly mood today.

“i’ll go make some,” smiling, you landed a kiss on his jaw before trying to get out of his lap.

“no, wait,” changbin whined, pulling you back by one of your sleeves. “we’re already all cozy.”

“you’re such a baby,” you laughed, stepping out of his reach with a distracting kiss pressed to his lips. “i’ll be right back.”

and you were, but that didn’t mean changbin wasn’t full on pouting by the time you came back with two full mugs of hot cocoa topped with whipped cream and cinnamon.

“thank god,” changbin huffed, tugging you back into his lap the second you handed over his mug. as soon as you were settled he was pressing kisses all over your cheeks, smiling half way through them at the sound of your giggle. “thank you for making cocoa. i missed you, though.”

HYUNJIN

baking sugar cookies — “i can’t find the sugar,” hyunjin pouted, letting his head drop onto your shoulder in defeat. “this is so hard.”

“you’ve haven’t even done anything, silly,” you laughed, gently shoving his head off your shoulder. hyunjin stuck his tongue out at you in response, dropping his arms from around your waist as he made his way to your pantry.

“not true,” he complained, eyes roving over the shelves for vanilla extract. “i’m providing emotional support.”

arms full of ingredients, hyunjin returned to the kitchen looking way too proud of his contributions, only to drop them onto the counter almost immediately just so he could cup your face and kiss you.

hyunjin was always extra clingy during the holidays, but today had been a really affectionate one even for him. you hummed, brushing the hair away from his forehead with a fond smile.

“you okay, baby?”

“yeah,” he smiled real big, pulling you just a little closer. “i just missed you lots and we’re making cookies and i love you. i’m also calling dibs on the snowman cookie cutter. that one’s mine.”

JISUNG

you’re each other’s secret santa — every year, you and your best friend held a holiday party the weekend before christmas. you decorated sugar cookies, binged all of your favorite christmas movies, and gave each other gifts. this year you were doing a secret santa for the first time.

nayeon, being the melodramatic cutie she was, made everyone sit in a circle with their gifts in their laps so that everyone could reveal who they shopped for at the same time.

“three… two… one, go!”

at the same time, you and jisung turned to each other, making the two of you burst into giggles.

“you go first,” jisung insisted, turning to you fully. everyone else was wrapped up in their own little gift opening worlds, so it felt like just the two of you.

“let’s go at the same time,” you suggested, but jisung playfully shook his head, going so far as to place his gift behind his back.

jisung’s gift wasn’t too big, wrapped in dark blue wrapping paper with tiny little snowflakes all over it. it felt heavy. ripping off the wrapping paper revealed an ordinary cardboard box, but what was inside made your heart jump into your throat.

“jisung,” you glanced up at him in surprise. “are you serious? this is the best thing ever.”

jisung tried to hide his smile, but his blushy cheeks gave away his happiness. inside the box was a mason jar filled with folded pieces of paper. on the side of the jar there was a key:

white — reasons i love you

red — for when you’re feeling sad

dark blue — open now

the last color confused you until jisung told you to open the jar and then, laying right on top of the others, was a single piece of folded blue paper.

“open it,” jisung brought his knees up to his chest protectively. he was chewing on his bottom lip in that cute way he did when he was nervous.

unfolding the paper, your eyes scanned the words scrawled across it as your smile slowly got bigger and bigger until you were beaming with happiness.

will you go out with me?

“yes!” you giggled, throwing your arms around him. you could feel his whole body relax as he hugged you back. “i feel so lame now. i got you a friendship bracelet.”

jisung couldn’t stop laughing and teasing you as he unwrapped your lighthearted present, but that didn’t mean that months later, even after you had been going out for a while, he didn’t still wear it every day.

FELIX

decorating a christmas tree — this was felix’s first christmas with you and he wanted it to be perfect. as soon as thanksgiving was over he was already dragging you out to tree farms to look for the perfect tree, even though the only one you could fit in your (cute as it was) tiny apartment was a little baby tree.

standing only a few feet tall, it might have looked sad if its branches weren’t so full and it didn’t stand so proudly. you fell in love with it as soon as you saw it, and so by default felix did too.

“so i brought supplies,” felix started as soon as you let him in the door. armed with tree decorations, a box of christmas cookies, and a bottle of the sparkling apple cider he knew you loved, felix had come prepared.

“you brought cookies?” you couldn’t help yourself from smiling brightly, which made felix laugh and kiss you lightly on the lips.

“of course,” he smiled at you, carefully dropping all of the stuff he brought onto your coffee table. among the cookies and cider were a box of white and silver christmas ornaments, some silver tinsel, string lights, and a glittery silver star for the top of the baby tree.

you brought glasses from your kitchen and the two of you popped open the cider before getting to work. it was slow going because of how much felix teased you and kissed you and generally tried to be as distracting as possible, but it was cute so the most you could do was gently punch his arm.

finally, your tree was decorated and the two of you curled up with cookies and cider on your couch to watch “the grinch”.

“it looks so cute,” you let your head flop onto felix’s shoulder, smiling at your decorated tree. “thank you for helping.”

“no worries,” felix smiled, kissing your temple and pulling the blanket a little tighter around you both. “merry christmas, my love.”

SEUNGMIN

building a snowman — “minnie, it snowed!” you couldn’t keep the childlike happiness out of your voice as you gently shook your boyfriend awake. the two of you had fallen asleep on the sofa, covered in soft blankets while the credits for “home alone” played in the background.

groggily, seungmin propped himself up on one elbow, rubbing at his eyes tiredly.

“what?”

“it snowed! there’s snow outside!”

it took a good ten minutes for seungmin to fully wake up and then another ten for him to find his camera for you to get dressed. he hated to admit it, but your happiness was contagious and by the time you were outside he felt wide awake and was in a much better mood.

“here, look at me,” seungmin insisted, holding his camera up to his eye. you were too excited to stay still for very long, but seungmin still managed to take some good ones.

it didn’t take long for you to decide you wanted to make a snowman and seungmin let himself get caught up in your excitement. he helped you roll the body when it got too big for you, but you did the middle and the head by yourself while he looked for some small rocks to be his buttons, eyes, and mouth.

you ran inside for a carrot, looking entirely too pleased with yourself when you came running back holding “the perfect nose.”

seungmin thought you were the cutest thing ever, with tiny snowflakes dusting your hair and your lips cold to the touch whenever you did something so cute he just had to kiss you.

“there! now he’s all dressed,” you smiled, pressing his last button into place.

“go stand next to him, i’ll take your picture,” seungmin suggested, laughing at how quickly you went to pose next to your new friend. “one… two… three! there, that one was perfect.”

JEONGIN

making a gingerbread house — making gingerbread houses was a tradition. you and jeongin had been doing it every year since you were little, but this was the first year you were doing it as a couple. you might think that meant it would be a little less competitive. not at all.

“my house is gonna crush yours,” jeongin informed you, sounding entirely too smug as he focused on placing gumdrops across the top of his roof.

earlier you had baked the houses together, which had gone over relatively peacefully. the basic designs were always the same. four walls with a roof, nothing fancy, so it would be fair. the competition was in the decoration.

“in your dreams,” you shot back, barely paying attention to jeongin’s jabs as you used cinnamon toast crunch to create a thatched roof effect on your own house.

in the past, your gingerbread house contests were always blindly judged by your parents, but now that you were living away from home you had decided the use the next best thing: changbin, jisung, and chan.

despite all of the tough talk, neither you or jeongin were sore losers. whoever won got the glory. the bragging rights. but that didn’t mean either of you ever went too far (excluding that one time when you were eight and jeongin threw a bowl of frosting at you.)

“okay, i’m done,” jeongin decided, throwing in the metaphorical towel (or in this case, a bag of mini candy canes he had been crushing up and using as gravel for his driveway).

“me too,” you echoed him, dropping your knife into the empty frosting bowl.

you called chan, jisung, and changbin over from the living room where they had been playing video games since you and jeongin started decorating, but it turns out judging is harder work than it looks because instead of choosing a winner everyone just ate the houses and drank the eggnog chan brought over.

“i still think i won,” jeongin mumbled against the top of your head much later when the two of you were snuggled in your bed. the other boys had left a while ago so you and jeongin were watching “elf” by yourselves.

you smiled, reaching up to press a kiss to jeongin’s cheek.

“you didn’t.”

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the-world-of-jo · 4 years ago

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Perseus Gambit - A Lancer TTRPG

A story I wrote for a game I play... It won't make much sense if you don't play, but I am actually proud of this piece, so. (And it's too big to put in our discord, so. >.>)

When you realize how serious things are, you aren’t prepared. As soon as Doc gives you permission, you zip into the medical wing to snag a slate, indicating you’ll be keeping it with you for a couple of days then head to your favorite reading spot in Hydroponics. It’s there the gravity of the situation hits you, and you slump back in your seat, shocked with a feeling of helplessness washing over you.

And then you realize, you’re a geneticist. This is your wheelhouse, you *know* how to repair something like this on a cellular level. And then you’re cancelling your counseling session for that afternoon, promising to circle back with her to reschedule as you head back to the labs.

You manage to avoid her for about a month before Dr. Marchand shows up in front of you. Coincidently, you’re coming out of Noah’s quarters and it’s first thing in the morning, so you have a feeling you’ve been ratted out. You give Sparky a healthy dose of side eye, but you can’t help but spare a bit for Noah as well.

They both look way too innocent for your liking.

*_*_*

You have no fucking idea how to fix this. Not a single one.

Every sim you run comes back not only with bad results, but with *fatal* results. There are over 150,000 genes in a single human, and only 5% of them on average are coded. The Kennedy’s seem to have an additional 3%, all of those enhancing their strength, speed, sight, hearing, smell…

They were also disease resistant, so whatever was affecting Elias was almost absolutely genetic. But Doc had that much figured out.

The jarring ***”BONG”*** of another failed sim is followed in rapid succession by three more, and you sigh and close your eyes for a moment. Then, you get back to work, filing away the results and setting up new sims.

There was still time. Not a lot, but you intended to make the most of it. You ‘steal’ a few other unused computers and begin running sims on those, corralling a few sub alts to move them into what’s been coined as “Lee’s Area”. Someone even made a little paper sign and it made you chuckle.

You sat back and logged into a ninth research station, beginning to look up any new research methods or new genetic information that might have come available since you left Union Space.

It doesn’t surprise you that what you and Doc have been doing is light years beyond anything you find in published works.

*_*_*

The clock in your head is making ‘tick-tock’ noises at random times, and you know it’s an auditory hallucination, but god fucking damnit it needs to quit. You make sure to keep this away from both Drs. Marchand and Lakani, and for the most part, you succeed.

But now, signs of degradation are showing up in Noah. ***Your*** Noah.

You begin snagging more computers as they sit idle. One sub-alt has been stationed near your area for a couple of weeks now since you always seem to request him. Yes, him. You’ve named him Bruce, after Bruce Banner. It’s a nerd joke and it makes you smile, but nobody else seems to understand.

That’s okay though.

Doc tried banning you from the labs until you got some decent rest and food. And you tried, you really did, but.

In less than two hours, you were moving through the ducts, army crawling at times. You pulled a screwdriver out of your back pocket and undid the screws holding a grate in place, and moving it aside you dropped gracefully into the middle of your area.

Right in front of Doc.

Nodding at him in greeting, you pulled a sandwich and a bottle of Galaxy Dew from your backpack and set it at your research desk, then sat your butt down and resumed working. You left your slate on it’s home screen purposefully since your background was a picture of Noah holding Sparky (that you’d taken with permission).

Doc didn’t miss the gesture and instead of ordering you back out, he had Raum lift the restrictions on you and gave your shoulder a gentle squeeze.

You hear the doors whoosh open and in trots Sparky, a bag of granola and a bag of trailmix held in his mouth. He puts his paws on your knee and looks hopeful that his offering will be accepted. You can’t help but smile and pet him gently. “Thanks for the snacks buddy. I forgot to get dessert.”

Sparky looks quite happy as you add the baggies next to your sandwich.

You do actually eat everything.

*_*_*

Eventually though, one night, while you’re alone in the labs, the last ***”BONG”*** still fresh in your mind, you look up at the ceiling and ask Raum for help. You just need a direction, to know *where* to look. This random shooting in the dark bull shit is getting everyone nowhere and fast.

In your experience, ‘mad scientist’ types have a signature, a way they do things or a way they code things. You’ve been able to figure out which high profile geneticist has written a certain piece in journals, not by their wording but by their projects, and you can’t think of anyone more infamous than Cyrus Jacobi.

Or, as the medical world knew him - Josef Mengele.

If anyone from HA had even mentioned him, and that person had anything to do with their cloning programs, it’d at least, at the ***very least*** point you in a direction, because mad scientist types had a signature, and they liked paying homage to their heroes.

And then one day, Tane asks you “If you could have anything…”

And you tell him. You give him a laundry list of things that could assist you, and you realize if this information ever got into your hands, you’d be very very close to being arrested and tossed in the brig for *life*.

You think *Three squares a day, an actual bed to sleep on...If I handled Milaniko for ten years, I can handle that for life.*

And you wait.

***”BONG, BONG, BONG”***

The sound begins to haunt your dreams.

*_*_*

Noah is the only one who can coax you out, and he does so every day to have dinner with you and make sure you get some rest after.

The guilt gnaws at you when you slip out of bed well before your alarm goes off, and head toward the labs. But time is running out, and that fucking clock is getting louder and louder. It doesn’t matter that people are staring at you, and the fact that your clothes are pretty damn loose doesn’t matter either.

Your nutritional profile has been met each and every day thanks to protein shakes and bars, and Sparky is...suspicious. He’s not advanced enough to know you’re effectively working the system, but he knows *something* is not right. In his view, you should not be losing weight.

Well. You are. But it can be remedied once you figure this shit out.

Doc has been forcing you to take breaks, just for an hour. When your schedules align (and they do at least once a day and you know Doc is doing that on purpose and you love him for it), you spend the time with Noah in his office, grabbing a snack or dozing in one of the extra chairs.

The times you don’t line up with Noah, you head to the mech bay and straight to Beauty, always bringing an offering of donuts or some type of potato dish. Opal is kind enough to not turn you away, Beauty’s hand lowering to lift you up to the cockpit. You’re always sure to thank Beauty, then you sit next to Opal, your offering balancing on both your knee and hers.

She doesn’t question you, doesn’t make you talk, doesn’t comment when you know you’re muttering out loud. Sometimes she leans against you, her shoulder offering quiet support and those are the hardest times, when you have to clench your jaw shut to keep from openly sobbing and admitting how scared you are. How you’re not sure if you can figure this puzzle out, and as a result of your own incompetence you stand to lose not only a dear friend, but the love of your life.

You have a feeling she knows what thoughts run through your head, and you’re grateful that she doesn’t say a word. She doesn’t even comment on the tears that track down your cheeks only to fall from your chin.

You are so, so grateful for that, and you somehow draw strength from sitting with her.

It’s enough that you can head back into the lab yet again.

*_*_*

The next time the Dvorak drops out of near light, you’ve all but moved into the labs. You don’t notice the whoosh of the doors opening at first, but that’s because you’re all but actually absorbing the data on one of the doctors involved with HA cloning, who did indeed cite Jacobi as an amazing scientist.

When the sub-alt rolls up, you mistake it for Bruce, but then Raum’s voice is piped into your brain via your shunt.

A gift. From Tane.

You look at the isolated slate, then take it from the alt, thanking Raum profusely. You stare at it for a moment, the device seeming so small in your hands.

You rip the privacy screen from your own slate (and you may have actually broken the screen - Marcus will be pissed if he has to replace another one) and slap it onto the new one and begin devouring the information. There’s so much here, too much, enough that you have to ask Raum to help you sift through it all.

But...but...when he flags pages he thinks you need, your heart races.

Schematics. Not of the Kennedys, but of prior models.

Maintenance records, upkeep recommendations. Nutritional requirements, formulae for a metabolic stabilizer…

And then you see it. Written by the doctor who quoted Jacobi.

***Genetic coding information***.

You rip through the document and as you read, you begin to babble.

“Jesus fuck, it’s in the junk. They actually put it in the junk DNA, where nobody would fucking think. We need to change everything, absolutely everything, did he work on the...Ken...He did, he fucking did, he worked on the Kennedys, okay, so if that’s the case I’m betting he put them in the same places but there’s probably different locks, different fail safes but if we find one we can tweak it to fit other locks and we need to rethink everything christ we don’t have enough *time* and -”

Hands on your shoulder make you look up, and instinctively you pull the slate against your chest, protecting it. Raum has gone quiet in your mind.

“My boy,” Doc says. “You’re speaking in tongues.”

“We need to change where we look,” you blurt out. “They put the locks in the junk DNA. We need to change course, we need more computers, we need -”

“What? Brawley…” Doc’s eyes stray to the slate and you pull it closer to your chest. He knows there’s something on there that you shouldn’t have and he’s silent for a moment.

“Are you sure?” he asks, shaking you just a bit for emphasis.

“Yes.” Your voice doesn’t waiver.

He nods, then turns from you and begins barking out orders to other assistants and all the screens go black. It takes but a moment for them to reboot, blank screens ready for new directives.

You log into each one individually and set up sims, directing the machines to paw through almost 125,000 pieces of DNA.

You still need more machines.

*_*_*

A few days later you zip into the lab only to find your area almost empty. Your heart lurches from your chest into your throat, but Doc is there, turning you to the right and giving you a nudge forward.

There’s a new section in the lab. Huge, with bright lights, tons of computer banks, frosted windows and a door with a keypad and retina scanner for entry. And the name plaque reads “Brawley Stonehurst”

You pause only enough to look back at Doc and offer him a grin, but then you’re rushing forward, Sparky right behind you, the door opening with a quiet whoosh. There’re more computers than you’ve ever dared ‘steal’ on the main floor, but you quickly commandeer each and every one, setting them up for various sims.

The grating ***”BONG”*** is still the sound you’re constantly hearing.

*_*_*

It’s been a bad day. There’s talk of ventilation for Elias, and he really needs to come off of active duty, but he’s fighting tooth and nail to remain.

Noah hasn’t been able to really lead his classes, nor has he been able to spar with Masek at the level they’re both used to. Sparky has taken it upon himself to spend most of his time with Noah. When he asks you if this is acceptable, you say it is and rearrange his priorities to put Noah first and yourself second.

Doc finds out and he’s in your office questioning the decision, pointing out that Noah and Elias aren’t the only ones deteriorating, and you’re about to call him out on the pot calling the kettle black, but…

But…

***”BING”***

You both stop, staring at each other, and it takes you almost a solid minute to realize one of the sims has finished.

And the text, it’s not *green*, it’s not a *success*, but it’s...not a critical fail. The text is yellow, telling you that you’re on the right track but you need to tweak things and you can do that, the data is promising and you look at Doc and you can feel yourself grinning and -

***”chime”***

Again, you both stop and you know your eyes are huge, you know this because his are as well. It doesn’t take nearly as long for you to begin looking around frantically -

***”chime”.......”chime”......”chime”***

One by one, five different screens light up with green text.

*_*_*

Dr. Anath Lakani is fucking amazing. There’s a reason you’ve been starry eyed since he said he’d take you on as a resident. Your mind is quick, and you know this, but his…

Christ on a cracker, watching that man work is breathtaking for a science nerd like you.

He takes your findings and spins the results into formulae and then spins those into an actual therapy faster than anything you’ve ever seen. And you watch, because this is porn for you, this creating something to save a life from numbers and codes and this and that. In theory, you can do this as well, but not this quickly.

Doc’s skills come from years of experience, and you are nothing short of a captive audience.

Arrangements are made to have Elias come in the very next morning and he’s agreeable. His words were something along the lines of “What have I got to lose?”, and that just…

Your breath leaves you as if you were punched in the gut, and *gods*...

“Please let this work,” you whisper to yourself as you head home.

To Noah. Who is resting in his quarters and only quirks a brow as he looks up from his slate when you come in, then lean back against the door, just looking at him.

He’s pale, too pale, with shadows under his eyes. And you’re not sure if it’s fact or if it’s your mind playing tricks on you, but his cheekbones seem even more pronounced today than they did yesterday.

“It’s early,” he murmurs, and it is, not even gone 20:00 yet. “Have you eaten?”

“No,” you say, your voice coming out in a whisper. “I wanted...shower,” you finish lamely.

Legally, you can’t tell him. This is Elias’ business, not Noah’s.

But there’s that soft smile, the one that’s just for you. “Go on then,” he says. “I’ll have a sub alt bring something from the mess.”

“You gonna eat too?”

“I’ll have something.”

He knows you’ll pester him. Even though he really doesn’t have much of an appetite.

While in the shower, you think about the sims running for Noah’s treatment. You’re jumping the gun, but Elias’ is almost completely mapped out, with only one part of the therapy being in question. In theory, even if that fails, the results will tell you and Doc where to go next, but that clock is still ticking, loud as ever.

You must have been in there a lot longer than you thought, because the next thing you know Sparky’s sitting outside the shower stall looking up at you. Once he sees he has your attention, he sends a query, checking on you.

*Just lost in thought,* you reply.

*Supper is here! KenKen has lounge coverings waiting for you. They are nice and warm!* And with that, Sparky dashes out of the bathroom.

After drying off, going out to get dressed (and you don’t miss the appraising look Noah gives you, but you ignore it because no, you don’t look your best and you realize this but that’s not what he’s concerned about) and eating, you curl up with him, your head on his shoulder.

It’s quiet in a way that ships are, which is to say it’s not *really* quiet, but there’s no voices, no computers, no bonks or bings or chimes or anything. Just the sound of Noah breathing, and if you hold your breath, his heart beat.

“Elias is starting a new therapy in the morning,” you whisper and you feel Noah go still against you. “The projected success rate of the first two rounds is 98%, but the third is hovering around 80%. Even if the third is a failure, we’ll know by the results which way to go. Doc is prepping the bases tonight and tomorrow, but it’s still going to be close, I think. Depends if it fails if it causes any domino effects.”

He’s staring at you now, so you continue.

“I’m running your sims in my office, and two have finished. They weren’t successful, but they weren’t failures. I’m going off the assumption that since you and Elias are from the same...batch,” (that term burns in your throat) “that you’ll need similar therapies.”

“How,” Noah starts, his voice raspy. He clears his throat, then resumes. “How did you…?’ He can’t finish the question, and you don’t know if it’s because he doesn’t know what to ask or if it’s because he can’t ask, but you look up at him.

“Please don’t ask me that,” you whisper. He’s head of security, and even if this would save his life, he would be duty bound.

His eyes leave you and move to your backpack, the forbidden slate hidden inside. He’d seen it, before, noticed it wasn’t yours or one from medical and asked about it. You’d pretended not to hear him, raising your head and blinking, bleary eyed (that wasn’t a lie, at least).

*Raum,* you send out over the comms and his reply is almost instant.

*Taken care of.*

You know the next time you pick the slate up, it’ll be blank. But that’s okay. You also know the information is someplace safe, and all you have to do is ask Raum in order to access it.

When Noah’s eyes return to you, you’re already asleep, curled protectively around him.

*_*_*

When Elias’s third round fails, it is almost catastrophic and both you and Doc are scrambling to keep him stable until the last formulae can be finished. The two of you work well together, both talking over each other and accessing various machines via your neural connections. Nobody will be able to convince you that was the only reason Elias was stabilized as quickly as he had been - while neither of you is super humanly fast, you’re faster than the average person and with both of you working, it’s...harrowing, but it could have been worse.

Much, much worse.

But, the now fourth round is administered and it works, it works so beautifully. Further degradation is essentially halted, or at the very least slowed to a crawl and not only that, but Elias’ body can begin repairs. His stem cells are fine, and with that vital system working as intended, modern medicine only needs to give his respiratory and cardiac systems a boost to get healing started.

Noah’s therapies go so much smoother, and you feel a little guilty for that. Elias doesn’t give a fuck, and the day he’s taken off his oxygen feed his smile stretches from ear to ear.

Noah wears one similar to it, and you finally know what people mean when they say their hearts are so full that they’re bursting.

Physical therapy is something Elias is eager to start, and you’ve got your hands in that as well because you cannot and will not leave either of these men alone it seems. But in this case, it’s not a bad thing because while you’re in the gym with Elias, you’re working on your own fitness regimen as well.

His upper body strength comes back slowly, but his lower body is a bit slower still, if only because he’d been in a wheelchair for an extended period of time. Hydro therapy was a thing for a while, but eventually, Elias began trying to stand.

You’re hella impressed at his determination, and his positive attitude makes you smile. You’re there with him when he stands on his own for the first time, the sub alt holding his chair steady in case he needs to sit back down quickly. You’re aware Cap is in the room as well, but your attention is solely on Elias. It’s a bit of a struggle, and his face is flushed and his breathing slightly labored (his oxygen saturation is at 98%, so you’re not in the least bit worried), but eventually, he’s standing. He takes a breath, finds his balance, and lets go of the supports.

His legs don’t buckle. He looks down as if he’s having trouble believing it, then he looks up at you and grins that infectious grin and you can’t help but smile back.

Then you notice Cap, who’s watching, and you’re not sure, but his eyes look suspiciously bright. He looks to you and nods with a smile, and you look back to Elias and move to help him sit back down, then step away as father and son have a moment, Cap moving closer and speaking softly to Elias.

*_*_*

You’re sitting with the entire group, including Noah (because you asked him to come have dinner and he said yes because he loves you and he also loves Masek’s cooking because who does NOT love Masek’s cooking???) when the alert chimes at the door. It takes a minute for it to open, but when it does, Elias is standing there, grinning, and he walks in under his own power.

That night, the only sound haunting your dreams is laughter and you’ve never slept better in your life.

#Space Shenanagains #Brawley Stonehurst #Noah Kennedy #Elias Kennedy #Lancer #Perseus Gambit #I cannot spell but I did use spell check

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sol-tinyrayofsun · 4 years ago

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Zutara Week Day 6 - Affirm: It Was Always You (Falling For Me)

This little story has been on my mind for quite some time now and I somehow made it work with the prompt. It’s really fluffy, ridiculous, and features a lot of Toph’s brilliance to mess with her friends yet always meaning well. I just had a good time writing it, it was honestly a fun ride.

I hope you enjoy it! As always, thank you for reading! Feedback and comments are always appreciated! <3 In case you prefer it, also on AO3! Title: It Was Always You (Falling For Me)

Rating: G

Summary: When Katara let Toph convince her of giving Zuko a love potion to make him fall in love with her, she knew the chances of the plan going sideways were extremely high. Still, the last thing she expected was for Zuko to act normal. Painfully normal. Operation “Sparky Falling For Sugar Queen” turns out to be a little too complicated. (Set after Ember Island Players but before Sozin’s Comet).

----- “Pst! Katara!”

The waterbender tilted her head. The kitchen appeared to be empty. Still, she could hear someone calling for her, loud and clear. She had been busy making sure they had everything ready for lunch around Zuko’s holiday house at Ember Island.

“Katara!” There it was, that voice again. “Listen up, Sugar Queen!”

Wait for a second, that was Toph’s voice. Definitely.

“Toph?” She asked, walking around the room. “Where on earth are you?”

“Inside the broomstick closet!” Toph chuckled. “Come here for a sec.”

Katara did as she said. Once she opened the door, she found Toph mischievously smirking, holding a little bottle in her hands.

“So, what is it?”

“This!” Toph replied, showing off the bottle with a grin on her face. “This is what I wanted to show you!”

“And you were hidden with all those broomsticks because…”

“Dramatic effect, Sugar Queen, never underestimate it,” she said, stepping into the kitchen hall. “Now, aren’t you going to ask what this is for?”

“Sure, Toph,” Katara let out an amused sigh. “Why is it so important?

“How do you feel about having some fun at Sparky’s expenses?”

In all honesty, the idea sounded tempting. After the dreadful night Katara had endured with that stupid play just days ago, she could use more than a little fun. Although Toph’s idea of fun could sometimes be questionable, at the very least.

“Hold up. What do you have in mind?”

“This little thing,” Toph shook the bottle up in the air. “It’s a temporary love potion.”

Katara broke down in a scandalous laugh. “Yeah, and where did you get that from?”

Toph made a defensive frown. “Hey, it’s the real deal! I bought it from a weird old lady in town. She wasn’t lying, I swear.”

“Alright, I believe you. And what do you suggest we do with it?”

“Yes, that’s the attitude!” she celebrated. “According to the weirdo, two drops of this stuff and you can make anyone fall at your feet. All you need is for the other person to consume it while looking at you. And I just thought, wouldn’t it be hilarious if Zuko just happened to suddenly be crazy in love with you? That play inspired me, that’s all I’m saying.”

Well, that sounded like a recipe for disaster. Especially considering the way that play had contributed to her latest confusion regarding her feelings for two very powerful - and very different - benders. Still, it was a tempting offer.

“Toph, that’s insane!” Hesitation could be heard in her voice. “Trust me, pranking Zuko would be entertaining, but we cannot force him to be forever in love with me! I mean, what on earth would we do then? Seems a little cruel to me.”

“See? That’s the catch. It’s temporary. Two drops would only make him fall in love with you for a couple of days, tops. Come on! I thought you had been introduced to the concept of fun.”

Spirits, screw it. Two days of some harmless fun, how bad could it be? She could use a little distraction from the constant stress they were all under.

“Are you sure the effect will wear off?”

“Absolutely. Say yes, please! You know I can always do it without you. Or to you.” A mischievous smile framed her face. “You know you want to torture Sparky a little bit.”

“Alright… Let’s do it. But if anything goes sideways it’s your responsibility.”

“Heck yeah! That’s the spirit!” Toph gave her an affectionate punch in the shoulder. “Oh man, this is going to be too fun to watch!”

And so operation “Sparky falling for Sugar Queen” was put into motion. The two girls would prepare some tea - which would undoubtedly bribe Zuko in there - and make sure he was left alone with Katara when it came to drinking it. Toph would oversee everything from a cautious distance. It was the craziest, most random idea ever. But it sure sounded like fun.

Once everything was ready, Katara waited for Zuko in the kitchen. Needless to say, she was feeling a tad nervous. Waiting by the countertop, staring at the two teacups in front of her, she felt her heart racing on her chest.

It was just for two days. And it would certainly be nice to laugh with Toph about Zuko’s ridiculous lovey-dovey attitude. Most importantly, she wouldn’t even dream to risk Toph giving her the concoction. No, her feelings were already messy enough without the help of any love potion.

“Katara, are you in here?” Zuko’s voice interrupted her overthinking. “Toph said you made tea for me…?”

Time for the show. She put on her brightest smile as Zuko sat down in front of her.

“Yes! You seemed so tired this morning, figured you could use a little boost.”

She handed him the cup with the two drops mixed in the tea.

Zuko gifted her with a thankful smile. “Thank you, that’s very nice of you.”

Nice of me… Yeah, sure. Just drink the tea and look at me.

He started drinking, only to stop after a few sips to have a little chat.

“So, Aang’s training is looking decent,” he started saying. “But I can tell he’s getting increasingly anxious. We might need to keep an eye on him, I wouldn’t want him to start avoiding our sessions.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Katara intervened. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t slack on his training. Drink your tea, it’ll get cold otherwise.”

“Alright, alright,” he complied, looking into her eyes. “Thanks again for making it.”

Katara observed him as he drank the whole thing in one go. Her golden eyes staring at her with an amused shine to them. She wondered how Zuko being in love with her would be like. He didn’t exactly give off the cheesy type vibes, though she knew how much of a dork he actually was. If you fall in love because of a potion, you’re pretty much doomed to grandiloquent gestures and infatuated declarations, right? Well, she wasn’t an expert on the subject. But she did know a thing or two about having feelings for someone.

Toph sneaked into the kitchen, placing her hands on Zuko’s shoulders and giving them one tight squeeze. “Hello there, Sparky, how are you feeling on this lovely day?”

“Hey Toph,” he greeted her. “Much better after that tea, actually.”

Despite the perfectly normal response, Toph continued with her attack.

“You know what? Sugar Queen over here confessed to me this morning that she felt she looked terrible. I’m clearly not the best judge when it comes to looks.” The vicious smile on her face was a little too obvious. “How is she looking today, Sparky? Isn’t she stunning as usual?”

Oh, no. Katara felt herself blushing. The whole operation had quickly turned into Toph having fun at the expenses of both her and Zuko. But in all honesty, how could she had ever expected otherwise?

“Um, well,” Zuko mumbled, his eyes glued to the countertop. “She looks just the same to me. Like you said, um, she’s got her usual look.”

Katara wished Toph could see the look of utter confusion in her eyes. That was not the response she had imagined.

Zuko abruptly stood up. “Alright, I think I’ll get back to training. See you two later,” he greeted them. “Oh, and Katara. Thanks again for the tea.”

‘Thanks for the tea’? So much for romantic gestures.

Toph grasped her arm as soon as Zuko was out the door.

“What on earth? That was the least romantic interaction ever.” The earthbender exclaimed, looking frustrated.

“Hey, let’s give it some time. Maybe the effect hasn’t kicked in yet.”

“Okay, we’ll wait. Man, what a bummer. I was fully expecting him to start a rant about how beautiful you are.” Toph threw her hands up in the air, grunting.

“Patience, we’ll get there,” Katara reassured her.

But am I even sure I want to get there?

Deep down, a part of her was hoping for it.

The rest of the day was spent with Toph trying her best to get Zuko to do anything remotely romantic regarding Katara, in an attempt to kick off the love potion effects. Much to her frustration, nothing seemed to do the trick. Katara wasn’t sure what to think of it. Did she feel relieved, disappointed, or maybe even bored? Truth be told, it was kind of a mix of all three.

Katara witnessed as Toph did everything she could. From suggesting they paired up in training all the way up to making them meditate together. All she got from Zuko was radio silence. Well, at least in the sense they were expecting.

“Are you sure you don’t feel a little weird, Sparky?” Toph asked him for the millionth time during dinner.

“Um, no? Why?” Zuko had a look of complete confusion on his face.

“You sure you don’t feel a little more sparky than usual? Don’t you sense some new emotions?” Toph continued. “Anything different?”

“Alright, that’s enough Toph,” Katara interrupted. “You’re scaring the poor boy.”

“Yeah, Toph, what’s all that nonsense about?” Sokka asked.

“Why should Zuko feel different?” Aang’s voice showed a tad of concern.

“Nothing, nothing,” Toph replied. “Calm down, you all. I was just wondering.”

Katara noticed the annoyed frown on her friend’s face. She seemed pissed off by the lack of results, the whole plan had been her idea after all.

After the meal, Suki stayed with them doing the dishes.

“Are you two going to tell me what’s going on already?” she asked them, with her hands on her hips and an inquisitive look in her eyes.

“Going on with what?” Toph played the innocent. “We’re just scraping plates.”

“Oh, come on! You have been acting weird all day! Especially you, Toph, asking Zuko the most random questions.”

“What do you say, Sugar Queen, should we tell her?” Toph asked.

“Sure, maybe she’ll even know why it’s not working,” Katara replied. “But Suki, promise not to tell any of the guys, alright?”

Suki let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine, just spill it.”

“Okay, let me see. We made Sparky drink a love potion with his tea so he would fall in love with Katara. For two days. And before you ask, yes, it’s legit. Oh, but nothing’s happened yet.” Toph´s explanation was accompanied by a playful grin on her face.

“You’re joking, right?” Suki asked with a sarcastic smirk. “Katara would never be on board with that.”

“Actually,” she said, blushing. “I thought it was kind of a fun idea.”

“Yeah, so much for fun since Sparky hasn’t shown any signs of love and it’s been hours! He should be acting all lovey-dovey already.”

Suki burst into laughter. “Spirits, that’s hilarious! You gave him a freaking love potion and he’s acting as usual?”

“I don’t get what you’re laughing about! Something’s seriously wrong with him! Or us!” Toph complained. “Katara, are you sure you didn’t drink the potion yourself?”

“Yes, Toph, I’m absolutely positive I gave him the cup with the two drops,” Katara replied.

“Are you telling me you two don’t realize what’s going on?” Suki asked, an amused expression framing her face. “For being the ones to come up with this plan you seem rather clueless.”

A suspicion started to take shape into Katara’s mind. She couldn’t help but ask. “Suki, what are you talking about?”

“Yeah, come on!” Toph urged her. “Do you know something that we don’t?”

Suki let out a soft giggle. “Well, let’s think about it. You gave Zuko a love potion to fall for Katara, right? Toph, you say it’s a legit one. But Zuko is acting painfully normal. Even though he is under the effects of the potion.”

“Your point is?” Toph was sitting down on the countertop with a desperate expression on her face.

“If Zuko acts just as usual when he is supposed to be artificially in love with Katara… What do you think it’s the reason?”

“His heart is missing?”

“The dose wasn’t strong enough?”

“No!” Suki exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. “He was already in love with her!”

Wait. What? That doesn’t make any sense.

“Spirits, Spirits, Spirits!!!” Toph jumped down the countertop, hands on her head, and on the verge of screaming. “That’s it! Suki, you’re a genius.”

Katara hadn’t even blinked. She was not even entirely sure she was still breathing. Zuko in love with her? It couldn’t be. He had even looked embarrassed by the way the play paired them together. Although she had acted embarrassed as well. And a part of her knew very well why.

“Sugar Queen, I can’t believe I didn’t realize it sooner.” Toph poked her cheeks. “His heartbeat is all over the place whenever you’re around but again so is yours, and I thought it was just all that love/hate dynamic you’ve got going on. I had actually started to suspect he liked you, but Spirits, I didn´t realize he loves you.”

Love/hate, what? This can’t be happening.

Suki raised a brow. “Hold up, Toph, are you saying Katara’s heart beats faster when Zuko is around?”

“That’s a lie!” Katara exclaimed, snapping out. She couldn’t let her friends figure out the truth. “My heart is perfectly fine, thank you very much. And Zuko is not in love with me!”

“And I suppose you have unlimited access to his mind and that’s how you know that?” Toph deadpanned.

“No… I - That’s unfair Toph,” she managed to mumble, feeling her heart starting to race on her chest.

“As unfair as the fact that you’re heart is betraying your words in this exact second,” Toph replied.

Katara wished with all of her strength that the ground opened up and swallowed her. The entire operation had gone sideways. But not in the way she had originally expected. No, it was worse.

“Alright, alright,” Suki intervened. “Enough torturing with Katara, this was supposed to be about Zuko.”

“Thank you. Can we please go back to the point?”

Toph let out an exasperated sigh. “The point is Zuko is in love with you, Sugar Queen. But not because of the love potion, it seems like he’s been head over heels for you way before drinking that tea.”

“I seriously can't believe you didn’t figure this out sooner,” Suki said. “The question is, what are you going to do about it, Kat?”

That was a very good question indeed. One she had no answer for.

“Why should I even do something about it?” Katara asked, a confused look in her eyes.

“Because I think deep down you want to.” Suki’s tone got serious all of the sudden.

Toph placed a hand on her shoulder. “Sugar Queen, I’m sorry if my prank ended up bringing you a headache. But Suki’s right, you should confront him.”

“Confront him? We’re in the middle of a war! I don’t need any distractions.” Her head was spinning a little too fast.

“Says the girl who complied to give a love potion to Sparky,” Toph remarked.

“Katara, would you seriously prefer to have a lump on your throat until Aang has taken down Fire Lord Ozai?”

Truth be told, she would hate that. A part of her knew she had feelings for Zuko. For that poor firebender she had given a love potion to. Only to have the whole scheme backfire right on her face. Now, she had to stand up to it.

“No.” She shook her head. “I wouldn’t prefer that.”

“Then hear me out because I have a plan!” Toph exclaimed, enthusiasm written all over her face. “I know how to get one last bit of fun out of this failure of an operation.”

——

The next day went out according to what the girls had planned. Still hoping for at least a bit of extra romance on Zuko’s behalf - which, unsurprisingly, never occurred - the three of them acted normal all the way until the afternoon.

After training, Toph cornered the poor Zuko on his way to the beach. Katara and Suki stayed at the shore, discreetly listening.

“Sparky, this is your last chance!” Toph exclaimed.

“My last chance for what?” The look of sheer confusion on his face was priceless to say the least.

“Come on! Please tell me you are feeling extra lovey-dovey and maybe I’ll let you walk away without making you even more uncomfortable.”

“Toph, I swear I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

“You’re telling me you don’t feel any special romantic feelings today?”

“Um, no?” His voice had a strain of nervousness to it.

“And what about regular feelings? Got them for anyone? Maybe for someone you drink a lot of tea with?”

“Uh - No? Um, Toph, can I please go now?” Zuko stuttered.

“Ha! I knew it, you sneaky little bastard! That’s a lie.” Toph threw her hands up in the air. “I can tell you’re lying. I was right, heck yeah!”

Zuko anxiously tried to get past her. “Alright, sure, can I please go down to the beach now?”

“Don’t you want to know why I’m asking you this?”

“Do I have to?”

“We gave you a love potion, Sparky! A love potion mixed with that tea you drank yesterday. And you were supposed to fall in love with Miss Sugar Queen!” Toph’s was grinning from ear to ear.

Katara and Suki exchanged a concerned look. That was not part of the plan. Katara was supposed to be the one to tell Zuko about the love potion. After Toph had made sure whether he was lying or not. Then, and only maybe, she would mention the tricky subject of actual feelings.

“What on earth, Toph?” Zuko’s face was pale as a ghost. “Why would you do that?”

“Because I've been suspecting for forever that you liked her! And when I got that love potion it was just too tempting not to go for it. I thought it would be a fun experiment! Katara was also on board with it.”

“But?”

“But it only made me reaffirm my theory! What I didn’t expect is that you don’t just like her, you’re full-blown in love with her!”

“Toph, can you please tone it down? I wouldn’t want anyone else to hear this conversation,” Zuko pleaded.”

Katara was cursing Toph, Suki, Zuko, the moon, the stars, the Spirits, and herself. Toph playing matchmaker as subtle as an elephant trying to fit into her sleeping tent.

“Sparky, don’t you see Katara and Suki over there in the corner? They’re already listening!” Toph waved at the two of them, she had the most amused look on her face.

“What? Toph!” Zuko’s face was now entirely red. “You’re insane.”

“Sh, let me get to the best part,” she shushed him. “I think our dear Sugar Queen has something very important to tell you.”

Toph grabbed him by the wrist and started marching up to them.

Toph, you’ll pay for this, Katara thought as she found herself in front of Zuko.

“Now, I think Suki and I have to go do literally anything else but being here,” Toph resolved. “Alright! Everyone’s happy? See you!

“Kat, I’m sorry,” Suki mumbled. “I had no clue about this but I’ll better go.”

The two girls sprinted back to the house, where Aang and Sokka were probably taking care of dinner.

Her eyes met Zuko’s, and she felt her heart racing inside of her chest. The awkwardness of the situation was remarkable.

“So… I’m taking it you heard everything Toph said?” Zuko asked, sitting down on the shore next to her.

“Yeah,” she replied, nervously playing with the sand that surrounded them. “I’m sorry about the love potion thing. It was stupid of me.”

“I just didn’t understand the logic behind it. Were you going to let me be in love with you for all eternity?”

“The effect was supposed to wash out tomorrow…” She let out a sigh. “But I guess it’s the same now.”

“Because you realized that I acted normal around you even with the potion?”

“Exactly.” Katara took a deep breath. “Look, Zuko, I had no clue-”

“Katara,” he interrupted her. “It’s okay. I don’t mind you know.”

“So it’s true then? Are you…”

“Am I in love with you?” He rubbed the back of his neck, his whole body seemed anxious. “Yeah, I am. I guess even more than I knew.”

Silence. Just sheer silence.

Zuko rushed to continue. “It’s perfectly okay if you don’t feel the same way.”

But she did feel the same way.

“Look, I think I’m in love with you too,” she blurted out, feeling her cheeks turning bright red.

“You are?” His voice was tinted with astonishment.

She nodded in agreement. Then, she proceeded to say something else. “The night of the play, Aang felt terrible about the possibility of us being together. He kissed me and… and I pulled apart. I was horribly confused. A part of me knew he has always expected to be with me. But it didn’t feel right.”

Katara made a pause. She couldn’t believe she was actually saying those words out loud.

“Go on, I’m listening,” Zuko encouraged her.

“Well, I knew I felt something for you for a long time already. But with what happened the night of the play, and now this whole love potion thing… I realize I’m in love with you too.”

Zuko brushed his fingertips against the back of her hand. “Thank you, for being honest with me.”

She squeezed his hand. “Thank you for not wanting to kill me for giving you a love potion.”

“Now what?”

“I don’t know. We still have a war to win.”

A moment of quietness invaded the space between them. Their fingers were intertwined, both of their hearts racing. They were savoring the confirmation of their feelings - and embracing the uncertainty - together.

“Do you want to wait?”

“Wait?”

“Yeah, until this whole mess is over,” he explained. “We can figure out things slowly, I don’t mind. It’s not like I’m suddenly going to stop having feelings for you.”

“So you would still be in love with me… And I would still be in love with you…”

“But we focus on winning the war first.”

Katara tilted her to look straight at him. “Can I occasionally do this, though?”

He made a slight frown. “Do what?”

She didn’t give him much time to wonder. In a split second, she leaned onto him and placed a kiss on his lips. It was sweet, quick, and a little timid. But it was still the first kiss they shared.

“So?” Katara asked, a light smile framing her face. “Can I?”

Zuko placed his arm around her shoulder, allowing her to rest her head on the creek of his neck.

He squeezed her hand, chuckling. “Yeah, I think you can.”

“You know what? I’m really glad Toph convinced me to give you that stupid love potion.”

---- I hope you enjoyed this fluffy little thing I wrote! Feedback is always appreciated! <3 Thank you for reading! @zutaraweek

#zutara week 2020 #zutara #zutara fanfiction #zuko x katara #every week is zutara week baby

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scaryscarecrows · 4 years ago

Note

Hello! I think you have said that your inspiration for your militia ocs came from dialogue from the game, but did you have any inspiration for each character specifically? Like why did you decide to have Riley's tongue burned out?

I make things up as I go. :p The initial goal was to get about one of every type: medic, Giant Mook, et. cetera, and yes, there is a fair bit of dialogue about the Knight and there being a handful of people that Jason apparently actively trusts. (Said people are missing at the end of the game. Deathstroke probably killed them. I say otherwise. Fuck Deathstroke.) That said...

Antoine (Average Soldier): Jason is a dramatic SOB. His entrance is blowing up a bridge feet from Bruce because he can. (He comes up from under it...what was he doing? How long was he there?) Antoine is the way that he is because somebody in this outfit needs to at least PRETEND to have chill. He also takes a bit from several Disney Villain Sidekicks; unfazed by the boss’s shenanigans, WILL cut you if the situation calls for it.

Mark (Medic): Many in-game medics are actually kind of mean. :p If there’s people around an unconscious man, they will shove those people hard enough to knock them over rather than say ‘excuse me’. (At best, there’ll be an, ‘out of my way!’, but there may be shoving there, too.) The first time you see electrified Militia, the medic responsible is not having his friend’s freakout: the dialogue, if I remember correctly, is, ‘AHH! WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?’ ‘Helped you, idiot.’ Like. Dude, I’d freak out if you made me sparky, too. Have mercy. So...there’s Mark in a nutshell.

Trent (Giant Mook): Brutes and Minigunners will make fun of you if you try to hit them without stunning them first. Then they usually smack you aside. :( They’re also not as jumpy as their smaller coworkers; their animations are cool and collected at all times, even when they’re the last man standing. (The little ones will shake and cling to their rifles like teddy bears.) As a result, he’s Big and he knows he can pop your head like a pimple. His fondness for butterflies is just because I’m a sucker for ‘giant scary-looking man loves tiny things’.

Jimmy (Unseen Tech Support That I Know Is Here Somewhere): Man, I wish I knew. I wish I knew.

Riley (Combat Expert): I don’t know about that, either. He’s always been this way. He just appeared one day like, ‘yo. I’m Riley. My tongue got burned out but I haven’t let that stop me.’

Frank (Drone Controller): There are a handful of people who are...look, they may have signed up to kill Batman, but they know a shitshow when they see it. Frank is that guy. As such, he’s older than the others-more experience-and generally more even-tempered. It takes a lot to rattle him. He’s always been missing his leg, I don’t know why. Dad Jokes+, maybe? I don’t know.

#asks #the squad #the Arkham Knight's Militia #the developers did a good job of #like #making them *real*#they shoot the shit #they smack into each other sometimes #I love them and feel a little bad having to yank them over ledges #but only a little

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xxisxxisxxis · 5 years ago

Text

Gateway Drug | Part Sixty-Seven

Words: 7.3K

Warnings: Explicit language, explicit sexual situations, violence, abuse

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"Vivian, c'mon." Fred pleads, as I grip the headboard of the hotel bed as he tugs at my ankles.

"I'm not talking to that freaking reporter." I protest.

"Vivian."

"Rolling Stone can suck my clit." I argue back, trying to maintain my grip.

"Vivian, you are acting like a crazy person."

"I'm pretty sane compared to the other motherfuckers." I wince, my joint in my ankle popping.

"It's not gonna be that bad, Viv--"

"--He's gonna ask about Vanity."

"So, let him, you and Nikki already know how to handle the Vanity questions." He insists. "We spent an hour going over it yesterday."

"Fred, I can't."

"Viv, babe, c'mon, now. Please." He begs again. "For me, please."

I think about it for a moment, before letting go of the head board, gaining a relieved sigh from him.

"Thank you." He tells me as I pull my heels on and smooth my hair over.

The nightmare of that freaking Rolling Stone journalist following us around for days, picking and prodding, was everything everybody thought it would be. Possibly the deepest question he asked, about the actual craft of Mötley Crüe's talent, was, "so how is the amount of chicks you guys fuck incorporated into the songs?"

As if they would even answer that honestly being that three of them were married and one of the three had a toddler at home with his wife.

And I was particularly annoyed because me and Nikki had to act like the most in love people in the world to debunk the Vanity bullshit.

I hold my breath the second the question leaves his lips, but nobody can trip up on the inevitable topic that we knew would come up at some point.

Nikki's clearing his throat to cover the pause after "so, obviously there's buzz going on about the bombshell Vanity dropped on the Arsenio Hall Show" leaves Cal, our reporter's, lips.

"That whole thing was just...bullshit." Nikki tells him, laughing it off, looking at me.

I laugh along, too, although we both know it's the farthest thing from funny.

"I heard it was a 'misunderstanding' or something like that." Cal adds.

"It's not really hard to have misunderstandings with her, honestly." Nikki admits, rubbing at the bridge of his nose.

"So, there was never an engagement?"

"I think she's let Hollywood get straight to her head." Nikki tells him. "I'm not trying to be an ass but that really put us," he motions between himself and I, "in a really fucked position for a couple days because obviously you hear one of your girlfriends say, you know, 'hey, I'm engaged to so-n-so', and you're married to 'so-n-so', and then have that added stigma about guys like your husband not being able to commit because all the girls around and everything…" He trails off. "And, look, I'm not upset that Vivian was thinking there could've been some truth to it, ya know? But even after Viv realized it was all shit, it was all out there and people were--and still probably are--thinking that it's true. So the media is constantly, wherever we go, asking about my 'alleged' engagement and if we're still even married or got divorced a while ago and so on. And I could give a fuck about public scrutiny, myself, because I knew what I was signing up for when I started a band. I took everything into consideration, but she didn't sign up for people calling her 'stupid' and looking at her to do something, when Vanity--who has no idea what the fuck she's saying or how heavy the allegations she's throwing around are--convinces people that she's engaged to me." Nikki goes on.

"So, Vanity was lying?"

"Vanity was lying." Nikki shrugs.

"You opened up a little bit earlier about your past struggles with heroin--you didn't accidentally propose to her when--"

"Write this down word for word, and put it as the fucking cover quote if you want to: I, Nikki Sixx, would have to be on a high dose of pure horse tranquilizer in order to be so fucked that I'd willingly propose, or agree to get married, to Vanity." Nikki says matter-of-fact. "And that's married or single."

I felt horrible. I wasn't happy with Vanity, I was livid with her...but I knew what it felt like to feel crazy as a result of Nikki switching the story. The drugs were already taunting her sanity, and we just fucking added to it by saying something--that so obviously happened--never happened.

We were both so full of shit.

I let out a breath as I we get off the bus when we reach the venue, needing to get away from Cal and Nikki's lies for a couple minutes.

I catch up to Mick and Emi, who're having a conversation, Emi's girlish giggling has me raising a brow, and I feel someone tap on my shoulder.

Tansy.

"Fuck off." I snap at her and she looks like she's going to cry.

"Vi--"

"--You knew she was fucking him, and then protected them by keeping it from me. Fuck. Off." I clench through my teeth.

This is enough to get her off my back as we head inside, as Emi let's out more laughter.

Mick and Emi--who had a husband of 6 months back home--were growing closer and closer, oddly enough. I kind of knew something was up, but of course I never told anyone. I knew Nikki would give them hell for it, especially Mick, since he specifically told him, Tommy and Vince when they hired Donna and Emi, not to sleep with them/have a relationship with any of them because, "you don't shit in your own yard."

So I kept my mouth shut, but Nikki and the guys eventually caught on to what was happening, anyway, and he and Tommy set loose a wrath on them any chance they felt like it.

I keep my expression neutral as the guys make their way by to go on once Doc tells them it's time.

I avert my gaze from Nikki when he walks by, being that Cal isn't even paying attention.

But Nikki ensures the upkeep of our facade--his hand grasping my jaw, not enough to hurt, but enough to get my attention, as he presses a solid, passionate, knee-weakening kiss on my lips.

When he's pulling away, he looks like he wasn't quite expecting it to be that good, but he's brushing it off in no time, giving me a smirk and a wink before grabbing his bass from his tech and getting where he needs to be for set, leaving me stunned in my spot.

Once I snap out of my little trance, I’m going to the bathroom to fix my smudged lipstick.

I let out a heavy breath as I look at myself in the mirror, taking deep breaths. “He cheated on you.” I tell myself. “He lied, he slept with one of your friends, and he cheated on you.” I repeat, trying to hammer my level head back into place as opposed to letting it run wild with fantasies over stupid little kiss...which is easier said than done.

As I’m stepping out of the bathroom, I’m running smack-dab into Sparkie, and I roll my eyes at his mere presence.

“Sorry.” I mumble, stepping by him, only to hear him walking behind me.

“So, I’ve been thinking…” He starts and I exhale deeply, ignoring him, until he’s grabbing at my wrist, stopping me. “...I was gonna offer you a belated anniversary present but I guess you aren’t interested.” He states, dead, sunken in eyes cutting at me.

“I’m not interested. Fuck off.” I hiss.

“You weren’t whistling that note last night.” He echoes and I snap around, shushing him so the people around us won’t hear what else he’s about to say. He just gets this smug smile on his face.

“Oh, right, I forgot people would flip their shit if they knew Saint Vivian was interested in scoring.” He slyly smiles, his decaying teeth making me grimace. How the hell does Tansy kiss him?

“I wasn’t interested in scoring--”

“--Why the hell else would you show up to my room at three in the morning, Viv?” He cuts me short, and I let out a breath. “Unless you wanted to fuck or something…”

“You really are on drugs, huh?” I sarcastically shoot back in reference to him being so insane to think I would actually want to sleep with him.

“I’ve seen pictures of some cute little tricks you can do.” He says again, his fingers grazing at my cheek.

“Want me to go tell Nikki that?” I ask him--knowing I honestly should because Nikki would probably kill him if Tommy, Vince, or Fred, didn’t beat him to it--and he smiles.

“Sure, why not. It’ll be the perfect conversation starter as to why his precious, purely clean wife was in my hotel room after everybody was passed out.” He whispers, his atrocious breath is purely smoke and alcohol, before he’s rubbing his hand down my stomach, nearly getting between my legs before I force him away from me, controlling my urge to hit him as I turn and walk away.

There was no way to explain why I went to Sparkie in the middle of the night, without it sounding like I was up to no good--not just because Sparkie is the physical embodiment of “no good”, but because I actually was up to no good.

I wipe more of my tears, dotting cold water from the bathroom sink under my eyes to try to calm the puffiness before grabbing some toilet paper and blowing my nose.

I can’t fucking sleep, once again.

I dig in my toiletry bag to see if I packed any benadryl to help me sleep...but all I see is my bottle of Nardil.

I roll my jaw and feel frustration fill me before I’m unscrewing the cap and throw the bottle at the mirror, the pills strewing all over the bathroom counter. My hand is swiping against the cold counter, knocking a majority of the pills into the toilet before I’m flushing them.

They’re just a fucking waste of money. I’m realizing now they quit working a while ago, I was just so bombarded with loving Nikki in our perfect little bubble, but now it’s been popped, and I’m crashing down from my codependent high--that was disguised as genuine happiness and the lie that my antidepressant was working--is now gone.

A deep breath leaves my lips and I wipe my tears, again, deciding to just get something to put me to sleep.

One fucking ambien or quaalude won’t kill me.

The last place I want to be is pacing in front of Sparkie and Tansy’s room door but here the hell I am.

I knock on the door, quietly, hoping he isn’t completely smacked out or he won’t come answer.

When the door swings open, he’s in tattered underwear, his bloodshot eyes looking at me, confused.

The bitter smell of burning heroin and coke flows past him into the hallway, cutting at my nose, and I grimace.

“I can’t sleep.” I tell him, quietly.

“And?”

“I need something to help me sleep.” I explain.

My skin crawls when his eyes snake up my bare legs, his tongue running on the inside of his lips.

“I might have something for you.” He grins. “What’re you willing to give for it, though?”

I’m repulsed by him, but I don’t show my disgust.

“Nikki’s got plenty of money.” I state. “I can pay you back later.” He thinks a moment, before smirking.

“The satisfaction of giving you your first ‘big girl’ drug is enough.” He says, stepping aside, and I cross my arms and step into the room, seeing Tansy knocked out cold on the bed, her naked body looking like a skeleton.

He’s plopping his suitcase on the bed, opening it, and I feel a sick feeling in my stomach at the sight of insane amounts--in bulk--in coke, heroin--at least two different kinds, judging by what I've seen Nikki with the past few years--and a copious amount of pills.

I'm eyeing the pills, but when he reaches for a lump of tar, and looks at me deviously, I have to hold back vomit.

"If you want to hold up the Sixx reputation, I highly recommend this." He says as if it's a fucking joke my husband is strung out.

My eyes dart from the heroin, to the needles in a ziplock stored in the zipper compartment of the luggage.

"I just need a pill to help me sleep." I tell him and he holds back laughter before holding his hand up as if telling me to hold on for a second as he goes to Tansy's purse.

I hear him open a bottle and the rustling of pills, before he's bringing me back a pill and handing it to me.

Seeing it in the light, I realize it's a tylenol.

"Come back when you're actually fun enough to maybe keep Nikki's eyes from straying." He mocks me and I roll my jaw before throwing the pill across the room and storming out.

I didn't get any sleep that night.

I shake away at the memory, a single, stray tear rolling down my cheek before I'm quickly swiping it away as "Dancing on Glass" booms from the stage.

I was so fucking sad. I wish there was a way to describe it that didn't sound so mundane...but that's what it was. Just fucking sadness being suppressed constantly with makeup and a decent smile, knowing I wasn't good enough. I felt like I was living with my mom all over again.

After the show's over, we head back to the hotel with Cal in tow, shooting off questions left and right that have nothing to do with the show itself.

"I gotta go to the bathroom." Nikki mumbles, standing up and I know he's just going to get away from Cal, and decide I'd rather be trapped in a small bathroom with Nikki, than hear another question along the lines of "so what drug is your favorite?"

As Nikki's shutting the door, I'm getting my foot in, stopping him and he looks at me confused, before reluctantly letting me in.

We wait in awkward silence before I'm pushing a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Don't kiss me like that again." I tell him, sternly but politely, looking up at him and he pretends to be infatuated with the sink's water knobs. "Nikki."

"Why not?"

"You know why."

"Oh, right. We hate each other, how stupid of me to forget that." He hisses.

"I don't hate you." I quietly say, and he lets out a breath.

"Not yet, at least." He scoffs.

"Nikki, you fucked up, that doesn't mean I hate you."

"But you're still filing for divorce the second Doc gives you the greenlight, right?" I don't say anything. "That's what I thought."

He slips past me and leaves me to myself, causing me to close my eyes for a moment, and glance in the mirror before joining everybody else.

He was right. I didn't hate him, yet.

The next day the guys are due to take the cover photo for their Rollingstone issue with Cal continuing to breathe down everybody's necks.

"Are you not worried about stomach ulcers?" Cal asks me as I take a sip of Pepsi as we wait for the guys to get dressed for the shoot, and I raise my brows at him. "You have at least three of those a day and it's unhealthy, isn't it?" He adds, trying to sugarcoat it with laughter.

"I drink more water than I do soda...would you rather me be snorting rails of coke or smoking crack or shooting heroin?" I bite and his face falls. "If I want to drink three Pepsi's a day--if I wanna drink 300 Pepsi's a day--I will." Apparently I'm raising my voice, because Doc and Fred are turning their heads in my direction and I can see them slowly making their way to me.

"Umm…" Cal says nervously as I show no sign of easing up on him.

"I've earned the right to drink as much fucking Pepsi I want, Cal, sorry it's not as aesthetically pleasing as Jack or vodka, or chain smoking Marlboros, or isn't as romantically tragedized as junk--"

"--Vivian." Doc starts as I continue.

"But I like it, it's not the worst thing I could possibly drink on a daily basis, and if I want to fucking drink it, I will!"

He looks like a scared weasel, backed into a corner, his eyes wide as he leans away from me slightly.

I didn't realize how close to him I am right now, I'm practically in his face, bitching him out over a fucking Pepsi.

"Vivian!" Doc's barking at me.

I'm backing off, with the help of Fred pulling me away from him.

I'm surprised Cal isn't pissing his pants currently, the look on his face says he's heavily considering it.

"Get him the fuck out of here." I tell Doc, motioning to Cal.

"Vivia--"

"--No, who the fuck does he think he is?" I argue with Fred when he tries to calm me down.

"What's going on?" Nikki and Tommy ask, coming over here.

"Nothing's going on, alright? Vivian's just--"

"--Vivian's just what?" I snap at Doc.

"I'm so sorry, she gets neurotic." Doc ignores me as he tries to reassure Cal and I'm slinging my soda out of the bottle, onto him and Cal, as I yell, "oh, I'm fucking neurotic?!"

"Viv!" Doc scolds me as I throw the bottle down and it breaks.

"Viv," Tommy starts and I snap around to him.

"Fucking say it, Tommy. I dare you." I grit out, the look in my eyes telling him, "say anything else, and I'll tell everything about Vanity and Nikki."

"It was a misunderstanding, alright?" I hear Cal explain to Doc.

"No, no." Fred sighs as he's keeping me from hitting Cal, pulling me away as Cal flinches to get as far from me as possible, looking at me like I'm crazy.

"Don't leave this out of your fucking article! It might just save the entire damn thing since your fucking journalism sucks more ball-pubes than your wife while you've been out here with your nose up our fucking asses!" I throw at him, and Doc closes his eyes and gives out a deep, disappointed sigh, while Fred's tugging me to the bathroom with Nikki on his heels.

The second the door is closed, Nikki's snatching me away from Fred, his hand wrapping around my throat--not enough to hurt, but enough to catch my attention--and he pushes me against the wall roughly, seering down at me.

"The fuck is your problem?!" He demands.

"Hey, cut it out!" Fred cuts in, separating us, glaring at Nikki. "Don't fucking grab at her like that, I don't care how fucking pissed you are, Sixx, you got it?" He points at him. "And you," he looks at me now, "I don't know what the fucking hell you are tripping on, or if you're on the rag, or what the hell kind of demon possessed you recently but you're being fucking ridiculous." He snaps at me.

My eyes are honing in on the rosary around Nikki's neck and I cut my eyes.

"Is that one of mine?" I ask him and he looks down at it.

"Maybe."

"For someone who hates God you really don't mind representing him."

"It's called a mockery, Vivian, get over yourself."

"Give it back." I hold my hand out.

"Fuck off." He replies, going for the bathroom door.

"I said, 'give it back!'" I scream.

"And I said, 'fuck off!'" He yells back.

"It's a fucking string of beads with a fucking cross on it!" Fred outbursts louder than either of us and we look at him. "You have like four, Viv, what the fuck does it matter? He's always worn them." He points out next and I huff out a breath.

I didn't mind when Nikki wore rosaries or crucifixes, I knew he was kind of mocking when he wore them, for the irony of a "devil worshiper" wearing one, but even when we got bad off I didn't mind...in fact as he got worse with his addiction, I hoped the spirituality that they represented would rub off on him and snap him out of his addiction.

It was stupid and I know better now, but Charlette Kinston was my mother. I did have a small speck of her in me, even when I tried not to.

Later that night--more like the middle of the night--I'm still unable to sleep and end up tossing and turning for hours before getting a bath, hoping the warm water will relax me and calm my racing mind.

Once I get out and get back into bed, I furrow my brows at the sound of something weird in my room, and I quickly realize what it is.

The unsettling sound of the door knob twisting and turning throughout the dark hotel room, catches my attention and makes my spine prickle.

I eye the walkie-talkie on my nightstand, and reach my hand out, turning it on. “2.” I say lowly.

“What, 6 and a half?” Fred’s exhausted voice replies.

“20.” I say, which is code for "where are you?"

“101." He grumbles back, "101" meaning the hotel. "In bed. Like you should be.” He says.

“There’s someone at my door.” I reply.

“Who is it?”

“I don’t know what’s why I’m calling you.”

“You want me to get outta bed just to come see who’s at your door, when you haven’t even checked?”

“...Good point.”

“Just look and see, and then let me know if I need to come, alright?”

“Got it.”

I get out of bed, hearing the door knob still rustling, and I tiptoe to the door, peeping out the peephole, to see Nikki, drunkenly fumbling with his room key, trying to put it in my door.

“It’s nobody, they’re gone. Goodnight.” I say to Fred.

“G’night, Vivian. Get some fucking sleep, you need it.” He adds and I roll my eyes.

“I would if I could.” I mumble, swinging the door open to face Nikki. He doesn’t say anything to me before stepping in, his bottle of wine sloshing onto the carpet.

“This key doesn’t fucking work.” He says, tossing it across the room.

“Because it’s my room, not yours. Your key works for your room only...across the hall...where you should be.” I cross my arms as he takes another swig of his drink, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand when some of it trails down his chin.

“Are you strung out?” I blurt, wanting to know whether I should be ready to fight with Sikki or not.

“No, and I haven’t fucking shot up in a long time.” He points his finger in my face. “Just been chasing the Dragon.”

“I can tell.” I state.

“I’m not high, smartass. I came down an hour ago.” He sits the wine down on my nightstand and I raise my brows.

There’s a silent pause and I wait awkwardly for him to explain why he’s here, but as soon as I open my mouth to ask him, he’s saying, “you wanna go swimming?” I furrow my brows, confused.

“W-What?” I ask.

“You wanna go swimming?” He repeats, rubbing the back of his neck. “Like hangout or something.”

“Nikki, we’re separated. We don’t ‘hangout or something’ anymore.”

“No, but I’m not thinking straight due to the wine and heroin smoke, and you’re not thinking clearly because you can’t fucking sleep, so let’s just not think straight together--bonding experience--and pretend we’re at least friends.” He vouches, and I raise my brows, thinking about it.

“The pool’s closed. It’s nearly 4:00am.” I tell him and he scoffs.

“We’re Sixxes, Viv, we can do whatever the hell we want.” He says it as if it’s common sense. “And it’d be nice to practice being around each other without screaming each other’s heads off.”

I give it one last thought, before letting out a sigh.

“Fine.” I relent.

I was worried his sick plan was to drown me, and finally kill me, but soon after we put swimsuits on, and broke into the pool’s patio, I realized he was genuine about just wanting to “hangout or something” and it made me feel a little better that he missed me as much as I was missing him, even if he played it off smoother than I did at times.

“Is it cold?” I ask him as he wades through the shallow end seamlessly.

“No.” He tells me.

“Are you sure?” I question and he looks at me as I dip my toe in. “Nikki, it’s cold.” “Quit being a pussy and get in the water.” He says. “It’s not that bad, Viv.”

I dip my foot in, up to my ankle, and wrinkle my nose.

“Vivian Estine Sixx, get in the water.” He tries to hold back a laugh, keeping his stern facade.

“It’s not cold to you because you have more body heat.” I cross my arms.

“Are you calling me fat?”

“I’m saying you’re thicker than me.” I correct him.

“You can always take your bikini off to get used to the water quicker.” He says and I raise my brows.

“That makes no sense.” I argue.

“No, but it’d sure make me happy.” He grins and I splash him with water.

I quickly regret it as he’s getting out of the pool, about to come after me.

“Nikki, stop!” I whisper yell and he catches up and wraps his arms around me before hurling the both of us into the deep end.

My body is shocked with the cold water, and the second I get my head above water, I’m gasping and shivering.

The second his head pops up beside me, I’m hitting at him.

“Jackass!” I scold him, and he laughs, brushing his wet hair out of his face. “It’s not funny.” I snap, swimming to the shallow and he follows me, still laughing.

“It’s so fun to piss you off.” He chuckles, running his hand over his face to get the drops of water from his eyelashes and I raise my hand to smack at him again but he raises his brows at me. “Fuck it off, Sixx.” He stops me before I even start.

“You started it, Sixx.” I reply, mimicking his voice.

“What's new…" He says with a small smirk, thinking about something before the corners of his mouth fall slowly. "...I've done a lot of shit." He starts and I look at him. "Shit I'm not proud of. I don't fucking know when to just do something a little bit. I can't have a bump, I've gotta go through an eight ball as fast as possible. I can't have a drink, I gotta drink the place dry. I can't have a serious girlfriend, I've gotta marry her." He says, and I glance at him and he shakes his head. "I can't just have a one-night stand, I gotta have a fucking affair." He finishes and I lick my lips, keeping my tears back. "This might be fucked up, but I've realized I don't feel like I shouldn't have had anything with her." He says in reference to Vanity and I furrow my brows. "I just feel like we shouldn't have gotten married to begin with."

It hurts like a bitch, but I know it's the truth, because I feel the same way.

"Me too." I admit and he finally looks at me.

"I wouldn't change it, though. I wouldn't go back and change it." He clarifies and I smile softly, my tears unable to keep at bay.

"I wouldn't either." I assure him.

He stares at me for a moment, looking from my eyes to my lips, standing up straight, before leaning down.

It's a sweet, simple kiss, that only lasts a moment.

It took me back to our first kiss. It was odd, because when we first kissed we couldn't stand each other very much, like we couldn't at that moment in our marriage, either. I don't know if that nostalgic feeling crossed the wires in our brains to convince us to chase one last high together, but one thing led to another and got out of hand like it always tended to do with anything a Sixx did.

I grin in the mirror at him as he mercilessly pounds into me to the hilt with each thrust, my right knee hiked up on the bathroom counter, my left foot standing on tip-toes as his right hand is around my throat, his left hand holding at my waist.

My original intent was to get a shower and leave the kiss at the pool, like it was: just a kiss.

But when we came back to his room where I had left my room key when I went with him so he could get his swimsuit on, and now I'm bent over his sink, tears in my eyes from the pleasuring pressure building up in me, the feeling of my wetness running down my legs at Nikki's doing, is something I've missed.

"Do you really fuck yourself or did you tell me that to piss me off?" He asks me, his dark eyes staring at me, causing me to clench down tighter onto him.

"I really do." I reply as he holds himself against my cervix, causing me to grab at the counter as the delicious pain causes a high pitched groan to leave my throat.

"Do you pretend I'm fucking you?" He questions next, deliberately slowing his pace, the friction of his skin inside my slick pussy satiating the hunger I've been feeling the past several days.

"Yes." I whimper out, my eyes rolling back for a moment.

"Who do you imagine playing with your pretty," his left hand snakes between my legs, calloused, rough, fingers rubbing at my slick flesh, and I back back into him, biting my lip, humming, "perfect clit?" He asks me and I let out a ragged breath.

"You." I confess, my knuckles turning white with how tightly I'm gripping the side of the counter.

"Whose cock do you imagine stretching your tight, hot, wet pussy out?" He asks next, and I'm almost considering trying to get away from him because I don't think I can handle this much ecstasy at one time.

"You." I say again, his hand holding my throat harder in his grip, making my breathing a little shallower, but it only makes me more turned on, another wave of my juices coating his length as he starts picking his pace back up, making me cover my mouth with my hand to keep from screaming.

"Whose name do you scream out in your pillow when you come?" He asks finally, a couple more stray tears rolling down my cheeks as my body is overcome with my orgasm, his hand taking my hand from my mouth as I moan out, loudly, "Nikki", causing him to smile proudly at me in the mirror.

Within a couple more minutes he's finishing in me, and stumbling back a little, a dopey, satisfied smile on his face, while we both come down from our sexbuzz and catch our breath, before going another round.

Nikki's said before, "you know you're addicted when you start lying to yourself about how you're not addicted."

I couldn't agree more.

But the real kicker is waking up to your husband the next morning after having sex, and the both of you pretend like you're strangers, not exchanging a single word before you grab your shit and get the hell out of their as fast as possible before anyone else realizes what happened.

For the first time in his career, Nikki Sixx treated me like a groupie.

And you know what?

It was better that way, because it left no room for, "Oh, well, we had sex which means we made up so we're good now."

We woke up, didn't look each other in the eye, I got off the floor, put my swimsuit back on so I wouldn't be naked, grabbed my key, and left without a word or a second glance.

There was nothing more to say.

We'd said "goodbye" to our relationship, the same way we had said "hello" to it in 1981: with sex that meant nothing, but meant everything, all at once.

We're back in L.A. a couple days later, and apparently Karen got some help cleaning mine and Nikki's room up where I completely trashed it, because when we get in the house, all of our photos are back up, his awards are nice and neat on the wall, and our room looks untouched.

The only give away that something happened is the broken mirror on the ceilings, but he doesn't seem to pay them any mind.

I guess he knew I would inevitably break something.

I keep my lips sealed tightly together as I hear our bedroom door open, initiating Nikki to walk by with a slight, hungover, stumble, as he makes his way to the kitchen, not saying a word to me, not that I expect him to.

He's coming into the living room a moment later, my bag of gummy worms I bought yesterday, in hand, and I roll my jaw, not wanting to start a fight over fucking candy…

...But go big, or go the fuck home, right?

"Those are mine." I tell him, pretending to be reading the newspaper I was reading earlier, and he looks me directly in the eye, opening the bag, taking one out, and eating it.

"My money, my groceries." He states, chewing it, and I exhale.

"I'm gonna go take a walk." Karen comments, sighing as she gets up and walks to the back yard, knowing this is going to get ugly.

"You're right. It is your money." I tell him, not arguing the valid point. "And if you keep splurging on heroin, you won't have any of it left." I add and he death glares me.

"I'm not on fucking smack." He argues sternly.

"You only eat sweets when you're trying to cut back smack." I say and he looks away from me. "At least you're trying to cut it, though." I mumble.

The bag of candy is suddenly colliding with my leg as he throws it at my lap, spitefully, standing up.

"Nikki, you can hav--"

"--It's yours. You have it." He hisses, going back to our bedroom, slamming the door loud enough to sound almost like a gunshot, causing me to jump in my seat.

Nikki: 1, Viv: 1

I decide to shower later on, opting for the guest bathroom to avoid having to see Nikki by walking through our bedroom to get to our bathroom.

I'm only under the running water before I hear the locked door knob twist, before loud banging on the door.

"Vivian!" He screams on the other side.

"Yes, dear?!" I call back, annoyed.

"What the fuck happened to my fucking cars and bikes?!"

I raise my brows, actually forgetting what I did to his precious vehicles until now.

"Open the fucking door!" He demands and I roll my eyes.

"Don't you have better things to do?! Like cleaning the fermented wine--that's been rotting in the hot heat of our garage--from the interior of your cars?!"

I hear the door knob move some more, and I peek out the curtain to see the knob twist completely, the door opening, and I see the little key in his hand.

We both stare at each other for one good second before I'm screaming as he comes for me, but I'm ducking under his arm and trying not to trip and fall on my wet feet as I scurry out of the room.

"I'm gonna kill you, Sixx!" He threatens and I panic a little.

"What the hell is going on?!" Karen asks us, keeping Nikki back when she steps out of the kitchen to stop him from chasing after me any further.

"She completely vandalized my fucking cars and my bikes!" He points at me.

"I didn't touch the Jeep." I argue and he nearly shoves Karen out of the way but she holds her ground.

"I'm about to call Doc if you two don't calm down." She threatens.

"I'm calling the cops and having her ass locked up." Nikki states.

"Do it." I boldly snap.

"No, no, no one's calling the cops." She says, letting out a breath.

"Do you wanna go see what the fuck she did to my fucking stuff?!" He raises his voice at her, motioning in the direction of the garage.

"Have you stopped to think that's a result of what you've done to her?" Karen questions him and he rolls his jaw. "I know you're not used to having repercussions and consequences to your actions, but it's a simple theory called 'cause and effect'." She states and he cuts his eyes at her, probably thinking she's full of shit. "The 'scorned wife effect.' You cheat, she destroys your belongings." She finishes, giving him a quick, sarcastic smile, before stepping out of his way. "If I hear either one of you screaming, again, I'm calling Doc."

He pushes past me, and I go back to my shower.

When I get out, Nikki's nowhere to be seen and the Jeep is gone so I assume he got out of the house for a few minutes, and when I leave our room, going to the living room, I stop in my tracks.

I see her from the corner of my eye, in the foyer, staring at me, and I turn to fully look at her.

She looks like she's been on a binge the past few days, her brown eyes wild and body slightly jittery, her hands gripping tightly to the sneakers I let her borrow a few months ago.

All I could do was stare at her, just knowing Nikki was going to have to come home and clean up the mess that he made.

“Vanity.” I acknowledge her, but not for long before I’m walking into the kitchen, hearing an oncoming storm approach as thunder rattles in the distance.

I grab a Pepsi from the fridge, hearing her slowly creep into the kitchen with me, and my eyes slowly find the knife block only an arms length away from me on the kitchen counter.

Sober Vanity wouldn’t think of hurting a fly. Coked out, crazy, reckless Vanity on the other hand…

“Do you have anything to say to me?” She asks me, shakily.

“Was it good, at least?” I reply, leaning against the counter, staring at her. “When you fucked my husband...knowing he was married...was it good?”

Apparently I’m striking a chord, because she’s got angry tears coming to her eyes, her jaw clenching.

“For someone who’s all about Jesus--”

“--He came to me.” She states, shakily, and I keep my face neutral, although I feel my heart tighten in my chest. “During your time apart last year, he saw me in a Vanity 6 video, and within two hours, I was getting a call from my manager telling me Nikki Sixx wanted a date night.”

“Is that what you tell yourself to make you feel better about it?” I ask, raising my brows. “‘He came to me, I didn’t go to him’? Because at the end of the day, he’s married, and you knew he was married, and instead of turning him away, you welcomed him with open arms.” I point out.

“Have you ever thought perhaps I’m your punishment for not appreciating him?” She asks me, a tear breaking past her lashes.

“Excuse me?”

“God punishes his children when they’re not obedient. You made a promise to God to be the best wife to Nikki you could be, and you broke that promise more than enough times.” She adds.

“So you’re saying God used you--having an affair with my husband--to punish me?” I ask her to clarify. She stays silent, looking at me with pure hatred, and I nod a little, calmly.

My glass bottle is hitting her square in the chest before I can even stop myself, a look of utter shock on her face as Pepsi splashes all over her, her hand holding at the inevitable severely bruised skin bound to form from where it made impact.

Technically, since she wanted to get biblical, I was supposed to stone her to death. Being I didn’t have any rocks, and God frowns upon such things, I opted for a one-time thing that still hurt her but not enough to kill her.

I guess Karen heard the Pepsi bottle shatter on the floor, because she's coming in, with a concerned look on her face...before her skin goes sheet white upon seeing Vanity.

"W-What's going on?" She asks me.

"Vanity was just leaving." I state, rolling my jaw and Vanity looks at me like she's ready to attack.

"I'm not going anywhere until I talk to him." She hisses.

I hear the front door open, and I smile at her.

"Now's your chance." I smugly say, stepping past her, my shoes crackling on the glass as I take my sneakers from her hands, going to our room to put them up, saying, "I suggest you go to your room to avoid getting caught in the crossfire", to Karen as I pass by her.

When I get in our room, that's when shit hits the fan.

"You'd have to be on horse tranquilizer before marrying me?!" I hear her scream. "Huh?! You break up with me over the phone and then act like I'm crazy and embarrass me?!"

"You are crazy!" Nikki screams back.

I hear her shriek, before the sound of skin violently smacking against skin, as Vanity barks out, "if you hate me, hit me! If you just fucking hate me so much!"

I run in to see her hitting at Nikki while he tries to keep his patience.

"Vanity!" I scold, trying to pull her off of him.

Her left hand is suddenly coming back in a fist, hitting me square in the eye.

This does it.

She's knocked to the floor, and her nose is bleeding, Nikki's fist is clenched and smattered with Vanity's blood, and his eyes have a look in them I haven't seen before.

Vanity's now screaming and crying, kicking and clawing at him as he tries to grab her wrist to pull her up, so he instead grabs her hair and drags her out of the house.

"Nikki!" I protest, catching up to him when he's already got her down our front steps.

He let's her go and glares at me, before he stomps back in, slamming the door, locking us both outside.

Vanity's crying, a stream of blood running down her face, my own nose spilling red, but I can't help but crouch beside her and wipe the blood from her face and angle her head back as she sobs.

"Just pinch your nose." I mumble, taking her hand, that's raw from slapping Nikki, and pinching it at her nose.

I had never seen Nikki that angry. He later described his altercation with Vanity, as "hitting her like a man."

I'm not sure if he actually hit her just because she attacked him, because I attacked him multiple times, and he never hit me--the most he did was push me, or grab my wrists or my throat, and even that wasn't enough to really hurt me, just enough to get my attention.

I think everything was put into that single episode.

Every time she made his life harder from the moment she stepped in to it, and even his own self-hate for letting things get the way they did between them, all the anger he had felt for himself and her were packed into that single punch.

And none of it should have ever fucking happened.

#nikki sixx #nikki sixx fanfiction #Motley Crue #nikki sixx x oc #gateway drug

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servinglemonade · 4 years ago

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WandaVision Review

BEWARE: SPOILERS FOR ALL WANDAVISION EPISODES AHEAD

Didn't WandaVision end over a month ago now? Yes. Wasn't The Falcon and Winter Soldier finale yesterday? Yes. Is that going to stop me from talking about this incredible show? No, it won't.

Hi everyone! I started writing this review while WandaVision was still airing, but got so swamped with life that I did not have time to finish it. But here we are, finally! I adore this show, it is a fresh and different take on the MCU and I personally loved every second of it. The concept should not have made sense, like Paul Bettany kept saying, it is bonkers! However, somehow, they just made it work and I just enjoyed it so much! The sitcom aspect, the different songs and score, the attention to detail, the new characters, and spending time with Wanda and Vision was just fantastic! Because at the end of the day, that was what this was all about, Wanda and Vision and their relationship! For a more in-depth and spoiler review of every episode, keep on reading!

Episode 1 - Filmed Before A Live Studio Audience

Many people expressed their annoyance with the fact that the first two episodes that aired were very slow, and yes they are. But that is not necessarily a bad thing. This is not a movie, it is a show, they are building the story, just enjoy the ride and the mystery because even the first episode left so many questions! I loved seeing Wanda and Vision as the stars of the show for once and I enjoy spending all this time with them. The production value of the whole show is amazing but the black and white episodes are something special. I have never watched the old school sitcoms they are referencing here in episode 1 (and 2) but I found it so charming and cute. The square aspect ratio, the black and white, the old school VFX, the laughing track from the audience. I thought it was really cool to see. One of my favorite moments in this episode was the dinner scene with the Harts. When Mr. Hart chocked and Mrs. Hart just kept saying stop it, and Wanda and Vision just kind of looked at each other like what is happening, was so tense. When Wanda looked at Vision and said to help him was so well done by both Elizabeth and Paul! So, I really loved this first episode.

Episode 2 - Don’t Touch That Dial

Episode 2 is where you really start to see that nothing is at it seems in this ‘perfect’ world. So, there is a talent show that day and our favorite unusual couple is preparing for their magic act. Wanda also tells Vision that is their home and she wants to fit in. Later, Vision goes to the Neighborhood Watch because of a strange sound he heard the night before, where we meet some more people from Westview and Vision’s co-workers. Vision mentions he does not eat food. However, when Herb offers him gum, he takes it but accidentally swallows it. This leads to a really cool animation that Vision might not be doing so well after eating that piece of gum. Meanwhile, Wanda hears a strange noise so she goes to check it out, and it is this little red and gold-colored drone with a logo on it... Which was later revealed to be the SWORD logo. But then who comes to visit... Agnes. She was suspicious since the beginning and we were right about that... So Wanda joins Agnes for a meeting with the Planning Committee. Here we meet, Geraldine aka Monica Rambeau, Dottie, and some more people from Westview. So, Wanda is trying really hard to fit in but is not really successful. They say the talent show is for the children but are not any children in Westview... Fishy! Then Wanda has to clean everything up after the meeting and has a really weird moment with Dottie. Someone is trying to contact Wanda through the radio which freaks Dottie out completely, the glass breaks and Dottie’s blood is red, while the rest is still black and white just like that little drone... So, when it’s time for the magic show, Vision shows up at the nick of time and appears to be acting a little weird or ‘drunk’ so to speak. So of course, everything goes wrong during the show and Wanda tries to cover it up. But everyone thought they were being funny so they won! And they go back home, and Wanda turns out to be pregnant! I thought it was a really cute reveal but it did not last long because there is some strange dude outside in a beekeeper costume coming out of the sewer and Wanda is like ‘oh hell no’ and rewinds time like it never happened. Badass.

Episode 3 - Now in Color

In this episode, Wanda and Vision prepare for the arrival of the baby, which of course causes some trouble not just in the house but in the neighborhood of Westview too. I loved how Vision was making Dad jokes and was quite nervous about becoming a dad. Yet, Wanda was just like chill, we got this, so cute. The pregnancy goes very fast, which confuses Vision. He also starts questioning the situation they are in and how weird the citizens of Westview act sometimes. He even looks straight into the camera! So, Wanda looks a bit scared and rewinds again!! So, it was becoming very clear that Wanda is pulling the strings here and can alter what happens. Afterward, Vision runs to get the doctor and Geraldine (aka Monica) shows up. At some point, Geraldine realizes what’s up and she helps Wanda deliver her baby, or babies as we later find out. Twins! What a twist, as Darcy says in the next episode (although it was in the trailer that there were 2 babies, I just wanted to make that joke). So, everyone is very happy and as Vision lets the doctor out, Monica stays with Wanda. Now, this is where this episode gets super weird. So, Vision sees Agnes and Herb talking and they are discussing how Geraldine is an outsider since she just showed up in Westview with no home and family. Then, Herb wants to say something important, but of course, Agnes stops him. Meanwhile, Wanda and Monica are inside and Wanda mentions Pietro for the first time in a long time!!! I think since Age of Ultron. Speaking of Ultron, Monica then mentions that Pietro was killed by him. We do not see what happens next (just yet hehe) but the aspect ratio changes and we go outside of Westview where SWORD is monitoring the hex very closely... This episode brought up a lot of questions, which is one of the things I loved about it. A scene I liked was when Wanda’s water broke and the house got all wet. So, Wanda used her powers to create some wind to dry off. She was standing there very gracefully and Vision was in the background struggling to keep his balance. I just thought that was funny.

Episode 4 - We Interrupt This Program

Did I mention how much I love the titles for every episode, I think they are so clever. In this episode, we see the last 3 episodes but from outside the hex! So, we get a couple more answers to our questions. For example, that it is ALL WANDA! Wanda is creating a reality where she can live in a perfect world with Vision. We get re-introduced to some characters we have not seen in a while! Jimmy Woo, who has mastered close-up magic like he was practicing in Ant-Man and The Wasp! We love to see it. And Dr. Darcy Lewis, who is now an astrophysicist, just like Jane! I think it was really good to pair these two together because they had a great dynamic and quickly became such a fun duo! We also get introduced to one of the worst people in MCU history, the new director of SWORD... Tyler Hayward. The literal definition of a bastard. I mean this man is a liar and is sitting in Monica’s chair (who should obviously be the new director). This brings me to the beginning of the episode, which in my opinion is the best perspective on the Blip we have gotten so far. The VFX when Monica blipped back was incredible. I also thought that whole sequence in the hospital showed how chaotic it must have been for some places after Hulk snapped everyone back. For example, when this one guy said “Everyone is coming back, we don’t the capacity!” I think that is a really interesting angle to explore the ramifications of The Blip. But the most heartbreaking thing about that scene was Monica finding out her mother, Maria, passed away while she was blipped. That was just awful. A fun thing about this episode was that everyone at SWORD was kind of like us, trying to piece together what was going on! But the best part about the episode was, of course, seeing how Wanda took Monica out of the hex. She really looked and sounded like a villain. It was amazing, but the most creepy thing I have ever seen in the MCU was talking zombie Vision. Really good jump scare and very unexpected and dark!

Episode 5 - On a Very Special Episode...

And we are back with Wanda and Vision living their ‘perfect’ life, trying to get the twins to sleep, which is not really working out for them. And of course, Agnes shows up to help them. Vision is kind of apprehensive and prefers if Agnes does not get too close. However, Agnes starts acting weird and asks Wanda: "Do you want me to begin from the top?" WHAT...?! I thought this sounded like she knew Wanda was in control. Wanda tries to talk some sense into her and lets Agnes do her thing. Vision starts getting really suspicious of the situation in this episode and I loved seeing that and how Wanda dealt with it as well. We catch up with SWORD and our favorite duo has become a trio!! Jimmy Woo, Darcy, and Monica! Hayward is briefing everyone about Wanda’s history, tells more lies, Monica actually sticks up for her (yas), and Jimmy & Darcy agree with the whole world that Hayward is a bastard. Back in the hex, we are introduced to Sparky the dog, and the twins age up to ten. Later, our favorite trio is on a mission to figure out what is going on. What I found most interesting about this scene was when Jimmy mentioned Captain Marvel, Monica was super dismissive... I smell some drama between those two. They then figure out if they can send something in the Hex to contact Wanda. While Vision is at work, they get a mysterious e-mail from SWORD trying to make contact inside the hex, which results in Vision waking up Norm from someone’s control!!! Such a cool scene, very well acted as well. Back at the Vision residence, Wanda has a little heart to heart with the twins about family, which I thought was very heartwarming. But then, a SWORD drone has come into the hex and Hayward actually weaponized it. And we get one of Wanda’s most badass scenes ever! She comes out of the hex and throws the drone right back at them and tells them to leave her alone since she has everything she wants. Then, she amplifies the hex with her powers and now it has this red glow around it. What I found really interesting about this was her Sakovian accent, which was so present here. The commercial for ‘Lagos’ paper towels this episode was very clever: ‘when you make a mess you did not mean to.’, which is obviously a reference to what Wanda did to that hospital in Civil War. So, Sparky is missing and they find him dead in Agnes’ hands. RIP :(. The ending of the episode where Wanda and Vision fight was amazing and SO WELL ACTED by both of them. Super tense! And of course, in the end, Evan Peters shows up as Pietro. I have never seen the X-Men movies (I know, I am sorry.), so I had no clue that he actually played Quicksilver in the FOX movies.

Episode 6 - All-New Halloween Spooktacular!

This was one of my favorite episodes and it may or may not be because of the Halloween elements. I thought the twins talking to the audience in this episode was really cute and a great way for us to get to know their personalities as well. Wanda comes downstairs looking fabulous in her classic Scarlet Witch costume from the comics!! The kids and Pietro kind of think the costume is a bit meh, but they obviously do not know what they are talking about... Pietro then talks about trick or treating with Wanda in Sakovia and Wanda says she does not remember... Clue #1 that this Pietro is being kind of weird. Later, Vision shows up in his classic comics costume, which was funny to see him in that. So Vision tells Wanda he cannot go trick or treating with them because he is doing some stuff with the Neighborhood Watch tonight, while in fact, he is going to be doing some investigating in Westview. So Pietro joins the fam instead with his classic Quicksilver costume and Tommy has the same outfit on because it is later revealed that he also has super speed. I really enjoyed the trick-or-treating bit. So, Vision is nearing the edge of the Hex and seems as though people are either stuck in a loop but still conscious or just standing completely still. Back at SWORD, our favorite trio is taking matters into their own hands and are trying to figure out a way to go back into the hex and they find out that Hayward is tracking Vision and the decay of Vibranium. Which raised a bunch of questions for me, like is Hayward just after Vision? Darcy mentions that going in and out of the hex is changing Monica’s cells. Interesting and scary. When Vision found Agnes at the edge of the hex and got her out of the spell, she knew about the Avengers but Vision did not since he has no memory. She was acting really weird though... AS ALWAYS! The town square with all the Halloween decorations looked so cute and gave me serious Halloweentown vibes! Pietro is fishing for answers with Wanda and we get another jump scare with zombie Pietro... This was even worse than Vision. Then, we get this heartbreaking scene, where he is trying to get out of the hex and tries to tell SWORD the people need help and he is slowly falling apart and nobody tries to help him but Darcy. I really thought he was going to die again and I was not ready for that. Luckily, Billy senses his dad is in trouble and goes to Wanda. She then freezes the whole town and EXPANDS THE ENTIRE HEX. That was just crazy and what a cliffhanger.

Episode 7 - Breaking The Fourth Wall

This is the Modern Family style episode and as a huge fan of that, this was sooooo well done! The humor, the confessionals to the camera, the camera work even. It was perfect. So, it’s not going so well in the hex. A lot of furniture and things in the house are switching between decades, like the twins’ game consoles and the milk. Wanda kept saying she was fine, while we can all see she obviously is not. Agnes suggests taking the twins so Wanda can have a little self-care time. Speaking of which, her confessionals to the camera were so funny! Vision seeks out Darcy and Darcy just thinks he wants to go on a date with her. All I kept thinking was: Vision, just take her out of the spell. Which of course he does later and Darcy says how she thought it would be fun to be on WandaVision but in reality, it was not, that was great. They then escape the circus by getting in a funnel cake truck. Meanwhile, Monica and Jimmy meet up with the engineer who turned out to be no one we knew. But she did bring a vehicle that Monica could use to get back in the hex. Which eventually did not work, so Monica literally runs in there without any protection really. But we got this beautiful sequence where Monica gets her powers and it was just stunning. She hears all these voices of her past and she is also ripped apart somehow with different versions of herself but she pulls them all together and she goes comes out on the other side in a superhero landing and GLOWING eyes, wow. Vision and Darcy are stuck somewhere in Westview like someone really does not want them to get to Wanda. Darcy basically tells Vision his whole story and he finally learns what Wanda had to endure concerning his death as well. Vision’s confessionals in front of that funnel truck were hilarious as well! Another thing I loved about that was that Darcy mentioned how she had been watching WandaVision (just like us hehe) and the love Wanda and Vision share is real, which I thought was really cute. Monica visits Wanda at home and she is NOT happy. Elizabeth Olsen is really selling the more villainous moments and Teyonnah Parris killed this scene as well, the emotion in her voice was on point. Agnes sees what happens and goes to stop it and takes Wanda to her house. Wanda sits in the living room and the twins are nowhere to be found, so Agnes says they are in the basement. Which has these really weird branches coming out of it, Wanda goes down and there are all these weird artifacts and this book, very WITCHY... And it is revealed that Agnes is Agatha Harkness, a witch!!! This leads to the instantly iconic smash hit, Agatha All Along!!! (which I am still very much obsessed with) So we see her messing with events like the talent show and it was also revealed that she was the one that killed Sparky... I had been following theories throughout the show, so some already suspected Agnes was Agatha but the way it was revealed was just iconic.

Episode 8 - Previously On...

I loved this one too. This episode gives us some answers to our questions and a glimpse into Wanda's past. Hosted by none other than Agatha Harkness! (I love how she was giving commentary on everything this episode, Katherine Hahn is amazing!) In the beginning, we also see some of Agatha's past and I thought it was really cool, I love the magic section of the MCU and I feel like they are starting to explore it more and more. It was also a very dark scene, really great stuff. After that, Agatha is explaining to Wanda why she came to Westview, why is she is seeking her out specifically, and showcases her magic. She also explains how she brought FIETRO in the picture (cannot stop calling him that now lol). We then take a trip down memory lane. First up, Sokovia. I thought this was cute and gave us an answer to why they are referencing sitcoms. I did not expect to see the bombing that Wanda and Pietro talked about in Age of Ultron and as it turns out the bomb did not go off because Wanda put a spell on it! Then we move to the Hydra facility where Wanda and Pietro volunteered. So when Wanda was alone with the scepter, the mind stone went to her by itself, almost like it chose her or something. I thought it was really cool that it was showing her true self or her future self for that matter. Next up, the Avengers compound. I loved how when Vision entered he came through the wall, just like he did in Civil War and he is kind of confused about the sitcom she is watching. They have a little heart-to-heart about how Wanda is feeling after Pietro's death. I have to say the writing and lines here are great but Vision says this gorgeous one: "But what is grief, if not love persevering?" That is one of the best lines in the show and MCU, so beautiful. I mean even Agatha had to wipe away a tear. The last scene was incredible. So we find out that Wanda never took Vision's body from SWORD and that Hayward is a lying bastard (tells us something we do not know). I was on the verge of tears when Wanda went to Vision's body and said she could not feel him anymore. Gosh, that was sad and made me think of Infinity War. She then leaves the SWORD HQ and drives to Westview and she stops at this empty plot of land... Because Vision bought that for them to live there :( That is just so sad and Wanda her grief was so great that SHE created the hex out of nothing. On top of that, she even created a new Vision. That whole scene was so visually striking, it was incredible. So back to 'reality'. Agatha leads Wanda outside and she is wearing her costume (which looks great btw!) and her hair is blowing in the wind and she is holding the twins hostage and she tells Wanda she used chaos magic to create the hex, which makes her THE SCARLET WITCH!!!!!! SHE SAID IT! The way I screamed omg, it was amazing!

Episode 9 - The Series Finale

We've made it!! Congrats if you have made it this far, cause this a long post. Let me start off by saying that even though some people hated this finale because of all the theories that had been spread on the internet, I really enjoyed it! Yes, even I was convinced that some of them were true, particularly Mephisto and Doctor Strange showing up. It did not happen and at the end of the day, I was fine with it because they were just theories, it was not confirmed. Now, the whole Evan Peters thing... It was a bit weird that he was just a nobody, but I was honestly not that invested in that storyline, so yeah, I get why other people were disappointed. But to say it ruined the whole show, no way, it was never about him in the first place. With the mystery of WandaVision, I think we all looked too much into every single detail. WandaVision is about Wanda dealing with her grief and the love she shares with VIsion, which they delivered on in spades and I loved seeing that. Plus, it is not to say that Mephisto will never show up, there were a lot of clues here that he might in the future with all those devil references... The finale wrapped up this story and gave some teases for what is to come. It delivered some great action at the beginning of the episode with Wanda vs. Agatha and Vision vs. White Vision. I thought the little philosophy session with the Visions was so in character, it was great. Speaking of White Vision, now that he has all of Vision's memory... WHERE DID HE GO?! I am sure we will see him again. I thought the scene where the people from Westview surrounded Wanda and were blaming her for all their trauma these past weeks, which is totally within their right, was so intense and Elizabeth really sold it!! All the Wanda vs. Agatha scenes were awesome and loved seeing them use their magic in different ways. Now, my two favorite moments of this finale. I did not realize what Wanda was doing while fighting Agatha in the air, not until Agatha could not use her powers anymore... Wanda literally used Agatha's own tricks against her by casting those ruins inside the hex! Wanda accepting her destiny as the Scarlet Witch was such a beautiful moment, I had legit chills! AND HER NEW COSTUME LOOKS STUNNING! With her hair and the headpiece, omg yes queen. Also, I think we will be seeing Agatha again, they really established that her path will cross with Wanda in a future MCU project! Now, my other favorite moment. Wanda saying goodbye to her family. Some of the lines were just beautiful and the score was emotional. I thought it was chilling how you could just see the hex closing in on them, it felt very cinematic. I genuinely think it is among some of my favorite moments in the MCU. It was a beautiful ending to this story. So, what's next?! One post-credit scene was Monica being recruited by a SKRULL!! I love it when the Skrulls just pop up out of nowhere, it's great. So the Skrull tells her there is someone who wants to see her up there... That has to be Nick Fury right?! The last time we saw him he was on some sort of space station with Skrulls in Far From Home. Maybe Monica will also play a part in Secret Invasion?! I am excited about that reunion nonetheless! The other scene was Wanda settled in a secluded area in the mountains. Wanda has been confirmed for Multiverse of Madness with Doctor Strange and I am SO excited for that. This scene confirmed it too! If u listen closely you can hear a different version of Doctor Strange's theme!! I thought it was really cool and a little scary that Wanda could be awake and have her astral projection reading the dark hold at the same time! That was powerful!

So, here we are, we made it! I loved this show and I am so happy Wanda is becoming a very big part of the MCU and her future shines brighter than ever!! Thank you so much for reading this! I hope you enjoyed it :) Next up, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier! (spoiler alert: it was amazing!!!!) Hopefully, my review will be up before Loki has started ;)

PS. I loved all the songs and scores from the show so much, I put all my faves in a Spotify playlist! Check it out here

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dannyphannypack · 5 years ago

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Crossover Fic Recs

Hey, saw your post for some fic recs! Unfortunately I can't continue the wonderful thread of reblogs because I wish to remain anonymous, but here have some cool crossovers that I didn't see get rec'd yet :D (you can either post this or add it to the reblogs, I don't mind either way)

Just Another Meteor Freak [500k words, complete] (and it's sequel, which is unfortunately incomplete) is a Smallville/DP crossover that's absolutely a fantastic read and I cannot recommend it enough, it's one of my faves! Brief synopsis: Danny goes to live with his aunt Martha Kent after his family dies (and for once Danny's family dying in a crossover fic doesn't have anything to do with TUE!), and misunderstandings of the good kind and mishaps ensue because of course Danny and Clark's hero complexes come into play. It's got hurt/comfort, fluff, angst, sibling-esque-bonding, and all sorts of cool stuff, including ghost king headcannons and new powers for Danny. It takes place mostly from a Smallville perspective, but Danny's woven in so seamlessly that you won't believe he wasn't in the original show to begin with. I read it for the first time after having not watched Smallville in years and I could still understand it though, so I think that if you haven't watched Smallville before you could still enjoy the fic a lot!

And like, honestly, I totally recommend other stuff by this author (jadedbluerose) too. She's got a Merlin/DP crossover that's pretty fantastic, but unfortunately she hasn't updated anything since 2014 :( still worth the read though!!

Spirited Away [70k, complete] is a Harry Potter/DP crossover, it's honestly THE MOST hilarious fic I've ever read. Synopsis: Danny is an unwilling student at Hogwarts, and the most chaotic Hufflepuff the world has ever seen. He claims he's been kidnapped but when no one listens to him, he raises all kinds of hell to try and get kicked out. And if that doesn't work, well, he can always sue them. 100% worth the read, it will definitely make you laugh.

Various Superphantom (Supernatural/DP) crossovers by sapphireswimming. Literally anything Superphantom found here? Totally the best. You can also check out Superphantom fics by surelysilly (whose fics are more on the darker end of the spectrum, and their prose style is kinda abstract rather than your traditional linear narrative) Vitaliciouscreations (they've got a oneshot collection that's pretty fun, as well as a oneshot that I wish they'd continue and a complete cute 13k-word penpal fic.)

How to befriend a ghost [80k, incomplete] is a HTTYD/DP crossover in which Danny gets stuck in the Viking era, and I originally started reading this for the Danny & Hiccup friendship because it's adorable and both of them see how similar they are to each other and find kinship in that. The dragon Danny gets (because this is a HTTYD crossover, this is inevitable!) really sneaks into your heart though, and I ABSOLUTELY adore Sparky as much as I adore Toothless. He's very lovable and complements Danny super well! Of course, it's not all friendship bonding and training dragons, the archipelago is Danny's home now (until he can find his way back to Amity Park/his own century) and he's going to protect it too when trouble arises, just like the dragons do. He even gets new powers along the way. This fic is pretty fun, there's a lot of switching perspectives and you really see the characters' voices come through in it, and you even get to see the dragons' POV, which is really interesting since you get to learn Sparky's backstory!

Den Mother [8k, ongoing] is a Young Justice/DP crossover that acknowledges the fact that Danny is by all rights a first-generation hero, and he's treated with the respect as such and gets to join the Justice League rather than the YJ team. Of course, he doesn't WANT to join the league at first, which is a different take than you'd expect, but he reluctantly agrees and is then given the same responsibilities as a Justice League member--that is, to teach the YJ something about teamwork or whatever. It's not very long right now, but the premise is so good! It has a lot of potential.

A Foreign Perspective [200k words, complete] is a DNAngel/DP crossover that I saw @scrollingdown call a fandom classic once and honestly agree, even though I don't think many people know/have read it. It's a cute friendship fic that focuses on Phantom (not Danny, but Phantom specifically) making his first friend, an older boy named Daisuke, who seems normal at first, but is slowly revealed to be a little more understanding of Danny's situation than he appears. Some comfort involved too since Danny deals with a little more with the idea of mourning/loss than in canon, seeing as Daisuke thinks he's a full ghost and therefore a teenager that died, and Danny learns to be a different kind of hero because of it. Really cool fic too since you don't need to know DNAngel at all to understand the fic, since it's told from DP's perspective, and you get to learn about Daisuke as Danny does. It's just super sweet and it's got some action here and there that makes it exciting, and it's really a fun read.

Other stuff by this author is worth the read too! They've got oneshots of a HP crossover and Ghost Whisperer crossover, and a sadly incomplete HTTYD crossover [100k words] that is still super super good and also deals with ideas about mourning and loss. Their non-crossover stuff is also pretty interesting (there's a Mute!Danny AU and Dash kinda-redemption oneshot I really liked).

Diversity [150k, ongoing] is another Ghost Whisperer/DP crossover, it's a found-family fic where Danny runs away from home after his family dies in the events post TUE. He ends up running into Melinda and she goes out of her way to help him. There's a couple underlying mysteries surrounding the ghosts that haunt this fic, and Melinda tries to understand Danny's past and ends up tangled in a conspiracy because Danny's hiding his ghostly alter-ego and also the GIW are involved at some point (and they are much more menacing here than in canon). It's totally a page-turner, and you can get as invested as Melinda in hoping Danny heals from his loss. Spellbound [150k, ongoing] is a HP/DP crossover by the same author! Danny accidentally gets trapped by Magical Britain and is bitter about it, but he's trying to make the best of it. The Wizards have no idea what to make of him, but he just wants to go home, and he makes a couple friends while he plots his escape. (It's actually been a while since I read that one, so I'm a bit fuzzy on the details, but I do remember feeling bad for Danny in this fic, poor boy's lonely and can't even interact with kids his own age because he's an unknown creature to the wizards. Good thing Danny's never been one to follow authority.)

A Visit to Paris [10k, complete] is a Miraculous Ladybug/DP crossover in which Danny is Akumatized... sort of. The results are hilarious: Danny's a troll, Hawkmoth is frustrated, the heroes aren't really sure what to make of it, and Danny and Adrien make a lot of puns. Oh, and Danny is the only one smart enough to fix Paris' villain problem (okay, so it might be slightly cracky). It reminds me very much of Spirited Away, which I mentioned earlier. It's got the same level of chaos that's for sure. All in all, it's a very, very fun read.

A Different Sort of House Call [50k, incomplete] is a House MD/DP crossover, it's been years since I read it but I've always considered it one of the fandom classics too? It was definitely one of the first things to pop to mind when I was trying to recall all the cool memorable crossovers to rec you, so this goes on the list too. It's Danny at the hospital with House, and the doctors are trying to diagnose him without knowing about his ghost half (and Danny's not exactly willing to tell them either). There's angst (especially since the author wrote this to follow Lab Rat by AnneriaWings), Vlad trying to be an ally (sorta?), and House being clever as usual. Sadly it's incomplete but it's still super good!!

Running Blind [20k, complete] is a CSI/DP crossover (it took me forever to find the link again since it wasn't listed as a crossover). It's super good, Danny runs away for reasons unknown (at the beginning of course) and gets caught up in a murder investigation and he suspects the culprit is supernatural so obviously he helps out. The CSI guys are both trying to protect him (thinking he was a target for the murderer) but also trying to uncover his past and the reasons he ran away. When you find out why he ran away, you might be awed like I was (especially when you realize how long it had been since he ran) or you might be unimpressed, but the aftermath and his family/friends finally catching up to him might make up for that. I kinda liked how Vlad was written here too.

Ghost Crimes and its sequels is a Criminal Minds/DP crossover. It's the first in a very long series (currently 500k+ words in total) that expands on the DP world and lore, and also involves a lot more murder, death, blood (and the other related gore-ish stuff), and overall realism. Like, Danny fights what is basically Jack the Ripper and its terrifying. It's kind of like a "dark and gritty" DP (but like, not unbearably or overwhelmingly dark and gritty), angst sprinkled here and there, along with darker themes and less light-hearted issues (mental health/trauma/depression/etc. and neglect/abuse and like, actual competent adults like social workers and stuff are a real thing in this fic). There's a lot going on but it's got its lighter nice moments too (Dani is there and gets to be a part of Danny's family, Val's in on the secret, among other things). Also some of the chapters are illustrated, it's great. Definitely check it out!

Okay that's a lot of fics so I'm gonna stop now. Have fun reading!!

#danny phantom #phanfic #crossover #submission #THIS IS SO GOOD !#THANK YOU OMG !

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magicmanias · 6 years ago

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Sparks

Pairing: Peter Parker x Reader

Summary: You were found in the ruins of the city of Sokovia when Ultron attacked—a helpless, thrown out HYDRA experiment that was left to die. The Avengers take you in and love you as if they were your own. And though you love your family, a certain sophomore at Midtown High lit the real sparks within you.

Warnings: Minor Angst in the beginning, Fluff!, so. much. fluff.

Word Count: 6.5k (this was way longer than I intended it to be)

A/N: Sorry for the long exposition, but I feel like it makes it all worth it when Peter and Y/N meet. And I didn’t heavily edit it, so I’m sorry for that.

AU where Tony discovers Peter earlier, Civil War happens but all is forgiven, and Homecoming has not happened.

There were loud booms and crashes in the distance. Flurries of terrified strangers ran past you. You didn’t know anything. Any of this. You placed your hands over your ears and closed your eyes shut. The screams. You couldn’t take the screams. You ignored the blood on your bare feet that began to run onto the dirt ground. Where were you? Where was your commander? You needed orders. Tears started to stream down your face.

“Hey Cap?” Tony flew down from the sky and landed on the once floating city of Sokovia. In the chaos amongst the terrified civilians, there was a girl. She couldn’t be more than fourteen. She looked normal—except for the red and yellow sparks that flew around her. Surrounding bits of debris floated around the girl, who appeared to be in agony as she sobbed on the ground. “I think I found something.”

—

“Hey, could I… ask you your name?” A tall, blond man in a blue suit sat down calmly in front of you. You backed away from him and cowered in the corner of your containment cell.

“Well, my name is Steve.” He reached his hand out. You refused to touch it. “We're here to help you.”

“Where's Mr. Strucker?” you whimpered. “He's my commander.”

“I-I um…” The man named Steve crunched down to your height. “Do you have a name?”

“I'm Soldier #82467. Experiment XIV,” you repeat what you were always referred to as. You were a number, not a name.

“How long has Mr. Strucker been your commander?” Steve asked you calmly.

Maybe this man could help you find your commander. Or was he the plague of the earth, as your commander always told you about? “My whole life. 14 years.”

“Do you know your birthday?” Steve continued.

You shook your head. You didn't know why that was important.

“I think we can give you a name. If you want one,” Steve said, with a small smile. You couldn't tell if it was genuine or not. “Would you like a name?”

You slowly nodded your head. A name would be better than a number.

“Let's see what we can do.”

—

“Miss, could you sit here, please?” Bruce asked you. That's what Steve said his name was. It was strange to be on a first name basis with these men.

They were very odd. They weren't… intense like the men back home. They smiled a lot more too.

Bruce placed many strange items on you, similar to the doctors back at the base. The tools he used were cold, but you were used to being cold.

“Breath in, and out,” he said. Another man came into the room. He seemed older than the man who questioned you, Steve.

“Tony,” Steve approached Tony. “Did you get the results?”

“Yeah, Capsicle. She's definitely enhanced.”

“So what did Wanda say?” Bruce asked.

“She didn't know about her. They must have placed her away from the twins,” Tony answered. “And Nat is seeing if she can pull up anything on a Soldier—”

“Don't call her that,” Steve interrupted. He looked back at you. “We don't know her name yet, but she's a kid, Tony. Not a soldier.”

“Well, Nat is seeing if she can pull anything up on her in the old files that were recovered from SHIELD.” Tony cleared his voice and muttered a small, but sincere ‘sorry.’

The three men directed their attention to you. “Um, do you know what your powers are exactly?”

You hesitated before whispering softly, “That's classified.”

“You can tell us, kid. We're the good guys. The people you used to know, weren't very nice people. And we're trying to fix that,” Tony said, placing a hand on his shoulder in uncertainty. “If you tell us, we can help you control them.”

“They already tried,” you mumbled. “And they couldn't… I killed everyone who tried. I-I didn't mean t-to.”

“Hey, hey. Doll, it's ok,” Steve put a hand on your shoulder. You flinched at his touch. Sparks began to fly around you. Steve quickly moved his hand away and backed up. The sparks faded out.

“I don't w-want to hurt you…”

—

“Nat, what do you have on her?” Steve asked. Nat walked into the living room with a file in her hand.

She placed the file down and opened it up. Inside, there was very little, but enough to give them something.

“She never… had a name,” Natasha explained. “But they did label her. Project Y/N. Maybe we could call her that?”

“It's better than Soldier #82467,” Sam said from the couch.

“I agree,” Steve said. “How come Wanda never knew her?”

“Y/N said she killed everyone who tried to stop her?” Natasha pointed to a paragraph in the file. “They put her in solitary confinement for the past few months.”

“Do you think we can help her?” Clint asked. He always had a place in his heart for kids.

“We already have,” Tony said. He entered the room with Bruce. You trailed behind Bruce meekly.

“Hi, Y/N,” the redhead said. She gave you a tight-lipped smile.

“Is that my name?” you asked her. She nodded. You liked it.

“It's not perfect, but we gave her a cuff that can stop her powers from emerging when she gets stressed.”

“Can she use them otherwise?” Wanda asked. The rest of the Avengers had walked into the room to meet you

“Yeah, with practice I think,” Bruce said.

“What can she do, exactly?” Rhodey asked.

“It appears she gained her abilities from the mind stone as well,” Vision thought aloud. “I believe her powers were given to her recently. Definitely later than Wanda.”

“I've had them for about five months,” you told everyone. “I shoot sparks and I can create heat and fires. And I can move things—without touching them.”

“I know a man who is well versed in the Mystical Arts. His name is Stephen Strange. Perhaps he could help Y/N harness her abilities,” Thor suggested.

“Thor, that's a good—” The alarm blared throughout the tower. It startled you and sparks began to fly around the room. Part of Thor's cape almost set on fire.

“Like I said, it's a work in progress,” Tony yelled over the alarm.

“Suit up, Avengers!” Rhodey called out.

“Hey hey! We should call this chick Sparky!” Sam laughed at his own joke. Everyone glared at him.

You laughed quietly. Yeah, you liked the Avengers.

—

[One Year Later]

A lot had happened in a year: Steve found Bucky, the Avengers met Ant-Man, Wakanda had opened itself to the world, and you were succeeding in your training with Dr. Strange.

Steve and Tony were very protective of you and kind of acted like your dads—you even took Tony’s last name and he and Steve signed on to be your official guardians. Nat and Wanda were like big sisters to you and you told them everything. Bucky, Clint, and Sam were the “cool” uncles that you hung out with to get away with stuff and pull pranks. Rhodey taught you how to drive and told you funny stories about Tony. Scott taught you magic tricks and you were friends with his daughter, Cassie. You often helped Bruce in the lab with his research and he definitely taught you some sciency things. And you always helped Thor out because you were the only one who could help keep Loki under control; he had a soft spot for you. You also liked to help Vision in the kitchen. You made some mean cookies.

“Friday, where's Tony?” you asked, getting up from bed.

“Mr. Stark is on the bottom floor.”

You threw on a pair of loose shorts and a tank top and went downstairs to the foyer.

You walked to the main door to see Tony with a boy. He looked around your age. He had short, brown hair and a matching set of eyes.

“Sparky!” Tony called you over. You rolled your eyes at the nickname. You cannot believe that stuck. Sam sucks so much, you thought.

“Hi, Tony.” The boy looked at you and you returned his gaze with yours. He swallowed deeply. Your eyes widened.

SPARKS.

Your eyes widened.

“Peter, this is my daughter. Well, technically she’s Steve’s too, but she has my last name, so she’s like 60% my daughter. And drop the staring, Parker. She's off limits.” Tony gripped Peter's shoulder playfully. He blushed, still looking at you.

“Hi, Peter. I'm Y/N,” you squeaked. You smiled nervously at him. You didn't have much contact with people outside of the Avengers and Cassie was really the only person you knew who was close to your age.

“I-I'm Pe— I'm P-Peter. Oh wait, you knew that…” he stuttered. He closed his mouth and bit his lip. You thought it was cute and you lightly giggled.

“I said she's off limits, Parker,” Tony almost growled. You felt the embarrassment rise to your cheeks and suddenly you felt panic. There was something about that kid that threw you off.

“I have to go,” you mumbled quickly before scurrying away.

Peter frowned at your early leave. He gulped. Stupid, Peter thought. God, why can’t you just talk like a normal person?

“She's just a little shy…” Tony sighed. “Y/N doesn’t really know any people around her age. She’s fifteen, like you.”

“I-I didn't know you-you had a daughter,” Peter inquired. He thought you were really pretty and you didn't really look like Tony.

“She's not my actual daughter. I took her in,” Tony paused. “Do you remember Sokovia?”

—

It had been a couple of days since you saw Peter. Even though you ran away from him, you couldn’t stop thinking about him. You didn’t really understand why and when you went to talk to Nat about it, she just smiled and said that you had a “crush on him.” You didn’t know what that meant though. She said it meant you liked him.

You did like Peter, you didn’t like him the same way you did the Avengers. The Avengers were your family, but he wasn’t like that to you. It was a different kind of like. You regretted running away from Peter before you could really soak up his features. His brown eyes that had looked straight into yours. It made your stomach feel weird but in a good way. His lips were… nice, too.

You decided not to talk to your “dads” about it. It didn’t seem like something a person would ask their father figures about.

Summer was ending. Tony knew it was about time you’d be around people your age. Sure, the Avengers were good company and they were your family, but you needed to make connections on your own. You had lived with them for a year now, and Tony knew you were adjusting to your new life well.

You needed to go to school.

Of course, he knew you’d be just fine education-wise. Before they gave you powers, you were training to be a spy for HYDRA, so you were given a rich education. Tony and Bruce would often teach you about science and math as well, so you were definitely well off there. Making friends was the challenge—but Tony knew a certain high schooler with spider-powers and a large knowledge on pop culture who could help her out.

“School? Tony, are you sure? She’s barely been here a year. And she doesn’t even have her powers fully under control,” Steve argued. He walked around the kitchen counter to get a mug from the cabinet.

“Yes, I think she’s ready. She’s gotta make some friends, Rogers. And what could go wrong? It’s high school,” Tony shot back. “I just want her to have some friends her age. I mean, we may have to leave her behind one day. This isn’t safe work.” Tony frowned at the thought of leaving Y/N if something were to happen to him. She was his daughter.

“You know she’s just as much mine as she is yours. I get a say in this,” Steve countered. “I mean, I’m just worried for her.”

There was a long moment of silence. Steve looked down at his coffee in contemplation. Tony came closer to him before finally saying, “Do you remember when we found Y/N?” he asked.

“Of course I do,” he answered. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

“And do you remember what you said to me when I called her ‘Soldier?’” Tony continued.

Steve realized where Tony was coming from. “I said, ‘She’s just a kid, not a soldier,’” he recited, like lines from a play. Steve sighed. “You’re right.”

“I know I am. We have to give her a chance to have some sort of childhood. Let her go to school,” Tony pleaded. His eyes grew with hope. Steve knew he couldn’t say no.

“Fine, but I want someone to look over her. She doesn’t know how to interact with people her age and I don’t want her to burn the school down,” Steve urged.

“I already have someone. You know the kid that stole your shield?” Tony laughed at the memory. Steve groaned.

“So we’re going to Queens?”

—

Peter had finished making his way around patrolling the streets of Queens as Spider-Man. He didn’t have much action today—just a couple of petty thefts. But for once, he was actually glad about the lack of opportunity. It meant he could swing around, daydreaming about her. Y/N Stark. Damn, she was pretty, he thought. Granted, his turned focus almost caused him to crash into a pole, but it was worth it. He hoped he would be able to see her again. Maybe next time Mr. Stark needed him, she would be there.

Turns out, Mr. Stark needed him right now.

“May?” Peter opened the door and walked into his apartment.

His aunt was on the couch. She turned to face him, “Hey baby. How’s Ned?”

Peter tossed his keys into the bowl next to the door. “Ned? Oh, uh. Ned—Ned is good. He’s fine. Hey, did you see that crazy car outside…?”

Tony Stark and Captain America were here. In his apartment. Two Avengers. At the same time. I mean, Mr. Stark had come by once, but he was here again—with Steve Rogers.

“M-Mr. Stark? Wh-What are you doing here? Uh, Ca-Captain,” Peter stuttered.

“Relax, alright? You should be used to this by now,” Tony said as he sat up from the couch.

“Tony Stark was talking to me about his daughter, Y/N,” May smiled at Peter and walked over to him. She gave him a hug, before quickly retreating. “Honey, you need a shower.”

Peter nodded silently and continued to stare at Steve freaking Rogers.

Steve, who was standing in the corner of the room, also walked over to Peter. He swallowed hard. “Hello, Mr. Parker.”

“Uh, hi-hi, sir.”

“Peter, I’m gonna hand it to you straight. We want Y/N to go to Midtown High,” Tony started. Peter zoned out every word after that. Y/N was going to school with him. He would be able to see her every day.

“Pete? Peter, are you even listening to me?” Tony asked, annoyed. Peter snapped out of his thoughts.

“What? Oh, yes, sir. I-I was listening.”

“Great, I thought you were drooling over my-our daughter,” Tony smirked. Steve glared at Peter.

“So, your Aunt has so graciously allowed Y/N to stay here for the school year,” Steve said, dropping the glare to thank his aunt.

Peter glanced at May, giving her a look of surprise. May smiled overly sweetly at him. Like she knew something he didn’t.

“Yeah, what, with the Avengers moving upstate and all, we wouldn’t be able to drive her down her every day and Midtown is a great school,” Tony added innocently.

Steve’s face darkened as he came closer to Peter. He went full-on dad mode, “Son, we want you to help her out. Now, she’s new to all this, like Stark told you, and we don’t want her to freak out. We’re giving you this responsibility. Do you think you can handle it?”

Peter nodded vigorously, “Yes. Yes, sir, Captain America. Yeah.”

“See? What’d I tell you, Rogers? He’s a good kid. He’ll watch after her,” Tony cheerfully patted a frowning Steve.

Tony turned back to Peter and his face too, darkened for a moment. Peter almost didn’t catch it. “No funny business, okay? We don’t want grandkids just yet.”

Peter blushed bright red. “Nope, no funny business. Got it.”

And with that, the two men exited the small apartment after thanking his aunt one last time.

May closed the door behind them and faced Peter. She smiled wickedly, “So, is she cute?”

“Wh-What?” Peter half-laughed to cover up his blush. “N-No, no. Well, I mean she’s not—not pretty, well I mean she’s beautiful, but not in a weird way! I-I mean. Wait, like she-she—”

“Okay, okay, baby. I get it. You love her.” May left him to process and walked into the kitchen.

“What? Wait—May!”

—

You looked out of the window of the car. You’d never been this far out into New York before. “Happy, are we there yet?”

“No, not yet,” he answered bluntly.

“Mr. Stark and Mr. Rogers are calling you, Miss,” Friday announced. You answered the call and your dads came onto the holo-screen.

“Hi, doll,” Steve waved at you. “How’s it going?”

“Well, the traffic is pretty bad, but we’re almost there,” Happy answered for you.

“Happy, what did I tell you about answering someone else’s questions?” Tony snapped at him.

“If someone calls me honey, sweetheart, or doll, it’s not for me,” Happy repeated.

“Anyways, we want you to know that Peter is a good kid, okay? He’ll help you around school. You have all the same classes as him, except one. So, he can show you around the school and help you make friends.”

“Yeah, I know,” you tried you sound annoyed, but you were teeming with excitement.

“If he tries anything, you tell us so I can—”

You interrupted Steve, “Hey hey hey, I get it. I get it. You know, you should warm up to him, dad.”

“I know, I just—” Steve sighed. “I just want you to be safe, baby.”

“I love you, dad. I love you, other dad,” you said, waving goodbye to them.

“Wait, am I ‘other dad?’ Y/N—” You hung up before Tony could finish.

Finally, you arrived at Peter’s apartment. Happy walked you up and left your bags with you, before leaving.

You hesitated to knock. Your hands shook with anxiety. You took a deep breath and slowly knocked.

A woman opened the door.

“Hey, you must be Y/N. I’m Peter’s aunt. You can call me May,” she told you. She shook your hand gently. “Let me help with your bags, honey.”

“Oh ok. Thanks, May.” You walked into the apartment and looked around. It was small, but it felt homey.

May placed your bags down near the couch and walked into the kitchen. “Oh sorry. Peter’s not here right now. He’ll be back tonight.” You nodded and sat at the dinner table. You were slightly disappointed, but still, you would see him tonight.

“I just ordered some pizza, so if you’re hungry, you can eat that,” May reminded.

Later, May had to run out for work but promised that Peter would be there soon. She already set up a small mattress for you next to the couch and taught you how to use the shower. So, you sat and waited for Peter to come while you ate a piece of pizza.

After two slices, you already felt pretty full, so you threw the plate into the sink, and got ready to take a shower.

—

Peter swung from the building across his apartment. He landed quietly on the fire escape in front of his room. Crime fighting took a little longer than expected today.

He felt pretty beat up on his side. Luckily, May wouldn't be able to see the damage there. It was definitely going to bruise.

He peeked inside the apartment to check if May was there. He heard the water running and assumed she was in the shower.

He crept into his room and slowly closed the door. He took his suit off and let it fall to the floor. Before he changed, he checked out his side. Yep, it was definitely going to bruise. It looked like someone colored his entire right side with a purple magic marker.

He slowly picked up his suit and winced at the pain of bending down. He had to stand still for a moment to bear the pain.

The door suddenly opened. In a panic, Peter threw his suit into his closet. It was Y/N, with nothing but a flimsy towel covering herself. And he was in nothing but his boxers.

“Oh, sorry!” you squeaked out. Were you supposed to leave? Did you want to leave? “I-I just heard noise s-so I thought I wouldn't make s-sure N-no one broke in or-or some-something.”

You blushed at the sight of his half-naked body. There went that feeling again. The one that felt weird but amazing all at the same time.

“I-It's Okay. I thought you were May. God, I'm so stupid. I thought you weren't coming u-until later! And I-I just got home so I figured I'd change and…” If Peter was panicking before, he didn't know what this was. His cheeks burned. You looked really hot. Even though your hair was wet and you were wrapped in a towel, you were still really pretty. He once again realized he was in his boxers and tried to shift certain parts.

Suddenly, you realized you were staring at his body and quickly retreated, “I should go.” You turned on your heel and headed for the door.

When he heard the door close, Peter quietly groaned and collapsed onto his bed.

“Why can't anything go right? It's only day one and you're already messing up,” he mumbled into his pillow.

Slowly, he sat back up and ran a hand through his hair and over his face. “Mr. Stark said, ‘No funny business, Peter.’ So no funny business, ok? She's… just your roommate/friend… Your super pretty roommate.”

—

School didn't start for another week, so it gave you a chance to get to know Peter.

At first, he avoided you like the plague. You tried to get to know the boy, but he always made an excuse to leave. It upset you. You had started to think he didn’t like you the way you liked him.

But eventually, he warmed up and started to speak to you, and… smile. He had a nice smile. It made your cheeks hot and the fluttery feeling would come back.

He made you laugh, more than Clint or even Sam. He showed you a bunch of new things too: memes, vines, old movies (you liked Star Wars a lot), and The Office.

You met his friends, Ned and MJ. They were really nice to you. MJ even drew a picture of you. You were “hanging out,” as Peter called it, with them and at one point you had stepped out to go to the bathroom. When you came back, you overheard them telling Peter something that he strongly denied.

“No! I don’t. She… doesn’t like me like that,” Peter argued.

“Yes! She totally does. And you do too,” Ned pushed.

“Dude, you’re a bad liar,” MJ scoffed.

School started the next day and Peter suggested a good distraction for your anxious nerves. Tonight, you were watching Alien. And though you used to live in a place full of nothing of fear, you were still scared. Come on! The alien ate people!! It was freaky.

After a long stretch of silence, the alien popped out of nowhere and started to chase the people in the movie.

“Ah!” you yelped. You jumped and dug your face into Peter’s chest. He was just glad you couldn’t see his face. He was so flustered, he forgot how to breathe.

Finally, he managed to croak out, “A-Are you scared?”

“A little,” you whimpered. “I thought this was supposed to be a comedy.”

“I told you it was scary, Y/N,” he laughed. You continued to hide your face in his chest. Carefully, he placed his hand on your hair and began to pet it to calm you down.

A couple of sparks flew around you and Peter noticed it. “Hey, hey. It’s ok, Y/N. We can watch something else if you want. I don’t mind.”

Slowly, you lifted your head to meet your eyes with his. Your face was really close to his. Peter stared back at you in uncertainty. His eyes dilated and his mouth was tight-lipped. Your heart thumped in your chest and you felt the urge to close the small space in between you. You knew what a crush was now.

Suddenly, the door flew open. Peter jumped away from you and you sat back in your spot. It was May.

“What’re you two doing?” she asked.

“We were watching a movie,” Peter explained quickly.

“Really? It seemed like something else,” she chuckled.

“No! It wasn’t anything!” Peter yelled and retreated into the kitchen.

“What does she mean?” you asked, puzzled.

“Well—”

“No! Nothing, it’s nothing, Y/N,” Peter interrupted his aunt from the fridge.

“Ok, well I guess I’ll just let you two finish,” May said nonchalantly. She turned to Peter, “Don’t have too much fun, baby. You know what Mr. Rogers said.”

“I know! I know, May,” Peter sighed. Oh, that’s what she meant, you thought.

“I’m going to go to bed,” you blurted. Peter looked up at you from the fridge.

He frowned. “Oh ok, that’s fine. Um, I’ll turn the TV off.”

He switched the TV off and turned to his room. Before he went in, he turned to you and softly said, “Night, Y/N.”

“Night, Petey.” He gave you a small smile and entered his room.

—

You took a shower and changed into a thin white t-shirt and sweatpants. You tried to sleep, but your nerves got the better of you. You were really nervous.

After several hours, you gave up and crept into Peter’s room. “Peter?” you whispered softly. No answer.

“Peter,” you tried again as you closed the door and approached his bed. He looked really peaceful asleep. You hated to wake him up, but you needed to see his big, brown eyes again.

You slightly shook him until he woke up.

“Huh? What? Y/N?” Peter rubbed his tired eyes and sat up. “What time is it?”

“I don’t know. Like two. I couldn’t sleep,” you told him. You played with the hem of your shirt nervously. “I-I’m nervous about school.”

“Hey, it’s ok. School isn’t so bad. Kids’ll like you,” he assured. You placed your head on his shoulder and pouted.

“I-I don’t know. I’ve never gone to school before. I don’t know what to do,” you fretted.

“It’s easy,” he said. “I’ll help you out. You know, with finding your classes, homework, checking out books, all that.”

“Thanks,” you mumbled. You hesitated before saying, “Can I sleep here?” Peter could barely hear you.

“What?”

“Can I sleep here? Just tonight?”

“Um, yeah. Sure,” he breathed. Peter knew it probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but he wanted to be near you just as much as you wanted to be near him. Mr. Stark’s gonna kill me, but it’s worth it, he thought.

You climbed into bed with him and nuzzled into his body. He was warm.

“Night, Petey,” you yawned. You closed your eyes and you were out like a light. Peter, on the other hand, couldn’t sleep anymore. You were so close to him. You were sleeping right next to him. You were touching him.

Peter thought about you for the rest of the night. Not only were you beautiful, but you were smart, nice, funny, and dorky. He loved every bit of you. He knew there were sparks the first time he met you and with each minute, his affections only grew.

He dreaded the morning to come when you would both have to get up.

—

School wasn’t so bad. You had all your periods with Peter, except fourth period. So, you had some time to cope with that.

First period AP European History was fun. You liked learning about the history of Europe. You would often glance over at Peter and sometimes he would glance at you. You don’t even remember what the teacher said the homework was because you were too busy focusing on the piece of hair that stuck out on Peter’s head.

Second period Honors Humanities was too easy. You already read most of the literature the teacher said you were going to read. Lord of the Flies, Macbeth, The Odyssey, The Great Gatsby, Great Expectations. Done and done.

Third period Honors Pre-calc was incredibly boring. You already knew stuff like that up to the math of radioactive gamma rays and neutron stars. So, you spent the whole period messing with Peter using your powers. You rolled his pencil across his desk and untied his shoelace. He rolled his eyes playfully at you and made an ‘I’m going to get you back’ face at you.

Fourth period was when you had to leave Peter. He was in Spanish 5 while you were in AP French. Your fear subsided, however. You had grown used to other kids and French was easy. After all, you already knew that amongst seven other languages fluently. So it was a breeze.

Trying to find Peter at lunch was difficult and you tried to focus on controlling your stress so sparks wouldn’t fly everywhere. After about ten minutes of wandering around the school trying to find the cafeteria, you finally bumped into Ned and MJ, who led you to Peter. You opened your lunch to find a note that Tony had slipped into it somehow.

We love you, baby. -TS and SR

You smiled at the small note. You looked over at Peter to see him chewing on a PB&J sandwich. He was so cute.

“Subtle,” MJ whispered to you.

“What do you mean?” you asked nervously.

“Don’t worry. He likes you too. Trust me,” she winked at you. He liked you too?

After lunch, you departed from Ned and MJ and walked to PE. You were in deep thought the entire time. Peter liked you?

Finally, you made it to the gym. The teacher just let you do whatever you wanted for the first day, so Peter asked if you wanted to walk around with him, which you quickly agreed to.

“So, how was French?” he started.

“Facile,” you answered, smiling.

“Easy?” he asked. You nodded. A gust of wind flew towards you and you shivered.

“Are you cold?” he asked.

“Um, a little. But I’ll be fine,” you said. You brought your arms up to hug yourself for warmth.

“Here,” Peter slid his sweatshirt off. “Take this.”

You blushed. “No, it’s fine. Then you’ll be cold.”

“Nah, I’m fine. Take it,” he assured. Hesitantly, you took the sweatshirt and slipped it over your body. It smelled like him.

“Thanks,” you mumbled. There was Peter’s smile again.

After gym, you had AP Chem. Once again, easy A. For you and Peter. You guys even got to be lab partners. You messed around with each other while the teacher talked out how H2O and O2 yielded H2O2.

Finally, the day was over and you sat next to Peter on the bus. Ned allowed it. He sat with MJ. You were still wearing Peter’s sweatshirt and embraced the warmth it gave you.

—

Later, you were finishing up chem homework, when you heard a crash in Peter’s room. You ran in to see Peter in a red suit. He slid his mask off to reveal cuts and bruises all over his face.

“Oh my God, Peter what happened? What are you doing?” you sat him on the bed and examined his wounds.

“I-I was um…”

“Are you that Spider-Man guy?” you questioned him, shocked. “Is that why you were at Avengers Tower the other day with my dad?”

“Yeah,” he winced when you touched one of his cuts. You muttered a small ‘sorry.’

“Oh my god. My dad never told me,” you gasped.

“Yeah, he didn’t want you to know. I’m so screwed,” Peter said through gritted teeth.

“Let me help you, Pete. Should I—Should I get May?” you asked.

“No, May doesn’t know.”

“She doesn’t? Oh ok, well um… Do you have a first aid kit?” you asked in a panic. He was pretty beat up.

“Yeah, under the sink in the bathroom.” He lied on the bed and groaned.

You got the kit from the bathroom and proceeded to clean the cuts on his face.

“Ok, we’re done with your face,” you said, placing the cotton ball down. “Now take off your suit.”

“No, it’s ok. I got it, Y/N.”

“Peter, it’s fine. I got it,” you urged. You gave him your best puppy dog face and he couldn’t resist.

“Fine.” He slipped his suit off and looked away from you. You tried to ignore his toned chest and stomach and placed bandage wrap on his torso.

“Got beat up pretty bad, huh? Tough bad guys?” you asked to distract him.

“Uh not really. I got kind of distracted,” he laughed. Your hand slipped and he hissed in pain.

“Sorry, uh go on.”

“I um…” If you’re going to tell her, I guess now would be the time, he thought. “I was thinking about you,” he continued.

You dropped the wrap and opened your mouth slightly in shock. “What do you mean?”

“Well—”

“Kids, I’m home!” May opened the door. Yours and Peter’s eyes widened. He threw his suit out of sight and quickly slipped on some clothes.

May entered the room. “Pete, what happened to your face?”

“He fell!” you blurted out. “We were running during gym and he slid face-first onto the floor.”

You and Peter laughed nervously. “Yeah, I uh, fell.”

“Ok, be more careful baby,” May closed the door.

—

You ate dinner in awkward silence with May and Peter. You stared at your food the entire time. Peter glanced every now and again at you, but you refused to make eye contact with him. Did you not like him back? Great, he thought.

Peter laid in his bed wide awake. He couldn’t stop thinking about you and how he had completely screwed up your friendship. He needed to fix this. He got up from bed and walked into the living room.

He saw you, still in his sweatshirt, sleeping. He tripped over the couch and fell onto it.

“Oof!” You quickly sat up at the noise and sent sparks through your hands.

“It’s me! It’s just me!” Peter whispered loudly. You lowered your hand and sighed.

“Peter you scared the hell out of me.”

“Sorry,” he muttered.

“What are you doing here?”

“I-I um…”

“Peter… do you… like me?” you closed your eyes shut in embarrassment.

“I-I uh…” Peter blushed for probably the hundredth time this week.

You frowned. “I get it if you don’t.”

“What? No, Y/N I do like you! I like you a lot. Ever since I first met you actually. Even though you ran away and all but—”

“I like you too,” you smiled widely.

“I didn’t tell you because your dads said I couldn’t be with you,” Peter pouted at your fathers’s warnings.

“I don’t care what they say. I want you,” you whispered.

“I want you too.”

Your faces were really close. You were unsure of what to do next, but before you could decide, Peter closed the distance between the two of you.

Wanda had told you what kissing was but you never expected it to be this great.

His lips were soft and moved carefully as if he was scared of rejection. You pushed back a little and placed your hands on his face. He wrapped his arms around your waist and deepened the kiss.

Peter never wanted it to stop. He quickly ended it for a breath of air but crashed his lips back onto yours. His hands moved up your waist and into your hair. You wrapped your arms around his neck in reply.

“Go out with me,” he said, releasing you from his grasp.

“Like-Like on a date?”

“Yeah, we could go out and eat dinner and take a walk around Central Park or Coney Island and ride the Ferris Wheel or—”

“Yes,” you breathed.

“R-Really?” Peter was surprised you agreed.

You nodded in reply and kissed him again.

—

On Saturday, Happy drove you and Peter to the Avengers complex to visit. The Avengers greeted the both of you.

“Man of Spiders! Lady Y/N. It is wonderful to see you both,” Thor greeted.

“Sparky, eh how’s it going?” Sam asked.

“Hello, guys!” Wanda waved at you both.

You greeted all of the Avengers and lastly your dads.

“Hi, peanut. How was school?” Tony asked, giving you a hug.

“It was great. Peter really helped and he introduced me to his friends.

“Oh, that’s awesome, sweetheart.” Tony let go and turned to Peter.

“Peter, did you go a good job?”

Peter swallowed. “Uh, yeah. I-I think so,” he sputtered nervously. You hadn’t told them you were dating yet. Only MJ, Ned, and May knew.

“You think so?” Steve questioned.

“I mean, yeah—yes, sir. I think so…”

“Dad, lay off, will you?” You pushed against his chest to get him to back away from Peter.

Nat came up to you to give you a hug, but before she did, she stared at you for a long moment before yelling out, “You kissed Peter, didn’t you?”

“Wh-What? No, I didn’t,” You were bright red. Shit, shit, shit.

“What?!” Tony and Steve yelled simultaneously. They stared at Peter.

“Parker, what was the one thing I told you not to do?!” Tony yelled.

“Uh, n-not to-to—”

“Not to hook up with our daughter!” Steve finished.

“But I—”

“You what!?” Tony screamed. “You did it anyway. I trusted you, Peter”

“I called you son…” Steve growled.

“Hey!” you yelled over the chaos. “I like him, ok? And he’s a nice guy. Come on, guys. Let him be.”

“But-But he—” Tony tried to defend.

“But nothing! He likes me and he’s nice and smart and he makes me laugh, ok? He’s good. You like him, don’t you?” You gave them your puppy dog sad face.

Steve and Tony softened. “Ok, fine,” Steve raised his arms in defeat. “But I’m watching you son.”

“Yes-Yes, sir,” Peter stuttered.

“But don’t kiss each other in front of me please,” Bucky added.

In spite, you smirked and pulled Peter to you by his shirt and gave him a quick peck.

Everyone groaned.

“My eyes!” Clint yelled.

“Oh boy,” Bruce turned to the face the other direction.

“Aw,” Wanda clasped her hands to her chest.

“Just—Just fucking… kill me,” Tony said.

You leaned over to Peter, who was sweating nervously at Steve, who glared at him angrily. “I think they like you.”

—

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