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exauhstedsunflower · 4 years

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How about a scene of Anne messing with Catalina in front of others but without them realizing? She keeps whispering things to Catalina to scare her (playing with her fear that Anne will literally kill her), and when the queens notice Lina is very pale they ask what's wrong and she can't say it because Anne is giving her The Look.

Oh yes. You’re evil, I like that.

Her heart is pounding, surely the others must hear it. Though she’s honestly glad that they can’t, she’s not sure how she’d react if they did.

The restaurant is kind of quiet. There’s some chatter around the room, people speaking to their waiters, people speaking to each other. The queens are among that chatter. Well, at least, the others are. Catalina hasn’t said a word the entire time. Mainly because Anne is sitting next to her in their booth, and the woman is making damn sure Catalina doesn’t.

Every time she opens her mouth, Anne looks at her with a certain look. As if she’s doing something wrong, it’s extremely unnerving. Again, she’s not sure how the others haven’t noticed. But here they are, Catalina in distress again and no one to help.

She feels a foot hit her shin as she reaches for her drink, and she knocks it over instead. Thank god it’s water. Still though, she jumps up to clean it.

“Jeez, Lina. Way to go.”

“Sorry!” She squeaks out, attempting to flag down their waitress.

“Isn’t that your phone?”

Her eyes shoot to the table, where the water has almost reached her phone. She grabs it quickly, then takes some napkins from their arriving waitress. When she finally sits, she puts her phone face up in front of her, determined not to move a muscle.

Her phone lights up a moment later, as all the queens settle back into their usual conversation. She reads the message on her lock screen.

ANNE: you’re an idiot. 😂

Catalina just looks at it, and watches her screen go dark. The waitress comes back and gives her a new drink. She won’t drink it at all.

Her phone lights up again.

ANNE: It’s rude not to answer your texts.

She feels Anne looking at her, so she decides to look up. Bad idea, the glare coming her way is awful. She shrinks into her seat and focuses back on the phone, picking it up.

LINA: Sorry.

Catalina can feel the eye roll, she doesn’t even have to see it happen. Why her? What did she do to deserve this tonight? It’s the only day she’s been able to spend with the others in weeks. Anne has been moving dates around and making it so that every time the queens do something fun, Catalina is busy. And Catalina always tells them to just go without her. Who is she to ruin their fun? The one night she gets to spend with the queens, and Anne ends up next to her.

ANNE: I wish Kit was sitting where you are

ANNE: she’s better than you. Guess this works though, I can keep an eye on you.

The last thing she wants is Anne watching her. But that's what's going to happen because she can’t exactly say otherwise.

ANNE: we can have some fun too.

Catalina’s mind goes into overdrive with that one. Fun? What does she mean, fun?

She needs to get out. She needs to not be next to Anne anymore. Whatever Anne has planned, it won’t be very fun for Catalina. So she stands very abruptly, muttering something about needing to pee, and speeds in the direction of the restroom.

When she gets there she just leans against the counter in an attempt to calm her breathing. Attempt being the key word there, because she is very close to hyperventilating at the notion of Anne doing this to her for the rest of the night. She can hardly handle being near the woman on a good day. She’s been stressed all week, and had been looking forward to tonight, only for the night to be a disaster.

The door opens behind her, and of course it’s Anne. She turns to look her in the eye, and just about brings herself to look at the wall behind Anne.

Anne cuts right to the chase, “I thought I told you to stop leaving whenever I’m around.”

Catalina’s eyes widen. She did say that, but she didn’t leave because Anne was there! Well, she did, but it wasn’t like last time! When she tries to say this the words get caught in her throat. Her chest is starting to hurt with how much speed her heart has picked up.

She presses herself further into the counter behind her. Noticing this, Anne takes three steps forward and stands right in front of her.

“Are you scared?”

Oh lord. Oh no.

She starts mentally praying. Praying for Anne to leave her alone, praying for this fear to leave her.

“N-no.”

Anne hums. Then she replies, slow and quiet, “Maybe you should be.”

Catalina doesn’t respond. Honestly, her mind just goes completely blank. Her first instinct is to run, but she can’t run because Anne just said to stop leaving when she’s there. But staying wasn’t an option her mind was ready for. Wasn’t an option her body was ready for either, judging the amount of tremors running through it.

“What do you have to say for yourself?”

“Sorry! I didn’t mean to! I promise I didn’t mean to I-“ she stumbles over her words, much to the clear amusement of Anne.

“Are you Angry?” Anne laughs at the question.

“Angry?” She questions, like what Catalina is asking makes no sense. Like her concern is completely invalid. “No. You haven’t seen me angry, yet.”

The yet in that sentence is troubling. And she says it as if it’s foreshadowing, like Catalina will see Anne mad very soon. Catalina is torn between asking about it and staying quiet. But then Anne speaks again.

“Listen, I’m going to say this once.” She’s addressing Catalina as if she’s giving a stern lecture to a child, and Catalina finds that she can’t breathe.

“If you ever try that again, you will not like what follows. Do I make myself clear?”

She looks at Catalina for an answer, and all the woman can do is nod minutely. God, why won’t Anne just leave her alone? It’s what everyone else does!

“Good girl.”

Anne brings her hand up to Catalina’s cheek, giving it a little pat. Catalina flinches back a bit but otherwise stays put. Wouldn’t want to upset her anymore. Not when she seems to be placated by the agreement.

Anne pulls away abruptly, “I’m gonna head back to the table. Be careful on your way back.” And with that she leaves Catalina reeling.

Careful? Careful of what? What could possibly happen in the distance from the restroom to the table? Does Anne know something she doesn’t?

She shakes herself, there’s no use spiraling like that. There is no immediate danger here. Making her way through the door, back into the bustling restaurant, she nearly knocks over a waitress carrying three plates. After being sure the woman is steady and apologizing profusely, she walks more carefully toward the queens.

And cant help but look around warily as she does so. Damn, Anne got to her.

Finally she gets to the table, only to see that their food has already been served. Now, Catalina wouldn’t say she is high maintenanced, or picky. But she definitely likes keeping an eye on her food at all times. It’s not that she doesn’t trust the people in the restaurant, no, if she had any trouble with eating out she wouldn’t have come. She is afraid to leave her food unattended in Anne’s presence though.

Catalina knows that she died of cancer. She knows this, truly. But back when she was dying, slow and agonizingly painful, she’d thought it was poison. Not just her, the doctors had confirmed it to be poison. And everyone thought it was the work of Anne Boleyn. She thought it was Anne, proving once and for all that she had won. Anne came out on top. Anne took her crown away, took her family away, and took her life away. So while now with modern medicine she knows she died of cancer, she can’t help but not be over the terror of being killed; even if she wasn’t truly killed. And the person who had ‘done it’ is sitting right next to Catalina’s food.

She sits in silence as the others eat, only barely touching her own plate. What doesn’t help is that Anne is infodumping her latest interest. The latest interest just so happens to be poisons, specifically one’s that go after the heart.

“Arsenic, mercury, thallium poisoning, so many ways to mimic cancer or general sickness. Thallium poisoning kinda looks like a heart attack!”

Picking at her plate and feeling vaguely nauseous, she tries her best to tune out Anne.

“It takes a real psycho to want to kill someone like that though. I can’t imagine how awful that must be, dying slowly and painfully. Not knowing what it was or who did it. I’m just glad my end was quick.”

“Anne!”

“What? I’m serious!”

Meanwhile Catalina is freaking out. This is not her ideal topic of conversation. The thought of her death is enough to send her into a spiral. But this? This is enough to give her an aneurysm.

“-Lina? You okay?”

Her eyes shoot up, seeing everyone’s eyes are now on her. Her heart races even faster, she grips the edge of the table tightly when Anne slightly leans into her. One glance at Anne says she can’t tell the truth. The look on the woman's face is enough to keep her mouth shut.

“M’fine.” She manages. Jane looks a little bit doubtful.

“You sure? You look a little pale.”

Catalina swallows down the knot in her throat. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

The table hesitantly goes back to normal conversation. You’ve managed to kill the mood for everyone. Great job. She should have just stayed home. This isn’t worth the stress. It’s not worth the terror and mental consequence. And all she’s done in her endeavor to keep the queen's company is make them concerned. How are they meant to have fun if they’re keeping an eye on her to make sure she’s okay?

All she wanted to do was have fun with her friends.

“Should I be scared you have this much knowledge of poisons?”

Anna sounds joking, like that's not a legitimate concern right now. For her it’s not. Anne doesn’t have any reason to want to kill Anna. Anne hates Catalina though, so this is horrible. It feels like foreshadowing. It feels like Catalina is losing her mind.

She keeps trying to convince herself that Anne wouldn’t actually kill her, but she has no reason to believe she wouldn’t. What’s stopping her?

“No! Don’t you trust me?”

No.

“Of course I do Bo!”

They’d never believe Catalina, they’d never take her seriously if she brought this up. She must be crazy, of course this isn’t supposed to be as stressful as she finds it. This fear is stupid, and as if to prove that to her, Anne gives her a look after that response. A look that says. ‘See, they trust me. They’d think you’re ridiculous if they knew what you thought.’

And that’s the truth. Catalina knows that’s the truth. It’s exactly why she hasn’t mentioned her feelings towards Anne to the others. It’s nothing, it’s not like Anne would ever really hurt her. Sure, sometimes she pushes her, or sometimes kicks Catalina’s shin under the table. But to kill her? While it’s something Catalina is afraid of, she hates being afraid of it. It makes her feel stupid. Surely the others would also think it’s stupid.

So she’ll keep it to herself. She counts the minutes until they can finally go home, and tries not to break down in the middle of this restaurant. And she keeps her unsafe feelings to herself.

I DID IT! That was unexpectedly hard. Credit to that one anon, @cynicalrainbows and @kiarcheo, for being super helpful with their examples on what Anne could do or say to be cruel to Lina. You guys are the best!

Thanks for the request though!!! It was really fun.

#six #six the musical #six headcanons #six the musical headcanons #Six the musical Fanfiction #Scared!aragon au

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un-piorthos-et-tous-pour-un · 4 years

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To New Beginnings (One Shot) - Phillip Altman x Reader

[quick note: I hope I got Phillip right, I think nothing’s ooc for him in there but if so, my apologies] It’s been 2 weeks now that you’ve settled in town in your appartment and you finally allow yourself to socialize a bit because if you’re gonna live there fot the unforseable future, you’ll need friends to talk to or you’ll insane pretty quick. Or at least get some drinking buddies for the time being. You enter the bar, eyeing the interior and the people already seated there. As you scan the counter, your gaze stumbles upon a tall man, lounged over a pint and naturally you find yourself drawn to him immediately. You make your way to the unoccupied stool next to him, making him turn his head towards you and you can see a grin forming on his face as you sit down. - “This seat wasn’t taken I hope ?”, you ask nonchalantly, pretty sure you already know the answer he’s gonna give you. - “Well...it is now”, he says as he eyes you up and down quickly. “Can I get you something ? My treat”, he adds before he downs the rest of his glass in one go. - “What’s the occasion?”, you question him as he signals the waiter for another round. - “My father died and I cannot bear being at home with all my siblings & their better halves right now... so I’m mourning the old man in my very own way”, he explains matter of factly but yet still mischivious somehow.

- “My condoleances”, you reply and he nods to thank you. “So this is how you deal with bad news, huh ? Interesting...”, you remark as the waiter comes to you both. - “Yup, but I’m opened to suggestions if you have anything better in mind”, he retorts as he raises his glass to tell the waiter he’s taking another one & looks over toyou to let you order a drink. - “Make it two”, you respond, waiting for the waiter to leave before you take your attention back to the handsome stranger sitting next to you. “I may have a thing or two...”, you start to say, trying to see if this raises his attention and it does, as he clearly lets you know with one nod he’s listening. “But first, let met have a drink since you’re obviously ahead of me on that front”. - “I’m a gentleman, I’ll even get you another if you wanna settle the score”, he lets out with a smile, making you smile back and slightly shake your head from his over confidence. The waiter puts the 2 pints in front of you you reach for yours, raising it to toast with him and take a couple of gulps before putting it back on the counter. - “So you’re from around here I gather”, you ask him without looking at him directly, knowing that if you did, you’d let him know he already got you hooked. - “Yeah, I grew up here, I left when I went to college”, he answers while toying with the hem of his glass and you can’t help but follow the gesture from the corner of your eyes, noticing the veins covering the back of his hand. “I don’t remember seeing you before so I’m gonna take a wild guess by saying you’re not”, he goes on after, giving you a quick side glance. - “And we have a winner!”, you mock over jokingly while smiling a bit. “I’m from France actually”, you explain shortly. - “Wow, that’s a long way from home for you. How did you end up here if you don’t mind me asking”, he says, looking quite surprised by the news since you don’t have the appauling accent that goes with it. - “My dad was working at an embassy, so we moved around a lot. Hence why I don’t sport the usual all so very recognizable french accent you were expecting as I told you where I’m from”, you state with a slight grin on your face, seeing his with a ‘caught red handed’ expression written all over it. - “Touché”, he retorts proudly with that same accent you just mentionned. - “Oh & he speaks french too”, you poke at him playfully. - “That’s about how much I know of the language I’m afraid”, he confesses with a pout. “But maybe you can teach me some more... I’m always up for learning new things...”, he adds, not even trying to hide the innuendo since he’s got his eyes fixed on you. - “Oh I’m sure you do”, you confirm with a small grin, taking another sip of your drink. “Any idea as when you’d like to start your lessons?”, you ask, slowly turning your face to him to see how your question is welcomed on his side. - “As soon as possible I’d say. I’m an eager learner”, he comments as innocently as he could but the grin on his face makes it hard to believe him. - “Somehow I don’t doubt that”, you say knowing you’re already playing in on his game but not caring anymore about where it’ll lead you next as it’s pretty obvious by now. “But I must warn you, there’ll be some tongue twisters here and there”, you throw at him, almost proud of the subtle pun you just made, knowing he’ll jump on the occasion to add another one in. - “Oh yeah... Well, I’ve been told I make good use of mine so I’m up for the challenge”, he shots back as you predicted, full on grin on his face, not even trying to hide his intentions anymore. He’s a suave bastard, you have to give him that & the chuckle you let out at his comment makes him smile even more and that sight makes your insides melt. You have to take a good sip of your drink to regain some composure, a gesture that doesn’t go unnoticed by the giant main sitting next to you. “Are you blushing ?” - “I’m not blushing, there’s a lot of people in here, it’s getting hot & you’re standing so close ignoring the basic meaning of personal space isn’t helping either”, you managed to answer almost convincingly. - “My bad, sorry”, he says raising his hands to show he’s serious saying it but still, that grin remains on his face. “But in my defense, red suits you”, he adds, earning a stern look from you that fades away the moment he gives you that damn smile again. Making you wonder how many times he got out of trouble in the past by doing this. - “Do women really fall for that anymore?”, you ask as a way to deter the topic off of you. - “You tell me”, he responds raising his left eyebrow equivocally, making you roll your eyes while you shake your head slowly. you’re both almost done with you drinks now & anticipation is building up but you kinda love the rush it provides you at the moment. It’s been some time anything as remotely exciting has been happening to you. Your last tryst was almost a year ago, after you broke up with your latest boyfriend of 7 months because he couldn’t handle the fact you earned more money than him. How little it takes sometimes to threaten one man’s masculinity... The seat next to you is freed up during that lapse and another guy sits in, ordering a drink as you put down yours, crossing your gaze & taking it as an invitation it seems as he starts looking you up & down like you were some item in a window shop. Your body tenses immediately, something was wrong with him, you could feel it and luckily Phillip steps in to cut his hopes short. - “You’re a man of good taste, no doubt about that but she’s already taken. Best luck next time pal. Shall we get home beautiful ?”, he says gently putting his hand on your lower back, selling the lie to the guy and you nod, a shiver going down your spine and you can’t really tell if it’s coming from that creep and how he’s still staring at you or the heat of his hand is spreading on your skin, even through the fabric of your top. - “You read my mind babe”, you manage to reply with a smile that’s meant to be flirtatious, leaving your seat in the process, Phillip throwing a knowing grin to the other man, his hand still on your back as you both set off of the bar now. You stand a few feet from the entrance when you turn around to face him again. “Thanks for that, I appreciate it”, you say a bit disturbed by all that just happened. - “Don’t mention it. Plus I had to defend my spot, first come first serve,” he responds smiling at you. - “What a charmer you are, saying something like this in front of me”, you remark, still amused. - “At least I’m being honest, that has to count for something, right ?”, he asked, forming a little pout, poutting on his best innocent face making you chuckle once again. Damn him and his inexplicable charm over you. - “Jury’s still out on that point”, you object even if you’re stepping toward him already, raising your head to look at him directly. “I’ve just realized I don’t even know your name”, you point out, your eyes peeled on his plum lips, waiting for him to reveal his first name. - “I’m Phillip”, he answers holding your gaze,” Enchanté”, he adds before he smiles again, seeing on your face the effect his little stunt had. - “Enchantée Phillip, I’m Y/N”, you reply matching his facial expression. And then time stands still for a few seconds as none of you speak or move, just staring at each other, probably both pondering what to do next after that awkward moment in the bar. Someone exits the door at this point and you chuckle as you both are taken aback by the sudden burst of your bubble. Once the man is gone or out of hearing range at least, you finally look back at him. “I usually don’t do this but...”, you say hesitantly before you keep goign,” would you like to take another drink at ply place ? I’m just warning you, I still haven’t unpack so there’s a lot of mess around”, you add, cursing yourself internally, not knowing why you felt you needed to mention this in the first place. - “I can help with that if you want. I can use the distraction...”, he replies his eyes fixed on you, making you feel another wave of heat rushing directly to your cheeks. - “Well since you’re offering so nicely, it’ll be rude of me to say no”, you retort with a tiny smile. He signals you to lead the way you both walk toward your cars, agreeing that he’ll follow you toyour place for convinience reasons. As you sit behind the wheel, you cant’ help but let out a small squeak of excitement & glee before you start the car and drive to your destination. It’s a quick journey and you wait for him in front of the building’s hall. Once he’s next to you, his frame’s again underlined by the difference of hieght between you two but you keep that thought to yourself & start climbing the stairs to get to your flat. You fumble for a second with your keyes, making him smile even if you can’t actually see him and as announced, the place looks like it’s been used as a storage unit. Only the bare necessities are installed. The couch, the bed, some furniture here and there but clearly, you hadn’t had the time to properly make the place your ‘home’ yet. - “How long have you been in town ?”, Phillip asks, breaking the ambient silence. - “2 weeks, I got a job offer I couldn’t let slip away”, you answer, taking your shoes off. “Make yourself comfortable”, you add, going to the kitchen to grab the glasses. - “Nice. What was it ?”, he questions while taking a look around, hands in his pockets. - “Ill be teaching French in a couple of highschools”, you say to him as you step back into the living room. “What’s your poison ? I’ve got some Jack, bourbon, rum and some vodka”, you list, handing him his glass. - “Jack please”, he replies and you go to the cabinet, extracting the bottle from it and go back to him to pour out the drinks, leaving it on the coffee table once you’re done. “To new beginnings”, he adds as a toast, smiling softly to you. - “And to your father”, you outbid, clinking your glass against his before taking a sip to ease your nerves. He nods faintly and does the same. - “So I’m the first guy you’ve brought over then ?”, the tall man asks mischiviously, clearly amused of the situation. - “ You are yes, and the first I’ve ever brought to my place after just a drink actually,” you mention honestly. You couldn’t explain it or make sense of it but something drawned you to him, like a moth to the light. - “i’m honored”, he jokes, putting his right hand over his heart to emphasize the feeling. “I promise I’ll behave”, he grins and you shake your head lightly, knowing in how much trouble you’re already in with that damn smile of his. - “What if I don’t want you to ?”, you ask, faking innocence ans you raise your glass to your lips, knowing the motion will be scrutinized by the intended target. As expected, when you look at him, his stare is fixed on your lips and you relish your little victory. - “Then I’ll do whatever you’ll tell me to do”, he manages to say after he took a deep gulp. - “Be careful now, I could take you up on that offer too...”, you retort as your upper lip sets on the rim of the glass, purposefully taking a sip as slowly as possible. It’s fun teasing him a little as he seems to be more than a willing participant to that little banter you’ve got going on. - “I kinda hope you will”, he admits as he’s getting closer to you now, head tilted forward and you’re pretty sure he’s about to lean in to kiss you but he stops and puts both your glasses aisde on the nearby coffee table. Your eyes follow his every move and you can’t help thinking about how graceful he is despite his size and how bad you wanna feel those big hands of his running up & down your whole body (the sooner the better you might add...). Once again, you both stand still, staring at each other and you’re holding your breath without knowing it. You realize he could crush you easily, he’s a good feet taller than you, wider too and yet it’s terribly arousing to feel almost helpless before him because you know he won’t do you any harm, not with how he’s looking at you right now. No, that look wants to do you so good... So when his left hand finally lands on your cheek, you melt under his touch, the anticipation giving you the final push to raise on your feet to annihilate the space between his lips and yours. He smiles against them for a second, amused by the motion but soon after he’s giving in just as much as you are and you feel his other hand settling on your waist. You can’t say how long you remain there, trying to explore each other’s mouths but at some point you have to step back, slightly out of bretah. Inhaling deeply, your tongue brushes your lips and you can feel the taste of whisky on them, just as intoxicating as his plump lips in your opinion. Noticing his chest moving as rapidely as yours, you’re relieved that you’re not the only one this is ravalling up. - “Where’s the bedroom ?”, his raspy voice resonates as he’s gently stroking your botton lip with his thumb. - “Over there,” you indicate with a short nod and the next second you find yourself lifted from the ground like you’re nothing more than a pillow, making you giggle a bit. You’re really gload you decided to go out tonight and something’s telling you that the feeling’s mutual.

#fanfic #phillip alman x reader #this is where i leave you fanfic #one shot

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crystalninjaphoenix · 6 years

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One Short Day

A JSE Fanfic

Yay, I wrote something that isn’t connected to pain for once in my life! Or at least, the most you get are hints and maybe a moment. I was planning on working on something else, but...I don’t know, I just felt like I needed something softer, and I’m sure there are people who need that too. So behold, an attempt at mostly-fluff! I just wanted to write the boys having fun out on the town, simple enough ^-^

It was rare that there was a full day they could all be together. A day where Schneep wasn’t working, Chase wasn’t recording, Marvin didn’t have a show, and Jackie didn’t have to bolt off at the last minute to do heroic vigilantism. A day where they could just do whatever they wanted, all of them, together.

They met up at Jackie’s apartment building. Naturally, JJ arrived first, then Schneep and Chase at about the same time. Just when they were starting to get worried, Marvin showed up, sprinting up to the group and skidding to a halt beside them.

“Late again, I see?” Jackie said when Marvin finally caught his breath. “Maybe we should just tell you we’re meeting thirty minutes earlier than we actually are.”

“Gimme a break.” Marvin rolled his eyes. “My phone was out of battery so I couldn’t check the time, then I got distracted.”

Jackie raised an eyebrow. “With what?”

“Um...” Marvin looked away, embarrassed. “I may have started playing Plague Inc...for an hour...or more.”

“Dude. Set a timer next time or something,” Chase said. “Ask JJ if you can borrow one of his watches if you have to, I dunno, anything.”

“Enough of this, we are wasting minutes,” Schneep said, checking his own watch. “Jackie decided what to do, what is it?”

Jackie immediately brightened. “Okay, so, we all know JJ hasn’t seen much of the town.” Everyone nodded. “So I thought we could give him the grand tour! Get lunch, go to the park, and I think the fair is open tonight so we can finish with that. That good with everyone?”

“So we’re just gonna walk all over town?” Chase asked. “Only two of us can drive, and none of us have a car right now.”

“Toughen up, Chase, walking’s good for you!” Marvin teased. “Right? Schneep, you’re a doctor, tell him I’m right.”

“He’s right,” Schneep said.

“See?!”

JJ snapped his fingers for attention. I thought we were wasting time? I certainly can’t lead the way, so I’ll ask one of you to.

“Right!” Jackie started off. “C’mon guys, lunch is waiting for us!”

They ended up at a local restaurant near the center of town called Kassie’s. It was a quaint little place, and since it was a warm day they decided to sit at a table outside. The chipper waitress gave them a plate of free fries, then took their order, and headed back inside.

“Is it just me, or is it kind of hot today?” Chase asked, fanning himself with some of the napkins.

“No, it’s not just you. God, I’m dying,” Jackie agreed.

“Jackie, you are not only wearing long sleeves, you are wearing two layers of them,” Schneep pointed out with a smile.

“Oh, you’re one to talk, Mr. Sweater-all-the-time!” Jackie rolled his eyes. “What about Jays? He’s got that vest/dress shirt on.”

JJ looked aghast. You four can run around and show your arms all you like, but I’ll have you know it isn’t proper for a gentleman!

“Are you implying we aren’t gentlemen?” Marvin asked, right before tossing a fry into the air and catching it in his mouth.

JJ raised an eyebrow. Indeed.

“I don’t care, it’s hot. I’m taking this off.” With a few flailing arms, Jackie pulled his hoodie over his head and tugged it off, revealing a Marvel-themed T-shirt underneath. “Ah. That’s better.” He looked around to see the others staring at him with wide eyes. “What?”

“Holy shit, Jackie!” Chase yelled. “Your arm!”

“Wh—oh fuck I forgot I was wearing short sleeves today.” Jackie looked down at his left arm. “Yeah, okay, I got scars, you can look all you want.”

“So that’s why I’ve never seen you in T-shirts,” Marvin realized. “Jackie, what the fuck happened?”

Jackie frowned, then coughed awkwardly. “Y’know...I’d rather not talk about it right now. Maybe later. Besides, Schneep already knows the story. ‘S how we met.”

“Honestly, you three are making mountains out of mole hills,” Schneep said. “Is fine now. You should see his torso, now those are scars.”

That only made the other three look more worried. Jackie sighed. “Look, guys, we’re having a fun day. We’re gonna have fun, and not gonna get all concerned, though I do appreciate it. And you—” he glared at Schneep “—need to stop saying that, ‘cause it makes it sound like I lost some epic battle instead of just having top surgery.”

Chase and Marvin relaxed in unison. “I’m still convinced you have, I dunno, fucking bullet scars or something,” Marvin muttered as Chase pulled the remains of the fries towards him.

“Oh yeah, but Schneep’s talking about the surgery. He’s done this before, and it’s no longer funny!” Jackie looked pointedly at Schneep when saying that last part, who just responded with a massive grin.

JJ was the only one who still looked concerned, but now that was paired with confusion. He looked around at the others. What is top surgery?

You could almost hear the hiss as the others all inhaled sharply in unison. They’d all forgotten for a moment that JJ didn’t know. Schneep cleared his throat. “Jackie, would you like to explain?”

“Right yeah. God, where do I start with this?” There was a slight pause in the conversation as the waitress returned with their food. The moment she was out of earshot, Jackie started up again. “Alright, so...” he leaned forward, hands clasped together, eyes wide and nervous. “You know how I call myself Jackieboy Man, right?”

JJ nodded. A moniker I never understood, but yes.

“Well, I didn’t always call myself that. Neither did anyone else. Because, well, they all thought that...I was a, uh, girl. Even I did. For the longest time I just sort of...accepted it. I only started to figure it out in high school. I got my first job, and one of the customers called me ‘that nice lady,’ and hearing it...just sort of surprised me. Like someone gave the wrong answer to a really easy test question. So...I started thinking, and eventually I realized that I wasn’t...actually a girl. That was when I renamed myself.”

JJ didn’t look any less confused. Why would they not understand that? Wouldn’t they be able to...see that you are not?

Jackie winced. “Well, no...you see, I...fuck.” Jackie put his head in his hands, took a deep breath, then looked up again. “I was born...in the wrong body. Top surgery is...it’s to get rid of the parts I didn’t want. Are you...are you getting this now?”

After a moment, JJ’s eyes widened. He nodded hesitantly.

“Okay. Good. Great.” Jackie sighed. “I don’t know if this word existed in the twenties, but nowadays we have ‘transgender’ as...a thing. When someone is something other than what their body is born as. I’m still a he. Or, just, anything but she, really. Literally call me anything but a girl. And please, don’t ask about what my name was before. Or what’s...down there. Those questions make me...really uncomfortable.”

My good man! JJ signed. Why would I do such a rude thing? And to my dear friend, nonetheless.

Jackie’s shoulders slumped. He leaned back in his chair and exhaled in relief. He’d been dreading this conversation, but better to rip the bandaid off now. “Thanks, man. I...appreciate your understanding.”

JJ smiled. No trouble at all, Jackie! I may not fully grasp the concept, but that’s no reason to disrespect your wishes.

“If you want, I can answer questions. Just...later. And as long as you get I don’t represent everyone who’s trans.”

JJ nodded and gave a thumbs-up. There was silence for a moment, before Chase broke it by saying “Hey, guys, I made a Jenga tower out of fries.”

Schneep rolled his eyes, and immediately knocked over Chase’s tower.

“Aw you bitch!” Chase gasped. “You didn’t even play the game right!”

“Fuck your games. Actually eat the food like it’s supposed to be.”

“You’re just jealous cause you got a salad instead.”

“Maybe I am! Did you think of that?!”

“Dude, I just said I did!”

The rest of lunch was covered in the blanket of familiar banter. Jackie smiled to himself. God, he was so glad nothing changed.

About two hours later, the boys had made their way to the southern part of the city. That was where the park was. It had an official name, but everyone just called it “the park” because there was only one of them and it was shorter. The park itself was pretty big, with trees, paths, flowerbeds, and two playgrounds at either end.

Since it was the middle of the afternoon, there were quite a few families with young children hanging around, parents watching their kids climb all over the jungle gyms and pushing them on the swings. While Marvin and Jackie walked ahead, pulling JJ with them and talking his ears off, Chase and Schneep hung back a bit. Chase was staring at the families on the playground.

“Chase? Are you okay?” Schneep asked gently.

“Yeah...yeah, I’m fine. It’s not a down day.” Schneep gave him a Look. “No, really! It’s just...y’know, seeing all the kids kinda bums me out. You know?”

“Of course I do, Chase,” Schneep said. He was probably the only one of the boys who did. “If you are feeling upset, you can go home.”

“No! God, no, that’s not what I meant at all. This has been good so far. I don’t want it to end.” Chase frowned. “Now I’m just...man. I’m starting to lose it.”

“Chase.” Schneep grabbed his hand. “If you are not enjoying yourself, we can always go do something more quiet. We would hate to push you to do something you are not up to.”

Chase considered it for a moment, then shook his head. “Nah, it’s not too bad. It helps that you guys are here, I think. But I’ll let you know...if it gets too much.”

Schneep gave him a long look, before finally judging that everything was alright. “Okay. You have to do that, or I am going to break into your home at night and yell at you for lying.”

“Okay, okay, I get the idea,” Chase laughed. He looked down at their clasped hands. “You’re not worried people are gonna think we’re a couple, then?”

“What? Oh. Is there no such thing as regular hand-holding in this country?! Besides, it should not fucking matter. Also you are not my type anyway.”

“Yeah, you’re not mine, either. You’re a guy.” Chase and Schneep both had a good laugh at that.

Marvin looked over his shoulder at the two of them. “Are you two gonna walk fast or what?”

“Or what,” Chase said with a smirk.

“Oh, you’re hilarious. A fucking comedic genius. Hey guys!” he said that last part to Jackie and JJ. “We’re gonna slow down so these two assholes can join us.”

“Marvin, how dare you,” Schneep said, mock-offended. “At least be more creative in your insulting us.”

“No.” The two mini-groups merged together to form the main group once again. “So what’re you two talking about?”

“Chase is worried that hand-holding makes a couple,” Schneep tattled.

“Bullshit,” Marvin stated. Jackie went “yeah!” in the background. JJ frowned at the use of language, but nodded. “What makes a couple is the kissing. And romantic interest in each other, which leads to the former.”

“You say, having not been on a date in at least five months,” Jackie muttered.

“Shut your stupid face, you...lovely person.” Marvin pulled his wand out of his pocket and twirled it, like he did when he was nervous. “We’ve all been kinda busy lately.”

“Yeah...that’s true,” Jackie sighed. “But maybe if you went out more, you could find someone you could go out with. Just once, if a commitment isn’t your thing right now.”

Marvin frowned. “Why in the wide world of wingmen would I go on a date once deliberately?”

“A night of fun?” Schneep suggested.

“With a complete stranger that I have no interest in? No. I need to have some intrigue in whoever they end up being.”

“None of you are gonna get anywhere with him,” Chase said. “He doesn’t get one-night stands.”

“Damn right I don’t! There’s no point!”

And it just seems improper, JJ signed. If you aren’t going to court someone, don’t approach them at all.

“Marvin! You have an ally!” Jackie gasped.

“Good. Finally, someone who agrees with me.” Marvin held up his hand and, after a moment of figuring out, JJ high-fived it. “Yeah! There we go, you got it!”

Jackie checked the time on his phone. “Alright, it’s starting to get a bit late. If we want to get enough time at the fair, we’re gonna have to book it to the eastern side.”

They didn’t actually run the whole way there, despite Jackie wanting to. By the time they got to the fair the sun was starting to set. They bought tickets and headed inside, where the Ferris wheel and the roller coaster towered over the smaller rides and the carnival games. It was a weekday, but it was one of the first days the fair was open, so the fairgrounds were crowded but not packed.

Chase gasped. “Games. We can do the games first.”

You do realized they’re all rigged, right? JJ asked.

“Who cares? They’re fun! Games now.”

Soon, the others started to suspect that the reason Chase was so eager to play games was because he knew he would win every time. The dude was scarily good. A combination of sheer luck, skill, and fuck-it-let’s-take-a-chance-ness led to many more victories than the others, something Marvin and Schneep immediately called him out for.

“You are cheating, I am sure of it!” Schneep huffed, folding his arms.

“Nah, just have a knack for it. And, in this case, practice.” Chase tossed one of the wooden balls back and forth while he waited for the carnival worker to hand him his prize. “Ya gotta aim for a bit above the spot where the third jug sits on top of the other two, then throw hard. It’s a bit of an arc.”

“No, you’re a cheater,” Marvin asserted, muttering darkly.

“Aw, c’mon! Here, will this make you less salty?” Chase accepted his stuffed prize from the worker, then handed it right over to Marvin. “I got it for you! You like cats.”

Marvin glared down at the plushie. “You’re lucky it has a cute face,” he said.

“See?!” Chase smiled. He was actually having a good time. It was a good change of pace from the park.

Eventually, everyone had a prize except for JJ. They were running out of games to play, but then Jackie spotted one of those ‘find the ball under the shuffling cups.’ “Hey guys, you up for that one?”

JJ brightened. I’m actually quite skilled at those!

“Well, then, let’s go!” Jackie pulled him over, the others in tow.

The carnival worker was calling out the rules of the game. “You get one, you win one of these lovely roses, you get two in a row, you win one of these tiny fellows here, and you get three in a row, you win one of these adorable penguins! Step right up, step right up!”

“Hey!” Jackie waved to get the worker’s attention. “We want to play!”

“Well then, young sirs, the rules are simple. Keep your eye on the ball, see right here, right here, it’s under the middle cup. Now watch as I take the cup this way, then that, then this and oh look at that! It’s goin’ fast, it’s goin’ fast don’t lose it don’t lose it! Now, which one is the ball under?”

Jackie was fairly sure he knew where it was, but he turned to JJ anyway. “So, which one?” he asked.

JJ bit his lip, then reached forward to point at one of the cups...only for the worker to slap his hand away. “I’m sorry sir, please don’t touch the cups. To prevent tamperin’, see? Just tell me.”

JJ looked a bit stunned at the worker’s aggressive tone. But he signed It’s under the left one.

“Excuse me?”

“He says it’s under the left one,” Marvin jumped in.

“...ah, I see.” The worker lifted up the cup to reveal the ball. “Seems you were right. Do you want to try again?”

The boys glanced uneasily between each other. The worker’s tone had dropped from the polite-carnival talk to one that was a bit...short. She was also talking much slower than she was before, drawing out the vowel sounds. “He can hear you perfectly fine,” Chase said. “He just can’t talk.”

“Mmm...I see...” The worker pursed her lips. “Do you want to try again?”

They all nodded. The worker was silent this time as she shuffled the cups, faster than before. When she stopped, she looked at Jackie. “Which one is the ball under?”

Jackie had a vague idea where, but he wasn’t sure. “JJ, do you know?”

The left one again, JJ signed, less enthusiastically.

“The left,” Jackie translated.

The worker frowned as she revealed the ball under the left cup. “You boys aren’t cheating, are you? Those weird gestures seem like symbols.”

Marvin laughed bitterly. “Yeah, they’re symbols alright. They stand for words. Do you not know how sign language fucking works? He’s telling us the answers ‘cause he’s the best one at it. Now let’s do this one more time.”

The worker shuffled the cups impossibly fast. Once more, she asked Jackie where the ball was. This time, he had no idea, and just looked at JJ. JJ, in turn, stiffened a bit, eyes hardening. It’s under the right one, though I wouldn’t put it past her to sneak it up her sleeve.

“Right,” all the boys said in unison.

The worker reluctantly lifted up the rightmost cup to show the ball sitting underneath. “Congratulations,” she said dully. “You win one of the big prizes. What color do you want?”

Turquoise, JJ signed. “Turquoise,” Jackie translated.

They walked away from the booth in silence. After a few moments of walking, Marvin said, “I could totally put a curse on her.”

“No,” Jackie said firmly.

“Just one little spell. She can lose her voice for a week.”

JJ shook his head, then tucked his prize under his arm so he could use his hands to sign. Revenge is never the best answer.

“It’s what she deserves!” Marvin snarled. “She was making that difficult on purpose. I saw her, she was going much slower with the customers before us. JJ, I’m so absolutely sorry on her behalf, cause god knows she’s not gonna fucking apologize.”

It’s okay, JJ insisted. Believe it or not, I’ve faced worse, especially in my day. They were much less friendly back then.

“I am sure you are not using that word in the correct meaning,” Schneep mumbled.

Marvin shoved his hand into the pocket containing his wand. “One hex. Come on. Just one. I won’t even make her ears fall off or anything.”

Everyone refused to let Marvin curse the carnival worker, and he reluctantly relented. At this point, they’d finished with the games, and all that was left were the rides. They took turns, one or two of them sitting out to watch the accumulated prizes while the others spun and flew and then stumbled off the rides. After trying most of the rides out, they took a snack break for ice cream and cotton candy.

“I think the Ferris wheel is the only one left,” Jackie said. “Unless we want to catch that sideshow thing. There’s supposed to be magicians—”

“Fake,” Marvin interrupted.

“—clowns, animals, and they advertised a knife-thrower—”

Schneep nearly choked on his ice cream. “No.”

“Okay, got it. No show then.” Jackie nodded. “But I’m not too sure about the Ferris wheel. I know at least one of us is afraid of heights.”

“Yeah, uh, me.” Chase bit his lip. “But I think I’ll be fine if I don’t look over the edge. Unless someone else doesn’t want to go on it, then I’ll stay off with them.”

“I’m good,” Jackie said. “Schneep? Marv? Either of you scared of heights?” Both of them shook their heads. “Alright. JJ?”

JJ signed, A bit, but after all these dizzy rides, I’ll take something calm like the Ferris wheel, if you please.

“Alright. Guess we’re going on the wheel, then!”

Night had truly fallen by this point. The Ferris wheel wasn’t exceptionally tall, but it still rose above everything else in the fair, providing a fantastic view of the colored lights below. Instead of having the traditional two-person seats, this wheel had booths that could fit up to eight people, so all the boys fit into one just fine. The wheel turned, and the booth turned with it. Chase squirmed, resolutely not looking over the side. Jackie and Marvin did the exact opposite, practically leaning out of the booth to look down below.

JJ tapped Schneep, signing something real quick. Schneep nodded, then yelled “Can you two stop that?! You are going to fall out of the fucking side, and you are making Jamie nervous.”

“Oh, sorry.” Jackie sat back down.

“Aww,” Marvin groaned, but pulled back into his seat. “I hope you know I do this for you, JJ.”

JJ smiled. Thank you, it’s appreciated. And I’m sure your body feels the same way, having narrowly avoided a fall to great injury.

“Nah, I would’ve been fine.”

The wheel stopped. Their booth was right at the top. “Oh, fuck,” Chase muttered, covering his eyes with his hands.

“You know, you didn’t have to come,” Jackie said quietly. “We would’ve been alright letting you stay down on the ground.”

Chase peeked between his hands. “I know. But...it’s really nice up here. Quiet. And with just you guys. As long as I ignore the distance from the ground, I’m good. You’re my friends, you know, and you make everything better.”

“Oh, Chase,” Marvin gasped. “That’s...really sweet!”

“What? Didn’t think we where friends?”

“It’s...always nice to be reminded.” Marvin smiled softly.

Well then consider this your reminder, Marvin! JJ wiggled his mustache happily. I consider you all my friends, maybe even family. You are all wonderful people and I love having you in my life!

“Nooo, stop.” It was hard to see in the dark, only lit up by the lightbulbs on the Ferris wheel, but it was possible that Marvin was actually blushing.

“You know what? I love you guys.” Jackie grinned. “Not afraid to admit it! Best friends I’ve ever had.”

Schneep cleared his throat. “Yes, I feel the same. You are all great people, and I am fortunate to have met you. I...love you as well.”

“Aaaahck!” Marvin appeared to be trying to fold into himself. “Too much love! Fatality!”

Chase chuckled. “Marvin! Accept our love!”

We love you, Marvin! JJ signed eagerly. Now you have to say it back!

Marvin made a strange sort of groaning exhale before inhaling deeply, calming down. “Yeah...I—I love you guys too. God, I love you guys so much. You should all know that.”

“There we go!” Jackie said, triumphant. “Marvin, you are, truly, the emotionally constipated one. And I thought Schneep was the worst.”

“Excuse me?!” Schneep gasped. “I assure you I am very love-sharing. I just do not use words too much because they are complicated.”

“Understandable,” Chase shrugged. “I can barely speak half the time, and I was born in English.”

I thought you were born in Ireland, JJ signed, amused.

“Oh, you know what I mean!”

The Ferris wheel started lowering, stopping and starting as it let passengers off. The boys stepped out of the booth and onto land once again.

JJ yawned. I must say that I’m rather tired after all this. I think it’s time we go home.

“Yeah, I’m starting to feel it,” Jackie agreed.

“You all are weak!” Marvin countered. “I’m good for another couple hours.”

“Watch you crash immediately upon entering your room,” Chase laughed.

“Oh, shut up.”

“I think JJ is right,” Jackie said. “It’s time to go home.”

Schneep nodded. “Yes, I could stay up longer, but I have morning shift tomorrow so I should not push my luck. I will see you all later?”

“Oh yeah.”

“Course, dude!”

“Definitely.”

Count on it!

With that, they left the fair. Eventually they split up, each heading their own separate ways until they eventually got to wherever they were staying that night. Some went to sleep immediately, some stayed up a bit later, but eventually they all went to bed.

And when they decided to do it, none of them had trouble for once.

#jacksepticeye #jacksepticeye fanfiction #jacksepticegos #septic egos #jackieboy man #marvin the magnificent #chase brody #dr schneeplestein #jameson jackson #brigid writes fanfiction

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