#I am excited because well hopefully be moving into a place with a fenced yard in a couple months

[unintentional-sad-wizard]

I don’t usually comsume caffeine (my body just doesn’t handle it well) but given that I am starting work again and extremely fatigued as a result I fear I must begin experimenting with it again. Anyway. Time to see what 100mg of caffeine does to my (extremely exhausted, zero caffeine tolerance) body today.

[amylillian22]

Doggie Door

Summary: Y/N moves in next door to Chris Evans. One night she gets called into work and asks Chris if he can dog sit her beagle, Phoebe. Knowing how crazy her work is, Chris hires someone to build a fence with a doggy door for both Dodger and Phoebe. 

Word Count: 1,784

Warnings: None. Cutness. Puppy love, pun intended, lol.

Author’s Note: I can’t remember, but someone gave me the idea to write something similar to this. Also, I couldn’t find a gif that worked with the story. Instead, I picked this cute one of both Chris and Dodger.

[My Chris Evans Master List]

Moving from Texas to Boston was slightly overwhelming for Y/N as she had never left her home state before. However, she knew it was the right decision to do when she landed her dream job at Mass General as the Chief of Pediatric Surgery. Within a week, she packed everything in boxes, drove across the country with her fur baby, Phoebe.

It’s her third day in her new home. The movers had arrived yesterday and managed to help her set up and place all the heavy furniture where she wanted. All that was left to do was unpack her boxes and turn the house into her new home.

She grabbed a box labeled dishes from the garage and brought it to the kitchen. She turned around and noticed Phoebe’s dog tags on her collar weren't clinging as she walked. Phoebe wasn’t a lazy beagle. She was active and always on Y/N’s heels.

“Phoebe?!” She looked around the half empty house and couldn’t find her. “Baby, now is not the time to play games. Where are you?” She called out again before she noticed she didn’t properly close the door that led to the garage, which was also open.

“Damn it!” She ran outside to the middle of the street. “Phoebe?!” She yelled. She jogged down the street calling out her name until she reached the deadend at the end of the street. Her eyes began to well up at the thought she lost her fur baby of 5 years.

“Phoebe?” She called out once more in front of her house.

“Excuse me?” Y/N turned around to see a handsome man walking towards her with Phoebe trailing behind him and another dog. Y/N rushed towards Phoebe and immediately kneeled down to hug her.

“I’m guessing this is your Phoebe?” Her neighbor chuckled as Phoebe licked Y/N’s face.

“Yes, thank you so much,” she stood up. “I got worried. I’m not familiar with the neighborhood just yet and neither is Phoebe.”

“I was washing my car and she came on over and started playing with Dodger,” she looked down to see his dog smelling and sniffing Phoebe. Phoebe licked his face before they started running around in the front yard. “I guess they like each other,” he smiled at the two dogs in front of him before he turned to look at her.

His smile was gorgeous. Infectious. She couldn’t help but smile back at him as she responded, “I guess so.”

“I’m Chris,” he extended her hand for a handshake.

“Yes, I know who you are. You’re Captain America. I’m Y/N,” she smiled as she took his hand in hers. “It’s hard not to know who you are when you work with a bunch of kids.”

“Ah,” he nodded. “So, you’re a teacher.”

“Actually, no. I just got the job as the Chief of Pediatric Surgery at Mass General.”

“Oh, wow. That’s amazing. It’s funny,” he chuckled.

“What is?”

“I work with a charity that helps with the kids and family at Mass Gen,” he explained.

“Really? I’d love to hear more about it.” She hoped he took the bait. She knew he was attractive. The guy was practically a Greek God. She only hoped he was open to the possibility of getting to know her just as much as she wanted to get to know him.

“How about over dinner sometime?” He asked with a sly grin.

YES! She mentally screamed.

“I’d like that. Well, you know where I live,” she pointed at her house. She mentally face palm at herself knowing she probably looked like an idiot pointing out with her thumb like she’s hitchhiking.

He chuckled, “I gotta get back to my car.”

“I’ll see you soon.” “Hopefully sooner than later,” he flirted back.

She smiled at him once more before she called out for Phoebe. Phoebe licked Dodger’s face once more before she ran back to her owner. Y/N couldn’t help but chuckle when she heard Chris tell Dodger, “I think you have a girlfriend now.”

***

During the past week, Y/N and Chris hadn’t had their dinner date yet. It’s not that they decided not to do it or one changed their mind. Y/N’s first week at her new job was hectic. She barely had time to cook or get a good night’s sleep. Chris has also been busy filming a new show for AppleTV in Boston.

However, in between their crazy and busy lives, they still saw each other in passing. They had small conversations when getting the newspaper or the mail. They’d say hi or bye when one caught the other on their way out.

But today was different.

“Ugh,” Y/N groaned as she quickly grabbed whatever clean clothes she could find. Phoebe whined in her bed, clearly annoyed she’s being disturbed during her sleep. “What the hell am I gonna do with you?” She asked Phoebe.

She quickly tied her shoes and glanced at the time. It was nearly 3AM and she was on call. Unfortunately, she was needed for emergency surgery as one of her patients took a turn for the worst. Given the horrible situation, Y/N was already worried and stressed about Phoebe. The surgery would take over 12 hours. The doggy daycare was closed to have Phoebe with her new furfriends for the night. She had no other choice but to ask her new neighbor.

She made a ‘tsk-tsk’ noise, signaling Phoebe to follow her. She took a second before she happily followed her owner. Y/N grabbed the pink leash and hooked it on Phoebe’s collar.

“Come on, baby,” She opened the front door and grabbed her work backpack. Y/N crossed her yard and into Chris’. Phoebe’s tail wagged with excitement as she realized she was going to visit Dodger.

“Please don’t get mad,” she mumbled to herself as she rang the doorbell and looked at the dark house.

She waited and hoped Chris would answer the door. Dodger immediately barked as the doorbell echoed throughout the house. Within seconds he was at the front door, barking and jumping up and down with excitement as he saw Phoebe outside the other side of the door.

After a couple of seconds later, Chris opened the door. Y/N tried her best not to drool as he was shirtless and his dark gray sweatpants hung low on his hips. He rubbed his tired and sleepy eyes, “Is everything okay?”

“I’m so sorry to wake you, but I have a huge favor to ask,” she started. “I got called into a long surgery. Too long I can’t leave Phoebe home alone. I’m wondering if you can watch her while I’m gone?” She continued without giving Chris a chance to answer. “The guys were supposed to built a fence earlier this week because I knew this was gonna happen, but somehow they were double booked and short staffed at the same time and-”

“Hey, Y/N,” he smiled as he placed his hands on her shoulders. “Relax. I got this. I can take care of Phoebe and I can keep her for a few more hours than needed so you can get some sleep afterwards. I got this. Go! A kid needs you right now. Go be the awesome superhero that you are,” He said as he grabbed Phoebe’s leash.

“Thank you so much,” she leaned and kissed his cheek. “I owe you.”

“I’ll be sure to collect,” he smiled as he waved goodbye to her.

***

Y/N groaned and turned around to lay on her back. She looked at the clock and noticed she had slept 12 hours straight once she finished her 14 hour surgery. Although there was some complications, she still had a successful surgery. The kid would have a long and hard recovery, but he was going to be able to live life to the fullest.

“I need to get Phoebe,” she mumbled to herself before she got up from her bed.

Phoebe had been next door for over 24 hours and she couldn’t have been more appreciative and thankful for Chris’ help. She already had mind to cook dinner on her night off for the both of them as a thank you.

She opened the back door and her eyebrows immediately furrowed as she saw a wooden fence around her backyard. On the left side, there was a big square hole on the fence and as if on cue, Phoebe and Dodger ran through their new opened doggie door. Phoebe ran and jump on Y/N, excited to see her owner after what seemed like forever ago.

“Hi, baby girl,” Y/N cooed as she scratched behind Phoebe's ears. Dodger started barking, wanting the same love and attention Phoebe was getting.

“Hi, Dodger,” Y/N chuckled as both dogs started licking her face.

“Howdy, neighbor!” Chris called from over the fence. Y/N stood up and walked over to see Chris’ head. She knew he was tall, but not that tall. She assumed he was standing on his picnic table.

She chuckled, “is that going to be a thing? Howdy neighbor? Because if so, I need to pull out my overalls and cowboy hat from my summer box.”

Chris laughed, his smile reaching the corner of his eyes. “So what do you think?” He lifted his arms up, showcasing the new fence.

“Chris, you really didn’t need to do this,” she started, only to be interrupted by him.

“I already had the guys coming in yesterday and I asked them to build you a fence since they were already here.”

“Let me get my check book,” she was about to walk away.

“No. It’s okay. It’s all taken care of.”

“I insist.”

“It was nothing. Just a few selfies and videos with them and they started building right away,” he smiled. “Wanna know the best part of it?”

“I saw it. The doggy door between the fences,” she smiled. “Smart idea.”

“Oh, it definitely is, but that’s not the best part,” he hopped off the picnic table. The doggy door hole was attached to a regular size door for them to cross over any time. Chris opened it and grinned as he entered her backyard, “I got us a big doggy door. Wait, that sounded wrong,” he chuckled nervously.

Y/N’s heart swelled knowing he went above and beyond to make things as easy for her the next time she got called into work in the middle of the night for surgery.

“I really don’t know how I can ever thank you,” she walked over towards him. She leaned in and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”

He cupped her cheeks and pulled her in for a kiss. It was gentle yet so passionate. Y/N couldn’t help but wrap her arms around his neck. Chris’ fingertips dug into her hips, fighting the urge to bring her body flushed against his. She pulled back first, her lips ghosting his.

“You’re very welcome,” he whispered. Then, his lips formed a huge smile and started chuckling.

“What?” She laughed with him.

“I’d told you I’d collect.”

[theycallmequeenie]

Lexie And Happy

Part One

Part Two

Masterlist

Happy’s instinct was right with in 4 months of the accident Lexie had started to pull away from him. They had begun to argue almost all the time, which usually resulted in Lexie at her uncle’s home in tears and Happy at the clubhouse making plans to go back to Tacoma. Thing had gone from bad to worse and there was no getting better in sight. Hap would do everything he could think of to reach out to Lexie but she would just pull away for him all the more he was at his wits end. He would all but beg Lexie to open up and talk to him like she used to before the accident. Hell the club would all try to get her to talk to someone and she just wouldn’t. It was as if she was intent on suffering alone in this and pulled away from everyone, but throughout all of this she never took that ring off her left hand. That was the only thing that could ground her and pull her out of her own head and stave off the depression for a few minutes.

One Saturday morning after a club party Tig and Happy both went to check on Lexie, who had once again stayed at Tig’s home, only to find it cleaned of her things with a note and that ring on the counter. Lexie was gone and it left both men standing in shock. They knew she had been unhappy but they never thought she would leave her hometown much less leave Happy without as much as a kiss good-bye.

The note was written out in her handwriting which assured Tig that this was her doing and not someone abducting her to get to the club for some reason. It read: “I’m sorry but I have to leave. I am clearly making everyone around me miserable and I can’t continue to bring my family down like that anymore. I love you all but I have to try to get me back, please understand. Tell Hap, I will always love him. It wouldn’t be fair to expect him not to move on. Maybe the next girl will deserve that ring more than I did. Uncle Tiggy, I’ll call soon I promise. Thank you for all you’ve done for me. Love Lex.”

Happy was both angry and hurt. How could she leave him like that? Just a footnote in a goodbye letter to her uncle. She was his old lady. Period. There was nor ever will be anyone else for him. He gave his heart to her and her alone. He would never open himself up like that to anyone again. He picked up Lexie’s ring and stormed of to the clubhouse, grabbed his go bag, and left for Tacoma.

That was over ten years ago. Lexie ended up in a beach town on the east coast running a garage with an ash blue pit bull name Sunshine. Happy had Transferred to SAMCRO and was now the Sargent At Arms and still known as the Tacoma Killer for his role in the club. Tig was the Vice President, Jax Bobby and several others were dead, and the President was now Chibs Telford. The pain in the ass Scot that she never really got along with. The club had taken over running Teller-Marrow Automotive but they needed help to keep it afloat. That’s when Tig made the decision…

Tig had made sure he kept the lines of communication open with his niece. He knew that was who was needed to get that garage back in shape and successful. So he called an officers meeting and discussed it with Chibs and Happy. Knowing it would still be a sore subject with Hap, Tig approached it as gently as possible, doing his best to point out it was what was needed to turn the shop around. Chibs agreed and Ha said to do what ever but not to be surprised if they were told that it wasn’t happening. Tig made the call and Lexie made the move.

Lixie knew she needed to go back home to Charming but was dreading what it would entail. She wanted to help her uncle but really didn’t want to face his brothers, one she loved had loved since she was sixteen years old despite his role in the club and the other the now president of the club she really just didn’t along with he was a Scottish pain in the ass. She was a damn good mechanic and an even better business woman and TM Automotive needed both to succeed right now. She didn’t know how well she would be received by the the new brothers in the club which she had been raised around. A great deal had changed since she was around the Sons but she knew much had to stay the same. He uncle had called her for the assist and after all he was the vice president now so the other two had to be alright with her return. She was a mile away from the lot she knew she was soon going to find out. She missed Happy and hoped that the Tacoma Killer missed her too.

Lex pulled into the lot, first making sure Sunny was alright in the backseat before getting out of her SUV, making sure to leave it running, with the emergency brake engaged, so the pup had air conditioning. As she got out of the vehicle she was met by an unfamiliar face trying to tell her that the garage wasn’t open yet that she would need to come back later. Lex simply waved him off and walked toward the newly rebuilt clubhouse calling for her uncle.

Tig was in the kitchen area making coffee stopped mid pour hearing the clicking of women’s boots on the tile floor. He had set the pot and mug on the counter and was all but to Lex before she had finished calling out his name. The moment he got within arms reach of her he had her up in his arms hugging her and telling her how much he had missed her. As he sat her back to the floor she admitted that she missed him more.  “Let’s get you back to the house and settled, You brought Sunny Bunny along too right? I can’t wait to see her.”

“Glad to be home Uncle Tig. Yes she’s in the car, anxiously waiting for you.” She laughed softly at the excitement from her uncle about meeting her dog. “And you are certain that your old lady is cool with me staying with you two for a while? I don’t want to step on toes.”

“She can’t wait to meet you. You are family. Come on let’s get you over to the house and unpacked before the chaos of the lot starts up.” He put an arm around her shoulder and walked her out to her car climbing into the driver’s seat after have Lexie toss him the keys. He drove her to his home and started to unload the things she brought with her, which really wasn’t more than two suitcases and a box of old pictures and knick knacks. Sunny was lead out of the vehicle and allowed to walk around the yard and inspect her new surroundings before being lead into the house to meet Auntie Venus.

Sunny loved Vee but Lexie was on the fence about Venus. Tig had filled Lexie in on Venus’s story and past so that she wouldn’t be too surprised but appearances or anything else. All Lexie knew was that Venus was entirely to energetic and Seven in the morning for her liking. Stepping back and extending a hand as Venus was about to hug her. Venus looked a little upset but understood that she was most likely not the first of Tig’s loves that Lexie met and wanted to keep her distance until she knew that this long term between her uncle and Vee.

After getting everything taken care of there Tig and Lexie went back to the garage to get it opened up for the day and hopefully get it back to the place it once was. Tig had assured Lex that Happy was on a run for the club in southern California and he wouldn’t be back for a few days so it was safe for her to get settled in and start digging through the office and getting it organized and then she get out in the garage to start turning wrenches with the boys.

Lex nodded at this and set to work she had the office put back together and organized in an hour and was out in the shop working happily shoulder to shoulder with Tig. The guy that had tried to tell her off from earlier this morning had come over to try again only to be stopped by Tig introducing Lexie to him.

Lex learned that his name was Rat and waved. Rat was informed of Lexie’s nickname that she had carried from birth and it wasn’t a good idea to mess with her. Lexie made a remark about knocking one biker out at sixteen and never living it down, causing Rat’s eyes to bug out slightly.

They had started chatting back and forth when the roar of motorcycles made Lex stop mid sentence, after all these years she could tell his bike just from the rev of it’s engine. Looking to her uncle as if to beg him to hide her somehow she heard the mans voice she had wished to hear for ten years now…

“Lex….” He spoke as if someone had punched him in the gut. Happy couldn’t believe his eyes. She actually came home. Had he placed money on her decision, he’d have certainly lost that bet, but one thing was for certain, once he saw her he knew for a fact he still loved her. He couldn’t get over the fact she still looked the same as she did the last time he saw her on that Friday afternoon.

Lexie could not raise her gaze to meet his giving him a sad, quieted “Hey Hap…” It still hurt her to see him and the pain that she knew he carried behind his eyes. What she didn’t know was that the pain wasn’t from what was lost in that accident but from what happened to her after it. Happy was hurt because he didn’t know how to help her get past her pain. He was hurt because the only way that could help her was for her to leave her home and him.

Lexie could stand there in front of him any longer, storming past him making sure to keep her head down to hide her tears she ran out of the garage to the club house just to get some space between them.

Happy looked at Tig and Rat and they looked back. Rat was the first to speak, “I take it they’ve met…” gaining him a glare form both of the older men.

“What the hell, Man?! You weren’t to be back until the end of the week. That’s why I timed this the way I did.” Tig did his best to refrain from yelling at Hap but failed for the most part. “Ya know, just don’t bother answering that, just go see if she’ll talk to you.”

With that Hap sighed in defeat and made his way to the clubhouse hoping that she would actually talk to him and not ice him out like she had done in the past….

To be Continued…

Part Four

[bangtantannie]

The Dance

Word Count: 3K

Pairing: Jungkook x Reader, featuring Jimin and NCT’s Jaehyun, Taeyong, and Yuta

Genre: High School! AU, Fluff

Rating: Mature (just for... stronger swearing)

Warning: Use of swear words

A/N: HELLO I AM BACK FROM THE DEAD (Only temporarily, college is beating my ass like no tomorrow TT) Anyway! This is for the absolutely wonderful, AMAZING, perfect little bby @ultmay who sent in MY FIRST EVER REQUEST. I hope I did your request justice love, I really appreciate and love you and I hope you appreciate and love this little one shot in return. This is also my first attempt at fluff y’all, don’t attack me if you didn’t get cavities from the lack of sweetness I’m tRYIng.

You can find the request here.

Do YOU have a request? Pleaseeeee just send an ask! I’ll gladly rise from the dead again to cater to your desires (hopefully I can do them justice)

Enjoy~~~ 

Summary: Once news of a school dance breaks out, Jungkook sees this as an opportunity to ask his best friend and childhood crush, Y/n to the dance and confess his feelings.

It started with that stupid dance. As soon as his teacher had made the announcement of a school dance, an idea taken from western schools to promote interaction within the student body, Jungkook perked up. This was his chance to finally confess to Y/n. It was the final stretch of the school year and he almost couldn’t believe his first year of high school was almost over. The school dance was mainly meant for third-year students as it would do good for them to let loose with the people they suffered the last three years with and celebrate the end of exam season, but the school deemed it unfair to exclude the younger students.

Jungkook’s head turned the instant he noticed Jaehyun turning toward him. He felt something within him snap when the familiar dimple made its way onto his pale cheek as his eyebrows danced above his mischievous eyes. He made a motion to throw his eraser at Jaehyun’s face, feeling a sadistic sense of satisfaction when Jaehyun flinched slightly. If Jaehyun thought that was the end of it, he was sadly mistaken because the second their homeroom teacher dismissed them for the day, Jaehyun’s head was met with a smack that had some poor kid in the front of the room flinching from the resulting thwack.

“SON OF A-“ Jaehyun said loudly, stopping just before he could say something he would regret since the teacher had yet to fully make his exit from the buzzing classroom. Girls were whispering gleefully, some boys wore looks of hopelessness, others nervousness. “That hurt you bitch.” Jaehyun hissed, wincing as he rubbed the throbbing portion of his head.

“You deserved it you bastard.” Jungkook responded coolly, popping a small rice cracker into his mouth. A post-school snack was a must, he needed to reward himself for making it through the day.

“You are gonna ask Y/n to the dance right?” Jaehyun asked, his eyes deceivingly innocent.

Jungkook shrugged, “Gotta see if she wants to go with anyone first.”

“What are you even talking about, you idiot.” Jaehyun snatched a cracker from the small package in Jungkook’s hand, ignoring the glare pointed at him. “Of course she would want to go with you. You’re both like head over heels for each other.”

Jungkook rolled his eyes, “Not this shit again.”

“It’s true, and really think about how you’re gonna ask her, because she’s one of the pretty ones in this school, and someone’s gonna snatch her up if you aren’t fast enough.” Jaehyun waved his hand in farewell as he left the classroom.

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

Jungkook walked quietly, mulling over Jaehyun’s words for the past few weeks. The dance was just two days away, and he knew if he didn’t ask Y/n today, he would be pulling a dick move if he asked her tomorrow. Putting a girl under the pressure of finding a dress and coordinating colors and all that other stuff – you might as well tell her to jump off a bridge or something.

In his backpack was a small tulip he had picked up on the walk to school. The looks he received from the florist were absolutely humiliating. He could barely look the woman in the eye without seeing her erupt in little giggles. He probably thought he was going to ask some girl out or something – she wasn’t exactly wrong, but not exactly spot on either.

“What’s got your heads up in the clouds Kook?” A familiar voice filled his ears.

Jungkook’s eyes lifted, meeting Jimin’s curious eyes. “Jimin-ssi.” Jungkook said habitually.

“AISH It’s hyung you little shit.” Jimin scolded, giving Jungkook’s head a quick smack. Jungkook knew Jimin didn’t really mind the nickname, after all it stuck after the second year of their friendship. Jimin easily slung an arm over Jungkook’s shoulders, adjusting his pace to meet Jungkook’s. “So, are you gonna ask Y/n to the dance today?” Jimin asked loudly.

Jungkook quickly shoved his hands over Jimin’s mouth, looking around as if Jimin confessed his greatest sin for everyone to hear. “Will you shut up?”

“So are you gonna ask her?” Jimin asked again after Jungkook hesitantly uncovered Jimin’s plush lips. Jungkook shuffled awkwardly, hiding behind his fringe. “Daebak. You are! Oh Jungkook.” Jimin wrapped his arm against Jungkook’s neck, putting in some sort of headlock. “THAT’S MY BOY.” Jimin praised him, dragging him down the sidewalk.

“Agh, hyung you’re choking me.” Jungkook said, feeling the sweet oxygen leave his lungs.

“Oops, sorry. I’m just a bit excited.” Jimin

“Well, don’t be. She might say no.” Jungkook grumbled. Hopefully the rose was still intact in his backpack.

“What do you mean she could say no? She’s practically in love with you.” Jimin rolled his eyes.

“Well, she wants Yuta to ask her to the dance.” Jungkook said, falling into step with Jimin.

“It’ll be fine okay, you’re gonna ask her, she’s gonna say yes, and then next thing you know BAM. You’re married.” Jimin said, grinning towards Jungkook just as they walked through the gates of the school.

The sight of a familiar figure ahead made the pair freeze at the gate. In the middle of the courtyard stood Y/n’s small figure, her face shell-shocked as Yuta held a scarily large bouquet of red roses in front of her. Behind him stood his friends holding a banner with some corny way to ask Y/n to the dance, but Jungkook couldn’t bring himself to read it.

Jimin looked at Jungkook hesitantly, physically wincing when he was met with the dictionary definition of utter heartbreak. “I’m sorry man.”

Silently, Jungkook reached into his backpack to pull out the tulip, dropping it on the floor in disappointment, “Don’t be, she got what she wanted in the end.” Jungkook pushed past the crowd that formed around Y/n and Yuta, bitterly making his way into the building.

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

Jungkook panted as he hopped the fence dividing his property and Y/n’s. His jaw clenched just thinking about that stupid dance.

Jungkook was confused when he saw Momo on Yuta’s arm instead of Y/n. All eyes were on the pair, and they couldn’t get enough of the attention. Whispers of “Where’s Y/n” were shared among every group. When Yuta and Momo finally met up with the rest of his little posse, they made a huge spectacle. The boys cheered and Yuta basked in their antics. Jungkook had the displeasure of standing right beside the group, having to watch their stupid little handshakes and bro hugs.

Yuta turned to Taeyong, who was silently watching from his place against the wall. “I did it, now cough up the cash.”

Taeyong sighed, “She’s just a first year Yuta. It wouldn’t have killed you to do something nice for once. You knew how much she liked you.”

Yuta waved off his remark “Yeah yeah, save your little speech for someone that actually cares I-“

All Jungkook saw was red. How dare he. Y/n was bouncing off the walls when Yuta asked her to the dance. She was practically glowing, and constantly fussing over how she should do her hair, her makeup. Hell she was even worried the beautiful dress she was planning to wear was too childish. Jungkook couldn’t help himself, and his rage took over him for a short moment. The next thing he knew, Yuta was on the floor, rubbing his jaw as some teacher yanked him by the collar and quite literally threw him out of the dance.

All Jungkook could think about was Y/n, and how heartbroken she must be, waiting for Yuta, who would never be ringing that doorbell to take her to the dance.

Hesitantly, Jungkook sat beside Y/n, who was curled into herself. The only signs of her heartbreak was her quivering shoulders and the little sniffle. Out of habit, his arm moved to come around her, but he dropped it on the grass behind her after thinking better of it. Jungkook only found it in him to wrap her in a one-armed hug when she delicately placed her head on his shoulder, feeling the warmth of her tears seep into his suit.

“He never came.” Y/n croaked, her throat dry from the tears that she worked so hard to fight back fifteen minutes before the dance would officially be starting.

Jungkook sighed, opting not to say anything. Instead, he rubbed small circles onto her bare shoulder and nuzzled his cheek into the side of her head. He wasn’t a very physical person, but he would be stupid to think Y/n didn’t need a hug right then.

After a while, Jungkook got tired of wallowing in Y/n’s sadness. This wasn’t Y/n, and he wanted the girl that protected his glorious mountain in the sandbox in elementary school back.

“Okay, that’s enough.” Jungkook said, pulling Y/n up with him. He rolled his eyes when Y/n whined in protest and pouted down at him. That’s right, Jungkook had yet to hit his growth spurt and Y/n had quite a few centimeters on him right now. “What the point in crying over some senior that never talked to you anyway. I was afraid he was up to no good when he suddenly asked you to that dance anyway.” Jungkook grumbled, scrolling through his phone. Once he found what he was looking for, he walked to the large tree in the yard, switching on the fairy lights Y/n and Jungkook used to decorate the ancient tree when they were little.

“Way to rub it into my face that I’ve been stupid all this time Kook,” Y/n laughed wryly to herself as she tried to subtly tried to wipe her tears away. Now that the darkness was gone, her puffy eyes were evident.

Jungkook glared softly at her. He grabbed her hands and yanked her closer to him, practically making her fall into him. Then, he placed her hands on his shoulders, and he placed his hands on her waist. He tapped the screen on his phone and started forcing Y/n to sway with him as the first notes of a Y/n’s favorite song filled the air.

“Jungkook?” Y/n asked, swaying awkwardly to the forceful movements Jungkook called “slow dancing”.

“What?” Jungkook snapped. He couldn’t let Y/n know that he had no idea how to dance. She would never let him hear the end of it.

“What are we doing?” Y/n asked, knowing that Jungkook was flustered. She appreciated the efforts he was going to cheer him up. She knew he never danced a single step in his life, and here he was, trying to lead her in a slow dance.

“I figured, I’d just bring that stupid dance here. You’re all dressed up and everything and I don’t wanna hear you whining later that you didn’t get to put it to any use.” Jungkook mumbled, avoiding Y/n’s eyes.

Y/n let out a little giggle “Thank you Jungkookie. I probably look like a mess right now.”

Jungkook took in Y/n’s state. Mascara ran down in faint black streaks down her cheeks, the curls in her hair had fallen limp to match her downcast demeanor. She refused to meet his gaze but her large eyes were glossy from the tears and puffy from the crying that had occurred before he arrived. Lip gloss on her soft, pouty was almost completely wiped away. He couldn’t help but whisper under his breath, “You look perfect”.

Y/n met his eyes in shock. Quickly, she took in his features as if she were looking at him for the first time. His cheeks still had a little baby fat, but nonetheless still looked relatively slim and extremely soft. His doe eyes reflected the all the lights in the yard, looking like little stars in a galaxy solely made of all that is her childhood crush Jungkook. Her reflection was easy to see in the dark depths of his eyes. “You’re lying.”

Jungkook shook his head in a rapid fashion. “Well.. damn I didn’t think it would go like this,” He muttered, but Y/n heard it clearly. Her heart started to skip a beat, all she could feel in her ears is the pounding of her heart. “Y/n, I like you… a lot. I think I’ve liked you ever since you punched Jaehyun when he was stepping on my mountain in the sandbox in elementary school. And I was going to ask you to the dance so that I could tell you all of this now, but Yuta beat me to it. Before I was blaming Yuta for asking you first, but there’s only me to blame. Jaehyun told me to ask you the day the very day this dance was going to happen was announced, but I was scared. I was scared you were gonna say no because I knew you wanted to be asked by Yuta even if he’s never even looked at you at school before. I think you’re the most beautiful girl in the world. I like when your nose scrunches a bit when you laugh and when you hum quietly along to the radio in the car because you don’t think anyone hears you, but I just really like you. You are so strong and brave. You’re always standing up for those that are being bullied and you’re not afraid to do what you think is right. You make me want to be a better person, so that I could be someone that can proudly stand by your side and support you when you’re too busy supporting someone else.” To say his confession shocked Y/n into silence was an understatement. She simply started at him, mouth gaping – the slow dance long forgotten. Jungkook ruffled his hair, fixing it to hide his eyes behind his bangs, “But- um- yeah. SO I like you a lot and you really don’t have to say anything but I mean it wouldn’t hurt to get an answer? YOU could take-“Jungkook started to ramble out of nervousness, his cheeks started to flush and sweat was starting to drip down his face.

Y/n couldn’t help herself, and she was afraid Jungkook would talk himself to death, eager to hear her answer yet not hear it at the same time. So, she opted for the fastest, but most effective way to shut him up – kissing him. She went in full force and smashed her lips – and the rest of her face- against his.

Jungkook’s eyes widened in shock, and quickly pulled away. “Son of a bitch – OW”. He clenched his mouth in pain. Y/n wasn’t sufficing any better, she clutched her own mouth in pain. Too much force went into that kiss, and she was pretty sure she bit the hell out of Jungkook’s bottom lip all while smashing her teeth against his. When they met eyes, laughter came over them as if they were possessed.

“You’re a terrible kisser.”

“Well, you’re a shitty dancer. Not all of us can get what we want.”

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

Jungkook fidgeted nervously. Jimin sighed for the nth time, nudging him harshly in the gut with his elbow. “Will you stop that, you’re starting to make me nervous and we’re not even here for me.”

“Shut up Jimin-ssi­.” Jungkook retorted, the casual tone coming out smoother than silk.

“Aish this kid,” Jimin muttered to himself, but they both knew Jungkook heard him loud and clear. “You shouldn’t even be so nervous. If she didn’t want to spend the rest of her life with someone as sad as you she would’ve said no ages ago.”

“Whatever hyung.” Jungkook said, shifting the weight on his feet and putting his hands into his pockets for the fiftieth time.

Jimin was just about ready to smack his best friend to next year at this point. Just as Jimin was really going to smack Jungkook when he shifted anxiously on his feet again, the notes of a very familiar tune echoed throughout the venue. Jungkook and Y/n had decided to spice things up for their wedding, Y/n picked the song that would play for the processional, Jungkook got to pick the song for their first dance. Turns out Y/n had chosen one of Jungkook’s favorite songs. Soon, the double doors opened, letting the line of couples walk down the aisle. Before he knew it, the entire wedding party had completed their entrances. Now, they just had to wait for Y/n.

The brief ten second wait was agonizing for Jungkook. He was just itching to see Y/n, seeing as he had missed her immensely since they separated last night. Jungkook’s breath was stolen when his doe eyes met with Y/n’s glossy ones. She was absolutely stunning. Her dress carefully molded to her beautiful body, her lengthy hair was swept up into an intricate updo, with a few strands curling gently to frame her petite face. Her lips were painted a with a nude color, her eyes were outlined flawlessly with eyeliner. The hollows of her cheeks were prominent and there was a soft blush placed on the apple of said cheeks. Although her face was made up quite beautifully, it had nothing on the large smile that spread on her face the instant her eyes met Jungkook’s. Her eyes lit up with love and adoration for the man at the end of the aisle, and the everyone in the venue had to be blind to miss the love they shared. She was glowing, and Jungkook wouldn’t even dream of looking away from the view before him.

The ceremony was a blur, and it wasn’t until they needed to say their vows that Jungkook started to focus again. Jungkook squeezed Y/n’s smaller hands, even going as far as to caress her soft skin. He looked deeply into her eyes, replaying all his memories with her: the day he met her when she hid behind her mother’s skirt with only her eyes peeking out, that awkward phase of puberty where they had stopped talking, to the fated day that sealed their relationship: the school dance in high school. Jungkook had memorized his vows to a tee, but there was an inkling to just… wing it. Jungkook, opened his mouth, the words caught in his throat.

“It started with that stupid dance.”

[prettieparker86]

Promises To Keep || Part 4

Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3

Pairing: Tommy Shelby x Reader

Warning: Brief adult situations, mentions of POW camps, post-traumatic stress, flashbacks, domestic violence

Gif Credit: @themanicheart-resources,  @ckare   @sceawere  @ivankaramazov88  Thank you for allowing me to use your gorgeous gifs

Tag: Please let me know if you want to be added or removed or if I forgot someone - @theskinofmyemotions,  @ishoutmarcoandyoushout, @small-heaths, @lainey-lane,  @londoncharlotte88,  @tommysmutnothingbut,  @xxdearlybeloved, @twistedrunes, @gilraenpalantir, @athewindsofsummer, @sympathyfortheblinderdevil,  @badwolf-in-the-impala,  @mafaldaz, @athewindsofsummer

Note:  We’ve seen what makes Tommy and Addy sizzle and spark. So this chapter explores a little more of what made Addy hold on to WIll even after he was gone, while still being torn over Tommy. If I wrote this well enough, I want you to be morally conflicted. I want you unsure of how you want this to end. Everyone had a stake in the game. Everyone has a reason to win. I wrote this story with the intention of it being very morally gray. Everyone is no more a sinner than a saint. Everyone is dirty for their own reasons. Hopefully I achieved that level of conflict. Also, I did do research on POW camps in WWI to try to keep this as authentic as I could. And it’s important to keep in mind this was really the generational that brought to light “shell shocked” and back then society wasn’t really sure what to do with them or how to help them.

Gotta start it off with thanks again... THANK YOU for all the likes, reblogs, and comments!!! I am just blown away by the support for this story. I never imagined anyone would want to read this and hopefully you guys still do.

So I guess it goes without saying, but I’m gonna say it anyway lol…

Likes, reblogs, and comments are encouraged and greatly appreciated. I’m just a lonely starving wannabe writer. Knowing what you guys think means everything!

After that day in the office, you keep your distance from Tommy. You realize he was right all along. You can’t go back to being friends like you had naively believed in the beginning, you had never really been friends from the start. Tommy had always been Will’s friend. You knew him because you hung on Will’s arm, you were Will’s girl. 

And while you had grown close in your own way after the war before sleeping together. That closeness was still brought on by Tommy’s commitment to keeping his promise to his best pal. You realized whatever justifications you made while Will was gone, while he was dead, what you did with Tommy in his office that day was cheating. Plain and simple. There’s was no moving that boulder in any other direction. 

So in order to live with an action you swore you’d never commit, you stayed away from Tommy, you kept your distance. For the sake of your husband and your marriage, you steered clear of the temptation of Thomas Shelby.

There were times you second guessed your choice to give up on your love for Tommy, to give up the love he had for you. But as the weeks went by, Will let the walls come down and you both grew steadily closer. You began to rediscover your love, rediscover each other. 

He began to open up and tell you about the war. Revealing after the explosion he dug himself out, but the Germans found him. He had been kept in a camp with hundreds of other men, surrounded by barbwire fencing. Little by little the pieces came out, some late at night, more after he had a few too many. He explained he lived in a makeshift tent most of the time, digging holes in the ground to keep warm at night when there wasn’t mud.

Men were always sick from typhus or cholera and dying all around him every day, some in his hands. There was never enough food, mostly just soup or scarce amounts of water that became tainted when heavy rains would make the latrine overflow. 

After half a bottle of whiskey one night, Will told you he had been kept close to the front line and that in some of his darkness moments, digging trenches and carting away bodies until he was sure he would collapse, he could see the other side, he could see his fellow men fighting, he just couldn’t reach them without getting shot. Breaking the rules meant confinement, in small places with no light for up to a week, or being tied to a post for days, or beaten severely.

He revealed he got the limp from flying shrapnel when he was digging the trenches. Said it got infected and he nearly died. He held on for you, convinced he’d see you again one day if he just held on, but it never healed right. 

Will told you how he fought so hard to get back to you, refusing to give up even when he wanted to. He explained the prisoner exchange made the end of the war drag out, and even after they got him back he had spent months in a hospital recuperating.

You were angry he didn’t have anyone send word, angry he didn’t write, but you tried to understand… Will didn’t want you to see him like that. He didn’t want your reunion to be in a hospital bed while he felt broken and lame. Learning what he went through to get home to you, you knew you made the right choice. 

You loved him, deeply. Even more now that you understood the nightmare he had gone through. You loved him before you knew what love was. And as your Will began to reveal himself to you more and more, you knew in your heart you couldn’t give up on him anymore than you could cut off your own leg and pretend to not be crippled by the loss.

Will keeps his promise, he keeps trying to be the man he was before. One night he surprises you. Taking your hand gently into his, he leads you out into the night. Lantern steady in his hand, you don’t know where you’re going as Will leads your down the soot covered streets of Small Health. When most of the seedier crowd came out for the night. 

You had nearly turned in to bed for the night when he arrived home, excited and impatient like a boy about to sneak away with you. And for a moment he looks like the version of himself in his youth, before the war, sneaking you off before your father notices, to some private rendezvous where you could get lost in each other and forget the world.

You walk the streets side by side, his arm wrapped around your shoulders as he holds a lantern in the other. No one bothers you with Will by your side, no one messes with a Blinder, let alone one as notorious as Will. He had built a reputation for himself before the war, just like Tommy, that only seemed to amplify since he came back from the dead. 

You’re not sure where you’re going until you reach the mass of wood and steel that makes up Charlie’s yard down by the cut. All gnarled and jagged edges in the dark. The stars obscured by the factory smog still heavy in the air, you still feel unsure why you’re here as Will moves on ahead, you trail his step as he clutches tightly to your hand. Weaving you through machine parts and rusted out junk, Will leads you around to the back.

“Does Charlie and Curly know we’re here?” You whisper as if you’ve broken into some place you don’t belong.

“Yeah,” Will nods easily, lifting the lantern a little higher to see ahead his feet. “He gave the word.”

Rounding a corner, you reach Charlie’s barn. You’re confused more than ever why Will dragged you out of your home after midnight to take you to Charlie’s barn, but his secrets are yet to be revealed. Will releases your hand as you both go inside, hanging the lantern on an old nail hammered into one of the posts that holds the barn steady. You look around trying to get a sense of why he brought you here, before admitting defeating.

“What are we doing here?” You finally ask.

“I wanted to bring you to the place.” Will tells you simply as you look around to see what’s changed since the last time you were there. 

Not much from what you can tell, but everything is cloaked in shadows and poor lighting. It’s hard to see much of anything, not that you were ever an expert on Charlie’s yard or cared to be. Just another place to waste time in your youth. A place to run and hide, and make mischief of one kind or another.

“What place?” You ask as a quiet laugh breaks free, confused now more than ever over what he means as you snatch up an old horse shoe and give it an easy toss into the hay.

“Where I first knew I loved you.” Will says, the words vibrating at your back, instantly stopping you in your tracks as a shiver runs down your spine. You turn slowly to face him, the lantern casting shadows across his handsome face, making him glow in the yellow light of the flame.

“I was fourteen and you were twelve. I’d brought you here after you got into a fight with your old man. You found me on the street stirrin’ up trouble with Tommy an’ Arthur, an’ wanted to get away, so I took you here. It was late, an’ particularly dark that night, an’ all I had was that stubby fuckin’ candle.” He lets out an easy laugh at the memory.

“But I remember sittin’ in here with you an’ thinkin’ you were the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.” Will’s words take your breath away, frozen and transfixed you watch as his slowly moves toward you in a shower of light and shadow. Brining it all back to you, a love nobody could break. The lifetime you shared before the war stole him away. You think you remember that night too. The first night he ever brought you to Charlie’s yard alone, after dark.

“I knew I loved you that night, Addy. An’ if given the chance, I’d have you as my girl the rest of my life. Only girl who didn’ look at me like I was trouble. Who’d look at me like I could be somethin’. An’ I use to think, if a girl as smart and pretty as you thought so, then maybe I could.” Will ends on husky whisper, wrapping you in his words and memories, as he stops in front of you. Softly he touches your cheek with the back of his hand as your heart races and you gaze up deeply into his eyes.

You catch sight of him pulling something from his jacket pocket as your gaze drops down to a little box held in his hand. Opening it up, inside revealed a silver band with delicate pedals and sweet ribbons engraved around a beautiful aquamarine gem.

You nearly gasp at the sight of it as your eyes shoot up in disbelief to Will’s smiling face and back down to the ring in the box.

“Will, what is this?” You ask, hardly able to catch your breath or believe your eyes.

“I told you when I married you I’d get you somethin’ better one day. You did such a great job holding everything together while I was gone that we ended up with some money after I took care of a few things for Tommy.” He explains, pulling the ring from the box before reaching for your trembling hand.

“Do you like it?” He asks as he slips the ring carefully onto your finger, next to the simple band of gold you had from your wedding day.

You gaze in wonder at the beautiful ring as it faintly sparkles against the lanterns flame on your finger, running your fingertips over it in awe as your heart beats hard in your chest.

“I love it,” You tell him, your breath heavy with disbelief. Hardly able to believe your eyes.

Taking your cheek gently into his hand, Will lifts your face until your eyes meet once again.

“You waited for me even after hope was gone. Held it together when anyone else woulda fallen apart. Your everything to me, Addy. An’ I don’ know what made ya fall for a fuckin bloke like me, but I’m pretty damn sure I’m the luckiest bastard for it.” He tells you, his words ending in a slight chuckled smirk before pulling you into his waiting kiss.

Your heart pains with the never-ending stings of guilt that wind like fine tendrils around your strangled heart, because you didn’t wait. You betrayed him and if he knew with who it’d break his heart too, but tonight you push that down. You bury it away. 

You don’t want to drown held down by the weight of your choices, tonight you just want to be here with your husband. Completely present in this beautiful moment with him. Just the two of you like before the war. So you set yourself free, sighing against the heat of his mouth as the kiss slowly breaks.

“I love you Adeline Darmody.” Will whispers softly to you in the pale light that surrounds you both, his full soft pout faintly brushing your lips with his declarations, before pulling you back in for another slow burning kiss. 

Running his tongue along the seam of your mouth, Will seduces your lips to part, deepening the kiss, as warm and wet meet for a taste. His hand finds your back, running along your spine and down to grip at your hip, pulling you deeper into the curve of him. You’re the first the break the kiss, smiling up at him in the shadows of the barn, as your chest rises and falls heavily against the heat of his kiss.

“I love you too William Darmody.” You whisper back to him as his fingers lacing through your hair and he smiles back you lovingly.

Your stomach clenches with the sight of it. Standing here alone with your husband in the pale lantern light, Will looks like the boy you fell in love with before life and the war stole it all away. 

Seeing him like this again feels like magic. It sparks and tingles just beneath your skin, your belly clenches and your heart races, you swear you could spend the rest of your days here and never want anything more, if only you could stay like this forever. Who you are today, holding onto everything you had before.

Leaning in, you give Will another quick kiss, but as he tries to deepen it, his arms pulling you close, you push off his chest and slip free of his grasp. Will watches you carefully, his eyebrow arching in question as you slowly back away from him and toward the darker end of the barn. Excitement building in your veins, your heart beginning to race harder as you flash him your best mischievous grin.

“You’re gonna have to work harder than that, Mr. Darmody.” You tease him, watching the rules of the game become clear in his mind as a smirk curls on his lips.

He holds your eyes for a moment and you brace yourself, heart pounding as you await his next move. When Will finally lunges for you, you squeal in delight, slipping out of his reach just before he can get ahold of you.

Moving quickly away, you glance back to see Will moving for the lantern still hanging on the nail, his pupils dark like madness in swirl of his beautiful blue eyes. You hold his gaze a moment longer before slipping into the shadows, deeper into the barn. 

You wander down toward what you think is the back, where the piles of hay are stacked. Your eyes slowly adjust to the lack of light that surrounds you, the world transforming into bleeding shades of grey and blackness, all melting and weaving together. The sound of his steps sends you glancing back over your shoulder.

Spotting the faint light of the lantern approaching, you knew Will could find you easily, he still knows Charlie’s yard better than you. It’s then you realize you want him to find you, as you slowly turn back his way. The light from the lantern illuminating you as Will rounds the corner of the stables.

Your eyes meet in the faint yellow light as your hands rise and find the top button to your white blouse. Slowly working it free before your fingers slip down to the next. You watch Will’s gaze become transfixed upon the movement of your hands and the skin you’re slowly revealing to him as he draws closer to you with every step.

“Is this what you want, Will?” You ask suggestively, your voice raspy, breath heavy as you slip free the button held between your breasts, growing more wanton by the second from the heat of his stare. You know what Will wants, you can see the familiar darkness in his eyes. And you know what you want too… Him. 

Sometimes it scares you how badly you want him still. As if losing him and thinking you’d never get to feel his love again made you realize how badly you covet it. Things may have been rocky when he first came home, so much time had passed, you were both different, but once he began opening himself back up to you, everything came back with it.

Will’s eyes flash up to yours with your question - full of innuendo, the heat of his gaze, the way he devours you with desire in his eyes, makes your belly tighten and skin grow flush even in the cold.

“Fuck,” You hear Will breath out on a heavy ragged breath as you finish the last few buttons on your blouse. He hooks the lantern on a nail hanging from another beam, practically to you now.

In seconds he’s on you, his mouth insistent and hungry against your own, pushing you back with the force of his kiss, as his arm encircle you, clutching you close against him and your arms tangle around the back of his neck.

When you break, it’s the sound of your breaths, heavy and panting that cuts through the quiet night air. Reaching the stacks of hay, Will hoists you up on a few bails, your legs spreading for him as he tugs your skirt up your thighs and slips between the warm embrace of them. 

His mouth latches briefly onto your jaw before slipping down to the skin you’ve exposed for him. Sucking and nip at the sensitive place along your neck he knows always draws a moan from your lips as his hands moving eagerly inside your open blouse.

“You’re everything I want, Addy.” Will says on a deep gritty breath, finally answering your question as you pull the suspenders off his shoulders and begin to frantically pull free the buttons of his shirt.

His palms are cold and rough against your soft skin, the contrast feels deliriously good as your hands work free his shirt, eager to feel him under your palms, feel his skin warm against your own. Your head drops back in a daze against the assault of his soft full lips, your heavy sighs echoing through the quiet barn. You arch against him, encouraging the heat of his mouth as it moves further down your body, taking your blouse with him.

Reaching for the bulge pressed tightly against his trousers and your thigh, you rub your palm against him, trying to ignite the same pleasure he’s bringing you. You unbutton his trousers and Will’s knees buckle against the hay stack as you take ahold of him with a tight grip. A low shaky moan vibrating against the top of your breast as you begin to stroke him just the way you know he likes. 

Will’s always been your weakness, from the first time he touched you. Since you first discovered how to make each other melt. The smell of him, the taste of him, the feel of him, he makes your body spark and sizzle under his undivided attention, under his love. He knows all your tender spots, every place that makes your whimper and beg, and you know his, all the little tricks and place that leave this fearless Blinder putty in your hands.

  You were late. You were never late and you should have known that would only raise hairs, but you had foolishly hoped just this once it’d slip by. That in all the chaos of runners, the counters, John calling out odds as he scribbles chalk to a board, while men shuffle in an out of the building to thrown down their last coin, you’d slip by unnoticed. But your gut was right and your hopes are as empty as dreams come morning light it seems these days. 

When you arrive at the betting shop, you slip past what feels like a herd of men, trying to disappear in the sea of them as they carry on at a dizzying pace. You hang your jacket over your chair and get right to it as if you had already been there. Plopping down in your usual chair, grabbing the slips, pulling the tally’s, but Polly is coming over, parting the sea before you’ve even gotten through the first few slips. You catch sight of her out of the corner of your eye as your face drops and you try to discretely pull your hair around your face.

“You’re late.” She says, stating the facts as she comes around your desk.

“I know. I’m sorry. Something came up.” You try to explain as you keep your hands busy, letting the papers slip through your fingers as you keep count, keeping your face down and your hair nearly in your eyes.

“Addy?” Polly calls, looking you over, you practically feel her gaze like a touch to your face, tugging it up to meet her eyes as she stops at the corner of her desk. Her tone neutral in a way that doesn’t make you second guess her call, but the knots in your belly know better as you finally glance up from your desk and meet her eyes. Trying your best to keep your hair in place the best you can.

“Stand up.” She orders almost instantly and you can see it in her eyes as your heart starts to hammer. Watch it register on her face as your duck your head back down to your desk.

“Pol, I’m trying to catch up on-“

“Up now,” she demands insistently, rounding the desk and pulling your chair back insistently.

Resigned to her will, you reluctantly your stand, because when Polly insists you’ve learned there’s no getting out of it. But you don’t look at her as you chew on your bottom lip. Keeping your eyes down, scanning the top of the desk, and hair in your face. But Polly doesn’t need or ask for permission as she moves to you, sweeping the hair back behind your ear and grabbing at your chin for a better look. You cringe even before she does.

“Holy shit,” Rolls heavily off her tongue, disbelief dripping from her words.

“He do this to you?” Polly inquires low on her breath, tilting your chin toward the light to examine the fresh bruise along the edge of your face, riding the ridge that joins your cheekbone and eye socket.

“It was an accident…” You try to explain before a pair of eyes that feel sharp like daggers pierce through you from across the room. 

Even now you can feel the hold of them from a mile away. Your breath quickens with a new alarm as your eyes glance over quick and spot Tommy standing next to the door of his office. Hands are shoved tightly in his pockets, but his is jaw flexing, eyes zeroed in on you and Polly, before he bursts to life like a fired pistol, grabbing his jacket and storming for the door.

“Fuck,” You swear on a harsh frantic breath, pulling from Polly’s grasp as you watch Tommy storm out the front door of the betting shop. You don’t even need to bother asking to know where he’s headed and that’s exactly what you didn’t want to happen.

“Watch me stuff, Pol.” You practically beg her in haste. Your frantic eyes meeting her gaze, you can see she has questions of her own – about you, about your face, and why your chasing after Tommy, but there’s no time for any of them as you take off after him before he does something that will only make a bad situation worse.

Like a man on a mission, Thomas Shelby storms down the dirty streets of Small Heath. Women and children scurrying out his way as men nod or bow their heads in a show of respect as he marches by like a force of nature. By the time you make it out of the betting shop you have to practically race down the lane to catch up with him. Clutching your long skirt, your heels sink in the mud and filth as you make haste down the crowded streets of early morning.

“Tommy,” You take ahold of his arm as you finally reach him. Trying to reason with him, but Tommy only shrugs you off and keeps pounding the soot covered streets, billow of smoke from his cigarette blowing past his lips, and trailing him like the stacks from a nearby factory.

You realize in that moment you’re going to have to be more forceful in your approach if you have any prayer of getting through to him. Racing around to the front of Tommy, you press firmly against his chest, pressing your weight into his waistcoat and button-down as you dig your heels into the dirt and soot, trying to make him stop.

“Thomas stop,” You demand more firmly. “Don’t make me make a scene in the street in front of everyone.”

Your words break through his anger, Tommy waivers for a brief moment, his gaze faltering from the determined road ahead of him and down to where you press against him. It’s only a brief moment, but you seize it as you snatch his hand in your own and drag him into the nearest alley way, where you can have a word without all of Small Heath hearing about it. Having surely caused enough of a scene as it is, since no one - short of Pol - grabs at Thomas Shelby the way you just did and gets away with it… But most of Small Heath still doesn’t know what else he let you get away with and you intend to keep it that way.

“It was an accident.” You tell him the moment you’re alone. Trying to catch your breath after taking chase as you release his hand and turn to face him before he can take off again.

Tommy let’s out a huffed breath and shakes his head at the ridiculousness of your statement. He’d be amused if he wasn’t so angry. Tossing his cigarette to the ground, he steps into your space, moving in on you. The heat of his eyes, the formidable stride of his gait, cause your feet to step back as Tommy approaches, trying to hold onto the distance between you until your back hits the brick wall and there’s nowhere left to go. Tommy’s all-encompassing in his approach, covering the front of you, his shadow swallowing you as he stops barely a foot away from your body. 

Your heart begins to pound hard in your chest with the closeness you two haven’t dared to share since that day in his office. Tommy’s hand reaches out for you, tucking your hair behind your ear to get a better look at the bruise along the edge of your face. His callused thumb runs delicately along the tender discolored flesh, sending shivers under your skin with the feel of his touch once again as you watch fire ignite in icy shards of blue, and realize, Tommy hates it even more from close up.

“He was dreaming.” You explain softly on a shaky breath, watching the anger of his furrowed brow as you he inspects you to ensure there aren’t any more and you try not to savor the feel of his touch of your face. He’s so close your almost afraid to speak anything loud, afraid when he responds the heat of his breath will only weaken your resolve.

“Dreaming…” Tommy scoffs loudly at your explanation. He steps back from you, having heard enough, he turns toward the entrance of the alley. Driven to return to his hunt for Will and have him answer a few questions of his own, but you swiftly snatch at the lapels of his jacket and move in front of him, blocking his way. Forcing Tommy to look at you as you protect your husband from an unfair wrath.

“It’s like with Danny, Thomas. He has nightmares almost every night. And sometimes he has them awake too.” You try to explain it the best you can as your chest tightens with each word.

“Sometimes it’s like he’s not even there. Like he doesn’t even know where he is or who I am.” You struggle in your desperation, trying to put words to something you don’t even fully understand yourself, but you need Tommy to understand Will didn’t hurt you intentionally. Will needs help and you feel if anyone can understand the price of war, it’s him.

Tommy stops pressing forward, his eyes falling and holding yours, and you can tell he’s finally listening. Finally understanding the gravity of the situation. Because Tommy does understand. All too well in fact. Before Addy he hardly slept and never peacefully. And after Addy… he tries not to close his eyes unless he absolutely has to. Just another ghost to haunt him in his dreams. Only this one, she took what was left of his soul.

“He was having a nightmare. I tried to wake him, but it was like he couldn’t even see me. He thought he was being attacked. I got him good gettin’ him off me. The glass cut his head open when it broke. It probably needs stiches, but he’s too damn stubborn to have it looked at. He thinks he deserves it Tommy… after what happened to me.” You ramble, your thoughts scattered, your breath as frantic and confused as you feel. You knew none of them came back the same, but you weren’t prepared for how helpless you’d feel when you couldn’t fix it. When you couldn’t make it better or even lessen the pain.

“It’s like he couldn’t see me, Tommy. It’s like I wasn’t there at all.” You bite at your bottom lip, tears springing to your eyes.

“When he finally came too, he was bleedin’ everywhere. He wouldn’ even let me help him. He wouldn’ let me near him once he realized he struck me. He’s terrified of himself. He blames himself for everything. An’ I don’ know how to help him.” The words fall from your lips on a desperate breath as your shoulders tremble and shake. Your eyes welled heavy with tears you can’t hold inside any longer as you finally say the words aloud you’ve been holding so tightly inside you. Trying to stay strong.

Your hands wipe at your cheeks, pushing away at the tears as fast as they come. Just when you think things are starting to come back together, it all falls apart again. You were startled when Will turned on you. Terrified when you saw his fist coming down on you as he held you to the bed. Grabbing the glass from the nightstand and smashing it into his head had been instinct alone. Everything happened so fast, in the blink of an eye in your mind. 

But the eyes that held you to that bed weren’t the Will you know. His lips mumbling something in a language you didn’t understand. But none of that was scarier or broke your heart more than the look on Will’s face when he finally came to his senses. When he realized he had put his hands on you. Watching Will rip himself apart over what he had done, watching him lose faith and trust in himself a little more everyday… Nothing in this world could have prepared you for how painful and powerless that would make you feel.

Without words, Tommy pulls your tightly against his chest, his hand slipping into your hair, the other rubbing at your back. Unable to watch you crumble and not reach for you. Tommy swore to himself he wouldn’t touch you again after that day in the office and your distance only affirmed that was the right choice. But finally having a moment alone with you, even his best intentions proved weak.

And you’re just an malleable as you strive for distance, as the smell of Tommy engulfs your lungs, whiskey rich and smoky harsh, you feel your heart beating faster. It’s like breathing life back into your soul. A chamber all his own. A place only Tommy can reach. 

You want to bury yourself deeper into him, wrap your arms desperately around him. You know you’ll be safe there, from everything you can’t fix, everything that makes you feel like a failure, but then you catch yourself. Catch yourself being weak and giving in to the fire. You know in your heart, you can’t keep doing this. It isn’t fair to any of you. And you don’t want to hurt Tommy any more than you want to hurt Will. That was the promise you made to yourself when you left Tommy’s office that day. You’re only making things worse when you let the fire reignite. 

And what if someone saw you? How would you explain this… wrapped in Tommy’s arms, breathing him in?  Your heart begins to race and clenches as you quickly untangle from Tommy. Taking a step back as your eyes scan nervously about your surroundings to see if anyone is watching, but everyone out on the street seems too busy trying to make the most of the day, enough to get by.

You wipe the remaining tears that have fallen from your eyes and suck a sharp breath in, trying to compose yourself.

“He needs a friend, Tommy. He’s lost and hurting, and I don’t know how to help him.” You practically plead. 

For being best mate’s since childhood, Tommy has steered clear of Will since he came home. Will hasn’t said much about it, he wouldn’t, and the fact that Tommy blows everyone off these days makes the odd circumstance easier to swallow, but you can see it hurts Will and you blame yourself for that too. If you and Tommy hadn’t – Maybe Will would have someone to turn to in his time of need.

Tommy shakes his head at the notion of what you’re suggesting as he pulls a cigarette from his pocket, letting it dangle from his lip, before his deft fingers slap a match against the box in his other hand. His easy dismissal only ignites the fire in your belly and amplifies your frustrations. Your world is hanging on by a thread while Tommy roams about Small Heath carefree having walled Will out of his life, like he’s punishing him, right along with you.

“An’ why not? Thought he was your best pal. You’ve known him all your life. Or is Thomas Shelby too mighty for a broken solder now?” You challenge, jaw growing tight as your irritation gets the best of your tongue. As Tommy gets the best of you, the way he seems to do so easily, both the good and the bad.

The fire in your tone gets a rise out of Tommy quick as he plucks the cigarette from his lips and counters you. No less immune to the embers that smolder between you, always ready to spark and reignite.

“What do you purpose, Addy? Should I invite him to the Garrison for a drink after I’ve been fuckin’ his wife for months? An’ what should we talk about, aye? Ask him if he loves the way you let out that little gasp just before you cum or perhaps how fuckin tight an’ wet you get? Or is that only for me, love?” Tommy comes at you, his tongue as sharp as the razors on his cap. As piercing as the daggers in his heart every time he’s reminded how much you love Will. How he lost you to a better man. Watching from the sidelines as you and Will grow closer with each passing day.

“Stop it!” You snap at him crossly, snatching the cigarette from his fingers as he draws it back to his mouth, tossing it violently to the ground below as you resist the urge to smack him hard across the face. Your chest huffing, how dare he think he can speak to you like that.

Tommy looks down at his cigarette you just threw in the mud, head tilting slightly as his jaw tightens in irritation before his gaze returns to you and he slowly moves in on you once again.

“Don’t you see, I can’t be his friend, Addy. I fucked his wife.” Tommy’s voice is low and dangerous, penetrating and calling for you as your back stumbles into the wall once again trying to evade the power he has over you.

“An’ given the chance...” Tommy tells you, his voice dipping down to a gritty whisper as he leans into your mouth. His hand finding and gripping at your jaw as his thumb dances around the edge of your bottom lip, but never quite touches the plump flesh. Your heart is pounding, you’re struggling to remember how to breathe as you gaze into Tommy’s hypnotic eyes and recognize the heat blowing back at you. You’re a cornered animal, backed into a trap. You still want him, you still miss him, and worst of all, Tommy knows it.

You close your eyes, trying to wall him out, trying to numb your heart and stay strong. You don’t know how you got here, in love with two men, but you’re trying to do the right thing.

“Tommy, don’ do this…” You whisper, your breath desperate. 

And despite how selfish and cold Tommy can be at times, he does as you ask, instantly, because you wield power over him too. He steps back from you, releasing your face, but as your eyes open once again and you meet his gaze, you see it – undeniable pain. Tommy still wants you too. Still loves you, you were the only thing that breathed life back into him after the war, and your rejection, even for reasons you both understand, has still been incredibly painful for him. 

His head bows, his cap taking the space in your vision his face just held, razors shining as the early morning light pierces down upon them, peeking out from a bleak overcast sky. When he glances back up at you a new cigarette is lit and hanging from his lip.

“If he touches you again he’s answering to me.” Tommy states firmly, unequivocally. There’s no question and you can see there will also be no persuasion. He’s giving you his word of warning now.

“He won’t.” You swear it. Will never has before, not even close. He threatened any man who thought of raising a hand to you. And the look in Will’s eyes when he realized what he had done… You’re certain it’ll haunt you the rest of your days.

Tommy’s seas of blue linger on you as the sun breaks through the clouds once again, bathing your both in touches of heat and light. There's a calling in his eyes, you recognize it as the sun pierces his pupil before Tommy swiftly turns and walks away without another word. One hand stuffed in his waistcoat, the other pulling away at a cigarette that encircles him in a cloud of smoke.

“Atleast tell me how to help him.” You yell back at Tommy as he goes.

“You can’t. We can’t be fixed, Addy.” Tommy hollers back, never turning back to face you until he reaches the end of the alleyway. Only then does he look back over his shoulder, your eyes locking in the moment.

“Didn’ you know? We died over there in the mud.” He tells you like a bullet aimed straight at your heart, before he turns back and disappears into the crowded Small Health streets. Leaving you alone with your thoughts and your plight.

  Will comes home late that night. You expect him to be drunk, but he’s not. He looks painfully sober as he comes to stand beside you in your tiny hutch kitchen. Drawing your hands into his as he leads you over to your kitchen table, having you take a seat before he drags the other directly in front of you and lowers into it. He bought you your favorite treat from the little candy shop down by the church where you got married. 

One of the things you love so much about him, he never forgets the little things you love, but you can tell none of that matters to him tonight as his hand brushes the side of your face, moving your hair back from the spot where he struck you earlier that morning. His thumb sweeping tenderly over the spot as his face twists in agony. His eyes growing that tortured shade of blue that breaks your heart.

“It’s a’right, Will.” You try to reassure him. Thankful he’s finally willing to touch you, be near you again, after being terrified of himself and inconsolable after what he’d done this morning.

Will’s blue eyes shoot to yours as you speak, tears glistening in his baby blues as his jaw clenches tight.

“No, it’s not Addy.” He tells you, his hand clutching desperately at your cheek as his words drip and drown with guilt and remorse.

“It’s not a’right. Nobody puts their hands on you, understand? Least of me.” His voice breaks at the end, cracking under the weight of own his desperation.

You reach for his hand on your face and cover it with your own, holding him close as his face falls and shakes from side to side with shame. He scrubs angrily at his eyes as the tears escape, before his face lifts and his gaze returns to you, his thumb stroking gently at your cheek.

“Your safety is the only thing that matters me, understand? If something happens again. If I- If I disappear or somethin’, don’ try to wake me, don’ try to help me. You get as far away as you can, understand? Do whatever you gotta do. I need you safe.” He tells you earnestly, his eyes drilling into yours as his hand presses into your cheek to affirm his point.

You can feel it from every bone in your body, Will needs you to hear him right now. He needs you to promise, and you’re just about to until he pulls his gun from behind his back and places it on the table beside you both. The weighted metal sounding heavy and ominous as it lands on the old wooden surface. Your eyes shoot to it in horror before flying back to Will’s.

“I wan’ you to take this. You do whatever you have to do to protect yourself, understand? Promise me, Addy.” His voice is desperate as tears spring to your eyes and mirror his own. You can tell this has been eating him alive all day as he tries to come up with a solution.

Your heart begins to pound as you shake your head slowly from side to side.

“No,” You whispers to him. “No Will.”

“I need to know your safe, even if that means from me. I couldn’ live with myself if I hurt ya again. I’d want ya to pull that trigger, Addy… If it meant keepin ya safe, I’d want ya to do it.” He pleads with you, his breath heavy and desperate. 

You can see it in his eyes, he loves you so much, but he’s scared. You’ve never seen him this scared. He doesn’t know what’s happening to him. He doesn’t know how to stop it and he doesn’t trust himself anymore. He doesn’t believe in himself, but the thought of hurting you again is more than he can bare.

“I can’t.” You gasp, tears falling from your eyes, no longer able to hold them inside the rattle of your chest any longer.

“I can’t do that, Will.” You can’t even bear the thought of shooting of him. You were scared when he turned on you this morning, but the thought of shooting him scares you more. You can’t shoot the man you love. You can’t turn on each other.

“Shhh, it’s ok. It’s gonna be a’right.” Will soothes you as your tears starts to fall, drawing his head down to yours as he softly strokes your cheek, wiping at your tears.

“That’s not gonna happen. It’s not gonna come to that. I just need to know your safe.” He whispers to you softly, like he used to when you were a scared little girl. 

Alone in the building after your father went off to the pub. Leaving you to fend for yourself and protect yourself against the other boarders in your apartment, some single men. Never knowing what would happen if someone tried to have their way with you, but Will was there, holding your hand well into the night, promising to fight off anyone who tried to lay a hand on you, before he’d sneak out when your old man stumbled home.

Will leans in and kisses your mouth, soft and deep. His lips pressing into yours in the old familiar way that always makes your heart racing, but your fear quiet. You run your hand up along his hair, but as he winces you instantly remember. Pulling back quick you finally get a good look at it, you see a jagged cut going into his hairline held together by blood and stiches. Tears spring to your eyes once again with the sight of it as your fingertips faintly touch the scalp around it.

“Oh my god Will, I’m so sorry.” You apologize profusely, your throat closing in around your words as you look at what you did to him.

Taking your hand from the cut, Will draws it to his lips giving your fingertips a gentle peck.

“Ya did the right thing, Addy. You defended yourself just like I taught ya. Nobody lays a hand on my girl, she’s got grit.” He smiles at you, trying to win a smile off you in return as he reassures you he’s alright, giving your fingertips one more quick kiss.

“It’s gonna heal up just fine.” He licks his lips and you can tell by the glint in his eyes he has something more to tell you.

“I talked to the Doc today like ya asked, after he stitched me up.” He tells you softly, trying to ease some of your concerns. Rubbing your hand between his before he laces your fingers.

“They don’ know nothin, babe. Nobody seems to know anythin bout what’s goin on in my head. They just tell ya to move on, put it behind you, your home.”  Will tells you, a hopelessness plaguing his eyes once again before his face drops down against your laced hands. 

You watch as the muscles in his shoulders tighten and tense. He’s struggling. Facing the fight of his life and he’s facing it alone, but not completely. You need him to know you will stand against the gates of hell with him, by his side, and never waiver. If that’s what it takes. Just like he always stood by you.

“But I got somethin.” He sounds a little more hopeful. His face rising again to offer you a sad smile.

“I ran into Tommy today. An’ he gave me something that’s gonna help with the nerves, help me get some sleep…” 

Your heart pains with Tommy’s name. It’s a bittersweet elixir, because you know, having seen him today, Tommy spoke with Will because of your talk. He did it for you and that only resurfaces all the old familiar guilt churning inside you as you try to protect Will from what you did and live with it yourself. But then Will’s searching your eyes and he looks so damn hopeful. And you can hear before he ever starts speaking, he needs you to have hope too.

“I’m gonna figure out what’s going on with me, Addy, with or without the Docs. You’ll see, I can be the man you want me to be. I can be who I was before.” He promises you and you can see it in his eyes, he needs you to believe him. He needs this as much as you do. 

You nod easily, taking his word as you reach for him. Will pulls you onto his lap, into his arms, holding you desperately tightly against him as he buries his face against the comfort of your breast. You wrap him in your arms, stroking back the long strands of his hair as you place a gentle kiss atop his head and press your cheek to him.

Part 5

[letswritefanfiction]

Pokémon Alphabet Challenge: O is for Overcome

March 7

Well, it looks like my stay with Solidad before the Kanto contest season begins is going to be a little longer than I’d planned. We found my Masquerain with an egg today along with Solidad’s Butterfree. Fortunately, I don’t think the incubation period for eggs of Bug Types is too long, so hopefully we’ll only have to wait a few weeks for the Surskit to hatch out. Then I’ll probably give it to Solidad.

Admittedly, I don’t know much about breeding, so I figured it would be good to write down some of what’s going on so that I have a log. Just in case. So, this is day one, I suppose, of the incubation period.

March 8, day 2

Nothing new. Solidad thinks that we should contact Brock for some breeding advice. She asked me to call him. … I am not friends with May’s friends. Just like I’m not friends with her friends.

Yeah, Harley, you heard me.

Although we did call May and Harley to update them.  Well, I called May, Solidad called Harley. I’m  still thanking whatever deity made Harley jealous enough of May to decide to go to Sinnoh while the rest of us are gonna travel the Kanto circuits next month.

But the egg seems fine and Masquerain and Butterfree seem happy, so I told her no anyway.

March 9, day 3

Went into the Viridian Forest for some training. Staying in one place is giving me cabin fever. It hasn’t even been two weeks, but it’s the longest I’ve stayed in one place since I lived at home.

Maybe I’ll go to the mountains tomorrow.

No egg updates.

March 10, day 4

Masquerain and Butterfree seem to move the egg around in the yard wherever the sun is to keep it warm. I guess Bug/Flying Types aren’t great at brooding.

March 11, day 5

I don’t know how Solidad can be so content both on the road and staying at home. She says I’ll get over it when I’m older and, I dunno, maybe I will, but this is just so boring.

If you couldn’t guess: no egg updates.

March 12, day 6

I stopped in the Pokémon Center and called May, just to see someone who wasn’t in Pewter, and she reminded me that she’s been living at home with her parents for a few weeks. I know she loves then and all, but that was enough to put things in perspective.

Being trapped in Solidad’s house isn’t so bad.

Also, I realized today that that egg is a pretty damn big egg. I mean, Surskit are small. A fully grown Surskit could fit in this egg if it curled its legs under. I guess it just has a lot of nutrients in it?

No updates.

March 13, day 7

One week. No updates.

March 14, day 8

We have an update.

Probably should have mentioned this earlier: the egg, Masquerain, and Butterfree are all just staying in Solidad’s backyard. It’s fenced in and has a few plants, but not many because Pewter City is basically just one big gravel pit that people built houses son. And because who can maintain a garden when you hardly live at home?

Anyway, so we went out back today because Masquerain and Butterfree were having a fit and we noticed the egg wiggling a bit. Just for a moment, and then it stopped. But it was something.

March 15, day 9

More movement. Still just the slightest wiggles, but they’re more prolonged now.

Solidad still thinks that we should contact someone who knows more about this than we do, but apparently Kanto’s main daycare center is halfway across the region on some nothing route. Not even in a city. But I don’t think we need the help. It’s just one egg. Masquerain and Butterfree are doing most of the care anyway. We just need to care for them, and we know how to do that. Pokémon give birth in the wild all the time. Geez.

March 16, day 10

Continued movement. No further updates.

March 17, day 11

Update: Okay, we must be close to the finish line at this point, because there were definitely sounds today. And a lot of movement. Solidad’s really excited. I’m kind of excited too. But not as excited as Harley, who threatened to come and see ‘the big reveal’. Close call.

March 18, day 12

I’m in the back yard as we speak. Masquerain and Butterfree seem super excited. They’re flapping around like nobody’s business. And then there’s the egg, which seems like it’s dancing. There are little noises coming from it and it’s practically hopping off the ground.

Oh! There are cracks! Putting this down now. Will update later.

“…I was not expecting this.”

Drew and Solidad looked around the backyard of Solidad’s Pewter City home, noting how it was now crawling with nearly a dozen tiny Surskit. The Surskit were exploring every conceivable nook and cranny of the yard, traipsing over boxwood bushes, lawn ornaments, and even each other, all in the name of exploring this brand new world. Worst of all: they were each only a few inches tall.

“Yes,” Solidad sighed. “I thought that only one Pokémon could hatch from a single egg. Had I known this could happen, I definitely would have called someone for help.”

Drew rolled his eyes as he watched a helpless baby Surskit fall into the bush it had been trying to climb over. “I think we’re still going to need that help, Solidad.”

Masquerain immediately flew over to the fallen Surskit and pulled it from the brambles, taking care to smooth its dear, little yellow head with a soft wing. However, she immediately had to move on to another wayfaring baby while Butterfree stopped one from going under a hole in the fence. Drew quickly picked up one of the many stones in the yard and placed it in front of the hole, taking extreme care that he didn’t step on one of the little critters.

Solidad, meanwhile reached for her PokéNav. It only took a moment to scroll through her contacts before she landed on the one she wanted and let the phone dial, putting it up to her ear when it began to ring. In the meantime, Drew carefully grabbed the round body of a Surskit that was trying to crawl its way up Solidad’s legs.

“Hello, Pewter City Gym; how can I help you?”

“Brock, I’m glad it’s you,” Solidad began in her slow, calm voice. “Drew and I have a bit of a situation…”

“A bit of a situation?” Brock echoed, astounded.

Fortunately, Solidad’s house was only a few minutes away by bike from the Pewter City Gym and, since Brock was no longer standing Gym Leader, he hadn’t needed to take care of much before hurrying over to Solidad’s back yard. Since the call had been placed, Drew had sent out his Butterfree as well, making the yard look like a Bug Pokémon habitat that even Professor Oak would be proud of. The three flying bugs were doing a good job of taking care of the babies, which was good, because Drew and Solidad were afraid of what they might unwittingly step on if they ventured to move.

“It looks worse than it is,” Solidad appeased. “We counted and there are only ten babies, and they can’t climb vertically or burrow like some Bugs, so they’re all definitely still here.”

“But…what do you expect me to do with them?”

At this point, Drew decided to chance it and take a few steps back, sitting on one of Solidad’s cushioned lawn chairs. A Surskit was in the adjacent on; it looked as though they were sharing a nice afternoon tea, save for the wary look Drew was giving it.

“Well, you were following along the path of a breeder at one point in time, Brock,” Solidad stated simply. “I was hoping you could use that insight to advise Drew and me on how to handle this.

Brock took stock of the surroundings. Solidad had a relatively small backyard—her property sat on less than an eighth of an acre—and it shrunk enormously when you took into account the dozen Pokémon roaming about it. None of Solidad’s sparse vegatation seemed particularly edible for them, though he had no doubt that they’d try for it anyway. Furthermore, there was no overhead protection from predators or the elements, and it would likely take the three of them days to fashion a tent. Not to mention the fact that there was no water…

Water…

Brock smirked.

“You know what, Solidad? I think that ten Surskit are a little out of my range of expertise. But you know who would be perfect?”

Misty heard a phone ringing and frowned when she realized that it was her personal phone and not the Gym’s public line. She was used to that one all but ringing off the hook—so much so that they’d had to hire a receptionist a few years back—but her Pokégear was usually as silent as the playable character in an RPG. Yet here it was ringing and, as usual, she had no idea where she’d last had it, so she had to scramble to find it, only barely managing to press the talk button before the last ring.

“Hello?” she answered breathlessly.

“Misty? What, did I drag you out of the pool?”

“Brock, is that you? Why are you calling me?” she asked, ignoring his question.

“Well, Drew and Solidad seem to have fallen into a little issue regarding some Water Pokémon, and you’re the foremost expert on Water Pokémon that I know.”

Misty narrowed her eyes. She could feel Brock trying to butter her up, but she was going to let it go, because she liked what she was hearing. “Uh-huh. And? What is this ‘issue’?”

“Oh, just the sudden emergence of ten baby Water Pokémon that need specialized care. They’re living at Solidad’s right now, but she doesn’t even have so much as a birdbath. Surely you can’t expect for them to all live in a bathtub!”

“I’ll take them!”

Misty could feel her eyes growing large and shiny, the prospect of ten helpless, innocent little Water Pokémon in need tugging at her heartstrings. She didn’t know why Brock felt like he had to pull any tricks over her to get her to say yes—honestly, he should save any tricks he had for girls he wanted to date. Arceus knew he needed the help.

“That’s so great, Misty!” Brock said, excitement coloring his tone. “Solidad’s gonna drive us over, so we should be there shortly.”

Misty grinned. “I can’t wait!”

Drew was not pleased with the situation.

He was happy that the babies were being placed with a Water expert. He was even considering leaving his Masquerain with her for a little while if Misty proved to be all that Brock was lauding her to be. Of course, Masquerain wasn’t a Water Type, but Drew could only imagine that she’d want to stay with her babies for a little longer. He was happy that he and Solidad wouldn’t have to rip their hair out over taking care of ten babies.

What he wasn’t pleased with was the fact that in Solidad’s large van, Brock got to sit up in front while Drew was stuck with all the very mobile Surskit in the back. Well, most were mobile. One was sleeping on his lap. The rest were walking all around the seats and all over Drew. And he meant all over. Plus, it was his responsibility to make sure that none crawled up the center console and began bothering Solidad while she was driving.

To top it all off, Brock looked positively smug.

Drew didn’t really think about May’s friends a lot. Ash had some strange, raw talent, Drew had to admit, but at times he seemed to be more trouble than he was worth. Brock seemed helpful to a degree, but Drew wasn’t really sure what he was doing in the group aside from nannying. Lucky for May, because she sure seemed to need it.

This was the first time that Drew was getting more than a taste of Brock’s personality. And for some reason, ever since just before calling Misty, Brock had been wearing a shit-eating grin. Drew didn’t recall that being a regular occurrence, so it was enough for him to keep an eye on the older boy.

Until a Surskit tried to walk right over his eye.

“Ow!” Drew exclaimed, using every bit of his self-restraint to keep from swatting the poor creature. Instead, he grabbed it and placed it on top of one of its siblings—there was no actual floor space left—as he blinked rapidly.

“Drew, are you okay?” Solidad asked in her motherly way.

“Yeah, fine,” Drew grumbled.

After this whole affair was handled, he wasn’t letting Masquerain anywhere near that Butterfree ever again.

It was only about an hour later that the crew showed up at the Cerulean Gym’s front door. And Drew couldn’t help but notice how tacky the Gym looked with that giant Dewgong on it. It looked like a really bad contest hall.

Of course, it was hard to think about that whilst holding onto three tiny Bug babies. Masquerain and the two Butterfree were released again, each holding onto a baby. The rest of them were divided among the three humans, and Drew was the one lucky enough to have to juggle three.

Brock had to use his elbow to ring the Gym doorbell, but he managed, and was relieved when Daisy was the one to answer the door. He drooled for only a second before Daisy dashed all his hopes and dreams by saying, “Oh, Brock. I thought you were Tracey. We’re going to dinner.”

“Tracey?” Brock’s posture immediately fell to the downward pull of depression as he sulked. How had Tracey nabbed Daisy?

“Hmm, you’re new,” Daisy observed, pointing a sharply filed nail at Drew and Solidad. She paused specifically on Drew. “Wow, it’s too bad you’re not five years older. Not for me, of course, but for Misty. Then again, she’d look really bad next to you.”

Drew didn’t even begin to know what to say as Daisy threw him a wink.

Solidad, sweat-dropping all the while, stepped up. “Brock called Misty about taking in these baby Water Pokémon. Did she tell you anything about that?”

“Oh, right…” Daisy said breezily, waving a hand near her face as though she was hoping to catch the wisps of the memory of the conversation between her fingers. “She did say something about that. Just go into the main aquarium for now and I’ll go get her.”

Solidad and Drew made their way in, but Brock was apparently not yet recovered from the shutdown he’d gotten from Daisy. And before he’d even tried to make a move!

Drew rolled his eyes. “Masquerain, you have my full permission to use Gust on him if he doesn’t move in three seconds.”

That was enough to get Brock’s rear in gear, and he and all the rest of the Pokémon were in the Gym in less than three seconds.

Peaceful relief. The Surskit were flitting about on the top of the pool, looking thrilled to explore their natural habitat—well, closer to it—instead of a backyard. Or the back of a van. Drew could tell that Masqeurain looked more relaxed too, flying easily overhead with Solidad’s Butterfree. Drew’s Butterfree wasn’t even needed for extra assistance anymore.

In the echoing, tile-filled room, Drew heard footsteps approaching. He could only assume that it was Misty or one of her sisters.

“Hey, guys! Sorry about Dai—Aah!”

So much for peaceful relief.

Drew had to put his hands up to his ears—man, this Misty had a high-pitched scream! Solidad too looked appropriately alarmed. But Brock was only smirking, causing Drew to think that they’d been taken for a ride. And not just the one from Pewter to Cerulean, although that had been a less than pleasant journey.

“Brock, what are those Bugs doing here‽”

Brock walked up to Misty, who was shielding her face in her own shoulder so that she didn’t have to look at the pool. “Misty, these are the Water infants I was telling you about. Aren’t they cute?”

Misty stole a second glance at the Surskit and a shriek erupted from deep in her throat, even with her mouth closed. “Those are Bugs! Look at their legs! You can’t tell me those aren’t Bugs!”

Brock, who was clearly reveling in this, put a hand to his chin and began scratching at the dark stubble there. “Oh, I suppose they do have a dual typing. But I was just thinking about how desperately these poor babies needed water. You know how Water Pokémon can get if they’re not hydrated enough, right, Misty?”

He was leading her. She knew that he was. He was pushing her into a corner so that she couldn’t say: “Take them away!” which was threatening to bleed off her lips at any second.

Instead: “You’re right. They can stay. Excuse me.”

The words came out ever so calmly, and Misty looked entirely nonplussed as she turned around and walked slowly, but deliberately out of the room. Brock turned around to a confused Solidad and an irritated Drew, saying, “Well, that was a lot less fun than I’d thou—”

From deep inside the Gym, another high pitched shriek—definitely still Misty—rang out and Brock’s expression cracked into a grin again.

“Then again…”

Misty at least had the courtesy to let the crew from Pewter to stay the night. Well, she didn’t have much of a choice, since she didn’t want to be stuck taking care of the babies—who would have to be fed multiple times through the night—and since she knew that her sisters wouldn’t sacrifice their beauty sleep for that. Fortunately, the Cerulean Gym came equipped with a number of guest rooms, since her sisters were so very popular.

Unfortunately for Brock, this was where her hospitality ended.

Brock walked down the hallway containing the guest bedrooms looking beaten and battered…primarily because he was. After Brock had—supposedly—paid for his misconduct by cooking dinner for everyone, Misty had pulled him aside and given him what for.

So, slowly—with intermittent grunts of pain—Brock dragged himself in the direction of his temporary bed, hoping that he would wake up in less pain the next day. As he reached a twitching hand for the doorknob, though, the door across from his opened, letting out a burst of steam. Drew walked out, his hair darkened to a mossy green by the water still clinging to it. A blue towel was around his neck and he was wearing some flannel pajama pants. He looked Brock up and down completely disinterestedly and, with a huff full of teen angst, proceeded towards his own bedroom.

Mildly insulted by the response, Brock couldn’t help but to yell out, “I have a greater plan for this, I hope you know.”

Drew stopped, but didn’t turn around, showing that his interest had only been slightly piqued.

“I’m hoping this will be the thing that finally gets Misty over her fear of bugs. And we get a pool for the Surskit out of it.”

Only turning enough to give a pointed look to the red handprint still imprinted on Brock’s cheek, Drew asked, “And how’s that working out for you?”

Apparently he didn’t care enough to hear the answer to his own question, because he opened his door and closed it. Brock even heard the click of the lock latching as though to add extra punctuation to his words.

Immensely more tired, Brock reached a hand up to his warm cheek and tried to rub the pain out before following Drew’s example and going into his own room. Normally, he’d linger in the hallway a little longer to see if he could catch Solidad in a nightgown, but he suspected that he’d need all of the strength he had to deal with Misty the next morning.

March 19, day 2

I’ve decided to keep this going, now keeping track of the Surskit’s growth. Or at least that’s what the days are supposed to mean. It turns out that May’s dear friend Brock has made us all the subject of his little experiment to get May’s friend Misty over her fear of Bugs. So this is also day 2 of that experiment.

I would say “Kill me now,” but I have ten four inch babies to care for.

With the solid distance of the Waterflower’s oak dining table between himself and Misty, Brock broached the topic. Misty’s response went about like this:

“Okay, Brock, how about this? I’ll get over my fear of bugs when you can talk to a pretty girl without turning into that ooey-gooey sap that’s those Bugs have been getting all over my pool!”

Brock, indignant at the insinuation, narrowed his eyes at Misty and opened his mouth to disagree. However, she seemed eager to prove her point.

“Oh, Daisy! Violet! Lily!”

The voice came out in a melodious sing-song tone that was frightening to hear from Misty. It seemed like the calm before the storm.

The girls—in their various but extensive states of getting ready for the day—bustled into the dining room, looking at Misty questioningly. Their little sister didn’t usually summon them, so they were surprised by the call.

“Like, what is it, Misty?” Daisy asked as she continued threading her hair into a fishtail braid.

Misty, apparently not feeling it necessary to explain herself, just looked to Brock, eyes expectant and daring.

Brock, for his part, was staring at Lily, whose state of mid-readiness happened to include the fact that she was only wearing a sports bra on top. Since she was used to being seen in nothing but a bikini on a near-daily basis, this was nothing unusual for her, but Brock’s eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head—without the usual aid of Misty’s fist.

Perhaps most girls would be bothered by the leering. Misty knew that if anyone stared at her chest like that, they’d be slapped so silly that they wouldn’t be seeing anything for days. But Lily calmly finished applying her gloss with the aid of a handheld compact before closing it and giving her lips a little pop of suction. Then she looked at Brock and said simply, “Sorry, you’re way too young for me.”

Brock instantly fell back, his whole world turning gray at the instantaneous rejection while Misty just looked confused. “You guys are the same age.”

Lily winked before turning on her heel. “I know.”

Misty cringed. Who exactly did her sister sleep with?

Nope. She didn’t want to know.

Daisy followed as Lily sauntered out of the room, leaving Violet to turn to Misty and say, “Sorry, we’ve gotta motor. Big interview today in Celadon. Catch you tomorrow. Or the next day.”

Brock seemed to perk up again at the sound of Violet’s voice and physically reached out to her as she walked away.

“One sister left,” he murmured to himself as Misty repeatedly smacked herself in the face.

It was with smoke coming out of her ears that Misty snatched her Pokégear—actually having remembered where she had last placed it this time—and dialed a familiar number.

“Heya, Misty! What’s u—”

“Ash, Brock has lost his marbles.”

“What?”

Misty collapsed into her office chair, causing it to swivel around a few times before she stopped it by setting her feet on her desk. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

It didn’t work.

“He’s suddenly got it in his head that I need to quote: ‘overcome my fear of bugs.’”

“Well, I think that’s grea—” A growl grumbled from deep inside Misty’s chest. “Uh, not great?”

“Exactly. Not great. In fact…” Misty’s fingers twitched with pent-up energy. “I think I need to remind him how much of a bad idea it is.”

Misty didn’t even remember to hang up the phone as she left it on the table and searched for Brock, intertwining her fingers and stretching them out.

“Uh, good luck, Brocko…”

March 20, day 3

I told May where we’re staying now for when she comes to Kanto. It’s still supposed to be a couple weeks, but I’m hoping she might come early. Also, it’s looking like we might not be leaving anytime soon. I thought being cooped up in Solidad’s house was bad…

This is so much worse. There are 7 people living here.

As for the Surskit: their bodies are already becoming more opaque and they’re getting a better sense of how to use their thin little legs. The water is doing them well.

March 21, day 4

Misty is terrorizing Brock. It’s definitely frightening—I’m sure never going to cross her. I just feel lucky that she hasn’t incriminated Solidad and I along with him—buuuut it’s also super funny. Mostly just funny. The guy had it coming! What can I say?

We’ve decided to start measuring the Surskit and keeping a log. Luckily, Brock and Solidad are doing that. They seem to have grown some in the last couple days, but they’re still so tiny. None are taller than 5 inches.

A very frightened Brock had taken to tip-toeing around the Gym. He’d always thought that Misty had an unfair reputation of being violent—ear pulling events aside, of course—but now he was thinking he’d been a little hasty on that judgment. Misty was violent. And mean.

So he tended to flit between his room, the Surksit room—since there was no chance of finding Misty in there—and the kitchen, because it was the only place where he had the skills to sooth Misty’s wrath.

But otherwise, he was on edge. So as he was walking down the hallway, hoping to take a shower, he nearly jumped through the ceiling when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s me, Brock,” Solidad said, instantly easing his trepidation.

“Oh, hi, Solidad,” Brock said, too overcome with relief to try any move on her.

“I was thinking that maybe I could try talking to Misty for you. This is a good thing that you’re trying to do for her, but she doesn’t seem to see it that way. Perhaps she just needs to hear it from someone else?”

Brock smiled. “That would be incredible, thank you!”

He would be sure to be far, far away when that conversation happened.

March 22, day 5

Solidad is going out of her way to help Brock on his masochistic mission of madness. I’m personally not choosing not to help because I think that Brock’s failures in this are funny—though they are—but because it seems pointless. If Misty’s held on to this fear for the past eighteen years, then I don’t think there’s anything that we can do about it. Or that doing so will cause her—and us—more pain than is worth it. And those Surskit.

Yesterday, he held one of the poor babies up to her and I thought that she would smash it up against a wall with her bare hands. Masquerain almost killed her.

Solidad, Drew, and Misty were seated at the dining room table, eating some delightful food that Brock had made before mysteriously disappearing. The girls were taking part in idle chit-chat while Drew was reading a newspaper.

“My cousin lives in Cerulean and I was thinking about visiting her tomorrow. She just had a baby recently, and I would love to see her,” Solidad said idly as she blew on her hot soup.

Misty’s eyes immediately darted up, bright and shining. “Ooh, a baby! So cute!”

A smile spread on Solidad’s lips for a moment before she swallowed a spoonful of soup. “Aren’t they just? I love babies.”

“Me too! They’re all so cute!”

“Baby Pokémon too.”

“Ugh, I know! I get so excited whenever we have any new babies.”

“Well, you do right now.”

“We do?”

“The Surskit, Misty.”

“…Oh.”

Solidad leaned forward, trying to catch Misty’s eyes as the fell to the roll she’d been pinching and eating crumbs from—no need to eat like a lady when her sisters weren’t around to bug her about that. “You don’t think that the babies are the slightest bit cute, Misty?”

Misty sighed, looking at Solidad with all traces of baby-induced sparkle erased from her eyes. “Do you think a swarm of ten Beedrill are cute?”

“Not cute, no, but it’s entirely diff—”

“Now imagine those Beedrill are small, with translucent bodies, beady eyes, and scrambling all over each other and you as they search for food, because that’s all they know how to do.”

“Okay, but—”

“Now imagine that they’re living in your house, swarming in your pool—your sacred place—growing bigger every day until they’re big enough to ram down the door and suck the juices out of you with their gross insectile fangs!”

Drew and Solidad looked at Misty, who was panting lightly from her outburst and then each other before Drew set down his spoon and scooted away from the table.

“I’m done.”

March 23, day 6

Clearly the madness isn’t going to stop anytime soon. Solidad’s attempt was a total bust. But she’s going to keep trying to help, I’m sure. She considers Brock a friend.

I’m considering running to the port and boarding the next boat to Hoenn so that May can restore my sanity. And you know that I must be going crazy if I think May will restore my sanity.

“Drew!” Brock called excitedly when he spotted Drew by the pool, flocked by the Surskit he was feeding. “Where have you been?”

Drew cast Brock a momentary dry look before returning to the task at hand. “I was helping Solidad cart some feed from the PokéChow supplier. Now she’s out getting some vitamins.”

For a moment, Brock felt a tickle of guilt that he wasn’t helping as much as he should with the babies…Then again, the babies were Drew and Solidad’s responsibility, while Brock was just trying to be a good friend to Misty and help her overcome a childhood fear.

“I was wondering if you could give me some advice on how to get Misty over her fear of these little guys.” Brock reached over and pet the yellow cap on the most recently fed Surskit. It crawled out of the pool and curled up on the tile, its short blue legs struggling to find a comfortable position.

Drew shrugged. “She’s afraid of all Bugs?”

“Yep.”

Having fed the last of the Surskit, Drew sighed as he stood up and wiped his hands on his cargo shorts. “You could get her started with my Butterfree. Girls tend to like them.”

Brock thought back to when Ash had owned his Butterfree and how Misty had responded. She’d been so encouraging when they were helping him woo the pink Butterfree, and she had seemed honestly sad when Ash had released him …Maybe Drew was onto something.

“That’s a great idea, Drew! I’ll call Misty down right now!”

“Uh, you might want to hold on there, Brock.”

Brock, who had already started out of the room turned back to Drew in confusion. “What?”

“We’re still in the room with all the Surskit and my Masquerain. Perhaps a different location will serve you better?”

“…Right.”

It was a staring contest.

Butterfree was standing calmly, looking up at Misty, waiting for the moment of impact.

Meanwhile, Misty was reaching out to touch Butterfree. Slowly. Ever so slowly. It had been going on so long, Drew wasn’t even sure that her hand was moving anymore. She was crouching on the ground so as to be at eye-level with the Bug, and Drew couldn’t believe that her legs weren’t asleep yet. Or perhaps being so close to Butterfree had ended up being too much for her and she’d gone dumb. He couldn’t be sure.

She was about to make contact when all of a sudden she leapt up, screamed, “I can’t do it,” and ran out of the room.

Drew looked tiredly at Brock and sighed as he returned Butterfree to its ‘Ball. Brock just shook his head.

Back to the drawing board.

March 24, day 7

You know, I’m beginning to feel a little harassed. After the failure with my Butterfree, they tried with Solidad’s. Don’t know why they thought that’d be any different. Then they tried with Masquerain, which went even worse, because I’m pretty sure she has a grudge against Misty now for, you know, hating her children.

Aaand here he comes. Again.

Brock approaching with Solidad in toe was enough to compel Drew to put his notebook down on the floor and raise his arms up to his chest in the shape of an X before saying, “Uh-uh. No way. This is not my issue. Remember that I am caring for ten babies right now. I can’t parent you too.”

“Relax, Drew. We were just going to tell you that Misty said we need to move the Surskit to another room while she cleans the sap out of the pool.”

Even as Brock knelt down to pick up one of the babies, Drew couldn’t help but feel a tension headache starting behind his forehead. Brock’s presence was just beginning to have that effect on him.

“Drew,” Solidad started, her calming voice easing him a little bit, “wasn’t May afraid of Pokémon when she first started her journey?”

That caused a hiccup in Drew’s steps as he turned to Solidad.

“May?”

March 25, day 8

I called May. She’s gonna be here in a few days. She seems excited to see the babies—who have been growing. They’re all around half a food now, except for a little runt—and she’s excited for a new adventure and traveling. In typical May style. I wish she could get here sooner. Solidad is so much a part of Brock’s mission now that I have to avoid both of them. They’re running short of ideas, though, so Misty’s been pretty smug. Also, she seems to be taking out her anger on all of her challengers. One today even left in tears.

He shouldn’t have used a Caterpie.

“Is Brock bugging you?”

Drew had been brewing some tea when Misty came up to him from the other side of the kitchen counter. “Huh?”

“I love Brock a lot. He’s the brother I never had. But he’s insufferable sometimes, right? I know he’s bugging you about this bug thing. And, of course, I like it even less than you do. But, just so you know, if he’s bugging you, here’s the trick. Pull him by his ear. It’ll snap him out of whatever craziness he’s in.”

Misty winked and walked away.

Drew heard is teapot whistle and smirked.

Sure, she was just trying to get him to do her dirty work, but it was nice to have an ally.

March 26, day 9

Misty isn’t so bad. I think that I may be her favorite person in the house, since I’m not trying to force bugs on her. And I’m not her sister. It’s pretty obvious that there are problems there. It’s crazy. May’s is the only family that I’ve met that isn’t fucked up. Luckily, Misty’s sisters aren’t turning out to actually be around a lot, which makes for a little more breathing room around here. Especially since when they are here, Daisy’s boyfriend is usually here too.

He’s strange.

March 27, day 10

Somehow this journal has devolved into ranting about Brock’s crazy schemes and my serious case of cabin fever. The Surskit are doing well. They’re in complete control of their bodies. They roughhouse with each other a little bit, but don’t seem to be able to use any moves but Tackle. But that’s a good start for their young age!

It’s just now occurring to me that I have no idea what we’re going to do with them after they’re grown. There’s no way that Solidad and I each need five Surskit. And it’s sure not looking like the Cerulean Gym is going to take any of them. Hm…

Drew, Solidad, and Brock were busy moving some sod into the Gym and laying it around the pool. They’d ordered it a couple of days before, thinking that it would be nice if the whole room resembled more of a real habitat for the Surskit. They were, after all, amphibious. Not even amphibious; they were terrestrial creatures. They just liked being on or around the water. But the tiled room didn’t provide them with much more than water as a resource. So they’d brought in some plants in the days prior, but what they really needed was some grass. Solidad was even talking about enrichment activities, like they were making a full on zoo or something.

“Here, I’ve got it.”

Out of nowhere, Brock suddenly pulled at the roll of sod that he and Solidad had been carrying and tried to support the whole thing himself. Solidad looked on worriedly while Drew just narrowed his eyes in harsh judgment. He was clearly just trying to show off to Solidad.

Idiot.

He began quivering under the weight of the sod, so Solidad moved forward to help him again.

“No, I’ve got it!” Brock insisted. As he did so, he swung his weight a little bit too much to the side and slipped on some not-yet covered tile.

And of course he landed in the pool.

Solidad shrieked a little bit, her hands flying to her face as Brock and the sod tumbled, sending the Surskit flying through the water as their usually calm surface was disrupted.

It took all three of them ten minutes to get the sodden sod out of the pool.

And Masquerain now had someone else on her hit list.

March 28, day 11

Okay, let’s talk about Brock’s epic failure yesterday…

March 29, day 12

May’s arriving today. I’m going to the port now to pick her up. It’s embarrassing how well I know Cerulean now. This isn’t what my life should be.

But May’s here now and contest seasons starts in only a couple of weeks. Then everything will be great.

Upon entry into the Gym…

“Omigod, Misty, this is your friend?”

“She’s beautiful!”

“First the green-haired kid and now this‽”

Everyone had been waiting in the lobby to greet May. But before Drew knew it, he was pushed out of the way so the Sensational Sisters could proceed in prodding her skin and her hair, commenting on what excellent self-care she did and how Misty could learn a thing or too, which was enough to make Misty’s eye twitch and everyone else to take a step away.

Daisy grabbed May by the shoulders and held her in front of Misty, as though presenting a work of art she’d created. “Misty, how do you have such beautiful friends?”

“I don’t know, Daisy,” Misty ground out through gritted teeth before brightening her expression and facing May with a smile. “Hey, May! How were the boat rides?”

“Oh, just fine,” May answered nervously.

Suddenly, Drew stepped up and took May’s bag from her hand. “Here, I’ll bring this to your room,” he said suavely.

May looked confused for a second as she watched Drew walk away before she snapped out of it and cried, “Hey, that’s my stuff!” before running after him.

Misty gave Brock a heavy dose of side-eye and said, “Maybe you should be asking Drew for advice about something else.”

“I’m so glad you guys asked me here,” May said as she fell back on one of the stylish, but surprisingly uncomfortable sofas in the Waterflower’s living room. “I was getting a serious case of cabin fever at home. Max is travelling and so being the only child is too much attention.”

As much as Brock liked May, he knew he had to get down to business. They’d all been living at the Gym for a couple of weeks and…that was enough.

“Well, be prepared for it to be a lot worse here,” Drew said, echoing Brock’s internal sentiment as he plopped down on a chair himself. “Brock is trying to turn Misty into a monster. And take us all down with him.”

“I just don’t understand how I’m supposed to help with all of this,” May stated, her hands fidgeting in her lap.

“Ash told me that you were afraid of Pokémon when you first started on your journey, but that you got over it pretty quickly,” Brock stated. “So we’re hoping that maybe that can help Misty get over her fear of bugs?”

May scratched behind her ear and looked at Brock apologetically. “I don’t know…I wasn’t really afraid of Pokémon. I just didn’t like them.”

“I think the same principle applies,” Solidad said as she waltzed in with a steaming cup of tea in her hand. The group had very much made themselves at home in the past few weeks. It was only fair, as Misty was forcing them to take part in the chores her sisters refused to do. “Perhaps you getting over your dislike of Pokémon could be enlightening.”

“Well, I…” Thoughts creased May’s forehead as she tried to think back. “I had always grown up around Pokémon. So just having them in the vicinity didn’t help. I guess that it was having them in need and then having to take care of one myself that really made the difference.”

Something sparked behind Brock’s eyes. “That’s an idea…”

Drew eyed him warily, as if reading his mind. “Not a good one.”

“Misty!”

Brock seemed way too excited for anything good to be coming her way. Misty instantly hardened her gaze and pursed her lips as she turned towards Brock. “Yes?”

“I thought of a great way for you to deal with Grass-Type opponents.”

“Ice Types?” Misty deadpanned, thinking of her sisters’ Dewgong, whom she used nearly every day.

Brock blinked. Damn, he hadn’t thought of that. “I thought of another great way.”

From behind his back, Brock pulled out a sleeping little Surskit. Brock could see the scream bubbling up Misty’s throat, but he put a finger to his lips, pointing to the sleeping baby.

“Brock‽” Misty whisper-screamed. “What are you doing?”

“Presenting you with the answer to your problem. See, the Bug Typing will trump any Grass Type. And when it evolves, it’ll be a Flying Type too! That’ll doubly take out any Grass Pokémon.”

“And it won’t be a Water Type anymore.”

Again, Brock realized he hadn’t thought this through entirely.

He had to try another angle.

“But Misty. This little Surskit is the runt. Its brothers and sisters just walk all over it and it can never get Masquerain’s attention.” He raised the little Surskit up to his face as he gave Misty watery Growlithe eyes. “Poor baby.”

There! Brock saw just a hint of softness enter her eyes as her gaze fell to the innocent sleeping Pokémon.

Hesitantly, ever so hesitantly, Misty stepped forward and began reaching a hand out. She was only millimeters from the little ponytail-like cap on its head before Surskit’s eyes opened and it straightened up to its full height, showing its beady black eyes and it’s long, insectile legs.

Instantly, Misty ran away, echoing screams as the only proof she’d even been there.

March 30, day 13

Well, this has officially gone on longer than the incubation period. Remember how simple life was then? And no progress has been made with Misty. Literally none.

On the bright side, the Surskit are doing well. All are growing and beginning to really show their individual personalities. It’s a good thing Brock’s so interested by what’s happening with them. That Brock is actually pretty smart and interesting.

On the even brighter side: May is here.

…I’d missed her.

March 31, day 14

It’s probably super crazy how much better I feel now that May’s here. She is the perfect buffer between all the craziness because she’s just so damn happy and easygoing. Well, as long as she’s been well-fed. Fortunately, that is the one thing that Brock is good for. Really, his food is excellent.

But May is really great. I wasn’t particularly upset when she left to go to Sinnoh or when she left to go to Hoenn. Especially since we knew that she’d be back in a few weeks both times. But when she comes back, it makes you wonder how you were getting by when she wasn’t there. Because it’s so much better when she is here.

I wonder if she feels that way about me.

May quickly learned that her job was not to help Brock and Misty—it seemed best to stay away from that mess—but rather to keep Drew sane. That had been Solidad’s job before, May was sure, but her motherly instincts were drawn more towards the baby Surskit than to Drew.

Plus, it was easier to take care of ten needy babies who never slept at the same time, needed to be fed every few hours, and who were already about three times the size they’d been when they were born than it was to care after one moody teenager.

She found that the best thing they could do was actually take care of said babies, since they were such a hefty distraction. And while Misty didn’t yet see the charm of Bug babies, May had to admit that the tiny Pokémon were quite cute. Surskit looked like little blue dolls tat just happened to be able to skate along the water like it was an ice rink. They already had the pink cheeks—she just wanted to give them little striped scarves to complete the look.

The scream from Brock’s most recent attempt rang throughout the whole Gym and May could palpably sense Drew tensing up without even looking at him. “Drew, why don’t you and Solidad take Masquerain and Butterfree outside to stretch their wings in the fresh air?”

Drew looked at her like he definitely knew what she was doing, but was deciding whether he would go along with it or not when Solidad piped up.

“That’s alright. I’ve got it in here; why don’t the two of you do it instead?”

Solidad’s Butterfree flew over to May’s shoulder, the fluttering wings feeling playful against her ear and causing her hair to blow a little. She let out a giggle before standing and taking Drew’s hand to hoist him up.

With nothing more than a hair flip, Drew lifting his arm for his Masquerain to land as he followed May wordlessly out of the Gym.

Solidad smiled to herself before moving onto a new Surskit to play with.

April 1, day 15

It’s April now. Apparently this is the day that ten year olds start their journeys in Kanto, so the Gym might be seeing a lot of rug rats in the next few weeks. But, more importantly, it means that the contest season is starting in just a couple of weeks.

And that this all has been going on far too long. The Surskit are almost fully grown, and none of us have any idea what we’re going to do with them. It seems like they’ll stay here until Misty gets over her fear.

Which means we’re never leaving.

Well, they aren’t. I’m leaving for contest season regardless of the state of Misty’s phobia.

“You know, Ash actually helped me a lot,” May mused over a breakfast of cereal as Misty dealt with an early challenger.

Drew grunted, but Brock and Solidad looked on with interest.

“How so?” Solidad asked.

“I just mean that seeing him care so much for Pikachu was really inspiring. And how excited he was by all the new Pokémon we saw. Seeing that connection is definitely part of why I think Blaziken and I were able to bond as much as we did.”

Brock nodded. “Misty never did have a problem with Butterfree or Heracross.”

“And a Heracross isn’t a traditionally pretty Pokémon like Butterfree. It’s a giant bug,” Solidad mused. “I can’t believe that Misty wouldn’t be frightened of a Heracross.”

“So maybe we need to invite Ash,” May suggested.

“Sure, all we need is more people in this house,” Drew mumbled into his Cheerios.

At just that moment, Misty walked into the dining room with a towel around her neck and plucked a box of cereal off the table, sticking a fist in and shoving the contents into her mouth.

“Good Battle, Misty?” Solidad asked.

Misty shrugged. “Just an over-eager youngster,” she replied, cornflakes spraying as she did so.

The doorbell rang throughout the entire Gym, causing Misty to groan. “Really? Well, this one better not mind if I eat breakfast during the match. Either that or I’m going to eat him for breakfast.”

She shoved another angry fistful of cornflakes into her mouth and chomped through it like she really was eating him for breakfast.

“You’re not going to get that?” May asked apprehensively.

Misty waved it away. “That’s what the receptionist is for. He’ll make an announcement over the intercom when I need to go to the arena.”

But there never was an announcement. Rather, everyone looked up when a new face entered the dining room.

“Speak of the devil…” Brock murmured.

“Psh, figures,” Drew muttered.

Misty seemed the most surprised, though, setting down the cereal box and wiping the crumbs from her mouth. “Ash?”

“Hey, guys!” Ash said excitedly, picking up the cereal box as soon as Misty set it down while Pikachu made like an Emolga and leapt towards Misty.

“Hi, Pikachu!” Misty cheered.

“Pikachupi!”

“Ash, what are you doing here? I thought you were going to stay in Sinnoh a little longer,” Brock asked.

“When I heard we were trying to get Misty to overcome her fear of bugs, I knew that this would be the most exciting place to be,” Ash explained through a dry mouthful of cereal. “So here I am!”

“But I told you that weeks ago,” Misty stated as she concerned herself with scratching Pikachu’s head.

Ash shrugged. “That’s how long it took me to get here. So, how’s it going?”

Ash’s eyes roved over the table, noting May, Drew, Solidad, and Brock’s awkward silence as they looked at their food and Misty’s fiery eyes practically scorching Brock. Ash sweat-dropped.

“That well, eh?”

April 2, day 16

So Ash is here now. Haven’t decided if it’s a good or bad thing. He’s even better at riling Misty up than Brock is, which would have been funny a couple of weeks ago, but now I feel like if a Darkrai ever puts me in an eternal nightmare, it will be of Misty’s angry voice and her screams.

He’s good with the Surskit though. It seemed like he came for Misty, but he’s way more preoccupied with the babies than he is with her. Except that he watches all of her battles. But, again, I think that’s about the Pokémon…

“Okay, Ash. Work your magic,” Brock whispered in his ear as he patted his shoulders and pushed him in the direction of the room to which the Surskit were relegated. Misty eyed him suspiciously, not having heard what he said, but walked right behind Ash with Pikachu in her arms nevertheless.

Brock stayed back, a smile already growing on his face. It meant a lot that Misty was even going into the room that she’d avoided for weeks. Under the caveat, of course, that she could leave whenever she wanted and, unfortunately, smack Brock upside the head if she felt necessary.

So maybe Brock would just sneak away while he still had the chance…

“Oh my God, this is so cool!”

The excitement simply pulsed off of Ash as he took in the sight of all of the babies. Meanwhile, Misty strictly avoided looking at them and instead took in all the adjustments that had been made to her pool. Lily pads, strips of grass terrain across some of the tile, food everywhere. Misty frowned. All that would surely be a bitch to clean up once these bugs were out of here.

While Misty hung by the door, using Pikachu’s presence to sooth herself, Ash made for the sod to kneel down on beside the pool.

“Oh man, they’re even doing Attacks already!”

Sure enough, Misty spotted some of the Surskit playing around with Bubble. They weren’t using it as an Attack, exactly; more as a fun pool game. It was almost…cute.

Almost.

Misty almost shrieked as one Surskit skidded across the pool and launched into Ash’s lap. He rolled back and laughed, but Misty could only feel those tiny legs prodding over herself. Sensing her tension, Pikachu reached up and patted her bare shoulder, which caused goosebumps to rise before taking them away.

“Aw, Mist! How could you say no to taking one of these little guys in?” He held it up and tried the same Growlithe-eyes look on her the Brock had tried. But she had to admit that Ash was a lot better at it. “And you have to admit that Drew’s Masquerain is a pretty Pokémon. It looks like one of those dumb paper fans or…I dunno, something else that girls like.”

Misty rolled her eyes. Ash sure knew how to get to a girl’s heart.

Ash tossed her a dopey grin and her heart thumped.

Okay, maybe that thought wasn’t as sarcastic as she would have liked it to be.

“Pikapi!” Pikachu called out, feeding off his Trainer’s excitement. He was waving his arms at Ash, looking like he wanted to join in the fun. Misty felt bad for holding him back.

So, against her baser instincts, Misty approached, Pikachu patting her wrist in encouragement. However, as soon as they got only a few feet away from Ash, Pikachu leapt out of her arms and sat right down next to Ash and the Surskit, appearing to enjoy getting to spend time with a Pokémon smaller than he.

Misty looked on for a moment, thinking that the scene was kind of cute. The Surskit took an instant liking to Pikachu, who let it play with his tail. Then, suddenly, Misty felt something brush her leg and her whole world froze.

It was about ten minutes later that Ash looked up and said, “Hey, where’d Misty go?”

April 3, day 17

You know, I think there was a point of time where I was jealous of May and Ash’s relationship. But now I see that he really does only ever think about Pokémon. And if he’s 17 and only thinks about Pokémon now, then I can only imagine how little he thought about girls a few years ago. Yeah. Nothing to worry about.

Except for Misty. Because her crush on him is suuuuper obvious.

“I swear, it is a blessing that Misty’s sisters practically don’t live at the Gym,” Drew said as he and May walked down the streets of Cerulean. Solidad had sent them to the Pokémon Center to pick up Masquerain, Butterfree, and Misty’s Pokémon from her most recent match.

“You’re just saying that because they’re always giving you grief about your good looks.”

Drew looked at May, thoroughly amused. “My good looks?”

May froze, not having realized quite what she had said until it was parroted back to her. “Th-They seem to think so. That’s all.”

“Oh, I thought you were saying I looked good.” He didn’t sound disappointed, though. He was strictly teasing her.

“Well, of course you do! You’re a coordinator! It’s your bread and butter to look good for others.”

“So you do think so?”

“Just in a purely technical sense. You take care of yourself. Don’t make it seem like I’m trying to imply anything—”

“Hush, don’t break yourself, May,” Drew eased her, putting a hand on her arm when she started getting really frazzled. “No one’s trying to imply anything. It’s just fun to see you get all worked up.”

May huffed. “Yeah, well I’d like to see you worked up, just once.”

Drew raised an eyebrow. “Oh, would you?”

Realizing her error, May gave a disgusted groan. “Okay, that’s enough! Where is this Pokémon Center?”

She rushed ahead of him and Drew could only laugh, speeding up his pace until he could catch her.

Misty stood in her spot in the doorway of the Surskit room. But this time Brock was standing next to her.

“Wasn’t he coming because he wanted to see you trying to get me to get over my fear of bugs?” Misty mused.

“That is what he said.”

They were both watching him and Pikachu play with the Surskit. Masquerain and Butterfree weren’t out of their ‘Balls constantly like they had been at the beginning, but they were out now and Ash was also getting a kick out of playing with them. He was really in his element.

“He wouldn’t have come if he didn’t want to see you, Misty,” Brock said comfortingly.

He knew about her crush. She knew he knew about her crush. But he also knew that he wasn’t allowed to say that he knew. And she knew that too. This kind of the thing was the closest that they ever came to acknowledging it.

“I swear, he will only ever love Pokémon.”

Misty had her arms crossed and she was looking longingly out at him, not even the Bugs being enough to wipe the expression away.

“Hey, maybe one day he’ll treat…someone else the same way.”

Misty scoffed. “Like a Pokémon?”

Brock laughed. “Maybe?”

Pinching the bridge of her nose and shaking her head, Misty could only sigh, “That’s every girl’s dream.”

April 4, day 18

Drew was in his room, brushing out his Absol’s fine fur when Solidad walked in. Her face was a little harder than usual, not a noticeable enough shift for most people to notice, but Drew instantly straightened, feeling like his mother was coming in to scold him.

“Is something wrong?” Drew asked, not wanting to beat around the bush.

Solidad took a moment to sit down on the edge of his bed and smooth the blanket, tossing a kind smile at Drew’s Absol before turning to Drew himself. Then she took his journal and placed it on the bed. “You left it in the Surskit’s room.”

“Oh, thanks,” Drew said, putting it on the side table, internalizing the fact that he hadn’t written anything for that day yet. He’d do it before he went to sleep.

“I read some of it.”

Drew looked up, surprised. Solidad stated it bluntly, with a touch of guilt coloring her tone. He realized that he didn’t feel like his privacy had been invaded. If it had been someone else, then yeah. But not Solidad. So he said, “Okay.”

“You’d said that you were recording stuff about the Surskit, so I thought I’d take a look at your observations. I didn’t realize that it had personal thoughts in there as well; I should have, but I didn’t consider—”

“It’s fine,” Drew said bluntly. “That is what it was supposed to be. I just realized that I liked keeping a journal, so I kept doing it.”

Solidad was kind of blindsided by Drew’s non-reaction. But after a brief pause, she figured she might as well go along with it. “I always had figured that you liked May.”

“I don’t really hide it.”

Solidad smiled. “You don’t.”

Drew knew it was obvious. Misty’s crush on Ash was obvious, but so was the fact that she wanted it to be a secret. But Drew was rather conspicuous because, well, why hide it?

“So why haven’t you asked her out yet?”

“It’ll happen naturally when it’s supposed to,” he said simply. “I’m just laying the groundwork until then.”

“Drew, you’ve been laying the groundwork for almost six years,” Solidad pointed out, beckoning Absol over to her so that she could take over brushing. Absol happily obliged, thrusting its chin into Solidad’s hand. “It’s getting embarrassing.”

Drew bristled at that. “She’ll come to me when the time is right,” he stated, standing up to set out his clothes for the next day. He and the rest of the group had taken some time earlier in the month to stock up on supplies for their temporary home.

“Drew, I hate to say this about your beloved,” she didn’t get away with that one without a very unamused glance from Drew, “but there is absolutely no way that she’s going to pick up what you’re putting down unless you spell it out for her.”

“Untrue,” Drew stated as he loudly set down the book that he’d been reading before bed on the bedside table. “We flirt all the time.”

Solidad blinked. “Do you think that Ash and Misty flirt?”

“Yes, sometimes. In their weird, repressed kind of way,” Drew answered easily. But as he waved away the obvious question, his hand caught in the air, as though hitting the very idea Solidad had released into the world.

She smiled, seeing that he was getting it. “And do you think that Ash realizes?”

Drew groaned. “Oh, man.”

April 5, day 19

I’m not even going to talk about the fact that I missed yesterday. That’s Solidad’s fault. She distracted me.

The idea that May doesn’t realize that there’s anything between us…I guess it should have occurred to me. But it’s just so obvious, that I’d thought…I don’t know. I guess I was just hoping. But I want to be doing more than just hoping. I don’t want to be like Ash and Misty. And lord knows I don’t want to be like Brock…

Brock, for his part, was happy. Ash provided Misty with enough distraction that she no longer felt it necessary to constantly remind Brock how pissed off she was. With her fists. In his chest.

She was even going into the Surskit habitat occasionally. About once a day. She was willing to watch everyone else play with the Surskit, but refused to make much progress past the door. It had looked like they were going to have another breakthrough the day before when she again attempted to cross the threshold, but then Lily had pretended to toss one of the Surskit at her and that was the end of that.

To tell the truth, the Surskit were almost fully grown by now, so Brock had to take a step back and ask himself, what was the point? Then, if he really took a step back, he realized that they could have sent the Surskit to Professor Oak from the beginning. But he decided that it was not in his best interest to share that bit of information with Drew.

No, at this point, the venture was all about Misty for Brock. Babies or not, the Surskit were cute, dammit! Even Misty’s sisters thought so!

Speaking of…

Violet was scrounging through the kitchen—Brock had reorganized the whole place…three times since arriving. None of the four sisters used the kitchen very much, save for the refrigerator for takeout and premade meals, but it nevertheless proved annoying when they had to relearn how to navigate their own kitchen every week. When she finally landed on her goal, rice cakes, she eagerly began opening up the package. Then Brock swooped in.

“Hey, I could make you something much better,” he offered as he leaned over the counter.

Struggling to open the package, Violet began searching for some scissors. She eyed Brock wearily, trying to figure out exactly what double entendre he’d planted in that sentence. She couldn’t find one, but she was sure that it was there.

“That’s fine,” she said after finally finding the kitchen shears and loosing her flavorless snack. “I’m gonna put some peanut butter and honey on it.”

“Oh, you don’t need any honey. You’re already sweeter than the sap from a Bulbasaur’s bulb.”

Squeamishly, Violet placed the rice cake on the counter before backing away. “Uh, right. Catch you later, Brock.”

Brock sighed, flopping against the counter. Three sisters down.

Well, guess it was on to Solidad next.

April 6, day 20

Ash has been teaching the Surskit attacks. We were just letting them learn on their own before and studying their behavior, but there’s no stopping that kid. He’s taken a liking to one in particular that he’s been pitting against the others, so they’re all getting a bit of training. They’re learned a few moves beyond tackle now. They all know Bubble and some are learning Quick Attack.

No, I don’t have anything to say about May.

April 7, day 21

Okay. It’s been three weeks. This is longer than I was at Solidad’s. The only other place that has seen this much of me is LaRousse, and I don’t say that with fondness. And we’ve been dealing with an abundance of youngsters for the past week. At least that’s kept Misty and even her sisters occupied. Which has kept Brock and Solidad from meddling. Except for Solidad meddling with me. But…I still don’t know what to make of that.

April 8, day 22

I talked to Masquerain about sending each of the Surskit to different trainers and coordinators. She was upset by the idea, but we all know that it’s the only option. And it will be best for the Surskit too. I imagine it won’t be too hard to find them homes in Kanto, since they’re a rare species here. We’ll just have to take extra care about where they end up going. But it’s getting to be that time. We’ve taken them out a few times, but it’s not enough. They’re fully grown and absolutely itching to get out of that damn pool.

I know how they feel.

April 9, day 23

Brock is losing steam. You can tell. Solidad stopped really helping him out about a week ago, as did May. Ash…never proved to be much help. And Brock is out of ideas.

Thank the merciful gods.

“Brock! Brock! I’ve got it!”

Ash breathlessly ran into Brock’s room mirth shining in his bright brown eyes.

“Got what?” Brock asked disheartenedly—he’d just seen Tracey and Daisy together and his poor heart was broken.

“The solution for Misty’s problem!”

“What’s that?”

Ash pulled his Pokédex from his jacket—looking mighty pleased with himself all the while—and pressed a button before thrusting the device in Brock’s face.

“Surskit secrets a thick, sugary syrup, or a sweet scent. The syrup is exuded as a defense mechanism, while the scent can attract prey.

“Sweet Scent is a move which lowers the target’s evasiveness, luring them in or causing them to become relaxed.”

When Ash shut off his Pokdéx and turned to Brock triumphantly, Brock could do nothing but give a defeated sigh and say, “It’s worth a shot.”

She was in the room. Only a few feet in, but the door was closed behind her, and that was enough.

Everyone else was there too. Solidad, Drew, May, Brock, Pikachu—though not Misty’s sisters…but when were they ever there?

Ash had given them all the briefest details of some half-baked plan. All they knew was that they needed to be behind Ash and his favored Surskit.

And then he shouted, “Surskit, Sweet Scent!”

Everyone—except for Brock—fell into complete alarm when they noticed that the pink powder born from the Surskit’s head floating in the direction of Misty. They all smelled the room become fragranced with the light, airy scent of spring blooms, they didn’t feel the effects of the move.

But Misty sure did.

“Ash! What in the hell do you think…you’re…do…”

Everyone watched in disbelief as Misty’s eyes dulled, a silly grin appearing on her face. She began wavering on her feet as she stepped fearlessly towards the Surskit…and Ash.

“It’s working,” Brock murmured under his breath.

Actually, Misty seemed altogether unaware of the Surskit. The one that Ash had fired at her scurried behind him, frightened by the human’s strange behavior. Ash, for his part, looked concerned, stepping forward and putting his arms out so as to catch Misty if she fell.

And fall she did. Right into his arms, looking up at him dazedly as he supported her dead weight.

“M-Misty? Are you alright?”

“Aw, Ash.”

“What, Misty?”

“Ash, I knew you loved me.”

Save for the sounds of the Surskit skimming along the top of the pool, the room fell to silence, everyone watching the scene with bated breath. Even Ash didn’t have anything to say. For a moment. Then, brilliantly:

“Whaa?”

Misty, however, was unfazed. She was standing more on her own now, petting Ash’s shoulder as she looked at him with hooded lids.

“You’ve only ever loved Pokémon. And now you’ve finally done the same with me!” She poked his nose playfully. “You love me.”

Ash’s cheeks heated up as he looked around the room—whether it was to see how his friends were reacting or because he was looking for an escape was anybody’s guess. Pikachu cocked a his head at him; not even Pikachu understood what was going on in his friend’s mind.

“Right, Brock? He treated me like a Pokémon! That’s the dream, right?”

All eyes turned to Brock at that…subprime statement. He winced. “It’s not what it sounds like.”

Misty stood up a little more steadily on her own feet, but it was just so that she could wrap her arms around Ash in a more proper hug, burying her head in his shoulder. “Mm, I’ve wanted to do that for so long.” Then she pulled away and looked straight in his eyes. They were about the same height, so it was with ease that she said, “Don’t worry, Ash. I love you too,”

…and pecked him on the lips.

“Okay, okay.”

Brock’s best friend instinct kicked in at that moment and he stood up from his perch by the pool and went over to Ash and Misty, realizing that this was a situation where she needed to be saved from herself. The Sweet Scent had her so relaxed she was acting almost high and he was already sure that she’d be so embarrassed when she came out of this that she would smack him silly for not having stopped her sooner.

“What, Ash? You don’t wanna play anymore?”

“That’s enough, Misty,”

“Wait, Brock.”

Misty had a pouting expression on her face as she continued holding onto Ash. Brock was all ready to pry her away, but Ash…well, Ash’s expression was completely unreadable.

“What, Ash?” Brock asked, trying to urge him on.

“I…don’t know. I’m just trying to…catch up.”

“Aaaash,” Misty whined. “Don’t you love me?”

“I, uh, I think I have no clue.”

“You have no clue?” Brock deadpanned.

Ash shrugged the best he could while Misty’s arms were still wrapped tight around him. “I’ve never thought about it before.”

Brock looked at him in disbelief. “How have you never thought about it before?”

“I just haven’t. But let’s try that again.” To Misty’s delight, Ash closed the distance and this time gave her a peck in the lips, just a couple of seconds longer.

“I don’t know…” Ash said again, but this time as a smile slowly rose to his lips. “That was kind of fun.”

“We could do that some more, Ash,” Misty cooed, leaning in again.

“No! I think you need to go to sleep,” Brock insisted, this time actually going in to pry Misty off of Ash. Ash nodded along with Brock’s suggestion and did his best to squeeze out of Misty’s grip.

As Brock led a disoriented Misty out of the room, Ash turned around to the rest of the—completely stunned—group and said, “Wow, that was different.”

Pikachu, for his part, bounded over to Ash, leaping into his arms and giving a congratulatory “Pi pikachu!”

“Aw, thanks, buddy!”

“No,” Drew said. “Uh-uh. This does not happen for you before it happens for us.”

Drew gestured between him and May, which caused her eyes to completely bug out of her head. “Whaa?”

Before she knew what was going on, Drew marched over to her, grabbed the side of her face and kissed her full on the lips. May gave a little squeak before giving into it. It only lasted a few moments longer than that, though, before Drew pulled away, breathing heavily.

“Drew?” May breathed.

“May, I’ve given you flowers for years, we flirt endlessly, we’ve travelled together since you left this goober,” he gestured towards Ash, who had the sense to look offended, “and, most of all, I’ve stayed with you even when we’ve been travelling with Harley.” He looked to Solidad. “That goes for you too.”

Solidad could only give a little shrug before nodding in agreement.

He turned back to May. “I only ever traveled alone before you. And I liked it. But when I’m with you, it makes me wonder why I ever, ever wanted to travel alone.”

“Drew,” May nearly whispered. “I had no idea.”

Drew nodded slowly. “Yeah…that’s pretty obvious. But, um, what do you think?”

May could only smile shyly. “I think it sounds really amazing.”

“So,” Drew looked hopefully at May, “maybe things can be different when we travel through Kanto?”

May nodded. “I’d like that.”

“Good. Now come here.” He brought her into the warmest hug he’d ever felt and whispered, “Because I love you,” in her ear.

Drew felt the tickle on his neck of May’s laughter and pulled her even closer. He didn’t expect her to say it back. He didn’t even want her to until she’d thought about it more.

But saying it felt oh so good.

“Okay, I totally win! Misty may not have overcome her fear of bugs, but she did overcome her fear of telling Ash how she feels, so I count that as a victor—wait, what’s going on here?”

Brock had come strutting into the room, his voice echoing all throughout before stopping at the vision of Drew and May wrapped together more tightly then a well-made burrito.

Solidad laughed. “You missed confession number two.”

Brock’s expression instantly fell. “Oh man! I’ve been waiting on that one for years too!”

“Really?” May asked over Drew’s shoulder, looking mildly concerned.

“Me too,” Solidad added.

“Pikachu.”

That was enough to pull May out of the embrace and look wildly between Brock, Solidad, and Pikachu. “Wait, so everyone knew except for me?”

Ash raised his hand. “I didn’t know.”

Drew looked at him dryly. “Of course you didn’t.”

“Max knew,” Brock added.

That turned May’s face bright red. “He did‽ Ooh, he’s going to hear from me!”

May instantly began stomping out of the room, leaving a bewildered Drew behind for only a second until she turned around, snatched his hand, and continued her way toward the lobby’s videophone.

As they left, Brock sidled up next to Solidad, who only raised an eyebrow at him. “So, Ash and Misty. Drew and May. Guess that you and I are gonna have to get together now.”

“Oh, Brock,” Solidad said in a tone that Brock knew only too well. “I thought you knew. I’m ace.”

“What’s ace?” Ash asked.

“Asexual,” Solidad answered. “I honestly thought you were too.”

“Oh. Nope!” Ash said with cheerful ignorance. “Just honestly never thought about it.”

Solidad smiled. “That’s just precious.”

They continued to chat, not noticing how Brock had curled up in the fetal position in the corner of the room, tears streaming down his face.

April 14

May, Solidad, and I start traveling tomorrow. I feel like it’ll mostly be the same between May and I. Solidad’s the one who’s going to be weird about it. I’m sure she’s going to feel the constant need to chaperone us. It’ll be fun.

That was sarcasm.

Ash is going to stay in Kanto too. Since the season just started for them too, he’s going to challenge the Kanto League again. I guess his near-victory in Sinnoh has him thinking he can take it home this time in Kanto. And I guess he wants to be closer to Misty. I’m not sure if they’re dating. I don’t think they know either. Well, I’m sure Ash doesn’t know. But I’m sure Misty will force him to figure it out someday. Hopefully she won’t need to be all but drugged to do so.

The Surskit all have homes now. Ash, of course, took the one that he and Pikachu befriended. And then the rest are going to Brock’s siblings.

Of course, Misty never got used to the Surskit. But I guess that saga’s going to keep going, now that Ash has one. Maybe it’ll come along the same way Ash’s other bug pokémon have for Misty.

Honestly, it would be really funny if it did, because it would make Brock’s suffering of the past month essentially pointless. All Ash had to do was catch it and that’ll probably make the difference for her.

Oh, the irony.

But, honestly, who cares? Because I have my girlfriend, my best friend, and a brand new contest season.

And, best of all, no Harley.

“Drew, what are you writing?”

May stood over Drew’s spot hunched on the ground, smiling slyly.

“Whatever it is, it’s going to have to wait, because we have to help Misty clean up the Surskit room.”

“One more second, May.”

She smiled as she squeezed his shoulder before walking away.

…Second best of all.

[zeldascaos-blog]

Snakes and Ladders ~ Chapter One: History

Keep getting the feeling you want to leave this all behind. You and me got a whole lot of history, we could be the greatest thing that the world has ever seen. I realize that without you here, life is just a lie. This is not the end.

Fred Andrews, Alice Smith, FP Jones, and Hermione Gomez. Four people who were at one point in time inseparable. Riverdale was their oyster. When they attended Riverdale High just as their children now do today, there were no fathers murdering their own sons and there was no hooded psychopath looming over them. The world was at their feet.

Fred and FP had been best friends since elementary school, Alice and Hermione had been self-labelled “frenemies” since Hermione had moved to Riverdale. But, the connection between the four of them was never spawned until the summer before their sophomore year of high school. Riverdale High is currently a small school, but back in the early nineties, there was barely three hundred students enrolled there.

Needless to say, everyone knew of everyone, they had all been friends at least at one point or another in their childhoods, but after elementary school, cliques and tight friend groups were implemented. Alice Smith had been in and out of friendships, her snake-like qualities that were sometimes displayed often proved too much for most girls that had ever been close to her. But, FP and Fred were different. They relied on each other. FP lived on the Southside in a run-down old shack of a house with his drunken bastard of a father; there were many instances where he had shacked up with Fred’s family on the Northside. 

Hermione Gomez had just moved to Riverdale, so she was not yet aware of Alice’s spotty reputation and never felt reason to stay away from her. Their relationship came to be because Alice was a bit of a troublemaker, something that Hermione never had been. Together, they balanced each other out.

The very day before the school year would begin, Alice was introducing Hermione to what she humbly liked to call the “eggshell game.” It was all fair, she only ever did it to people who thoroughly deserved it. But, after Alice had pitched three eggs directly at Tom Keller’s brand new Ford pickup in broad daylight, Hermione was shocked to say the least.

“Alice!” She cried in confusion, as her blonde friend grabbed her hand and made a run for it. “You should have just talked to him!”

Alice scoffed, smiling as she ran alongside her newfound best friend. “He should have called!”

Over the weekend, Alice and Tom had been on their very first date and, even though it didn’t go very well, he promised he would call - it was only the gentlemanly thing to do. “I thought you said he wasn’t even your type!” Hermione yelled as Alice suddenly broke to the left and continued dragging her behind.

“He’s not!” Alice laughed, she didn’t know whose backyard they were cutting through, but she also didn’t care. “He still should have called!” She wasn’t truly angry over Tom’s behaviour, she certainly wouldn’t have called if she were him, but she took advantage of any excuse to have a little fun and cause some trouble while doing so. Besides, it was such a beautiful summer day, how could she pass up the opportunity to spend some time on the run under the sun?

“Are we going to get in trouble?” Hermione was slowly getting used to Alice’s bad girl antics and being dragged into her so-called fun, but she still had no interest in facing the repercussions.

“Hopefully!” Alice teased, knowing just how nervous Hermione was of the law. Alice Smith was born and raised on the Southside and had resented it for her entire life. She didn’t hate that it likely contributed to her free spirit attitude, she was fine with who she was. She just didn’t like the fact that Riverdale didn’t offer her the same opportunities because of where she came from. She didn’t like the reputation that was forced upon her, she didn’t like being treated like scum on the bottom of someone else’s shoes.

Her home life was just as toxic as FP’s was, so she spent as little time there as she possibly could. She was on the run, in search of a safehaven, somewhere to call home, some place that she could feel truly and utterly safe - something she’d never experienced before. But, in the meantime, she and Hermione were literally on the run from whoever may have watched her vandalize Tom’s truck.

“Oh, no.” Hermione stopped in her tracks and crossed her arms when they came to a small chain-link fence that divided two backyards. “No way am I jumping that fence, Alice! These are Louboutin’s!” She whined, gesturing to the shoes on her feet.

Alice rolled her eyes with a sly laugh, “Come on, Hermione, loosen up for once in your life!” She raised an eyebrow and lifted herself over the fence. “If you want to stay here and get caught, be my guest, but excuse me if I don’t join you!”

Hermione huffed but gritted her teeth and followed in Alice’s mischievous footsteps, having more than a little trouble getting herself over the fence though it was only about five feet off the ground.

“What in the name of - “ Alice and Hermione whipped around to face whoever had been watching them from the back porch of their yard. The two girls had been so concerned about making it away from Tom’s house that they hadn’t even thought to worry about who may have been outside enjoying the sunshine in their private backyard. “Who are you and just what do you think you’re doing trespassing on my property, exactly?”

Artie Andrews had always been a rather gruff man, it was only his nature. He was never cruel, and he wasn’t exactly mean. He simply wasn’t the type of person who would enjoy knowing that teenage girls were climbing his private fence and getting away with trampling his garden hedges.

The two girls were at a loss for words, and it was very lucky that fate chose that moment to have Fred Andrews and FP Jones enter the backyard to see what Artie was yelling about. “Alice?” The teenage boys said at the same time, confusion clearly evident in their voices.

“You know these troublemakers?” Artie asked, turning towards his son and FP but not expecting an answer. “We can’t just have you kids running through neighbourhoods away from God knows what. I’ve half a mind to call your parents!”

While Fred’s gaze was now captivated by the raven-haired girl that he’d never seen before, FP had been looking at Alice, and he watched her eyes widen in genuine fear following Artie’s suggestion. The Southside didn’t have the same kind of rumour mill as the Northside, but when you lived on the Southside, you knew a lot about the others who resided there. FP knew that Alice would face the same serious ruthless repercussions at home as he would if either of their parents ever got a call from a Northsider complaining about their kids.

With this in mind, the taller teenage boy stepped in. “Don’t worry, Mr. A, they’re friends of ours.” Artie raised a scrutinizing eyebrow, but waited silently for the explanation. “We invited them over, I don’t know why they were stupid enough to try to come in through the backyard.” FP gave Alice a pointed look, telling her that she would have to be more careful when it came to the kinds of fun she liked to have.

Artie looked to Fred, who nodded his confirmation of FP’s story. Whatever reason FP had for lying to his father, Fred was sure that it was legitimate and harmless. Besides, it was true, they were friends of Alice’s. Kind of. Artie mumbled a bit but went back inside without giving anyone any more trouble. FP and Alice didn’t exactly associate with each other, but they shared common ground, and that gave them a connection that they couldn’t exactly ignore. FP stepped down from the porch and made his way towards her, leaving Fred to approach the girl that had him so entranced.

“You really shouldn’t be pushing your luck in neighbourhoods like this one, Alice.” FP said truthfully, though there was amusement on his face. “There’s not much leniency for kids like us.”

Alice rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, she’d always been strangely haughty for someone who came from such a low background. “Thank you for having my back, FP... “ She began sarcastically, “... but, you can’t tell me what to do.” They both raised their eyebrows slightly as their playful teasing began. “Besides, you can’t possibly be one to talk.”

He gave her a look of mock disbelief, it was refreshing to have a conversation with someone who actually challenged him - most people were rather intimidated. “And what exactly is that supposed to mean?” His voice was just as teasing as hers continuously was in his presence.

“Please,” she eyed him daringly, “I know the stories.”

Alice turned back to Hermione, but FP couldn’t help but continue to gaze at her with a grin on his face and a glint in his eye.

“I see that you’ve already been corrupted by Alice’s tricks.” Fred was in the middle of having his own conversation with Hermione, and the two of them were so blatantly flirting that Alice rolled her eyes in disgust.

“Hermione Gomez,” Alice gestured to the beautiful girl with the chocolate eyes as she formally introduced her to the boys. “Fred Andrews and FP Jones.” Hermione smiled warmly at both of her new acquaintances, but couldn’t keep her eyes off of Fred Andrews’ boyishly charming grin for long.

“Hey,” he began nervously, rubbing the back of his neck as he spoke. “how would you feel about grabbing some malts at Pop’s?”

Alice and FP gave each other perceiving glances as they watched the scene unfold, and Hermione immediately gave Fred an excited smile. “That would be great!”

Fred was pleased that she’d agreed, but he wasn’t surprised. He certainly had a way with the ladies. “Alright, then.” He chuckled and offered her his arm like a true gentleman, making her laugh as she took it without hesitation. “We can walk, it’s only a few blocks away.”

As the two of them began in the direction of Pop’s, Alice and FP remained standing, arms crossed and confused. “Does that include us, or...?” Alice said incredulously, irritated at the two lovebirds’ complete ignorance of her and FP.

From a few yards away, Hermione turned her head back as she walked. “Are you two coming?”

Alice and FP looked at each other again, still processing what had happened as their two best friends were now off together. Alice sighed, and FP only gestured for her to lead the way.

And that was how Fred Andrews, Alice Smith, FP Jones, and Hermione Gomez found themselves in a booth at Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe for the first time together. That was how it all began, the rest was history, really. It became their place, their sanctuary. That’s not to say that their intricate relationships were not complicated. To lay it all out, Fred and FP were best friends, Alice and Hermione were best friends, but Fred and Hermione were also dating.

And, somewhere along the line, FP Jones and Alice Smith fell in love. It wasn’t a convenient kind of love, it wasn’t an easy love, but it was real. It was passionate, it was wild, and it was true. It didn’t happen in the same way as their friends, Fred and Hermione knew that they were bound to have a story together the moment that they both clapped eyes on each other.

FP and Alice had always known of each other, they grew up in the same place, they knew the struggles of Southside families, and they both knew what it was like to try to defy the stereotypes that were cast upon them. It didn’t happen quickly, it was not love at first sight. They were just two acquaintances who happened to have mutual friends and who both acknowledged the fact that the other was intensely attractive. That should have been the warning sign.

But, through their bickering and relentless contradictions of each other, somehow, they managed to fall in love. It took them a while to realize this, but once they did, there was absolutely no stopping them. They ran to each other in times of peril, they shared secrets never revealed before, they finally understood the meaning of safety. They both came from broken, ugly families, they knew that they needed some kind of escape. That’s what the Serpents were for them, an escape.

FP was the first to join them. Alice had been wary, knowing that joining a gang would only make it more impossible for her to ever overcome the obstacles standing in her way of a pure, desirable life. But, she trusted him. If it was something he had to do, then she would support that. They clung to each other, she wasn’t going to turn her back on him now.

But, the repercussions of FP’s involvement with the Serpents took separate tolls on them. FP’s name was rather demonized, he remained the captain of the football team, an object of fancy for the girls, and nothing more than an alluring, dangerous, bad boy. And everyone loved a bad boy. Frankly, the students of Riverdale High were too intimidated by him to ever dare question his character even after joining the Serpents.

For Alice, it was different. The day after the news broke, someone had boldly written the words “Serpent Slut” on her locker in red lipstick. Neither her nor the janitors even bothered to wipe it off. But, this only fueled Alice’s fire. She was not ashamed of who FP was nor his affiliations with the Serpents. They were not demonic, they were not anything to be repelled by, they were safe. They took care of their own. And that was certainly what she needed right now. She’d never been one to give in and cower whenever she was targeted, so Alice wore that label proudly and defiantly.

She did not cry, she did not run, she smirked and went about her day as usual. And, the next day, she had joined the Serpents. It wasn’t just about proving anyone wrong, in fact, she kept her membership a secret from everyone at Riverdale High save for Hermione, Fred, and of course FP. She’d done it for him. The Serpents were a completely different world. And, if it was his world now, then she wanted to be a part of it. After all, they were in this together. That was what they always said.

Separately, Alice and FP were troublemakers. Together, they were detrimental to Riverdale’s prestigious name. They stayed out too late, ran with people who could give them the thrills they desired, spent endless nights in the back of FP’s truck at the Twilight Drive-In, mixed their root beers with alcohol at Pop’s, and had their fair share of run-ins with the cops. While Alice had only ever had to spend one night in jail, FP had done his share of time here and there.

And so began Alice Smith and FP Jones’ ride or die romance that rocked Riverdale. They were wild, they were the couple that everyone wanted to emulate. But, things got hard very quickly. When FP’s father finally threw him out of the house for good, it became obvious that working down at Pop’s diner would no longer cut it so long as he needed to provide for himself. But, on Serpent territory, odd jobs were always available.

He began doing dangerous work, illegal work, and he wanted Alice as far away from it as possible. He knew that they’d always worked better together rather than apart, but if this was going to be his life now, he couldn’t have anything standing in his way. He couldn’t risk hurt. And, if she was hurt, he was hurt. Besides, he knew that it was only a matter of time before she realized that she could have so much more than him, and that would be the day that she left him behind and never looked back. Even at seventeen, after they’d only been dating for about a year, FP knew that Alice was the love of his life, without a doubt.

And it was mutual. Every time that they promised a grand a loving future to each other, Alice felt happier than she ever though she could. Before everything began to fall apart, Alice couldn’t have cared less what any Northsider thought of her. She no longer pined for the polished life that came with living on the other side of the tracks. As long as she was safe, and she was in love, none of it mattered. That was her dream.

But, FP didn’t handle situations in the way that she would have wanted him to. She wanted him to come to her when he was in trouble, she wanted to get through things together, they were a team. After all, she’d joined the Serpents to be with him, she should have been part of his world. Instead, FP pushed her away. He ran. She tried to involve herself in his troubles with intentions of helping him, but he wouldn’t stand for it. So, he pushed, and when this only made her try more ruthlessly, he pushed harder.

As long as he was pushing her away and running from her, Alice was no longer happy. She was no longer satisfied with her life. And so contributed to the subsequent moments of weakness where she looked at the Northside with desirable eyes. She knew FP was the only one for her with respect to love, she knew that from the bottom of her heart. But, if he didn’t want her as intensely as she wanted him - which is what he recently had begun to act like - she could only try so hard. After all, there were others who wanted her. Others who couldn’t provide her with the passion that she needed, but who could provide her with the imperious life that she thought she wanted.

Alice and FP’s breakup had been all anyone at Riverdale High could talk about. Rumours as to how exactly it had gone down spiraled through the halls. Everyone was watching them to see how they would react if they ran into each other in the gymnasium or the cafeteria. The school thrived off of the drama that was Alice and FP’s disastrous fallout.

It happened through an enormous fight, that was the basis of it all. They hadn’t been doing well for months after FP had begun making illegal deliveries and getting himself into dangerous situations. Alice wanted nothing more than to be there for him, and he just wouldn’t let her. To make things easier, he convinced himself that it would just be better if they weren’t even together, and thus provoked his cold attitude towards her that in turn shoved her straight into the arms of Hal Cooper.

The foundation of their argument was simple. FP had never asked her to join the Serpents for him, he’d never asked her to get involved with his way of life, it was dangerous and they both knew that. But, Alice was sick of him pushing her away. If they were going to be in this together, then she needed to be able to help him through things just as he did her. Their breakup was not established due to the true belief on either end that it was what either of them wanted, it was the heat of the moment, it was what happened when two teenagers were thrown into situations that forced them to grow up too fast.

It wasn’t because they stopped loving each other. In fact, just the opposite. They loved each other a little too much. So much that it was dangerous. The kind of danger that they couldn’t afford so long as FP was practically a homeless drug runner and Alice desperately needed an escape from the horrendous home life that she had. The logistics of it all simply never seemed to work out in thier minds. So, Alice left him - his biggest fear - and FP’s promises were all proven empty - her biggest fear.

Staying with the Serpents became impossible for Alice. She was a part of that world because it was his home. And he was her home. Going back to the Whyte Wyrm or any of their other territories only caused her pain. So, she did was FP was so good at doing. She ran. To the Northside, to be exact. She continued to pretend that she’d never been involved with the Serpents and she carefully selected a proper Northside boy that could do what FP never could and give her a life of materialistic luxury.

The Serpents would have been nothing more than disappointed by her leaving of them, but when it became no secret that Alice was going around Riverdale practically spitting on their name, they held back nothing when deeming her a traitor. Hal Cooper was perfect. He hated the Southside, he knew that Alice needed him in order to get anywhere successful, and he thrived off of that. Everyone at school thought Alice was majestic. She was beautiful, she was powerful, and she was popular. But, Hal knew her secret - she would never get anywhere prestigious without him. And he had always loved power.

It wasn’t even a moth after FP and Alice called it quits before he found himself with a Serpent member named Gladys and had set his sights on enlisting in the army. Meanwhile, Alice found herself with Hal - prince of the Northside. Of course, had Alice known that she was pregnant, it would have changed everything. She would never have left FP, she never would have left the Serpents, she never would have decided to pretend to be something that she wasn’t. But, by then, it was already too late.

A theme among residents of Riverdale had proven to be marrying the wrong people.

Fred and Hermione were undeniably in love. Hermione chose Hiram Lodge - the popular son of a rich business man. Fred settled for Mary Andrews. Alice and FP had never stopped loving each other - they didn’t know if they could. But, Alice chose Hal, and FP chose Gladys.

It was all wrong. And now, it seemed that their children were unknowingly out to fix the mistakes that they’d made.

[cometkittiesoriginalcontent]

My Life as a Background Character: Matt’s Fangtastic Date

       Greendale is a place where fantastic, out of the ordinary things happen every day. This seemingly sleepy little place is home to strange occurrences and even stranger people. So strange, in fact, that an entire subset of people exists that we refer to only as mutants. Due to a chemical spill that left part of the town with strange mutations and abilities. Since then we have seen the rise of heroes and villains, as well as groups that wish to see all of their kind dead. The social climate here has definitely changed as a result, with neighbors and friends existing on opposite ends of the debate. Greendale has a lot of problems now.

      Another thing that Greendale has is a high number of disappearances. Within the last year, there have been at least twenty people and even more pets that have vanished without a trace. Many try and blame this on the mutants and use it as even more fodder for their hate-filled campaigns, but the disappearances started long before the chemical leak. The mutants are not the only strange thing about Greendale. There is something else, something much more sinister hiding below the surface.

       I was walking home from Eliza’s house one night after eating dinner with her and her father. He had made some overly complicated vegetable dish so that he could show off how fast he was at working with his four arms. I often went over there to speak to the pair of them about their adventures as the town’s superhero pair, being the only one that knows their secret. It was just after eight when I decided it was time to walk home. My parents had a strictly enforced nine o’clock curfew in place for me, especially with all of the crazy occurrences that have been happening lately.

       I was walking down Jefferson Street, just past Chuck’s corner store when it happened. Jefferson Street is a long narrow street filled with nearly identical homes, all with their own fenced in yards. Usually, the Davis’ dog, Roscoe, can be heard barking long before I turn the corner, but tonight all I hear are crickets chirping in the darkness. I continue my trek up the street towards the Davis’ house ready to see my favorite little buddy jumping on the fence in greeting. But when I get there Roscoe is nowhere to be found. Instead, I see little patches of blue fur lining the grass and sidewalk. Roscoe’s fur.

      Walking home alone suddenly seems much more dangerous than it did a few moments ago. I try to ignore my concern for the little mutant dog and continue up the street towards home. I still have several blocks to go before I reach my destination. Every sound I hear makes me jump and quicken my steps. A cat screeching in the dark makes me want to jump out of my skin. I finally hit Main Street and my fear starts to wane as more and more street lamps click on. That’s when I hear it. In between two small businesses is a barely lit alleyway, and coming from it I hear the sound of whimpering. Common sense tells me to just leave. To go home and lock the door. There’s blue fur on the ground in front of me. I go down the alleyway hoping that my mind is just creating worst-case scenarios and that I’ll find that stupid dog unharmed. Down the alley, there is a dumpster with a small pile of boxes beside it. The whining and whimpering seems to be coming from the stacks of cardboard. I begin to move the boxes to get to the source of the sound and soon I have found him. Roscoe. Except he is not unharmed as I foolishly hoped. There, where his collar used to be, are two small holes. His blue fur is streaked with blood. He continues to look at me as he whimpers, obviously in pain. I have to call for help!

      I take out my cell phone and begin to call Eliza. Having a flying superhero for a best friend can come in handy in an emergency. I could just hear the dial tone when suddenly I am thrown against the wall by an unseen force. My phone is ripped from my hands and I suddenly find myself staring into a pair of red eyes. Red. The color streaks his face and stains his lips. His skin is pale and his hands, which are pinning me against the walls, are cold. I barely hear Roscoe whimpering from his place on the ground over the sound of my own heart racing. Is this what it feels like to stare death in the face? I hope not.

      He stares down at me with a look in his eyes that almost looks like fear. What does he have to be afraid of in the situation? I’m the one being held against a wall by an actual vampire while his most recent victim lies on the ground near my feet! This is definitely not how I envisioned my own death. I planned on being old and grey holding the hand of my husband, Daniel Winters, as we fade out together like in some cheesy romance movie. Instead, I’m going to die in a dirty alleyway beside a dumpster. A blue dog as my only companion. On the plus side, if I die tonight I don’t have to take the geometry test tomorrow. Silver linings.

     He opens his mouth to speak to reveal sharp fangs and more blood drips down his face. I cringe and look away, unable to handle the site.

     “I’m not going to hurt you,” he says in a frantic whisper. My eyes are screwed shut as wait for the piercing feeling of his fangs entering my neck. Maybe I have seen too many horror movies, but considering the situation I am currently in I feel my assumptions are accurate. I hear him sigh, and his grip loosens slightly. This is my chance! Using every last bit of courage and strength I have, I kick him away and take off running away from the alley leaving Roscoe and the terrifying creature behind. He doesn’t follow.

       The next day I find myself sitting in class, a test in front of me with numbers that seem to swim across the page. I did not sleep last night for fear of him coming to find me. Geometry is even more impossible than usual. I look around the room, seeing Matt concentrating on his test at the desk beside me. He was really chipper when he entered class today and if I had even an ounce of energy today I probably would’ve asked him, instead his peppiness is annoying. How can he be so happy when vampires are apparently roaming the streets, ready to suck our blood? I want to ask, to tell him what I saw but I’m afraid he won’t believe me, or worse that he’ll assume I ran into a mutant and started crying monster. It happens and is a real problem Greendale faces and I don’t want people thinking that I believe that rhetoric. For all I know that was a mutant I saw last night, but most mutants do not go around drinking the blood from little doggies in back alleys. If he is a mutant, then he is a dangerous one that needs to be stopped. I plan on telling Eliza later. If anyone can do something to fix this it will be her. She fights wayward mutants on a regular basis so a vampire should not be much of a challenge. Maybe she will even use a wooden stake to do it?

       The bell rings and I realize that I had drifted off and left over half of my test blank. Great. Well, there goes my GPA. I gather my stuff and shuffle to the door to walk with Matt to our next class. He’s talking animatedly with Georgie Kline about the test, apparently, he actually feels good about this one. Is this what it feels like to want to stab your best friend? He looks at me and tries to get me in on the conversation, which is honestly the last thing I want right now.

       “So how do you think you did?” Matt asks with a smile. I want to smack it right off of his face. Instead, I just groan. Maybe I was attacked by a zombie last night and not a vampire because I certainly feel like one right now.

       “That bad?” he says with a grimace, Georgie wearing a similar expression beside him. “I’m sure it will be okay. Mrs. Womack is usually pretty nice about these things and I’m sure if you ask you can get some extra credit or something.”

       “Yeah! And it was only one test so it’ll be fine” Georgie says. I just groan again. I need sleep, not a pep talk. Georgie excuses herself as we approach the lockers. Matt and I are lucky to have ours beside each other. He quietly opens his and begins digging around while I stare blankly at my combination lock. This is going to be a long day. I hear the rattling of a pill bottle beside my head and turn to see Matt grinning with headache medicine in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. Forget what I said about wanting to stab him, he’s the best friend a girl could have!

      “I figured you could use these, seeing as you are half dead today,” he says while handing them over to me. I take them from his hands and quickly swallow them. Matt has begun fiddling with my lock and within seconds it swings open. Normally I would question how he knew my combination, but today I am just grateful.

        “Try to wake up please, I have some amazing news to tell you but it’s no fun if you can’t get properly excited for me,” Matt says as he gathers his things and walks away, heading to his next class. I quickly get what I need and follow. Hopefully, the pills kick in soon.

          Classes continue in this manner until lunch time where we join Eliza and the others at our usual table. I have managed to wake up a little but now I keep remembering all of the little details of the attack last night. The way the blood dripped down his pale face as his blond colored hair seemed to shine even in the darkness. Maybe that one author got it right, maybe vampires do sparkle? I find myself actually smiling at the thought of the one I encountered last night covered in glitter. That would definitely make him less scary than the covered in dog blood look he was rocking last night.

          Once everyone had gathered at the table Matt stood up and cleared his throat, making everyone at our little table stop and listen. “I have an important announcement to make! So hear ye hear ye!” he says being dramatic as possible. He pauses in an attempt to increase our anticipation. Everyone turns away and goes back to their own conversations instead. “Fine. Fine. I won’t make you wait any longer! Over the weekend I, Matthew James Garrett, met someone!”

          “That’s great Matt! Where’d you meet him? What’s his name?” I say excitedly. This is a big deal for Matt. He has had a hard time in the very limited dating pool he has here in Greendale, so for him to find a guy he’s willing to talk about means that he’s actually serious about this one.

          “His name is Evan and I met him at Gina’s, you know the little cafe that stays open all night? Well, it was like ten and I decided to go get some coffee to help me get through the literature homework. Mom was still at work so she wouldn’t notice if I left. I walked in and there he was! Pale, blond, and gorgeous with brown eyes! I decided to drink my coffee there and we ended up talking until after midnight. By the way, I’m grounded for a week, but once the week is up we agreed to meet up for an actual date!”

          “That’s great Matt! He sounds great!” I say but I also feel the need to reprimand him for being out so late, especially after last night, “Just try not to go out so late at night by yourself, you never know who or what is out there.” He gives me a strange look before laughing at what I said, the rest of our friends joining in. Of course they wouldn’t take me seriously, I habitually stay out much later than I should. Things are different now though and I want the people I care about to be safe. Honestly, now that I think about it, it’s strange that we haven’t all been given stricter curfews and more rules since the factory incident. A guy set half of the town on fire a few weeks ago! What are our parents thinking letting us go out alone at night?!

          The bell rings and we all gather our things to leave the cafeteria. Matt and Eliza are staring down at his phone and talking in hushed tones. I walk over and look at the phone, noticing that it is open to someone’s online profile. My eyes take in the picture and I feel my blood run cold. There on the screen, beside the name Evan Doyle, is the vampire. His eyes are brown in the picture and his skin is less pale, but I know it is him. I guess the myth about vampires not showing up on film is a lie, or maybe he really is a mutant. Either way, one fact remains: My friend has a date with a vampire.

       School had finally ended for the day and I am headed back to my house with Eliza. I need to tell her about the vampire and about how much danger our dear friend Matt is truly in. I know she will listen to me and help me come up with a solution. Matt was so happy at lunch and I don’t want to take that away from him, but his safety comes first. I just don’t know how to tell him without seeming crazy. Why do all of my friends have to end up in crazy situations like this? One’s a superhero and now the other is dating the undead. This is not normal!

          I quickly lead Eliza up the stairs, not even stopping to greet my mom on the way up. I need to talk to someone before I burst. I secure the door behind us and press my back to it. Eliza is staring at me like I’ve gone insane. Hopefully what I’m about to say doesn’t confirm that I have. “Okay. Are you going to explain why you are acting so weird and why you made me come all the way over here instead of going home? I’ve got like a million assignments to catch up on, so this better be good.”

          I stare at her for a moment, trying to find the words. I can tell she’s getting irritated with me. She huffs and starts to walk towards the door. Prepared to push me out of the way so she can leave. I understand her irritation, as a superhero, her time is very limited. As she’s about to turn the doorknob I find myself shouting, “Matt’s new boyfriend is a vampire!”

          She pauses and turns to stare at me. “What are you talking about?” she says coldly. She doesn’t believe me. I soon find myself babbling, recounting all that happened last night while pacing around the room. She listens intently, only interrupting when I mention the fate of poor Roscoe. When I finish my story I collapse on the bed and she walks over to sit beside me.

       “Are you sure that it was the same guy?” she asks hopefully. I wish I could give her the answer she wants.

      “Yes. I’m sure. His eyes are brown in the picture but that’s the only real difference that I see.”

      She sighs and leans back to lie beside me. “What do we do?” she asks. I wish I had an answer.

        The rest of the week goes by quickly. I keep trying to get Matt alone but every attempt ends in failure. He is never alone at school, constantly telling anyone that will listen about his date.  If he wasn’t grounded I would visit him at home, but that isn’t an option at the moment. Eliza has begun doing nighttime patrols to see if there are any more sightings. There have been none. It’s Saturday and Matt’s big date is tonight. His weeklong grounding has been lifted. Eliza and I head over to his house, planning to finally tell him. Hopefully, he listens. We arrive and he excitedly takes us upstairs to help him pick out what to wear. I’m nervous and I can tell Eliza is too. He finally decides on an outfit, a red shirt and some nice jeans. Red. How appropriate.

       He finally sits down with us and starts to talk about Evan. About how they have been talking and messaging each other all week and how great he is. We need to tell him. I need to tell him. He’s in the middle of retelling a joke that Evan apparently sent him when I can’t take it anymore. “Your boyfriend is a vampire!” I shout, “A blood-sucking creature of the night!”

       The room goes quiet after my outburst. Eliza looks like she wants to hit me. While I admit that was not the most eloquent way of telling him, at least I said it. Matt starts laughing.  “That’s a good one, Annie!” he says through his chuckles, “a vampire? Really? Someone has been watching too much television lately.”

       “I’m not joking! I saw him in an alley covered in blood! He ate Roscoe! You have to believe me.”

       “First off, who is Roscoe? And second, what are you talking about? Covered in blood? You haven’t even met him yet!” Matt says with obvious anger and confusion. I begin to tell my story again, with Eliza interjecting occasionally. When I finish Matt is quiet and is looking down at the floor. He isn’t taking this well and I don’t blame him. He thought he finally found a decent guy in Greendale only to find out that he’s been talking to a monster. He’s realizing just what Evan meant when he asked him to dinner.

       “I can’t believe you would go this far to keep me from going out with someone,” he says with malice in his voice. “I thought you were my friends, but I guess I was wrong.”

      “Matt, we are not lying! We are trying to protect you! You are our best friend and we just want what is best for you!” I say with tears streaming down my face. Why won’t believe me? He’s known me for years; he should know that I would never try to hurt him unless there was a good reason.

       “Get out,” he says coldly. “Just go.” I can feel my heart breaking. He doesn’t believe me and now I’ve ruined one of the best friendships I’ve ever had. Even worse is that I might lose even more than that if he goes on that date tonight. Eliza grabs my hand and drags me out of the house. Matt says nothing as we walk out. His date starts in a few hours and I failed.

       Eliza and I decide to stake out the date. If Matt won’t listen then at least we can be there if anything happens. We are stationed across the street from the restaurant with a pair of binoculars. Matt and Evan have just arrived at the door and are being led inside. Seeing him now in person confirms what I already knew. It is definitely the same person.  Matt has a huge smile on his face and is laughing at something Evan said. Apparently, vampires can be funny. I wonder if he’ll still be laughing when Evan’s teeth are piercing his throat later.

       The date seems to be going well and they stay in the restaurant for a couple of hours before finally getting up to leave. They emerge from the restaurant holding hands. If he wasn’t a killer I would say they make a cute couple. I gather my surveillance equipment so that I can move to a new location. Eliza, wearing her blue super suit, takes to the air. She can get a better vantage point from above and if she gets caught she can just say Dragonfly was patrolling the area. Thankfully Matt doesn’t know about her double life yet. We have our phones so we can keep in contact. I trail them from the ground, hiding behind plants and in alleys the entire way. Definitely one of the stranger things I’ve found myself doing, but if it’s for a friend I will do whatever it takes! They stop and head inside of the movie theater. Eliza rushes down beside me. We have to follow them inside. Movie theaters are dark and the perfect place to hide nefarious activities. Eliza quickly covers her suit and removes the mask. We walk up to the window to get tickets, trying to keep a low profile. We manage to make it into the movie and sit in the back, several rows behind our targets. They seem to be having a lot of fun. It’s a shame we have to end it.

       The movie we are watching is some ridiculous horror flick about a doll that comes to life. Interesting that these two would choose a horror movie to watch, though I suspect Matt did that on purpose expecting his date to be easily scared. I swear that boy is a walking cliché sometimes. From where I sit I can see his arm around the back of Evan’s seat. I roll my eyes at the predictability and Eliza is trying to stifle giggles beside me. The movie reaches its climax and I find myself getting invested, so much so that I stop paying attention to our little couple. The lights come on as the credit roll. We were supposed to exit before the movie ended so we wouldn’t be seen. Too late. Matt has noticed us and he looks like he could murder us. The mission is a failure.

          He grabs me by the arm and drags me out to the lobby, Eliza and Evan following. He turns me to look at him before he starts yelling. I see Evan behind him with a look of absolute terror on his face. I think he recognizes me. Good. “I can’t believe you! Just stay out of my business and leave us alone.” Matt says, but I’m paying him very little attention. Eliza is speaking to Evan, but his eyes keep wandering to me. He knows that I know.

          “Why don’t you tell him the truth, Evan? If that is your real name?” I remark, ignoring Matt’s anger for the time being.

          “Annette stop!” Matt shouts.

       “You recognize me. I know you do. You had me pinned against a wall earlier this week!” I say accusingly. Evan visibly stiffens his eyes looking back and forth between Matt and I. Matt reaches over and grabs his arm, leading him away with a glare and an angry scoff.

       “Don’t you dare follow us.” He says over his shoulder as they walk away. Eliza and I just look at each other before taking off after them.

       We find ourselves traveling down Main street towards the alleyway where this all began. Evan apparently has a favorite dinner location. Eliza flies us both up to the roof of one of the building so we can look down and watch. They are talking in hushed tones. Matt seems to be apologizing for my behavior earlier. Evan stops him though. We can only hear bits and pieces of the conversation, but when even flashes his fangs I knew it was time to intervene. Eliza and I jump down in between our friend and his would-be attacker, preparing to fight if need be. Evan jumps back in surprise and Matt is visibly shaking behind us. “Don’t worry Matt we are here to protect you!” Eliza says as I try to calm him down.

       “I told you not to follow,” Matt says quietly. “I’m okay. Just leave. Please.”

       “But Matt!” I say trying to talk some sense into him. This is a real-life vampire we are talking about.

       “He won’t hurt me,” Matt whispers as he pushes me aside. “He isn’t dangerous. I know he’s not. So please go home and let me finish my date.” He grabs Evans hand and starts walking out of the alley. Evan looks just as surprised as us as he is led away. Eliza and I stand in the alley, shock on our faces. Matt chose to continue his date with a vampire.

       Matt does not respond to any of our messages the next day; however, he does change his relationship status online. He’s alive. He also has a vampire boyfriend now apparently. I want to be happy for him but I’m still scared. Evan may not intend to hurt Matt, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t dangerous. I make it to second-period geometry. Matt is there but he hasn’t looked my way at all. I guess I did end up ruining our friendship. The bell rings and I head to my locker hoping to talk to him. Matt continues down the hall.  This feels awful and I want to apologize, but also I don’t feel like I should have to. I was right about Evan, even if I was wrong about his intentions. I did see him in that alleyway that night. I did see Roscoe’s blood on his face. I needed to save Matt from the same fate.

       Lunch has finally arrived and I expect to see an empty spot at our table where Matt usually sits. Instead, I hear him laughing and see him and Eliza laughing about something on his phone. I hesitantly approach and set my stuff down. Matt grins at me and hands me his phone. On it is an open chat with Evan. The two of them have apparently been sending vampire puns and jokes to each other. The most recent one, from Evan, is a picture of him with a cup of coffee with the words ‘don’t worry, it’s decoffinated’ written over it in red lettering. I found myself giggling along with my friends as I hand the phone back. Everything seems to be okay. We laugh and joke throughout lunch and Matt explains what happened after we left. Apparently, Evan has only been a vampire for a few months. He got attacked while visiting the city and found himself with red eyes and need for blood. So far he’s been dealing with this craving with a diet of very rare meat products and the occasional stray animal. Matt explains that the night I caught Evan red-fanged, Roscoe had already escaped the fence. He apparently cut himself on the way out and Evan followed the scent. He had no idea that Roscoe had an owner. I remember the little tufts of blue fur on the fence and at the entrance to the alley. It made sense. The stupid dog hurt himself in a ridiculous escape attempt. Evan saw an opportunity, and though I am not sure how okay I am with the idea of him sucking the life out of little cats and dogs all over the city, I can understand why. Matt invited me and Eliza to hang out with him and Evan later this week so that we can get to know him properly and so that I can apologize for outing him without his permission. I have my friend back and I couldn’t be happier.

      I went to Eliza’s again that night to study for a geometry make-up exam. Mrs. Womack took pity on me and is letting me retake the test. On the way home I stop in front of the Davis’ empty backyard remembering the stupid blue dog that used to inhabit it. Mrs. Davis comes outside and smiles and waves at me as she holds the door open behind her. A little blue creature comes running outside and starts jumping on the fence. Roscoe is alive! I find myself laughing and petting the little menace as he excitedly licks at my hands. If I notice that his teeth seem a little sharper than before, I don’t say anything. Some secrets are best left unsaid.

          I continue my trek home, passing the dark alleyways and watching as the streetlights come on. I am just an ordinary high school student heading home after a long day. My life is still ordinary. There is nothing that special about me. Those around me, however, have a much more interesting story to tell. My best friend is a superhero, fighting crime and saving the world. My other best friend is dating a vampire. Sometimes I’m glad nothing exciting happens to me. I think I’d rather just stay in the background for now.

[letsprayitwritesitself]

groundhog dave part 12

The night before, he had tried to set his alarm clock even earlier than it had already been, before forgetting that even that would be erased with the new morning. So he woke up at six, stomach twisting, hoping that he had enough minutes in the day to do what he wanted.

For the first time since all the bullshit started he stood up straight away, pulling on his lounge pants and slippers before slipping out of his room to go and find Jack and Crutchie before they left. They were in adjoining rooms so he knocked on Crutchie's door, then Jacks. He beckoned Crutchie over to Jack's room as he waited for Jack to open the door.

'Everything okay, Davey?' He was dressed but not quite awake yet, stifling a yawn as Davey answered.

'Yeah, I'm sorry to bother you, Crutchie. Wanted to catch you before you head off.'

'Is it about the broadcast? Cuz I think we're gonna be fine, you know we could do it in our sleep.'

'It's not. It's something else.' He stared at the door until it opened, aware that Crutchie was eyeing him. Jack appeared, a vision, eyes barely open, leaning on the doorframe like standing upright was way too much effort this time in the morning. 

'Five more minutes,' he whined, and Davey cleared his throat, not looking at Jack's biceps in the white vest he was wearing, or his messy hair, or the fluffy slippers he couldn't help but double take at. He stood up straighter when he saw Davey, rubbing his eyes. 'Dave. To what do I owe -' He let out a huge yawn, covering his face with his hand.

'Sorry to wake you, Jack.'

'Nah, been up for... hours.' Movement over Jack's shoulder caught Davey's eye. He looked up, and his stomach dropped out of his ass as he watched the man in Jack's bed roll over. He couldn't see that much of him, just one bare leg and a pair of navy boxers, and he had the entire duvet bunched up in his arms like a jerk. Who the fuck was that? He blushed fiercely and averted his gaze. Jack cleared his throat, pulling the door behind him and stepping out into the hall. 'Everything okay, Davey, thought we were meeting you there?'

'I - yeah. It's fine. All fine. All great. I...' Fuck. What had he come down for? God, what had Jack done? Where had he found this guy? Words. He had to find the words. 'Wanted - to - see you guys. Really quick. Before the broadcast.' He turned to Crutchie, who was staring at him, vaguely concerned. 'Can we meet in the dining room in five minutes?' 

// He sat at the table, staring into space. 

Every... single... night. Every time he had woken up on this fucking day, Jack had been upstairs with that guy.

Crutchie sat opposite him and he forced himself to give him a shallow smile.

This whole time Davey had been slowly letting himself fall in love with Jack - and he knew, obviously, that it wasn't a betrayal, because as far as Jack was concerned, they were nothing. 

'Sleep alright, Davey?'

'Huh? Oh.' But if it had always happened, then even when he and Jack had kissed, that was less than a day after Jack had been with someone else. 'Yeah, it was okay. You?'

'Great! I love coming back to this place.' 

He himself had slept with Spot despite developing these feelings for Jack. He knew better than anyone, that that didn't mean Spot was the love of his life. Jack wouldn't have kissed him that night if the guy he had slept with was anything other than a one night thing.

'Guys.' Jack sat down next to Crutchie. 'How we doing?'

So why did it feel like he'd been smacked in the face?

He made himself smile again, unable to look directly at Jack so settling on addressing Crutchie and a spot just a couple of inches left of Jack's ear. 

'Thanks for coming down, guys. I know you're excited to get out there. I just wanted to talk to you about an idea I had.' He cleared his throat. He had rehearsed these words so much, falling asleep last night, in the shower just now - he just needed to find the rhythm. He had a whole list of things he needed to get done today, but they all hinged on telling Jack and Crutchie what he wanted to do. Logic dictated that they'd like the idea, since they had when he'd come up with it - but then what about any of this was logical anyway? 'It's gonna be quick, and rough, because I want to get it done today - but I think it's gonna work. It's a feature, for the show, about Punx. Like, about the people who live here, who were born here. We come by for one day every year, piggybacking on their tradition, and running back to Philly, and I just - forget that it's a place.'

Crutchie and Jack stared at him. Crutchie raised his eyebrows slowly and nodded. 

'Like... Humans of Punx.' Jack replied.

'Exactly. I know I'm not the only person who thinks that you have to live in a big city to be fulfilled, at the expense of my wellbeing, and happiness, and just - like, I might be wrong. You know? So let's find out. Crutchie, I thought, if you could tape it, plus be the kind of... like a researcher but you've already done the research, kind of thing. And Jack, I'd really like it if you could present it.' Also I love you and I'm kind of struggling here can you tell. 'I wanna get a really clear idea of this before I pitch it to Andy, but I'll make sure you get paid for the extra work.' He took a breath. Finally looked Jack in the face. 'What do you think?'

//

'My dad... and my dad's dad... and his dad... and his dad - they were all born here. It's just where we are, y'know! If we don't stay in one place, how can anyone find us?'

'You always knew you were gonna stay?'

'Oh yeah. People wanna try and say the grass is always greener on the other side, well, I don't even believe that much. However green the grass is here, that's how green it should be.'

'A lot of people would think a kid your age would wanna travel.' 

'Oh sure, I've travelled. Been to Thailand, Berlin, Australia, spent a summer in London. What a year.' Jack raised his eyebrows but kept holding his mic out to the kid. 'Coming back to Punx was like a warm hug.'

'Can't argue with that, except for maybe the "warm" part. Diane, you moved here?'

'When I was six. From Puerto Rico. Mom and dad heard about this place from a pen pal. Unassuming, they said, with a whole heap of personality. And they said if that's not the perfect place.'

'We were next door neighbours,' Nick continued for her. 'I was in the grade below. But I was smart. So I helped her with her homework through the fence. Then she started helping me with mine. Then we started helping each other with real problems, y'know, acne, parents fighting, sick pets. And we just never really stopped.' He tightened the arm round her shoulders in a playful squeeze and she grinned, closing her eyes. 

Jack turned to the camera, eyes wide, and Davey observed from behind, arms folded, persistent envelope of anticipation unfolding in his stomach. How long had it been since he'd had a project he believed in? 

Not that this had been approved by Andy yet. That came later.

'Thanks, guys. Happy Groundhog Day.' Jack shook their hands and waved as they headed off. 'Well, that was fucking adorable. I wanna watch their movie.' 'Hopefully the guys at the network agree.' He hadn't expected to care this much. Obviously there was a lot at stake - he found himself so sure that this was the key, but then he had been that sure about other things. Kissing Jack, asking for a promotion. No, there was something else. Did he... God, did he care about getting this made? Did he... believe in Punx? Oh, fucking hell.

He walked along the high street with Jack and Crutchie, eyeing the crowds for potential subjects. He didn't know if the people of Punx had surprised him or not, if he had expected their comments to hit so hard - or if he just hadn't thought about it before.

His gaze chanced upon Spot, shuffling along a few yards away, hands in his pockets, scowl poking out from a thick blue scarf and woolly hat. He steered Crutchie and Jack over.

'Excuse me.' Spot turned to him, apparently vaguely disbelieving but not necessarily annoyed at being stopped. 'Do you mind if we ask you a couple of questions about Punx?' He was beautiful. Behind the glare. Actually, maybe still with the glare. Because he was here on this day, and that meant something.

'No thanks.'

'We're looking for some words on what Punxsutawney means to people. Just a few comments?' 

Spot paused, looking like he'd already had about ten ideas jump into his head.

'Doesn't really mean that much to me.'

'Well, that's something. Could we start there?' He stared at Spot. He knew he'd have something to say. 'We don't have to show your face in it. Would that help?' 

'Fine.'

Jack started talking to Spot. Davey nudged Crutchie with a quiet 'May I?' and took the camera, staring down into the monitor and focusing it on Spot's hands as they fidgeted with the ends of his sleeves, his mouth as he paused between words to bite his lip, his feet as he balanced his weight while deciding what words to use. 

'I think Punx is... a place. Just like every other place. Rains here. Some people voted for Trump. Some didn't. Might as well be here over anywhere else.'

'Shouldn't you love where you live?'

'That's unrealistic. I think. Maybe.'

'You could move?'

'I could. I don't... love... this town. But I am trying.' He sighed, squinting up into the bright cloud. 'Look, truth is, I trust my dad, and he picked this place. Even though he was a twenty year old punk when he came here. That means something, that he chose it. I coulda grown up in Brooklyn, where he was born. I've never been. Wouldn't know what to do if I got there. Don't know if that means I'm scared, or... Yeah.'

'See yourself taking the leap soon?'

'Maybe. Hopefully. Probably not - I still ah, have that little bit of hope. From him. That this is where I should be. Catch me when I'm eighty still hanging on to it.'

'You haven't talked to that many people about this, have you?'

'Would you? Sun shines out of Punx's ass, haven't you heard.'

'Crutchie...' Davey leaned over, trying not to disturb Spot's rhythm. 'See that guy over there - the one on his own? Can you grab him?' He flicked his gaze back and forth between Spot unloading, and Crutchie bringing Race over. 

'You say you're trying to have faith in this place because your dad chose it,' Davey started, keeping an ear out for Crutchie to finish explaining to Race what they were doing. He stepped back to capture both Spot and Race's midsections in the frame. 'Can I ask how you came to Punx?'

Race stared at him, then glanced at Spot, and took a deep breath in. 

'Got a job here,' he nodded. 'Start on Monday.'

'Excited?' 

'Yeah. I'm not sure. I don't know if I'm anything yet.'

'Where are you from?'

'Manhattan.'

'Manhattan? Lot of people might try and do the reverse, right?'

'Well, y'know. I might go back. But they say everyone leaves the city eventually, right? I'm just... speeding it up.'

'First impression of Punx?' Davey glanced up as he asked this, noting that Spot was staring up at Race from under his eyelashes rather than using the lull in his own interview to escape. 

'I like it. I think. Everyone's nice. That might grate, I'm not sure, you know when people are like... TOO nice. It can be a bit much. But uh, no. So far I can see maybe why people spend their whole lives here.'

'People... feel like they don't have a choice.' Spot spoke up, in a low voice, now squinting into the distance. 'But they think that's a good thing.'

'If they think it's a good thing doesn't that make it a good thing?' Davey cast the camera over to where what looked like four generations of one family were spilling into the square. 

'I guess so. Look, Punx gives people a really strong sense of identity, I think, and if that's the identity that you want, then you're laughing.' Spot left it there, glancing down at the floor. 'That enough?'

'That's great. Thank you.' He reached out and shook Spot's hand, then Race's. Falling asleep with Spot bound to wake up without him meant he'd never actually said bye to him, and as the clock struck seven and Davey found himself drawn towards the square to do the broadcast, he felt a swell of melancholy well up inside him, one that reminded him that not everyone in Punx was unbearably chipper. And Spot was just a guy, he wasn't here to be a character in Davey's story. He lived here, he'd be here when they finally left. All of Punx would still be here. 

He passed the camera back to Crutchie and glanced over his shoulder as they walked to see Race and Spot still standing there, talking. Race tentatively extended a hand out, and after a long couple of seconds, Spot shook it.

'Solid shout on the interviewing people, Dave,' Jack addressed him as Crutchie checked the feed with the Philly studio. 'I think you've caught Punx at its Punxiest.'

'Yeah?'

'We got some solid stuff already, and it's just seven!'

'I hope it stays like that. I wanna edit something together really soon to send back. I just... don't know how much to expect from the people that live here, is that terrible to say?'

'Nah. Not everyone will have some groundbreaking comment, y'know? I bet not everyone even knows how they really feel about Punx.'

'Let's hope we haven't already spoken to the only four people to have any comments.'

'Does this mean we're staying a little longer after the broadcast?'

'Yeah. I mean. We can play it by ear. If you're okay with that?'

'I'm way okay with that.'

He stood behind Crutchie as they did the broadcast, arms folded across his chest, watching Jack with a nagging discomfort. He had woken up thinking that he had this. That he had jumped over the obstacles and finally been able to formulate the kind of day that was the opposite of that first day - engage with Punx, look around, don't wish the day away - but seeing someone else in Jack's bed wasn't the kind of thing that happened on a perfect day. It had made him want to turn right around, hide in bed, and start again with a day that didn't involve him imagining Jack with someone else. 

Plus, there had been numerous other times he'd thought that he'd had it. The day he broke his arm. The one where he kissed Jack. And yet here he was, on Groundhog Day. Again.

But then. It had happened. It had always happened. Even if he didn't see it. It would always have, and maybe... Maybe he could never know what a perfect day felt like, or what kind of day would end the cycle. He was going into this entirely blind, but the personal leaps and bounds that he had already made in trying to escape this situation made him... almost glad that it had happened? 

He froze, and tears stung his eyes, and a lump materialised in his throat. He hated it, he hated that it was happening. But then, maybe, he hated the person who it had happened to. The angry, tired, frustrated Davey who waited and waited for bad days to make way for the good, instead of trying to formulate good ones for himself. He might not have looked twice at Jack, if all this shit hadn't happened. Or anyone, really, who wasn't directly related to his career and its progression. But there was value in the last however many days, despite the fact that he was in exactly the same place every morning. There was value in talking to these people, the ones who lived in Punx all year long, who did Groundhog Day every February - and value in taking a break, and chilling the fuck out. Whatever happened that made this cycle stop, wherever he was with Jack, or with the station, when he woke up on February 3rd, it was probably where he was meant to be, and he realised that he would always have to be thankful that the universe glued him to this day.

The cold gust of wind broke him out of his reverie, and he looked around to see people starting to leave, snow starting to fall, and Crutchie lowering the camera.

'Earth to Dave?' Jack's tone was kind, face concerned. He stepped forward and Davey blinked several times, shaking his head.

'Shit, sorry guys. Good job.' Snow started to fall. Jack lifted his hands up to catch the snow.

'It's snowing!'

Davey smiled. 'How about we go get some more footage at the diner? Brunch is on the station.'

//

'I cried all night when I moved here. It was for my husband, William, he was born here but we met at college in Rhode Island, you see.' They sat opposite the old woman in the diner, Jack asking questions, Crutchie filming, Davey watching distantly as he edited together the footage they already had, one earphone in, half-listening to her. 'And I'm from Milwaukee. So not exactly centre of the universe, but not nowhere, you know. And we got here, and I unpacked, and I realised I had forgotten my perfume, the one my mother bought me every Christmas. Left it on the counter at home. Well, William said we can just go out and get you some more. But the nearest department store was a four hour drive. And I just thought... Carla, what are you doing here?'

He stared at the laptop screen, brow furrowed. The people of Punx had come through with the quotes. But it wasn't quite there. He let out a huge sigh as Jack sat down next to him after winding the interview down.

'How's it going, Louis Theroux?'

'It's... Almost. I like it. But I can tell it's not done.' He pushed the laptop so Jack could see, and Jack watched it, contemplative, for a few moments. 

'Punx.'

'Punx?'

'Right. Context. Shots of the town, right?'

'Shit, of course! How did I miss that? Can you think of anywhere specific?'

'Yeah! We can just explore too, right, see what we find?'

'Let's go.' He stood up, packing his laptop away, trying not to pin too much on the phrase see what we find. They found Crutchie sitting at the counter, deep in conversation with the server. 

'Crutch - sorry to interrupt. We were gonna go get some footage of the scenery.'

'That's a great idea, guys! Do you mind if I catch you up? I haven't seen Greta since a year ago!' He leaned down and grabbed his camera bag from under his stool. Davey took it from him. 

'No problem. Hey, thanks again for doing all this extra filming, I know you wanted to spend the day catching up with people.'

'Nah, c'mon, you guys know this is exactly my cup of tea.'

'It is...' Jack unzipped the camera bag and switched it on, handing it to Davey. 'Crutchie, tell us how you feel about Punx.' Crutchie grinned as Davey lifted the camera. 

'Come on guys... You wanna interview locals and stuff.'

'You're practically a local, man.'

'Well, that's it. I love Punx.'

'Why?'

'Because it's... it's modest. It's quiet. You come here, and no-one's trying to prove anything, y'know? No-one shoving anything in your face, no-one trying to outsmart one another, or crap on each other. I just think... it's a really beautiful town. It's the perfect antidote to living in a big city.'

'Is that why you make such a huge effort to get to know everyone?'

'Yeah. Well, I do that at home. I just think everyone's got a whole story - we've seen that today, talking to people. But the kinda people that live here. They're just, somehow, the best of people.' 

'What would you say to people who think that small town living is for small people?'

'I think that every person has the potential to make the best of any place. You're gonna be the same person whether you live in Punx or Philly, but you've gotta know that beauty can be found everywhere. You've gotta love life, and life ain't localised to one spot. I don't know, maybe you have to see that before you can appreciate where you came from.'

Davey closed his eyes for a moment, and nodded. 'Thanks, Crutchie.' 

'You okay, Dave?'

'Yeah. I just. You got it in one, man.' He smiled at Crutchie. 'We'll leave you alone.'

//

They walked away from the bakery. The puppy squirmed in Jack's arms and Davey placed the second half of the cupcake in Jack's mouth, re-enacting one of his favourite portions of this day's previous versions. It felt like years since these events had occurred for the first time, though he always remembered that they would be happening, whether he was here to experience them or in the hotel room ignoring them studiously. Again, they were a pleasant sort of familiar. He could help out, so he was. But he had to let the man fall off the ladder. Because he couldn't change everything. 

'Shit, that was a wild few minutes,' Jack quipped as they continued towards the park, after checking that the man was okay. 'I'm so glad you caught that little guy, that was way impressive.'

'What can I say, maybe it's my calling. I'm kind of thinking...' He paused as they entered the park, a vast white field peppered with figures playing in the snow, almost too bright to look at. 'We can juxtapose what Spot was saying with this view. And then maybe some shots of the main road, of people going about their business, with what Crutchie was saying about the people here. Put the narratives of that young couple and then the older couple on either side. And Race's story just in the middle.'

'That sounds like a plan, man.' Jack kicked at the snow as Davey panned around the landscape. He cleared his throat. 'Davey, about this morning.'

It was almost forgotten. In the sense that it wasn't at the forefront of his mind in that second. But Jack's words brought it screaming back.

'This morning?'

'When you saw that person in my bed. I saw you... see him.'

'Oh, I barely...'

'Yeah. Sure. I'm really sorry about it. I know it's unprofessional, we're away for business. I just. It's a bad habit of mine. Or a good habit, depending on how you look at it. And it's not a secret, that I'm bi, I just, y'know. Never expected to shove it in my producer's face.'

'You didn't shove it in my face. I came to your door. You've got nothing to be sorry for.' He paused for a second. 'We've all done it.'

'Yeah... Yeah. I guess. Thanks.'

A bad habit. Davey understood that. It was that kind of habit that had brought him back to Spot when he was at his lowest. That need for touch, just for someone to pay you attention. Maybe he was filling in the blanks too much, but it was almost reassuring in a way. Jack wasn't perfect, and he wasn't in Punx just to be a background character in Davey's redemption arc, he had his own shit. He was glad, in a way, that Jack had gone as far as acknowledging it, because even though it was technically none of Davey's business, he almost sort of wanted it to be. He had gone from not caring about Jack, to seeing him in that new light that made it look like the sun shone out of his ass, to maybe seeing that he wasn't just there to be a solution to Davey's Groundhog Day crisis. He was just a guy - a hot guy, who slept with strangers, who tried to make jokes to cheer people up even when they didn't feel like it, and was insecure and hard on himself too. 

Davey found himself overcome with the impulse to take the end of Jack's scarf and use it to pull him in for a long warm kiss as the snow fell around them in that Punxsutawney park, but swallowed it down, trying yet again to put himself in Jack's shoes. Maybe they would find themselves back where they were that one amazing day, and maybe they wouldn't. Maybe it wasn't about that. 

'So what do you think?' 

'Hmm?

Jack nodded down at the camera. 'Got enough stuff to send to Andy?'

'I... I think so. For now. It's gonna be like. A first draft, before we ask him to commit.'

'He'll understand that we did it in less than a day, right?'

'Hopefully.' He stashed the camera in the bag. 'Do you wanna come help me edit this thing? I mean - not to, like, stop you exploring Punx. But. Your input has been really helpful today.' He could still ask, right? What, was it illegal for him to want to spend time with the guy he liked? Worst Jack could do was say no. God, that would be the worst. 

'Yeah. That sounds fun.' 

They headed back out through the park, and happened upon the broken down car. Again, Davey had found that he'd enjoyed this part of the Good Day, so let Jack take over (remembering with a shiver those words Did it to impress you, wondering if they were conditional, still relevant today.) When they arrived back from the auto shop and the car was back up and running, one of the women got out of the car and placed a hand on Jack's forearm.

'Now, boys.' More new. More different. Progress? 'Don't think we haven't noticed you all being so nice to all our people. Asking our stories, getting to know us, I mean really! Usually people like you, you just soar through like Punx is the last place you wanna be!' Davey glanced at the ground then, wondering if he was meant to feel like he was getting told off. 'We love it, we love talking about Punx, and we wanna say thank you for listening. We have a dance every year to celebrate - or commiserate - Phil coming out of his hole, and we'd be honoured if you'd join us tonight.' Her grip was tight on Jack's arm, he'd joke about it lightly as they walked away. 

'That's really sweet, Mrs...'

'O'Dwyer.’

'Mrs. O'Dwyer. I wouldn't miss it.' Jack grinned at her. 'Davey, down to boogie with Punxsutawney Phil?'

'Oh, you know it.' He nodded, answering without thinking, just knowing that he had to go. 'Means a lot, ma'am.'

'You'll save me a dance?' Jack directed this at her, and Davey definitely didn't have a flash of jealousy, because that would be immature.

'Oh, stop it.' She twinkled at him, a grin creasing her eyes.. 'From six thirty, down at the community centre. Til then!'

They drove away, and Davey and Jack continued back to the hotel, past the bar. Davey winced as he remembered he had business in here as well, and couldn't tell if he had to go in to stop the fight or not. He'd almost gotten beaten up when he had done it before, and only really got away with it because Jack knew what was going on. But if he didn't, then someone else would get beat up in his place. Who was to say that, like the man falling off the ladder, it wasn't just something that was meant to happen? It was like a compulsive ritual, he felt like he had to have all the pieces in place for this day to go right, but he couldn't figure out how to make this piece fit.

'Dave, you okay?' Jack was a few steps ahead of where Davey had stopped in his tracks. 

'Yeah. Sorry. Just. Headache, all of a sudden.' Half true. 

'Oh, dude. Do you wanna duck in here and get some water?' Jack nodded towards the bar and Davey stared at him, unsure how clearly his desperation to go in had transmitted to Jack.

'Yeah. Good idea.' He turned around and walked inside with him.

He surveyed what he had seen before. Men everywhere, a group of men in fleeces and fur-lined hats playing pool, a gang of bikers standing in a wide circle, that one fateful pint of beer in its precarious position between them. He watched the man he knew was destined for a fight laugh at something, head thrown back, hacking noises up into the air, and walked forward, towards the bar. Slowly, delicately, he reached the table, and as subtly as he could, pulled it towards him, just a couple of inches. 

He held his breath.

No-one saw.

He took a step back and watched as the pool cue bypassed it, and then the biker turned around, barely seeing the pair of them, before picking up the beer and taking a gulp.

As easy as that.

But now Jack was looking at him weirdly.

'... What?' 

'Hmm?' He held Jack's gaze, mind racing for an explanation to the random action. Nothing. Then 'I thought that guy was going to knock the other guy's drink over. Thought. Just in case.'

'Oh. Good eye.'

//

When they arrived back at the hotel, finally, they sat on Davey's bed, ready to work. Then two hours passed, and Jack found himself laying against the pillows, keeping an eye on Davey's laptop screen from where Davey found himself  on his stomach, editing the video together.

'The second one.' 

'Yeah? You sure?'

'Yeah. It's more... like, it's... I don't know, I just like it better.'

Both had been thinking hard for a long time. The video was almost done. 'I mean, it's not the final thing, right? He'll know that this is... But I still wanna... God damn it.' Davey shut his tired eyes. 'I'm gonna buy our entire video production team dinner when we get back.'

'It's good, Dave - you're doing great! Just, don't think about it too much, right? Let's take one minute to not think about it, then watch from the beginning. Yeah?'

'Yeah.' Davey pushed the laptop away. Caring about so many things simultaneously was exhausting. He barely had time to celebrate being in bed... on bed... with Jack again, because this god damn video had to be done. Plus there was the matter of the dance he now had to go to. Somehow he felt like he couldn't fake the flu and duck out of it like he had with senior prom. 'Excited about this dance thing?'

'Sure! It'll be something, you know?'

'Totally. I'm looking forward to seeing you dance up a storm with Mrs O'Dwyer.'

'Oh man, you should be.' 

Was this dance his boss level? It was so hard to try and discourage himself from thinking that. He felt like both thinking about it and not thinking about it were equally damaging. 

'You might hate me for saying this... I don't know...' Jack stared out the window. 'I'm almost glad we got stuck here, y'know? Like, it feels weird even saying that we are "stuck" here. To think that we were gonna just... race back to Philly. Miss all this stuff.'

'No, I... I know exactly what you mean. It's been a good day.'

'It has. That dope cupcake.'

'The puppy.'

'Those views in the park.'

'Hearing peoples' stories.'

'Getting asked out by a car full of old ladies!'

'They didn't all ask you out!' 

'Ah, they would have. If it wasn't so cold, they woulda swarmed.'

'I believe you. Your mechanic skills were... very impressive.' Davey had rolled over on to his back and now gazed up the ceiling, thinking that Jack could take what he said either as a joke or at face value and he would be fine whichever way. A long moment of silence hung between them, which Jack broke.

'Should we watch the thing?'

'Yeah.' He turned over, and played the video. They watched in silence, the blue glow of the laptop filling up the room that had grown dark around them in the time they'd been working. It was about five minutes long. 

'Dave...' Jack spoke first. 'It's good.' Davey craned his neck to look at Jack, all stretched out on the bed, sleeves rolled up, tie loose.

'Really?'

'Yes! It's Punx, but it's like... Like it's clever, and a different angle, and just. Like. I think you did really, really well with it.'

'You're not just saying that.'

'No! No, if it was crap - not that it would be - but like, if it was, I'd find a really tactful but transparent way of criticizing it. But I literally don't need to.'

'Shit. God, I can't even tell anymore. Do you think I can send it?'

'I think you can send it.'

Hi Andy. 

While we were stuck here Jack, Crutchie and I decided to do some work on a little feature. We think it could have real value if you decide to develop it. I really hope you like it, because I do.

He clicked send, and took a deep breath in. 

'Cool.' 

'Cool.' 

He stared at the screen, eyes unfocused, imagining the email pinging across the state. All the energy had sapped out of him and he had barely noticed. Jack let out a yawn.

'When did it get so late?' 

It was four.

'I don't know...' Davey murmured, his eyes already half shut. Jack might have replied, but Davey was already almost out of consciousness. Within the next couple of minutes, both of them had fallen asleep. 

[applebunch]

Mia Oliva had two children. And she planned to pass down her money to her eldest one, Jake Oliva, who was 23 years old, to take care of the both of them as the youngest one, Emily Oliva, who was 15 years old, was much too young to handle so much money.

The two had found out about this. (they had found her Last Will) Jake was pretty happy with himself, trying to comfort Emily and being way more energetic for a few days.

Emily had avoided her mother and brother a lot after, not that Jake blamed her. Emily was only 15 and hopefully someday she would understand that and start warming up to her family, but until then Jake will give her space when needed.

One day while Jake was lying down on the red couch Jake saw that Emily was approaching him. excited. Plastic bags in hand with some brownies in it.

“Jake! want to go to the backyard with me?” She questioned, skipping in place, smiling. She hadn’t been this happy in a while… But Jake had always been really skeptical (He thinks he got it from his mother) and she rarely acted like this before, hell! she wouldn’t be this excited over going outside with him! He voices these concerns.

“Uh… Emily? Are you okay?” Jake questioned back

Emily tilted her head, smile falling. “What do you mean?” she asked.

“You were really… Upset with us” ‘Us’ being Jake and his mother. “after… you know, and you… um, uh…” Jake trailed off, forgetting the word for a second.

“Avoided?” Emily guessed.

”Avoided!” Jake confirmed. “You avoided us, and now you’re really happy, Not that that’s a problem but, I don’t know… Are you… Drunk or something? Because I told you to wait until you’re twenty o-

“NO NO NO!” Emily cut him off, while reaching her hands out in front of her face and shaking them animatedly. Jake had jumped at the outburst. “I’m sorry I was so mean to you and mom. I was just really mad…” Emily looked down at her feet, frowning. Jake was still skeptical, but kept it to himself. He hadn’t wanted to make her feel bad! But in hindsight… What he said was pretty rude…

“It’s okay!” Jake replied, not sure what else to say.

“Thank you!” Emily responded, smiling again, and then continued. “Lets start over… Jake! want to go to the backyard with me? I got brownies! Mom made them!” she repeated what she said from earlier but she mentioned the brownies this time.

“Not that I don’t appreciate the offer but its…” He looks at the clock on the Television cable “2 AM in the morning, sis.”

She had puppy dog eyed the hell out of him, He doesn’t normally fall for things like that… But it was like her eyes were filled with a thousand tortured souls… And they were all out for his blood. He, hesitantly, agreed, and went out to the backyard.

The backyard had fences that attached to the very side of the house. Opposite the house, there was a another wall of fences, but two of them beside each other in the middle of it were broken clean off, leading into a patch of woods… They needed to fix that. There were three fold up chairs in the grass, the tramples patches of grass where a fourth fold up chair used to stand had been still there, Jake frowned.

Emily and Jake went to pull two of the folded chairs next to each other, Jake’s skeptical…ness…? forgotten for the moment, Emily took one of the baggies of brownie out and ate it, getting another one and she held it out to Jake.

“Want some?” She asked through a mouth full.

Jake didn’t say anything, he took it and ate it, and they ate brownie after brownie until the first bag of brownies was gone. Emily looked troubled, before she took the other bag out, slowly eating her brownie from the last bag, and opened it.

Jake took and ate one of the brownies without hesitation, his sister stared at him intently, he was about to ask why, but a sudden pain coursed through him why…? He coughed up… blood? he’s not really thinking about that right because dear god ow ow oW OW OW OW OW-

His sister pulled him toward the broken fences- HE WAS POISONED HE WAS POISONED HE WAS POISONE-

The last thing he saw was a giant hole behind the fences before he lost feeling and passed out.  

Jake stood above a patch of dirt, which was surrounded by grass. which raised some questions.

He suddenly remembered what had happened a few hours prior.

“HA! I knew it! she was trying to kill me!”

Let it sink in…

“…”

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-”

Ah, there we go.

Mia awoke at 7:00 AM, feeling like someone was screaming in the backyard, but she didn’t hear anything, and immediately felt as though she must do something about something that had happened… She assumed it was work, but it was her day off. So that shouldn’t be it…

She checked her computer, No. She checked her calendar, No. She really had nothing she had to handle today except… The children!

She went down the stairs, and soon saw Emily sitting on the red couch, she was shaking, however. It seemed to be a little chilly in here, so that must have been it.

“Emily?” Mia asked her, Emily’s head spun around to face her pretty quickly, her eyes were wide but they went back to the way she had been for a while… she had tried to ask her about whats wrong but she actively ignored her… She had yet to have asked Jake however.

“Have you seen Jake? He is usually out here…” she questioned, she realized that Jake was not out here.

“No” Emily had said, she turned her head back away from Mia. Emily’s shaking had increased, Mia really needed to go handle the air conditioning.

Jake had been screaming out of shock for a good while, then it devolved into seeing how long he can scream, upon finding out that he could literally be screaming forever, he had eventually stopped. It was day time. What in the funky fresh hell.

He went back through the fence to open the door inside the house, he realized that he could not open he door. Oh, right…

He slowly reached a hand through the still closed door, before he put his other hand to his face as he walked through said still closed door.

On the couch sat his sister- his MURDERER, WHAT THE-

“-HELL!?” He yelled, suddenly realizing that he had said those last four words out loud, but he didn’t care. He stomped over to the couch. He was just screaming and he threw a punch to her arm, it went through, and all she did as start shivering.

He kept screaming and crying until his mother came down the stairs, confusion clear on her face.

“MOM!” He cried, moving toward her before he realized she didn’t react. Before remembering she can’t hear him.

“Emily?” Jake’s mother asked his murderer. Emily the Murdererthemurdererthemurderer- turned her head toward her, eyes widened for a second. Before going back to how it was before she asked him to go to the backyard-

“Have you seen Jake? He is usually out here…” His mother continued, looking around.

“No.” His murderer lied. He tried to smack her upside the head, knowing full well he couldn’t do anything to her like this. Her shivering increased.

“Jake?” His mother called out, walking out the room. Jake curled up on the floor

Mia went around the house in search of her son “Jaaake? I need to ask you something!” Upon finding out he was not in the house, she paced around the house before assuming that he was outside socializing for once… Or he was just in the backyard, Or his friend’s house, but he would usually ask…

She went through the house and picked up the house phone, dialing in her sons number…

“Ring Ring Bop” The phone chimes

“Ring Ring Bop” The phone chimes again

“Ring Ring Bop” Said the house phone for the third time, Mia intently listened for the fateful moment that the phone says something other than ‘Ring Ring Bop’

It never came.

The phone stopped ringing, but no voice came through. She dialed again.

No answer.

She dialed again.

No answer.

Okay, this was starting to get worrying. She spent a few hours checking his Facebook, before she noticed she had not checked the backyard yet.

Emily was not the main room anymore, she was possibly in her room, and Mia went out to the backyard,

There were splotches of red that were staining the grass. they were mostly faded, but still noticeable if there was light, which there was.

It was leading to a break in the fence.

She knelt down and picked one of the pieces of grass, it was still wet and it had gotten on her fingers, it smelled like blood, she had to be imagining things, after more inspecting she found out it was blood she stared at it in shock for a good while, before following the path, finding a patch of dirt with blood stained on top of it, she stared at it in disbelief, she forgot about finding her son because who is this? Who DID this? Who-? She had stared at it in disbelief before she had numbly walked back to the house, picked up the house phone, and dialed 911

“911 whats your emergency?” The phone spoke, for once not going ‘Ring Ring Bop’. But not in the way she had hoped it would

Jake had still been in the living room curled up on the floor until his mother came back she was looking through his Facebook Which I am not going to be able to update again because of Emily. He thought bitterly.

His mother went towards the backyard and eyed it,

“Do it.” Jake started, she started towards the door

“DO IT” Jake continued, she continued.

“DO IT, DO IT, DO IT, DO IT! DO-” He began to chant as she entered the backyard, put to a stop at her reaction at the bloo- THE BLOOD. Wow, he… He did not think he coughed up that much, if he was alive he would be sick.

He saw her pick some of the grass, it got on her fingers. she picked up more grass, took it away from the yard. Came back to the yard. and stared at the grass again. she followed the trail of blood to where Jake was buried, blood was on the top of his “grave” because he was not buried very deep.

She slowly walked back to the house and Jake followed her. She picked up the house phone and probably called the police

“911 whats your emergency?” The phone sang.

When the Police arrived they had at one point or another, sampled the blood, and dug up what had been buried, It was Jake’s corpse. neither Jake or his mother were happy to see it, Jake was really unnerved, but he already knew he was dead… His mother didn’t know. When she found out it seemed like she was close to losing the light in her eyes herself. When her tears had formed Jake had suddenly lost his grip- his grip? on what? he tripped, but he didn’t land. he kept falling and falling until-

One week after a trip to the hospital Ruth and Cara Winston’s child opened his eyes- “GREAT GOOGLY MOOGLY!’ Screams “Luke Winston”, their new child. they were almost as shocked as he was

Jake was more shocked than these two- the Winstons? He had met them a lot, they were good friends, they had met through his mother. But what the hell were they doing here? Where the hell was he? he was… not standing, he saw why. He said the first thing that came to mind

“GREAT GOOGLY MOOGLY!” He screamed at the top of his now very small lungs. Hey. At least it was PG.

Ruth and Cara were good friends of the Oliva family, so when they heard that Jake Oliva was killed in Mia’s backyard… They were pretty heartbroken, the funeral would be held a week from the time they had heard about Jake’s death, however they had to piece that information together after the phone call, that was a lot to take in.

So when Luke screamed “GREAT GOOGLY MOOGLY” a few days later… their life was going more than a bit off course, in fact it was in the ocean.

They slowly turned towards Luke, expecting him to say something else. He didn’t. His lips were pressed tightly together.

Ok- Welp- Uh- Ok- Have a legible thought, there we go.

So in that situation, it would’ve been best to not say anything lest these two have done something about it that he would’ve rather not had happen, but he already said something. So he’s gonna stay silent until the Winstons ignore it. This was not going to be easy. They were staring at him. he pursed his lips.

Jake-Luke? Oliva-Winston?? He decided to stick with Jake Oliva, Jake Olvia’s plan of keeping silent had worked for the most part, he still got looks. probably because of something that had happened a few days ago.

Jake was in your typical brightly colored baby room, in a crib.

“Alright Luke, Say “If”!” Cara said, baby talk. kneeling next to 2 other kids, Ruth had been across the room and another kid was with him.

“If two guys were on the moon and one killed the other with a rock would that be messed up or what” Replied Jake, before he could stop himself.

Cara went on to blame her 10 year old, Sally, who was the kid next to Ruth, for that. Sally, despite not having done anything, took the blame as if she did, It was better to believe that one of the kids couldn’t stay quiet around the baby and taught the baby something like that than to think anything else, Jake guessed, even if that didn’t make sense. But later on, when Cara, Ruth and the other two kids (Jake thought one of them was named Arnold, he wasn’t sure which one) had left the room, Sally stayed and had approached him, sat down, but sat up straight and looked him straight in the eye.

“This isn’t your first life, is it?” Said Sally in an even tone.

Jake blinked, what the hell. He stayed silent.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Luke. If that even is your real name. Which it isn’t.”

Jake sighed, “No… Its not…” He spoke, defeated.

Then it was Sally’s turn to blink. She stopped sitting up straight. “Really? I would’ve thought it would’ve taken more than that to break you”

“HEY!” Jake exclaimed, offended. He hated that she was right about that, but it still hurts.

She shrugged “Well enough about that” she continued “Who were you?”

He sat up and glared at her.

She put her hands up “Okay okay that’s fair, how about I tell you who I was, then you tell me who you were. deal?” she bargained, reaching a hand though the bars of the crib.

He sat down and thought about it, there i\was no way in hell to know if she was telling the truth about who she was… At the same time she also wouldn’t know if he was telling the truth… Eh whatever it was worth a shot, what was the worst that could happen?

“Deal” He said, taking her hand. Well, her thumb. He was still a baby

“Ok. Here we go… I was Abigail Lowe, Call me Sally though”

He blinked “Was that rhyme intentional?” He asked

“Yup” She responded

“Cool, I was Jake Oliva. Just call me Jake.”

Her eyes widened “Jake Olivia?” she asked.

“Oliva“ he corrected.

She shook her head “Right, Jake Oliva? Wasn’t that the guy my mom was friends with who got murdered in his own backyard? We’re supposed to be going to his funeral in-” she counted on her fingers “-four days.”

Jake groaned “Yup, that was me…”

“Who killed you?” Sally asked.

“I would rather not say…” Jake said.

“Understandable” Sally replied.

“Hey, if you’re going, can you sneak me out to see my funeral?”

She blinked twice “That’s a sentence I never thought I would ever hear, but sure, why not?”

“Sally! come downstairs!” Shouted Cara from downstairs.

“Whoops, gotta blast! Smell ya later!”

Jake used a hand salute as she walked out the the room.

“Why were you up there so long with Luke?” Jake heard Cara ask from downstairs

“I just wanted to spend time with him.” Sally replied.

“That’s nice honey.” Cara replied

Four days later, Alternate Title: Jake’s Funeral…

Jake was still in his crib, he can walk but he had to pretend he couldn’t, he was supposed to be laying low.

Not that that’s going to be hard, he’s like a week old now.

Sally was back.

“So do you have an Idea on how I can get you to the funeral?” Sally asked, approaching the crib like she did yesterday, sitting down but not bothering to sit up straight.

Jake had not thought of that

“I had not thought of that.” Jake admits, Sally raises an eyebrow “What, it’s not like I can leave the room.

“That may be a good reason on why you haven’t thought of anything, but I feel like that isn’t THE reason” Sally confessed

“Eeeeeeeh” Goes Jake “Did you think of anything?” He asked.

“Nope.” She said, after a good amount of silence, she spoke up again.

“Oh! I got it!” She said, darting out of the room and most likely down the stairs.

She came back with a fabric bag that was two times as big as Jake, which was not shocking.

“I will carry you in this!” She announced.

“Won’t I suffocate or something?” Jake asked.

She rolled her eyes “Oh relax, I’ll be careful.” She said

Ruth was waiting in the car, since they were all going to the funeral, the person behind the wheel was going to have to have been the best driver, and we all knew who that is…

“Cara can you drive?” Ruth asked his wife.

“Sure dear!” Cara responded.

The whole family was about to go to the funeral because they couldn’t leave the children home… Well actually Luke must have stood home, he was much too young to have gone! The children had brought some shopping bags to bring their things with them… well Except for Sally- Did. Did her bag move?

“Sally? What in your bag?” Asked Ruth.

“A couple of my toys.” Sally replied.

Huh, Ruth must have imagined it.

They all got in the car and Cara drove to the funeral.

(Authors Note: I have no idea how funerals work forgive me)

“My older brother, Jake, was a kind young man, and would never hurt someone without reason. He cared for me and my mother very deeply, and I wish I got more time to spend with him” Said Emily, she was saying her eulogy at Jake’s funeral, Jake himself couldn’t have been any more mad, the bag he was in was laying on the ground, meaning he could easily jump out. And he did. He pointed at Emily.

“YOU LIAR! YOU KILLED ME. WHAT THE HELL!”

Less than half of the funeral attendants stared at Jake, but, shockingly. The majority was not shocked at all by his outburst, and they instead stared at Emily

“…What?” Said Emily, shaking. But everyone knew it was not the cold “I would never do such a thing!”

“YOU POISONED ME, WITH A BROWNIE IN THE BACKYARD, AND DRAGGED ME INTO A SHALLOW GRAVE. HOW COULD YOU?!” Jake screamed.

“BECAUSE YOU WERE GOING TO GET THE INHERITANCE-” Emily cut herself off.

“Oh snap.” mumbles Sally “You’re lucky the majority of these people are staring at her and not you-”

Emily attempted to run from the funeral, but she was stopped by one of the guards, most of the other guards were really confused

“Where are you going?” Asked the guard.

“I- I- I-” she stuttered instead of answering the guard’s question, she turned to Jake “What?”

“It’s me, Emily.” Answered Jake

“No you’re not!” Emily exclaimed

“Maybe not physically.” Said Jake

“You can’t be believing him!” Said Emily, forgetting about her outburst about the inheritance.

The guard shook her head “My name is Sora, 35 years old. But 36 years ago, I was Carie.” Said the guard - Sora -

Emily shrinks under everyone’s gaze.

(Authors note: I don’t know how legal stuff works, lets just say she confessed.)

(Authors Note: I also don’t know how to write endings so uh…)

                                                  THE END?

Credit to writing-prompt-s for the... Well... Writing prompt

http://writing-prompt-s.tumblr.com/post/146072071487/you-were-murdered-but-to-your-surprise-youre

[victoriousk9]

Ruff Luv

Can you tell from my immediate lack of updates that raising a puppy is one of the hardest things to ever do?…

I knew it would be hard and I knew it would take work but I may have underestimated. I’m sure if you’re not flying solo it may be slightly easier, but single puppy Mom life is RUFF. Since I last wrote, our days have been filled with the same routine over and over. Vet visits and training sessions every two weeks. It seems like non-stop work with the most minimal results. The vet has you visiting every two weeks for shots and boosters and depending on if the appointment is with a tech or with the actual vet, the price of the appointments varies anywhere from $35-$135 a visit. Then you have private training every two weeks at $100 a lesson. Not to mention everything else in between - LIKE PUPPY FOOD and gas to get you all these places! 

The lifestyle change IS REAL: We try and do the same things each day as close to the same time as possible.

8 AM wake up, out to potty. Then we sit on the deck and try and practice our CHILL until it’s time to eat around 8:30/8:45 AM. After that we try to potty again and sit for a little more before going back into the crate so I can get ready for work. Once I’m fully ready to go, I run him out for one more time to potty before he goes back in the crate and I head out for work. I come home for an hour each day around 3-4 PM for more potty breaks and mid-day feeding. Then back to work until I get home around 9 PM to potty and eat again. After this I try and have Vic out for an hour or two and then it’s bed by 11 PM or Midnight! On Fridays and Saturdays we do the same thing only the routine shifts an hour earlier. On days off we start about an hour later with our wake up routine but the rest of the day is more filled with at least one solid adventure for Vic and as much out of crate time as possible. We repeat the same damn things every day and I’m not sure if we are just progressing really slowly or if we are right around where we should be for 4 months old. 

At our 3rd training we were really discouraged. I say WE because I REALLY felt Vic was just as stressed as I was. I really like the trainer, but just like any parent, I AM going somewhere for a (free) second opinion this week. 

During feeding time is when we do most of his training as he is being trained 95% with his food & good praise, 4% with just good praise and 1% with treats. Feeding/Training time goes like: Filling a fanny pack with the amount of food Vic eats per feeding (about 1 cup 3x a day) and then rewarding him with his food by hand after he successfully does what I want him to do.

  Things we know so far and will do mostly, with or without food, (except when we choose not to listen): Victor, Sit, No.

Things we are learning to get better at but we get nothing for: LEAVE IT, DROP IT, NO.

Things we know so far and will do for food :Sit, Down

Things we will do sometimes for nothing but mostly for a treat: “Go to your room”

Things we are working on with food and treats: Heeling, Sit’s and Down’s forever 

Things we want to get better at: Time spent staying in the sit/down position until released. Going back and forth between both.

Things that seem to go nowhere: No biting, No jumping. No means no

Things we still want to learn: EVERYTHING ~ Especially that consequences aren’t a game! I always had a feeling if I had a kid he’d be as big a brat as I was!

~Well its definitely challenging and exhausting and frustrating but through ALL that, it’s still somehow so strangely rewarding. Like it’s just, this is my fucking dog, and that’s cool. He’s with me. And he’ll get it. We have time to get it. So. Yeah. 

I would like to make one update here a week but we are going to have to see how that goes. We move in two weeks so I am hoping the new place creates some positive changes: Pet wise there will be NO CARPET, only hard wood so accidents will be less detrimental. And there is a HUGE fenced in yard so Vic can “run it out” WAY more often. Its also a first floor so there wont be any running a puppy up and down a flight of old wooden steps. Hopefully he will start to understand NOT going to the bathroom in the house if he can be run outside to grass faster than it takes me to run him down steps. There is also more space so hopefully the cats can get some peace. They still aren’t too happy. 

In more exciting news, I have been taking Victor on adventures out in the woods and on trails. I use his long cloth leash for that and he is so much more well behaved out there. Walking him downtown is a nightmare. But taking him out into the cut for fun is the best! 

Adventure pics!:

[kavuyi]

Nkani: All That Glitters 19 – Relationships, Friendships, Situationships Are All Ships heading Somewhere.. https://ift.tt/2DcsaUx

Hi… Drama again. So much happening. A month of drama the ladies have faced so far. The month of January is just about to end. Approaching the end we all know is coming.

I do hope you all enjoy this chapter. It made me cry as I wrote it. So touching really. Anyway, there is so much drama coming up. It’s lit. Read up and let’s discuss. Xoxo.

29th January 2016

“How is everything going? The baby okay?”

Thandiwe gives me a shy smile as she closes the oven doors. Gosh I am hungry and Thandiwe is cooking up a storm, according to her. Never known Thandiwe to take a serious interest in cooking up a storm, being a diva and all. Cooking is for women who enjoy being slaves to their men is her motto. Cooking would ruin her perfectly set makeup and clothes. Looking at her now in a peach coloured over flowing halter neck dress with her hair in a ponytail, she looks beautiful, if not radiant. Count on Thandiwe to look amazing even for a simple dinner of four at her home.

Boredom.

That’s what she called the feeling when she invited me and Sangu home for dinner. I obliged after she promised me there would be amazing sea food – and wine- on the menu but mostly because I needed to find out if what Yolanda told me about the abortion clinic would be something Thandiwe was considering after all. And a glass of chilled chardonnay later, the men went off to ‘talk about man stuff’ while I helped Thandiwe out in the kitchen- that is standing beside her to watch her cook.

No complaints.

One look at Thandiwe and one would assume she does not know how to cook, I mean what time would she have to cook if her face always looks perfect; but my best friend has her ways. She cooks what she loves and leaves the rest – traditional meals – to the maid just in case James wants a real meal. How James accepts it all is a mystery to me. Then again James loves Thandiwe too much to think about how she won’t cook traditional food. Thandiwe walks to the table where her unfinished salad sits and continues where she left off with the olives.

“Everything is great hun.” She responds. “Here and there. The baby is growing just fine. I went to the clinic this week. Antenatal stuff and it went well.”

“Awwww that’s amazing.”

“I know right.” She smiles.

“I am so happy for you. You will be an awesome mummy. Weird enough you are not showing yet.”

“I will be soon enough hun. Soon enough.”

“Looking forward to showing?”

Thandiwe shrugs. “I am fine pretending I am still the slim lady. Lemme enjoy my size for a little while longer.”

“Hey I am definitely not going to tell you not to.”

She looks at me and smiles. I’m sure her baby will take her features. I know James is not that bad looking but I am certain their child will have more of Thandiwe than him. She will be a great mother I am certain of it. She truly deserves all the happiness in the world. I can’t help but be envious of the fact that she gets to have a child within a year of marrying James and I have been trying for years for a sign of a miracle. In God’s time everyone tells me. In God’s time.

But what if God’s time means I lost Sangu? I shouldn’t be thinking about this right now.

“James and I were thinking about Baby names.” Thandiwe says.

Well that’s something new.

“And?” I ask

“We are still deciding. I think it’s gonna be a hard task for us to agree on a name.”

“What happened to the father names the first born theory?”

“Excuse me I don’t want James giving my child an ugly name. No. It has to be perfect.”

“By the time you get to nine months I am certain the baby name will be the least of your worries.”

“I know right.” Thandiwe laughs. “Hopefully the morning sickness will be done by then.”

“It’s still that bad?” I ask worriedly.

“Of course. It’s horrible. Doctor says I will be fine soon enough. Can’t wait.”

I pat her back and she smiles. She seems to be in good spirits and nothing like the woman who would want an abortion. Maybe her maid did want the abortion clinic name. Why would Thandiwe want one. It’s not like she is single. She is a happily married woman to a nice man. So a baby would be an added blessing for her.

“Tell me though, what’s going on with you and Sangu. You two look happy again. All is well? Forgiven?” She asks.

I nod my head.

“Oh and his mother invited me to her birthday party.” I tell her.

Thandiwe smirks and rolls her eyes. She hates Sangu’s mother as much as I do. The she devil of a woman. Thandiwe pops an olive into her mouth and looks at me.

“Are you going?” She asks

“Yep. To build a bridge I guess. She invited me so I will go.”

“What if she’s mocking you or something?”

The same question I’ve asked myself countless times this week. Sangu seems to believe that his mother wants to build bridges with me. Something about her accepting that he is decided in choice of me being in his life. Whatever that means. The woman won’t lose without a fight; but what if she is ready to accept Sangu’s choice and my inability to have children. That would be a step forward for all of us.

“Maybe she is maybe she’s not.” I respond. “Who knows.”

“I swear if she starts tripping on you. I swear….”

“Calm down mother to be. ” I laugh. “Besides Sangu said my friends can come so hopefully you will be around to join us. I haven’t told the others yet. So I am inviting you first.”

“For you anything.” She says. “I’ll let you know if I’ll be free.”

“Great.”

My ladies would do anything for me.

“Oooh let’s check on the prawns.” Thandiwe says excitedly.

My bear friends are the best. Always in my corner

I guess that’s the best part about friendship.

******

“I am so proud of you Sonia.”

Aunt Leah wraps her arms around me. I laugh. She loves hugs. She loves to give them too. This is why she’s my favorite person.

“Tomorrow is the day.” She whispers.

Tomorrow is the day. Finally Ian gets to bring the tumbale* to my family. Finally life is moving forward and I am excited. I can’t wait. Aunt Leah is probably more excited than I am. She gets to be a part of my marriage talks after raising me into the woman I am today. With no children of her own she has been the mother I always needed and I am happy she’s here to celebrate this moment.

“You will have a blessed marriage.” She says

“Amen. And thank you.” I tell her.

She pulls back and looks at me. She raises her eyebrow at me. I take her hand and we walk to the bed. We sit down side by side and I pat her hand.

“Whatever are you thankful for?” She asks

“For being there for me. Totally grateful. Thank you. You are the best.”

“You’re my daughter. Where else would I have been except by your side.”

I smile at her and she touches my cheek. I miss my parents. If only they were around to see me get this far. If only….

“Your grandfather is looking forward to charging Ian’s family.” She laughs. “A high amount he said.”

“Ahh Aunt Leah, we don’t want Ian to run away now.” I laugh.

“I will be there to steer the conversation in the right direction.”

“Who else is coming?” I ask curiously

“Your Aunties. Rose. Chipili. Catherine. Grandma Christine. And your uncles, Jeff, Pascal, Muchimba and your Grandpa Ben.”

“That’s alot of people.”

“All the well to represent you my child. We will do this right.” She says. “Will any of your friends be coming tomorrow?”

“All of them. You know they can’t miss this moment.”

“You are blessed to have them in your life. They stand by you and support you through everything.” She says.

And she’s right. I am a grateful woman for them. I am a happy woman because of them. They are my life. Always there.

“I don’t know what I would do without them.” I laugh. “They keep me sane.”

********

“You’ll drive me insane.” I laugh.

He presses his lips on my neck and I close my eyes in pleasure. I lean against the door and sigh. Amazing, but this man will be the death of me. I do not know why I feel like this. His hands roam my back, trailing over my hips, squeezing my ass on the way down.

“I need to go Isaac.” I whisper.

“Do you really? Is it necessary?” He asks, his lips against my skin.

“Yes. I have to. My children are waiting for their mummy.” I respond.

He straightens and looks at me. He is so attractive. I touch his cheek and lean in closer to him, brushing my lips against his. I feel his smile, he never takes it personal that I have to leave him. He knows my children need me. I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss his cheek.

“When will I see you?” He asks.

“You have seen me everyday this week. Don’t get greedy.” I respond.

“I am allowed to get greedy. You’re one beautiful woman.”

I smile, happily, grateful that he can’t see it right now. He is so good with words. Something Chinyama lacks, or lacked. Isaac gets me, he wants me to know I am beautiful everyday of the week, every hour, all the time. But I still have to go home to another man.

I pull away from Isaac and give him a quick kiss before I walk out of his house. I don’t turn around as I walk away. I am afraid I will want to stay with him. I walk to my car quickly as if the wall fence, the flowers and the grass are judging me. I get into my car and start the engine and I catch sight of Isaac standing at the door in his white t-shirt and blue jeans, barefoot, his shoulder leaning against the door looking at me. A man does not get better than that. I smile and I drive out of the man’s yard. Time for home.

Everyday.

I have seen him everyday of the week. At his home this time. His beautiful home that he took me to days ago for the first time when he cooked me dinner. He went all out fancy with dinner, a three course meal just for me. And for the first time in a long time I stayed off the wine. I didn’t need it. And we made out, gosh his lips had me yearning for the love I had missed from Chinyama, the love that he had given another woman in my place.

Isaac made me want to stay, I wanted to stay but I couldn’t. Each and every day I have been here I have wanted to stay, stay the night, feel all I want to feel, his touch, his lips, everything. The man has had my mind reeling and I don’t think I will be able to stop him one of these days. I need a time out to think about him and the direction my marriage has taken.

The situation between Chinyama and I is tiring to say the least. We watch each other in private and pretend to be happy in front of the children. After I told him to get whatever he wants from Cynthia he has been silent for most part. He tries to stay out of my way, he doesn’t touch me anymore. He comes home early, earlier than me, he waits for me while he has a glass or two of whiskey and goes to sleep after he has supper. It’s a sad picture, to see the once mighty Chinyama crumble in silence. The hardest part is there was a time I cared about what he needed but not anymore. He deserves everything he will go through. The man has broken me way too much for me to let him keep destroying me.

Our marriage is a shell of lies.

But then why can’t I still fully open up to Isaac then if my marriage is a shell of lies? Why do I feel lost when I watch my husband sleeping? Why do I still feel miserable each day we spend not talking?

And the best question out of everything is why am I still married to Chinyama?

******

“You look beautiful.”

I smile. “Thank you.”

He doesn’t look half bad either in his white shirt and dark grey chinos with black loafers on. I give him my best red lips signature smile. The a is a gentleman through and through and he knows this. Masulani didn’t have to pick me up for the drinks date. He really didn’t have to, after all I got my car back and I suggested I would find my way; but he surprised me when a knock on the door revealed the man himself. A bit too early if I may add, before I had taken my shower and his excuse the power company had left him in darkness too soon. So I left him to his own devices while I showered and dressed up appropriately – a white shirt, skinnies and stilettos appropriate.

“You ready?” I ask him.

“Yes.” He responds.

He looks relaxed, far from what he usually is at the office. We walk outside and he waits for me to lock the door before he walks beside me to his car. We don’t talk during the very short walk. He opens the door for me – surprising – and closes it afterwards. I watch him walk around to his side, get in, start the car and drive. I can’t help but smile about the evening ahead. It will definitely be fun.

He drives us to Olympia where Chezani, a popular bar and restaurant. Friday nights normally has the place packed by midnight when it’s famous DJ Slim plays the best tunes of the night. Masulani being the gentleman that he is opens the door for me and leads us into the building.

Tucked away in a quieter side of Olympia, Chezani has an African vibe attached to it with the bamboo trees planted outside leading to the door, the African vibe goes well into the inside where the first section is a bar, made out of bamboo everything, high chairs and tables for those seeking out a drink with the view of the little dance floor to the side, mirrors on the wall for those bad dancers to know where they go wrong in waist shaking, the music mimics those seeking to shake their bwete*; the second part of Chezani separated at the end of the bar by trailing beads has a more cosy feel to it. Cubicles each with red and brown African print type of sofas – pillows too for the sleepy type – connected within each cubicle with a table in the middle. The music is quite slow and nice in the second section and I don’t hesitate to notice the place is quite packed. All the cubicles are taken.

Masulani takes my hand and leads the way to one of the cubicles on the right in the middle of the restaurant where I notice already has three women and two men sitting within the cubicle.The two men who I recognise as Stanely and Peter stand up and shake Masulani’s hand. Stanely gives me a bear hug when he notices me standing behind Masulani while Peter gives me a handshake.

The three ladies – in short dresses to kill, while showing off underwear with weaves to match the length of their dresses- within the cubicle hug Masulani, kisses landing on his cheek; two of the ladies who introduce themselves as Tracy and Mwamba happily greet me while the third one who Mwamba introduces as Sandra clearly ignores me when I say hi. Definitely not gonna complain, she’s not the reason I’m here.

I sit on one side of the cubicle in between Masulani and the woman with ignoring face across from Stanely and Mwamba.

“I can’t believe Masu brought you.” Stanley says. “I had asked for your number and my bro here said no. Busy hiding he had plans for you.”

“I didn’t even know I was coming here till we got here.” I respond.

“I’m heart broken. My brother has the most beautiful woman in his sights everyday.” He says, feigning heart break with his hand over his chest.

I laugh. Stanley is the funnier one of the two brothers. The flirt too.

“What will you have?” Masulani asks, leaning in closer. “Whiskey? Wine? Cider?”

“What are you having yourself?” I ask him

He doesn’t respond right there and then. He looks at me and lopsided smile.

“I’m a whiskey man.” He responds.

“Then whiskey it is for me too.” I respond

He smiles and calls for the waiter. He makes the order for a round of whatever is on the table plus our drinks and adds in snacks to accompany the drinks. When he’s done and the waiter walks away he sits back and without thought places his hand on my lower back. He moves his hand higher up my back and back down, I notice Ms Ignoring Sandra is staring at his hand. She frowns while I smile.

It will definitely be a fun night.

******

“So tomorrow is Sonia’s day. You ladies must be excited.” James says as he takes a bite into a prawn.

I am so nervous. I hope I’m not sweating and peeling off my makeup yet because of this. Shit.

“We definitely are. Too excited.” Sampa responds happily. “Aren’t we Thandiwe?”

“Definitely.” I smile. “I’m so happy for Sonia and Ian.”

“As am I hun.”

“It’s such a wonderful experience.”

Sampa smiles. Shit. I should not have said that. Three out of five friends will be married. I hope Sampa doesn’t think I was rubbing it in her face. I know how much she wants to get married and be a part of something amazing and legal. Even though Sangu is taking his precious time asking that one little question that will change everything, I know he will ask her. Soon. Sampa just has to keep holding on.

“Remember when it was us babe?” James asks me.

I smile at the man, place my hand on his shoulder and squeeze softly. He faces me and smiles.

“I remember.” I respond. “I remember thinking you will leave and never marry me, run away and disappear.”

“Leave you? Never. Honey, I fell in love with you the minute I saw you.” James says.

“Well saying it is one thing. The words really didn’t help with the nervousness.” I respond.

James places his fork on his plate and grabs my hand.

“I was never going to leave you babe. Never. No matter what obscene amount they charged I was going to pay it.”

James lifts my hand to his lips and kisses my knuckles.

“You’re the best part of my entire life.” He whispers.

“I swear you two are so cute.” Sampa says.

I smile.

“And with the baby on the way it’s too much cuteness to handle.” Sampa continues. “Love definitely under this roof.”

“It’s cute on the outside.” James responds.

I laugh.

The dinner is perfect. Just as I had hoped. Absolutely perfect. My roasted prawns, fried chilli peppered rice with pepper mushroom sauce with a Greek salad is a success. On going success that is. James has already asked for a second plate and I’m thinking Sangu will be doing the same on the prawns part only. I’m so happy everyone is enjoying themselves even though I’m not drinking. It’s amazing alright. James and I are in a good place. Sampa and Sangu look happy, then again they have always been the happy couple among my friends. Their love is beautiful and one can see it from afar.

“Are you saying the hormones are already taking over?” Sangu asks.

“Indeed they are. We are three months along and wife here wants particular things.” James responds. “I’m always on call, no matter the time.”

“Well it’s our baby. If I’m going to carry our child, you might as well feed the child.” I respond.

“And I have no problem with that.” James laughs.

“That’s so beautiful.” Sampa responds gleefully.

“I can’t imagine where I’m gonna be at nine months.” I tell them. “Probably fat.”

“Fat and beautiful. I’ll still love you.” James responds.

“Awww you’re too nice.” I respond.

“I swear this is love overload.” Sampa says, pointing at us.

“That will be us one day. Married and excited for the rest of our lives.” Sangu says.

I was right. Sangu will propose soon. His words say everything. Sampa looks at Sangu and gives him the most beautiful smile. They will be great parents one day. One day when God wills it to happen. She will make the most amazing mother. Which is why I have to do this now. I feel James hand on my elbow and I smile at him. He nods his head in their direction.

It is time.

Time to tell them why we hosted them for dinner. I’m so nervous. I don’t know they will take it. What if they think it’s out of pity? I don’t them to think that about what I’m about to tell them. James squeezes my elbow gently. He’s right here with me. I can do this.

“So guys…” I tell them.

“We have something to tell you.” James says, finishing my sentence.

Sampa and Sangu face us. I take a deep breath and laugh nervously.

“Okay. We wanted to ask you something.” I tell them.

“Sure. Anything. Is there something wrong?” Sampa asks worried.

I look at James and he shakes his head. I don’t know how she will take it.

“No. Sampa. Nothing wrong hun.” I assure her.

“So what’s going on?” Sangu asks.

“We want you to be our child’s Godparents.” James says slowly.

I watch Sampa’s face. Her eyes widen in shock for a few seconds before a huge smile spreads across her face. She covers her face with her hands while Sangu pats her back. I notice her shaking shoulders and my eyes fill with tears.

“Uhhhh…” I start and stop.

Shit now I’m an emotional wreck as my tears fall down my cheeks. I can’t say anything more, not until Sampa looks up at me.

“We know it’s too soon and all but we wanted to get it out of the way and ask you.” James says slowly.

Sampa takes her hands from her face and I see tears falling down her face.

“I don’t what to say Thandiwe.” She sniffs. “I’m at a loss of words.”

“Say yes. I would be happy to have you both as our child’s Godparents. James and I want you two to be Godparents to our amazing joy.” I tell her.

Hand over her mouth Sampa looks at James and then turns to look at Sangu. She nods at him and he smiles.

“Yes.” They say in unison

“We would be honoured to be your child’s Godparents.” Sampa says

Sampa stands up from her seat and walks to me. I stand up and she embraces me. I know she’s still in shock but it was the right thing to do. She was my perfect choice. She will make an amazing Godmother. I’m so happy I chose her. It doesn’t get any better than this. I hear her sniff on my shoulder.

“Thank you.” She whispers. “Thank you Thandiwe.”

To be continued…

*Tumbale – Plates that money is placed within so as to begin marriage talks between two families. Marriage talks that lead to decision of lobola amount.

*Bwete – Booty, Bums

©The Nkani Chick 2018

Advertisements

__ATA.cmd.push(function() { __ATA.initSlot('atatags-26942-5bd88f1b6e418', { collapseEmpty: 'before', sectionId: '26942', width: 300, height: 250 }); });

__ATA.cmd.push(function() { __ATA.initSlot('atatags-114160-5bd88f1b6e41b', { collapseEmpty: 'before', sectionId: '114160', width: 300, height: 250 }); });

from WordPress https://ift.tt/2DcsaUx via IFTTT https://ift.tt/2Jq6hRP October 30, 2018 at 07:04PM

[esxdarnell62113-blog]

Ashton Stone Alpacas

She had given him an earful and he had managed to run away earlier than I arrived. She clearly thought he needed a bit more of an earbashing which was thoughtfully shared with everybody within 100 yards. Anyway the subject of my deliberation about which Sue and I have had a long discussion is how pregnant would an alpaca have to be earlier than we determined to not take her to a present? Really we've got never taken a pregnant female to a present, by no means. However, many individuals do and I think if the female is naturally a calm animal and is used to going to shows, why not? We nonetheless haven't finalised our determination and it will only be the Futurity as it is so early in the season, but we are very tempted. The lady in query, Reeya, who would be 8 months pregnant at the time, is wanting superior! The net is full of surprises, especially for anyone who needs to transform movies to streaming videos - you'll see what i mean momentarily, and you will be pleased. I'll prevent the difficulty of spending hours on the internet and set you up with the inside story which may not be easy to come back by. In the next fast report you will find out how so as to add digital motion pictures onto any net web page, so try to focus when you examine this out. Click on Right here to transform motion pictures to streaming videos now! In the first place, allow us to set up the truth that at the top of this studying session you'll have the reply to how so as to add digital movies onto any internet web page. Take a few minutes to ponder the difficulty spots chances are you'll run into - a typical issue that you will no doubt call to thoughts is that adding internet videos in your internet pages won't be easy. An ongoing situation, now there's a resolution that caught my eyes; it's known as a unique on-line videos method, and now i will educate you the truth about it. It is rated with angora cashmere. Graviett will generally spin fiber into yarn herself, or she's going to sell it online by eBay or Etsy. Occasionally she knits hats or scarves and makes stuffed animals, however said her supply is fairly restricted. Except for the fiber, she also discovered to place the alpacas' waste to good use. She also makes an "alpaca poop tea" and drains it before using the brown water on her house plants. When Kahlua, one in every of Graviett's alpacas, was born a month premature, the veterinarian advised her that it can be a miracle if she may keep him alive. Kahlua has develop into considered one of her most prized alpacas. She refers to him as her "therapy alpaca" because she takes him to assisted living and nursing properties. Kahlua has not yet made an appearance at any local homes, however Graviett went to Sunrise Flatirons in Broomfield thrice a month for two ½ years before her move to Silt. She additionally visited some homes in Westminster and Louisville. She does charge a charge to have him brought in. When Kahlua visited, the employees would often gather everyone into a giant room, and he would go around and let the residents pet him or kiss him. Kahlua is likely one of the 4 alpacas that she plans on conserving at Sunset Ranch, the place she wants to settle down. She is also going to keep Midnight, an older feminine, as a result of she does not need her to be bred again, Tia Maria, and one other male. DIGHTON - Metropolis slickers and small-city denizens alike were welcome Saturday at Bristol County Agricultural Highschool's fifth annual Spring Exposition. The free occasion showcased a cross section of the native agribusiness community and impartial distributors selling everything from important oils to solar-generated electric service. Middleboro-primarily based wholesaler Jay Cordeiro was choosing up a number of bucks selling plastic bugs and lizards, as well as cushy bird-and-reptile animal toys that made genuine sounds when squeezed. Cordeiro stated he serves on the advisory committee of the school's Natural Resource Administration scholastic program. Certainly one of the kid-friendly squeezable critters on his desk was an Japanese spadefoot toad. Cordeiro, whose Northeast Natural History Supply Co. additionally distributes archival specimen trays and different merchandise made by HH Components Inc., has a delicate spot for the spadefoot toad. For the previous few years, he stated, he's labored to restore and preserve the protected species as part of a particular challenge launched by the Massachusetts Audobon Society. Eggs that are collected in the sphere, he stated, are dropped at Bristol Aggie the place they develop into tadpoles in a safe setting, meaning that they aren't eaten by predators. Most chicken house owners place their coop run in order that it will get good sunlight in the course of the morning hours. This allows the dew to dry up and the chickens to get out early. In case you place the run accurately, it will even provide some protection during the hotter components of the day when the chickens may need a shade break. Predators are another concern in relation to your hen coop run. When the chickens are in the roosting and nesting areas, they have some protection. However, in a poorly constructed run, the predators can get entry. You need to supply protection from all sides. The run fencing need buried at the very least 8 to 12 inches down. This prevents digging predators from gaining entry. The top of the run additionally needs coverage. This prevents flying predators similar to owls and hawks from swooping in. Cleaning is a major concern together with your hen coop run. Chickens make droppings. That could be a truth of life. He seems to be taking more after the Smokey/Lady line than Snowflake, but that is okay with us. Smokey and Lady are the spine of our breeding program and we are attempting to supply more alpacas like them. We actually liked Jolly Roger so we determined to breed Snowflake back to Smokey. We are hoping for a lady this year. It will be attention-grabbing to see what shade they produce this 12 months. Snowflake's ultrasound is pictured beneath. Bringing up the rear in 2009 might be Peruvian Bellesa. This is our newest addition to our herd. She is presently boarding at Evergreen Elegant Alpacas in Indiana till she is confirmed 90 days bred. She was bred to the famous Peruvian Macusani. He is usually referred to because the "authentic grey." He was one in every of the primary grey herdsires to be imported from Peru within the early 1990's and is considered a Peruvian powerhouse. Bellesa had an ultrasound at 22 days bred and the vet couldn't confirm a pregnancy. Though conduct assessments earlier than and since indicate that she is pregnant. Bellesa has been operating from the males, so we're hoping that she is pregnant. We will get another ultrasound in February round 90 days to affirm whether or not she is pregnant or not. We are protecting our fingers crossed. If she will not be bred, we'll rebreed once more in the spring. I am most trying forward to this cria in 2009. Bellesa has been bred to Macusani a number of occasions prior to now and has produced several gray cria. So we've 4 cria due this yr for positive, and hopefully 5. Since we started in 2006, we've only had one cria per yr, so this 12 months might be a number of fun. We're excited for a new year and to welcome new life on our farm. In case you adored this short article and you wish to obtain details relating to free alpaca scarf knitting patterns generously visit the web site.

[global-times-blog]

GARDEN TRACTOR Associated Articles

Garden stairs and landscaping actions created of tree trunks or giant timber or treated wood pieces naturally blend with the encompassing, offering stunning inexperienced design and style in your out of doors areas. Among the vegetation which you wish to add in your landscaping may have a every day time for the maintenance however there are some steps that are very useful and might save your a number of can purchase a self watering system; this watering system will ease you from having to do that process on a daily basis. You may as well embellish your used water bottles or soda bottles for watering your vegetation. You can too punch holes in the bottoms of the used bottles so water can flow at a sluggish drip. You can even set them subsequent to floor vegetation or when you've got planted containers you'll be able to set them within the container. With using one of these watering system you'll only need to examine the bottles to watch if they're low on water you'll have to add water. Such a watering system is very economical in case you have much less taking assist from these concepts you may preserve a very beautiful landscaped yard. You could find many ideas and shortcuts for beautifully landscaped yard on the internet. It might be taken as part of the identical ugly image that the brutal military dictator and Nazi appeasing Francisco Franco Bahamonde (otherwise often known as Common Franco or the nickname El Paquito, or little Frank.”) of Spain in 1940 sentenced all Freemasons in his realm routinely to ten years in prison. His regime had the identical murderous traits as Nazism as he killed a whole bunch of 1000's of harmless Spaniards in focus camps and organised executions and many more died in the Spanish Civil Conflict. The total features list of Backyard Crops is quite hefty, however let us recap the extra significant options and what they imply for your online business. To begin with, a modern theme is just not modern with out responsive design. Fortunately, your website will probably be as fluid as possible when using this theme proper here. Moreover, Garden Vegetation has gone by means of extensive testing for contemporary and dated gadgets to ensure full compatibility. With the addition of personalized VComposer parts, you'll be able to create exciting new pages with absolutely authentic designs. Whether or not you reside in the coronary heart of Highland Park or the attractive countryside from the North Shore, you'll desire to remember to take into account custom hardscape designs for the next remodeling challenge. Whether or not it's essential to replace a worn out outside patio with new patio pavers or develop a custom retaining wall to add security and magnificence to your own home, hardscapes are an easy method to breathe new life into your back yard. As all the time, you will want to take into account the cost of the provides, required upkeep and care, and total aesthetic before you begin any project. Hiring knowledgeable to help design and construct will be sure to finish on time with an audio structure. Convert an present dresser right into a changing table by including a altering pad. This can save space and add character to the décor. Paint it to match the crib and add stencils or peel-and-stick gildings to the front and sides. Clean out the highest drawer and fill with diapering requirements. Purchase a canopy for the altering pad in a coloration that fits your nursery space design. Take advantage of the changing pad's cell function and move it from room to room as wanted to make use of on other surfaces such as the coffee table or sofa. Create a garden paradise, an escape, an oasis in your yard by setting up intersecting trails, meandering streams, inspiring vistas, and hidden rooms. Design small hideaways the place individuals can collect for drinks and take a look at mixing formal with informal for stimulating visual rigidity. Each turn of the pathway brings its own lovely garden vignette. You can even get creative and save the largest backyard shock—a wall of crops, a fountain, a statue, a bench, or a particular flower show—for the farthest spot in your yard as a substitute of putting it directly subsequent to the house. You will create your own secret garden just moments from your entrance door. Create a seedling nursery using everyday recyclable household items, equivalent to egg cartons, rather than plastic pots. Merely fill each cup of an egg carton with soil and seed and, when they sprout, separate the person egg cups and plant them (cardboard and all) in the ground. It's also possible to use takeaway coffee cups (simply poke a number of holes in the bottom for drainage) or toilet roll cylinders. Simply make 2cm vertical cuts round one finish of the cylinder and fold in to make a base. Add soil and seed, and pack your new ‘pots' tightly together on an old baking tray to prevent them crumbling through the water-and-sprout part. Once they're prepared, plant in your garden. First, please know that I very a lot sympathize with your stance. I am sure that because of what I've allowed my entrance yard to turn into, you need to think of me as a nightmare of a neighbor. I additionally realize that my opinions on lawns and yards (which I am going to explain) are extremely tough to sympathize with for the overwhelming majority of People, together with my mother and father. I understand that none of you're landscaping ideas demanding that I set up a water-wasting garden, however simply that I do some form of landscaping, or not less than cut the weeds and extra steadily choose up the trash that gets caught in them. And I hope you believe me that each one of these issues are coming quickly and will hopefully be completed properly before the top of the yr (I am going to clarify this later as properly). Learning the best way to panorama your yard will be incredibly overwhelming. It's a type of things that in the event you make the fallacious lower in a bush or water something the wrong way, you might destroy the look that you are going for. Clearly you are going to need a great lawn mower , but you may additionally want a weed eater , a pruning saw , and different garden upkeep instruments before you get started. Having them available will prevent a substantial period of time and headache later on. As soon as you have got these gadgets able to go, take a look at these landscaping tricks to get yourself started. Rustic properties should be matched with a fence that is product of pure wooden. There are quite a lot of forms of wooden which may be generally used, and bamboo is one alternative. Bamboo is ideal on account of it should probably also form a thick privacy display across the garden. A strong fence retains gardens out of sight and creates a non-public click here place. Different fences solely have various boards and don't lend as so much privacy as a robust bamboo fence. Utilizing these merchandise is an ideal technique to preserve animals out of a flower backyard. Homeowners can be able to benefit from the colours of their yard from anyplace on the property with this kind of fence.