#I don't even like bell peppers that much. i barely use up one before it goes bad. also i don't like them cooked so stuffed peppers is out

[braveclementine]

Chapter 8

Warnings: None, Readers under 18 can read this book. It is solely fluff- nothing sexual

Copyright: I do not own any Wizarding World characters that J.K. Rowling wrote. I do however own Elizabeth Kane (main character) and Trang Nyguen (best friend). There should be no use of these two names without my permission. I also do not condone any copying of this.

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𝕳𝖆𝖗𝖗𝖞 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝕴 were let out of the hospital wing on Monday and we went back to attending classes. It was a relief to be back with other people. Of course, Draco Malfoy imitated Harry and I falling off our brooms over and over again every time one of us walked past. It was really getting on my nerves.

I kept my cool though. Cedric had us training constantly so that we could potentially win against Ravenclaw. I had to keep turning back hours to complete multiple classes. I kept leaving a food basket in the woods though I hadn't seen Sirius in a long time. I conversed with Firenze and sometimes Ronan or Ivagio about the stars and the future. I visited Hagrid with either Ginny or Hermione. And also, my private lessons with my teachers, and occlumency with dad.

Occlumency left me shivery afterwards and usually frustrated. I was not good at it unless there was something I really didn't want dad to see- like my interactions with Snape or my dreams.

We didn't work on the Patronus charm anymore, occlumency seemed to be dad's priority. So, I had started working on the charm by myself in an abandoned classroom or in the forest. It was coming along much better than Occlumency was, though I hadn't produced a corporeal patronus yet.

The bell rang and I hurried from class. I wanted to go and pop in and say hi to dad real quick. He was up and teaching again. I hurried through the hallways but when I heard him talking to someone, I stopped quickly.

"Why did they have to come to the match?" It was Harry's voice- bitter.

"They're getting hungry." Dad said in a cool voice. "Dumbledore won't let them into the school, so their supply of human prey has dried up. . . I don't think they could resist the large crowd around the Quidditch field. All that excitement. . . emotions running high. . . it was their idea of a feast."

"Elizabeth saved me." Harry said suddenly. "Did you hear about that?"

"Yes." Dad said and he sounded proud. "I did hear about that as a matter of fact."

Harry was silent for a second. I waited and then, I turned and left. I didn't want to hear anymore.

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𝕽𝖆𝖛𝖊𝖓𝖈𝖑𝖆𝖜 𝖋𝖑𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖓𝖊𝖉 𝖚𝖘 at the next match, much to my irritation. It had been a long, tiring game too. I'd managed to score a few goals though- nearly all of them- and I was glad because dad was watching today. Of course, like nearly every other game, I nearly broke my head open with a bludger.

But there were no injuries at the end of the game when the Ravenclaw seeker- Cho Chang- caught the snitch. We were disappointed, but now we could cheer on Gryffindor. I was a bit disappointed for another reason. It was barely even Christmas time and my Quidditch season was already over.

"There's always next year." Cedric said with a wistful look on his face.

Yes. I supposed there was always next year.

The days passed quickly despite turning back hours, probably because I needed time to slow down. I supposed I could've used the time turner to create more hours for homework, but I decided to use it only for getting to class. (Unless I got desperate. Only then would I use it for homework).

There was another Hogsmeade trip the last week before term and I wondered if I really even wanted to go. I decided I would, for a short amount of time, and then come back.

I went with Hermione and Ron and we left Harry behind. My bag was empty again and I was trying to think up different gifts for the others. Christmas was coming soon.

Ron and Hermione decided that we would stop inside Honeydukes first. I bought boxes of chocolates for each person I wanted to give a gift to.

I also got Pepper Imps and Ice Mice because I wanted to try them out and I hadn't bought them last time.

"What should we get for Harry?" Hermione asked Ron, looking around. We were in the Unusual Tastes section.

"How about those?" Ron asked, pointing at the blood-flavored lollipops.

"Ugh, no, Harry won't want one of those, they're for vampires, I expect." Hermione was saying.

I picked one up and said, "I wonder if they actually taste like blood."

"I wouldn't be surprised." Hermione said, shivering. I decided I'd buy it and try it out.

"How about these?" Ron said, picking up a jar of Cockroach Clusters and stuffed them under Hermione's nose.

A different voice made all of us jump. "Definitely not."

"Harry!" Hermione squealed, "What are you doing here? How- how did you-?" Hermione looked like she may have a heart attack.

"Wow!" Ron said with a very impressed look on his face, "you've learned to Apparate!"

I giggled.

"'Course I haven't." Harry said. He dropped his voice and said, "Fred and George got this map from Filch. It shows all the different secret passageways and stuff. Anyways I found a secret passage from the cellar of Hogsmeade to Hogwarts."

"Wicked." I said, grinning.

"How come Fred and George never gave it to me!" Ron said, outraged, "I'm their brother!"

"But Harry isn't going to keep it!" Hermione said in an astonished voice, "He's going to hand it in to Professor McGonagall, aren't you, Harry?"

"No, I'm not!" Harry said a bit loudly.

"Are you mad?" Ron said, looking at Hermione as though she were mad. "Hand in something that good?"

"If I hand it in, I'll have to say where I got it! Filch would know Fred and George had nicked it!" Harry said, arguing the logic.

I felt my stomach twist. While I knew Hermione wasn't going to tell, I felt nervous in real time. Imagine Fred and George reluctantly giving it over, and then being in trouble only hours later.

"But what about Sirius Black!" Hermione hissed and I very nearly rolled my eyes. "He could be using one of the passages on that map to get into the castle! The teachers have got to know!" That was a good point too.

I intervened. "Hermione, Sirius is never going to use that secret passage."

We looked at each other for a second and Hermione tentatively asked, "Are you positive?"

I was silent for a moment, thinking. It was true, he would never use this passage ever. But in the end, he would use the passageway under the Whomping Willow. I only knew this because I was concentrating really hard. I wondered briefly if he was staying in the Shrieking Shack right now. . ."Yes, I'm positive." I finally said, hoping that I wasn't lying.

"Fine." Hermione sighed. Ron showed Harry around the shop while we paid for our sweets. "You are sure, right?" Hermione whispered in my ear.

I simply nodded. We headed out into the cold while Ron and Hermione pointed out different shops. I wondered if we could go into the Three Broomsticks. There were no dementors around, they were floating up very high in the sky.

Ron finally voiced the opinion that we should go into the Three Broomsticks, and so we went in. I looked around curiously. I'd never been inside before.

There were high beams crossing the roof made of wood. There were many wooden tables and booths scattered around the room in neat rows. Christmas trees decorated the corners of the room. In the back was a bar with stools and a young woman with blond hair was serving customers from behind it. She was thin and curvy and had a very pretty face. Her full lips were coloured red and she was obviously wearing mascara.

"That's Madam Rosmerta." Said Ron, who had gone red in the face. "I'll get the drinks, shall I?"

I giggled again as he set off for the bar. Harry, Hermione, and I went into the back corner of the room into an empty booth. We were near the fireplace and there was a Christmas tree that was by us. Ron came back about five minutes later, even redder than he'd been when he'd left us, carrying two tanks of butterbeer in each hand.

He handed Hermione and I our tankards. The tankards were made of glass and I could feel the heat coming through the material. I'd never actually had butterbeer before and was excited. Dad had always said that my first sip should be here with friends, no matter how many times I'd asked for the drink before. I realized now, that he was right. I was going to have to tell him.

"Merry Christmas!" Ron said, lifting his tankard and we all clinked ours together.

We all drank and I realized that it was one of the best things I had ever tasted. It was sweet, but not overly sweet, and hot so that it filled the insides of your body from head to toe. But I felt something was coming and on a premonition, I grabbed the tankard from Harry's hands.

The other three looked at me in shock and I hissed, "Get under the table now." At the same time, the doors opened and in came Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, and Hagrid. Hagrid was talking to the Minister of Magic- Fudge.

Harry quickly ducked under the table. At least now he wasn't going to be dripping with butterbeer.

"Hermione." I hissed again, "The tree."

Hermione whispered, "Mobiliarbus!" And the Christmas tree rose a few inches off the ground, landing in front of our table, hiding us all from view.

I could feel Harry's body against my leg (Hermione and Ron were sitting across from me). I handed him down his tankard of butterbeer so he could drink it- if he wanted to. I took another sip of the drink, mostly for something to do. Stupid Harry. Should've brought the damn Invisibility Cloak.

There was a click of heels and I heard a voice I'd never heard before say, "A small gillywater?"

"Mine." Professor McGonagall's voice said crisply.

"Four pints of Mulled Mead?"

"Ta, Rosmerta." Came Hagrid's boisterous voice.

"A cherry syrup and soda with ice and umbrella?"

"Mmm!" Professor Flitwick said, smacking his lips and I burst into silent giggles and muffled my mouth against my arm.

"So you'll be the red currant rum, Minister." Madam Rosmerta finished off.

"Thank you, Rosmerta, m'dear." Fudge said. "Lovely to see you again, I must say. Have one yourself, won't you? Come and join us. . ."

"Well, thank you very much, Minister." Rosmerta said and there was the sound of heels leaving and then heels returning and another chair being pulled up to the table.

I twitched my leg nervously. How long were the teachers going to be here?

"So, what brings you to this neck of the woods, Minister?" Rosmerta asked.

"What else, m'dear, but Sirius Black? I daresay you heard what happened up at the school at Halloween?" Fudge said a few moments after she'd asked the question.

"I did hear a rumor." Madam Rosmerta said.

"Did you tell the whole pub, Hagrid?" Professor McGonagall asked in an exasperated voice.

"Do you think Black's still in the area, Minister?" Rosmerta asked and so Hagrid never answered the question.

"I'm sure of it." Fudge said shortly.

"You know that the dementors have searched the whole village twice? Madam Rosmerta said, an icy edge to her voice. "Scared all my customers away. . . It's very bad for business, Minister."

Fudge sounded uncomfortable as he answered, "Rosmerta, m'dear, I don't like them any more than you do. Necessary precaution unfortunate, but there you are. . . I've just met some of them. They're in a fury against Dumbledore- he won't let them inside the castle grounds."

"I should think not." Professor McGonagall said in a sharp voice, "How are we supposed to teach with those horrors floating around?"

I shuddered at the thought of the dementors floating around the school. I'm sure I'd be embarassing myself even further, fainting every day and whatnot. I made a mental note to practice the patronus charm more than I already was.

"Hear, hear!" Professor Flitwick squeaked in a high pitched voice.

"All the same. . ." Fudge said, "If that girl you talked about would just give us something. . ."

I straightened up and stared at them- well where they would've been if the tree wasn't there. Hermione and Ron looked at me quickly too.

"Girl?" Madam Rosmerta asked in a curious voice, "What girl are you talking about?"

"Her name is Elizabeth Kane." Professor McGonagall said crisply and my cheeks flushed with embarrassed colour. Hermione and Ron looked at me quickly.

"According to Dumbledore, she can see the future." Fudge said. "Now if only she would direct her thoughts towards Black's capture, perhaps we'd have caught him by now."

"Now see here, Minister." Hagrid said in a sharp, almost cold voice, "Elizabeth ain' a tool. She's jus' a student like teh others."

I felt a special love towards Hagrid at that moment.

"Yes." Professor McGonagall said, also in a cold voice, "She has other things to be worried about. It is not her business to catch Sirius Black."

"I've never met this girl." Madam Rosmerta said, in a fascinated voice.

I shifted in my seat, looking down at the table, clenching my butterbeer tankard. Hermione and Ron made a point of not looking at me as well.

"She's the smartest student we have up at the school." Professor McGonagall said, "She's a third-year in Hufflepuff. She's very close with Harry Potter."

"Oh!" Madam Rosmerta said. "Of course, she's the girl in the article about whether or not she was Harry Potter's sister!"

"Tha' would be her." Hagrid said.

We all looked at each other nervously. My leg was bouncing up and down, rubbing against Harry's shoulder.

"Anyways." Fudge said dismissively, getting to the reason of why he was here. "I'd much rather she see something anyways. But the original point, the dementors are here for protection. We all know what Black is capable of, of course."

"I still have trouble believing it, you know." Madam Rosmerta said in a voice of those who were reminiscing about past events, "Of all the people to go over to the Dark Side, Sirius Black was the last I'd have thought. . . I mean, I remember him when he was a boy at Hogwarts. If you'd told me then what he was going to become, I'd have said you'd had too much mead."

"You don't know the half of it, Rosmerta." Fudge said, "The worst he did isn't widely known."

"The worst?" Madam Rosmerta asked, "Worse than murdering all those poor people, you mean?"

Well, duh, I thought but didn't say.

"I certainly do." Fudge said matter of factly.

"I can't believe that. What could possibly be worse?" Madam Rosmerta practically scoffed at the Minister.

Professor McGonagall said, "You say you remember him at Hogwarts, Rosmerta, Do you remember who his best friend was?"

"Naturally." And there was a small laugh from Madam Rosmerta. "Never saw one without the other, did you? The number of times I had them in here- ooh, they used to make me laugh. Quite the double act, Sirius Black and James Potter!"

Harry dropped his tankard with a loud thud. Ron kicked him under the table. I felt a jolt of shock shoot up my spine. I had known, of course, but it was so different hearing it from someone else's lips. Someone besides Dad anyways.

"Precisely." Professor McGonagall said. "Black and Potter. Ringleaders of their little gang. Both very bright of, course, exceptionally bright, in fact- but I don't think we've ever had such a pair of troublemakers-"

She was abruptly cut off as Hagrid chuckled and said, "I dunno, Fred and George Weasley could give 'em a run fer their money. Elizabeth could too as a matter of fact, the amount of times she goes into the forest." My lips twitched into a smile too and then dropped as quickly as it had come.

"You'd have thought Black and Potter were brothers! Inseparable!" Flitwick added.

"Of course they were." Fudge said. "Potter trusted Black beyond all his other friends. Nothing changed when they left school. Black was best man when James married Lily. Then they named him godfather to Harry. Harry has no idea, of course. You can imagine how the idea would torment him."

"Because Black turned out to be in league with You-Know-Who?" Madam Rosmerta whispered.

"Worse than that, m'dear. . ." Fudge dropped his voice and the four of us leaned to the side to hear better. "Not many people are aware that the Potters knew You-Know-Who was after them. Dumbledore, who was of course working tirelessly against You-Know-Who had a number of useful spies. One of them tipped him off, and he alerted James and Lily at once. . ."

Well, of course my parents had known Voldemort was after them. That was why Sirius was the only one who knew I was Harry's twin sister. That's why he knew where I was hidden- deep in the basement in my pink and white crib and pink backpack with all my necessities already packed.

Sirius was my godfather too. Sirius was innocent. I knew that. . . how did I prove it? My parents had protected me. . . and my mum had protected Harry too. . . and my dad. . . James, my dad. . . he'd protected all three of us.

I felt tears spring up in my eyes and I wiped them away. I listened back into the conversation.

". . .immensely complex spell involving the magical concealment of a secret inside a single, living soul. The information is hidden inside the chosen person, or Secret-Keeper," Professor Flitwick squeaked, sounding as though we might've been in the classroom. "and is henceforth impossible to find-unless, of course, the Secret-Keeper chooses to divulge it. As long as the Secret-Keeper refused to speak, You-Know-Who could search the village where Lily and James were staying for years and never find them, not even if he had his nose pressed against their sitting room window!"

"So Black was the Potter's Secret-Keeper?" Madam Rosmerta asked in a whisper.

"Naturally." Professor McGonagall said. She sounded like she had a stuffed nose. "James Potter told Dumbledore that Black would die rather than tell where they were, that Black was planning to go into hiding himself. . . and yet, Dumbledore remained worried. I remember him offering to be the Potter's Secret-Keeper himself."

"He suspected Black?" Madam Rosmerta gasped and quickly lowered her voice again.

"He was sure that somebody close to the Potters had been keeping You-Know-Who informed of their movements. Indeed, he had suspected for some time that someone on our side had turned traitor and was passing a lot of information to You-Know-Who." Professor McGonagall said. She seemed to know a lot about this. Then again, she was deputy headmistress. You didn't get there unless the headmaster greatly respected you.

"But James Potter insisted on using Black?"

"He did." Fudge intervened. "And then, barely a week after the Fidelius Charm had been performed-"

"Black betrayed them?" Madam Rosmerta barely breathed this question.

"He did indeed. Black was tired of his double-agent role, he was ready to declare his support openly for You-Know-Who, and he seems to have planned this for the moment of the Potters' death. But, as we all know, You-Know-Who met his downfall in little Harry Potter. Powers gone, horribly weakened, he fled. And this left Black in a very nasty position indeed. His master had fallen at the very moment when he, Black, had shown his true colors as a traitor. He had no choice but to run for it-"

"Filthy, stinkin' turncoat!" Hagrid said, a bit louder than the others. The bar went quiet for a moment and then started up again.

"Shh!" Professor McGonagall said in a strained voice.

"I met him!" Hagrid growled, though his voice was much lower. "I musta bin the last ter see him before he killed all them people! It was me what rescued Harry from Lily an' James house after they was killed! Jus' got him outta the ruins, poor little thing, with a great slash across his forehead, an' his parents dead. . . an' Sirius Black turns up, on that flyin' motorbike he used ter ride. Never occurred ter me what he was doin' there. I didn' know he'd bin Lily and Jame's Secret-Keeper. Thought he'd jus' heard the new o' You-Know-Who's attack an' come ter see what he could do. White an' shakin' he was. An' yeh know what I did? I COMFORTED THE MURDERIN' TRAITOR!" Hagrid suddenly roared.

The four of us, used to listening in as hard as possible, all jumped at the sudden volume change. This time however, the bar didn't pay any attention to this outburst.

I stopped listening. Hagrid hadn't been the last to see Sirius. I had. I couldn't remember it, though I could just barely remember a lit place, perhaps a café. I remembered other things as well, the smell of burning wood, and a soft voice in my ear- Sirius' voice. Then there'd been something bitter, the smell I registered with coffee. That must've been the lit place and why I was sure it was a café.

I couldn't remember much farther back, though there was a memory of baby Harry and me sitting around a Christmas tree. Dad and mums' faces were a bit blurry. A cat came and sat in my lap and I hit it with a wooden spoon from my new play cooking set. The cat rolled over onto its back and stretched. Mum scolded me. It wasn't much but it was my only memory I had of the four of us together. But Sirius wasn't in that one.

I focused on the conversation again.

Fudge was saying, ". . .the Potter's friends. Maddened by grief, no doubt, and knowing that Black had been the Potters' Secret-Keeper, he went after Black himself."

"Pettigrew. . . that fat little boy who was always tagging around after them at Hogwarts?" Madam Rosmerta asked.

"Hero-worshiped Black and Potter. Never quite in their league, talent-wise. I was often rather sharp with him. You can imagine how I- how I regret that now. . ."

"There, now, Minerva," Fudge said kindly, "Pettigrew died a hero's death. Eyewitnesses- Muggles, of course, we wiped their memories later- told us how Pettigrew cornered Black. They say he was sobbing, 'Lily and James, Sirius! How could you?' And then he went for his wand. Well, of course, black was quicker. Blew Pettigrew to smithereens. . ."

Professor McGonagall blew her nose at that moment and it made me realize that she was softer than she acted. The last time she had cried it was because Harry, Ron, and I had asked to go see Hermione in the hospital wing last year. Or maybe she only cried once a year.

"Stupid boy. . . foolish boy. . . he was always hopeless at dueling. . . should have left it to the Ministry. . ." Professor McGonagall said.

"I tell yeh, if I'd got ter Black before little Pettigrew did, I wouldn't messed around with wands- I'd've ripped him limb-from-limb." Hagrid growled in a dangerous I'd never heard before. I shifted in my seat uncomfortably.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Hagrid. Nobody but trained Hit Wizards from the Magical Law Enforcement Squad would have stood a chance against Black once he was cornered. I was Junior Minister in the Department of Magical Catastrophes at the time, and I was one of the first on the scene after Black murdered all those people. I- I will never forget it. I still dream about it sometimes. A crater in the middle of the street, so deep it had cracked the sewer below. Bodies everywhere. Muggles screaming. And Black standing there laughing, with what was left of Pettigrew in front of him. . . a heap of bloodstained robes and a few- a few fragments-" Fudge said, at first sharply when addressing Hagrid, then softer as he described the rest.

It was funny really, I thought randomly, that Hagrid was sitting here so amiably when Fudge had put him in Azkaban last year. What was up with that? Had Hagrid really just forgiven Fudge like that? Or maybe I was the only person in the world who held a grudge against other people for their crimes against other people. I certainly would never forgive Fudge for that.

Five noses were blown after that. I glanced up. Ron's face was horrified. Hermione had tears in her eyes. I reached down, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder. To my surprise, Harry reached up and grabbed it, squeezing it tightly. I felt a sort of vindictive pleasure rise up in me. My brother needed comfort! I was comforting him! Yes!

Fudge continued by saying, "Well, there you have it, Rosmerta. Black was taken away by twenty members of the Magical Law Enforcement Squad and Pettigrew received the Order of Merlin, First Merlin, which I think was some comfort to his poor mother. Black's been in Azkaban ever since."

"Is it true he's mad, Minister?" Rosmerta said with a long, sad sigh.

"I wish I could say that he was." Fudge said slowly, perhaps even thoughtfully. "I certainly believe his master's defeat unhinged him for a while-"

No, I thought. He was unhinged (if he ever was) because he blamed himself for mum and dad's deaths. Because it was his idea of Pettigrew being the Secret-Keeper. That's what I knew now- I just had to prove it.

"-The murder of Pettigrew and all those Muggles was the action of a cornered and desperate man- cruel. . . pointless. Yet I met Black on my last inspection of Azkaban. You know, most of the prisoners in there sit muttering to themselves in the dark; there's no sense in them. . . but I was shocked at how normal Black seemed. He spoke quite rationally to me. It was unnerving. You'd have thought he was merely bored- asked if I'd finished with my newspaper, cool as you please, said he missed doing the crossword. Yes, I was astounded at how little effect the dementors seemed to be having on him- and he was one of the most heavily guarded in the place, you know. Dementors outside his door day and night."

"But what do you think he's broken out to do?" Madam Rosmerta asked. She seemed confused. "Good gracious, Minister, he isn't trying to rejoin You-Know-Who, is he?"

"I daresay that is his-er- eventual plan." Fudge said, a bit uncomfortably and I realized that he wasn't going to tell Madam Rosmerta that Black was 'after' Harry Potter. "But we hope to catch Black long before that. I must say, You-Know-Who alone and friendless is one thing. . . but give him back his most devoted servant, and I shudder to think how quickly he'll rise again. . ."

There was a small chink of glass on wood. Someone had set down their glass.

"You know, Cornelius," Professor McGonagall said after a very long silence. I realized my hand was tight with Harry's. "If you're dining with the headmaster, we'd better head back up to the castle."

One by one the chairs all screeched back and there was a sound like Madam Rosmerta was collecting glasses. Then the teachers had walked out of the pub and Madam Rosmerta went behind the bar.

"H-Harry?" Hermione whispered. Harry came up from under the table. His face was pale.

"Let's go." I said sharply. "Let's go. Now."

We left the pub. Harry wandered back to Honeydukes in a lost way.

I turned to Hermione and Ron, "I'll see you guys back at the castle."

They nodded, looking at little pale, and I followed Harry into Honeydukes, up into the cellar, and into the secret passageway.

He was silent for most of the trip and I finally said, "I know why."

He jerked and asked, "Know why what?"

"Why Hagrid and Mr. Weasley never told you the truth."

"And why is that?" He asked coolly.

"Well first of all, neither Mr. Weasley nor Hagrid knew the whole story. They just knew as much as you- we knew. That Black was after you and he was Voldemort's supporter. They didn't know any of the other stuff. And Fudge certainly wasn't going to tell you the whole story, you heard him at the pub, 'Harry has no idea, of course. You can imagine how the idea would torment him.' Fudge just sees you as a small, helpless boy."

"What about Dumbledore?" Harry asked.

I was silent for a moment, "He's the only one that I can say didn't have a good reason for not telling you. I suppose the reason would be he too thinks you're too young. Isn't that the reason he gave for not answering your questions after your fight with Quirrell?"

Harry was silent for the rest of the time and when we got out of the tunnel. When he got out he said, "I'm going to the common room, will I see you at dinner?"

"Maybe. If Fudge is eating here he might want to 'see' me. Maybe I'll go out to the forest and converse with the Centaurs to avoid him." I said with a shrug. It actually sounded like a really good idea.

Harry just nodded and then trudged off in the opposite direction. I stood there for a moment, unsure of where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do. I had heard the conversation three times now. I had seen it in a vision, Sirius had explained it to me in the forest months ago, and now I had just heard it at the pub. Yet, there was some sort of unexplainable shock that was going through me.

Finally, I made my way to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. I listened at the door but I didn't hear anything. I opened the door tentatively and then, not seeing any students, I stepped inside and closed the door behind me.

I headed up the stairs to where the office was and knocked. "Come in." Dad said.

I opened the door and went inside. Dad looked up from his work and put his quill down, "What's wrong?" He asked automatically. Perhaps my face looked worse than I had thought.

I explained nearly everything that I had heard at the pub. Dad grew a little pale as he heard the conversation and then he shook his head at the end, "What a conversation to have in a public pub."

I laughed a little and then said, "I wasn't really shocked, I'd already seen the conversation beforehand but um. . ." I drifted off. "Did you know about this beforehand? All of it, I mean?"

"Yes." Dad said, picking his quill back up and making a mark on his papers.

I nodded and then sat down. There was silence except for the scratching of the quill on the paper. I looked out the window. Hagrid was walking to his hut.

"You have a nice view." I commented.

Dad chuckled and then sighed, "I have bad news."

I looked at him warily. "Yes?"

"I won't be able to spend Christmas day with you." Dad said, carefully circling something on the paper.

"I know." I said, though I still felt sad at the mention of it. "I memorize the dates every year. . . I have another question."

"Ask away."

"Why isn't my last name Lupin?"

Dad came a start, blotting the letters on the paper and looked up at me, a curious expression on his face. Then he smiled, "You know, I always wondered why you never asked that when you were younger." Then his smiled faded and said, "It was the wish of your parents for your last name to be Kane. Perhaps because there are no wizarding families with that name. Perhaps because if your last name had stayed Potter, well that's an obvious one. . . and if your last name had been Lupin, perhaps others would've made the connection and realized you were the adopted daughter of a werewolf."

I nodded, "Do you think I could get it legally changed to Lupin if I wanted to?"

Dad looked at me curiously, but his cheeks were flushed pink. He was pleased, I realized. "Only if you really, really wanted to."

I was silent for a moment. I couldn't think of anything else to say or ask so I stood and walked over to him and bent down and kissed his cheek.

"Love you dad."

"Love you too sweetheart."

I left the office and sighed as the door closed. If I wasn't married by the time I was eighteen (and of course, I wouldn't be because that was just. . . well that was just impossible) I would change my last name to Lupin. Until I got married, of course.

I smiled, walking down the stairs and then headed to the end of term banquet, unable to stop smiling at the pleasure on dad's face when I'd told him I wanted to change my name to his. 

⬅️➡️

[yutanology]

Promise Me | Yandere! Nakamoto Yuta X Fem!Reader

Warning : 18+, possessive, foul behaviours, sexual content(nothing biggie), mental illness, death, etc. No proofread. Please, don't be too harsh on me. I'm still new and this is my first ever one shot/fanfiction here :)

Word count : 2.4k+

"Could you just stop?" Y/n whisper shouted at her seatmate who had been bothering her since this morning.

It's not like this is new to her or to anyone in their class but today, he seemed to be more clingy and touchy than he usually was and she found it quite unusual.

By the time she stepped into the school campus this morning, he abandoned his game with his friends on the soccer field just to greet her with his dashing smile and a nice warm hug.

She didn't mind it at first as she was already used to it but when she thought he's going to leave her alone after that, he followed her around instead like a lost puppy. She could almost see a furry tail happily wagging behind him.

Everywhere she goes, he's there right beside her. Either his hands were holding hers or his arms were wrapped around her lower waist. Some people were jealous or happy when they thought they're finally officially together and when someone questioned their relationship, Y/n would immediately respond saying they're just friends while Yuta would say otherwise, leaving them confused.

He was still attached to her during her classes and even ditched his just to be with her. The teachers could only sigh in defeat and shake their head. They knew that whatever they say, there's nothing they can do to make the stubborn guy follow their orders.

At the end, he'd always get what he wants.

The Japanese boy glanced at her side profile. His head was laying on top of his other hand. Seeing her brows furrowed irritatedly, he stopped for a moment before continuing to twirl a few strands of her silky hair between his long fingers.

It doesn't look like he has any plans of keeping his hands to himself at all. She'd been trying to get rid of him for countless times and she failed with all of those useless attempts. She's so close of getting angry at him but she doesn't want to lash out on him and seem like a bad person.

With her another sigh passing through her soft reddish lips, she looked at the clock on the wall. ‘Just five minutes more, Y/n. Just a little more patience, you can do it.’ she tried to convince herself. By those five minutes, she let Yuta play with her hair.

When the school bells rang and echoed around the campus, she immediately fixed her things and rushed out of the classroom before the teacher could even dismiss them. The corridors are already crowded and she could only hope that Yuta wouldn't be able to follow after her this time.

She decided to go to the restroom and stayed there until she was certain that Yuta's nowhere around her. He's really acting weird and she couldn't understand why. Whenever she asked what's wrong with him, he'd always say the same thing like 'I'm fine. It's all in your mind.’

His gaze, the way he looks at her also felt different this time. She felt something uneasy somewhere in the pit of her stomach or maybe there's something wrong with 𝘩𝘦𝘳. Maybe she's just overthinking way too much since that's what she always do mostly when she doesn't get enough sleep and she stayed up late last night.

That's right... these shit are all just in her head.

She released an exhausted sigh and turned the faucet on to wash her face, hoping that it would also wash her frustrations away. She reached for a handkerchief from her bag and wiped her face dry as she made her way out of the comfort room.

Her heart almost jumped out of her ribs when she found Yuta standing just a single step from the exit. She gasped and her hand immediately flew to her chest in surprise. "Yah! Stop scaring me like that!" she yelled and he only chuckled in amusement.

"I've been waiting for you. What took you so long?" he asked her, locking his hand on hers as he lead her to the canteen. Eyes of the people they passed by were immediately on them like they're more interesting than the lessons that their teachers taught them.

"Wait, why were you waiting for me?" confusion was evident on her face.

"So we can eat together for lunch, of course. Come on, we don't have all the time. Classes are going to start after forty minutes." he casually said, pulling her closer to him when they walked passed a group of boys and he didn't fail to notice the way they looked at Y/n.

He didn't like it, not even a bit.

Y/n seriously couldn't count how many times she sighed at how she always end up letting Yuta do whatever he wanted to do with her. From the simple hand holds to sudden random kisses that he pepper on her face. No matter how hard she tried to push him off, he'd always stick himself even more closer to her.

It was like that for the passed weeks and it was honestly so tiring as hell. Yuta just won't leave her alone even when she goes to the restroom, he would insist to wait outside the cubicle that she had to push him away and lock the main door of the room.

She could barely talk to other people peacefully as he would shoo them away immediately and ask them to leave her alone. It was so frustrating and she's getting fed up of his unexplained foolish practices.

She's well aware that the guy likes her more than just a friend and she also can't deny that she's attracted to him but these behaviours of his are just too much for her.

The said dirty blonde haired Japanese guy was sitting closely beside her, his chin rested on her right shoulder as he watched her turn pages of the book that she's reading. He wasn't paying attention to the words written on the dead leaves. His eyes stared at her small hands, wondering how they would feel like around his cock—

"Yuta." the guy's ears perked up when she said his name. Snaking his arms around her waist, he pulled her to his chest and planted a kiss on her neck. Her cheeks heated at the unexpected skin contact but she tried her best to ignore the butterflies that he's giving her.

She's planning to finally confront him and she had to make him stop whatever he's doing cuz it's no fun at all. It's not entertaining and she's not amused at all. "Yuta." he hummed, his kisses getting wet and he started to graze his teeth on her skin, lightly nibbling on them until he finally bit hard enough to leave a mark.

A whimper tried to escape her mouth but she's fast enough to bite her lower lip, trapping the sound until it disappeared on it's own. He was disappointed when she didn't make any sound for him, thinking that he didn't do well enough to make her feel good so he ran the tip of his tongue on her neck.

His hot minty breath heated her skin and tingles spread around her body when he blew her sensitive ear, nibbling her earlobe and placing a kiss on one of her flushed cheeks. His hands wandered under her blouse, caressing the side of her hips with his thumb.

He slowly dragged his large hands up under her breasts and just when he was about to touch them, Y/n pulled away from him. A low whine and groan simultaneously erupted from him, complaining at the lose of skin contact from her.

Y/n looked around the library if someone saw them and she was thankful that no one was there but only them. She straightened her blouse, closing the book and stood up. "Where are you going?" he also stood up from his seat, ready to follow her wherever she's going.

She didn't answer him. She slung one of her bag's strap on her shoulder, walking away with the book and placed it back to where she took it. Yuta was quick to keep up with her steps, confused of why she was suddenly in a hurry.

When they finally got out of the library, she stopped at the nearby bleachers where students barely pass by and turned to him with an exasperated sigh, "Yuta, seriously, what's wrong with you?" the way she questioned him came out more stressed out than how she wanted it to be.

Yuta blinked his eyes a few times as if he's trying to figure out what she meant. "What do you mean, what's wrong with me? I'm totally fine. Are you okay?" it was his turn to ask her, walked close to her and placed a hand on her forehead.

"Are you sick? You don't seem fine to me. Let me take you to the clinic—"

"Yuta, stop." she stepped away from him before he could even hold her hand. He halted, his brows met as his eyes stared at her worryingly.

"Stop whatever you're doing to me and please, leave me alone. I also need some time for myself and other people around me, alright? You can't keep me from interacting with anyone. This is honestly suffocating, Yuta. We can't keep doing this."

He felt like his heart shattered into tiny pieces. His chest tightened and his airways narrowed, making him unable to breath properly. Without him knowing, tears were already streaming down his cheeks.

Y/n was taken aback at this, immediately feeling guilty for making him cry. She didn't expect him to be this emotional for his appearance.

"Look, I'm sorry but—"

"D-don't you love me anymore, Y/n?" He didn't let her finish her words, leaving her speechless at the question.

Her mouth left agape, struggling to find the right words to tell him. "Did you find someone else better than me that's why you're planning to leave me, is that it?" more salty water poured out of his eyes.

"Yuta, w-what are you talking about? We're not in a relationship to begin with."

"Then let's be together officially! Just you and me, Y/n. I'll do anything just to be with you. I promise, I'll be the best boyfriend you'll ever have. I'll give you everything you want—" he held her arms, "—just promise me I'll be the only one you'll ever love and want to be with. Promise me, Y/n. Promise me!"

Yuta secured his arms around her, holding onto her desperately. Scared that if he lets go, he might lose her. He can't let that happen. Like what he said, he'll do whatever it takes just to have her.

All for himself.

"Y-you have to promise me, Y/n."

Her head was clouded with a lot of thoughts. She was barely thinking straight and her emotions also messed up with her. She really likes Yuta. The increasing speed of her heartbeat and the butterflies flying around her stomach with euphoria whenever she's with him didn't lie at all but it felt wrong.

These feelings didn't feel right.

She pulled herself away from him and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Yuta..." that was all she said before she left him without even looking back at him.

She had no idea how it broke him and how it made him do things that a normal person wouldn't do. He saw nothing but red after she disappeared from his sight. Everyone who tried to touch or talk to her the next day suddenly disappeared, a minute after they left somewhere else.

At first, she didn't think much about it until the number of people disappearing quickly increased and made everyone alarmed. All schools around the place were forced to close for a moment and people were told to stay at home with tight security to keep them safe.

Everyone was scared including Y/n, of course.

It made her so anxious that she could barely sleep at night. One morning, a knock on her door echoed around her silent apartment and she panicked, quickly hiding on her bedroom.

She almost peed her pants in fear when the knocking and ringing of doorbells continued for minutes. Her phone went off on her nightstand and she ran to it. Yuta's calling.

Without a second thought, she answered it with trembling voice. "Y-yuta..."

"Y/n, are you okay? Please open your door for me, I have to make sure you're safe. I'm the one outside your house."

And that was all it took for him to be with her. Make her scared to be outside, convince her that everyone is dangerous and he's the only one who can protect her.

Whenever he goes outside to buy food and other necessities for the both of them, he'd always return with a small cut or bruises and it made Y/n scared that she might lose him too.

He's all she had left.

He made her thought of that. He's all and everything she could ever need. She'd be nothing without him.

"Do you love me?" he asked and she nodded silently.

"If you really do, promise me that you'll love me and only me, Y/n. I wanna hear it from you." Yuta looked at her straight in the eyes when he said those words.

"I promise." his heart raced inside his chest.

A smile stretched out on his plump lips. "I love you, Y/n. So much than you could ever imagine." He meant it. He always had and always will. He leaned his body closer to her, locking his lips with hers and they moved in sync.

This is paradise to him.

He couldn't explain how much happy he's right now. With her here in his arms, it's the only place where she's safe. He watched her drift off to sleep, he kissed her forehead when her eyes finally closed.

He could look at her like this forever. The love bites that he painted on her skin looks so beautiful. She's like the most beautiful painting he'd ever seen and she deserve to be placed on his art gallery but she's only for him to be looked at.

He sighed dreamily as he continued to press more kisses on her neck. He successfully made her love him. There's nothing he could ask for, now that her naked body is already tangled with him under their soft blanket.

He could only hope that she'd keep her words and stay true to him.

Feedbacks are pretty much appreciated and requests are open! Feel free to share your thoughts!

I will not always be active but I will try my best to attend each of your requests and to also interact with y'all.

I apologize for not being word-perfect in English. English sadly ain't for me—

[boop-le-snoot]

BUTT-DIAL? NO, BOOTY CALL | tony stark

explicit, 5,4k words. wrong number text, family shame & wedding drama that isn't even his and a ruined first date. despite the implications of the situation, both reader and tony are very entertained. meet-ugly series, part three.

[no y/n, no "you", no name, no reader description - race/age/body type neutral, she/her pronouns]

💚 masterlist ☀️ taglist & faq 💚

Another sunny day spent wasted in a conference room full of boring, old, conceited chairmen. Tony Stark vehemently refused to commiserate with them, their boring speeches and blunt, straightforward thinking. Sitting through a meeting was like walking on nails barefoot: painful, pointless. Mind-numbing.

His phone beeped loudly and he reached into his pocket, pretending to not see Pepper's disapproving look. Both of them knew he was hoping for a sudden Assemble call - that would surely get him out of the meeting - but as much as he hoped, they never struck at the right time.

Except, this time it wasn't a call for assistance, and neither it was an automated spam message with Pizza Hut promo codes. Tony's eyebrows drew close and his lips upturned as he read and re-read the obvious rant written on his screen, typing up his answer before he managed to resist the morbid curiosity that was fueled by his boredom.

Whoever it was, they were justifiably angry and the whole situation was almost too comical to be true, except he'd known people exactly like the runaway bride, selfish, greedy and stupid. He totally understood the woman's desire to just go and load up on tequila shots somewhere - so he bid her a haste farewell, all the while snickering to himself.

"It's Rogers," Tony offered in the way of explanation to a glaring Pepper, locking his phone away and settling in to continue pretending he was listening as another old, crusty white man offered his input on topics he was too much of a dinosaur to even really know about.

He couldn't stop thinking about the incident over the days, the story making him snort more times than he could count as the memory randomly crossed his mind in the lab, at the coffee pot or during dinner. So when a message came through from that very same number, the smirk snuck up onto his face before he even read its contents.

A brief crash course in memes from Parker had turned out to be more useful than ever. Irritating Rogers with pictures got old very fast, however, in moments Tony got rendered speechless they proved to be the perfect substitute for trying to articulate all his thoughts on the matter.

Celebrity appearance, she said? More likely than one would think. The engineer had nearly doubled over in a fit of laughter when she'd texted him that; obviously, the woman had no clue who she was texting with and he decided to further indulge in his curiosity by asking for her name: Friday did the rest.

A phone number and a name, ten minutes, and all her social media were free for him to stalk. Investigate- uh, observe. With little effort, Tony found both her and her brother, the unlucky groom, and the runaway bride and even her step-dad. On paper, they all looked like average middle-class families. Nothing seemed amiss.

It didn't mean anything, but Tony caught himself thinking about the woman. Perhaps it might have been the mischievous gleem in her eyes that was easily spotted in every picture or perhaps the raunchy sense of humour not much different from his own. Pretty, witty and smart - what's there not to like?

"So that's why you've been going around, smiling like a middle-schooler with a crush," Natasha's voice whisper-shouted in Tony's ear as the spy discreetly peered over his shoulder into his phone. He had the chat pulled up, debating on starting a casual conversation-

"Jesus Christ, Romanoff, somebody needs to put a bell on you," Tony snapped, startled, pressing the button to lock his phone immediately.

"Uhuh," The redhead replied, side-eyeing a snickering Barnes. "Who is she?"

Tony rubbed his face, feeling the beginnings of a blush starting to creep in. He felt like he was caught doing something he wasn't supposed to and the rest of the team acting like children wasn't helping the matter. "I got a butt-dial text about some wedding drama. Some chick's brother's fiance was fucking her own stepdad and ditched the wedding for her old man."

Stunned silence settled briefly into the room as Romanoff's eyes widened and Barnes choked on his orange juice. Serves him right, Tony thought, and continued his coffee-making process in quiet irritation.

"Wait, wait, hold on," Wilson half-laughed half-yelled. "You gotta spill the tea, man, this sounds too good to be true. Stories like that just don't fall into your hands."

With a sigh, he recounted the woman's story and read the texts aloud, silencing his snickering enough to be able to keep a straight face - but not for long, Rogers decided it was the time for another one of his Captain America Is Disappointed In You speeches and Tony himself couldn't even disagree.

Now that he thought about it, he came off as a kind of asshole. She and her family was going through something traumatic and he went and treated it like free entertainment. Which, to be fair, it was, but she didn't deserve to be treated like a circus clown. She actually seemed like a good sister and friend.

"Just text her," Natasha rolled her eyes at him, grabbing the coffee pot out of his frozen hand. "You're not Steve, you can keep a decent conversation via text."

Being compared to Steve and his pre-historic messaging habits really did a number on Tony's ego; the eyeroll he gave Romanoff was truly out of this world, all but teleporting him to his lab where he tried to find a way to approach the woman without coming off as incredibly creepy, as if the fact that he'd stalked her on social media didn't already put him firmly into the weirdo category.

Most likely, Tony would have spent many many days on overthinking before just grabbing one of his suits to make a truly impressive landing on her small balcony downtown; thankfully, fate had intervened and saved him from making another epic mistake. He'd made a note to ask Thor about it sometime, settling down with his tablet and popcorn bowl to watch TV on the team's movie night.

Or, more precisely, Tony settled in to watch the drama unfold as the various members of the team fought tooth and nail for the film that they wanted to watch. He never cared about it much, dozing off halfway through most of them - his teammates had the worst taste in movies - so he didn't bother joining the scuffle except when it was Peter's turn to pick. For obvious reasons.

"If you can't decide I'm gonna have someone else pick a movie," Natasha rolled her eyes, equally fed up with fully grown adults acting like spoiled toddlers.

With a stutter of his breath, Tony's hand reached for his phone as he had an Idea.

Seconds tickled as the "typing..." bubble appeared and disappeared multiple times. She must think he's just a thirsty frat boy; Tony's brow furrowed, but the curiosity was far too strong in him. Something about her vibe, her feisty nature captivated him and kept him thinking about her.

The agreement came as a surprise. In the two minutes the woman had spent thinking up her answer, Tony prepared himself to be rebuffed gently, or, worst case, be called a creep. But no - she agreed, but not before vehemently insisting that if he would end up being a creepy serial killer, she would haunt his ass for the remainder of his life.

Friday couldn't come soon enough. Tony spent most of the day loitering between his lab and the penthouse, glancing at his phone every now and then to make sure she wouldn't cancel on him last minute. The engineer wanted to see the witty, no-filter-having woman in the flesh.

And see her, he did. He'd pulled up in front of the hole-in-the wall Ramen&Bar place Clint had been raving about weeks prior - contrary to popular belief, Tony was perfectly fine with going to places that didn't have Michelin stars - and leaned against the door of his Audi R8, eyes immediately taking note of the figure calmly walking down the street, head tilted down where she was typing up a reply to him.

Tony smirked as she lifted her face up to see him, mouth immediately falling open. The shock was obvious; it lasted mere seconds until her shoulders dropped and she sighed almost... In disappointment. He frowned.

"I jinxed it, didn't I? Here's my celebrity appearance," The laugh was a little nervous and quite sardonic. "Hi, Tony, nice to finally see you."

He smiled, unsure, quipping back easily. "Let's face it, I'm not the worst famous Tony out there." Opening the door of the building for the woman, she stepped in eagerly enough, eyes immediately falling on the bartender and the few dimly lit tables in the back.

"Not by any means," She turned towards him, walking backwards. Tony met her stare; it was just like he'd imagined it to be, curious, mischievous and a little daring. She didn't even attempt to play subtle, raking over him from head to toe. "Not at all, I think," She gave another teasing smile, finally turning around, addressing the bartender and rattling off her order without as much as looking at the menu.

Tony couldn't stop staring. He was aware it was creepy, she was aware of his clever brown eyes barely paying attention to their surroundings or the beer or the food. The woman just quirked an eyebrow every time she caught him. His curiosity couldn't wait any more. "Why aren't you freaking out?" He blurted out, cursing himself out almost immediately after the words left his mouth.

"My almost-sister-in-law was fucking her own stepdad," The woman deadpanned. "I ran out of fucks to give, sorry." She thoughtfully chewed her food, briefly looking to the side. "Not to sound like an asshole, but don't you have enough people fawning over you? Doesn't it get old?"

Tony nodded, choosing to stay silent on the matter besides offering an amicable, "That's valid."

The mischief lit up again in her eyes. "You look taller on TV," She snorted, immediately falling into a fit of laughter at his face full of outrage. He sputtered, muttering something about audacity of some people, which made her only laugh harder. "Here's a pro tip from my 4'11 bestie: when someone calls you short, you snarl at them and say you're fun-sized. She swears by it," The woman remarked conversationally, grinning a two hundred watt smile.

Tony was glad at least someone was enjoying their little... Date. "And you know all about fun, don't you?" He aimed for grumpy; it came out as teasing. His famous smirk made a return appearance as he watched her throat bob.

The atmosphere between them had changed at some point; the same old routine of teasing and dancing around each other, but this time, Tony all but purred in satisfaction, finally meeting someone who was an even match to his wit and charm.

"I do," She replied with that cocky confidence, her devil eyes lighting up, lingering on his face. "Got a problem with that?"

The plate was pushed away, napkin falling into the food carelessly as he gestured for the waiter to bring the check. "As a scientist, I cannot confirm whether a theory is true until I have direct evidence," The bullshit flowed easily from his mouth, but the woman appeared to be amused by it - for a change. "M'fraid I'm gonna need that evidence," His fingers drummed on the table, impatiently, inches away from her hand.

"Of course, Mr. Stark," Her voice dropped, she was fully aware of what she was doing by calling him that. That, and those deep, magnetic eyes made Tony's trousers feel a little too tight for comfort.

His phone rang loudly, dissipating the atmosphere they had created with a shrill noise. Captain Cockblock struck again.

Fumbling fingers, Tony tapped the green icon, shooting an apologetic look to the woman. "Rogers, there better be another alien invasion or I'm revoking your phone privileges," The woman chortled, taking a sip of her beer, trying hard not to seem like she was listening in and failing spectacularly at it. "Today, out of all days? Can't Strange fill in for me?" The engineer palmed his face, running a hand through his neatly done-up hair. It would be covered in soot and sweat in an hour anyways. "Fine, I'll be there in twenty minutes. Romanoff better be hauling Barton's lazy ass out of Bed-Stuy." With a frown, Tony poked the red icon and stuffed the phone back in his pocket, looking for all and all, like an angry adolescent.

The woman, however, didn't indicate any signs of displeasure. Her hand timidly reached out for his, giving it a brief squeeze. "Go, save the world, Mr. Stark," Her smile was sympathetic. They both stood up at the same time, Tony watching her incredulously as the woman untied a scrap of red fabric from around her neck and placed it around his wrist, tying the fabric with a loose but, frankly, pretty knot. "I like that bandanna, would be a shame if you didn't return it," She explained, shrugging her shoulders.

Tony snorted, fondly rolling his eyes, before beelining for the door, activating his Iron Man suit on the way out. Turning around before take off, he noticed her throw a couple of crumpled bills to the server who was too busy ogling him.

He forgot to pay for dinner, Tony realized as he made his way to the other part of the city. Well, fuck, he would definitely have to see her again.

---

An alien invasion during her first good date in ages - scribble, scribble, sigh. She couldn't do much more than that - just as she thought her string of bad luck had ended, the world turned around and flipped her a juicy bird, all but laughing straight in her face. Like that already wasn't enough, oh no, she groused as she spied the debris and random abandoned cars on her way home - it looked like some portion of the battle had been close to her home and only the sheer mental exhaustion that resulted from her life being turned upside down during the last month prevented her from having a full-on freak-out in the middle of the eerily quiet street.

Truly, the fucks she had to give had been expired.

The gloomy mood was interrupted by a cry - for help or of outrage, she didn't know, but the kindness in her, the very values she'd been raised with didn't allow her just to walk by, and with another resigned sigh, she tucked the nice blouse she'd put on for the date under her warm sweater and set off in the direction of the sound, finding the culprit in little under a couple of minutes.

Freeing the trapped civilian wasn't easy but, thankfully, neither it required super-strength or any kind of heavy machinery. The man thanked her and with him in tow, both of them set off to inspect nearby nooks and crannies. Logic won that day - if there's was one person, there could be more.

Hours later, sweaty, sore and bruised, the woman greedily chugged the water bottle someone had passed onto her as the amount of medics and firefighters had finally reached the threshold of when her help wasn't needed anymore. While her date and his colleagues fought whatever nasty that thought NYC was a sandbox battleground for their amusement, the woman found herself helping out with retrieval & evacuation of the civilians that didn't make it out of the neighborhood before the heat of the fight reached it. There were no deaths registered as of then and deep inside, she felt proud, knowing that she had contributed to the statistic at least a little.

Her phone was dying, her body was covered in dirt and scratches from head to toe and the bruises were beginning to ache. Tony's worry-worting was cute but the tiredness overcame her, making her brain sluggish and her demeanor short, so she hastily pocketed the phone, trailing over to the closest man in uniform she could spot.

"Sir?" She addressed him, eyeing the unfamiliar logo on his jacket. "Can I go, please?" She pointed to the yellow tape surrounding the makeshift medical station.

"I'm going to have to see your ID first," He replied apologetically, tapping away on his tablet.

With a sigh, she dug through her purse, giving it to him and using the brief moment of respite to smooth back her hair and dust off her clothing. There was a cloud of concrete and dirt surrounding her.

"I'm afraid I can't let you go just yet, Mr. Stark left strict instructions for you to be picked up by him personally," The agent gave the ID back with a suspicious glint in his eye.

"Oh c'mon," The annoyed whine escaped her lips before she registered it. "It was our first date," She offered to the puzzled agent, only succeeding in making him lean back and inspect her with a raised eyebrow. "Bye," She replied none too kindly, walking off to find a place to sit down.

The time passed in a strange way. The aches and pains and exhaustion made it stop, and if someone would have asked her, she wouldn't know how much of it has passed until her eyes reluctantly cracked open at the sound of a familiar voice, coming to see a pair of expensive shoes covered in dust. At least she wasn't the only one that looked like she'd taken a roll through someone's gritty attic.

"Morning, you Tasmanian Devil," Tony sounded jovial, all things considered.

"Hello to you too, Tin Can," The woman greeted him on par, without missing a beat.

"Now, now," He offered her his hand, which she took gratefully, before pulling her to her feet. "I come with peace offerings. Your building is under quarantine and I've got a perfectly good bed and a shower with thirty settings on it at my place. Whatcha say?"

She only pretended to think about it. Her reply was haste. "I don't make a habit of going into strange dudes' towers but I'll make an exception this once." A shower and a bed sounded heavenly.

Finally getting the chance to look at him, Tony appeared to be unhurt but equally exhausted and dirty. A few scrapes on his face and arms, he was missing his blazer, and had a weary tone to his face. Some parts of his Iron Suit were still on him - like the chest plate - but besides that, he was whole. The red of the bandanna she gave him was equally dirty but still neatly tied around his wrist, just like she left it.

"How's your relationship with heights?" He asked her and all she could do was blink, watching curiously as his body was enveloped by the red and gold, crawling over his skin like a swarm of shiny termites. That was all the warning she got before the metal arms - quite literally - sweeped her off her feet. "Faster this way," She could hear the nonchalant shrug in the metallic voice coming from the helmet. "Now hold on."

Awe and fear culminated inside the woman but the weariness had long since surpassed comfortable levels and all she did was give a weak nod and close her eyes as Tony lifted off, gusts of wind making her skin break out in goosebumps and her hair stand up wildly on her head. During the short trip her eyes fluttered open only once just to close back up immediately - all she saw were clouds, white and fluffy, like marshmallows, and the shining beacons of NYC skyscrapers somewhere far away.

The paralyzing anxiety fully dissipated only when her feet found purchase on the tiled floors, Tony's arms never ceasing to support her swaying frame until the breaths she took were her own and not the result of her fluttering heart and muted panic. "You with me, Wonder Woman?"

"Yes, Weird Science," She mumbled. "Thanks for the heads up," The annoyance had to find a way out and that it did.

"You're welcome," The cocky smirk returned to Tony's face as his suit receded, leaving him barefoot, dirty jeans and a torn tee. He stretched with a sweet groan, gesturing towards the door. "Friday will direct you towards the showers. Feel free to grab a t-shirt from the closet."

The woman nodded, too awestruck by the man and his hospitality, eyes darting all over the tastefully decorated room, the expensive knick-knacks scattered everywhere, the absolutely enormous sloppily made bed. Tony Stark liked to live luxuriously - even the shower was a state of the art technological wonder.

Dirty pants and dusty blouse went flying somewhere in the back of the bathroom as the woman stood up on her tippy toes, reaching for the sky, stretching her sore muscles. The glass wall of the shower had began to fog up from the hot water. The knock went barely noticed by the woman who jumped as Tony's voice startled her out of her daydream.

"Forgot I ran out of towels here..." He trailed off, voice dropping as he spotted her only in her underwear. She turned, responding with a lopsided grin, spying the stack of fluffy grey in his arms, the arc reactor in the middle of his bare chest. He smirked, "Damn. Can I join you?" Giving her what only could be described as a respectful once-over.

Tired as she was, her sense of humour and wit didn't go down for a much needed nap just yet. "I don't know, you tell me. Can you?" Turning back around, the woman made a short show of unclasping her bra and tossing it in the general vicinity of her dirty clothing pile. She'd worn a cute matching set of undies that day and the fact didn't go over Tony's head, she was sure.

The door clicked shut just as she raised her face to the stream of water, feeling calmer with each second, muscles relaxing themselves as the hot stream washed away the dirt and the dust off her body.

"And I thought this evening was ruined," Tony's voice insinuated from behind her. A hand reached for the soap, his body heat scorching compared to the steaming water. He stayed just a few inches away, enough to feel him, enough for her body to respond and crave more. "It's nice to be wrong for a change. Refreshing."

The woman hummed, reaching up to run her fingers through her wet, knotted hair. "First decent evening in ages. I wasn't gonna let some uninvited Predator knock-offs ruin it for me," She was more than a little peeved at the space invaders interrupting her nice date. Tony was a great conversationalist, it was easy to talk to him and he had a brilliant sense of humour. Not to mention the obvious, he was easy on the eyes.

"That's the spirit," The voice was closer now, almost in her ear. Even though her eyes were closed, the woman was aware he was reaching for something, letting him butt her hands out of the way to lather her hair, scrubbing at her scalp meticulously, until the sounds that left her mouth bordered on embarrassing. Once that was done, Tony moved onto her body, running his hands over her back, the outside of her hips. "M'not stepping over, am I?" He asked quietly, touch faltering every time he brushed over a scrape or a bruise.

"No, you're doing great, Tony," It wasn't exactly conventional - sharing a very intimate shower after an interrupted first date, but then again, nothing about this man was conventional and her life had already been turned upside down no less than twice recently. The woman didn't lie, the gentle, caring touch felt soothing.

Arching her back, she lifted her arms to repay him with the same, raking her fingers through his hair, leaning into the shudder that ran throughout his body. It was nice to bask in whatever they had going on, so the motion to face him was almost reluctant. Water droplets stuck to his eyelashes and his eyes were tired but not in a way that suggested he'd kick her out first chance.

Their kiss was sweet, slow, like they already were familiar with each other in a special way. The woman tugged on his lip with her teeth - such was her character - and he pressed closer to her, raising a hand to hold the side of her face. In muted curiosity, she couldn't help but wonder if there ever had been someone that waited for him once his battles were over.

Tony's eyelashes, the very same that had no business being this long on a man, fluttered against her cheek as they stood under the shower, letting water wash away the day.

"I've always wanted to kiss in the rain, like they do in the movies. This is the closest I've gotten," She whispered, gently kneading the arch of his shoulders. "Feels better than it looks, to be honest."

Tony snorted, reaching for the knob to turn it off. "Cheesy," He teased her, wrapping a warm, fluffy towel around her body. Both people made quick work of drying themselves, exiting the fogged up bathroom, making way into the bedroom, padding soft on the carpet and falling down on the bed carelessly.

"I'm the queen of cheesy one-liners," The woman raised her eyebrows, scooting under the sheets next to Tony who opened his arms wide, a smirk on his face. She didn't give him the chance to reply, slotting her lips over his instead and groaning as their heated bodies once again rested against each other.

She ran her hands over Tony's defined pecs, glossing over the arc reactor, raked nails over his tummy, eating up the sighs leaving his mouth at the gesture. He was a beautiful man, she wasn't going to lie to herself. The warmth that settled low in her belly grew, spreading throughout her limbs and temporarily overshadowing the exhaustion.

The engineer, too, was quite excited - his erection poked her hip - and content to be steered to her wishes by the hand in his hair. Groans and sighs left his moist, parted lips as his eagerness bled into his hands, grip firm and steady on the panting woman's hips.

Adrenaline did something to her body, caused it to ache sweetly, a hunger to be satisfied only by a lover's touch. And touch she did; her mouth tasted him, alternating sucking gentle marks onto his throat and nibbling on the skin stretched thinly over his collarbones. Tony's sighs grew in depth and volume with every silent action of worship.

No inch of his body was left untouched, the woman was an all-hands-on-deck kind of lover, happily making her way down until soft lips wrapped around the crown of his cock, making his hips arch into it, hands fisted in the soft white sheets. "You devil," Tony gasped out, limbs turning to jelly, watching the woman all but devour his cock.

She popped off minutely, a trail of sticky saliva running down her chin, sticking to his glistening cock. "The power of Christ compels me?" With a smirk, her tongue trailed from his balls to the very tip, paying extra attention to the frenulum, making Tony shudder and gasp out an embarrassed laugh.

"Uh-uh," Stripped of his usual snark, he was but a man at her mercy.

"It's not very compelling," The predatory stretch of her lips widened as she took mercy on him, giving his cock a few slow tugs with her hand. Her mouth, her hand and his cock were dripping. "Gonna let me do all the legwork, Mr. Stark?" She sat up straighter, inadvertently drawing his eyes to the apex of her thighs where the woman's sex glistened in the dim light, lips swollen and inviting.

It sounded like she was mocking him, teasing him, egging him into a lustful frenzy none of them had the energy for but craved anyway. Tony Stark wasn't the one to back down from a fair challenge so he relented, flipping them over with ease, landing between her spread legs, eyes drawn to the momentary bounce of her breasts. Tony wasted no time in suckling a hard nipple into his mouth, humming in response to her choked-off moan of surprise.

"Tony," Her body arched into his touch, tender skin hot under the callouses on his fingertips.

"Yes, demon, dear?" A lopsided grin and laughter in his eyes preceded the wet stripe Tony licked down to her navel. "Wasn't there something about not telling demons your name? Guess you have power over me now," He trailed off cheekily, soft breaths puffing over her mound.

The woman bit her lip, peering down to rake a hand through Tony's hair, snagging a fistful to gently steer him towards her pussy. Tony's smile was one of satisfaction as he obediently followed her silent order, nosing along the line of her cunt, dipping his tongue to run slow, sloppy lines through the soaked folds.

"Fuck," She mumbled, spreading her legs without shame. "Yeah, right there," Her fingers turned white at the agility of Tony's tongue on her clit. He was swift and relentless in pursuit of the spots that made her moan and clench around nothing. The moisture of her sex soaked his goatee but he couldn't care less.

He growled when she attempted to withdraw, wrapping his muscular arms around her thighs to keep her still for his pleasure, wringing noises that increased in volume with every stroke of his tongue on her sex.

"Tony- please, Tony, I'm gonna-" The warning was brief; her back arched as a broken moan found its way past her moist, parted lips, her pussy spasmed, dripping all over his face and the sheets.

The engineer hid his smile against her thigh, discreetly wiping the obscene amounts of moisture she produced. It wasn't very long until her hands, slightly shaky, were tugging him upwards to meet his face in a rushed, graceless kiss. There was an equal lack of finesse in the glide of his erection along her sex.

"Okay?" He mumbled into her ear, lining himself up with her fluttering cunt.

"Please," She gasped, her hands pushing his hips onto her, eagerly lifting up to accept the sweet intrusion.

There was a quiet stutter in both of their breathing, hearts thudding against their ribs as he finally bottomed out, the thickness of him nestled snugly inside the rippling muscle. The pace he started out was agonizingly slow and inexplicably sweet, neither of them wanting to end their coupling prematurely but not being able to hold back the need that consumed them both.

"Fuck, you're so good to me," Tony's mumbling was overshadowed by the slick sounds coming from the place they were joined. "Gonna fill up this pretty pussy."

The woman keened at the idea, digging her nails into his ass, pulling him further into her.

"You'd like that?" He picked up the pace, blunt tip of his cock catching up with the tail end of her previous orgasm and re-lighting the fire in her belly anew.

"Yeah, Tony, please," No trace of the previous coyness in her voice, the woman was more than ready to beg, murder and steal to feel the man come undone in her arms.

It didn't take long, not with the adrenaline making their blood sing and the chemistry they shared. The brutal pace of Tony's hips quickly grew sloppy and erratic, the tightening of her inner muscles egging him on. He chased his release with deep, powerful thrusts that had the bedsheets rustle pitifully and beads of clear swear drip down his forehead.

As soon as her body arched once more, Tony let go of his control, slotting himself deeply into her spasming heat, cock throbbing as he painted her insides white with his seed, groaning incomprehensible compliments and profanities through his teeth. Chest heaving, the engineer couldn't do much more but let himself carefully fall onto her chest, aftershocks making him twitch when the woman began running a gentle hand through his hair.

"We're doing this again," He decided, still breathless but already a step ahead. She laughed.

Tony Stark taglist: @pilloclock @mikariell95 @letsby @sleep-i-ness @toomanyrobins @mostly-marvel-musings @persephonehemingway @downeyreads @schemefrenzy @lillsxd @slothspaghettiwrites @bluecrazedandbeautiful

[athena-is-a-chaotic-lil-shit]

Of Ice and Blood

Part 2

Hello there! I present to you, part 2 of my orc x fem!human series!

I still don't know what to name this fic of mine

I should've thought about the title in the first place lmao

Anyways! I'll try updating constantly if I can. Enjoy reading!

Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Pairing: Tai'chi Kashharzol (Orc) x Pearl Blackbell (Human OC/Reader)

Warnings: Cursing, lots of cursing. Mild violence and mentions of injury.

UD 01/10/21 : CLEANED AND PROOFREAD PROPERLY (hey I did my best)

(reference to the mask she's currently wearing //her hair is still braided// )

*

Even with the tedious introduction the professor was on about, I couldn’t help but pick up the whispers of my human classmates, and the unmistakable nasty odor they were giving off.

“Hey. Look at that orc over there.”

“Tsk. Beast. Why is it even here—”

“I bet it’s gonna get suspended from breaking someone’s arm.”

“It looks like he’s gonna kill somebody soon.”

Snickers and clicks of disgust went around the group.

The professor shushed them, not quite knowing what they were talking about before he moved on.

I cursed, feeling my blood boil from their words. The orc wasn’t even doing anything! And they slander him like that? I would love to break their fucking ne—

No, damn it! No violence! Mama will go crazy if she finds out I broke someone’s spine. Behave and endure. Remember your training.

...but seriously though, I'm going to fucking snap their legs. Nah, perhaps use pepper spray on their eyes until they go blind, even though the mixture inside my spray bottle wasn’t made to have permanent effects on someone, but it would still cause great discomfort.

I hugged my backpack, the thought of my dusters inside somehow comforting.

I didn’t notice Tai'chi was taking glances at me out of concern while I was imagining how I’d smash those jerks’ faces.

************************************

My mind wandered around the interaction by the gates earlier, and how... contradicting... it was when I entered the building.

Everything passed like a blur as I continued daydreaming about other things, hardly paying attention to what everyone else was saying. Plus it takes a lot of concentration to survive their pungent scents.

A bell rang, bringing me back down to Earth. It was lunchtime already.

Everyone seemed relieved as they started filing out of the area and headed towards the cafeteria. [a/n: Ooh that rhymed] I failed to see the lingering glances of barely masked distaste in our direction.

I glanced at the or— Tai'chi, whom I found out was looking at me already, stunning me at how he stared for a moment before I broke eye contact and stood up, which he also did. I almost fell back down my chair when I scented him.

Wha—

How the fuck did I not smell him before?!

I must’ve focused too much on the awful odor surrounding me that it didn’t register this—

This, oh my God.

To describe it, it was simply so— manly (or is it Orcish?). Like the scent of fresh earth and the warmth of a fireplace in the midst of a cold night. Embers crackling and sending sparks up into the sky.

He doesn’t smell one trace of a beast at all! In fact, I’ve never smelled someone so clean, so pleasant, all the while exuding masculinity, and was that a tad hint of vanilla?

For the first time in a while, I couldn’t place what the feeling was exactly. He simply smells so— good. Which is a positive sign?

I looked up to his eyes once more before I blurted out, probably a little too high-pitched;

“Lunch?”

Seriously? That’s what comes out of your damn mouth?

“I mean, do you want to go grab some lunch? At the cafeteria?” I clarified to sound normal and unaffected, (even when I clearly am).

Was the last part necessary? You’ve broken noses, dealt painful blows like a skilled warrior, but you’re embarrassing yourself.

I was busy reprimanding myself that I nearly missed what he said.

"Sure.”

He straightened up, and I was then faced with the reality of how damn tall he is. Or is it because I’m short? I barely reached over 5 feet, and he is standing there, almost three heads taller than me. Was he hunching for my sake earlier?

Wowie…

I scented a hint of pride, and was that a small quirk of his lips for a second there?

Huh. My mask is a lifesaver, or else he would've seen my jaw dropping.

I followed him out and headed straight for the campus’ cafeteria, all the while trying to converse here and there.

****************************

'Trying’ was not the right word.

Definitely not.

It was surprising, how easy and nice it was to talk to him. I could scent his apprehensiveness when I talked to him at first, but he relaxed not long after I introduced myself properly.

It felt... natural.

I learned that he came from the Northside of the country and moved to the city last year to pursue his dreams and to find a better future for his clan. I also told him about my family and home, along with my reasons for being here, leaving out the… violent part.

“My family and my entire clan wanted the best for me and my brothers. Up in the North, education is… very limited. Although ever since we were young, we were taught everything from our clan’s history, how to hunt for food, what herbs and plants were poisonous, what were medicinal and edible, how to stay alive, survive and so on.”

He paused for a moment before continuing.

“But we were cut off from the modern world. Times are changing, fast. Global warming being a major problem, leaving a huge impact on our living. So, when my clan heard about a school in the city, open to all races, they turned to us, the youth, and we took this chance.”

I looked down and thought about how disconnected the others were, only given the freedom to modern society eight years ago. Eight years is a long time, but I guess it’ll take more than that for everyone to get used to the change. That doesn’t mean they should treat them poorly!

As I realized I’ve been quiet for a while, I shot up and apologized for not replying.

“No, it’s okay. You looked like you were in deep thought. I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“Y-yeah… I was—”

“Thinking about how the majority of the human race still see us as beasts?”

There was a bit of spite in his voice, although barely noticeable. Or was it because I caught a whiff of it? No one was paying much attention to us while we were walking. But I noticed many of them hastily stepping aside and felt their glares at my back.

“How did you know?” I asked, curious.

“I could tell from your- I could tell, from the way you frowned earlier when one of those humans said something.”

Oh. He was looking at me that time?

“Frowned? But my mask—”

“It’s easy to tell if you are frowning when your eyebrows scrunch up like that. Believe me, my father does that a lot.”

“Ah. Well. It was just very rude of them. To talk shit about you and your kind like that, as if they were any better. You weren’t even doing anything, and they judge you based on your race. Orcs are civilized and intelligent just like any other, and I don’t understand why there’s still so much prejudice after eight damn years—”

I stopped and restrained the urge to go wild and curse every single human who smelled so foul every time we pass by.

“Sorry. I was...rambling.”

Was I this talkative? Maybe it's because I never had anyone to talk to.

He didn’t reply, which I found strange, so I glanced over at him and saw his eyes wide open and brows shooting up in surprise. It was almost comical.

“Uh, Tai'chi?”

Before he could even utter a word, we arrived at a huge hall where students were chatting and enjoying their lunch. Still, I noticed some humans were giving unkind looks to a gathering of goblins eating at the far left side corner of the cafeteria.

And of course, I didn’t fail to smell that wretched odor coming from a group of girls on my right when we walked in. I also recognized the one who pushed me, (No doubt it was intentional). I had to pinch my nose over my mask just but I could only block out half of it.

Ah shit, this mask doesn’t have proper air filtration.

I groaned as I tried to cut off the noise and thickened scents. For real, I wasn’t expecting it to be this harsh! I could literally smell discrimination and hate in the air!

Fuck. I should’ve worn my other mask. I swear I’m gonna burst if I stay and inhale more of that any longer—

“Pearl, are you okay?”

I groaned again and didn’t reply, busy controlling my sense of smell to even open my mouth. We were standing there like a pair of street posts, blocking a small part of the main entrance. That is if there was a 5ft- tall post. I’m more like that foldable caution sign.

“Pearl—”

“Hey, you there! Freaks! Move out of the way.”

Great. Another awful fucking odor. And what a coincidence! It was the one I smelled this morning!

“Are you deaf? I said—”

He shouldn’t have grabbed my shoulder, shouldn’t have tried to shove me aside, for the second I felt his hand reaching for me, and before Tai'chi could pull me away, my reflexes kicked in.

What did I do exactly? Oh, I simply grabbed that damned arm of his, threw him over my shoulder, and slammed him down on the tiled floor in front of me, finishing a one-arm shoulder throw.

The people in the area halted what they were doing and a short-lived silence came over, broken by whispers.

So much for keeping a low profile.

The guy I just performed basic self-defense on was spitting curse words at me. He was still on the floor, trying not to voice the pain in his back.

“Freak! You’re a monster, aren’t you?! How dare you do this to me. Don't you know who I am?!" he yelled.

Did he mean me or? Either way, what he said was not true.

I tried to calm my anger down and gave him a forced smile, under my mask, and mustered up the voice and tone I always used when I’m annoyed.

But right now, I am pissed.

“Now, dear, fellow, human, what you said was clearly untrue. I am entirely human and this person beside me is an orc. Or were you blinded by your overgrown ego and disgusting attitude to see the obvious in front of you? Surely that must be it. The entrance to the cafeteria is wide enough for two people to not serve as a hindrance to the ones coming in, but still, you chose to try and shove me aside yourself. Well, I won’t apologize but I’ve had enough pushing for one day. And lastly, no, I do not know you and I don’t care.”

I gritted my teeth, my face hurting from smiling forcefully. The cafeteria was quite silent enough all the while and no doubt they heard every word I said.

Fuck.

I twisted around and bolted out of the building.

Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck! I blew it! Fucking blew my chance to have a normal college life! Now everyone will think I’m some crazy person and would, without a doubt, avoid me forever.

I was too busy cursing and walking away, planning to hide in a hole for all eternity that I didn’t feel the presence of someone following me.

Without thinking much of where I was heading, my feet led me to a secluded part of the uni. Tall trees lining up before and around me looking like an entrance to a forest, and so I tried hiding behind one. Hoping that the guards wouldn’t notice and detain me or something.

I sat down between the great roots of an oak tree and rested my head on top of my knees as I took deep breaths and listened.

Nature always had a place in my heart. How could it not? When you can hear the chirps of little birds, the soothing sound of leaves rustled by the wind. And the peace that comes with it all.

Not to mention it smells so relaxing.

“Hello there.”

************************************

Haha! What will Pearl do next I wonder, and who is this person who followed her??

Had to cut it off at that part because my dearest self just loves cliff hangers—

And because I wanted to post something as soon as possible.

Hope you enjoyed! I will be working on the third part asap.

Tags: @kokokatsworld @crackinanutshell

[unknowntoyou2205]

"Don't listen if someone says you aren't good enough" Peter Parker x sister

Details:  Peter and his sister y/n live in the Avengers tower with Tony Stark as their guardian. At home, she seems fine but in school, she's far from fine. With the bullying being constant she ends up making herself ill/ How will the avengers react when they find out?

Ding!!! The bell went off, signalling the end of school. Y/n gathered her bits and pieces before heading towards her locker. Once sorted she closed her locker and turned to see a group of girls. Not just any girls, r/g/n's (Random Girls Name) group.

"Oh look, it's the orphan." R/g/n teased causing the other three girls to laugh. "Leave me alone r/g/n" Y/n sighed, trying to get by. "Oh we haven't even started yet." R/g/n stated, pushing her back into the lockers/

Y/n looked over the group of girls heads to see her brother and his best friend Ned walk out of the school. She sighed as Happy drove off.

"I bet her parents killed themselves to get away from her. I mean, who could live with that face living with them." Another girl in the group stated. "I know I can barely stand seeing it in school." R/g/n agreed as the others laughed. R/g/n grabbed y/n's chin, forcing her to look her in the eye.

"Your just a nobody y/n. Just face it. Your ugly, fat and somebody no one cares about. You could die today and no one would care. Peter just acts like he cares about you but he doesn't give a damn. As soon as he's able to leave you, he will. Your a loner and no one will ever want you. Your a pain to everyone. The fact that I'm talking to you right now is a miracle. Do us all a favor and leave. Never return here again." R/g/n hissed at y/n before throwing her away from the group. "Stay away from here slut." One yelled. "We don't want to see you until you lose some pounds." Another followed as y/n left. "More like lose the ugliness." R/g/n stated to her group once y/n was out of sight causing the girls to laugh.

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

"What about y/n?" Peter asked as Happy drove off. "She was late so I headed off." Happy replied. "But hows she supposed to get home?" "She has feet doesn't she?" "Well yeah but........" "Listen kid, Tony wants you home as soon as possible. Y/n will be fine on her own." Peter sighed and slouched in his seat. "What does Tony want that we couldn't wait for y/n?" "I don't know Peter. Why don't you ask him when we get there?" Happy exclaimed, getting annoyed. "Still think we should of waited." Peter said after a moments silence. "Peter." Happy exclaimed causing Peter to keep quiet.

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

Y/n entered the Avenger tower lobby. She quickly got in the elevator and pressed the top floor.

"Miss Y/n, welcome back." Jarvis voiced as Y/n stood in the elevator. "Thank you Jarvis." "Shall I inform the others of your arrival?" "No!! I mean, no Jarvis, thank you. I'm a little tired so I think I might lay down." "You do seem pale miss Y/n, shall I inform Doctor Banner to check on you?" "No Jarvis, there will be no need. I should be fine after a good rest." "Alright. I'll wake you when dinner is ready." "Don't bother. I'll get it when I wake." Y/n lied. "Very well. Rest well miss y/n." "Thank you Jarvis." Y/n sighed as she pulled her curtains closed.

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

"Jarvis, inform everyone that dinner is ready." Pepper asked. "Informing tower residents of dinner." Jarvis recited.

One by one the avengers slowly piled into the kitchen. They each grabbed a plate before heading into the kitchen. Tony messed with Peters head as he passed him before eating in silence.

"Where's y/n?" Peter asked after a few minutes silence. "I don't know, she should be down here by now." Pepper stated. "Jarvis,where's y/n." Tony asked. "Miss y/n is sleeping sir. She asked me not to disturb her if dinner was ready before she woke." Jarvis said. "Why on earth is she sleeping at 5 during the day?" Natasha asked. "Only one way to find out." Tony stated as he got up and left the room.

Tony left the avengers and made his way to the elevator. Once he got to y/n's room he knocked and waited for an answer. Upon getting no answer he opened the door to see y/n laying in bed. Moving closer he noticed sweat all over her body. He carefully placed his hand on y/ns forehead before pulling it back. He moved the covers and gasped at what he seen.

"Jarvis get doctor banner, now." Tony ordered with worry laced in his voice. "Right away sir." Tell him to hurry."

"Tony, what's wrong?" "Look at y/n." Tony said as he moved towards Bruce. "Oh no." "What?" "Get her to my lab. Jarvis tell Peter to meet us there. I'll go get things sorted." Bruce ordered as he rushed off.

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

Y/n slowly began to move. Peter sat up as she slowly opened her eyes. Blinking, she turned to face her brother.

"She's awake." Peter called, turning to face his sister. "WHat happened?" "Your body began to shut down due to lack of food and nutrients." Bruce explained, checking over her. "Wanna explain why you were starving yourself to near death." Tony asked, crossing his arms at the bottom of the bed. "Notings going on." Y/n blurted out. "I didn't ask what was going. But something must be for you to say that." Y/n sighed and looked down. "The girls, they wouldn't leave me alone. Fat, ugly, slut, a nobody, orphan, all they did was go on my looks or how I live. I had enough of it, I wanted to be like them. Pretty, but I wasnt. I thought starving myself would work." "Is that why you cut yourself?" Peter asked sadly. Y/n looked at Peter. "I'm sorry Peter. I know you said I could go to over anything but I felt alone." Y/n said as she broke down. "It's okay, we an help you. You'll get better, I promise." Peter said as he placed his hand on y/ns shoulder.

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

4 months later, y/n was in the kitchen eating breakfast. With the help of the avengers she became better. She slowly gained weight and soon felt confident in her own body. Tony and Steve had went into the school to talk to the principal and the girls who bullied y/n into starving and cutting herself were suspended till further notice. Overall y/n was much happier the she was to start with. And it was the avengers who, liked true heros, helped her.

[drtanner]

Anyway, my Improve Your Nutrition lifehack for tonight is that if you want to get more veggies into your diet but, like me, don't have the energy or focus to cook from scratch all the time, or even most of the time, or any of the time, really, and any fresh vegetables you buy invariably end up rotting in the bottom of your fridge before you get around to using them, there's nothing stopping you from just adding shit to cook-in sauces when you use those.

Spinach is full of good shit, and you can buy it frozen! Just get whatever you're making started and once it's simmering, throw a few of the little frozen rolls of spinach in there and it'll defrost while the simmering happens. Keep stirring them every now and then and they'll unfurl. Then you can mix the spinach in properly, and you can do the same with pretty much any frozen vegetables! Veggies that come in a tin, like peas or sweetcorn, are even easier! You don't even have to wait for those to defrost! Just fucking chuck 'em in! ( b ._.)b

(If you think you hate spinach, I promise, it's fine. I also hate spinach but I genuinely barely notice it when it's loaded with bolognese sauce or hiding in my chilli. It's fine! You can put heaps of spinach in your food before it starts actually having any discernable presence, which is the other great thing about it.)

Lately I've been putting diced red bell peppers in everything, since those are also very tasty and seem to last a good while in the fridge without losing their cronch, which is what makes them great. Also, they make your food pretty! So that's another one I can recommend for people who don't cook often enough to make use of vegetables regularly.

So, yeah! Just use the fucking cook-in sauce, like the Dolmio or the Patak's or the chilli mix or fucking whatever! You can add shit to it! You don't have to do the whole thing from scratch! You can just pull some frozen shit out of the freezer and throw it in there while it's cooking for instant Improve Your Nutrition. Enjoy! <3

[imbackmrstark]

《——————》

• l e m o n b o y •

It was the kid from next door. Brown, curly hair and those sweet, thin lips. His eyes, God, his eyes, Tony could stare into them for hours. He was barely 15 years old, the boy, maybe 16, Tony had never asked and never intended to. Talking, that was the problem. Tony never had a word with the boy, not even at the welcome party; the boy's family, the Parkers – he knew that from the door sign – only moved here a few months ago, Tony had fallen in love immediately. He couldn't take his eyes off the smaller one all day long, staring at him like a hungry lion at its prey, but instead of attacking the teenager, he just smiled insecurely every now and then. He looked like an angry hamster – a sweet, angry hamster. You couldn't take him seriously, he was far too cute. Tony was head over heels in love with the boy next door. And so it began that Anthony E. Stark watched the younger one from his room window every day as he built and hammered on something outside, curious what it would be.

One day – Tony just came out of his bathroom, hair freshly washed and with a towel around his waist – he saw a small booth with a sign on it saying "lemonade $2". A smile played around his lips and he completely forgot to put something on and comb his hair, far too distracted by the sunshine down on the street, which at that moment took some lemons and pressed them into a lemonade. That's when Tony started calling him 'lemon boy', whether in his head or when he talked to his parents about the Parkers boy.

He supported his elbow on the windowsill and leaned his chin on the palm of his hand while watching the neighbor. To live across from such a beauty is a curse and a blessing in equal measure. Tony thought that even a blind man would see how much he was in love and that scared him. He couldn't–.. to be honest, he didn't even try to talk his way out of it, he had no chance, he knew he had lost to this disgusting love. Pah, who needs love! The teenager pulled a face, he needed love. Oh dammit.

He let his gaze wander back to the street and only noticed too late that Little Parker had looked up at him. A sweet smile adorned his face and he raised his hand briefly to wave sweetly. Tony's eyes widened in shock before he threw back a quick smile and jumped away from the window, getting tangled up in the blanket and falling to the floor. A soft laugh was heard from the street and the older one puffed offended.

Tony wondered why the boy had just opened his shop at the beginning of his school days. Every day from 8am to 3pm at school and then up to two hours of homework and studying. How is he supposed to find time for his lemonade? Talking about school: The teenager was sitting right now in the school bus on his way to personal hell, while Parker was once again being brought fine by Auntie. Aunt... Tony had heard that the boy's parents had died and that he was now living with his aunt and uncle. Even though he loved them, he felt bad for him. The brown-haired teen got up and grabbed his bag when the bus came to a halt, then left it to find his friends with a quick glance. That was the less difficult task, but getting there first... almost impossible.

"Tonyy!" A girl with brown hair waved at him before she ran to him with her bouncing boobs to give him a cheerful hug. "How was the holiday, big boy? You're fine?"

"Sorry, but who were you again?" Faces and names, not Tony's domain at all, especially when he sees so many of them a day. Most popular boy in school problem.

The girl made an offended expression on her face and was about to start complaining when she was harshly interrupted.

"Stark. Why don't you stop flirting and join us? We've been waiting here forever." That voice... That fucking voice. It could only come from one lady, and you better not fuck with her. A request was a request and she never took no for an answer, never ever.

"Natasha, darling... Of course, I'm on my way," he replied instantly, looking forward to having his peace and quiet from all the annoying students, because one thing was made clear on the first day of school: James Barnes hates people and will beat up anyone who didn't get official permission to stay near him. Even Steve, an old best friend, now just a friend, to get him into the group took days and now... now the two of them can't be separated anymore. They are one of the favorite couples at this school.

"Hey man," Steve grinned at him slightly, his typical greeting after the holidays, just to get warm again. They parted quarrelling back then - Tony had caught him sleeping with his girlfriend, now ex-girlfriend, Pepper, and instead of an apology he only got to hear that she was a slut and he just wanted to show him that she was wrong. It took years to stand so close to him again without Tony wanting to punch him in the face.

"What's up?" He wasn't a real speaker, he hated this job most in everyday life anyway. He listened to his friends most of the time and answered everyone only the most necessary questions. Only with some of them he could come out a bit more. For example his best friend Rhodey and maybe even a little bit with Natasha.

The happy expression on his face when the bell rang couldn't go unnoticed by his friends, which is why a little grin crept across Rhodey's face before he put his hand on Tony's shoulder and went to class with him. The hours stretched like chewing gum and the teenager became so bored that he voluntarily started talking to the people around him. Sometimes a little word with the girl next to him and sometimes a few sentences with a buddy of his named Thor. They got along well, even if Thor wasn't the brightest candle on the chandelier. It was always funny to listen to the boy, how he put up crazy theories. Weirdo. After the English lesson they walked together through the corridors to their lockers, which happened to be close together. On the way there, the paths of Tony and the Lemon Boy crossed, who smiled softly, then immediately looked down at the floor again. At school Tony wore the pants, here he was braver and here he could stand his looks and smiles. At home then rather less, the boy made him weak.

"Earth to Stark," Thor curiously waved his hand in front of his face to regain the attention he was currently giving the sugar sweet boy. And by "giving" he meant staring at the boy like a stalker, so that even he noticed it and speeded up his walking with red cheeks. Maybe Tony was creepy, yes, maybe, but it was all due to stupid love. If it didn't exist, none of this would've happened. He puffed, glanced back up at Thor, who raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Why don't you ask him out?"

"Just shut up, you have no idea." He grumbled discontentedly and turned back around to see Bucky leaning against Tony's locker, smiling knowingly. Of course he knew what was going on in Tony's head. He'd been through the whole thing himself. With Steve, in fact. He shook his head, his hair falling unintentionally into his face, so Steve's hand slid towards him instantly and brushed a strand of hair out of his face. Of course the blond guy was not far away from his lover, always at his side, that asshole. Tony rolled his eyes, stood right in front of them and showed with a quick movement of his head that he wanted to get to his locker.

"What do you want, idiot? Ohh, your locker. Ah sorry, but I am standing here right now, find yourself another place, will you?" Bucky replied with wagging eyebrows and a smirk on his lips.

"Fuck off or I'll punch you in the face, idiot." Tony's nerves were shot to shit. First the beautiful boy who gave him a smile and now a fucking bastard who interrupted his daydreams. "Come on, just say what you're getting at. Come on, one word and I'll show you some respect, you little pain in the ass."

"I haven't heard so many words from you in a long time, you little bitch." He laughed happily, like this was all some sort of game to him. Being a bit annoying to his friends, his favorite hobby, it seems. Not to Steve, apparently, because his body showed something quite different. He was tense and his hands were clenched in fists as if he was about to intervene any second to protect his lover, even if he could do it well himself.

"Okay big boys, that's enough." The redhead who almost always got Tony out of difficult situations, intervened again. "There's a real tense atmosphere here, don't you think?"

"Completely agree with you," confirmed Thor, who was a little tense himself. It wouldn't be the first time that Bucky and Tony would fight, it happened almost every month, but it hasn't been as bad as today for a long time.

"The motherfucker's in love, totally, and he knows that I know and he knows that I know who it is and that... that scares him." That grin on his face and those eyes that radiated such joy, like he thought he'd won. Tony couldn't help himself. He swung and punched the asshole right in the face.

"Tony!!!"

"Gee, I've already apologized. He's just a little drama queen, we all know that." Tony paced the hallway outside the hospital room trying desperately to talk his way out. Meanwhile, Thor sat in the far too small chair and watched him pacing as if it was even remotely exciting.

"Holy shit, you broke his fucking nose!" Clint, another friend of Tony's, or rather Natasha's, interfered and threw the facts back on the table. Tony shrugged his shoulders.

"He provoked me. He always provokes me. I hope this has taught him a lesson."

"Absolutely, motherfucker," Bucky muttered sarcastically as he came out of the hospital room with Steve holding his hand and his face in pain. He had a white bandage on his nose and some blood on his upper lip. Tony leaned against the opposite wall and crossed his arms in front of his chest, raised one eyebrow while trying not to look as if he was actually worried. "Don't pretend, you son of a bitch, I know you love me and you're really, really sorry. And you know what? I forgive you, okay? Because I love you too, pal."

"Dude, what? I don't love you, man. That's totally gay, stop fucking around. Damn, now I've wasted my time with all this shit too. I'll see you guys tomorrow, you little pesky kids." He shook his head with a sigh before he pushed himself off the wall and walked down the corridor to the exit. It was already 4pm, he had wasted a whole hour.

When he opened the glass door and went outside, he saw an all-too-familiar brunette sitting there on a small wall with his arms wrapped around his backpack and fear in his eyes. Tony curled his eyebrows. What was Parker still doing here? He didn't want to, but he had to. He gathered up all his courage and walked towards the boy, who noticed his neighbour much too late and quickly looked up with big eyes.

"Hey, lemon boy," murmured Tony softly, avoiding eye contact most of the time, but when the boy didn't answer, he raised his head. "What are you still doing here?"

"You're Tony S-Stark, right? The boy next door.. right?" The smaller one wiggled his legs unsteadily around and bit his lower lip.

"Yes, I am, but that wasn't my question." He shifted his weight to one leg, tried to look a little cooler and also tried not to stare at the kid the whole time.

"Oh, yeah, right, sorry. I... um... Ben, my uncle... he was gonna pick me up, but he doesn't answer, and, yeah, so..-"

Tony took a deep breath before he just let his question shoot out of him. "Will you walk home with me? Then we won't be alone and I don't have to feel bad about leaving you here. I'll have to walk anyway."

"I, um... Sure, why not. I'm Peter, by the way, I'm not sure if you knew that yet. So, um, yeah..." He bounced off the wall and shouldered his bag before he walked down the street beside Tony. He was glad he was asked, he would never have dared to walk alone along the main road and then across country roads while it was already getting dark.

"To be honest, I didn't know, sorry." The older one gripped the straps of his backpack tighter so his ankles turned white. He looked down, barely daring to look at the smaller one, but he was so incredibly beautiful, how could he not?

Tony had to admit that his idea to ask Peter to come along was really good, considering the long way in darkness. Living in a village two hours away from the nearest school and then having to walk across country isn't the yellow of the egg, but Tony was used to it. He grew up in this house and even his parents always had to go this way back then, so he couldn't complain. As long as you caught the bus that ran twice before and after school, everything was fine. If you got detention or missed it, you were just unlucky and had to walk or to ask someone to pick you up. When Tony looked at the boy, he shivered under the cold of the night and he couldn't help but take off his jacket and put it over his shoulder, even if he was freezing to death himself. Peter looked up in surprise, then smiled thankfully and squeezed himself a little more by Tony's side.

"Are you afraid? I mean, in the dark?", asked the taller one quietly after a short time, while he was about to protect the boy with his arm.

"When I'm alone, sometimes." muttered Peter uncertainly, then looked up with his round eyes. Tony just wanted to bend down and kiss him, but he didn't. He'd talked to the boy for the first time today, so he couldn't ambush him with a kiss.

"And now? Are you afraid?", the older one asked after a long time of silence, just looking straight and avoiding trembling. This cold was killing him and the sweet boy with the far too big jacket next to him as well. Tony's jacket was like a blanket for Peter, his fingertips could barely be seen and then there was this magical smile on his lips.

The next moment the little one shook his head to answer the question that was asked a few minutes ago. "Somehow, no. This jacket makes me feel safe, I don't know... Thanks again.", mumbled Peter and crawled a little more into the fabric.

"Just the jacket?" He squinted his eyes over to Peter, suppressed his grin when he noticed the red cheeks.

"No, because of you too, my hero." Peter raised his arm and pointed to the first houses they saw after two hours walking. "Almost there!"

"Finally. My feet are killing me and I'm hungry, too. It's all Bucky's fault."

"Who's Bucky? Ah, wait, is that the boy with the long hair? The one you punched in the face?" They turned into a street and walked a few more blocks until they were in front of their homes and they were still standing outside to continued their talk. "Why did you hit him, anyway?"

"Not so important. He was an asshole again, and he was begging for it." Tony shrugged and walked towards Peter's house like it was normal, leaving him stunned. "You coming? I'll take you home like a gentleman."

"Oh, yeah, yeah... thanks, um, sorry, I'm coming." Peter hurried to get to Tony and smiled thankfully at him, while he was already knocking at the door. It was opened by a young woman with long brown hair who looked surprised and then tore Peter into her arms with relief.

"Oh God Peter! I was so worried! Ben feels so bad, he had to work late and his phone... and... and..."

"May, breathe! It's all fine, Tony brought me home, nothing happened." Peter slowly separated from his aunt and looked over his shoulder, smiling, at Tony, who only raised his hand briefly.

"Thank you, Tony... How can we ever repay you? You know what... You come over for dinner tomorrow and Ben takes you back after school, no buts."

A smile was on Tony's face and he quickly thanked her. "See you tomorrow, lemon boy."

It was until late in the evening - Tony was sitting up in his room, on his bed, thinking about what happened today - when he noticed that Peter still had his jacket. He sighed and looked over his shoulder out of the window to look into the boy's room. Apparently he was already asleep; the light was off and the curtains drawn. He just hoped that the younger one would give him his jacket back tomorrow.

Being back at school the next day and standing next to Bucky was more than uncomfortable for him. The teachers had all put a few more eyes on him and he felt like he was being watched almost the whole time. While he listened to the others talking, he kept an eye out for the boy he saw after a few minutes with another boy and a girl. And what took his breath away was that Peter was wearing his much too big jacket and looked outrageously cute. Without thinking about it, Tony walked up to the boy, ignoring that his friends were silent and watched him. After a short time Peter looked up and smiled softly, raised his hand and waved briefly before Tony stood right in front of him.

First he just stared at the little one, then opened his mouth and closed it again until he remembered why he came here. "My jacket."

"O-oh, yeah, right, sorry about that." Peter was about to take them off when Tony took the hem of the jacket in his hands and tightened it more.

"No, don't. It looks really good on you, makes you even sweeter," murmured Tony softly, just looking at his chest.

"Um... Thanks? I can give them back to you after dinner tonight, though. I mean-" When Tony looked up, he saw Peter biting his lower lip uncomfortably.

"You can keep them." The teenager smiled slightly, then nodded again, let his hands slide off the jacket, turned around and went back to his idiot friends, who all grinned at him knowingly. "One word and the next nose's broken."

"Since when?" Steve asked quietly, nodding towards Peter, who was giggling around with his friends.

"Since when what? Since when am I in love? Since when do I want to turn my whole life upside down for this one person? Since when would I do anything for that one person? Holy shit!" Tony angrily ran his fingers into his hair and ripped it. "I've been so fucking in love and I have been ever since I first saw him..." Unintentionally a tear of desperation rolled down his cheek as he squeezed his eyes to avoid the glances of his friends.

"Actually, I was going to ask you, since when are you into guys too, but it's probably not important. Come here." Steve then opened his arms and pulled his old friend into them, then held him tight. Tony put his head on Steve's shoulder and sighed deeply.

"It's okay, Stark," mumbled Bucky after a short while, before carefully putting his hand on Tony's back.

Tony then tore himself away from them, straightened his clothes, wiped away his tears and put on a smile. "Whatever, boys. Class is about to start, we should go inside, don't you think?" He didn't even wait for an answer, he immediately went into the school and to his locker to get his new books. As he turned around and walked on, a small figure suddenly stood in front of him, looking worried.

"Are you okay, Tony? I just.. saw you.. with the blond guy. You looked sad. Is it because of the jacket? Does it mean anything to you? Do you want it back?" Peter's eyes radiated such warmth and such concern for nothing. Tony felt bad that Peter thought it was his fault. Even if it was, but he didn't want him to think it was. He shook his head.

"No. It makes me happy that you're wearing mine. It's just... nothing." The taller one leaned his side against the lockers, looking down with a would-be cool look at the boy, who pressed his lips together, shook his head and flinched slightly when the bell rang. "Don't you want to go to class?"

"I'd rather talk to you. You're not well, something makes you sad...", Peter said, crossing his arms in front of his chest and panting discontentedly.

In the corner of his eye, Tony noticed Bucky and Steve walking past him, smiling softly and winking at him. They really could never stop. Deep inside, Tony wanted to prove something to them, just kiss the boy, but when he looked into the dark brown round eyes, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Shall we go to the library? Talk?", asked the younger one quietly, pulled gently on his sleeve and then went with his neighbour into the room of books. Once there, Peter sat down with Tony at a table that was a bit more private and then looked at him gently. "I haven't known you long. In fact, yesterday was the first time we spoke. But... I feel like I've known you for years, it's weird. And I just want you to be happy... that you know that you can talk to me when something's wrong.. And you can even come over to me anytime.. We could sit in my room and do something. Play games or talk or just lie on my bed and... It sounds crazy, sorry."

"It doesn't sound crazy at all, it's rather nice. I'd love to come to your house sometimes and do stuff like that. Or invite you over to my place. You know, Peter, I like you. I really like you a lot and that scares me a bit," confessed Tony with an insecure smile on his lips. Peter struggled with himself for a few seconds, but then smiled and nodded in agreement at him.

"If you're coming for dinner tonight, we can go to my room afterwards.. if you want?"

Tony nodded quickly, maybe even a bit too quickly.

Tony smiled slightly at the unfamiliar man as he took off his backpack and put it on his lap as he sat in the Parkers' car. His friends, who were waiting for the bus as usual, looked at him in confusion and then grinned a little. He couldn't even remember when the last time was when he was picked up from school in a car and apparently you could see it in his face because Peter, who was sitting next to him, was smiling happily at him and if Tony was honest, it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

"So, Tony, I heard you're coming over for dinner later?", asked Mr. Parker him after a short time in which Tony and the boy were just looking at each other smiling.

The teenager looked up quickly and nodded at the man. "Yes sir, that's right. Um... thanks again for picking me up and, of course, for the dinner later."

"Wow, easy, boy. No problem. I'd really do anything to thank you for bringing my boy home. I still can't forgive myself." With clenched lips, the man kept driving, only looking back through the rearview mirror once in a while.

"Ben it wasn't your fault, okay? Your boss was giving you trouble again, you couldn't help it. I was safe with Tony, he even gave me his jacket." Peter talked about Tony as if he was head over heels in love with him, as if he wasn't even there right now and Tony only noticed much too late that he was grinning up to his ears.

"You're welcome, little lemon," muttered he with a smile, placing his hand delicately on Peter's knee, who widened his eyes a little, but then wrapped both his hands around Tony's wrist and smiled sweetly at him.

"'Little lemon,' sweet... Look, Pete, he even has a nickname for you already. I think you're gonna be great friends," said Ben as he rounded the last corner and pulled into the Parkers' parking lot. "All right, guys, get out and get in. May should have dinner ready by now."

"Oh eat already? I was counting on tonight... um, yeah, okay, well, then now." Tony scratched the back of his head slightly, then got out of the car with Peter and Ben and went into the house behind them, where it already smelled wonderfully of food.

"We're more like those people who eat lunch instead of dinner, so don't be surprised. I hope you don't mind," Peter asked the taller one quietly, looked up at him and seemed a bit anxious. He was apparently panicking that Tony maybe leave because he might not be hungry.

"And we talk about dinner all the time." Tony laughed briefly, then put his arm around Peter's shoulder and walked into the dining room with him. "No, that's okay, I'm hungry anyway."

The room wasn't really large, but therefore totally cosy and the brown, long table that was standing there seemed to have already gone through some moves. The chairs seemed to be comfortable, Peter also immediately dropped on one and knocked on the chair next to him, indicating to Tony to sit down as well, which he did directly. After a short time the woman from last night entered the room with a pot in her hands, which she placed on the table in front of Peter and Tony. May smiled happily at Tony, greeted him very briefly and then sat down on the chairs opposite of them with Ben.

"So Tony, how you doing, my boy? Why don't you get something to eat, come on. Have as much as you want." May took the big spoon and filled Tony's plate so that he thanked her overburdened and looked at Peter, who also put something on his own and started eating.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking." Tony smiled broadly, kept peeking over at Peter, eating carefully and full of manners.

Suddenly it became quiet in the room and the two boys looked up in wonder. May had a satisfied smile on her lips, exchanged a few glances with her husband, who nodded knowingly and shoved another spoonful of food into his mouth.

"Peter, my boy... Tony look at you like you're his entire world..", recognized she warmly, as warmly as Tony's cheeks after he had noticed how he had been staring at the boy the whole time.

"T-That's not true at all!" Tony tried to talk his way out, his cheeks should be as red as strawberries.

Peter's eyes fell on Tony's plate and he hesitated briefly before opening his mouth and quietly asked if he was finished and if they wanted to go to his room. He nodded quickly, apologized to the adults and then went upstairs behind Peter.

Tony tensed as he sat unsteadily on the edge of Peter's bed. The boy himself, meanwhile, grabbed all his dirty laundry off the floor and tossed it into some corner before scratching the back of his head in shame.

"I'm sorry.. about.. you know. I forgot to clean up..." Peter shyly clasped his hands in front of him and rocked back and forth unsteadily while he smiled slightly.

"That's okay. At least your room can still be considered as a room." A soft laugh escaped his throat and a moment later two brown eyes looked at him, squinted a bit because he had to grin too.

"Yours that bad?" The boy asked, tilting his head and grinning broadly.

"Oh darling, you have no idea. My room resembles a jungle and to be honest, I don't really feel like changing anything about it." Tony shrugged his shoulders indifferently, before he slid a little to the side to make room for the other, who now wanted to sit down on the bed as well. Unlike Tony, however, he crawled back to the wall, against he leaned with a smile.

"You don't have to sit there like that... Come here." Peter lightly tapped the mattress beside him with the flat of his hand, and after a moment's hesitation, the older one took a seat beside him.

He made himself a little more comfortable before looking down at the boy with a smile. Just a little, they were almost at eye level as they sat there like that. Peter bit his lower lip briefly and batted his eyelashes quickly as he tried to tear his gaze away from the other. Silence fell between them and when Tony realized that Peter would not be looking at him anytime soon, he gently took his chin with two fingers and delicately turned his head in his direction. His smile fell easily, so captivated was he by the eyes in front of him.

"So.. You gonna kiss me.. or?" Peter murmured softly as he got closer and closer to the teenager. Along the way, he tried to read the other's body language so as not to have misinterpreted anything.

"So you want me to kiss you?" Tony asked in a somber voice before carefully sliding his hand up Peter's leg to his hip to pull him even closer. "I mean.. we're both boys and..–"

"I don't care. Doesn't matter. I want it, kiss me." He took it in his own hands now and pulled Tony close so he could feel the other's breath on his lip. "Kiss me..."

Tony opened his mouth in surprise, clawing deeper with his fingers into flesh beneath him before making a tortured sound and placing his lips on Peter's. He wasn't sure if that had been the boy's first kiss, but instead of asking, he just pressed his lips to the ones in front of him again. Peter ran his delicate fingers into Tony's hair and tugged lightly on them, so he was separated from the younger one with parted lips.

"Wow..."

"Wow....."

"Um. Can we just... lie here a bit now? And do nothing? While Holding hands?"

"Yes.. Yes we can."

• T H E E N D •

Thank u for reading c:

[submissivekpop]

surprise; lee taeyong

Requested: yes Warnings: smut, praise kink, it’s actually pretty vanilla tbh, sub!Taeyong, dom!Reader Words: 1700+ A/N: happy valentine’s day, everyone! enjoy this sweet sub!taeyong and have a nice day ^^

Coming home to Taeyong has always been the best part of your day. You could say that the only thing you could think about the whole day was the moment you'd walk through the door and you'd see him there, waiting for you. This is why, when you come home, you're a bit disappointed that he's nowhere to be seen. Or, at least, he's not where he usually is, in the kitchen or in the living room, either cooking for you or setting the table. He has been there – you notice, though – because the kitchen is full of freshly cooked food – still warm – and the table is already set for two, as usual. Maybe he didn't hear you, you think, and you try to call his name.

«Yes?»

Oh, so he can hear you.

«Where are you?» you ask, even if you know it wouldn't take you too long to find him – your apartment is not that big, after all.

«In the bedroom, Miss» he says, and the way he speaks to you, together with the title he uses, somehow rings a bell, but you can't be sure about it. Maybe, you think, maybe you're just thinking too much. Truth is, you aren't.

Walking into your bedroom, you're greeted with the sight of your gorgeous boyfriend kneeling next to the bed, naked apart from the boxers he's still wearing and a harness you've never seen before, hands behind his back.

«Welcome home, Miss» he says, raising his head to look at you.

Oh. You weren't wrong, after all.

«What is this supposed to mean?» you ask, trying not to sound mad or anything – in fact, you're quite the opposite of mad.

«I-I wanted to surprise you» he replies, swallowing hard, and you can see his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. «I hope you don't mind.»

«Of course I don't» you answer, quickly. If there's something you'd never want to happen, it's for him to think that his little surprise wasn't welcome.

Walking closer to him, you sit on the edge of the bed – so close to him that your leg is actually touching his right shoulder.

«Is this new?» you whisper, leaning down so that your face is on the same level as his. You're talking about the leather harness he's wearing, and he's quick to understand, nodding.

«D-Do you like it?» he asks, tentatively, and you can't help but smile.

«You look amazing» you praise him, gently petting his hair. As soon as you speak, you can see his muscles relax. So typical of him, you think, to be this worried about such trivial things.

«Thank you» he says, releasing a breath he didn't even notice he was holding.

You smile, kissing his cheek. He squirms a little, but you know he loves it.

«Come here» you say, patting the next spot next to you.

Slowly, he raises to his feet, and then sits on the bed. Your hand immediately goes to his knee, resting there for a while, before caressing his thigh, closer and closer to where he needs you the most. He's been that hard since the moment you walked into the room, or, maybe, even before. When your hand grazes over his crotch, teasing him, he whimpers.

«Is there anything you need, love?» you question, knowing full well that he wouldn't dare to ask for it, no matter how hard he needs it. As you thought, he shakes his head.

Grabbing his chin, you force him to look you in the eyes.

«You're a terrible liar» you say, before kissing him. It's a rough and needy kiss, full of teeth clashing and lip biting – not the usual sloppy kiss that Taeyong adores so much – but the way he's moaning into your mouth proves that he's not against it, not a little bit. It leaves him breathless, panting as soon as your mouth detaches from his.

«I'll have you beg for it, love» you say, and by the look in his eyes you know it won't be long before it'll happen.

Your hand still on his chin, you make him turn his face so that he's looking straight ahead, and you're facing his ear and jaw. Slowly, you start kissing his neck – soft butterfly kisses – to rile him up, occasionally nipping at his sensitive skin. Then, you move to his jaw, till you get to his ear, the part where he's the most sensitive. There, your mouth immediately attaches to his lobe, gently sucking and biting it, until he's a whimpering mess, his face flushed red and trying his best not to squirm away from you – even if taking your teasing is driving him insane.

«P-Please» he says, but the both of you know that is not enough for you.

Your tongue slides into his ear – or, at least, a part of it does – and he lets out the prettiest moan you've heard in a while. At the same time, your hand slightly grazes over his member, still constricted into his boxers, your fingertips barely touching it, drawing faint patterns over his boxers.

«Please, Miss, please» he says again, sounding more and more desperate with every word. «Please, touch me.»

He sounds so pretty when he's desperate, you think, and you're almost tempted to extend your teasing for a while but, at the same time, you want to reward him for being such a good and obedient boy all the time.

Pushing him down on the mattress, you straddle his lap, grinding over his clothed member.

«What a pretty boy you are, Taeyong» you say, and you can see him blush at the sudden praise. «So pretty and so good to me.»

«Please» he begs again and, this time, you have to give in to him. Sitting next to him, you help him remove his boxers, tossing them somewhere on the floor, allowing his member to spring free against his abdomen.

«Undress me» you order, and he's quick to comply.

Trying not to seem too eager, even if both of you know he is, he takes off your clothes, piece by piece, stopping when he gets to your undergarments. As soon as you nod, he takes off your bra and panties as well, leaving you naked in front of him. His gaze lingers on your body for some time – long enough for you to start feeling embarrassed – taking in how much of you he can. Taking his hands, you position them over your breasts and, even if you don't say a single word, he knows exactly what to do. Slowly, he starts massaging them, focusing on your hardening nipples every now and then, before giving them a few tentative licks, his eyes meeting yours to see your reaction. Your hand moves through his hair, pulling it a little when he sucks on them in a way that would make you lose your mind. You don't know how long it goes on, but when he moves away, you realize how turned on you actually are. The wetness between your legs is enough to make you blush, but at that point you don't care anymore. Stealing a glance at Taeyong's member, you notice how painfully hard he is: there's precum on his tip, red and swollen, and you're pretty sure you've seen it twitch a couple of times.

«Do you want to fuck me, love?» you ask, and he nods eagerly.

«Please, Miss.»

You push him on the mattress once again, straddling his lap and eventually settling right above his member. Teasing him, you give it a few pumps, before pushing his tip against your entrance.

«Can you feel how wet I am, love?» you ask. «All because of you.»

He whines, blushing profusely at your words. Enjoying his reaction, you go on.

«My lovely boy» you purr. «So perfect, only for me.»

«M-Miss...» he starts, but he stops as he feels you finally sinking onto him. «S-So good.»

He stretches you perfectly, and you have to admit that feeling him inside of you is one of the things you love the most. You move slowly at first, your hands settling on his chest to steady yourself – occasionally pulling on the harness he's still wearing. He lets out the prettiest moans, you think, as your pace gradually increases. Your nails are digging his skin, leaving scratches all over his chest, grazing over his nipples and flicking them from time to time. Leaning down, you kiss him, a sweet, love-filled kiss that leaves him breathless – and begging for more. Before you can pull away, his lips meet yours once again, so needy and eager to taste you once more that you can't deny it.

«I love you» you whisper, as you feel a familiar knot building in your stomach.

«I-I love you t-too» he answers, and you can tell he's close as well.

«Cum with me, love, alright?»

He nods, causing you to smile. Always so obedient.

Your hand reaches your clit, drawing circles on it to give you the stimulation to reach your climax. Before you can warn him, you feel your orgasm rushing through your entire body, your walls clenching rhythmically around him.

«Cum, love» you say, and, after a couple of seconds, he does as told. You ride your orgasms out together, and then you lay on the mattress next to him, still panting.

«I love you» you say, once again. «You did so well today, my love.»

«I love you too» he whispers to you in response, turning on his side to nestle his face in the crook of your neck. «The food will get cold» he adds, then, as if it was something either of you could care about at that moment.

«We'll heat it up» you say, stopping him from getting up. «Now lay with me.»

Obediently, he lays on the bed again, as close to you as possible. Petting his hair, you pepper his face with kisses, earning the prettiest giggles you've ever heard.

«Where did you get that harness from?» you ask then, softly touching it.

«This? Oh, from the photo shoot» he explains. «Do you like it?»

«Very much so» you say, and you can see him smile. «Did you steal it, though?»

«What? No!» He pretends to be shocked by your words, but he's never been that good of an actor. «They said I could take it.»

«Alright, alright» you laugh, and he laughs with you.

«What did you cook?» you ask, when you hear your stomach grumble – and, judging by Taeyong's expression, he can hear it too.

«Your favourite» he says, sitting on the mattress. «Should we try it?»

Feedback is always appreciated!

[phoenix-reburned]

This info is probably super common but these are just some things I've observed from having my four boys, I'm definitely not an expert and I'd suggest asking @celestial-naiad for anything specific!

They REALLY love soft things, even if you don't use fleece as their bedding make sure they have soft hides. Tissue boxes with some fabric scraps are great cheap hides you can make, though I'd still definitely look into other hides. That's what I used when my boys were little.

They have to have at LEAST an hour out of the cage every day, though more is definitely encouraged if you can. They're extremely smart, having toys and hides out for them in whatever room you're gonna let them run in is always a great idea. Mine are in my room so I have a few drawers I let them hide in and wooden toys and chews for them. They also like sitting on the bed with me, it's super cute.

You can make your own wood chews for them out of trees or bushes in your own yard, you'll need chews to keep their teeth down since like most rodents they grow constantly. Just make sure to check that the wood isn't toxic and bake it in the oven. There's lots of lists online with woods you can use, here's one I've used in the past.

They can NOT have Timothy hay, check any rodent toys you get for this material. It looks like this, most rodents love it so many toys have it. I don't know if you've owned rodents before so I apologize if you already know what it looks like. Obviously if they accidently eat some it won't immediately kill them, but it's still not great for them.

They LOVE to be up high, I've seen some people get cat houses for this but even making box forts for them is great! I give them tables and ledges they can climb on.

Every rat is different so what one likes another might hate. My older rats aren't the biggest fan of toys and much prefer me to play with them, but my younger ones prefer the toys.

They chew, be careful with any wires. I lost a few chargers by forgetting to put them up when I first got my rats.

You can potty train them. YouTube has some tutorials on how to do this.

You have to get them in pairs, I'm assuming that's one of the first things you learned but they will love each other very much. Mine will sleep in giant cuddle piles in one hide that they can barely fit in even though I have at least three in the cage at all times.

You can teach them tricks, as a full time student I didn't have the time to teach them many but I've seen rats trained to steal from wallets.

They're incredibly smart too. Enrichment is super important for their mental well-being.

They're extremely affectionate, I like to compare them to dogs.

There's also very few things they can't eat at all, most foods they can eat in small amounts so expect them to expect you to share if they smell any food on you. Mine love turkey, blueberries, and bell peppers. If you get babies, they'll need extra protein which can be given in unseasoned beans (especially black beans, tbh I can't remember if other beans are bad for them because I've only ever given mine black beans) and eggs.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head, I'm definitely not an expert by any means at all. These are just things my boys enjoy and I've seen from other rat owners!

Edit: just because they have an expansive list of foods they can eat, always make sure to check before you give them anything!

I'm thinking of buying a couple pet rats in the near future but I've never owned them before. Does anyone have any advice that I might not have seen or read from my basic initial searches on blogs and youtube?

[infpgirl26]

Chapter one:

Author notes: my chapters are really long. Hopefully you are still here after a prologue with Tim Andrew and none of the boys. I feel like I need to give more of Clara's life, but I promise the cast is in this chapter too.

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First Step: you recognise that the other part is attractive. You know you love your partner, but that doesn't mean that you are blind. Actually, the beauty of long-term relationships is that. You know there is plenty of choices out there, but rather be if your love.

2 months later | Vancouver

Clara looked at the apartment with happiness.

"Finally" she cleaned her hands and smiled at the plants hanging everywhere. Her guitar where besides the shelf, where a tv was placed. Behind it some paints were hanging. The cozy and tiny apartment was finally having her touch, and Alex's too. He was a musician so she took care to put details about it in their decoration.

She did some paints and put on the walls, filled the balcony with plants and flowers and all place had some cactus or green spot. Even the bathroom. She was happier now, music, paints and plants. Perfect.

At the same moment she finished a delicious smell filled her senses and Clara naturally went towards the little kitchen.

She smiled, her tall and blond boyfriend was cooking for them, while listening to Mumfords and Sons, one of his favorite bands.

"Hey luv. Did you finish?" his brown eyes looked her up and down and Clara walked slowly, towards him " My shirt again? You can have it it now." Clara gave him a guilt smile, it was from his college times. Alex was graduated in a Music Conservatory.

"I think is true. Couples do start to look alike." she pointed to the same color of sweat pants and socks they were wearing "And yes" Clara hugged him from behind, peking what he was cooking. Pepper, broccoli and mushrooms. "I finished."

" Are you still sad because the coffee house fired you? " Clara sighed. Apparently, she wasn't a good waitress as she thought at first.

"No. Dunno, Just a little. I thought I lose my free coffee. But I charmed Pete and I still have my perks" he laughed at her positivity.

"Peter, the 16 years old waiter? You are so mean!" They laughed " I'm making the oriental pasta you like so much." Clara hide her face in his back, enjoying his good smell and familiarity "Even if you are an evil creature charming impressionable boys. I know moving here is making you sad and..."

"By boys you mean you. Right?" Clara turned him to her and smiled.

"Smart mouth" He gave her a peek kiss.

"For your information, the pasta's name is Yakisoba. Aaannd it is time for you to stop to feel guilt. You didn't hijack me or something. You have done a lot for me. It's my turn. And we are here for 2 months now. I need to get use to it."

"Clara, I already told you, I'm happy to support you, always. If you don't want you don't need to go to an underpaid job. You can focus on your career..." She left his embrace and crossed her arms. "And anytime I have a break from school we can go visit"

"Now. This. This is the kind of conversation I don't want to have with you anymore." He made a pout to her, like a little boy, nodded and begin to smile "What? Are you crazy? "

" In that case... " he turned off the stove and walked to her, passing his arms around her waist "I made some connections, here and there." He was smirking. Clara loved when he did that "And maybe, maybe I got you an audition to a big TV show."

"What? Are you... What?"

"I noted that you were kind of depressed doing regular job at the coffee shop. And, auditions in theaters here weren't going well for you. Every no making you more anxious. So I talked with one professor in college and, well he know someone who know someone. He get an audition for you."

Clara's heart begin to jump. She looked at his eyes with doubts.

'"Come again?"

"My professor from college, get you one audition. For acting, once you are an actress! Well, I guess you are. Right? " Clara hugged him, jumping with joy.

"Well Al. How come a musician master's teacher had this contacts? Wait! What's about... An... What's the show is about?"

"It is Supernatural!" Alex smiled wildly and Clara looked at him confused.

" Ok, but what kind? Demons, aliens, no aliens are sci-fy! Oh, is it witchcraft?"

Alex almost got dizzy and stroke her arms while she was having her flood of words.

"Clara, I can't believe you don't know Supernatural. What kind of actress are you?" He joked "First and more important. You need to be there in the next week. This season is already starting to be filmed, but this character will be introduced later. They will talk about the new character and if you like her, why not try?  And the show is about two brothers hunting things. Monsters, ghosts, demons. Ring any bells?"

"I'm more into spiritism than catholic. Don't know about gospel novels. But I like Jesus philosophy of life."

"Oh my God Clara!" he began to laugh " Are you north american? It's Supernatural. Everyone knows this guys! It's impossible for you... Make some research before you go, like a job interview, ok?" She nodded and kissed him with affection.

" It is, indeed, a job interview! Thanks babe. I love you"

"Love you too, pretty face." He gave her nose a peek kiss "Now, let me finish this yakisoup of yours"

" Yakisoba you dork. Hey, Alex." Their eyes met again " Are you sure you don't want to..." She sat on the table and looked at him with desire "Have your thank you gift?" And Clara took off the shirt after this. Alex sighed, she wasn't wearing a bra and her light tan skin was calling for him.

" Oh love. I have this article to finish..." but he was already with his hands on her waist and mouth close to hers.

"This masters scholarship you got yourself into. I barely can fuck you anymore." she joked "But, not even a quick fuck?" Clara asked and he moaned in a low tone when she said that to him.

"Just a little faster than normal" he whispered and finally took her lips. The dinner was never finished.

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Tim rolled his eyes when Eric started to talk again. They were sat in the audience room, tired and ready to choose the last brunette that tried the role. The producers were tired of his picky behaviour too.

"I swear. This role is not even so big deal for you to be like this Tim."

"I can see what you can't. It is our chance to make a little more of justice about females on the show. And everybody loves time travel and traumatized characters."

"Ok. This week is your deadline. You go to find your burlesque muse or we are hiring the last girl. She was nice and knows how to act a bit." Eric rolled his eyes " Next is this Clara Grant.

Tim couldn't explain why he was comparing the actresses to the mysterious artist from Minneapolis. He wanted somebody different and captiving. She was that. His thoughts were interrupted when the next candidate entered the room. His jaw dropped. It was her. Definitely her. More hippie than the image he had of her, but the face he was looking for was right in front of him.

"Hi, my name is Clara Diaz Grant and I'm here to the role of Jane Miler."

"Diaz? Where are you from?". Eric asked, looking her up and down.

"Minneapolis. But in colonials times, I guess, my mom's family was Spanish or something. Different of the Vikings from my hometown" she gave them a little smile and Eric was hooked by the lazy way she did it. At the same time, he wasn't so sure if a girl with a hippie and light vibe could live Jane properly.

"Ok, Clara. How long have you been acting?". Tim asked with a hand in his chin and amazed with his luck.

"Oh, since childhood. But I stopped for some years to do my philosophy degree. And then went back to acting since 26"

" A dear friend of mine get you this audition. Let's say we don't give chances to people with no experience on TV. " Eric was looking for her résumé, missing how nervous he made her.

"Yes. I don't have any" she shrugged "But I have years of theater and circus. Live audiences are always far more intimidating, in my point of view.". She smiled again and Eric liked her.

"Ok. You can start."

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Two weeks later

She ran away and knew that people were after her. But the breakpoint was what she saw on that message.

She laughed, one depressive and sad laugh. She threw her phone away. Her parents were killed because of her. The only person she trusted beside them were Luke and he did that to her.

Probably he was the one who gave her informations to them. She was alone, no one to care about her and, of course, cursed.

She was on the bridge and began to cry. She felt her body trembling, like when she travel. And she couldn't control herself anymore. She looked for the river and swallowed. It was early in the morning and then she feel, the travel effect again.

It was night now. She jumped in time again. She was so tired of that. She looked at the river and took one deep breath.

What she had? She was useless. Hadn't friends that will care and knew what being alive means. They will hurt her. More and more.

"Hey, you!" one male voice called her. She jumped before someone could talk her out of this craziness. But the voice was so much closer than she imagined and catch her before her body left the ground.

"I gotcha you" the men whispered with worry " Hey..."

"Let me die!!!" she screamed between sobs "Just let me die"

" I can't do this. I'm already involved and what am I supposed to tell to your family?"

"Good luck talking to dead people." she screamed trying to break the embrace " let me go!"

"No. Not until I know that you wouldn't..."

"Why do you care?" she was very angry now. The person that was holding her turned her around. She saw one tall men and hazel eyes. He had long hair and worried expression

"Let me go" she growled and the men did something that she thought she never would feel again. He clean her tears and hugged her, with worry.

"Hey, things will be fine"

"No!" she said crying " I'm cursed"

"What do you think about being cursed together, away from.this bridged? Where we can talk"

"Let me die..." But she hugged the men back, with so much need that the other almost cried with her " I just want this to end"

"No. You don't. Let me take care of you." and she let the other lift her.

They went to the men's car and the guy made her comfortable in the passenger seat. The men took her hair from her eyes and looked at her like he was really feeling her pain. "What is your name? So we can reach someone..."

"There's no one." She answered and her heart hurt a little more. "My name is... Jane."

"Hi Jane. I'm Sam."

"...AND CUT" The director's voice was filled with joy "Oh my God, Clara. That was intense. Girl! And Jared. How broken heart are you?" The actor smiled and went off the car. "I knew you are perfect for this wrecked girl!! My perfect Jane."

"It's me, all hopeless."

Clara was still coming back from the emotions of her character and a little overwhelmed. At first, when she did the audition, she thought she smiled too much, talked to much and didn't know how to stand in the room.

Eric's speech about experience made her more nervous, was his way to say. "I'm just doing a favor. Get out"  and her stupid nervous joke about vikings, she just wanted to kick herself.

She was feeling everything when she read her lines for them. But in some seconds she felt so great doing what she loved that she just let the character emotions fill her. When she finished, Eric was speechless and she got the job.

Now she was there. And the anxiety with new people, new job, new routine, was too much.

"Great job you two" Tim Andrew, the more friendly one, patted her shoulder and left. She knew her life was one step to change forever. She just haven't any idea if it would be for better or worse. Her contract was for seven episodes and if the fans like her character she would be part of the cast for a year. Seven episodes would be worth a year. And for the first time in her life she would have a good payment.

"Hope you are more comfortable now". Jared said while they went to the coffee table.

" It's all new yet. And the fact that I don't know the whole cast still bugs me"

"Don't worry. I'm the one who arrives screaming." Clara laughed. First day on set, before filming she had to know some colleagues and Jared arrived with some attitude and he was the tallest men she ever saw in her life.

"I get it. You almost don't get attention with your height and perfect hair". She laughed and Jared rolled his eyes laughing too.

"So, Clara." He started while she went for coffee "How do you feel about participating in TV?" She smiled with laziness for him and looked around. The scenario was huge, so different from the abstract theater, and cameras were everywhere. The place Jane tried to jump? Only a fake bridge with green screen in front of her.

"I was never in TV before. Just dramatics. Underground and so many alternative plays."

"I get it.  You were such a hippie and "mainstream" shows was never your thing."  He teased and she laughed. Jared sipped his coffee.

"Yes. Exactly this. I guess. It is overwhelming. And I need to remember there is no need to change my voice tone as in stage."

" But the magic, still remains?"

"Yes. Of course" she drank her coffee and it was too hot. The liquid burned her tongue and she swallowed before it could do more harm.

"Oofta! Gzzz" She shook her hands and blinked. Jared looked at her with amusement.

"Oofta? What the hell? "

"You're so rude!". She laughed.

"Your accent is more Canadian than the real Canadians."

"I don't have an accent. Pfff"

"Oh, oofta, my bad. You haven't"

"Shut up" She hid her smile with the plastic cup.

"Can I say something? I was really curious about you."

"Really?". Clara was a little bit uncomfortable because Jared was really handsome and talked almost in an intimidating very secure way "Andrew was looking for someone different. With ... With heart. Someone who could play Jane with perfection. He and Kripke were starting to be crazy about that. They were really pick. And now the cast is curious."

"She is a very deep girl. From what I already read. And thanks for letting me know people are curious about me. But I guess I met some of them." She answered with a joking/acid tone.

"Yes. You did. But the worst, not yet. And by worst I mean Jensen and...

"Hey weirdos" One playful voice was heard. She could see someone hugging Jared from behind.

"That's my girl" the voice said. Clara laughed. That, the intimacy the cast had, overwhelmed her. She was the new one. The outsider.

"Personal Space, perv" Jared said. "See Grant. This is what I mean. Get your hands out of my... Me"

"I don't think I can do it." He was in her view now, and she knew, from previous research, that he was Castiel, or Misca something. Her heart jumped a little bit when he smiled at her. His smile lit up his whole face.

"Jensen and I were watching you two." he looked at her, really friendly , wearing his show clothes and looking very excited with something. Clara associated him with one cute big kid. She liked it Immediately. The blue eyes weren't so intimidating as Jared.

"And I need to say ... You are damn good. That scene made Jensen emotional. The men is crying because of you " he said with exaggerated worry. Clara laughed. The way he talks making her lighter.

"I heard that before. From a friend of my ex. " She joked looking at him with a playful smile. He came closer to be part of her talk with Jared and took a coffee too. Clara was intrigued with that men who looked like one ball of energy and some cynicism.

"I liked her." He said to Jared, "Misha Collins, by the way." He gave her a smile and she thought he was handsome and charming in one unique way. His smile made her comfortable too.

"Clara Diaz Grant." She nodded at him using her big and ice break smile. Her heart was still a little crazy with so much news.

Misha, being all Misha, didn't hide how he liked it.

"Your smile is beautiful!"

"Thank you, handsome." Fuck, she couldn't understand why she went a full "Chandler Bing" mood when she felt anxious. Smiles and jokes always helped her, but sometimes she just wanted to kick herself in the ass. People miss judge her for superficial sometimes, because of that.

"You are welcome gorgeous girl." He blinked one eye at her like he told her one secret and Clara smirked at him. The older men drank some coffee and went off.

"Misha has no filter sometimes, gorgeous girl" Jared teased. She was about to answer his teasing but was interrupted.

"Clara, Jared. Back to the spot! Now! " They heard Tim saying and laughed before going back to the scene.

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One week later

Clara was taking her shower in her trailer trying really hard to clean the mess in her head. While filming, every time she made a mistake she joked about it to be easier on herself and maybe Eric was thinking he was right and she was, indeed, unprofessional.

She was feeling a little lonely and outsider once the cast knew each other for so long now. But she knew how to make friends. So it couldn't be a big deal. Right? Doubting herself never helped, so she just breathed. People... She would get along eventually.

And she was tired. She never thought one episode would take so long to film. Seven days non stop and she just left the set one day. Alex was surprised by her schedule and so as she. But her sensible musician boyfriend understood and was proud of her, as he said. She was tired, needing to hug Alex and tell him how overwhelming was filming 7/8 hours per day and meet so much people. She never ever gave a second thought to tv and cinema. Her focus was the stage and the adrenaline from a live audience.

What if someone thinks she was boring and never hang out with her? What if people in TV were fake and faking kindness just to turn her down later? What if the guys noted that she thinks they are hot? And make fun of her because of it? They were all attractive and she was so... Clara. She knows her traits in appearance, but on that moment.

"Oh boy"

She groaned under the water. And it was one week!!! One entire stressful week just for her first episode! They would be filming more 6!

"Can I do that?" she talked to herself while turning off the shower and taking a towel. "What if fandom don't like Jane?" She heard a knock on the door and dressed fast.

"Wait a minute" her soaked and messy hair would have attention later. She ran in her tiny trailer and opened the door. It was the cast. Well, some of them. Like Misha, Ruth, Donald, David Jensen and Rob Benedict. The last one she just knew by photos. Ruth was holding one tequila bottle and smiling in front of the rest of the guys. The redhead looked like someone who had that idea.

"Heeeey Clara" She said shaking the bottle in front of her "We have one tradition on set. All the new members need to go out with us and get wasted to be part of the family. Ok?" Clara smiled, surprised. It reminds her of her friends in Minneapolis

"I was thinking to go to home today..."

"No way" Rob said "Go, change and meet us in 15 minutes"

"Where are we going?"

"The best place ever" Ruth said " We really want to meet you" She looked at Jensen, who already filmed with her. Clara liked him, because he was calm and funny. He smiled.

"Go. Or Misha and Ruth will never let me alone" Clara smiled and closed the door to change and fix her hair.

She sent a message to Alex explaining the situation and he answered with a supportive text. He said that she needed to be friends with people of the show. Speaking of the cast, she got along with Jensen, because he was more sensible and had more subjects in common with her. She couldn't get along with the others yet. And Jared was competitive, she still didn't know how to deal with him.

Clara looked at her clothes options and tried to choose fast. She decided to put one warm, right on the knees, black dress. It looked like some boho coat and got along with her military boots. She put one dark green hood and red lipstick. It was cold out there. Her visual was warm and 70's hippie at the same time and she loved that. Because it felt so comfortable. No jeans could compete with a women in comfortable clothes and military boots.

"Ready to kick some Nazis face" she joked to herself in the mirror and laughed.

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"What do you think about her?" Ruth asked excited to go get drunk for a while. Jensen laughed.

"Well, she is very calm and funny."

"She is beautiful" Rob pointed with a smirk and Jensen smiled at him.

"Me too." He teased.

"She seems less conceited." Jensen send a kiss to Rob and the men rolled his eyes. "I'm very curious, in fact. Because of the 'Andrew seeking for his muse' story." Everybody agreed. They are waiting in front of Jensen's car, that was the bigger one and everyone could be together.

"What do you think, handsome?" Jensen said while moving his eyebrows to Misha who laughed and blocked his phone. He was on twitter doing who knows what all the time. Misha just moved his lips asking Jensen to fuck off.

They stopped to talk when Clara arrived. Misha saw her without Jane's outfit for the first time. She was walking toward them with one big and lazy smile. He liked her vibe and noted she had natural brown hair, it was wavy and messy. She was wearing some clothes that remember him of those girls from Coachella. When she was near him he could smell fresh shampoo and felt something weird on the top of his stomach, like wind.

"Where is Woodstock this time?" he teased with no self control. She rolled her eyes at him, but the playful expression was there yet.

"Far away from your sense of fashion. Moma boy." She looked him up and down and Misha fixed his sweater, self conscious.

"It is cold. Can't you feel with this bare legs?" Clara widened her eyes with his audacity

"It is style.  And yours is a nerd at level 10. And by 10, I mean you really look like a boy." She smiled with her chin up and Jensen petted her shoulder.

"First thing to being part of the group is to make fun of Misha."

"This..An...This is not true you idiot." Misha rolled his eyes, done with Jensen and Clara wink at him

"No hard feelings". He snorted in a over dramatic way and let it go by laughing

"So, let's go? Sorry to let you hanging, girl hair, cold weather. I needed to dry."

"You are forgiven" Jensen joked in a formal way and Clara smiled at him

"Thank you pop. I could never live without your pardon"

"Smartass. Let's go"

Jensen and Rob are at the front seats because they are talking about music. Clara was really interested in their subject but being between Misha and Ruth got her distracted. And they are drinking already.

"Still a secret. The place we go?" she drank from the bottle and closed her eyes.

"Yup" Misha said " We will initiate you in some dark ritual and if you don't go along we will kill you."

Clara looked at him scared and horrified, Misha would start to apologised, but she begin to say.

"Oh for Satan sakes" she looked at David "With all due respect" and then back to Misha "But how did you know about my weekends activities?". He almost closed his eyes, trying to answer her, but gave up and laughed.

"Smartmouth" he took the bottle from her and drank too.

The card ride wasn't so fast, but everyone was laughing a lot. Clara was feeling much better in that moment, tequila was helping. She talked to everybody all the way and really get along with Ruth and David. Misha was funny too, but he was on his phone a lot, Donald too. And that bothered Clara. She just hated technology sometimes.

They finally arrived. It was one little and hidden pub. Inside, all the decoration was with circus theme and lamps. Her heart jumped in that moment. If it wasn't a signal of the universe, that she needed to be on that place, with that people, on that moment, she didn't know what else could be.

The decoration already won her heart. It was so cool that she couldn't get ride of her smile. Every detail was magical Including the art on the walls.

The group went upstairs where the employees seems to know everyone. Clara sat in a dark and fluffy couch that  was circulating the table. She was sitting next to Ruth and Jensen. After everybody sat they started to order.

Clara was having a hard time controlling herself, because she wanted to snap Misha's hands if he didn't turned off that little evil machine, vulgarly called like a fruit. She just hated Apple sometimes.

"Hey guys, who is the new one?" Clara smiled at the guy with the menu in hands. He was hot, with tan skin and a great smile "Are you ready for the initiation ritual?"

"Of course. I already brought the dead kittens!" She smiled back and the guy nodded.

"I'm William​, by the way. We don't need dead kittens. Just tequila"

"Oh, so wasted kittens. I'm Clara Grant. The new one!"

"Welcome little last sis. Well, here's the glasses for the Tequila thing. Something more? A burger?"

"Clara is the guest. She will order." Clara smiled at Jensen and he was intrigued by the way her smile always looked like lazy. He bet it was weed.

David was putting tequila to everyone while Clara was choosing food.

"Well. Let's start with onions rings. But nothing dead. Please. I don't eat animals."

"Vegetarian team" Ruth high fived Clara and she stroke her own face as in a commercial.

"Make my skin younger"

"Hey Misha! Let's do that" David called and the blue eyed men smiled at him and left his phone.

"I'm almost done. Really!" he excused himself and everyone started to mumbling like him "I..I.. I'm telling them about Clara!! That's all."

"So, what I was talking about?" She challenged and rest her chin in her hand, looking defiant at him. Misha liked it and made the same sassy face at her.

"About you being a vegetarian."

"The millennials" you faked one exasperated tone. And it was more fun because Misha was a little offended.

"I'm not one!"

"I can see that" She sassy her way out of the conversation

"Younger and better is the biggest lie in our society" he joked back and lift his glass.

Everyone did the same and drank. Misha looked at her eyes, she felt her cheeks burning with his stare "And, as a buddhist I appreciate your vegetarian habits."

Clara smiled feeling the buzz heating her harder. She was with empty stomach and drank one more. She let the alcohol catch her mind and lessen her inhibitions.

People continue to talk and Misha went back to his phone. After the third shot she couldn't bring herself to stop what she did next.

"Give me this shit" and took the phone from Misha's hands.

"What are you doing?" He opened his mouth, rising his eyebrows to her. Then she stole everyone's phones, including her own, and took out her hood. She put the devices inside the hood and placed that in the center of the table "The first who take the phone will pay the bill."

"You are so bossy!" Misha teased and Clara smirked at him, almost flirting.

"I'm used to hear that too" he smiled and took another shot, eyes locked into hers

"Tequila's arrives the truth rises" Ruth said " Now, we will do the asking game. We will ask you a bunch of shame questions. If you answer the people who asked will drink. If you don't you drink. Ok?

"That is tricky. What If I lie?

"Like I said. Truth rises. And this night is to people get to know you. This really helps with our line of job. " Clara liked that. "So. I'm the first because I want to drink. How old are you and where are you from?"

"I'm not so young like I want and my home is Minneapolis." Ruth drank.

"I want to know." David started "Are you from natural communities or something? Because you look like so cool and natural" she smiled at him.

"I'm graduated in philosophy and I guess that is a yes because, you already saw philosophy students?"

"My turn!" Jensen asked excited and Clara looked at him curious "Do you have weed?" Everyone was laughing now. "I'm serious!" She smiled and drank without answered that one. Misha and Jensen exchange glances after that.

Of course she had, she just didn't want to smoke with her new work colleagues. That could be bad, if anyone tell to the boss or was too conservative.

"You said." Misha begin looking right in her eyes "That you had a couple of tattoos. Where and what?" Clara raised an eyebrow at him with a playful expression and stood up. She lifted a little bit of her dress exposing her right thigh.

"This is an Owl." Misha observed her light tan thigh exposed a little bit and a black and white draw.

"It is tribal making the Owl?" he asked interested. She nodded. No one could see a lot because she pulled the dress down fast.

"I have this one too" She lifted the dress from her left wrist. It was one little spaceship taking someone from the ground "I love the concept of abduction" Clara explained. Misha laughed at the explanation"The others are hidden.A dreamcatcher in my entire back. Another one here." She touched her right arm "It is one water color draw and said "Some kind of magic" because everyone needs it in their lives"

"You are such a poetry, aren't you? "Misha said with an enchanted smiled at her. "I will drink to that" She didn't know if he was being sassy or serious so she drank too.

Clara didn't know how things get to that, but once more beer and tequila was coming, more fun and personal things were said. She asked to her new friends a lot of things too and in some point off drunkenness buzz she went to the bathroom and was lost in the wallpaper's place.

It was a lot of white and black draws of clowns, trapeze artists and circus crew. So burlesque and magical. She missed her old friends, but was fine for now. Clara looked around and found one pen. Feeling very creative, she just follow her impulse.

Back on the table

"Hey, Clara is taking a lot of time." Donald pointed while Jensen and Rob are singing some stupid thing to Ruth. The redhead was laughing a lot. Everybody on that table was passing the point of drunk.

"Yeah. I will check." Misha offered "Do you remember Samantha? Passed out on the floor." Donald agreed and Misha went to the bathrooms. He saw Clara on the floor and for a second thought his assumptions were right. Only to see she was pretty awake and doing something on the wall. He approached her "Are you depriving the pub?"

Clara jumped and then smiled at him.

"I'm contributing" and waved with her head telling him to come closer. Misha smiled, impressed and a little too drunk. He saw that Clara drew one beautiful and perfect ballerina besides the other members of the crew "She was taking the picture, she couldn't show." the brunette explained to him like a secret "So I made some magic and did her appear."

Clara was so wasted that she begin to laugh a lot. He thought that she was very cute and nice at that moment. For him it was obvious that she had some artist vein for sure. Her doodle was very good.

"Someone saw my pen?" The bartender shouted at the people and Clara begin to laugh like a child. Misha left the pen on the balcony with an accomplice glance to her. In her drunkenness bliss Clara felt her cheeks burning with his smile.

"That will be our secret. You punk." Clara gave him the biggest smile of the night. The men felt his face red like he was a 12 years old boy. Of course he blamed tequila. "Let's going back."

After her little vandalism act she went back to the group. It was one wonderful time. Everyone laughed and get along really well. In some part of the night someone stole a phone and photos began to be taking. The bartender was a friend of Rob and he drive one wasted cast back to the studios. All of them had filming schedule in the next day. Clara's was just in afternoon. Her character, Jane, would meet Castiel and Garth. It would be fun once she already saw they very wasted face.

.

.

.

A/N: So this is the end of first chapter. You will see more of the cast for now. And so much more of Clara's point of view. I felt that it was important for her to be introduced before she met her love interest and everything, I just feel it. And, as explained before. This fanfiction is almost my laboratory, so feedbacks are more than welcome.

Well, be aware, I'm a hopeless romantic with a vein for drama. So, a lot of fluffy and anguish will be ahead of us for now. I don't know if I will update soon. My routine is really busy, but I will try once a week, I hope.

XOXO INFP Girl

List of chapters:

Prologue

[bisexualbellamyblake]

Happy new year, again, Rosie!! I'd like a drabble. I feel like we don't get enough flustered Clarke on the show so can you write a drabble with flustered Clarke + Bellamy's freckles. It could be canon or modern AU. Thanks for doing this, and you're amazing!

Three weeks later, and I finally got there. Sorry for sucking. Anyway, this fic is very ridiculous, deviates slightly from the prompt, and is a lot longer than originally anticipated, but I hope you enjoy it anyway, Hana :)

In retrospect, Clarke probably should’ve realised what was going on.

She’s in her third year of med school, after all, and usually has at least a basic level of common sense in her.

As it is, apparently Bellamy Blake makes her a bit of an idiot. And Bellamy Blake half naked? Well, Clarke’s not sure anyone can truly blame her for her brain short-circuiting and subsequently shutting down at the sight.

“You’re staring,” Raven comments easily, as he pulls off his top, leaving him in nothing but his swimming shorts.

And okay, Clarke at least has enough brain power to recognise that yes, she is staring, and it’d probably be a good idea to, you know — stop. But honestly, she’s not entirely sure how everyone on this goddamn beach isn’t watching him. Because Bellamy taking his top off definitely happened in slow-motion. With his skin glistening and his muscles rippling and his hair remaining perfectly dishevelled. That can’t have just been Clarke. She didn’t just imagine that.

But a quick glance to her friends, all still focused on their own tasks, tells her she did just imagine it. Which is a level above how her brain traditionally deals with her stupid feelings. Usually, she just fantasises about kissing him, or confessing her love, or worst of all, simply snuggling into his side and falling asleep. But this is some weird movie set shit her brain is delving into.

Which is probably the first sign that Clarke ignores.

“Shut up,” she mutters to Raven, spinning on her feet so she’s no longer facing Bellamy. He has a lot of nerve, being as beautiful as he is.

“I’m just saying,” Raven muses, ignoring Clarke’s response as she pulls out her towel and lays it down on the sand. “It’s likely that you’ll die today. Like, you barely keep it together as it is, and now you have to spend all day with him half naked. So, you know, just let me know how nice you want your casket to be.”

“If you think I want to be anything but cremated, you don’t know me very well.”

Raven snorts as Clarke helps lower her down onto her towel. “As someone who works in the medical field, your genuine belief that people can accidentally be buried alive is a weird one.”

“It could happen,” Clarke says, kicking Raven lightly in the shoulder when she just cackles.

“What could happen?” She hears from behind her, and when Clarke turns around there’s Bellamy, smile wide and eyes dazzling and freckles standing out so clearly against his warm golden skin. It’s a lot to take in all at once.

“Clarke could die of dehydration from being so thirsty,” Raven supplies unhelpfully, cocking an amused eyebrow when Clarke shoots her a dirty look.

“What?” Bellamy asks, frowning in confusion.

“Ignore her,” Clarke says, thankful that internet lingo isn’t really a strong point of his. “She’s being an asshole.”

“No surprise there.”

“You love me, Blake.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Bellamy mutters with a small quirk of his lips. And then he looks back at Clarke, smile widening into a bright grin, and her brain kind of short-circuits again. “Want me to do your back?”

And, yeah, that certainly doesn’t help. Clarke blinks once, unable to get anything out but, “What?”

“Your back,” he repeats slowly, amused. When she just stares at him, probably resembling a deer in headlights, he continues, cocking an eyebrow. “You burn pretty quickly, princess. You really should put on sunscreen.”

“Oh right,” Clarke breathes out, shaking her head. She feels very warm suddenly, and it’s messing with her head. When Bellamy just keeps watching her with that amused expression of his, she realises she hasn’t actually answered him, and quickly amends. “Yeah, um. Thanks. That’d be, um — good,” she finishes lamely.

Bellamy chuckles, sending her a funny look as she grabs her bottle of sunscreen and passes it to him. And then she’s tugging off her top and turning around, and Bellamy’s hands are on her, and it’s like the universe is trying to punish her for some past life atrocity. Because his hands are large and rough and perfect, rubbing deep into her skin, and it’s hard not to imagine this exact same feeling in a very different context.

She feels a flush rise quickly on her chest at the thought, can’t help but sway back into Bellamy’s touch a little, but thankfully he doesn’t seem to notice, continuing with his task easily.

“Okay,” he announces a good minute later, running his hands down her back one last time. “I’m done. Do me?”

“What?” She asks, dazed, and when her brain catches up, “Oh, uh — yeah, of course,” she stutters out, feeling like a fourteen year old with her first crush again.

Of course, having her hands on Bellamy doesn’t help much, not with the way she feels the warmth of his skin and the tautness of his muscles, or the fact that she zones in on the freckles running down his back, all the way to the bottom of his scapulae before they pepper out.

It’s like the sun kissed each individual one onto his skin just to torture Clarke. She fucking loves his freckles.

And yes, she sees his freckles all the time, but for some reason they’re particularly mesmerising today, tugging on Clarke’s mind until it unravels a little. She feels herself rock backwards without really meaning to, stumbling in her stance, and has to brace herself using Bellamy’s shoulders.

Which is definitely the second sign, and once again, one she ignores.

It doesn’t get any better after that.

The water is lovely, of course, and the weather just as much, with the sun high and bright in the sky. And Clarke loves hanging out with her friends, enjoys swimming around with them and attempting to body surf, even finds herself joining in on the seaweed fight that breaks out when Miller cops some in the face curtesy of Jasper.

But she doesn’t feel completely right, skin hot and tight and mind muddled enough that she misses when people try to talk to her a few times. Her eyes keep getting caught on Bellamy’s form, from the curls stuck to his forehead to the golden brown of his chest, and when it gets bad enough that she feels slightly faint, she decides it’s time to get back onto solid ground.

“You okay?” Raven asks, when she joins her back on the beach, flopping down heavily on her towel. She still feels all hot and flustered, and apparently looks it too, if Raven’s concerned tone is anything to go by. “You don’t look good, babe. You need some water?”

And yeah, it’s kind of embarrassing that even that sign, spelt out right there in front of her, practically flashing to get her attention, isn’t enough for Clarke to realise something’s up.

Something other than the ridiculous explanation she’s come up with for feeling so out of it.

“I’m fine,” she mutters, beginning to fan her face with her hands. She just feels so dazed, and it’s absolutely absurd that seeing Bellamy like he is today is affecting her so much. It’s honestly normally not this bad. “I just — I don’t understand how he looks this good,” she explains, knowing Raven will catch on to her complaints quickly. “It’s like… it’s like he’s specifically trying to torture me.”

Raven laughs, sending Clarke a sly grin. “He’s probably just trying to look irresistible enough that you finally make a move.”

Clarke groans, letting her head drop back even as she shakes it in denial. “You’re delusional,” she sighs, eyes falling shut. They feel heavy, probably because they’ve had to look at something so beautiful for over an hour, which is totally a logical explanation.

“Yeah, I’m the delusional one,” Raven mutters lowly, and Clarke throws an arm out in an attempt to hit her, only to feel sand beneath her skin instead. “Okay, seriously, you’re acting even weirder than usual,” Raven says, voice etching on concerned. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” Clarke responds, stressing her point by waving her arms out wildly. She can practically feel Raven’s disbelief in the silence that follows, and sighs loudly. “Okay,” she eventually continues, words slurring slightly. “This is what it is. He’s a beautiful, freckled man, and my body can no longer handle it, probably because it knows my love is unrequited and I’m going to die alone, and therefore wants to punish me.”

“Uh huh,” Raven responds after a very long beat, voice slightly strangled. Then, “Babe?”

“Hm?”

“You, um, might want to look up.”

“Why?” Clarke huffs, opening her eyes to throw Raven a glare for making her do something that requires effort, only to find Bellamy standing right in front of her, eyes wide and mouth parted as he watches her closely. She blinks, feels her face heat up even as her brain sort of decides to shut down. “Oh.”

“I just came to check up on you,” he says, voice inscrutable. His brows pull together and he runs a hand through his hair, and Clarke watches in mute horror as any possible explanation for her words escapes her. “Who were you…”

“What?” she asks, shaking her head quickly as though it could rid her of his question. “No one,” she says, and without much thought at all stumbles up to her feet, just needing to get away.

She makes it one step before the world goes fuzzy around the edges, and all at once a wave of nausea floods her.

“Woah, woah. Clarke,” she hears in Bellamy’s voice, as a pair of strong hands quickly circle her around the arms, keeping her upright even as she feels her whole body waver, losing every ounce of energy.

“Bell,” she breathes out, blinking up slowly to look at him, catching his worried expression and his big, brown eyes.

She sees him say something, his mouth moving as though he’s calling out her name, but his words are lost to the sound of blood rushing past her ears, and the next thing she knows, the galaxy across his face fades until it’s nothing but the dark night sky, and she’s out.

*

Clarke’s fainted once before in her life. It was when she was nine years old, and trying to beat her personal record of thirteen cartwheels in a row.

When she woke up it was to Wells’ worrying, and the first thing she asked him was if she beat her record. She had, getting a fourteenth cartwheel before she apparently stood up, stumbled, and fell back down again, and it was an exciting enough revelation that Clarke viewed the whole experience in a positive light.

This time, the first thing she says when she’s awake and semi-coherent is: “Your freckles.”

It comes out slurred and somehow accusatory, and Bellamy’s brow furrows in confusion as he watches her closely. Her head is in his lap, and his hands are gently stroking her face, and Clarke has enough brain activity to recognise that it feels really, really nice.

And also, that she accidentally confessed her love to Bellamy.

“Okay,” Bellamy says, sweeping her hair from her forehead. “I caught you before you fell, so there’s no way you have a concussion. Want to try that again?”

Clarke shakes her head, struggles to sit up and lets Bellamy help her when she can’t on her own. Her mind is still sluggish, and so she doesn’t stop herself from continuing to talk. Just, you know, to knock in that final nail that is her coffin. Or however it is you prepare an urn.

“Your freckles,” she says, frowning when Bellamy’s lips pull up into a smile. “They — they made me confused. And flustered. And I couldn’t — I couldn’t think.”

“Okay, I’m only a history teacher and I definitely know that that’s not how things work.” His smile widens when Clarke frowns, and he passes her a bottle of water. She takes it and downs it greedily, not having realised how thirsty she was until the first drop of water hit her lips. She feels worlds better for it, her head clearing of its cloudiness and her body feeling a lot stronger. “When’s the last time you ate?”

“What?” Clarke asks, confused again.

“The last time you ate,” Bellamy repeats, reaching behind her to grab something. Clarke looks over her shoulder to find Raven, somehow both looking concerned and amused, handing Bellamy a banana and a bag of jelly lollies. “Or had any water, for that matter.

“I don’t know,” Clarke mutters, feeling herself flush all at once because oh my fucking god, she is such a fucking idiot. “Last night, I guess.”

Bellamy shakes his head, peeling the banana before handing it over.

“Eat,” he tells her, tone leaving absolutely no room to argue. Not that Clarke would, now that she recognises that her feeling faint was not the result of Bellamy Blake’s freckles like she originally thought, but instead a combination of low blood sugar, mild dehydration and heat exhaustion. You know, the more logical explanation. Seriously, she’s in med school. This is beyond embarrassing.

She does eat, finishing the banana quickly before taking a few of the jelly lollies, getting some sugar into her system.

“So, let me get this straight,” Bellamy says after a good minute of just watching her eat. Clarke feels herself blush furiously, and she’s honestly wondering how much of an overreaction it would be to move to the other side of the world tomorrow. But she confessed her love to Bellamy, fainted in his arms, and then told him it was because of his freckles, all in about a three minute time span. The mountains of New Zealand sound pretty damn good right now. “You skip breakfast,” Bellamy begins to list off, pulling Clarke from her spiralling thoughts, “forget to drink any water, go to the beach on a ninety five degree day, and when you feel flustered you think it’s because of me.”

He sounds amused, but something more too. Hopeful, maybe, and it sends a pang of warmth through Clarke’s chest. A good pang, not an I’m-going-to-faint-again pang.

“Have you seen you?” She asks, tentative, and when Bellamy ducks his head in a shy grin she feels herself smile. “It made a lot more sense in my mind.”

Bellamy’s laugh comes out surprised and delighted, and when he looks back up his eyes are shining bright and his smile is as happy as Clarke ever remembers seeing. Again, it’s a lot to take in, but the flutter beneath her skin is a distinctly good kind.

“So if I kiss you right now, because your love in not at all unrequited, is there any chance you’ll faint again?”

“No,” Clarke responds quickly, shaking her head. “I’m in med school; I know these things.”

He’s grinning even as he rolls his eyes. “Yeah, I don’t trust you at all,” he says, but Clarke’s already reaching out to pull him down, guiding his mouth to hers.

His lips are warm and soft, and she sighs against them, slanting her mouth against his to better the angle. She deepens the kiss quickly, lets her tongue trace the seam of his lips until it slides against his, and then Bellamy’s pulling her onto his lap and Clarke’s hands are tangling into his hair, and they’re kissing like they don’t want to be doing anything else in the entire world.

She only pulls away when she starts feeling faint again, but it’s the good kind of breathless this time. The one that comes with being thoroughly kissed.

Plus, Bellamy basically just told her he loved her too, and that thought is enough to send her mind spinning a little.

She probably should eat some more, before they continue making out.

“I kind of died seeing you in this bikini,” Bellamy tells her as he rests his forehead against hers.

Clarke laughs softly. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” he says, hands tracing up her sides to reach the band of her bathers top. “But unlike some people, I recognise the importance of eating and staying hydrated, so you probably couldn’t tell.”

Clarke groans, dropping her head onto Bellamy’s shoulder as his body shakes with laughter. “You’re never gonna let me live this down, are you?”“Yeah, absolutely not.”

“Can’t say I blame you,” she mutters, moving off of his lap to sit beside him instead. As much as she wishes she could, she can’t exactly keep making out with him on a public beach, in front of strangers. In front of their friends.

Remembering that little fact, Clarke turns around to find Raven staring back at her, thankfully alone, but looking altogether incredibly unimpressed.

“I can’t believe you literally had to faint into his arms to work out your shit,” she says, and Clarke shrugs even as Bellamy snorts out a laugh at the comment.

Tucking herself into his side and lacing their fingers together, it’s had to find a part of her that cares.

“Whatever works.”