#I keep them close to the chest because I'm still scared of losing that spark

[shitpostingkats]

Obsessed with these tags OP omg

First of all, how dare you stab me in the heart with that comparison to Jesse. I can absolutely see it. Now I want to know how Jesse would come into play in all this- Cod I love Spiritshipping they were meant for each other <3

Second, I know I already requested Yuya and Jaden interactions (and oh boy did you deliver), but now you have me intrigued. Like it doesn't even have to be the groupchat AU, I'm just genuinely curious now how you think Jaden would interact with all four of the Yu Boys. I am giving you an excuse to write Jaden and Yuri interacting also because to be completely honest I love Yuya to bits and pieces but Yuri has always been my favorite of the four. <3 "Yuri is the violence" Dear cod I want to see the two of them tear into someone. I have no idea who exactly but they would be terrifying. Give them an audience perchance. Maybe the rest of the protags. (I live for reactions) I'm living for this.

Jaden meets them and it's like witnessing all the parts of himself he keeps tucked to his chest exposed for everyone to see. He sees Yuto and wants to wrap him in a hug and tell him nothing was his fault. (He's a hypocrite, he knows he (Jaden) deserved everything he got. He didn't, he really didn't) He sees Yuya and sees the mask he's put up for so long, sees his attitude of "maybe if I ignore this then it'll all go away" and wonders if his own mask ever looked this close to cracking. He sees Yugo and wants to scream and tear his hair out because when did he lose that part of himself? When did the mask truly become a mask, when did he lose that spark that made life seem actually worth living? (He knows damn well when he lost it.) He sees Yuri and sees a world where he gave in completely to the madness, where he found comfort in the pain because it was the one time he truly felt like he was in control. He wonders what it cost him, if it cost anything at all. He wonders what friends he sacrificed to get where he is now, and if it was worth it. He looks into his eyes and thinks maybe it was. He wonders if maybe their worlds aren't as dissimilar as he first thought. (That thought alone might scare him more than anything.)

It's late and I'm not very good with words (at the moment at least) But you have got me HOOKED and you are currently my only source for this dynamic, I will be plaguing your ask box for a good week at least, I hope you know this- (Feel free to tell me to chill out at any time btw, I just saw your blog description and took that as a personal challenge sdfghj /lh)

Much love <3

*hands you back your worksheet and it looks like this*

*hands you stickers hands you a candy from the candy bowl, never worry about blowing up my inbox, I love hearing from people, hands you a tangerine*

Bestie you are doing such a good job thank you for the kind words, also your mind. I hadn't realized the potential for Yugo + Jaden interactions until you started messaging, now I am rocked by the implications. Now I have to write the yu-bois into the gc au. Can't promise I'll publish anything anytime soon, but I'm always excited to talk about these funny card game guys.

Yuri and Jaden the reformed supervillain and the still-thinks-he-has-to-be-the-evil-brother. Jaden is trying to nudge the guy in the right direction but totally worried because he is only barely older than him and still kinda a mess, meanwhile Yuri would gladly sell Jaden for one corn chip but also belligerently hangs out with him because he kinda is one of the best fusion duelists in the world, maybe he can learn some things. Yuri is like "Let's rob this 7/11! >:3" and Jaden is like "Oooh! There's a deal on slushies!"

Reformed murder hobo in the body of a college student tries to reform child murder hobo: seven injured, Yugo's on the roof, more on this story at 11.

[009720kakashi]

medikits

Kira stayed silent during her scolding, her tears now staining the tops of her cheeks. Kakashi didn't trust her at all and she didn't blame him. She no longer trusted herself. But she didn't know what to say. Even if she hadn't meant to or didn't remember it, apparently she'd done it and... that was enough to lose the one strand of hope she was holding on to. This morning she'd bought treats for a new furry friend, wanted to read a new book and had some kind of spark of joy at the thought that maybe... she could connect with people again. To be liked for who she was. Somehow she had this funny idea that the man who'd been sent to kill or capture her, could be the first. In the end, that was a very naive idea anyway, but she still somehow believed it a little. She felt the vile of poison nuzzled in her chest. Something she always kept close to heart in a place that it was unlikely anyone would check, being that it was so personal. It was one of the first inventions of Kira's design. A poison strong enough to kill her faster than she could regenerate. Developed by mixing venom of various species of snakes. Having been so scared of becoming someone she hated. Of becoming like *him* she made it as a pact to herself. It's time... then. Isn't it? Yet, Konoha wanted her alive before dead. That was troublesome now. A blessing turned curse. Her personal mission was now in contrast with Kakashi's. "It doesn't really matter though, whether I remember it or not. It still happened, and it's my fault." Kira wasn't one to make excuses, or to point to her tormentor for her problems. Her issues were hers to solve and if she didn't solve them, then nothing else mattered. It wasn't like they were friends and that was good in this case. It meant she knew he'd stop her at any means necessary which was of some comfort to her even if she was also afraid of somehow hurting him. "I'm sorry you have to do all this because of me." She added, her voice sounding dead already, not at all fighting the restraints. "Whatever it is you want me to do, I'll do. But... if for some reason I'm not listening and... I hope that doesn't happen but I feel really scared and confused because apparently that... can happen... um. Well. I'm... I'm sure you'll do what needs to be done." She said, knowing he would.

He would not discuss this or console her. First he barely knew her and second he was not qualified for that. The thing was it did not make any sense. By burning down the village she had actually made it even easier to find her. Even without it they got her scent. He would have found her sooner or later.

“Well I guess we can agree that something is going on with you. I doubt we will find out what it is here. If the intention was running, that was one bad execution though. I would assume you are smarter than that considering you have managed to stay hidden for such a long time.”

He bit his thumb, went to the seals and with a ‘Kuchynose no jutsu’ smashed his hand on the ground. Two quite wolfish looking dogs disappear. 

“I’d recommend no patting if you want to keep your hand” he said as a warning. Not all of his summons were as civil as Pakkun. These two were a little more on the violent side. Also wonderful trackers. 

“Maa I think you just try to not make a fuss and if you do, the Sharingan will give a bit of support ne?”

He loosened the ties around her ankles and pulled her up. 

“Come then…I suppose you’ll prefer to run on your own and not be carried.”

He sure would prefer that. If not he might summon Bull after all for carrying. 

A Mission for the Lost - RP

@009720kakashi

Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up from his seated position behind his desk after he’d summoned the ANBU Captain Hatake, Kakashi to his office. Walking around to the front of the desk, he looked over to the door to ensure that it was shut from any prying eyes or ears before he spoke.

“I regret that I don’t have more time to check in with you, considering all that you do for the village, but I have a pressing mission that I can only entrust to you. This is a S-rank mission and yet I can only send you alone, which I will explain in a moment.” He said, sighing for a moment as he looked towards the window, which was closed off with blinds, then he looked back at the masked shinobi.

“I’ve kept information about this individual to a minimum thus far, but as new revelations have surfaced, I cannot allow their rot to spread into our village and endanger our people now knowing what form it takes. You are being tasked with the retrieval of a woman named Kitsune Kira. I will give you a picture of her likeness, although our only reference is from when she was just a child, in which she always wore a mask and cloak. Her eyes will likely be the most telling feature if you come across her.” Sarutobi explained, now handing the scroll of information to Kakashi, and the picture along with it. In said picture, was a nervous looking girl, clasping her small hands together in front of her with bright blue eyes and a short ponytail kept high with bangs framing her face despite a slate grey mask covering half of it and her hood hiding much of her hair besides a few clues of the style she wore.

“I assume you don’t remember her, but she attended academy during your years there as well.” Sarutobi didn’t go much more into detail on that topic, knowing it would likely not matter anyway. Instead, he continued on with the intel. 

“It was long suspected that she murdered her parents before abandoning the Leaf Village at the age of nine. Suspected, though not confirmed. Considering she had not been heard or seen again, even after several tracking-nin were sent after her, I thought it might be possible that she ran off and took her own life after finding her parents dead. That is, until recent reports were brought forth. I didn’t know her well, but from the word of her teammates and squad leader, she was a gentle girl.” Sarutobi said, recalling the many testimonies to vouch for her, only to slowly turn into rumors instead when enough time had passed. “You are the first one to know this besides myself and a select few others, but her abilities of regeneration were the result of an experiment conducted by Orochimaru with her mother’s approval when she was not yet born. In theory, Kira is a living anomaly, as she was not expected to survive long enough to be born alive. The only prevailing theory about why she might have done such a heinous thing is that it’s possible Kira found out about the nature of her existence and something inside her broke.” As Sarutobi paused his speech, the air weighed heavy before he continued his briefing. “The woman is clever, if rumors prove true. Therefore, I do not want to send out a squad, it will attract too much attention. Not just that, but you’re one of the best tracking ninja the ANBU has, so I feel as though sending you alone should be enough to finish this.” He said, but there was a hesitance in his eyes as he was about to say his next statement, but it disappeared a moment later as he looked at the masked ninja.

“I need you to track down this ghost of Konoha’s past and put an end to it. I prefer that you bring her back alive once you find her, but if that proves to be an impossibility, then I will need you to bring back her body instead.” After a pause, he continued. “You may set out as soon as you are ready.”

[ladytemeraire]

🌻

I originally thought when it came to writing, I would just have Alastrine’s story and that would be it. I love coming up with stories for my characters, but for the longest time I’ve only had a very small roster. I never got the hang of an ensemble cast; it always felt like too many characters to juggle and intersecting plotlines to keep track of. So I kept myself limited, and tried to focus on making those characters and their story as good as possible.

But then… just within the last year, I started branching out more. Started having other ideas, with new characters. And as weird as it sounds, I think it was a sign that I was starting to recover. See, depression for me doesn’t look like sadness; it looks like anhedonia, losing joy in the things I love and losing my creative spark, and letting them lapse because I just… can’t. (This is what I was kvetching about on Twitter earlier.)

I distinctly remember waking up one day last year, with Shara’s story slam-dunked in my brain fully-formed like Athena, and scrambling to write down a rough outline before it disappeared. Frantic and scared, trying to hang onto it because I was terrified it would disappear, and then scared when it didn’t, when I kept coming back to it. And I just vividly remember sitting there and having the thought: “I’m going to be okay.” And just… crying on my bed, because I knew I was going to be okay, and I never thought I’d get there. And all it took was a story idea, lighting a fire under me one more time.

Long story short, now I have three original stories I’m working on, plus probably half a dozen fic ideas, and at least two of those original projects are trying to become series rather than standalones because my characters are little shits, and I’m just kind of sitting here wondering how I lost control of my writing life and I could not be happier. I know these names make no sense to anyone but me right now, but I know what they mean. I know who they are, and I can’t wait to share their stories with the world.

Anyway. Thank you for the ask and for letting me ramble!

(send me a flower)

[autismsubway-remade]

comfort and kittens (aka: purring cats solve all trauma the fic) TC*ST DNI!!!! I WILL EXPLODE YOU

tws for: injury, blood, implied character death (nightmares amirite)

The sky was red and foggy, the smell of smoke and metal thick in the air. Their ventilator had stopped working weeks ago, and they could feel each breath agitating their probably-broken ribs. Their good leg burned with exertion and various still unwashed cuts, and their bad leg (or stump, to be precise) felt like it was about to fall off again. 

Their prosthetic was barely functioning.

But Donnie kept going.

Because Mikey was in much worse shape than they could ever be. Barely alive, pulse fading by the second, blood a steady drip from his nose and mouth.

"Leo, come in Leo! Please, please just answer me you-"

"D-nnie? You'r- cu-tin- out rea– bad."

"Fuck! Leo, Mikey's hurt bad. Please, we need a portal, something, anything! The Kraang is on our trail and-"

The comms cut off. Donnie cursed loudly, shoulders aching from the weight of their battle shell. 

They heard crackling behind them, the sound of metal grating against itself and a loud crash.

"Dee! Fuck, are you alright?"

"Leo, I need you to take Mikey and portal out of here."

"But what about you?"

Donnie placed a hand against their side, grimacing as it came back covered in blood. 

Their blood.

"I'm not done here yet. If I'm gonna die, I'm going out with a bang. Now get out of here!"

"Donnie, please, you don't have to do this! Please, I can't-" Leo's voice broke. "I can't lose you too. What about Casey? And April?"

"They'll understand."

They could hear the Kraang's dogs in the distance.

"They're coming!"

"Donnie, please! Just- Just come with me, I can fix you up-"

"I'm sorry Leo, but you can't."

Donnie pushed Leo into his portal along with Mikey.

"I love you. All of you. I'm sorry I never said it enough."

Mikey's eyes snapped open, frantic and wide.

"DONNI-"

Donatello woke up with a gasp, cold sweat clinging to their skin and side aching. Their hand instinctively went to cover their side, fully expecting their hand to come back covered in blood again.

It didn't.

They looked around, vision blurred without their glasses or contacts.

Donnie took a deep breath once they realized they were in their room.

They were okay.

The door banged open and their heart rate spiked.

They snapped their head towards the door to see Mikey standing in the doorway, hands sparking with a familiar orange energy and tears already welling up in his big blue eyes. 

Suddenly Michelangelo was barreling into their chest, shaking with heaving choked off sobs.

Donnie placed a soft kiss on the top of their little brother's head.

"It's alright Mikey. I'm okay."

They ignored the way their own eyes burned.

Donnie let Mikey sob into their plastron, rubbing his shell while maneuvering a blanket around his shoulders.

"Dee, I- I was so scared. I, I knew what was happening, but I couldn't wake up! It felt so-"

"I know Angelo. I know." Their voice broke softly, betraying their emotions.

"I keep having them. The- The dreams, or memories. Leo 'nd Raph too. But.. That was the first time you were in one."

"Well, at least I looked cool." Donnie chuckled wetly. They held Mikey closer, shaking.

"I- Fuck, I thought you were gonna die, Mikey. I don't-" Their voice hitches on a sob, tears finally falling. "I don't think I could handle that. I know I couldn't."

Mikey sniffles and looks up at Donnie.

"I couldn't either..I don't wanna keep seeing these memories Dee. I don't need to know how future me died and yet I do. We all do now."

"Yeah. That's fucked."

"And Casey. He-" Mikey chokes back another sob. "He barely even knows Raph. He saw both me and Leo die right before coming back here. He doesn't deserve that. He's just a kid.."

"So are we, Angelo. It's fucked up." Donnie whispers, pulling Mikey close enough to hear his heartbeat and letting the relief soothe them.

"Is..Is it bad that I wanna check on him? And the rest of our brothers? I just.."

"Need to know they're okay. I get it. Lemme get my glasses quickly."

Donnie wipes their eyes before pulling on their favorite purple hoodie and putting on their glasses. Mikey wraps the blanket tighter around himself.

They both walk over to the living room to see Raph, Leo and Casey around each other in a pile. Leo is the only one awake.

He takes one look at both of their tearstained faces and sighs. 

"One of those nights, huh?"

"Yeah. I was thinking of taking Angelo up to the surface with me for some fresh air."

"Alright, just be careful. I'll make sure to tell Raph if he wakes up before you're back."

"Thanks 'Nardo. Love you."

"Ah, you both had the Donnie Dream I see."

"The one where I die? Yeah. We did."

Leo clicks his tongue softly.

"Yeah, that's one of the worst ones. Anyways, go get your fresh hairs or whatever. Love you too, by the way. Also, you should put something on Mikester. It's cold out."

Mikey grabs a hoodie quickly and pulls it on.

Leo idly pets Casey's hair as he sleeps and shoos the two away.

Donnie and Mikey make their way out of the lair and Donnie takes them into a familiar alleyway.

"So, where are we going?"

"You'll see."

"I think I hear.."

Mikey gasps when they stop in front of a box. Inside is a pile of wriggling, energetic kittens.

"Behold! It's babies!"

Mikey squeals as quietly as possible. The kittens squeal back, jumping at Donnie's hand.

"Yes, yes, I know, you're hungry despite eating all the time."

They sit down on the ground and let the kittens climb over their hoodie. The smallest one mews loudly as it beelines towards their shoulder, licking Donnie's cheek excitedly. Donnie chuckles.

Mikey looks on in awe.

"Sit down Angelo, they're very friendly I promise. Though they do nip, as they're teething."

Mikey sits down and tries not to shake too much as three kittens jump off of Donnie and into his lap. The kitten on Donnie's shoulder purrs loudly.

"What's that ones name? The one on your shoulder?"

"Her name is Bitty, because she's very small."

"I love her. So. Much."

"Me too, Mikey."

"We should take her home! She really likes you!"

"I'd have to ask her mother permission first."

Donnie makes a 'pspspspsp' noise with their mouth and a larger cat comes running by, tail up in the air and nearly vibrating. 

"Oh, is that Momma?"

"Yep! Her name is Megabyte because she kept biting me at first."

Mikey laughs as Megabyte curls up in Donnie's lap and bats at their fingers playfully.

"I think you're about to have two cats Dee."

"Yeah, probably." Megabyte grabs her daughter off of Donnie's shoulder and starts grooming her despite her very loud protests. Mikey scoots closer to Donnie and the kittens on his lap begin climbing onto their mother. 

"There's only three other kittens..And there's three more of us…"

"Mikey.."

"C'mon Dee! Pleeeease?" Mikey gives Donnie his best puppy eyes, and Donnie feels their heart quickly starting to melt. 

"..Fine. I'll bring them down in the box. It has their blankets and toys in it."

"How long have you been caring for Megabyte and her kittens?"

"About 5 weeks now."

"Ohhh…Did you see them when they were little beans?"

"In fact, I did!"

"AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?!"

"To be fair, Megabyte was still slightly aggressive at that point."

Mikey huffs and pouts exaggeratedly.

"Well, at least I get to see them now!"

An orange kitten climbs into Mikey's lap and starts playfully biting at his fingers and kneading his thigh.

Mikey makes a sound like a deflating balloon.

"You can name that one. He's the biggest of the litter, but he used to be kind of a runt."

"I'm naming him Burrito."

"...Fitting."

The time passes quietly, the kittens and their mom falling asleep in a soft purring pile. Donnie scoops them gently into the box they prepared for them. Mikey gets up and dusts off his knees and they both make their way back to the lair.

Raph, Casey and Leo wake up to a kitten asleep on each of their heads, and Megabyte curls up next to Splinter on his couch.

Burrito falls asleep in Mikey's hoodie pocket, and Bitty curls up against Donnie's shoulder.

The next time April visits she's swarmed by excited kittens and nearly has a heart attack then and there.

[ethereal-blossom]

I would like to request a scenario where Dazai and Atsushi comfort a fem reader who is being hospitalized because of asthma. I've been having problems and would really appreciate some comfort. Thank you for reading and thank you if you write for this!

a/n: i hope you're doing much better and even though i'm late, i hope it can still bring you a little comfort or at least some fluff💞

"another job done during the afternoon. we're perfectly on schedule," kunikida said while writing in his book.

dazai rested his hands behind his head. "too bad. i purposely went slow on them."

"yOu- i don't care. the job is finished right on time and.."

the sound of dazai's phone kindly interrupted his partner from ending his sentence. dazai grinned when he saw your name on the screen. "ah, that's y/n! she must have felt how annoying you became and is now calling to save me." your significant other picked up the phone and greeted you lovely.

however, he could easily sense that something was off by the way you said dazai's name. "i need you. dazai, i- i need you. i'm at the hospital." you started to sniffle.

even though dazai's heart was painfully bonking against his chest, he mentioned to stay calm. "love, calm yourself down. tell me what happened."

"i had an asthma attack this morning and even my inhaler couldn't help me. the doctors said they want to keep me here for a few hours, just for my safety. and i know you're working but- i need you, dazai."

dazai, who became numb after he heard how unsafe you must have felt in your own body, added warmth to his voice when he said he would come immediately.

kunikida looked at his partner. "dazai? is everything okay with y/n?"

as response, dazai turned his back towards kunikida and started to walk away. dazai tried to make his voice sound unbothered. "she needs me. you have to finish without me today."

now, kunikida would have yelled at his partner if it wasn't for dazai's facial expression. he and dazai didn't always share the same ideas, but kunikida could tell dazai was not the one to mess with if the spark in his eyes had died.

and kunikida was right. dazai ran the minute he was out of his partners sight. you see, behind that numb expression hit fear, the forever fear to lose the one person who made him see the worth in living.

__

after dazai had stepped out of the cap, he had taken a few seconds to collect his feelings. showing any sense of worry, panic or fear wouldn't do both of you any good. he had to show his casual charm to convince you that everything was going to be all right.

so, when dazai walked into your room his face was decorated with an attractive smile on his lips.

yet dazai found himself unable to talk seeing how vulnerable you looked. words weren't needed though. the spark in your eyes when you saw him made him convinced that his presence was enough to make you feel assured.

"you gave me quite enough of a good reason to leave kunikida alone, love. although i do appreciate the sacrifice, i prefer for you to not do that again."

you smiled. "i'm glad i could be of service to you."

dazai took a sit next to your bed and grabbed your hand softly. his thumb carefully stroke your skin. "is there anything we could do to prevent a situation like this from happening again?"

"one of the doctors will discuss it with me later in the afternoon. thankfully, my symptoms have decreased. so, it's going to be okay."

your significant other started to stare intensely into your eyes, not breaking any eye contact with you. dazai brought your hand to his lips and kissed it gently.

"in that case, don't scare me like that ever again or i might keep you next to my side forever. and trust me, kunikida is a pain in the ass to have around."

you smiled. "everything is better when you are around."

dazai closed his eyes and he allowed himself to smile for a second. when he looked up at you again, his eyes held softness in them. "you must have lacked a lot of oxygen to think that."

"or you have a lack of common sense to not realize it's true. at least, for me it's true."

dazai bent over you and put his hand on the place where your heart was hidden. "it was worse than i thought. i'm glad i came on time. i should give you mouth to mouth now it's not too late."

"i don't think that's how it works-"

dazai's lips tenderly brushed yours. "that's exactly how it works, my love."

and he kissed you.

"is it coming up yet?" dazai asked.

atsushi let out a soft groan. "i don't mean to sound ungrateful, dazai, but- isn't it your task to fill in these reports?"

"oh my- atsushi!" dazai gasped. "don't tell me you want to tell me that you try to tell me that you don't see this as an important learning process?"

"no, no! i- it's very informative. i have almost finished it." atsushi blushed and started to type ahead. your significant other was almost done when his phone started to ring.

"you might want to take that one immediately, atsushi. it's y/n," ranpo announced.

"oh? then it must be very important." and undoubtedly, ranpo was right. it was your name that appeared on atsushi's screen.

"hey y/n, is there anything you need? ranpo said that you-"

"please, can you come to the hospital? one of my asthma attacks was really bad and- i want you here with me, atsushi."

atsushi's eyes widen from shock. "of course i'm coming. immediately. it won't take me long. just, tell me that you are okay?"

after you reassured your significant other that you were okay he finally hang up.

"dazai, ranpo, i have to go. it's y/n. i have to be with here now." and with that, atsushi ran at full speed out of the armed detective energy building right to the hospital.

__

it took all of atsushi's strength to walk calmly into your hospital room. seeing you lying there so vulnerable- a protective feeling blossomed in his chest.

"atsushi!" you said while holding your hand out to him. "you came."

atsushi immediately grabbed your hand carefully. "of course. how are you feeling, honey?"

"much better, but still a little frightened."

atsushi squeezed your hand in an attempt to make you feel less alone. "i understand, but you are okay now. i'm here with you. what did the doctors say?"

"that they want to talk to me before they release me. probably to discuss what happened and how we can prevent it from happening again."

"good. i'm glad."

you looked at how atsushi's thumb started to caress your hand. a smile appeared on your face. finally, you felt peaceful for the first time since the asthma attack happened. "that feels nice."

atsushi blushed but kept continuing his action. "it's what you always do to comfort me. i guess- i guess i took it over from you."

"oh, really? what else did you take over from me""

your significant other hesitated for a moment. "well, you always caresses my cheeks."

"show me." and so, atsushi did. his touch felt soft and tender, like he was afraid you would break beneath him.

looking into your eyes, it triggered something in him; the desire to have you always with him. "this may never happen again, okay? i- i don't think i can handle it when this happens again."

"i promise."

"good."

"maybe we should seal it with a kiss? you know, to make it official," you innocently teased.

atsushi again started to blush, but without hesitation he kissed the tip of your nose. atsushi's felt a rush of warmth spreading through his body when he felt your hands cupping his cheeks. and when he felt your lips on his, he felt like he could finally allow himself to calm down.

"promised."

[fancysimpinghere]

Euphories pt.4 (Sykkuno x reader)

Well, hello everyone! I want to deeply apologize for such a long break in posting there. We all know how hard life can sometimes be. But I arrived with a finish of this story and I hope you will like it! Enjoy!

summary: all good things eventually come to the end and insecurities aren't helping. Adult life is hard, so are decisions. Even if mistakes happen, there would be something to do to fix your frienship. And who knows, maybe things would evolve into something deeper and more advanced than simple relation between friends?

It has been two months since your first encounter with this pretty boy. Luckily, your schedule wasn’t that busy in summer months, so you could visit Thomas in his grandfather’s shop at least twice a week. Your friendship was blossoming, you both surprisingly had a very good contact. When you visited the shop, Thomas usually was waiting for you with one of the magic cassettes, but sometimes he was just showing you around. Actually, you found yourself almost working with him, because you were helping him with unpacking new items, organizing things and cleaning. It was very fun for both of you - you could spend more time together and get to know each other. But you had your own job as well, and summer time was slowly ending. You knew that if you want to keep seeing Thomas, you have to bring your friendship to another level and start to meet up outside. Little did you know that he rarely left shop or house. These places were his comfort zone and You didn't want to push him to do something really demanding. You decided to give him some time to get accustomed to your presence in his life and let Sykkuno make this important step. All you could do then was wait and do your best to gain his trust even more than you had already. When holidays ended, you were sad, because that means less free time - and less time spent with Thomas. But you still came to his shop, even if you were tired or had to sacrifice your sleep time. Sometimes you helped his grandfather with some simple chores, made some cookies for them both or just kept him company - you knew that older people seek attention from others and you couldn't say no to him. But to be honest, it was difficult to bring together your new lifestyle with your old one. Of course you liked Sykkuno, and you felt about him a little different than an ordinary friend - you liked him more and this was also not easy. You were afraid that if he found out about your little secret, it would scare him away and you would lose him as a result. Day by day you were trying to shove your feelings away and focus on helping him, but every moment spent with Thomas started to feel like too much for you. You were worried if he noticed small changes in your behaviour, but he seemed fine. Because of that, you started to lose yourself in work - your amount of free time dropped almost to the bare minimum because of afterhours, and even if you had a free day, you were too tired to visit your friend.

On the other hand, Thomas was internally freaking out. In the end of holidays he started to catch feelings for you, but was too afraid to admit it even to himself. He enjoyed your company a little bit too much, and you started to look better than before in his eyes. But he was sure that you are too good to him and you deserve better than a shy boy with nothing to offer. So he was amazed that you still visited him after your work started and spent your precious time with him. He was absolutely affected by your kindness and willingness to help.

He knew that if he wants to keep you even as a friend, he has to do something. You were his only friend and after these months spent together, he couldn't imagine his life without you. So when you started to visit his shop less often, he felt hopeless. Sykkuno was sure that he bored you out of his life because of his strange addiction to video games and antisocial lifestyle. He didn’t know what to do. His low self-esteem was not helping him with putting his thoughts together. After the first two weeks without your visit to his home or shop, he was devastated. Nothing from his special collection of games and films could make him completely happy anymore, because his thoughts were occupied by you. But one day, when he was organizing his special cassettes, a movie caught his eye. When he read the title, an idea sprung to his mind and he was that desperate for your presence, he almost instantly made a decision.

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You started to feel a bit nostalgic when you were looking through the window at falling snowflakes. It was the first snow of the year, so you were also a little bit excited. But when you were sitting in a small cafe in your town, a cup of hot chocolate in front of you, memories slowly creeping from the back of your head. Memories of sad past months, but also of warm and joyful summer. But the most important thought in your mind was the reason for your presence in the cafe. Your fingers unconsciously wandered on the screen of your phone to once again open a message from your friend Thomas. You had strong remorse for leaving him alone and don't contacting him in almost a month. You didn't know what to expect from today's meeting with him, but you were shocked that he invited you to a public place, where there could be a lot of people. Your line of thinking was cut, when small bells over the door frame rang and someone entered the cafe. You guessed it was your company for today - hood covered his head and his face was covered by black mask, but you were sure that this is your friend, whom you haven't seen for almost 2 long months. You noticed his lack of gloves - his hands were red from the cold temperature outside. He still got snowflakes on his massive hoodie, but they were melting away. Even if you felt a little bit awkward, you felt a strange warmth in your chest at the sight of him. You longed to hear his soft voice and laugh, and your heart squeezed just at the thought of it.

He paused for a while to look for you among other people present at the cafe and his gaze finally met yours. He shyly headed towards you and slowly pulled off his hood and mask, so you could recognize him as you haven't done it already. Even from a distance you could say that he was nervous, his hands were making some awkward movements and his eyes shifted from one person to another, like he was expecting somebody to attack him. Finally he was standing right in front of your table and you felt terribly for leaving him with poor excuses about work. He looked bad, just as you - sleepless nights put their marks on your face and you recognized them on his face too. Before he could say anything, you stood up immediately, and reduced the distance between you two. You looked him deep in the eye and hugged him carefully to not scare him. You didn’t care about other people, because you especially chose a more private area of the cafe, in the corner and a massive part of it was covered by plants. You felt Thomas tensing up after you embraced him, but after a few seconds he relaxed and hugged you back.

- "I'm so sorry, Sykkuno." - whisper left your mouth before you could think about forming a more developed sentence, but these words were only one in your mind right now. - "I missed you so much."

At these words he hugged you tighter and you could swear that he smiled like he always did when he was embarrassed.

- "I missed you too." - he whispered back, straight to your ear. You felt butterflies waking up in your stomach at his closeness and blushed a little.

- "It’s nice to- nice to see you, hm." - he stuttered a little and moved his arms away from you, so you did the same. You both sat down and you looked at his face again. Small blush creeped his cheeks, but it could be from the temperature change. - "I was afraid that you wouldn't have time for… For me."

He looked at you like a lost puppy and you felt awful. But before you could say something, he gave you a very warm and wide smile.

-"But you had and I'm happy about it." - he said and started to look for something in his pockets. - "I know that you are a very hard working person and I wanted to thank you for helping me and my grandfather despite this." - it was the longest sentence you ever heard from him, so you were a little bit speechless, but he looked like he wanted to say something more. However, you felt guilty and you had to apologize to him properly.

- "Thomas, I’m sorry. "- you interrupted before he could continue. - "I'm sorry for non contacting you in days and I know it was wrong. I… I can explain why I did this."

- "You don't have to. "- He answered and his search finished with success, because he placed down something rectangular on the table. - "I asked you for a meeting, because I realized something during the past months. And I can't keep this a secret any more."

He was looking even more nervous now. He hid his hands in the sleeves of his hoodie, because they were trembling a little. You also noticed that his face is clearly and non deniable red almost like a tomato, and he was a little bit hesitant when speaking. You decided to not interrupt him this time, and you also felt nervous. He looked at the window to search for the right words or find the courage, you assumed. But then he suddenly returned his gaze to you.

- "What is it, Thomas?" - you asked softly to encourage him to share his thoughts with you. You decided to use his real name to show you are taking him seriously. Deep in your heart you felt a little spark of hope, but you didn't want to make expectations and then be dissapointed. You watched his movements carefully, your eyes dropping to the item lying before him, and you finally recognized the thing. It was a cassette thanks to which you could know him. Your mouth opened in surprise and when he noticed that, he smiled coyly, but stress was still recognizable on his face.

- "I wanted to tell you for a long time, but… I… I couldn’t find the courage. But now, I decided that I have to do this." - words left his mouth faster than usual, and his eyes nervously watched your reaction. He sighed and blinked a few times. -" You are my best friend, my only friend, but I realized I like you a lot more than that."

You were completely speechless. You didn't even imagine this scenario - it was too perfect to be real, but there you are. Your mind exploded with a sudden wave of joy and happiness, because the dearest person you know just admitted to liking you back. You smiled sincerely to him and he had to notice a spark of joy in your gaze, because he stopped talking and just watched you with his big eyes.

- "Thomas, I like you too. "- you said in answer, honestly looking into his eyes. -" I didn’t know how to tell you, so I distanced myself fro you, because I didn’t want to scare you or… "- you didn’t finish and all of sudden felt embarrassed for your lack of initiative.

- "I thought it would be nice to talk about it in the place where our friendship started. "- he said slowly and carefully moved the cassette on the table towards you. He looked down for a second, then returned your gaze. He looked more determined than before and smiled at you once again. You could look at his smile forever - there was nothing more cuter than his expressions.

- "So…Would you like to accompany me on this journey?" - he asked softly and pulled out his hand to you from the sleeve. He watched your reaction carefully.

- "Yes, I definitely would." - You giggled and blushed a little, but gently grabbed his hand and intertwined your fingers with his.

He tightened his grip on your hand and you both touched the cassette with your other hands. The world started to spin, and even when you started falling down, all you could feel in this moment was falling in love with this cute, lovely boy, soon to be your boyfriend, who held your hand like his life depended on it and laughed at the strange sensation. You couldn't help and joined him, looking forward to experiencing the best adventure - and you were certain that it would be the best, because you had the greatest companion in the whole world.

~fin~

[straykidsworldwild]

Duskwood

Phil Hawkins x MC

Part 3 : MC calls Phil. The next night, as she was going to the bar, someone crosses her path which unpleases her. She rushes to the Aurora and that's where another chapter of her life begins.

Warning : little swearing 🙈

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Heyy guys!! How are you? 😁 So sorry this part took so long to be published. Pardon me. Hope you'll like it! 😁

(I don't own the pics, I just made the collage. Credit goes to the creators of Duskwood and owners of the pics.)

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I take a deep breath in and out as I do a messy bun. I feel like I am getting ready for a marathon. My heart is already beating stronger and faster than normal and I haven't pressed the calling button yet. It's crazy how he makes me feel even when he isn't here, next to me… Just a thought of him and it makes my heart racing. I wonder how he feels when I'm close to him, talking to him, or just when someone mentions me. Does he even think about me sometimes? I know Phil is pretty confident about himself but that doesn't mean he cannot feel nervous, right? Anyway... I have a call to make. Alright, one last deep breath in and out and… Oh, you're such an idiot, MC… I'm so nervous that I'm calling the Aurora instead of his phone… I hope he is still at his bar.

- "Hello?" I hear Phil's voice echoing right after he answered. At least I know he is still there... His voice is so restful and deep. I smile just by this simple note coming from his voice.

- "Hi, I'd like to talk with Mr. Aurora", I answered the man, sounding playful as I let a small chuckle out.

- "MC" calls me, Phil, chuckling back. Oh God... You're not allowed to do that! My smile grows as I can picture him just by hearing him chuckling. It's so contagious... "Wait, before you say anything, I'm so sorry about..." He suddenly tells me which surprised me. He spoke so fast...

- "Phil, I'm not upset or mad or anything. Don't worry. It wouldn't be right of me to be upset with you anyway.", I immediately reply to the man, interrupting him. I do not want him to feel guilty or awkward about what happened. There's no need for that...

- "Why not? That girl literally shamed you and flirted with me in front of you." He tells me back, sounding confused as to why I am not angry. I mean… I guess there's reason to be upset but not angry. But are they worth being said out loud right now? I'm not sure...

- "Well, one, you're free to have whatever kind of relationship you want. I don't have a word to say about that. And two, we're not together so I don't see why it should matter." I answer to Jessy's brother which didn't sound that harsh in my head. I close my eyes and hit my face with my hand. Why did I say that? He's going to think I am not in for something with him or that I might have moved on from trying something with him. But then, do I want something with him? Am I ready to be in a relationship with Phil despite the kind of man he is? I mean, he can change… Right? Well, he already changed, right? For a moment, a dead silence takes place in the phone call. "Are you still there?" I ask Phil, my voice sounding faint compared to before.

- "Yeah, yeah... I was just deep in thoughts." He responds to me, sounding… Hurt? Disappointed? Maybe both... I couldn't tell. I let a quiet sigh out as I feel my heart beating so strongly down my chest. I need to know… Even if it scares me, even if it might not pleasure me to hear what he is going to say, I need to know.

- "Can I ask you something?" I gently demand to the boy.

- "Of course, Gorgeous" he answers softly. And the deepness of his voice is just so amazing to hear...

- "Are you being serious about... I mean... Are you really trying to... Do you really…" I sigh again but louder this time. How is he supposed to understand what I want to ask him if I can't put three words in a row? "I'm sorry, I don't know how to formulate my question." I tell him as I lightly shake my head. I'm such an idiot...

- "You want to know if I am playing with you or not?" He tells me as if he just read my thoughts. Oh... Am I this obvious?

- "Yeah. It's just... I'm having a hard time to believe that you actually want something with me. I mean... It's just easier to think that you want something from me than with me. Especially when I see the kind of girls you liked before…" I confess to the boy, telling him my worries all while hoping it doesn't make him step away from me. I don't want to lose him because I worry to much or don't open easily to him... I just need time.

- "I never said I liked them, MC." He calmly answers before hearing him blowing some smoke.

- "But you must have felt something for them, otherwise, you wouldn't have wanted a night with them." I reply to him with an unsure tone.

- "It was just physical attraction, nothing more. It's different from you. With you, it's not just the attraction, it's... It's the spark that I don't have with the others." He tells me sincerely and seriously, always sounding so calm but so sincere at the same time. I hum as I look down. I want to believe him… And maybe I do actually. But there's always this lack of confidence in me that brings me to my rational side. "I told you, MC, and I'll say it again. I love you. Now, I know what you think about me and I know what people say about me. But I don't care. And I care even less of those chicks. I only care about you." He admits to me with the same tone as before, sounding lightly desperate for me to believe him. I care about you too, Phil… More than you think, more than I certainly should. I stay quiet as I meditate on everything happening right now. There is a lot to think about. Suddenly, I hear a light sigh coming from Phil. "MC, do you trust me?" He suddenly asks me. Oh… Well...

- "Of course, Phil." I answer instantly, nodding positively even though he doesn't see me.

- "Then trust me when I say that I'll be ready to change things from me to be with you." He confesses seriously before blowing some smoke again. Change… But I don't want him to change...

- "I don't want you to change anything from you. I just... I'm just not confident enough." I tell and confess to the boy, admit my lack of confidence to him. It actually feels weird… Why am I telling him that?

- "If you let me, I'll prove to you that I really love you and that I'm not trying to play around with you. But I'll only do it if you want me to give you that proof. I'll never force you to do anything. It's your call." He says seriously and sincerely, letting me all the cards in my hands. It's my call… I smile, unable to stop it. Why do I smile in a moment like this one? How can he make me smile in a conversation like this one?

- "You're charming." I tell him which makes the boy chuckle. "I didn't give you your hug." I recall, sounding like I am kind of excusing myself to him.

- "I know. It broke my little heart." He says jokingly even though I could hear he was serious in a way. I giggle at his answer despite being sorry. "Maybe you could give it to me tomorrow night, Gorgeous." He suggests before a small pause takes place in the conversation. "Huh, you're coming to Jessy's birthday tomorrow night, right?" He asks me with an unsure tone.

- "Yes, why wouldn't I?" I demand him back, sounding confused.

- “When are your uncle's funerals?” he questions me, ignoring my questions. The funerals…? Why is he asking about that?

- “Huh... Tomorrow morning.” I begin to answer when something just comes up in my mind. Of course... “Oh, I get it. You think I shouldn't go or I wouldn't want to go to the party?” I tell him, sounding like I have just read his mind this time.

- “Well, I just thought you would have preferred to be alone, maybe? That you wouldn't be in the mood for a party.” He responds so gently and so calmly, clearly caring about my emotions. I could hear how much he cares for me just by the sound of his voice. It’s crazy…!

- “Well, I will certainly be down but, I'd rather be with my friends than alone at home, especially in a time like this one. It's not…” I let a small sigh out. “It’s not good to stay alone. And my uncle wouldn't want me to stay by myself anyway, so…” I reply to the man I have been having a crush on for so long. The pain was heard in my voice.

- “Well, you can call or send me a message if you need to talk, okay? Anytime. I'll be there for you, MC.” He answers sincerely and seriously, showing me his support.

- “Thanks, Phil. That means a lot.” I tell sincerely to the boy, cracking a smile. That warmed my heart.

- “I'm sorry but I'm going to have to hang up, Gorgeous. I need to do the closing.” He says with a disappointed tone towards himself because he needs to hang up. Oh already...

- “Sure, no problem. I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight.” I tell him as I smile like an idiot. Again... Thank God he cannot see me...

- “See you, Gorgeous. Goodnight.” He wishes me back, letting a soft chuckle out. Oh… I keep a smile over my face and hang up. Why did I fall for an idiot like him?

~ Next day, morning ~

Next morning, I wake up and do my little ritual before getting ready. I out on a black dress with black heels but don't bother putting on the small amount of make up I usually wear. It's not necessary, I will ruin it with my cries anyway... Mom is waiting for me at her home. I told her I would pick her up before going to the funeral. I know mom is strong but I’m not sure she’ll be able to drive after the funeral. And to be fair, I’m not sure I will be able myself, but I’ll try… I have to be there for her, firstly, then myself.

~ A few hours later ~

I feel so strange. I feel like a piece of me was ripped and is missing, but at the same time, I feel relieved. I mean… I feel like my uncle is finally resting in peace and I can try to move on, live my life like he would want me to do. Though, I just can’t stop thinking about him… I want to turn the page but I'm also scared to forget him at the same time which isn't a good match. When I saw the white flowers set for my uncle's funeral, I was just so happy. They looked amazing. I just wished I could have bought those flowers for another and more joyful reason though... Anyway, maybe Phil was right to worry if I would come or not to Jessy’s birthday party tonight. I really don’t feel in the mood right now… And certainly not later either…

After dropping my mother at her home, I stayed for a moment with her. I just needed to make sure she'll be okay. And I also needed to be with my mom. I needed my mom. Anyway, I am finally on my way back home as Jessy won’t be long now. I park my car and walk up toward my little apartment. Oh… I’ve got a message.

- “Hey, MC, I’m sorry but I have to go help Cleo with something so I don’t think I’ll be able to make it in time at your home. Can we meet up at the Aurora, instead?” I read her text message which was sent an hour and a little more ago. I completely forgot to pour the sound back on so I didn't hear any of the notifications I received. "I keep my phone close to me though. So if you need to talk, I'll be there." I read her second message. A small smile comes over my lips.

- “Of course, Jessy, no problem. I’ll see you there.” I simply respond to her message as I don’t want to bother my mind right now. I don't want to talk. I guess I’ll get the chance to rest a bit before going to the party. Maybe I’ll be a little more motivated to go there after…

A few hours later, I am on my way to the Aurora to go meet up with the others. Well, I'll probably be the first one since I always come early. There’s a part of me wishing I could actually be home, lying on my sofa in front of the TV, and do nothing, and the other part is telling me, “is Phil alone right now? Will I have a heart to heart moment with him?”. Yes… I think… Yeah, I think I want to tell him that I want to give him a chance if he is really willing to have something serious. I don’t know if it is the right thing to do or not but, I need to… Live. I need to try new things. I need to challenge myself. Telling my emotions to him, how I feel about him, it’s something new. It’s just so hard to talk about how I feel most of the time. Especially saying my feelings to the boy I have a crush on since… A while now.

The streets are enveloped by the darkness of the night, but the streetlights bring some light to them. Thankfully, it's a calm night without any rain pouring down.

- “Hey!!” I hear a familiar voice screaming in my back. Not so calm now... Though the voice sounded… Off. It was a man for sure, but the person didn’t sound very "fine". He talked quite slower than a normal person would do normally and he half chew over his words. Is he drunk? I continue my way, ignoring the man. That's the best thing to do... “Hey, MC, is that you?” What? Who...? I turn quickly around to just give a glance at the person, but I don’t stop walking. Oh… My boss…? What is he doing here? “Whatever. Why don’t you come see your favorite boss, Baby Girl? You could be surprised by me.” He says in a drunk way as he points at me with a bottle. Oh… Huh… I didn't see it before. Hell no! I clear my throat, feeling uncomfortable and scared. I…

Without thinking further, I start to run away from him as I know the Aurora isn’t far from here now. It’s just a couple street corners away… I run as fast as I can, hoping to lose him. Which some chances, he is too drunk to actually run after me. Well, he did still seemed a little bit himself despite the alcohol... There! I can see the colorful light from the bar lightening the street. Please, be there.... Alone or with someone, I don’t care…. Just be there. I rush inside the Aurora and immediately close the door behind me before sticking my back against the door. I thought I was going to make a fool out of myself in front of people, but it’s empty… Though, Phil is standing behind the counter, cleaning some glasses. Breathless, I quickly lock the door and step away from it as I walk backward towards the counter.

- “Gorg…” I hear Phil calling me with his lovely voice. Though, it was quick to faint. “Did you just close my bar?” He asks me with a confused tone as he points at the door. I look up at him, fear flashing over my face. Wow, I didn’t think I was this scared actually... “MC, what's wrong?” He asks me right away with concern while walking around the counter to join my sides.

- “Phil, he's following me.” I tell him rapidly and out of breath as I walk towards him to meet him midway. Wow, I… I didn’t even control myself. It’s like my body just talked for myself, walked over to him, needing to feel this protecting feeling.

- “Wow, calm down. What are you talking about? Who's follow you?” He says calmly and seriously as his hands come grabbing my shoulders. Oh… I stare into his eyes, reading the calmness in them. Though, I can read the concern in them. Suddenly, there’s a loud thud coming from outside which made me jump and gasp, breaking eye contact with Phil. I turned around and found my boss standing outside, still holding his bottle in one hand. He managed to get here without falling? Oh God... Seriously?!

- “MC, bring your sweet little ass outside before I fire you!” I hear him yelling in the middle of the street which made me take a step back. Even with a wall and a locked door separating us, he still scares me. Phil grabs my wrist as he takes a step forward, shielding my body with his.

- “He's drunk and clearly worse than when he's sober…” I inform to the man as we notice that my boss is trying to get inside Phil’s bar. Please, don't break anything here... “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring him to your bar but…” I rapidly apologize to Phil, shaking my head negatively as I dance on my feet. I shouldn't have come here...

- “Hey, it's okay. I'm glad you actually found your way here." He tells me reassuringly and so calmly. "Stay here. It's okay.” He tells me with the same comforting tone while motioning me to not move. Huh… What is he doing? Phil goes to the front door, looking so upset. He unlocks it and opens it before stepping outside. Though, he makes sure to close it back behind him. “What can I do for you, sir?” I hear him asking seriously to the drunk man. It’s faint, but I can still hear their voices.

- “You?” Says, my boss, while rudely pointing at Phil with the bottle and frowning confused. “You work here?” He tells him with surprise as if Phil wouldn't be able or wouldn't be smart enough to work here.

- “I even own the place.” answers, Phil, crossing his arms over his chest.

- “Right... Look, I'm not goin' to bother you 'ny longer. Just tell me where the little wh**e is?” Then asks, my drunk boss, half screaming in the middle of street. I'm actually pretty sure he doesn't notice that he talks so loudly. Wow... He definitely doesn't know what pet names are...

- “Excuse me?” Questions, Phil, sounding very unpleased and like he heard him wrong. Though, I can tell that it is making his blood boiling.

- “Don't play dumb, boy. Where's she? She and I nee' to talk. If you know what I mean.” I hear my boss saying before he smirks, looking hungry for… Ugh! He’s such a pig! Knowing the thought he must have with me, I grimace with disgust. “She seems like a good little b**ch waiting to be f***ed.” He says before starting to laugh drunkenly. I knew he wasn't nice, but I never thought he had such a disgusting side...

- “Mmh... You see, I deal with clients all day long and I noticed that there are three different types. First one is the nice ones. The ones who come enjoy a drink or two and then go. Then, there are the annoying ones. They take a few drinks and start talking very loudly and getting a little bit out of line but it's still correct in a way. Finally, there are the ones that get to another level which is disrespect and being rude. Unfortunately, that happens to make me angry. Sadly, you're there right now. So I suggest you turn around and walk away while you can.” Replies politely and professionally, Phil, trying not to lose his cool despite the anger rising more and more. I know it. I see it. Just by the sight of the vein popping in his neck and the way he firmly closes his fists… His knuckles look so white...

- “Are you threatening me, boy?” questions, my boss, trying to play tough despite the fact that he struggles to stay still on his two feet.

- “No, It's just a "friendly" advice from one boss to another. Be smart. Take it. Turn around and walk away.” He tells him seriously, trying to make the man go away before it goes too far. I just hope he isn’t as stubborn as he is when he is sober… I stare at them from inside the bar, frowning with concern. This situation makes me so nervous. My boss is clearly unpleased by Phil’s words. Suddenly, the man starts screaming and draws his bottle towards Phil. Oh! The owner of the bar dodges the hit in time and pushes my boss against the wall behind him. The man is face first, kept pushed against the wall. “If you don't leave right now, I'll call the police! Want to think again?” Warns seriously and firmly, Phil, frowning with anger. Though, I can tell he is struggling to keep his anger in him. I have rarely seen Phil this mad… Honestly, it’s scary. Suddenly, my boss makes a rough move backward, his bottle hitting Phil’s ribcage. Oh! I gasp as I saw Phil bending over. My boss turns around and tries to hit Phil in the face with the bottle. Well, he isn’t as drunk as I thought… Phil steps back in time before punching him in the face. I gasp in surprise. I never saw Phil fighting before. My boss lands flat on his belly, the bottle rolling on the sidewalk. Though, he comes back up, helping himself with the wall. I can’t just watch them fight like this… I can’t watch Phil getting hurt because of me… My boss grabs Phil by the collar and pulls him before pushing him against the wall. He still has a certain strength... Though, Phil instantly pushes him back. I can’t...

- “Stop it! Now!” I scream after rapidly stepping out of the bar. I come in between the two men and separate them, forgetting what my boss could actually do. I push the drunk man away from Phil, making him stumble backwards before he catches himself on a car. Meanwhile, I place my hands on Phil’s chest as I felt him going for him. Hell no…! Enough! “Phil. Ph... Phil!” I call the boy as he tries to walk past me to get to the man. He's not angry, he's raging. Though, when I called him, imploring for him to look down at me, he stopped. His eyes met mines and softness instantly drowned them. “Stop, please. Don't enter his game.” I plead him seriously as I weakly nod.

- “I'm not letting that pig talk about you or treat you that way!” He replies with anger, looking back with dark eyes at the drunk man standing behind me. Phil takes a step forward, but again, I stop him, getting before him as I keep my hands on his chest.

- “Phil, look at me. Look at me!” I tell him seriously as I bring one hand to his cheek. Why am I doing this? Why does this feel so… Normal and right? Just with my hand on his cheek, I can feel how much the anger is boiling inside of him. I force him to look down at me. “Calm down, please.” I demand him softly, our eyes connecting a second time. The man stares at me displeased for a moment before letting a sigh out. Please, don’t do it… I didn’t notice, but I’m actually running my thumb on his cheek, as if the hope of him to calm him down will be by this simple gesture.

- “Are you going to make out now? Because I'd rather live the show than to watch it.” Comments, my boss. Gross… Disgusting… Repulsive… I slowly turn around to face the man as I stay before Phil. He is smirking as he looks at my body up and down. I’ve never felt so bad and embarrassed before. Like… He hasn’t done anything to me, but just the way he looks at me makes me feel dirtied.

- “Well, I'm going to make it easy for you, sir. I'm done. I quit. I'll come pick up my stuff tomorrow even though it isn't much.” I tell him with seriousness while frowning madly. I have to end this. My boss stares at me with a frown, processing my words.

- “You can't quit! You're working for me!” He screams back at me, half chewing on his words. As if...

- “Yes, I can!” I scream back at him which surprises him. Yeah, he must not be used to someone replying to him or going against him... “And if that doesn't please you, it's still going to be the same. I'm done being mistreated by you and by most of your clients. And if you can't accept that, maybe the police can help you like the idea. I'm sure I have enough to say against you.” I tell him with a reminding tone, raising my voice lightly but not as loud as he talks to me and keeping that firm tone. I don’t know where this confidence comes from, but it feels… Powerful. Maybe because I know Phil is here and has my back? I don’t know… My boss stares at us two so madly before he looks away. “Oh, and by the way, you owe me at least 4.000$ of pay for all the extra hours I did. I better have them soon if you don't want this to go to justice.” I remind him seriously, pointing at him with my finger. I feel like a tea pot. Everything I've been wanting to say to him, I say them.

- “You were i'competent 'nyway. 'nable to do one thing righ'. I won't be losing much.” He replies at me with a mad tone, almost looking relieved that I’m quitting. I watch him dancing on his feet, almost tripping over his own feet.

- “Exactly, and you were bringing absolutely nothing to me so it looks like we're both winning. Me a little more.” I answer to the man, keeping my firm and mad tone against him. Without saying another word, my boss just scoffs before he turns around to leave. Oh… First time he actually backs down in front of someone… Anyway, he'll far away now. I turn around to look back at Phil, watching him holding his ribs. Oh… “Oh God, are you okay?” I demand him with a worried tone as I try to hide my guilt. It’s because of me if he is hurt...

- “Yeah... He wasn't as drunk as I thought.” Answers, Phil, looking down at me with a light frown. Though, it is not a mad frown or else, he seems more.... Worried or concerned. But relieved at the same time, weirdly… I frown sadly before I look down at his free hand.

- “Come with me.” I tell him gently while taking his hand in mine. “Let me help you” I tell him while helping him get inside. Well… I’m not sure he needs help but still, I just feel the need to help him. He literally saved me from my boss.

- "Thanks, Gorgeous”, he says as he lets me lead him back to the bar. I close the door behind Phil and let him take place on a chair. While sitting, I hear him groaning lightly before he clears his throat, as if he didn’t want me to hear him in pain. Right, I should get him some ice. I walk over to the counter and go behind it. So it should be… Here! “You even know where ice is.” He tells me with an impressed tone as he lets a small chuckle out. How does he know I looked for that? That chuckle… It’ll be my death.

- “I've watched you worked behind that bar countless times. It's not hard to guess where the stuff is.” I respond to the boy as I come back to him, holding a cloth with ice in it. “Let me…” I tell him while sitting across from him. I gently and lightly lift his shirt up just to see if it has bruised or not yet. It’s starting to get bruised... I let a guilty sigh out before pulling his shirt back down. I place the cloth over it and delicately press on it. Phil lightly winces because of the pain and the cold touching his skin as he looks away. “I'm sorry. I didn't…” I begin to apologize to the man as I avoid his eyes.

- “It's okay.” he interrupts me as I feel him looking at him. I know he is. “It's not your fault. And at least I know you won't see that dick anymore.” he says with a satisfied and relieved tone.

- “Honestly, it feels like I just threw an enormous weight off my shoulders. It feels good. Thanks to you.” I admit to the man I have been crushing on for so long as I let a small smile appear on my face. He smiles back while weakly nodding.

- “What are you going to do now?” He asks me with curiosity.

- “Look for another job.” I simply answer.

- “My offer is still on, you know?” He tells me with a reminding tone. Oh… I looked up in his eyes for the first time since I’ve been holding the cloth with the ice on his wound. His offer… Working here... “If you want to work here while you look somewhere else, I'll be glad to have you here. I know you still need to pay for your college so…” He says with his calm and deep voice. How can he be so calm so easily, especially after what just happened outside his bar? My smile grows before I actually softly laugh.

- “Your job sucks so much that you're desperate for a constant distraction?” I ask sarcastically, joking around. Phil smiles and softly laughs back to my comment.

- “What can I say, I'd like to have a beautiful woman working with me. Especially you.” he answers, which makes my cheeks burn instantly. You player… I bite my lower lip without controlling myself and look up in his eyes. They are burning with flames of… Of… Such a strong emotion… Feeling. God, I love him… And those eyes that he is giving me aren’t helping at all…

- “When can I start then?” I demand him, not really knowing how I managed to ask him this without mumbling or stuttering.

- “Monday?” he proposes to me. Huh?

- “Monday... In four days?” I ask him, frowning confused after thinking for a second.

- “You deserve a little break, Gorgeous, don't you think?” He tells me seriously and so gently. He’s just so sweet and caring… I mean, he clearly wants to show who the boss is here because it is his bar, but… His calm personality and the way he behaves most of the time just seem to hide his true self. I mean, Phil is Phil and his words are sometimes raw, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t think otherwise. I nod to the boy before looking down. I feel so nervous suddenly. My heart is racing like never before and I can’t take this idiotic smile off my face. What has he done to me, seriously? Suddenly, Phil gently pushes my hand and the ice from his chest and starts to get up. What…? Where is he going? What is he going to do?

- “Wait, I…” I suddenly say, grabbing his wrist. What just took me? Why did I…? I’m such a fool. And such a nervous wreck right now. I avoid his look, staring at the floor. “There's... Hum…” I have to tell him. I can’t back down anymore. I can’t flee my own feelings either anymore.

- “Are you nervous?” He asks me with a smirk while sitting back down on the chair across from me. Oh...

- “No, I... Yeah. I'm... I'm a nervous wreck right now actually. It's just... I…” I confessed to him, sounding as if I even struggle to breath now. God, I’m such an idiot, why am I stuttering like this in front of him?

- “Am I making you this nervous, Gorgeous?” He asks me in a whisper with his deep voice while slowly getting closer to my face. Oh… I don’t move as my eyes just fall on his lips. They look so soft. My breathing gets heavier instantly. I can’t look at him… I close my eyes as I breath heavily.

- “Actually... Yes…” I admit. After a few seconds, I opened my eyes again as Phil didn’t say a word. The boy has his eyes devouring my lips as the fire in them seems to have grown. “Phil, I…” I begin to whisper, trying to find the courage to say the words.

- “Phil, what? What do you want, Gorgeous?” He asks me with the same deep and calm whisper which makes me even more nervous.

- “Phil…” I whisper his name as I lock my eyes with his. They’re just so beautiful and he is just so close to me... Phil hums with his deep voice as he lightly wets his lips. Oh my… The man gets closer and closer so slowly until his forehead connects with mine. I close my eyes, enjoying how close we are right now. I can’t explain what I feel inside right now, but it’s a total mess. There are butterflies, fireworks… It’s a crazy feeling. Phil brings his hand to my cheek which feels so soft and so right. None of us move. None of us say a word. Nothing breaks this moment. I bring my hand over his, wanting him to hold me. Then, as the two of us are plunged in a deep silence, Phil suddenly pecks my lips. He… Kissed me. His lips are just so warm and soft and the kiss is so delicate. Simple but delicate. Phil pulls away from my lips and disconnects our foreheads. Though, he keeps a really, really small distance. Our eyes connect once more but none of us say a word. There’s no need. His eyes are talking for himself. He just wants to make sure I’m okay with this… I smile with happiness as I bring my hand to his neck and pull him back in for a kiss. What’s happening to me? I don’t know. I would have never done this before. I’m too shy for that. But it just feels so right, right now. Phil answers to my kiss instantly, giving the same softness and warmth than before. It’s more passionate though… The boy grabs my hands and pulls me closer to him as he rests completely on his chair. I let him guide me and sit on his lap, never breaking the kiss. Phil holds me, one hand in my back, the other on my thigh as the kiss becomes quickly heated. Suddenly, he pulls away from the kiss but only to go down my jaw and then my neck. I close my eyes and let my head lean to the side to give him more room. This feeling is just amazing! However, Phil suddenly stops kissing me, sounding just as breathless as I am.

- “Sorry, sorry... I just... We should stop before it's too... Heated. I told you, I don't want to make you do something you don't want to do now and…” He tells me out of breath and with seriousness. I look at him, noticing that he's really not playing. Especially because he stopped before going too far. This proves one more time that he really wants to try this relationship. I smile, feeling just so lucky at this moment.

- “I love you, too.” I whisper to the boy which made him look at me with surprise. He said it so many times to me but I’ve never said it back before. I never dare. I was so scared and so shy. I lean in and give him a new soft and warm kiss before taking him into my arms and letting my head in the crook of his neck. His scent is lovely. I can tell that Phil was surprised at first, but he didn’t put long to hug me back. Jessy’s brother holds me tightly, hiding his head in my neck as well, smelling my perfume. “I love you, Phil.” I whisper one more time.

- “If I knew I needed to fight with your crappy boss to hear you say it…” He says playfully which makes me softly laugh.

- “Well, actually, I was going to tell it to you tonight, anyway. I figured... I can't deny or lie about it anymore so... And I need to live my life as well, take it in my own hands... And you did prove that you want something serious with me so…” I respond to the man sincerely. I can feel my nervousness slowly fading away as I feel more and more comfortable with him. I mean, how could you not? I was starting to pull away from the hug when Phil stopped me. Oh… The man kisses my cheek delicately before kissing my lips one more time. I smile and look at him in the eyes. “Just don't break me, Phil…” I demand him, softly whispering.

- “Oh, I won't. Trust me, Gorgeous. I've been wanting you for a while now. I did lots of things to prove to you that I love you. Things I’ve never done before. The idea of me hurting you is painful. And I think that if I ever hurt you, I'll probably have all Duskwood after me.” He replies seriously to me before chuckling playfully. I chuckle back, amused.

- “Oh, I'm not sure I know that many people but... Yeah, most likely.” I answer jokingly, entering his game. The two of us laugh one more time. His smile is just so contagious. I give him one last kiss before standing up from his lap.

- “Where are you going?” He asks me, sounding disappointed that I got up from his lap.

- “The others are going to arrive soon. I don't really want them to see me taking you for a chair.” I respond with sarcasm to the man as I walk over to the bar to sit on a stool.

- “Well, I don't mind, Gorgeous. Having you sitting on my lap is kind of... Sexy.” he says with his deep voice, looking at me up and down with a smirk. I hum as I notice how hungry he actually looks. Oh boy, he’s been waiting, hasn’t he?

- “You're a naughty little devil, you know that?” I tell him while giggling.

- “Yep, but only for you, Gorgeous.” He replies with a charming tone. I place my hand over my heart before laughing.

- “Phil!” I call him through my laugh.

- “Yes, Gorgeous?” he calls me, using the same charming tone mixed with the deepness of his voice. I laugh again as my cheeks are burning. “So, are we together, MC?” He asks me more seriously.

- “Well, no.” I answer to the boy which makes him frown, confused and disappointed. “What? Don't look at me like that. Technically, we just had a... A... Very unexpected heated moment. But you never asked me out, did you?” I remind him playfully, winking at the boy. Phil laughs to my answer, understanding where I'm getting at.

- “MC, would you like to be my girlfriend?” He asks me with seriousness, yet, having the most beautiful and charming smile over his face.

- “I don't know. Give me a good reason to say “yes”.” I answer playfully. Without waiting, Phil stands up from the chair and lifts his shirt, showing me his abs. I laugh and blush while bitting my lower lip. "Definitely getting there", I tell him as I’m actually devouring his body with my eyes. Seriously, what has he done to me? Phil chuckles as he approaches me. One of his hands goes in my back while the other one passes softly in my hair, pushing it back before placing it on my cheek.

- “You're definitely going to make me a fool for you, Gorgeous.” he whispers softly and lovingly.

- “Not my plan.” I answer playfully while smiling happily. Phil smiles back to me before he slides his hand in my back, holding me against him tightly. I feel him kissing my neck again while he runs his hand in my back. I just feel so comfortable in his arms, so protected.

- “I love you.” He tells me sincerely and with love in his voice.

- “I love you.” I repeat his words with the same tone he used while literally melting in his embrace.

I was a fool for him. He was a fool for me. I was just too shy and he was another man. A lot has changed lately in my life, but this is the best thing I could dream of.

[pedropascalssimp]

Close call

Boba fett x fem reader

Request: I thought about Boba nearing death on a hunt and coming back to his love then. Lots of angst.

Warnings: language. Angst. Fluff. Short because I'm not talented.

Tags: @anilynworlds here you go my dear friend! I hope you like it👉👈🥺

I know it's jango but I saw this gif fitting and I can't get enough of temuera Morrisons gorgeousness 💕

You've spent many times on this ship awaiting for your love to return back to you from hunts, every time he would, throwing the quarry under Carbonite and embracing you with a warm hug, face nuzzling your neck as he relaxed, taking you in and relishing in the fact you was still there, that he was still there. You knew that every time he walked out that door he was putting himself in danger, you even voiced your concern one morning when you refused to untangle yourself from him, not wanting to let him escape the warmth of the small cot you shared.

"boba just take one day off from hunting... Or at least stay for a few hours longer..." you pout while wrapping around him, arms holding him close while your Chen rests on his chest, staring up at him.

He chuckles and let's his fingertips softly caress the bare skin of your back, "if it was a possibility I'd stay here with you as long as you'd like... But unfortunately I can't" he muttered while a amused glint sparked in his eye's.

You sighed, a little sad he couldn't stay, but you knew that this was who he was. You give his chest a little kiss before laying on your side beside him, reluctantly letting him go. He watched with a rare gentle expression, a look only you was lucky enough to see.

"I'll be back before you know it" he pressed a kiss to your forehead, slowly placing one on your cheek, then finally one on your lips. You smiled up at him, "don't leave the ship" he reminds you, rolling out of bed. You watched him get dressed, putting his armor on then giving you one last look before leaving. But his words before he left always made your heart clench, always made you feel a wave of sadness wash over you, "if I don't return in a weeks time leave the planet without me... It's most likely I'm dead" he always said that, always. But then he'd laugh it off and follow it up with, "but we both know that'll never happen cyar'ika" giving you his little nod before leaving the ship.

That felt like months ago, it had been so long since you've last heard his voice, seen those gorgeous brown eye's you couldn't get enough of. But he promised he'd be back, he always kept his promises....

But why wasn't he back? Why has it been weeks since he left?

You paced the ship, running a hand through your hair as you tried blinking the tears away. He'd be back, he had to be. Perhaps he was struggling to find the bounty and opted to spend the nights out until coming back.

Yeah, he was just refusing to return without the bounty, because he was stubborn like that. You let a dry chuckle escape your lips at the thought, a single hot tear rolling down your cheek.

But what if he finally met his match? What if the bounty got the upper hand and hurt boba? Or worse... What if he killed him -

You frantically shake your head refusing to believe that, you couldn’t lose him, your love, your riduur.... The tears fell freely, hot against your cheeks as your vision blurred. You lean your back against the ship and cry, sliding to the floor and hugging your knees to your chest.

It's been a week, almost two. And you refused to leave without him, even if he told you too, you couldn't bring yourself to. You let out a sob and hug your legs, "boba please... Please come back" you muttered into the empty ship, hoping he'd walk through the door and scoop you up in his arms, whispering his sweet yet gruff words of love to you.

But he was gone... You was just as stubborn as him and refused to believe it. You swallow the lump in your throat and stand up, wiping your tears, although they was quickly replaced by more. You walk over to the exit of the ship, walking down the ramp. The planet was another swampy one. The air damp and humid, insects buzzing around. The sun was setting, making the sky orange. You let out a shaky breath and decide perhaps you should look for boba, what if he was hurt and he needed you?

Or what if you found him but he was beyond help?

"please be okay..." you whisper to yourself and ready yourself to search for him. Just as your boot hits the moist ground, you hear it. The snapping of a twig and his gruff voice.

"I - I thought I said don't... Leave the ship?" he struggled to talk but his voice had your head snapping in his direction, relief hitting you like a inraged mud horn. But that relief morphed into worry.

He was limping, barely standing up as one hand clutched his bleeding side while the other held a large stick helping him stand properly, his helmet was still on, but you knew he must look beaten up under it.

You didn't waste another second and rush to his side, wrapping a arm around his middle carefully. Helping him walk back to the slave I, once inside you gently set him down on the floor, kneeling down beside him, taking his helmet off. His face bruised and cut, his lower lip cut deep.

You gasp at the sight of him and placed the helmet down looking over the rest of him, "he had friends" boba forced out a chuckle, "I didn't expect him to have so many other people around" he groans loudly as you work on taking his armor off.

"don't talk... Just, just sit here I'll be right back" you stand up and hurriedly look for the med kit. Thankfully you found in and rush back, sitting on your knees beside him, taking a blade and cutting his shirt exposing the gash on his side. It was deep and blood still pours from the wound.

He watched you with a gentle look, although he was in pain, he managed to hide it like every other emotion. "you didn't leave... I told you to leave if I didn't return in a weeks time" his voice came out more raspy, lower as he watched your tears fall, your hands shake as you wipe away the blood on his side and try fixing it.

"I can't leave without you boba... I couldn't leave" you say while spraying bacta spray on his wound, he hisses and flinched at the sting, making you mutter a apology while soon getting the patch out to put over it. You then move over to look over the bruises on his ribs.

He saw how your lip trembles, he knew that you was worried about him. He knew that you hated seeing him in this condition. So he reaches a hand out to gently touch your cheek, his palm pressed against your cheek as you cried, shoulders shaking as you squeeze your eyes shut.

"I thought you was dead... I was so scared boba" you cried, his heart hurting way worser then his injuries. He hated to see you cry, hated the pain that swirled in your eyes. He couldn't stand knowing that it was caused by him.

"I'm alive... A little beaten up, but I'm alive mesh'la" he weakly smiles, eye's tired as he breaths unevenly. "I would never leave you alone in this galaxy... Nothing can take me away from you" he watches how your eyes open up slowly, looking up at him.

"I love you, so damn much... Don't ever leave me" you say, grabbing his hand that was on your cheek and pressing a kiss to his palm.

He smiled, "I love you too, I promise I'll never leave you..." he muttered while leaning his head back against the wall of his ship, letting you clean and fix up his little injuries.

A silence fell over the ship, boba knew you was highly upset, Tears finally stopped flowing but you snifled while cleaning the blood off of his lip. You wasn't mad, if you was you'd ignore his existence, you was scared, pain enveloped you the moment you saw his condition he was in. You and him both knew that he lived a dangerous life... But seeing him have a near death experience? Having to nurse him back to health because I quarry got the best of him? It was a slap to the face from reality, that it was likely he'd leave you on this ship with nothing more then a kiss and a promise of his return, but it was a promise he couldn't keep, for he was likely to never return one day....

That thought made a small noise that sounded much like a pained whimper escape your lips. Hands shaking as you cleaned his face. Boba sighs, slowly cupping the nape of your neck and pulling you down so your head rests against his bare chest. You let him hold you, relishing in the fact he was still hear, alive....

"I'm sorry princess..." he whispers, raspy voice breaking the silence. You shake your head and peek up at him, eye's red from crying so much.

"what if you wouldn't have made it back to me boba? I can't live in a universe without you...." you murmur tearfully, your palm pressed against his cheek and stroking an old scar. He leans into your touch.

"yes you can cyar'ika, you'll have to if something ever happens to me - not that it will... But y/n, my love... Promise me that if something ever happens to me you'll live a happy a life, that you'll settle down somewhere on a safe planet and find someone to take care of you..." he trailed off as he felt the familiar feeling of pain swirling in his heart, consuming his whole being like fire.

You kept your eyes on his, the golden specks twirling within the dark brown of his eye's. Letting out a soft breath, you push the upcoming tears away, "I'll settle on a planet, but with no other lover.... You own my heart boba, it belongs to you even if you are no longer around to hold it" you seen the way his eye's get glossy, unshed tears swimming in his eye's. He would never let them fall, boba would never cry in front of anyone, not even you.

"we are one when together..." you quietly repeated the vows you had both spoken merely a year ago.

"we are one when parted..." he said with a small smile, hand trailing from the nape of your neck to cup your cheek. "I'm not going anywhere riduur, I'd never dream of leaving you alone in this galaxy" he reassures, thumb softly rubbing circles into the soft skin of your face.

"good...let's get you into bed, you have to be uncomfortable" you stand up, hands gently taking his as you help him stand up. He groans in pain, but is quick to shoot you a small smile to ease your worry.

You wrap your arm around his waist again as he drapes a arm over your shoulders, barely putting his weight on you in fear he'd hurt you. After you made it into the small room with a cot in it, you lay him down easily, checking the wound in his side one last time before crawling in bed yourself. Snuggling his side while being mindful of his injuries.

The silence that resides in the room makes you nearly fall asleep, eye's heavy from all the crying you'd done earlier, the sound of your husband's heart beating lulling you to sleep. But he placed a kiss atop your head, "ni kar'tayli gar darasuum" he whispers into the night, but you heard and repeated the words back to him,

"I love you too"

___________________________________________

[toomanyfandoms02]

The Journal // George Weasley x Reader

I LOVED THIS REQUEST FROM @rainy-day-gracie OMGGGG it was SO fun to write.

Don't forget that request are open and dialogue prompts are on my page!

Summary - Reader loses her diary and has to go on a search for it.

Word Count - 1.75k

Prompts - "When did you take that!" ~~ "I hid it."

Where was it?

WHERE WAS IT?

Now, I didn't like to refer to my personal notes as a diary, I prefer journal. But the point is, it was missing.

Missing from the small compartment under my bed where I had hid it. Not that I expected anyone to take it, but it calmed my anxiety so I did what I could.

The journal looked just like my sketch book, I did this on purpose so that people wouldn't question why I had it out and was writing in it on occasion. They would just think I'm sketching per usual. But I made sure to keep good track of it, because I truly *did* have very personal information in there, like any journal would. So at this point, I'm frantically running around asking my dorm mates if they had seen it. First asking Hermione and Parvarti because they knew of the book. Then asking Ginny Weasley and Sophie Roper.

They had all claimed to have not seen it.

So I rushed down to the common room. Checking the side tables, under the couch, on the fireplace mantle. But it was useless, I *know* I closed it in the compartment 2 days ago. I remember it distinctly because I had written a rather private thing in it that day, and I wanted to stop thinking about how it made me feel.

*Potions, one of my least favorite classes for a few reasons. (Maybe because we had it with the snooty Slytherins or maybe because Severus Snape taught the wretched class, who's to say.) But there was one thing that made the class shine for me despite the things I hated about it.*

*George Weasley.*

*Somehow we had managed to be partners for this potion by random. Much to Snapes disliking. But he had to let it go since the picking was truly random.*

*"Today we will be making the Babbling Beverage, does anyone know what this potion does?" Snape asked in his usual monotone voice. A slytherins hand shot up from the back, explaining that it makes you speak uncontrollable nonsense. George leaned across the table to me.*

*"Guess it wouldn't change much for you then, huh?" He laughed, leaning back into his seat with a shit-eating grin.*

*And that's what sparked me to write in my journal. I felt I had to do it immediately, so I did. I whipped it from my bag and held it in my left hand, not laying it on the table where he could see.*

*"What are you writing?" He asked, trying to peak at it.*

*"I'm drawing you Bimbo!" I laughed but that's not even close to what I was doing.*

**I really thought this was only the stuff you could read about, this feeling. A laugh has never brought louder music to my ears, and that smile, I feel like I've never seen him smile like that. He never fails to bring a shining moment to my day. I hope that I make him feel this way sometimes. The tightness in my chest, the way my heart feels like it's having palpitations because its beating so damn fast. Or the way I think he's just so perfect. I sound like such a teenager gosh.**

*I never used names in the thing just in case someone ever got a hold of it.*

*"Why don't you ever let me see your drawings?" He pouted, grabbing at the book and nearly having a hold of it. I snatched it from him quickly.*

*"Because I'm still learning and I don't like them very much." I lied, holding the book to my chest.*

*"I bet they look fine." He muttered with another pout before going to grab ingredients.*

After I decided there was no use in panicking, I took some deep breaths. I had to get to Potions soon, I could talk to George about this and vent to him about the stress I was under at the moment. I grabbed my Potions book from my side table and headed that way.

To keep me distracted by what I felt like were prying eyes in the corridors, (which no one was probably looking at me, that's paranoia for you) I flipped through my sketch book. I flipped through it all the way to the potions door. But one step in and I had nearly dropped it.

George sat, tipping his chair back with what I was positive was *my* journal. He looked deep in thought, his right index finger dragging down one of the pages to read it. I recovered my sketches and stomped over to him, alerting him of my presence. He stood from the seat, holding the book from my reach.

"When did you take that?!" I tried to express my concern quietly so no one would but in on the convo, my arms crossed over my chest.

"Technically I didn't take it." He replied in a cocky manner. "Sophie got it for me."

"But I hid it! That damn girl, I knew she was being suspicious. Give it back, now Weasley, I'm not playing." I held my hand out for it.

"Not until you tell me who you fancy." My face paled, he had read some of it that little snot. That made me quite scared, I did not want him knowing that.

"George it's just ramblings that I come up with, like short stories."

"These sound pretty realistic to me." For a second there his face seemed hurt, but I will have to look over it considering the situation I'm in currently. He brought it to his eye level, still to where I couldn't reach it, and flipped through pages to find one where I write something lovey. "How about, 'He made me laugh so hard I nearly choked today, how does he do it? Do girls seriously not see the charm in this man? I sure do.'" He flipped more, reaching a sufficient page clearly.

"Or, or this one. 'I like him so much I want to be part of his family. Have you ever liked someone so much you *want* to meet their family. I want to be a Weasley-'"

You've got to be kidding. You've **got** to be kidding.

I must have gotten so caught up with writing it that I just let a name slip. Why would I do that. My hand was clasped over my mouth firmly and George was still holding it eye level, seeming to read it silently. I sat in my seat and put my head on the table so I didn't have to watch anymore.

I figured this would happen this way, it wouldn't be me directly telling him. But I thought I would cry, because the thought if it happening made me cry. But I was actually just scared and embarrassed. Scared of rejection and embarrassed that it happened like this.

I heard the book lay next to me softly on the table and the seat across from me scoot out.

"I'm going to get the ingredients for today." He said quietly. I could see his feet walk away from my view under the table. My head was brought up, grabbing the journal and shoving it into my bag shamefully. He came back with small jars and measuring spoons.

"I didn't mean for her to grab your diary you know." He confessed, not looking me in the eye. "I was trying to get her to grab your sketch book. I wanted to see your sketches. But I'm guessing the books look the same so she grabbed the wrong one. I'm sorry for reading it, that was personal." He was fiddling with his hands, his key sign of nervousness, I could tell he meant his apology.

"Its okay, I would have done the same thing if I had yours." I chuckled, trying to relieve the tension in the air. That brought a smile to his face, finally looking me in the eye.

"So, do you have a crush on Fred?" He asked, his face cringing slightly.

He's kidding right? Surely he's not that dumb. My eyebrows furrowed probably as far as they could.

"What?" Was all I could get out. I could not believe this idiot right now.

"Well I hope it's not Ron, that would be a little weird I think, and surely it's not me."

"Yes it is!" I protested back pressingly.

"Its Ron?!" His face was horrified now.

"No you dimwit! It's you! Merlin are you dumb! Georgie you're all I write about in here nearly, look." I pulled the book out again, flipping to a random page. "I taught him how to braid today, he told me he didn't know how and I told him I was perfect to practice on. He's actually quite good at it, I think he knew how to braid. For a moment there he was just playing with my hair and I thought that I might just blackout, it was a dream." It was from a night in the common room. "Or, more proof. 'The boy was sitting across from me on the couch in front of the fireplace today. It was perfect to draw, or at least try. The sketch is kind if shit but I can tell its him and now it think I'll look at it every day because I loved that moment.'"

George's face looked so happy. It was another one of those smiles that drove me mad, but I guess everything about him drove me mad, didn't it?

"You really feel that way about me?"

"Of course I do. I thought it was obvious. And I'm sorry to spring it on you like this."

"Well I certainly was too much of a wuss to do it myself." He said with a nervous smile.

"You mean, you feel the same way?" There's absolutely no way.

"Well of course." He said, as if it was the most casual and obvious thing in the world. "Do you see me act the way I do around you with anyone else. Braiding anyone else's hair, trying to stay calm and collected and seem cool around anyone else."

"Well that's because we're best friends."

"But is that the case for either of us?" And he was right. We only acted this way around eachother because we were hopelessly pining for one another, without even knowing it. And it was consistently working.

"Well aren't we just the perfect pair." I said with a giggle, pouring ingredients in the cauldron for the first time in 10 minutes.

"Are we a pair now?" He asked with a cheesy smile.

"Is this your way of asking me out Weasley?"

"Maybe."

"Then yes, we *are* a pair."

[madmiriam]

My Mando (Din Djarin) /oc's backstory idea (includes alot of rexsoka shipping)

Warning!! : I can't spell for toffee and Tumblr deleted all of my proofreaders edits. Obviously she doesn't want to do it all over again so I've had to make do.

(a clan of three by madmiriam (Me)

We all love the mandalorian, Din Djarin is so sexy as single dad and we all love him for it. But this makes it hard to write and engageing original character to go with this perfect specimen of a man, one that we can really connect with. Well I have a salutation, to connect with a character it helps if that character is also connected to a character/characters that you already know and love. So I give you my original character Jaig.

Look:

Like the picture above, originally I wasn't going to have Din and Grogu in it at first but I have a habit of making life difficult for myself, so your welcome.

Personality:

As an adult, she's calm and patient and has a sarcastic sense of humour.

As a child, she has a bubbly personality, a contagious smile, and an insatiable curiosity.

Strengths:

she finds it difficult to truly hate anyone, no matter what they've done, she proffers to look at the reasons behind the actions of others before jumping in for revenge, that's not to say she doesn't get angry at people, but her anger is not fuelled by hate. She has been fully trained in the use of weaponry, such as guns, granaids and other such, and has had a small amount of training with a lightsaber when she was younger. But afters a experiencing a tragedy at the age of 9 she hasn't touched one since, she proffers the us of DC hand guns. She is also a fairly good pilot and mechanic.

Weaknesses:

back when she was a child she had a hard time using the force when when overwhelmed. If the thoughts and feelings of others got to much, she would become force blind. When she grows older, (for certain reasons you will find out later on in. This story) she completely cuts herself off from the force. Unless her emotions get to much go handle, then the force would almost explodes out of her. She also doesn't do well when she's alown. Having grown up in various large family atmospheres. If she is not around people she cares about and loves, she will become closed off a dipressed.

Back story: (now bear with me, this storyline is set before she meets Din, its just an introduction to this character)

Jaig (due to her small Jaig eye like markings, and her father's personal connection to the simble) is the daughter of ex jedi padawan Ahsoka Tano and her mate/husband Captain Rex. She looks mostly human like her father, with the same amber eyes and his family's dark hair. But with the same facial structure of her mother, and a slightly darker and olive tinged skin tone. She also has distinct white making that were almost identical to her mother's. Except instead of diamond shapes on her forehead, she has jaig eye like markings. She was born 6 years after the clone wars ended, while her parents were on the run from the empire. Rex and Ahsoka had found it impossible to part from one another after the events of order 66, and after travelled from place to place avoiding the empire for a long time. Their feelings for one another grow, and they eventually married through the use of mandalorian marriage vows.

They built a home in the stars, and after a few years, to their great surprise and happiness they conserved and had Jaig. Things were finally looking up with the birth of their new found hope for the future.

(Their new found hope for the future/baby Jaig by madmiriam (me)

But it was not to last. It was hard enough to hide themselves, a clone and a ex jedi from the empire. But now adding a force sensative baby to the mix as well, it made it damn near impossible for them all to stay together. Which; after a terrifying encounter with one of the Empires Inquisitors, forced them to make the difficult decision to part ways. Rex would head off insearch for a new home and hopefully find and de-chip as many brothers as he could. While ahsoka would keep traveling around the stars with Jaig. Avoiding the empire and its ruthless inquisitors, whilst trying to help Jaig build up her Shields. They both agreed to keep in touch and once Jaig's Shields were up and safely secure,(which for the average youngling would take 5 years or so) they would rejoin each other and dicided what to do next. But a year after their separation Rex's comms and messeges had stopped all together, and by the time Jaig had reached the age of five and had built up some suitable shields around her mind, neither she or her mother had herd from her father in over 4 years. Her mother was adament he was still alive, but as she grew older Jaig had a hard time believing her. For if he was alive why hadn't he come to find them? Why was he not answering her mothers messages that she still sent on a regular basis?

By the time she was 6 her mother was approached by Bail Organa, in regards to starting a rebellion, and that is what they spent the next 4 years working towards, staying in the shadows gradually building up a resistance to eventually overthrow the empire.

She and her mother met the ghost crew when she was 9 (the same age Anakin had been when he was found by qui gon) and after an uncomfortably close encounter with a mysterious Sith lord called Darth Vader, Jaig's mother disided it was time to bring her father into the fold, and sent Jaig of with the ghost crew to find Rex.

When meeting her father she had opted to wear a scarf to cover her face markings and, chose to withhold her name, and who she was until she found out more about the man who was her father. She was apprehensive about him. As she had no memorie of her dad, for she was only a baby when he left. The only thing she did have, was this warm comforting feeling that she felt whenever her mother spoke of him. A feeling of being held to a large ferm chest in two equally large and ferm muscular arms. Wrapped in a soft wool blanket. Her mother told her that this was the force making an imprint on one of the more emotional moments of her like. But all the same, she proffered to be cautious.

After spending some time with Rex and his bothers. She found her self really enjoying there company. Aspecially her father's. Who dispite having no idea who she was, had already shown that he had a clear paternal instinct. Particularly when teaching her and Ezra how to fish for "Big Bongo". However Kanan who clearly didn't trust Rex or his brothers had spent most of his time hovering around ether her or Ezra protectively, eventually telling them about his exspirence with order 66, an event her mother never talked about.

After seeing the heartbreak on her father's eyes at the memories he and Kanan spoke of. She desided it was time to tell him who she was. But that decision was cut short however when she overheard Rex telling Ezra that he wasn't going to come back with them. Even though he now knew her mother was alive (1 year after separating when the message's stopped he thought both his wife and child to be dead) Jaig ran of in tears when hearing this. She climbing down the ladder of the the AT-TE and walked ferther in front of the walking monstrosity. Away from everyone else. She had finally gotten used to the idea of her father coming back with them. Had become exited by it even. But now, the fact that he was refusing to come with them. Back to his home, his wife, to her. It hurt and overwhelmed her, more than she could say.

She didn't however see what happened after. When Sebine came out and acused Rex of selling them out, of contacting the empire and never answering Ahsoka's messages; at which point he finds out about how Wolfe had withheld all the messages from Ahsoka for 8 years. Thinking he was protecting his brothers from a potentially vengeful jedi. Rex was furious at Wolfe for hiding his own wife's messages to him, and coursing him to miss so much of his only child's life.

Rex: "we have a daughter Wolfe!!! My Jaig, my baby girl doesn't even know who I am because of you!!!"

Wolfe:(was shocked and full of regret when hearing this) "I.. I.. Didn't know... Rex I'm sorry, I didnt know"

Ezra:(recordnises the name) "wait Jaig? you meen our Jaig, Jaigs your daughter?"

Rex: "wait what?"

At this point they hear a shrill scream coming from down in front of the AT-TE. It was Jaig, she was being attact by the prob droid that had been sent by the empire.

The clones immediately go into action. Rex is handed a rifle and gets ready to shoot the prob as it backs his daughter into the ground. His ames and shoots true, killing the droid with one foul shot and then quickly dashes down to retrieve his daughter from under the sparking remains of the droid.

Jaig is in hysterics at this point. Having been taken by surprise by the droid along with the emotional turmoil of potentially losing her father all over again. She then resigned herself to just sit there and cry over how foolish she was for even seeing the attack coming. But now she was being held in the familiar strong arms of her father as he held his only child for the first time in over 8 years.

Rex: "I'm here sh shh, I'm here Ik'aad senaar (baby bird, a nickname he gave her as an infant) daddy's here, daddy's got you"

He says carefully stocking her familiar dark brown hair (that was now flowing free as her scarf had fallen loosely around her shoulders, revealing her beautiful face to her father who's eyes were now brimming with unshed tears) to calm her down as he picking her up and takes her back to the AT-TE. Where the others are waiting with bated breaths. Wolfe was holding a blanket out to wrap his shacking niece into and Gregor quickly dashing off to get her a hot chocolate hoping to make her feel better.

Jaig: "I was angry. Upset. You said you weren't coming home and, then everyone felt so angry and scared all at once. It was to much. (sighs) I have a hard time controling the force when I get overwhelmed like that. I couldn't even sence the prob. I'm. I'm sorry"

She exsplans after she sits down and has a few sips of the hot chocolate that had been placed in her hands. Accompanied a number of comforting back rubs from both her father and her uncles.

Wolfe apologies to her. Explains that he's the reason her father had been out of her life for so long. That he was just trying to protect his brothers but ended up hurting his other family because of it. And tells her he understands if she hates him.

Jaig: "your Wolfe aren't you? Uncle Wolfe? Mum (she has a slight clone like accent that they haven't noticed before) told me about you, said you worked with Grandpa Plo"

Wolfe: 😳"Grandpa Plo? 😂 Boy he would have loved to have herd you say that"

He said, both of them smile at each other, Jaig having forgiven her uncle for his laps in judgment.

All seemed well again until the empire calls them back to get the clones to hand over the rebels. The clones now fueled by the new found need to keep their new family out of harms way, tells the empire where they can stick it, and quickly try to usher the ghost crew along with Jaig into the phantom so they can escape While they all get ready to fight.

Jaig: "but I just found you, mum told me to bring you home, I can't leave you behind, da.. Please don't go"

She says clutching at his shirt as he huged her tight before holding her out to face him,

Rex:"no one's abandoning anyone. Jaig look at me (tilting her head to look. Into her eyes, eyes that matched her father's) we're soldiers Ik'aad senaar, this is what we were born to do, but this time we have something to fight for.. Its going to be OK, (presses his forehead against hers) I love you my Jaig eyes, I've loved you from the I first held you. Ha you were so tiny. I didn't want to let you go back then and I don't want to do it again now, but like last time it's something I have to do, to keep you safe, my Ik'aad senaar, (kissed her forhead lovingly) tell your mother I'm sorry I couldn't make it home, and... And I love her ok."

He says before sending her back into the phantom, closing the door behind her before she can stop him.

Things then pan out like it does in the show, the phantom goes back to help the clones take down the walkers and Rex then decides he's not gonna spend any more of time away from Ahsoka and Jaig and choses to return with them and join the rebellion.

The reauion between Rex and Ahsoka continues the same, but insted of just a hug Ahsoka goes in for the kiss (how it should have always been in my opinion).

(this art work was done by @nottonyharrison (please note: this image was used with the permission of the artist,) please go check them out, as you can see their art work is stunning)

They spend most of there time with the ghost crew, Ahsoka makes the Ghost her base to return to after missions, and Rex teaching combat and war strategies to both Ezra and Jaig, but mostly to Ezra, Jaig was; in his opinion still to young to get to deep into the oncoming war.

Rex:"let her be a kid for a little longer at least".

Jaig and Ezra had eventually become good friends, Jaig looking up to him as something of an older brother, following him every where he went like a little shadow. At first Ezra was annoyed, and try to get away from her at every turn. But after a while he found he quite like having someone look up to him for a change. As before her, he had been dubed the baby of the group with the most to learn. But now he had Jaig hanging on his evey word like it was gold. He found he enjoyed the new found responsibility.

Unfortunately with her shadowing Ezra so much. This meant she got into all kinds of trouble with him. Trouble that mostly involved them running down the corridor with an angry Zeb chasing after them. Zeb really didn't seem to like Jaig very much. Said it was like having two Ezras, and one was quite enough. However other trouble also included a short but terrible trip to malachor, where after being told she can't come along she choses to stow herself away on the phantom in the small rashon hold built into the floor, shielding her mind from her mother as they flow through space.

Ahsoka: (on a call to Rex) "well I definitely out rank you😉... 😟How Jaig doing?"

Rex: "welp she's not happy, she gone and hidden herself in one of thoughs little critter caves again, I'm making her favorite tonight so I know she'll show up by dinner time, but all the same😔..."

Ahsoka: "hay don't take it to heart Rex, you and I both know this is how she deals with being left behind for anything, she finds a small place to hide and sulk it out, just be ready with a plate of nuna and a hug and she bounces right back😄🙁 when she comes out tell her I love her, and I'll be home soon"

Rex: "I will🙂😟... May the force be with you" they hang up.

It's Ezra who ends up finding her, just after they land. Pointing her out to a stressed out Kanan and a very cross Ahsoka,

Ezra: "ummm guys, I think we have a stowaway",

Jaig: "before you get mad..... consider being proud of me, I stayed still for hours in there AND I shielded my mind the whole time, so you non of you even knew I was there"

Ahsoka: "DON'T push it young lady😠what were you thinking!! Your fathers gonna be worried sick!!!! 😤😔 welp since there's no turning back now, the sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can get you back home and thoroughly grounded for a year"

The rest again plays out the same, they find Maul, Maul blinds Kanan, they get the sith holocromb but lose Ahsoka in the fight with Vader, though after seeing Jaig who looks so much like the little snippy girl from his old life, the Anakin in Vader hasitates to kill ahsoka and her child, and insted trys to convince the unwavering togruta to join him with her daughter.

Vader:"the galaxy shall never be safe for her Ahsoka, join me and I can protect her from the emperor. Join me and we can over throw him... Together"

Ahsoka: "how can I trust anything you say. If you were truly Anakin then how can you protect my daughter when you can't even protect yourself"

Jaig: "MUM!!!! MUUUMMMM!!!"

Ahsoka looks at her daughter running to her as the walls of the sith temple come down,

Ahsoka :"I'm sorry Jaig"

She say quietly as she force pushes he child into Ezra outside the temple as it fall around her and Vader out of the site of her family.

When all is quiet and Vader emerges from the rubble, after failing to find his former apprentice, the Anakin in him vows that he will not fail her child, he will do everything in his power to insure his master never find her, even if he has to hide her away himself to do it.

When Kanan, Ezra and Jaig return to base, Rex is in hysterics asking around.

Rex:"have you seen Jaig? Has anyone seen my baby?, its been over two days.. I can't find her..!!."

Jaig:"DADDY!!! 😭"

Rex turns to see her running out of a newly landed phantom in tears. Now knowing exactly where she'd been he quickly runs to her and scoops her up in his arm clucking her close to his chest in relief that she was home.

Rex:"you.. Are going to be the death of me, hey sh shshsh hey, hey what's the tears? what happen? where's your..? ."

(a father's comfort, ruff drawing by madmiriam (me)

He couldn't finish the sentence as he looked around and sure two other people emerging from a now empty ship, neither one of them was his wife. Ezra looked him in the eyes and with out saying a word, he knew. He knew Ahsoka, his Ahsoka was gone. He closed his eyes, sheding one silent tear as he held his girl tighter, and slowly carried her away, away from the crowd, but not away from the heartache.

After the loss of her mother, Jaig's once bubblie personality had diminishes somewhat. She refuses to leave the side of eather her father or the members of the ghost crew. She goes on a few missions with them and liston to every word her father says about ways of fighting, fighting to protect herself and the people she loves. Before heading to a mission on geonosis he gives he one of his old DCs. (its twin had been lost in battle during the clone wars and he had gotten a replacement pear, but he had always kept his first well maintained in case he ever needed it)

Rex: "I know it's no lightsaber, but if will keep you and the others safe when used properly"

Jaig: "I don't want a lightsaber any more, 😔sabers get you killed"

Rex: " not all of them Ik'aad senaar" he sighs kissing her forehead "not all of them".

But even this would not last. When it came time for the empire to attack chopper base. Vader sends his own secret troops of undercover purge troopers to find and retrieve Jaig, and to also fake her death so both the empire and the rebels would not come looking for her. This of corse left Rex in his lowest point yet. After watching the ship he had put his daughter on to be evacuated blow up before it even left the ground. He found it hard to not simply drop all his defences and just calming walk into the flames after her. If it hadn't been for Zeb he probably would have. These kind of thoughts invaded his mind so frequently after that day, it was hard to remember when they didn't. He had lost both his wife and now his child. His hope and his reason for fighting were gone, and he wanted to go after them. But he couldn't. Not while there were still people to fight out there, the people who took everything for him and was still grabbing for more. People who his wife started this whole rebellion to fight against. No, he would keep fighting, as long as there is still even one imperial still left alive he would live and fight, until every last one of then were wiped out of existence. (that's gonna take a while)

Meanwhile Vader and Jaig finally meet properly face to mask. Jaig is having a hard time counselling her fear. But Vader was also having difficulty concealing his pain. Pain that had lingered since the moment he had emerged from that crumbled down sith temple, with no sign in the force or otherwise of his once padawan,. The last family he thought he had, that had not betrayed him, who had(once she had seen his face underneath his freshly cracked mask) said she wouldn't leave him, not again. But she had left him, not by her own design he knew, but she had left him all the same. And she had also left a child behind, a child like the one Padme would have given him if it weren't for both the sith and the jedi.

The jedi, who had forced his hand in turning to the dark side, by telling him he should just let Padme die for the good of the galaxy. The jedi who had abandoned his padawan, his little sister, his first child (if he could go so far as to say) in her time of need, and then exsept her to come back all smiles, acting as though her whole ordel was just a trial to prove herself to them. When it was them who should be providing themselves to her.

And the sith,. The sith who had manipulated him from day one to become what he is now, the sith who had taken every thing he had, his wife, his child, his brother/father figer, his little sister/daughter and his friends. The clones. His home all gone for the sake of his masters new empire😡. Yes he new this had been his master's plan all along, the war the clones, the inhibitor chips. All to gane more and more power for himself and to distroy the jedi in his wake. Dragging Anakin down into the darkness with him, and he would do the same thing to Jaig given the chance. Vader could feel the raw power of the force rolling of her, the energy mix with her fear would be a prime canderdate for Sidious's manipulation, should he ever discover her existence.

No!!! That would not happen, neither the sith or the jedi would have her, he would not alow it.

Jaig:"I know who you are.. I know what you did... You tryed to turn my mother before killing her, but you wouldn't turn me, you hear me, I.. Will.. Not... Turn"

She says her voice shacking with her body in fear.

Vader:"no... You will not..."

Jaig: "then why am I here? I haven't done anything to make you hate me.... At least... I don't think I have"

Vader:"I do not hate you Jaig, like your mother, much to my masters great..... disappointment... I could never hate you"

It was true. He couldn't hate her. Couldn't bring himself to hate her. But he couldn't love her either. He had no more love left in him to give. But he could protector for the sake of someone he had loved.

Jaig: confused "then.. Then please let me go, I won't tell anyone if that's what your worried about, I just want to go home, I want my dad, please I just want my daddy😰"

Vader: "you father's fate is.... Regrettable. However it is a necessary evil, it is emperative that he believes you to be dead"

Jaig: "why what did he do to you? what did any of my parents ever do to you?!"

Vader: "as shocking as it may sound, these actions are not done out of hate. You will know this soon enough but for now, I must focus on getting you as far away and as hidden as possible" he then calls in a trouper with red and black armor.

Vader: "CC-2224 I trust your men are ready"

Cody: "ready and awaiting orders.. Sir"

Cody says through gritted teeth not bearing to even look at his once general's masked face.

Vader:"good, I trust the surgery was a success for all of them?"

Cody: "yes.. Sir.. Though we are all having adjustment issues due to recent ... and.... less recent events"

Vader: "thoughs... issues.... had better not interfere with the performance of your mission commander, you and your men have been chosen for one reason and one reason only, and it is for your loyalty to her safety. I can feel your hatred for me commander Cody (Cody inhails sharply at the sound of his name) but I also know enough about you and your brother's to know that they will not let this anger get in the way. I trust you all know the consequences that await you should you fail"

He ignites his blood red saber to put more emphasis on his point.

Cody:"yes sir"

Vader:"very well, now take her and go, and protect her with your life, I shall make my own way back to base as some as I can, her training with began immediately after my return, so be sure to proper her, but until then you already know what to do".

Cody noded before walking over to Jaig, then bent down and gently but fermly lifts her out of her seat, and quickly carry her out of the cell, down the hall and, through the, docking Station towards a unmarked referbished gunship.

Jaig: "where are we going? "

She said with a soft whimper. She was relieved to be away from Vader but still felt apprehensive with the idea of being taken away yet again in the arms of this.. Purge trooper, at lest she thinks it's a purge trooper, she had never seen one before so she could only guess.

Cody: "sh sh it's gonna be OK little one, I'm taking you some were safe, but we have to hurry now"

Jaig:"why?"

Cody: "no one on this ship other than Vader knows we're here and we have to keep it that way kid"

Jaig:"why would you need to hide from your own men"

Cody:"cuz you never know whos watching, I'll explain more when we get off this ship and into hyperspace"

Once they were on board the gun ship, that had been modified to acomidate long period space travel. The modifications included everything from comfortable seating to a working hyperdrive. Cody set her down in one of the seats and strapped her fermly in before heading to the cockpit, leaving her now surrounded by four more purge troopers (hardcase, fives, dogma and waxer, who I'm gonna say lived, cuz I have attachment issues, boil is in the cockpit piloting the ship) who are all looking at her intensely through their helmets. (hardcase and fives are in borrowed discises, after Fives finds out about the chips he and hardcase desert the army and decide to strike out on their own to try and find out more about the chips and their perpose, unfortunately they were too late to do anything about it before oder 66 happened. They have been on the run ever since, until Vader aproches them, informing them that he has been keeping tabs on them, and had been insuring the empire believes them both to be dead, and tells them of the mission, they agree to help because it's Rex and ahsoka's daughter they'll be protecting, but only under the condition the they only report to a de-chipped Cody and all other clones included in the mission must also be de-chipped as well. Vader had agreed to this as he was going to have their chips all removed anyway, to prevent any itchy trigger fingers being near his new force sensative)

Once they're in hyperspace Cody returns to the main area of the gun ship, where the other clones are crowed around a frightened looking Jaig

Waxer: "is this her? Wow she looks so much like her mum"

Fives: "she has our eyes though, our wonderfully handsome eyes"

hardcase: "and out hair, Ha!! I knew Rex's hair wasn't naturally blonde😂"

Dogma:" technically Hardcase, her hair being brown isn't proof that his is to, she could have just gotten the hereditary Jango gen of dark hair"

Fives:"aww suck the fun out of it why don't you"

Cody: "guys back up, give her some space, your freaking her out, and take off your buckets, I don't think they're helping"

When their buckets were removed Jaig was shocked to see five versions of her father's face looking down at her, all old and a little worse for where's, but all very much clone. She recordnises three of them from her father's holopad.

Jaig: "Fives?"

Fives:😃 "yeah! Yeah kid, that's me your☝️ Uncle Fives (he kneals down taking her hand in his, giving it a quick squeeze, before turning to Cody) she recordnised me first that must kill you😁"

Cody: 😠 "only cus you have a, dirty great 5 on your forehead You Di'kut"

He said before knealing down in front of her

Cody:"hey kid, sorry I couldn't introduce myself earlier, I'm your.."

Jaig:"Uncle Cody"

Cody:😁 "yeah kid (to Fives) SEE!! over there are your uncles Dogma, Waxer, Hardcase and back there in the cockpit is your uncle Boil, I know your probably not used to this many of us, but there's more we're we came from where we're going, though they live un a different fasilaty to ours, but every single one of them would be whiling to keep you safe if they knew. So you don't have to worry, we're not gonna let anything happen to you"

Jaig "but Vader.."

Cody: (places both hand at the side of her head and looks her dead in the eyes) "isn't going to TUCH you, not if we have anything to say about its, he may be our sponser, and he will be coming round every so often to check on you and train you. But you'll have several hundred or so uncles on the planet ready and waiting with fully loaded blasters should he ever try to hurt you, us 6 especially as we're the only clones there that know about you yet and we're gonna be living under the same roof, as you and one of us will always be close by to help you. OK kid, it's all gonna be ok (he says hugging her) your safe now"

Jaig: "but I don't want to be trained by Vader, I said I wouldn't turn and I meant it"

Cody: "it's alright, its alright. The one thing Vader has assured us of, is it he will not be training you in the dark side. And judging by the amount of effort he's putting into keeping you hidden, I'm inclined to believe him. He told us that you must block your self off from the force, what ever that means. Which is what he's going to show you how to do. Apparently it's the only way to keep the emperor off your scent. But like I said, one of us is always gonna be there should he try anything"

Fives:"yeah we'll look out for you kid, I know you miss your dad, and we're pretty poor substitutes, but we're here for you all the same"

Hardcase:"and we're not leaving anytime soon"

Dogma: "well not if we can help it"

Jaig "but where are we going?"

Cody: smile "to the closest thing we clones have to a home... Kamino"

Kamino had changed over the years, once the emperor had ordered to stop to any more clones creation. The cloning fasilaties had been abandoned by the kaminoans, along with all the rest of the untrained cadets who were all shipped of to the mustafa system to be trained and bred as the empires elite force of purge troopers.

The cloning facilities were left to the old now retired clones, to live out their days away from civilisation, many now wolowing in sadness and regret for their actions under the influence of their now un activated inhibitor chips.

The place Jaig and her other uncles were heading, was just a few hundred miles of from the main cloning compound. It had been kitted out with everything they might need, weaponry, shields, a food station, bedrooms, a bunkhouse, a training ground, and a shooting range. The only beings abord were now the clones, Jaig, the cook and the maintenance crew, well I say crew, it consisted of one male Ugnaught named Kuiil and three droid assistants whom he had reprogrammed to help with any and all clean up and maintenance duties.

Jaig would continue to live out there with her uncles for the next 5 years. They would go on to train her with any and all things clone, weaponry, though she had learnt a lot of that from her father's teachings, and the language and teachings of the mandalorian. The boys were insistent that she learn all of what little they knew of their heritage, as they were all descended from Jango, who was of mandolor. Any clone would tell you how proud the clones were of this heritage, and now they had someone to pass it all down to. They even taught Jaig the mandalorian wars songs that they had all learnt as cadets, and the Clone Haka, that had been performed by many clone troops over the years, before battle,. Much to the confusion and quite frankly terror of the B1 battle droids who witnessed them.

Fives: "ha your mum was pritty good at this to"

Jaig: now 12" my mum knew the Haka? "

She said, trying to picture her calm and serene togrutan mother, chanting, stomping and banging her chest along side millions of clones Warriors, all while making different faces and throatle sounds at the droids on the other side of the battlefield.

Hardcase: "oh yeah!! She was a natural, always shouting the chant in her loudest voice and making her scariest war face, like this 🤪😜🤪"

Fives: "and that my dear Jaig, was when your father fell in love🥰"

Vader came over as often as he could spare, when he was sure he couldn't be directed be his master or that anyone following him. Teaching Jaig how to disconnect herself from the force, telling her that if she continues to use it, the consequences would be severe.

Vader:"if the employer was ever to discover you exsisens, he would hunt you down in an instant, and kill anyone who trys to hide you from him. This is why you must never use the force again, and you must never leave. If anyone outside this fasilaty were to learn of your existence, you would be in mortal danger, as would everyone you care about"

Jaig: "but why couldn't my dad come? You could have had both our deaths faked and brought him here with me"

Vader: sighed "he is to mixed up with the rebel alliance, and besides, it was his reaction that sold your death to the universe. A trick I learned from my old master...the hard way"

He said bitterly.

Jaig knew she should hate him, he had taken her from her home, her friends and family. He had taken her mother, and it was because of his foolish decision to trust, a maniac, power hungy, sith Lord, that her family were forced to live in the shadows, and her mother, and father were force into separation when she was just an infant. She didn't like him by any means, she frequently tryed to avoid his at any turn. But she still couldn't feel hatred for him.

Cody: "na that your mother in you, she was never one to hold much of a grudge ether. She got angry at people don't get me wrong but she never hated them. She cryed over the potential execution of a woman who had Framed her for Murder once. And had taken the time to give all her deceased troops, who had tryed to gun her down a funeral. Even though she and your father where now on the run from the empire"

Over the years living there, she became closer with her uncles, or at least most of them. She argued with Boil on an almost daily basis, but they had their moments, she told him and Waxer how she met Numa, who was still fighting for the freedom of her home. She had a difficult time connecting with Dogma. He was very distance from her and didn't talk much. However she did like listening to him read. Dogma who had been a stiff by the book solder his entire life, and had been through so much, found he secretly quite enjoyed the company of his niece. But she spent most of her training with Fives and Hardcase. Both clones always new how to make her smile and told her many stories of her parents during the war, stories not even her parents had told her, (though they never much liked talking about the war), and she had given them a new lease of life, and new perpose. She was probably closest with Cody, he had know her father since they were both cadets, and was determined to teach her everything he knew, but he also showed his softer side with her. There were many a time he would be seen walking down the corridor carrying the young girl who was really getting a bit to big to be held, in his arms fast asleep from a long day.

She had also become quite good friends with Kuiil the maintenance manger, she learnt that he was paying off his debt to the empire through prolonged servitude, he had been in many battles he didn't believe in, until Vader; after seeing his reprogramming skills had, offered him a place on this secret compound. Kuiil had also taken quite a shine to Jaig, she was kind, and eager to learn the inner workings of the machines he fixed.

But yet again, even this would not last. After the destruction of the First Death Star, Lord Sidious had been furious with Vader, he tortured and demoted him. But through his touture he discovered the existence of the child Vader had taken such lengths to keep hidden from him. And through this new information, he devised a plan.

To brake his apprentices even ferther, he would force him to chose, chose between the life of his padawans child, who he had swarn to protect, and the life of his son, that he did not yet know about. But unfortunately for the emperor, he did not bargain for the tactical brilliance of the Clones.

When the empire, came to take the now 15 year old girl, they had already divested their own escape plan. They sent Jaig along with Kuill over to the kaminoan cloning facilities, turned clone retirement home, before the empire even entered the atmosphere. There she was frozen in to carbonite and fastened to the inside of the newly alcoved underbelly of a small one-seater Y wing (to insure the if the empire should come across them she would be well hidden and undetected, Kuiils cover story being that he was delivering supplies to the clones) there Kuiil would then fly far away from any siverlized planet. While, the clones continued to fight and defend the compound as though she was still there, and then proceed to escape themselves, using an old subship left over from the battle of Kamino. But not before bowing the place sky high, making it seem like the empires had fired at the fewl tanks corsing the whole building to be destroyed along with anyone who was inside.

This was not the out come Sidious had wished for, however with the now almost certain death of his ward, Vader plunged ever ferther into the void of darkness and hate. So the desired effect Sideous was planning for was reached anyway.

After being unfrozen from carbonite, Jaig and Kuiil parted ways. She chose to for her father, but it became fruitless. Chopper base had long since been evacuated and the rebel alliance was always one step ahead of her in their attempts to avoid the empire. For 2 years she searched for them, and fought the Empire where she could, until she finally stopped, delving into the belief that what ever family she knew was now gone, she rejoined Kuiil on a deserted planet called Arvala-7, while the galaxy celebrated the fall of the empire. Where for the next 5 years they would both try to live out their lives in peace, working the land and carrying for blurgs, until a mandolorian arrives on their planet, looking for a little green bounty, which starts of a whole new adventure for our now Adult Jaig.

OK guys let me know how I did, and if you would like to see Jaig's adventures with Din Djarin and little green bean Grogu. Let me know. I'm not much of a writer,. But I always got so irratated when reading Din Djarin/oc fics where to make her interesting, they give the oc force powers, with either no build up to it, or she's a run away jedi, which kind of defeats the whole purpose of season 2 were they're trying to find the jedi, so I thought I'd write my own. I wanted to have a character that has both a clear connection to both the mandalorian culture and the force, without making her a mary su. She has a connection to the force. But she can't use it, or control it. Therefore she can't train Grogu to use it. Which would mean they'd have to find the jedi, to help him learn to control his powers. Plus I don't want to just giving her everything with no preplanned reason. So here is my preplanned reason. I know these short scenes and conversations don't really delve much into her personality but that's were you come in. Tell me what you think of her, and what you think she's like as an adult. I wrote a few things like her kind nature and her sarcastic humour. But I could do with some ideas on what you would like to see. Let me know, and...

May the 4th be with you,😉

[not-so-mundane-after-all]

Fandom: DC Titans

Title: Not the Last but One of Many

Pairings/Relationships: Dickkory, Core Four

Summary: He can't think of it as their last kiss, because it isn't. It can't be. It's only one of many they have ahead of them - a whole lifetime they will spend together because he is not losing her today.

Kory is the only one who can finish Blackfire and put an end to this. But there's no way Dick is gonna let her turn this into a goodbye.

Kisses | 10. goodbye kisses and 27. desperate kisses - for candlelit

Also for my besties and Graysonfam royalty @wonderbatwayne and @undertheknightwing 👑👑

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

"Kory, no. You can't do this!"

"This is my only chance, Dick! Our only chance!"

Dick's grip on her arm is steel but his brown eyes stay soft as satin sheets when they bore into her green ones, pleading and begging her to listen. But once Kory sets her mind on something, there's no going back. That resistance, that perseverance is in her blood, a DNA stamp of the Royal Family of Tamaran. It's the strength she says she got from her mother, the spark her father once ignited in her, the Starfire of her people running through her veins. Unfortunately those same things are now posing a threat to her new home, a threat in the form of her own sister and one look at Kory's face tells Dick she's willing to go fight against her own flesh and blood, to kill and to die, so that home lives to see another day.

A battle like the Earth has never seen is raging around them, spaceships hang above their hands like boots of giants, ready to squash them like they are nothing but ants. Shots are being fired, laser bolts make the ground around them shake and explode, the noise of the chaos is piercing their brains. The rest of their team is out there somewhere, fighting tooth and nail with Tamaranean soldiers puppeteered but Blackfire, standing their ground, protecting their planet.

But here, in this little bubble of stillness, it's all quiet. It's just the four of them, standing in a tight circle, fighting a battle of their own. A battle with much higher stakes than the fate of the world. It's Dick pulling Kory closer and keeping her by his side when she's determined to tear herself away from him. It's Gar and Rachel, two shining stars in his dark sky, watching them with tight jaws and straight backs, holding their breaths waiting on how this is gonna end.

"Kory, please." Rachel pleads as she takes a step closer and puts her shaking hand on her shoulder. Stubborn teardrops hang on her long eyelashes, not willing to fall just yet. "Stay. We can fight her. Together, like we always do."

"You can't go alone." Gar joins her, pale as a sheet and trembling, but still keeping his chin up. "We can't lose you."

Dick can't help but smile at the strength his children display in that moment. The way they stand next to Kory, high and proud and stubborn as hell, it feels like a mirror image of her. Or maybe it's a mirror image of them both because overtime Gar and Rachel syphoned the best parts of both him and Kory and infused them into themselves. They're both scared, terrified of losing her just like he is but Rachel's eyes, despite being glazed with tears, burn with Dick's fire when she's staring into her mother's eyes and Gar keeps his head up with confidence and royal dignity, throwing Kory a challenge. You won't dare to leave us, his face seems to say.

And Kory sees it too, she sees it all, but this time it's not enough to convince her. Biting her trembling lip she reaches out to cup their cheeks, looking from one beloved face to the other.

"My angels," she sighs and her voice cracks from emotion. "You know as well as I do that this time it's not that easy. I'm the only one who can stop her. I'm the only one strong enough to put an end to this."

Gar's eyes close as his fingers curl around her wrist.

"But we can make you stronger."

"You already did." Kory smiles at him, brushing her thumb over his cheek. "You both are my force and I will use every ounce of it to keep you safe."

"There's no way to change your mind, isn't it?" Rachel more states a fact than asks, her voice brittle and so small Dick's heart shatters to milion sharp-edged pieces in his chest. 

"I'm sorry, honey, but no." Kory shakes her head, then crushes them both to her, burying her face in their shoulders. Rachel and Gar cling to her, digging their fingers into the fabric of her suit. Kory's hands brush gently through their hair as she speaks. "I love you both. I've never loved anyone more in my entire life."

"Stop making it sound like a goodbye." Rachel chokes out into her neck, holding on tighter. Dick feels his throat closing, tears burning behind his eyes like acid.

"It's not, okay? It's a reminder." Kory insists and pulls back, her hands sliding to their shoulders and gripping tightly. And just like that the tears in her eyes dry out, the fear disappears from her face, replaced by pride and strength worthy of both a mother and a queen. "Now go out there, watch each other's backs and kick some ass."

The two young faces harden as well, abandoning their child-like features in a matter of seconds. The cold steel comes back to their eyes as they nod simultaneously.

"Yes, ma'am." They speak in unison and Kory smiles, pride written all over her face.

Then she turns to him, slides her hands into his and suddenly Dick is out of breath. She comes to stand so close their faces are mere inches apart and presses her forehead to his. He sucks in a sharp breath, feeling his heart racing in his chest.

"Fight, my love." she whispers, brushing her nose against his. Her breath is warm and familiar on his face and all Dick wants to do is pull her, closer, closer, closer and keep her there forever. "Fight for our home, for our kids. Fight for us, just like I will."

"Kory…"

"I have to go." She interrupts him and steps back. She straightens her back, lifts her chin up and just like that he finds himself in the presence of a warrior, a queen, a goddess. She towers over him, making him want to kneel in front of her. He would, of course he would, he would bow his head and pledge his allegiance to her with his dying breath. 

"Take care of them." She says after sending one last glance to their children. He nods once, gulping down a lump in his throat.

"You know I will."

They hold each other's gaze for a moment longer, lingering to it like it's a lifeline keeping them alive, until Kory turns her back to him. But before she flies away Dick steps forward. There's one more thing he has to do, one thing he won't survive without, the world be damned. He grabs her arm and turns her back, then pulls her to him, curling his arms around her waist and presses his lips to hers.

It takes his breath away, drags him to his knees, sets his nerves ablaze as if she injected him with her fire. He's hungry and desperate, holding her tightly against his chest as he kisses her with fiery passion that makes his vision go red. Kory answers with the same heat and hunger, arching her back and running her fingers through his hair. It takes him back to their first night together, to the soft yellow glow of a bedside lamp and an old squeaky mattress of that motel bed under their tangled bodies. It takes him back to the starry night and clear sky over Gotham when he took her to the rooftop of the Wayne Manor and kissed her like his life depended on it, for the first time since the night after the asylum. He couldn't take it anymore, being with but still without her, having her so close yet out of reach. 

Just like back then, Dick loses himself in the kiss, in her, trying to savour the taste, to remember it, stash it in a deposit box of his mind under lock and key. He can't think of it as their last kiss, because it isn't. It can't be. It's only one of many they have ahead of them - a whole lifetime they will spend together because he is not losing her today.

When they force themselves to break apart, they're both breathless. Kory leans her forehead against his again and smiles, grins like the sunshine she is. 

"Come back to me, Kory." Dick whispers, squeezing her tighter. She nods, stroking her fingers over his cheek and jaw.

"I love you, Grayson."

And then she's gone between the clouds, only a trail of orange glow left behind her. He keeps his eyes on the sky, straining them to spot her, but there's no use, she must be too high up. He keeps observing though, even when two sets of arms circle around his waist and shoulders. He pulls his kids closer, letting Rachel curl herself to his side and pressing Gar's head to his shoulder. Their eyes are pointed at the clouds as well and together they stand there, three out of four, waiting.

Everyone must have sensed what is about to happen because the battlefield around them goes still and deadly silent. Fighting stops, there's no head that isn't turned towards the sky. The world pauses, holding its breath and Dick starts to pray.

Then the clouds start glowing, explosions of purple and green light against the red sunset. There's no way to hear what's happening, they can only observe as the two sisters take over the skyline. The two colors whirl around each other in a complicated, centuries old dance, tangled together one moment then breaking apart the next. Dick doesn't know where to look, his breath caught in his chest watching as the purple light and green light fly right at each other, coming closer and closer and closer. Rachel shivers against him and he presses her to him even tighter, already knowing what is gonna happen, just like she does.

Then the two lights clash in an explosion so bright they all need to look away to not have their eyes burned. It's like a supernova went off in front of them, turning into stardust.

And everything goes still.

One minute passes. Two. Three. Nothing is happening, neither of the sisters is coming down to announce their victory. The sky is clear and empty and the sight only makes Dick's insides twist into tight knots.

"What's going on?" Gar's confused voice echoes next to his ear.

"Dick, where is she?" Rachel asks him, staring at him with those baby blues like he has all the answers in the world.

He doesn't.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon." he whispers at the sky, wrapping his arms tighter around the kids. Rachel hides her face in the crook of his neck, he can feel her hot tears damping his skin. Gar rests his forehead on his shoulder and chokes on a sob. Dick can only hold them tight, kiss their heads and pray.

Pray and pray until his prayer is answered.

It's a blink of an eye. A twink of the first star in the night sky. And then she's there, falling down slowly with the grace of a goddess, embedded in golden light. Her eyes glow green, hair a red flame and she touches down to the ground with the lightness of a feather.

She smiles at him and that's all it takes for him to run to her. With Gar and Rachel on his heel he gets to her in a few quick strides and she falls right into his arms, wrapping hers around his neck and kissing him fiercely. Gar and Rachel tug themselves under their arms and they both pull them closer, locking them in the safety of their embrace.

Dick smiles, pressing his lips to Kory's forehead. Not the last kiss, but one of many. 

[ana-jasso-maximoff]

DANGEROUS SECRETS.

"THE STORM IS GETTING WORSE."

Lightning slashes across an angry black sky, soon followed by the crash of thunder. Waves pound against the ship's hull as I grip the wooden rail with white knuckles. Fierce gusts of wind tug my hair free from its braid, and damp brown strands whip at my face. I don't dare let go to brush them away.

Instead, I keep my eyes on the sea. Looking for her.

In some ways, I've spent my entire life looking for her. And tonight, my journey may finally come to an end. Unfinished. Unfound.

Ahtohallan. Please! I need you!

Perhaps she never existed at all. Perhaps she was simply a myth. A silly song to lull children to sleep. To make them feel safe and secure in a world that's anything but. Perhaps I was a fool to think we could simply go and seek her out. Learn the mother's secrets.

I do know something about a mother's secrets.

Another wave sweeps in, bashing against the ship's hull, sending a spray of icy seawater splashing at my face. I stumble backward, momentarily blinded by the salt stinging my eyes. A strong pair of hands clamps down on my hips; a solid chest at my back keeps me upright.

I turn, already knowing whom I'll find standing tall behind me. The man who has been with me almost my entire life. The man who has made me laugh—and cry—more than anyone else in the world. My husband. The father of my daughters. My enemy. My friend.

My love.

Agnarr, king of Arendelle.

"Come, Iduna," he says, pulling me around to face him. He reaches out, clasping my hands in his. They are as warm and strong as mine are cold and trembling.

I look up, taking in the sharp line of his jaw. The fierceness in his leaf-green eyes. If he's frightened, he's not showing it. "We need to go below deck," he says, shouting to be heard over the furious wind. "Captain's orders. It's not safe up here. One rogue wave could knock you overboard."

I feel a sob rise to my throat. I want to lash out, protest the orders. I'm fine. I can take care of myself. I'm not some silly girl frightened by the elements.

But what I really want to say is, I can't leave. I haven't found her yet.

If I go below, I may never find her.

And if I don't . . .

Elsa. My sweet Elsa . . . My dear Anna . . .

Agnarr gives me a pointed look. I sigh, untangling my hands from his, and begin stumbling toward the stairs that lead to our cabin below, on legs unaccustomed to rough seas. I'm almost there when the ship suddenly pitches hard to the left and I lose my footing, grabbing on to the railing to save myself. I can feel a few of the crew watching me with concern, but I push forward, keeping my head held high. I am a queen, after all. There are certain expectations.

Once below, I push open our cabin door and move inside, letting it bang shut behind me. The captain has given us his cabin for the journey, which I insisted wasn't necessary, but I was overruled. It's the only cabin suited for a fine lady, he protested. Because that's how he sees me.

That's how they all see me now. A fine lady. A perfectly poised Arendellian queen.

But now, at last, Agnarr knows the truth.

I ease myself down on the bed, reaching to grab my knitting needles and my half-finished project. An inappropriate task under the circumstances, but perhaps the only thing that might steady my hands—my pounding heart. I can hear Agnarr push open the door, his strong, solid presence filling the room. But I don't look up. Instead, I start to knit as the ship rocks beneath my

feet. It's dark down below, too dark to really see the delicate yarn, but my hands are sure and true, the repetitive motions as natural and familiar to me as taking in air. Yelana would be proud.

Yelana. Is she still out there, in the Enchanted Forest, still locked in the mist?

Only Ahtohallan knows.

Suddenly, I want to throw my needles across the room. Or collapse on the bed in tears. But I do neither, keeping my attention on the unfinished shawl. Forcing myself to let each stitch lull me into something resembling comfort.

Agnarr pulls out a wooden stool from the captain's desk, sitting down across from me. He picks up a corner of the unfinished shawl, running his large fingers across the tiny stitches. I dare to sneak a peek at him, realizing his eyes have become soft and faraway.

"This is the same pattern," he says slowly. And I know what he means without asking. Because of course it is. I hadn't even realized it when I started, but of course it is.

The same pattern as the shawl my mother knitted me when I was a baby.

The shawl that saved his life.

"It's an old Northuldra pattern," I explain, surprised how easily the words leave my mouth now that the truth is known. "Belonging to my family." I pick up his hand and place it on each symbol in turn. "Earth, fire, water, wind." I pause on the wind symbol, thinking back to

Gale. "It was the Wind Spirit who helped me save your life that day in the forest."

He gives a low whistle. "A wind spirit! If only I'd known," he says, reaching up to brush his thumb gently across my cheek. Even after all these years, his touch still sparks a longing ache deep inside, and it's an imperative, not an option, to drop my needles to return the gesture. To run my fingers against the light stubble of his jaw. "It would have made my stories to the girls so much more interesting."

I smile at this. I can't help it. He has always found a way to help me find sunshine amidst the gloomiest of days. It's strange, though, to realize he knows everything now. After a lifetime overshadowed with secrets, it should feel freeing.

But in truth, it still scares me a little, and I find myself glancing at him when he doesn't know I'm looking. Trying to see, trying to know whether the truth has changed his feelings toward me. Does he resent me for keeping so much from him for so long? Or does he truly understand why I did it? If we survive this night, how will things change between us? Will the truth bring us closer together? Or tear us apart?

Only Ahtohallan knows. . . .

I reach out and take Agnarr's hands in mine, meeting his deep green eyes with my blue ones. I swallow down the lump in my throat that threatens to choke me, and force another smile.

"I will never forget that day," I start with a whisper, not sure he can even hear me over the tempest outside. "That horrible, wonderful day."

"Tell me," he whispers back, leaning in close. I can feel his breath on my lips. Our faces are inches away. "Tell me everything."

I swallow all the words that threaten to jump out of my throat in a hurried rush, throwing myself back on the bed, staring up at the wooden-beamed ceiling. After I breathe calmly, I say, "That might take all night."

He crawls onto the bed, lying down next to me. He reaches out and curls his hand into mine. "For you, I've got forever."

I swallow hard, tears welling in my eyes. I want to protest: we don't have forever. Or even all night. We may not have an hour, judging from the way the wooden beams of the ship are creaking and cracking. But at the same time, it doesn't matter. It's time. It's long past time. He deserves to know everything.

I swipe the tears away, rolling to my side and propping my head up with my elbow. "You have to tell your part, too," I say. "This story isn't only mine, you know."

His arm curls around my waist, his hand settling at the small of my back as he tugs me closer to him. He's so warm. How is it possible that he's still so warm? "I think I can manage that," he says with a small smile. "But you must start. It all began with you, after all."

"All right," I say, resting my head on his chest, his steady heartbeat against my ear. I close my eyes, trying to decide where to begin. So much has happened over the years. But there is that one day. One fateful day that changed the course of both our lives forever.

I open my eyes. "It all starts with the wind," I say. "My dear friend Gale."

As I speak, the words begin to course through me like the forbidding waters roiling outside. And like the waters, I will finally make myself heard.

Agnarr will listen.

He's always been the storyteller in our family. But not this time. Now it's my turn to tell the tale.

[thetomorrowshow]

89: "I could never forget you" either with Roman or Deceit? (Or both but I'm just a slut for Roceit so)

Okay I know nothing about prison but this happened! The prison au that no one asked for!

~

Dee hadn’t meant to end up here. Until recently, he’d been a college student sharing a dorm with a fellow computer sciences major. Until recently, he’d been happy (if a little bored) with his everyday life. Until recently, Dee hadn’t been charged with second-degree murder.

He hadn’t killed anyone! He had a lawyer working to get him out, but that could take months, even years. Until then, he had to survive jail. So far, it wasn’t going too well, seeing as he was a weedy, glasses-wearing nerd, the buzz cut they’d given him doing nothing to hide the splotchy birth mark on the left side of his face.

He’d finished his time in the fish tank (unfortunately, as people were a lot nicer there), and was now just trying to figure out how to survive. He’d narrowly avoided getting killed in the yard, then again in the cafeteria, and he’d only been here for three days. His cellmate, Roman, he could deal with–the man was huge, but never talked, choosing instead to endlessly tap on his prison-issued tablet. Sometimes Dee saw him out in the yard, joking with some other convicts. Once he’d seen him fight off three prisoners alone before guards could come split them up.

Most of the time, Dee kept to himself. He’d tried to talk to Roman once or twice at the beginning, but had given up. The man just stared at him. Dee struggled to follow the daily routine–checks at 10:30am, 4:45pm, and 9:25pm became regular and easy to remember, but how was he supposed to go out in the yard when there were easily hundreds of convicts twice his size out there? He never remembered to get in line for the showers in time, always taking one close to midnight. He kept missing meals, too scared to put himself in the middle of whatever chaos was going on.

Dee was struggling, and from talking with his lawyer every week, he knew that he wouldn’t be out anytime soon. He just had to keep his head down, be invisible. Surprising no one, that didn’t work.

It wasn’t his first brawl, exactly. He’d gotten involved in a few fights in high school, but he’d never been the target. A man only a bit bigger than him had been eyeing him for the past week, and today he and two others jumped him during the cafeteria rush for dinner.

This is the end, Dee thought distantly, as a fist collided with his stomach. Only it wasn’t the end. Because he was being pulled away. By Roman? Then they were in the hall outside of the cafeteria, Roman looking him over with a surprisingly gentle look on his face.

“Can’t you take care of yourself?” he muttered, then left, abandoning Dee to wonder: what just happened?

-

Over time, things changed. They still didn’t talk, but Roman would silently hand Dee his tablet, a word document open. Dee was amazed by the works there–a fantasy world, brilliantly crafted to fully immerse the reader.

At times, Roman would wait for him, then guide him through the schedule. Show him the right places to be when it was too busy, remind him to shower while everyone was exercising, and exercise while everyone was showering.

Dee got used to life. And somewhere along the way, he and Roman began exchanging words–here a “hello”, there a “how are you”. They grew closer, and it seemed that everyone knew that attacking Dee was attacking Roman in turn, and Roman had connections. For someone so quiet, he was on surprisingly good terms with most of the guards, as well as many of the inmates. Now that Dee wasn’t afraid, he found himself … enamored by the burly man. Not in a romantic way necessarily, but in a that-man-is-really-cool-and-I-look-up-to-him sort of way. It could be romantic. But Roman would never be into Dee that way, so why even think about it?

-

“How’d it go?”

Dee sighed, flopping onto his bunk. “The court date’s set for next April.”

Roman winced. “Bit far away.”

 “You’re telling me.” Dee sat up almost immediately. He and Roman were close enough now, weren’t they? He looked at the other man, sitting criss-cross on the floor, looking fixedly at his tablet. “What’re you doing?” he asked curiously.

“Spanish,” Roman replied without looking up.

“So what are you in for?” Wow, that was tacky. He’d been wondering for a while, but he hadn’t worked up the courage.

“Drugs,” Roman sighed. He gently placed the tablet to the side. “My brother dealt. I was his brute force. We knew it was bad or whatever, and we never did any of ‘em, but when you’re trying to keep your family alive you do what you can.”

“Oh.”

Roman smiled. “I know. Tough decision. Are you gay?”

Deceit choked, coughing violently. Where did that come from? When he could breathe, he croaked out, “What… ?”

“You asked an intrusive question, so it was my turn,” Roman said simply. “So are you? Because it’s tough finding someone else who is, and you’re kinda cute.”

“Did you just ask me out?”

-

So they dated.

-

Dee hadn’t expected to find his soulmate in prison. Dee hadn’t expected to find anything in prison, yet here he was with a relationship and a new appreciation for life. They weren’t public about it, and some of the guards seemed to know but never brought it up.

Roman was different, now. He was softer, yet louder. He sang in private, and Dee found himself blushing at his rough yet perfect voice. Sometimes he’d growl out a lyric, making Dee shiver, then pick the smaller man up and twirl him around.

They laughed with each other, talked until late in the night, designed a perfect world together. Roman had a fifteen year sentence that he’d completed six years of, and Dee was hopefully going to be out in ten months, so it could never work. Maybe Roman could appeal to get out early for good behavior, but it seemed unlikely that their imaginary family would ever exist. They could dream though, and dream they did.

They stole chaste kisses in the bathroom, held hands in their cell, hugged before leaving for work in the morning. Roman laughed and lifted Dee out of bed some mornings when he wouldn’t get up (and if he wouldn’t get up because he wanted Roman’s strong arms around him, that was nobody’s business). Dee massaged Roman’s shoulders at night when he couldn’t sleep.

It was love, pure and simple. They forgot the depressing reality that surrounded them and lived to see each other. They argued, of course. It was always settled by the next day, after they could talk in the darkness of their cell and work things out. It was the most perfect relationship Dee had ever been in, and worked better than most of the ones he’d seen on TV. They sang together, laughed together, cried together.

They slow danced in their cell, Roman singing as he held Dee to his chest. Concrete walls filled with murderers and rapists were on every side, yet Dee had never felt safer.

-

The day came. They both knew it would happen eventually, but neither wanted to let go of each other. Dee was free, was leaving. Roman promised to email at every opportunity, but they both knew that wasn’t very often. He would have saved up enough to call once a week for fifteen minutes. Dee could only manage a visit every two months. They wouldn’t see each other, would possibly lose this. The best thing to ever happen to both of them, this spark, would go out with no one to nurture it.

They ignored the facts, hoping that wouldn’t happen. Roman hugged Dee one last time, then stepped back. There were no tears in his eyes–he’d always been stoic like that. When he spoke, though, his voice shook. “Don’t forget me,” he said. “It won’t be too long before I’m out, and we can have that life.”

Dee was crying, and he gave his love a watery smile. “I could never forget you,” he said. They both knew that life would never happen. They both pretended it would. “I’ll wait for you.”

~

Prompts are still open!

[hanaridulsetcheese]

Loving the Enemy~ Bang Chan

It was a tough battle indeed. You were barely holding on but you had to pull through somehow. Your troops were down, your lab was under attack, there was no safe place to hide.

"We have to get out of here. The roof's about to collapse. " his voice was rough, fear and worry evident.

You had never once thought that in your lifetime you would be working side by side with Bang Chan himself.

~~~

It was the dawn or yet a brand new day, you were just finishing up the last bits of your new project, what was it? Nothing much, just a new device that would destroy the human race, that's it.

You called it Typhoon. Inspired by the Greek myth of the best that reigned terror and havoc in ancient times. Designed to destroy anything in its path,  this was your life's work all complete and you were itching to test it out.

Let's do a quick introduction before we start anything else.

You were known as the Red Warrior, Mistress of Invisibility. You possessed the power to make yourself and others invisible. A useful power indeed, it completely wiped you off the face of the Earth, you were untraceable.

The name Red Warrior came from your style of fighting, you would sneak up on your victim and attack, the only thing they would see was blood, spilt on the floor.

You liked your name and reputation, people shivered at the mere mention of your name. It gave you power, you liked power.

Everything was perfect, people feared you, they work to your bidding, things stayed that way until he arrived.

You hated the thought of him, he made you so angry, you might have taken out a few cities because of him but it was his fault.

Bang Chan was the bane of your existence. Coming into your life one day, out of nowhere and ruining everything you worked for. He was the only one that wasn't afraid of you, he did not fear you, and you hated that.

Bang Chan was your typical heartthrob, every girl loves him, every guy wants to be him and every parent wants him as their child. Everyone thought he was perfect, or but he was far from it.

Bang Chan went undercover as the world's superhero. He was simply called The Saviour, why? Because every time to went out to do your daily terrorising of people, he was there and he stopped you.

He even went as far as to stop one of your big projects from commencing, he possessed a great control of his mind, he was able to do things that ordinary people couldn't do, you envied that. For years, you tried to train your mind to work a specific way, to tried to change it to see through the realm of reality but it never worked, you had an extraordinary mind, yes, but it was not like Chan's.

He was the only one who could see through your invisibility because he could see through the other realm. This pissed you off. Chan could sense when you would attack and how just through that mind of his.

It became known afterwards, that the only person that could defeat you was The Saviour, who only you knew was Chan.

The two of you had been at war for years, trying to stop one another. You had given up trying to terrorise people and tried finding ways to weaken Chan and his mind. You were practically in hiding trying to create the master plan that would finally take down Bang Chan once and for all.

You had become obsessed with him, occasionally you would stalk him to see what he was up to, of course, he would sense you but wouldn't do anything. You found it strange but continued that for a while.

That's when you finally created it, Typhoon. It took your three years you finally build the monster, but you did it. You stood in your lab, admiring your hard work.

The monster stood a whopping thirty feet tall, you were lucky that you had space to build him, his gleaming red eye looked down on you, you saw your reflection on his armour, you were pale and skinny, obsessing over building him for the past three years had taken a toll on you but you didn't care. A few years of sacrifice will result in your long reign of terror.

"Mistress, we have a report on Chan. " a young man came entering the room, he was Kim Namjoon, (Y/N)'s right-hand man. The pair had met when (Y/N) had found him sitting in a dark alleyway two years back after gathering materials for Typhoon. He was furious, throwing balls of fire from his hand onto the nearby trashcan. Immediately, the Mistress of Invisibility took an interest in the young lad.

She brought him back to the lab, explaining to him who she was and why she brought him with her. He was curious and scared, she liked that.

She trained Namjoon and allowed him to work on Typhoon with her, soon becoming her right-hand man. While working on Typhoon, they recruited others to join them, forming a small army.

"What has the loser been up to know? " (Y/N) asked, still admiring her monster as if it were her child that just won a prize for being the most terrifying.

"Jungkook said that he saw Bang Chan sitting in a graveyard staring at a tomb for the past two hours," he reported.

Moving her attention to Namjoon, she looked at him with a confused face, trying to figure out why Bang Chan was there.

"Two hours? " she pondered, an evil thought forming in her evil mind. "Let me go give him some company. "

Heading to the graveyard, she saw Jungkook's figure crouched down behind a tombstone a few yards behind Bang Chan, making her way to him, he immediately bowed to her in respect.

"Mistress, he's been here for a long time. I don't know what he is doing. If I move more forward, he would catch me. " (Y/N) nodded, telling Jungkook to head back to the lab.

She watched Chan for a while, seeing his figure shake from the cold, was it the cold? Or was he...crying?

She took the risk of moving closer to him, close enough to hear if he was saying something. She wondered how he had not sensed her yet, or even Jungkook before.

Something must be wrong with him.

"Why did have to leave when I needed you the most? " (Y/N) was shocked to hear her enemy cry.

His sobs filled the dense graveyard, (Y/N) stayed as quiet as possible, hoping not to get caught.

"I don't want to do this anymore. I can't live like this. " he continued, "She's exactly like you. "

His words sparked something inside you, you wanted to know more.

"I can't live loving my enemy," he spoke, those words caught you off guard. The hand you were using keep yourself in a steady crouch position slipped a little, causing the gravel beneath you to make a noise.

"Shit. " you muttered, turning your self invisible running away before Chan could sense you.

Racing back to your lab, you couldn't get the words Chan spoke out of your head. This completely took you by surprise.

Your men were worried when the saw you racing back to the lab in such a panic, you didn't bother to explain anything and ran straight to your room and locked yourself up.

"Mistress? Is everything okay? " Namjoon said from the other side of the door.

Trying to control yourself, you gathered your words and spoke, "I'm fine. Just leave me be. Make sure everything is prepared for tomorrow. "

You couldn't let one small thing like that throw you off guard, you couldn't let it blind you from your goal.

The next day when you awoke, the words of Chan were still fresh in your mind but you managed to push it back and focus. Today was the day you were planning to attack, earn back your reputation back once and for all.

Typhoon was ready, you all were.

Namjoon stationed himself in the monster, ready to control and attack at your command. You already had your troops out there wreaking havoc just to start everything up.

Soon, you march out into the city, the sound of people screaming and running away in fear of the monster made you smile.

"Are you scared of me now?! " you called out to the people of the city. They all looked around for you, fearing that you may strike them.

"Bow down to me! Your saviour is no match for me. "

Namjoom, with the help of Yoongi, another member of your troop, had managed to hack every piece of technology allowing you to broadcast your message even wider.

"You can't hide from me. Just join my troop and you shall be safe. Fail to join and well, it's the ned for you. "

Typhoon trampled building, crushing it to the ground. You sat on top of the monster and laughed each time someone ran away in fear.

Your fun was cut short when the person that had been stuck in your mind appeared.

"Looky here, The Saviour, about time you showed up. Ready to lose? " you tormented.

"DON'T DO THIS! " he yelled out. His mask covered his face but his eyes still shone brightly, you could see that he was trying to formulate a plan.

"What you're gonna do? Open a portal and take my monster to another dimension? " you tormented.

"You think I can't? " he opened up a portal to another realm, trying to force your monster into it with his mind.

"Namjoon, show him what this baby can do. " you hopped off the monster, sliding down it arm before dramatically landing on the ground perfectly, you might've practised that a few times.

Typhoon conjured up a thunderstorm, aiming it a Chan. He barely had time to react. Lighting bolts fired its way to Chan, hitting him in his chest and sending him flying backwards, hitting the rubble that was formerly an office building.

Laughing at his misfortune, you made your way towards him, kicking his weekend from before crouching down.

"Give it up Channie. You're no matched for Typhoon," you smirked.

Grabbing your hand before you could get up, Chan pulled you towards him and took you through a wormhole.

Even though your distorted figure travelling through the wormhole, you could still feel Chan holding you.

Where was he taking you?

Soon, you felt yourself land on a soft surface. You opened your eyes to see Chan staring at you. You pushed yourself off him.

"What did you do? " you pulled out your dagger, not bothered about your surrounding but more about the man in front of you.

"(Y/N), " he said softly, trying to approach you. On instinct, you slash your dagger, cutting him on his face. A long scar formed, the blood seeping through and drilling down his face.

You continued your attack, he was forced to defend himself, pulling out his own dagger, similar to yours. You were caught off guard when he pulled it out, this allowed him enough time to disarm you, using his mind to bring your dagger to him.

You got angry, running towards him, you were going to fight with your bare hands. You weren't going to go down without a fight.

Throwing both daggers to the side, Chan blocked all your attacks.

"(Y/N) let me explain! "

"You stole that dagger! Where did you get it from?! " you kicked him hard as he held onto your hands.

"It's not what you think! " 

He got tired of trying to contain your attacks, he took control of your body using your mind. You couldn't move a limb.

"What are you doing? " you fought hard in your mind for control of your body. Chan was overpowering you but you managed to break free.

You tackled him to the ground, pinning both his hands above his head as you straddled him.

"How did you get that dagger?! " you growled, your nails digging into his skin.

"Its mine- "

"Lies. You stole it! "

Chan got tired, he used all of his strength to escape your grasp, getting hold of you and pinning you to the ground. His eyes changed colour, what was once brown was now a murky grey.

You made the mistake of looking into his eyes. Immediately something flashed in your mind.

You were walking across a battlefield. The remains of the battle still sprawled across, in the process of being cleaned. Your planet had been in a battle with people from Earth.

Yes, you were from another planet.

In order to save you, your master had sent you and the boy you trained with to Earth before your planet could be destroyed.

Before sending you, he left the boy if you with daggers to protect yourself and remember each other.

"I don't want to be separated. " the boy said to you, holding your hand.

"We'll find each other again. " you told him. You kissed his cheeks and boarded the ship that would take you on Earth.  "Don't forget to find me, Chan. "

You were brought back to reality. With heavy breathing, you looked at Chan.

"You- You found me. "

"I did. " he smiled at you, letting you go.

You couldn't believe it, all your life on Earth, you waited for Chan to come, but he never did. The bitter thought of him forgetting you turned you into what you were now.

"You didn't forget about me. " a tear slipped out of your eye.

"I could never forget about you," he said. "I felt your presence and immediately came to get you, but I had to make sure it was you first. It took me a while because my powers were kind if faulty. " he rubbed the back of his neck.

Soon realisation struck me, "Chan! We have to stop Typhoon! "

~~~

That brings us to the present. After Chan opened up the portal back to reality, you were shocked. Half the city was already torn apart.

"Namjoon! Stop the attack! " you tried calling out to him but he didn't listen. "Namjoon! "

"M-mistress? " you heard a voice call out to you.

"Jungkook? " you rushed over to the boy, his lower half was trapped underneath a wall of a fallen building.

"He's gone crazy. Tool out half the troops as well. " he coughed blood.

"What do you mean? " there was a crash above you, a bolder was hurtling your way, Chan managed to send it through a portal before it hit you.

"Well well well, the Red Warrior. " Namjoon called out. You turned your attention to him.

"Namjoon stop this now," you said firmly but he just laughed.

"Why stop now, isn't this what you wanted? "

"Namjoon I order you to stop! "

He ignored your command.

"I knew you'd go soft, after what you heard in the graveyard. " he shook his head. "I couldn't let your emotions get in the way of our work. We started it, now we have to end it. "

"Why are you doing this?! "

"You really don't know? " he scoffed, "Why do think I so angry the day you found me? Have you ever stopped to ask me? "

I stopped to think, I didn't know.

"Why were you angry? " I asked him.

"You killed my parent that day. I came home from school and they were dead! We came to Earth just like you, to live a peaceful life! Why'd you have to do that?! " he blasted Typhoon's lasers at us. We barely managed to dodge the lasers.

It ended up hitting another building.

"We have to shut down Typhoon! " I said to Chan while dodging another round of lasers.

"Youll never get in! " Jungkook yelled, still trying to get out from under the wall. Chan levitated the wall, allowing him to slip out. His leg seemed to be broken.

"He's got the entrance wired. There's no getting in it out. "

"I could open a portal. " Chan said.

"You can't, this was designed to take you out. I made sure that it couldn't be bent out of reality. "

"What do we do then? "

I racked my brain to find other ways of shutting down Typhoon. The only known power switch was in, "The lab! We have to get to the lab! "

Chan opened a portal to the lab, we all walked inside the portal but Namjoon noticed.

"No! " Jungkook screamed as Typhoon's hand grabbed him just before the portal could close. It was too late for me to reach out to him.

"Jungkook no! " I yelled as the portal closed.

"(Y/N) we have to move on! " there was a loud crash on the lab's roof. Namjoon was here, we had to fast.

Namjoon constantly attacked the ceiling, making it hard to move around. I had to get to the power source but the falling roof made it difficult.

A giant piece of the roof fell on my arm as I was crawling underneath a piece of rubble to get to the power source.

I yelled in pain, "(Y/N) are you okay?! " Chan said, trying to clear a path to get to me. I clutched my arm and sucked back the tears. I had to stop this. The power source was in sight, "If I could just get to it. "

I pushed past the pain and managed to enter the code. The attack stopped, I was relieved, "(Y/N) you did it! "

The rumbling started again, the roof was unstable.

"We have to get out of here, the roof's gonna collapse. " Chan said, helping me get up.

"Not so fast! " we turned around and saw Namjoon being held at gunpoint by a man with a mask on.

"Help me, please! It's all his doing! He was controlling me on the inside! " Namjoon pleaded.

"Shut your mouth! " the man jabbed his gun into Namjoon's ribs.

"Who are you? " Chan stepped forward, shielding me.

"Oh you don't know? " he pulled off his mask. Chan and I gasped.

"Master? " I was stunned.

"I thought you were dead. " Chan said, "Your grave-"

"All fake," he said. "I did that so I could come down to Earth and finish what these humans started. " he shoved Namjoon forward a bit, "This little puppet here helped me, angry at someone for killing his parents, it was easy to poison his mind. "

"You killed them? " I scrowled.

"Duh," he said. "Now it's your turn. " he aimed the gun at Namjoon. He was about to pull the trigger when Chan leapt through a portal and knocked the gun out of his hand.

The impact of Chan landing caused the roof to start crumbling.

"It's going to come down- "

It was too late, the roof came down crushing everything in its path. Unfortunately, we were the ones in its path.

[monokrxme]

obe | kim namjoon

what would you do if you woke up in someone else’s body?

••••••••••••••••••

I can say this now after finishing the promotions...I felt powerless.

But we said to ourselves, like a spell,

"We should be happy"

"We have to smile"

I said that to the members over and over again,

"If we don't, our fans will lose their drive, and their passion"

Well about the concert...

It's tough I feel powerless. We prepared a lot of things in order to focus on us. We practiced incredibly hard. We feel frustrated.

This time, I feel so sad and frustrated for not being able to see you all in person.

It was tough...

It will be tough, for the time being, but....

I love you.

I love you deeply,

I love you all so much, to the furthest extent of what I know about love and what is possible...

•••••••••••••••••••••

I sighed softly as Namjoon ended the VLIVE with a soft "I love you all" and his signature good-bye kiss to ARMYs. I exited out the app, going through my app notifications and turning off the ones from Twitter for the night since those always go off the most while I'm asleep.

Once that was finished I plugged my phone in on the charger, set it beside my pillow and rolled over onto my right side, snuggled in the blankets as I tried to go to sleep.

But that was the issue. I couldn't.

Namjoon's words kept ringing in my head and I couldn't help but let my eyes shed a few tears; they too were so upset and frustrated that they could not show ARMYs everything that they had prepared for this long-awaited comeback.

Due to the rampant spread of the COVID-19 virus, many countries have taken precautions in order to prevent the spread of the illness. Some of these precautions have included limiting travel in and outside of said countries, as well as a limit or cancellation of public events in an attempt for people to avoid large crowds.

Because of this when it came to performance shows, artists had to perform without live audiences. To know that the boys missed ARMYs as much as we missed them tore my heart apart.

They have always given their all for ARMYs and have often been much too hard on themselves if they felt they had "failed" or disappointed us in some way. We always did our best to reassure them but BTS always felt the need to try harder for us in an effort to redeem themselves. It was as if they wanted to reaffirm the strong bond that ARMYs shared with them...

If only they knew truly how much we loved and supported them. Mistakes and all.

I sighed heavily as my heart filled with discontent at the thought of the boys being unhappy, but they were human too and were entitled to their emotions and desires just as much as anyone else was.

Hell, ARMY would argue they deserved the entire world and then some, fuck, the entire damn universe. I smiled softly at that thought, me being one of the millions of our beautiful family who also believed this and allowed my eyes to close as my eyelids grew heavy and droopy, sleep washing over me slowly like an incoming tide.....

•••••••••••••••••••••••••

.......it felt lukewarm to the touch. Comfortable and inviting as it enveloped my body and slowly drew it from the shore and into the wide expanse of ocean......

......it was quiet, the nature kind of quiet, where you hear the soft lull of crickets and night bugs calling to each other, the distant hoot of an owl, prowling for its next meal, the gentle ocean breeze caressing the skin that was exposed to the air, whistling softly in my ears......

.......my nostrils tingled at the sharp, salty scent of the ocean, my body rocking to the rhythm of the baby waves that carried me further away from the shoreline.......

Y/N: 《Well this is lovely, my dreams have never looked like this before.....so calm and serene...》

My eyes flew open as I realized I had spoken this out loud to myself, though softly, as if not to disturb anyone. And by anyone I meant the delicateness of the quiet solitude that enveloped me ever so generously.

It was then I also realized that I was no longer in the comfort of my bed at home, but actually floating in the middle of the ocean, which had drawn me out several hundred yards away from the shore. My heart started to pick up speed in my chest as panic slowly set into my mind, my sense of reason and calm collectness fighting against it viciously.

Y/N: 《Don't panic Y/N. Nothing good comes from panicking...the real question is how I got here in the first place...?》

I thought this to myself as I swallowed nervously, my mouth having built up saliva quite suddenly from my anxiousness.

And yet, just as quickly as I had felt the lump of panic forming in my throat and my limbs growing rigid from fear, it was immediately washed away once my eyes glanced up at the sky.

It was a breathtaking sight; not a single cloud in the sky, the color of a deep, rich blue-black ink, splattered with millions upon millions of twinkling white stars, like dazzling jewels that shimmered in the sunlight. But what was most stunning was the moon; it was full and shining magnificently, the white gleaming starkly against the soft hues of the gray that scattered its surface, a soft moonlight cascading down gently to sparkle on the surface of the water.

I was so enamored by this astonishing nighttime scene, as if it were something out of a movie. A rom-com to be exact, where the moonlight seems to bring out the deepest, hidden desires of intimacy that the protagonists yearn to share with one another. Even though those scenes were cheesy, they were always my favorite ones and always managed to bring a tears to my eyes.

I smiled softly, allowing my eyes to languidly follow the moonlight's path, basking in its afterglow, when my eyes widened in shock and disbelief; where the light ended exposed yet another floating body in the water. This person was also still, but since they were a couple yards off, I couldn't tell if they were conscious or not.

Instinct kicked in and before I knew it, I was swimming towards them, with a purpose but not to disturb the tranquility of the atmosphere around us. For all I knew, even if this was a dream, if this person awoke in a panic they'd drown in seconds. Once I did manage to catch up to them, their body had floated out of the moon's glow, thus their face was obscured in the dark where the light couldn't reach.

Keeping my legs in motion underwater to keep me afloat, I gently grabbed this person's hand and slipped my other one under the water to firmly grip their ankle and pull them into the light to identify them.

It was as I crept closer to the light I realized I was nude. Stark naked. And so was this person, who I was able to see was a male, and you can assume why.

With a burning cheeks and a flustered state, I finally managed to pull this unknown man into the luminescence of the moon. When I looked at his face my heart stopped, literally, it was as if the wind were knocked out of me and I had forgotten how to breathe.

It was none other than Kim Namjoon, otherwise known as RM of BTS. Naked. Wet. And glimmering in the limelight of the moon, in the middle of an ocean that I wasn't even sure was real or not.

It was suddenly very cold as a wave of goosebumps crawled across my flesh, the blood roaring in my ears as I stared at him, wide-eyed and in awe, my heart thumping crazily in my chest as fast as a hummingbird's wings.

Y/N: 《T-There's no way.....I MUST be dreaming. There is no way in hell Kim Namjoon is floating in the middle of the ocean, naked at that, in front of me...》

I hugged my arms to cover my exposed chest, my body shivering as a cool breeze blew through, lifting some of Namjoon's hair up and away from his face. My heart fluttered momentarily, which I tried to deduce as being a fangirl's-heart-flutter, but I couldn't help but smile softly; he looked so peaceful. Calm. Serene. Without a concern, worry, or responsibility on his mind. His dragon's eyes now delicate slits as his eyes fluttered slightly behind his closed eyelids, his cute little button nose looking bedazzled under the moonlight, his plump, luscious lips, parted slightly as he breathed softly in his slumber, his toned chest rising and falling with each rhythmic inhale and exhale.

Without a thought I quietly took his hand that had been floating listlessly by his side; despite the water having gotten cooler, his hands were warm and inviting. His long, delicate fingers and large palms set on elegant wrists.

It was, as soon as I my fingers grazed his, that his eyelids fluttered open.

Our gazes locked and my heart stopped momentarily once more, but this time, began beating again, slowly and deeply. The sensation overwhelmed me, but in a good way. I wasn't scared, but rather tranquil, as if a huge, unknown weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

His fingers, unexpectedly, interlocked with mine once he sensed my hand in his through the water. I felt this instant shock throughout my entire body, pinpricks of electricity sparking at my fingertips and flooding throughout my body with a soft buzz. He inhaled sharply, which told me he felt it too.

When our eyes meet, something unfamiliar flashed across his gaze, as if he knew me but couldn't remember who I was.

Y/N: 《That's impossible. He's not going to know who I am. He's an international superstar a part of the biggest boyband in the world right now. I'm only a fan out of millions more, he won't----》

NJ: Y/N?

My eyes widened in shock as I heard Namjoon's voice fill my head, cutting off my thoughts.

But before I could ask him how he knew my name, I felt my body being submerged under the coolness of the water, a bright white light flooding my vision and then..........darkness.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••

My eyes shot open again as I gasped for air, my arms waving frantically in front of me as I tried to catch my breathe.

My heart was hammering in my chest as my breathe came out ragid, as if someone had just resuscitated me after drowning. I sighed heavily as I felt my hair was drenched in sweat, dripping down the back of my neck. I rubbed my face with my hands momentarily when....

Y/N: 《These.....aren't my hands....!!!》

My eyes shot open, my heart stopping momentarily as I held "my" hands in front of me.

I was right.

My hands were smaller and more pudgy/slim, not these large, palms with....with delicate fingers......on elegant wrists.......

I leapt out of my bed, feeling an.....appendage that has never been there before, hit my leg, my hand, even though it wasn't mine, flying to cover my mouth in shock and disbelief at the sensation.

Y/N: 《Was that a...I mean my.....di-?? No. There's no way. I must still be dreaming. That's right, I just need to go along with it that's all, maybe even throw some water on my face to wake the real me up....yeah, that'll do the trick....》

I straightened myself out and inhaled deeply, walking towards an open door that I only presumed was the bathroom. Luckily I was right and walked in, leaving the light off for a few minutes as I washed my face, since I had just "woken up." Then, reaching along the right-hand side of the wall to find the switch, my fingers latched onto it, flipping the notch upwards, allowing light to flood the bathroom.

I raised my eyes to look in the mirror, half expecting to either see myself or this made up person my dream turned me into while I was actually still sleeping, like I believed.

I had to cover my, well his mouth to stop myself from screaming out loud.

The person staring back at me, in all of his fine ass glory, was none other than Kim Namjoon. Tall, dimpled, long hair and all.

With shaky hands I grasped the sink countertop and leaned forward, blinking several times to see if the reflection staring back at me would change.

Nope.

I even tried pinching myself, well him, until I brought tears to my-his eyes, the pain blossoming across my-his skin......

《The fact that I could feel the pain already explains it.....I'm NOT dreaming....this is real.....yet so fucking unreal......how the FUCK did I end up becoming Kim Namjoon???? IQ 148 genius? Dance Prodigy? Talented rapper, writer, producer, and composer? Leader of the Bangtan Sonyeondan???》

......................

《Could it have been---???》

Then it dawned on me. Memories of the "dream" I experienced last night flooded my mind. The ocean. The night sky. The moon. Seeing Namjoon's body, swimming to him, bringing him under the moonlight. Holding his hand. He woke up and our eyes met, electricity sparked when we touched and then I was suddenly deep under water and there was this flash of white light and-

"Now I'm here," I said out loud, but it wasn't my voice, but the deep, sultry tone of Kim Namjoon's.

I licked my- well Namjoon's lips, nervously.

"D-Did we-?"

Y/N: 《Switch bodies?》

[bodytoflame-ao3]

Fem Percabeth 19. Shy kiss or 74. Kisses Where One Person Is Sitting In The Other’s Lap

anons. i love every last one of you. i want to appreciate you on main SHOW YOURSEEEEELFFFFF.

Read on Ao3

i can't believe you're sitting next to mejust open up your eyes and tell mewhat do you see?

do you see somebody looking back at you?or do you see somebody that's in love with you?

coloring book ..//.. the regrettes

Annabeth's hand drifts, crawling across the bark of the tree trunk to rest on top of hers. Percy's suddenly hyperaware of everything around them — the musk of the fire, the way it crackles and sparks; the heat rising towards her, and the heat in her face. Annabeth looks over, smiling until her face softens as she notices Percy's hesitance.

“Hey.” She lifts her hand from Percy's and runs it down her arm, her touch light and gentle. “It's just me.”

It sends a shiver all the way up to her shoulder. That's the whole point. It's her. Her best friend. And her girlfriend — it's hard to stop buzzing with excitement when Annabeth Chase is her girlfriend. It's an almost unreal feeling; she spent so much time lamenting her feelings for her, coming to terms with the idea they'd never be a reality. Then Annabeth touches her like this, holds her hand, kisses her, and her heart pounds in her chest like she's never felt.

“You okay, Percy?” she asks.

“I'm— I don’t know.” Percy stutters, looking around. She's not sure what she's looking for — it's late, and most of the other campers have gone back to their cabins already. She supposes she has to face it eventually; “I get so nervous around you,” she admits. It’s hard for her to say. She’s been a hero in the eyes of the world for too many years now. Being vulnerable was not an option, nor a choice.

Annabeth scoots closer to Percy, her fingers brushing against her cheek as she sweeps wisps of hair behind her ear. “Percy,” she sighs and smiles, her eyebrows furrowing — a bittersweet smile. “It’s just me.” There’s a softness in her voice Percy’s never heard before. It’s almost strange to hear her talk like this, so quiet and kind.

“I know it’s you, that’s… that’s the whole…” Percy sighs, “This is exactly what I was afraid of.” She lets it out in frustration, because it’s the only way she knows. Being vulnerable is the easiest way to get yourself killed.

“What?” Annabeth asks, not moving her hand from Percy's cheek, but running her thumb along the side of her face, urging her to keep going.

“Things… changing between us," she manages.

“Perce,” her gaze softens even more, taking hold of Percy’s hands with her free hand. “You’re still my best friend.”

“It just doesn’t seem real sometimes.” She clarifies, “All of it, I mean. The war being over. The fact that I’m still here. Alive. And—” she starts to laugh, “—and you like me, which I still don’t completely understand.”

“No, I— I know what you mean. I know this is… scary, or weird, or,” she chuckles, “whatever, but we’ve been through much crazier stuff.” If they could navigate the labyrinth, they could figure out a relationship. Not that she hasn't asked herself so many questions about it: She’s wondered about so many things — What would her father think?  And her mother? Sally Jackson’s already been like a mother to her; no doubt she’ll be thrilled. But what happens when summer’s over? School? And college? The only thing she’s sure of is that she wants Percy to be by her side just like she has for the past five years. Everything and everyone else be dammed.

Percy whispers, “Can I kiss you?”

She wants to laugh, and tell Percy she doesn't have to ask. Instead, Annabeth smiles, and presses her lips against Percy’s. She still can’t get over how incredibly soft she is; her lips, her skin, her hair (she’s a girl, Annabeth tells herself). She’s so gentle with her now — their first few kisses were so frenzied, built up with years of desire. Now, she kisses Annabeth so delicately, so chaste.

Secretly, Annabeth yearns for the intensity of their first kiss. “You don’t have to be so shy about it.”

“I don’t really know how to do this, Annabeth,” Percy laughs, knowing Annabeth knows no more than she does.

“I like you. I trust you.”

Percy pushes her curls out of her face, her fingers combing through, mirroring how Annabeth did it. “Sorry. You hate it when people touch your hair.”

That’s true; it’s a tangled, frizzy mess when people touch it, raking their hands through without a care. But Percy’s hands are so gentle; “I like it when you do.” It’s just that when you’re this close I feel like I’m going to lose control. When thoughts like this flood her mind, she has to remind herself that it’s okay to kiss her — she’s spent so long suppressing that desire into the deepest recesses of her mind.

Percy smiles back at her, stroking her cheek with the lightest touch of her thumb, and Annabeth can’t take it anymore. She kisses Percy, not the innocent, closed-mouth kisses they’ve shared in the past few weeks — deeper, yet somehow sweeter. She moves her lips in tandem with Percy, and it feels like she’s floating. Annabeth wonders if she feels the same. She’s not thinking, or she’s thinking too much; she lifts Percy into her lap, eliciting a squeak from her.

Percy hates how overwhelming it is. All she wants to do is kiss her, but her brain is preoccupied with every sensation traversing her body; specifically, Annabeth’s searing touch, her warm breath against her neck. She pulls away, and wraps Annabeth in a hug, burying her head in her curls, the sweet scent of lemon flooding her senses. “You’re perfect.”

Annabeth blushes, and she’s glad Percy can’t see, because even though their dynamic has shifted, she knows she would still tease her. “You know, you drive me crazy sometimes,” she whispers. She does, in more ways than one. Somehow she manages to both frustrate her and turn her brain into a mushy mess with the littlest movements. No one has ever made her feel this way, she realizes. Just Percy. And that’s scary — but refreshing. It’s scary, not in the far too familiar way she feared for her life, but the kind of fear that makes her feel alive.

With that, Percy kisses her again. Annabeth curses her stupid, hormonal teenage brain, because it’s like her logical side is gone. The only thing she can do is trace the slope of her waist through her t-shirt; so desperate to be close to her, yet so afraid of scaring her.

Annabeth’s touch feels like it’s burning her skin, and she wonders just how much more intense it would feel without the fabric separating them. It’s hard for Percy to rectify having these kinds of thoughts about her — part of her still feels almost guilty, like she’s somehow bad for wanting it — because she repressed them for so long. Because before, Annabeth was just her best friend, her straight best friend who she stared at and dreamed about kissing. It felt wrong, thinking about her like that when she’d never feel the same. (Now, she kisses her; her lips soft and pink with the lingering scent of strawberry lip gloss, and she wonders how she could ever think it was wrong.)

Annabeth laughs, running her hands down Percy’s hips, “This is weird.” It's weird that she's kissing the girl she grew up alongside, the one who conquered an impossible prophecy and came through it stronger than anyone would've guessed.

“But, like… good?”

Her smile shines as bright as the light of the fire. “Definitely good.”

“I really like you, Annabeth.” You don’t even know. They've spent half the summer as stolen kisses and sneaking through camp at night, yet she still doesn't understand the gravity of how Percy looks at her.

“I like you too.” she adds jokingly, “Regretfully.”

Percy shakes her head, letting out a laugh. And they're okay — because they’re fumbling hands and awkward laughs — but they’re figuring it out together.