#I need them and their little ankle socks and button ups or I’ll die

[paaopalpoerepr33]

I realized I no longer will have access to men with PhDs if I don’t also get a PhD. Like that will be the end of it…. And also my jstor access. So now I have to apply for PhDs ._.

[gabriel-agreste-has-no-rights]

Rating: G

Summary: XY tries to steal Luka's non-existent gym badges.  Instead, they both end up making a new friend.  (For @luxyweek day 3: Pokemon)

Word Count: 2071

XXX

Luka woke up to a stranger rummaging in his bag.

He should’ve known better than to fall asleep in the Pokémon Center, especially in a city as big as Lumiose.  Exhaustion after a late concert was no excuse to be careless.  Even if crime was rarer after the takedown of Team Flare, there were still unorganized thieves around.

Like this idiot who thought Luka was an easy target.

“C’mon, he’s gotta have at least one…” The idiot was mumbling.

Without opening his eyes, Luka slowly moved his hand to his pocket.  He pulled out the one pokéball he had on him.

“Who the heck carries so many metronome items…?” 

While the thief was distracted, Luka pressed the button on his pokéball.  One click, and his Loudred burst free.

“GWAHHHH!!!”  She boomed, and the thief jumped back with a shriek.

“Wh-h-hey!” he stammered.  Luka finally got a good look at him.  Tall blonde hair, tacky outfit—was this some remixed Team Flare grunt after all?  He was wearing purple rather than red, though.

“That’s an, uh, nice dude you got there.”  He eyed Luka’s Loudred dubiously.

“Symphony is a girl.”  He scratched her behind the ear, and she made a low rumble.

“Uh.  Nice babe then.”

Luka snorted.  Why had this thief bothered to stick around?  He thought he’d have run off by now.  Luka really hoped he wasn’t going to have to battle.  Symphony had worked hard enough tonight.

“Why were you looking through my bag?”

“Pshaw, I wasn’t doing that.  Besides, you don’t have anything useful.”

Wow.  This guy really was an idiot.  The Team Flare grunts were never too smart, either.  Just a bunch of kids who got mixed up with the wrong crowd.

Well, Luka was no trainer like the ones who’d busted them up last year.  But maybe he could keep one kid from following down that road.

“What do you count as useful?”  Luka asked.  “Money?  Items?  Pokémon?”

“Maybe Pokémon would be useful, if they’d stop being haters and listen to me.”  The guy crossed his arms and pouted.

“...So you’re not a trainer?”  Luka glanced around the Pokémon Center.  Everyone else was very determined to mind their own business.  Not that Luka needed their help to deal with a guy who couldn’t even use his own Pokémon, but still.  Someone could’ve tried.

“I’m going to be a trainer.  Just as soon as I steal a badge and get this Zorro dude to listen to me.”

Luka raised an eyebrow.  “Zorro dude?”

“Yeah.  Dark type?  Sick red ponytail?  Likes to copy me and make me look stupid?”

He sat up straighter.  “You have a Zoroark?”

That Pokémon was rare enough to border on legendary.  They didn’t even live in the Kalos region.

“Yeah, that’s what I said.”  The guy looked at Luka like he was stupid.

“How did you catch a Zoroark if it won’t even listen to you?”

“Dad gave ‘im to me.  He wants me to get famous here, but it’s harder to fake battles than I thought.”  He sighed dramatically and sunk to the seat next to Luka.

Clearly the ‘get famous’ plan wasn’t working.  Luka had no idea who he was.  At least he was pretty sure he wasn’t a Team Flare grunt, though.

“And you’re telling me this… after trying to rob me… why…?”

“Cause you asked.”

Luka blinked.  “Touché.”

He gave Symphony one last pat, then returned her to her pokéball.

“Traded Pokémon won’t listen to you without badges,” he told the would-be thief.  “And I don’t have any of those, if that’s what you were looking for.”

“Really?  But you look—”  The guy gestured to all of him.  “Y’know.  Cool.  Tough.”

“Thanks? I guess?  I’m just a musician, though.”  He patted his guitar next to him.  It was pretty telling that this guy hadn’t tried to steal that.  “I only battle if I have to.”

“Huh.  Well that’s pretty cool too, I guess.”  The guy shrugged.  “I did Pokémon Contests in Hoenn for a while.  Before I got banned for using holograms.”

Luka raised an eyebrow.  “Any other international crimes you want to confess to?”

“Crashed my boat into a herd of Luvdisc in Alola.  But that was an accident.  How was I supposed to know they were endangered?”

“I was being sarcastic, man.”  Luka shook his head.  “Nevermind.  Come on.”

He stood and hoisted his guitar over his shoulder.

“Huh?  Where are we going?”  The guy trotted after him.

“To catch you a Pokémon.  Before you get yourself kicked out of another country.”

XXX

The stranger’s name was XY.  It stood for Xavier-Yves.  It didn’t sound like an Unovan name, but that was still the least weird thing about the guy.  Maybe that was just a pseudonym.  He probably needed one after all of his criminal acts, accidental or not.

“Alright, XY.”  Luka stood knee-deep in the grass of Route 4.  “You’re going to be borrowing Symphony for this.  Borrowing.  If you run off with her, she’ll suplex you into the ground.”

XY eyed the Loudred next to him.  Sweat beaded on his forehead.

“Got it, Mr. Couffaine.”

“Just Luka is fine.”  He sighed.  This was such a weird way to be spending the night after a concert, but it was still better than going home.

“Got it, Mr. Luka.”

Close enough.

“Alright, now follow me into the grass.”

“I can’t do that!  That’s where the Pokémon are!”

Luka rolled his eyes.  “That’s the point.  You’re going to catch one.”

“I thought you were going to catch me one.  Because you’re cool and sexy like that.”

“Flattery’s not getting you out of this.”  Luka grabbed his wrist and tugged him into the grass, Symphony following behind them.

XY squealed again.  “But what if they eat me!”

“We’re on Route 4, dude.  The biggest Pokémon out here is a Skitty.”

“...Those things eat meat, right?”

“No.”  Even if they did, they would probably know better than to eat XY.  They didn’t know where he’d been.

“If I die, you’re paying for my funeral,” XY grumbled, even though he’d already gone off on four tangents about how rich his dad was.  Luka didn’t even bother responding.

Suddenly XY screamed again.  A few Fletching flew out of the red flower patch.  At this rate, they’d never catch anything.

“What is it this ti—oh.”  Luka blinked down at the tiny Pokémon clinging to XY’s ankle.  “It’s just a Flabébé.”

The little girl seemed to have mistaken XY’s socks for a flower.  She was shuddering, cowering against the fabric even as XY tried to shake her off.

“Dude, cut it out.”  Luka gripped him by the shoulders.  “This is perfect.  She already likes you.”

“Y-you think so?”  XY set his foot back on the ground.  The Flabébé tentatively looked up.

“You might not even need Symphony to weaken her.  Here.”  Luka took out a pokéball, but hesitated to hand it over.  “Are you going to take good care of her if I give you this?”

“What gives, man?”  XY snatched the ball.  “You were gonna teach me about catching Pokémon, not about, like, parenting stuff.”

Luka hadn’t thought this through enough before seeing the little Flabébé.  He couldn’t in good conscience condemn her to a life with XY without knowing that he would treat her right.

“Are you staying in Lumiose?  I live at the edge of the city.  I could come check on her.  Just to make sure she’s not giving you too much trouble.”

“I didn’t know you were gonna want joint custody.”  XY smirked.  “But sure, whatever.  Can’t complain if you want to do half my work for me.”

He knelt down and tapped the Flabébé on her head.

“You are just a little thing, aren’t you?”  He let out a nasal laugh.  “How do you feel about me being your new dad?”

“Please don’t say it like that.”  Luka groaned.

The Flabébé fluttered into XY’s palm and nudged the pokéball.  Wow.  She must really have no standards.

“Sorry.  Me and Lu are gonna be your new dads.”  XY grinned.

“Aaaand that’s even worse.”

The Flabébé looked at Luka.  He looked at her.  She looked at him.  He looked at her.

“...I’m not being your other dad.”

Symphony blasted out a honk of laughter.  He glared at her.

“Don’t make me put you back in the pokéball.”

She just smiled innocently.

“Okay, okay.  Shut up.  We’re doing this.”  XY took a deep breath and pressed the button on the pokéball with his thumb.  It split open, sucking the Flabébé into its light.

The ball glowed red while rocking back and forth.  Once.  Twice.  Three times.

Then it went still.

“I—I did it?”  XY stared at the ball in his palm.  Luka swore there was wonder in his eyes.

Hopefully this hadn’t been such a bad idea after all.

“You did it.”  Luka clapped him on the shoulder.  “Why don’t you let her out now?  She should get used to you before you take her home.”

After fumbling for a moment, XY popped the ball open.  The Flabébé flashed back out and hovered in the air.  She quickly zipped down and plucked a red flower, hugging it close.

“Aww, our first date and she’s already giving me flowers.”  XY laughed.

“It’s not for you.  Flabébé has to keep one close for protection.”

“Ah. Like a comfort blanket.”  XY nodded sagely.  “That’s okay!  I’ll pick my own flower.  Then we can match!”

He snatched up another red bloom, then tucked it behind his ear.

Luka was surprised to find himself smiling.  Who would’ve thought XY could actually be cute?  When he wasn’t trying to steal Luka’s non-existent gym badges, anyway.

“Are you going to name her?”  He asked to keep his thoughts away from that tangent.

“Huh?  Oh.  Uh… hmm.”  XY’s brow furrowed.  He stared at the Flabébé, who had fluttered back into his palm.  “You can’t tell me your name, can you?”

She let out a tiny squeak.  

“Hmm.  Yeah.  I feel that.”  He nodded.  “How about Cheeto?”

“Cheeto?”  Luka burst before he could think better of it.  Who named their Pokémon Cheeto?  

“Yeah, ‘cause she’s got that yellow dust all over her.”  XY rubbed a tiny bit of it off with his fingertip.  Flabébé almost seemed to purr.

“You mean… pollen?”

XY raised an eyebrow.  “Ew, gross.  What kind of name is Pollen?  Sounds like Pole-men.  And she’s a girl.”

Luka wanted to smack his forehead.  Symphony gave him a sympathetic pat.

“Well.  Have fun with Cheeto, I guess.”  He sighed.  “I’m going to go get some sleep.  You’ve got my Holo Caster number.”

“Wait!”  XY jogged after him, cradling Cheeto close to his chest.  “I didn’t get to say—thanks, man.”

Luka looked back over his shoulder, surprised.  “No problem.  This is better than stealing gym badges, right?”

“A lot better.”  He looked down at his new Pokémon fondly.  “Uh, sorry about that, by the way.  I—I’m gonna make it up to you.”

“Yeah?”  He raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah!  I’m gonna—take you to the hotel I’m staying at!  So you don’t look homeless!”  XY grabbed him by the arm and started dragging him back towards the city.

“I literally told you I live in town…?”

“Then why were you sleeping in the Pokémon Center like a hobo?”  XY smirked.  Symphony laughed where she was lumbering after them.

You’ve turned my own Pokémon against me.  Luka scowled.

“Didn’t feel like dealing with my mom,” he said under his breath.  

It was stupid, running away just because he’d finally found out about his dad.  His whole band was here. Including his sister.  Lumiose was a big city, but he couldn’t play guitar for Kitty Section and dodge his parents at the same time.

“Perfect!  There’s no moms allowed in my hotel room!”  XY beamed.

If staying out was stupid, then even considering XY’s offer was downright moronic.  XY had tried to rob him just hours ago.

But the dude was rich.  Luka didn’t have anything else he could want.  And whatever hotel room they ended up in was bound to have a more comfortable couch than the Pokémon Center’s.

“...Alright,” he finally agreed.

XY’s holler of joy could probably be heard in the next route over.

“Sweet!  Bro co-parenting slumber party, here we come!”

Luka let Symphony laugh at him.  He deserved it for ending up in such a ridiculous situation.

But somehow, he felt better anyway.

[fearfulkittenwrites]

“You’re so small.”

Link for it on AO3, if you prefer it!: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25911697

Summary: Damian gets injured during battle and runs from the fight, surprising (and terrifying) everyone. It doesn't take long for Nightwing to find him, but the state he's in is... Unexpected.

Dick never though his brother could get this scared.

Word count: 2007

TW: Implied child abuse (In the sense of Bruce forgets that he needs to treat Damian as a child), description of bruises in Damian’s body, small mentions of blood. Also, Bruce is not a good dad. I think that part was clear already, but just in case lol

Notes: Hey! So, let's get this out of the way; Damian isn't perfectly characterized in this, okay? If I wanted to write this, then I'd need to allow him to actually react like a scared, wounded kid, which is not something that happens in canon. I know. If it bothers you, this is your warning to click off. If it doesn't, then I hope you enjoy this!

Robin’s ears were still ringing. He had been hit hard tonight, and was trying to crawl his way to a safer spot. Right now, he was aiming for a shelter, any kind of shelter, and ended up hiding in a wet cardboard box. He needed to gather enough strenght to make his way back, needed to imobilize his ankle, needed pain medicines, needed to hide from the rain. He took a deep breath, trying to think of a good strategy, trying to find something that could help, but his ankle was so sore, and he was so cold, and there was nothing here but trash.

Damian felt weak. And he hated it. He hated how he couldn’t stop the fear creeping into his heart and spilling out through his eyes.

But he heard footsteps.

He knew he wouldn’t last in a fight. He could barely stand. And in that moment, Damian shoved his face between his thin knees and prayed.

Prayed that they wouldn’t find him. Prayed for the strenght he’d need. Prayed to keep his panic at bay. Prayed that he’d stop feeling his pulse on his ankle. If nothing else, Damian prayed so he wouldn’t feel so alone.

“Oh no...” He heard a familiar voice, and the footsteps got faster, in a hurried pace “Hey, Little D. It’s me.” He looked up. Nightwing had his hand stretched towards him and a gentle smile on his face “It’s over now. Let’s go home.” Dick stretched out his hand a little more, the back of his gloved finger rubbing Damian’s wet cheeks.

“I- I’m sorry.” The kid whispered.

“What for?” Dick asked softly.

“I don’t want father to see me like this.” Damian whispered again “Please. I’m not- I didn’t mean to run. I’m sorry for being so weak. I don’t- I don’t know what happened.” He sobbed.

“Hey, shh...” He hushed him, a hand on his back “It’s okay. You weren’t weak. A bomb went off next to you, Little D. Most people run. Sane people run. It’s a very natural reaction.”

“Still... I don’t want to go with him.” He averted his gaze “I’m... I’m ashamed of myself. Please.”

Nightwing nodded and pressed the button on his communication device.

“Hey guys. I found Robin. I’m taking him home now. Everything’s okay, head back to the cave.”

“Thank you.” The kid whispered.

“Don’t mention it.” He looked at the boy’s injured foot. It was swollen enough to bend his boot a little “Did you sprain your ankle?” Damian nodded “Come here.” He picked him up by his armpits, and the boy allowed himself to be carried, wrapping his arms around his brother’s neck “It’s okay. I’ve got you. I’ll take care of you.” Dick rocked him a little, as if he was a baby, trying to soothe him. He the situation been any different, the boy would have scoffed at the action, swearing and kicking at his brother. But right now, he didn’t quite feel like himself, so he held on to his neck a little tighter.

For the first time since he began talking, Damian couldn’t hold back his tears. Nightwing held him close, making his brother feel safe as he used his grapple gun to take them both back to his motorcycle, a little slower than usual since he couldn’t use one of his arms. Robin hoped the rain would disguise his weeping, but Dick’s shoulders were way too acquainted with cries for him not to notice it. In the motorcycle, the kid buried his face on the other’s back and didn’t look up until they had parked in the cave. Dick climbed down slowly, and noticed his brother’s eyes were fixated on the floor. The others seemed unbothered by their presence. Damian lifted his arms, still not looking up.

“Please?” He whispered again.

Dick’s heart broke as he picked him up, feeling how cold his tiny, shivering body felt against his chest.

“Nightwing, Robin, mission reports.” Batman demanded, not looking up from his screen. Damian hid his face further on Dick’s neck.

“Later, B.” He stated, aiming for the stairs.

“I need your reports now, Nightwing.”

“I said later.” He growled, quickly moving through the metal steps.

“Nightw-” Tim tapped on his arm, and Batman froze as he stared at the duo.

Dick took Damian to his room, stopping on the way to ask Alfred to bring them some ice. He placed the boy on the toiled seat.

“Okay. Let’s get you out of those wet clothes, hm?” He said, kneeling to help him out of his boots. Gently, he pulled out the one on the injured foot. Damian grimaced “Sorry.” He pursed his lips together, pulling out the next one and then his socks.

Dick lifted himself to unbutton the top of his brother’s uniform. Robin’s cape was long gone. The kid’s torso was bruised and there was a small cut on his skin. Dick pulled off his pants too, and Damian’s thighs were just as bruised as the rest of his body, but at least there were no cuts. He took Damian’s mask off, and left it on top of the sink as he picked up the boy’s medical kit. There was a knock at the door, and Alfred handed the man a bucket full of ice packs, water, and some strong pain medicine.

“Thanks Alfie.” He said, walking back to the bathroom.

Dick sprayed some antiseptic in a cotton ball and cleaned the tiny wound with it, before handing his brother some of the ice, that he promptly pressed to the darkest bruise he had, covering a bit of his ribcage and a lot of his stomach. With his free hand, Damian quickly reached his brother’s face and pulled his mask away, handing it back to him. Dick found the action strange, but didn’t comment on it as he handed him more ice, this time for his already swelling black eye. The man sat down on the floor, holding two ice packs against his brother’s ankle. Damian scrunched his face up, grimacing.

“Sorry. I’m just trying to make sure this won’t swell up any further.”

“I know.” He grunted.

“We’ll need to make sure this isn’t broken. It’s looking pretty bad.”

“It’s not broken.” Damian shot back “I broke it in the past, and the pain is much more intense than this.”

“Okay.” Dick nodded “I still think it’s worth getting an x-ray, so we’ll dial up a doctor to have it checked out in the morning.”

The boy stared at the ground.

“Hey.” The man called softly “You did nothing wrong.”

“I ran.” He shot back, bitter taste creeping into his mouth.

“A bomb blew up less than five feet away from you.”

“It was a small explosion.”

“It still was an explosion.” Dick searched for his eyes “Hey. It’s okay. I ran too, y’know? The first time it happened to me.”

Silence fell over the two of them.

“I’m cold.” He complained “I need to shower.”

“Okay.” Dick took away the ice packs “Do you need help?”

“No. There are bars installed on my shower.” Damian bit his lip “But will you... Come back?” He stared at the ground, voice barely a whisper “I don’t want to be alone.”

“I will. I’ll go shower, then go down and give my mission report, then come up here with you, alright?” He reached up and cupped his cheek for a moment. The boy nodded “Okay. See you in a minute.”

...

After reporting back to Batman, Dick sighed.

“I hate that I feel like I have to ask this, and I’m praying to God that you prove me wrong here,” Dick said as he got up from his chair “but what are you planning on saying to Damian?”

“I don’t know.” The man stared at his computer again “I’m disappointed. I though he could handle this better. All that talk, and now this.”

Dick took a deep breath, staring at the cold metal table he had been sitting at.

“You’re such a fucking asshole.” He shook his head, fists supporting his weight on the table “He’s a child, Bruce. Your child.”

“He has been trained to endure this kind of situation. I expected him to know how to.”

“What?!” He asked “You’re insane.”

“No, I’m not. He said he was ready for this, and I can’t avoid feeling let down by his lack of rationality tonight”

“No.” The younger man walked to him, turning his chair around and caging him with his body “No. Don’t you dare say any of that bullshit to him.” Bruce stared at him, expression hard to decipher “Now you’re gonna listen. You’re gonna sit there, and you’re gonna listen to me for once.”

“Alri-”

“Shut up!” He yelled, tapping the chair’s arms violently “Just... Shut up.” He took a deep breath once again “Do you have any idea of the state he’s in? He has a bruise the size of my hand on his torso. His right ankle is so swollen that I noticed it when he had his boots on. He lost his cape. He was scared, Bruce. I never saw him scared of anything, but he was terrified. He cried on my shoulder, Bruce! He fucking cried, because he was hurt, he was cold, and alone, and he probably though he was going to die. And do you know what he said when I found him? He said ‘I’m sorry, I don’t want father to see me like this’. And you want to tell him that you are disappointed in him? All he ever wants is your approval. He just wants you to be proud of him.” He stared down at the man “But look at what you’ve done. Your only biological son is so afraid of letting you down, he even can’t ask for your help.”

“Are you done?”

Dick clenched his jaw.

“Yes. I am. And now, I’m gonna go upstairs, and play the part you were supposed to be playing.” He let go of the chair, kicking the table as he passed it, knocking it down with a loud, metalic sound “I hope you fucking think about what I said.”

He breathed deeply as he went up the stairs, trying to calm himself down. He creeked open Damian’s door, finding the boy holding his knees on the bed, silent tears rolling down his cheeks.

“Hey.” He called softly, sitting on the bed next to him and pulling him into a hug “I’m here. It’s okay. You’re okay.”

“I was weak. I’m not worthy of the mantle.” He sobbed.

“What are you talking about?” He asked “Dames, you got scared. Everyone gets scared sometimes.”

“I’m not supposed to get scared.”

“Oh, Dames.” He clicked his tongue, upset, and brought him closer “You can’t control that kind of thing. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

“He’s going to take it away from me, isn’t he? The Robin mantle.” He whispered against Dick’s skin.

“No.” He answered “No, he won’t.”

“How can you know that?”

“The Robin mantle was never his to give.” He sighed as he spoke “And it certainly isn’t his to take. It was mine, and now it’s yours, and even if he’s stupid enough to try it, I won’t let him take that from you.”

Damian’s cries got louder before he calmed down.

“Thank you, Dick.” He said. Dick kissed the top of his head.

“Don’t mention it.”

The young boy curled in on himself, laying down and pulling Dick with him. Damian was half asleep already, and his brother’s body shielded him from the world, kissing the top of his head again.

“You’re so small.” The man murmured against the boy’s scalp “So small, and young, and sometimes, I think you’re so fragile that you’re going to break. And then... You don’t. You never do. You’re so strong Little D. Stronger than all of us.” The man sighed, rubbing his brother’s back as he pulled him closer, as close as he could “I wish you didn’t have to be.”

[thenovelartist]

Homecoming Queen (I’ll Steal You Away), chapter 5

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Tohru stared at the dress bag Ayame dropped off that day with no small amount of excitement. He had deemed it perfect after this last alteration, and Tohru couldn’t have agreed more. She was so excited to wear it. Undoubtably, she’d feel like a princess. And ironically, she was being escorted by Prince Yuki.

Though she wouldn’t feel any less of a princess if Kyo would have been the one who took her to the dance tonight.

First, she sat down at her desk, the one that held a little mirror, then pulled out the make-up she’d bought especially for the event. She tried not to use it too often, seeing as it was just another expense, but it was a special occasion so she felt like she could splurge a bit. Particularly since Shigure had bought her a dress that Ayame had made especially for her and Yuki had bought her ticket to the dance.

Honestly, she was so blessed, she felt like she could cry.

Saki had leant her a curling iron for the evening, saying her new curling wand would serve her perfectly well and that Tohru could borrow the bigger barreled curling iron for the occasion. She’d have to get Saki something as a thank you. She really appreciated her kindness.

After putting on the make-up and curling her hair in the way Saki had taught her, Toru opened the dress bag to reveal the pink ballgown. One that had layers upon layers of tulle for a full skirt. She didn’t even have it on, yet the swishing sound it made as she moved made her so happy. It just felt so fancy and so beautiful. She could hardly believe that this was her dress.

She unzipped the back of the bodice and slid it on. She had to buy a special bra for this dress, a strapless one since the dress’s sleeves weren’t really sleeves at all and were made of tulle that draped over her arms. She grinned once again, this dress making her feel so grown up and mature.

She was curious to see what the others would think about it.

Now the tricky part: zipping up the back once she was in the dress. It had taken some practice and coaching from Ayame to get the zipper up and hook the top latch on the dress. And she’d gotten it a couple times. But this time, it was all on her own.

She got the zipper halfway up before it stuck.

And she realized with a small amount of horror that it was stuck in her hair.

Okay, keep calm.

She tried to unzip it, but the zipper wouldn’t budge. It went upwards a little, but only ate more of her hair in the process.

Oh no.

Her lip found its way between her teeth, biting down as she thought about what she could possibly do while also trying not to cry or freak out. In the end, the only option she found was asking one of the boys to help her.

She sighed, already feeling embarrassed, but she didn’t have much of a choice.

After taking a breath to calm herself, she cracked open her door. “Um…” Who should she call for? Yuki? He was busy getting ready. Kyo was probably on the roof. Shigure? Was he downstairs?

She took a couple steps out of her room, searching for the first man she could find. She was just about to head downstairs when, much to her surprise, Kyo’s door opened.

They both froze, staring wide-eyed at each other. Tohru blinked as she took in Kyo’s attire. A white button down and a vest paired with a nice, dark pair of jeans. Was he going somewhere?

“Wow,” he finally said, breaking the silence.

That snapped her out of her thoughts, bringing a blush to her cheeks. “Thank you,” she quietly returned before realizing that she had been looking for one of the guys. “Um, Kyo… Could you… could you help me?”

He blinked once. “With what?”

Her cheeks warmed further as her tummy tied in knots. “The… the zipper is stuck.”

His brow furrowed. “What zipper?”

“On the back of my dress,” she answered abashedly. “It’s stuck in my hair, and I can’t get…” She bit her lip upon feeling tears start to well in her eyes. How embarrassing.

“Okay, okay,” he quickly said, coming to her side. “Don’t cry. I’ll help.”

He coaxed her back into her room before shutting the door. With her back towards him, she said. “The zipper won’t unzip. I can’t get it to move.”

“Don’t cry,” he said, his hands on her shoulders. “I’ll get it.”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I know you hate when I cry. Sorry.”

He sighed heavily. “No, it’s not that. It’s…” He paused. “I just don’t like… seeing you upset. I mean… you being upset in the first place.”

His voice had trailed off to the point she could barely hear him, but she had. “Oh.” She said softly, her heart doing weird things in her chest as her stomach seemed to dance nervously.

Kyo then knelt behind her so as to get the best angle for working on the zipper. Tohru felt the heat of embarrassment overwhelm her as she felt his fingers on her back, tugging gently at her hair and trying to get the zipper to move.

“How the hell did you manage this?” he grumbled, which was accompanied by a tug on her hair.

“I don’t know,” she said, her vision still a little watery with unshed tears. “I couldn’t see. I thought all my hair was out of the way.”

He sighed. “How do girls do this?” he mumbled, tugging on her hair again as she felt the zipper start to work its way down.

Another moment more, and Tohru felt the zipper move freely.

“Ha!” Kyo cried. “Got it!”

“Oh, thank you thank you thank you,” Tohru said, smile back on her face as she felt the zipper slide all the way up.

“Try not to do that again, okay?” he said, standing up.

“Okay,” she assured before reaching back again to hook the latch that ensured the zipper wouldn’t move.

Kyo quirked a brow. “What? Did I not zip it right or something?”

“Ah, no,” she said, embarrassed. “There’s a little latch on the top of the zipper that keeps it from sliding down.”

“I’ll get it,” he snipped. “I don’t trust you to not catch your hair in it again.”

“It would be much easier if you did help,” she admitted.

He reached for the fabric, but the moment his hands touched her bare skin near her spine, they both froze.

“Uhh…” Kyo coughed. “Sorry.”

She felt like her face and neck and chest were on fire. “It’s okay.” She most definitely wasn’t okay. In reality, her heart was pounding at the realization that Kyo had zipped up her dress. He’d probably seen the back of her bra. Why couldn’t she have been able to do it herself? Ayame had taught her for a reason. “Thank you so, so much. I’m so sorry to trouble you.”

His cheeks were pink, and he couldn’t look her in the eye. “Just… don’t get your hair caught in it next time, okay?”

She nodded in shame.

He sighed. “You… you look… ugh!” He spun around. Running his hands through his hair before turning back to her, his face a bright shade of red. “You look… really pretty.”

Her heart skipped a beat before she grinned. “Really?”

He smiled, a bit awkward and strained, but honest. “Yeah,” he said. “You… look pretty.”

Her smile widened, but that fire in her cheeks didn’t go away. “Thank you, Kyo.”

There was an awkward pause before Kyo headed to her door. “I guess I’ll leave you to finish getting ready.”

“I only have my shoes to put on,” she said. “But I have to figure them out since there are so many straps on them. And kinda give them a test to make sure I can walk in the heels.”

Kyo’s brow knit together. “Just… be careful, okay? Last thing we need is you tripping and breaking your ankle or something.”

“I’ll be careful,” she assured. “Don’t worry.”

He scoffed. “With you, I do.” He then opened the door.

“Oh, Kyo,” Shigure’s voice said, surprise clear in his tone. “I was just coming to check on Tohru.”

“She’s fine,” he gritted out.

“He was just helping me when my zipper got stuck,” she called out.

“Oh?” Shigure said. “Were you pulling that zipper up or dow—”

“Put a sock in it, you pervert!”

Her door slammed while the yelling continued. She couldn’t help but giggle. Yup. That was her family.

…

Yuki was waiting downstairs, smoothing out his suit jacket as he waited for Tohru to come down.

“I honestly am surprised you’re bothering to go,” Yuki said, looking at Kyo. “And that you couldn’t be bothered to make more of an effort.”

Kyo sneered. “I’d die of heat stroke if I went decked out like that.”

Yuki narrowed his eyes, looking over Kyo’s outfit. At least the vest made him look like he was trying to be presentable, although he was failing when that vest was paired with a button down he hadn’t bothered to button up all the way or tuck in.

“You could at least wear a tie.”

“Hell no,” he snapped.

“Oh, come on, Kyo,” Shigure said, smirk on his face. “You could try. For Tohru’s sake.”

Yuki grinned, feeling rather smug as he watched Kyo struggle over Shigure’s words.

“I don’t know how,” Kyo answered quietly. “And I don’t have one, anyway.”

Next thing Yuki knew, Shigure literally pulled a tie from up his sleeve. Kyo’s eyes widened in shock, which caused Yuki to burst into laughter. He couldn’t help it.

The next few moments were full of amusement as Yuki watched Shigure tie the bow-tie around Kyo’s neck.

“This isn’t funny, you rat!” Kyo yelled while standing still as Shigure put the finishing touch on the tie.

“I think it’s hilarious,” Yuki returned, not bothering to hide his smile.

Kyo growled at him.

“There, all done!” Shigure said. “You look so much more charming, Kyo! And Tohru will certainly think so.”

His expression darkened all the more.

“Sorry!” a voice called from the stairs. “I got talking with Arisa and then had to strap on my shoes and find my bag.”

Yuki turned just in time for his heart to give out on him. There stood Tohru in a pink dress, a color that suited her to a tee. It was strapless, showing off her shoulders, with a bodice that hugged her torso before the full skirt flared out at the waist. Her hair was curled and left completely down, no ribbons in sight.

“Wow,” he said.

“You look positively stunning, Tohru,” Shigure said, being completely sincere for once. “Ayame did a wonderful job on that gown.”

“He did,” Tohru said, giving them a spin, letting the skirt of the dress flair out even more while the curls in har hair practically danced behind her. “I love it!”

“You do look stunning in it,” Yuki said. “Extremely. Don’t you think, Kyo?”

“I already told her,” he ground out. “She looks pretty.”

“Kyo helped Tohru into her dress,” Shigure said. “Such a gentleman.”

Upon seeing red, Yuki glared at Kyo.

“Hey! Don’t imply I’m a pervert. You’re the pervert!” Kyo yelled at a smirking Shigure.

“What do you mean ‘helped her into her dress’?” Yuki demanded, feeling a righteous fire burning in his gut.

“Nothing!” Kyo snapped back.

“The zipper was stuck,” Tohru said, expression smiling and innocent. Honestly, for her to be wearing such an expression put his heart at ease. This was pure and innocent Tohru they were talking about, and if she didn’t seem bothered or upset, then nothing must have happened. “So Kyo helped me with it.”

“And that’s all that happened,” Kyo shouted. “So don’t go accusing me of being a pervert!”

“Would you look at the time, boys?” Shigure said, glancing at his watchless wrist. “It’s about time for you three to head out. Wouldn’t want to be late escorting the fair princess to the ball.”

Tohru blinked as she looked over at Kyo. “Wait,” she said. “You’re coming to the dance with us?”

He shrugged. “A bunch of other football guys are going. So I thought I’d go, too.”

Tohru lit up in excitement. “Really? I’m so happy!”

Yuki couldn’t say he was happy about it, but if Tohru was happy, he couldn’t not be happy for her.

Yuki reached out his hand to Tohru. “We really should be going.”

With a beaming smile that could light the night and make his heart feel like it could fly, she took his hand. “Let’s go!”

…

“Before we begin!” The announcer on the mock stage cried. The dance had only just begun, the doors having opened not ten minutes ago to let people enter the room. “We will crown the homecoming king and queen!”

“Yuki will be king,” Tohru said, looking over at her date. “I’m sure your fanclub voted only for you.”

He chuckled. “Well, I didn’t ask for it, but it would be an honor if I was.”

“The voter’s choice for homecoming king goes to… Yuki Sohma!”

Everyone was clapping and cheering, but Tohru couldn’t say she was surprised. Yuki made his way up to the main stage, where he was given a crown and a sash that said “Homecoming King.” He waved and smiled. Girls cheered and applauded.  

“I wonder who the queen will be,” Tohru said. “Do you think the girls all voted for themselves?”

“Probably,” Arisa said with a shrug. “Wouldn’t be surprised if that meant the winner only got a few votes because of it.”

“And now for the homecoming queen who will get the right to stand beside Prince Yuki Sohma is…” The announcer paused for a moment, surprise flashing across her face before she finished. “Tohru Honda.”

There was a gasp in the air before people started clapping. Beside her, Saki and Arisa were cheering. But Tohru was numb.

Was… was she just called?

“Go on up there, idiot,” Kyo whispered in her ear, giving her the nudge to start moving.

She made her way to the stage, completely starstruck. Was this a dream? It had to be. Who would have voted for her beyond her own friends?

… Did she really win?

She got up onto the stage, only for someone to put a tiara on her head, a sash over her shoulder, and hand her a large bouquet of flowers. Beside her, Yuki was clapping and smiling.

“You’re an official queen now, Tohru,” he said, calling her attention. “You certainly deserve the title.”

She was on the verge of tears, but she couldn’t cry unless she wanted to mess up her make-up. “Really?”

“Really.”

She now felt for sure like she was going to cry. After all, it was really a silly thing, being crowned royalty for the day. But still, it made her so, so happy.

…

She could honestly say she was so thankful she had the opportunity to come. She got to dance with Yuki, be stolen away by Arisa and Saki for a while—then completely by Saki who wanted a dance with only her while Arisa laughed and took photos of them dancing ballroom style—and generally hang out with her friends.

It was a really fun time.

Before the next song could start, Kyo grabbed her hand. It was honestly impossible to not realize just how handsome he looked cleaned up as he did, even with a bowtie!

“Can I have a dance with you?” he asked, his voice uncertain.

She smiled, squeezing his hand tighter. She honestly wanted nothing more than to sit down for a moment because her feet were killing her, but she couldn’t say no to Kyo. “Of course.”

She was the one that pulled him out onto the dancefloor. Once there, he placed his hands on her waist, she placed her arms over his shoulders, and they swayed to the slow song.

“Sorry,” he said looking a little embarrassed. “I… I’m not very good at this.”

“It’s okay,” she assured. “I’m not, either. I’m just happy to be here with you.”

He smiled bitterly. “You’re here with Yuki.”

Her smile faded. He was right; officially, she was Yuki’s date, hence why she spent most of her time with him. “True. But I get to be here with you, too. I think it’s only fair since you won the game that I spend time with you, too.”

She felt his hold on her tighten. “Yeah, but…” he grunted. “Nevermind.”

Tohru knew something was on his mind, but the way he turned away proved he didn’t want to talk about it.

“You know I’m always here to listen, right?” she asked.

He turned back to her with a look of surprise, one that melted into a soft grin. “I know.”

They danced in silence for a moment.

“Congratulations on being the homecoming queen,” Kyo said. “You really deserve it.”

Tohru beamed. “I don’t know about ‘deserve it’.”

“You do,” he said. “For putting up with three guys who aren’t even your family.”

“But you’ve become family,” Tohru insisted. “I couldn’t imagine my life without you and Yuki and Shigure, or any of the other Sohmas, to be honest. I’m so blessed.”

His expression softened at her. “Really? You’d call it blessed?”

She nodded fervently.

He chuckled, her hands gripping her waist tighter. “That’s so like you.”

She frowned, unsure why he thought it funny but didn’t voice her thoughts.

After the dance came to an end, she spied the chairs off to the side to the room, but Momiji made his appearance and insisted he got to dance with Tohru, too.

And how could she say no to his big, bunny eyes?

She danced once with him, then once more with Yuki before his fanclub could steal him away again.

When she returned to Kyo, her feet were really paining her. High heels were not comfortable to walk in, she knew that. She just didn’t know it would be this painful.

Kyo must have spotted her pain. “Tohru, something wrong?”

She bit her lip. “My feet are hurting really bad, and I want to sit down a moment.”

His eyes widened. “Why didn’t you say something earlier?” he growled, already tugging her off the dance floor towards a row of chairs off to the side. “Now, sit down.”

Arisa and Saki were over by her side in a heartbeat. “Tohru?”

She smiled. “I’m okay. My feet just hurt.” And that’s when she lifted her skirt, looking at her feet.

“Oh my gosh, Tohru!” Arisa cried, leaning over her feet.

Tohru was speechless, her feet a boiling red under the straps of her heels.

Kyo just looked mad. “There’s no way that wasn’t hurting you for a while.”

Tohru frowned. “It was okay. It didn’t hurt that badly.”

Yuki soon appeared as well. “Tohru? Is something wrong?”

“She’s got blisters the size of baseballs on her feet,” Kyo snapped.

Yuki’s eyes narrowed at her feet. “Why didn’t you tell my brother to get you more comfortable shoes?”

“But they were cute,” she said. “And he recommended them, and I couldn’t say no.”

Yuki sighed. “One thing’s for sure, I think you need to stay off your feet for a while.”

“I’m kinda agreeing,” Arisa chimed in. “Or find a way to pad your feet against your shoes.”

Kyo’s brow furrowed before he stood, offering her his hands. “Come on,” he said. “I have an idea.”

She took his hands, allowing him to help her stand.

“I’ll bring her back, okay?” he said, glaring at Yuki.

“And why couldn’t I take her?” Yuki challenged.

“She’ll be fine with Carrots,” Arisa cut in. “Don’t worry about it.”

“It’s okay, Yuki,” Tohru said. “I don’t want to have to waste your time here.”

Yuki’s eyes narrowed at Kyo, who returned the sharp gaze. “I’m not gonna kidnap her or anything,” Kyo growled.

Yuki stared a while longer before relenting with a sigh. “Are you sure you don’t want me to come?”

“No,” Tohru assured with a smile. “I’ll be fine. I don’t want to take time away from your fun.”

“Come, Yuki,” Saki said. “I want a dance with you. Your fanclub is so persistent I haven’t had a chance.”

Yuki sputtered while Saki pulled him to the dance floor, leaving Tohru a little surprised.

Arisa then walked off, shooting a wink in their direction. “Go on, Tohru. Take care of your feet, okay? And if you don’t I trust Carrot Top will force you.”

“Better believe it,” Kyo grumbled, grabbing Tohru’s hand. “We’ll be back,” Kyo added as he led her outside. Tohru hadn’t noticed how warm it had been inside, but the cool night air was a stark contrast. It was pleasantly nice.

When they got to his truck, he opened the passenger side door for her. “Are you taking me somewhere?”

But before he answered, he grabbed her by the waist. She squealed in surprise as he picked her up and set her down on the seat. “No,” he said. “I have something in my bag to take care of those blisters.” From there, he opened the back door of his truck, pulling out a gym bag and riffling through it.

“I’m sorry for causing so much trouble,” she said. “And causing you to miss the dance.”

Kyo scoffed. “I only went because you went. I don’t care about some stupid dance, otherwise.”

Tohru’s eyes widened as he pulled a roll of cloth tape out of his bag. “I thought you said you went for your football friends.”

When Kyo met her eyes again, she could easily see his blush. “Partly,” he quietly admitted. He then tore his eyes away, focusing back on her feet. He unbuckled the straps of her shoes, complaining about how ridiculous it was.

“Why’d you let that snake even put you in these heels?” he complained, setting them on the floor of his truck. “I’m surprised you haven’t broken an ankle in them.”

She shrugged. “They aren’t that high,” she quietly countered.

He grunted, clearly disagreeing but not saying anything. Instead, he took the tape and began wrapping one of her feet in a careful and tender manner, twisting the tape as needed to hit all the hotspots on her heel.

And then her heart raced when he used his teeth to tear the end of the tape close to her foot.

He moved to the other foot, but the second he put the tape against her heel, she hissed and pulled her foot away, surprised by the intensity of the sting.

“Damn it,” he growled. “Why didn’t you tell us your feet hurt that bad?”

She frowned. “Because everyone was having a good time and I didn’t want to ruin—”

“Ruin the night!” Kyo yelled. “Like we would have cared about the party if you were in pain. Tell us, damn it! We can’t read your damn mind!”

At his harsh words, Tohru’s gaze fell to her lap. She bit her lip to keep it from quivering.

Kyo groaned. “Ugh.” He rubbed a hand down his face. “I’m sorry. Just… don’t think it’s selfish if you’re in pain and tell us. It won’t ruin our night.”

“Okay,” she sniffed.

With a sigh, Kyo stood, leaning forward past her layers and layers of tulle to be able to hug her tightly. “Don’t cry.”

“I won’t.”

“Yeah, right.”

She sniffed, trying to prove him wrong but broke anyway. So, she clung to him, crying on his shirt and undoubtedly ruining her make-up in the process.

She felt him let her go, and so she tried to pull back, thinking that she was making him uncomfortable. “I’m sorry,” she said.

The click of the glove compartment box got her attention, and she glanced over to see Kyo pulling out a pack of tissues to hand to her. “Don’t apologize. Here.”

She took it. “You have tissues?”

“In case you ever cry in my car.”

She smiled. She couldn’t help it. He carried tissues in his truck specifically for her. She pulled one out and dried her eyes, smearing make-up across it. She then took another to blow her nose in. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to keep apologizing, you know,” Kyo said. “It’s just annoying.”

“Right. Okay.” She dabbed at her nose again. “I’m sorry. I’m a mess.”

Kyo hung his head. “Another apology,” he grumbled before looking back up at her. “Do you want to just go home?”

Her eyes widened in horror. “But, I promised Yuki—”

“He’ll either understand or have to just get over it,” Kyo snipped. “Don’t worry about it, okay? Do you want to go home or not?”

Tohru paused, looking at Kyo’s serious expression before she nodded. “Yes.”

“Then text Yuki that you’re not feeling well, and I’ll drive you home. We’ll be able to wrap your feet up better at home, anyway.”

Tohru wiped her eyes again. “Okay.”

With a nod, Kyo lifted her legs, spinning her so she was sitting fully in the truck before shutting the door.

After buckling her seatbelt, Tohru pulled out her phone, giving Yuki a call instead of a text. It just seemed more polite.

“Tohru, are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she lied.

“She’s not fine and don’t let her tell you that,” Kyo yelled, slamming his door shut. “I’m taking her home.”

“Home?” Yuki asked on the other end of the line. “What happened?”

“I…” She felt her emotions bubble up in her again, the pain in her feet not helping. “My feet hurt,” she admitted.

“Okay,” Yuki said. “Then I’ll be home soon.”

“But—”

“No buts,” he said. “If you’re hurt, then I’ll come home. I should have been the one to drive you home.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, tears welling up in her eyes again. “I’m really sorry.”

“I just want you to be alright,” he said. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll see you at home.”

“See you at home,” she said, ending the call. Her gut sank. Yuki really should have been the one taking her home. Maybe she should wait—

Kyo started up his truck, turning on the headlights before backing out of the parking spot, successfully putting an end to that train of thought.

She’d have to owe Yuki another date, one that didn’t involve blistered feet or Kyo stealing her away.

But as he reached over to grab her hand, squeezing it in reassurance, she also couldn’t deny how much she liked having Kyo be here with her now.

“Thank you, Kyo,” she said. “For everything.”

He just hummed. “You wouldn’t have to thank me for taking care of you if you cared for yourself.”

Her gut sank, and her chest grew tight. “Right,” she whispered, defeatedly.

He growled, squeezing her hand tightly. “Damn it,” he grumbled. “You know we care for you, right? We just want you to be okay. Whatever that takes. Okay?”

The warmth of his hand in hers, the way he held to it tightly, securely, it made those knots in her gut fade. “Okay. Thank you, Kyo.”

“Don’t mention it.”

[def-ace-ing-it]

Safe and Sound

Pairings: Platonic Logince (though it can be read as romantic)

Summary: Logan walks out into the middle of a snowstorm and makes it to Roman's house, who fusses over him for the next few hours.

Warnings: Mentions and references to verbal/physical abuse, hypothermia, cursing (you can blame Roman for this), death mentions (nobody dies), food mentions (Tell me if I need to add anything else!)

Author’s note: Considering it took me three days to make, I'm really proud of it.

Word count: 2200

***

He knew it was a stupid idea to go outside. He knew that his actions wouldn't have affected anyone but himself. He knew his parents wouldn't go looking for him, they were better off without him as they said. He knew it was going to snow. He knew a thin jacket wouldn't protect him, but did he listen to logic at that time?

No, Logan did not.

He drew what little he could of his thin, red jacket that was a few sizes too big around himself as he trudged through the ankle-high snow. Another round of shivers wracked his small frame as the wind continued to howl, the snow landing on his glasses made it hard to see. Logan couldn't tell how long he had been walking in the snow for, he didn't really have a destination, but he really wished he did know beforehand. Maybe he wouldn't be out here, in the cold. Maybe he would be in his warm room, with his warm blankets, in his warm bed. So what if he was beaten worse than he was currently, as long as he wasn't in the center of a fucking snow storm like he was now, he would gladly take the bruises and the small cuts over the sharp pangs of the cold on his face.

He let out a sharp and shaky breath as another burst of freezing wind assaulted his exposed skin. He curled in upon himself, trying to pull as much of his skin together to keep as much heat as he could, which was rapidly leaving his body.

“Shih…” Logan slurred out, shivering more than he has been in the past few minutes. He looked up, trying to see if he saw any form of shelter, he would take anything at this point, a cardboard box sounded very welcoming. Though his vision was heavily obscured by the fluffy onslaught of snow, he could faintly make out the beginning of a street name.

‘Pasrose lane… That sounds familiar- wait, Roman lives here!’ Logan quickly lit up and attempted to walk faster. Which lead to him slipping on ice and scraping his hand. He hissed out a few select words, before slowly limping toward the house that felt so familiar to him that he may have just lived there his entire life. He almost slipped up the stairs as he made it to the porch. He raised a shaky hand and knocked on the door. He stood there for a second, hands curled tight around his middle and wincing as the wind pushed at his form, wrapping him in a bitter and chilled embrace.

The door made a few clicking sounds before opening partially, revealing a very groggy and confused Roman.

“Hello?” Logan leaned over towards the opening, letting Roman see who it was. His eyes went from confusion to concern, then panic, “Lo?! What are you doing here! Did you walk- no, never mind, get the fuck in here-” Roman opened the door further, letting both Logan and the cold air into the expanse of the living room. The moment Roman looked back at Logan after closing and locking the door, Logan had already collapsed onto the ground, shivering up a storm. Roman picked up Logan into his arms and carried him into his room, setting the smallest of the two on the bed as he sorted through his drawers.

“Here,” he held out a pile of clothes, that were much drier than what Logan was currently wearing, “it's not much, but it's better than the soaking ones you're wearing. I'll go get some blankets and stuff, you stay here. Alright?” Logan mumbled out a soft reply, making Roman frown slightly before he left the room.

Logan sluggishly changed into the warm and soft clothes that Roman handed him. He almost melted into a puddle as the warmth from the clothes sunk into his skin that desperately craved it. He didn't notice when Roman had entered the room until he felt something being sat in his lap and something being wrapped around his shoulders, “Here we are, you should warm up in no time!” He reached down and messed with the cord to the thing on Logan's lap, clicking a button a few times before leaving it be and sat on the bed beside him.

The next twenty minutes or so were silent as Logan slowly melted into the warmth surrounding him and Roman fidgeted with the plush he grabbed off his desk. It wasn't long until Logan started to shrug off the blanket cocoon he was swaddled in. Roman jumped to his feet and started messing with the blankets he shrugged off, “No, no, you are not taking these off. I am not having you die on me.” Logan frowned.

“Roman, I am fine. My temperature is back to normal, there is little to no chance of me dying. You're exaggerating beyond the realm of current possibilities again.”

“You could have though!” Roman took a deep breath, “Just… Stay here, please? I'm going to go get you a drink, a hot one, don't you dare move.” Roman didn't look up from the ground and just walked out of the room.

Roman trudged down the hall, clenching and unclenching his fists. He let out a sigh and reached into the cabinet, pulling out a container of hot chocolate powder. He scooped some powder into a mug then put it into the coffee machine and poured water into the top. He sat on the counter, putting his head in his hands and sighed. ‘Why is he so goddamn stubborn?’ Roman dragged his hands down his face and looked at his palms, ‘Who am I kidding, of course he is. This is Logan we're talking about.’ He got off the counter, grabbing the mug and a spoon and started to stir as he walked back to his room.

Logan was still in the same spot when he came into the room, which Roman as grateful for. "Here, be careful, it's very hot.” Roman handed the drink to Logan, who took it and set it on the desk for it to cool.

“Thank you, Roman, I really appreciate this.” Logan made eye contact with Roman, who responded with a sound from the back of his throat. They sat there in a somewhat uncomfortable silence as Logan sipped at the hot chocolate, he was the first to break the silence, “I mean it, Roman, thank you, for everything.”

“It's fine, lets just go to sleep, alright? We'll deal with everything else when we wake up.” Roman removed the blankets from Logan's shoulders, tossing them into a pile on the floor and pulled back the covers. Logan begrudgingly got under the blankets and curled up into a ball. He jumped as he felt something touch the top of his head, “Shit, sorry, that was me.”

“It's alright, I just didn't realize it was you, as ridiculous of a notion that it is.”

“It's not ridiculous, Pocket Protector, I should have warned you.” Logan huffed in response, rolling his eyes, “Also,” Roman reached over Logan's head again and pulled off his glasses, “you forgot to take these off. Again.”

“What if I wanted to keep them on?” Logan shifted, turning to face Roman, who was smirking at him.

“You wouldn't do that. It would be-” Roman cleared his throat, shifting around until he was sitting up slightly, with the straightest and most monotone face he could manage, “-highly illogical, why would I possibly do that, blah blah blah.” He lifted the glasses to his face then stuck his tongue out before bursting into his loud and booming laugh.

Logan struggled to keep a straight face, “I absolutely despise you.”

“Sure you do.” Logan let out a small chuckle and scooted a little closer to Roman, who wrapped an arm around him, “Let's get some sleep, okay?” Logan nodded and scooted even closer to Roman’s chest, pressing his ear close enough to hear the other’s heartbeat. The soft ‘bu-dum’ slowly lulling him into a deep slumber.

Roman awoke to a lack of warmth in his arms and the smell of something cooking wafting through the air. He slowly slipped out of bed and padded his way down the hallway. He leaned on the framework of the kitchen, looking in on whoever was cooking. Logan stood there, messing with something on the stove, and if Roman listened closely, he could've heard a faint humming from him. Roman moved himself so he was in a more visible spot in the doorway. Logan turned his head slightly in acknowledgment of the other, “Good morning, Roman. I presume you slept well?”

Roman hummed, crossing his arms before responding, “Morning, I slept fine, a little disappointed when I woke up without a certain sleeping nerd, y’know, like he should have been.”

“You are, quite literally, a human space heater. If I were to stay there, I'm very sure I would have melted.” Logan quipped, giving Roman a playful glare, “Besides, I didn't get the chance to eat much last night before I walked here, so I was quite hungry.” Roman furrowed his eyebrows, frowning a little.

“You know that you could always just stay here, permanently, right? I could go get your stuff for you and bring it here, it's not like you don't already sleep and eat here most nights. My dads wouldn't even notice the difference!”

“Roman… You know I can't do that.” Logan looked down at his feet that were covered by fluffy black socks.

“But why not?” Roman questioned, “You always say that it's because of your parents, but, listen, Lo. They let you walk into the negative sixteen degree snowstorm in just a thin jacket that I gave you! At this point, they may as well just be called your ‘birth givers’! They barely do jack shit besides beat you-” Roman shuddered, “-and put you down, they aren't anything like what a parent should be. Hell, Patton is a better father than yours is, and he's the same age as us!” He let out a shaky breath, forcing back tears, “I don't know if you know how scary it was, Logan. To see you out the snow, looking deader than a decaying corpse, practically dead on your feet and being pushed around by the wind. And you just looked so cold, Lo, you crumpled to the ground out of pure exhaustion the moment you stepped into the living room. I was genuinely scared, I thought, if I hadn't heard you knocking on the door, you could have died. Hell, I still thought you were going to die even when I put you under as many blankets as I could.”

Logan was stunned into silence, looking up at Roman. His shoulders drooped and he started to shake a little bit, “I-... I’m sorry for worrying you, Roman, I just… Just-” He clenched his eyes shut before opening them, a single tear escaping his eye, “I don't know anymore.” The floodgates burst and Logan was sobbing, collapsing to the ground for the second time in the last twenty four hours.

Roman immediately rush over and knelt in front Logan, drawing the other one into his lap, back pressed up against the cabinet, “It's okay, Logan, just let it all out. I'll stay right here.” He reached up and brought a hand up to the back of the others head, slowly moving it to the crook of Roman's neck. He started to run his fingers through the hair Logan had pushed back, messing it up slightly. Logan shuddered at the caring gesture, the tears flowing a bit more. The whimpers that drew from his mouth became few and far between. His tears tampered off as the the toxins left his system.

Roman spoke first, “You feel any better?”

Logan nodded, “Yes, I am feeling much better. I almost forgot how necessary it is for humans to cry.” Roman chuckled and rolled his eyes.

“That is such a you thing to say,” Roman pressed his face into the top of Logan's head, “good to see your back to your nerdy self.”

“I detest your entire being.”

“Sure you do, Specs.” They sat there on the floor, completely forgetting about the food on the stove that was surely burnt, in a comfortable silence, “Logan?”

“Yes?”

“I promise you that I will always be by your side. In face of whatever danger that finds us, I will protect you from as much harm as possible. Whether it may be your parents, or some other foul beast, I will help you get through it.”

Logan tensed a little before relaxing into Roman's grip again, a few more tears escaping. He spoke shakily, not one removing his head from the place it was coaxed into, “Thank you… Thank you so much-” A small and weak sob broke from his mouth, his hand grasped at some of Roman's shirt and held on tight as the second onslaught of tears began. Roman just placed a hand on the smaller man’s back at began to rub in circles.

“It's no problem, Lo. I'll stay here for as long as you need me.”

[sassycassie-s-writing]

He’ll Never Satisfy You

By: SassyShoulderAngel319

Fandom/Character(s): DC, BatFam - Jason Todd/Red Hood feat. Roy Harper/Arsenal

Rating: PG/K+

Original Idea: Soulmate!AUs are awesome, y’all

Notes: (Masterlist)(By Character)(About Me) ANOTHER Soulmate!AU? You betcha! I actually wrote this one BEFORE the Dating Drama saga (so another slightly older one) but it’s a similar premise. @welovegroot @batboys-and-other-messes

^^^^^

“This was a great date,” Jack said, holding my hand as he walked me back to my apartment.

“Yeah,” I agreed. “Thank you for dinner. It was delicious.”

“Well, only the best for my girlfriend,” he replied, planting a kiss on my temple. I chuckled, tugging my jacket sleeve more securely over my left wrist, where the words, “Are you alright, miss?” were burned black into my skin. Jack had never seen the words since I kept them covered. He didn’t have any. Many people didn’t. It was a fairly even split between people who had one perfect soulmate and those who were compatible with many people. Jack didn’t know I had a soulmate.

The words being burned black, rather than the red they used to be, meant that my soulmate was dead. Meaning my perfect match was gone, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t still find happiness.

A pebble clattered to the pavement ahead of us, falling from above. I glanced up. Jack did too, in sync.

A shadow disappeared on a rooftop above. I looked down at Jack. “Batman?” I suggested, not totally believing my words. I could have sworn the shadow had a red tint to the head.

For a moment I worried that Jack was somehow a member of a crime ring and the Red Hood was coming to take him down.

Then I remembered that Jack was the most straight-laced goof I’d ever met. That was probably impossible.

“Probably. We should get you home before it gets any later.”

We reached my apartment, shared a kiss and a goodnight, and I went inside.

I stripped my jacket off and threw it on the couch, already grabbing the hem of my shirt to take it off.

“You didn’t tell him that you’ve already loved and lost your soulmate before you were even sixteen,” a voice said from the shadows.

I shrieked and yanked the collapsible police baton I kept on me at all times out of my pocket.

The kitchen light flicked on.

Red Hood was leaned against my counter, arms folded, one hand returning from the light switch to complete the position. “Relax, princess. I'm not here to hurt you,” he said. I didn’t relax. Something about the way he called me princess made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

“How would you know whether I’ve already loved and lost my soulmate?” I demanded.

He waved a gloved hand dismissively. “I have my ways,” he replied nonchalantly. “But you didn’t tell your adorably tiny boyfriend that you had a soulmate. What’s up with that?”

“How do you know I haven’t told him?”

“Lucky guess. So how come?”

“I’ll tell him eventually. My soulmate died when I was fifteen. I don’t need his pity. I don’t need him to break up with me because he thinks he can’t be compatible with me.”

Red Hood snorted. “S’pose that’s a good enough reason. Do you love him?”

“Why do you care?” I snapped. “None of this is your business.”

“I guess not. But do you?”

“Yes. Jack is a good man who treats me well.”

“Hmm,” Red Hood grunted.

There was a beat of silence between us.

“I care because I still care about you and want you to be happy,” he added.

“You don’t even know me,” I snapped, but I finally lowered my baton, believing he wasn’t going to try and hurt me.

“That, princess, is where you’re wrong,” Red Hood said. He pressed a button under the jaw of his helmet. It let out a pssshhh! Something released on the back that allowed him to take it off. He pulled it off his head and held it under his arm before looking back up at me.

I gasped and took a step back, hitting the front door. “Robin?” I demanded.

The young man chuckled. “I'm kinda surprised you recognize me after, what, six years?” he remarked. “And it’s been a long time since someone called me that.”

“Well I never knew your real name,” I said.

He tugged the glove on his left hand off and bared his wrist to me. “Uh… I think so. Thank you.” The first words I’d said after he and Batman rescued me from one of the Riddler’s traps.

“Are you alright, miss?” Robin asked, holding a hand out for me as Batman cuffed the Riddler.

“Uh… I think so. Thank you,” I replied, taking his hand and helping me up.

The red words on our skin burned just enough to be noticeable. We both looked down, then back up at each other. “It’s you?” Robin wondered.

“I guess so,” I answered with a smile.

We were thirteen. That Robin died when we were fifteen.

And was now, somehow, standing in my kitchen.

He chuckled, as the Red Hood. “Yeah I was a little worried about putting you in danger,” he remarked. “So I never told you my name.”

“Mm,” I said.

“But I'm back now.”

“And you want to try us again?” I asked. “Newsflash: you’re not my soulmate anymore. You lose something when you die. Whatever you lost made our souls not perfect matches anymore. You’re free of me. Get out.”

Red Hood snorted again. “No I'm not here to get together with you, much as I want to. I'm here to make sure you’re okay. You’re happy. Would I love to try and make you and I work? Absolutely. But I'm not going to. If you’re happy with Jack, by all means, stay with Jack.”

“But?” I challenged.

“No buts. My life is a hard one. And you’re right. We’re not soulmates anymore. I lost a lot of humanity when I died. I couldn’t burden you with that. We may not be soulmates anymore but I still care about you. And I want you to be happy.”

“Robin. I mean. Red Hood,” I said. “I'm not a thirteen-year-old anymore. I can hear the but in your tone.”

“Oh fine then, princess. But we both know Jack will never satisfy you. Because you know he’s not your perfect match. And once he knows you had one and lost one, he’ll know too that he can never complete your socks.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“People are like socks,” Red Hood said. “Your soulmate is the other part of the matching pair. You can be with any other sock, but the matching pair is the one that’s just right for you. Darling, you’re a tall black dress sock and Jack is a white ankle athletic sock. You just don’t go together. He’ll never be enough for you and you know it. But you’re happy with him so by all means, stay together.”

“Hood…”

“Just… forget I said anything, princess. I just wanted to make sure that you were okay. And it looks like you are. So I'm gonna leave you now. Have fun with Jack. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do—and definitely don’t do anything I would do—”

“Is that a Spider-Man reference?” I asked.

“—and take care of yourself, okay?” Red Hood finished, ignoring me. He shoved his helmet back on his head, crossed to my window, opened it up, and leapt out.

I ran to the window. “Hood! Wait!” I shouted.

Too late. He was already gone.

I sighed and shut the window. “Never mind, then, I guess,” I muttered.

^^^^^

“So, how’d it go?” Roy asked.

Jason popped his helmet off. “Better than I expected,” he admitted.

“Did she plead for you to stay with her? To take her back?” Roy teased.

“If she did, I didn’t hear her,” Jason said blandly.

“Liar. I heard her call for you.”

“You little—”

“Jaybird. Come on. Soul Bond broken or not, you still feel deeply for her. Go back to her. Win her heart over. Who knows? You might replenish what you lost when you died and your words will turn red again. There’s only so much our world knows about soulmates.”

Jason heaved a sigh. “I’ll think about it, Harper.”

[bo-bo-bean]

Interrogation (Part Two)

Interrogation (Part Two)

"Ya sure you wanna do this?" Hank asked. "It's the only way," Connor replied, putting on the beanie. "If I can't let out the news about Jericho, I can at least get to know more about the place." "Jesus, Con! When you went there, you came back in a horrible mess!" "It's a risk I'm willing to take," Connor frowned. "I need to know more." "... fine," Hank grunted. "Just... call me when you need back up." "I will, lieutenant." Connor went out, Hank grabbing his arm. "Wait, uh..." Hank held up a scarf. "Here. I understand your touch chip is acting up, so you might be cold." Connor looked at it and gave a smile, putting the scarf on. "Thank you." Connor remembered the trail and found Jericho in no time. He snuck in and looked around. Scanning through the crowd, he spotted Markus giving a speech. Nodding, he snuck by and went to his office, looking through an old desk. "There has to be something..." Suddenly, he felt something hit his head, making him fall unconscious. "Shit..." North sighed. "I knew he was going to be back." Simon peered out from his hiding place, looking at Connor. "Wh-why is he back...!?" "Probably to stop us," North sighed. "Well... remember what Markus said when he comes back?" Simon nodded and got up. Connor woke up, seeing that his hands were tied behind his back, his ankles tied together. He struggled against the cloth, Markus coming in. "Morning," he waved. "Wh..." "You were asleep for a long time," he smiled warmly at him. "You must be a hard working Android. Only... one thing seems to be weird... you being asleep. Meaning... there must be a malfunction in your sensory chip." He held up his hand and scribbled at his neck, Connor snorting out and giggling. "Yep, as I assumed." "You're g-gohohoing to beehee stopped...!" "Well... that's where you're wrong," Markus giggled. He stood up and pointed at his LED. "Hmm... pretty new. Now I understand you want to follow the mission. Do as you're told, but... you know you don't have to." "It's my task to...!" Markus leaned down, giving another soft smile. "... but is it?" he asked. "Or are you just a slave among many others?" "Stop it..." "There are many other versions of you." "Stop it." "If you die, they will replace you." "Stop it!!" "... you care about Hank... don't you?" Connor stopped and looked down. "You'd protect him... what if one of your missions was to kill him?" Connor gasped and looked up. "Exactly. So... how about this? We can help you." "No! You stay away. I will get what I need and leave." "... alright," Markus grinned. "We're doing this the hard way. Which is okay to me." Markus held up a feather, Connor immediately beginning to squirm. "Your malfunctioning chip is acting up. You can already feel it mentally tickling you, don't you?" "Y-you... how do you know about that...!?" "Cause I do," Markus shrugged. He inched the feather closer, Connor squirming more. "No! Don't bring it any closer!" "Not your neck?" Markus asked. "No!" "Alright." Markus dipped the feather in Connor naval through his disheveled button up shirt. Immediately, Connor laughed and struggled. "Pffteeeheeeheeeheeehahahahah!! N-naaaahahahahahahahaha!!!" "Wow! It's just a feather," Markus teased. "A small, fluffy, tickly little feather." "Staahahahahahap!!" "A teeny tiny little itle feather in that little, cute, bouncy belly button!" Connor felt a strong blush on his face. Why were Markus's teases so cruel!? He leaned his head back, laughing, as Markus then proceeded to brush up and down his belly. "Tickling is a pretty amazing thing, you know?" Markus smiled. "Even when you're angry, or sad, or anything, it can still bring laughter and smiles! How even one finger can make someone go from little giggles to just am uproar!" Markus dug his hand into one of Connor's armpits, Connor squealing, squeezing his arms together. "Aaahahahahahahahaha!!! Staaahahahahahahahahap!!" "Now, I don't see this as an evil thing, oh no," he continued. "It's like a bonding thing to me. Your laughter says so much about you, you know?" Markus wiggled both fingers upon Connor's ribs. "Bwaaahahahaaahahahahahaha!!!!" "I'm sure you agree!" Markus trilled. "Like if someone is a squeaker, it most likely means they love or hate surprises. And loud, belly laughter means kind hearted. And don't get me started on..." He squeezed his sides, Connor snorting out, tears starting to form. "Snorters." Connor felt like he was ready to break. What did Markus want? To leave them alone? He didn't care, he wanted to get away! "Ohohohokaaahahahahahay!!" he laughed out. "I-I'll leeheeheeave you alone!! J-juhuhuhust leave meeeheehee be!!" "Oh, oh no you don't get it," Markus stopped. Connor panted, but still listened. Markus took Connor's feet and took off his shoes and socks, Connor gasping and trying to squirm. "I don't want you to leave us alone. I want you... to become deviant." "No!" Connor sputtered out. "I will never become one of you!!" Markus smiled and held up the feather, swinging it around. Connor clenched his teeth. "Do your worst, but I'm never joining!" "... well... you said it, not me." Suddenly, Connor felt hands rest on his ribs, making him tense up. "Nice to see you again," North chuckled. "She's done her nails," Markus smiled. "They're pretty cute... and pretty long." Connor's eyes peered down, seeing navy blue, long nails. He then felt hands on his shoulders, looking over. "Hi!" Simon smiled. "And he has been learning pretty well," Markus pointed out. "You ready to give in?" "No!" "Ah, if you said yes, I'd be kinda pissed," North chuckled. "You can stop this anytime. Just say the safe word, Deviant. And we'll help you become a deviant." Immediately, Markus dragged the feather on his soles, Connor squealing out. He felt manicured nails scrape along his sides and two pairs of fingers kneading and tickling his neck. Hollers and shrieks filled the room, North laughing along. "He's worse than Simon, and he's the most ticklish here!" "Wh-am not!" Simon huffed, squeezing Connor's underarms. "EEEAAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAA!!!" "Are to," North smirked, digging a nail in his bellybutton. "Oh now, calm down," Markus smiled, sawing the feather through his toes. "You're both equally ticklish." "Am not!!" they both shouted. Connor laughed out and wheezed. He had to do it... He apologized to Hank mentally. "D-DEEEHEEHEEVIANT!!!!" he shouted. "DEVIANT!!!! HAAAHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHA!!!!" "Oh! Alright guys, stop now." They all stopped, Connor panting and wheezing. Markus bent down, smiling. "That wasn't too hard, was it?" Markus giggled. "It's alright, trust me. This'll be better for you. You'll get to be with Hank more. And no one will be telling you what to do. You'll be free." Honestly, that sounded amazing to Connor. He looked up at Markus and nodded. "That... actually sounds nice..." Two hours later Connor broke through the window, Hank screaming. "JESUS CHRIST!!!" "GUESS WHO'S DEVIANT!?!?!"

[yourprayer]

listen Liza ... if this is too vague you don’t have to do it but I’m real sad today like sad hannah hours are here and it feels like they’re here to stay so if you could like ... write me some reddie fluff. I’d die. like the fluffiest fluff imaginable. I’m talking cuddles and play/tickle fights and just cute boyfs doing cute things pls & thx if you decide to do this ily :)

i am NOT OKAY WITH HANNAH BEING SAD!!!!!! so here’s fluffy sweet boys bc i love them and i love you!!!! sorry this took so long ): i put on soft jazz and got too soft abt soft husbands and now im really emotional about professor richie and his mechanic husband having stay at home vacations in their fancy two level a-frame. so um here’s this totally self indulgent soft mess bc im SOFT.

Undercurrent (wc: 1.2k)

Mellow, quiet instrumentals hit Richie’s ears as soon as he pulled his front door open. He closed it quietly behind him, toeing off his shoes and leaving them on the rack. His fingers quickly found the knot of his tie, pulling it loose to free him from the constricting weight it placed on his neck. He glanced around the open-plan first floor of the home he shared with his lover, the boy he’d held in his arms since fourteen years old, unable to spot the man in question. The notes drifting to him seemed to come from beyond the room, but weren’t floating from upstairs. Smiling to himself as he deduced the location of his love, he slipped off one sock at a time, leaving a trail of smelly garments through their kitchen. When he reached the french doors to the back patio, he ditched the tie completely, hanging it around one of the doorknobs. Next came the belt, mirroring the other’s position on the opposite side. Once both knobs were adorned, Richie grabbed them both and flung the doors open with fervor. 

From his position atop a plastic floating island in the center of their pool, his husband raised his eyes to greet him. Eddie sat in swim shorts, the muted yellow ones that drove Richie downright insane, sunglasses perched on the edge of his nose and a mammoth of a novel grasped in his hands. The summer sun illuminated his evenly tanned skin in a honey warm glow, each freckle standing out just so, adding shading and dimension to his tone. His hair held a kaleidoscope of chocolates and caramels, silken smooth to the touch as he knew so well from all the years running his fingers through it. After a day drowning in dissertations and essays written by students who’d never once learned MLA, the sight was an oasis for his worn out eyes. He sighed contentedly, barely taking in Eddie’s look of surprise at the interruption. Near the edge of the pool deck, the outdoor speaker disguised as a garden gnome Richie had purchased a few years previous was unleashing dulcet tones of light jazz through their yard and home. The sound relaxed him to his bones, everything about the world around him in that moment screaming-

“You’re home.” Eddie’s voice shone through a smile.

“I’m home.” Richie nodded. “You look comfortable.”

“I’m having some me time.” Eddie smirked conspiratorially. “Care to join?” He closed the book after marking his page, making as if to paddle to the edge.

“Stay right there.” Richie held up a hand, before reaching up to remove his glasses. He folded them and threw them carelessly onto the cushy lawn near his feet, before bending to roll up the ankles of his pants. “I’d love to.” 

“How were classes today?” Eddie asked, leaning back on the support of the float he rested on.

“Same as always. Enjoying your staycation?” Richie smiled as he straightened back up.

“More so now that you’re home.” Eddie peered at him over the rim of his sunglasses playfully.

“Yeah,” Richie shrugged his shoulders, rolling his arms a bit, his tone almost apologetic. “I’m gonna have to make you regret that comment.”

“What-” Eddie started, squinting at Richie in confusion for a moment, before fear quickly replaced it as Richie ran at the pool, full-tilt. He had no time to protest before the man was cannon-balling in next to him, fully clothed. The waves from the impact sent Eddie toppling, book and sunglasses reluctantly joining him. He came up for air as quickly as he could, spotting Richie nearby following suit, shaking his sopping curls as he belly-laughed.

“RICHARD!” Eddie yelled, splashing another stream of water in Richie’s flushed face. He only laughed more as he swam over, arms enveloping Eddie’s midsection as he treaded water. “You knocked my book in!”

“I’ll buy you a new one.” He brushed off the worry, the soggy book in question floating past his head as he swam backwards, pulling Eddie to the section of the pool where Richie could reach and he couldn’t. “C’mere, Spaghetti.” He said in his soft, velvety voice he always used when he was being particularly needy. Eddie still kept up his protests, feebly wiggling to try and escape the grip, but Richie only held him closer, eyes closed as he nuzzled at Eddie’s exposed chest.

“That was an expensive book, Rich.”

“Lucky for you I happen to have some money.” Richie kissed at his collar bone, the heat from the sun still radiating from Eddie’s skin and warming him to his core. “You’re just so easy to get baby, I had to.”

“Well I was happy you were home.” Eddie griped, body betraying his tone as his arms and legs began to snake around his lover and interlock, the heels of his feet meeting soaking wet denim, his hands running over a button up that the chlorine would most definitely end up ruining. But as with every thing else in life, Richie was simply undeterred by the small things. It was what enamored Eddie so much from the start; if Richie wanted something, he went for it, minutiae be damned. He’d destroy a million articles of clothing if it meant he could get Eddie in his arms.

“Shut up, you love me.” Richie leaned up to meet his gaze, squinting at him slightly as his eyesight dictated he need do.

“I sure do.” Eddie smiled into the kiss they suddenly shared, Richie’s lips against his both simultaneously a surprise and not. Even when he wasn’t prepared for one, every kiss they shared felt as natural and as necessary as breathing. It was the air in his lungs.

“Five whole days, just the two of us. Nowhere to go and nothing to do.” Richie mumbled against his lips, swaying them slightly to the song as Eddie held him closer.

“We should have sex in the pool.” Eddie suggested after a beat. Richie barked out a laugh.

“Two questions,” He said through the residual giggles. “One: is that a serious suggestion, and two, if so, canwerightnowplease?” He started peppering Eddie’s face with smacking kisses, making sure to hit every freckle he could find. Eddie laughed along with him, face scrunching up with his smile. Richie relented his attack to watch his appearance, drinking in as much of it as he could manage before Eddie stopped laughing, returning Richie’s gaze with a slightly mischievous expression. 

“Why don’t you find out if I mean it?” He challenged, hands snaking up into Richie’s mangled locks, grin cracking open as Richie peered at him.

“Why, you saucy little minx.” He mocked, his best Barney Stinson voice on full display. Eddie laughed again, shaking his head.

“You’ve been watching too much How I Met Your Mother.” He rested his forehead against Richie’s, his whole body relaxing again as Richie swayed. 

“Yeah, well, who’s gonna get laid tonight, huh?” He shimmied his shoulders, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

“Not you if you keep bragging like that.” Eddie said sternly, earning a pout.

“But honey-bun, I missed ya all day!”

“Whining doesn’t help.” Eddie shrugged, enjoying the hell out of how easy it was to get Richie so mopey and craving his attention. 

“What about this, then?” His face suddenly breaking out into a smug look, before surging up to meet Eddie with a passionate kiss. He sighed and melted into it, the summer sun and gentle music lulling him into a pliant state. Hey, so what if the gnome has to see some things it can’t unsee, he figured. It’s my fucking vacation.

________________________________________________________________

tagging my tagslist bc im highkey proud of this one:

@stennbrough @s-s-stutteringbill @gazeboseddie @misssiriusblack @mythgirl96 @crackhousetozier @reddieaddict @wincestklaine @beepbeep-losers @ayyyymichele @ttrxshmouth @megelizabethvh @tapetayloe @flickerflies @ghostbustermike @i-is-gazebo @reddiesetrichie @jessicarayheyman @r-u-reddiee @wyttolff @gayzier @hanscombeverly @kaspbrak-is-our-king @hufflepuffbill @28shoes @nicoperryy @kinghanscom @reddiefanfic @kaspwitch

[scrumptiousdonutangel]

All

1: 6 of the songs you listen to most?

You are enough by sleeping at last, Good old days by macklemore and kesha, Blood//Water by Grandson, Eyes to the sky by Jon Bellion, High hopes by panic! at the disco, and Cowboy casanova by Carrie Underwood (I know its alot of genres)

2: If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?

TOM HOLLAND

3: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17.

“We looked carefully, but saw no apparitions”

4: What do you think about most?

This is going to sound full of myself, but i think about myself alot. I just like to self reflect and try to improve whatever i think can be improved upon.

5: What does your latest text message from someone else say?

“No problem, I can try to make it work”

6: Do you sleep with or without clothes on?

with. I live with too many people to be sleeping nude.

7: What’s your strangest talent?

I can scream EXACTLY like a horror movie. I had to pretend to be a murdered scream for this real life clue thing once and it was awesome

8: Girls… (finish the sentence); Boys… (finish the sentence)

Girls…. are absolutely goddesses and I fall in love with every one.

Boys…. are devilish jokers I wish I could stop falling for.

9: Ever had a poem or song written about you?

I think so? There’s a guy who likes me and would send me poems about “some mystery girl” who I’m like 98% sure is me

10: When is the last time you played the air guitar?

probs like last week

11: Do you have any strange phobias?

I have zoophobia actually, I love animals but they give me a huge amount of anxiety so I’ve been trying to get over it

12: Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose?

I- I don’t know

13: What’s your religion?

I’m a christian, I actually got saved last year around this time!

14: If you are outside, what are you most likely doing?

Swimming

15: Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it?

behind. always.

16: Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band?

Lately it’s been Sleeping at Last. They’re so calm but meaningful I love it

17: What was the last lie you told?

“Nooooooooooo, hahahahahaha, why would I like you???? No offense I mean you’re really… uhm. nevermind. no, I don’t” 

18: Do you believe in karma?

Abso-fuckin-lutely

19: What does your URL mean?

nothing really

20: What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength?

I’ve been told they’re the same thing: I’m a really caring and sympathetic person which makes me good with people but also too trusting and gullible

21: Who is your celebrity crush?

TOM HOLLAND

22: Have you ever gone skinny dipping?

no, but I lowkey really want to??? when I was little I read about it in nancy drew without even fully realizing what it was and I always wanted to try it

23: How do you vent your anger?

Usually by working out? I always joke that I don’t work out alot, but I bike/swim/walk/dance/do a ton of random muscle workouts pretty daily

24: Do you have a collection of anything?

I have a collection of lipsticks if that counts

25: Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online?

it depends on the person, but I personally prefer video chatting just cause it’s easier to read body language

26: Are you happy with the person you’ve become?

I feel like there’s ALOT of room to improve tbh

27: What’s a sound you hate; sound you love?

nails on a chalkboard ; dude anyone with a deep voice (no matter what they identify as) has my heart in a second of speaking

28: What’s your biggest “what if”?

probably the usual “what if this had worked out” with a previous crush

29: Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens?

yes. also yes. (don’t judge me)

30: Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Do the same with your left arm.

my pillow and my bed

31: Smell the air. What do you smell?

stale air. it is summer and hot. please send help.

32: What’s the worst place you have ever been to?

this is gonna sound terrible, but probably in our car? I have so many bad memories and I hate driving it with a passion

33: Choose: East Coast or West Coast?

west coast

34: Most attractive singer of your opposite gender?

Shawn mendes, no doubt

35: To you, what is the meaning of life?

Helping other people

36: Define Art.

An expression of emotion so strong it makes the viewer also feel emotion

37: Do you believe in luck?

yes

38: What’s the weather like right now?

hOt

39: What time is it?

early evening

40: Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed?

yes, not yet cause I barely ever drive

41: What was the last book you read?

the Odesseye

42: Do you like the smell of gasoline?

no???

43: Do you have any nicknames?

Way too many. My latest was “miracle” given to me by a ton of adorable middle schoolers who couldn’t remember anything but the first three letters of my name

44: What was the last film you saw?

the greatest showman

45: What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?

A sprained ankle

46: Have you ever caught a butterfly?

Yeah, it’s a long story but this one I think tried to have sex with my finger

47: Do you have any obsessions right now?

dude I always do. Jane the Virgin is television gOLD

48: What’s your sexual orientation?

Right now I identify as either bisexual or pansexual 

49: Ever had a rumour spread about you?

just small ones about who I like (that weren’t true and complicated friendships)

50: Do you believe in magic?

I don’t know

51: Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong?

yeah, I’ve been trying to get better at it

52: What is your astrological sign?

Saggittarious

53: Do you save money or spend it?

I spend money way too easily, I’ve been trying to learn how to save more

54: What’s the last thing you purchased?

A pretzel 

55: Love or lust?

love

56: In a relationship?

I wish

57: How many relationships have you had?

None that I’d like to count

58: Can you touch your nose with your tongue?

nope

59: Where were you yesterday?

At a bonfire

60: Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?

ohhhhh yeah

61: Are you wearing socks right now?

nope

62: What’s your favourite animal?

cats.

63: What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you?

Friendship wise it’s just asking how their day is and asking if their doing okay. Romantic wise, I am soooo mean to people I like so usually just teasing them and buying them food

64: Where is your best friend?

right now at her home hopefully

65: Give me your top 5 favourite blogs on Tumblr.

@sophietheadventurer @s1n-am0n @darhwolf @undead-aesthetic @xqueenofpunsx

66: What is your heritage?

Mostly irish but my dad’s side has a heck of a lot of russian cause my great grandma is from Ukraine

67: What were you doing last night at 12AM?

sleeping like a wimp

68: What do you think is Satan’s last name?

mcdevil

69: Be honest. Ever gotten yourself off?

Nope

70: Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as a friend?

I don’t know actually, I try to be the type of person I think a person NEEDS, so I would probs be pretty different if i was my friend

71: You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do?

drown with the dog cause I can’t swim for crap but I’ll die trying

72: You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid?

a) I would only tell a couple people at first, the rest I’d tell farther in b) spend time with my family and friends and travel a whole lot/probs write ALOT c) I’d be more sad I didn’t have more time with the people I care about

73: You can only have one of these things; trust or love.

love, I already don’t have trust let’s be real

74: What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hear it?

Good old days by macklemore just cause it’s amazing 

75: What are the last four digits in your cell phone number?

I’d give them out but like I already have way too many unknown numbers calling me

76: In your opinion, what makes a great relationship?

Two people who connect on a mental/emotional/spiritual level who can be completely themselves with each other and don’t have to spend all their time together, but cherish every single minute

77: How can I win your heart?

food and musicals

78: Can insanity bring on more creativity?

I think in a lot of ways it can, but that’s a whole debate in and of itself

79: What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far?

coming back to the same summer camp every year

80: What size shoes do you wear?

7 and ½

81: What would you want to be written on your tombstone?

“Now the only extra she is is dead”

82: What is your favourite word?

chimney (long story)

83: Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word; heart.

falling in love

84: What is a saying you say a lot?

“It’s not a look” or “oH honEy nO”

85: What’s the last song you listened to?

“God made girls” It’s been stuck in my head for ages

86: Basic question; what’s your favourite colour/colours?

it changes almost daily but right now it’s a bright pink

87: What is your current desktop picture?

subtle gay art

88: If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be?

That’s a hard question, too many horrible people alive

89: What would be a question you’d be afraid to tell the truth on?

Someone irl asking my sexuality (i am very very deep in the closet)

90: One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies aren’t really doing anything, they’re just standing around your bed. What do you do?

Probs go back to bed I’m a tired chick man

91: You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power?

Telepathy

92: You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again?

this one specific car ride I had with my sister when I was younger

93: You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?

my entire life as a thirteen year old

94: You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who would it be?

tie between Kesha and Shawn Mendes

95: You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?

Greece

96: Do you have any relatives in jail?

not that I know of but most likely yeah

97: Have you ever thrown up in the car?

wayyyyy too many times

98: Ever been on a plane?

yes

99: If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say?

I would probably freeze up and say nothing