#I remember dragging her out but I was not very ummm... gentle... about it

[sevicia]

Was in the elevator and it suddenly stopped between floors 1 & 2 cause there were too many people -> too much weight inside, and the girl next to me was already starting to freak out a little (her friends were with her, so she was fine) and it was kinda wild to me cause I haven't been next to someone going through a Fear Episode since maayybe elementary school. I'm glad it wasn't just me & her lol

[todoroki-waifu]

Atsumu x F! Reader

Scenario: When you try to subtly confess to Atsumu.

Word Count: 1,970

Genre: Fluff and humor.

Warnings: Cursing, female reader, and some OOC-ness (maybe?). My first time writing for Atsumu and the rest of the Inarizaki team. 

————

“I get that she’s the most beautiful here, but we are here to check out the art, too.” Atsumu jumps slightly at a voice and hand on his shoulder. 

“‘Samu!" 

"Could you be any more obvious?" 

"I-I wasn’t doing anything!” Atsumu huffs, a blush attacking his face as he shakes off his brother’s hand. 

“Why don’t you ask her out already before someone else does?" 

"I’m working on it!" 

"Hey, who’s that with __(y/n)?” Suna chimes into their conversation, nodding to where you had been standing and admiring a portrait. The two see a man conversing with you, both of you very engaged in whatever topic that was being discussed. He brought out a small electronic device, looking a bit nervous as he showed you the screen. 

“He’s probably going to ask for her number.” Osamu replies indifferently, but did a quick glance at his sibling.

“What?!” Atsumu immediately leaves the group.

“Wait, but doesn’t that guy-” Aran questions, but Kita cuts him off while the others hold in their chuckles.

“Let him figure it out." 

——-

"So if you put your-” While you were listening to the young man who approached you, a familiar face made himself known.

“Hey, buddy, is there a problem over here?” Atsumu suddenly inserts himself in between you and the stranger. He stands tall, looming over the shorter male.

“N-no, there is no problem.”

“Atsumu-kun, he was just-” You placed a hand on his arm and tried to explain the situation.

“Don’t worry, __(y/n)-chan. I got this.” Atsumu gently pushes you behind him to hide you.

“Was there something you needed from her?” He continues. 

“No, si-sir. I-I was only trying to-”

“Well, if you ain’t got any business with her, I suggest you beat it.” The blonde twin glares at the male hiding behind his black device. He smirks victoriously, watching the scared stranger run away. He turns around to find you with your arms crossed and an incredulous look. 

“Why were you so mean to him?”

“Mean? What do you mean? Wasn’t he trying to hit on you?”

“What? No! He works here! He’s a staff member." 

"But didn’t he have his phone out to get your number?”

“Get my..-you mean his Ipad? He wasn’t trying to get my number, he was asking for my email so he could send a survey for us to fill out on how satisfied we were with the staff and the place." 

Atsumu had no answer, processing what he did to the innocent and diligent worker and to you. You must think he’s a crazy idiot for sure. 

"As funny and adorable that was, you’re coming with me to apologize.” You grabbed his hand, dragging Atsumu to find the man who he wrongly yelled at. 

“Yes..” He pouts, but obeys. You’re zipping through the crowd until you finally spot your target.

“He’s with someone else, but we’re waiting until he’s finished and I’m not letting go until you do." 

"I-I wasn’t gonna run away.” His cheeks heat up at your clasped hands, avoiding your gaze. 

“Just in case.” You continued to look forward, __(e/c) eyes too shy to meet his brown ones. 

“Thank you though,” You break the short pause, “I know it was a misunderstanding, but it’s nice to know that someone has my back.”

Atsumu directs his head to you, but is unable to see your face since it’s turned away with your finger busying itself with a strand of your hair. 

“Of course. Always.” Your heart skips at his soft reply. You feel a gentle squeeze on your hand and respond similarly, fighting back the smile that was eager to present itself.

“Oh look! He’s done. Let’s go.” You gently pull him towards the staff worker once he has finished speaking to the other customers. You’re about to release his hand, but Atsumu keeps a tight grip. Probably he’s nervous about admitting to his mistake, you assume. 

So you hold his hand just as tight, figuring he needs the support. You knew how much of a big baby he was.

But really, Atsumu was using this as an excuse to hold you just a bit longer. His fingers felt right in between yours. 

——-

You managed to take some great pictures wherever it was allowed, but the artwork that forbade photos, you captured in your memory. After touring around the entire museum, you and the boys were starting to feel hungry, so everyone agreed to eat at the nearest restaurant.

You saw a few people scattered outside and you volunteered to ask the host how long the wait would be. Osamu steps behind his brother and lightly taps the back of his knees with his.

“Remember, that guy works here." 

"Shut up, 'samu! I know that.” Atsumu huffs, red cheeks puffing out slightly as his friends laugh loudly. They stop as soon as you near them, telling the boys that there was a table open that could accommodate your party.

You sat in between the Miya twins which made you both nervous and happy. Your crush on Atsumu was getting worse every day yet you didn’t hate the feeling. You distracted yourself by looking through the menu, all of you deciding to share a couple appetizers before choosing your individual meals. 

“What are you getting, __(y/n)-chan?” Atsumu asks, brown eyes looking at you as he lowers his menu.

“Hmmmm, I’m not sure yet. I’m caught between number 8 and 9.” You point to the items on the main course list. 

“Oh! I was going to get the number 8. How about I get 8 and you get the 9 and we can just share? That way, we can get a taste of both. I’m curious about number 9 also.”

“Really? You wouldn’t mind?" 

"Yea, of course I wouldn’t mind!” He grins, folding the menu before placing it on the table. You copy him and wait for the server to collect your orders. 

You then bring out your phone, taking pictures of the boys and the restaurant’s interesting decor. Despite your school’s motto, you liked to keep the memories. 

“Ne, Atsumu-kun, mind if I borrow your phone? Your camera is better than mine.” Your cell phone was a few years old, but Atsumu just replaced his and you were waiting to upgrade yours. Part of you was glad that you hadn't yet because you were going to use this opportunity to see how he feels about you. 

“Sure. Here ya go.” He hands you his phone. 

“Thanks!” You start taking pictures of yourself, really impressed with the photo quality. 

“Take a selfie with me.” You change the camera view as you hold out your hand in front of you and Atsumu.

“You’re so far! Get close to me like you actually like me.” You say jokingly as you hear a few, muffled snickers around the table. Atsumu stutters a response, but you interrupt him when you start counting from three. 

“Ready? Smile!” You take a few shots before looking at each one closely.

“Yeck, I’m deleting that one. I look gross in there.” You weren’t satisfied with how you smiled and your eyes looked like they were in mid blink. 

“What? Don’t say that. You’re gorgeous!” Atsumu looks up at you after he watches you remove one of the many pictures. You blush at his statement, dodging his stare.

“Oh, ummm. ..t-thank you." 

"You don’t gotta thank me. It’s the truth.” Atsumu murmurs, but it’s coherent enough where you could understand him.

“Get ready with your orders. The waiter is coming.” Kita sees the server walking towards your table. You went first and while everyone else was focused on the waiter, you quickly dragged your finger around on the phone screen. You immediately closed what you were doing and handed Atsumu back his phone. 

Your heart was beating fast, but you kept a calm smile on your face as you casually made conversation with the volleyball team. None of the guys knew about your crush, afraid that they would make fun of you. Not that you believed they would, but you weren’t comfortable telling anyone yet. 

Except for today. 

You finally were going to tell one person about your crush and that person was Atsumu. You planned everything out for a while, thinking of every possible situation that could happen and how you would approach it. You were surprised at how smoothly your idea was going, but that made you even more uneasy. 

But you already made your move and hoped that he would notice the little message in his phone. 

———

Dinner was both fun yet stressful. Every time Atsumu would check his phone, your heart would jump at the thought of him seeing what you put. But he made no reaction so you assumed he had yet to see it. 

And you were fine with that. You’d prefer if he read it at home instead of in a public place. 

Everyone went their separate ways after the restaurant except you and the Miya twins. Your house wasn’t too far from theirs so they walked most of the way with you. Once you were close enough, you waved goodbye to the brothers.

“Bye! See you soon! And don’t forget to send me those pictures later, okay, Atsumu-kun?" 

"Yeah, I will! Bye, __(y/n)-chan!” Atsumu waved back before turning away with Osamu.

——–

Unfortunately, he never sent those pictures. He must have forgotten, but with how many days has passed, you believed he probably felt awkward with the little note you put. 

If he saw it. He never acted any differently when you saw him at school.

Maybe he never did see it? But you were too afraid to ask so you were just going to live quietly with your heartache. 

——-

“Oh, shoot! I forgot to send those pics to __(y/n)-chan!” Atsumu says loudly while he and Osamu walk home from practice.

“You haven’t sent them yet? It’s been a week.” Osamu shakes his head. 

“I forgot! I was too busy thinking of a way to tell her I like her. I gotta make sure it’s perfect.” The setter takes out his phone and taps on the photo album icon. As he selects and scrolls through the photos, his eyes become rounded at one particular image. 

It was a selfie of you and him, sitting close, cheek to cheek as you both smile happily. What made him pause was the heart drawn over the two of you with the words ’yes or no?’ written at the bottom.

“Ahh! ’s-samu! Look, look!” He shows his phone to his brother. “I think __(y/n)-chan likes me back! She put this on our picture!”

As soon as Osamu sees what’s on the screen, his eyes also widen slightly then suddenly smacks his brother at the back of his head. “Dumbass! That photo has been sitting there for that long already?”

“I told you already, I forgot! And she never said anything! Other than to send the pictures after we ate- Oh my God, 'samu, I really am a dumbass!” Realization hit Atsumu harder than his brother’s slap.

“I knew that a long time ago. Now, why are you still here talking to me? Shouldn’t you be talking to __(y/n) instead?" 

"You’re right! I gotta text her!” Atsumu’s hands were working fast in trying to find your text message conversation. Before Osamu could even make a snide comment, Atsumu becomes aware of a better alternative to communicate with you. 

———

On your way home, you received multiple texts from Atsumu, all saying the same thing.

Yes!

Yes!!

Yes!

Yes!!!!

’The hell? Yes to what?’ Right when you were about to reply, you saw an incoming call from the setter who made your heart skip a beat daily. 

“Hello?” You answer. 

“Yes! __(y/n), yes! I want to be your boyfriend!”

[kodzukenscorner]

Osamu dating Sakusa’s twin sister

anon asked: hello 💕 can i ask a scene for sakusa's twin sister dating osamu? 👉👈 thank you.

a/n: asdghljl forgive me for not updating in a bit, I’ve hit a bit of a writer’s block 

wc: 1,476

✶   ✶   ✶   ✶   ✶

You are nothing like Sakusa Kiyoomi, Osamu thought to himself nearly every time he saw you. He knew you were twins and foolishly assumed you would share in your brothers touch-averse and semi germaphobic ways. Although to be fair, Osamu had never formally met Sakusa before, he only heard of him from Atsumu when they became (somewhat) acquainted at their last training camp. It wasn’t until a practice match was set up did he get to meet the Sakusa Kiyoomi in the flesh, along with the rest of Itachiyama. That of course, included their manager, you.

Your hair was dark and curly like your brothers, but not nearly as unruly. It cascaded into raven ringlets down your shoulders and Osamu could not keep his eyes off the way it bounced every time you nodded your head. Suffice it to say he was entranced by you and Atsumu was quick to notice.

“Bet she’s as prickly as her brother”

Osamu scrunched up his nose, he couldn’t imagine someone as angelic looking as you being so cold. Little did he know, Sakusa was having a similar conversation with you. It didn’t take you long to take notice of the Miya twins, your brother had told you about Atsumu who was a talented setter no doubt but a bit of a pain in the ass. Osamu was a mystery and you couldn’t help but wonder if he was like his twin or maybe he was like you, someone who was nothing like their own twin.

“The Miya’s, probably equally irritating” Your brother informed you as he stretched his wrist out.

Throughout the warmups and the practice match, you couldn’t help but keep an eye on the Miya twins. Atsumu seemed just as your brother described, talented and cocky but Osamu was a quiet force. He was good and paired with his brother, they could be unstoppable one day. It was on more than one occasion that you two made eye contact throughout the match and by the time everyone was relaxing afterwards you knew it wasn’t just a coincidence. You looked over once more to the Inarizaki team to catch Osamu staring at you, but this time he didn’t look away and neither did you. He offered you a sweet genuine smile, nothing like the slightly sinister one his brother has. You couldn’t help but smile back at him, a blush creeping its way up your cheeks which was easily noticed by Osamu.

Before your team had left, Osamu managed to finally get you alone, the words were almost lost in his throat when he finally got to see you up close. But he was still able to get your number and properly introduce himself before you went your separate ways. You knees went weak just at speaking to him for such a short amount of time, you had no idea how you survived to be completely honest. And true to his word, Osamu texted you that night when he got home, you texted back and forth until the sun came up the next morning.

How did any of this happen? He was just a rival athlete from another school, but now you were texting and calling him every night. Your heart fluttered whenever you saw his name on your screen and your brother couldn’t help but notice how attached you were to your phone. And now here was Osamu, standing at your front door, ready to take you on your first official date. Your brother loomed behind you, still wary of the Miya twin but you bid him goodbye and dragged Osamu away. You held his hand tightly in yours as you led him to your favorite onigiri shop, you had tried asking him what his favorite food was but he just kept saying it was ‘food’. 

Osamu was too caught up in the feeling of your hand in his to make any sort of conversation, and your heart was beating too loud to hear anything he might have said anyway. Once you made it to the shop, he had to reluctantly let go of your hand to properly order food for the both of you. Soon enough, you were seated across from each other with your food in front of you, neither of you had said much yet but when you looked up at the grey haired man in front of you the blush that had been permanently sitting on your cheeks threatened to take over your whole face now. Something about the way he had his chin propped up on his hand, and the dreamy far away look he had as he looked at you made you want to faint on the spot.  He reached over and grasped your hand in his once more, eyes never leaving yours.

“I’m surprised yer letting me hold yer hand”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Dunno, just thought you’d be like yer brother”

“I thought you’d be like yours” 

You both chuckled and comfortably ate your food, conversation finally flowing normally. You stayed in the small restaurant much longer than either of you anticipated but you both lost track of time. Osamu walked you home, hand intertwined with yours, his thumb rubbing light circles into the back of your palm the whole way. He stopped at your door, knowing your brother wasn’t quite comfortable with letting him inside just yet. You looked up at Osamu in anticipation.

“Well, ummm, thank you for everything, I had fun” You smiled at him sweetly.

“I did too, but it’ll be some time before I can come visit again so don’t get upset when I do this okay?” 

You didn’t have a chance to question what he meant because before you knew it, Osamu was leaning down cupping your cheek with his free hand, bringing his lips to meet yours. You clung to his shirt for support and immediately kissed him back. You had been daydreaming about kissing him since you first started texting but nowhere in any of your fantasies did you imagine his lips to be so soft. He was a slow kisser and he managed to make you completely melt under his gentle touch. You felt his tongue swipe across your bottom lip and just as you parted your lips to give him access your front door swung open.

Osamu pulled away slowly, making eye contact with your brother who was glaring at him. He offered a lazy smile while you still clung to his chest, he really managed to take your breath away with that kiss. Osamu moved his hand from your cheek and wrapped it lazily around your waist, bringing your body closer to his and planted a kiss on the top of your head.

“You should head inside before yer brother gets really mad, I’ll text you later sweetheart” Osamu said sweetly in your ear.

You finally stepped away, bidding Osamu a goodnight, entering your house where your brother promptly shut the door.

“Next time you’re wearing a facemask”

“How am I gonna kiss him then?”

“Exactly”

“Kiyoomi!”

You huffed and went to your room, listening to some music, remembering the feeling of Osamu’s lips on yours. Suddenly your phone buzzed and Osamu’s name popped up on your screen and you broke out into a wide grin reading his text.

“Hey, your brother interrupted us before I could ask but do you wanna be my girlfriend?”

You squealed into your pillow before replying.

“Of course 🥺 ”

You started cheering and kicking your legs up as you laid in the bed when your phone buzzed again. You quickly grabbed it, expecting it to be from Osamu but were confused when you saw your brother’s name.

“Did he finally ask you out?”

You scoffed and replied “He would’ve asked me out sooner if you hadn’t interrupted”

“Fine, guess you don’t want this picture then”

Sakusa sent you a picture of you and Osamu kissing outside your door and you almost died of embarrassment. But it was a very sweet picture and you were over the moon at this point.

“Love you Kiyoomi but next time I’m making out with my boyfriend please leave us alone or I’ll cough on you <3333″

“Gross” Was his only response.

You set the picture as your wallpaper and continued texting with your boyfriend for the rest of the night, you even sent him the picture Sakusa had taken.

“Babe why would you send this to me, now I’m gonna dream about you all night long”

“I don’t see how that’s a problem”

“So if I wake up with a “problem”, you’ll help me out?”

You choked on your own spit reading his text “SAMU!!”

“Kidding, kidding. Go to bed now sweetheart, I’ll talk to you tomorrow”

To no one’s surprise, you were the one to dream of Osamu that night, not that you were complaining. 

[writingfortoomanyfandoms]

Penny For Your Thoughts (III)

Pairing: Young!Sirius Black x Reader

Series Summary: Y/N Y/L/N has lived in the Potter household since she was eight years old. Even amongst the Potters, whom she knew loved her, she has never felt truly accepted, never felt like anything other than a burden. Until she went to Hogwarts. For the first time she had friends who weren’t forced to act as such, she had a family who loved her by choice. There, she met Sirius, the first and only person to ever truly understand what she was going through, to listen to her and not judge.

Chapter Warnings: Ummm not sure - maybe swearing?

A/N: And here’s part three! I hope you enjoy. Please let me know what you think - especially if you’re on the taglist, hearing your comments always inspires me to keep on writing, so please do let me know. If you wish to be added to the taglist send me an ASK, replies to the parts asking to be added onto it won’t be responded to

The first term flew by, the days becoming indistinguishable from each other as the First Years got set more and more work. Y/N spent a lot of her time in the library, working on essays or studying for upcoming exams, often joined by the other Hufflepuff girls with whom she had formed a close friendship with - Eric having slowly fazed himself out of the group to spend more time with the other boys. 

When she wasn’t there, however, she spent much of her time near the forest, often dragging Beatrice along with her in search of magical creatures, fascinated by the many species that resided in the Hogwarts grounds. Hagrid, the gameskeeper, had taken a liking to Y/N and would sometimes invite her to tea with him if he had found something that he thought she may find particularly interesting, though had so far steadfastly refused to take her into the forest with him, regardless of her pleas.

She was also accustomed - as was the Hufflepuff way - to spending a lot of time in the greenhouses with Professor Sprout, especially with Beatrice and Jessica’s love for Herbology. 

James, Sirius, Remus and Peter were always together. Whenever Y/N saw one of them, she knew that the others wouldn’t be far behind - James and Sirius in particular seemed to be inseparable, much to the infuriation of the teachers.   

Y/N learned the exact extent to which James found himself in trouble through the letters she received from his parents, which often included great lamentations about James’ work ethic - or lack thereof.

Y/N was happy at Hogwarts. Happier than she felt she had ever been before. 

Her favourite place to sit in the library was in the back right corner. It was a table right by a window that overlooked the whole of the grounds. It was out of sight from the strict librarian, Madam Pince, which allowed more leeway for her to be able to chat quietly with her friends over whatever work they happened to be completing. 

It was also quieter than other areas, on account of it being the opposite end of the library to where James and his friends would frequent on the rare occasions that they decided to do some actual work. 

“I don’t know why you think you need help with this,” Liane murmured, her eyes scanning down Y/N’s potions essay. “This is completely fine,” she slid it back to Y/N over the table who sighed, still editing Liane’s Astronomy homework.

“I still think it’s verging on cheating you doing that,” Jessica told them, her nose buried in her Defence Against the Dark Arts Book. 

“It’s not cheating, it's just a little… morally ambiguous,” Liane protested and Beatrice snorted.

“I’m sure that would hold up in court,” she commented, sharing an amused glance with Y/N.

“Well… to be fair, it’s not as though we’re writing each other’s essays - we’re just checking them through,” Y/N pointed out. “You really suck at writing conclusions, by the way,” she added, raising her eyebrows at Liane who shrugged.

“Never claimed to be good at it.”

Y/N pulled out a spare piece of parchment and began to re-write a conclusion for her.

“Totally not writing each other’s essays,” Beatrice agreed.

“It’s funny - I don’t remember you being so against it when you needed help doing the Potions one last week,” Liane pointed out, raising her eyebrows.

“That was different,” Beatrice scowled. Y/N tried to suppress her grin but upon meeting Jessica’s eyes across the table, both of them promptly fell into a fit of giggles.

“And you’re always telling me to be quiet in the library,” James whisper-shouted, causing Y/N to jump and glare over at where he was standing by one of the bookshelves, arms folded as he watched them.

“At least we’re actually doing work,” Y/N retorted.

“To be fair - we only come here,” he looked distastefully at the bookshelves surrounding him, “because of Remus - so one of us does work.”

“Your Mum’ll be thrilled you made friends with Remus, probably thinks he’ll be a good influence on you,” Y/N responded drily.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever, Y/L/N, come on - I need to talk to you.”

“No surprise there - I’m pretty great, many, many people want to talk to me at all times.” 

“And we’re not some of them,” Beatrice stated, pushing her friend’s shoulder. Y/N scoffed and rolled her eyes but stood from the table and walked with James to the nearest empty one.

“What’s up?”

“Evans-”

“Did you really corner me in the library again to tell me that you had some intimate eye contact with Lily? What was it this time? Breathed the same air? Almost touched hands? She didn’t tell you to piss off?” Y/N groaned.

“I mean - ouch?” James said, looking mildly offended. “And no - she spoke to me, thank you very much,” James said, raising his chin defiantly at her.

“I’m thrilled for you, I’ll get right on the wedding preparations,” Y/N deadpanned.

“That’s not the point,” James muttered, his cheeks flushing red. “We were talking about the Christmas holidays and she mentioned that you were thinking of staying here for them.”

Y/N froze. She hadn’t intended for James to hear about her plans for Christmas yet. She was going to tell him nearer the time, when he would have less of a chance to argue with her and convince her otherwise.

“Well?”

“It was just a passing comment, Jamie,” she denied, using his nickname in an attempt to soften him up a little.

“Y/N, I know you better than anyone,” James reminded her in a low voice and Y/N found herself unable to meet his eyes, far too embarrassed.

“James-”

“Don’t stay here,” James said, his tone verging on pleading. “Just don’t.”

“I don’t want to intrude.”

“You wouldn’t be!” James argued and Y/N shushed him as his voice began to raise. 

“We’re in the library, remember?” She whispered harshly.

“Then stop being stupid!” James retorted angrily, setting his jaw.

“Excuse you!” 

“Well you are being stupid!” James insisted. “My parents will be so upset if you don’t go home for Christmas! It won’t be right!”

Y/N stared down at the table for a while, feeling the tears burning in her eyes, blinking rapidly to keep them at bay. 

“Penny for your thoughts?” James asked in a gentle voice.

Y/N looked up at him with a watery smile and James gave her a sad one in response. 

“I’m sorry for shouting but… I’m being serious, Y/N, you have to come home for Christmas!” He pleaded. 

“But-”

“No buts!” James shouted, annoyance flaring again immediately. 

“Mr Potter!” Madame Pince came storming over to their table, glowering at them. 

“Sorry Miss!” Y/N butted in before James could aggravate her further but it didn’t seem to do any help and instead her murderous glare turned onto her.

“Both of you! Out!”

“But-”

“No! I said out!” She shrieked shrilly, waving her wand and gathering Y/N’s things for her from the table where her Hufflepuff friends were sitting watching the exchange in amusement. She gave her wand another wave and Y/N’s belongings were shooting over to her, chasing both her and James out of the library to the laughter of their peers. 

“Nice going, dickhead,” Y/N huffed, managing to catch her bag and she glared at James. 

“You can’t stay here for the holidays,” James said instead, a pained look in his eyes that caused her to feel a bite of guilt in her gut. 

“I thought that was going to take longer?” A voice commented and Y/N looked over to see Remus smiling at her, standing with Peter and Sirius, sitting by the window nearest the entrance of the library evidently waiting for James to return. 

“What? Getting me kicked out of the library?” Y/N retorted. 

“You act like you’ve never been kicked out before, Badger,” Sirius commented, familiar smirk at the ready. 

“Sorry to disappoint you, Star Boy, but I haven’t.”

“Disappointed,” Sirius confirmed with a solemn nod of his head. “But not surprised.”

“James said he was asking for help with the Astronomy Essay - I thought it would take longer is all,” Remus butted in with a placating smile in Y/N’s direction, which she appreciated.

“Yeah well unfortunately James is beyond help - a complete lost cause and when I told him that he decided to get me kicked out of the library with him,” Y/N gave James a sidelong look, attempting to hide her grin. 

“Tosser.”

“I wanted to ask you something, by the way,” Sirius mentioned, looking at Y/N who raised her eyebrows in mild surprise. “What were you doing down by the Forbidden Forest yesterday evening?”

Y/N brightened at his question, a broad grin swiftly cracking her face in two. 

“Hagrid was showing me his nifflers!” She exclaimed

“That doesn’t sound dodgy at all,” Sirius commented and Remus hit his shoulder lightly as Peter burst out laughing. 

“I didn’t realise Hagrid had nifflers,” Remus said, looking interested at the news.

“Yeah! Some babies recently hatched so he asked if I wanted to help take care of them.”

Before any of the others could respond, Peter’s stomach rumbled loudly. James looked as though he was trying his hardest not to laugh at him.

“I guess we should start heading down to dinner,” he suggested and Y/N smiled at Peter’s bright red cheeks.

“You guys go ahead,” Y/N gestured at the four Gryffindor boys to pass her, indicating that she was planning on waiting for her own friends to leave the library. James fixed her with a warning look.

“Come on, I still need to talk to you,” he grabbed hold of one of her arms and dragged her along the corridor with him so that they were walking side-by-side together towards the Great Hall, a few metres ahead of his other friends. Y/N could feel the eyes of the other three boring into her back, wondering what they were discussing.

“Way to be subtle,” Y/N hissed and James scoffed, rolling his eyes. 

“I can’t believe you’re seriously considering staying here for Christmas.”

“We’re really back on this?” Y/N groaned and James glared at her.

“Of course we are!” 

“Jamie-”

“No! I mean… it won’t be right without you there.”

“You’ve spent Christmases without me there before,” Y/N pointed out and James squeezed her arm, trying his best to comfort her.

“Not since…”

“I know,” Y/N breathed, shaking her head a little and attempting to collect herself. 

“I figured I’d be less of an inconvenience here.”

She could feel James watching her but refused to look over at him.

“That’s not how they see you.”

“I know,” Y/N agreed, a slight smile forming. “But it’s how I see myself.”

“Evans!” It was shouted from behind them, Sirius’ loud exclamation cutting off her and James and Y/N immediately felt the heavy atmosphere between them lift. They shared an understanding look, James grinning at her nervously and Y/N nudging his shoulder in return.

“Surprised your Lily-Radar wasn’t beeping,” she teased.

“My Lilydar is working perfectly fine thank you,” James retorted. “I just figured you might want my undivided attention seeing as though -” James let out a long, drawn out sigh. “I have so many other friends now and have so little time for you anymore.”

“You’re such a dick.” 

“Hey Y/N!” Lily ignored Sirius’ greeting, making her way over to Y/N’s side and linking their arms together.

“You alright?” 

“Yeah! You?”

“I was fine until James interrupted my studying and got me kicked out of the library,” Y/N agreed, grinning at the distasteful look that Lily shot at James.

“I’m surprised he even knows where the library is, to be honest with you.”

“Wow, Evans, bit rude,” Sirius commented, catching up with the trio. He turned his gaze onto Y/N. “Sit with us?”

“I’m not Gryffindor.”

“So? Live a little, Badger.”

“How hard do you think it would be for me to push him into the Black Lake?”

“I think even the Giant Squid would be disgusted by his company.”

“Anyone would think you two don’t like me,” Sirius teased, throwing his arm over Y/N shoulder and she turned her head to look at him in amusement.

“Whatever gave you that idea?”

They entered into the Great Hall and Y/N allowed herself to be guided by her Gryffindor friends over to their table rather than the Hufflepuff one. She could see Eric sitting there with the other boys in their year, his eyes watching her in confusion as she took her seat in between Lily and Sirius, James sitting opposite her with Remus and Peter either side of him.

The other Gryffindor girls joined them shortly after and Y/N saw her Hufflepuff friends walk into the Great Hall just behind them. Beatrice frowned over at the Hufflepuff table, her eyes glancing around the room. Y/N raised her hand to gain her attention and Beatrice beamed, saying something to Liane and Jessica before moving over towards Y/N.

“Can I sit here?” She asked Remus, who smiled and nodded his head, moving up a little on the bench to make room for her. 

“Beatrice, you’re half-blood aren’t you?” Marlene asked, bringing the girl into a conversation that was being held between the Gryffindor girls. Beatrice looked over in surprise.

“Yeah?”

“Which side?”

“What do you mean?” Beatrice laughed, clearly uncomfortable. She glanced over at Y/N who shrugged, equally confused.

“Is it your mum or your dad who can do magic?” Marlene clarified. 

“Oh - my dad,” Beatrice said. 

“And your mum - how much does she know about wizards?” 

“Does it matter?” Beatrice frowned and Marlene’s eyes widened, clearly realising what her questioning was sounding like.

“No! No of course not!” She assured her. “I didn’t mean it like that - Dorcas and I were just wondering how much muggles get to know about the wizarding world when they’re introduced to it like that.”

“My mum never had much interest,” Beatrice said, looking down at her plate and swallowing.

“Really? My parents never stop asking me questions,” Lily inputted with a laugh.

“What about your sister, though? She didn’t get any magic did she?” Alice questioned curiously and Lily’s face fell a little.

“No - she’s not particularly interested,” Lily confirmed, an icy edge to her voice.

“None of my family were either,” Y/N piped up, not thinking of the consequences her input would have, just knowing that her two friends definitely wanted the attention to move off of them.

“I thought you came from a wizarding family?” It was Peter who spoke, staring at Y/N wide-eyed. Y/N caught James’ eye and saw the concern etched into his face.

“Ah - no, I’m muggleborn.” She answered shortly.

“Then how come you know James so well?” Sirius asked and Y/N could feel the eyes of everyone at the table staring at her as she kept her eyes trained on her food, which she was slowly cutting up into smaller and smaller bites. 

“Told you,” Y/N risked a glance over at him, forcing a smile. “Childhood friends.”

“My mum was always really interested to hear about magic,” Remus spoke up at last. Y/N looked up at him to see he was looking back at her with a slight smile on his face, which she returned gratefully.

“You’re muggleborn as well?” Marlene asked which made Remus laugh as he shook his head, a somewhat shy expression taking over his face, giving Y/N the distinct impression that Remus was unused to having the attention on him, especially when he was around James and Sirius. 

“No - my dad’s a wizard.”

The rest of dinner passed quickly, with the Gryffindor students exchanging anecdotes about their family lives, what it was like growing up in a muggle household compared to a wizarding one - Beatrice and Y/N both remained fairly silent, occasionally chipping in when it seemed appropriate.

Sirius, to Y/N’s surprise, did the same. After being questioned by Marlene over what his family of traditionalist purebloods were like, he fell silent. This didn’t seem to go unnoticed by James either, who Y/N caught looking at both Sirius and herself with a concerned expression. 

“Hey, B, you finished? I need to finish that essay.” 

Beatrice looked at her in confusion, aware that Y/N had already finished all her homework but realisation dawned on her quickly and she stood from the table.

“Yeah - you said you’d help with my Astronomy one as well?”

“Of course,” Y/N could tell her smile must seem slightly strained as she stood up. “Well… see you guys around.”

They walked in silence towards their common room, about half way there, however, Beatrice turned to look at her, a sadness in her dark eyes. 

“I’ll tell you if you tell me.”

“What?” Y/N asked in surprise. 

Beatrice’s smile was fixed on, humourless and Y/N saw the wetness in her eyes.

“My dad died when I was younger,” she said, shrugging her shoulders and moving her eyes to stare ahead at the corridor. “I don’t remember much about him - my sister remembers nothing at all.” Beatrice swallowed heavily and Y/N stared at her. “My mum was torn up and doesn’t like to be… reminded of him,” she was choosing her words carefully. 

Despite Beatrice being a fair bit taller than Y/N, she did her best to comfort her, placing her arm first around her shoulder and then, when Beatrice let out a wet laugh, moving it instead to be placed around her waist, giving her friend an awkward side-hug as they walked together towards their common room.

“So you didn’t know much about magic growing up?” Y/N said and Beatrice nodded.

“We weren’t allowed to ask questions - the word ‘Hogwarts’ was practically banned. I don’t think Mum would’ve even told us we were witches if it weren’t for our Grandma interfering.”

“I’m sorry, B,” the dark-skinned girl rested her head on top of Y/N’s briefly and Y/N could feel her tears dropping onto her hair. 

“I… I live with James.”Beatrice looked at her, pulling out of their awkward hug to wipe her eyes.

“I thought he wasn’t your brother?”

“He’s not,” Y/N rushed to confirm, her face twisting a little as she tried to think of what to say. 

“I’ve lived with the Potters since I was eight? Maybe seven,” Y/N shrugged, glancing down. “I don’t remember much about it.”

“What about your family?” Beatrice asked in almost a whisper.

“I see my parents every now and then,” Y/N said, her voice monotone. “I haven’t seen my siblings much, though - it’s a long story,” she added, seeing the intrigue in Beatrice’s face.

“Are you okay?”

Y/N forced a smile at her and nodded.

“I am now.”

[dramaticironyoflife]

Baby Bird (Fly Home) - Chapter 10: What Holds You to Your Past?

Virgil wants to stay with Logan, Logan wants to stay with Virgil, and Patton tries his best to provide for the boys everything they need. WARNINGS FOR PROTECTIVE VIRGIL, SLEEPY LOGAN, AND ATTEMPTED JUMPING OUT OF A MOVING CAR.

--------

Patton slammed the door of his car closed with his foot. He hummed as he juggled several bags of groceries in his arms and made his way inside. The door was opened for him and he flashed a sunny smile at the shy boy. Virgil returned it with a small grin of his own and hid beneath his bangs. Logan looked up from the homework he was doing at the dining room table. Upon seeing the man struggling to maintain his balance, he jumped up and ran forward, snatching one of the bags from its precarious perch. Patton followed him into the kitchen and settled the groceries on the counter. Virgil joined in putting everything away and began chopping vegetables for dinner. Logan tugged on Patton’s sleeve and quietly pointed towards his homework. The boy had yet to fully trust Patton, but he was trying, and that was enough for Patton. There were days when Logan would avoid Patton like the plague and other days when he would be brave enough to ask him for something. “Would you please give me an outside opinion on this assignment? I am not certain I understand it.” Patton nodded eagerly and rested a gentle hand on the boy’s shoulder as he looked over the assignment. Unsurprisingly, it was psychology. Psychology was, in Logan’s opinion, a fascinating subject. The difficulty was when he reached chapters on emotions, especially ones that had to do with his own. Given his past, Logan was understandably, for lack of a better phrase, ‘screwed up’. The idea of delving into his own emotions was a terrifying and near impossible feat. Luckily, Patton seemed to understand this and would patiently help Logan sort through the assignments, explaining concepts in simple and easy to understand terms. Virgil smiled at the scene and went back to cooking. Patton glanced at him every now and then, making sure that he was using items safely. He was surprised that Virgil had such a knack for the craft. He wasn’t much for baking, though, leaving Patton in charge of supplying the trio with cookies, cakes, biscuits, and more. Not that Patton minded, he was happy to supply and spoil his boys with sugary treats and was always dragging Logan into the kitchen to help him experiment with new ingredients and combinations. Most of these experiments often resulted in failure and/or a disastrous mess. However, they also were more likely than not to get a laugh out of the wide-eyed youngling, making any amount of mess worth it in Patton’s opinion. They were a perfect trio. The happiest family that ever graced the earth. Patton smiled at the boys before letting out a heavy sigh. If only it were true. The day dream ended abruptly as Patton heard the click of a seatbelt and slammed wildly on the breaks, swerving sharply to one side as he heard the car door being wrenched open. He turned in time to grab the edge of the oversized hoodie, preventing Virgil from jumping out of the moving vehicle, “VIRGIL!”

Virgil growled as someone passed too close to Logan. The adult, who had been invested in his mobile device, started sharply and stared at the two figures. The darkly clad emo looked sleep deprived and was hiding terror behind a fierce light in his eyes. On his lap was a bundled-up hoodie that was acting as a cushion for the smaller boy. The stress of the night on top of being sick had left Logan exhausted. However, sleep proved to be an unrelenting foe and Virgil had eventually coaxed him to lay down. Moments later, he had drifted off. Deciding that the officer had been staring for too long, Virgil hissed angrily and held Logan a little closer. The smaller boy shifted and muttered something in his sleep. A frown creased his brow, and he squirmed a little harder, evidently displeased with how tightly he was being held captive. Virgil let his grip slacken but continued to glare at the man with cruel distrust. In an attempt to rectify the situation, he tried to offer a small smile only to receive another harsh hiss. The sound of a door snapping open caused the cold glare to fasten a different target. The man took the opportunity to retreat. The man and woman who entered looked like a couple out of a family magazine. The woman was tall with soft brown hair and her outfit was neat and simple. A necklace adorned her neck with beads that seemed two sizes too large. The man had a blue sweater pulled over his white collared shirt and wore tan slacks with brown shoes. His blond hair was brushed neatly aside, and the beginnings of a beard was evident on his cheeks. They both wore Hollywood smiles and Virgil intensified his stormy glare to counteract the cheery dispositions. The woman saw them and tripped over in her high heels. She thrust her hand in their faces. “You must be Virgil and Logan Storm. I’m Linda Strand, pleased to meet you.” She seemed unphased by the burning stare that Virgil was giving her. She sighed when her extended hand was not taken. Logan shifted in his sleep again, sensing a change in the atmosphere around him. Blinking, he tried to make sense of the fuzzy world that surrounded him. He rubbed his eyes sleepily and Virgil let him sit up and handed him his glasses. The big brother ran soft fingers through the fantastic bed head that Logan’s hair had managed to become. Logan hummed sleepily and slipped on his glasses. He started back sharply when he saw the strange woman in front of him. She reached out to steady him and Virgil growled at the hand. She froze and studied Virgil’s defensive stance. He was hunched in on himself with his head thrust forward. He was drawn up to appear larger and his teeth were displayed in a show of power. She turned as her husband approached. “Well, hello there, boys.” He smiled. Logan shrunk down and Virgil’s grip on him tightened. “We hear you gave the police quite a run for their money. Rumor has it, you almost jumped out of a moving car.” Virgil narrowed his eyes. It was true, unfortunately. Patton could confirm it. The kind landlord stood outside the room the boys were in and peered at them through the small rectangular window. He flinched as the man tried to touch Virgil’s shoulder. The teen’s eyes went wide and he tensed. He looked ready to either kick the man in the face or to throw himself and Logan over the back of the chairs. Knowing Virgil, either was highly likely. Before he could stop himself, Patton shoved the door open, “Wait!” All four jumped at the intrusion. Patton twisted the sleeves of the gray cardigan in his nervous fingers. He approached Virgil and Logan carefully. Virgil watched Patton approach them. He tried to remember that Patton had betrayed him. Was putting him here, in this situation. He should be mad at him. He was mad at him. He was furious! But…the soft eyes of the kindest man he knew were filled with sorrow and concern and a desire to help. Patton was familiar. He was safe. Virgil let Patton settle in the chair next to him and, before the landlord could do anything, Virgil let his head fall onto the other’s shoulder. The purple locks tickled Patton’s neck and he couldn’t help a small smile of pride that graced his lips. Virgil was still tense, but he had lost the glare for favor of hiding his face behind his bangs. Linda looked surprised and slightly annoyed, “Ummm, excuse me,” she tried to regain her composure and keep up her happy expression, “I’m not sure who you are, but, ummm, the boys are coming home with us so if you could…” Patton ignored her and tugged Virgil a little closer. He just wanted a few more seconds to pretend. Pretend that he was going to be the one to take the boys home, to keep them safe. Too bad dreams couldn’t come true. That was the thought that plagued Patton as he stood frozen on the concrete outside the building, watching the place where the car had disappeared. In the end, Logan and Virgil had gone along quietly. Seeing them both softly say goodbye and then disappear behind the tinted windows was the hardest thing that Patton had ever had to endure. He wanted to forget about it, to shove the horrific thought away but, like all painful memories, it refused to budge. It replayed on a loop in his mind’s eye, reminding him of what he had given up. “It’s for the best.” He whispered, attempting to comfort himself. His arms tugged at the sleeves of his cardigan and he hugged himself, seeking some consoling touch. He wondered absently if this is how Virgil had felt all alone and without any idea what the next day would bring him. Tears shocked him out of his reflection. He brought a hand up quickly to scrub the water away. It didn’t work. He sighed and let his gaze fall to the floor. He moved slowly back to his car and resigned himself to return to the light blue apartment building. It felt empty. The reception room was quiet, lights were out and there was a note from one of his guests about a noise complaint. He glanced over it without reading it. Sluggishly, he moved to make his way to his own room. The door was still unlocked from when he left. He pushed it open and stopped. The container of cookies was still on the table. Virgil’s favorite cookies. And with that single thought, Patton broke. Tears welled up in his eyes and his hands shook as he crumbled to the ground. He braced his hands on the soft carpet, tugging at it in his distress. There was no one to hear him. No one who would comfort him. No Virgil to offer his lopsided smirk, no Logan to look at him with careful curiosity, and no one to blame except for himself. In that moment, Patton felt very tiny, very insignificant, and very, very alone. 

Tag List:

@bunny222

[the-fiction-witch]

A GreenDreamers Blood

TV SHOW: GAME OF THRONES COUPLE: JOJEN X READER RATING: SMUT!

Yay! okay so you guys remember how I mentions that we where re watching GOT like from EP1 season 1 well, expect a shit tone more jojen because we just got to jojen’s entrance into the series so.... lots of new concepts coming up soon!

I stood doing my work grinding up some herbs and starting to mix the crushed herbs into my little potion. once it was all mixed and clear with a light blue tint and pouring it perfectly into one of my little potion bottles and sitting it on my shelf just as I heard a gentle knock on my wooden door "you may enter" I answer as I began to start my next potion as I heard the timmid creak of my door opening and closing quickly I glanced to my mirror and saw Kimi the little kitchen girl no older then nine already betrothed to the little butchers boy down in the town she handed me a little plate with some bits on it that I needed for my work "Thank you sweetie" I smile fixing her curls back away from her face "Go now, hurry" I tell her handing her a little scroll and she smiles running off back up into the castle so I smiled and got on with my work until I heard my door open and close "Very rude to enter a ladies chamber without knocking" I laugh "You sent for me. I assumed it was urgent" he answered as I looked up to the mirror to see jojen stood smirking at me "When isnt it" I smirk "lay down" I tell him getting some base in my mix as jojen laid down so I went over and hitched up the skirt of my dress sitting on his legs "Hello my sweet little thing" he smirks "Hello jojen" I smile "Come on, I didnt call you all the way down here for a cuddle" I giggle "I know you didn't sugar" he smirks un tieing the little string on his shirt and untieing it completely leaving it to slip of him and exposeing his soft skin "Could I have a kissy before you become a little vampire?" he asks "Alright" I smile giving him a kiss he pulled me closer kissing me deeper till I pulled away "that was a little more then a little kissy?" I smirk getting up and sorting my things "Can you blame me?" He smirked "You drag me all the way down to the dam dungeons to tease me and do your work, don't have a go at me when I try having a little more fun the normal" he smirks as I grabbed my bits and went back to him I placed my little dager on his skin softly "oww" he complains jokeingly "Does it not hurt to bad?" I ask as blood began to drip so I began collecting it in my little vile "I have built a tolerance to your work sugar" he laughs "I actully kind of enjoy it, knowing what you'll do to me after" He smirks once I got enough in my little vile I stuck a little bandage over where I cut his skin and gave him a soft little kiss on the bandage and I heard him chuckle lightly pushing my head down "Little lower sugar" He smirks pushing my head to the ties of his pants "later when I'm done" I tell him taking my little vile over to do my work "Explain to me again" he says getting up and doing up his shirt "why you need me to come down here every other week, just for you to stab me and steal my blood you little vampire"  he smirks holding me tightly rubbing his half hard cock against my back and kissing my neck "I've told you enough times jojen" I laugh "I need blood. for my magic, for every little spell, for every little potion I need blood" I explain "but not just any ones blood, some people use the blood of virgins" I began "Well... you clearly don't" he smirked "No I don't, some use kings blood" I laugh "how very expesive" he laughs "not as much as you'd think, kings are hard to get blood from themselfs. but kingly bastards are many and easy to find" I smirk "what about you? enough about blood you don't use? why do you use mine?" he asks me "Blood magic is powerful. the most powerful magic there is by the old gods, the new and every other god spoken on this land but the magic of green dreams are already the most powerful magic to exist" I smirk "those who have green dreams, and the sight of ages and time master of sight, Greensee's blood is the most powerful earthly magic" I smirk "plus I like taking your blood" I smirk kissing him "Haven't you had enough?" he asks "You already take my blood every other week y/n surely you have enough for all your magic" he smirks "Tell me y/n... will you harvest blood if Jr has the sight too?" he asks resting his hand on my stomach "Never, I do it only for my magic for little spells and potions, once Jr is born I will have much more important things to do" I laugh "More important then your black magic?" he asks "Jojen, our son is more important then my magic" I laugh "after he is born I will use my magic only if I need it for you or for our son" I explain "humm... I love you so much sugar, I can't wait till our little baby comes out of you" he smiles holding me tightly "what if it's a girl?" He asks "Then I will love her dearly ad rasie her and teach her in the ways of her craft, teach her to become a beautiful little lady and help to wed her off to some lord someday" I smile "Y/n, you know full well that is a lie" he laughs "We, if we where to have a little girl, would make her into the most beautiful and dangerous woman on this earth" He smirks "How?" I ask "Well, she would have greenseeers blood from me having green dreams and the power to take over animal minds. and she would also have the blood of a witch from you, she would grow up as the most powerful woman in the world, and beautiful she will be so beautiful men would give there lives just to see her face" he explained "How do you know she will be so beautiful?" I ask him "Becuase she'd look just like you" He smirks giving me a kiss as I finished up my work "But, girl or boy. it will be the most spoilt child in the seven kingdoms" He laughs "I know, you'll spoil it rotten" I smirk putting my little potion on my shelf "all done now?" he asks and I nod giving him a little kiss "Do  get my present for being a good boy and letting you use me for your magic?" He asks and I smile "Go on, lay down" I tell him and he smirks laying on my bed so I went and sat with him letting him play with my hair "Uuummm I wanna fuck your cunt so bad" He smirks "Jojen!" I warn "Sorry I know, I know you hate it. I'm sorry my love" He laughs "I wanna fuck your pussy so bad sugar" he smirks "Well you can't god only knows what would happen to our little baby if I let you" I smirk "Ture, so...  what? do I get to put it in somewhere else? or -" He began I cut him off by kissing the little robes on his pants gripping one in my teeth and sitting up letting it tug undoing his pants completely I dropped the string on my bed and pressed soft kisses on the skin I exposed "Ohhhh? that's what I get? Hummm I must have been good" He smirks so I tugged down his pants a little and kissed the shaft of his half hard cock from basr to tip pressing feather soft kisses on him "Ummm Your so sweet to me" he groans "that why you call me sugar?" I mutter between kisses "Well... it's not the only reason" he smirks "what are the other reasons then jojen?" I smirk "Well, your so sweet, and your so kind to me, your beautiful and irristable like a cake full to the brim with sweet sugar." he smirks "And your pussy tastes like sugar" he smirks "Jojen!" I warn "Sorry, it does" He laughs "Want me to stop?" I ask him "No, no no never... I want you to kiss my cock forever" he smirks "Do you?" I smirk licking across his head "Uhhh!, I would want you to kiss me forever, but not if it meant to stopped doing that" He smirks "Please... More I beg of you y/n" He begs "No," I smirk "Not happening jojen, not until you start acting like a good boy" I smirk "Please I'll be good, I promise. I'll be good for the rest of my life Please" he smirks sitting up and trying to kiss me pulling my neck closer trying to force me to kiss him but to lazy and horny to actuly make me "Well what exactly do you want jojen?" I smirk "Suck me sugar, wrap your beautiful lips around my cock and suck, Please" he begs "I need you, Please, Please I haven't cum in days please" he begs "why not?" I ask kissing his cock softly and licking his head "Uhhh! I've been lonely, with you down here so far from me, you lock yur doors so tightly at night I can't get in to come visit you. so I have been up in my room" he complains "so, can't you cum without me?" I smirk "I used to, but my hands are useless these days Now I've been in that pussy of yours" he smirks "Ohh fine" I laugh pushing him back to lay back in my bed and takign every inch of him in my mouth and sucking "Uhhhh! yes! that's my girl!" he groans "Uhhhh! Uhh! Uhhhhhhh! Yes! YES! I've missed you" he moans

[kailani-ffxiv]

Prompt #20: Fulfilling Promises

After multiple promises Kai knew what she had to do. A single gil floated up into the air and landed back into her palm. A flip of her wrist and the results were presented on the back of her opposite hand. ‘Hrm.. Tails.’ A few quick nods and she lifted her hand up to her ear.  

“Um..Miss Sana?”

There was a slight chuckle preceding the answer. “Hello, Kai. The miss really is unnecessary. What can I do for you today?”

Kai practically jumped she hadn’t expected her to respond or even remember who it was. Fingers eased to the back of her neck as she swung her legs off the end of the dock.

“Umm s-sorry.. It’s habit. Better than calling you sir.. Err unless you would rather.” there was nervous laughter “Umm well I.. umm..”

“It’s alright. Just tell me.” Her voice was soft and encouraging.

“I.. I got into a bit of trouble. It.. It wasn’t my fault. A ship attacked.. Err that doesn’t matter. I’m.. err near Kugane. D-do you know anyone local that can help? It’s not bad, I promise! Just.. well I should get looked at to properly fix it..”

Multiple face rubs followed as she waited to hear the reaction to the mess that just came tumbling out her mouth.

“If it’s not that bad, there are regular ferries from the main dock of Kugane to a small town called Tsudzurimura, just off the Bay of Yanxia. The only people I know locally are there, but you’re in luck. One of the best healers I know lives there. She’s my mother.”

Kai blinked at the horizon, she pulled her tome to rest in the middle of her lap and flipped to the back of it. A roughly drawn map showed most of the main city she was sitting in. She flipped to another one of water and land but no lettering.

“Umm.. Ayyyye?” the line would have a faint hum before she spoke again. “I can ask around? Aye I’ll ask around to find out where that is. It sort of.. Well I was hoping to finish the map someone did up while we were on the ship but.. The last leg of it we were all a bit err under the weather.”

“How long will you be there? I mean… I could actually use the aetheryte and come right to you, and show you myself. Especially if you’re sticking around the area. I don’t like the idea of you wandering around lost and injured…”

“Umm I don’t have set plans. I wanted to check back in on someone who is also hurt but not from the same.. I tried to help.. Err mmm.” Her voice trailed. “I’m not in a rush, I just.. People have been on my case about it and I’d rather go to someone I trust or someone they trust..”

A muffled sigh and she shut her tome sliding it back to the wooden boards for safe keeping. She was slowly regretting her choice in reaching out but she had a feeling either one would have offered to do the same.

“I.. you don’t need to travel. I-I’ll be alright. I’m sure my aether will be back to normal before I.. shit. I’m -fine- I promise.”

Sanagi sighed. “At least… at least let me tell you how to find all these things on the map so you don’t make yourself a target… or… can you tell me where you are? My mother would come to you if I asked. I made sure to get them a linkpearl.” She took an audible breath. “It’s obvious you don’t like putting people out… so I’m going to treat you like I do my boyfriend. Work with me on something so I can not worry, or you’re going to have to deal with the idea that I’m wandering around, aimlessly, looking for you, whether you like it or not.”

She squinted up at the sun before looking back towards the busy city. It’s not that she was hiding where she was but she didn’t want to trouble the girl more than she needed to.

“Umm currently at the docks in Kugane. I’d be visiting Shirogane but that’s umm just a quick ferry. I.. I can ask around for ships heading out towards your mom. And I.. err I have a few people I know here. Please don’t.. Put yourself in any trouble for me. Really.. The map would be good if you don’t mind explaining.”

“Oh… ok good. This is going to be easy then. I can stop worrying. So go to the end of the docks, on the right, the second to last slip is usually where that is. Just ask for the one to Tsudzurimura. It’ll take you right to the village. We bind and distribute books so the dock is part of our village. It’s pretty small. When you go up the dock, go into the town and just off the main square you’ll see a path leading away from the bay to a house surrounded by fields. It’s by itself back there. That’s my parents’ house. I’ll tell Mom to expect you. They speak common, so you’ll be alright. If you need to, take your friend, too, alright?”

“Huh. ohh ummm” distant sounds of paper moving. “Up the docks, town, main square a paaath. House in fields. Is that right?”

Kai had pulled her book back to her lap and was scribbling notes into a scrap of paper that was tucked along with the maps. Her quill making a bit of a mess as she scrambled to remember what the woman had said.

“Yes, that’s right. Satou-san and a bow if you want to be proper in local speech but again, they speak common so Mr. and Mrs. Satou will also be fine. You are likely to see my father since Mom works out of the house, although the clinic portion is separate… but he might be outside.”

Kai blinked realising what she had just gotten herself into. She could just -not- show up, right? But the woman did say she would warn her parents about her going.

“I-I will try my best.. Umm to not insult them. Is there something from here that they might like? I just errr.. They are nice right? Not that they wouldn’t be.. Sorry.”

Sana chuckled. “My father is very kind. My mother is an excellent healer even her bedside manner isn’t always the best but she is warm in her own way and will be very happy to meet someone else from my new life. Alex and I went for vacation not too long ago. It’s going to be ok, Kai. I didn’t mean to intimidate you, you just always use Miss so I thought you might want to know. Just take your friend, and go get better.” The last part was still gentle, but firm.

“Aye.. sorry I didn’t mean to be rude just.. It's different when people are complete strangers. It’s sort of different knowing that they are related to you, just umm don’t want to give a bad impression is all.” She awkwardly chuckled “Thank you, I don’t mean to worry you. A few people helped patch me up but I’d been asked to see a formal healer just to make sure. Thank you again, for umm.. For everything.”

Kai swung her legs, fingers wrapped tight around the edge of her grimoire. It would be okay, Sana was very nice and her parents must be for her to end up like that. She didn’t plan to drag anyone unwillingly but at least if people asked she could say she had made arrangements to seek treatment for her wounds.

“You’re welcome. Just remember, if you don’t go, I’ll know.” The woman sounded almost mischievous.. 

Vague mentions: ♥ @shadowborne-ffxiv @nebula1984  @ketsuchikotetsu ♥

OOC Note: @quirkycoterie and I took on this prompt together. After many comments about the title of the prompt we thought seeing a conversation from different sides might be interesting. So many birbs and only one stone. 

Link to her side of the story here

[of-muppets-and-men]

Homecoming

Just a little Summer x Qrow thing I wrote for fun

It was a quiet yet strikingly beautiful night in Patch. Not a cloud in sight, letting the stars shine with impunity. The moon, in its fragmented majesty, loomed as the sky’s centerpiece. Gentle winds wisping through the trees; all the while a symphony of crickets played throughout the forest. But even in the wake of such breathtaking scenery, all Summer Rose could do was worry.

The young woman stood alone in the kitchen of her friend’s home with an unshakeable sense of anxiety. She continued washing the remaining dishes from dinner, to keep her mind from straying into dark places.

“He’s just late, that’s all.” Summer repeated to herself, each time, however, growing more uncertain.

It was easy for her to maintain her composure during the day; Yang was quite the handful after all. Every single night was a struggle however. Well, a struggle without him. Ozpin was a dear friend but damned if Summer didn’t curse him every time he sent her man off to god knows where. The amount of waiting she was forced to endure was unbearable.

“Maybe this is what I get,” She contemplated, “for not telling Tai.”

Unbeknownst to many of their friends, Summer and Qrow had been dating since the beginning of third year at Beacon. A fact they didn’t intend to keep secret, but now a secret they are still struggling to hide.  Summer simply didn’t have the heart to tell Tai. So much time has past; Tai was crushed when Raven left. This, this would…

No. She refused to dwell on the subject. Now, it was time to rinse off the plate she’d been scrubbing for the past five minutes.

*Knock Knock*

The knock on the door startled her, letting out a small yelp in response. Almost dropped the plate too; at least her luck was better than Qrow’s. Qrow. Summer’s wide eyed realization had her bolt towards the door leaving the other dishes behind. Her excitement had her mind racing and her heart nearly beating out of her chest..

She stopped just in front of the door trying to contain herself. Summer took a deep breath; no need to look desperate she thought. Summer’s hand slowly reached out to unlock the door and pulled it open slowly to see a familiar grin.

“Hey Small fry.” Qrow smiled brightly at his little lady.

“Hey Beanstalk.” Summer beamed back at him. “You’re late. Again.”

“Yeahhh, sorry ‘bout tha-”

Summer, unable to keep herself still any longer, practically leapt into Qrow’s arms. She locked lips with him for the first time in nearly a month. Her grip tightened around his shoulders as she slowly came to tears. She delicately rested her forehead against his.

“God I missed you,” Summer wept “Are you okay? You’re not hurt or anything, are you?”

“Ease up Sum, I’m fine, really.” Qrow said reassuringly “had a few close calls but I’m okay.”

Summer, ecstatic from her boyfriend’s long awaited return and relief from him coming home in one piece, had her locking lips with him yet again. All of Summer’s worries faded into the wind as she kept her lips pressed against his. Even after weeks of fatigue travelling through Anima, Qrow didn’t dare pull away. He looked her in the eyes, her gorgeous silver eyes, and remembered how damn lucky he was. Though as the ecstasy was wearing off, the ache is his arms started to set in.

“Ummm, Summer? This is great and all but can I put you down now? Qrow asked shakily “My arms can’t do this for much longer.”

“Oh my god, yes. Sorry.” Summer said frantically.

After setting her feet on the ground, she folded her hands at her waist and give him an awkward smile.

“Sorry, kinda got carried away.” she admitted with bright red cheeks.

“I don’t mind.” Qrow fired back with his signature sly grin.

One could hardly blame her for being so eager. They hadn’t had sex even before Qrow left for his mission. Yang was a happy yet very demanding child. They could hardly ever find a moment for themselves before Yang needed something else. For almost eight weeks straight, it was nothing but cooking, cleaning and sleeping. Needless to say, it was driving her crazy. Summer closed the distance between them, stroking her hand against his chest. Even without words, it was clear what she was asking.

“Ummmm, Where’s Tai?” Qrow asked nervously. “He’s not here is he?”

“On a training mission with some first years. Said he’ll be back tomorrow afternoon.” Summer explained with a mischievous smile, “Anddd, Yang is fast asleep so we have the night to ourselves. Whaddya say tough guy?”

“That’s all I needed to hear.” Qrow leered mischievously.

And just like that, the young crow swooped up Summer and headed towards to bedroom. Summer slowly shut the front door behind him, giggling as her prince carried her away. Qrow had to shush her as to not wake up Yang.

“What happened to being tired?” Summer gushed curiously.

“Second wind.” Qrow answered confidently.

Summer continued to giggle as Qrow led up them up the stairs. They finally reached the spare bedroom, th furthest one away from the sleeping toddler. Once they entered and shut the door, Qrow didn’t even bother to put Summer down. He pinned his rose against the wall and continued what they were doing at the front door.

Summer was in heaven; she’d been antsy for weeks and the stress of essentially being an adopted mother was taking a toll. She desperately needed this. Qrow was just as ravenous, delicately kissing everywhere he could. Every inch of her face, up and down her neck, across her collarbone; The energy in that bedroom was electric. And they’d barely even started.

Qrow took Summer to bed, slowly disrobing her and himself. And weeks of sexual frustration vanished into distant memory. Summer was distinctly reminded of how she was able to endure weeks of loneliness; for nights just like this. Conversely, Qrow remembered why he adored coming home, to see his rose bloom so brilliantly. The pair let all their troubles slip away, making love well into the night.

The following morning, the loving couple were awoken by the warmth and gentleness of first light. Summer, being ever the early bird, awoke first. She was delighted to feel Qrow’s warmth around her, reassured that last night’s passion wasn’t just a dream. Qrow felt her stirring and without even opening his eyes, he kissed her on the forehead.

Through his exhaustion, he managed to utter, “Morning Small fry. Hmmm, what time is it?”

“A little before seven I think.” Summer purred. “We still have plenty of time before Tai gets back.”

She returned the favour by kissing Qrow on the cheek. Qrow, still half asleep, smirked slightly at the notion. But Summer’s bliss began to wither. She sat up in bed, covering herself with the bedsheets. Her guilt about making love in Tai’s home with his best friend reared its ugly head. The young crow noticed her distress and became concerned for his rose.

“Hey, What’s wrong?” Qrow asked hesitantly. “Are you okay?”

“Tai. How the hell are we going to tell Tai.” she replied with a sense of dread “All this time we’ve been fucking under his roof and he doesn’t even know.”

“Shit….” Qrow breathed, “I never thought about that.”

Somehow Qrow had never realized the gravity of his actions. Perhaps his passion blinded him from the obvious. It was a problem that dangled over his head but just never acknowledged. But being the nonchalant person he was, Qrow wasn’t about to let this control him.

Qrow could tell this was tormenting her, so he sat up alongside her. He turned her around and took her hands in his own. She looked up into his eyes, trying not to cry. His face remained steadfast as he spoke:

“Summer, I know how you feel. We should’ve been upfront with Tai and Raven since the beginning. I feel terrible about all this but at the same time, I don’t. Tai can hate us all he likes but it will never change how I feel. Each and every single moment I’ve spent with you has been the best time of my life.. You make me feel alive and if I had to it all again, I would do it without a single drop of regret. I love you, Summer Rose. Til the end of my days.”

Summer was completely dumbfounded. She didn’t know what he was going to say, but she damn sure wasn’t expecting that. Qrow was never the greatest at admitting his feelings, so for him to announce that with such conviction. It made her feel truly special. She almost couldn’t find the words to respond. And she could muster through her tears of joy was:

“And I love you, Qrow Branwen.”

“We’ll tell him when the time is right, okay?” Qrow said with a defiant smile. “Now c’mon, let’s get dressed before he gets back.”

Summer confided in her boyfriend’s confidence. He was her rock just as much she was his. She had a small habit of forgetting that; how well they complimented each other. And as if almost on queue, Yang could be heard wailing in the background. Summer shifted back into her motherly mode, put on Qrow’s shirt and her underwear, and left to go soothe the poor toddler. Qrow would’ve complained, but Sum looked too cute for him to object. So instead he laid back down and thought to himself :

“What’s the worst that could happen?”

Two Weeks Later

Qrow had been given a few weeks of grace from Ozpin, and he was making the most of it. Going for beers with Tai, spending quality with his niece and generally just taking time to rest. Summer definitely appreciated the extra help, seeing how she’d been under the weather for the past little while. Qrow was watching Yang while Summer took a shower. When she came back, she looked quite distraught. She rushed over to Qrow and tapped furiously on his shoulder.

“Qrow! Qrow, can I talk to you?” Summer asked frantically.

“Uhhh Yeah sure, what’s wrong?” Qrow answered rathered puzzled.

“Okay, come with me. Tai! We’ll be back in a bit.”  She stammered.

“Ummm Oookay. Sure thing.” Taiyang said suspiciously “Don’t take too long, Sum.”

Taiyang grabbed Yang out of Qrow’s lap, while Summer dragged him off the sofa and out the front door. Qrow barely had time to argue before the door shut behind them. Taiyang was pretty confused to say the least. But he decided to pay it no mind as Yang was in desperate need of a diaper change.

Meanwhile, Summer was still dragging Qrow by his arm, well and far away from the house.

“Oww come on Summer, my legs still work y’know.” Qrow griped as she continued to twist his arm. “Summer?!”

When the house could no longer be seen, Summer just stopped in the middle of the path. She finally let go of Qrow and stood in silence. Qrow was incredibly concerned because she never acted this way. Her hood was pulled over her head, which she never did when they were alone. She turned to face him, and to Qrow’s surprise, her face was awash with tears.  

“Summer, what the hell is going on with you?!” Qrow snapped, not just in frustration but in fear as well. “If something’s wrong please, just tell me.”

Summer, with her head bowed, walked slowed towards Qrow till her forehead bumped into his chest. She wrapped her arms around his waist firmly but not tight enough to hurt him. After what felt like a small eternity; she finally lifted her face and through a somber voice, managed to say:

“Qrow, I’m Pregnant.”

[everythinginasockdrawer-blog]

WoW We're Nerds (Part 2)

On AO3: http://archiveofourown.org/works/11280858

Part 1: http://archiveofourown.org/works/11244396

 Alex laughed as Maggie pulled up in the driveway of the hotel she was staying at, happily listening to her girlfriend go on about some idiot she’d been stuck behind on the interstate on her way to the west coast. She threw the truck into park and grinned happily at Alex, grabbing her hand and tugging her out of the massive truck, stopping once she’d climbed out to help Alex get down before dragging her off towards one of the bottom floor rooms as she was talking.

“Anyways so this is where I’m staying, I put my stuff away before I went to pick you up. It’s a nice room actually, I kinda thought the place was going to be a dump considering what I’m paying for it.” Alex chuckled as Maggie fought to get her keycard out of her pocket one handed.

“I got you a discount, that’s why it’s so cheap. The owner owns me big time… I had to babysit his grandson for a month and it was a disaster, the kid was a monster.” Maggie laughed as she managed to open the door and tugged Alex inside. “I also fixed his wifi so the thing actually works properly which…” Alex was cut off when Maggie turned around and gently pushed her up against the door as it shut, waiting for Alex to give her a little nod before pressing their lips together in a soft kiss. Maggie cradled her face in the palms of her hands and gently sucked her bottom lip between her own, gently biting it causing Alex to let out a soft moan. Maggie pressed another solid kiss against her lips before pulling away, a soft smile on her face as she gazed a little breathless up at Alex.

“Sorry, I just… I’ve been waiting to do that for months…” Alex smiled, tangling her fingers in Maggie’s hair to pull her forward to press another kiss against her lips.

“I know the feeling.” She pulled Maggie into her arms and simply held her. Relishing the warmth of the other woman’s body against her’s. “I’m… Really glad you’re here…” Maggie nodded in agreement, gently kissing Alex’s neck as they stood there rooted to the spot, swaying lightly.

Alex holds her secure against her chest, because she knows (even if Maggie won’t talk about it much) that it’s really hard living in the midwest as a queer woman of color and she wants to, even for a moment, try to take away that feeling of hopelessness Maggie’s described to her before. And she really wishes Maggie didn’t have to go back there to finish high school. Only three more months then she’s moving out here…

Maggie started walking backwards, gently pulling Alex with her until they collapsed in a heap on the bed. Alex moving so that Maggie could curl into her side like they’d always said they’d do if they were able to cuddle. Maggie fisted her handed in Alex’s shirt, holding her tightly as she seemed to take a moment to ground herself.

“So, you want to play or would you rather cuddle for awhile?” Alex asked her gently and Maggie responded by throwing her leg up around Alex’s hips.

“Cuddle now, games later.” Alex chuckled and pulled Maggie closed to her, leaning down to place a kiss against her forehead. They last about thirty minutes like that, gentle touches, fingers running through hair and soft kisses press against each other's lips. That approach was quickly lost however as Alex pulled Maggie on top of her and started a very thorough exploration of her mouth, following a mixture of instinct and YouTube tutorial videos she had watched for this very purpose.

Maggie groaned appreciatively, her arms moving to frame Alex face as they made out. Alex wrapping her arms around Maggie’s waist and bringing their clothed chests flush against each other. After that things started to blur, their shirts ended up on the floor and somehow Alex found herself on top while Maggie was busy sucking dark hickies across her chest. And then there was grinding and panting, and Maggie had grabbed her ass and pulled her down hard against her thigh in time with her own thrusts. And then they both came, Alex first followed very closely by Maggie. And Alex collapsed against the smaller woman, panting and shivering as the aftershocks coursed through her, feeling Maggie in a similar state beneath her. They stayed like that for several minutes until Maggie finally rolled them over so she could cuddle into Alex’s side.

“So… That better that the local girls?” Maggie commented teasingly and Alex froze, realizing that they had just had… Well… Elementary sex.

“Ummm… I… Ugh…” Alex sputtered and Maggie lifted her head off her shoulder and raised an eyebrow at her.

“Are you saying I need improvement? Cause I’ve got three days to work on it.:Maggie winked at her and Alex flushed.

“What? No. I mean… I wouldn’t know. I haven’t exactly… Done anything like that before…” Maggie’s eyes widened and she gasped at Alex.

“What… You mean that was… Alex!” Alex blushed at Maggie’s freaked out expression.

“What? Like you said earlier… I’ve been waiting for months…” Maggie groaned.

“If I’d known I’d have like… Taken you out on a date first…” Alex rolled her eyes and tugged Maggie back into her arms.

“We’ve gone on plenty of dates.” Maggie groaned even louder.

“Alex, pretending to get drunk together in a pub in World of Warcraft doesn’t count as a date.” Alex pouted.

“Sure it does. We even called them dates.” Alex protested. “Remember that one time when the town we were in was attacked by a Horde raiding party and you got pissed cause they ruined our date cause we had to go help fight them off with all the other level 110’s in the area?” Maggie chuckled.

“I didn’t want to deal with them… I was having a night with my girl…” Maggie sighed. “Fine, am I at least better at kissing than they are?”

“Well… About that…” Maggie’s eyes went wide and she looked at Alex in shock.

“Please tell me your first kiss wasn’t me shoving you up against a door in a hotel room… It’s already bad enough that was your first time...” Alex bit her lip.

“Okay, I won’t tell you.”

“Alex!”

“What? It was perfect… You’re perfect.” Maggie shook her head and drug them both out of bed, “What are you doing?”

“I’m taking you on a date.” Alex’s eyes widened comically.

“Right now?”

“Yes, where can you go on a date around here?” Alex sighed as Maggie picked up her pocketbook and pulled her out of the room towards the truck.

“Umm… There’s a burger place down on the boardwalk…” Maggie shook her head.

“Oh no. We’re going to a nice restaurant where I can buy you good food and then we’re going to do something really fucking romantic… Like… Stargazing or… Or dancing or some shit like that…” Alex shook her head and kissed Maggie’s cheek as the other woman shifted the truck into drive.

“I don’t need that stuff, I just want you, Mags.” Maggie looked her in the eye and took her hand in her own.

“Just cause you don’t need it doesn’t mean you don’t deserve it.” Alex’s eyes widened as Maggie gently pecked her lips. “Now tell me where to drive.”

[b2stsb2uty123]

By My Side (Jumin) part 1

After returning to the penthouse from another round of training, you were exhausted. For the last three weeks you had been juggling etiquette and business classes, music and tea lessons and planning the next RFA party. It had only been 3 weeks since the very first party you planned, the one where your love proposed to you but since it was such a big success many other groups and organizations messaged you about wanting to join. You and the others had decided to throw another one in a weeks time to raise more money for different charities in need. It was hard balancing everything but you tried your best. You decided to take the business classes to better support Jumin and understand his world. Also, it would probably help Mr. Han’s view of you and of course you would want nothing more than for your father-in-law to actually want you around. The etiquette classes was to help you fit into the higher society. You didn’t want anyone looking down on Jumin because of you. You couldn’t do anything about your social status but you could make sure you wouldn’t say or do anything that wasn’t “pleasing” to the higher ups. The tea and music classes were extra because you remember Jumin mentioning them before and you wanted to plan something special for your wedding to surprise him.

You decided to take a little nap on the couch while waiting for him. Not too long after you felt a gentle motion on your head. Your eyes fluttered open and you saw Jumin bending on one knee in front of you, observing your face and stroking your hair, a strange expression on his face. His brows were slightly creased and he looked like he was concentrating and intensely thinking about something. However, something was different about it this time; it was different from how he normally looked at you. You were use to him observing and memorizing every inch of you but there was something off about how he looked at you just now. Dismissing the uneasy feeling in your gut you wrapped your arms around his neck and greeted him happily. “Welcome back home honey. I missed you.” “________… You seem tired but would you mind accompanying me to the roof for a moment?” You looked at him, a little concerned at the formality in his voice. “Of course. Let me just grab a jacket.” The uneasiness in the pit of your stomach grew. Normally when he asked you to go with him to the roof he would always put his hand out to you and lead you there sweetly. Now he seemed so distant all of a sudden. He waited by the door and walked a few steps ahead of you. Once you got to the roof you walked to the edge and leaned on the railing admiring the stars. “I love coming here with you Jumin. I mean I love being with you and I’m happy as long as I’m with you but here… I just feel so calm. As if we’re the only two people in the world. No worries. No judgments. Just you and I.” You smiled up at the sky, enjoying the peaceful moment with him. He stared at you embedding how your hair blew gently in the breeze, how your smile reached your eyes and how your eyes sparkled. “So beautiful…” He said in a low voice unconsciously. However, you didn’t hear him because you had just spotted a shooting star. “Jumin! A shooting star! Let’s make a wish!” You closed your eyes and put your hands together as if in a prayer. “I wish that Jumin and I will always be happy together, forever.” You smiled sincerely and looked at him excited. “Did you make a wi-” But the words got stuck in your throat when you saw the serious expression on his face. “Jumin?” “________. You should go.” “You want me to go head back to the room first?” “No. I mean you should leave. Let’s cancel the wedding. I got you a room at a hotel called Tres Spades, you can stay there if you would like. It has high ratings so it should have everything you need.” You stared at him, dumbfounded. “Why…? Why are you kicking me out all of a sudden? Why do you want to cancel the engagement?! Did I do something wrong?!” You ran up to him gripping the fabric at his chest staring deeply into his eyes. But he wouldn’t look at you. “No, it’s not your fault. You just don’t belong in my world. We should end this.” “Jumin I’ll do better! I’ll work harder and take more classes! I just need time! I’ll adjust and soon I’ll know what and what not to do! Please just give me some time and think this over more.” You tried to get him to look at you, holding the sides of his neck and peering into his face but he just closed his eyes. “I’ve already thought this through. Nothing will change. No matter how hard you work, you can’t force yourself to belong where you’re not meant to be.” “But you told me you loved me. You said that I was the only one… That you would do anything to keep me by your side… I thought you loved me…” The tears began to flow as your voice started to crack. “Jumin! Look at me!” “You should go now ______. I’ve made my decision.” He spoke coldly as he pried your hands from his neck. You dropped down onto the floor in a sitting position, holding your knees. “No! I’m not leaving without you! I’ll work harder! You promised me forever! I won’t let you take it back!” You cried and yelled into your arm. Apart from your sobs, silence filled the air. About a minute later you felt him hold your hand and you looked up hopeful, until you felt it. You watched horrified as he slipped your ring off and your heart was completely ripped out of your chest. “It’s over.” You sat there dazed, he had turned his back to you and was looking out into the lights of the city. The view that you two use to share together as he held you close. Now it was all so distant. It all felt so far away. So out of reach. How did this happen? When did things escalate so quickly? When did you begin to fail him? … Was it always this cold? Slowly picking yourself up you dragged your feet, forcing yourself to move. To leave his presence. To get out of his life, since he pushed you out. “Liar…” You mumbled the word over and over again as you left the roof. You were so out of it. You couldn’t even comprehend what you were doing but you managed to get your things together or at least the essentials. It took a while since Elizabeth kept going into your bag so that you couldn’t put anything inside but you eventually picked her up and gave her a big hug before putting her in another room. She probably knew that she wouldn’t see you anymore and could sense that something was wrong. You stared blankly at your bag feeling completely empty. You had so many things here, you couldn’t possibly pack everything. You believed this was your forever home but maybe there was just no such thing as forever. Before walking out the door you spotted the picture frame containing the picture of you and Jumin sitting on top of the desk. You picked it up and stared at it before opening the frame and ripping the picture of the happy couple to shreds. You saw as the pieces fluttered to the floor and you saw the pieces of your heart lay with them. On the way to Zen’s house you had found a key card with a room number in your jacket pocket. The words ‘Tres Spades’ written on it. You looked at it coldly before handing it to a poor woman you had passed by. She asked you if you were sure you wanted to give this away and you smiled at her gently. You told her you had no need for it and kindly asked her to get a nice hot shower and a proper meal, for you didn’t know when the room would be cancelled before you began walking towards your destination again. You had messaged Zen if it was alright if you stay with him for a while and he of course wouldn’t deny you a place to stay. When you got there he instantly noticed your ring gone, I mean it was such a big ring, anyone would notice your bare finger now. “_______, did that jerk kick you out because you lost your ring or something?!” “No it’s not like that… Please don’t worry about it.” You said in attempt to calm him down. “Ummm Zen… I’m really sorry but do you think I can sleep now? I’m really tired.” “Of course! Go ahead. The room is that way.” He said getting the hint that it was a sensitive topic. You looked toward the door he pointed at and you shook your head. “Oh, it’s alright. I just need the bathroom. I’ll sleep on the couch.” “What?! I can’t let a lady sleep on the couch! It’s fine! I’ll sleep on a futon but you take the bed.” He said as he pushed you toward the bedroom and slammed the door behind you before you could get a word out. You stood there baffled before smiling a little to yourself. “Zen’s such a gentleman.”

Part 2

I just made it to 100 followers today and my mind is absolutely blown! Thank you so much everyone for ur constant support. I will be posting a part 2 for this and will continue from the RFA party the Mc is planning in this story. Get ready for some more angst. 😊 I decided to cut it in 2 since it would be really long otherwise. I don’t kno how long it’ll take me to write since I’m busy with school so please be patient with me. I love u guys!💕 P.s- I might end up changing the title cuz I don’t feel right about it.

[useyourrwords]

Book Review // All Out – History Has Never Been as Straight As You Think

Details Title: All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout The Ages Edited By: Saundra Mitchell Authors: Saundra Mitchell, Anna-Marie McLemore, Natalie C. Parker, Nilah Magruder, Mackenzi Lee, Robin Talley, Malinda Lo, Dahlia Adler, Kate Scelsa, Elliot Wake, Scott Tracey, Tess Sharpe, Alex Sanchez, Kody Keplinger, Sara Farizan, Tessa Gratton, Shaun David Hutchinson, Tehlor Kay Mejia Publisher: Harlequin Teen Age: YA Genre: Anthology, Historical, Fantasy Released: February 27, 2018 Trigger Warnings: I don’t have any because I read this so long ago before I decided I needed to start making an actual effort at TWs. Likely there was homophobia, transphobia (I think in Every Shade of Red??? Maybe???) Representation*: OMG, so much!! I will include rep for each story as I go! But safe to say this is heavy gay, I love it.

Synopsis**: Take a journey through time and genres and discover a past where queer figures live, love and shape the world around them. Seventeen of the best young adult authors across the queer spectrum have come together to create a collection of beautifully written diverse historical fiction for teens. From a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood set in war-torn 1870s Mexico featuring a transgender soldier, to two girls falling in love while mourning the death of Kurt Cobain, forbidden love in a sixteenth-century Spanish convent or an asexual girl discovering her identity amid the 1970s roller-disco scene, All Out tells a diverse range of stories across cultures, time periods and identities, shedding light on an area of history often ignored or forgotten. 

This anthology is goddamn important.

If we must lie to the world to be true to our hearts, then we would.

All Out is an anthology written by LGBTQIAP+ authors for LGBTQIAP+ readers.

Historical fiction has long been monopolized by straight people. Often this is explained away as being historically accurate as if we queers haven’t always existed.

Sorry to burst your bubble but yes, we have always existed y’all just like to call us ‘very close friends’ or erase people’s bisexuality because they were in a m/f romance at some point.

Now the gays are staking their claim on their own history and I could not be more excited.

We had done this: Robin’s lost boys and lost girls, the children society had thrown away. We’d woven together a family of orphans and outcasts and exiles. Not one of us shared blood. Not one of us would balk at spilling our own blood for a brother or sister.

This anthology was so damn enjoyable that I didn’t want to put it down.

Honestly, I just couldn’t wait for Elliot Wake’s story because I am trash for his writing but there were so many great stories in here that I didn’t even mind the wait!

Stories that are so good they are worth buying this whole anthology for just them alone are;

 Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore  Burnt Ember by Mackenzie Lee  Molly’s Lips by Dahlia Adler  The Coven by Kate Scelsa  Every Shade of Red by Elliot Wake  Willows by Scott Tracey  Three Witches by Tessa Gratton  Healing Rosa by Tehlor Kay Mejia

     That was how Léon and I left them, both of us showing hearts so fierce these men considered them knives. We left them with the salt-sting memory of us, a brazen girl, and a boy with a heart so fearless wolves were his guardian saints.

││Roja│Anna-Marie McLemore│El Bajio, México, 1870│★★★★★│f/m, trans love interest, Latinx MC│

Roja follows a burja as she works to free her love from imprisonment.

This story was so beautiful and every time I read one of Anna-Marie McLemore’s stories in an anthology I am reminded that I need to read one of her books.

I love magical realism and more than that, I love playing with the idea of cursed families and anger; how to use it and not let it destroy you.

This story starts the whole book out strong.

     │The Sweet Trade│Natalie C. Parker│Virginia Colony, 1717│3.5★‘s│w/w│

The Sweet Trade follows Clara and Pearl as the both escape their husband/husband-to-be in search of adventure as pirates.

This was really cute and had me laughing within the first sentence, unfortunately, that was all it was for me and I wanted something deeper.

     │And They Don’t Kiss At The End│Nilah Magruder│Maryland, 1976│3.5★’s│m/f, ace & black MC, Filipino love interest│

In the time of disco and rollerblades, Dee starts her journey of self-discovery when she questions her sexuality.

This was cute, and Dee’s inner monologue as she’s trying to work out her thoughts and feelings was really accurate, I thought.

Having had a similar conversation with myself before realizing that no, I’m not quite ace but maybe in the grey-ace area, I found this story authentic but really short. I guess I just wanted more.

     “I am the boy most accomplished at not becoming distracted by the first naked woman we draw. Which is something, I suppose.”

││Burnt Ember│Mackenzie Lee│Netherlands, Amsterdam, 1638│★★★★│m/m│

Burnt Ember shares the story of a budding painter who has no difficulties painting nude subjects until one of the subjects is his crush, an ex-classmate.

I love Mackenzie Lee’s sense of humour so much!

Just the awkward and cringey conversations a young person can have with their crush when their flustered and overwhelmed.

This was hella cute!

     │The Dresser & The Chambermaid│Robin Talley│Kensington Palace, September 1726│★★★ │w/w│

Chambermaid Susannah is very frustrated with the new Dresser Mary who seems to have no idea what her job does and doesn’t include. This story follows these two girls as they learn from each other how to do regal hair and how to fall in love.

This was cute but boring. It felt like it went far longer than the story needed.

I don’t know, this just didn’t do it for me.

     │New Year│Malinda Lo│San Francisco-January 21, 1955│★★★│No Romance, Chinese-American sapphic MC, drag/trans side character│

Lily is super intrigued by the queer scene of San Francisco, especially a certain someone who catches her eye at her friend’s family restaurant.

Uhhhhh, I kinda can’t really tell you much about this one because it was a little forgettable for me.

I remember it feeling disjointed and that I couldn’t get into it and not much else.

     “He has a daughter now,” she’d said so many times, tracing glossy magazine photos of Frances Bean with her finger and a wistful sigh that told me she would’ve given anything to trade place with the blond infant. “He’ll fix himself for her. Watch.” I watched. It broke my fucking heart.

││Molly’s Lips│Dahlia Adler│Seattle— April 10, 1994│★★★★★│w/w│

Molly’s Lips follows Annabelle as she and her best friend Molly celebrate Kurt Cobain’s life and mourn his death and shows us how, in grief, we can remember the important things in life, like showing our love for one another.

THIS WAS SO CUTE I CAN’T DEAL! 

I loved it, it was heart wrenching and beautiful and their friendship was so pure and god this was wonderful.

     I had been planning on trying to kiss Vivie for a month at this point. The idea occurred to me one day and then I just decided that I would do it. I was simply taking my time. I watched the other women in the cafe with jealousy—the girls who held hands and wore pants and didn’t seem to care what anyone thought. I wanted to say to Vivie “We are like them,” but what we had felt like a magic spell that I was afraid to break.

││The Coven│Kate Scelsa│Paris, 1924│★★★★★│w/w, Neurodiversity│

The Coven follows Dean as her best friend Vivie seeks to become the next great writer and Dean seeks to clear her brain of the fog and maybe get a kiss from Vivie too.

I really liked this, I identified with Dean when it came to brain fog as someone who has battled mental illness and FMS which makes brain fog a regular visitor.

I love the whole witchy lesbian vibes this story was giving.

     Forty lashes, but forty-five marks on that boy’s back—five of which were mine. As I watched him writhe I could still feel his taut muscles moving against my skin, smell the salt and sea musk of his sweat. My father had said, “If it happens again, I will kill him.” Then you may as well kill me, too, I’d screamed with my hands, stabbing my finger at my own heart.

││Every Shade of Red│Elliot Wake│England, Late Fourteenth Century│★★★★★│m/m, deaf MC, trans love interest, queer POC cast (w/w, ace)│

Every Shade of Red is the diverse af retelling of Robin Hood we all deserve.

No seriously. I loved it. I loved it so much I didn’t want it to end and certainly not like that.

This story broke my heart but was so gentle with it up until the drop. It was just so damn beautiful.

I loved every single thing about it, from Trans Robin, deaf Will and a band of queer misfits making a family and home from themselves because they ones they were born into refuse to accept them for who they are.

Elliot Wake, you are cruel but also can you write a whole book dedicated to this story??? Seriously, I need more of it NOW!

     Sebastian said nothing. Some thought the blacksmith’s boy simple, but it was just that he chose his words with a sharp-eyed precision. Each was a precious gift he was loath to give away. In some ways, it reminded Benjamin of Mariot, of the way she would wrap up her thoughts and tuck her words into her pockets, only sharing what she could bear to part with.

││ Willows│Scott Tracey│Southwyck Bay, Massachusetts, 1732│★★★★│m/m, enby/gender fluid MC??│

Willows follows Benjamin who can remember his past selves in a town where anyone with unnatural abilities is thrown off a cliff.

Guys this one is so fucking weird and yet??? I really liked it.

Don’t get me wrong, I had no idea what was happening or how the magical?? element in this story worked for 90% of the time and yet I didn’t care because I was pulled in straight away and wanted to understand.

Curiosity will be the death of me, honestly.

     │The Girl With The Blue Lantern│Tess Sharpe│Northern California, 1849│3.5★‘s│w/w│

A girl takes an ill-advised walk into the forest and meets a wood- sprite who can help her survive the winter until the wood-sprite wants something in return.

So ummm, this is another one I don’t really remember and this is exactly why I should write reviews within a week of reading the damn book but ya girl is behind, man.  

I think it was cute and the writing was pretty??

I just don’t really remember a whole lot which is probably not a good sign for my enjoyment of it.

     │The Secret Life of a Teenage Boy│Alex Sanchez│Tidewater, Virginia, 1969│2.5★‘s│m/m MC, Cuban love interest│

The Secret Life of a Teenage Boy follows a boy as he toys with the idea of taking off with an older guy, (ADULT!) to avoid telling his much-loved family that he’s gay, so he can live his truth.

Hmmmmm nope. I just can’t guys, I really can’t.

I know that it’s quite common of LGBT+ kids to venture out with older people when discovering their sexuality for the first time but I can’t with the adults being interested in children.

I get it, there’s not that big of an age gap except they’re both in completely different stages of their lives and with different maturity levels and I hate it.

Also the entire time I was getting serial killer vibes because this is exactly how every cautionary tale of a boy who goes missing after running away with an adult man begins.

Every single one of them, and do you know how they end??? With the boy dead.

I will admit that I really loved the MC’s relationship with his sister and how she was encouraging of him to be who he truly is but girl, don’t encourage him to go with the possible serial killer, your mum is right to be wary.

     │Walking After Midnight│Kody Keplinger│Upstate New York, 1952│3.5★‘s│w/w, demi MC??│

Walking After Midnight follows Betsy, a teenage actress that can’t help feeling washed-up and passed her prime already as she takes a night stroll with Laura, a waitress at a small town diner.

This was cute and all but also kinda meh.

Like enjoyed their conversation but I also could have done with more of just about everything.

     │The End of the World As We Know It│Sara Farizan│Massachusetts, 1999│★★★★│w/w, Turkish MC│

The End of the World As We Know It follows two ex-best friends as they become reacquainted when facing the end of times.

I loved this story, it was so cute and fluffy but also didn’t shy away from showing the dynamics of female friendship and how it can turn south.

     The Holy Mother was a virgin who never knew any man, and so is Violante. She prays, she knows the ecstasy of love and longing, desire, and the pure, perfect happiness of hands-on hands, lips on lips, the breeze of fluttered lashes. Yet she has never known any man. Is that not perfect love?

││Three Witches│Tessa Gratton│Kingdom of Castile, 1519│★★★★★│w/w│

Three Witches follows a girl who has been sent off to a conversion therapy facility by her own brother for her love of women, and the nun who nurses her back to health.

Read this and try and tell me you are not changed by the end of it.

I finished this feeling so many things most of which were a mixture of hopeful and broken.

Ugh, I don’t know how to put into words how beautiful this story is????

I just loved it so much.

This book hit the nail on the head when it comes to questioning how something everyone tells you is wrong and is a sin can be a part of who you are, something that you cannot change no matter how much you want it to, or try to pray it away.

     │The Inferno & The Butterfly│Shaun David Hutchinson│London, 1839│3.5★‘s│m/m│

The Inferno & The Butterfly follows two magician’s assistants as they work to set each other free.

This was good, I just didn’t really connect to it that much and felt kinda meh about it by the end.

     “What does it matter if he understands? You’ll be alive! We’ll be together!” “I’m all he has,” she said, and her tone told me her decision had been made. “So you’ll die? You’ll die so he doesn’t have to face his own prejudice?” Her eyes filled with tears, and I hated myself for them. “He’s my father. I’m sorry.” she turned away. She ran. She didn’t look back.

││Healing Rosa│Tehlor Kay Mejia│Luna County, New Mexico, 1933│★★★★★│w/w, Latinx MC│

Healing Rosa follows a Bruja who learned the craft from her grandmother and now must use her gift to save the love of her life. Except that the father of her love refuses to let her help, putting his own daughter’s life at risk.

I loved this story so fucking much.

This story reminded me of all the healing women in my family and how fucking frustrating it can be to not be allowed to just help someone, especially someone you love, because of another person’s biases and prejudices.

I just- It’s just-. Ugh. It’s beautiful and heart-wrenching. Go read it.

We lived. We survived to whisper our names to each other even if we could not yet confess them to anyone else.

As a whole, I really enjoyed this anthology! Like a lot, but I already knew that would be the case.

If you’re craving queer stories, want to see queer people in history, want to read something incredibly diverse, or just want a really good anthology, I beg you to pick this up. It shares both the heartbreaking and hopeful stories of LGBT+ youth throughout history.

My only complaint was that the settings were only in America and Europe and like, us gays are everywhere, man. I wish this collection had reflected that. I also wish there had been more stories from further back in history. I want gay stories from as far back as humanity existed! 

“That is the secret to survival. Teach fear to those who taught you to be afraid.”

Where to buy │Goodreads│Book Depository│Kindle│***

Representation will be an amalgamation of Nadia’s, Elise’s & Destiny’s reviews because, again, this was before I really tried to take proper notes during reading. Taken from Goodreads. If you would like me to include links to purchase books from a specific store in my reviews please let me know! I receive a small commission off the following link

I read this book as part of my 2018 Library Love binge, where I read as many library books as possible to take advantage of my great local library network! To follow my binge reading adventure just visit my 2018 Library Love shelf. Or I’ll also be updating my 2018 Library Love Blog Post as I go!

Have you read All Out? What did you think of it? What’s your favourite anthology?

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[usemeasabadexample]

Bechloe Fic:  The Kraken Has Been Unleashed CH. 5

Summary: Chloe has a way with her. That’s for sure. And, as uncomfortable as it might make her to think about it in this very moment, Beca’s starting to wonder just what that really means.

Set at the beginning of Pitch Perfect 2. Kind of cannon, kind of...not cannon. Mostly fluff and fun and maybe some very MILD angst at best. Nothing too stressful. We've been through enough of that!

Read the rest on AO3

Chapter 5

Beca and Chloe stumble into the door of the Bella house behind Jessica and Ashley, who are giggling nonstop and quickly disappear upstairs together.

The rest of the Bellas are nowhere to be found. Somewhere along the way, they all strayed from the group.

Chloe thinks she vaguely remembers seeing Lilly dive into the huge fountain near the quad on their walk home. She also thinks Cynthia Rose and Flo were present at the time but it's all a little fuzzy and she figures she can worry about it tomorrow.

Right now, she's hungry. Hungry and sleepy.

She’s assuming Beca feels the same way because number one, the brunette whined about wanting a hot pocket the entire walk home, and number two, Beca is currently dragging her over to the sofa as quickly as her drunk little body will carry her, arm still slung around Chloe's waist.

“Becaaa. You’re going to take us both down at this rate.” Chloe is trying to remain upright as they stagger along.

“That’s the idea!” Beca shouts as she spins her body around and plops down onto the sofa, yanking Chloe down with her.

“Whoa!” Chloe yelps as she tumbles down clumsily on top of Beca. She barely has enough time, or brain power, to brace herself up on her hands before their heads knock together and she feels Beca’s hands grab her waist in, what she assumes is, an attempt to steady her.

When Chloe's sure she won't topple over, she sits up so that her knees are bracketing Beca's waist and yes, she’s basically just straddling the the other girl at this point, but Beca doesn't appear to mind so she stays put.

“Beca!” She gives her friend a smack to the shoulder, “That wasn't an invitation to actually take me down!”

Beca laughs lightheartedly. “Oh... ummm,” she scrunches up her nose, “oops?”

“Don't you oops me. That was not an accident!” Chloe narrows her eyes at Beca. Her glare isn't serious though, she's playing.

It makes Beca laugh harder. “Nope. It wasn't.”

“You…” Chloe is giggling too now as she trails off.

“Me what?” Beca challenges, eyes widening as she looks up at Chloe.

“You,” she pokes Beca in the chest, “are such,” another poke, “a handful.”

“Mmmm, is that right?”

Chloe nods.

“Well,” Beca starts, her hands dropping down to the tops of Chloe's thighs, “I definitely have a handful right now.” Beca winks and squeezes once.

Chloe giggles and brings her hands to rest on Beca's stomach. “Mhmmm.”

Beca is grinning at her from ear to ear and Chloe feels like her own face is going to split open her smile is so wide. She could just stay like this forever with her best friend. It makes her feel light. Cozy. Giddy.

Beca brings a hand up from Chloe’s thigh and uses it to move the redhead’s unbuttoned jean jacket to the side. She traces the skull embroidered on the front pocket of the shirt. Beca’s shirt.

Chloe watches the Beca's facial expressions morph through a myriad of emotions as the brunette watches her own finger trace over the material.

Chloe feels her own emotions bouncing around like a bunch of loose ping pong balls, they’re all just ricocheting around wildly and she can’t figure out which one to reach out and grab onto at the moment.

“Why do my clothes always look better on you?” Beca doesn’t look away from where her finger is still moving over the embroidery and it almost sounds as if she’s just thinking aloud, like she really isn’t even expecting an answer from Chloe.

So, Chloe doesn’t answer.

She just sighs contently and smiles softly, wrapping Beca’s wandering hand in her own and bringing them both back down to her thigh.

The movement seems to snap Beca out of whatever trance she was in and the smaller woman looks up at Chloe with so much tenderness that it makes the redhead want to cry, or scream, or laugh, or do all three at once.

Instead of going into some confusing emotional rage, she opts for a less dramatic reaction and reaches out with her free hand to brush Beca’s hair back. The touch anchors Chloe, the way touching Beca always does, and it allows her to reign herself back in.

It's only momentarily though because Beca leans into the touch and it melts Chloe into an absolute mess.  

She sighs and pats the brunette's head lightly. “Are you still hungry?” She knows Beca will feel even worse tomorrow if she doesn’t get a snack before bed.

Beca raises an eyebrow at the question and Chloe cocks her head to the side, she doesn’t say anything though, just waits for the woman beneath her to respond.

“Yeah,” Beca finally answers, shifting her lower half up into Chloe as she does, “I am.”  

Chloe inhales sharply. She isn't sure what to make of the statement, or the movement, because they both seem purposefully suggestive, and it's not that they don't play this way all the time, they do. They've even been on the receiving end of a few dirty comments from Amy and catcalls from Stacie and Cynthia Rose.

So it's not like this is new, it's just, different.

More intense than usual.

Maybe she's just imagining it because they're both pretty tipsy but it's hard to ignore the way their bodies are pressed together so intimately, the way Beca's stare cuts right through her.

Chloe stares back for a solid ten seconds, wondering why she’s so thrown off tonight, she usually has enough confidence for the whole team of Bellas, hell, maybe even all of Barden.

Beca’s got her squirming tonight though and it’s all very...strange.

She regains her wits and leans back down, hands moving to Beca’s shoulders, faces inches apart.

Chloe lets her eyes roam Beca’s face and she notices that her friend’s cheeks look a little pinker than they did a few seconds ago. She smirks and moves her mouth to Beca’s ear. She doesn’t say anything right away, just breathes, and she feels Beca’s hands grip her thighs a little tighter.

“I’ll get you a hot pocket then.” Chloe whispers and presses her cheek to Beca’s before slowly extracting herself from the sofa.

Beca’s hands don’t leave her body until she can’t physically reach the redhead anymore and even then, Beca briefly sits up to grab at Chloe playfully as she walks away.

Chloe chuckles and makes her way to the kitchen, grabbing the food from the freezer before popping it into the microwave and setting the timer.

She runs her hands through her hair and leans back against the counter with her eyes closed while she waits. Her mind wanders to how much fun she had tonight. How much fun she has every night when she’s with her girls.

Chloe loves going out with the Bellas. She loves how carefree and relaxed it makes her feel. She loves the way each and every woman brings a different personality and a different element of fun to each social gathering. She thinks about how much she’s going to miss them because it’s all going to come to an end soon.

She thinks about the situation they’re currently in and briefly worries that the Bellas could cease to exist if they don’t win at Worlds.

Chloe can’t imagine a world where the Bellas are nonexistent. It’s an actual nightmare. Like she has literally had nightmares about this exact situation. She’s said it before, the Bellas have been her life for the past few years.

These girls are her family.

This group is the reason she met Aubrey.

The reason she met Beca.

She’s never going to let them go. No matter what happens.

The microwave beeps, bringing her back to the present moment, and she grabs the food and plates it before snatching a few water bottles and strolling back out into the living room.

The sight that greets Chloe upon re-entry makes her feel tingly all over.

Beca is curled up fast asleep on the sofa, mouth open, arm hanging off the side, and she’s snoring ever so lightly.

It’s absolutely precious and it warms Chloe’s heart to see her grumpy best friend sleeping so sweetly. She wants to wrap Beca up in a bear hug and never let her go.

She takes a deep breath and walks over to where Beca is stretched out, placing the plate down on the table so she can grab a blanket off of the back of the sofa.

There's no point in trying to move a passed out, tipsy Beca. Once she's out, she's out for the night.

She drapes the blanket over her the brunette and bends down to give her a gentle kiss on the forehead.

Beca mumbles something unintelligible and furrows her brow before she’s snoring again.

Chloe giggles to herself quietly and drops a bottle of water onto the table in front of Beca.

She grabs a hot pocket for herself and turns the lights off before retreating upstairs to her own room to get some rest.

-----

Chloe wakes up to the sound of something shattering.

It is immediately followed by muffled shouting, which mostly consist of a long string of colorful swear words.

She pops up in bed and rubs her eyes, stretching as she yawns.

The yelling continues but Chloe shrugs her shoulders and smiles. No one can see her in the confines of her bedroom, obviously, but it makes her happy to wake up to the sound of the Bellas downstairs.

She’s not particularly concerned about the racket because it’s not unusual for to woken up this way. Plus, they can always just clean up whatever mess is being made.

The way the sun is shining lightly through the curtains into her room creates a soft glow and it’s so calming that it makes her want to cuddle back in and go to sleep. It’s warm and cozy but she knows she should probably get up to shower and check on everyone else.

She grabs a few items and heads to the bathroom to shower before going downstairs.

------

“I told your ass not to get involved with those guys last night!” Cynthia Rose is shouting as Chloe descends the stairs.  

She rounds into the kitchen and there is a frenzy of activity happening so she approaches slowly. Cautiously. Like a wary cat creeping into new territory.

“I have no regrets.” Stacie does not look worried in the least. But then again, she never really does.

“Bitch, why would you? I’m the one with a bleeding hand!” Cynthia Rose gives a look of disbelief and that’s when Chloe notices that Stacie has the girl’s hand wrapped in a towel.

She looks up at the back door and sees that the glass has been shattered. “Oh my gosh! CR! Are you okay?”

Rushing over, she feels panic start to rise.

Shit. Maybe she should have gotten downstairs a little quicker.

And where the hell is Beca?

“Relax Red. It's a little cut. She's just being a baby.” Chloe watches as Stacie pokes Cynthia Rose’s nose after speaking.

Cynthia Rose swats Stacie away with her good hand. “I was defending your honor! You'd think I could get a little appreciation. Damn.”

“Aww I do appreciate you.” Stacie coos, patting the top of Cynthia Rose’s head before applying more pressure to the injured girl’s hand.

“Aye yi yi.” Flo is at the freezer putting ice into a bag.

“Are you sure you're okay?” Chloe looks down at the blood on the towel and pulls a face, shifting her bottom teeth out to the right, making her look unsure. “You punched the whole door out.”

“Yeah girl. I'm fine.” Cynthia Rose plops down onto a stool as Stacie continues to care for the injury. They're still bickering quietly as Chloe walks over to inspect the door.

“What happened?” She spins around to face them again and really, she isn't sure she wants to know what actually happened but she asks anyway. Afterall, she is their captain, she should probably hear the details.

“This girl,” Cynthia Rose starts, glaring at Stacie as she does, “thought it would be a good idea to let all the guys in that dumbass frat do body shots off of her. You know, the one that has the bull as a mascot or whatever shit it is?”

Chloe nods.

“Yeah well, their girlfriends didn't like it very much. They showed up here this morning and, well….one thing led to another.”

“Ah.” Chloe nods, wide-eyed. “Well, I'm glad everyone is okay. We’ll get this cleaned up.” She smiles at her friends and goes to search for a broom.

She can hear her them continue to playfully argue as she searches the closet for a broom and when she re-enters the kitchen, she sees Amy and Lilly approaching quickly from the backyard.

The two of them alone together is never a good sign.

“Well, those pitches won't be bothering us again anytime soon!” Amy walks right over the shattered glass as she stomps in, clapping her hands together as if dusting them off.

“Amy the glass!” Chloe panics and rushes over to start sweeping. The last thing she needs is another bleeding Bella.

Amy flings herself onto the bench at the table, seemingly unphased. “Relax Ginger. These feet have walked over the teeth of a Great White!” The blonde raises her feet into the air for emphasis, perhaps.

Chloe shrugs and continues sweeping.

“What happened to the chicks?” Cynthia Rose asks, wincing as Flo settles the ice onto her hand.

“We swirlied those wombats in the fountain outside Baker Hall!” Amy sits back up, looking mighty proud of herself Chloe thinks.

Stacie chuckles and Chloe shoots Amy a disapproving look. The Australian has enough sense to at least look a little reprimanded

“Sorry?” Amy is baring her teeth and grimacing and Chloe knows she's not really sorry.

She supposes it's okay. Amy was just defending the Bellas.

Chloe turns to finish sweeping but all the glass shards are suddenly gone.

“What the hell?” Chloe looks up and around the room, confused.

The rest of the girls look up at their captain.

“Where'd the glass go?” Chloe doesn't understand. There was a lot of glass on the floor not two seconds ago.

They all look around at each other until Stacie’s eyes go wide, “Umm,” she points towards the hallway.

Looking in the direction where Stacie is pointing, Chloe's eyes widen as well.

Lilly is standing there holding every last shard of glass and smiling so maniacally that Chloe starts to feel a little uneasy.

She's pretty sure Lilly has some of the glass shoved in her mouth as well because when the creepy Bella whispers, “I'll add this to my collection,” Chloe swears she sees a few sharp pieces shining in there.

Lilly disappears and Chloe sets the broom down. “Okay. I'm just...going to find Beca.”

Even Chloe has her limits for weirdness sometimes.  

Jessica and Ashley enter the room as Chloe exits and she hears them all clambering to recount the incidents from last night and this morning.

Chloe's on a mission though. She hasn't seen Beca since she left her on the sofa last night and suddenly, it feels like a long time. Like she hasn't seen her best friend in forever.

It was an interesting night to say the least.

Really, it's always interesting with the Bellas.

It's almost guaranteed that something completely inappropriate or outrageously weird is, without a doubt, going to happen.

There's basically no way around it.

And that's fine. Chloe actually loves how bizarre their nights can get. As long as they're all safe, she's totally down with the abnormal way they engage with the world.

She craves it even.

She's starting to crave one thing more than the everything else though.

It's a sobering feeling and, she's not exactly sure what it is but, as she stumbles upon a still sleeping Beca, in exactly the same place Chloe left her, she knows that this feeling, this... craving, has nothing to do with weird nights out and everything to do with her beautiful best friend.

[idornaseminary]

Chapter Two-Hundred Nine: Beatrice, Calix, and Mel

Calix listened to the witch-like cackle of the immortal fire, the embers spitting and snapping like tiny dragons dancing beneath a wooden pyre. The fire filled the Den with a comfortable warmth, but the red glare of the flames was a gentle reminder of the dangerous undercurrents swirling just beneath the surface.

Playing with his girlfriend’s hair, her body cuddled close to his as they lay on one of the beds, Calix could feel the knots building in her muscles. She fidgeted in his hold, perpetually looking back and forth between Mel and Enzo, only gazing up into Calix’s eyes when he deliberately attempted to draw her attention away.

He couldn’t blame her. Following his return, Enzo and shared the remainings dregs of his firewhiskey with Natasha, both conversing in low, hushed tones. It was like secret whispers, pacts, and promises that the rest of the company couldn’t hear. It was a thought of nonsense, but drunk Enzo was a bitter prick.  

Mel, on the other hand, had confined herself to the second bed without saying much and privatised her confessions. She hadn’t shared what was eating away at her, but Calix knew something had happened.

Something had rocked his friends - he was just the last person to find out.

Again.

He softly placed a kiss on Beatrice’s head and tried to settle her, gazing across the room at Mel when he heard the cacophonous sound of loud snoring.

“Looks like the man of the hour has tired himself out,” he whispered cheerily. He hoped he could tease some conversation from the two girls - he was slow to call their impromptu gathering a sleepover like Beatrice had born more of necessity rather than pleasure, but he sure as hell wasn't spending the night in silence. He had enough silent nights to last him the rest of his life.

“And dragged someone with him.”

Beatrice propped herself up on her elbows and smiled slightly when she saw Enzo passed out by the window, his jaw hanging agape like somebody left a cookie jar open. She clapped a hand over her mouth, trying to hold in a burst of giggles as the image entered her mind of a cartoon spider spinning a web over Enzo’s mouth, the silky fibrous threads threatening collapse with each gust of alcohol laced breath. She shook her head and shifted her gaze slightly to the chaise where Natasha was curled up by the fire like a cat, the firelight dancing across her dark mane.

Sitting up more and resting against Calix’s side, Beatrice turned towards the other Gestona and bit down on her lip. “Hey, ummm...I’ve gotta tell you something, Mel.”

Mel had quickly made herself comfortable, curling up on the bed with a book and mindlessly thumbing through the pages. She tried her best to ignore Enzo - any attempt at conversation just resulted in hostility anyway.

When she heard Beatrice’s anxious voice, she glanced over, frowning.

“I don’t like that tone, Bea. What’s up?”

She ran her long, slender fingers through her hair, unable to meet her friend’s emerald green eyes. “I can explain Enzo’s behavior, and I really oughta start by saying that it’s all my fault,” she said quietly, letting a sigh out slowly, the air ballooning her cheeks and making her look like a chipmunk.

Mel sat up fully now, cautioning a glance towards Enzo, who was snoring softly in the corner. She said nothing, simply raising an eyebrow as a gesture for her to continue.

Calix glanced quickly at Beatrice, opening his eyes. This is not going to be good news, he thought.

He gripped her tight, giving her ‘boyfriend support’. She knew something they didn’t and Calix could feel the sharp spike of adrenaline begin to thunder in her chest as the truth pestered on the edge of revelation.

“Bea?” he asked softly, “What do you mean your fault? What’s wrong with him? What’s wrong in general?”

She gently patted his hand, hoping to calm him down a little. Ever the medic, he was already on high alert, trying to figure out what the problem was so he could help fix it. And she appreciated it, but right now, Mel needed somebody on her side. “I...ummm..so you remember when you told me about you and Vincent?” Beatrice started out, offering her friend a weak smile, daring to look up at her friend. “You said that you’d tell Enzo when the time was right, but that could mean anything from tomorrow to three months from now really. Anyways, er....Enzo and I were trying to work things out so that we’re not always fighting because we have to have each other’s backs, especially now that we know Ibori is the one behind it all.

“And he said something about you, I can’t even remember what specifically, but he was trying to blame you for something and I said that the kiss with Vincent wasn’t your fault: that he started it and you ended it. I guess all he heard though was that you and Vincent kissed because next thing I know he’s barging out of there like a raging bull ready to shatter a china shop,” she said, rambling on a bit, wringing her fingers. “I’m so sorry, Mel.”

Mel felt all colour drain from her face. She flopped back onto the pillow, squeezing her eyes shut as an icy chill swept through her.

Of course. Of course he knew. That explained everything. She’d worried that might have been the case, but…

“Fuck,” she hissed, lightly tapping her clenched fist against her forehead. “Fuck. Of course.” Sighing, she mustered a smile in Beatrice’s direction. It probably looked more like a grimace. “It’s not your fault. I should have told him.”

Calix’s eyes widened as he listened to Beatrice beside him. What she said shocked him: he certainly was not expecting what he heard.

Vincent had kissed Mel? He had always been overly flirtatious, especially towards Mel, but… it was a step far… wasn’t it?

Too many questions starting crying out for attention, bickering and shouting inside his skull. He quickly forced them down, however. Beatrice’s soft gesture told him that it was Mel who needed the support, and Calix didn’t want her to see the surprise on his face. He swallowed his inquisition and glanced over Beatrice’s shoulder at Enzo.

He was this upset over a kiss?

“So, Vincent…” Calix said, turning back towards Mel. Her skin was a sickly shade of off-white, a colour that pulled at Calix’s heartstrings as a grim smile shone from behind the scrunched up features. “Did he actually kiss you? I mean, he kissed you?”

Mel stared at him, almost wanting to laugh at how dumbfounded he looked. If anything about the situation was remotely funny, she might have.

“I’m pretty sure,” she said flatly. “A bit of an expert on that subject. It was very kisslike.”

“I’m not going to question you on that,” Calix chuckled, realising any attempt at hiding his shock was failing miserably. “But, Enzo’s blowing one kiss a little out of proportion, isn’t he? Vincent kissed you - big deal? Right?”

Calix raised an eyebrow, challenging both the girls. There was something bigger taking root, more than just a single kiss. He could feel it.

Biology never lies.

Beatrice shrugged and laid back down, resting her head on his thigh, batting her eyelashes as she looked up at him. “They haven’t had the talk yet,” she said simply, a small smirk playing on her lips.

Mel groaned, grabbing a throw pillow and burying her face in it. She contemplated screaming to vent her frustrations, but she knew the action would wake Enzo. Sighing, she pulled the pillow away, fixing her eyes on its woven design.

“Not everyone finds this as easy as the two of you. I’ve never done this before. I’ve never really been in a serious relationship before if that’s even what this is. Enzo certainly isn’t giving me any tips.”

“It’s not easy,” Calix said, chidingly placing his fingers to Beatrice’s lips and giving her a playful, cautionary glance. Not another word, his warning seemed to say.

“Relationships are never easy. Bea and I, well, we got lucky. The pieces fell into their rightful place fast. But, that doesn’t mean it was all smooth sailing. There were twists and turns and bumps. We got through it all though - which is why it looks easy. We work damn hard to make it so.”

The sudden shift in Mel was palpable, and Calix missed the old Mel quite quickly. She looked completely different: her Horatian humour was gone; the defensive, Juvenalian commentary dropped; and a vulnerability shone through that Calix hadn’t seen before. She was potentially falling, or had fallen, for someone - otherwise, why would she care what he thought about a kiss and why would he drink himself into a senseless stupor over who she kissed?

“I’ll talk to Enzo in the morning,” Calix said, almost laughing at the suggestion. “Give him those tips you need.”

Mel smiled at him. What a guy.

“Thank you, Calix. Don’t go out of your way, though. It might not do you any good.”

Beatrice chuckled quietly and swatted his hand away, smiling up at her boyfriend. “She’s right. Look what happened when I tried to help,” she said, lifting her head to look at Enzo who was loudly snoring in the corner with a pillow clutched tightly in his strong arms.

“I’m sorry,” Mel said, feeling a pang in her chest. It was only now she realized he must have taken a chunk of his anger out on Beatrice. “I know you two don’t get along to begin with. If he got mad at you because of something I did…”

“Nonsense. He’s all bark and no bite,” the Samoan witch insisted, waving her hand around in the air. “And if you went around apologizing everytime he yelled at somebody...well, it might just be easier to move in with me,” she teased. “It’s not your fault, Mel, and since then we’ve actually stopped fighting.”

“Okay…” Mel nodded, feeling something like resolve spring up inside of her. She settled further down onto her pillow, her fingers brushing the cover of her book.

“Mel move in with you?” Calix asked, a theatrical and mockingly hurt look in his eyes, “What does that make me, sweetheart, the space filler?”

“Of course not! The Observatory’s got five bedrooms in it. So that’s one for Ry, one for Mel, one for you and me, and we’ve still got two left over for guests or dogs or something,” she said, counting them all off on her fingers. “And anyway, Mel’s also a Gestona so it’d look a lot less suspicious for her to move in with me now than you.”

“I’m touched,” said Mel, eyes twinkling. “That sounds really nice. Honestly, once this is all over, I’m probably going to hole up in my dad’s cottage and never come out. Or live at sea on his boat.”

Calix tenderly tickled Beatrice as he slipped his legs out from underneath her head, pulling the corner of the blanket down over her as he stood up, his knees groaning as the joints folded and unfolded.

“Well, if you ever do decide to come back to see us landlubbers, Mel, you’ll always have a place to rest your head at Bea’s. Heck, even mine,” Calix smiled, crossing the room to the fire. He looked down into the glowing flames, the pale rays of moonlight competing with the golden firelight on the blackened hearth, and contemplated how easy it would be to make a cup of tea without a teapot.

As he thought, thinking how pleasant a sugary tea would be, he glanced back over his shoulder. He looked at the girls, glancing at the snoring pair at the other end of the Den, and finally at the swirling mist of maroon tendrils that crept along the walls. And, it was getting late - Bea and Mel deserved some rest. “I’ll take the watch tonight, you two relax and get some sleep.”

Beatrice nodded and pulled the red silk sheets on the bed back, sliding between them. “Let me know when you’re ready for me to take over,” she said, pulling the pillows from the other side of the bed behind her back to compensate for his absence.

Mel followed suit, sliding beneath the covers and feeling sleep quickly creep up on her.

“What Bea said,” she said, yawning loudly.

Wishing both of them goodnight, Calix turned back to the fire, the joints in his fingers popping as he drew symbols into the rising air by his hips. The fog, dancing along the walls, the floor, and the ceiling, answered his call, thickening as his protective spells took hold.

He had no intention of waking any of them. He slept very little at night. If anyone had to take the night shift, Calix was the one who was most used to working through the small hours and most suitable to keep them safe while they slept.

Ibori…

It was all his fault...

He best watch his back.