#I still don’t know what the deal with this is because most of these horrendous demons get killed in jttw

[earl-of-221b]

I am literally sooooo excited for Black myth Wukong after seeing that launch date trailer. All these beautiful pieces of art and story tidbits, full of history and creativity and life, and none of the central pilgrims have even been shown except Sun Wukong himself briefly.

Like, they have shown the most niche characters like Black Wind Demon Bear and the wolf Lin Xuzi. They showed some of the beautiful spider demonesses, and the narrator of the launch date trailer might be one of the four dragon kings, if not the Eastern Dragon King.

But not a single pilgrim outside of the monkey character (who may or may not be Sun Wukong), has been shown. I’m beyond excited, it means they’re going to leave Tang Monk, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing, and probably the white dragon horse as reveals in the game!!!! I’m so arrested by everything about Black Myth Wukong!!!

[ktownshizzle]

Nerd & Nerdier | Chapter 2

✎ ˎˊ˗ Pairing: Min Yoongi x reader, Jeon Wonwoo x reader; endgame? x reader

✎ ˎˊ˗ Genre: Fluff, Attempt At Comedy, Roommates au, Love triangle

✎ ˎˊ˗ Summary: Moving in with two introverts should have been easy. Not when it’s Min Yoongi and Jeon Wonwoo, who decide they both want you. Unhinged, awkward, and nerdy as hell, they proceed to compete for your attention in the most unnecessarily dramatic fashion that culminates into a… rap battle.

✎ ˎˊ˗ Warnings: Wildly gratuitous, You might 100% chance you’ll fall in love with both of them so that’s a problem, no mxm dynamics to be expected

✎ ˎˊ˗ Chapter Warnings: Not betaread! Really horrendous freestyle rapping! Yoongi and Wonwoo are actually quite fond of each other despite being competitive…

✎ ˎˊ˗ Word count: 1.5k

✎ ˎˊ˗ Posting date: February 22, 2025

✎ ˎˊ˗ Notes: Okayyy so I did not expect to find my people, but I am glad I did and we are here because I am really loving writing this story on a deeply delulu level. Publishing this on my way to a concert so sorry if formatting seems off for whatever reason.

Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

Roommate Rule #2: If You Must Compete for Your Roommate’s Attention, Do It In Stealth Mode. - Jeon Wonwoo

It started with a bookstore.

Technically, it started with Wonwoo casually suggesting the bookstore like it was nothing. The very moment Yoongi left to use the bathroom.

“Noona, you said you wanted something new to read,” he said. “There’s this small shop in Sinsadong. I can take you.”

You, bleary-eyed and still half-asleep, had only managed a distracted nod as you shoveled cereal into your mouth. Sure, you thought. A casual bookstore trip. No big deal.

You should have known better.

The bookstore was exactly what you’d expect from a hidden gem: narrow aisles, overstuffed shelves, and the faint smell of old paper. The kind of place that practically whispered stay awhile as you wandered through.

And Wonwoo? Wonwoo fit into the space with unsettling ease.

He moved through the aisles like he’d memorized the layout ahead of time, occasionally pausing to pull out a book and glance at the synopsis before either handing it to you or quietly sliding it back into place.

It was… kind of impressive. In a nerdy, what-the-hell way.

“You’d like this one,” he said at one point, handing you a novel. “It’s got that slow-burn tension you like.”

You narrowed your eyes on him, a teasing smile on your lips. “Since when do you know what kind of tension I like?”

He shrugged like it’s nothing, but his ears are pink. “You mentioned it once. When we watched that terrible drama with the fake arranged marriage plotline.”

That… was over two months ago.

You took the book from his hands without a word, hoping he didn’t notice the heat rising in your cheeks.

When you reached the register, you instinctively reached for your wallet. Wonwoo beat you to it, smoothly sliding his card across the terminal without so much as a glance in your direction.

“Hey!” you protested, as you watched the machine read: payment approved. “I can pay—”

“Don’t worry about it,” he said, handing you the bag.

“Wonwoo.”

“Noona.”

“I could have—”

“You can just owe me,” he cut in smoothly.

Your eyes narrowed. “Owe you what?”

He smiled, slow and almost smug. “I’ll let you know.”

You left the shop with a new book under your arm and a weird feeling in your chest that had nothing to do with plot twists or romance tropes.

You were halfway home when it hit you like a brick to the face.

Wait.

Was that a date?

Your steps faltered, and you turned to Wonwoo, who strolled beside you like he hadn’t just shifted the axis of your entire existence.

“Did you just take me on a date?” you asked, mildy accusingly.

Wonwoo’s head tilted slightly, mouth twitching like he was trying not to smile. “No…?”

“Are you sure?”

“Did I call it a date?”

“Well… no.”

“Then it wasn’t.” He pushed his glasses up his nose and glanced at you, eyes glinting. “Unless you want it to be.”

Your brain short-circuited.

You stared, mouth opening and closing like a goldfish. Wonwoo gave you one last, knowing look before turning into the building.

You stood there for a full ten seconds, processing, before stomping after him.

Yoongi was already in the kitchen when you walked in your apartment, the book from the bookstore still tucked under your arm. He clocked it immediately. His eyes flicked to the bag, then to you, then to Wonwoo then back again. His jaw shifted.

“I had fun, noona…” Wonwoo turned to you, then nodded to Yoongi. “Hyung.” Before he skipped happily to his room.

“Bookstore trip?” Yoongi asked, voice casual.

“Yeah,” you replied, setting the bag down on the counter. “Wonwoo invited me.”

Yoongi hummed. He didn’t look at you as he reached into the fridge. “You said you wanted to try that new ramen place, right?”

“Uh… yeah?”

He straightened, shutting the fridge with a soft thud. “Let’s go tomorrow.”

It wasn’t a question.

The next day, you found yourself sitting across from Yoongi in a nice Japanese restaurant, trying to figure out what the hell you’d just walked into—and why is Yoongi wearing cologne?!

Yoongi, of course, looked completely unfazed. He flipped through the menu with one hand while lazily drumming his fingers on the table with the other. His sleeves were pushed up, exposing his forearms, and your eyes trailed the veins towards his ringed fingers. Oof. This is bad.

After ordering, he was quiet as usual but he keeps giving you these charged gazes. When the food was served, you called him out. “You’re being weird.”

“You always say that,” he replied.

“Because it’s always true.”

He smirked slightly. “Eat your ramen.”

You were halfway through your bowl when Yoongi casually pushed a piece of gyoza towards you with this chopsticks.

“What?” you asked.

“It's good.”

You leaned forward to take a bite. The filling was rich and the skin soft but had a crispy underside, and you hummed in approval.

“Good, right?” Yoongi asked.

“Mmhmm.”

When you glanced up, he was already watching you, his eyes dark and steady. Your eyes dropped to his lips, glazed slightly, plump as ever.

Your stomach flipped for reasons that had nothing to do with the food.

And then—

“Yo.”

Your soul left your body. Because standing at the entrance of the restaurant, glasses fogged slightly from the cold, was none other than Jeon Wonwoo.

Wonwoo bowed to the receptionist quickly as he walked closer. “Wow. What a coincidence.”

Yoongi’s face darkened. “You followed us, didn’t you.”

Wonwoo slid into the chair beside you, completely unfazed. “I was just in the neighborhood.”

He reached for your water glass. Yoongi’s eye twitched.

You groaned, burying your face in your hands.

This was getting out of control.

By the time Saturday rolled around, you were exhausted from the nonstop one-upmanship.

So you made the mistake of suggesting a low-stakes game of Uno. Something chill, you thought. Something easy.

You were an idiot.

What followed was an hour-long exercise in passive-aggressive warfare.

“Draw four,” Yoongi said, slamming the card onto the table.

Wonwoo barely blinked. “Reverse.”

“Draw four,” Yoongi repeated, his eyes glinting.

“Reverse.”

“Draw four, motherfucker.”

“Reverse, asshole.”

Meanwhile, you sat there with seventeen cards fanned out in your hands, questioning every life choice that had led to this moment.

“Guys,” you tried, voice strained. “It’s just Uno.”

“It’s never just Uno,” Yoongi muttered, playing another +4 card.

“This is war,” Wonwoo agreed, eyes narrowing.

You groaned and threw your cards onto the table. “I can’t with you two.”

And then, as if the universe decided to add insult to injury, the Bluetooth speaker shuffled to Epik High’s “Born Hater”.

The opening beats filled the air.

You closed your eyes. “God, no.”

“What?” Yoongi asked, glancing toward the speaker.

“Nothing.” You rubbed your temples. “Just… you two should have a rap battle or something to settle this.”

You laughed. It was a joke.

But when you opened your eyes, they were both staring at you.

Wonwoo adjusted his glasses. “A rap battle?”

Yoongi’s lips curled into a slow, dangerous smirk. “You scared?”

Oh no.

The next minute, your living room has become the site of the most unnecessarily dramatic rap battle in history.

Yoongi stood on one side, cracking his neck like he was preparing to defend his underground rapper title. Wonwoo stood on the other, stretching his wrists like he was prepping for an MMA fight.

You sat on the couch, blanket clutched to your chest, already regretting your life.

“Alright,” Yoongi said, voice low. “You started it. You go first.”

Wonwoo stepped forward, eyes locked on Yoongi.

“Yoongi-hyung, writer, producer, always at the cusp of fame,

The only thing ‘bout your lyrics is they all sound the same,

Stop with the sad boy shit, hyung, betta switch up the game.”

You pressed a palm against your gaping mouth.

Yoongi’s nostrils flared. He exhaled slowly. Then:

“You said game? Wonwoo, you think you got game?

Nah bro, you is kinda lame.

Missin’ shots like a broken-ass joystick,

I’m player one, bitch, you’re just my fuckin’ sidekick.”

The tension spiked.

Wonwoo adjusted his glasses. 

“Oh, that’s real cute. But lemme put you on mute.

Thought that shit's gonna bring me down.

Hey hyung, has she seen your fanfic account?”

“I—THAT WAS PRIVATE!” Yoongi roared.

You collapsed into laughter, wheezing as they devolved into personal attacks:

“You record voice memos like a psycho—“

“You write on your books like a child—“

“You alphabetize the spice rack—”

“You think chopsticks go in the dishwasher—”

“Alright, that’s enough!” you gasped, leaping to your feet and planting a hand on each of their (surprisingly toned) chests. “Jesus Christ.”

They froze, breathing hard.

“So?” Yoongi asked, wiping sweat from his brow. “Who won?”

You stared at them. Then shook your head. “You both lost.”

You walked toward the kitchen, grabbing your phone. “I’m ordering pizza.”

Behind you, there was a pause.

Then:

“…Fair,” Wonwoo muttered.

“Yeah, okay,” Yoongi agreed.

But as you scrolled through Coupang, you felt it:

Their eyes, both locked on you.

And if you didn’t know better, you’d swear they were both thinking the same thing.

This isn’t over.

Chapter 3 >

A/N: sooo? Team Yoongi? Team Wonwoo? Team K- for writing that stupid rap battle?! Hahaha

Tell me what you think! Thank you for reading ✨💜

Permanent Taglist:

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Divider by: @cafekitsune (thank you!)

[bomber-grl]

Dating headcanons!! (Ftm reader edition)

Pairing(s): Characters x FtM!Reader

Characters(s): Will Solace, Leo Valdez, Nico Di Angelo

Asked for either or, you shall get all

Will Solace

Will solace the man that you are

Honestly is the best person to talk to about your identity and everything

Most likely to buy you an endearingly cringey cake when you come out to him (if you haven’t already)

Alongside the horrendous trans merch he can get his hands on

That you still choose to wear despite being “disgusted”

Anyways

Will is always ready to have those heartfelt and serious talks when you need them most

He’s definitely the most validating person in the room

Like seriously I cannot stress this enough

He’s always taking you to spaces where you’d feel safe and if he can’t find any- he’d make them

Other words for saying he’d be more than happy to be your safe space

Your progress or journey with your identity is one that Will is more than happy to experience with you

Even if you end up lashing out or getting frustrated- he’d be there to ground you and help calm you down

ESPECIALLY then

Even little moments of offense or hurt from others can be taken by Will and made into references to weird inside jokes

- ones that you have to keep telling him to stop making and then he continues for the pure joy of seeing you shake your head knowingly

Also if you’re on t (injection) then he’d be more than happy to help you out

Saying that as someone who’s ok around needles, but if I had to give myself a shot

Rip

Just ask your sunshine medic-at-16 bf to help you out

Because of course everyone has one of those

Also would and has scolded you if you keep your binder on for more time than you’re supposed to

You’re already running on thin ice with all the physical action demigods go through per day

I can only imagine

Yknow maybe it could serve as a sign to go schedule that top surgery appointment /hj

Hj Cuz of the state of the real world

Anyway

Leo Valdez

Honestly did not know you were trans at all when you first met (if you’ve already transitioned or not- he’s a block head)

Neither did he ever consider you as romantic partner for the very reason that you’re a guy

(Just only ever considered girls)

And yet here we are

Dating Leo is honestly just the average experience of any person

Chaotic, fun, and also dealing with the crippling traumas demigod life has offered you and refused to acknowledge when you did not want it

Which I guess could include you being trans depending on your experience

Whether you pass or not is something else and regardless you’ve faced discrimination or at least some sort of fear when revealing at one point or another to others

Which you luckily don’t encounter all that much at camp

(Considering the zest fest camp half blood is)

Let say you’re just transitioning and decide to tell Leo

He’s immediately talking about having your back and willing to listen to your new pronouns and new name (if you’d like one)

He’d be a bit awkward but not because of what’s going on rather because he uses humor all the time and refuses to make a joke out of this one serious thing

Also ☝️

He’d be the best person on this list about making you feel seen bro I’m not even exaggerating

(Idk the others seem pretty good too)

Leo and being invisible or last choice go hand in hand so the last thing he’d ever want you or anyone he loves feel- is feel unimportant

He’d want to validate your identity and make sure you’re comfortable enough to be your truest self around him

Which is honestly better than anything he could ask for

Conflicting feeling and situations are bound to arise

Whether about yourself, others or just anything really

Just talk to Leo because if not he’ll literally explode

And why wouldn’t you?

Even if he’s using humor and convos are a bit awkward- it doesn’t make him incapable of having any serious ones

So pull up a chair and talk to him when you’re having a rough day surrounding your identity

The worst thing that can happen is nothing

Because he’ll always support you and also talk about how he’s felt shitty before to atleast make you smile

That’s one continuous long term goal of his he’ll never reach

Also if you’re on t (injection) - never expect this gremlin to help out or so help us all

Nico Di Angelo

Cool. He loves you and so you’re his boyfriend now.

That’s all there is to it

I sort of see him as the type to try to not make a big deal out of your identity and stuff

Partially so you don’t feel like he’s walking on egg shells (he knows the feeling)

But also because he’s unsure of if that’s him crossing boundaries (again, because of his personal experience/ preference)

You got a new name? New pronouns? He’ll happily call you them

Again, he isn’t the type to be overly dramatic or loud with his support but he’d show it in more subtle ways

His understanding of identity and validation makes him sensitive to what you need more often than not

So even though he won’t always have the words to convey how he feels, he’s always there to listen

Also, his reassurance is always so heartfelt

Random but something to add since Nico is obviously sarcastic and can be misleading to some

Anyway

We all know Nicos trait of being over protective to those he loves so naturally it extends to you by default

If anyone would even misgender or deadname you in front of him- regardless of if it were on accident- he’d correct them without fail

Not that he makes a scene at all

His presence is already scary enough

(The books alone are proof

+ Though only done if you feel comfortable with it)

Many people experience different things but I feel like acceptance is one many people have gone through and tried to achieve at one point or another

Nico was a conservative Italian raised catholic (who is gay) from the 1930s

If someone knows about the trial of self acceptance

it’s him

So even if it’s not exactly the same- he understands the conflict that goes on and is always there to hear you out

Also you can’t tell me that he’s gotten wack ass pride/gay merch as a way of being supported by other campers when he came out

Mostly annoying ones but I digress

So as a rite of passage he’d gift you some cringe trans merch in hope of making you laugh

Something to add is that if this is more fresh Nico

Ig you could say

Then he’d be really guarded like to the max

So even though present him would be as stated as above- younger Nico would definitely be way harsher to those who offended you

I don’t make the rules

[jellojelli]

Welt, Blade, Luocha, & Svarog: You’re Pregnant

*a/n: for all intents and purposes Svarog has the necessary accessories lmao*

Tags: fem!reader, pregnancy, slight angst, fluff

Welt

If you were to tell Welt that you were pregnant he would love for you to tell him in a silly or a way that makes him think about it for a minute. Something like putting buns in the oven or sitting next to two piles of ice while giving him a goofy look

When you told Welt you were pregnant expect to be literally lifted into the air as he looks at you with so much love it’s almost unbearable

He’s never been happier than to hear you say you were pregnant

It doesn’t matter if you two are only dating at this point or married or if this baby was planned or not, Welt is so happy. He loves you, he’s pretty sure you are going to be his last love no matter what so he’s happy to start a family with you

If you’re scared or unsure about going through with the pregnancy don’t feel conflicted on his account. He is going to love you through it all. No matter your decision he’s okay with it. And if you’re worried about being a parent Welt will gladly hold your hand and help you learn and become more confident in raising kids. He's also more than happy to essentially show you how he deals with March, Dan Heng, and the trailblazer

Welt is pretty rational, but I feel like this man has already bought and/or built everything a kid ages 0-4 could ever need and assembled a nursery on the express before you’re even done with your first trimester. Not to mention everyone is so ecstatic for you both that they’re also buying and decorating the entire express

Please don't expect to lift a finger during your entire pregnancy because if it's not Welt doing it for you its literally every other person, minus Dan Heng if it's something that you can clearly do on your own (he still offers his help because lets be honest he is a gentleman and if you’re with Welt he has mad respect for you)

Blade

Blade is a somewhat reasonable man, he's strong, and while sometimes he doesn't necessarily think everything out when he goes out to fight he can always find a way out. However, this news has left him literally shell shocked. It's gonna take you or another Stellaron hunter to snap him out of his thoughts

He is not going to sugarcoat the fact that he isn't exactly thrilled by this news, and if you tried to be cute with it he's not to happy you weren't just upfront and straightforward about something like this with him. But, Blade will not leave you or hate you for whatever you decided to do regarding the baby

He makes sure you know that he is less than ideal for a father, he's losing his mind, sometimes it's hard to control his violent tendencies, and he's not the most tactful person in the universe. He understands that these things make others view him as toxic, and he would never deny that, so he wants you to know that this child is likely going to go through hardships because of him

Blade didn't make the connection when you first told him about your pregnancy, but eventually he'll realize that his regeneration ability has a chance to pass onto the child and the scene of destruction you discovered after that was horrendous and also the most emotion you've seen on Blade's face. he looks haunted by the idea that his child will live like him and have to suffer an eternity without any out. It takes a lot of comfort and logistic talk with Blade, you, and the other Stellaron Hunter including Elio for him to feel even a shred of peace about this possibility

Surprisingly, Blade will set up an amazing nursery for you and the baby. You have no idea where he got the items, and its probably best not to ask, but the nursery is beautiful if not a bit bland

Blade will leave all color, toy, clothes, and baby care items to you. Not that he isn't trying to be involved with you and the kid, but he doesn't really know or care about those things, so he will leave them in your ever capable hands since you are bound to know leagues more than him. He will of course accompany you in shopping and offer whatever opinions he may have with some of your choices

Please expect Kafka and Silver Wolf to throw a baby shower for you. Not only that, Kafka is incredibly happy for you and Blade and helps you out anytime Blade isn't there. Silver Wolf also joins in with helping you, but it's less so since she's still young and to be honest doesn't know how to properly help you other than just handing you stuff and being there for you when your hormones are getting the better of you

Elio also gives you some cryptic, but somewhat kind words for you, Blade, and the baby's future together

Luocha

Luocha probably knows before you do. He's not a licensed doctor or trained in pregnancy symptoms and care, but like? He's traveled for who knows how long and he's seen a thing or two out there, and he's 99% sure that you are pregnant before you ever sit him down to tell him about it. I mean the weeks of morning sickness were a huge sign, especially when his treatments failed to do anything for you

Don't take offense, but Luocha isn't either ecstatic about the baby or displeased about them. He is happy to start a family with you, but he also brings up that this is going to be tough for you, him, and the newest little member if you plan on coming with him around the universe. He can't exactly stop being a traveling merchant as how would either of you make ends meet if he quit his job and eventually you can't work for an extended amount of time, but he would never force you to travel around with him where you may be in some less than comfortable areas during your pregnancy

No matter how you plan to do this, Luocha is 100% on board with your plans. He loves you, you are his everything, and even if he has to travel back and forth or carry you, the baby, and his coffin he will do what he must to be with you

Luocha will likely set up a house for you regardless on if you plan to come with him or not. He wants a stable location for his family once the little guy is out

You can bet that he has the house furnished and everything built and in place in no time. I feel like he's got connections and knows people that know people to get the job done asap

He leaves some fun aspects for you to do though, picking out nursery designs, clothes, toys, decorations for the home, he will leave it all for you and do what he can to get you everything you need or desire for the baby and y’all's new home

And don’t worry, if you go into labor on the road you are with the most capable healer and will make sure you and the baby are safe and happy

Svarog

Okay so, telling him you're pregnant is pretty much going to make Svarog do the equivalent of a blue screen. You’ve legit made this robot man crash and reboot

Svarog 100% knew that he could get you pregnant, you know this man has run 1000 and 1 different simulations and calculations to see if pregnancy was even possible for you two. And obviously the chance was a 0.0001% probability and he ignored that the possibility wasn't zero because those odds were supposed to be impossible, but here you were telling him you both beat the impossible and and beat the 99.9999% chance of this not happening

You would have to call in Clara to help Svarog and also tell her the amazing news. Clara is so excited by becoming a big sister that it kind of helps Svarog regain his composure and reboot his systems

He will want to discuss a lot about what is being created inside of you. This is a situation that he is not equipped to deal with and there is no simulation or calculation he can run that will tell him anything about what is going to happen now

However, Svarog is ever responsible and dependable and will never leave you uncared for during this time. Please rest assured that he will have you and Clara on baby proofing and baby planning duties until the baby comes, all while granting your every desire to assure your 100% happiness

Would never admit it, but he’s happy to have a second child, and he’s even happier that Clara is so hyper about the newest addition, if not a bit sad that she’s already maturing more and more in preparation for becoming a big sister

Expect some very confused and joyful congratulations from some of the prominent figures in Belobog. Bronya and Seele are the most confused, but offer their congratulations and Bronya even offers to accommodate you in the best hospital when you go into labor. Natasha is also happy for you and offers to be the one help with the delivery. Sampo…Sampo gives a lot of teasing comments that probably get a rocket fist sent his way and a pouting and scolding Clara on his heels

Taglist: @stygianoir

[moonlight0934]

Stuck In A Loop

Jack looks down at his lap, tears brimming his eyes. The cold damp cell that he’s normally kept in feels darker today, even though there are no windows so it’s always really dark. This is practically all Jack has ever known. He wouldn’t do the things Lucifer asked from him, because he knew that wasn’t what his mother would want, and he was sure that Castiel would save him. So, Lucifer started stealing parts of Jack’s grace, not that Jack knows what Lucifer is using it for. He knows that to Lucifer, he’s just an unlimited power source, and there’s nothing that he can do to get away since it also saps most of his energy along with his power.

His greasy hair falls into his eyes, and he doesn’t even have the energy to push it back. Jack is tucked back into the corner so he’s still upright without having to support his own weight. He feels like he’s stuck in a horrendous loop of exhaustion, torture, and pain. Despite what he knew from his mother’s memories, he feels like this is the only thing he’s ever known. He has no way of knowing how long he’s been stuck here, but long enough that no one is coming. That no one is going to save him. He’s just going to be stuck in this circle of violence until Lucifer decides that it would just be easier to absorb Jack’s grace entirely.

Sometimes when he sleeps, he sees Castiel in his dreams. He’s with two men that Jack can never remember enough of the dreams to remember their names. Some part of him thinks that it’s the last bit of his grace, but the rational part knows that it’s just his imagination looking for any escape from his current existence. The cell door opens, and a burly man walks in. Jack recognizes him as the one that deals with Jack in whatever way Lucifer needs three days out of every week. He’s not sure of anything else about the man other than his name, which is Andrew. Andrew walks over, and drags Jack out of the room. He pulls him down the concrete hallway, to the room where Jack’s grace is stolen every day.

There’s a chair in the middle with straps to hold Jack’s hands and feet down, not that he has the energy to fight nowadays. Sometimes they don’t even use the straps. Andrew does though, and Jack soon finds himself trapped in the chair. Andrew grabs a large needle, then inserts it near Jack’s collarbone. The area is raw, red, and still tender from doing this every day. No matter how many times he does this, Jack is never ready for how painful this process is. His vision blacks out, and he can vaguely hear himself screaming. Though he isn’t sure if that’s in his mind since his voice mostly doesn’t even work from disuse.

When Jack’s vision comes back, Andrew is dragging him down the hall back towards his cell. He lets Andrew take his weight, not trying to right himself since it’s more likely than not just going to make him fall again. Andrew chucks him into the cell, and slams the door. Jack curls up where he is, his muscles screaming in protest. He’s shaking enough that he can’t curl up fully, but he still tries. Eventually he’s able to close his eyes and fall asleep.

Castiel leans forward against a table that both of the other men are sitting at too. The one with longer hair looks sad, and the one with shorter hair just looks angry.

“Look, I get it, Cas. You were upset when you came back, and we didn’t know where the kid went, but there’s no way he’s still alive by now,” the second man says.

“That would please you, wouldn’t it, Dean?” Cas snaps, glaring at Dean.

The other man sighs. “Come on, guys. This isn’t helping anything. We all know Dean’s thoughts about Jack, but we have other things to worry about.”

“I’m just saying, if his grace has been undetectable this long, and no one taught him how to hide, he’s probably not around anymore. We need to shift focus.”

Castiel walks out without another word, and the man with longer hair glares at Dean.

“Come on, man. You can’t keep doing this. I understand how many things we have to deal with right now, but that’s his kid. Never mind, I’m going to talk to him. You just keep looking through these books.”

The man gets up, and walks out in the same direction that Castiel went. Dean rolls his eyes, but opens the nearest book.

Jack blinks, his eyes sticking together a little bit. He has to remind himself to breathe, coughing as the mildewy smell hits him. He levers himself up on shaking arms, his head spinning. He can hear someone laughing, but it sounds distant.

I must have slept for a while. Normally my hearing is still shot by the time I wake up.

Jack pulls himself up into a sitting position, holding himself up with no issues. He listens to the sounds of people nearby, even though he can’t hear well enough to tell what they’re talking and laughing about. Jack closes his eyes, trying to banish the feeling of hopelessness that’s been plaguing him. Waking up feeling better gives him enough of a boost to realize how depressed he’s been. It feels like there’s some kind of hope of Castiel coming. The rational part of his brain knows that his mind is just playing tricks on him with his dreams, but maybe his dad is still looking for him. Maybe he can keep Jack safe if he can find him. Jack can feel the remnants of his grace flowing through his veins.

Maybe I can send him a signal before they realize that it came back faster this time. How would I even do that though? I don’t know how to use this power at all.

Jack looks down at his hands, squinting at them. Small white light dances in little sparks around his fingers, accentuating his gaunt skin and the bones in his fingers. Even the occasional time that he does have a little extra power left over, Lucifer has always noticed before he could do anything with it. This feels exhilarating, and Jack feels a small smile cross his face. The ache in the muscles and joints in his hands and wrists starts to fade away. It’s not much, but Jack still finds himself shocked as the glow fades away. Footsteps pound down the stairs, and the cell door is flung open a few seconds later. Jack jerks back, his hands reaching out to catch himself as he falls.

A few people storm in, and drag him out of the cell. Jack yelps as his shoulder slams into the edge of the wall as they’re passing a corner. His eyes are wide as he’s pushed into the chair, and strapped down. His head is slammed to the side, stars shooting across his vision when his jaw hits the headrest. The needle is slammed into his neck, and this time he doesn’t pass out. He’s awake for every second, and it’s almost like the beginning again. Jack can feel his muscles spasming as his body tries to get away from the thing causing him pain.

“Someone get the boss, and ask him what he wants to do now,” someone yells from a few feet away.

Jack closes his eyes, trying to take as deep of a breath as he can. His chest is starting to feel tight, and the world is beginning to sound like it’s underwater.

Sam watches Cas exorcise the last demon, and his eyes drift to the child in the middle of the room. He’s strapped to a chair, and there’s a vial nearby with a glowing white liquid in it. The boy is thin enough that Sam could count each and every one of his bones. His skin is pale, and his short dirty blonde hair is unkempt. There’s a red area around the right side of his neck, leading towards his collarbone. His hands and feet are also strapped down.

If Sam was being honest with himself, he wasn’t sure that they were even going to find Jack there. When Cas was able to pinpoint his grace, Sam thought it might have been a fluke. However, he’s right in front of them. Sam’s heart constricts as Cas takes a careful step towards Jack.

How could someone do this to a child? To their child? What has he been through?

Cas gently eases the straps off of Jack’s hands. However, he doesn’t stir until Cas is pulling the restraints off of his ankles. He immediately jerks back, trying to get away from Cas. Sam can see the pure terror in his eyes as he realizes that he’s still stuck. His movements after that are slow and sluggish as he lowers himself back down. Cas straightens up, and Jack’s eyes go wide.

“Jack?”

“Castiel?” Jack whispers, his voice wrecked.

Cas and Sam exchange a look.

“Yes, I’m here to take you home. I’m so sorry that it took me so long, Jack.”

Jack throws his arms around Cas’ shoulders, shaking like a leaf. Cas wraps his arms securely around Jack, then whispers something in his ear. He picks Jack up, and turns back to Sam.

“We’re leaving.”

They’re quiet as they rush away from the compound back to the car, which Sam drives back to the bunker, where Dean is waiting. Jack is asleep again by then, and even Dean starts upon seeing the kid.

“What happened?”

“We’re not sure. He was like this when we found him.”

Jack stirs in Cas’ arms.

“Are you really here?” Jack whispers, his fingers tightening around the edge of Cas’ coat.

Cas nods, obviously trying not to cry.

“Yes, we’re going to get you cleaned up, and in bed so you can rest. Is that alright?”

Jack nods, then buries his face into Cas’ chest.

“Dean, can you get one of the spare rooms set up for him? Sam can you help me with him? I want to get him into clean clothes at least. He might want his hair washed too. I don’t know, but this can’t be comfortable.”

Sam nods.

“I’ll get everything set up in the bathroom, and see if I can find any clothes that might fit him.”

Sam heads to the bathroom after finding a pair of sweatpants, and a cotton t-shirt. Cas comes in a few minutes later, still carrying Jack. He gently places Jack on the lid of the toilet, and Jack immediately lets go of Cas’ jacket.

“He said no to washing his hair, he just wants the clothes.”

Cas carefully pulls the thin shirt over Jack’s head, and tosses it into the garbage before replacing it with the one that Sam brought. Jack is letting Cas maneuver him, but he isn’t doing much else aside from staring ahead blankly. Eventually Cas manages to get Jack changed, and picks him back up.

“I’m going to get him to his room. Once he falls asleep, we can talk. You can wait with me, or just check in occasionally.”

Sam nods, and watches Cas take Jack away. His eyes prick with tears that he doesn’t let fall. He composes himself, then walks to find the room Dean picked for Jack. Cas is sitting there, one hand holding one of Jack’s. Jack is already asleep, and tears are dripping down Cas’ face.

“My baby.”

Sam tucks his hands in his pockets, looking away.

“It’s ok, we’ll figure this out. We can help him,” Sam says after a minute.

He puts a steadying hand on Cas’ shoulder, also watching Jack carefully. Cas lowers his head.

“I failed him, but it won’t happen again. I’m not going to let anything hurt him.”

Sam nods.

“I understand, and I’m sure he will too.”

“I hope so.”

[sioniestyn]

Nadja and Female Rage

If you have had the fortune of seeing What We Do In The Shadows (the TV show), then you will know the character of Nadja. There’s something enticing about her, no? Perhaps it is the stellar performance by Natasia Demetriou, perhaps it is her honesty, or perhaps it is her femineity. I believe that what is enjoyable about Nadja is her sexuality and her female rage.

Female rage has been circulating online for a while now. It has been, unfortunately, tied to female incel circles. But, outside of these circles, I believe it still has use. Female rage is the existential anger women and those who are identified as women feel towards patriarchy. It’s the anger of being stuck inside on a Friday night because you just can’t deal with sexual harassment right now. Imagine Artesimia Gentileschi painting women decapitating predatory men. It is that essence. A woman, with power, taking on men who make the lives of women unliveable.

Nadja, throughout the show, specifically targets predatory men. Most notably in the Season 1 episode where she takes Jen, a new vampire, out to kill her first man. Nadja hypnotises a man, telling him that he will respect women much more after their interaction. She encourages Jen to target another man who has disrespected her. She talks openly about her frustrations with her husband, Lazlo, focussing on his obsession with battles and warfare, typically masculine endeavours. Nadja so clearly expresses the pain women feel at the hands of men who do them harm. She, too, expresses that little voice inside you. That voice that wants to make these men feel small. That voice that wants to explore its sexuality guilt free; without the burden of feeling like a whore. This burden pushes women to indulge in fantasies that involve force. It is not because women, or those who are identified as women, enjoy force. Rather, it is because of patriarchy that women have to imagine their sexuality intertwined with force. If you didn’t totally consent, then your can’t be a slut, can you? This fact can be heart-breaking. And this is what Nadja pushes against. She is a woman who enjoys sex in her own right. Not only that, she is a woman who we know has struggled, and has had men in her life stand by her during the struggle. Touchingly, Lazlo recalls the fact that he pushed back against men who rejected Nadja based on her Romany heritage. Nadja is beautifully placed to be a woman who can rid herself of horrible men, who can fight for herself without shame, and has the support of men in her life. Nadja is the ideal modern woman from the perspective of women. She is a self-contained human (vampire, technically) who fights for herself, but, conversely, does not need to fight for herself. She is supported by herself, but is also supported by the men in her life. She has everything.

It is hard not to feel jealous of Nadja, even though I wouldn’t want to be a vampire. There is something appealing about your safety being contingent on you, not on the men around you. But there is something sad about it. Why do those identified as women have to become immortal, powerful, undead beings in order to protect ourselves? The onus for change is not on us, rather it is on men, a disempowering fact if there ever was one. Why do we have to rely on “good men” to support our safety? Because the majority of men are the danger. If you can stomach it, look at the rates of sexual violence. The reality is that even the light figure (the figures that are reported and recorded) are horrendous. How do we educated boys to not be predators? Is it a continuation of patriarchy that it is on us, feminine-identified people, to educate boys? Yes, it is. But what do you do when your back is against the wall? What do you do when your very being is at peril? I’m sorry, but I don’t know. The men I know are receptive to this, and have changed their ways. We can only hope that all men do this. And isn’t that horrible.

At least some men are taking a stand.

[ineffable-suffering]

A Small Nugget of Appreciation for the Good Omens Cinematography

i‘m by far not the most qualified person to analyse cinematographic details and the way shows are shot, BUT: upon re-watching S1 for the quazillionth time, i finally figured out what it was that always made me so horrendously uncomfortable about that One Scene in S1E3, when Aziraphale goes to Heaven to tell the archangels what he figured out about the Antichrist (who‘s not actually the Antichrist, whoopsie-doodles).

it just always made me feel so uncomfortable because, well, the way they’re having this conversation is absolutely awkward, as per usual, but it‘s not just that. i took a closer look at how the whole scene is shot and then the metaphorical lightbulb (let there be light!) went up over my head. okay, so, here‘s the deal:

at first, we get this extremely wide-angel shot of Gabriel and the other archangels walking into the room. (sidenote: Azirphale is already there and waiting, so they absolutely made that dramatic, weirdly lined-up enterance on purpose, probably to Assert Angelic Dominance, lol). like, you almost have to squint to see them in the massive, empty hall that is Heaven. it gives you an immense feeling of distance. coldness, even. angels are always described as "beings of love and light" but this shot, among many other things that happen in this show, shows us that that‘s not actually true when it comes to each other (and to humans too, let‘s be real: the archangels don‘t give a goat’s rat's ass about what happens in and to the World).

so anyway, this shot immediately let‘s us know two things:

they rudely let Aziraphale wait for them to do their little runway walk with all the attention being on them

there is no closeness, friendliness or warmth between any of them and least of all towards Aziraphale

you can see this very well in one of the other shots while they‘re all still talking:

you‘d think this was a candid from 2020, mid-pandemic, with how far they‘re all standing apart from each other. and they‘re all facing Aziraphale like a wall. a clear statement: you‘re over there, we‘re over here. you‘re not one of us. (also notice how they‘re not facing him in a centered way but that it‘s actually only really Gabriel who‘s opposite of Aziraphale? despite being the first one to have entered from the right? again: hirarchyyyy)

and now comes the part that stands in such stark contrast to these wide, open, distant shots: the extreme, almost fish-eye-like close ups:

these scenes of then talking are what made me feel so uncomfortable and sort of out of place. i don’t know about you, but they almost make me want to take a physical step back from the screen to get some distance. it‘s like Gabriel and his squad are really distant but in the next second they’re invading ones personal space and– oh, hm. well. that’s exactly it, isn’t it?

it‘s firmly established that they don’t care about Aziraphale, least of all see him as an equal. both by the opening shot and the way they speak to him. but then that feeling is being interrupted with them absolutely crowding Aziraphale up against the figurative wall (aka our tv screen) and interrogating him. they‘re all up in his business as soon as he reveals he has information they might want. they’re nosy, inquisitive and they make both Aziraphale and us feel very uncomfortable and invaded in our space.

in all the ways, this scene conveys on both a dialogue and cinematographic level, that Heaven and the archangels are extremely distant and cold towards each other (and Aziraphale), while at the same time getting way too uncomfortably close and up in Azi‘s business as soon as they suspect he has information they may want.

and one last observation: during this whole conversation, none of the archangels are ever filmed together in one shot (unless it shows all of them vs. Aziraphale):

which is just another way of showing: they’re only "united" when it‘s them against whoever they see as inferior/a threat to them. but when it comes to the archangels as a group just by themselves, they‘re no less distant, weary and unliking of each other than they are with Aziraphale (or Muriel, for example, in S2).

in S1E1 hastur and ligur make a this whole big deal about „demons not trusting each other“ and we‘re made to believe that it‘s probably different with angels. but it‘s not. they‘re nothing short of untrustworthy themselves and proper assholes to everyone within and also outside of their own ranks. same thing as demons, just in neat suits.

except for Aziraphale, of course, God and Satan bless his heart.

alright, that's it. crappy cinematography analysis over. see you again when my hyperfixation catches on another one of the ten million details in this show, xoxo.

[psychic-refugee]

I tried to give Good Girl’s Guide to Murder a fair shot, but I couldn’t make it past the 2nd episode.

I find it boring, the pacing is weird, and Pip as a character I don’t find likable or compelling.

Emma Myers was fun as Enid, but for this project I feel like they were more banking on the heat of her popularity from Wednesday rather than a good fit for the role. She doesn’t have an English accent and I feel like part of the pacing was stilted because she was focused on trying to keep an accent.

“True Crime Enthusiasts” rub me the wrong way for the most part, and Pip definitely feels tone deaf and abrasive when she “interviews” people trying to solve the Andie Bell case.

I understand she’s a teenager doing a school project and can’t expect her to have professional interview skills, but I don’t know why anyone would talk to her. Especially when she more or less ambushes people randomly about a murder that happened years ago. And these are friends of the missing and the deceased and she thinks they should just talk to her because she’s doing a school project.

Some of the interviewees did tell her basically to fuck off, but I wouldn’t have sat down with her at all. Like a) they’ve likely already given their statements, so go to the police station and FOIA what you can you lazy arse. lol b) These were their friends and Pip clearly has an agenda. She readily admits she thinks Sal was innocent and her questioning and attitude denote that.

Meanwhile they are probably still grieving the loss of their friend AND dealing with the idea that he could have done something horrendous.

Besides “bribery muffins” to Ravi, she doesn’t offer compensation for their time, and she fucks up the interviews anyway.

I’ve seen some say the book is better and they cut out a lot anyway, which feels on par for a Netflix series since they only do 8 episodes.

So, my questions are, does Pip become more likeable as the series progresses or is she simply better in the book? I could try to power my way through more episodes if people say it gets better, and I want to support Emma Myers, but otherwise this is a DNF series for me.

As someone going in completely new and with no expectations, this series cannot stand on its own.

[luq-s1m0ns]

Random HC of the main 4: Summer jobs?

Ariana:

I think her vibe fits more in a cafe than anything (you're welcome to tell me otherwise, i’m going off a very vague hunch)

You cannot tell me she absolutely didn't try to deck someone (A Karen) when on shift

She was literally the best student in the Cave, it's even mentioned in the Animox Wiki (where my ass goes when i'm doing research and taking notes about them)

She definitely knows how to make any fight look like an accident

She's probably that one barista who’s super aloof but a genuine sweetheart when you get to know her

Simon stops by and refuses to look her in the eyes as he buys a fourth cup of pure sugar and caffeine

She’s worried for him but still makes him the drink

She’s awesome under pressure, she was trained to be a spy, c’mon!

Jam:

Idk, probably a librarian or a life guard

As a librarian:

Reads a bunch of fantasy and classics, i bet

Would read Percy Jackson, and fall in love with how Percy is (while also being kinda jelly) and or, daughter of the deep (which, i’m gonna read after getting a physical copy)

Gushes about the books to Simon, when he visits—because Ariana and Winter, though they love Jam, cannot deal with his rant like Simon does

Simon’s like: “Oh, that’s cool. My interest is piqued, tell me more,” and all that, when dude’s getting snippets of how fast Jam’s talking but, he doesn’t mind

People think he and Simon are a couple because of it, and they don’t really care bc—in my eyes— they’re queer

He has that thing grandma’s have on their glasses so they don’t slip off and break and Winter makes fun of him for it.

As a life guard:

Simon swears up and down that he didn’t send Jam goggly eyes his way, but Ariana and Winter’ll tell you otherwise

Swimmer body, duh

He’s from California, he has to have a tan

Amazingly good at throwing people over his back like a sack of potatoes (He did it to Simon once, and immediately gotten his bicep bitten because Simon was sleeping)

I can imagine him being a bit uncomfy with mouth-to-mouth CPR, so he does a lot of chest compressions to compensate

Insecure about his scars even though it’s makes people swoon

Winter:

I can’t imagine much but she’d be someone who works at Sephora.

She’s definitely gotten Simon make-up to help with the scars and made a skincare for him. (I mean, she patched him up with socks and duct tape, what’s a little make-up and skincare gonna do?)

Definitely made Simon her guinea pig for trying new products out

Has probably given Simon hives and rashes because of the makeup, much to his displeasure and her horror

Uses PETA approved products. Simon insisted, because empath and animal abuse isn’t cool, and Winter’s ‘Fifty-fifty’ about the matter but obliged

Simon:

My trauma-wanting instincts say ‘he’s jobless, man can’t do jack’ but my pitiful side says otherwise so:

Probably a libarian or a mechanic (because of the Leo and Drew art i look at)

As a libarian:

Standard stuff

Nolan visits to annoy him and read comics

Then gets told by Simon’s boss to ‘get back to work’

Simon has to get him a nametag that says Nolan Thorn in all bold so they don’t get mixed up

Jam and him probably work the same shifts

They say the most horrendous things like it’s a normal Tuesday while everyone else is recovering

As a mechanic:

He learned from Darryl

Tell me otherwise, i need a good father-and-son relationship and it won’t be Malcolm and Nolan or Isiah and Jam (Darla doesn’t exist, sorry if you like her but Zia and Malcolm being together gives me the ick)

He’s like a Caucasian Leo

Somehow always has grease on him, it’s even in his hair

Somehow looks like a country bumpkin in his greased up overall and sneaks

Winter, despite it all, still hugs him

Had a a portion of his hair ripped off because of his coworker

Constantly gets his haired seered off that he jokes that he doesn’t need a hair cut

[cloudcountry]

assigning the ikepri characters love languages with my very limited knowledge of their characters because i thought it would be fun PART TWO

(part one: ikevamp)

sariel had me stumped for like twenty minutes HELP!!! i literally have no idea but uhhhhh hm. acts of service maybe. BUT ALSO WORDS OF AFFIRMATION but not in the cheesy way, in the way where he likes praising mc when she does something well C:

nokto seems like he’d be really touchy or just praise the people he cares about a lot. i’m leaning more towards praise, so words of affirmation? but honestly this man is an enigma i don’t understand HELP

leon is so physical touch coded...i am not sure what it is. he just seems like such a sweetheart that would love holding his lover and swinging them around and touching them in any way he could. very tender vibes :((( he seems so kind.

chevalier.....HMMM CHEVIE..............maybe quality time??? since he doesn't really seem to find other people all that interesting or like spending time with them. since he likes spending time alone, his time might be precious to him and sharing it with his lover could be a big deal. idk HELP

licht is a hard one but i guess physical touch? maybe? but im also getting an acts of service vibe. i know literally nothing about him though except for the fact that his route is really really sad.

clavis has the unfortunate love language of making you horrendous food (okay so yes i might have looked through my friend’s playthrough of him but that means NOTHING okay i still don’t know anything about him SHHHH) ANYWAYS an actual love language...physical touch maybe? i remember seeing somewhere that he's a leg man LMAO

rio is NOT debatable. he is words of affirmation. but yk, whatever love language you want him to have he will have. but seriously just from the prologue alone i’m convinced if words of affirmation had a definition it would just be his face.

jin seems like he would be all for physical touch!! i feel like he's one for words of affirmations too but i think he’d like holding his partner...kinda like leon but with less puppy dog energy???

yves seems like he loves giving quality time!! i’ve played a little bit of his route so obviously i know a bit more about him than i do the others right now but he takes time out of his day to make sure the mc is comfortable. just spending time with them is enough and i think that’s so sweet :C

luke is kinda tough too but i think he’d appreciate quality time? he seems to like being alone for the most part and honestly i can picture him just spending time with his lover whenever he can. he’s another one that seems really sweet honestly :C

gilbert’s love language is killing people for you /j but um actually i think maybe. quality time? vio HELP. i think he likes reading so maybe reading w him in the library. i dunno he’s got me stumped.

keith seems so sweet :(( um i think!! words of affirmation!! he seems like someone that would think he might hurt you if he touched you, so physical touch doesn’t feel right to me. he does seem like the type to whisper a soft “i love you” or hold pinkies.

silvio screams gift giving and i don’t know if this is because nobody else has given me gift giving vibes or because he seems like a rich brat type BUT. gift giving methinks. he jingles and jangles and maybe you should jingle and jangle with him

[buckysgrace]

Thirty

“Where were you last night?” Rosemary questioned as she glanced towards Billy, “You weren’t in your room when I left this morning.” She stated as she pushed her blonde curls from her face. Billy felt a pang of worry blossom within his stomach, hoping that she hadn’t checked Kim’s room. 

“I went for an early jog,” He lied as he twisted his ring around his finger, “I snuck out, figured it was better than waking everyone up.” He said with a shrug of his shoulders, like it was no big deal. Which, it really shouldn’t be. He was eighteen.

He’d woken up in a better mood this morning. He actually felt more improved than he had in a long time. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this happy. He felt like something inside of him was bubbling, threatening to overfill in the best sort of way.

He’d woken with an itch to clean, only to remember that Rosemary’s house was fairly spotless. He’d gone through their bathroom and reorganized it all, scrubbed at the walls and the floors. Then he moved onto Kim’s room, who slept through most of his deep cleaning. It wasn’t as bad as what he remembered, but perhaps that was because he’d been staying there with her. 

He did Max’s room next, who had just stared at him in annoyance while he bustled things around. He didn’t really care because her room was horrendous. He had plans on deep vacuuming her floors while she was gone, maybe even scrubbing down her desk drawers. He had plans to make it into Russell’s room, but was unsure if he’d like that or not. 

“Oh,” Rosemary’s features relaxed as she exhaled gently, “Well that’s good. Do you like the neighborhood?” She asked a second later, like nothing was wrong. Billy tilted his head back and forth, wondering how much he could get away with. She didn’t seem like she wanted to punish him, but it only made him wonder how far he had to push. 

“It’s close to the beach,” Billy told her as he pulled the glass of water up towards his lips, “That’s nice. It’s nicer than where we used to live, I guess.” He shrugged his shoulders as he thought about their former house. It wasn’t in a bad area, just on the opposite side of the town. It wasn’t as nearly close to the beach either. 

“That was still a nice house,” Rosemary said softly as she thought about it, “I think Neil hated living there.” She mumbled, almost sounding like she was speaking to herself. Billy felt his head snap up, a little taken aback by her revelation. He began to tap his foot against the floor, feeling like it was moving on its own. 

“Why?” Billy asked, feeling a sense of desire to know more about them rising in his chest. He couldn’t remember Neil mentioning anything about hating the house. He didn’t understand why Neil would stay if there were negative connotations to the house. 

“I guess because it brought up bad memories of his dad,” Rosemary shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t know. I couldn’t ever understand why he did half the things that he did.” She said briefly, looking like she no longer wanted to discuss the issue. Billy felt a little defensive suddenly, knowing that he didn’t act on his best behavior because of similar reasons. 

“Because his dad was mean to him.” He reminded her quickly, observing the way she bustled around in the kitchen. She paused for a moment before she shook her head, almost looking like she didn’t care. Billy suddenly wondered how bad things had been with Neil. 

“Yeah, well,” Rosemary grumbled underneath her breath, “That doesn’t give you the right to do that to other people.” She told him softly, looking like she understood what he was feeling. He looked down at his hands, feeling a little awkward as he tried to make sense of what to say.

“Is her car fixed?” Russell asked as he bounced his way into the kitchen. Billy leaned back against the counter, watching the way the ice cubes bounced against the side of his cup. He breathed in deeply. 

“I think so,” Billy said a second later, “I’m going to finish testing it tomorrow.” He told Russell slowly, leaving the invitation open in case he wanted to help. He thought about asking Max as well, but she had been a bit more reserved lately. He made a mental note to try and figure out what was going on.

The sound of the front door opening caught all of their attention, leaving them in silence for a moment as the sound of the radio carried into the kitchen. Sam appeared a second later, his forehead still sweaty from the sun. He still wore his bright shirt, still fresh from the construction site. He ruffled a hand through Russell’s untidy hair before he approached Rosemary. 

“Hey,” Rosemary turned her head up, grinning brightly as Sam bent over to kiss the top of her forehead, “Could you talk to Kim about locking her door at night?” She questioned him, looking concerned suddenly. Billy stalled as he held his glass of water up towards his lips again. 

“She had her door locked?” Sam questioned Rosemary, his eyebrows knitting together before he connected the dots. Billy watched as he chewed on his bottom lip, looking rather irritated suddenly. Sam shot him a quick glance, looking rather frustrated. 

“I just want to make sure she’s okay,” Rosemary insisted quickly, “That everything is comfortable for her, you know?” She said worriedly, suddenly looking like she was worried she had said something wrong. Sam shook his head as annoyance spread across his features. 

“I’ll talk to her.” He responded briefly as he turned away, not sparing Billy another glance as he walked out of the room. Billy looked away, feeling just as awkward suddenly. He didn’t think Sam would be so sensitive about his rules. 

“What’s his deal?” Russell asked in confusion as he began to much on an apple. He glanced over his shoulder and Billy waited for the sound of the door slamming, his body stiffening on his own. He slowly willed himself to relax when no loud sounds entered the house. 

“He was an alcoholic babe,” Rosemary said softly as she kissed the top of Russell’s head, “Some days are harder than others.” She told him gently. Russell nodded his head a second later, looking like he understood what she meant. Billy lowered himself closer into the counter, sure that alcoholism had nothing to do with why Sam was mad. 

////////////////////

Billy was excited by the time Friday rolled around. There was no school, which meant he had more time to soak up to Kim. He had big plans on getting rid of the other two, having a dire need to be with Kim in public again. He thought that his ideas were simple and grand all at the same time. 

Returning to work hadn’t been bad, but he felt like he had a pinched up energy that he couldn’t get rid of. He struggled to sleep, his mind feeling awake and at edge. When he got like this before he used to search out parties or sneak into bars, but he didn’t want to do that without Kim. Instead, he really had gone for a long jog within the early hours but he still felt jittery and awake. Almost like he was experiencing being drunk for the first time again.

The house was spotless. He’d taken all of the dishes from the cabinets and washed them all until they were sparkling. He had taken everything from the fridge to scrub at the shelves and within the crooks and crannies. He’d even scrubbed at the sofa and polished the floors but still felt like there was more to be done. 

“Skateboarding?” Russell questioned, “I haven’t really done it before.” He said as he chewed on his bottom lip. Max’s features were lit up, looking like she was bouncing with joy for the first time in weeks. 

“It’s fun,” Max reassured him quickly, “I can teach you some tricks.” She added a second later, looking like there was nothing that would come between her and getting out and about. Billy wondered how different it was for her now. Before, Sam left Kim and Max to do whatever while he was out. Now he was more present and they weren’t really allowed anywhere on their own. 

“Okay,” Russell shrugged his shoulders, “Do you skate?” He looked towards Billy with interest, excitement beginning to bloom inside of his blue eyes. Billy paused, trying not to feel guilty when he spoke up again. 

“I used to,” Billy brushed him off, “You’ll have fun with Max. There will be more kids your age.” He didn’t want to seem like he was ditching them, but he certainly was. He had no interest in watching over either of them. He just wanted to spend the day with Kim. 

“You’re not staying?” Russell tilted his head in confusion, looking a little alarmed like he realized what Billy meant. Billy was sure that Russell had been coddled in a way that the rest of them hadn’t been. 

“No,” Billy said as he shook his head, “Do you need a babysitter?” He asked a second later, knowing what the answer would be. Russell glanced towards Max, looking like he suddenly didn’t enjoy being put on the spot. 

“Well-,” Russell stuttered for a moment as his face burned, “Mom and dad don't like to leave me alone.” He said as he gestured his hands out wildly for a moment, looking like he was unsure of what to do or say. Billy chewed on his bottom lip, wondering if Russell would rat them out. 

“Why?” Max asked in confusion. Russell slumped his shoulders, looking like he was regretting speaking up. He paused as he began to tap his fingers on the table, a habit that Billy was slowly growing used to. 

“Mom says I could be kidnapped,” Russell mumbled, looking like he was regretting bringing the situation up, “It’s dumb. I can be alone.” He persisted a second later, looking rather humiliated as he glanced towards Billy again. 

“You won’t be alone,” Billy laughed, “Max will be with you.” He said as he teasing pushed his hair through Max’s moppy red strands. She swatted at his hands like she would a fly, looking rather irritated as she tried to straighten it out again.

“Okay,” Russell said with an uncertain tone, “What are you and Kim going to do?” He questioned him a second later, still looking like he was unsure about being alone. Billy paused, trying to think of a lie that wouldn’t interest Russell. 

“She wanted dropped off to see Tommy,” He lied as he glanced down towards the table, “I was going to work a short shift.” He shrugged his shoulders, feeling like it worked well enough. He could figure out the rest of it later. Russell slowly nodded his head, looking like he approved of the lie. 

Billy shifted down the hallway once Russell was finally convinced of the idea, determined to get Kim’s nose out of her book as quickly as he could. He had a million different ideas of what they could do today, each one sounding better than the last. 

“Hey,” He nudged Kim softly from where she was sprawled out on her bed, “Grab your sunscreen and bikini. We’re going to the beach.” He grinned as he touched the back of her thigh. His fingertips lingered against her exposed skin, almost burning from how badly he’d missed touching her. He felt like it had been forever, when it really hadn’t. 

“Now?” She looked at him confused as she dropped the book. He peered over her shoulder a bit, trying to decipher if she was reading one of her dirty books or not. The slight flush that settled over her cheeks told him that she was. “Did you have something else planned?” He said with a smirk, his mind beginning to race at what she did when she read those books. He wondered if she ever thought about the images later when she touched herself. Thus far, he had only caught her in the act once. Although he had heard it more than once, the idea of catching her touching herself made the fire grow deeper inside of his chest. 

“No,” She said quickly as she shook her head, “I’ll go get changed.” She said excited as she bolted to her closet. He chewed on his bottom lip, debating about watching her but then realized it was a bad idea. If he saw her strip down he’d never end up leaving the house with her. 

/////////////////////////

The sun was hot, the air breezy as they stepped onto the warm sand. Billy felt an itch growing inside of him, desperate to fully feel the waves crashing against his skin again. He was sure that he belonged to the beach, that he wasn’t meant to live anywhere else but here.

“It’s nice out,” KIm observed as she held her flip flops in her hands. She laid her towel out a second later, placing her shoes on top of it so it wouldn’t blow away. She peeled off her shirt and shorts next and Billy felt his eyes lingering against her pale skin. He let his eyes dip down the curve of her legs, then back up towards her breasts as she adjusted the straps on her bikini, “What?” She spit out, her cheeks beginning to burn as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“You look beautiful,” He said warmly, enjoying how the scarlet color raced down her neck. He grinned as he took the sunscreen from her, squirting some onto his hands before rubbing his palms together, “Turn around.” He told her, watching as she did her best to keep her short hair out of his way.

He lathered the sunscreen across her skin, watching the way her freckles already seemed to be more prominent. He wondered if they’d stay this dark if she went out into the sun more often, if her skin would eventually learn to tan instead of burn. 

“I think you got it,” She giggled softly as his fingertips continued to massage into the soft flesh area around her hips. He grinned to himself, trying to keep his hands at bay so he wouldn’t fully grope her in front of everyone, “Thank you.” She replied sweetly as she began to do her front half. 

“I could’ve done that,” He told her, smirking to himself as he watched the way her hands quickly brushed over her breasts. She shot him a shy smile as she continued to work, “Can you get my back?” He asked her once she was finished.

“Yeah,” She said kindly as she rubbed the sunscreen into her hands this time. He turned, jolting a little bit as she began to rub the chill lotion against his warm skin. He breathed in softly, enjoying the way her soft fingers worked into his skin, “Do you even burn?” She teased him softly as she rubbed her fingertips into his shoulders.

“Not a whole lot,” He grinned as he glanced back towards her, liking the way her eyes gleamed in the sunshine, “Come on.” He said as he tugged her forward, gripping her hand in his. She squealed softly, stepping over the mounds of sand as they made their way into the water. 

The wet sand molded under his weight and dipped in between his toes as the cool waves began to hit against his ankles. Kim shivered for a moment before she waded in deeper with him, sending him an excited look as they moved further and further into the depths of the ocean. 

Once the water was hitting against his chest, Billy allowed himself to fall completely under with the waves. It dragged him for just a moment as he held his breath, enjoying the cold sensation of the water spreading down his body. It felt like a gentle kiss as the waves tickled the top of his head and traveled down to his toes as it dragged him a few inches back.

“It’s kind of cold,” Kim observed, her hair still dry when Billy finally emerged from the blue water, “It must be the weather changing.” She said to herself, squinting her eyes as she found herself deep in her thoughts. 

“It’s still better than the fucking snow,” He grinned as he watched her, “I won’t miss that.” He told her truthfully. He thought that it wouldn’t be so bad to spend a week or so in the snow, but he certainly couldn’t do another winter out there. 

“My dad was asking about my door being locked,” Kim said as they moved their bodies with the motions of the waves, “I don’t think he was happy about it.” She responded as she twisted her features up, looking like she was embarrassed at the thought. 

“He can’t expect us to never see each other,” Billy responded quickly, “Otherwise you’ll have to miss school.” He grinned as he pulled her towards him, gripping her waist and bouncing her in the motions with the waves. 

“Oh boy,” She giggled as she wrapped her legs around his waist, and held onto his shoulders with her hands, “I don’t think he’d like that either.” She told him happily as she leaned forward to press her lips against his own. He deepened the kiss, letting his lips drag against her own as the sun melted against their skin. 

He lost track of time as they swam back and forth. He enjoyed picking her up and tossing her into the waves, his heart hammering to the sound of her loud laughter that filled his ears like a melody.

“What are you doing?” He asked, watching the way she kept her eyes drawn towards the water. Occasionally she’d move her foot quickly, stepping on something before she waited for the water to retreat so she could grab it with her hand.

“Looking for seashells,” She said, slowly letting the watery sand drip from her palm as she inspected what she held in her hand. Billy peered over, wondering if she found anything useful, “I liked doing this. Shells are pretty.” 

“Did you collect them?” He asked her curiously, trying to remember if they had spoken about this before or not. He was fairly certain that they hadn’t, but his mind suddenly felt so jumbled that he couldn’t remember. 

“No,” Kim said as she glanced up towards him, smiling brightly, “But I still have the one you gave me.” She replied sweetly, smiling sheepishly towards him. He grinned to himself before he began to search on his own. He peered about for a bit until he pulled one forth. 

“What about this one?” He asked her curiously as he held it out towards her. It was white and tan that had odd bumps and ridges along with odd twists within it. He was sure that he had never seen a shell look so odd before. 

“Cool,” Kim breathed out as she held the shell up, “It’s from a Festive Murex. It’s from the Muricidae family.” He stared at her for a moment, trying to make sense of the words that she’d just spoken. It sounded like she was speaking her own secret code that he wasn’t a part of. 

“I have no idea what any of that means.” He laughed as he told her the truth. He bumped into her as the waves rocked against his back. She moved with him as she continued to observe it. 

“Sea snail,” Kim grinned as she held it up, “It’s really pretty.” She told him honestly as she looked at it as the sun gleamed off of the shell. She brushed her fingertips across the harder ridges in interest. 

“Did Sam teach you that?” He tilted his head curiously, but was sure that he already knew the answer. It sounded like it was very nerdy, something Sam would be an expert in. 

“He may have a book or two about native seashells in the area,” She grinned shyly, “It’s really cool though.” She nodded her head as she held it in her hand, looking like she was determined to keep it. 

“Are they rare?” He asked her as they slowly made their way up towards the shore. Billy enjoyed the feeling of the sun digging into his skin, fully covering him as the water became more shallow. 

“Not to this area,” She explained as she traced her fingertip over the edges of the shell again, “I’m going to put it up in my room.” She said excitedly, glancing down at the shell rather than where she was walking. They walked back towards their towels before they plopped down. Billy found himself stretching out, not caring if the sand ended up everywhere. 

“I wonder how much these apartments cost.” He replied as he observed them. They were bright and colorful and really close to the beach. He thought it would be fun to live somewhere so close to the beach with Kim. 

“I thought you didn’t want to move out yet?” She questioned him in confusion as she laid on her back on her towel. She kept her hair away from the sand as she messed with her towel until she was able to lay out comfortably. 

“Maybe not yet,” He told her softly as he thought back to that conversation, “It would be nice though. We wouldn’t have to worry about anyone else.” He said as he thought to himself. They wouldn’t have to sneak around anymore and they could go swimming whenever they wanted. Billy really wanted to get back into surfing again as well. 

“We need to tell Rosemary first.” Kim reminded him as she turned to look at him. He thought about it, but brushed it off again. He didn’t think she needed to know about them right now. 

“She’ll live,” Billy replied as he leaned forward to kiss her cheeks, “We can figure it out later.” He told her as he slid his fingers inside the band of her bikini bottoms. She gaped, her eyes widening as he playfully snapped them against her pale skin.

They lounged out in the sun for a while before Kim handed him the sunscreen again, looking a little worried about getting burnt up. He didn’t blame her and ensured that he scrubbed in enough to keep her pale skin from burning too brightly. 

He paused for a second afterwards as he reached behind him, digging in the bag that Kim had supplied for them. He removed the camera that he’d packed along, feeling a desperate need to collect a series of photos of her again. 

“Smile,” Billy told her seriously as he held the camera up towards his eye. Kim looked at him a little surprised, the air from the ocean catching her red strands as some brushed in front of her features. Her hazel eyes turned a golden color from the sun, her cheeks more pink than usual and her freckles twice as visible from being out in the sun, “You’re beautiful.” 

“Stop being so sweet,” She mumbled as she crawled across the sand, sitting between his legs as she rested her hands on his knees, “I can’t handle you being so sweet.” She grinned shyly as she observed his features. 

“Mhm, yeah?” He grinned as he leaned forward to press his lips against hers, enjoying the taste of salt against them, “Get used to it.” He told her seriously as he placed his photograph of her away. She giggled as settled back between his legs.

“Take one of both of us,” She said suddenly as she moved to sit next to him, “I want another one.” She replied gleefully as she held their hands together. He wasn’t sure how she ever thought he’d deny her of anything. 

“C’mere,” He mumbled as he pulled her against his chest. Her slender body curved against his perfectly, fitting like a soft puzzle piece as he pulled the camera up into the air. It was slightly odd to maneuver, but he managed to keep it balanced as she placed her warm cheek up against his. He felt his lips curling into a smile, sure that she was doing the same as he snapped the picture, “Looks hot.”

“I can’t believe we went to preschool together,” She said a second later, examining the picture in one hand as she used the other to tuck her hair behind her ear, “It’s cool.” She giggled softly, nearly looking too shy to add onto her thoughts. 

“Like fate,” He grinned as he brushed his fingertips across her thigh, “Are you hungry?” He asked her softly. He didn’t think he was too hungry, unless she was on the menu. He felt the need for her growing larger and larger inside of him. 

“I could eat,” She nodded her head as she looked around, “What’s nearby?” She turned to look, her eyes scanning up and down the strips. Billy shrugged his shoulders, feeling like he didn’t need anything too serious. 

“Does a sandwich sound alright?” He asked her softly, thinking that it would be simple and easy. She nodded her head, looking happy with his answer. 

“Sure,” She grinned brightly as she stood up. She wiped the sand from her bottom and the back of her legs before she placed her clothes over her again. Billy pulled on his tank top, only doing so in case someone decided to run off with it, “Should we bring something for Max and Russell?”

“I gave them cash,” He told her as they carried their sandy towels across the beach, “Don’t worry. They’re fine.” He reassured her. She paused for a moment before she reached forward and laced their fingers together. She glanced around, looking intrigued by the various spots they passed.

He opened the door for her, letting her walk inside first. He could feel his stomach beginning to grumble at the smell of toasted bread drifting through the shop. Kim held onto him close as they walked closer towards the front of the line. She stood forward on her tippy toes, squinting her eyes as she looked at the menu. 

“I’m so hungry,” She said as she held onto his hand, “What are you getting?” He forced his eyes away from her, taking a second to scan over the menu. He thought that just about anything sounded good. 

“Spicy Italian,” He answered as he quickly made up his mind, “What about you?” He asked as he squeezed their fingers together lightly. He enjoyed the way her skin molded against hers. 

“Maybe just the turkey and cheese,” She spoke softly. Billy couldn’t help himself as a snort left his chest, “What?” She looked at him offended, like she was crushed from his reaction. He bit his lip, thinking that it made perfect sense for her to take the regular sandwich. 

“Nothing,” He laughed as he kissed the top of her head, “That sounds good too.” He told her seriously as he held onto her. She leaned back against him, sighing deeply as she relaxed onto him. He grinned, enjoying the feeling of her weight against him. 

He ordered his sandwich first, then ended up ordering part of Kim’s too. She lingered behind him, looking rather shy as she whispered what she wanted into his ear. He massaged his fingertips into her palm, hoping to relax her just a little bit. 

Billy has to be slightly impressed when Kim adds in olives and pickles to her sandwich. Even more surprised when she allows them to add a little bit of spinach and mayonnaise. He can’t help but tease her when they compare their sandwiches at the end. His sandwich looks twice as big, like it would eat her sandwich for a snack. 

“It’s really good,” She mumbled as she chewed on her sandwich, holding a finger up to her lips so mayonnaise wouldn’t smear everywhere, “Do you want to try it?” She asked curiously as she held it out towards him. He grinned as he shook his head, figuring that she deserved to eat on her own. 

“If you’ll try mine.” He grinned in response. She stared down at his sandwich for a while as her features twisted up in uncertainty. He faced it towards her, giving it a soft squeeze to try and convince her that it really wouldn’t be that bad. She shifted in her seat. 

“No thanks,” She said a second later, “It has weird stuff in it.” She responded in a sing-song way, teasing him as she took another bite of her sandwich. Billy shook his head, wondering if Rosemary needed to continue to slowly introduce her to more foods. 

“Oh come on,” He urged her as he tapped his foot against hers, “Just a bite.” She sighed deeply before she leaned forward, taking a hesitant bite from the side of his sandwich. He shook his head playfully, noting how she avoided the peppers.

“Not bad,” She coughed softly as she covered her wrist over her mouth, “It’s a little spicy.” She nodded her head in agreement. He thought about pointing out the sandwich name again, but decided to drop it. He didn’t want her to think he was mocking her. 

“It’s good though, right?” He grinned, watching as she tore off a piece of her sandwich and handed it to him, “This is a lot of bread.” He said a moment later as he began to eat her part of the sandwich. He thought it would taste better with more vegetables, perhaps some mustard as well. 

“What do you mean?” She looked at him curiously as she took a sip of the soda they were sharing. Billy was sure he hadn’t eaten this bad in a long time. He’d have to make sure that he stayed far away from Rosemary’s desserts. 

“It makes me fat,” He said dramatically as he chewed through his sandwich, “I need to start working out again.” He mumbled a second later, sure that he had already gained a few pounds since moving here. He supposed he could get back to a stricter eating routine. 

“Why?” Kim asked him in confusion, knitting her eyebrows together as she looked at him in disbelief. He was slightly taken aback by her reaction, unsure of how to respond, “I mean if you want to do it, go for it. I love your body.” She giggled a second later, her cheeks turning flushed again.

“Thanks,” He grinned in response, feeling a little better about her answer, “If I get too big I’ll crush you.” He told her seriously, already fearing that he would break her sometimes. She seemed so fragile in comparison to him. 

“Nothing wrong with that.” She replied shyly, averting her eyes quickly as she picked up a discarded pickle. He chewed on his bottom lip for a moment, feeling her words settle in over his chest. 

“Slut,” He smirked in response, enjoying the way a flush settled over her soft cheeks, “Do you want to swim again?” He asked as he pushed his hand underneath the table and squeezed at her knee. She jolted for a moment, before she relaxed against him again. 

“Mhm,” She nodded her head in agreement, “I like swimming with you.” She admitted sweetly as she took another drink from the cup. He felt his heart flutter inside of his chest, unsure of how she was able to give him such a reaction from

They made their way back to the ocean once they were finished, finding a similar spot as they worked in between swimming and searching for shells on the shore. At one point his mind felt like it was racing too fast for him to keep up with. He rested against his towel, feigning that he was working on a tan while he tried to clear out his thoughts instead. 

He watched as she rested in the water and clapped against her knees, the gentle waves rushing over her as she held her hands loosely to her sides. His eyes traced over the sand that was stuck to the back of her thighs and against her bottom. He observed her peaceful expression, how relaxed she looked suddenly as he pulled the camera up to his face again.

He took the picture, deciding to keep it in his own collection as he pulled the film free. She looked as stunning as ever, like she was straight out of a dream. Billy suddenly wondered if anyone would be able to paint her image over his skin. 

“Hi,” She grinned as she came back towards him, her features relaxed and filled with delight, “Look.” She held out a smooth, round blue stone in front of him. It was barely bigger than a quarter, but was bright and pretty. “What is it?” He asked curiously as she dropped it into his palm. She grinned as she moved closer to him as she rested on her knees as the water from her hair began to drip onto the towel and onto his warm chest. 

“Sea glass,” She exclaimed proudly, “I thought you might like it. It reminds me of the color in your eyes.” She said slowly. Billy sat up so he could look at her better as he held the piece of sea glass in his palm. His heart pattered to life, feeling so full that he feared it may explode.

“Thank you.” He told her softly as he leaned forward to press his lips against hers. He placed his fingertips against her wrist, squeezing softly as he pulled her closer to him. She giggled against his lips, her smile meeting against his as deepened the kiss. He slid his tongue against her bottom lip, tasting away the salt on her mouth as her movements grew more hot and heavy.

She placed her palms against his chest, her fingertips slightly cool from the cold water. She pulled away first, her eyes flickering over his features as he attempted to lean forward again. She held him steady, grinning shyly as a flush settled over her cheeks. 

“Not yet,” She whispered softly as she began to trace her palms down his shoulders, “Too many eyes.” She teased him softly as she leaned forward to kiss his forehead. He nodded his head, although he no longer cared who was watching and who wasn’t. 

The beach slowly grew more and more secluded as the hours went on, until the sun was beginning to dip beyond the waves. Billy hated this time of the year. He hated how the sun went down so early and they were left in a bitter darkness for so long. 

“Have you been over here?” He questioned her as they walked further away from the intruding waves. It wasn’t much, just a pile of rocks but it did keep them hidden from the few people that were remaining on the beach. He figured there’d be more on Friday afternoon. 

“No,” Kim said as she followed behind him closely. She scanned the rocks, then the mounds of sand before she looked at him again, “What are we doing over here?” She questioned him, almost too sweetly as he pulled her forward. 

He pressed his lips against hers harshly, inhaling the taste of her lips against his own. She gaped in surprise, pressing her hands up to his shoulders before she slowly melted against him. She dragged her lips against his slowly, taking her time as he began to mold them closer together. 

He dragged his tongue against hers, enjoying the sweet taste that lingered inside of her mouth. He felt like he could kiss her for hours, like he could get lost at the feeling of her tongue against his own. He deepened the kiss, flicking their tongues together as a soft moan left her lips. 

He cupped his hands over her perky tits, enjoying the way they fit in his hands. He palmed them slowly, squeezing softly to enact a soft moan from her. He brushed across her hardened nipples, watching the way they poked out against her pink bikini top. 

“Billy,” She breathed out hoarsely against his parted lips as he began to lick against her lips again, “We can’t. Someone could see.” She told him nervously, her hazel eyes naive as she stared up at him. 

“No one’s around,” He pointed out as he dragged her forward by the hem of her bikini bottom. She giggled softly, stumbling forward with him as he pressed her up against him. He grinned as he wrapped his arms around her slender waist, “No one will see. I promise.” He mumbled as he held eye contact with her. She nodded her head slowly, leaning first this time to kiss him. 

Her lips dragged against his again, a little more firmer as she brought her hand up to cup the back of his neck. Billy groaned against her lips, grinning softly as he felt her tongue slowly pressing up against his mouth. He lapped at her mouth before he slowly traced his tongue up and down the length of hers. He curled and twisted it around hers, savoring the feeling of her tongue on his as he slowly slipped his hand into the front of her panties.

He stalled over the even smaller tuft of hair, slowly letting his fingertips cascade through it before he dipped his fingertips down further and pressed them against her wet cunt. She whimpered softly, her hazel eyes turning lustful as he slowly rubbed his index finger against her clit.

“I want you,” She breathed out hotly as she gripped his biceps, “Please. I need you so badly.” She gaped softly as she continued to rock her body up against his fingertips. He glanced down at the gap between their bodies, admiring the way she eagerly pressed her hips forward. 

“What do you need?” He teased her as he slowly dragged his eyes back up towards her. She knitted her eyebrows together, her lips parting as another soft moan left her lips. 

“My big brother’s cock,” She whined with need as she moved her hand down to palm at his stirring bulge. He groaned, pressing forward just as desperately as he felt the lust spreading from her dirty words, “Please.” She begged a little softer, her eyes searching over his features like she feared he’d say no.

“On your knees,” He grinned menacingly, enjoying the way she fell almost instantly. He moved around her, settling behind as he watched her glance around again out of nerves. He traced his finger down her spine, enjoying her soft skin as he slowly found himself to her pink bikini bottoms again, “S’alright. Trust me.” He mumbled as he leaned forward. She peered back at him curiously and he leaned in even closer, blowing hotly in her ear before he bit down on her earlobe.

She squealed softly in delight as he dragged her bikini bottoms to the side. He slowly removed his cock from his swimming trunks, giving his hardening cock a slow stroke before he pushed his fat tip against her pretty hole. He traced his tip around slowly, watching the way her slick gleamed from the sunlight before he slid himself inside. 

He leaned back on his knees, admiring the way her cunt squeezed around his cock. He paused for a short second, temporarily overwhelmed at how tight her pussy was clamping down around him. He groaned in bliss, closing his eyes as he fully filled her out.

She gaped, arching her back as she stretched her arms out high in the sand in front of them. He gripped her hips before he gave the right side of her ass a harsh slap, grinning at the instant way it turned red. 

“Oh,” She breathed out so quietly that he almost missed it. He grinned lazily as he gripped a hold of her hips and dragged her back along his thick cock. He squeezed at her skin again, slightly digging his fingertips into her flesh as he admired the way her body moved against his, “Oh God.” She squeaked softly as she laced her fingertips roughly through the soft sand.

He hummed in response, his heart feeling like it was racing even faster as the desire to feel her squirming underneath him grew. He picked a faster rhythm, sighing deeply at the way his cock continually pushed against her spongy walls. His body felt warm, fiery as he continued to drag her up and down the length of his cock. 

“Jesus,” He moaned, his eyelashes fluttering shut for a moment as he pressed his hand roughly against her ass, “You feel so fucking good, baby sis.” He hissed as he looked back down between them, watching the way his cock moved in and out from her tight hole. 

She cried out a little louder as he pressed her back against him roughly, their skin meeting roughly as he thrusted his cock deeper and deeper inside of her. He pushed his hand down until he was met with her hair, gripping the short locks tightly in his fingertips. He roughly yanked her forward, pressing her back up against his chest.

“Do you like that?” He whispered hotly as he tilted her head to the side, admiring the way her features were crinkled up in pleasure. His balls smacked against her exposed skin as he pushed his free hand in front of her waist to hold her in place.

“Oh fuck,” She spit out harshly, her eyes slightly rolling into the back of her head as she nodded her head yes in bliss. Her lips parted as moans began to roll off of her tongue, “Love it so much.” She whimpered as her eyes peeled up to his features again. He slid his hand back down her bikini bottoms, beginning to rub at her clit again to see if he could make her any louder.

She moaned as her head fell back against his, slightly rubbing against his skin from how harshly he was rocking into her. He groaned as he licked at the side of her face, the feeling of her wrapped around him suddenly too much as her pussy spasmed from the sensation. 

He nibbled at her ear again, dragging his teeth across her skin as he snapped his hips forward rougher and rougher. His knees were beginning to burn from how fast he was moving against the sand. He moved his lips down to her neck, biting down softly as she began to rock her body back against him. 

“Oh my God,” She whined as she moved her hands down to grip his, squeezing roughly as her pussy clamped down around him, “Billy, oh God.” She cried out, rolling her hips back harshly as she came down around him. He captured his lips against hers, wanting to taste her sweet moans as his high approached shortly after.

He stalled as he pressed up against her, his cock filling inside of her deeply as he coated her walls with his white spunk. He huffed against the crook of her neck, licking her salty skin as she whined in pleasure. He grinned, trying to catch his own breath as he peppered kisses up her neck.

“Mhm,” He hummed softly as he wiggled himself a little deeper inside of her, “You feel so nice.” He told her honestly as he traced his fingertips up her gentle sides. She shivered against his touch, her cheeks a little pink as she turned towards him shyly.

“Can we get in trouble for this?” She asked him worriedly as she began to glance around again. He cupped her chin to stall her movements, bringing her closer as he peppered a kiss on her lips to hush her worries.

“Maybe,” He felt his lips curling into a grin against her own, “No one saw.” He reassured her as he leaned back on his ankles, slowly pulling himself out before he adjusted her bikini bottoms over her hips again. The thrill of having her walk around with his cum inside of her walls for so long excited him. 

“Oh God,” Kim blushed as she stood up nervously, the sand sticking to her reddened knees, “What if someone did?” She squeaked out softly, her eyes darting around as she pulled her arms up over her chest. Billy chewed on his bottom lip, a little amused as he rose to her level.

“No one did,” He told her again as he took his hand in hers, “Seriously it’s fine. Do you want to look around before we go?” He asked her as he bent to retrieve the rest of their things. She looked at him softly before she glanced over and nodded her head.

“I guess we could,” She smiled softly as she walked with him. She paused for a second before she gripped her outfit and began to tug it on, looking bashful as she glanced towards him, “I feel sticky.” She admitted a second later, her face burning as she held his hand again. He felt a smirk tugging on his lips. 

“Hm,” He smirked playfully as they put their shoes on once they stepped foot onto the hot cement, “Wonder why that is.” He teased her as they headed down the street towards the stores. Kim grinned sheepishly as she gave his hand a soft squeeze before she turned her attention away.

They dipped through smaller stores, Billy’s mind racing as he suddenly felt an urge to get her something. He suggested many things, but she’d simply shrug her shoulders like she was too shy to agree to his gifts. 

“What do you think about this?” He asked as he held the bracelet up to Kim’s eye. She looked at it curiously, examining it. It was a simple white chain, with one sapphire placed right in the middle. 

“It’s pretty,” She said with a smile. Her answer was good enough for him as he began to turn away, fully planning on getting it for her, “Billy, no. It’s too expensive.” She said quickly as she followed behind him. He continued to pretend to look around before he glanced over his shoulder. 

“Who said anything about buying it?” He whispered as he glanced towards her. She looked at him curiously, not quite getting the hint until he began to shove it into his pocket. 

“You can’t-,” She paused as she watched him, suddenly looking frantic, “Someone will know.” She whispered quietly, glancing around. He nudged her softly, feeling like she was making the situation worse. 

“Yeah, you and I,” He chuckled at her, “No one saw anything.” He replied casually as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He pulled her close, keeping their movements relaxed as he pulled her out of the shop.

“Oh my God,” She looked at him with wide eyes, “I can’t believe you just did that.” She chastised him, looking worried. He laughed as he observed her again. She looked paranoid, like someone may come chasing after them. 

“They won’t even notice it’s gone,” He replied as he walked her back towards the car. He waited until he was a safe distance away before he pulled the bracelet out again. She protested for a second before she allowed Billy to slide it onto her wrist, “Pretty, just like you.”

“It is pretty,” She mumbled softly as she looked at it, “Just don’t steal again.” She told him quickly, giving him a look until he nodded his head in agreement. 

“Promise.” He grinned as he leaned forward to peck her lips, enjoying the taste of the salt that lingered there. She kissed him back a second later, sighing deeply against his mouth before they moved into the car. 

The drive to the skateboard was quick, seeming like it didn’t take nearly as long as what it did to get there to drop them off. The breeze was nice, calming as it washed over the two of them. Billy kept the music down lower, suddenly feeling a desperate need to tell Kim about anything and everything. He jabbered on in the same way she did when she was nervous, only he wasn’t nervous. He felt like something was threatening to burst free from his chest. She nodded her head to what he said, barely able to keep up before he was moving onto the next subject. 

“I feel like I have sand everywhere,” Kim mumbled as she stepped out of the car, “Like everywhere.” Billy grinned in response, about to tease her in response when he noticed Russell and Max limping towards them. 

“Oh shit,” Billy cursed as he walked forward. Kim snapped her eyes up, looking a little horrified as she walked forward quickly, “What happened?” He asked, turning towards Max quickly. She glanced towards Russell again.

Russell smiled sheepishly, then stopped as the motions clearly hurt. He had two neon band aids that were crossed in the shape of an x over the bridge of his nose. His bottom lip was cracked and the area underneath his right eye was swollen and bruised. His light blue shirt had a pool of blood soaking into it. 

“I was trying to teach him a trick,” Max said as she gestured towards her skateboard, “And it popped up into his face. What? It was an accident.” She groaned in irritation at the look Kim sent her.

“You need to be careful,” Kim reminded her in a soft tone as she cupped Russell’s head and tilted it back, examining his nose, “Does it hurt?” She asked him worriedly. He winced for only a second before he attempted to smile again. 

“Uh yeah,” Russell admitted, “I think I’m going to have a black eye.” He said cheerily, looking like he was enjoying that fact. Billy shook his head, feeling like he’d had enough black eyes for the two of them. 

“It’s not broken is it?” Max sounded worried this time as she asked. Billy felt slightly bad for her, knowing that accidents happened. There was nothing they could do to fix it now. 

“I don’t think so,” Kim said as she softly dropped her hands from Russell’s face, “I think it just hit him hard enough to make him bleed.” She said as she gave Russell’s shoulder a soft squeeze. Russell still looked amused, like he was proud of all of his wounds. 

“Cool,” Russell grinned, “How do I look?” Billy observed Russell again, looking at the neon band aids that were crossed over his nose. His hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, unruly and untidy. He looked fairly dorky in Billy’s opinion, but he knew enough to keep that to himself. 

“Mom’s gonna be pissed,” Billy said a second later, “You can’t tell her that we left you alone.” He told Russell seriously as he opened the car door for them. Max crawled inside first, leaving Russell to pause as he looked up at Billy curiously. 

“You want me to lie?” He asked innocently, his blue eyes full of worry and concern. Billy could feel a sharp sense of irritation growing suddenly, like a knife twisting inside of his stomach. He brushed the feeling away, trying to find the joy that had been trying to burst out of him. 

“Well, you weren’t alone,” Max interjected quickly, “You were with me, remember?” She nodded her head quickly, trying to reassure Russell as he clambered into the backseat. He paused for a moment before he began to buckle up. 

“Yeah but you’re not an adult.” He reminded her as he shifted his attention back towards Kim and Billy. Kim chewed on her bottom lip, looking like she was debating a reasoning. 

“I’m two years older than you,” Max said in defense, “I’m your older sister so it counts.” She crossed her arms bitterly, suddenly looking offended. Billy snorted to himself. He had figured at first that Max would be jealous about no longer being the baby, but it didn’t look like she cared that much. He supposed it fit her fairly well as she always acted like she needed to boss someone around. 

“It’s fine,” Kim said softly, “We’ll figure this out. Maybe she won’t be that mad either.” She tried to brush off the issue. Billy stalled for a moment before he started the car again, beginning the short descent back to the house.

They went over the story about seven different times before Billy was convinced that it sounded good enough. It was simple really. They had all hung out at the skatepark, then at one point they went out towards the beach. Billy was fairly confident suddenly, feeling like no issues would arise. 

“What happened?” Rosemary proclaimed as they walked inside, “Your face!” She shouted in surprise as she quickly walked towards him. She gripped Russell’s face, similar to the way Kim had done so. She looked over his features, shaking her head in disbelief. 

“Skateboarding trick,” Russell said simply, “It was so awesome.” He grinned before his features tightened into a wince again. He pressed his fingers against his cracked lip and Billy nearly felt the same pain in his lip. He thought about the split lips that he’d gained throughout the years. 

“Jesus,” Rosemary shook her head as she tilted his head back and forth for another second, “Put some ice on it. You’re a trooper.” She teased him playfully. Billy was slightly surprised, figuring she would freak out a little more. 

“Here,” Sam held out a few pills for Russell to take, “It’ll help with the stinging.” He said with a grin. Kim looked even more surprised as she quietly drifted through the living room and down the hallway towards the bathroom. Billy watched her with interest, thinking she looked like an angel floating. He hoped that she had fun with him, that she enjoyed his company just as much as he loved being with her. 

/////////////////

The next day, Billy’s mind felt just as full. He’d already mastered a routine at bagging at work. He moved quicker than the check out employees, basically ripping the items from their hands before they could finish scanning the codes in. 

On down time he found himself cleaning a lot. He’d scrub down the counters, the carts and then sweep the floors until they were spotless. He felt like he kept having to move, to burn off the energy or else he’d fall into another hole within his bed.

He was sure that he’d only slept two hours last night, but somehow none of it mattered. He didn’t even feel the need to drink coffee. He didn’t really feel like he was thirsty or hungry at all. Just that he had energy built up for days. It had been a long time since he’d felt this way. 

By the time he made it back to the house, everyone else was already back from the bakery. He remembered that Kim mentioned she’d be shopping with Rosemary, but they must’ve already done the trip and made their way back. He scanned the room, saying brief hellos before he worked on tracking Kim down. He found her in her room, as expected, with a new book held between her fingertips. 

He admired her for a second, observing the way her hazel eyes intensely inhaled each word on the page. Her eyes scanned back and forth quickly, her fingertips dragging along the edge of the pages as she prepared herself for the next section.

His eyes moved from her features, down towards her slender legs that she held pulled up towards her stomach. HIs eyes lingered at the way her skirt pushed up over her knees, exposing the back of her smooth thighs. He felt a smirk tugging to his lips as he pictured himself between her thighs. 

“Hey,” He drew out slowly, watching the way she jumped as she finally took notice of him, “Reading anything good?” He teased her as he glanced back down the hallway. He ensured Sam was still busy before he let the door slowly crack, enough to keep them hidden but open enough that Sam couldn’t complain about it being shut.

“Somewhat,” She grinned as he leaned down to press his lips against hers, “Do you like working there any better?” She asked curiously as she scooted over so he could join her on the bed. He brushed their fingertips together, enjoying the sensation of their skin rubbing together. 

“It’s a job,” Billy laughed, “Pays the bills.” He told her quickly as he glanced up towards her. He scanned her cheeks, noticing that her vast number of freckles from yesterday had already diminished. A grip pulled onto her glossed lips. 

“What bills?” She knitted her eyebrows together, teasing him in response. He felt his eyebrows raise on his forehead as he listened to her.

“Oh, you have jokes?” Billy grinned as he knocked her onto her back, her legs twisting behind his waist as he dug his fingertips into her ticklish ribs gently. She giggled, squirming underneath him as laughter left her lips. He could feel his heart hammering in response, like he was suddenly holding the world in his hands. 

“Do you want to come with me tomorrow?” He asked her softly, leaning over her once he thought she’d been tortured enough. A grin was still spread on her lips as she held onto his bicep, gently rubbing her nails into his skin. 

“Mhm,” Kim pretended to ponder for a moment, “Where are we going?” She asked curiously as she peered up towards him. He rested his weight on one elbow, letting his other hand trace up her side in admiration until he reached her neck. 

“Helping Gina and Steve move in,” Billy grumbled as he traced his fingertips across her freckled skin, “It would be easier if you come.” He spoke with a grin, thinking that she would make the situation a lot better. He didn’t dread the idea as much anymore. He thought that moving and working would keep his mind busy, and would keep him from feeling like he was going to explode from all of the pent up energy. 

“I don’t think I can face them,” She admitted, sounding a little dramatic as she spoke, “I’m still so embarrassed over what I did.” She furrowed her eyebrows together, looking rather squeamish as she thought it over again. He grinned, feeling like he had quite liked how she had been the one to give them away. 

“Mhm, you should be,” He teased her as he traced his finger across her lips, “Kissing your big brother like a dirty whore.” Her eyes grew wide as she watched him, her eyebrows slightly relaxing as he pushed his finger past her slipper lips. 

She relaxed underneath him, her hazel eyes locking with his as she slowly slid her tongue up and across his finger. She sighed underneath him, licking around slowly as she puckered her lips around his finger.

He groaned, his pants suddenly feeling tight as he pressed himself further against her soft thigh. He rocked his hips forward as he slowly pumped his finger inside of her wet mouth. He pressed it down against her tongue, groaning at the way she wrapped it softly around his digit. 

“Hey did you-,” Max slammed the door open, making Billy and Kim freeze, “Are you serious? Jesus. This place is making me wish I was blind.” She huffed in frustration. Billy looked at her sheepishly, his finger still inside of Kim’s mouth. 

“I was just checking her teeth,” Billy reasoned, pretending to roughly drag his finger across Kim’s teeth, “Yep. They’re all good.” He grinned in response, figuring that this wasn’t the worst thing that she’d seen. Kim hummed in protest under him, her body suddenly feeling very warm from embarrassment.

“We’re going out for dinner,” Max said simply as she held one of her hands over her eyes, “Can you please just stop.” She gestured with her free hand wildly before she turned away and left the room. Kim pulled away from Billy, groaning in embarrassment. 

“That was humiliating,” She whined as she held her hands up to her face, “I think we need to just wait until everyone is gone or asleep.” She nodded her head to herself, looking like it was a grand idea. Billy grinned as he rested against the mattress. 

“Sure,” He reached for her, smirking as he roughly pulled the band of her panties back against her skin, “If that’s what you want.” He teased her, feeling like he no longer cared if they got caught or not. He could no longer see what could go wrong or why things would be so bad. 

////////////////

“Hey, hi,” Steve said awkwardly, greeting them a second after they knocked on the door, “Uh thanks for coming to help.” He stood back as he held his hands in his pockets, his eyes lingering at the gap between Kim and Billy. 

Kim held a hand up awkwardly, squeaking out something that sounded like hello. Billy couldn’t really be sure, as it was so quiet yet high pitched. Her face was burning a bright red and she was standing further away from Billy than usual. 

“Yep,” Billy mumbled, “Tommy said you were paying.” He shrugged his shoulders as he tapped his fingertips together. He tried to remain stoic, but he was fairly excited to get in and move things around. He had an itch to burn off the energy that seemed to intensify overnight. 

“Uh yeah,” Steve replied as he continued to stare between Billy and Kim, “Do your parents know?” He asked more seriously, tilting his head like he had a thousand questions to ask. 

“Steve,” Gina’s voice called out, startling Steve and Kim, “Stop badgering them and help me move this.” She grumbled as she held a box in her hands. She stumbled with it for a moment before she found her balance again. 

“Right,” He mumbled as he held the door open wide for the two of them. Kim’s cheeks were red as she sighed deeply, looking like she was regretting coming around, “What do you want them to start with?”

“Hi,” Gina popped her head up from a mass of boxes. Her curly hair was unruly as it fell onto her forehead, her cheeks flushed, “Uh Kim can help me unpack the dishes if you guys want to get the heavy stuff.” She asked cheerily. Kim nodded her head in agreement, sending Billy one last glance before she stepped forward. 

“What do you want to start with?” Billy turned towards Steve, figuring that it was best to do what he wanted. He didn’t want to overstep and then ruin anything. He wasn’t exactly sure where he stood with Steve to begin with. 

“I guess the sofa,” Steve replied awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck, “It might be easier.” He responded as he jogged back outside towards the large moving truck. Billy followed him up the ramp, but then paused as he took in the image in front of him. 

“Jesus,” Billy laughed as he looked at the covered furniture, “Is this all new?” He asked Steve seriously, feeling like it was funny for no real reason. He was almost jealous of this baby, feeling like the baby would be set for life. 

“Well-,” Steve flushed as he looked at it, “Yeah.” He decided finally, looking like there was no point in hiding it. He shrugged his shoulders sheepishly before he glanced around the full trailer again. 

“Get that side,” Billy directed as he grabbed the edge of the couch that would allow him to see where he was going. He didn’t necessarily trust Steve to keep him from tripping and being crushed, “Ready?” They counted to three as they both lifted the couch up simultaneously. The couch dipped a little lower to Steve’s side, but he didn’t act like he struggled too badly until they got it into the house and Steve roughly dropped it to the floor.

Billy still felt energized by the time the heavy furniture was inside and roughly placed about. He had an urge to sort through all of their things; to scrub at all of their new dishes and organize it. He also thought about scrubbing the bathrooms and cleaning the floors if they’d allow it. He stopped himself before he could ask the question, figuring that he’d never get out of here if he started in on that. 

“Can’t you keep a shirt on?” Steve mumbled as he walked past Billy, shaking his head like it bothered him. Billy looked down at the shirt in his hands, noticing the stains of sweat that were decorated in the material. He’d just used to scrub the sweat away from his face as well. 

“What?” Billy grinned to himself, “It’s hot.” He shrugged his shoulders as he gestured through the house. The windows were open, but they were still without an AC. Billy wondered if Steve knew how to set it up or if they’d end up hiring someone.

“You seem happy.” Gina observed, watching the way Billy worked on screwing in one of their table legs. He was sure that all of their furniture was new, fresh out of the factory. He looked over to his right, watching the way Kim was pressing her hands against a box and pushing it towards the main windows. 

“I am,” Billy grinned as he turned his gaze away from Kim, “You’re not freaked out like your baby daddy?” He asked her curiously as he continued to twist the leg onto the table until he was satisfied with it being tight enough. Gina looked at him curiously as she joined him on the floor. 

“I’m fairly observant, thank you,” Gina glanced up towards him, “It was pretty obvious you were sleeping in the same room at the lake cabin. Not to mention Kim supposedly is dating this older guy who she can’t be seen with? You’re not very secretive.” She explained as she touched one of her fingers against her fingertips, like she was counting off of a list. Billy huffed to blow his curls from his forehead. 

“Don’t tell her that.” He said with a soft laugh, thinking about how badly Kim would freak out. He thought that it would’ve been easier to hide the secret had Gina not been stuck at the cabin. He shrugged his shoulders as he leaned over to work on the next leg. 

“You’re not going to hurt her are you?” Gina asked quietly, looking a little worried as she spoke. Billy paused his movements, sure that she was referencing the amount of girls he’d left behind in the past. Kim was different. 

“No,” Billy said quickly as he glanced towards Gina, “I would never.” He didn’t promise her, instead he promised himself. Kim was too special for him to ever destroy. 

“Good,” Gina said with a smile, “She’s really sweet.” She said as she glanced over her shoulder again. Billy watched her, noticing the way her eyes lingered about like she was observing something. He figured she was looking at Steve, probably wondering how her perfect little fantasy had worked out. 

“She likes white cats,” Billy said slowly, a smile forming on his lips as he watched Kim stretch wide to adjust the curtains with Steve, “I think I’m going to get her one.” He said a second later, surprising himself by his own thoughts. He wasn’t sure why he was being so open with her suddenly. 

“Oh,” Gina’s face lit up, “I might have something you can give her.” She replied cheerily, looking excited as she pulled her knees up towards her belly bump. He thought about it for a moment, wondering if she’d charge him for the cat. 

“Really?” He asked, trying not to sound too eager. He was excited at the thought of giving Kim something unexpected, something that she would really enjoy. She was wearing the bracelet, but he was sure that she felt guilty about it. 

“Yeah,” Gina said excitedly, “Not today but maybe later in the week? Once we’re all adjusted.” She said a second later with a nod of her head. He looked back to the table as he twisted the second leg into place. 

“Sure,” He nodded his head in agreement, “You know, you’re fucked if you think he’s going to become a lawyer.” He snorted to himself as he glanced up, watching as Steve was trying to untangle himself from the curtains he’d somehow gotten trapped in. 

“Don’t be mean,” Gina criticized, “He really is smart, I think he just messes his words up. Almost like he’s reading too fast you know?” She explained, looking rather serious as she spoke. He held his hands up innocently before he felt a laugh bubbling inside of his chest. 

“I don’t think there’s a brain up there.” He told her playfully, yelping as she threw one of the screws towards him. He grabbed it, about to explain to her how badly she’d need this screw for her table. 

“Stop being a dick,” She told him quickly, “His dad has basically promised him a job. I don’t know if he’ll actually have to work that hard.” She said with a shrug of her shoulders, but looked rather worried. He had a feeling it had nothing to do with Steve’s work ethic either. 

“Awesome, just what we need.” He said underneath his breath as he thought about how useless lawyers seemed to be at times. He wasn’t sure how Steve could do such a job when Gina had just pointed out how badly he messed up his words. 

“Oh shut up. He’s going to do great regardless.” She said sternly, looking like she wouldn’t take anything else as an answer. Billy shrugged his shoulders as he moved onto the last leg of the table, realizing that he would defend Kim in the same manner. 

“Alright,” Billy laughed as he shook his head, “Tommy still hates him.” He pointed out. Tommy disliked him so much that he had refused to come over to help them move in. Billy wondered if that meant Tommy would eventually make his way back to Hawkins. 

“Tommy’s a big baby,” Gina said as she rolled her eyes, “He’ll get over it.” She swatted her hand in the air as she brushed off Billy’s statement. He glanced up towards her before he sat up, watching the way she brushed her fingertips over her stomach. 

“Do you know what you’re having?” He asked her curiously, unsure of why he was being so social. He figured it must have something to do with the energy he could still feel bouncing around inside of him. It was beginning to drive him crazy. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if this feeling didn’t go away. 

“No, we decided we were going to wait,” She spoke with excitement, “Do you want to feel?” She asked eagerly as she rubbed her palms over her swollen belly. Billy stared for a moment, his eyebrows knitting together.

“I think I’m good.” He shook his head, not really interested in feeling her baby bump. He placed the screwdriver down before he glanced up again, only to be met with her determined features. 

“Oh, come on,” Gina gripped as she took his wrist and placed his palm against her belly, “The baby isn’t kicking or anything yet, but it’s exciting to know that something’s in there.” She said eagerly as she rubbed his palm across her tummy. Billy paused for a moment, indeed thinking that it was cool. He breathed in slowly, wondering what Kim would look like when she was pregnant. 

“Have you ever watched Alien?” Billy asked with a grin, watching the way Gina dramatically dropped his hand and rolled her eyes. 

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly. Steve ordered them all pizza, although Billy had a hard time sitting still or concentrating on eating. He moved their chairs back and forth, shifted their couch a few more times until he eventually ran out of things to do.

He could feel Kim’s curious eyes on him as he paced back and forth. He felt like he had to do something, that just sitting here and chatting would make him burst like a bubble. He couldn’t take it. He began to feel irritated again and that was when he knew it was time to go. 

“Did you feel Gina’s stomach?” He asked her as he drove her back towards the house, deciding to take the long way. Driving made him feel better, made him feel like he could concentrate on something else rather than the fire that was burning inside of his chest. 

“Yeah,” Kim said with a smile, “She has a cute bump.” She nodded her head as she looked back towards the open window. Billy watched the way her short red hair caught in the wind, how it seemed to dance in the air and mix with the pink in the sky. 

“A baby would be kind of cool.” He said underneath his breath, feeling like someone else was speaking the words to life. He knew that they were young, but perhaps they could be like Steve and Gina. 

“Oh for sure,” Kim replied kindly, “One day.” She told him softly as she clasped her hands together, looking like there was no wiggle room for negotiation. He found himself falling silent, a little offended that she didn’t think his suggestion was that great. He breathed in deeply, reminding himself that they’d have plenty of time in the future. 

“Where were you last night?” Rosemary questioned as she glanced towards Billy, “You weren’t in your room when I left this morning.” She stated as she pushed her blonde curls from her face. Billy felt a pang of worry blossom within his stomach, hoping that she hadn’t checked Kim’s room. 

“I went for an early jog,” He lied as he twisted his ring around his finger, “I snuck out, figured it was better than waking everyone up.” He said with a shrug of his shoulders, like it was no big deal. Which, it really shouldn’t be. He was eighteen.

He’d woken up in a better mood this morning. He actually felt more improved than he had in a long time. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this happy. He felt like something inside of him was bubbling, threatening to overfill in the best sort of way.

He’d woken with an itch to clean, only to remember that Rosemary’s house was fairly spotless. He’d gone through their bathroom and reorganized it all, scrubbed at the walls and the floors. Then he moved onto Kim’s room, who slept through most of his deep cleaning. It wasn’t as bad as what he remembered, but perhaps that was because he’d been staying there with her. 

He did Max’s room next, who had just stared at him in annoyance while he bustled things around. He didn’t really care because her room was horrendous. He had plans on deep vacuuming her floors while she was gone, maybe even scrubbing down her desk drawers. He had plans to make it into Russell’s room, but was unsure if he’d like that or not. 

“Oh,” Rosemary’s features relaxed as she exhaled gently, “Well that’s good. Do you like the neighborhood?” She asked a second later, like nothing was wrong. Billy tilted his head back and forth, wondering how much he could get away with. She didn’t seem like she wanted to punish him, but it only made him wonder how far he had to push. 

“It’s close to the beach,” Billy told her as he pulled the glass of water up towards his lips, “That’s nice. It’s nicer than where we used to live, I guess.” He shrugged his shoulders as he thought about their former house. It wasn’t in a bad area, just on the opposite side of the town. It wasn’t as nearly close to the beach either. 

“That was still a nice house,” Rosemary said softly as she thought about it, “I think Neil hated living there.” She mumbled, almost sounding like she was speaking to herself. Billy felt his head snap up, a little taken aback by her revelation. He began to tap his foot against the floor, feeling like it was moving on its own. 

“Why?” Billy asked, feeling a sense of desire to know more about them rising in his chest. He couldn’t remember Neil mentioning anything about hating the house. He didn’t understand why Neil would stay if there were negative connotations to the house. 

“I guess because it brought up bad memories of his dad,” Rosemary shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t know. I couldn’t ever understand why he did half the things that he did.” She said briefly, looking like she no longer wanted to discuss the issue. Billy felt a little defensive suddenly, knowing that he didn’t act on his best behavior because of similar reasons. 

“Because his dad was mean to him.” He reminded her quickly, observing the way she bustled around in the kitchen. She paused for a moment before she shook her head, almost looking like she didn’t care. Billy suddenly wondered how bad things had been with Neil. 

“Yeah, well,” Rosemary grumbled underneath her breath, “That doesn’t give you the right to do that to other people.” She told him softly, looking like she understood what he was feeling. He looked down at his hands, feeling a little awkward as he tried to make sense of what to say.

“Is her car fixed?” Russell asked as he bounced his way into the kitchen. Billy leaned back against the counter, watching the way the ice cubes bounced against the side of his cup. He breathed in deeply. 

“I think so,” Billy said a second later, “I’m going to finish testing it tomorrow.” He told Russell slowly, leaving the invitation open in case he wanted to help. He thought about asking Max as well, but she had been a bit more reserved lately. He made a mental note to try and figure out what was going on.

The sound of the front door opening caught all of their attention, leaving them in silence for a moment as the sound of the radio carried into the kitchen. Sam appeared a second later, his forehead still sweaty from the sun. He still wore his bright shirt, still fresh from the construction site. He ruffled a hand through Russell’s untidy hair before he approached Rosemary. 

“Hey,” Rosemary turned her head up, grinning brightly as Sam bent over to kiss the top of her forehead, “Could you talk to Kim about locking her door at night?” She questioned him, looking concerned suddenly. Billy stalled as he held his glass of water up towards his lips again. 

“She had her door locked?” Sam questioned Rosemary, his eyebrows knitting together before he connected the dots. Billy watched as he chewed on his bottom lip, looking rather irritated suddenly. Sam shot him a quick glance, looking rather frustrated. 

“I just want to make sure she’s okay,” Rosemary insisted quickly, “That everything is comfortable for her, you know?” She said worriedly, suddenly looking like she was worried she had said something wrong. Sam shook his head as annoyance spread across his features. 

“I’ll talk to her.” He responded briefly as he turned away, not sparing Billy another glance as he walked out of the room. Billy looked away, feeling just as awkward suddenly. He didn’t think Sam would be so sensitive about his rules. 

“What’s his deal?” Russell asked in confusion as he began to much on an apple. He glanced over his shoulder and Billy waited for the sound of the door slamming, his body stiffening on his own. He slowly willed himself to relax when no loud sounds entered the house. 

“He was an alcoholic babe,” Rosemary said softly as she kissed the top of Russell’s head, “Some days are harder than others.” She told him gently. Russell nodded his head a second later, looking like he understood what she meant. Billy lowered himself closer into the counter, sure that alcoholism had nothing to do with why Sam was mad. 

////////////////////

Billy was excited by the time Friday rolled around. There was no school, which meant he had more time to soak up to Kim. He had big plans on getting rid of the other two, having a dire need to be with Kim in public again. He thought that his ideas were simple and grand all at the same time. 

Returning to work hadn’t been bad, but he felt like he had a pinched up energy that he couldn’t get rid of. He struggled to sleep, his mind feeling awake and at edge. When he got like this before he used to search out parties or sneak into bars, but he didn’t want to do that without Kim. Instead, he really had gone for a long jog within the early hours but he still felt jittery and awake. Almost like he was experiencing being drunk for the first time again.

The house was spotless. He’d taken all of the dishes from the cabinets and washed them all until they were sparkling. He had taken everything from the fridge to scrub at the shelves and within the crooks and crannies. He’d even scrubbed at the sofa and polished the floors but still felt like there was more to be done. 

“Skateboarding?” Russell questioned, “I haven’t really done it before.” He said as he chewed on his bottom lip. Max’s features were lit up, looking like she was bouncing with joy for the first time in weeks. 

“It’s fun,” Max reassured him quickly, “I can teach you some tricks.” She added a second later, looking like there was nothing that would come between her and getting out and about. Billy wondered how different it was for her now. Before, Sam left Kim and Max to do whatever while he was out. Now he was more present and they weren’t really allowed anywhere on their own. 

“Okay,” Russell shrugged his shoulders, “Do you skate?” He looked towards Billy with interest, excitement beginning to bloom inside of his blue eyes. Billy paused, trying not to feel guilty when he spoke up again. 

“I used to,” Billy brushed him off, “You’ll have fun with Max. There will be more kids your age.” He didn’t want to seem like he was ditching them, but he certainly was. He had no interest in watching over either of them. He just wanted to spend the day with Kim. 

“You’re not staying?” Russell tilted his head in confusion, looking a little alarmed like he realized what Billy meant. Billy was sure that Russell had been coddled in a way that the rest of them hadn’t been. 

“No,” Billy said as he shook his head, “Do you need a babysitter?” He asked a second later, knowing what the answer would be. Russell glanced towards Max, looking like he suddenly didn’t enjoy being put on the spot. 

“Well-,” Russell stuttered for a moment as his face burned, “Mom and dad don't like to leave me alone.” He said as he gestured his hands out wildly for a moment, looking like he was unsure of what to do or say. Billy chewed on his bottom lip, wondering if Russell would rat them out. 

“Why?” Max asked in confusion. Russell slumped his shoulders, looking like he was regretting speaking up. He paused as he began to tap his fingers on the table, a habit that Billy was slowly growing used to. 

“Mom says I could be kidnapped,” Russell mumbled, looking like he was regretting bringing the situation up, “It’s dumb. I can be alone.” He persisted a second later, looking rather humiliated as he glanced towards Billy again. 

“You won’t be alone,” Billy laughed, “Max will be with you.” He said as he teasing pushed his hair through Max’s moppy red strands. She swatted at his hands like she would a fly, looking rather irritated as she tried to straighten it out again.

“Okay,” Russell said with an uncertain tone, “What are you and Kim going to do?” He questioned him a second later, still looking like he was unsure about being alone. Billy paused, trying to think of a lie that wouldn’t interest Russell. 

“She wanted dropped off to see Tommy,” He lied as he glanced down towards the table, “I was going to work a short shift.” He shrugged his shoulders, feeling like it worked well enough. He could figure out the rest of it later. Russell slowly nodded his head, looking like he approved of the lie. 

Billy shifted down the hallway once Russell was finally convinced of the idea, determined to get Kim’s nose out of her book as quickly as he could. He had a million different ideas of what they could do today, each one sounding better than the last. 

“Hey,” He nudged Kim softly from where she was sprawled out on her bed, “Grab your sunscreen and bikini. We’re going to the beach.” He grinned as he touched the back of her thigh. His fingertips lingered against her exposed skin, almost burning from how badly he’d missed touching her. He felt like it had been forever, when it really hadn’t. 

“Now?” She looked at him confused as she dropped the book. He peered over her shoulder a bit, trying to decipher if she was reading one of her dirty books or not. The slight flush that settled over her cheeks told him that she was. “Did you have something else planned?” He said with a smirk, his mind beginning to race at what she did when she read those books. He wondered if she ever thought about the images later when she touched herself. Thus far, he had only caught her in the act once. Although he had heard it more than once, the idea of catching her touching herself made the fire grow deeper inside of his chest. 

“No,” She said quickly as she shook her head, “I’ll go get changed.” She said excited as she bolted to her closet. He chewed on his bottom lip, debating about watching her but then realized it was a bad idea. If he saw her strip down he’d never end up leaving the house with her. 

/////////////////////////

The sun was hot, the air breezy as they stepped onto the warm sand. Billy felt an itch growing inside of him, desperate to fully feel the waves crashing against his skin again. He was sure that he belonged to the beach, that he wasn’t meant to live anywhere else but here.

“It’s nice out,” KIm observed as she held her flip flops in her hands. She laid her towel out a second later, placing her shoes on top of it so it wouldn’t blow away. She peeled off her shirt and shorts next and Billy felt his eyes lingering against her pale skin. He let his eyes dip down the curve of her legs, then back up towards her breasts as she adjusted the straps on her bikini, “What?” She spit out, her cheeks beginning to burn as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“You look beautiful,” He said warmly, enjoying how the scarlet color raced down her neck. He grinned as he took the sunscreen from her, squirting some onto his hands before rubbing his palms together, “Turn around.” He told her, watching as she did her best to keep her short hair out of his way.

He lathered the sunscreen across her skin, watching the way her freckles already seemed to be more prominent. He wondered if they’d stay this dark if she went out into the sun more often, if her skin would eventually learn to tan instead of burn. 

“I think you got it,” She giggled softly as his fingertips continued to massage into the soft flesh area around her hips. He grinned to himself, trying to keep his hands at bay so he wouldn’t fully grope her in front of everyone, “Thank you.” She replied sweetly as she began to do her front half. 

“I could’ve done that,” He told her, smirking to himself as he watched the way her hands quickly brushed over her breasts. She shot him a shy smile as she continued to work, “Can you get my back?” He asked her once she was finished.

“Yeah,” She said kindly as she rubbed the sunscreen into her hands this time. He turned, jolting a little bit as she began to rub the chill lotion against his warm skin. He breathed in softly, enjoying the way her soft fingers worked into his skin, “Do you even burn?” She teased him softly as she rubbed her fingertips into his shoulders.

“Not a whole lot,” He grinned as he glanced back towards her, liking the way her eyes gleamed in the sunshine, “Come on.” He said as he tugged her forward, gripping her hand in his. She squealed softly, stepping over the mounds of sand as they made their way into the water. 

The wet sand molded under his weight and dipped in between his toes as the cool waves began to hit against his ankles. Kim shivered for a moment before she waded in deeper with him, sending him an excited look as they moved further and further into the depths of the ocean. 

Once the water was hitting against his chest, Billy allowed himself to fall completely under with the waves. It dragged him for just a moment as he held his breath, enjoying the cold sensation of the water spreading down his body. It felt like a gentle kiss as the waves tickled the top of his head and traveled down to his toes as it dragged him a few inches back.

“It’s kind of cold,” Kim observed, her hair still dry when Billy finally emerged from the blue water, “It must be the weather changing.” She said to herself, squinting her eyes as she found herself deep in her thoughts. 

“It’s still better than the fucking snow,” He grinned as he watched her, “I won’t miss that.” He told her truthfully. He thought that it wouldn’t be so bad to spend a week or so in the snow, but he certainly couldn’t do another winter out there. 

“My dad was asking about my door being locked,” Kim said as they moved their bodies with the motions of the waves, “I don’t think he was happy about it.” She responded as she twisted her features up, looking like she was embarrassed at the thought. 

“He can’t expect us to never see each other,” Billy responded quickly, “Otherwise you’ll have to miss school.” He grinned as he pulled her towards him, gripping her waist and bouncing her in the motions with the waves. 

“Oh boy,” She giggled as she wrapped her legs around his waist, and held onto his shoulders with her hands, “I don’t think he’d like that either.” She told him happily as she leaned forward to press her lips against his own. He deepened the kiss, letting his lips drag against her own as the sun melted against their skin. 

He lost track of time as they swam back and forth. He enjoyed picking her up and tossing her into the waves, his heart hammering to the sound of her loud laughter that filled his ears like a melody.

“What are you doing?” He asked, watching the way she kept her eyes drawn towards the water. Occasionally she’d move her foot quickly, stepping on something before she waited for the water to retreat so she could grab it with her hand.

“Looking for seashells,” She said, slowly letting the watery sand drip from her palm as she inspected what she held in her hand. Billy peered over, wondering if she found anything useful, “I liked doing this. Shells are pretty.” 

“Did you collect them?” He asked her curiously, trying to remember if they had spoken about this before or not. He was fairly certain that they hadn’t, but his mind suddenly felt so jumbled that he couldn’t remember. 

“No,” Kim said as she glanced up towards him, smiling brightly, “But I still have the one you gave me.” She replied sweetly, smiling sheepishly towards him. He grinned to himself before he began to search on his own. He peered about for a bit until he pulled one forth. 

“What about this one?” He asked her curiously as he held it out towards her. It was white and tan that had odd bumps and ridges along with odd twists within it. He was sure that he had never seen a shell look so odd before. 

“Cool,” Kim breathed out as she held the shell up, “It’s from a Festive Murex. It’s from the Muricidae family.” He stared at her for a moment, trying to make sense of the words that she’d just spoken. It sounded like she was speaking her own secret code that he wasn’t a part of. 

“I have no idea what any of that means.” He laughed as he told her the truth. He bumped into her as the waves rocked against his back. She moved with him as she continued to observe it. 

“Sea snail,” Kim grinned as she held it up, “It’s really pretty.” She told him honestly as she looked at it as the sun gleamed off of the shell. She brushed her fingertips across the harder ridges in interest. 

“Did Sam teach you that?” He tilted his head curiously, but was sure that he already knew the answer. It sounded like it was very nerdy, something Sam would be an expert in. 

“He may have a book or two about native seashells in the area,” She grinned shyly, “It’s really cool though.” She nodded her head as she held it in her hand, looking like she was determined to keep it. 

“Are they rare?” He asked her as they slowly made their way up towards the shore. Billy enjoyed the feeling of the sun digging into his skin, fully covering him as the water became more shallow. 

“Not to this area,” She explained as she traced her fingertip over the edges of the shell again, “I’m going to put it up in my room.” She said excitedly, glancing down at the shell rather than where she was walking. They walked back towards their towels before they plopped down. Billy found himself stretching out, not caring if the sand ended up everywhere. 

“I wonder how much these apartments cost.” He replied as he observed them. They were bright and colorful and really close to the beach. He thought it would be fun to live somewhere so close to the beach with Kim. 

“I thought you didn’t want to move out yet?” She questioned him in confusion as she laid on her back on her towel. She kept her hair away from the sand as she messed with her towel until she was able to lay out comfortably. 

“Maybe not yet,” He told her softly as he thought back to that conversation, “It would be nice though. We wouldn’t have to worry about anyone else.” He said as he thought to himself. They wouldn’t have to sneak around anymore and they could go swimming whenever they wanted. Billy really wanted to get back into surfing again as well. 

“We need to tell Rosemary first.” Kim reminded him as she turned to look at him. He thought about it, but brushed it off again. He didn’t think she needed to know about them right now. 

“She’ll live,” Billy replied as he leaned forward to kiss her cheeks, “We can figure it out later.” He told her as he slid his fingers inside the band of her bikini bottoms. She gaped, her eyes widening as he playfully snapped them against her pale skin.

They lounged out in the sun for a while before Kim handed him the sunscreen again, looking a little worried about getting burnt up. He didn’t blame her and ensured that he scrubbed in enough to keep her pale skin from burning too brightly. 

He paused for a second afterwards as he reached behind him, digging in the bag that Kim had supplied for them. He removed the camera that he’d packed along, feeling a desperate need to collect a series of photos of her again. 

“Smile,” Billy told her seriously as he held the camera up towards his eye. Kim looked at him a little surprised, the air from the ocean catching her red strands as some brushed in front of her features. Her hazel eyes turned a golden color from the sun, her cheeks more pink than usual and her freckles twice as visible from being out in the sun, “You’re beautiful.” 

“Stop being so sweet,” She mumbled as she crawled across the sand, sitting between his legs as she rested her hands on his knees, “I can’t handle you being so sweet.” She grinned shyly as she observed his features. 

“Mhm, yeah?” He grinned as he leaned forward to press his lips against hers, enjoying the taste of salt against them, “Get used to it.” He told her seriously as he placed his photograph of her away. She giggled as settled back between his legs.

“Take one of both of us,” She said suddenly as she moved to sit next to him, “I want another one.” She replied gleefully as she held their hands together. He wasn’t sure how she ever thought he’d deny her of anything. 

“C’mere,” He mumbled as he pulled her against his chest. Her slender body curved against his perfectly, fitting like a soft puzzle piece as he pulled the camera up into the air. It was slightly odd to maneuver, but he managed to keep it balanced as she placed her warm cheek up against his. He felt his lips curling into a smile, sure that she was doing the same as he snapped the picture, “Looks hot.”

“I can’t believe we went to preschool together,” She said a second later, examining the picture in one hand as she used the other to tuck her hair behind her ear, “It’s cool.” She giggled softly, nearly looking too shy to add onto her thoughts. 

“Like fate,” He grinned as he brushed his fingertips across her thigh, “Are you hungry?” He asked her softly. He didn’t think he was too hungry, unless she was on the menu. He felt the need for her growing larger and larger inside of him. 

“I could eat,” She nodded her head as she looked around, “What’s nearby?” She turned to look, her eyes scanning up and down the strips. Billy shrugged his shoulders, feeling like he didn’t need anything too serious. 

“Does a sandwich sound alright?” He asked her softly, thinking that it would be simple and easy. She nodded her head, looking happy with his answer. 

“Sure,” She grinned brightly as she stood up. She wiped the sand from her bottom and the back of her legs before she placed her clothes over her again. Billy pulled on his tank top, only doing so in case someone decided to run off with it, “Should we bring something for Max and Russell?”

“I gave them cash,” He told her as they carried their sandy towels across the beach, “Don’t worry. They’re fine.” He reassured her. She paused for a moment before she reached forward and laced their fingers together. She glanced around, looking intrigued by the various spots they passed.

He opened the door for her, letting her walk inside first. He could feel his stomach beginning to grumble at the smell of toasted bread drifting through the shop. Kim held onto him close as they walked closer towards the front of the line. She stood forward on her tippy toes, squinting her eyes as she looked at the menu. 

“I’m so hungry,” She said as she held onto his hand, “What are you getting?” He forced his eyes away from her, taking a second to scan over the menu. He thought that just about anything sounded good. 

“Spicy Italian,” He answered as he quickly made up his mind, “What about you?” He asked as he squeezed their fingers together lightly. He enjoyed the way her skin molded against hers. 

“Maybe just the turkey and cheese,” She spoke softly. Billy couldn’t help himself as a snort left his chest, “What?” She looked at him offended, like she was crushed from his reaction. He bit his lip, thinking that it made perfect sense for her to take the regular sandwich. 

“Nothing,” He laughed as he kissed the top of her head, “That sounds good too.” He told her seriously as he held onto her. She leaned back against him, sighing deeply as she relaxed onto him. He grinned, enjoying the feeling of her weight against him. 

He ordered his sandwich first, then ended up ordering part of Kim’s too. She lingered behind him, looking rather shy as she whispered what she wanted into his ear. He massaged his fingertips into her palm, hoping to relax her just a little bit. 

Billy has to be slightly impressed when Kim adds in olives and pickles to her sandwich. Even more surprised when she allows them to add a little bit of spinach and mayonnaise. He can’t help but tease her when they compare their sandwiches at the end. His sandwich looks twice as big, like it would eat her sandwich for a snack. 

“It’s really good,” She mumbled as she chewed on her sandwich, holding a finger up to her lips so mayonnaise wouldn’t smear everywhere, “Do you want to try it?” She asked curiously as she held it out towards him. He grinned as he shook his head, figuring that she deserved to eat on her own. 

“If you’ll try mine.” He grinned in response. She stared down at his sandwich for a while as her features twisted up in uncertainty. He faced it towards her, giving it a soft squeeze to try and convince her that it really wouldn’t be that bad. She shifted in her seat. 

“No thanks,” She said a second later, “It has weird stuff in it.” She responded in a sing-song way, teasing him as she took another bite of her sandwich. Billy shook his head, wondering if Rosemary needed to continue to slowly introduce her to more foods. 

“Oh come on,” He urged her as he tapped his foot against hers, “Just a bite.” She sighed deeply before she leaned forward, taking a hesitant bite from the side of his sandwich. He shook his head playfully, noting how she avoided the peppers.

“Not bad,” She coughed softly as she covered her wrist over her mouth, “It’s a little spicy.” She nodded her head in agreement. He thought about pointing out the sandwich name again, but decided to drop it. He didn’t want her to think he was mocking her. 

“It’s good though, right?” He grinned, watching as she tore off a piece of her sandwich and handed it to him, “This is a lot of bread.” He said a moment later as he began to eat her part of the sandwich. He thought it would taste better with more vegetables, perhaps some mustard as well. 

“What do you mean?” She looked at him curiously as she took a sip of the soda they were sharing. Billy was sure he hadn’t eaten this bad in a long time. He’d have to make sure that he stayed far away from Rosemary’s desserts. 

“It makes me fat,” He said dramatically as he chewed through his sandwich, “I need to start working out again.” He mumbled a second later, sure that he had already gained a few pounds since moving here. He supposed he could get back to a stricter eating routine. 

“Why?” Kim asked him in confusion, knitting her eyebrows together as she looked at him in disbelief. He was slightly taken aback by her reaction, unsure of how to respond, “I mean if you want to do it, go for it. I love your body.” She giggled a second later, her cheeks turning flushed again.

“Thanks,” He grinned in response, feeling a little better about her answer, “If I get too big I’ll crush you.” He told her seriously, already fearing that he would break her sometimes. She seemed so fragile in comparison to him. 

“Nothing wrong with that.” She replied shyly, averting her eyes quickly as she picked up a discarded pickle. He chewed on his bottom lip for a moment, feeling her words settle in over his chest. 

“Slut,” He smirked in response, enjoying the way a flush settled over her soft cheeks, “Do you want to swim again?” He asked as he pushed his hand underneath the table and squeezed at her knee. She jolted for a moment, before she relaxed against him again. 

“Mhm,” She nodded her head in agreement, “I like swimming with you.” She admitted sweetly as she took another drink from the cup. He felt his heart flutter inside of his chest, unsure of how she was able to give him such a reaction from

They made their way back to the ocean once they were finished, finding a similar spot as they worked in between swimming and searching for shells on the shore. At one point his mind felt like it was racing too fast for him to keep up with. He rested against his towel, feigning that he was working on a tan while he tried to clear out his thoughts instead. 

He watched as she rested in the water and clapped against her knees, the gentle waves rushing over her as she held her hands loosely to her sides. His eyes traced over the sand that was stuck to the back of her thighs and against her bottom. He observed her peaceful expression, how relaxed she looked suddenly as he pulled the camera up to his face again.

He took the picture, deciding to keep it in his own collection as he pulled the film free. She looked as stunning as ever, like she was straight out of a dream. Billy suddenly wondered if anyone would be able to paint her image over his skin. 

“Hi,” She grinned as she came back towards him, her features relaxed and filled with delight, “Look.” She held out a smooth, round blue stone in front of him. It was barely bigger than a quarter, but was bright and pretty. “What is it?” He asked curiously as she dropped it into his palm. She grinned as she moved closer to him as she rested on her knees as the water from her hair began to drip onto the towel and onto his warm chest. 

“Sea glass,” She exclaimed proudly, “I thought you might like it. It reminds me of the color in your eyes.” She said slowly. Billy sat up so he could look at her better as he held the piece of sea glass in his palm. His heart pattered to life, feeling so full that he feared it may explode.

“Thank you.” He told her softly as he leaned forward to press his lips against hers. He placed his fingertips against her wrist, squeezing softly as he pulled her closer to him. She giggled against his lips, her smile meeting against his as deepened the kiss. He slid his tongue against her bottom lip, tasting away the salt on her mouth as her movements grew more hot and heavy.

She placed her palms against his chest, her fingertips slightly cool from the cold water. She pulled away first, her eyes flickering over his features as he attempted to lean forward again. She held him steady, grinning shyly as a flush settled over her cheeks. 

“Not yet,” She whispered softly as she began to trace her palms down his shoulders, “Too many eyes.” She teased him softly as she leaned forward to kiss his forehead. He nodded his head, although he no longer cared who was watching and who wasn’t. 

The beach slowly grew more and more secluded as the hours went on, until the sun was beginning to dip beyond the waves. Billy hated this time of the year. He hated how the sun went down so early and they were left in a bitter darkness for so long. 

“Have you been over here?” He questioned her as they walked further away from the intruding waves. It wasn’t much, just a pile of rocks but it did keep them hidden from the few people that were remaining on the beach. He figured there’d be more on Friday afternoon. 

“No,” Kim said as she followed behind him closely. She scanned the rocks, then the mounds of sand before she looked at him again, “What are we doing over here?” She questioned him, almost too sweetly as he pulled her forward. 

He pressed his lips against hers harshly, inhaling the taste of her lips against his own. She gaped in surprise, pressing her hands up to his shoulders before she slowly melted against him. She dragged her lips against his slowly, taking her time as he began to mold them closer together. 

He dragged his tongue against hers, enjoying the sweet taste that lingered inside of her mouth. He felt like he could kiss her for hours, like he could get lost at the feeling of her tongue against his own. He deepened the kiss, flicking their tongues together as a soft moan left her lips. 

He cupped his hands over her perky tits, enjoying the way they fit in his hands. He palmed them slowly, squeezing softly to enact a soft moan from her. He brushed across her hardened nipples, watching the way they poked out against her pink bikini top. 

“Billy,” She breathed out hoarsely against his parted lips as he began to lick against her lips again, “We can’t. Someone could see.” She told him nervously, her hazel eyes naive as she stared up at him. 

“No one’s around,” He pointed out as he dragged her forward by the hem of her bikini bottom. She giggled softly, stumbling forward with him as he pressed her up against him. He grinned as he wrapped his arms around her slender waist, “No one will see. I promise.” He mumbled as he held eye contact with her. She nodded her head slowly, leaning first this time to kiss him. 

Her lips dragged against his again, a little more firmer as she brought her hand up to cup the back of his neck. Billy groaned against her lips, grinning softly as he felt her tongue slowly pressing up against his mouth. He lapped at her mouth before he slowly traced his tongue up and down the length of hers. He curled and twisted it around hers, savoring the feeling of her tongue on his as he slowly slipped his hand into the front of her panties.

He stalled over the even smaller tuft of hair, slowly letting his fingertips cascade through it before he dipped his fingertips down further and pressed them against her wet cunt. She whimpered softly, her hazel eyes turning lustful as he slowly rubbed his index finger against her clit.

“I want you,” She breathed out hotly as she gripped his biceps, “Please. I need you so badly.” She gaped softly as she continued to rock her body up against his fingertips. He glanced down at the gap between their bodies, admiring the way she eagerly pressed her hips forward. 

“What do you need?” He teased her as he slowly dragged his eyes back up towards her. She knitted her eyebrows together, her lips parting as another soft moan left her lips. 

“My big brother’s cock,” She whined with need as she moved her hand down to palm at his stirring bulge. He groaned, pressing forward just as desperately as he felt the lust spreading from her dirty words, “Please.” She begged a little softer, her eyes searching over his features like she feared he’d say no.

“On your knees,” He grinned menacingly, enjoying the way she fell almost instantly. He moved around her, settling behind as he watched her glance around again out of nerves. He traced his finger down her spine, enjoying her soft skin as he slowly found himself to her pink bikini bottoms again, “S’alright. Trust me.” He mumbled as he leaned forward. She peered back at him curiously and he leaned in even closer, blowing hotly in her ear before he bit down on her earlobe.

She squealed softly in delight as he dragged her bikini bottoms to the side. He slowly removed his cock from his swimming trunks, giving his hardening cock a slow stroke before he pushed his fat tip against her pretty hole. He traced his tip around slowly, watching the way her slick gleamed from the sunlight before he slid himself inside. 

He leaned back on his knees, admiring the way her cunt squeezed around his cock. He paused for a short second, temporarily overwhelmed at how tight her pussy was clamping down around him. He groaned in bliss, closing his eyes as he fully filled her out.

She gaped, arching her back as she stretched her arms out high in the sand in front of them. He gripped her hips before he gave the right side of her ass a harsh slap, grinning at the instant way it turned red. 

“Oh,” She breathed out so quietly that he almost missed it. He grinned lazily as he gripped a hold of her hips and dragged her back along his thick cock. He squeezed at her skin again, slightly digging his fingertips into her flesh as he admired the way her body moved against his, “Oh God.” She squeaked softly as she laced her fingertips roughly through the soft sand.

He hummed in response, his heart feeling like it was racing even faster as the desire to feel her squirming underneath him grew. He picked a faster rhythm, sighing deeply at the way his cock continually pushed against her spongy walls. His body felt warm, fiery as he continued to drag her up and down the length of his cock. 

“Jesus,” He moaned, his eyelashes fluttering shut for a moment as he pressed his hand roughly against her ass, “You feel so fucking good, baby sis.” He hissed as he looked back down between them, watching the way his cock moved in and out from her tight hole. 

She cried out a little louder as he pressed her back against him roughly, their skin meeting roughly as he thrusted his cock deeper and deeper inside of her. He pushed his hand down until he was met with her hair, gripping the short locks tightly in his fingertips. He roughly yanked her forward, pressing her back up against his chest.

“Do you like that?” He whispered hotly as he tilted her head to the side, admiring the way her features were crinkled up in pleasure. His balls smacked against her exposed skin as he pushed his free hand in front of her waist to hold her in place.

“Oh fuck,” She spit out harshly, her eyes slightly rolling into the back of her head as she nodded her head yes in bliss. Her lips parted as moans began to roll off of her tongue, “Love it so much.” She whimpered as her eyes peeled up to his features again. He slid his hand back down her bikini bottoms, beginning to rub at her clit again to see if he could make her any louder.

She moaned as her head fell back against his, slightly rubbing against his skin from how harshly he was rocking into her. He groaned as he licked at the side of her face, the feeling of her wrapped around him suddenly too much as her pussy spasmed from the sensation. 

He nibbled at her ear again, dragging his teeth across her skin as he snapped his hips forward rougher and rougher. His knees were beginning to burn from how fast he was moving against the sand. He moved his lips down to her neck, biting down softly as she began to rock her body back against him. 

“Oh my God,” She whined as she moved her hands down to grip his, squeezing roughly as her pussy clamped down around him, “Billy, oh God.” She cried out, rolling her hips back harshly as she came down around him. He captured his lips against hers, wanting to taste her sweet moans as his high approached shortly after.

He stalled as he pressed up against her, his cock filling inside of her deeply as he coated her walls with his white spunk. He huffed against the crook of her neck, licking her salty skin as she whined in pleasure. He grinned, trying to catch his own breath as he peppered kisses up her neck.

“Mhm,” He hummed softly as he wiggled himself a little deeper inside of her, “You feel so nice.” He told her honestly as he traced his fingertips up her gentle sides. She shivered against his touch, her cheeks a little pink as she turned towards him shyly.

“Can we get in trouble for this?” She asked him worriedly as she began to glance around again. He cupped her chin to stall her movements, bringing her closer as he peppered a kiss on her lips to hush her worries.

“Maybe,” He felt his lips curling into a grin against her own, “No one saw.” He reassured her as he leaned back on his ankles, slowly pulling himself out before he adjusted her bikini bottoms over her hips again. The thrill of having her walk around with his cum inside of her walls for so long excited him. 

“Oh God,” Kim blushed as she stood up nervously, the sand sticking to her reddened knees, “What if someone did?” She squeaked out softly, her eyes darting around as she pulled her arms up over her chest. Billy chewed on his bottom lip, a little amused as he rose to her level.

“No one did,” He told her again as he took his hand in hers, “Seriously it’s fine. Do you want to look around before we go?” He asked her as he bent to retrieve the rest of their things. She looked at him softly before she glanced over and nodded her head.

“I guess we could,” She smiled softly as she walked with him. She paused for a second before she gripped her outfit and began to tug it on, looking bashful as she glanced towards him, “I feel sticky.” She admitted a second later, her face burning as she held his hand again. He felt a smirk tugging on his lips. 

“Hm,” He smirked playfully as they put their shoes on once they stepped foot onto the hot cement, “Wonder why that is.” He teased her as they headed down the street towards the stores. Kim grinned sheepishly as she gave his hand a soft squeeze before she turned her attention away.

They dipped through smaller stores, Billy’s mind racing as he suddenly felt an urge to get her something. He suggested many things, but she’d simply shrug her shoulders like she was too shy to agree to his gifts. 

“What do you think about this?” He asked as he held the bracelet up to Kim’s eye. She looked at it curiously, examining it. It was a simple white chain, with one sapphire placed right in the middle. 

“It’s pretty,” She said with a smile. Her answer was good enough for him as he began to turn away, fully planning on getting it for her, “Billy, no. It’s too expensive.” She said quickly as she followed behind him. He continued to pretend to look around before he glanced over his shoulder. 

“Who said anything about buying it?” He whispered as he glanced towards her. She looked at him curiously, not quite getting the hint until he began to shove it into his pocket. 

“You can’t-,” She paused as she watched him, suddenly looking frantic, “Someone will know.” She whispered quietly, glancing around. He nudged her softly, feeling like she was making the situation worse. 

“Yeah, you and I,” He chuckled at her, “No one saw anything.” He replied casually as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He pulled her close, keeping their movements relaxed as he pulled her out of the shop.

“Oh my God,” She looked at him with wide eyes, “I can’t believe you just did that.” She chastised him, looking worried. He laughed as he observed her again. She looked paranoid, like someone may come chasing after them. 

“They won’t even notice it’s gone,” He replied as he walked her back towards the car. He waited until he was a safe distance away before he pulled the bracelet out again. She protested for a second before she allowed Billy to slide it onto her wrist, “Pretty, just like you.”

“It is pretty,” She mumbled softly as she looked at it, “Just don’t steal again.” She told him quickly, giving him a look until he nodded his head in agreement. 

“Promise.” He grinned as he leaned forward to peck her lips, enjoying the taste of the salt that lingered there. She kissed him back a second later, sighing deeply against his mouth before they moved into the car. 

The drive to the skateboard was quick, seeming like it didn’t take nearly as long as what it did to get there to drop them off. The breeze was nice, calming as it washed over the two of them. Billy kept the music down lower, suddenly feeling a desperate need to tell Kim about anything and everything. He jabbered on in the same way she did when she was nervous, only he wasn’t nervous. He felt like something was threatening to burst free from his chest. She nodded her head to what he said, barely able to keep up before he was moving onto the next subject. 

“I feel like I have sand everywhere,” Kim mumbled as she stepped out of the car, “Like everywhere.” Billy grinned in response, about to tease her in response when he noticed Russell and Max limping towards them. 

“Oh shit,” Billy cursed as he walked forward. Kim snapped her eyes up, looking a little horrified as she walked forward quickly, “What happened?” He asked, turning towards Max quickly. She glanced towards Russell again.

Russell smiled sheepishly, then stopped as the motions clearly hurt. He had two neon band aids that were crossed in the shape of an x over the bridge of his nose. His bottom lip was cracked and the area underneath his right eye was swollen and bruised. His light blue shirt had a pool of blood soaking into it. 

“I was trying to teach him a trick,” Max said as she gestured towards her skateboard, “And it popped up into his face. What? It was an accident.” She groaned in irritation at the look Kim sent her.

“You need to be careful,” Kim reminded her in a soft tone as she cupped Russell’s head and tilted it back, examining his nose, “Does it hurt?” She asked him worriedly. He winced for only a second before he attempted to smile again. 

“Uh yeah,” Russell admitted, “I think I’m going to have a black eye.” He said cheerily, looking like he was enjoying that fact. Billy shook his head, feeling like he’d had enough black eyes for the two of them. 

“It’s not broken is it?” Max sounded worried this time as she asked. Billy felt slightly bad for her, knowing that accidents happened. There was nothing they could do to fix it now. 

“I don’t think so,” Kim said as she softly dropped her hands from Russell’s face, “I think it just hit him hard enough to make him bleed.” She said as she gave Russell’s shoulder a soft squeeze. Russell still looked amused, like he was proud of all of his wounds. 

“Cool,” Russell grinned, “How do I look?” Billy observed Russell again, looking at the neon band aids that were crossed over his nose. His hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, unruly and untidy. He looked fairly dorky in Billy’s opinion, but he knew enough to keep that to himself. 

“Mom’s gonna be pissed,” Billy said a second later, “You can’t tell her that we left you alone.” He told Russell seriously as he opened the car door for them. Max crawled inside first, leaving Russell to pause as he looked up at Billy curiously. 

“You want me to lie?” He asked innocently, his blue eyes full of worry and concern. Billy could feel a sharp sense of irritation growing suddenly, like a knife twisting inside of his stomach. He brushed the feeling away, trying to find the joy that had been trying to burst out of him. 

“Well, you weren’t alone,” Max interjected quickly, “You were with me, remember?” She nodded her head quickly, trying to reassure Russell as he clambered into the backseat. He paused for a moment before he began to buckle up. 

“Yeah but you’re not an adult.” He reminded her as he shifted his attention back towards Kim and Billy. Kim chewed on her bottom lip, looking like she was debating a reasoning. 

“I’m two years older than you,” Max said in defense, “I’m your older sister so it counts.” She crossed her arms bitterly, suddenly looking offended. Billy snorted to himself. He had figured at first that Max would be jealous about no longer being the baby, but it didn’t look like she cared that much. He supposed it fit her fairly well as she always acted like she needed to boss someone around. 

“It’s fine,” Kim said softly, “We’ll figure this out. Maybe she won’t be that mad either.” She tried to brush off the issue. Billy stalled for a moment before he started the car again, beginning the short descent back to the house.

They went over the story about seven different times before Billy was convinced that it sounded good enough. It was simple really. They had all hung out at the skatepark, then at one point they went out towards the beach. Billy was fairly confident suddenly, feeling like no issues would arise. 

“What happened?” Rosemary proclaimed as they walked inside, “Your face!” She shouted in surprise as she quickly walked towards him. She gripped Russell’s face, similar to the way Kim had done so. She looked over his features, shaking her head in disbelief. 

“Skateboarding trick,” Russell said simply, “It was so awesome.” He grinned before his features tightened into a wince again. He pressed his fingers against his cracked lip and Billy nearly felt the same pain in his lip. He thought about the split lips that he’d gained throughout the years. 

“Jesus,” Rosemary shook her head as she tilted his head back and forth for another second, “Put some ice on it. You’re a trooper.” She teased him playfully. Billy was slightly surprised, figuring she would freak out a little more. 

“Here,” Sam held out a few pills for Russell to take, “It’ll help with the stinging.” He said with a grin. Kim looked even more surprised as she quietly drifted through the living room and down the hallway towards the bathroom. Billy watched her with interest, thinking she looked like an angel floating. He hoped that she had fun with him, that she enjoyed his company just as much as he loved being with her. 

/////////////////

The next day, Billy’s mind felt just as full. He’d already mastered a routine at bagging at work. He moved quicker than the check out employees, basically ripping the items from their hands before they could finish scanning the codes in. 

On down time he found himself cleaning a lot. He’d scrub down the counters, the carts and then sweep the floors until they were spotless. He felt like he kept having to move, to burn off the energy or else he’d fall into another hole within his bed.

He was sure that he’d only slept two hours last night, but somehow none of it mattered. He didn’t even feel the need to drink coffee. He didn’t really feel like he was thirsty or hungry at all. Just that he had energy built up for days. It had been a long time since he’d felt this way. 

By the time he made it back to the house, everyone else was already back from the bakery. He remembered that Kim mentioned she’d be shopping with Rosemary, but they must’ve already done the trip and made their way back. He scanned the room, saying brief hellos before he worked on tracking Kim down. He found her in her room, as expected, with a new book held between her fingertips. 

He admired her for a second, observing the way her hazel eyes intensely inhaled each word on the page. Her eyes scanned back and forth quickly, her fingertips dragging along the edge of the pages as she prepared herself for the next section.

His eyes moved from her features, down towards her slender legs that she held pulled up towards her stomach. HIs eyes lingered at the way her skirt pushed up over her knees, exposing the back of her smooth thighs. He felt a smirk tugging to his lips as he pictured himself between her thighs. 

“Hey,” He drew out slowly, watching the way she jumped as she finally took notice of him, “Reading anything good?” He teased her as he glanced back down the hallway. He ensured Sam was still busy before he let the door slowly crack, enough to keep them hidden but open enough that Sam couldn’t complain about it being shut.

“Somewhat,” She grinned as he leaned down to press his lips against hers, “Do you like working there any better?” She asked curiously as she scooted over so he could join her on the bed. He brushed their fingertips together, enjoying the sensation of their skin rubbing together. 

“It’s a job,” Billy laughed, “Pays the bills.” He told her quickly as he glanced up towards her. He scanned her cheeks, noticing that her vast number of freckles from yesterday had already diminished. A grip pulled onto her glossed lips. 

“What bills?” She knitted her eyebrows together, teasing him in response. He felt his eyebrows raise on his forehead as he listened to her.

“Oh, you have jokes?” Billy grinned as he knocked her onto her back, her legs twisting behind his waist as he dug his fingertips into her ticklish ribs gently. She giggled, squirming underneath him as laughter left her lips. He could feel his heart hammering in response, like he was suddenly holding the world in his hands. 

“Do you want to come with me tomorrow?” He asked her softly, leaning over her once he thought she’d been tortured enough. A grin was still spread on her lips as she held onto his bicep, gently rubbing her nails into his skin. 

“Mhm,” Kim pretended to ponder for a moment, “Where are we going?” She asked curiously as she peered up towards him. He rested his weight on one elbow, letting his other hand trace up her side in admiration until he reached her neck. 

“Helping Gina and Steve move in,” Billy grumbled as he traced his fingertips across her freckled skin, “It would be easier if you come.” He spoke with a grin, thinking that she would make the situation a lot better. He didn’t dread the idea as much anymore. He thought that moving and working would keep his mind busy, and would keep him from feeling like he was going to explode from all of the pent up energy. 

“I don’t think I can face them,” She admitted, sounding a little dramatic as she spoke, “I’m still so embarrassed over what I did.” She furrowed her eyebrows together, looking rather squeamish as she thought it over again. He grinned, feeling like he had quite liked how she had been the one to give them away. 

“Mhm, you should be,” He teased her as he traced his finger across her lips, “Kissing your big brother like a dirty whore.” Her eyes grew wide as she watched him, her eyebrows slightly relaxing as he pushed his finger past her slipper lips. 

She relaxed underneath him, her hazel eyes locking with his as she slowly slid her tongue up and across his finger. She sighed underneath him, licking around slowly as she puckered her lips around his finger.

He groaned, his pants suddenly feeling tight as he pressed himself further against her soft thigh. He rocked his hips forward as he slowly pumped his finger inside of her wet mouth. He pressed it down against her tongue, groaning at the way she wrapped it softly around his digit. 

“Hey did you-,” Max slammed the door open, making Billy and Kim freeze, “Are you serious? Jesus. This place is making me wish I was blind.” She huffed in frustration. Billy looked at her sheepishly, his finger still inside of Kim’s mouth. 

“I was just checking her teeth,” Billy reasoned, pretending to roughly drag his finger across Kim’s teeth, “Yep. They’re all good.” He grinned in response, figuring that this wasn’t the worst thing that she’d seen. Kim hummed in protest under him, her body suddenly feeling very warm from embarrassment.

“We’re going out for dinner,” Max said simply as she held one of her hands over her eyes, “Can you please just stop.” She gestured with her free hand wildly before she turned away and left the room. Kim pulled away from Billy, groaning in embarrassment. 

“That was humiliating,” She whined as she held her hands up to her face, “I think we need to just wait until everyone is gone or asleep.” She nodded her head to herself, looking like it was a grand idea. Billy grinned as he rested against the mattress. 

“Sure,” He reached for her, smirking as he roughly pulled the band of her panties back against her skin, “If that’s what you want.” He teased her, feeling like he no longer cared if they got caught or not. He could no longer see what could go wrong or why things would be so bad. 

////////////////

“Hey, hi,” Steve said awkwardly, greeting them a second after they knocked on the door, “Uh thanks for coming to help.” He stood back as he held his hands in his pockets, his eyes lingering at the gap between Kim and Billy. 

Kim held a hand up awkwardly, squeaking out something that sounded like hello. Billy couldn’t really be sure, as it was so quiet yet high pitched. Her face was burning a bright red and she was standing further away from Billy than usual. 

“Yep,” Billy mumbled, “Tommy said you were paying.” He shrugged his shoulders as he tapped his fingertips together. He tried to remain stoic, but he was fairly excited to get in and move things around. He had an itch to burn off the energy that seemed to intensify overnight. 

“Uh yeah,” Steve replied as he continued to stare between Billy and Kim, “Do your parents know?” He asked more seriously, tilting his head like he had a thousand questions to ask. 

“Steve,” Gina’s voice called out, startling Steve and Kim, “Stop badgering them and help me move this.” She grumbled as she held a box in her hands. She stumbled with it for a moment before she found her balance again. 

“Right,” He mumbled as he held the door open wide for the two of them. Kim’s cheeks were red as she sighed deeply, looking like she was regretting coming around, “What do you want them to start with?”

“Hi,” Gina popped her head up from a mass of boxes. Her curly hair was unruly as it fell onto her forehead, her cheeks flushed, “Uh Kim can help me unpack the dishes if you guys want to get the heavy stuff.” She asked cheerily. Kim nodded her head in agreement, sending Billy one last glance before she stepped forward. 

“What do you want to start with?” Billy turned towards Steve, figuring that it was best to do what he wanted. He didn’t want to overstep and then ruin anything. He wasn’t exactly sure where he stood with Steve to begin with. 

“I guess the sofa,” Steve replied awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck, “It might be easier.” He responded as he jogged back outside towards the large moving truck. Billy followed him up the ramp, but then paused as he took in the image in front of him. 

“Jesus,” Billy laughed as he looked at the covered furniture, “Is this all new?” He asked Steve seriously, feeling like it was funny for no real reason. He was almost jealous of this baby, feeling like the baby would be set for life. 

“Well-,” Steve flushed as he looked at it, “Yeah.” He decided finally, looking like there was no point in hiding it. He shrugged his shoulders sheepishly before he glanced around the full trailer again. 

“Get that side,” Billy directed as he grabbed the edge of the couch that would allow him to see where he was going. He didn’t necessarily trust Steve to keep him from tripping and being crushed, “Ready?” They counted to three as they both lifted the couch up simultaneously. The couch dipped a little lower to Steve’s side, but he didn’t act like he struggled too badly until they got it into the house and Steve roughly dropped it to the floor.

Billy still felt energized by the time the heavy furniture was inside and roughly placed about. He had an urge to sort through all of their things; to scrub at all of their new dishes and organize it. He also thought about scrubbing the bathrooms and cleaning the floors if they’d allow it. He stopped himself before he could ask the question, figuring that he’d never get out of here if he started in on that. 

“Can’t you keep a shirt on?” Steve mumbled as he walked past Billy, shaking his head like it bothered him. Billy looked down at the shirt in his hands, noticing the stains of sweat that were decorated in the material. He’d just used to scrub the sweat away from his face as well. 

“What?” Billy grinned to himself, “It’s hot.” He shrugged his shoulders as he gestured through the house. The windows were open, but they were still without an AC. Billy wondered if Steve knew how to set it up or if they’d end up hiring someone.

“You seem happy.” Gina observed, watching the way Billy worked on screwing in one of their table legs. He was sure that all of their furniture was new, fresh out of the factory. He looked over to his right, watching the way Kim was pressing her hands against a box and pushing it towards the main windows. 

“I am,” Billy grinned as he turned his gaze away from Kim, “You’re not freaked out like your baby daddy?” He asked her curiously as he continued to twist the leg onto the table until he was satisfied with it being tight enough. Gina looked at him curiously as she joined him on the floor. 

“I’m fairly observant, thank you,” Gina glanced up towards him, “It was pretty obvious you were sleeping in the same room at the lake cabin. Not to mention Kim supposedly is dating this older guy who she can’t be seen with? You’re not very secretive.” She explained as she touched one of her fingers against her fingertips, like she was counting off of a list. Billy huffed to blow his curls from his forehead. 

“Don’t tell her that.” He said with a soft laugh, thinking about how badly Kim would freak out. He thought that it would’ve been easier to hide the secret had Gina not been stuck at the cabin. He shrugged his shoulders as he leaned over to work on the next leg. 

“You’re not going to hurt her are you?” Gina asked quietly, looking a little worried as she spoke. Billy paused his movements, sure that she was referencing the amount of girls he’d left behind in the past. Kim was different. 

“No,” Billy said quickly as he glanced towards Gina, “I would never.” He didn’t promise her, instead he promised himself. Kim was too special for him to ever destroy. 

“Good,” Gina said with a smile, “She’s really sweet.” She said as she glanced over her shoulder again. Billy watched her, noticing the way her eyes lingered about like she was observing something. He figured she was looking at Steve, probably wondering how her perfect little fantasy had worked out. 

“She likes white cats,” Billy said slowly, a smile forming on his lips as he watched Kim stretch wide to adjust the curtains with Steve, “I think I’m going to get her one.” He said a second later, surprising himself by his own thoughts. He wasn’t sure why he was being so open with her suddenly. 

“Oh,” Gina’s face lit up, “I might have something you can give her.” She replied cheerily, looking excited as she pulled her knees up towards her belly bump. He thought about it for a moment, wondering if she’d charge him for the cat. 

“Really?” He asked, trying not to sound too eager. He was excited at the thought of giving Kim something unexpected, something that she would really enjoy. She was wearing the bracelet, but he was sure that she felt guilty about it. 

“Yeah,” Gina said excitedly, “Not today but maybe later in the week? Once we’re all adjusted.” She said a second later with a nod of her head. He looked back to the table as he twisted the second leg into place. 

“Sure,” He nodded his head in agreement, “You know, you’re fucked if you think he’s going to become a lawyer.” He snorted to himself as he glanced up, watching as Steve was trying to untangle himself from the curtains he’d somehow gotten trapped in. 

“Don’t be mean,” Gina criticized, “He really is smart, I think he just messes his words up. Almost like he’s reading too fast you know?” She explained, looking rather serious as she spoke. He held his hands up innocently before he felt a laugh bubbling inside of his chest. 

“I don’t think there’s a brain up there.” He told her playfully, yelping as she threw one of the screws towards him. He grabbed it, about to explain to her how badly she’d need this screw for her table. 

“Stop being a dick,” She told him quickly, “His dad has basically promised him a job. I don’t know if he’ll actually have to work that hard.” She said with a shrug of her shoulders, but looked rather worried. He had a feeling it had nothing to do with Steve’s work ethic either. 

“Awesome, just what we need.” He said underneath his breath as he thought about how useless lawyers seemed to be at times. He wasn’t sure how Steve could do such a job when Gina had just pointed out how badly he messed up his words. 

“Oh shut up. He’s going to do great regardless.” She said sternly, looking like she wouldn’t take anything else as an answer. Billy shrugged his shoulders as he moved onto the last leg of the table, realizing that he would defend Kim in the same manner. 

“Alright,” Billy laughed as he shook his head, “Tommy still hates him.” He pointed out. Tommy disliked him so much that he had refused to come over to help them move in. Billy wondered if that meant Tommy would eventually make his way back to Hawkins. 

“Tommy’s a big baby,” Gina said as she rolled her eyes, “He’ll get over it.” She swatted her hand in the air as she brushed off Billy’s statement. He glanced up towards her before he sat up, watching the way she brushed her fingertips over her stomach. 

“Do you know what you’re having?” He asked her curiously, unsure of why he was being so social. He figured it must have something to do with the energy he could still feel bouncing around inside of him. It was beginning to drive him crazy. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if this feeling didn’t go away. 

“No, we decided we were going to wait,” She spoke with excitement, “Do you want to feel?” She asked eagerly as she rubbed her palms over her swollen belly. Billy stared for a moment, his eyebrows knitting together.

“I think I’m good.” He shook his head, not really interested in feeling her baby bump. He placed the screwdriver down before he glanced up again, only to be met with her determined features. 

“Oh, come on,” Gina gripped as she took his wrist and placed his palm against her belly, “The baby isn’t kicking or anything yet, but it’s exciting to know that something’s in there.” She said eagerly as she rubbed his palm across her tummy. Billy paused for a moment, indeed thinking that it was cool. He breathed in slowly, wondering what Kim would look like when she was pregnant. 

“Have you ever watched Alien?” Billy asked with a grin, watching the way Gina dramatically dropped his hand and rolled her eyes. 

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly. Steve ordered them all pizza, although Billy had a hard time sitting still or concentrating on eating. He moved their chairs back and forth, shifted their couch a few more times until he eventually ran out of things to do.

He could feel Kim’s curious eyes on him as he paced back and forth. He felt like he had to do something, that just sitting here and chatting would make him burst like a bubble. He couldn’t take it. He began to feel irritated again and that was when he knew it was time to go. 

“Did you feel Gina’s stomach?” He asked her as he drove her back towards the house, deciding to take the long way. Driving made him feel better, made him feel like he could concentrate on something else rather than the fire that was burning inside of his chest. 

“Yeah,” Kim said with a smile, “She has a cute bump.” She nodded her head as she looked back towards the open window. Billy watched the way her short red hair caught in the wind, how it seemed to dance in the air and mix with the pink in the sky. 

“A baby would be kind of cool.” He said underneath his breath, feeling like someone else was speaking the words to life. He knew that they were young, but perhaps they could be like Steve and Gina. 

“Oh for sure,” Kim replied kindly, “One day.” She told him softly as she clasped her hands together, looking like there was no wiggle room for negotiation. He found himself falling silent, a little offended that she didn’t think his suggestion was that great. He breathed in deeply, reminding himself that they’d have plenty of time in the future. 

[whisperingmidnights]

30. Ask anything

How do you get the motivation to sit down and write? I struggle with self-worth, and I’ve never felt like my writing is worth anything because of personal reasons. I’ve posted two fics on here that have done well (which I’m very grateful for), but outside of Tumblr I’ve always felt like people in my real life just don’t care, as if I’m an inconvenience.

Babe, I don't know if I'm the right person to answer this because I deal with the same thing. All the time. People in my personal life were terrible to me about my writing fairly early on, and other people have occasionally continued to be really, genuinely shitty about it. Some of the anons I get here say the most appalling things and it has, from time to time, gotten into my head.

But I keep writing anyway.

Because I have ideas and if I don't put them on paper I'm going to explode. And because those people don't get to dictate my life. They don't tell me who I get to be or what I get to enjoy. I've made some very encouraging friends through tumblr BECAUSE of my writing, and they are, occasionally, louder than the horrendous voices in my head that tell me my words don't matter.

They do matter. They matter to me. It matters to me that I put them on the page. It matters that I have the right to express myself however I choose to.

My motivation to write comes from my innate need to spill my imagination onto the page like ink because, for a long time, it was the only outlet I had. It also comes from the desire to connect with people because it's one of the only ways I've been able to do so. At the end of the day, it's all I really have. My abandonment issues are something to take up in therapy, but writing has never left me.

And it won't leave you, either. Even if it takes a while, inspiration will come. It always does. Your writing matters, your words matter. Your thoughts and feelings and dreams matter. You matter. You do, even if you think you don't. I'm sorry people have made you feel like you don't. Things like that are hard to heal from, I still haven't managed it myself. But I hope to. I hope we both do.

I'd love to support you however I can. If you need to talk, I'm here. Hang in there, it's going to get better. You're not alone.

[storylocke]

[P5/Alola crossover scene]

Host:  [gets slipped a cue card] oh! [stands up] And now we’d like to pose a few questions to some random members of our audience. 

[As she walks down the aisle, people raising their hands all “pick me!” She at last stops next to the group. Holds out the mic to Kiawe sitting on the end of the aisle.]

Host:  Ah, you. [pulls up card to read what was prepared] Hypothetically speaking, IF the Phantom Thieves were to exist, do you think what they're doing is right?

Team:  ?! [all of them turn to him in dismay]

Hiro:  [bitterly under his breath.] Random member my ass.

Keala: [elbows him]

Kiawe:  [No, no. He has to agree. It feels a little too on the nose to pick him out with a question regarding the most recent turn of events. Leans into the mic as he tries to keep his gaze on Ilima, not the host] I think they're able to do more than the police.

Keala:  [soft sighs] Kiawe….

Ilima:  [leans back slightly into his seat with a bit of a smile] Growing up in Alola myself, I'm aware that our forces are under equipped for the task. But to their credit, we believe these so-called Phantom Thieves are a threat too great for any local task force to take on alone. That's why I'm here to announce that, as of last night, the case of the Phantom Thieves was transferred over to the International Police.

Kiawe:  [clears throat and motions to take the mic back] Is the confession of a single corrupt instructor really enough of a “great threat” to need that kind of man power?

Team:  …. [Honestly holding their breath at this point. If the rest of the audience wasn’t already kinda looking in their direction, would probably try to get his attention.]

Host:  [Honestly not sure if she should head back down or not, but seems to be beaming at the hot debate that seems to be brewing. Looks back to Ilima for a reply]

Ilima:  Under normal circumstances, I would think not. However, I’m sure you’ve at least heard of the case with Ein, a formerly wanted man from Orre, who also had a sudden need to turn himself in last month. The chain of events were too similar to be a coincidence. And being connected to people from two different regions does make this an international affair, but it’s potentially more serious than that.

Audience:  ??? [cautious glances and whispers all around]

Host:  Oh my! Would you be able to explain to us exactly what makes it so ~dangerous~ then? Some people have started to say that these confessions have proven to be a good thing.

Ilima:  “Good” is a highly debatable term when it comes to dealing with criminals. They are still human after all. Whether or not people think they deserved it, I find the Phantom Thieves’ actions to be highly unethical. To force this change of heart is almost no better than brainwashing. [shakes head] Don’t misunderstand. Ein was a long time threat that has been trouble even for the Interpol to deal with. A high profile criminal. But this time it was a much smaller affair that was on someone’s personal request; which we found had been posted in a recently made Festival Plaza dedicated to the heroics of the Phantom Thieves. How do they do this? Why? What is their range? These are all questions we need answers to because even if what Mr. Elator did was truly horrendous, it bears a bit like the start of a slippery slope. Where is the line before the witch hunting begins and people get hurt over petty complaints?

Audience Member:  [shouts out] I heard they ONLY go after criminals.

Team:  ??? [well, it’s good to know some people are on their side]

Ilima:  As I said, it is all purely speculation right now, and as we only just opened the case. There’s still a lot of evidence to sort through in these two trials. However, I am here to assure the people of Alola that we are not going to tolerate the fear and uncertainty instilled by having an anonymous group of vigilantes deciding they can change the masses to their suit their idea of justice. As an example, allow me to pose you another question.

Host:  … [goes to lower the mic again to Kiawe]

Ilima:  If a friend of yours, say, the girl next to you-

Keala:  o.O [had started to cover her face, but sits up to realize they’re talking about her]

Hau:  o.o; [looks to her as well]

Ilima:  If she were to suddenly start acting strange, a change of heart even, would you believe it's because she was guilty of something? Or that she merely ticked off someone with certain connections? Would she “deserve it” just because the Phantom Thieves were told she was bad? Or would you want your own form of justice for what happened to her since you should know her better than them? While no one has come to the defense of these criminals, it’s only a matter of time before they target the wrong person.

Kiawe:  I would think if there’s only been two cases that were over a month apart, these “attacks” aren’t dealt out so easily. I…. [Hesitates so he can choose his words carefully] I can’t say I understand how or why they do this, but I should hope they would choose their targets as delicately as you choose your cases. With evidence and research before taking it on.

Ilima:  [A little smug as though he’s winning this debate] Well unless you or I were to have some way of asking them, I guess we'll never know.

[More whispers start to run through the crowd]

Host:  An excellent point on both sides~! Though, Detective, if that were true, then that would make the Phantom Thieves similar to the police then, wouldn’t it?

Ilima:  [smiles] Indeed. It’s a bit intriguing to hear such a strong defense for them. Except, they still operate outside of the law and by their own judgment to what is “right.” And I will fully reiterate that while it may be good for now, such power is looking to be easily abused. There may only be two large scale operations that the public is aware of, but with a more intensive investigation, it may reveal there are far more cases still to be discovered. But thank you for giving us all some food for thought.

Host:  [Oh, you done then? Seems they’re being moved to commercial, so she heads back down to the stage] Well! I know I said we had time for a few questions, but that one really threw us all for a doozy! Why don’t we take a poll? How many in our audience think the Phantom Thieves are in the right? And how many agree with our Detective? We’ll have the results when we come back!

[Without seeing the results, the scene fades to after the show as the audience is leaving] 

Hau:  [Saddened and sounds full of uncertainty] Well that sure was… enlightening. Hiro:  Yeah, but there's no way those bastards didn't target Kiawe on purpose.

Keala:  [Nods and looks up at him on that note] You okay? I got nervous when she stopped by us, but you were kind of amazing back there.

Kiawe:  [Flushes a bit with embarrassment] Oh… um… Thank you. I admit, I didn’t mean to get so heated with him. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time I've had to speak with police who seem like they’re trying to get me to admit to any involvement. [Looks down with a bit of shame to admit that.] 

Rotom:  [Softly, with a mix of concern and defensiveness for their friend’s sake] Either way, Hau izz right. I think you got him to zzay more than he intended to. We need to talk to ZZoffy about the Fezztival Plazza being watched.

Hiro:  Eh, it was on the T.V., he’ll probably hear on his own. I’m sure the media is gonna be swarming all over the interview later. 

Keala:  Yeah… [crosses her arms across her stomach like she’s feeling sick just thinking of all that attention] And it sure gave him a platform to paint us as the bad guys here. He does… have a point. >.>

Boys:  ???

Keala:  Using all this to force people into changing does make it sound like an abuse of power. Even if they’re criminals, is it really right for us to get involved like this?

Rotom:  That’zz not for Ilima to decide. You all received your Perzzona as a call to injustice. Legal or not, it izz for you to follow what you feel izz right. 

Hau:  In that case, we should take some time to think about it before we make our next move. Wanna split up for now and we’ll meet at the mall around eight?

Keala:  Fine by me, I need to run by the house anyway. 

[Hau and Hiro just wave her off as she leaves, and with a little nod of agreement, Rotom slips away into Hiro’s backpack as usual]

Hiro:  [Lightly slaps Hau on the back] While she does that, I think WE need to make a stop by the lab. 

Hau:  Yeah, and I think he should come with. [Looks to Kiawe] Would that be okay?

Kiawe:  [seems to have been lost in thought during all this] Hm?

Hau:  The Dimensional Research Lab run by Professor Burnet. It’ll be on the way home. 

Kiawe:  Ah. I don’t see why not. 

Hiro:  Cool. I’m gonna grab something out of the vending machine then.

Hau:  ‘Kay, I’m gonna grab a drink real quick, too.

Kiawe:  I’ll meet you both at the door.

[As the other two dart away around the corner, Kiawe doesn’t seem to get very far before a familiar voice calls over to him. He steps back against the wall to let a few people continue to pass by as he watches Ilima trot up the steps to meet him.]

Kiawe:  Yes?

Ilima:  I’m glad I managed to catch you. [warm smile] I thought I saw you in the audience, but I wasn’t sure until they made you speak up. 

Kiawe:  [MADE being the key word there, given he didn’t normally like speaking out like that. Still, it was nice to actually see Ilima more like his usual self instead of the arrogant tone he gave onstage. Slides his hands behind his back as he leans against the wall more casually] I apologize for putting you on the spot like that. I’m sure you only wanted a “yes” or “no” answer. 

Ilima:  [waves it off] Actually I wanted to thank you for that. There are so few people these days who are willing to challenge me. [Heh] Being a certified genius, I suppose that makes them feel I must be infallible. Untrue, of course, but who wants to be the one to tell me I’m wrong?   Kiawe:  [Nods in understanding, but his expression is clear. Is there a… point to all this?]

Ilima:  … [Can take a hint. Ahem] I thought today’s discussion was quite fruitful. Now that the G-Men have taken over the Phantom Thieves case, I’ll be appearing in public much more frequently as their spokesperson. You gave me a delightful taste of how to handle the tough questions I’ll likely be facing when dealing with the actual press. 

Kiawe:  I’ll look forward to hearing from you. We haven’t seen you in years. >.>;

Ilima:  [soft hum as he glances away] Yes, well… Life just gets in the way sometimes, doesn’t it? You’ve been through quite a lot since we last met. I had a few more questions I wanted to ask you privately.

Kiawe:  [Rolls his eyes. Why would it be anything else? Restrained] Is here really the place for an interrogation?

Ilima: [Holds up his hands to show he’s unarmed and meant no harm by it] Nothing of the sort! But something you said earlier had me wondering, and I thought… Well, just between you and me, you seemed quite passionate in your defense of these Thieves.

Kiawe:  My passions tend to get the best of me. That's not exactly news. [soft smile though it's only short lived] I’ll admit, I was pretty angry with their interference at first. And what happened with Elator… Well, it’s thrown everything in my life upside-down. 

Hau:  [Had returned when heard the familiar voice, as he wanted to catch Ilima as well if he could, before meeting the other two outside. Freezes when he realizes who he’s talking to. Tries to press himself into the alcove of the theater exits and listen in.]

Kiawe:  [Understatement of the year as he pauses to think how to word this] But I’ve had a few weeks to think it over, and I feel like they've actually given me control of my life back. Not just me, but the rest of my troupe as well. [casually shrugs] Consider me a fan.

Ilima:  [shakes head] All very noble, I'm sure. But I would like to remind you that idolizing such people can be dangerous too. When even they call themselves “thieves,” I'm sure they're aware that what they're doing is wrong. I would hate to think that someone who just escaped the hands of a great manipulator would fall prey so easily to another terrible influence.

Kiawe:  [Coldly, crossing a line there, buddy.] I'm not that weak. Or are you also implying I might be working for them? 

Ilima:  [Wide shrug, and feigns innocence] I only know what I have read in the reports, but the police seem to have their suspicions. As your friend, I was merely hoping for the truth. To have gotten so close to your teacher, your house, I think you would have seen them around at least. When it appears we’re dealing with a team of vigilantes, surely you would have noticed some strange activity leading up to the attack.

Kiawe:  If this were a normal attack, it would make sense that there would have been strangers lurking in our neighborhood, but even you said that their methods are a mystery. Almost supernatural. I may be the first suspect, but you should really ask yourself: why would I want to help them, when I had the most to lose?

Hau:  [sinks down a bit to be reminded of that]

Kiawe:  [What, no comeback? He can see the former Captain is at least thinking on it.] I know you only just started the case, but the police told me they found out Elator’s son was the one to make the request to the Phantom Thieves. I hadn't even heard of them before all this.

Ilima:  [Just smiles sweetly as he thought of one] Part of the great mystery, I suppose. Though it does seem logical that after years of abuse and threats. Seeing how your benefactor only wanted you for your talents, and became quite the monster in the lengths he would go to with you and other students; it’s possible that as you learned about his obsession, you wouldn't be the least bit tempted to get revenge?

Kiawe: [Has to admit, that’s pretty much what happened. Still, he’s not lying as his voice softens] Except I never saw myself as a victim. It felt wrong. I hated him sometimes, but I was convinced the only way to chase my own ambitions was to endure it long enough to eventually leave. If I had been smarter, or hadn't known him as long as I have, I would have realized sooner. But if I had seen him that way, and hypothetically, I somehow had that same power as the Phantom Thieves have to cause these changes, do you think I would have put up with it for so long?

Ilima:  [Shifts uncomfortably as the question seems to strike a nerve. His tone softens with an air of bitterness rather than sadness] I think it's very possible considering the consequences. As you said, you had everything to lose if you tried. 

Hau:  [Yeeeeaaaah, he’s got them pegged. Oh gosh. While it seems like Ilima’s tone also wants to reveal something, it’s time to bail. Slides through the door rather excitedly] Kiawe~! What happened to meeting us outside?

Kiawe:  [motions to Ilima] Obviously, I got a bit delayed. 

Ilima:  Alola, Champion Hau! I hadn't expected to meet you in a place like this.

Hau:  Are you kidding? You're like one of the biggest names in Melemele and helped me get my start. There's no way I wouldn't come see ya for your first visit back in over a year~! [looks between them] But uh… you guys just catching up or something? I didn't mean to butt in or anything.

Kiawe:  More like continuing our debate from earlier. |D;;

Hau:  Ah… Well no need to be so formal with me. The Champion thing is basically bragging rights right now while we’ve been settling into this whole world-league-ambassador… thing. I just got back from Kanto about a month ago it feels like. 

Ilima:  [Soft smile] It's still nice to hear such praise from someone as prestigious as you've grown to be. [Curious as he points between them] Though when did you two become such friends? 

Kiawe:  Just recently. After hearing about my situation, Hau offered me his place to stay. It’s a house so it’s spacious enough to go about our own activities, but it has been nice getting to know each other better since I moved in. 

Ilima: 

[Mildly impressed] It seems our first Champion is quite the charitable one. Must be nice. I'm sorry for keeping you though. I didn’t realize you two had plans.

Hau:  Just going to grab some malasadas. The show was fun, but I'm pretty starved. You wanna come with?

Kiawe:  [Quirks an eyebrow at him, wondering what he’s thinking]

Ilima:  I think I'll have to pass. I really should be going, but I simply had to stave my curiosity for the day. [Looks to Kiawe] I should be the one to apologize though. I’m only just starting in my new position and I may have come on a bit strong. I'll see you both around, won't I?

Hau:  Sure! See ya later then~ [waves him off]

Kiawe:  Hmph. “A bit strong”? [Crosses his arms in annoyance as he watches him disappear down the hall] He certainly changed his tune real quick once you showed up. 

Hau:  Yeah… I guess because I've got “prestige” now, he thinks he has to be nice to me. 

Kiawe:  [softly] Or to cover up what we'd been discussing when you came in. It's not like he has any reason to suspect you of thievery.

Hau:  [Still feels guilty about that] Sorry, I should have stepped in a lot sooner. 

Kiawe:   [Not mad, but pleasantly surprised by the little sneak. Almost amused to find out what he knew] You heard all that then? Then why did you invite him?

Hau:  [cheeky grin] To make you cringe. [more serious] Honestly, I wanted to be friendly while calling his bluff. If he came with us, we might have gotten to have a nice normal conversation to learn what he's been up to all this time. And if not, it at least gives the impression we're just goofing off somewhere. Being nice tends to make people less on edge around you. Besides, we're going to talk to Burnet about thieves stuff, he doesn’t need to be anywhere near there.

Kiawe:  ….That's surprisingly clever of you.

Hau: 

Hey, between your skills in dodging questions and Rotom’s palace lessons, I should hope I'm learning to cover my tracks. Come on. I'm sure Hiro is starting to wonder where we went.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: And now for something different! A friend got me all happy to ramble on about this P5 / Alola region crossover I was obsessed with years ago, and it gave me the urge to pull up my old document for it. There's not a full story here, just a ton of scattered clips that reference a lot of scenes and events from P5 but obviously things are much different and more expanded on in how the crossover verse functions. Ahem.... This scene was too long for me to share with the Discord so I just needed to post it somewhere I could link. But uh, if there's any interest, I may post more from this universe because I'm forever surprised just how much we wrote for it.

This whole extensive mess came up from this silly exchange:

Haji: With Kiawe... well there's a few things. 1) He's still working on how to social cue. Yes, he understands some of the pressure Ilima went through better than others because he was in the same position and they were, albeit vaguely and only through said position, friends? 2) With the TV station thing, which I'll probably get into tomorrow given the time and the length of the scene, I kinda like the idea of the whole gang there (up to that point) going to check it out only instead of Hau being chosen (because I always joke "And of course we get chosen XD" because protag) it was actually with Kiawe. Since I'm sure being so shortly after the Teacher's Palace, Ilima being the little ass that he is here, probably spotted him in the audience and was like "Huh, and mind if I ask you a question then?" which naturally has the other four silently going "Oh fuck" but then of course it turns out to just be "So, hypothetically, if these thieves are real, do you think what they did was right?" Kiawe's a fairly confident individual, and especially since he's got no reason to view Ilima as any sort of authority figure (they're still on the same level in his mind, and Ilima's still like... the intern anyway, he's not even a real cop / detective yet) and it's like "Tch, yeah?" .... The group goes back, to internally screaming XD Kitty: PFFFFF XD Haji: I'm sure Keala is fighting back a face palm with the whole "They do more than the cops" option you can do in the game XD Kitty: "Oh fuck" is the only appropriate response XD Haji: Although let's be honest, no one else would have done well with that question

[wuxiaphoenix]

On Writing: Ship Problems

No, not of a romance or fanfic nature; though those can have plenty of problems of their own. I’m thinking of the common SF trope of the colony or generation ship, getting a bunch of settlers from planet to (hopefully) habitable planet. Meaning you’ve got a bunch of human beings living in an enclosed environment for who knows how long; months, years, even generations.

So. Humans being humans - how do you paint a wall in space?

Yes, I’m serious. There’s a huge difference between living and simply not dying. If people are living on these ships, going about a certain amount of day-to-day life, working, doing social activities, and raising families, then they’re going to want to make their environment more homey. Someone is going to paint a wall. At the very least, someone is going to want to.

This is not a simple undertaking, as anyone who’s done a little bit of room touch-up can attest. Most paints, you want very thorough ventilation for, or it’s Not Of The Good. If you’re in the enclosed environment of a ship, where all the air is effectively shared air - ouch.

Watercolor paints might be a solution, if you can make them stick. Or wallpaper - but that would also require either bringing a store of it along, or making it on-ship. You’d still have to deal with the fallout of any pigments or other materials used to make it. And inevitably somebody wouldn’t be happy and would want to redo it, touch it up, or splash a horrendous pink over it in a teenage prank. And then you have to deal with all the chemicals you have to use to clean it up.

Frankly I think the best solution would be technological. Make sure whatever you’ve got for atmospheric scrubbers can handle not just carbon dioxide and oxygen balances, but also take all kinds of toxins out of the air. This would be a good idea just on general principles; there are so many of our manufactured materials that outgas over time. And if you designed well you might be able to take those scrubbed chemicals and make something useful, or at least harmless, out of them.

Then you have to maintain the scrubbers. And the tools, parts, and skills to maintain the scrubbers. This is not a given.

(And now I’m seeing a race-the-clock murder mystery onboard ship, where the local law enforcement is desperately trying to catch a sociopath targeting the maintenance crews....)

It’s even less a given when you talk about generation ships. How do you make sure that the next person taking a job actually has the skills and temperament for that job, instead of inheriting it? And don’t try to wriggle out of it with “they’ll have computerized tests”. One, computer tests are no way to measure if someone can actually physically wrestle with blocked plumbing. Two, humans may be equal in the eyes of the law but everyone’s got different abilities and interests. It’s entirely possible you could get a generation that simply doesn’t have anybody with an aptitude for certain work. Or whoever has the aptitude, doesn’t want to do it. Three, if humans made the tests, humans can hack the tests. And if they can, someone will. For spite, for family loyalty, for the best of intentions because surely this is the best person for the job no matter what the computer says-!

I’m not ragging on colony ship and generation ship SF. I love the idea of colonizing other worlds, however we end up getting there. But... sometimes I’d like to see someone think this through. Just look at the history of the Mayflower to get an idea of what happens when you’ve got people jammed into one small ship for months, and they didn’t have to worry about oxygen.

So how would you paint a wall on a colony ship?

[hiswordsarekisses]

“So, he committed adultery. Big deal! It doesn’t mean he murdered his wife. It doesn’t even count in the course of this trial!” The big city lawyer thundered.

But the man had indeed murdered his wife.

And while I agree that adultery doesn’t equal a murder, it did matter in the course of his life. Today, we’re pretty loose about adultery, marriage, divorce, and the covenants of God. But that doesn’t mean God has changed His mind.

In a little book in the back of the Old Testament of Scriprure, God talks to the Priests first, the he tell the people why

they are losing favor with Him, why He won’t accept what they want to give Him. It’s because you’re unfaithful to each other!

One God created you, but you’re unfaithful to each other. Why?! He is a witness to husbands and wives of their youth. God has made you One in the spirit, through

a sacred holy covenant with Him,

in Him a joint spirit.

I feel this the longer I’m married.

We become one flesh through covenant

sexual relations, to bring godly offspring into the world, as a gift to the one we married, as a service made for marriage. That’s why purity and virginity are valuable.

They are part of a sacred covenant.

Do you hear that very often?

I bet not.

Now, most of the time, we read that

“God hates divorce” from this passage.

He does, but the Hebrew text goes

deeper linguistically.

God actually calls divorce a

“hateful thing” in His eyes, that it renders you covered in “violence”, from hurting

the very one you were given to protect!

That’s the true depth.

Here, I think He highlights something we don’t often speak in Christian circles.

The violence of divorce.

The hatred of divorce.

The twisted undone protection that comes in unfaithfulness.

The loss of God’s favor.

The witness of God watching over marriages and seeing a home full of the violence of divorce, the hatefulness of unfaithfulness.

I found it profound and interesting that as God was speaking to a nation, He was sorting out the husbands, who were to be the high priests of their families, and the reality of what unfaithfulness means to our relationship to God. Malachi lived in a culture that divorced wives, just because they wanted a newer model.

God wanted it stopped.

How does God see divorce?

As a hateful violent act against the ones

we are supposed to be protecting.

And God grieves.

Marriage is holy ground.

When Jesus is asked about it while on earth, He says it happens because of

the “hardening of our hearts”.

So, one of the things I think is of utmost importance in a marriage, is to watch

that your heart doesn’t harden against

your mate.

Don’t let bitterness gain a footing.

Keep communication open and fights finished.

Get help when you need to get help.

Invest in each other, and keep a check on your critical attitude.

Should hurtful sarcasm and snarky intimidations stand between you, you are risking a hard heart, a costly adultery

and a hateful divorce.

Violence to your home.

Now, if you were the one who didn’t commit adultery and did not want the divorce, please note that this does not apply ….to you.

You are deeply loved and God will get

you through what’s been done to you.

It likely won’t be in your timing or your way.

It will cost much shame, guilt, anger and pain, because those are part of sin.

But please don’t waste time thinking you are all to blame.

I’m sure the person leaving has hatefully filled you in, as you try and explain to confused children what’s happening,

while you don’t even understand.

I just don’t want us to forget:

Divorce is still a tragedy.

It’s still a terrible sign of hate.

Adultery is still horrendous,

no matter how you rename it, or how fabulous it looks on a movie screen.

That’s a lie. But also know:

Both are also forgivable sins.

If you have come to Christ after a

hateful divorce, God knows.

Keep growing in grace, and make right what you can, then move forward in faith.

God will be faithful to you.

But yes, while I know this is a hot topic,

less debatable and more acceptable

than ever, I’m speaking

to those who are Believers.

I’m saying what God said:

Be on your guard.

Do not be unfaithful to each other.

~AnnStewartPorter

[moriartyluver]

Sherlock definitely doesn’t know anything about love, bro is clueless

STOP WILLIAM PROBABLY FELT EVEN MORE GUILTY BECAUSE FL NEVER GOT ANY REASSURANCE OF HIM LOVING HER AND CARING ABOUT THEIR CHILD

Imagine Louis taking liam to his grave because bro was curious or smth and he somehow found the letters😭

Love louis, but bro has to leave liam to his whoreship of fl

It’s okay fl and liam eventually got better when he came back

Louis played the therapist

They so should have fucked in his office in that scene💔 it’s okay tho they probably fucked in every room of that manor after they did it the first time

FL’S BEEN THROUGH ENOUGH BRO GIVE THE POOR GIRL A BREAK😭

Also liam may be a stupid virgin but he’s still good asf, bro literally said it himself🛐

FL AND WILLIAM WOULD NEVER PLAY CBAT WHILE FUCKING

okay maybe William’s dumbass would but fl would beat him for it🛐

You just re-traumatized me with that

The images in my head rn are terrifying

Oh god

You just convinced me to go church

🎀.

John getting engaged and Sherlocks silly reaction is proof enough that sherly knows NOTHING about love. He may have only seen it once and acknowledged it when fl came to him to tell him to help liam and he just says “you really love him, don’t you?” And she just nods with a melancholic smile

The moment liam finds out about the accidental fetus deletus, poor guy is just sobbing and shi because he feels like it was his fault and poor fl was suffering mourning not one but TWO people

If Liam found the letters he wouldn’t know how to feel. He’d feel guilty but also bro was probably kicking his feet and blushing because he hadn’t ever been written a love letter from fl

Each time fl goes, she leaves a bouquet of lillies and Liam saw the fresh bouquet when he visits his grave

Keyword: eventually

It was probably so awkward for them at first. Fl was probably a little salty and Liam is just trying not to annoy her

Imagine them at that family dinner omg 😭 like with john and mycroft and miss Hudson and they’re all like ‘whys she so mad at him I thought they were married’

Louis definitely had to deal with their silly couple shenanigans for a bit afterwards.

Also poor Louis had to deal with his older brother being so down bad for god knows how long. William probably has a whole shrine for his whoreship of fl

On that note, bro is probably such a good therapist. They should have given him more screen time away from liam before his brother ‘died’ because his development seemed a bit sudden but makes sense when you read back on it

Nah they down bad fr 😭 can’t keep their hands off of each other omg

EVERY ROOM 😟😟 I think maybe the office and both their rooms are enough. Bathroom too if they’re that down bad there are other people in the house

Maybe if u combine both the rooms in Durham and London, that could probably make sense

Nah they actually can’t stop being down horrendously. There are going to be complaints from the other residents I swear

He may be good without realising but that stupid virgin still needs to initiate something ‼️ those idiots need to consummate the marriage

Also I actually think it makes most sense for William (along with the other Moriarty bros tbh and other characters like the Holmes brothers) to have little to no experience even in canon. You can’t tell me liam had time for anything involving his clothes off in the manga and in false lovers, bro couldn’t do that unless with fl. stupid hoe 🙄

Nah fl is so silly she probably made it a competition mid way just so she wouldn’t have the admit that she thinks liam is hot.

I had to be a little silly with the cbat thing cmon 😭 liam wouldn’t even mind being beat for that what a masochist

Yknow who else needs to go to church?

William

He should get on his knees for something that isn’t fl (that has so many meanings to it—)