#I took the personality test several years ago and was surprised I remembered my personality type off the top of my head
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throughpatchesofviolet · 4 months ago
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Anyway ~!! I finally got to do the MBTI compatibility test, and when I tell you the descriptions that came with all of these perfectly described Heathlock and how they function as partners, I mean it.
I haven't been thinking about Sherry and Heathcliff, lately, which is part of why I felt so down the last couple nights, but this made me feel so much better ... they're a 92% match ...
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strawberryspeachy · 1 year ago
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I was scrolling through my pictures and found a guide for things to study to prepare one of my students for moving to america
Its pretty detailed and makes me wonder if im getting stupider as time goes on because i forgot about several things that i came up with without even researching 2 years ago
While looking at it i remembered
The boy asked me actually. He asked me about school in the states and he was worried about some of the classes. I tried to put his mind at ease for the transition and assure him that he’ll have help for most things.
He was half white and his dad was american. His dad was a writer actually and he told me about his books during a speaking test. So he spoke english fluently. Actually that was something he was worried about. He said his dad told him he has an accent - he really didnt.
But on that I started to ask him about things we do in English class back home. He had no idea about even the basics. Not surprising. They dont do things that involve critical thought in japanese schools.
I started briefly explaining some things to him and told him id make him a guide
Then. We were cut off
The teacher came and told me he needed to go eat lunch.
Later she came and apologized to me because he told her that he asked me for advise and that he was nervous realizing that he wasnt prepared for American English classes.
She thought i just went to talk to a kid. Stopped him from going to lunch. And was stressing him out.
Not because i do that but because thats how japanese teachers see foreigners here. Being weird idiots that bother ppl
And the thing is id forgotten about that till just now.
I HATED that feeling as an ALT. Im s weird person - but not a fucking weirdo who harasses children to talk me. I hated when the teachers tried to make me do that. And i hated when they assumed thats what happened whenever a student came to talk to me.
Theyd always look worried and annoyed when students were talking to me and theyd shoo them away. And i couldnt say its ok or anything. I couldnt say or do anything. Just smile and encourage the kid that the jaapnese teacher had a good reason for telling them to not talk to me
The thing is. I liked the teacher i just mentioned. She was one of the nicest ones i worked with as an ALT. I forgot about all the shitty times with her. She got nicer to me after my mom died. All the teachers did. I noticed and i know. But somewhat also forget.
It took a horrible thing for them to see me as a human. And to just look at what i do as another person and not a strange alien they must protect the children from.
I came to japan for a paid vacation. I wanted to explore and enjoy traveling going to concerts meeting ppl and just having a good time.
Id planned to go home and take care of my mom. I thought i could write stories while i was here and look for a job back home.
Then corona hit and ruined everything. I never even got to see my mom again
Never got to feel stability
Now the money ive saved up is worth half the value back home
I have nothing to fucking show for my time here
I cant afford to go back to america
My moms not there
I dont even have a house to return to
Im so much worse off now than when i left if i go back
But i also cant deal with that degrading treatment again. Even as a legit teacher in a school working through a company middleman im treated as less than.
As an ALT i was treated like a fucking idiot mascot play toy. Like equipment. Not a person.
And as a native teacher - last year - god do you know how fucking annoying it is to have ppl who can’t speak your native language tell you whats correct?!? To be told to keep students in lineïżŒ, motivate them, teach them, and entertain them all while having someone undermine you at every turn. Them complain the students dont respect you. I mean that was only with 5 kids in 432 students. And thats the other fucking problem. Last year my schools students were wonderful. They were friendly smart motived and kind. Except 2 bitchy girls and one boy - the girls turned like 3 more kids in their class against me. But the rest of my students liked me. And because the PE turned English teacher didnt like english he bitched about me and used those few kids against me. I have more than 420 actively improving their assignments and having full english conversations with me. I have the two loud classes all the teachers hate because they refuse to do their work - coming to me and asking if they did my assignments correctly and asking when they need help - but because a handful of kids dont like me - that teacher turns me into a bad guy and gets me the boot.
And thats the shit to expect with even the better job i have.
The school im not rn has a native teacher who uses his charisma to make life better for the native teachers at the school. This is the best im gonna get
I cant find another job. Im trying but too many ppl want to come to japan rn
I really cant afford to go back home
And im entirely out of the patience to be treated like a fucking slave. Literally at this point. Between the shit wages that keep going down and high costs. I cant afford the shit job that wants me to act like the japanese assholes dog. Treating me however they want and i have to just smile back
I want my mom. I want to go back to when i had my pets and my house and lived near my friends.
I keep saying it but its true. Im living the future that i used to have in my nightmares and wake up screaming from. I want to wake up again back before 2011
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danielxricciardo · 3 years ago
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Hi girl!! I love everything you’ve wrote! Couldn’t say how much I enjoyed reading one shots of F1 drivers! I have to ask if you could do one for Carlos? He and reader are expecting but keeping it secret, Carlos won the race! And he ask if he could hear her through radio, though with some glitch, all other drivers and teams hear Carlos’ radio, he tells her how he’s so happy with the win but more than anything about their little one on the way and now everyone knows the secret of pregnancy because he suddenly slipped it while talking to her on radiođŸ‘¶đŸ» I can’t imagine how will other drivers will congratulate him (like Daniel, Max, Landooooo! Seb! And even Kimi!đŸ€Ł) I think Lando will be overjoyed and will be presenting to be Godfather already Hahahaha!
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Summary: Having a baby and everybody finding out
Warnings: fluff
Word count: 1.5k
You realized that you were pregnant after a series of fortunate events that, individually, you did not take as alarm signals.
One evening, Carlos decided to spare you from cooking dinner and ordered your favorite food from your favorite restaurant. You were very excited to eat it, but when the food arrived you were on the verge of throwing up because of the smell. You told Carlos you couldn't eat, so you just ate an apple and went to bed. The next day, after Carlos left for the gym, you couldn't get away from the toilet because if you took a few steps you would feel like throwing up. However, when your boyfriend came home, you didn't feel so sick anymore, but you didn't tell him what happened to you because you didn't want to worry him.
You had a vague idea that you could be pregnant but you wanted to wait until Carlos leaves for France for the Grand Prix.
The day he left you went to the pharmacy and bought two pregnancy tests.
Positive.
You just sat down and cried. You stared at the positive test for several minutes. Honestly, you were so hormonal and conflicted about the timing that you bawled your eyes out. You were both happy and worried. Carlos was busy with his Formula 1 career, you didn't know if it was appropriate to add a child to the dynamics of your life.
But you recovered immediately. You are talking about Carlos, of course, he will be happy to have a child with you. You've been together for four years, you knew you would be together for the rest of your life.
The next day you did another pregnancy test, just in case. Positive, obviously. You went to the pharmacy again, and you took four more tests, to do one every day until Carlos came home.
"Hey, honey. I missed you," says Carlos entering the house.
You didn't even let him take off his shoes. You handed him a gift box in which you put the six pregnancy tests you took.
"Amor, did I forget an anniversary?"
You nod.
"Open it."
You see him take the lid off the box and take out a pregnancy test. Then another one, and another one, until he took them all out. You could see it on his face, he was scared and overwhelmed.
"Seriously?" he asks.
You nod and bite your lip, a few tears run down your face.
"Amor, that's wonderful! Ay Dios Mio! Are we going to be parents?"
You laugh and kiss him long.
"Yes, we will be parents."
You have scheduled an appointment for the next day to confirm the pregnancy and determine how many weeks you are pregnant. It looks like you're 10 weeks pregnant, so that means month 3 of your pregnancy. You couldn't believe that for almost 3 months you didn't realize you were pregnant, but you always had an irregular cycle, so it's not really incomprehensible.
You and Carlos have decided not to announce publicly that you will have a child just yet. For now, you were happy to share the news with your families, wanting to plan a nice way to tell your friends as well.
You know that feeling you get at certain times of the month when you want to cry at every cheesy commercial or could explode with anger at the drop of a hat? Pregnancy is like that sometimes, except 10 times more intense. With your new hormones raging, and more stress in your life than ever before, what with getting a nursery together and preparing to welcome the precious baby into the world and all, emotions are high. Tempers are bound to flare.
That is how you felt sitting in the paddock with Carlos who was preparing for the race. He was starting from P3 so he was pretty excited and nervous for the race. He saw your state, he knew you too well.
"Ay, mi Amor, come here," he said and hugged you to calm your nerves. "Don't worry, ok? It's an easy race, I'm gonna win it for you and the little bean, ok?"
You giggle at the sound of Carlos's nickname for the baby. You kiss him and smile.
"You know I don't really care about winning. Just come back to us. Safe." you say, your voice barely a whisper, not wanting anyone around you to hear your discussion.
"Si, pequeña. Always."
Sure, you were always concerned when he was racing. But especially now when your hormones were driving you insane and you were growing another person in your body. But you trusted him. With all of your heart. If he said he will come back to you, he will.
It took you a few moments to understand what was happening. Carlos Oñoro was hugging you, yelling 'He won!' and you looked at the screens in front of you. He did. Carlos Sainz was the winner in Monza! He kept his word, he won for you and your child.
"Hey, Y/N!" you hear your name being called by Riccardo Adami, the race engineer of Carlos. "The winner wants to talk to you."
You giggle and go to him. 'The winner'... Has a nice ring to it.
"Hey, baby! Congratulations!" you say excitedly over the radio.
"Si, mi amor! I told you I'm gonna win for our baby! I love you both so much!"
What you didn't know was that there was a glitch over the radio and every driver heard Carlos talking about 'your baby'.
"Aaa, guys? Why am I hearing Carlos over the radio talking about a baby?" Charles asked his race engineer.
"There's a glitch. Come to the garage."
"A baby?!" Lando yells into the radio, making his race engineer flinch. "Was that Carlos saying he is going to have a baby? Oh my God!"
You were waiting for Carlos to come out of his car, being absolutely clueless about the hysteria you two just caused. Carlos was just about to get his helmet out when all the drivers came to you two, yelling congratulations to you both. You looked at Carlos. Did he tell someone about your pregnancy? Did you give it away?
"Uh, thank you but how did you find out?" Carlos asked, clueless as you.
"We heard it over the radio," Kimi responds giving you a genuine smile.
"This is not how I wanted you guys to find out," Carlos said and put an arm over your shoulders, kissing your head. "But, yeah, it is true, we are having a baby."
"Mate, you're having a baby! That is so crazy! You are basically a baby!" Daniel says and hugged you both.
"And who is the godfather?" Lando asked and everyone laughed.
"We just found out two weeks ago, there are still five months to think about it," you say and bit your lip and Lando pouts. "You'll be considered, Lando."
After three months you decided to have a gender reveal for your family and friends. You could have had it a lot sooner but you wanted to be at an appropriate time for everyone. All the drivers came, as well as your family and Carlos's too. You made everyone wear a piece of clothing according to the gender they think your baby is. You were surprised to see the majority of the people being team boy, but as Lewis said 'They just want to make sure the third generations of Sainz is coming in Formula 1' and you know he was right.
"Look, listen to me, I have three kids, ok? I know, for a fact, by the way you are carrying that it is a girl!" Sebastian said and you laughed. He was wearing his pink T-shirt with pride, being 100% sure he is right.
He was.
You were having a girl and you could swear that Carlos cried a little when he saw the pink confetti. He hugged you for a few minutes, being still in shock.
"Una niña pequeña..." he whispered in your ear. "I am not ready."
You laughed and kissed him.
"You are gonna be the best dad ever, don't worry."
"No, I know that. I am not ready for her to date! And she'll go to university, no..."
"Carlos, she is not even been born yet! You have plenty of time to spend with her."
"Hi, guys, sorry to interrupt!" Lando appears near the two of you, making you break apart from your hug. "Did you think about the godfather or... or this is not a good time to ask?"
Everyone heard him and started laughing.
"Mate, remember the bag I gave you when you arrived?" Carlos asked him and Lando nodded. "You can look inside the bag now."
Lando got the bag and inside was a white romper saying 'Will you be my godfather?'
Lando looked at the romper with tears in his eyes.
"Well, if you insist..."
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angryschnauzer · 4 years ago
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Blackwater Lake - Chapter 3
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Summary: There’s a little town high in the mountains where everyone has a secret, and every family has something that makes them unique. In Blackwater Lake those that are outcast by nature come together.
Characters/Pairing:  August Walker x OFC Freya (Forest Nymph) Original Female Character is described as white/pale, short and of small build, hazel eyes, long dark hair.
Warnings (for this chapter); Talk of past abusive relationships, on the run, alcohol consumption, Daddy Kink, DD/LG, Pet names, fingering, oral sex (male receiving), unprotected sex, hyperspermia, cum play, cum feeding, unplanned pregnancy, pregnancy test.
Previous Parts: 
Werewolf!Sy: Moonlight on the Sand  Castle Under The Stars. Werewolf!Sy, Vampire!Walter: Chapter 1 Vampire Walter: Chapter 2
This will be a series of stand alone stories/2 parters, which will revolve around the residents of the town, with some recurring characters. The ‘reader’ for each story will be a ‘new’ reader, so its not the same woman being with all the male characters.
I do not run a tag list, but please follow @angryschnauzerwrites​ and put that blog onto notifications. You’ll then get an alert every time i post something new.
Blackwater Lake - Chapter 3
The blood slowly trickled across the board and off the table, coating the floor before running into the drain. August raised the heavy cleaver, and with one thunderous swipe severed the femur clean in two. The cleaver made a metallic clang that echoed around the stark tile lined room, and wiping his hands on his apron he lifted the product of his work and inspected his efforts closely. A smile spread over his lips as he looked up;
“There we go Mrs Mackenzie, a nice juicy bone for your dog”
The old woman smiled, her purple tinted grey hair in tight curls that barely moved as she nodded;
“Oh yes, that’ll be perfect! My Clarence will love it!”
At that very moment Clarence started yapping outside where he was tied to the specials chalkboard that sat on the sidewalk outside Walkers Meats, 10lbs of teeth, fur and anger wrapped into the body of a small West Highland Terrier;
“I’m sure he will. I’ll wrap it up for you and Freya will finish ringing up your order for you. We’ll get it delivered this afternoon
”
August walked around the counter and set the wrapped bone into the box, nodding to his assistant to finish up the order. She knew that the bone would be free of charge, but that Mrs Mackenzie would insist on tipping and sliding her $10 which August was more than happy for Freya to keep. The slight girl turned and a tiny smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, before she quietly nodded and continued with her duties.
Returning to the butchery area August glanced up and caught sight of his reflection in the painted mirror, the design obscuring the scarring on the side of his face, giving him that moment of relief from those memories of a past long ago, a life he had left behind when he had sought out quiet solitude in the peaceful mountain town of Blackwater Lake. People minded their own business there and didn’t ask questions. If you had a skill that could help others you were welcomed into the community. How August got into the meat business is a story for another day, but as his gaze travelled across the mirror to where Freya was measuring out the wild herb mixes into small mason jars he smiled and remembered instead how she came into his life.
-
Pulling the sign in from the sidewalk August was exhausted. Running a business completely on his own had seemed like a good idea when he’d started, he enjoyed his own company and he distrusted anyone else to do the job to a standard he would approve of. What he hadn’t counted on was the residents of this sleepy little town not only accepting him, but joyous that he was there and wanting to talk endlessly every time they visited his store. Although he was always polite and did his best to end conversations quickly, after eight hours of it he had jaw ache and knew he would need to work well into the night on the new sides of beef that had been delivered that morning if he were to have any stock to sell the next day. He glanced longingly at the small sign that sat propped up in the window; ‘Help Needed - Enquire Within’, yet he hadn’t had any takers in the month the sign had been up. 
The icy winter wind curled at his neck, sending a shiver down his spine as he let out a sigh, heaving the heavy sign into the building so it didn’t blow away in the night as a icy squall blew in from the mountains. As the door slammed shut behind him it echoed a knock around the store, but when it came again he turned and let out a far from masculine yelp; the face of a pale young woman stared back at him like a ghoul in the darkness. Clearing his throat and smoothing down his blue and white striped apron, he approached the door and opened it;
“May I help you Miss?”
She nodded down to the sign;
“Do you still need someone?”
Her teeth were chattering, and it was hardly surprising as she was barely dressed for the weather, the knitted cardigan doing little to ward off the cold wind. August opened the door to allow her to enter, looking down at the top of her head as she slunk past him.
“Let me get a pot of coffee on, you must be freezing”
As he disappeared into the back office he set the pot of coffee on to heat before grabbing an old jacket that was hanging on the back of the door, returning to where his visitor stood in the store a few moments later, handing her the jacket;
“Its cold in here, we can’t have the heat on because of the meat”
Nodding she took the jacket, her teeth still chattering;
“T-t-thanks
 its still warmer than outside”
He handed her a mug of steaming coffee;
“Sorry, i don’t have any creamer or sugar
” She wrapped her delicate fingers around the mug using it more for heat than sustenance as he leant back against the counter on the other side of the store; “So
 you’re wanting a job? What experience have you got? You worked in retail?”
She shook her head and muttered a quiet no, keeping her eyes averted from him as she spoke;
“But i will try anything
 just looking for a new start”
“Are you running from something?” A gentle nod of her head and the way she clutched the mug tighter told August it was a someone not a something; “Look, if you’re willing to learn, work hard and pay attention, i’ll give you a trial. I’ve gotta level with you, you’re the only person who’s shown any interest in the sign, and i’m getting desperate, so if you want you can start tomorrow”
Her head snapped up and for the first time he saw her eyes, deep hazel peering out from behind long strands of dark brown hair;
“Really?”
“Yes. Really” he stated in a matter of fact way; “I’ll need to get your address and details for the wages
”
“Oh
 i’m not
 i’ve not got anywhere. I guess i’ll find a cheap motel
”
August paused;
“Kid, there’s no motel in town
 at least not this time of year. But i might have a solution for you”
Her eyes widened in fear and August realised whatever she was running from had done more damage than she showed;
“No no, not that” he assured her; “There’s a small apartment above the shop - two in fact, i’ve got one and the other i’ve never rented out, never got round to it
 its small but completely self contained, your own entrance and everything, completely secure”
Once a few forms had been filled out August had gotten the girl settled in the small studio apartment. He’d shown her how the fold out bed worked, explained that the hot water fed off the furnace for the whole building so she could use as much as she wanted. A couple of minutes after he’d left her in the apartment he knocked at her door, surprised to hear the locks sliding across at first, but then realising she needed to feel safe. When she peered around the door she almost looked surprised to see him there, as if it would be anyone else;
“Umm yeah?”
August handed her a box of things he’d scavenged from his own kitchen;
“Here’s just a few things to see you through the night
 I haven’t been grocery shopping in a while, but the bread was in the freezer and it’ll defrost pretty quickly if you put it in the toaster”
He handed the box to Freya, surprised at how smooth but also small her hands were as she took it from him as they brushed against his own. She nodded and smiled;
“Thank you Mr Walker”
“Night. See you bright and early tomorrow morning” 
-
The next morning August woke to an insistent knocking on his door. Grumbling to himself he pulled on his robe and stalked across his small apartment, pulling the door open with a thunderous look on his face, ready to give whatever maniac that was knocking on his door at 5am a piece of his mind;
“WHAT THE
 oh
 hi
”
Freya was standing on his doormat, a look of shock on her face;
“Hi
 i’m ready to start”
“To
 start?”
“Work. You said bright and early”
August ran his palm over his face;
“I
 When i said
” he let out a long slow breath; “I meant 8am”
“Oh.”
That was a long day, but by lunchtime Freya had mastered the cash desk and had already started to come out of her shell, the locals more than welcoming for the tiny girl with the woodland eyes, and with her help August was able to catch up on his work.
Over the following month her input had helped August expand his products, suggesting a range of seasonings in reusable jars, where if the customer returned the mason jar they’d get a discount off the next one they purchased. He discovered she had this unfathomable knowledge of herbs and plants, but also had this connection with nature he couldn’t quite understand. He’d sometimes catch her staring out of the window at the trees blowing in the wind, as if listening to their songs that were beyond his own ears.
One thing was for sure, there was a sense of magic to her and August thanked the stars above that she walked into his store on that cold winter night.
-
Back in the present August was busy cleaning the cutting table as Freya busied herself with her jars - it was her own little enterprise now and one she was absolutely proud of. He could see that she kept glancing outside, gnawing on her lip;
“Freya, everything ok?”
“Yes Mr Walker. I was just thinking, the next batch wild garlic is ready to be picked, if i collect some this afternoon i can have more chimichurri mixed ready for tomorrow, and that’s when the beef delivery is coming in”
August let out a chuckle;
“How many times do I have to say to call me August
” he met her gaze with a smile; “And yes, that sounds like a brilliant idea. The store’s quiet and i’ll be doing deliveries in a while, so sure, go exploring”
“Thank you Mr Walker”
August rolled his eyes and let out a laugh, watching as she hung up her apron and grabbed her foraging basket, skipping out of the door and towards the creek that fed into the lake a couple of miles away.
-
Three hours later August was driving back along the gravel road that led into town, having made his deliveries. The spring air was damp but warm, rain threatening to spill but the clouds unwilling to release their bounty just yet. Rounding the bend he looked out over the soft marshland, the grass knee high already and he saw a familiar figure stepping through the green undergrowth. With a smile he pulled his SUV to a stop at the side of the road, stepping out of the vehicle he leaned against the door as he watched Freya as she slowly made her way through the field, before she stopped as her attention moved to the treeline. Following her gaze he watched as a bear emerged from the woods and his heart sank. The native wildlife would be coming out of hibernation, and would be grumpy and hungry. He went to shout but a sudden rush of wind silenced his voice, watching as she held her arm out and the grass flattened in front of her as if a wind devil had made its way through. Glancing back to the bear it had stopped in its tracks but was still staring at her, but then started to circle around on the spot before settling down as if for a nap.
August anxiously watched, knowing if Freya ran she could make it to the car as long as the bear was weak, but he didn’t want to risk that it hadn’t had a belly full of salmon yet, so he quickly reached into the vehicle and pulled his unregistered handgun from beneath his seat. Back at the side of the road he raised the firearm at the bear, glancing at Freya who had now spotted him waiting for her. She started to quicken her pace through the grasses, eventually breaking into a run as she neared the embankment of the road. August glanced to where the bear had been and let out a yell as he saw it was starting to approach them;
“Freya, RUN!”
Doing as he instructed she broke into a sprint, her legs carrying her through the grass and up the embankment. Flinging his door open he motioned for her to dive in, her basket being launched into the passenger footwell as she tumbled across the centre console and into the passenger seat, August launching himself into the driver's seat and gunning the engine as he slammed the door shut, the urgent crunch of tyres on loose gravel dulling the sound of the grizzly’s roar as it had caught up, but was now rapidly disappearing into the distance of the rear view mirror.
August only slowed down as he reached the urban centre of Blackwater Lake, Freya’s breathing having finally levelled out as she turned to him;
“So
 there’s bears here?”
He slowed the vehicle and pulled to a stop in a parking lot before turning to her;
“Yes. And moose and cougars and mountain lions
 hell sometimes I even hear howls in the night so there’s probably something wolfy up in those mountains too
 We need to get you better prepared for nature” August paused; “And what was that thing you did with your hand? That made the grass flatten and the bear sit down
”
Freya shrugged;
“I’m not sure
 it's just this thing i’ve always been able to do, calm animals down”
“Huh. Didn’t seem to work this time
”
She glanced at him, her eyes wide;
“I think that was because you were there
”
August let out a laugh, before sitting back in his seat;
“Okay, point taken. I need a drink. We’re at Big-G’s, I'll buy you dinner
”
-
August regretted his decision. He hadn’t factored in how slight Freya was in comparison to her ability to consume alcohol, so three drinks later where all he’d had was lite beer, Freya was completely wasted. The giveaway was when she’d fallen asleep on his shoulder whilst he’d been talking to Geralt - the bar owner - and she’d started to drool on his shirt. Geralt had told him to ‘get his girl home’ with a wry laugh, telling August his meal was on the house. Something had stopped August from correcting the ashen haired man, looking down at the imp of the girl leaning on him. 
He’d managed to carry her to his car fairly easily but the journey up the steps at their building had been more of a challenge. He’d managed to get her to wrap her arms around his shoulders, but had been surprised when she’d also wrapped her legs around his waist. Although it meant he could use one arm to hold her up, the feel of her warm body clinging to his sent a rush of heat through his stomach straight to his groin, he was just thankful she was so out of it she didn’t notice the tent in his pants. 
As he juggled his keys he found the spare for her apartment but then thought better of it, unsure how she was when she’d had alcohol, and instead opened his own apartment. Crossing the almost dark room he reached the couch and slowly lowered her down to the cushions, her whimpers of loss as he started to pull away making him pause;
“Mmmm Daddy, you’re so warm
” 
Holding her still a low rumble slowly bubbled through his throat when she nuzzled against his neck;
“Daddy smells so good
” and she pressed a kiss to the stubble on his chin.
August knew she was drunk, probably didn’t even realise it was him, after all who would want someone as broken and scarred as he was, but for that briefest of moment’s he relished her touch and what was going on in her tequila addled mind. He couldn’t help himself and pressed the briefest of kiss to her cheek;
“Time to sleep now little Kitten” he muttered before reluctantly uncoupling himself from her grasp, pulling a blanket over her as she dozed on his couch. Raking his hand down his face he let out a sigh, before grabbing a glass of water and setting it onto the coffee table in front of her. A scribbled note on the back of a flyer explained that she was drunk and he wasn’t sure if she would need his help, and he didn’t want to invade her privacy of her own apartment.
Having poured himself a generous glass of vodka, August withdrew to his own bedroom, silently closing the door before stripping for bed. It was an early night but without the TV to entertain him and no desire to get lost in a book, he settled on top of the covers in just his underwear, sipping at the ice cold liquor as he willed the swelling of his loins to subside. However every time he tried to clear his mind, all he could imagine was Freya. The thought of her small body beneath his, their bodies sweaty and writhing as one. Finally with a curse he gave in to his desires, pulling his underwear down and taking his hard length into his hand, pumping dry to increase the friction as his mind descended further into taboo territory. He imagined it was her hand, calling him Daddy as she asked if she was doing it right, that her perfect lips would duck down and take his bulbous tip into her mouth, her tongue lapping at his slit as her hazel eyes would stare back up at him, wide with innocence. With a strangled cry he came in violent spurts, covering his hand and stomach in ropes of his cum, thoughts of the delicate woman in his lounge lapping at his spent seed prolonging his orgasm until he was aching and empty. With a curse he looked down at the mess he’d made, realising he needed to clean himself up.
-
The quiet click of his front door woke August the next morning, pushing himself up off the pillow as he heard small footsteps down the outside of the building and the quiet beep of his car being unlocked. Wondering what the hell was happening he leapt out of bed and peered out of the window, letting out a sigh of relief when he saw a dishevelled Freya gathering the wild garlic that had been scattered around his inside of his vehicle the day before.
A few minutes later the thud of his keys falling onto his doormat where she’d posted them through the letterbox sounded through his apartment, and when he went to collect them he found a small note with them;
‘Mr Walker, thank you for your help, I hope I didn't make a fool of myself last night. Your car stinks of garlic now, i’m going to walk up the creek and collect some herbs that will help reduce the odour, Freya x’
-
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An hour later when she hadn’t returned, August set off towards the creek through the pleasant woodland, the sunlight leaving dappled patches of gold on the forest floor. Coming to the wide bend in the creek where the water was shallow, he saw the swing over the water that someone had put there years ago, mismatched ropes and a wooden seat, and how someone had now woven wildflowers into the ropes, and as he glanced upstream he saw Freya knee deep in the water, a butterfly dancing on her hand.
Something overcame him and he pulled off his boots and socks, rolling up his pants as he stepped out into the water and sat on the swing, silently watching as she charmed nature beyond a simple human’s comprehension, having control of the elements like a forest nymph. August had seen a lot of unusual things in the time he’d lived in Blackwater Lake, he knew those that had something a little special about them gravitated towards the sleepy little mountain town, so as he watched Freya make her way upstream towards him he realised there was magic in the air. Small water spouts rose from the water as she took each step, as if chasing after her touch as she stepped from rock to rock submerged under the water. 
As she approached the shallow bend in the creek she finally looked up and saw August, a smile spreading over her lips;
“Hi”
“Hi”
“Its so pretty here, isn’t it?” she asked wistfully
“Beautiful from where i’m sitting”
She approached where he sat, stopped at arms reach, a hint of blush warming her cheeks;
“I’m sorry if I was inappropriate last night
 thank you for taking care of me, i’m not a big drinker”
“You weren’t inappropriate
” he reassured her; “But it's been a while since a beautiful woman called me Daddy
 since before
 since before i was broken...”
Her gaze moved to the scar on the side of his face, and without a word she stepped forward and pressed her hand to the spidery scarring. In that moment August felt the magic in her touch, prickling at his skin before she nimbly climbed onto his lap, her legs wrapping around his waist and she lowered her lips to his, softly brushing against his as she spoke;
“You’re not broken, no more than I am
”
The kiss was soft and slow, and as her tongue started to gently tease at the seam of his lips she eased her weight completely onto his lap, her core pressing to his, the heat of their growing lust growing like an ember between them. 
Her small tongue licked into his mouth, tasting him as she pressed her body flush to his chest, small whimpers coming from her as his hands splayed over her back and pulled her firmly down onto his growing arousal. When the need for oxygen finally took precedence August’s lips traced a path of kisses down her jaw and neck, her fingers winding through his dark curls as her head fell back to give him better access to the pale expanse of her collarbone;
“Oh Daddy
”
“That’s it my little one, i’m going to treat you so well, my little Kitten
” August’s mustache brushed against her heated skin as he spoke, the gentle sway of the swing letting their bodies move against each other.
Just at that moment an ominous creak sounded above them, drawing their attention up into the tree’s canopy, just in time to see the rope that held the swing up snap, plunging them down into the shallow creekwater below.
With shouts and screams the moment of passion was lost, taken over by the shock of the water hitting their heated skin. August helped Freya up, her dress plastered to her skin in much the same way his shirt was, soaked head to toe he shook the water from his hair;
“Home?”
“Yes Daddy” Freya purred, pulling into his touch as he wrapped an arm around her to help her out of the water.
-
Pushing in the door to his apartment, clothes were being pulled from each other's bodies even as the door was still ajar. As he pulled his shirt off, Freya’s hands were curling into the hair on his chest, an almost feral growl bubbling from her lips as she ran her hands down to his stomach and rested on the buckle of his belt. Catching her hands in his he held them gently, only speaking when she looked up and met his gaze;
“Kitten, I want to be sure you want this
 You’re in total control here, you set the boundaries, you say when you need to stop. But if you do want this, i’ll be your Daddy and take care of you like a Princess”
Freya voice shook as she spoke;
“I want this
 my last
 he wanted to be my Daddy but didn’t treat me right. He took more than I could give
”
August lifted her small hands to his mouth, kissing each fingertip with such great care and tenderness her heart almost melted before she finally spoke again;
“We should really check for leeches”
“WHAT?!”
Freya had never seen anyone strip their clothing off quite as fast as August just had. For a big man - and a pretty tough one at that - the mere thought of little blood suckers had him stripping completely naked in a matter of seconds, Freya pulling her dress off a little slower until she stood in just her simple underwear. August was still patting himself down, turning to look at his behind;
“Am I ok?”
Freya couldn’t help herself, stepping forwards and taking two handfuls of August’s pert asscheeks, giving them a squeeze before running her palms over the perfectly rounded globes of his buttocks;
“More than ok”
In the following moments August carried her to his small bathroom, turning the shower on before he stepped under the warm jets of water, pulling her with him so he could soap her down. The scent of sandalwood of his soap as he carefully washed every inch of her body was overwhelming, taking care of her to wash any last traces of creek water from her body. He paused as he reached the apex of her thighs, waiting for her agreement which she quickly nodded for him to continue, his large hand sliding between her legs and caressing her lips. His skilled fingers soon sought out her pearl, teasing it gently from its hood before he slid a finger into her waiting heat, a cry falling from her lips which he quickly swallowed with a kiss. His work calloused hands quickly drove her to an orgasm - a first of many - and as she came she called his name, like a prayer on her lips. 
Shutting the water off, August carefully lifted her out of the bath, wrapping a large towel around her before scooping her into his arms and carrying her to his bed. On the messy covers her hair clung to her skin, before he carefully lifted the long tendrils from her chest and was able to take in the sight of her petite naked body laying fresh and prone on his bed. Her hand reached out for him, pulling him close;
“Daddy, I want to feel you
”
August smiled;
“Will you be a good girl for me Kitten? Do you think you can take me? You’re awfully small, and I'm pretty big
”
She sat up, pressing a hand to his chest;
“Can I try? Can I go on top?”
Nodding August lay on the bed, propped up against the pillows, lifting her petite frame on top of him. He watched with pleasure as she wriggled down the bed, her hands gripping his thighs as she settled between his legs. Wrapping her small hands around his generous length she looked up at him as she started to give small licks to his hot flesh, her fingers struggling to encircle his meaty girth. Opening her mouth she took a good three inches between her lips straight away, a litany of curses falling from August’s lips as he felt the hot wet heat of her mouth engulf him. It was better than he could ever had imagined, and he had to grip at the bedsheets to stop himself from cumming at that very moment. Steadying his breathing he let out a low sigh before he reluctantly pulled her off, a trail of spittle hanging between his dick and her mouth;
“But Daddy, I want to taste your cum
”
“I know Kitten, but it's going to be a lot the first time, and I want to see your cunt dripping with me, knowing your tight little pussy is going to overflow with the amount I'm going to pump into you. Now be a good girl and see what you can do, let's make it fit
”
Straddling his thick thighs she positioned herself over his hard shaft, her hand holding him steady as she swiped him through her folds to douse his gnarled girth with her juices, before settling with the tip at her entrance. August ran his hands up and down her arms, comforting her and hoping to get her to relax. He was a patient man but the feel of her soaked flesh pressing against his crown was becoming a struggle not to grab her hips and pull her down until he was balls deep in one swift thrust.
Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, Freya slowly lowered herself onto August’s shaft, going at a pace she could cope with, but the strain of holding back caused perspiration to bead on August’s forehead;
“Doing so well Kitten
 I know its a lot, but you can do it
 you’re so fucking tight
. Fuck
”
Taking a deep breath Freya finally let herself fall the rest of the way, feeling him part her silken walls until she was settled on his lap. Tears fell from her eyes, tiny diamonds adorning her cheeks at the overwhelming sense of fullness she was experiencing. Seeing these August kissed them away, his praises made her swell with pride as he admitted to her he was struggling not to cum from just the feeling of her tight walls engulfing him. He pushed a hand between their bodies, resting his palm on her stomach;
“Put your hand here
 you’re so tiny I can feel myself deep inside you, your little tummy blown out with my dick
”
His thumb crept down and grazed at her pearl, making her cry out before yearning for more. With his ministrations she was soon relaxed enough to start to ride him, her nimble thighs bouncing on his meaty counterparts, feeling the slick push and pull as he filled her whilst she drove them towards their peak. 
Unsurprisingly Freya came first, the overwhelming pleasure that was coursing through her body was all too much to hold back, and she came with a silent scream, her body gripping August so tight it set him off, pushing in so deep he was sure his dick had kissed her cervix, before flooding her with endless ropes of his thick seed, soothing her inner core with his milky gift. Wrapping his arms around her he pulled her to his chest, holding her tight as the floods of emotions surged through her, stroking her back tenderly.
Eventually he carefully lifted her onto the bed, peppering her bare skin with bristly kisses, before parting her thighs and leaning back to admire his handiwork, a thick sheen of white covering her swollen petals. With a single finger he carefully swiped through his mess, before holding it to her mouth;
“Taste Kitten
 taste our passion
”
Holding onto his wrist she sucked the digit into her mouth, her tongue tasting their combined essence. When his finger finally dropped from her lips his gaze fell down and hers followed, her eyes going wide when she saw he was hard and ready for more. Laying back she hooked her hands behind her knees and spread herself open for him;
“Daddy, will you fill me up again, please?”
Positioning himself at her cum soaked hole August smiled, a dark hint of lust glinting in his eyes;
“It would be my pleasure Kitten”
-
Three weeks later
Freya chewed nervously on her lip, having circled the isles of the drug store too many times to count now, waiting for a time when there was no-one near what she needed. Finally it was the right moment and she slunk into the isle, grabbing the thin rectangular box before stepping back and bumping into someone, her item tumbling to the floor as a third set of feet appeared;
“Freya! Mrs Syverson! Good Morning!”
It was Sue from the coffee shop, having appeared seemingly out of nowhere just as Mrs Syverson had backed away from the opposite shelf to keep little baby Luna from grabbing the glass bottles of antacid medicine. Mrs Syverson immediately clocked what Freya had been holding;
“Oh Freya, could you just reach those things for me? I can’t reach down with Luna here
”
With shaking hands Freya handed the bag of cotton wool balls and the pregnancy test to the woman only a couple of years her senior, who in turn smiled at Sue as she laughed;
“Sy’s always keeping me on my toes
 in more ways than one” She winked before tugging on Freya’s arm; “Sweetie, I need to place an order for a big cookout we have coming up for Sy’s birthday
”
Steering her away from town gossip Sue, Mrs Syverson lowered her voice;
“I’ll meet you outside sweetie, don’t worry about it, i saw you circling the shop”
A few minutes later Mrs Syverson appeared at the door, two drugstore bags in her hand before handing one to Freya;
“My advice, tell August now, do the test together”
“Are you sure? Do you think he’ll be angry?”
“Angry? Hell no, i think it’ll be what he wants, and no matter what the result he’s always had puppy dog eyes for you, we could all tell from the moment you walked into his life”
Peering into the bag Freya saw there was also a bag of Hershey’s kisses;
“You’ll need the sugar, to calm your nerves afterwards”
“Thanks Mrs S
 i appreciate it”
“No problem Freya
 and i’ll see you tomorrow, i really do need to place that order, but get today over and done with first”
That afternoon Freya and August took the test, then feasted on kisses of every kind.
150 notes · View notes
micheswife · 3 years ago
Text
Confessions
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MICHE ZACHARIAS X SHY CADET
Miche finally tells his crush he likes her. That's it
Miche watched her from Erwin’s office as she left the headquarters to enjoy a well-deserved break. The evening sun highlighted her brunette curls, stopping just below her delicate shoulders. It was a shame really, her hair used to touch her waist when she first joined. She was so incredibly shy and anxious back then, struggling to find her place among younger people that were much stronger than her. He remembered back when she declined the promotion for the sake of her happiness. It had been 3 years since y/n joined the survey corps at the age of 20. She was a late beginner, but her analytical skills, a fateful emotional meltdown and a background in research had soon gotten her a place under section commander Hange. Y/n was not good as a fighter, but she was observant, more than Erwin and Hange. Miche could not help but notice her, she was cute after all. She had flaws, just like everyone else, but the veteran soldier was drawn to her in particular. He couldn’t remember when he felt like that for the first time. Maybe it was when he saw her for the first time, clutching a soiled handwritten application and trying her hardest to put on a brave face. Who knows? Who cares? The important part was that he liked her, she did not know and he was not going to tell.
“What are you looking at Miche? “
“N-nothing, Erwin. Go on
”
Miche went back to focusing on the meeting. y/n had already disappeared in the next lane, so there was no point looking outside. The meeting would go on for hours, as usual, veterans had no holidays.
Meanwhile, y/n made herself comfortable near the quiet riverbank. It was one of the few attractions in the little land of Paradis, especially after the fall of Wall Maria. The serene river glowed red under the now darkening sun rays. Y/n had about 30 minutes to draw something, after which it would get too dark. Problem was, y/n had no idea what to draw. So she just sat there, wondering about her life. It seemed self-indulgent to refuse work only to get out and ponder about herself, but she needed it. The chaos inside the headquarters hardly did her any good. She wanted quiet and peace, but what she had right now was just pure loneliness. Y/n had friends, but nobody close or free enough to sit under the open night sky. So she sat all alone over the wall, the cold breeze ruffling her hair. If only there were someone to hold her.
“Bottomline, all of you must prepare your squads for next month’s expedition. We can’t afford to compromise manpower. Pay attention to the weak members, we need them to come back alive. You all are dismissed.”
Miche walked out of Erwin’s office and went straight to his room that he shared with Dieter, another squad leader. He felt tired, as though he knew what was about to come. A lot of action and a shit ton of casualties, not to forget all the rigorous training he was about to deliver on the cadets.
“What a long day..”
“Tomorrow’s going to be longer, Ness.”
“Yeah.”
“Do you think you will make it through the expedition?”
Miche scrunched his nose at the odd yet totally reasonable question. Him and Dieter served the scout regiment since their teenage years, yet they never quite got used to the anxiety before impending doom. Against his overbearing stress, Miche gave him a positive answer hoping to lift his spirits.
“I will make it out alive, Ness. The most damage I will end up with is a lost limb, after which I will retire and live a peaceful life. Don’t worry.” Miche finished with his signature scoff, masking his true emotions. The shameless, pretentious display of cockiness was all worth the little chuckle from Ness, the most sociable, tender man among veterans.
They made their way to the dining hall after chit chatting and freshening up. Their tables had the usual serving of bread, soup and vegetables. His eyes scanned the place for the owner of those beautiful, crazy curls, y/n, she should have been back by now. He couldn’t see her anywhere. Usually it was so easy to spot her in her corner seat. Perhaps Hange assigned her some work, but he couldn’t risk revealing his crush by asking the overly-energetic squad leader. So he quietly finished his plate, feeling just a little hint of emptiness because he missed y/n.
“Nifa, find y/n and tell her I want her in the lab tomorrow at 6am sharp.” Mike overheard Hange speaking from a couple of tables away.
“Yes captain.” Nifa quickly finished her meal and left the dining hall and eventually the headquarters. Her face made it clear that she had done this several times now and Miche was not surprised. Y/n was often in her own head and stayed out for a long time. Miche just found it unusual for her to stay out this late. It was cold outside, no person in their right mind would stay out past 8pm. He wished he knew what was going on inside the girl’s head that made her personality so withdrawn, but he did not have the time. He needed to draft a schedule for this week’s training and tests for the cadets. Just the thought of sitting in an office doing paperwork with a candlelight flickering throughout the night made him feel calm. He was extremely skilled on the field, but he liked doing paperwork too. His studious side was something only his immediate squad and other veterans were familiar with. Sometimes he couldn’t help fantasizing about sharing his study with y/n. Aside from his feelings, y/n had the brains to draft a perfect test that tapped into all the necessary skills for the next expedition. After all, that was what she had been doing before joining the survey corps, albeit in a different field. Miche stopped in his tracks as an idea struck him. He felt dumb, so dumb. He had drafted so many tests, all by himself, fully knowing that there was someone that could probably do it better than him. Fully knowing that y/n had been a psychology student, and she had perfected the theory subjects after joining the survey corps. He turned around and approached Hange.
“Would you mind if I borrow one of your soldiers for a while?”
“That depends, Miche, who are you talking about?”
“Y/n, I need her help drafting the tests tonight. I think she can do a good job.”
“You are right.. I’ll let her know.”
“Tell her to be in my office by 9;30 tonight.”
Miche left for his office to begin work, he wanted to finish as much as he could before y/n showed up. Because work was not the only thing he was concerned about. He knew exactly what he was doing, it was dubious, but he needed to do it. It was funny how a few hours ago he thought he’d never confess his feelings, but later created an opportunity to do that exact thing. He couldn’t believe himself.
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It was 9;30 sharp, and Miche heard a soft knock on his office door.
“Come in, it’s unlocked, and take a seat before me.” He said without lifting his head.
Y/n made herself comfortable and glanced over three open books and a single page. Miche was writing down questions.
“Alright y/n, I need your help drafting the question papers for tomorrow’s tests. Of course, you will be exempted from actually taking the test as a reward.”
“Understood, sir”
“Good, now I want you to create 30 questions that combine the concepts of formations, weaponry and strategy. Make them difficult, and make sure to base it upon the last 5 expeditions.”
“Alright-”
“You have 2 hours to finish this.”
“Okay..” y/n walked over to the bookshelf and grabbed a heap of books. Miche raised his eyebrows in confusion,
“How are you going to refer to that many books and finish it within time?” Miche questioned her.
“I will, don’t worry.” y/n’s sudden confidence took him aback.
“Well good luck.”
Time flew by quickly as both of them were engrossed in their work, the only sounds coming from the candle and turning of pages. It wasn’t peaceful to be precise, y/n was turning pages with such aggression it made the section commander steal glances at her. She would flip through the pages and write down important points, constantly checking the time as she worked. Her handwriting got messier as time flew by and Miche couldn’t help but notice. He could tell that y/n totally had the plan to give those cadets a hard time. She had a weak, but cocky smirk the whole time, and Miche was just glad that he was not one of the people that would need to take the test. He knew that expression and aggressive handwriting very well. She always wore that smirk while writing exams, and everytime she came out on top. Miche knew she was overcompensating for her sub-par physique and iron-deficiency that interfered with her ODM skills, but that semblance of confidence on her face always turned him on. Her hair was still messed up, she struggled to keep that twisted fringe out of her face.
“Where’s the ruler?!” Y/n asked loudly, shaking Miche out of his trance.
“Wait
” He fished out a ruler from the clutter in his drawer and handed it to y/n.
“What are you drawing?”
“A wrong diagram of the latest formation.” Y/n replied curtly.
“I see.. Good.”
Miche was organizing his drawer after finishing his work when y/n handed him the tests. It was 11;30 sharp. The ink had somehow gotten between y/n’s fingers. Miche went through all seven pages of three extremely complicated tests and shot a glance at y/n, who looked like she was awaiting his praise. She was sitting with her back straight, wide eyed and messy hair. Miche chuckled, and y/n smiled. She knew she had done those cadets dirty with her questions.
“You have a naughty side, don’t you?” “Kitten” , was the term Miche refrained from using at the end.
Y/n nodded with a cheeky grin. The section commander squinted and got up from his chair, towering over her. A faint blush crept over her cheeks as she broke eye contact with him, staring down at her feet instead. Her delicate shoulders now looked tensed up under her transparent, embroidered shoulder shawl. The pile of paperwork didn’t allow him to notice her beautiful blush pink dress. She had embroidered little flowers to accentuate her figure all the way down to her hips.
“You look beautiful in that dress.” Miche blurted out, causing her to blush harder and breathe unevenly.
“Thank you, sir..”
“Look at me when you speak.”
“O-okay..” she slowly raised her head, still not wanting to make eye contact.
“I will be straight to the point y/n
 I like you, not just as a comrade.”
“Understood.” y/n was taking quick, short breaths, causing the tall blonde to get on his knees. She had gone back to her timid mouse state and he could no longer read her.
“Are you scared right now?” Miche tried hard to not sound like a creep.
“No, I like you too!”
“That’s -” he began to speak but got cut off.
“More than a comrade, if you were wondering
” she trailed off shyly. Miche kept staring at her, dumbstruck at her honest confession. This whole time he had no idea about her feelings.
"When were you planning to tell me ..?" Miche asked, pulling a chair behind him. He was still leaning towards y/n with an expression of pure shock.
"I
 Never planned on saying anything." Y/n's expression saddened as she looked at him with her doe eyes.
"I can understand.". he was telling the truth. The realisation that their confessions were a result of his impulsive decision dawned on him. He couldn't take his eyes off her form. She looked anxious, fondling with her pendant in one hand.
"Do you want to take this further?" Y/n asked with a shaky voice, and his answer was immediate.
"Yes."
She looked straight into his eyes and smiled.
"Can I kiss you?" The 35 year old man felt like a teenager trying to walk on eggshells. The woman before him giggled and nodded in approval, finally lifting her hand from the pendant. She was starting to settle down, although the butterflies in her stomach made it difficult. Miche was about to lean in when she stopped him and got up from her chair.
"I forgot to lock the door." She said naughtly.
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Okay, I really wanted to turn this into a smut, but I am too chicken. 🙈đŸ„ș
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angelsdevils · 3 years ago
Text
Little! Aomine x Older! Sister Reader
Title: Don’t Forget Me Fluff No Warning: Just cuteness overload
“Daiki, you have to let go.”
“NO!”
“Daiki!”
“NO!!”
“Mom, dad can’t you guys do anything?” 
“NO!”
“Daiki, (Y/N) has to leave for university.”
“NO I don’t want her too!” 
“Why not?” 
“You will forget about me!” He began to tear up and you covered your mouth.
“Oh my little gummy bear. I would never forget about you. How can I? I have the worlds cutest little brother.” You said as he was tearing up and sobbed slightly. You opened your arms, and he ran into them, hugging you tightly.
“Promise?”
“I promise, in fact here.” You gave him your basketball and he held it in his very tiny hands.
“Whenever you play basketball, I will be right there with you. You won’t see me, but I will be the sun rays shining down, the wind that ruffles your hair. Okay?” He continued to sniffle and nodded his head.
“I will be the best basketball player ever! So you can always be with me. I will be just like you! King of the court, and you will be the queen.” 
“Uh oh, looks like everyone better beware of the Aomine siblings.” Your father said causing you to laugh and ruffle his hair. 
“I love you mom, dad, gummy bear. I will call often and visit when I can. Gummy bear, you got to be a big boy and not cry when I leave okay?”
“O-Okay
” He sniffled trying not to cry, as you left to get on the plane. When it took off he couldn’t help it, and began to cry his eyes out.
~time skip~
That was six years ago, and you were finally done with university. You got off the plane, you weren’t expecting your family to come pick you up because they had work. Plus, your arrival was a surprise for them and your little gummy bear. You smiled remembering standing in this very airport leaving, and he was balling his eyes out. 
“I wonder if he actually became any good.” You hummed to yourself, you glanced at a poster on the wall and saw there was a basketball finals today. That’s when you saw a familiar name Aomine Daiki.
“So the cry baby is known as a former generation of miracles? I could still kick his ass anytime of day.” You mumbled to yourself deciding to head straight there. You had made it just in time to see the game start.
“Phew almost missed it.” You were panting and sat down in an empty seat. A guy with short black hair stared at you confused but ignored you.
“Whoa she is seriously cute.” Pop
. you heard him pop his gum and you rolled your eyes.
“Do you have a boyfriend.”
“Nope.”
“Be m~”
“I am 24 years old. You are my brother’s age please back off disrespectfully.” Was all you said and several of them had snickered. The game started and you were impressed, though you realized he wasn’t the same kid you knew. 
“Tsk this idiot, the hell is he talking about ‘Only person that can beat me is me.’ I may have to crush him after this game.” You mumbled and leaned against your hand and crossed your leg over the other. You could feel other people’s eyes on you.
“Doesn’t she look familiar?”
“Yeah, like that female basketball player from six years ago. Uh what is her name whom she looks like.”
“Are you talking the queen of the courts?”
“Yeah her.”
“(Y/N)?”
“Aomine (Y/N), nice to meet you now please watch the game, I am not the one playing.” You said and they quickly turned their heads to focus the game. 
The game ended and Aomine’s team had won. You stood up and walked to where their locker room was. 
“Hi
”
“(Y/N)?”
“Oh Momoi, look at you. You look amazing.” You gave her hug and she hugged back. The team was confused and she smiled. 
“I didn’t know you were back.”
“Yeah, I wanted to surprise my little gummy bear, who is no longer little but he is still little.” You both laughed.
“Well good luck finding him he disappeared after the game.
“Fucking Daiki, I am going to kick his ass.” You growled around the same time another guy said that he was going to beat the crap out of him. You both stared at each other and you looked him up and down. 
“Anyway, do you have an idea where he could be?”
“Yeah, he went outside.”
“Okay, uh who is the captain.”
“I am Imayoshi.”
“Okay well he isn’t coming back tonight. Bye.”
“Wait why?”
“Uh because I said so. Don’t question your elders boy.” You said and left and Imayoshi glanced at Momoi confused.
“That is Dai~chans older sister who is 24 years old. Aomine (Y/N), queen of the court to this day.” 
“Ahh, does she say the same thing as Aomine?”
“No, she believes in team work, and what not.” 
“Ahh
”
You looked around for your younger brother before seeing him walking ahead. You jogged up to him, and jumped on his back.
“Who the hell~”
“Hey gummy bear
” 
“(Y/N)?”
“That is me,” you jumped off and he turned around hugging you.
“What are you doing here?”
“I finished school and I am here to stay.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, looks like my little gummy bear is no longer little.”
“Please don’t call me that.”
“Too bad, its your nickname, and I am older.”
“Tsk.” Despite him looking angrily, he had a small smile on his face.
“By the way, what do you mean only person that can beat you is you? Wanna test that theory?” 
“Against you? I will end you.”
“Pfft. Should I give you a handicap since you just had a game?”
“Don’t need one, though we both know I will win.”
“Big talk, for someone who can’t even claim the king of the court.” 
“Okay first off
” 
“Ah ah put your moves where your mouth is honey.” You took the basketball out of your bag and went to the basketball court. Neither one of you realized his team was watching. 
After about a hour of playing Aomine ended up admitting defeat, the score gap was just getting larger, and he knew you were giving him a handicap.
“You win, you win. How can you still be so good?”
“Did you think I just stopped playing after high school? Nah basketball is my passion you know this
”
“Yeah, yeah, you probably claimed the title Queen of the court in America
”
“Yep, even have some cute minions that learned under me and Alex.”
“Did you just call me and Himuro minions?” You turned to see Kagami.
“Yes I did
 what are you doing here?”
“Well we heard a basketball match going on here. What are you doing here (Y/N)?”
“Finished school, so came back home. Where is Tatsuya?”
“I think he went home
 wait you are related to Aomine?”
“Yes sir, I am. His older sister. My cute adorable gummy bear.”
“Don’t call me that
” His team mates started to snicker and Kagami smirked.
“Gummy Bear?”
“Shut up I rather be a gummy bear than a minion.” Your little brother had a blush on his cheeks and you laughed softly.
“(Y/N), you should help train them. It would be great for them and you.” 
“I should but shouldn’t
”
“Why did something happen?” Your brother asked and you shrugged your shoulders. 
“I actually broke the rules, I am not really suppose to be playing until I fully recovered. I recovered just not fully.”
“What happened?” Kagami asked this time.
“Remember when I was trying to skateboard and completely and utterly failed?”
“Ye~ wait don’t tell me
.”
“I fractured a bone in my leg
”
“You have to take a break from Basketball because of a non basketball related injury? What the fuck sis?”
“Yeah, yeah. Anyway, lets go home. I haven’t been home yet, I came straight here to see you.”
“Tsk, idiot.” You glared at him and grinned when he turned his back. You pulled him down and gave him sister torture kisses to embarrass him further.
“Stop that! Gross! (Y/N) stop!” 
“Who is the idiot?”
“I am sorry, just stop
” You stopped and he wiped his face disgusted.
“I always hated when you did that.”
“Liar, you enjoyed it when you were younger. Even cried when I went off for school in America.” He turned his head, wanting to dig a hole for himself.
“Shut up.”
“See ya, it was good to see you Taiga!” You wrapped your arm around his shoulders with a smile. 
“I am glad you didn’t forget me
” he trailed off quietly and looked away with a small blush.
“As I said that day, I could never forget you.” You flashed him a smile which he returned.  
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forsworned · 3 years ago
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[✩] fallen. {kuroo tetsurou x reader}
Genre: Fluff
Categories: F/M
Relationships: Kuroo Tetsurou/Reader
Word count: 968
a/n: this is just a little test im doing to see if this will do well, its an old piece i have from years ago but hq!! fandom lmk what yall think
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He sends stupid texts and calls you
The more he thought about it the more he found himself just texting you, telling you about how even the littlest of things reminded you of him. He couldn’t help it, it was practically instinct.
I remember how you said you liked watermelons
Stupid, yeah he knew. Part of him wished he had never sent it out, but he longed for your company.
And in times of severe withdrawals of you he’d find himself calling you at random times of the day. He just loved hearing the sound of your voice because when he did you didn’t seem as far away. Not that you were. You lived a few streets down, but he thought dropping by in person was a bit too bold.
He asks for style advice
He would consistently bombard you with questions about his hair, his clothes and even his cat.
“Do these shoes look good with these pants?”
“Is my hair too messy?”
“What color sweater should I get for my cat?”
At times it would confuse you, blinking profusely before laughing out loud, leaving him a flustered mess and grumbled something about him wanting you to be serious.
He talks to his guy friends about you
It wouldn’t be the first time he mentioned you in conversation to his best friends and teammates. Bokuto would nudge and wink at him whenever you entered the room to which he’d either scowl or grin at (somehow this would always burden Akaashi, poor boy). Kenma would never hear the end of it though, remaining silent as they both made their way home from school as Kuroo expressed his love for you.
The setter sighed. “Kuroo you're undeniably in love with [Name].”
He paused his whole conversation to look over at his best friend with eyes with realization. A gust dramatically blew over the both of them, swaying their hair and ruffling their clothes as he stared at Kenma’s blank expression. He couldn’t be in love you. That was crazy talk.
Another exasperated sigh left Kenma’s lips as he trudged along, leaving a very stunned Kuroo behind. It all made sense in a way. All the things he found himself doing just for the sake of you and only you.
He shut his eyes and silently caught up to Kenma, not uttering a word until they both got home. Kuroo waved to him before entering his home, and his best friend watching as he shut the door. He wondered what was going through his head at such a time.
Kuroo dropped his bag and plopped onto his bed, spreading his arms and legs on his mattress as he stared at his ceiling. Thoughts of you floated in his mind as he watched his ceiling fan repetitively rotate and absent-mindedly pet his cat. Tomorrow he would confess to you.
>the next day<
He was lying if he said he wasn’t nervous as he loosened his tie, watching you from afar conversing among your friends. Even Kenma’s soft voice gave him quite a scare.
“So are you gonna talk to her or are you just going to chicken out?” He deadpanned.
Kuroo’s face flushed scarlet. “N-no! I’m gonna do it right now. Just watch me.”
And with that he left the setter alone and made his way to you. You friends suddenly hushed as they watched the captain approach and you followed their gaze only to meet his lazy grin .
You smiled, subconsciously running a hand through you hair. “Hey Kuroo-kun.”
“Hey [Name], mind if I talk to you?” He inquired cooly.
“Y-yeah sure.”
Your friends dispersed but not without giving you both a knowing look to which you both pretended not to see. He held out his arm and you linked yours with his as he quietly lead you outside. You felt the atmosphere change as you untangled arms, standing right in front of each other. Normally, you’d feel small compared to his towering height, but you had gotten used to that over the years that you had known him.
“[N-name].” He croaked. His cool composure suddenly crumbling right before you; a sight you thought you’d never see. Cheeks flushed and body fidgeting, he fought, struggled to say the right words, until he mentally slapped himself and took a deep breath. His hands suddenly holding onto yours, halting your breath for a moment as he gazed into your eyes.
“I really, really like you.”
A smug grin suddenly erupted on your face. “Oh, that’s cute. You have a crush on me, Tetsu~.”
Oh, have the tables have turned. As if he wasn’t embarrassed enough. It hit him straight through the heart as he froze still with your hands together.
“I’m kidding.” Your expression softened, as you gently cupped his face. “I really like you too, Kuroo.”
And your lips were suddenly on his and he was cloud-nine. His body suddenly on fire, senses on overload as he couldn’t even process what was going on. Eyes were still wide with surprise as you indulged in his lips, you suddenly pulled away.
“I’m hurt, Tetsu. We’ve come this far and you won’t even kiss me back.” You feigned hurt.
The look in his eyes suddenly changed, and the smile on his face was back to the smug Kuroo you had first met. He wordlessly kissed you back, amorously at that. His hands finding your waist as he pulled you close, heart beats in sync as he peppered you with kisses;until you were dizzy, and felt your knees start to abandon your body, so he had to hold you even more tightly than before.
The kiss broken as you two panted, gasping for air though it felt like the smile had never left his lips.
“You know you almost had me there, [Name].”
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fluri-above-all · 3 years ago
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ToV Rarepair Drabble - Scars
One of the oneshot prompts I've seen lately was about scars. And I've been wanting to write Harry x Ioder again ever since @nagia36 brought up one of my old drabbles...Harry doesn't really get the attention he deserves so I wrote this to make it up to him.
Warning for suggestive themes.
Scars
Harry’s body held scars. 
The first was across the bridge of his nose and honestly
he couldn’t remember how it happened. Yeager had told him once it was from crying so much while he was a baby that the tears created the cut turned scar as they fell. This had prompted further crying from the very young blonde. 
His grandfather later pat him on the head (and whacked Yeager upside his) and proceeded to tell him even he did not know how Harry got it. When Garry's family was driven out of their hometown, he’d reunited with Harry and his mother and the mark had already marred his unconscious face. His mother had had a mental breakdown and disappeared one night, taking the secret with her. With his memories of that day unknown and lost to him, Harry eventually came to simply accept the scar as one of the earliest parts of himself. It was his “favorite” if he had to pick one. 
There were also scars that were not his favorite. They adorned his back, parts of his chest and even the side of his neck. These were from skirmishes, battles and attacks on his life. The ones on his chest weren’t visible with his clothes on, even with his shirt barely covering his torso. The scar on his neck was small, from a younger part of his life when someone had foolishly tried to take him hostage. Their plan would have worked, had they not nicked Harry in the neck and set the guilds into frenzy. It was one of the few times he had ever seen his grandfather look truly angry, “seeing red” is what he’d later come to recognize it as. 
Since that day no one has tried to kidnap or capture the young man. That incident was probably why
.
It could also be from the size Harry had grown during his years of rebuilding himself as well...but he liked to think the terrors of Altosk had spooked his assailants away.
One of the scars on his back was up by his shoulder, where the tusk of a large monster had snagged him from behind and pinned him to the ground. Harry winces even now just thinking about that particular instance. 
The oddest scar of all – In Harry’s opinion anyway – was on his ankle. A blood-thirsty group of bandits had attempted – very poorly – to attack the still inexperienced Don on his trip through the desert. One of the bandits speared him in the ankle with a harpoon gun, the retraction dragged Harry several feet before Raven and the other members of Altosk dispatched the group. When the weather gets cold, he can feel the irritation in his foot from the long scarred over wound. It was his “least favorite” if he had to pick. 
Still, the young Don of 23 years took pride in his scars. They were symbols depicting an exciting (and often dangerous) life, proof that through all he had endured, he was strong. And more importantly, he was still here. He'd been stabbed in the back, attacked head on, pulled against his will, and yet, he was still standing tall. 
Harry had never been particularly close with death; none of the wounds engraved on his body were life-threatening. If anything, people would say he had Lady Luck on his side. He'd scoff at that, being a man who believed in carving his own path and not fate

Still...
That didn’t mean he was itching to meet his maker enough to test it. As reckless as he could be he had no desire to push the limits of his life. It was something precious that had been fought for and sacrificed his whole life. And through those scars, he knew they were signs that represented those who had lost their life for him
It meant their sacrifice was not in vain. He would continue to fight. No matter what it took. 
It was his relentless and unwavering ability to never back down that made Ioder worry – he knew that. 
The first time they had made love he’d hesitated to show himself to the other blonde. Harry wondered if the young Emperor would find him grotesque with his marred skin, a dark contrast to Ioder’s pale perfection. But Ioder said nothing about them, even kissed the one across his collarbone. 
Harry didn’t want to admit it, but the tender intimacy made his pulse quicken and his body waver slightly. 
Who knew a person’s bitter scars could elicit such a sweet reaction? Certainly not Harry. He didn’t think his body could ever be so sensitive to another’s touch, especially with his scars. 
It was yet another surprise that kept Harry wrapped around the Emperor’s finger – contrary to everyone’s opinion of Ioder being swept away by Harry. It was another surprise and a secret Harry wanted to keep to himself. 
But Ioder had ways of figuring him out. 
And he was always so damn sneaky about it too...
The day was innocent enough (as always), Ioder was signing off paperwork at his desk and Harry was lying on the nearby couch. He'd come unannounced so Ioder had insisted Harry be patient and wait for him to finish. It was fairly hot outside, so even with the window open, save for the occasional breeze, it was almost unbearable. 
Except Ioder appeared perfectly fine. 
And for some reason, that irritated Harry. The Emperor wore considerably more when it came to his attire and not only that, the material was bulkier as well. 
“Aren’t you hot?!” Harry cried out, unable to take the heat of the room any longer. Just looking at Ioder made him sweat. The sudden sound of Harry’s voice must have startled Ioder, because he had blinked several times in shocked confusion. 
“Ah forget it, you’re not even paying attention are you
” Harry accused, knowing Ioder had a way of tuning everything out once ensconced in his work. 
“Don’t apologize either.” He added as he saw the gears turning in Ioder’s head. The Emperor likely realized he was not being the best of hosts at the moment. Stretching his arms above his head, Harry elicited a yawn and removed his vest. With the dark garment discarded, he already felt immensely better. 
And while he was at it, he might as well make himself comfortable. Untucking his shirt, Harry’s hands moved to pull the shirt over his head – 
“What are you doing?” Ioder questioned - eyes wide as he regarded the young Don mid shirt removal. 
“I’m taking my shirt off.” Harry answered simply. He opened his mouth to question if there was a problem but then he had to briefly consider where he was. 
Oh that’s right
people are worried about propriety here
.
He lifted the shirt up and off anyways,  dropping it on the couch next to him. 
“Harry!” Ioder scolded, face a light shade of pink as he tried not to stare too intently. 
“It’s hot.” Harry regarded with a shrug. “Besides
.” He turned his head to the side, a suggestive look on his face. “It’s not anything you haven’t seen before.” Harry withheld the smirk threatening to burst forth at the way Ioder’s cheeks flushed before he looked away. The young Don chuckled to himself, smug with this victory. Ioder went back to work once his face returned to a normal shade, but Harry wasn’t making things easy for him. 
Perhaps it was a low blow, distracting Ioder the way he was with his bare torso. 
And the young Emperor was certainly distracted. He stole the occasional glance as Harry sat back to lounge on the couch once more, the Don feeling quite relieved with his skin exposed. With all the sun he’d soaked up recently, his skin had tanned considerably, especially the front of his chest where he showed most of his muscled chest. 
Now Harry wasn’t a narcissist, but he couldn’t help but admit it was a pretty damn good look on him. Catching Ioder staring out the corner of his eye was all the confirmation that he needed. He closed his eyes and listened to the sound of Ioder’s pen as he wrote, a contented bliss took over him at how comfortable things had become with a few simple garments removed. 
In fact, he almost drifted off to sleep.
Almost.
The sound of Ioder’s chair shuffling back switched his brain back into alertness. Maybe he was taking a break? Ioder sometimes scooted the chair back to get more room to stretch. 
However he didn’t hear the groan come as it normally did when Ioder did this. Instead, he felt the presence of the young Emperor much closer to him than before. Harry opened his eyes to see what Ioder was up to when the other blonde was actually right in front of him. 
“Iod-“
Harry tried to sit up to ask what was wrong when Ioder pushed Harry’s shoulders back against the couch, the Emperor lifting his legs to straddle him. 
“It’s not nice to tease.” Ioder scolded, but it lacked the disciplinary bite it usually did when he was reprimanding the young Don. Instead it held a hint of mischief, with no short amount of lust. 
Harry had to admit – Ioder lasted much longer than he thought he would. The Don’s arms wrapped around Ioder’s waist, drawing the other man closer. “You know I have every intention of following through
” he answered, voice low and suggestive.
He stretched up to kiss Ioder but Ioder leaned down instead, placing a soft kiss on the tiny scar on the side of his neck, warm hands lightly tracing the sensitive flesh across his once injured collarbone and chest. The sudden physical contact elicited a moan Harry hadn’t even realized he was holding in. Pliant lips rested against the young Don’s ear, warm breath causing Harry to shutter as Ioder spoke. 
“Not if I don’t let you.”
The tanned blonde raised an eyebrow in inquiry. Ioder – Mr. Pacifist – able to subdue someone twice his size? He’s seen Ioder talk down people much stronger than him, but Harry? Did he really think he had an edge over him that would keep him submissive?
Ioder seemed to sense Harry’s apprehension and Harry could almost feel the smirk coming from behind his calm expression. “I notice things about you too Harry.” He kissed along Harry’s jaw, sending sparks down the Don’s spine. “I’d noticed this a while ago but
” Ioder trailed off as he kissed down the other blonde’s neck. Harry’s eyes fluttered shut, finding he didn’t much mind letting the young Emperor take the reins now and then.
“But?” Harry inquired, leaning his head back to allow Ioder better access. 
Hands traveled down Harry’s sides to the dip of his hips, tracing gently over the scar along his hip bone. Harry’s eyes shot open as he bucked his waist up at Ioder’s touch, a soft gasp escaping his mouth. 
“But you really like it when I touch your scars like that.” 
If looks could kill
.well
Harry could never kill Ioder, but he certainly wanted to upend him from his lap and wipe that smug expression off his face. 
“I’ll touch them all you’d like later, so be patient and wait for me to finish my work so there won’t be any distractions. Okay?” Ioder asked, lips curled up in a sickeningly innocent smile. His actions betrayed that sweet smile however, as his fingers gently traced Harry’s chest.
“You say that
but you’re not stopping
” Harry pointed out. 
Ioder’s smile turns into a bit of a smirk. “You don’t sound like you’re complaining
.”
“Got nothing to complain about.” Harry smirks back, hands moving to Ioder’s waist. Before they can find purchase however, Ioder pulls back, sauntering off to his desk and leaving Harry slightly miffed.
He does take a small bit of satisfaction in the way Ioder squirms uncomfortably in his seat, face slightly flushed. 
Good, he is affected by it

Harry settles back onto the couch, heat long forgotten as he tries to calm down his hard-on.
How could he let such a weakness become apparent? And how could Ioder use it against him like that?
And why was he strangely alright with all of it?
Those would have to be answers for another time, but for now

He settled for simply enjoying the way his scars buzzed from Ioder's lingering touch and the anticipation of things to come once Ioder finished his work.
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togetherwearerapture · 4 years ago
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Boundary (Ethan x MC x Tobias?)
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Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x MC (Elle Valentine) x (hints of) Tobias Carrick
Description: Tobias and Elle get to know each other while working on a case. Tobias pushes some boundaries.
Warnings: A few curse words, underlying health problems. Most characters belong to Pixelberry.
Word Count: 5.9k
Notes: Something a bit different, but I very much enjoyed writing this. There’s no overt Tobias x MC, so this is hopefully something Ethan stans can enjoy reading too. If PB won’t give me what I want, I guess write it myself lol 
*********
It’s early Fall, yet despite this fact and the hospital’s ‘Bloom-and-improved’ ventilation systems, the diagnostics office feels uncomfortably hot. Elle feels a prickling heat across her back, one that she has become accustomed to of late. The façade she’s wearing is beginning to feel like an actual mask, all clinical-scented and restrictive and artificial.
And yet, this is not a mask she’s wearing on a crowded, sweltering T carriage. Her discomfort is unwarranted; there are, after all, only three of them in the room.
Oblivious, Ethan and Harper continue their conversation. She’s tuned out long ago, but she catches the premise- something that Dr Yannick once said at a conference in New York several years ago.
If she really tried, Elle knows she could search for a moment to join in the discussion. But if she’s being honest with herself, she’s tired of searching for sidegates to enter their house of conversation, instead of ever being invited through the front door.
She tries her hardest to appear relaxed, unbothered, indifferent. But her uneasiness spills into her mannerisms, like water through a cracked pot. Manicured nails drum erratically on the top of her thigh. Her top teeth tug, over and over again, at her lips. The apex of her stiletto heel taps the diagnostic office floor like a furious knife.
She likes and respects Harper very much, and her feelings for Ethan, both as a diagnostician and as her romantic partner are unfathomable. But as juvenile as it sounds, she’s so tired of being shut out.
A whooshing of the sliding doors breaks her out of her reverie, and she and the two other occupants of the room look up. Tobias Carrick strides in, all beams and bravado.
Her own notion takes her by surprise, but somehow, she thinks, his arrival is the breath of fresh air she so desperately needs.
“Goooood morning team!” he chimes brightly. Once again, his arms are laden with a trayful of drinks.
“Morning,” Elle offers him a warm smile, Harper echoing her words.
Ethan nods towards the drinks.
“Another round on you?”
“Sure is, but this isn’t just any old round, Ethan,” Tobias replies. “Now I’ve spent a week on the team, I take great pride in this being the first drinks order that’s just right, for all of you.”
Ethan quirks an eyebrow.
“Oh?”
Tobias grins, and plucks the first drink off the tray.
“Harper,” he presents her with an extravagant looking drink. “Chocolate frappucino. Double the sugar, double the caffeine. The Friday OR schedule is always jam packed, so I reckon you’ll need it.”
“You got that right, I’ve got two laminectomies today,” she sighs, although the passion for her job shines through her eyes. She takes a sip from her drink. “No complaints from me!”
“Excellent,” Tobias grins. “Ethan- a Vienna for you. Classic, refined, and,” he winks, “only a little pretentious.”
Ethan accepts the drink with a roll of his eyes, as Tobias moves around the desk to Elle.
“And now, for you Elle,” he hands her the third cup. “I must admit, for you I went out on a whim. I just hope my guess is a lucky one.”
Curiosity piqued, Elle presses the rim to her lips. She is aware of the eyes of both Tobias and Ethan following her action with interest. Mild, pleasant citrus swims onto her palate.
“Lemon balm?” she asks Tobias. He nods. “You going to elaborate?”
He shrugs.
“Well, I’ve noticed that I’ve never seen you with a coffee before 4pm, so I figured you like to limit caffeine earlier in the day. And I’ve seen you make up a couple of herbal teas before. I took a gamble and figured you’d like this one.”
“Impressive guess, Carrick,” Elle nods, amused. She takes a sip. “It’s good, thank you.”
“Those are some very
astute observations” says Ethan stiffly, as Tobias takes a seat beside Elle. “Maybe you can put your perceptiveness to better use for our next case.”
He slides three manila envelopes across the table, and the team begin to peruse.
“Jake Adams. 17-year-old male admitted last night, with multiple cardiac arrests,” Ethan begins. “He collapsed at school, was unresponsive, no signs of life, but luckily a fellow student was able to perform high-quality CPR until the paramedics arrived. Heart rhythm on their defibrillator was ventricular fibrillation, he was shocked, back to normal sinus rhythm. Between the scene, being loaded onto the stretcher, in the ambulance and arriving here, he arrested and was shocked again 5 more times.”
“Jesus, poor boy,” murmurs Elle, a crease forming between her brows.
“Cardiology have asked us if we can determine the cause of the arrest, which will of course determine the treatment,” Ethan explains.
“This case only came in last night and since he’s now on life support, we’re able to bypass Bloom’s absurd judicial performance and get straight into it,” Harper adds. “Actually, Ethan and I discussed it at length before you both arrived, and we have some solid ideas.”
Elle looks up from the file, quirking an eyebrow.
“Oh?”
“So I’m thinking Long QT syndrome, or maybe Brugada,” says Harper.
“They would definitely explain the spontaneous cardiac arrest,” Ethan adds, “Harper and I have ordered genetic testing for both on immediate family members already.”
“Any family history of sudden cardiac death?” Tobias asks.
“Not that we know of,” says Ethan. “But that wouldn’t rule it out.”
Elle frowns slightly as she browses the file. The tests ordered so far are scant, and in her mind, there are several pieces of the diagnostic puzzle missing. But this didn’t seem to stop Harper and Ethan steamrollering ahead, and seemingly settling on a diagnosis before the case had even been presented.
“Does Jake have a-”
“Do you remember that patient with Brugada syndrome who came in for a study a few years ago, Ethan?” Harper turns to Ethan suddenly.
“Ah yes, Paul?” Ethan chuckles, “he was quite a character.”
As Harper and Ethan drift off once again, Elle glances up to see Tobias looking at her quizzically. She lets out a heavy sigh.
Tobias clears his throat.
“Hate to interrupt your
uh
stroll down memory lane,” he begins. “But Elle was about to ask a question about the case, and you both spoke over her.”
The three other diagnosticians turn to Tobias, and a tense silence hangs in the air. After a beat, Harper speaks up.
“I’m sorry Elle,” she says, sincerely. “That was out of line, please continue.”
Tobias turns to Ethan expectantly, who meets Elle’s eye.
Something flickers across his face for a moment, a mixture of shame, guilt, embarrassment, perhaps? It’s a look that Elle can’t quite place. Then, his eyes skim to Tobias and he coughs awkwardly.
“Yes
thank you Tobias. We did speak over you, Elle, I apologise. What were you saying?”
“I was asking if he had a 15-Lead ECG.”
“Not yet,” Harper replies.
“Then until he has one, I don’t think you can consider Brugada syndrome,” says Elle. “We’d need to do an ajmaline challenge too. I can see from the echocardiogram reports in here that he has a structurally normal heart, so we can definitely exclude congenital heart disease as the cause. But for me personally,” she gestures to the file, “there’s a lot missing in here. About what actually happened.”
“How do you mean?” Ethan asks.
“About the context of the cardiac arrest. All we know is that he was at school, but what was he doing? Was he doing anything strenuous, did it happen at rest? There’s a lot more I’d like to know.”
The rest of the team nod thoughtfully.
“I agree
if it happened during exertion, there’s a few other things we could rule out,” says Tobias.
“Exactly,” says Elle. “I think we should consider catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia.”
“You’re thinking CPVT?” asks Ethan, interested. “It’s a possibility.”
“Yes, and it’s one I’d like to investigate more by visiting the school, and finding out more about what happened” says Elle.
“I think that’s a good idea,” Harper responds, twirling her fountain pen between her fingers. “But unfortunately, I won’t be able to join you on your expedition. Like Tobias said, I’ve got a full day in the OR.”
The rest of the team turn to Ethan, who hesitates.
“I
have a meeting with Naveen and the board until lunch,” he says. “Which-”
“-means it’s just you and me, Valentine!” exclaims Tobias, clapping his hands together. “Oh boy, I’ve been looking forward to my first house call with the diagnostics team. We’re going to be on some scooby doo shit, Elle!”
“I beg your pardon?” says Ethan, scowling. Elle can’t help but burst out laughing.
“That settles it then, me and Elle will go to the school,” says Tobias, standing up from his chair. At the same time, Harper gets a page that her surgery is starting and bids them a hurried farewell.
“I was going to say, which means the three of us can go this afternoon once I’m finished,” Ethan says stiffly, as Harper heads out. Tobias shoots him a bemused look.
“I’d rather not wait,” says Elle flatly.
Ethan has wasted enough time in their meetings by bringing up pointless anecdotes with Harper, and she’s very keen to revert her focus to the patients, to diagnostics- the things she loves.
“Me and Valentine will be just fine, E. After all, I’m sure what happened with Jake is still pretty raw to the kids and staff, we’ll need to handle it delicately. Two’s company, three’s a crowd, right?” Tobias flashes Elle a smile.
The same look as before flashes across Ethan’s face, although this time, Elle thinks, it has less of the awkwardness and embarrassment and more of the
something else. His bright blue eyes seem to narrow a fraction, as he looks between Tobias and the woman of his affections.
“Alright,” he sighs finally. “We’ll reconvene when you’re back.”
“Let’s get this show on the road!” says Tobias happily. “To the mystery machine!”
He crosses the room to retrieve his car keys from his bag, while Ethan turns to Elle, and this time, the look of concern is undeniable.
“If you need anything,” he closes some of the distance between them and lowers his voice just a little, “just call me.”
“I think we can handle it,” says Elle, not unkindly. “Enjoy your meeting. And tell Naveen I said hello.”
And with that, she and Tobias leave the office.
********
A short while later, Elle and Tobias are riding in his blue Mercedes S-Class on the way to Jake’s school, a short drive away in South Quincy.
“Not exactly the mystery machine, huh?” says Elle, glancing around at the plush interior.
Tobias shrugs.
“The same colour, at least.”
Boston blurs by as Tobias pulls into a main road, and Elle turns to look at him. His side profile is unmistakably handsome. He drives one handed, the other resting on his thigh.
“So, how’s June?”
He gives a wry half smile, and glances at her.
“Is that your way of asking if we’re still sleeping together?”
“No!” says Elle, honestly. “I’m just wondering how she’s fitting in at Mass Ken. I mean, she left Edenbrook when she thought the ship was going to sink. I got the impression she was pretty keen to be working on your team, now I can’t help but think now you’ve come here, Aurora too
don’t you think she’s been left kinda high and dry?”
“In all honesty, I haven’t seen her for a while, and don’t expect to again anytime soon,” Tobias admits. “But trust me, Hirata will be just fine. She’s head of the team there now.”
Elle raises her eyebrows, impressed.
“I’d say she moves fast, but actually, that doesn’t surprise me in the slightest.”
“She was pissed as hell when I said I was leaving, don’t get me wrong,” says Tobias. “But she’s the strongest diagnostician on that team, and the strongest player too.”
“Player?”
“She knows how to play the game. She’ll have no trouble asserting herself as the new leader, running the show the way she wants to.”
Elle thinks back to her time working with June. The way she changed her personality to gain patients’ trust
and Elle’s. Distant anger simmers at the back of her mind, as she remembers how June stole her employee file.
“I agree
office politics was always child’s play for June.”
“Speaking of,” says Tobias as they stop at a red light. He turns to look at her. “The meeting this morning seemed very
uh
political.”
Elle pauses as feels the uncomfortable tingling rise in her chest. She could ask “what are you talking about?”, but she knows exactly what he’s talking about. And there’s something about Carrick that makes her want to cut the crap, to be upfront. So she is.
“You mean Harper and Ethan
”
“Yeah, that. Whatever the hell that was.”
Elle is silent.
“Does that
happen a lot?”
“More often than I’d like.”
“Well, good job I’m here then,” he grins.
Elle’s head whips around.
“Excuse me?”
“C’mon, you can’t tell me you didn’t appreciate the out.”
She rounds on him.
“Ok, let’s make one thing clear, I don’t need you to fight my battles” says Elle angrily. “Since Harper joined, every time the two of them have gone off track, I’ve steered them back on. I’m here for the patient, to solve the case, and nothing is going to detract my focus from that. That’s the way it’s going to stay, with or without your “outs”, Tobias.”
Tobias chuckles.
“You’re feisty Elle, I like it.” His eyes sweep over her from head to toe, which makes Elle feel more angry, but also, inexplicably, makes her stomach flutter a little.
“What I mean is,” Tobias speaks more seriously; sensing her anger, but mercifully oblivious to the other sensation, “I hope you know you’ve got someone else in your corner Elle. I know how much you care about your patients, and I know Bloom’s going to make life for the team difficult, and try and undermine our every move. That’s not helped when it feels like you’re not listened to by the actual people in it. You’re an excellent doctor Elle, and I value your input. The others should too.”
Elle is dumbstruck. She still doesn’t know what to make of Tobias Carrick; she had picked up pieces and hints from the scattered stories she’d heard from Ethan, most recently in their walk through the rose garden. But while considering the perspective and feelings of the man she so deeply cares for, she acknowledges it is biased. Elle knows that she has good reason to be wary of Tobias; it was not just Ethan he had toyed with, after all- Aurora had been burned by him too.
But, Tobias had helped to save her life. And the genuine smile that he gave her through the contamination screens of that cursed room, on the worst day of her life, had always stayed with her.
So, with a pinch of salt ready between her fingers, Elle decided from the moment he joined the team, that she would form her own opinion of him.
It occurs to her then, just how much Ethan sees the world in black and white. But Tobias Carrick is very much a shade of grey.
Before she can respond to him, the GPS on Tobias’ dash declares that they are arriving at their destination, and sure enough, Elle sees the school up ahead on the right.
“Here we are,” murmurs Tobias as he pulls in through the school gates. “Looks like we’re expected.”
They park up and head over to the school steps, surrounded by blossom trees, where a middle aged woman offers them a watery smile and extends a hand.
“Ah, hello
the doctors from Edenbrook, I presume?” she asks. “I’m Helena Brady, the principal of Greenview High.”
“Yes, we spoke earlier on the phone,” says Elle. “I’m Dr Eleanor Valentine, and this is Dr Tobias Carrick. We’re here to speak to the people that were with Jake when he collapsed?”
“I’m afraid it’s just the one person,” says Helena gravely, leading them through the school. “His friend Charlie was the only one who saw it, and then ran for help. How is Jake doing?”
“He’s still in a coma, but stable,” says Tobias. “The most important thing for us to help him, is find out from Charlie some more about the collapse, and go from there.”
Helena nods, as they come to a stop outside a small office.
“We’ve all been praying for him, it’s so tragically sad
nothing like this has ever happened to a student before,” she sniffs stoically. “Thank you for your work doctors, but please, be gentle with the boy. He’s still very shaken.”
Elle smiles at her reassuringly.
“We will be, don’t worry.”
As Tobias and Elle knock and enter the room, the boy springs to his feet, eyes wild.
“You’re the doctors
how’s Jake, is he-oh god is he-is he dead?” he cries.
“No, Jake is ok. He’s been through a lot, but he’s recovering,” says Elle gently. Charlie sinks back into his chair, though his knees are still quaking.
“It’s Charlie right?” Tobias asks, pulling up a chair. “I’m Tobias and this is Elle. We’re Jake’s doctors. Do you know why we’re here today?”
“Y-yes, that’s me,” Charlie sniffs. “Principal Brady said you were here to talk to me about Jake
I was so scared, I thought, I thought that meant he had died.”
Elle kneels in front of him, laying a gentle hand on his knee.
“I’m really sorry that us coming made you think that, Charlie,” she says. “It must have been really tough watching Jake collapse like that, I’m not surprised you’re thinking the worst. But we think we can help Jake get better, we just need your help.”
Some of the tension seems to leave Charlie’s body upon hearing this; his shudders subside. He pulls anxiously at the strings of his hoodie, unruly teenage bangs falling over his forehead.
“So, Charlie,” Tobias asks as Elle pulls up a chair beside him, “do you think you could tell us a bit more about what Jake was doing when you saw him collapse? Had he been running, exercising, working out?”
“No,” Charlie says quietly. “He wasn’t doing anything like that.”
“That’s really helpful Charlie, thank you,” says Elle. “Can you tell us if he standing up or sitting down? Did he lose his balance or seem dizzy? Did he complain of feeling ill, or funny in any sort of way before it happened?”
Charlie stiffens.
“No. He was-we were-we were arguing.”
Tobias and Elle exchange a quick look.
“Is Jake your friend, Charlie?” Tobias asks.
“No! No he’s not, and I’m so sick of pretending he is!” Charlie shouts. “Jake’s my boyfriend!” Tears begin to roll down his cheeks.
“Oh Charlie, I’m so sorry,” says Elle. “You said you were pretending
does anyone else know that?”
Charlie shakes his head.
“No. That’s what we were arguing about,” he accepts a tissue that Elle offers, blowing his nose.
“Take your time, Charlie,” says Tobias, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms. “It’s ok.”
After a few deep breaths, Charlie steels himself.
“We’ve been dating for three years, kind of in secret, kind of not,” he explains. “My parents know I’m gay, and they’re fine with it. They’ve met Jake before and they love him, they know we’re together. But he’s not even out to his parents, they just think we’re friends.”
He sniffs.
“Now we’re in senior year, we’re both looking at colleges, and we want to go to different ones. We’d be living five hours apart. I don’t know if we can make the long-distance work, especially if his parents don’t know about us. In the times we’d both be back home, they wouldn’t understand why he’d want to spend a lot of that time with me. But the one thing I just really, really wanted, was for us to go to senior prom together. As a couple, you know? To just dress up together, get photos together, dance together, one last time before we leave.”
“And Jake
wasn’t on board with that?” asks Elle.
“He was,” says Charlie. “He said he really wanted to. He just
wasn’t on board with the part of that which meant he’d have to come out to his parents.”
“I see,” says Tobias.
Charlie’s eyes begin to fill with tears again.
“I was saying, before he collapsed, that he didn’t love me,” he cries. “That he must not love me if he’s not prepared to come out. He was getting so upset, begging me, telling me of course he loved me, he was just scared, and then-” he sobs. “Then he was on the floor.”
Elle kneels beside him again, taking both his hands in her own.
“I’ve been googling stuff that could have caused it,” Charlie sniffles. “I saw there’s this condition, some long one beginning with, a C, I think, that means people’s hearts can give out when they’re stressed.”
Tobias raises an eyebrow, somewhat impressed at the boy’s diagnostic skills.
“What if-what if I could’ve killed him, because of the argument? And I told him he must not love me, I didn’t even mean it, I know how hard it is to come out, I didn’t mean to-” he buries his head in his hands.
“Charlie- Charlie listen to me,” says Elle. “It’s true, that we think Jake might have a condition called CPVT. It means that certain situations, like exercise, or stress, can cause the heart to go into an abnormal rhythm. But that does not mean, whatsoever, that any of this is your fault. We all say things we don’t mean in the heat of the moment, when we’re angry. If Jake does have this condition, and we’ll have to run a couple more tests to know that for sure, then it means that we can treat it, and stop it from happening again. It could have happened to him at anytime, anywhere, but he was lucky enough to be with you. You’ve helped him have a lucky escape.”
“R-really?” asks Charlie.
“Really,” says Tobias, who is on his feet. He lays a hand on Charlie’s shoulder.  “Your principal was telling us earlier that you did CPR on Jake while you got others to run for help?”
“Yes,” Charlie mutters, looking up at Tobias.
“Well Charlie, I think you saved his life.”
Charlie’s eyes gleam with hope.
“What are you applying for at college?” Tobias asks.
“Um..cardiac nursing,” he says.
“Very fitting. You’ll always be welcome at Edenbrook for some work experience.” Tobias smiles, genuinely. It’s the same smile Elle remembers from after the attack.
“Do you think, then, that he’ll be ok?” Charlie asks tentatively.
“Yes, I do,” smiles Elle. “And I think that you and Jake will be ok too.”
****************
Some time later, Elle steps out of the school. After speaking at length with the school counsellor, she had made sure that Charlie had some extensive therapy sessions in place. Tobias is waiting for her at the foot of the steps, beneath the blossom trees, and she is surprised to see he has a cigarette in hand.
“You smoke?” she raises an eyebrow at him as she approaches. “I thought you’d know better, Tobias.”
He takes a drag.
“Vices, Valentine,” he quips. “We all have them.”
Elle vaguely remembers Ethan had once said the same thing about butter.
“Carcinogens, though. Really?”
Tobias chuckles.
“I’m dirty, what can I say?”
He dutifully puts out the cigarette, as Elle gives him a reproachful look, and turns to her.
“You were good in there, with him,” says Tobias.
“Thanks
so were you.”
“We make a good team,” he smiles, and his expression softens a little. “That was kinda heavy though. You bearing up ok?” he asks.
Elle nods.
“I’m fine. I just hope Charlie will be ok, I really want to make sure he starts therapy as soon as possible.  I know how much of a difference it made for me, after the attack.”
She trails off, and Tobias seems to sense the darkness clouding over her eyes. The mild September breeze sifts through the blossom trees above them with a gentle sigh.
“I don’t think I ever actually said this to you,” says Elle quietly, “but thank you. For helping to save me and Raf, that day.”
“No thanks needed,” he responds. “I wanted to do everything I could to help.”
He pauses only briefly before continuing.
“You know, out of everything that happened that day, all the work we did in the lab trying to find an antidote
the one thing I remember most is how Ethan was in that room. In all the years I’ve known him, I’ve never seen him like that before. About anyone, or anything.”
A sudden chill trickles down her neck, goosebumps erupt on her forearms; a million tiny foothills.
Since their conversation in the car after Danny and Bobby’s funeral, Ethan had never really spoken in depth about his own feelings during the attack. Sometimes, in early hours when they laid in bed together, with the rain hammering against his window, she would mention it.
And every time, she would see his eyes darken with so many unsaid words. He would fix his gaze desperately on her like she was evaporating steam, set to vanish from existence in a matter of moments. His hold on her waist would tighten, fingertips tracing her soft skin as if to remind himself she wasn’t a ghost.
There had been whispers in his bed in the stillness of the night, when they were both half asleep. He had uttered sleepy confessions and declarations to her; some so heartfelt and moving, she still questioned whether they were real or if she had dreamt them.
More often straight after the attack, but still now sometimes, she would wake in his arms to find him already looking at her, his eyes filled with wonder, pain, and something else that she was starting to place.
‘Why are you awake?’ she would gently murmur.
‘I couldn’t sleep. I-had a nightmare.’
She would press herself closer to his chest, feel his strong arms encircling her as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.
‘I’m here, Ethan.’
‘I know. I’m
so glad you are.’
She is jolted to the present with Tobias’ voice.
“Even if he didn’t show it this morning
Ethan’s got it bad for you, you know.”
Elle cranes her neck to look up at him- at the man who shares so much history with Ethan. He’s almost as tall as her lover, but slightly less built, shoulders not quite as broad. Alike in many ways, but different in so many others.
“Why are you here, Tobias?” she asks, without breaking eye contact. “You had it all at Mass Kenmore. You’re an excellent diagnostician, you could have gone anywhere. Why, of all people, would you want to come and work for Ethan, someone you have such a complicated past with?”
Tobias’ hazel eyes, a contrast to Ethan’s azure blue’s, look into hers deeply. She knows that there’s something hiding beneath their golden depths; either earnestness, an ulterior motive, or perhaps something more complicated- a mixture of both.
He takes a step towards her, raising his hand towards her face. Her breath hitches, then climaxes in a soft exhale, when he simply removes a lone blossom petal that has settled on the lapel of her white coat. She wonders what exactly she had been expecting him to do.
Tobias twists his tongue between his teeth, a half-smile playing on his lips. Once again, his eyes roam over her from head to toe. This close, Elle can smell his cologne. It’s good; notes of leather and pine and exotism drift to her olfactory nerve. It’s a contrast to her favourite aftershave of Ethan’s, which smelled like bergamot, cedar, and home.
Tobias drops the petal to the floor, his eyes never leaving hers.
“I’m here Elle,” he murmurs, “because I want to push boundaries.”
********************
Ethan leans against his desk, fingertips drumming impatiently. His meeting had been finished for a while now, but he was still waiting for Elle and Tobias to return.
His old rival’s keenness to go on an outreach call with Elle had stirred something within him. Something in his head had switched on. A distant alarm bell that had been silent for some time, had started to ring.
Lost in thought, he mulls over the events of the morning.
He’d done it again.
He, and Harper, had spoken over Elle when she was trying to talk about the patient. Not only that, he recognises now, but before Tobias had entered the room, the two of them had been reminiscing about something that didn’t involve Elle in the slightest.
He doesn’t know why he keeps slipping up. He harbours no romantic feelings for Harper whatsoever, but he’s been enjoying the chance to work more closely with her, the friendly conversations, to share stories and experiences.
But they haven’t just been work related, he thinks. Did I really need to bring up the flamenco lessons? Or Gaston’s? He recalls the look on her face when he’d told Elle he planned to take her there because of its intimacy, immediately after discussing it with Harper. Before Elle’s forced smile and her gracious reply of “I’d like that,” he’d always thought he had caught a flicker of dismay, of hurt, on her features.
Now he’s certain it was more than a flicker.
I don’t deserve her, he thought.
With a swoosh, the doors of the diagnostics office open. He sees the familiar head of immaculately coiffed blonde locks, and as his eyes travel down to Elle’s beautiful face, his heart soars, and he can’t help but break into a wide smile.
“Elle!” he says happily, pushing himself up of the desk.
I missed you, he foolishly finds himself wanting to say, despite the fact that like most days at work, it’s only been a few hours since he’s seen her. But as his eyes travel to Tobias following her in, he keeps the admission to himself.
“We have an answer,” says Elle triumphantly. “We’ve listed Jake for an ICD insertion tomorrow morning.”
“It was CPVT?” Ethan asks.
“Yep,” says Tobias. “Elle’s hunch was right. Turns out it was an argument with his boyfriend that brought on the cardiac arrest. We ran a test for CPVT as soon as we got back, while you were still in the meeting, and it’s positive.”
Elle smiles brightly.
“Jake’s going to be okay.”
Ethan beams. He’s exceptionally proud of her.
“Excellent work Elle,” he leans forward to squeeze her arm, as bold a gesture as he dares while they have company. “And thanks Tobias, for helping out.”
“The pleasure’s all mine,” says Tobias. He looks pointedly at Elle, then adds, “believe me.”
An unpleasant sensation coils in the pit of Ethan’s stomach. He tries to push it down.
As Tobias crosses the room to take a phone call, he steps closer to Elle, lowering his voice.
“Listen Elle, about earlier. I’m sorry,” he says sincerely, tentatively taking her hand in his own. He caresses her tiny fingers with his thumb. “It’s unacceptable for me to talk over you in meetings, and I
know that this isn’t the first time it’s happened, and that there are, uh, other things. I’m sorry if my actions have ever made you feel excluded.”
Elle’s bright green eyes look into his thoughtfully, though she says nothing; silently willing him to continue.
“I’d like to make it up to you. I think a date night between us is long overdue. Can I take you for dinner tonight?” he asks. A flash of hope, along with the tinge of dismay he remembers from before, travels across her face. “Not Gaston’s,” he adds quickly. “I want to find somewhere new with you. For us.”
Her face floods with warmth, eyes gazing into his searchingly. He desperately scans her beautiful face, seeking some inkling of her true feelings; the ones he knows she’s bottling up.
“You’re right, it is long overdue,” she says finally, her gaze steady. “And I’d really like that, to find somewhere new to go to dinner with you. But I can’t do tonight.”
His heart sinks a little, and as if sensing this, like she always seems to, she squeezes his hand reassuringly.
“I’m out for drinks with Si, Aurora and Jackie tonight. But we’ll go soon.”
She offers him a soft smile, which he returns.
It doesn’t quite quell the slight but unmistakable feeling of anxiety in his stomach. It’s guilt, it’s the gnawing thought that he will never be good enough for her, the idea that he’s taken her for granted.
Worst of all, there is the completely irrational, but terrible notion that he could lose her.
And somehow, the thought that he could lose her in living rather than in death, as he had once feared, is almost more terrible.
She gently lets go of his hand. On the other side of the room, Tobias hangs up the phone.
“I’m going to go and speak to Jake’s parents,” says Elle, slipping off and readjusting her white coat.
Ethan’s eyes travel over her form-fitting pencil skirt, clinging to her delicate body in all the right places.
He doesn’t miss the way Tobias’ do the same. Then, as if knowing he’s being watched, he looks up at Ethan. His eyes narrow, and the corners of his lips twitch.
Ethan wants nothing more than to sock him in the jaw.
“We’ll check in later, once Harper’s finished surgery?” she asks, breaking the two men out of their reverie.
Ethan nods, and Elle bids them goodbye. The click of her heels on the linoleum echoes into the tense silence. Then, he can’t hold it in any longer.
“Could you be,” Ethan begins through gritted teeth, “a little more fucking subtle, Carrick?”
Tobias chuckles.
“I can’t help it, Ethan, and clearly neither can you. A woman like that, body like that
we’re just as powerless as any other red-blooded male.”
Ethan curls his fists in the pockets of his coat.
“Don’t talk about Elle like that. I won’t have you disrespecting her in that way,” he spits, taking a step towards him.
“You want to talk about disrespecting her?” counters Tobias, unflinching. “Because I think taking a stroll down memory lane with your ex, every five minutes, is pretty disrespectful to the woman you’re currently fucking.”
Ethan is stunned. Had she told Tobias that it had happened before? Did she tell him they were seeing eachother, or had Tobias clocked it himself? What exactly had they talked about while they were away?
“Elle is- she’s off limits,” he snaps, the only response his seething mind is able to come up with.
Tobias smiles, satisfied at seeing the other man riled up. Then, infuriatingly, he turns away.
“Who decided that, Ethan?” he says quietly over his shoulder “Her or you?”
And with that, Tobias turns and leaves.
*******
Author’s Note: Thanks for reading this far! I wanted to explore the dynamic between Elle and Tobias, and the way I wrote him in this fic reflects my own thoughts about him; I think he’s a good guy, as demonstrated by him helping to save her life and his thoughtfulness, but I’m definitely suspicious of his ulterior motives and his past actions. I also wanted the sexual tension between Ethan, Elle and Tobias, and was hoping that PB would make Tobias call out Ethan shutting her out of meetings. They didn’t deliver so I did it myself lol Also wanted Ethan to start feeling insecure about the way he’s been treating Elle since his behaviour has been trash thanks to the OOC writing, but I still love him
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The greatest miracle is love - Chapter 8
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Author’s note: Just one more chapter and the story will end (like the series 😰). Thanks again for everyone who’s reading my story. And don’t forget: English is not my mother tongue 😛
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7
As you left the plane in Latvia you are greeted by none other than Bruce Banner himself. „What are you doing here?“, your eyes are widened by surprise. 
„Well
“, he grins with his huge mouth. „I got a call from Pepper who got a call from him.“ He points to Bucky. „Heard what they did. How are you feeling?“
„I’m good. No worries. The serum didn’t effect me that much.“, you look intensively at Banner.
„Thats good but I can’t remember you having a degree in medicine. Oh and I’ve got another surprise for you.“ Bruce steps aside and what you see makes your heart jump. 
You let Bucky’s hand go and make weak steps forward. Bucky watches you worriedly, afraid that you might just collapse. And you do. You fall on your knees but not because of your strength but to be on the same high as the boy who runs into your outstretched arms. „My baby.“, you coo as you cradle your son in your arms. 
Zemo observes this scene carefully as he steps next to Bucky. „Ah
family, something so special and yet so fragile.“ Bucky doesn’t respond but Zemo can see how tightly he clenches his jaw. Smirking because he knew that he got under Bucky’s skin he says. „We really need to go. Cant waste our time with this.“
Bucky walks to you and Alex and lays his right hand on your shoulder. „I’ve got to go.“
You turn around and get up from the ground. „Be careful.“
„I’ll come back to you
to you both. I promise.“
„Don’t make promises you cant keep.“ And with that you take Alex’ hand and leave the airport with Banner. And Bucky leaves the airport as well. 
~*~*~
„I didn’t know you had a lab in Latvia.“ You ask Banner. 
„I don’t.“ He chuckles. „But they can’t deny a request I made. I think they are a bit scared of me.“ He laughs loudly. 
You lay down. A doctor took a blood sample to check how the serum affected you. Alex sits next to you on a chair reading or rather looking at the pictures of a small book. 
„So. I’ve got the results and no worries all is fine.“ Banner walks into the room with several papers in his hands. „The antidote I’ve given you when you were pregnant with Alex is still in your system. It’s part of your DNA, so you are immune to the super soldier serum.“ 
You remember how difficult the pregnancy with Alex was. He was a super soldier baby but you were just normal and almost unable to survive. But Bruce and Tony developed an antidote for the serum and because of that Alex is a normal healthy boy. 
„And there’s something else and I think congratulations are in order. The baby is all healthy. So don’t worry about it.“
You look away from Alex and into Banners big eyes. „NO! I’m not pregnant. I lost the baby. I felt it. On the morning I got abducted I bled. I
thought I lost it.“
Bruce’s eyes soften. „Don’t know. But the results are clear. You are pregnant.“
„Again? I really need to attend a sex education class. Seems like I need to learn more about protection.“ You smirk but in the inside you’re screaming. „Thanks Bruce. For being such a great doctor.“ You thanked him and he leaves you to maybe enjoy the news.
James promised to come back to you and Alex but not to another kid. Your current feelings resemble the feelings 5 years ago. The happiness and the sadness. You will be alone in this but that’s okay. Tony taught you how to be a mother, he taught you to be a strong woman. 
„Is there a baby in your tummy?“ Alex’ soft voice interrupts the dark thoughts you had. 
„Yes. There is a baby in my tummy.“ You answer, lifting the blanket so that Alex can crawl into your bed. You caress his dark hair mindlessly. „You’re gonna be a big brother.“ 
„Will dad come home?“ You gulp not really knowing what so say. „You know that your dad is a superhero. He rescues people all the time. Thats not an easy job so he can’t be with us as much as he wants to. But he loves you. More than you can imagine.“
„And the baby? Does he love it too?“
„Of course my love. He loves it but for now this will be our little secret, okay?“
~*~*~
Bucky keeps his promise and comes back to you and Alex. But it is a strange situation and yet so comforting. Bucky didn’t talk much and so does Alex. Sometimes they just lay on the couch reading a book or in case of Alex doodling.They enjoy the presence of the other without the need of talking. 
„I need to visit Sam and bring him the suitcase.“, says James one night as you both lay on the hard floor. „Okay.“, you trail small circles on his stomach while looking at the ceiling. „You can join me. You and Alex.“
„A road trip? That sounds interesting.“ Bucky doesn’t know how to feel. He’s with you but you seem so distant which irritates him. Isn’t that what you wanted? Did your feelings for him change? But he doesn’t know what else to say.
The next day you, James and Alex are on their way to Sam’s home.
„Is Miss Atomic bomb still your favorite song?“, Bucky asks you softly. „Yeah. It always make me cry. I get so sentimental about this.“, you chuckle.
„Why didn’t you give Sam the money for his boat?“, you ask James as stretch your arms outside the window. „What money?“, he asks surprisedly. „The money in our bank account?“, you laugh. „It’s yours and not mine. I don’t spend money that isn’t mine“, he mumbles. „Well it’s not mine either. It’s Tony’s. A fair split between Morgan, Pepper, me and maybe even the kid Peter.“
„Have you read the letter yet?“. On Tony’s funeral Pepper gave you a letter. The answer of the question whether you are his child or not. But you were scared to open it. „No, not yet. Pepper told me that he never read the test results but he was like a father to me. And I like the idea of that. But what if he isn’t my father. All the problems and pain I caused him
for nothing. I will open the letter one day but not  now.“ Bucky caress your leg while driving. „Giving Sam the money he need is a really good idea.“, he smiles.
„Tell me about the argument you had with Steve.“ Bucky asks you after a while. The silence in the car makes him rather uncomfortable because it seems so unlike you. Road trips in Wakanda always resulted in you singing along to every song on the radio. You are surprised that he knows about it.
„Sharon told me.“
„Of course she did. Do you really wanna know? I was horrible to Steve.“ But you remember the fight like it happened yesterday:
You were packing your things to join Clint on his mission. Alex who was a small baby slept silently on your bed. „Why are you so angry with me?  I just want to help you. I promised Bucky to take care of you.“ Steve stormed into your room not understanding why you want to leave the compound. You stopped with packing as you turned around. „What about me? What about the promise you gave me? You promised me that you make sure he survives but he didn’t. You are here and he is not. You failed, Steve. But that’s what you do, isn’t it? When it comes to my husband you always fail. You failed him when he fell off the train, you failed him in Bucharest and you failed him in Wakanda.“ Steve looked like he just got slapped. „I’m deeply sorry, (y/f/n). I know how you feel. When I lost Peggy..“ You interrupted him. „Don’t you dare to compare my marriage with James with your crush on Peggy. Never. What I had with James was real. With its ups and downs and love, and tears, and sex and laughs. Don’t pretend that you know how I feel because you fucking don’t know how it feels when your heart gets ripped out and there’s nothing you can do about it.“ You screamed in anger. „I hate you. I hate the universe for choosing you over him.“, You took off your wedding ring and threw it to Steve. You take your backpack and a crying Alex in your arm and leave the room. Steve stood there for awhile not able to move. Eventually he kneeled down to pick up the small and golden wedding ring and read the engraving. „The greatest miracle is love.“
„Wow. That was tough.“, Bucky grins taking his eyes from the street. 
„Yeah. I was awful at this time.“ You hide your face behind your hands and giggle. „Luckily, Steve is such a nice guy and after I got the courage I apologized and now I’m a better person.“ The drive to Delacroix is relaxing. 
As you both arrive the city is milling with people. „Is this okay for you?“, Bucky asks which surprises you. „Yeah of course. Why wouldn’t it be?“
„You got abducted and you have nightmares. I’m worried.“ He looks into (y/e/c) eyes and caress your left cheek. „I’m fine. No worries.“ You fake a smile and instead of kissing Bucky you take a step back. „I think we should look for Sam. Does he even know we’re visiting?“ You hold Alex in your arms as Bucky takes the suitcase from Wakanda. 
~*~*~
You and Bucky sit in Sarah’s and Sam’s family garden enjoying the bonfire. „No wine for me.“ Sam knows that something is off. The test he saw in your house, the distance and the rejection of alcohol indicate only one thing. So he takes the chance when you went inside to freshen up. „You’re pregnant.“ It wasn’t a question. You nodded not knowing what else to say. „You need to tell him. The sooner the better.“
„It’s not that easy.“
„He loves you. Trust him.“, Sam comforts you. As you both walk outside he yells „Lets call it quits for tonight, Sarah. Lets leave the lovebirds alone for a sec.“ He winks at Bucky and before the leave the garden he turns around: “And no sex on my couch, understand?“
Lost in thought, you stare in the flames, knowing that the time to reveal comes closer. „Whats on your mind, my love?“ James’ voice is just a whisper. You look him into his beautiful eyes that mirror the flames. He looks vulnerable and almost scared. 
„There is something I need to tell you and I get scared shitless.“ You say after you took a deep breath. Your heart is hammering against your chest and you have difficulties to keep a steady voice.
„Are you breaking up with me?“
„No! Of course not but I want to give you an exit.“
„Is that a metaphor from this one series we watched?“ Bucky remembers a show where relationships are compared to freeways. „Tell me what’s going on.“
Like removing a bandaid: fast and with no hesitation, you whisper:
„I’m pregnant. I’m sorry. I didn’t plan this. You have to believe me. I know how you feel about it and I want to let you know that you can take the exit right now. You don’t have to be in this.“
Silence. Bucky doesn’t answer for a long time.
„Since when do you know?“
„I
 uhm
 a day before the kidnapping.“
„You knew all this time and you didn’t tell me earlier?“ You hear his disappointment in his voice. 
„Thats why they didn’t took Alex, right? You wanted to sacrificed yourself and the baby for Alex.
„I thought I lost the baby. They wanted to take Alex. They wanted to experiment with a super soldier boy. So I offered me.“ Silence again just the crackling of the bonfire.
„You not answering me tells me anything I need to know. It’s okay, James. I did it once by myself and I will do it again.“ And with that you turn around suppressing the tears when you realize you’re going to raise two kids by yourself. 
As you walk closer to the Wilson’s house a hand grabs you and turns you around. „I’m not letting you go again. I love you, (y/f/n). You can’t imagine how much I do. I’ll figure it out
 how to be a dad. I want you. And I want this. I’m scared and nervous. But my love for you is greater than my fear.“
He kisses you passionately.
„But we really need to attend a sex education class.“, He chuckles as he hugs you tighter. 
Chapter 9
@inlovewith3 @jackiehollanderr @homesicam@dreamydreamerwriting @losers-club6 @gengen64@agentsofsheilds @crimson-darling @akkinda10 @xemine@bubblegumholland @chipilerendi @iamasimpingh0e @bbmommy0902 @madddiiee26 @teenagedreams-bucky @aya-fay @idontknowwhatthisisfam @w-wolfhxrd @useless-creature-213   @angywritesstuff @supernaturalcat7 @harrys-stan @geek-and-proud @pastel-boy-sungjae @austynparksandpizza @maxsaturdayhatesnarwhals @teenagedreams-bucky @auds24 @ah-blossom @supraveng @lady-loki-ren
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tobias-hankel · 3 years ago
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Never Fade, Never Forget
Summary: Spencer has temporary memory loss. Rating G
Pairing: Spencer Reid/Aaron Hotchner
Prompt: Whump Bingo Card ask-  “Memory loss Hotch/Reid - would love to see Reid dealing with temporary memory loss”
Word Count: 1651
--
The case was rough to say the least. The team had been working nonstop to find an unsub that was planting bombs around the city. After combined efforts, but mostly due to Spencer’s geographic profile, they tracked the unsub down.
They, however, did not foresee the unsub setting off a bomb once the team and SWAT arrived on the scene, killing himself, several SWAT members and injuring almost everyone else.
Most of the injuries were light, a cut or bruise here or there, all except for Spencer. Spencer was knocked out completely.
An hour later found the team in the waiting room of the nearest emergency room. The whole team was worried, but Hotch was simply distraught. He was pacing the halls, waiting, hoping for any news.
Hotch had been dating Spencer for just under a year. They were head over heels for each other and the team very much approved, which made this even harder for Hotch. Not only did he have to deal with his subordinate, his co-worker, being hurt but this was his boyfriend and the love of his life. He felt tears prick the corners of his eyes, but he pushed it down. He had to be strong for his team and for Spencer.
Half an hour later a doctor finally stepped out of the emergency room doors and said the words that Hotch had been waiting for, “Family of Spencer Reid?”
“Yes, here.” Hotch said before anyone else had a chance. “How is he? Can I see him?”
The doctor looked Hotch up and down. His suit was dirty from the explosion and there was a bruise on the side of his face from where debris hit him. “And you are?” The doctor asked, already showing attitude.
“SSA Aaron Hotchner, Unit Chief of the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI. I am Dr. Reid’s boss, boyfriend and power of attorney. Now, can I see him?” Hotch shot back at the doctor, leaving no room between his stern facial expression and quick words.
The doctor huffed, “Come with me then.”
Hotch told the team he would update them once he knew more before following the doctor.
“Spencer came in today with head trauma. We took several scans, and everything seems to be fine. He woke about half an hour ago and we have been doing some follow up tests.” The doctor said as they walked, stopping in front of a room with a pulled shut curtain. “There are some things you should know before you see him,” the doctor continued but Hotch was barely listening as he took note of the chart on the door that had Spencer’s name on it.
Spencer was only feet away and he did not want to wait. Hotch moved forward, pulling the curtain open and smiling when his eyes meant his love. Spencer was sitting up in the hospital bed, a bandage wrapped around his head causing his wild hair to be even more unruly and a loose hospital gown falling off his thin shoulders.
“Spencer,” was all Hotch said before he took several large steps up to Spencer’s bed and gently wrapped his arms around him, pulling him in a strong hug but Spencer didn’t hug him back. He just let himself be held. After a moment, Hotch pulled back, “How are you feeling?”
Spencer looked up at Hotch with his large hazel eyes. Something is wrong. Something is missing. Hotch thought before he heard Spencer finally speak up.
“I’m sorry
 Who are you?” Spencer said, face a mixture of calm and confusion.
Hotch’s eyes went wide, looking down at Spencer before shooting back at the doctor.
“As I was saying,” The doctor started again, “Spencer seems to be suffering from short term amnesia due to head trauma.”
“Short term amnesia? When will he get his memory back?” Hotch asked, still standing next to Spencer, who was watching the TV hanging on the wall instead of listening to the two people speaking, that he believed were strangers.
The doctor sighed, “It could be a few hours, it could be a few months, it could even be longer. We don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” Hotch said in almost a shout. “It’s your job to know.”
The doctor looked over to Spencer, “Only time will tell now.”
--
Soon Spencer got moved to his own room and Hotch informed the team of what was going on. While they all wanted to see him, they agreed that it might be overwhelming for him as he didn’t remember any of them.
By the time Spencer was all settled in his new room and Hotch was allowed up to see him, Spencer was already asleep. Hotch made himself comfortable in the stiff chair next to him. Spencer might not know who he was now, but he was damn sure going to be waiting there for when (if) he did.
A few hours later, a little voice broke through Hotch’s thoughts as he watched whatever was playing on the hospital TV hanging from the wall, “Uhh.. Sir?”
Hotch sat up and looked over at Spencer, who looked painfully confused, “My name is Aaron.” Hotch provided without having to be asked.
“Aaron.. And who am I?”
“You are Spencer.” Hotch said, skipping formal titles as to not overwhelm him.
Spencer nodded, “Okay
 And how did I get here?”
Again, Hotch went with a simple answer, “You were in an accident, and you were hit on the head.”
Spencer raised his hand to touch the bandage that wrapped around his head, “I see
 Who are you to me? I mean
 How do I know you?
Hotch’s struggled to keep an even face, “I am your boss and boyfriend, Spencer. I have known you for about eight years now and we have been dating for almost one year.”
“Oh
” Spencer murmured, letting the words hang in the air before finally saying, “I’m gay?”
Hotch let out a sad chuckle, “If not, then you are really good at acting.”
Spencer blushed and looked away, “And
 I
 I like being with you?”
Hotch knew the question was innocent enough, but it still stung deep in his heart, “I believe so, yes.”
“Umm
” Spencer looked back at Hotch, letting his eyes drift over his supposed boyfriend. “I—Uhh, I can see the.. the appeal.”
Hotch smiled at Spencer, “I am glad to hear it, baby.” He said without thinking. “Oh, sorry Spencer
 I just normally call you that.” Hotch said once he saw the surprised look on Spencer’s face.
Spencer lightly shook his head, “No it’s fine
 Do you think
 Do you think if I don’t even remember
 I can be the same person again
 I could love you again and you could love me?”
Hotch reacted forward and took a hold of Spencer’s hand. “Nothing will ever stop me from loving you Spencer, even if you don’t remember it. My love will never fade.”
--
The next few days consisted of the same questions. Spencer would wake up and ask Hotch who he was all over again. The team, one by one, came by. Spencer didn’t remember any of them.
Spencer didn’t remember anything or anyone and they had no idea if or when he would.
--
On day four at the hospital, Hotch woke up before Spencer like he had every morning. He stood from the chair he slept in, stretching before going to the restroom to freshen up for the day. He then got coffee from the station in the hallway as well as a spare newspaper.
Hotch went back into Spencer’s room, sat down and started reading the global news section of the paper while drinking his coffee but when he went to take a sip, Spencer’s voice made him jump.
“You didn’t get any for me?” Spencer said sleepily, moving his hand up to rub his eyes.
Something was different though. Every time Spencer had woken up over the last few days, he asked who Hotch was. “Spencer? Do you know who I am?”
Spencer laughed to himself, “Of course, you are the man that didn’t bring me coffee.”
Hotch wanted to laugh along with him, but he was too caught up in the seriousness of the moment, “No, Spencer. Do you know who I am?” He said more sternly, catching Spencer’s attention.
Spencer stopped rubbing his eyes and looked up at Hotch, then the room. Then down at himself in the hospital bed and back at Hotch, “You are Aaron Hotchner
 Why am I here?”
Hotch let go of a breath he didn’t know he was holding, “You have been here for a few days now. Do you remember the explosion?” Spencer took a moment before nodding his head. “Well, you got hit on the head pretty bad.”
Spencer sat silent, thinking about what Hotch said, “Did I forget something?”
“You forgot everything.” Hotch said solemnly.
Spencer’s eyes were starting to cloud with tears, “Even you?”
Hotch nodded, “But
 You know who I am now?” He said, cursing himself for sounding so vulnerable.
“Of course!” Spencer said, slightly panicked. “You are Aaron Michael Hotchner. You like early morning runs, spy novels, and gummy worms. You wear a suit every day, so you don’t have to worry about picking and matching different outfits and you tell people you like watching sports, but you don’t. You have a sweet tooth, but you hide it, and you love single malt whiskey. You—”
“Spencer, Spencer, hey. It’s okay. I believe you.” Hotch said, trying to stop the panicked words flowing from Spencer’s mouth but he kept going.
“You are my boyfriend and I love you.” Spencer reached out and took Hotch’s hands in his own. “I am so sorry I forgot that.”
Hotch smiled, getting up and pressing a light kiss against Spencer’s lips, “You didn’t do it on purpose, baby. No matter what, our love will never fade.”
--
I wanted more out of this but out well. Link to whump bingo card
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twistedtranslations · 4 years ago
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Trey Clover - Happy Birthday
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You can unlock this story by getting Trey’s SSR Birthday Attire
Translation under the cut
Chapter 1
Heartslabyul Dorm - Birthday Party Venue
Special corner on NRC's grounds: An interview with the birthday boy ~Trey~
Yuu: Happy Birthday!
Trey: Oh, Yuu. Did you come here to congratulate me? Thanks.
Yuu: How was the birthday reception?
Trey: Like every year. I've had this big party for three years, so this year will probably good as well
 But it became busy after all. I'm sure there are some guys who use this as an excuse to act merry, but
 Oh well, I'm grateful that they're celebrating. Please enjoy yourself moderately.
Yuu: Is there anything you want?
Trey: From you? Then
 I'd like 100 grams of high grade vanilla beans that cost 10000 madollars.
Yuu: T-That's expensive
 I'll have to think about it

Trey: Hahaha. Just kidding. The other dorm students have already asked me what I wanted since a month ago. I asked for things like that
 Everyone was serious about it.
Yuu: What did you actually ask them?
Trey: I asked Cater to make the cakes for the Unbirthday Parties for half a year in my stead. I asked Deuce for the herbs he grew in the botanical garden as ingredients for sweets. I asked Ace to maintain the broom I use for flying class. I asked Riddle for the preparation notes for the next test.
 That's it, more or less.
Yuu: And what were everyone's replies?
Trey: Some complained or were surprised, but everyone said they understood. I didn't think they'd actually take it seriously.
Yuu: So
 all those things were just jokes?
Trey: Isn't that obvious? I told them immediately I was just kidding.
Chapter 2
Yuu: Are you also good at making dishes beside sweets?
Trey: Yeah, when my parents are busy with the cake shop, I have to make dinner. I can make about anything because I use a lot of variations so we don't tire of things.
Yuu: Do you have a speciality?
Trey: Hm
 I'm the best at a Salisbury steak. My little brother and sister request it often, so I make it a lot. I think mine is good, even if I say so myself. The secret ingredient is the Walrus brand oyster sauce that brings out a delicate flavor

Yuu:
 I will not fall for that lie again, you know

Trey: Haha. I was joking when we made the melon tart, but this is different. That seasoning is often used in meat dishes and adds depth to the taste. Furthermore, it's the Clover tradition to put a half-done fried egg on it. If you mix the hot gravy with the egg yolk
 Just imagine it.
Yuu: Gulp

Trey:
 You really look like you want to eat it. Gotcha, I'll make it next time.
Yuu: By the way, is there any dish you're not good at?
Trey: Of course there is. I'm good at baking sweets, so I'm relatively bad at anything else. But even if I deem it inedible, the dorm students still eat it without care.
Yuu: Why?
Trey: Fufu
 Don't you remember my unique magic?
Yuu: Are you using your magic to alter the taste
?
Trey: Of course not, I was just kidding. I wouldn't do such a thing.
 Most of the time.
Chapter 3
Yuu: What's your favorite food?
Trey: Candied violets.
Yuu: How did you come to like them?
Trey: The first time I put them in my mouth must have been in elementary school. I was so impressed that there were edible flowers that I got interested in them. Thereafter it seems I embarrassed my parents by eating flowers from the roadside several times. I have no recollection of that though

Yuu: So they were that good.
Trey: Yeah. I love the flavor but
 It's fascinating how the aroma of the violets spreads in your mouth, as if you're lying in a flower bed. I loved that peculiarity, so I often crave them. We have a lot of candied violets at home to use as ingredients for the cakes. If I snack on them too much, my parents scold me. Even so, I can't resist them, so I have my personal stack of candies. Even now, my parents still send me some at times, so I eat them during study breaks. By the way, you shouldn't only eat them, I strongly recommend putting them in hot milk instead of sugar cubes. When the violets dissolve, the milk becomes blue. Isn't that interesting?
Yuu: Is there anything you don't like to eat?
Trey: Ah
 mustard. In the past, me and Che’nya made 5 cream puffs where one had mustard inside to test our luck. I think the result is predictable, but I took the loss
 There was no water nearby, and Che’nya was just laughing. I really teared up back then. But it's my birthday. That’s it for the terrible memories.
Yuu: Thank you for telling us so much about yourself! Once again, happy birthday!
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pastelwitchling · 3 years ago
Text
Malex Happily Ever After chapter 114 sequel
Part One.
“Yeah,” Alex said into his phone, rubbing his eyes with his other hand. It was noon, but he hadn’t slept all night, consumed instead with his work at the base, his work in dismantling Project Shepherd, his breakup with Forrest, and his desire to talk to Michael about it all.
He had no idea why. It wasn’t like Michael was usually the epitome of comfort, but . . . Alex always thought, stupidly, that once Michael and Maria had ended things, and he and Forrest ended things, and they were both single again, that they would find their way back to each other. But Michael was keeping distance between them and smirking at Alex’s words every now and then, and it just felt a lot like being back where they started.
He plopped down on his couch and hung his head back to stare at the ceiling as Liz kept talking in his ear. She was saying a lot about the lab and bloodwork and finally finding Mr. Jones. Alex was tired, but he kept up fine. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the duffel bag lying halfway under the couch. The duffel bag he’d packed so many months ago when leaving and never coming back had felt like running away. He’d thrown in a few more things over the past year, and constantly found himself looking to it, just barely having forgotten that it was there.
He stopped listening to Liz, thinking about taking that duffel bag now, throwing it in his car, and just driving. It didn’t feel like running away anymore. He’d tried as hard as he could to be with Michael, and now he found himself along again, feeling worse than ever. Because now he knew Michael had loved somebody else. He knew Michael had tried, but not for him.
Alex pinched the bridge of his nose as Liz went on, ending with the question, “So you think you can come by and check it out?”
Alex shook his head. “Er – sorry, come where?”
“Michael’s bunker,” she said. “That’s where we’re testing the serum. No one’s studied the Project Shepherd reports like you have, I’m thinking if anyone can look at the side-effects of the serum and tell us whether or not they match what was done to the prisoners, then –”
“Right,” Alex shut his eyes, not wanting to hear any more about Project Shepherd and the horrible things they’d done. All the things that Michael was still punishing him for by keeping a distance. “I’m on my way.”
Alex did not move for several long minutes, staring instead at the duffel bag. He probably should’ve taken it and left, but hope was annoying that way, and even though a part of him still clung to the idea that he and Michael would end up together, the bigger part growled that if it was going to take this long, and force Alex to endure seeing Michael with anybody else for even a second, then maybe eventually ending up together just wasn’t worth it.
When he finally got to Michael’s bunker, he couldn’t help but remember when Michael had locked that door behind Alex the last time they’d argued in there. Michael never chased after him, and he was just so sick of waiting for him to do it.
He groaned inwardly and rubbed his eyes. Seriously, he thought. What was wrong with him today? He should just be glad the airstream was back in the junkyard. It had gotten really difficult avoiding the Wild Pony for a while.
He made it down the ladder easily enough, and tossed his backpack on the table next to where Michael was working. Michael looked up at him through his glasses and tilted his chin up in silent greeting. Alex was too tired to pretend like that was remotely satisfying, and without responding turned to Liz.
“Hey,” Liz said happily.
ïżœïżœHi,” Alex crossed his arms. “What’d you want me to take a look at?”
“Well,” Liz handed him some reports, “we wrote down all of the results of the serum.”
“On whom, may I ask?” Alex raised his brow as he took them. “Who was your test subject this time? Max again?”
Instead of answering, Liz’s eyes traveled over to Michael who, until Alex turned to look at him, had been staring at Alex with a pinch in his brows. Alex’s shoulders sagged.
“Tell me you didn’t.”
He shrugged, his smirk humorless. His mask was up again. “We had to get results quick and I was already here.”
“I told you I didn’t want you being experimented on,” Alex argued.
“Mom did it,” he said. “Guess I wanted to see what the big deal was.”
Alex tensed, and Michael’s smirk fell away.
“Yeah, okay.” He took the last of the files and turned to leave.
“Alex, w-wait –”
“Do whatever you want, Guerin,” Alex said. “I’m done trying to talk you down.”
“Alex, come on!” But it was too late. Alex had made it up the ladder and patted his clothes down, heading over to his car. His jaw was clenched and his eyes burned and a suffocating weight sat on his chest, but he walked ahead.
Of course. Of course, Michael would ignore his concerns, of course he’d want to show Alex just how little value his words carried. You’re not her, so I don’t care what you ask me to do. You don’t matter as much as she did, so I don’t care if you worry. You’re not worth trying for, why would you be worth listening to?
“Stop, Private!” Michael caught his arm and turned him around. He still had his glasses on, but he was panting. Eager to ease his guilt, Alex knew, nothing more. When he saw Alex’s face, his own fell. “Are you – are you crying?”
“No,” Alex turned away, wiping his face furiously. Michael stood there, eyes wide, like he never expected to see Alex cry. Oh screw it. “Yes!” Another tear fell, and he didn’t bother wiping it away. “Okay? Yes, I’m crying.”
“B-Because I took a needle?”
“Oh, Guerin, no, it’s not just because of that!” He paced to the end of the airstream and back, then again. He looked up at Michael’s house, and couldn’t help but remember the way it sat so close to the Wild Pony. Because Michael just had to be close to Maria. Alex couldn’t remember Michael ever so much as following him two feet, but he followed Maria?
He came back to stand in front of Michael, his breaths short and painful. “I’ve had a bag ready since I found your damn airstream at the Wild Pony parking lot. I was going to go, and I wasn’t going to come back. I’ve had it ready since you started dating Maria, since Forrest and I broke up, and I still can’t bring myself to just take it and go. I was terrified something would happen to you if you put that damn crap in your veins, and I didn’t want you to end up like the prisoners in Caulfield. You ignored the one thing I asked you to do with a smile on your face like you think it’s funny that I’m scared, and I still can’t just pick up that stupid bag. It’s unfair, Guerin!”
His lower lip trembled, and he looked away, covering his eyes with his hand. “You can move on and love someone else so freaking easily, and I can’t, and it’s so unfair.”
They stood there for a long time, nothing but the wind whistling in their ears and Alex’s quiet cries. Liz seemed to have the good sense to stay in the bunker. Then Michael suddenly came up behind Alex, and wrapped his arms around him tightly.
“Baby,” Michael breathed against the shell of his ear. “I – I didn’t know, Alex,” he whispered, his voice full of pain. “I thought you didn’t care, I thought you wanted me to stay away. I – I was just holding onto easy, no one ever came close to you. I swear, I thought you didn’t want me anymore . . .”
Alex tried to process all of that. Michael sounded sincere, though maybe that was only because Maria had been the one to end things. That’s right, a bitter voice sounded. She ended things. Not him. After he told her he loved her. Then she ended it.
It occurred to Alex then that maybe Michael was holding onto him for a completely different reason.
A disbelieving, miserable chuckle left his lips, and Michael faltered. Alex brought Michael’s hands down. “Just stop it, Guerin,” he said hoarsely, his throat raw. “I already gave you my word that I’d help, I’m not going to stop just because I’m frustrated.” He shook his head, already walking back to his car. He had to get out of here. “You don’t have to pretend to care about me anymore. You’ll still get what you want.”
Before Alex could take in Michael’s shattered expression or read into it, he got in his car, turned it on, and drove away, needing to put as much distance between the man he loved and himself.
 Alex woke slowly to the sun just rising. He was surprised he’d made it up so late, but after working through the files last night, he’d passed out just at sunset. He supposed misery, anguish, and a couple of nights of no sleep in a row really put a person out.
He spotted the files on his desk and laid sideways on his bed for a while. He didn’t think he could get back into the nightmares of his family’s past before a good cup of coffee. He stuffed half his face into his pillow and thought of his conversation yesterday with Michael, how unwilling he’d been to eat or drink or do much of anything besides get to work and be useful afterwards. The memory robbed him of even his comfort in bed.
He forced himself up, and when he was washing up in the bathroom, he thought he heard a rustling somewhere outside, but when he turned the faucet off and listened, he didn’t hear anything. Deciding his exhaustion might be making him imagine things that weren’t there, Alex finished up, grabbed his crutches, and made himself a steaming cup of coffee.
He sat down on his couch and rested back, staring at the ceiling. Once again, his eyes fell to the duffel bag halfway hidden. He imagined, yet again, grabbing it now, getting in his car, and driving away without ever coming back. The thought did not make any part of him any happier than he felt now.
There was nothing but the tree branches rustling in the wind, the birds chirping to one another at the morning sun, wheels on gravel in his backyard –
Alex faltered in his thoughts and picked his head up, his brows pinched. He listened closely, and this time, there was no mistaking it; there was someone in his backyard.
“What the hell?” he murmured and set his coffee cup down before grabbing his crutches. He stepped into his backyard, not knowing what he would find (after all, Roswell was a small town, and people were usually good about not bothering military around here), and stopped.
There, behind his circular tables and chairs, was Michael’s airstream. Michael stepped out, wiping his hands on a towel, and smiled at Alex.
He came to stand a foot away from him, his hands twitching at his sides as if eager to reach out and touch. “Can I kiss you good morning?”
Instead of answering, Alex asked, “Guerin, what is this?”
Michael’s smile widened, and he took that as the permission he needed before he closed the distance between them, taking Alex’s face in his hands and kissing his lips both deeply and softly at the same time. He pulled away with a deep sigh, pressing their foreheads together, his eyes closed, as if he could finally breathe.
“I love you,” he whispered, letting his hands fall down Alex’s neck, his shoulders, his arms, and staying on his waist, gripping tightly. “I missed you so much.”
Alex’s eyes started to flutter, but before he could fall into whatever wonderland being around Michael pulled him into, he swallowed and took a step back.
“Why’s your trailer here?” he asked. “What’s going on?”
Michael looked like he hated the distance between them just as much as Alex did, the mask of humor and indifference he usually wore completely gone.
“After Forrest,” he said, “I thought . . . I thought you were better off without me. I thought you wouldn’t want me when you’d already had someone . . . better.” He came closer to Alex, pleading with him to understand. “Alex, I thought you wanted me to stay away. And I was so terrified that I would get too close, and you would hate me, and tell me to leave and not come back. So I stayed a safe distance, and I hated every second of it.”
Alex shook his head. “Why?” he said, his voice breaking despite himself. “Why’d you try so hard for her?”
“It wasn’t for her,” Michael urged. “It was for me. I needed . . . easy. I needed not that bad. I had no idea what I was doing, I acted like Max, I . . .” he shook his head. “Private, I don’t even know who that person was. The only time I felt like myself, like I could actually be myself and still be loved was when I was with you.”
Michael huffed a shaky chuckle, and roughly wiped his face with one hand. “Besides,” he said, “I left that parking lot the next day.” He looked over his shoulder at his airstream as it sat beside Alex’s things, and smiled with such sincerity that Alex hadn’t seen on his face in too long. He looked back at Alex with bright eyes. “But I think this looks good here. Don’t you?”
Alex looked from the airstream to Michael, and he huffed a chuckle. A tear rolled down his cheek, and he sniffed and wiped it away. “I just needed you to show up at my front door.”
Michael laughed, pulling Alex in against him and hugging him tightly. As he buried his face in the crook of Alex’s neck, Alex took his chance to press his face to Michael’s shoulder and inhale his scent.
“I want to do more than show up,” Michael said against his skin. “I want to stay, Alex. I want to stay, please let me stay.”
Alex hugged Michael so closely that nothing could’ve fit between their bodies. He felt Michael’s heart race, Michael’s lips against his neck, Michael whimpering under his breath as he desperately pulled them closer and closer together.
Alex whispered, “Stay, Guerin. I want you to stay.”
***
If you enjoyed reading, even just a little bit, please comment and share/reblog, it always makes the world of a difference ❀
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ashbrea381writings · 4 years ago
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Flying Blind: Chapter 1, Bats in Paris
Four-year-old Richard Grayson glared at the girl in front of him. Marinette Dupain-Cheng was just six weeks older than him, and right now, she was taller than him too. “You’re gonna lose.” He taunted in heavily accented French, “I got super high scores and you can’t beat them!” “Don’t even think about it! I’m gonna win!” Marinette’s fists were clenched and her face red. “Just you watch!” The Dupain-Chengs and the Graysons shared an amused look over the heads of the children. “How are you doing?” Tom asked, chuckling about the children’s antics. “We’re good, we’ll be starting another tour this summer, then probably settle down for a couple years before moving on.” The two children started shouting even louder, causing them to be dragged apart by their exasperated parents. This happened every competition, for years.
***
Five years later, Richard stopped showing up to competitions. Marinette was annoyed at first, grumbling about him being a chicken who didn’t want to face her. At another competition, a month later, she heard one of the judges talking about the Graysons, making a sad comment about the loss of so many talented people, the wasted potential, an entire family of fliers just gone. Marinette stiffened in shock, her eyes wide as she processed what they had just said. Bolting to the locker room, Marinette yanked her hair out of it’s bun and changed back into her street clothes, hiding in the bathroom stall and crying. When her parents find her some minutes later, they make sure she isn’t hurt and take her home. “He’s dead
 Dick’s dead.” She told them tearfully in the car on the way home. “All of them are.” Marinette stopped going to competitions after that.
***
Ladybug could feel the tension in her shoulders as she confronted the man before her, Chat a step behind and to her left. “If your Justice League doesn’t want to help, you could at least stay out of our city.” Her arms were crossed as she glared at Batman. “Why do you think the League wouldn’t help?” Robin asked, his accent strong but his pronunciation carefully precise. “We only heard of the situation recently.” “Oh? I called the League two years ago when our mentor gave up his memories to prevent Hawkmoth from getting something important.” Ladybug spat, letting her disgust show without letting it be bad enough that Hawkmoth could sense it. “I got told to stop playing games and they hung up on me.” “Who did you speak with?” Batman asked, pulling out a small tablet to take notes. “I don’t know, they didn’t say. Male, light voice in the baritone range, sounded way too cheerful until he decided I was lying, then he was just an ass.” She shrugged and gestured to the city around her. “‘Paris is fine, we would have noticed if something bad happened.’” She quoted in a near-perfect impression of Hal Jordan that made Batman frown. “Did you mean to do an impression?” Robin asked, somewhere between surprised and trying not to laugh when the girl his age was able to deepen her voice that much. “It’s accurate, I was there to hear him.” Chat chuckled, crossing his arms and shifting to lean on just one leg. “The guy continued to rant about children making prank calls and how he didn’t even know how we had the number.” “The fact that we had it at all should have told him the truth.” Ladybug scoffed. “Look, I’ve been doing this for four years. If you really wanna help, you’ll need to make sure you don’t fall victim to Hawkmoth yourself.” “And how does one do that?” “Mostly by repressing your negative emotions.” Chat shrugged, looking out over the city. “To be honest, it’s getting harder for Parisians to keep up their hopes. Our ages don’t help either, there are plenty who keep demanding we give up our Miraculi to older, more experienced people, but not just anyone can wield them.” “The personalities of the people wielding them must mesh well with the Miraculous, or it corrupts you and either causes you to become someone you wouldn’t recognize, or makes you very sick.” “That explains why you can’t pass them on, but why were you two chosen?” Robin tilted his head, moving forward a bit more. “We were the best candidates at the time. Our former mentor read our auras to make sure who meshed with which Miraculous and gave us a test to make sure we were the type of people to help others even when it’s not in our best interests.” Ladybug sighed and turned to look as a loud ‘bang!’ sounded from the direction of the Eiffel Tower. “Always the tower, I still don’t get it.” Chat sighed, prepping to take off. “Don’t ask me, Kitty.” Ladybug grabbed her yo-yo. “Stay back out of the fight unless you see a civilian in danger. You don’t know what you’re up against.” Batman looked like he wanted to argue, but the teen heroes took off in the direction of the Akuma that was currently pulling pieces off of the Tower and throwing them at the ground nearby. Batman and Robin found a spot just outside the action to observe. Other members of the Miraculous Team were already on the scene, moving civilians and calling out information to each other. Viperion split off from the action to intercept Ladybug and seemed to have a lot of information. Once they conferred for a few moments, a suddenly weary-looking Viperion gave signals to several of the team members. The Akuma was released, captured, and purified. With the Cure cast, the Tower was repaired and the Miraculous Team collectively shared quiet celebrations before separating except for Chat Noir, who’s Cataclysm hadn’t been used. “LB and the others are going to recharge, check in with their families after the attack, and meet us. I’m to lead you to somewhere private where we can talk more thoroughly.” Chat was brisk, seeming tired. “Your Snake friend
 He spent a good portion of the fight observing and only really called out instructions for the most part. Why is that?” Robin asked as they started running across rooftops. “That’s his part. Ladybug is Creation, I’m Destruction, he’s Intuition. He watches the fight and uses his ability to make sure we do not fail when we cannot avoid it otherwise.” Chat answered vaguely, enjoying the verbal cat-and-mouse. “Are you going to tell us what his power is?” Batman asked, his exasperation audible in his voice. “The more information we have, the better we can plan and the more help we can give.” “I’m gonna let Viperion explain, he’s a chill guy, he won’t mind telling you. Besides, they’re all gonna be there and I think LB plans to give you two a rundown of everyone anyway.” Chat explained, dropping down into a small garden hidden between buildings. There was a small storage shed that Chat opened, removing a handful of chairs and a folding table. “I believe LB plans on bringing refreshments, will you help me set this up?”
***
An hour later, the rest of the team had assembled, with more than just Ladybug bringing snacks and drinks. There was something for everyone, although Batman chose not to eat. “So, a rundown?” “My powers stem from Creation, I create an object that helps us in the fight, purify the Akuma, and my Cure repairs any damage done by the miraculous during that specific Akuma fight. If too much time passes after the Akuma was purified, I can’t put it right.” Ladybug began, pointing to Chat next. “His power is from Destruction, he can destroy any one item he touches or a portion of a surface such as the ground or a wall. He can control how far the destruction spreads to a degree, it’s something we’re working on. Viperion has the power of Second Chance, he sets a timer and within that span of time he can reset to the beginning as many times as he wants theoretically. The problem is that he’s the only one who remembers what happened in the timeline he reset, so he has to be able to remember what to do so we can succeed.” “Is that why you suddenly looked more tired during the fight?” Robin asked, brows furrowing. “Yes. Seeing your friends get hurt over and over will do that.” The shaggy-haired hero sighed, shaking his head. “As much as I dislike seeing it, I know that I can prevent it as long as I still have my power active and as long as I’m able to give them the right information when we reset. I’ve gotten a lot better than when we started, but it helped when Chat started to realize I knew what I was doing.” His eyes sparkled with a bit of humor and Chat shook his head with a goan. “You’re never going to let me forget that, are you?” Chat asked, stretching. “Nope, never.” “Anyway.” Ladybug glared at the two boys, but it lacked conviction. “You’ll have to give me the rundown later of how many times we reset. Moving on, Rena Rouge, power of Illusion. Carapace, Protection, his shields are nearly impenetrable.” Ladybug pointed out each hero in turn. “Honey Bee, she can paralyze a person with her stinger, most of these have a duration and are usable just once for now. Pegasus can make portals to anywhere, again, once and there’s a time limit after using it. King Monkey isn’t here right now, but his power disrupts those of whomever is touched with an object he summons. We have one more teammate who doesn’t get involved often. Their name is Bunnyx, and they don’t show up much unless we really need them. They travel through time.” “So you have a time-traveler to come pull you out? Then why don’t they tell you who Hawkmoth is?” Batman demanded. “Because one: that’s cheating, and two: that’s not how they’re supposed to figure it out.” Came another voice from above before a blue, white, and pink blur dropped down behind Ladybug.
***
Note: The competition is for Gymnastics if anyone’s confused.
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catohphm · 3 years ago
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A True Friend for a Werewolf
Hi everyone, here’s the third in a series of drabbles that shed some light on my MC, Cato’s relationships with the canon characters of HPHM. I’ve written pieces for Talbott and Badeea. It’s Chiara’s turn now. For a while, we didn’t know what house she was in. She was revealed to be Hufflepuff in the sixth year. Chiara’s life and personality are defined by her biggest secret: she’s a werewolf. Very mysterious, she is. But unlike Talbott, she also faces social rejection and shame if her status is disclosed, not just government interference. In time, Cato grows to build a very close friendship with Chiara based on trust and a vow to look out for each other and keep their secrets safe. Just beware, this post is longer than the others as I provided some background and more details to help build the foundation of their bond. Enjoy!
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Chiara Lobasca was born to an affluent family. Her father was an arithmancer and her mother was extremely skilled with memory charms. Due to her knowledge of the spells, she was employed by the Ministry as an Obliviator, responsible for solving violations of the secrecy laws by wiping the memories of muggles who were aware of the incident, as well as knowledge of magic in general. 
As a young child, Chiara ran afoul of the infamous werewolf, Fenrir Greyback. She was bitten by him and became a werewolf too. He attempted to recruit her for his army, which sought to take over the wizarding world as revenge for oppression against their kind. Fortunately, her parents were able to stop him and send him packing before their daughter could be influenced by him. Chiara, aware that she got lycanthropy from her encounter with the cruel Greyback, was extremely scared that he had gotten very close toward taking her away from home and doing who knows what to her. Sheltering their daughter, they chose to keep it private that she was a werewolf, knowing of the large negative stigma and laws that would make it hard to live with her condition. 
The Lobascas managed to live stable lives for some time afterwards, but the expenses of procuring Wolfsbane potion to help Chiara get through her transformations put strain on the family’s finances. She eventually befriended a neighbor named Selina, who wasn’t intimidated by hearing she was a werewolf. They were good friends until the former saw Chiara after she transformed. Selina was horrified and never talked to her again out of fear. Her memories were wiped by Chiara’s mum so she wouldn’t have to live haunted by the memories. It was from this incident that Chiara became a more guarded person, being very cautious over who she let into her circle.
She was sorted into Hufflepuff upon arriving at Hogwarts. Her secret meant her life and she understood that if it went out, she’d be in great danger. Chiara’s greatest fear was the fact she was a werewolf becoming known at school. Inside though, she remained the sweet, goodhearted individual she was before she was infected with lycanthropy. Between classes, she would help out Madam Pomfrey with work in the Hospital Wing, her dream of becoming a healer. It was there she first met Cato.
While Chiara found the Ravenclaw boy to be a kind soul who valued people, they remained only acquaintances for a while because of her previous experience with her former friend. They said “Hi!” or even waved to each other when they passed in the halls, but Chiara tried to avoid conversation as much as possible. Cato wondered why she was like this, but he had a feeling that she had something she didn’t want to share, so he respected her choice. It was early into their third year that they got closer.
Cato, Penny and Chiara were all in Herbology when a boggart emerged from its hiding spot. It took the form of a werewolf. Hearing Penny’s shouts, Chiara ducked under a table and fled from the greenhouse when the boggart was repelled. Her memories of Selina finding out she was a werewolf were triggered by the incident. As a result, she became less like her usual self and isolated herself more from her peers. Both they and her professors caught on this and grew worried. Penny was concerned too, and she sought her best friend Cato to try to speak to her roommate and find out what’s going on. 
He was advised by Penny not to mention her to Chiara, as she is worried that her encounter with the boggart may create a rift between them. Cato was worried too, as he hadn’t seen Chiara in the hospital wing much after the ruckus in the greenhouse. He first questioned Madam Pomfrey on her whereabouts. She suggested he look in a cupboard down the hallway she uses to store medical potions and other supplies separate from Snape’s classroom so that students wouldn’t touch them during classes.
Cato went to the cupboard, quietly muttering "I hope you're in there, Chiara." A door opens and her, recognizing him by his voice, ushers him in and quickly shuts the door. Chiara explains that she has to tell him something, needing someone outside of her house that she can be able to trust with the information. He learns of a rumor that she overheard about a first year who was attacked by a mysterious white creature in the Forbidden Forest which was believed to be a werewolf. The victim is believed to be a Gryffindor named Pippa MacMillian as she was reported absent from Astronomy the night the attack took place. Hearing this made Chiara desperate. Afraid of what could happen if people started thinking she was the creature, Chiara wanted to tell somebody she knew who could be able to help her solve the mystery.
Together, she and Cato sought out Pippa, who couldn’t recall anything the moment she was attacked in the woods. With the help of a memory potion, she was able to explain that wasn’t sure if her assailant was actually a werewolf. Claw marks on the arm prompted the assumption it was a lycanthrope. Chiara was very relieved to hear this. The three of them dispelled the rumors with Penny’s help, who was also happy to learn the good news. Cato and Chiara became friends after the case was solved. They talked more, especially when they were assigned together in classes such as Herbology. She was still careful with how deep the conversations got, but entrusted Cato with her secret, knowing she could depend on him.
Eventually, their bond would be put to the test. Chiara introduced Cato to an acquaintance of hers, another werewolf named Remus Lupin. She revealed how she shared some of the wolfsbane potion she received from the school to aid in his plight. Lupin was poor and had to keep moving and changing jobs every once in a while to prevent people from finding out he was a werewolf. He stopped accepting wolfsbane from Chiara as it was now time for him to keep moving on. Before leaving, he reminded her that the full moon would be out that night.
That night, Cato and Chiara were playing gobstones, where they opened up a bit more about each other’s lives. She quickly left after remembering Lupin’s warning about the Full Moon. Urgently looking for a safe place to transform, a greatly worried Cato followed her to the Training Grounds. She was about to tell him to run. But it was seconds before she shifted into her werewolf form. Instead, she told him to not let her hurt anyone. As she transformed right in front of Cato, he covered his eyes with his hands, tripping and falling on the ground. When he looked back up, Chiara was now a large werewolf with white fur. She was menacing, but there appeared to be some hesitance in her motion. Cato pulled out his wand, got up and with it behind his back, he called out at her “This is not who you’re really like Chiara! Remember, you’re my friend! You can count on me!” Chiara pauses for a moment, halted by what he just said, but then becomes aggressive. He calls out “I’m sorry! I have to make sure you don’t hurt yourself or anyone, for you! Cato casts Flipendo but the jinx misses and the transformed Chiara strikes him, knocking him back to the ground. His arm is now hurting from the hard blow, but he remembers the Banishing Charm he had learned from Charms a few days ago. Teeth-clenched from the pain of his arm, Cato aims his wand at the werewolf as she closes in to him, his eyes now brimming with tears. He mutters out “Depulso” in a stressed, worried tone. A mass of bluish-white energy explodes from the tip of his wand, blasting the werewolf Chiara several feet away from Cato.
She gets back up on her feet and stares at Cato. A twinkle gleams across her eyes and she makes out a weak smile, before turning away and running back toward the Forbidden Forest to wait out the rest of the night. The morning after the fight, Cato joins Chiara in the artifact room to catch up on the night before. She, although surprised, thanks him for standing by her and not running away when she turned into a werewolf. She then explains why she was keeping her distance all this time, recalling the incident when her neighbor found out what she looked like as werewolf and asked her mum to Obliviate Selena so that she wouldn’t have to live in fear. Chiara was then reluctant to make friends as she didn’t want to harm others through her lycanthropy. Now confident enough to face her fears, she fully opens up to Cato. 
He presents her a photo he recovered from the Training Ground after the fight. It was a beautiful color photo of the sun setting over the Black Lake, with Hogwarts Castle in the foreground. Chiara lets Cato keep it as gratitude for his help, and tells him that Lupin gave it to her. The photo was taken by Lupin’s friend James Potter, both of whom were part of the Marauders during their years in school. Cato learns from Chiara that the message of the photo is “The morning will always come.” They immediately give each other a big hug, Cato still holding the photo in one hand. She remarks “This is for not giving up on me. Thank you, Cato!" He answers “Anything I can do for my friends. They’re like family to me.” Chiara then said “I’ll always be able to make it through even the darkest night, so long as I have the support of my friends.”
They were best friends after those events, and continued to be so well into adulthood. Eventually Cato would retire from the high-adventure lifestyle of curse-breaking, looking for a more stable job he enjoyed that could also support his wife Penny and their two sons. He was hired as a healer at St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Working with Penny and Chiara, Cato and they would often reminisce about their past adventures in school and as young adults. He continues to keep the photo Chiara gave him back in Hogwarts as a token of their friendship.
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hockeyboysiguess · 4 years ago
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driver’s license | b. boeser
a/n: so i was listening to driver’s license on repeat and this happened out of the blue in the last 2 hours. @brockadoodles, hope you like this surprise!
word count: 2,027
wine pairing recommendation: an old favorite, something you love and trust.
warnings: a couple swear words. 
You let out a long breath that lingered in the winter air inhabiting your car and cranked it slowly. The engine turned over a couple of times and you cursed a little under your breath. Your brother was supposed to have driven it while you were away, but he always said he forgot which was just his way of saying he hated your car. But she was Old Faithful for a reason and the engine turned on anyway. You breathed out a sigh of relief that turned into a groan as a familiar sound floated through your car of a voice you knew all too well saying your name softly. You slammed the button on the sound system to switch to the radio as your heart pounded in your chest. You didn’t need to hear that today. You weren’t sure you ever needed to hear that CD again. 
You didn’t even consider ejecting it from its permanent home in the otherwise unused CD slot. It lived there in your car that felt like a relic from a past life, a life in which the voice on that CD had a starring role in. That life wasn’t yours anymore, but we all keep tokens from the past, even from our lowest of years, because we can’t bear to part with things that once were our most prized possessions. 
You really should have paid attention to the radio station you had last played, but you didn’t and you paid the price for that decision. 
“Brock Boeser and the Vancouver Canucks were in town tonight and absolutely destroyed the Wild in a 3-0 shutout, with two goals from local Minnesotan Boeser. Remember his draft year? The Wild passed on him and I don’t think he’s ever forgotten it. He really feels like the one that got away for Minnesota, doesn’t he?” 
You switched radio stations, but the damage was already done and tears were clouding your vision. His name, just his name, was enough to do it sitting in this godforsaken car, the car he’d named, the car whose flat tires he’d changed at least five times, the car he’d jumped into the second after you’d gotten your license, the car you had driven aimlessly around his neighborhood once he left. But they had to say the one that got away, didn’t they? The radio show hosts had to be in cahoots with The Universe, who really wanted to pull the old scars over your heart apart with careless word choices and reminders of days that were so infinitely happier than the ones you were living now. 
Some dull pop song was flowing through your speakers now and you tried to focus on the entirely mediocre lyrics that matched the dull beat to center yourself in the mediocrity of it all. The opposite of your pain wasn’t happiness; it was the absolute middle between the two, the void where emotions didn’t inhabit. The problem was Brock Boeser hung over every inch of this car, every inch of this town, every inch of who you used to be. That emotionless void was entirely inaccessible to you in this moment. All you had was the ache in your chest with the terrible option to bury it under artificial joy. The pain you felt when you thought about him bled through your forced smile. It was too real, too raw still years later, the wound still somehow made fresh again by being back here to be covered. 
All you had was your pain, shitty pop music, and a passenger seat that somehow still belonged to Brock and it fucking sucked. 
You put the car in drive and turned right out of your driveway even though all your problems came with you anyway. The chill of the Minnesota winter was slowly dissipating as you drove mindlessly. Except no one ever really drove mindlessly. You made a series of lefts and rights without thinking, which meant your mind was really driving a path it knew so well you didn’t need to think about it as you did it. Minds, even when people thought they were being thoughtless, really weren’t all that random at all. You found yourself in Brock’s old neighborhood and you let out a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob that shook your aching chest. Of course your mind would bring you here when he was the only thing on it. 
The first time you drove through these suburban streets on your own was so long ago now, but you took the same path you were taking now. This was the first place you’d gone after getting your license, freshy and shiny and new, burning a hole in your wallet and the only place you’d wanted to go was to Brock’s. It hadn’t surprised your mother when you’d pulled up at your house fresh off your driver’s test and hadn’t even reached for the keys. She knew with one look where you wanted to go, and she waved you off as she got out. You’d had the biggest smile on your face as you drove these streets for the first time alone, heading straight for the person who had been the most excited for you to get your license. You had barely remembered to put the car in park before running to hug him and kiss him as words of pride spilled from his lips. He climbed into your passenger seat, where he practically lived that whole summer, where he told you he wanted to be with you forever, forever be in your passenger seat watching you achieve your dreams. 
Forever for Brock Boeser didn’t last past October of that year when he was in North Dakota and you were still here, driving the same goddamn streets you were driving now, driving through memories of your time together in your mind as you rolled through familiar intersections from your past. Years had gone by, and still a piece of Brock lived in a part of your heart like his voice lived on the mixtape still living in the CD slot of your car. You could go weeks, months even, without knowing he was there, especially when you weren’t in town, but something would always remind you of him. You’d see his face in a crowd, hear his name on the radio, drive past a road with the same name as one in his familiar neighborhood and you’d be reminded of him and the love for him that was embedded in your heart. That piece of him was so deep in your heart it couldn’t be surgically removed. There weren’t enough dates to go on, alcohol bottles to find the bottom of, enough love to try to create with other people, that would expel that piece of him you still carried in your heart. You hadn’t found anything that had even come close to him and the love you had for him. So your love for him stayed exactly where he’d left it in your heart and on a poorly burned CD in your car. 
Your friends had to hate you for him now, how you always compared everyone to him. They didn’t understand why you did and honestly, neither did you. You and Brock were young and reckless and stupid, but the love you shared was real and raw and clumsy and fucking beautiful. You knew what a sunset made of blood reds, vibrant oranges, sharp yellows and deep purples looked like; one that was just shades of yellow wouldn’t do. You couldn’t forget what loving him felt like, but as far as you could tell, he had forgotten what loving you was like. Maybe he just never felt about you like you’d felt out him, otherwise, how could he have moved on like he had? He had this whole life, this whole other world, in Vancouver you’d only heard about in poorly remembered stories from people with several degrees of separation between them and him. He sounded like he was doing fucking swell without you and all you could think was that forever apparently left you driving through his streets alone with only memories of him and red lights to keep you company. 
You hesitated before doing it because you knew what it would do, but you were already starting to cry again. All you wanted was to hear his voice again, hear the way it used to sound like when he talked about you sitting in this car, driving through these streets. You switched back to the CD and pressed play. 
“Hey baby, I hope this works? I don’t really know what I’m doing, but you got your license and I’m so proud of you. I can’t always be bugging you in your passenger seat, being the best DJ ever, so I figured I’d make you a little CD so you can have my amazing DJ talents with you wherever and whenever you go. I love you!”
The tears were flowing now. Hearing the way he told you he loved you, the way the words were somehow heard directly in your heart and made it twist in your chest, made you remember why it hadn’t worked out with anyone else. The way Brock told you he loved you was better than how anyone else had ever tried. You walked down sidewalks holding other people’s hands and remembered the way his hand used to feel in yours when you walked down the same sidewalks in this neighborhood you were in now, past the same front yards you were passing now. The way he loved you clouded every moment you had ever tried to deny that he wasn’t your one great love. He was the person you had envisioned your future with, a future that included buying the blue house at the end of the street you were on now and pulling into that very driveway every night, sliding into bed with him, living with him, loving him forever. 
Instead of that ideal forever, you were turning onto his street alone in the waning sunlight with tear-stained cheeks, remembering how much simpler and better everything was with him. The street was practically empty but as you got close to the house you knew as well as your own, your breath hitched in your throat with worry that someone would be there. Of all the empty houses, someone being in the driveway at Brock’s would be your luck. You came over the hill and exhaled upon seeing the driveway empty, before checking your rearview mirror and letting your car slow to a crawl. You could practically see him there, all the times he’d run out that front door and into the passenger seat, off to the lake, to your favorite dinner, to the fourth best but still your favorite park around, to even just driving around these same neighborhood streets when he needed to breathe and forget the weight he carried in that house. 
You slowed to almost a stop in front of his house, letting your car roll forward as you tried to will the memories to sit more comfortably on your mind and in your chest to no avail. You didn’t notice someone appear in the driveway until it was too late, until they had already seen you. Blonde hair peaked out the back of a blue hat that sat backwards on his head. An old beat up North Dakota sweatshirt covered his broad chest, broader now that it had been when he had been yours, gray sweatpants, and sneakers he had thrown on to do some mundane task, probably to get the mail for his dad. There he was, standing in the driveway, looking at you and for a second, you thought he was thinking the same things you were, longing for them in the same way you were. 
He mouthed your name, disbelief written on his face, and started walking toward your car. You shifted it into park, because after all this time, all the pain, all the broken promises of forever, he was still Brock Boeser and you couldn’t leave him hanging when he called your name.
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