#If I ever skip a certain moment in any of these parts.. It'll be used for a later part

[jesuis-assez]

Tim & Lucy ↳ Their story\ milestones in their relationship [Pt. 2]

Pt . 1 -> [ x ]

[aladaylessecondblog]

Faal Hah Wuld but omegaverse

Author's Note: I can't just do the entire fic like this so I'm skipping over a lot. This goes up until just after the Bleak Falls Barrow bite

P.S.: Ok I wrote it, brain, can I PLEASE write something else now???

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Traveling with Torovan had set an itch beneath Sadrith's skin, but she'd kept putting it off as annoyance. The man was arrogant beyond measure, and looked down on her for her skill in thievery and stealth. Yet...

Yet the snobbish alpha had a certain...well, she wasn't sure what to call it. Appeal? It mystified her to think of him as anything less than an uppity old mer who thought little of her. The strangest part was she felt the strength of that appeal more in the evening--and the only common denominator she could find to go along with that was her morning skooma dose finally wearing off. It only made her more eager to take the next morning dose, to ward off these thoughts and feelings that didn't make any sense.

The sight of his torso when they spent the evening in Blackreach had been...interesting. She was used to overfocusing on things, they'd just take hold of her mind and not let go for a while, but that interest, it had persisted. She told herself it was fine, it had only been a few days - it would pass. It always did.

But it was his scent that really seemed to hit her. Something of spice and musk, scents she wouldn't normally like but coming from Torovan they seemed almost...alluring. She wanted to plant herself in his robe just to get more of it, cover herself in it. But as with so many other strange habits and intrusive thoughts she brushed it off, even if it was more difficult with this. Her mind did strange things all the time, after all.

She vaguely recalled hearing something about an alpha's scent affecting others in different ways, though she couldn't remember too many details. Other alphas might be angered, betas didn't seem to be affected much at all, but omegas...

...well, she wasn't one, she knew that much. You had to present before anything could really happen, or at least that's what she'd been told. And she'd never presented. There were scent glands on her neck but if they produced anything none of the handful of lovers she'd had had ever said much about it.

Save, of course, a single exception--she'd flirted with Marcurio, that imperial mage for hire down in Riften. He'd mentioned her scent was off-putting, a vague 'earthy mint'. But thankfully, it was faint, and that hadn't stopped her enjoying his company.

All in all things had stayed relatively normal until they'd hit Bleak Falls Barrow. Torovan's blood bottles had broken, and (definitely recklessly) feeling curious about what it felt like to be bitten, fed from, Sadrith had offered her own neck.

"Are you SURE?" he asked.

"I've already eaten, I'm tired from the walking...it'll probably put me right to sleep. Go ahead, take my blood."

She'd taken her spot on her bedroll, and waited. Torovan had knelt beside her, leaned over, and for a moment she luxuriated in a deep inhale of his scent.

"You're too trusting," he said as he leaned down, "You know that can get you killed, don't you?"

"If you were going to kill me you'd have done it already."

A brief brush of his fangs against her neck. A slight tenseness, and then--eagerness? Where had that come from?

Sadrith's entire body jolted when the fangs pierced her neck, though - and what followed was an absolutely divine spasm of pleasure. She only barely stopped herself crying out, but still a stifled moan passed her lips.

Torovan seemed unaware of all this--he was hungry, after all, and her blood was the main point. There was a sudden growl, and she stayed limp to make it easier for him to feed. He guzzled it, like he hadn't tasted blood in weeks, like--

--suddenly his tongue swiped upwards, and he jolted back, away from her. Somewhat dizzied, Sadrith reached up to heal the wound, confused as to why even stroking over the bloodied spot gave off the pleasurable tingle that it did.

"Why didn't you TELL ME?" Torovan suddenly burst out, wiping away the few drops of blood still on his lips.

"Tell you what?" Sadrith swayed a little as she sat up, and found herself pushed back down. Puzzlingly, Torovan brought the pillow from his bedroll over and slipped it beneath the one of her own. "I don't understand."

"That you were an omega. Did you think you were clever, hiding it?"

"Clever--what--no! I wasn't lying when I said I'd never presented. I've never shown any signs of any of..."

She actually felt insulted. Another thing to puzzle over was the anger in that eye of his she could see. He was furious with her, and the thought had never really bothered her before. ...so why did it now?

Unless...

"Oh, no..." Again she sat up, and as Torovan was on the point of getting up she reached for him. "I'm sorry, I didn't--I really didn't know."

Her hand caught the sleeve of his robe but he yanked it quickly away.

Sadrith felt a stab of pain in her chest and hated it instantly. It felt like the sort she got when panic came on her suddenly, and what she supposed must be the oft-talked-about bond would've told her what she needed to know if she'd been too dim to figure it out from his reaction.

He doesn't want this.

She barely knew him but that feeling was inexpressibly painful, and she resented it just for existing. Great - just what she needed, more thoughts and feelings she couldn't control! She didn't want it either - or at least thought she didn't. There was a craving for his company she couldn't simply shove off.

The sight of Torovan's slowly retreating back had a cold feeling creeping up once the pain receded.

Sadrith turned away, and curled up to the pillows. The scent of him was on it at least, and that seemed to calm the sudden drop in her mood a bit - but not by all that much.

Your mate does not want you.

She tossed and turned a bit. Of course. Of COURSE, with all the shit that had been flung at her since coming to Skyrim, of course there'd be added an accidental claiming from someone who didn't want her anyway.

The thoughts of him as a mate were just her mind playing tricks on her like it did with everything else. This was just from the bite. It was nothing. Fated mates didn't just happen anymore.

Your mate does not want you.

Everything would be FINE. She'd just have to get him down to Riften and back to Winterhold and then--

Sleep was slow to come, but it did finally come to send her into a dreamless oblivion.

When they woke they did their best to ignore one another. He barely looked at her, didn't speak to her, and once they were ready for the day headed for the barrow's door without a word.

As she walked Sadrith hunted through her bags for a scarf, and placed it carefully around her neck.

If he was going to reject her, she was going to hide that the bite had ever happened.

As she (surreptitiously) took her morning dose of skooma she reiterated it.

Everything would be FINE.

[jikookiekosmos]

The Angel on Your Shoulder and the Devil in Your Corner || jjk (Part 5)

➥Pairing: angel!jungkook/reader, demon!jungkook/reader

➥Rating: nc17

➥Content Warnings: some cursing, mentions of pain

➥Words: ~1.2k

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Jungkook had barely any time to wonder about what Jin might be scheming before the demon in question called his phone. He answered it swiftly, Jin cutting to the chase and skipping all the formalities.

"Where are you right now?"

Jungkook blinked. "At my place. Why?"

"I'm coming over, we have some things to discuss."

"What things-"

The word hardly finished falling from his mouth before he heard a knock at his door. He opened it without checking who was on the other side, and Jin strolled in without so much as a glance at Jungkook. He sat in his preferred seat as Jungkook was closing the door.

"Make yourself at home," Jungkook mumbled before joining Jin in the lounge area. He leaned against one of the walls facing Jin as he crossed his arms.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this - very unexpected - visit?"

"My dear, sweet Jungkookie," Jin spoke, voice as smooth as satin, "what would you say if I told you I may have a solution to your problem?"

Jungkook’s eyebrows knitted in confusion.

"Mhm. I think I may know the person you saved earlier."

Jungkook's breath hitched.

"You...you do?"

Jin leaned back and laced his hands together behind his head, acting way too casual for Jungkook's liking.

Something was up-

"In fact, I'm almost positive I know them, and very well at that." He used one of his hands to retrieve his phone from his pocket. "Would you like to see a picture?"

Jungkook cautiously walked over to stand behind where Jin was sitting, only wondering for a second if this was maybe some sick prank he decided to play on Jungkook's poor soul.

Jin was a good friend, but he was also a demon. Things like that weren't necessarily out of the realm of possibility.

But when Jin's screen lit up, Jungkook stopped breathing altogether.

A picture of you with a dazzling smile was staring him square in the face, and he felt that same pull from before, albeit much more muted.

"Is this them," Jin nudged the phone into Jungkook's hands so he could get a better look.

"Y-yeah," Jungkook managed to stammer out. "How did you-"

"Would you believe me if I told you I'm one of their best friends and favorite supernatural being on the planet?"

Jungkook regarded him with suspicion.

"Ok, so I'm the only supernatural being they know currently - but I am one of their closest friends, that much is true."

Jungkook didn't know what to say. He truly had no idea how to respond to that.

You, the person he had convinced himself would be gone forever after your encounter today, the closest thing he'd ever had to a 'calling' that he'd resigned himself to believing had slipped through his fingers-

-you were so much closer than he could've ever imagined. If Jin was being sincere, that is.

"Prove it," Jungkook just got the last word out before he saw Jin scrolling through a picture album. Within seconds he pulled up a selfie of himself with you seated in front of him. His arm was wrapped around you, resting just above your collarbone as you held onto it with your hands. You were smiling just as brightly as you'd been in the first picture.

Well, the two of you certainly looked close.

"Still need more proof?"

Jungkook nodded apprehensively, only because this had potential to become a big deal.

To his surprise, Jin fixed him with a devilish grin. "I figured you'd say that. Well, c'mon then."

He sauntered over to the door, leaving Jungkook no choice but to follow.

"Where are we going?"

Jin's grin widened, making Jungkook feel slightly unsettled but very intrigued.

"I'm going to give you undeniable proof."

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"I really don't see why we couldn't just teleport," Kook groaned in frustration, kicking a stray pebble on the sidewalk as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "It's so much easier and faster than this."

Namjoon rolled his eyes. "Do you have any idea where we're supposed to be going?"

Kook pouted. "Well - no. But if you let me just-"

"No, I will not allow you to posses your brother to find out where he's at. You can do the normal thing, like, I don't know, call him?"

"Yeah but that's no fun. Plus, don't you think it's kinda like mocking humans if we have this supernatural ability but choose not to use it? I mean, I'm sure I would be offended." Kook gave Namjoon a hopeful stare, but Joon wasn't having it.

"You're just used to having instant gratification. Slow done once in a while and enjoy the simpler things in life, it'll do you some good."

Another huff from Kook. "But I don't want good, I want exhilarating. Geez, you angels and your constant desire to do the right thing all the time. Shit sounds exhausting."

Namjoon quirked an eyebrow. "You sure you're not just fussy right now because you don't feel well?"

Kook scoffed. "No." He wrapped an arm around his midsection and Joon's expression softened.

"Kook-"

"Ok, fine, maybe a little bit. I wanna get this over with quickly so I can resume my pain-free life of demonic deeds," Kook grumbled.

"Has the pain subsided at all?"

Kook shook his head, blonde tresses falling into his eyes as his frown deepened. "Not really. Probably because we have no idea where the fuck we're supposed to be heading."

"Should we go the other way instead?"

"Nah, let's keep walking. Something will happen eventually," Kook sighed. After a few more minutes of walking in silence, Joon suddenly sprinted forward, leaving Kook behind.

"Hey, wait up," he called after his friend, jogging to catch up while he tried to ignore more sharp jabs of pain that followed each jarring step.

Joon stopped in front of a plant shop, one that looked relatively new, as if it hadn't been open very long. The way his eyes lit up never failed to bring a smile to Kook's face.

"I take it you didn't know this was here?"

Joon shook his head slowly, eyes not leaving the plants on display in the window. The plant shop he used to frequent had closed down weeks ago, so he had been supporting his plant collecting habit by shopping in places out of town.

Kook had an idea then, one that he felt would benefit the both of them. Mostly him, but Joon would get something out of it, too.

"Joonie," he cooed, pulling the angel's attention away from the window for a moment, "you can go look inside if you want."

Joon ducked his head shyly. "But...what about you?"

Kook gave his most reassuring smile. "I'll be fine. I can call you if I need you, yeah? I know you want to look around, and I don't want to hold you up."

Joon gazed back at the shop almost reluctantly before agreeing. "A-alright. But you call me if anything goes awry, understand?"

"You got it, Joonie."

Kook turned to walk the opposite direction, already plotting his next move as Joon called after him with a warning. "Don't do anything reckless!"

Kook acknowledged him with a wave over his shoulder, walking at a normal pace until he rounded the corner. Once he was out of sight, his smile slipped into one full of devious intent.

"Alright baby bro, I hope you're up for company."

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Part 5: Prove It

You never anticipated on having anything other than a friendly relationship with beings of the supernatural type…until one day an angel saves your life, and then a demon shows up on your doorstep. And when twin entities start vying for your affection, you’re not quite sure how to handle it. One thing is for certain, though: there’s never a dull moment in your life anymore.

A/N: I promise the ‘calling stuff’ will be explained super soon! Like next update most likely, because we have some exciting stuff coming up 👀

Currently there isn’t any kind of update schedule but I’d like to do updates whenever possible; I do work full time and attend grad school so finding time to write can be a little hard. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy it; and if you’d like to be added to the taglist, please let me know~

taglist: @dntaewithluv @inlovewiththemoonn @girlontheblock @mwitsmejk @jkslachimolala

➥Part 6 (coming soon!)

➥Series Masterlist

➥All Works Masterlist​

[doyelikehaggis]

Twelve Days of Rarepairs: Scydia/McMartin | Scott McCall x Lydia Martin (Teen Wolf)

Requested by @wonderdoves & anonymous

"This place is…"

Scott can't even think of a word. He just gazes ahead of them in wonder and awe. For miles, all he can see is snow. A thick white blanket of it covering the entire path ahead, the roads, the cobblestoned buildings, the trees—god, even the trees feel like something out of a fairytale, with long, twisting branches that have a dusting of snow themselves. And it's still going, trying to make them part of the scenery, too.

"You'd think you'd never seen snow before," Lydia teases. 

"I haven't—not like this! California's snow is nothing compared to this." 

Lydia just smiles, a certain fondness in her eyes. She squints up at the sky, her nose wrinkling slightly, their suitcases dragging along through the snow behind them as they continue their way from the ferry port. Something else that Scott is admittedly still in amazement over; he'd never actually been on a ferry before. 

It's just a good thing that the snow stopped long enough for them to actually reach Ireland, or else they'd have still been holed up in their cabin, stuck somewhere in the middle of the sea. Not the worst scenario he can think of, to be fair. But he's glad, nonetheless, because this is so much better. 

"I don't know," Lydia says. "I think I prefer the warm winters. I'm just hoping that Gran and Nana make their hot chocolate like they used to when I was younger, I'm telling you, it's the best thing ever."

Scott smiles, finally looking at Lydia as they come to a stop outside a two-storey, cobbled house with a gate around the garden. Her cheeks are flushed from the cold, her nose a pale pink. Snowflakes have clung to her green hat, along the shoulders of her matching green coat, and to her eyelashes. There's a gleam of pure excitement and joy beneath them as she stares at the house. 

When she takes a deep breath, it returns like a puff of smoke. Scott gently squeezes her hand and holds it up in his own, bringing her gloved knuckles to his lips.

"You look nervous," he tells her softly. 

"A little," Lydia says, nodding. "Only because I haven't been here since I was… nine? And there's so much to tell them. I mean, I know my mom filled them in on pretty much everything, but still."

Scott nods as well, saying, "I know. It's a lot. But it'll be okay."

"Yeah, of course," Lydia agrees. Her smile seems a little more confident as she gives another nod.

They walk through the gate, into the garden that Scott's now seeing is teeming with things; empty plant pots, kids toys, an overturned bicycle. Even the stones of the house are more interesting than he had initially realized, with bright murals painted across the whole front of the house. 

As soon as they enter the house, the door closing behind them, they're hit with unexplainable warmth. And the shouting and giggling of kids that whiz past them, nearly knocking them off their feet. 

"I forgot how loud it gets here," Lydia says, but she's laughing. Scott can see it in her eyes as she looks around the entrance hall, beautifully decorated with lengths of tinsel, and handcrafted baubles hanging from the ceiling. 

Framed pictures line the walls up the stairs as far as he can. The closest one, hanging by the bottom of the stairs, has a familiar little girl, giving her biggest smile to the camera beside a young woman with a striking resemblance. 

"Is this you?" Scott asks, his smile wide. 

Lydia looks at the photo. "Oh god, yeah. I think that was when I was, like… six? I came up here every Christmas and New Year before my parents divorced. That's my gran."

"You look like her," Scott tells her, and he can hear the joyful skip of heart, hear it in her proud little hum of agreement. 

"Well, maybe without some of the grey hair," a voice says from behind them. 

They both turn around, and Lydia's face lights up. She's already squealing and dropping her suitcase and Scott's hand. 

"Gran!" Lydia practically flies at her, hugging her tightly. 

Her gran laughs, caught by surprise but only for a second, wrapping her up in her arms. "I've missed you too, Ariel!" 

"Haven't heard that name in a while," someone else says, with a distinctively more Irish accent, but still holding the same fond, overjoyed tone.

Scott looks at the woman who appears at their side from the room behind Lydia and her gran. He recognizes her instantly from all the photos. 

Maddy places a hand on Lorraine's shoulder as she and Lydia pull apart. Lydia looks on the verge of tears as she buries herself into Maddy's open embrace as well for a second, both laughing now. 

"And you…" Lorraine looks over Scott with a smile and a gleam in her eyes. A certain kind of knowing. "... You're Scott McCall."

Scott returns her smile and nods. "I am. I've heard a lot about you, Mrs. Martin."

"Yeah, I know a thing or two about you as well," Lorraine tells him, and he knows. 

He knows she isn't just talking about him and Lydia being together, but about everything. The deadpool. She knew who he was and what he was going to be before he even hit ten. 

For a moment, his worries from the ferry come back. Not all supernatural creatures are a fan of each other, and with the destruction that werewolves have a history of causing, banshees can't be that fond of them. And especially with everything that's happened to Lydia. 

But then her smile grows and she says, "I'm glad to finally meet you! And, please, call me Lorraine. This is my wife, Maddy."

"So, this is the little wolf that got your heart, huh?" Maddy jokes to Lydia, an arm around her shoulders. 

Lydia looks at Scott. She bites her bottom lip through her smile, and her eyes are saying everything. 

She nods and softly says, "Yeah. He is."

"Then you're more than welcome here," Lorraine says.

Relief starts to lift the weight off of Scott's shoulders and chest. The warm, welcoming atmosphere is hard to resist, and he's already feeling at home. 

-

Lydia was right. The hot chocolate is one of the best things he's ever had. Creamy and overflowing with marshmallows with a candy cane to stir it around. Not to mention the plate of cookies. He has never had a gingerbread man that tastes this good.

It's already dark outside, the sun having set an hour or two after they arrived. They already changed into warmer, more comfortable clothes, and settled in front of the fireplace in the living room to get rid of the chill from the snow. Lorraine and Maddy insisted. Didn't want them getting sick, and ignoring their protests about not being able to actually get sick.

"Your cousins don't look like they're having a good time," Scott comments quietly, watching the half-asleep couple sitting in the corner. 

"They have five kids, all under the age of ten," Lydia replies. "I think the only thing they can feel right now is exhausted."

Scott snorts. He looks around the room. He's met nearly everyone on this side of the family by now. Every cousin, second cousin, aunts, uncles. The kids that Lorraine and Maddy took in have been especially eager to meet him. 

His attention is drawn back to the little boy sitting cross-legged in front of him. He's only nine.

Scott wasn't expecting it when Lorraine and Maddy told him that around ten years ago, another banshee had found them. She was only nineteen and had no one and no idea what was going on with her. They took her in, Lorraine helped her. And from then, it's like their home was its own supernatural beacon, but for kids who had nowhere else to go. 

Sean, the little boy currently sneaking another gingerbread man from the plate, is a werewolf. His family, his pack, were hunted down when he was four. Lorraine felt it coming. She and Maddy found Sean. 

There's a little yelp and Sean clutches his hand. Scott catches a glimpse of tiny claws where nails should be. 

"Can I…?" he asks, holding out a hand. 

Sean hesitates, but he glances at Lydia, who smiles and nods encouragingly, then back at Scott. He slowly gives him his hand, palm up. 

"I don't know how to control it…" Sean mutters, looking down sheepishly. 

Scott inspects where the small trickle of blood is coming from. Three little lines where his claws accidentally caught his skin in passing. 

Shaking his head, Scott speaks gently, and draws on the pain in Sean's hand. "It's okay. You're still learning."

"Yeah, it's actually harder for born wolves," Lydia chimes in, nodding convincingly when Sean lifts his eyes to her with curiosity. "You'd think it was the other way around, but one of our friends—he was born a werewolf."

"And he didn't learn until he was sixteen," Scott tells him. "It just takes time."

"And knowing what keeps you grounded," Lydia adds. "Your anchor."

Sean looks at Scott. "Do you have an anchor?"

Scott nods. "I do. I had to learn to let me be my own anchor, but when that doesn't work for me, I focus on all the people I love. My mom, my best friend, my pack." 

He glances at Lydia only to find her already gazing at him with the softest smile, her cheek leaning against her shoulder. She places a kiss to his shoulder, her hand resting on her arm for a second.

"You just need to find something that makes you feel more in control," Scott finishes, turning back to Sean. "Even if it's an emotion."

Sean nods slowly. His expression is one of deep thought, trying to work to figure out what his own anchor could be. 

"Now, you should go clean this up," Scott says. "Just run it under warm water with some soap, okay? It might sting a little, but just ask Lorraine or Maddy if they have any antibiotic cream, and then put a bandage on it."

"Are you a doctor?" Sean asks.

"No," Scott can't help but grin as he says, "I'm just a vet."

That answer only seems to confuse Sean. But he gets up and hurries off to go do what Scott instructed. 

When Scott turns back, Lydia's still watching him. She has this look on her face, a thoughtful glaze in her eyes and a certain kind of smile that he can't read. 

Chuckling, Scott asks, "What is it?"

She lets a beat pass. She shakes her head, takes a slow breath in, then looks over at the window instead.

"It's still snowing. Do you wanna sit in the garden? There's a nice bench out back."

Scott's eyebrows furrow a little, but he stands with her, following her to the back door from the kitchen. Stepping outside is like what he'd imagine stepping into a walk-in freezer would feel like. 

But the cold biting at his skin is unimportant. The awe hits him all over again as he takes in the sight of the garden, feeling like he just stepped into a fairytale instead. Everywhere he looks, everything is white and sparkling. From the entire ground, to the gazebo at the end of the garden. 

Somehow, in amidst it all, there are flowers. Whole roses and everything, snow dusting across their dark red petals. 

"This is…" Scott breathes out, his eyes wide, "... I don't even know what this is. This place doesn't feel real."

Lydia laughs gently. She wraps her arms around her and nods, looking around as the snow falls around them. 

"Yeah, it does feel kind of… magical."

"We could actually make a snowman," Scott continues. "Or have a real snowball fight. Are snow angels things that people actually do?"

Lydia's eyebrows are raised when he looks back at her, and she's shaking her head. But she's got a smile that stretches to the corners of her eyes and he can feel emotions radiating off of her.

"You are so dorky." She moves closer, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck. "And I love you."

Scott smiles. His voice is soft and giving away all of the fondness he feels for her when he says, "And I love you."

She leans in, her head tilting. Her lips are soft against his. He pulls her a little closer, his arms wrapping around her waist. The cold and even the snow is easier to ignore.

Lydia pulls back, her hands lingering on his shoulders. Scott doesn't let go at all. 

"I'm really glad you're here with me," Lydia tells him. "And my whole family now loves you, so that's a nice bonus. I think you even made a friend."

Scott grins, shrugging. "Your family is great, and I am… beyond relieved that they like me. And, I think with Sean, it's a werewolf thing."

"Oh, no." Lydia shakes her head firmly. "Maybe that's a small part of it, the whole Alpha thing and all, but all of the kids in there love you."

They pull apart. Lydia sits down on the bench. Scott follows, and can't help but start piling the snow from the arm of the bench into a ball in his hand. 

"You were amazing with Sean," Lydia comments, glancing at him. She's doing the same thing with the snow on her side. 

Scott shrugs again. "I just told him the same as I told Liam. And Alec. It's how I wish I could have been introduced to all of this. With someone reassuring me that it would be okay."

Lydia nods in a shared understanding. Neither of their starts in the supernatural word were exactly pleasant or comforting. Scott's only sorry that Lydia was brought into it the way she was. 

She rests a hand on top of his, curling her fingers beneath his palm. She squeezes gently. 

He knows that she can tell what he's thinking. Sometimes he worries that banshees have the ability to read minds as well. But the look she gives him and her hand there with his draws his thoughts away from the past. Everything is okay. It's better than okay. 

"It's amazing what your gran and nana have done, though," Scott says. "Taking in supernatural kids who have nowhere else to go."

"Yeah, it's like a little foster home, but… for werewolves, banshees, and everything else," Lydia jokes, but her smile is sincere. "It's a really good thing they're doing. The kids are so happy here."

"I can see why," Scott says, gazing back out across the garden. The snow has the sky practically glowing, in no way looking like it's dark enough to be night. 

There's a slight pressure against his hand from Lydia's fingers, moving slowly. 

"Do you… do you think that's something you'd ever want to do?" Lydia asks, careful with her words.

Scott looks back at her. She's watching him again, with curious eyes. His heart drops many beats.

"Wait, are you—?" he starts to ask, but Lydia's eyes widen and she quickly shakes her head.

"No!" she hastens to answer. "No, I'm not! I just meant… you know, in general, is it—is it something that you can see for the future? Not necessarily the foster home part, but… you know."

She chews her bottom lip. Scott takes it in, letting the question process. After a moment, a smile curves the corners of his mouth up.

"Imagine, the first werewolf-banshee hybrid," he says.

"That can't have been done before," Lydia agrees, a laugh to her voice. "I wonder if one side would skip them, or if we'd be creating a whole new species."

Scott actually does laugh now, and Lydia joins him. His stomach is buzzing with butterflies or bees, he can't tell. 

When they both go quiet, Scott slowly nods. He lifts his eyes to meet Lydia's.

"I like the sound of that," he says softly. "Whether it be a werewolf-banshee hybrid, or even an orphaned werewolf with nobody else… yeah. It's something I see for the future."

Lydia takes in a deep breath. She presses her lips together as her smile threatens to take over her entire face. She just nods, and breathes out slowly.

"Good to know," she says. "I do too, for the record."

"Okay, that's great," Scott says, grinning from ear to ear. 

Lydia hums in agreement. Then the ball of snow that she'd been forming hits him square in the chest. 

It's safe to say that it is freezing. The snow instantly seeps through his Christmas jumper, melting into his skin. He gasps while Lydia laughs behind her hands, hee eyes wide.

"You said you wanted a snowball fight…" she reminds him. 

Scott nods. "You're absolutely right. I did."

The ball of snow in his own hand hits Lydia. She gasps, snow sticking to her jumper as well now. 

"Oh my god, so cold!" she exclaims. "Why is that so cold?!" 

"Because it's real snow," Scott says, his excitement quickly returning. 

Lydia looks at him, her eyes narrowing. A familiar, competitive smirk forms on both their faces. 

"Game on," she says. 

Next second, they're trying to dodge out of the other's way, snowballs flying across the garden. There are gasps and shouts and laughter when they successfully land a shot. 

Maybe it's a little unfair that Scott taps into his heightened abilities to move faster. But the advantage doesn't stop Lydia from managing to sneak up on him and tackle him into the snow. It's so deep that they sink a few inches into it, laughing until their sides and faces ache, and neither of them actually win, both claiming they did. But they end up just lying there in the freezing snow, curled into each other, staring up at the night sky. 

[migurie]

chapter # 6 ; [ second calls , word falls . ]

yamabuki stared at his phone . he was waiting for a reply . from you . which he wasn't aware was busy fighting in a nightmare . he just kept scrolling up the ledge and watching the selection of conversation reload minute after minute after minute .

"Oi ??? Are you even listening to me ???"

"I'm not ." he moves back all the papers he had of sketches and dribbled lines he could use sometimes when he's not feeling as inspired as he'd like . "Bro , rude—"

"Right , rude ." he didn't have the energy to argue with amane who was busy ranting about how he found yashiro write another love letter for some average guy at their school again . nothing new so yamabuki didn't have the will to actually lend his ears . they have just so parted a few hours ago too .

"Wha , you sound busy , you doing something ?"

yamabuki shrugs . "Just waiting ." amane replied . "For what ?"

"A shooting star in a form of a reply ."

there was silence . until amane broke it , despite being the one that kept it up . "From L/n-san right ? She sure's been more noticeable ever since that certain pair activity ."

it wouldn't be weird for him to have known without him specifying . aside that for a sec , yamabuki just hums .

"She must be sleeping already ."

he dug his head more in the sanctuary between his folded arms over his desk . "I should sleep too ."

amane knew it was only 9 and the guy sleeps mostly at 10:30 . "You know , Tsukasa actually found L/n really interesting back then too . You have her line right ? Can I give it to Tsu ?"

"I don't have it ."

"Liar ."

"Stop getting me all worked up ,"

"Oh , you're getting worked up ? Man , that sounds so—"

"Bye ."

amane's chuckle soared through the connection before it was cut off . messages flooding soon after a few minutes .

i wasn't done talking ??????

or something along those lines .

he ignored it , closing his eyes and readying for sleep . you didn't seem like the type to actually sleep early intentionally unless you were really , and by really he means really tired . like , basically skipped your routine of a shower and a meal for the end of the day . as far as he knows though , you seemed more aloof this day more than any other , in any case , he's seen you do things with utmost method of taking your time .

and it can't be that you're ignoring him either as he knew just from your words you've said throughout your newly created friendship , that you're the kind that would never do anything you wouldn't want to be done back to you .

he release a sigh before plopping on his bed , sinking in the mattress and on the way there he had already blinded the bulb of it's light . he'll just sleep and hope that he'd forget the settling inferno ready to be coaxed in his chest .

you choke on another sob as you felt your innards moving about , be it how you skipped breakfast , lunch and dinner and suddenly went for the biggest meal and your body begging your self control to do something or just the nervousness that stopped stalling and started swelling big enough to have your guts feeling in shambles , you had no idea which .

it's past 4 am , you woke up freezing from the chill in your room and started to search for a blanket only to not find it and get so frustrated that you agitated your whole system awake .

you stare at the toilet bowl you've been leaning in , empty and clean , only stained with your tears . sure you've been feeling like releasing all you've eaten to relieve the sudden heaviness of your body but nothing really came out . it only ever felt like it'll come out of your throat any moment and you've gotten so familiar with the burn and disturbing taste of mixed whatnot in your hollow that you felt numb . numb and pissed off . as what you've been trying to unload remain in you .

tired of the foreplay you were so near to getting your fingers at that one part of your throat to relieve yourself at most but the yawning from the outside stiffed you cold . you were glad the door was closed . you were glad your mom on the other side of the door took little to no care to even bother wondering why the plates half-filled with dishes earlier have been left barely with anything . you were glad she didn't pay any mind to the rough way you spoke your next words in accordance to her rhythmic knocks . it felt so painful having to drag your tounge and force a voice out of yourself .

you wipe your tears . unknowingly leaving you in such huge amounts since earlier , coating your face again and again , drying after each session as you didn't bother wiping .

you walk out the room and your mom wasn't there anymore . you cleaned up after the mess of plates , cutlery all over the table and drank plenty glasses of water . going up was your stare at the clock you've once stared at for hours as you waited one certain position of it's hands as it announced the coming home of your brother .

now any position those hands in that clock would regard your parents as the time for your brother's visit , just had you sick to your stomach .

with all due pent up frustration you didn't know why you were being like this . didn't have any idea why after so long of being ignored and deluding yourself that you're used to it had now got you in a chokehold of your own subconscious screaming how you aren't and will never be at any point in your life .

it must've felt like such a present from hell . this year was particularly worse than the others . as you always thought that once you're older bigger not just some child anymore , your parents would see you more .

but you're older now . yet nothing's changed at the very least .

you grew so tired of crying from guilt that now you just feel like puking it out along with whatever you can out it with . why are you being so mean and rude to your brother that just wanted to live his dream ? didn't you once say that as long as he's happy so are you ? then why are you rutting your insides begging your heart to feel the same as you wish you do ?

what made it so hard for you to just admit that you wanted to hang out with him again ? why are you just gagging on words you want to say but never can ?

you're so pitiful .

you're aging a year again .

and that sort of age isn't just evident on what your body may show others . your mind travels speed , faster than how it did last year again . a part of your pure innocence is leaving you again . ah , you're so distorted to being something you so despise .

you walk to your room . shuffling to fix your bed . and opening your favorite dimmed lamp and staring at it for so long your vision went the same as what it emitted , faded gray .

before you knew it , what was black of the sky had gone to turn blue . the moon had left and the sun had risen . light was foreboding your room again . inching you awake from your unexpected slumber .

you've fallen asleep .

you felt like crying again . it's all useless . the tears , the feeling , the denial . all are as useless as they are conflicting . you knew this was about to happen , it's expected . yet you can't ever look at it straight with a lifted head . always drooped with the weight of lead-like tears . you were tired .

what can you do . it's not something you can avoid by idling around your bed , sobbing and pitying yourself . if anything , all you'll get is continuous knocks , both with rhythms hesitant and persistent . you'll get scolded again , your brother will defend you mindlessly and you're up crying and wilting until he leaves and you're back to brainwashing and deluding yourself to forget it .

you clasped your eyes shut . it's morning . maybe you could go for a morning walk , or act like you have somewhere to go . just one day , you'll be okay , if you somehow find a way to get away . and continue doing it for one more day , you'll be just fine . you have enough excuses to back you during school days . all there is to worry about is this two school-off rolls of 24 hours .

you turned your blanket away . swatting an arm and rubbing a palm against the strands of your hair . your hair felt sticky , sticky and cold . your arms felt numb , your body ran stiff . maybe you really should walk around town today . you've heard your brother will be over by the mid of day , you can settle safe until the start of that .

you glimpse across wherever you can , your room subtly reeking a vibe you weren't wishing it did . first thing your eyes froze on was your phone beside it's cable on the very side of your bedside cabinet , just a thump and it'll fall down your room's marbled floor . you heaved a breath , wondering why you didn't fix everything and left it all in shambles .

you'd cry if your phone broke it's screen or declined in terms of functioning . not because you had things there you'd die without but because there's no way you can ever go in front of your parents and ask for another unless you somehow manage a job over the semester break and not need their support you only feel during times like those .

you shake your head , swaying your hair on the process and pelting the thought away as well . you stood on your feet , struggling as you felt weak to your knees and felt the cold wind that filled your room from the seep gap that resulted to you realizing how your window was left unclosed all night long . you shiver at the mere notion and swung it open . it's mid dawn now so it's bright and safe enough to let said huge window open for anything . anything being the warm air that can disrupt the cold and the bright lights that could lull you up . since cold air has been ventilating thru out the night , you have to wait until it's out the premises , with that said you grab your blanket and sworl it around your body . nuzzling close as you almost saw fog fan from your breath as you sigh in relief .

you grabbed your phone and stepped on the little space you had beside said window , holding a small pillow to your chest as you ready yourself to step out your house . you found comfort leaning your back to the surface behind and folding your legs to your body . watching a few early-ups already out and walking their dogs or elders straddling with hands folded behind their backs .

you were expecting a few joggers , but you can't say the same for the sudden outburst of five vibrations your phone did . jiggling up your comfort and bringing lines across your sight before it faded leaving a light headache in its trance .

you didn't release any sound , mostly because you were too busy trying to minus the ache in your head and partly because it the vibrations meant notifications . you weren't saying you were expecting anything , but you were .

clutching at the screen , you scrolled up and got it open , typing up the pass and looking at the screen intently . ignoring the stinging and banging of the ache in your eyes . it was three messages from your brother , and there were two more but you past that with a swift clicking of your inbox to see your brother's message .

Nii-chan

Good Morning Y/n! How's your day yesterday? I'm sorry

I couldn't phone, I had to accompany friends to their

hangout sesh since they were rumbling about how I

couldn't be with them for a week since, I am going home.

To celebrate your birthday!

I have a gift ready for you! I sure do hope it beats Mom's

and Dad's this year, though that's so hard. It's a secret for

now! I'll be back around time for our usual movie-bonding!

Please be home by then! I'll make sure to prepare your

favorite snacks! We can catch up while we're at it too!

Do you want anything for your birthday? And don't get the

idea that I haven't got you anything! I have it prepared!

But I want to buy you another just in case! A souvenir here

from Tokyo, per say. Do you have anything in particular

that you'd like? If not, I'll just buy you everything! Ahahaha.

you stared , stinging in your heart as you read . it felt very much more painful than usual to read his long yet quite actually short messages . and you were somewhat shocked , seeing him actually ask you a question and actually sounding like he wanted an answer out of you . you've always gotten questions like how are you ? are you doing alright ? but you never got one that actually got you feeling like you needed to answer . not to say that those questions you've used as examples weren't questions you actually needed to answer , you knew that he asks your parents that . just , him asking what you want and presenting that he'd buy everything just for you to say that you actually want something , even if said as a joke , it's one of the things he rarely does .

you didn't dare type an answer , but you had one in mind . you rest your back against the wall again and just heaved another breath . you were staring outside again , the window ledge reached just below your chest , you were sure with one slip of a hand then your phone's down two stories and probably dead , assuming it doesn't land on the bush just below and beside the window under yours . two people walks by , hand in hand . holding a dog leash and all that .

you were silently asking them to hold the leash tighter like they did with each other's hands . just then you remembered . you also have left , two unread messages . you thought it was from your parents but that's unlikely since they were home .

so you left your reverie to jumble through your messages . it turned out to be a message from a person you least expect a message from . well , not , least , just , you weren't really expecting one from him anytime soon . you read the first part of the second messages context and wanted to read more so you clicked to your chatbox .

Yamabuki-san

you missed a call from yamabuki-san.

ah, sorry, wrong click.

you were left to stare again. wrong click he says. it's just like the last time , though this time , you weren't able to answer . before you knew it , you've clicked the button he must've clicked that brought you here , looking at it mindlessly . tweaking at it's existence , and now , unbeknownst to yourself , you were doing the same thing he had just done . well , a lot earlier than you .

the ringing is what got spots at your vision and you were down with jaw slacked for a gasp to be of known . you were shookt . what have you done . it continued on ringing .

ringing for so long , your eyes settled for another session of a stare . who were you kidding , you were gawking at the screen . what kind of emotion were you feeling . you kind of wanted him to answer , you would be dismayed if he didn't . but it's still early . almost just past 5 going to 6 . why would he up at this time , it's saturday too . you were so near to cracking the device between your clammy hands , before you loosed a locked breath with your hold .

the ringing stopped . it stopped . you felt your heart fall and your face's palette change from whatrver shades to however paler . did he answer or did he not , your eyes were fuzzy so you had to have second for a bit before it looked right and you were given indication / answer to your own question .

he answered . there were scurrying and sounds of cloth rubbing unto each other , a few groans and gulps heard before you heard his voice , groggy and set to smacking you with the fact that you woke him up with your accidental call . "Hello ? " he asked , voice stiff with a rough cough . you were too preoccupied to answer and he started adding up to what he has to say .

". . . Ma ? If it's you , no , the kids don't have school . . . It's a Saturday . I don't have any as well as I said , it's a Saturday . If you're at the front door and forgot where the extra keys are if you've lost your spare again , it's under the pot on the left side of our doorstep . I can sleep for a bit more . . . it's just . . . ???? barely six . . . ."

he seemed to have dozed off . you were stunned that he spoke with such assurance that it can be his mom , even if he added an if it still didn't change the fact that he had a whole prepared automated message if ever it is his mom . he must really be a busy man and you felt bad for laughing a bit as you hear his light snoring .

"Did you run out of booze and went for helium ? Your voice sounds different . . ."

he speaks again , and you decided you should start speaking back too . "Uhm , Yamabuki-san , it's me , Y/n ."

you were glad it came out well . it's one of the very first words you've spoken this day . excluding your pathetic shoo-ing of your mother earlier . you swore you heard another set of scampering and comes after that had you glad your phone was in front of your face and not beside your precious ears .

"What ?! Are you for real ?! What the heck, I'm so sorry L/n-san did I call you accidentally again ?!"

he sounded so frantic . voice cracking every high note , you laughed lightly once more . "No no no , it was me this time , I'm sorry , I wasn't expecting you to pick up ."

he probably sat up a bit and fell back down the bed , be it by his stomach or his back , you had no idea but that's how you perceived the next sounds that erupted thru the call meant . he sighs . relieved . "Nah , nah , it's all right . Did you need someone to talk to ?"

did you ? you look down the window . no one was passing by anymore . your hum being heard as he somewhat moved again . "I'll lend you both ears , c'mon , you can talk ."

somehow , it felt like , his usual nonchalance was basked with concern . and for some reason , you didn't hate that . you still felt bad for waking him and all , but you just readied yourself to speak . get it all over with and get him back to sleep .

"Uh , how do I say this ."

you slip a hooked finger to the brim of your nose's bottom , relishing in its freezing state to still your scrambling thoughts . "Is it wrong to not answer—reply to messages ?"

the question itself sounded dumb and you didn't know why you asked that first and foremost and only realized the fault after a few minutes later . heat prodded up from wherever's left in your body up to your cheeks . you were so ready to take back what you asked as the silence itself felt unbearable .

but he cuts that thought off with a mere chuckle . "Isn't that common knowledge ? It's normal to feel the need to reply to messages but it's also normal to not want to . Depends on who the message is from and what's your circumstances with them ."

you could almost see him shrugging with his arms slightly raised and swaying with hands laid out to sides as if to propose his concept more but from how sleepy he sounded all said vision was washed with a view of him just clumped with thick black sheets and hugging rainy-cloudy grays of pillows .

you nod with what he says , and spoke next , you actually wanted justification , more useful now if got from a person unaware of the full context . "It's normal even if I haven't replied to any of their messages for almost two years now ?"

he hummed for a bit . sounding surprised and not , he may have expected the worst , or just too dazed to think straight . "Do you hate that person ?"

you shake your head right away . "No , not at all ."

"Oh ? Really ? I was thinking that said person is some passionate stalker that's yet to cross any boundaries other than sending continuous messages ."

he laughs . "Well , I guess if that was the case you should contact the police instead ." he lets out a shaggy breath ,

you just kept silent and he spoke next . "Then , is that person important to you ?"

what should you say . of course he is . if he wasn't then what's with all these pent up guilt . "Yeah , very important ."

"With how they've been messaging you constantly for 2 years despite your lack of replies , then they probably regard you important as well ."

it sounded like a normal discussion . you've never had a long conversation with yamabuki before . long serious conversation . you've had hours of talking session once , during your first call . he continued , seeking approval from your silence .

"Are you worried that you gave no reply for almost 2 years ? You feeling guilty ?" he sounded rather consoling . he's not even asking what's making you feel that way . just subtly opening on what's your current heavy feelings to try and lighten you up .

unlike what you've read in novels . you couldn't bring yourself to tell or unravel your story not even swaying with the spur of the moment . if anything it just drove you to a heaving wreck . but you went on , even if just a bit , what he says , you know they can lead to a light somewhere , somehow .

you smile , empty and teeth grit . "Yeah , so guilty ." there was bitter slashes that spewed from your mouth as you spoke every syllable of that three word reply . he must've felt a ghostly sense of it as he says next . "I see ."

you thought this signals the end . but he continued on . "Why don't you try replying then ? If you've never sent a reply for 2 years time , then they must've missed you , hearing how they constantly mail you with you just ignoring them , it sounds like they're desperate enough to receive even a 'like' or a sticker from you ."

he was speaking rear truth and you watched your curtains balloon with the sudden gush of wind , the pretty dark gray looking like smoke fluttering in the wind . remembering the dull black you see when the tv shushes shut after three movies straight . remembering the way his black hair that fades to a lighter tinge when grazed by your nightlight as you braid his hair . remembering how he'd pat your head when you felt down after a nightmare . you closed your eyes , turning away from the curtain .

"Yamabuki-san , have you ever ignored messages before ?" with little to no pause he answered , "I ignore most ." and all of a sudden you stood , the sudden motion having you in your swirly feet like you were dancing a frenzy , you felt dizzy .

"I've decided ." you put the phone on speaker and dropped it on the bed . skipping to your closet and changing your shirt and pants to the same agenda but different style . "I'm going to send a reply ."

you could hear light clapping and a muffled respond . "Congrats , break a leg L/n-san ."

you grin , done changing , "Just curious and all but who's this person we've been talking about ?" you blink twice infront of the mirror beside your huge cabinet . swishing your hair aside and answering right away , there was no need to hide that information , it didn't seem like yamabuki is that type of person too , so you just went with answering honestly , skipping the route of just some friend / asking for a friend method as that's way too clichè and obvious .

"My brother ."

for some reason he heaved a sigh . "You said he lived in some apartment , is he going to visit you at home ? Isn't that hard though , since college isn't so free-free . Is there some occasion ?"

you knew why he opted to thinking that he'll be visiting home . as humans are the kind that forgets their problems for a while due to unconsciously distracting themselves to eventually feel temporarily un-shackled . only feeling the chilling skits of the metals again once the source of problem nears and comes .

"Yeah , he lives in one in tokyo , he's visiting , took a one week break , did most of his requirements done in advance ." you knew from what you've read sewn across the last messages he sent you a month ago . you remembered particularly well as the messages were short-lived and the emojis were more brimming than usual .

"Sounds like a serious occasion , is there like , a family thing for you soon ?" he asks , you just tugged at your strands one last time before looking up . "No , just my birthday ."

the pause sounded more stiff than most of what you've last have to put up with . ". . . Today ?"

you raise a brow , usually , well , from what you've seen atleast , be it at school or just random interactions you overhear from groups of people you walk by roads with ; this sort of somewhat shattered shock reaction isn't what's appropriate for such revelations . you were expecting him to be shocked , of course , but not so shocked that he sounds so disappointed and overall ; shookt to the deepest depths down his bones .

you eventually answered , "Tomorrow ." and he somewhat lightened up on the heavy gloomy voice and you note to yourself that maybe he's the type to like knowing his friends' date of births . you shimmy your hands in your pockets as you check if you've left any coins or bills there . since you are the type to forget you own a wallet .

"I see , well , advance happy birthday L/n-san ." your eyes lit up a bit with what he said , a few coins falling out your pockets and down your floor instead . "Thank you ." he chuckles one last time . "Yeah , your welcome . I hope I helped with whatever problem you may have goin on there . Might not be much but I hope it did . I have to go now , the kids' are bouta wake up ."

you grab your phone and hooked it to your ear . "Okay , see you soon ." and after a bye he had hang up . you heard another ringing but this time it signaled something other than him answering , it's the actual call ; ending .

your eyes stared at the screen for a while , before tapping out of yamabuki's chat box and hesitantly at your brother's . you heave a breath as your heart's beating raced with horses with bets . your fingers were sweating thru the cold and you felt so nervous as you type a simply reply to his messages , sent approximately 2 hours and 47 minutes ago .

Nii-chan

I would want, a daruma.

But I'll take anything you give me.

and with that , the phone's shut down and you're off your room , grabbing one of your many branded wallets from your desk's drawer and scampering for a leisure read book , hurling a slightly thick jet black jacket along your shoulder as you mess with the lock of your door's knob .

you rushed through the halls and done down the stairs with your gray socks and slipped in your favorite sneakers you've bought with the very first large sum of cash you've gotten from your workaholic parents . you were out the door and have shut it close , you were sure you had a spare key in one of your jean's pockets .

with that , you're out your house and off course to some place else . until the fall of the sun and the rise of the moon . until it's late enough that you could step in the house knowing your strategist brother is a scheduled freak who sleeps at nine on the clock . anywhere , anyhow .

it's still so much of a cowardly act to actually not confront him again this year but it was already so heart-rending to type a reply on that device's screen . typing a reply you never thought of ever tapping to existence before .

now , you'll just make do with avoiding him as best as you can again . you know you won't be able to tomorrow so why not just , use this time to collect yourself .

your heel paused on track as you watched the area reaping of morning dim . a scent you loved from then to now . you smile .

talking to yamabuki , sure did help you get up . oh the power of friendship .

next chap ; chap # 7 !

prev chap ; chap # 5 !

this fic's ; chaps + navi !