#Jack thinks it’s really sweet but he’s also barely controlling his laughter

[croftersforlife]

Sara: Why is Wander hysterically sobbing on the floor?

Mihaly: He got drunk and asked Jack if he was single, and then cried when Jack said he wasn't

Sara: But he's Jack's boyfriend???

Mihaly: Exactly

[sharktoothedboys]

The Burning Questions

Just a little something I thought up while i was at work one day....

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You had always been a very inquisitive person, everyone knew this about you, but what they didn’t know was that you also had a filthy mind, but you usually kept the “adult” questions to yourself, especially when you were still in school, even more so now, you didn’t wanna be lumped in with Mineta as the creepy perv. 

Most questions you had these days were probably classed as a little pervy, but these days you also managed to keep 95% of all questions to yourself coming to conclusions by yourself and usually liking the outcome. 

Today it had been 10 years since you had all graduated from U.A and you were having your yearly meetup, at the usual place, usual time. You had kept in touch with most of your old classmates, but some you only saw this one time a year and maybe a few odd times you would run in to them through out the year so you treasured this night every time. Obviously you were still in touch with your childhood sweetheart/ now boyfriend, Katsuki Bakugo, and his friends had mostly stuck around, you saw Shoto quite a bit as you worked for Endeavour, and Jiro was your room mate, before you moved in with Katsuki, and she was your closest friend, the others you didn’t get to see nearly as much as you would have liked to. 

But this was great, everyone was here, drinks were flowing, dance battles were happening, food was in abundance and the laughter felt like it would never end. Until, it happened, a villain attack right on the venue your class had hired for the evening, smoke billowed in to the room and glass shattered all around you. Momo quickly created a bunch of eye goggles and masks to prevent inhalation of the gas, as it was uncertain if it was toxic or not. 

You all quickly switched in to hero mode, despite the elegant outfits you were all donning, right now all that mattered was to get this situation under control. 

“Shoto! Take Deku, Koda and Momo round back to check for any more villain activity! Kirishima, Mina, and Sato, check for casualties of staff and the public and get them all outside to safety immediately!” You began to automatically bark orders at people as Katsuki watched you from his spot at your side, a small smile gracing his lips. “ Everyone else be on high alert, ready to attack any moment.”

Everyone took their stance ready and waiting for what was to come next. Then you heard a sinister laugh as villains began to pile in through the broken windows and doors, You heard the explosion from the side of you as Katsuki jumped in to action, you felt the breeze zoom past you as Ingenium began to fight the guys barely able to make it inside. you smiled at how precise the class was now and joined in the fight, using Endeavours quirk to use hellfire against your attackers. 

The fight was finally winding down as most had been apprehended and the others choosing to flee, they attacked the wrong place. You called off your flames, and made your way over to where the majority of your old classmates had gathered, Katsuki spotting you and turning to face you with a smile. Just as he did he saw him, one last straggler of a scumbag, running towards you with all his might, he shot something from his finger tips, closely resembling a laser, and as Katsuki yelled to warn you it was to late, it hit you. But strangely you didn’t feel anything, you barely even realized you had been hit by anything. Katsuki blew the guy to hell for trying to hurt you and immediately turned back to you to ensure your safety.

“YN, Are you okay? did he hit you? Does it hurt anywhere?” He frantically asked as he examined you. 

“No, I am fine, I didn’t even feel it hit me, Maybe he didn’t have chance to activate his quirk fully when it hit me?” You replied, placing your hand on his chest to ensure his you were fine. 

“As long as you are ok Bear.” He said, placing a gentle kiss to your forehead.

The two of you made your way over to the others, thats when you felt it, an overwhelming urge questions just ready to spill out of you, you usually held everything in, but the closer you got to people the more you needed to ask them your burning questions.

“Kirishima!!” You began, knowing what you were about to say, but with absolutely zero way of stopping yourself... oh god... “ When you use your quirk does your dick go super hard too?” You clasped your hands over your mouth, that question had been burning at your soul since class 1A! “Do you use it when you are having sex with someone?” 

“WOAH!!”  He yelled, his cheeks going slightly red, “What the hell YN!?” 

“Sero!! Do you use your tape in the bedroom, like a kinky sex rope?”  

All eyes were on your now, all mouths open and slow blinks happening all around you, not all your questions were rude!! Where were the people you had real questions for!! The team you had sent around the back all started to reappear. Wondering why everyone was staring at you with wide eyes. 

“Koda!!!” You practically screamed as you ran over to him, “Do you think you could have controlled principal Nezu with your quirk when we were in school? Did you ever try it? I think we should go and try it.” 

“Erm whats going on?” Shoto asked cautiously. 

“I am not sure, she was fine two minutes ago and then all the questions started.” Katsuki answered, his hand going to your head to check for a fever. 

“Oh your hands are warm, can we use your quirk later in bed.” 

His hand slapped over your mouth out of embarrassment for the both of you. Slight smiles making their way to the faces of everyone who heard. You escaped his grasp and ran back to the others, the questions just spilling from your mouth like verbal diarrhoea. 

“Momo! Do you know how to make your own sex toys? I bet that saves so much money! Could you make me one?”

“Hey Sato! What do those lips do?” 

“Shoto! Are all your hairs split down the middle, are your pubes red on the left and white on the right?” 

“Deku did you tell Ochaco that you’re in love with her yet?” 

“Denki!! Have you every accidentally electrocuted yourself when you masturbated? Did it feel nice?” 

“Mineta, why are you such a gross perv?” 

“Shoji!! Have you ever had like, an 8some?!! Because you literally could!!” 

Katsuki finally got a hold of you and stopped you from just going around people asking them embarrassing questions, then he heard the laughter coming from the other side of the room, It was him, the one who had hot you with a laser. 

“YOU!” Katsuki yelled and marched over to him after handing you over to Kirishima who was to afraid to loos at you in case you asked him another question. “What did you do to her?” 

“Its my quirk sweetheart” He said in a sickeningly sweet voice, “She is gonna keep asking people questions she’s always wanted to know the answers to until she passes out from talking to much.” He laughs and Katsuki looks at you, mouth still covered by Kirishimas hand, they had to just wait it out then? He nodded over at Kirishima, who slowly lets you go. 

“Kirishima!” You say again and he winces. “Your hands are way softer than they should be, what moisturiser do you use?” 

He sighed with relief and as he went to answer you you had already wandered off, getting your phone from your pocket and dialling someone’s number. 

“Tamaki!!” You yelled down the phone. “What happens if you eat Pussy?” Then you just hung up. Dialling another  number straight away. “Shindo! What else vibrates!?” Hanging up again. 

Katsuki was literally turning the colour of Kirishima’s hair as you made your way around the room again. More questions just flowing from you. Making a mental note to call those two and apologise for you later. 

“Toru!! Have you ever done anything scandalous in public because literally no one can see you!!” 

“Ojiro!!! Have you ever spanked someone with your tail?” 

“Tokoyami!! Do you use dark shadow in bed? And is it classed as a threesome if you do?” 

“Jiro!! Can you plug your ear jacks into another person and hear their thoughts?!” 

You were getting breathless from all the questions you were asking. But you had so many more to ask. 

“Tsu!! I mean surely you know that I really wanna know what that tongue does in the bedroom right??” 

“Mina! Are you as dirty as I imagined you are, I kinda thought you would be like a dominatrix or something!!” 

“Katsuki!!!” You yelled, turning around, slightly dizzy now but this question you really needed an answer to, you stomped over, your vision darkening a little. “Will you ma.....” Darkness, you passed out, it was finally over. 

Katsuki jumped forward to catch you as you fell. Where you just about to propose? Did he hear you right? 

“Is she going to be okay?” Shoto rushed over and asked him as he moved hair from your face, your breathing was fast paced and you were sweating and warm. 

“I think she should be fine after some rest.” He replies

“I’ll contact my father and explain what’s happened, tell her she doesn’t have to worry about coming in tomorrow.”

“Thank you” Katsuki looked at him, they may not have always seen eye to eye, but he appreciated how much Shoto cared for your well being at work and in every day life, At least Katsuki knew you were safe while on patrol with Shoto. 

“I am going to get her home and rested up, I am sorry guys for the questions she was asking, I am sure she will be mortified when she wakes up.”

“Don’t worry about Bakugo, remember when Mina got his with the truth ray? Yeah that was kinda worse.” Kaminari laughs out as Mina hits his arm. 

Katsuki picked you up bridal style and got you home as quick as humanly possible. He wanted you rested, but he also wanted an explanation for the almost proposal. 

The next day you woke up, You felt like you had been hit by a bus and your throat was sore, you tried to picture what had happened last night, then it hit you, all the questions you had asked! All you dark questions you had harboured for years, you asked them all!!! You buried your reddening face into the pillows and screamed in to them, the sound muffled, but not enough for Katsuki to not hear you. He came i to the room, a cup of tea in hand as he made his way over to the bed and placed it on your dresser for you. You felt the bed dip as he sat with you, his hand laying on the small of your back. 

“Please tell me it was all a bad dream!” You practically begged and he wished he had that news for you. 

“Sorry Bear, It happened.” He said as he felt you cringe under his touch. “But please don’t worry about it, everyone knew it wasn’t you talking and they have all taken it in their stride.” 

“Really?” You asked quietly, emerging from your blanket and pillow nest you had buried yourself in to. “I just hope i can face them all again the next time i see them.” 

Katsuki laughed at you, handing you your tea, he looked at you lovingly as you blew on the hot beverage, taking kitten sips while it was still to hot. 

“I have a question though.” He said, sweeping some stray hairs behind your ears, You looked up at him, your puppy dog eyes making him melt a little as you just stared at him, “Before you passed out I think you almost proposed to me.” 

Your eyes widened and looked down, away from his glare. Remembering that’s exactly what almost happened.

“Nooooo. I am sure you’re mistaken,” You said, almost a whisper, as you continued to drink your tea. 

“Nope, heard it loud and clear.” He said with a smile. “ But I am glad you didn’t”

Your face dropped, He didn’t wanna marry you, you knew it, that’s why its been 10 years without even a sniff of a ring. You looked defeated and he saw your eyes begin to glaze over. He put his large hands under your chin and tilted your head to look at him properly. 

“I am glad you didn’t, because its my job to propose to you YN.” 

Your eyes shot up to look at him properly as his lips met yours in the sweetest of kisses, you felt him lean over during the kiss and grab something from his bed side table. He broke free of the kiss and there in his hands with a small red velvet box, He flicked it open and there sat the most beautiful princess cut diamond platinum ring you had ever seen, perfect and simple, just how you had always imagined. 

“Marry me? Dumbass. I love you so much, you and all your questions.” You felt your cheeks heat up and your eyes fill with tears. “I wouldn’t have you any other way, Please be mine, forever.” 

“I was always yours Katsuki.” You sobbed out as the tears broke free of your eyes and cascaded down your face.

“Is that a yes?” He asked.

“A million times yes.” You cried and threw yourself in to his embrace, tightly holding him as close to yourself as you could. The feeling of his butterfly kisses on your shoulder and neck as he squeezed you back. This was perfect. You thought to yourself. Just Perfect. 

He slipped the ring on your finger when you finally parted, and planted a slightly soggy kiss on your lips, soggy from a mixture of both your tears. 

“Lets go get breakfast.” He says, kissing your nose.

“Oh what’s for breakfast?” You ask. 

“Enough questions Babygirl, Oh and in answer to what you asked kirishima last night, he text me the answer this morning.” He smirks as he leaves the room. 

“Really!! What did he say?” You ask, quickly finding your feet and running to catch up to him. “I really wanna know that answer to that one!!” You begged as you caught up to him. 

“What do i get in returnm for telling you? Do i get to use my quirk in the bedroom?” 

You heated up, he could have cooked breakfast on your cheeks you were that hot. 

“I am kidding babygirl....unless....?”

“Tell me what he said and we’ll see!” You answer him, catching him off guard. 

“Yes, the hardness is all over, and yes he uses it on women all the time, happy now?”

“So happy!!” You yell in excitement. “Lets go make pancakes. Its a special occasion after all.”

You walk off in front of him as he smiles at your figure, not quite knowing if it was a special occasion because you were finally getting married, or if because you finally had your answer about Kirishima. Either way, he couldn’t be happier to have you by his side forever and always. 

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Hope you guys enjoyed this!! Just a little fluffy fluff before i come along with chapter 2 of Lips of an angel and break all your hearts....

Please like and follow, love you all!!

[twstdreams]

I've loved your non-romantic/platonic content that you've done so far! Adding on to that list, could I please request a short story surrounding MC, Ace, and Deuce? An accident occurs which ends in MC turning into a little kid and now it's up to the two boys to put their differences aside and babysit their friend until she's back to normal. Girl pronouns plz! Lol I can only imagine the chaos that would ensue. If you don't feel comfortable with this ask you can skip it! Thx for reading :)

I am always up for platonic content and shenanigans! Long story, so the rest is under the cut!

Warning: Minor spoilers for side stories (briefly alluded to)

Length: ~2.3K

“It’s this one!” Deuce declares with unfounded confidence.

“No, it’s not!” Ace rebuttals despite not making it past page 10 in his textbook.

“It’s mine!” Grimm shouts even though he most definitely does not understand the experiment at hand. 

The magicless student can only sigh. Deuce and Ace suck at potions. So when the two bicker about what to add to their cauldron, the prefect doesn’t even blink an eye. Deuce mispronounces an ingredient, Ace corrects him, but neither are even talking about the right thing. She can practically sense Crewel’s glare despite her eyes remaining on the cauldron, cautiously waiting for bubbles to appear so she could add the indigo milk cap mushroom. 

What is added next to her cauldron is not the mushroom in her hand but a random root Grimm throws in. In Deuce’s haste to catch the gremlin, he spills over his own cauldron and some of their potion spills into hers.

“What are you doing?” she asks, but it’s too late. The mixture in her cauldron is boiling profusely and suddenly envelopes her in a cloud of smoke.

“Funya! MC, are you okay?” Grim inquires. Deuce and Ace also call out her name but there is no response. When the smoke clears, everyone in the room is left speechless.

The potential beast tamer hasn’t moved but an inch but she’s at least two feet shorter and with rounder cheeks and wide eyes. 

“WHAT?” she screeches in disbelief, suddenly too short to even reach the cauldron, “Fix this!” 

And this is how the group’s long catastrophic day begins.

Adventure 1: The beginning

“What?!” Grim shouts. If looks could kill, Crewel’s glare would have toasted the monster.

“Yes, it is hard to predict when MC will return to normal because you carelessly threw together that potion. It should wear off in a day, but there’s no guarantee,” the teacher explains through gritted teeth. The bell rings but the quartet barely registers it.

“Go to the headmaster! It’s not my problem anymore,” Crewel declares. 

Unfortunately, as most meetings with the headmaster are, the conversation is fruitless.

“Hah? We’re supposed to babysit her?” Ace asks.

“Yes! It’s your fault, is it not? Take care of her until the spell wears off,” Crowley declares.

“Isn’t there any way to break the spell?” Deuce inquires while nervously glancing towards MC.

“It’s hard to tell because you added in unknown amounts of various ingredients,” Crowley answers before muttering, “It takes too much time! I need to know what happens next in my novel.”

“Tch, what a lazy adult,” MC comments with a bored expression. She figured this would happen. She can’t even recall a moment when the headmaster had actually been helpful.

“What did you say?” Crowley demands. Deuce immediately picks up MC and heads for the door.

“Nothing! We’ll take care of her! See you later headmaster!” Ace explains while the two boys dash out of the office. They book it out of the hallway and then set her down on the ground.

“Hey! What was that about? It’s usually Grim saying stuff that gets us in trouble, not you,” Ace comments.

“Don’t tell me…Now she acts like a little kid too?” Deuce wonders.

Adventure 2: Stranger Danger

“Oh? Ramshackle prefect, you seem to be caught in quite the predicament.” MC glares at the Octavinelle dorm leader in return. Ace and Deuce are in the midst of calling Cater and Trey to ask for advice, giving Azul the perfect opportunity to approach her.

“I have an offer for you,” the second year begins.

“No.” MC is firm in her answer and has no intention of making any deals.

“Are you sure? I treat children well,” Azul adds but it only results in her frowning. There’s suddenly a glimmer in her eyes but before Azul can deduce what it means, MC begins shouting.

“STRANGER DANGER! STRANGER DANGER!”

“Stop that!” Azul insists but his wide eyes give away his flustered state. With a smile that looks a little too much like Chenya’s, MC continues her call for help. Soon enough, Deuce and Ace rush to her side.

“Stranger? That’s Prefect Azul! Have you forgotten him?” Deuce inquires with a look of concern. MC decides this is the perfect time to practice her puppy eyes and simply looks up at Deuce, wide eyes and with a pout.

Azul silently admits defeat as he forms a tight-lipped smile accompanied by some false pleasantries before exiting the area. 

“I’m hungry!” she announces before anyone can question her further. 

“Yes! Let’s go eat!” Grim agrees.

Adventure 3: Sweet Dreams

Getting lunch is a surprisingly painless affair. Though Night Raven College students could be quite self-centred, even they balked at harming a little girl. MC easily orders her favourites before sitting with her friends, though she has to sit on her knees to be at a comfortable height compared to the table.

“Wow! It’s true!~” Cater chimes while taking a seat at the table.

“How are you feeling?” Trey asks.

“Okay! It’s kinda weird but at least it was easy to get lunch,” she replies while taking a bite of her food.

“Now you really look like my minion!” Grim declares. MC shoots the monster a glare but doesn’t give him a response.

“You’re actually a little kid, huh? So, what do you wanna do when you grow up?” Ace teases.

“I want to control all the ghosts and have an army,” MC answers nonchalantly as if she had been discussing the weather.

“What?” Trey asks, slightly taken aback. Wasn’t this the person who was gullible enough to think that oyster sauce went in tarts?

“A ghost army,” she repeats confidently.

“Anyway! Aren’t you lucky? You get all these handsome guys to help you today!” Cater interjects, not wanting to unpack why the prefect wanted an army of the dead. 

Her gaze scans the table before looking up at Cater, eyes wide and expression void of malice, and asks, “Where?”

Grim howls with laughter while the four Heartslabyul students try to recover from the blow to their ego. It’s definitely going to be a long day for them.

Adventure 4: Smiles and stares

“Hey wait!” MC whines. One disadvantage of becoming short is that her stride decreased accordingly, thus her struggles to keep up with her classmate’s pace.

“Just walk faster or we’ll be late for class!” Ace retorts, glancing up ahead to see how far away the next building is. 

“AHH!” Ace turns around to see MC a couple of meters behind him face-first in a patch of grass. 

“Uwah! Are you okay?” Grim asks while flying above the fallen girl. Ace groans at the predicament. Deuce ran ahead to warn the other teachers of MC’s unfortunate condition so the redhead was the only babysitter at the moment.

The situation only worsens when MC begins to sit up, knees scraped, eyes glistening with tears, brows furrowed, and lips pressed tightly together. Ace’s eyes widen at the sight.

“Please don’t cry,” he mutters under his breath before trying to think about how to soothe kids.

“Oh my, that was quite a fall. You’re okay now though, right?” Jade asks while extending a gloved hand. His face is calm, showing no signs of concerns or worry with only a placid smile to demonstrate any emotion. MC stares at his face, analyzing his expression for a few moments. After finding the answer to her unsaid question, she accepts his hand and quickly sniffles before nodding. 

Ace watches in amazement as all signs of pain and panic vanish from her expression. He decides not to question her mood change before ushering the prefect to their next class.

Adventure 5: What came first? The egg or the chicken?

“You have to!” Deuce insists.

“NO!” MC shouts back, sitting firmly on the ground. Deuce is startled by the force of her words but stands his ground.

“It’s for your own good! Kids need exercise!” Or at least that’s what Cater told him before going to light music club.

“You can’t move me an inch!” MC retorts.

“I’m older, you should respect your seniors,” Deuce adds, doing his best to retain some level of patience.

“At least I know where chickens come from!” she rebuttals and Deuce feels at a loss for words. It is certainly not honour student behaviour to yell at a young girl but the first year is at his limits. He came to NRC to learn about magic, not dealing with children!

“Let’s play tag,” Jack suggests. Being the only one with little siblings, he is quickly enlisted to help. While disappointed in Deuce and Ace’s carelessness, he didn’t want to risk MC’s safety by leaving her in their care. Thus making him a reluctant member of the babysitting team.

“Tag?” MC echoes before a bright smile forms on her face. “Can it be teams?”

“Sure,” Jack agrees nonchalantly. 

“Jack and I are on the same team! We get to chase Deuce and Ace!” she declares gleefully.

“Huh? I didn’t agree to this,” Ace interjects.

“We need even teams!” MC responds with puffed cheeks.

“Too bad, so sad!” Ace replies without remorse.

“This is our fault Ace. Plus we promised the headmaster to take care of her. As Heartslabyul students and men, we can’t go back on our words!” Deuce declares. Jack’s firm gaze and Deuce’s blazing spirit give little room for negotiation and Ace sighs in defeat. Ace really does hate alchemy class from the bottom of his heart.

Adventure 6: Idiots, all of them

MC closes her eyes and enjoys the breeze while resting. Deuce and Jack had gone to the cafeteria to get drinks for everyone after several rounds of tag while Ace lay on the ground to catch his breath. It was quite entertaining to see the fastest first years engage in a game of tag and even more fun to watch Ace try to avoid his inevitable fate. Agile as he was, Ace couldn’t run fast enough to outdo Jack with his insane stamina and speed. She giggles at the memory.

“Bonjour petite princesse!” Rook looks down at the little girl with a shining smile. Her eyes snap open and follow the source of the cheerful voice. 

“Isn’t it delightful to see a new side to your friends? Like escorting someone on their first dance, like watching a lazy lion transform into a beast for the sake of the hunt, like observing night flox bloom under a full moon!” Rook beams but MC merely shrugs in response.

“Yeah but I’ve also seen Ace fall off his broom, Deuce compliment plants, and Jack mistake onions for a chemical leak.” 

“Oh? Is it not like having several princes tend to you?” he inquires. 

She scrunches her nose in thought before replying, “If my prince got stuck in a tree and I had to go save him.”

“Dear me, and I thought you were une petite princesse mignonne [1]! Perhaps that was a misunderstanding,” Rook remarks though he doesn’t seem displeased with the discovery.

Adventure 7: Mandatory nap

“Let’s go to the infirmary,” Ace suggests, “MC needs a nap and it’s the closest building with beds.”

“I’m the one that needs a nap?” she asks while side-eyeing her tired friend.

“She hasn’t even run for 3 hours,” Jack comments.

“Kids need naps! Plus, who knows what the side-effects of the potion are?” Ace adds, “We shouldn’t take any chances with her health.”

“You do need proper sleep to grow strong!” Deuce concurs.

“Sure, sure,” she concedes. When they arrive at the infirmary, there is no staff in sight. Ace guides her to a bed with an expectant smile.

“Well, go to sleep now!” Ace announces.

“It doesn’t work like that. I’m not sleepy,” she responds.

“Just lie in bed and close your eyes!” Ace insists with a huff.

“Shut up. You’re so noisy,” a voice growls. Leona appears on the other side of a room divider. Jack lets out a sigh, disappointed but not surprised by his dorm leader.

“I was having such a nice nap and now I’m… hah?” His sentence trails off as he eyes the little girl before him.

“Well,” you launch into an explanation of what happened, Leona shooting a judgemental look towards Deuce and Ace midway, before concluding, “It should wear off by the end of the day.”

“Tch, what an annoyance. I’m going back to sleep, don’t be loud,” Leona warns before flopping back onto the bed.

“How do you fall asleep so fast?” MC inquires. Leona glares at her, lips pressed together to form a thin line, but he lets any threats die in his throat.

“It’s nap time. Count sheep like a good herbivore until you fall asleep,” he instructs before turning his back towards the group. More than she’d like to admit, her small body requires rest and what better excuse than this? Besides, it’s not like magical history homework was particularly appealing, so she plops onto the bed to rest.

“I’m exhausted. Taking care of kids is tiring,” Ace says before falling onto another bed.

“It’s been a long day. I’m glad MC is okay, though. Haaah…I’m sleepy,” Deuce murmurs before resting on a different bed. Jack doesn’t comment but quietly begins his homework while keeping watchful eye on the little girl, not that he’d admit it if asked.

Adventure 8: The End. For now, anyway

She stretches after waking up, pleased to find her body back to its normal size. Ace snores lightly, Deuce’s mouth is agape, and Leona is nowhere to be found.

“Are you feeling okay?” Jack asks.

“Yeah, I actually feel pretty good!” Their conversation awakens their friends.

“You’re finally back to normal! I’m relieved,” Deuce interjects.

“You’re a lot of work for a minion, ya know? You’re lucky I’m so great,” Grim comments.

“That was a pain! You owe me big time!” Ace adds. MC shakes her head and wonders if she has the greatest or most chaotic friends.

[1] une petite princesse mignonne = a cute little princess

[rqgnarok]

moments in between - aaron hotchner

fandom: criminal minds

words: 2618

warnings: couple of smooches and mention of private times, spoilers for season 4 through 9 ish of criminal minds, that’s about it. female!reader

summary: being an fbi agent leaves little to no moments to enjoy someone else’s company. hotch and the reader make it work. BASED ON A CONVERSATION PRENTISS AND HOTCH HAVE IN 04X09.

author’s note below

“(Y/N)?” 

“Yeah, I’m decent,” she smiles to herself when she takes her eyes off the tiny mirror in the locker assigned to her, watches her boyfriend lean against the door frame. 

It only takes one look at him for (Y/N) to know he’s stuck in that I’m-your-coworker-but-I-really-want-to-be-your-boyfriend-right-now state Hotch gets into sometimes when they’re at work but alone or hours deep into the night and still working the case.

He just stands there for a moment, admires her in silence but in the way that makes her feel appreciated from a distance, a look in his eyes which (Y/N)’s used being under the scrutiny of, makes her feel recognized and safe when there’s no possibility of physical contact. 

She’s done with her make up for the undercover stunt they’re about to pull and her hair is fixed in that careless yet neat way he really, really likes, the way it was the night he kissed her for the first time after a night out with the team and he’d insisted on driving her home.

Hotch remembers that night so clearly, if he closes his eyes can picture himself back in his car, the steering wheel under his hands and the street lamps being the only source of light that catches (Y/N)’s profile when he sneaks a look or two. 

By that point he’d lost all self-restraint and after months of fighting with himself about his feelings his head finally quieted the hell up the moment she reached for the lapel of his jacket and pulled him to her, kissing him with the car’s console in the middle of their bodies and his hands on her hair, keeping her close as if she’d have any intentions of letting him go.

That was almost a year after his divorce with Haley, and though he’d been hesitant on following up with a relationship in a time Hotch felt too soon since he’d signed those divorce papers, he’d been tired of being the one who always followed the rules and did things right only to end up alone. Either in an apartment away from his family or in his office, closer to the next morning than the previous night and working on reports until the words blurred in the pages and he was too tired to drive home at all.

Hotch was tired and he wanted (Y/N) so, so badly, he figured one night of self-indulgence was more than deserved after the year he’d had. Except one night turned into a weekend and one time turned into spending time together whenever they had the time off at the same time and it wasn’t his turn to take Jack for the week. Hotch and sir and bossman turned into Aaron, babe and handsome, and in return Hotch became familiar with the feeling of (Y/N), (Y/N/N), honey and sweetheart against his tongue.

The transition between using those nicknames and thinking of Haley to his mind blanching until nothing but (Y/N) remained was easier than Hotch had expected it to be. The guilt of thinking he’d somehow replaced his ex-wife was short lived, the first weeks into his and (Y/N)’s relationship realizing that he saw them as two different women who occupied two very different portions in his life.

It wouldn’t be until after Haley died, much, much after that they would come forward and share the existence of their relationship with HR, and along with them, Strauss. It would easier by then, and the right choice to make, considering that around the first time they’d gotten together Erin seemed to be out for blood, which included Hotch’s job as unit chief and following his every move to catch him in something that could might as well signify the end of his career, if presented to his superiors correctly.

By the time they’ll decide to disclose, Erin and Rossi themselves will be somewhat involved, and after her troubles with alcoholism she would’ve become a more understanding woman of other people’s flaws along with her own. She’ll have them both under scrutiny for a couple of months until she deems them professional enough to keep working in the same unit, and that would be that.

“10 minutes and I’m ready to go,” she assures him, still working the case but smile soft when directed at him. He leaves his spot against the frame of the door to close it behind him and lock it, just in case and, if needed, under the excuse that she’d needed the privacy to change into the clothes she’ll be wearing at the club. With him in the room, well. Here’s to hoping to one saw him come in.

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” He’s still frowning but it's more concern than the usual façade he hides behind when they’re working a case, and he’s slightly comforted by the fact that (Y/N)’s smile remains full on her face, sure and trusting.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” she reassures. Now that the door’s closed and locked she’s stripping out of her clothes, nothing sensual about her movements but Hotch can’t help but to stare anyways. He wishes they weren’t having this conversation with his girlfriend in her underwear. Aaron Hotchner is a responsible man, but he is a man, nevertheless. “Sadly, I’ve actually dated people worse than Viper.”

“Thank God that’s over,” he manages to joke. (Y/N) laughs and he quits eyeing her figure just so he can watch her do so, enchanted by the way her features accentuate her laughter lines. He’s in deep, and just for a moment he pictures her getting ready for one of their dates instead of an undercover op he didn’t want to send her to in the first place.

It’s not that he’s jealous because he isn’t, at least not of Viper, but Hotch’s seen what undercover jobs do to agents like her: smart and capable and pretty, even though this is nothing like what Elle was forced to work on before she disappeared without a trace. He also knows that (Y/N)’s lived through worse circumstances herself out of the job, and this is more of a gathering intel kind of operation instead of something more dangerous, but, still. 

Hotch’s not comfortable with sending his team into situations they do not feel prepared for, whether he’s romantically involved with them or not. He’s gotta ask. He can’t send another person he cares about into the lion’s den knowing they might not be tough enough to come back.

“Is something going on with Jordan?” (Y/N) brings him back down to earth easily, making conversation as she gets into her dress and Hotch walks the couple of steps he’s missing to reach her and give her his arm to hold onto as she works herself into it. “You, um, you asked me to keep an eye on her. And frankly, if you didn’t think we’d notice the tension going of off her in waves then you really underestimate us as profilers.”

“I… caught her in a lie,” Aaron grimaces at the recollection of their first visit to the Holden family, how Jordan had no problem to manipulate her way into the mind of the victim’s sister and her inability to realize how what she had done had been wrong, way off in how Hotch leads this team. “She cut a corner to get us in with the Holden family.”

“Did she misrepresent the Bureau?” (Y/N)’s expression sours momentarily, and she squeezes Hotch’s arm she was holding onto in thanks when she finishes fitting into her dress.

“She misinterpreted herself.”

“So, how long is she gonna be in the doghouse?” (Y/N) asks, turning around so her back is facing Hotch, who allows himself a moment to look at the skin of her shoulders and lower back before he’s slowly zipping the dress up. One hand on her semi naked shoulder holding her still and the other one working its way up her back, fingers steady and certain.

“Until she proves she’s competent,” he sighs, feeling awfully like the father of a teenage girl out of control, which, isn’t really freaking fair cause he’s got almost ten years before he has to deal with this coming from Jack. (Y/N) hums, trying to come off as indifferent, but Aaron has made himself familiar with every movement and sound of hers, he knows better than to think she’s letting the topic go. An eyebrow raises, hands on her waist when she turns around to meet his eye. “What?”

“That’s gonna be tricky if you’re scrutinizing her every move,” she challenges, and Hotch half scoffs half chuckles as he reaches her to keep himself busy, making sure the dress fits right, putting some of her hair back in place even though he knows it’s gonna come back to its spot as soon as he lets go.

“You seem to do alright, sweetheart,” he can’t help it, the nickname familiar on his mouth and, really, he’d opened that door in the first place when he came into the room asking for her and using her first name instead of her last, has been watching her and touching her ever since he came in, expecting a reaction from her just like the one she’s giving him now. (Y/N)’s arms are around his neck, their chests touching, faces close, he can smell her favorite perfume on her and almost taste the sweetness of her lipstick in his own mouth.

“Yeah, well, I’m sleeping with you, hotshot,” she disses him easily, clutching him a little tighter when his hands go from her waist to her hips, big enough to hold her completely and in place, her heart fluttering against her ribcage with affection for this hunk of a man. He smirks, almost knowing of the effect Hotch has on her and soon enough it’ll soften into a soft, fond grin that she’ll get cavities from just looking at it. “I hope you aren’t planning on using the same methods on her as you did on me, cause if you do then we might just have some disagreement on our hands.”

“Methods?” Hotch has to laugh, albeit quickly before he reels himself in. They’re in a private room but just barely, he’s smart enough to lock the door but also to not get too comfortable, forcing himself to remember there’s a reason she’s so well dressed up and its not just for him to undress her slowly later in the privacy of his room. “You make it sound like it’s my fault we ended up in bed together while really you were too busy pursuing me to notice any kind of ‘methods’ I might’ve tried to use on you.”

“Oh, I pursued you?” (Y/N) asks, mouth open in faux shock and embarrassment as she takes one arm off his neck to hit him in the chest, fighting him off a little when he places his own hand on top of hers but gives up quickly enough, fingers toying with his shirt and resting on top of his heart. “You are out of your mind, Aaron Hotchner.”

“You did kiss me first,” he recalls, which, yeah, it’s true, but that doesn’t mean Aaron gets to use it against her. He looks awfully smug when she gives him a deadpan look. It takes years off his face like not many things do, and (Y/N). (Y/N) loves him always, she loves him dark and broody, and sharp and focused but this, this is her favorite. A goof and a tease (Y/N) would give everything so he’s this happy, all the time. “Don’t think I forgot, I didn’t take a single drop of alcohol that night.”

“It’s not like I was drunk, either, you ass,” she reprimands, and if she weren’t almost ready to go, looking perfectly composed, Hotch would kiss the pout off of her face with little to no finesse. “Some of us need some liquid courage to do what others wouldn’t do at all, so. If anything, you’ve got me to thank that your methods actually ended up working like you meant them to.”

“Thank you,” he acknowledges, dropping a kiss to the apple of her cheek and another one to her forehead, making sure he doesn’t get in the way of any of her make up. She grins at him, opens her eyes after she’d closed them to soak up his affections and keep the memory of his touch for when she’s out there in the field, flirting with some guy she can barely stand. “I’d kiss you myself right now if you weren’t meant to be on your way, no liquid courage needed.”

“I’ll hold you up on that when we’re back home,” she bites her lip, risking having to reapply her lipstick all over again but worth it when Hotch’s eyes drop from her own and set on her mouth, suddenly darker with something else she really, really likes. “And, I think in order for Jordan to prove she’s good at this job, it’s not gonna happen under a magnifying glass. You’re gonna have to give her the opportunity.”

“You have something in mind?”

Her lips turn up in that satisfied way (Y/N) gets when she’s drop dead sure about something, whether it’s a lead on a case or that she has him wrapped around her finger. Hotch can’t wait for this case to be over, for them to be on the plane back home making eyes at each other and itching for the relief that comes to him when they’re finally alone.

He watches her walk away, out of the room with a sway on her hips, heels accentuating her legs and one last flirty look thrown his way as she turns her head back before she leaves the room for good, softening into a fond curve of the lips and, God. He loves her so, so much, he’s gotta wipe this whipped look off his face before Dave calls him out on it, tries to figure out who’s it for.

He won’t, and neither will the team, for a while. They’re years away from finding out, it won’t be until Hotch ends up in the hospital after the scars from one of his many encounters against Foyet come back to haunt him, leaving him passed out in the middle of a debrief and (Y/N)’s forced to make the trip to work on the case anyways. She frets and worries and breaks the news to the team on the way back while Aaron confesses to Garcia in his hospital room after he wakes up, disoriented from the pain meds and asking where his girlfriend is.

They’ll tease and whistle at them whenever they’re together for the rest of their lives, because they’re children in disguise as full functioning profilers and Hotch and (Y/N) will take it shamelessly. He’ll press a kiss to her head and wrap an arm around her neck while they’re out drinking after a case and (Y/N) will take the hand on her shoulder, nestle closer and flip them off just cause it makes Hotch laugh.

Right now, Aaron shakes his head, smiles to himself and towards the ground, a last couple of moments of bliss before he straightens his posture, leaves the room and meets Rossi in the corner of the precinct that was given to them for the duration of the case.

A couple more hours, he hopes, before they get to go home and he would make true of the promise he’d made.

-

special thanks to @writefasttalkevenfaster, @venusbarnes and @winterscaptain​ for providing so much hotch content that i felt the need to rewatch the show and write this in the matter of like,,, two hours. even if it’s a mess, oop, i always write a shit ton of description and feelings and shit and end up with big ass paragraphs that hurt my eyes. i SWEAR i’m working on that!!!!!

as always, i’d love to hear you guys’ opinions on this and i really hope you liked it, i’m working on a teen wolf work and a legends of tomorrow request next but i’m always open for suggestions or requests :)  

thank you so much for reading! stay home and stay safe,

- e.  

[yourfaceislikeabluemoon]

You’re Gonna Be the Death of Me, I Swear

Words: 9.7k

Warning: A decent amount of language throughout with the majority in the last scene, kissing (starts out fairly innocent but gets raunchier as the fic progresses), teacher/student roleplay if you squint, Changbin calls Hyunjin pup/puppy, grinding but barely, brief mentions of jacking off, just a hint of angst, crying and apologies, marking/love bites, praise (they both clearly have praise kinks but it’s never explicitly mentioned), brief nipple play/licking/biting, blowjob, frottage (Changbin jerks them off at the same time), lots of dirty talk, Hyunjin has a filthy mouth but is also a whiny baby, cum play/eating, spanking, ass eating, fingering, very brief degradation, barebacking (practice safe sex y’all), cumming inside, and brief innuendos.

A/N: hey, I’m back with another member x member fic! this one is a lot dirtier than the last one oops 🤭 Changjin has been living in my mind rent free this entire comeback so I just had to write something and ‘Kissing Practice’ is one of my favorite tropes and so this filth was born! so yeah, my brain has actually been coming up with ideas lately, which is basically a miracle considering the wasteland it was for 6+ months straight. as always, I hope you enjoy this and please let me know what you think! it really motivates me to write more and I appreciate every single one of you that takes time out of their day to read what I write, thank you so so much! oki enjoy hehe ❤

“Forget it. It’s stupid, I know. Forget I even asked.”

“No, wait!” Changbin called after Hyunjin, who had stood up from his spot on the couch to head off to his room. Hyunjin sighed tiredly and turned back around to face his older groupmate. “Why me?”

Eyebrows knit together, Hyunjin returned to his space next to Changbin. “Why not you?”

Bin let out a broken noise, trying to formulate his words properly, “No, I mean why not Chan or Minho? Why was I the hyung you came to?” When Hyunjin’s expression morphed into that of an abandoned puppy, Changbin held up his hands, “Not that I don’t want to help you! You know I’ll always help you when you ask-- and, and I’m not trying to get out of it or anything. Just, why me? Wouldn’t Chan be better at this sort of thing? I don’t know, seniority or something.”

Hyunjin chuckled at Bin’s babbling, shaking his head as he looked down at his own lap. “First of all, I’m scared of Minho.” Changbin couldn’t hold back his laughter and Hyunjin shrugged but laughed along with him. “Second, everyone but Felix knows Chan’s been pining after Felix for years and I don’t want to feel like a homewrecker even though feelings aren’t attached, you know?”

“Good point. Chan needs to grow a pair, honestly. Like what’s the worst that could happen? Felix giggles at him?” Bin let a rush of air out of his nose at the image that popped into his head before turning back to a grinning Hyunjin who was nodding in agreement.

“Yeah,” the younger continued, “So as you can see, that leaves me with one hyung. You.”

Changbin gave him an unamused look, “So I’m a last resort.”

Hyunjin shook his head again, a faint blush appearing on his cheeks. “No, you’re really not. You’re the one that likes my lips so much. I figured you’d be the one who wouldn’t feel completely tortured if you went along with my proposal. Maybe you wouldn’t mind it. I was probably wrong in assuming that. I’m sorry.”

“You aren’t wrong,” Bin denied adamantly. Realizing how eager he sounded, he quickly calmed himself down and cleared his throat. “Everyone thinks you have nice lips, not just me.”

Leaning a bit closer, Hyunjin lowered his voice, “I think you like them more than the others do, though.”

Changbin gulped but tried to look casual, “Maybe I do.”

“Then, what do you say?” Hyunjin tilted his head and stared at the elder with interest, wide-eyed and waiting.

Bin couldn’t make eye contact. He stared at an empty soda can sitting on the coffee table as thoughts whirled around in his head like a tornado. Should he say ‘yes’? Would he be risking everything he had worked so hard to conceal? Was this bound to end in disaster if he went along with it?

He bit the bullet.

“OK.”

~

The thing is, Hyunjin’s ‘proposal’ wasn’t exactly expected, to say the least. Essentially, Hyunjin had sought out Changbin in order to ask him to be the one to teach the younger how to kiss. He claimed that he had no experience and didn’t know how; he didn’t want to be a total fuck up when the time came around where he needed this particular skill. So, he decided to ask one of his hyungs for help, to teach him, and to help him practice.

Changbin was, quite honestly, flabbergasted. The prettiest human being he had ever had the privilege of observing was telling him that they had no experience and was asking him for lessons in the form of basically making out. There was a teeny tiny red flag that shot up in the back of Changbin’s mind as he processed Hyunjin’s ‘proposal’, but apparently it wasn’t enough of a deterrent to keep his emotions from controlling his decision-making because he agreed to it without much persuasion. Changbin was determined that, in the end, Hyunjin would not be a total fuck up when it came to kissing, even if that meant he had to put himself through hell trying to keep his feelings out of the equation.

~

Hyunjin admittedly felt a little guilty when he plopped down on Changbin’s bed a couple days later and asked, “So, is it time for my first lesson yet?”

He had been wanting to kiss Changbin pretty much since the moment they met. Lying about not having experience and needing help was the strategy he had finally brainstormed to get his way. He had the smallest hint of feeling like he would regret this idea but he blamed Changbin and his doll lips for ultimately giving into temptation.

The older swiveled around in his desk chair to face Hyunjin. “I suppose. But are you sure you want me to be your first kiss?”

Hyunjin coughed and tripped over his own words, “It-it’s just p-practice! It doesn’t really c-count as the-the-as the real thing!”

Changbin gently smiled at him but Hyunjin couldn’t tell if the flash in his eyes was of pain or pity. He decided to ignore it since neither would make him feel any better. Changbin was about to push himself out of his chair but Hyunjin stopped him, “Um, I’ll-I’ll come over there.”

The sudden raise of his eyebrows gave away the fact that Changbin was somewhat startled by Hyunjin’s statement but he nodded curtly as permission, “Whatever you’re comfortable with.” He relaxed back into his chair as Hyunjin shyly made his way over. The younger stopped about a foot away from Changbin’s knees and gulped, genuinely nervous as hell.

“So, should I just…” Hyunjin didn’t know if he was supposed to wait for instruction or if he was meant to just dive in. Changbin raised a brow, challenging this time, and waited to see if Hyunjin really would make the first move. Sure enough, he stepped slightly closer, let out a quick breath, and leaned forward, placing a hand on each armrest before quickly pecking Changbin’s lips. “There. How was that?”

Changbin’s brain took a moment to process the question, eventually coming to the conclusion that teasing would prompt the most favorable outcome a.k.a. Hyunjin pouting in frustration. “How was what?”

Bingo. Hyunjin huffed angrily, brows knitted together and lips pushed out in the anticipated pout. He balled his fists at his sides and slowly unclenched them. Leaning back in, he placed a slightly longer peck on Changbin’s lips but retreated just as fast as the first time. He gestured sharply, “That.”

“That?” Changbin asked, pointing at his own lips. Hyunjin inclined his head and his expression could only read ‘duh’. “That wasn’t a kiss.”

A fire lit behind Hyunjin’s eyes and he snarled, “Then what, Seonsaengnim, is?”

Changbin smirked daringly and patted his thigh, “Take a seat, haksaeng.”

Hyunjin matched the older’s smirk and, licking his lips seductively, he eased himself into Changbin’s lap, one thick thigh on either side. It was a little awkward in the desk chair but something about squeezing in so close together made it all the more thrilling. Changbin’s hands immediately found the younger’s hips, earning a shiver when he gripped at them roughly.

The elder was completely calm, steely gaze wandering Hyunjin’s features while Hyunjin felt just as inexperienced as he was pretending to be, panting already. Bin slid his hand up Hyunjin’s side to rest his pointer finger under his chin. The pad of his thumb pressed into the younger’s plush lower lip as he gently guided him forward. Hyunjin obediently let himself be pulled closer, eyes slipping closed at the delicate touch.

When Changbin slotted their lips together, he felt Hyunjin instantly melt into him and he resisted the urge to grin at his silent victory. He pulled back with a soft smacking noise before pressing his lips to Hyunjin’s again. After a few careful, sweet kisses to start off, the older drew back and looked at the boy in his lap who was chasing his lips with his eyes still closed. Changbin let out a quiet chuckle, “Eager puppy.”

Hyunjin whined and pouted again, eyes finally opening to look at Changbin. “Feels nice,” he mumbled under his breath as he glanced off to the side, somewhat embarrassed to make too much eye contact.

Bin hummed, “That’s nothing. Wanted to start you off easy though. Didn’t want to rush you at the very start.” He caressed the side of his face, thumb running over the soft skin of Hyunjin’s cheekbone before something in his brain alerted him that he was letting his feelings bleed in and he jerked his hand back suddenly.

Hyunjin tilted his head, expression rather confused, but Changbin covered up the awkwardness by forcing a smile. “Your turn.” The younger looked even more confused and Bin chuckled, “It’s pop quiz time. Show me what you’ve learned so far.”

“Already?” Hyunjin asked, dumbfounded. A light blush began to tint his cheeks. “Kinda lost focus,” he admitted. “I don’t really remember what to do.”

Bin smiled genuinely, “Just do your best, pup.”

Hyunjin’s blush deepened at the nickname and he took a deep breath before hesitantly reaching up to rest his fingertips against Changbin’s jawline and leaned in. He fit their lips together just like Bin had done earlier, dragging away and pressing in again and again.

When he withdrew, Changbin was a little flushed and Hyunjin felt a jolt of happiness rush through him because that was from him. He grinned, “How was that?”

Bin scoffed jokingly, “‘Don’t really remember’, my ass!”

The younger blushed again and his gaze fell to his hands in his lap where he was picking at loose skin around his fingernail.

“It was much better, Jinnie. You did well.” Hyunjin glanced up at Changbin’s praise and smiled gratefully. “But I think that’s enough learning for today.”

Hyujin shook his head adamantly and pouted again, “Just one more lesson. Please, Binnie hyung?”

Changbin’s laugh was bright and teasing, “You like kissing that much already?”

The younger bit at his lip and glanced away before looking back at Bin and nodded shyly. He really, really, really liked it, especially if it was with Changbin; he wasn’t going to admit that out loud.

Changbin sighed, feigning reluctance, but he couldn’t help but grin, “Alright. You know I can’t say no to those puppy dog eyes of yours.”

Hyunjin lit up and bounced slightly in Bin’s lap, wrapping his arms around his neck as he settled comfortably. Changbin’s hands were back on his hips and he nodded at the younger, “C’mere.”

Giggling, Hyunjin leaned in once again and voluntarily initiated the kiss, letting Bin take the lead after he had left a few sweet pecks on his lips. Changbin fluidly moved their lips together and, without noticing in order to stop himself, Hyunjin ‘caught on’ rather quickly. He lost himself in Changbin’s pretty doll lips, his warmth, the scent of his skin, in Changbin. Hyunjin’s fingers found the hair at Bin’s nape and he tangled them in the soft strands while the older’s arms wound around his waist, drawing him in even closer.

Changbin didn’t let the kiss get too dirty or passionate but he knew it felt right, Hyunjin in his lap holding onto him for dear life, tugging at his hair, squeezing in as close as possible. The older pulled away begrudgingly and Hyunjin chased his lips again, causing Bin to chuckle at him despite his own labored breathing. “That’s enough, pup.” Hyunjin pouted once more and slouched in disappointment. “You’re a fast learner, aren’t you, Jinnie?”

The younger hummed appreciatively, “I’m learning from the best.”

Bin rolled his eyes and let out a huff of air in his amusement. “How do you know I’m the best, Mr. I Have No Experience?”

“Shh,” Hyunjin hushed him with a long, slender finger faintly resting against Changbin’s rose tinted lips. “I just know.” A glint of mischief flashed in his eyes and he bit at his bottom lip before giggling again. He tried as gracefully as he could to stand up but his legs were admittedly a little wobbly. Hyunjin just laughed at himself and shrugged, “Well, I’ll let you get back to whatever you were doing before I bothered you.”

Changbin furrowed his brow. “You didn’t bother me, Hyunjin. I’m, uhh,” he cleared his throat, “I’m happy to help.”

Hyunjin smiled warmly and leaned down to press another kiss to his hyung’s lips. “Thank you, Binnie hyung,” he whispered against them before pulling away and leaving Changbin’s bedroom, softly shutting the door behind himself.

Bin sat staring after him for who knows how many minutes, lost in thought and missing the warmth of Hyunjin in his lap. He sighed deeply. He simply wanted what he just couldn’t have and he had to convince himself to bury those feelings. He was going to regret this, he could feel it in his bones.

The younger leaned his back against the door and stared off into space wondering why he even started this whole thing, why he didn’t just tell Changbin the truth and admit his feelings from the start. Guilt swam in his stomach like churning waves and he felt tears prick at his eyes. Hyunjin gulped and blinked them away, taking a deep breath before heading off to distract himself somehow.

~

“Is this ok?” Hyunjin asked tentatively as he eased down onto Changbin’s lap.

Bin chuckled, “This seems to be your favorite spot lately.” When the younger blushed and shied away, Changbin smiled warmly and rested his hands on Hyunjin’s hips, “As long as you're comfortable, I’m fine.”

Biting his lip, Hyunjin glanced at the couch cushion next to them and cleared his throat. “So what’s lesson three, or whatever number we’re on?”

The elder smirked, “I know you’ve been keeping track, pup. You can’t fool me.” Changbin swore he saw Hyunjin’s eye twitch and a flash of agony wash over his face and leave as quickly as it came, but he chose to ignore it and ghosted his hands up and down the sides of the boy in his lap. “Why don’t I just show you, hmm?”

“Should I expect a pop quiz after?” Hyunjin looked up through his lashes, teasing smile curving his pretty, plush lips.

Changbin scoffed jokingly, “It wouldn’t be a pop quiz if I warned you it was happening, Jinnie.”

The younger squinted suspiciously and shrugged his shoulders. “I thought I’d be able to read you. But I guess I’ll just have to pay really close attention and impress you if you do decide to test me.”

Nervousness peeked through Changbin’s calm facade and he gulped apprehensively before composing himself and grunting a noise of acknowledgement. He reached up to grab the back of Hyunjin’s neck and tugged him forward, slotting their lips together forcefully. Hyunjin’s breath hitched and the desire to ruin him clouded Changbin’s mind as he moved his lips against Hyunjin’s, sucking his bottom lip into his mouth before nipping at it aggressively. The younger let out a surprised but pleased sigh and Changbin felt him shiver in his hold.

He kissed back just as sharply, pulling back slightly with Changbin’s lower lip trapped in his teeth, tugging at the flesh before letting it bounce back. He opened his eyes to admire Bin’s features and when the olders eyes fluttered open, Hyunjin smirked at how dark and lustful his gaze had become. Without warning, Hyunjin dove back in and Changbin found himself panting into the others mouth, caught off guard and losing himself in the kiss.

Hyunjin kissed eagerly and feverishly, mouth moving forcibly against Changbin’s but somehow it wasn’t too much. In fact, Bin was craving more and he had to force himself not to take more than was acceptable at the time. He reluctantly withdrew, head falling back against the couch as he tried to catch his breath, eyes still closed.

“Fuck,” Changbin laughed airily, “I don’t think I have to test you after that.”

“Yeah?”

Bin let out another huff of air, “Yeah. It was almost too good.”

Hyunjin sucked his lips into his mouth and bit down, frowning skittishly and glad Changbin still had his eyes shut. “Sorry.”

“No!” Bin’s head shot up and he looked at the younger, perplexed. “Why are you apologizing, Jinnie?” He shook his head and chuckled gently, “I honestly didn’t want to stop.”

Lips shaped like a perfect ‘O’, Hyunjin gazed back at him, expression a little surprised as his cheeks reddened, “Oh.”

Changbin smiled at him fondly but embarrassment at his own admission started to creep up and he looked away shyly. “Don’t look at me like that! I can’t help it, I enjoyed it!”

Hyunjin giggled and leaned forward to whisper in Bin’s ear, “I liked it, too. Really, really liked it.” When he sat back, Changbin’s eyes had darkened again, pupils blown and faintly swollen lips parted.

“In that case,” the younger fidgeted in his lap as he took a deep, calming breath before continuing. “Move on to the next lesson?”

Eyes widening minutely, Hyunjin nodded slowly, glancing down at Changbin’s lips before flicking back up to hold his steady gaze. “Please,” he pleaded almost soundlessly.

“I think I’m gonna regret teaching you how to use tongue because you’ll pick it up really fast and you’re gonna be the death of me, I swear,” Changbin mumbled unintelligibly under his breath. Hyunjin managed to make out the last part of his sentence.

You’re gonna be the death of me, I swear.

Those words swam around in his foggy head as he stared into Changbin’s eyes, almost in a daze and Changbin thought he looked far too fucked out from just a kiss but he wasn’t complaining about the beauty sitting in his lap. The older lured Hyunjin again easily, moulding their lips together the second he was close enough. Hyunjin felt like he was floating and he was suddenly brought back to earth by a burning in the pit of his stomach when Changbin slid his tongue over his bottom lip. He gasped against the older’s mouth, granting him access and tightening his grip around his neck, chests pressed against each other.

Changbin cautiously licked around the outline of Hyunjin’s open mouth, urging a stunned moan to escape from the younger boy. Smiling into the kiss, Bin sucked at his lower lip before moving their lips together again. Hyunjin hesitantly poked his tongue out and Changbin took the opportunity to suck on it, earning a whimper as Hyunjin fisted the front of the elders shirt. Changbin kissed him deeply and, just as he expected, the younger caught on quickly, tongues gracefully dancing together amidst sloppy, open-mouthed kisses.

Pulling away for desperately needed oxygen, they rested their foreheads together as Changbin panted through a smile and Hyunjin stared at him, a hazy look in his eyes. Seconds later, Hyunjin pressed his lips to his hyung’s with new fervor, hands still tightly clutching at the material of Changbin’s shirt. He moaned wantonly when the elder squeezed at his waist.

Hyunjin felt the need to prove what he had learned despite not being asked this time around. He gave up trying to act like all this was new to him and just gave into kissing Changbin. Using his tongue like a hook, Hyunjin dragged Bin’s upper lip into his mouth and nipped at the flesh. The older groaned deeply and his hips canted upwards unintentionally. Pleased with himself, Hyunjin took to exploring Changbin’s mouth, earning moans and whimpers alike. When he finally pulled back, Changbin was the one dazed; kiss-bitten, swollen lips a deep, cherry red and eyes black and lecherous.

“Fuck,” he breathed, throwing his head back again. “Fuck! Why are you such a fast learner?”

The younger smirked, a sudden urge to kiss down Changbin’s exposed throat flashed in his mind but he quickly rid his brain of the thought, sure that that would be too far. At least for the moment.

Changbin laughed at the ceiling. It was almost lethargic. “I think the student has surpassed the teacher, fucking hell!”

Hyunjin couldn’t help the giggle that bubbled up in his chest and he covered his mouth, eyes forming crescent moons above his hand.

“You can’t just look all cute after you did...that,” Bin mumbled when he glanced at the laughing boy in his lap. Suddenly reminded of the whole ‘canting of his hips’ thing and the very evident bulge in his pants underneath Hyunjin’s ass, Changbin flushed, mortified. Hyunjin took that exact moment to squirm in the olders lap and Bin groaned sheepishly. “That’s probably completely unwarranted since we were just kissing but uhh...fuck it! It’s your fault for being too good at kissing so thanks for that!”

Joy mixed with pride bloomed in Hyunjin and he bit his lip, giggling even more, before leaning in to whisper in Changbin’s ear once more. “It was my pleasure,” he taunted, taking Bin’s earring between his teeth and tugged at it gently; the older shivered under him. Then he was out of Changbin’s lap in a flash. As he made his way out of the living room, he called over his shoulder, “I’ll leave you to take care of that.”

“You little shit!” Changbin shouted after him, prompting Hyunjin to wiggle his fingers in a wave before rounding a corner. Bin dropped his head back on the couch, fancying a good old, frustrated scream, but he stayed quiet. He finally got off the couch and headed off to take care of his problem.

And if he imagined Hyunjin taking him apart bit by bit while he simultaneously took Hyunjin apart when he wrapped his hand around his aching, positively dripping cock, that was no one’s business.

He did.

He also chanted Hyunjin’s name in a whisper as he spurted white all over himself and his hand.

But again, no one’s business.

And if Hyunjin got off to the sounds his hyung was making in the other room while he imagined how good Changbin would look covered in his cum, just to reiterate, that was no one’s business.

He did.

He was also overcome with an overwhelming wave of guilt moments after he came to the thought of Changbin.

No one’s business.

~

It became a normal thing, secret kisses and immediate guilt and burying of feelings. Hyunjin was sick to his stomach quite often, to the point that Chan got concerned with how often he was saying he was sick and going to lay down. Changbin worried that it was his fault. Maybe the younger was sick of him. Maybe he hated kissing Bin and just kept going along with it so as not to make him feel bad. If only he hadn’t said yes, if only they didn’t keep this up, if only, if, if. Changbin worried himself sick but he didn’t let Chan notice because Chan definitely didn’t need anything else to worry about.

“I’m going to go check on him,” Changbin volunteered a few minutes after Hyunjin mentioned he was feeling off and went to lay down for the nth time that week. Chan gave him an appreciative look and nodded approvingly.

Bin headed for the kitchen to make some ginger tea to soothe Hyunjin’s upset stomach. Once it was brewed, he took the steaming mug and knocked lightly on Hyunjin’s bedroom door before quietly opening it and peeking his head in. “Jinnie, it’s me. I brought you some ginger tea. It might help your stomach.”

Hyunjin grunted and laid still, facing the wall as Changbin padded in and set the mug down on the bedside table. The older hesitated before sitting on the bed in the curve Hyunjin’s legs formed and rested a gentle hand on his arm. “Jinnie,” he whispered. “I’m sorry.”

Changbin heard a sniffle and his heart immediately clenched in pain at the thought of Hyunjin crying. “Oh, Jinnie, baby. Don’t cry,” he pleaded selfishly, knowing just how much it hurt to see him cry.

Hyunjin let out a sob. “Why did you say you’re sorry? What for? I’m the one that’s sorry. I’m so sorry,” he babbled, voice cracking every other word. “I’m so sorry, hyung.”

“Jinnie,” Bin hesitated, on the brink of tears himself and he was sure they would spill when he saw the younger’s face but he asked anyway. “Can you look at me, please?” Hyunjin hiccuped and turned to face the older, unable to look him in the eye. “What are you apologizing for, baby? You have nothing to be sorry for!”

Throwing his hands up in the air, Hyunjin scoffed exasperatedly. “You couldn’t be more wrong, hyung!” He let his hands fall back to his sides and laughed sardonically through his tears.

Changbin couldn’t help the hurt expression that morphed his features. “I can’t know unless you tell me,” he tried, reaching for the younger’s hand to squeeze reassuringly. “You can tell me anything, Jinnie.” He could practically see the gears turning in Hyunjin’s head as he debated on whether or not to tell his hyung the truth. “I’m not sure if you think this or not, but I’m not mad at you. And I won’t be, no matter what you tell me. I just want to know what’s wrong because I’m worried sick about you and I want to fix whatever’s wrong if I can.”

Hyunjin’s bottom lip trembled as fresh tears spilled over his cheeks. He shot up and wrapped his arms around Changbin, weeping into his shoulder as the older took him into his arms and soothed a hand up and down his back. “Jinnie,” he whispered, burying his face in Hyunjin’s neck. But that’s all he said. He waited patiently for the younger to speak his mind.

“I lied to you,” Hyunjin mumbled into his t-shirt. “I lied about,” his body shook with the deep breath he took, “I lied about not having experience.” Hyunjin pulled away and sat hunched over, staring into his own lap and fiddled with a loose string on his pant leg. “I made it all up. All of it. The whole kissing practice thing was just an excuse. And I kept the lie going and I feel awful about it. I feel so sick over it because I never intended to hurt you or force you into it or anything like that. I feel sick over it because I’ve had feelings for you this whole time and I’ve been ignoring them so much when I’m with you that when I’m not with you, they all come crashing down on me and I feel like I’m going to throw up because I’m so overwhelmed with guilt. I can’t lie to you anymore, hyung. I never wanted to in the first place. But my stupid brain couldn’t figure out another way to make you see that I’m in love with you. So instead, I just hurt the both of us. Like an idiot. And I know I hurt you because you wouldn’t have apologized if I didn’t. You’re too sweet, saying you’re sorry for something that isn’t even remotely your fault and you know it. You’re too sweet and I love you for it. So much. And I’m so, so sorry.”

Changbin’s brain couldn’t process the entirety of the sudden influx of information that had just poured out of Hyunjin’s mouth. All he could process was three things, and he told Hyunjin so. “All I heard was ‘I lied’, ‘I’m sorry’, and ‘I’m in love with you’.” Hyunjin looked somewhat fearful, combined with embarrassment and regret. The older shook his head and took Hyunjin’s hands into his own. “And I’m telling you the exact same thing. I lied in the sense that I never told you I had feelings for you when I’ve had them since we first met. I’m sorry that I kept this thing going without telling you everything--I’m the hyung here, that’s on me. And I’m in love with you, too.”

“Y-you don’t hate me?” Hyunjin’s brows were scrunched together and he stared at the older in disbelief.

Reaching up to wipe away the new tears from the younger’s cheeks, Changbin shook his head adamantly. “Baby, no! I could never hate you! I mean, I can’t say I like the fact that you lied to me but I don’t blame you because I lied to you, too. We both didn’t know how to just come right out with our feelings. And besides, it got us this far, didn’t it?”

Hyunjin chuckled sadly, “I guess so. I’m still really sorry, hyung.”

“I know, Jinnie. Me too,” Changbin gently tugged him forward into another hug which Hyunjin gladly melted into. “I love you.”

Another sob slipped past Hyunjin’s lips and he laughed at himself, “Sorry, I didn’t know I would react like that hearing you say that for the first time.”

Changbin hummed and nuzzled into his neck, arms squeezing Hyunjin’s waist. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, hyung.”

~

“You said you don’t hate me but you’re spending awfully long amounts of time in your studio here lately.” Hyunjin’s teasing voice startled a very focused Changbin who was absorbed in whatever he was working on. He quickly spun around in his chair and his gaze found the younger standing in the doorway, his hip leant against the door frame and arms crossed over his chest, eyebrow raised, feigning suspicion.

Changbin whined, “You know I miss you like crazy. I’ve just had so much work to get done.”

Smirk curving his lips, Hyunjin sauntered into the room, closing the door behind him and turned the lock. “Why don’t you show me how much you miss me?” He taunted as he dropped onto the sofa in Changbin’s studio, clearly expecting the older to come to him.

Bin scoffed lightly before turning back around to fiddle with something while defeat and embarrassment crept up in Hyunjin; he genuinely thought Changbin was just ignoring him and finishing his work like the younger wasn’t even there. But soon, a sultry melody with heavy bass flooded through the speakers in the studio [Electric (R3hab Remix) (feat. Khalid) - Alina Baraz] and Changbin turned back around to face Hyunjin, smirking himself when he saw the expression on Hyunjin’s face. Pushing out of his chair, Bin stalked over to the couch, slipping his t-shirt over his head and tossed it behind himself carelessly as he watched Hyunjin rake his carnal gaze over the newly exposed skin, dark eyes hooded and full lips parted.

When he finally stood in front of the younger, he snickered wickedly and leaned in to ghost his lips over Hyunjin’s before gently guiding him to lay down on the sofa, body rolling fluidly as he climbed on top of him. “That was way too smooth,” Hyunjin whispered, impressed, causing Changbin’s smirk to widen if that was even possible.

“Kinda surprised myself there, honestly.” His smirk transformed into a genuine smile as he chuckled at himself and Hyunjin thought he looked positively beautiful in that moment. The feeling was mutual. Changbin stared at the boy below him -- long blond hair splayed out around his head, flush high on his cheeks, an enthralled fascination swirled deep in his inky eyes alongside pure admiration and want. “Fuck, you’re beautiful,” he rasped, mesmerized.

“Kiss me,” Hyunjin breathed. Changbin didn’t need to be told twice. He bent down and brushed their noses together ever so gently before capturing Hyunjin’s lips. Moving gracefully, Bin kissed him deeply, wanting to convey as much emotion as he possibly could, needing Hyunjin to know how much he loved him. He couldn’t help but say it, though.

“I love you, Jinnie.”

Hyunjin hummed against his mouth, “Mmm, love you, too, hyung. So much.” He threw his arms around Changbin, pulling him in even closer and arched into him when the older teased their tongues together.

“Want you,” Hyunjin gasped after moments of kissing the life out of each other. “Want you so bad.”

Changbin growled, kissing along Hyunjin’s jawline and down his neck as the younger boy bared his throat for him. Desperately wanting to leave marks, he knew he couldn’t leave anything in visible areas so he softly mouthed, kissed, and licked at the column of Hyunjin’s neck, earning constant whimpers and whines because of the sensitivity of the area. When Bin reached his clavicle, the urge won over and he sucked a deep plum-colored mark where he thought would be the perfect place. Sitting up to marvel at Hyunjin, Changbin let out a pleased hum at how divine the younger looked with his claim on him. The stylist noonas probably wouldn’t be too happy but Hyunjin looked plenty sexy when he was more covered up so Changbin didn’t think it would be too much of a problem. He didn’t care anyway. Hyunjin was his.

“Mine,” he murmured as he bent down again briefly to kiss at the pretty bruise. When he sat back up, he smiled in awe. “Always wanted to know what you’d look like underneath me like this.”

Hyunjin huffed out a chuckle, “And how do I look?”

“Impossibly perfect. Better than I ever dreamed,” Bin praised, eyes sparkling when he noticed Hyunjin’s cheeks redden. He shook his head and laughed breathily, “And I haven’t even ruined you yet!”

“Binnie hyung,” Hyunjin whined, pouting just how Changbin liked so much.

Bin smirked, “I know, baby,” he leaned down to kiss him again, “I’ve got you.” Hands trailing up Hyunjin’s sides and lifting his shirt in the process, Changbin sucked at his plush lips, fingertips delicately dancing over the other boy’s skin. Goosebumps rose under his touch and the younger arched into him again, moaning sweetly, so receptive and sensitive. “Off,” Changbin murmured against Hyunjin’s mouth.

Sitting up to lift his shirt over his head and toss it to the side, Hyunjin promptly fell back against the cushion, hair flooding out around him again. The dim, hazy light that filled the room lit up his blond strands and looked suspiciously like a halo to Changbin. But he knew better. This was no angel beneath him. This was a devil with a halo. Hyunjin had been shy and pliant but when he noticed how Changbin was staring at him, he couldn’t help but smirk as a wicked naughtiness shone behind his eyes and Changbin swore this boy would be the end of him.

Without warning, Bin leaned down to mouth at one of Hyunjin’s pert nipples and he grinned against his skin when the younger boy whimpered and canted his hips, the brief flash of power behind his eyes vanishing as quickly as it appeared. The older tugged gently with his teeth, earning a gasp and a roll of Hyunjin’s hips. Changbin hummed, “Bet I could make you cum from just your nipples, hmm? Would you like that, pup?”

Hyunjin shook his head fervently, “No! Want you, hyung!”

Chuckling, Changbin nodded as he pressed kisses over to Hyunjin’s other side. “Alright. Patience, baby. I told you I’d ruin you and I’m going to take my time. Understood?”

Sucking in a breath past his teeth, Hyunjin melted further into the sofa, “Yes, hyung.”

Changbin took his time toying with Hyunjin’s nipples before mouthing over the entirety of his chest, leaving burgundy flowers blooming in his wake, littering his skin with possessive marks. Whimpering and biting at his lips, Hyunjin craved more and Changbin could feel just how badly he needed him. He tugged at the waistband of the younger boy’s jeans, “I’m gonna take these off now. Is that ok?”

“Please,” Hyunjin begged simply. So Bin unfastened them slowly and slipped the material down his legs and threw it behind himself blindly before kneeling between his legs and bending down to mouth at his clothed cock. “Oh!” Hyunjin gasped, hands immediately flying to Changbin’s hair and tugging at the strands at the nape of his neck. The older smiled against him and hooked his fingers under the band, looking up for permission. When Hyunjin nodded, hooded eyes fluttering and lips bitten red, looking absolutely breathtaking, Bin removed them, wasting no time in mouthing at his leaking cock. The younger squirmed beneath him, mewling as he sucked at his balls. “Hyung, I-” A strangled moan cut off his words when Changbin wrapped his pretty doll lips around the head of his dick.

“Hmm?” Bin questioned wordlessly, suckling tenderly. But Hyunjin didn’t answer; he threw his head back and cursed under his breath when Changbin moved further down. Hollowing his cheeks, he bobbed his head, gradually taking more and more of Hyunjin. The younger writhed, wanton moans spilling from his lips.

Hyunjin had quite a bit of length but Changbin knew he could take it so he relaxed his throat and slid all the way down. “Hyung! Mouth- so good- I- Oh my god!” Hyunjin slurred, tightening his grasp on the hair in his fists. Bin’s chest warmed, proud of himself, knowing he was giving Hyunjin so much pleasure he could barely speak. The head of Hyunjin’s cock repeatedly hit the back of his throat before he stilled, swallowing around him, urging a weak scream from the boy under him.

Changbin loved how vocal Hyunjin was but in that moment, he was eternally grateful for the soundproof walls surrounding them. He lifted off Hyunjin’s cock, having decided it was sufficiently wet, and if not, the pre-cum would make the slide easier. Bin sat up on his knees and untucked himself, not even bothering to take off his sweats, just shoving them out of the way enough before leaning forward to hover over Hyunjin. Avoiding his hair, Changbin rested on his forearm against the cushion and slotted their hips together, hard, leaking cocks brushing each other as he watched the younger’s face morph in euphoria.

Spitting in his hand, just in case, Bin reached down between them and took both cocks in his hand, instantly dropping his head to Hyunjin’s neck and rolling his hips into his grasp. Hyunjin groaned and wrapped his arms around Changbin’s torso. “Yes,” he whispered in his ear, “You feel so good, hyung. Touch me just like that.”

Controlling nature fading in and out, Hyunjin vacilated between flustered, slurred words and heated, dirty talk like it was the easiest thing in the world and Changbin couldn’t help but be amused despite the tingle that shot up his spine at Hyunjin’s words. He smiled against Hyunjin’s fiery skin, placing small kisses on the junction where his neck met his shoulder.

Changbin continued to tug at their cocks until Hyunjin was whining in his ear and digging his nails into his back. “I’m so close, hyung. Please make me cum. Please,” he panted as he thrusted into Bin’s fist.

The older groaned in response, rhythm speeding up slightly and he stopped every once in a while to squeeze at the heads. “‘m close too, pup. Gonna make a mess of you. Gonna cum all over your pretty tummy. Bet you look gorgeous covered in my cum.”

Hyunjin suddenly stopped breathing, seizing up and arching into the older, chests pressing together as he spilled himself over Changbin’s hand and his own stomach. Bin leaned up just in time to see the ecstasy freeze up his beautiful features, hypnotized by the boy beneath him. “Wow,” he breathed, helping Hyunjin ride out his orgasm. Air returned to the younger boy’s lungs and he turned to lazily smile at Changbin.

He stopped stroking them together, letting Hyunjin’s cock fall into the mess on his stomach as he sat up and grasped his own length. Using the cum his hand was covered in to ease the slide even more, Bin fisted himself eagerly and seconds later, he streaked Hyunjin’s stomach with his own release. Changbin slouched as the energy evaporated from him.

Through heavy-lidded eyes, he watched Hyunjin trail his fingertips through the cum on his abdomen, swirling it around sloppily, mixing their releases before scooping up a decent amount. Changbin’s eyes widened and his dick twitched in renewed interest as Hyunjin brought his fingers to his mouth and wrapped his pillowy, kiss-bitten lips around them. Their eyes met as the younger boy cleaned his fingers of their cum, blown pupils swimming with desire and mischief.

“Fuck,” Changbin huffed, hovering over Hyunjin once more. “What a dirty baby!” Hyunjin smirked as he pulled his fingers from his mouth, a single strand of saliva connecting them. Bin broke it with the tip of his tongue before capturing the younger boy’s lips and dipping his tongue in to taste their cum on Hyunjin’s tongue.

He moaned at the older’s boldness and kissed him deeper. He teasingly mumbled against Changbin’s lips, “You’re dirty, too, hyung, aren’t you?” Bin just smiled and kissed him again.

After losing track of the time they spent kissing and giving himself enough of a refractory time period, Changbin pulled away and met Hyunjin’s eyes. “How about you flip over so I can taste you some more, hmm?” Hyunjin nodded quickly and reached for a t-shirt on the floor to rid his stomach of the rest of the mess. He was pretty sure it was his own shirt and in the back of his mind, he briefly hoped Bin had a spare or at least a hoodie so he wouldn’t have to return to the dorms suspiciously shirtless.

He cleaned himself off and turned over as requested and Changbin’s hands immediately gripped at his ass, kneading the flesh and spreading his cheeks. “Fuck, Jinnie! You’re too pretty, god!” Hyunjin looked over his shoulder at the older and scrunched his nose in a teasing manner while shaking his ass as best he could in Changbin’s grasp. Bin landed a slap against his right cheek, punishment for his playful taunting, and Hyunjin groaned deeply, dropping his head to the couch cushion and lifting his hips slightly, seemingly silently begging for more.

Changbin willingly obliged his unspoken request, his expression a nasty sneer as he smacked Hyunjin’s left cheek. “Wanna look in the mirror and see my handprints on your ass? My marks all over your pretty chest and thighs? Feel my lingering touch on your heated skin? Know you’re mine?” He demanded, spellbound by the way Hyunjin’s ass jiggled every time he laid a hard slap on the soft flesh.

Hyunjin wailed loudly at a particularly harsh spank and pushed his ass back towards Changbin. “Fuck, yes! More! Please, more! Make me yours, hyung!”

Bin growled unrestrainedly and ceased his attack on Hyunjin’s reddened skin, instead moving to lick a long stripe up his puckered hole. The younger boy let out a sound somewhere between a moan and a squeak and Changbin smiled against his skin at how oddly cute it was. He continued to lick and suck at his rim, urging the sweetest melodies to flow from his lover. When he poked his tongue inside, Hyunjin laughed deliriously, drunk with pleasure. Changbin thrusted his tongue in and out of Hyunjin’s pretty hole while the younger urged him on with frantic praise, “Oh, Binnie-hyung! Your filthy mouth feels so fucking good on me! You eat my ass so well! Fuck, just like that! Eat my ass just like that, yes! Yes!”

He pushed back again and Bin gripped at his ass and thighs, leaving prints and crescent-shaped indents as he massaged the flesh and buried his tongue in further, sucking at his rim. Adding a single finger, Changbin pushed the digit in alongside his tongue only to discover that it went in far too easily. He hummed suspiciously and sat up on his heels, sliding two fingers in place of one and Hyunjin whined at the feeling. “Tell me, pup,” he prompted, wiping the spit from his chin with the back of his hand and pumped his fingers slowly. “What have you been doing that’s got your slutty hole so loose, hmm?”

Hyunjin whimpered, burying his face further into his folded arms. Changbin slapped his ass again, “Answer me, pup.”

“F-fingered my-myself in the s-shower before I got here,” he admitted shamefully, stuttering as he dared to look back at the elder with his eyes wide and pleading. “Th-thought of you the wh-whole time, h-hyung.”

How the younger went from filthy, dirty talk to bashful stuttering in two seconds flat continued to bewilder Changbin but he was thoroughly enjoying the rollercoaster that was Hyunjin. He grunted in approval, “Good boy.”

Hyunjin’s eyes practically rolled to the back of his head and he couldn’t help but rut against the couch at the blatant praise. Changbin snickered at him, plunging his fingers in even further but still avoided his prostate. “You gonna cum from my fingers, baby?” He questioned, adding a third digit and urging a shaky groan from the boy beneath him.

“No!” Hyunjin shook his head adamantly as he rocked back onto Changbin’s fingers. “Wanna cum- I wanna cum on your cock. Please, hyung. Fuck me, please!”

Changbin hummed, “But, pup. I haven’t got any lube. Your hole may be loose from fingering yourself but I don’t want to hurt you stuffing my cock in your ass without lube. I don’t have a condom either.” His tone was disparaging, laced with overly-dramatic dissatisfaction even though he was genuinely dissapointed; he really did want to fuck Hyunjin but the last thing he wanted was to really hurt him.

Hyunjin shook his head again and gestured off towards another part of the room. “Back pocket,” he huffed. “Jeans back pocket. Brought lube.” He swallowed, still panting as Changbin spread his fingers wide inside him. “Don’t need a condom. Wanna feel you, hyung, please.”

Changbin stilled, “Are you sure, baby?”

“We’re clean. Don’t need it,” the younger boy mumbled, “Want you.”

Pressing kisses against the base of Hyunjin’s spine, Bin slowly pulled out his fingers, “Alright, baby. I’ll be right back.”

He rose from the couch to search for Hyunjin’s jeans that he had tossed god knows where, shucking off his own pants in the process -- why he hadn’t taken them off up until then, he had no clue, but he was glad to be rid of them. After coming up empty handed fishing through one pocket, he found a small bottle of lube tucked away in the opposite side and cheered internally before returning to the sofa where Hyunjin was rutting desperately against the cushion in his impatience. Bin was suddenly thankful that the material was easy to clean as he was sure Hyunjin was making a mess of it and they both would make even more of a mess not using a condom. He shrugged off his worries and resumed his place between Hyunjin’s thighs, uncapping the lube and squeezing a generous amount onto his fingers.

Warming it, Changbin hovered his hand over Hyunjin’s twitching hole, “I’m going to open you up a little more, OK, pup?”

“Hurry, please,” the younger boy begged, “Want you.”

Pressing in, Bin reminded him, “Patience, baby,” even though he was becoming desperate himself. He scissored his fingers around, searching for that spot that would make Hyunjin see stars and beg even more for Changbin’s cock.

He knew he found it when Hyunjin jolted forward and let out a choked, gurgled sounding moan and he couldn’t help but chuckle when the younger boy whipped his head over his shoulder and glared at him. Dropping the honorifics, it was Hyunjin’s turn to growl, “Now, Changbin! Fuck me now!”

Bin retracted his hand and lifted both up in surrender, still smiling, “As you wish.”

Lubing up his neglected cock, Changbin hissed in sensitivity as he gave himself a few good tugs. He lightly smacked Hyunjin’s hip, “Up.” The younger boy immediately lifted his hips, rising to his knees while still leaning his forearms and the side of his face into the sofa cushion. “Good boy,” Bin praised, lining himself up and teasing Hyunjin’s fluttering hole with the head of his cock. He carefully pressed in, Hyunjin’s breath hitching with the initial stretch, going slow so the younger had time to adjust. When he was about halfway in, Changbin rubbed a comforting hand over Hyunjin’s lower back, “You OK, baby?”

“Ngh, more, more, please more,” he wailed, pushing back against the elder.

Changbin chuckled fondly and slid in the rest of the way, hips pressed snugly against Hyunjin’s ass. “There,” he breathed, barely above a whisper.

Hyunjin gripped at the edge of the cushion, “Fuck, you’re big!” Usually, Changbin would absolutely preen at that kind of glorifying but for some reason, he just blushed and let out the tiniest of squeaks.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, dropping his head forward onto Hyunjin’s back, barely changing the angle but it was enough for the younger boy to feel it.

“Oh!” Hyunjin shivered, breathing heavy as he reached back with one hand to grip at Changbin. His hand landed somewhere between his thigh and ass; he couldn’t tell where but he wasn’t complaining and immediately squeezed a handful of his thick body. Bin grunted and the younger laughed breathily, “Don’t apologize! You’re perfect! Just let me- don’t move for a minute. I gotta-”

Changbin tenderly covered the boy with his own body and whispered in his ear to calm him, “Thank you, Jinnie. You’re perfect, too.” He pressed gentle kisses along Hyunjin’s shoulder, smiling into his skin as he spoke. “Just relax, baby. Take your time. You let me know if it’s too much, OK? We’ll stop!”

“No, I want this! I want you! I just- you’re so-” Hyunjin’s words trailed off into a moan as he rolled his own hips. “Big! Feels so good! You feel so good, hyung!”

The elder squeezed his eyes shut, willing the urge to just pound into him to go away, and took a shaky breath, “Does it hurt?”

Hyunjin shook his head. “Uh-uh,” he slurred, “‘s just a lot.” After another minute or two, the younger boy nodded, “‘s OK, hyung. You can move.”

Changbin kept his position, mouthing at Hyunjin’s neck and shoulder to distract him somewhat, but he started to roll his hips experimentally. Little grunts and whimpers passed Hyunjin’s plush lips and Bin pressed sweet kisses to the side of his face, whispering praises in his ear, “My baby. So good for me. Love you, Jinnie. You feel amazing. You’re so beautiful, my pretty baby.”

Tears streaked Hyunjin’s cheeks and Changbin kissed them away, “Love you, hyung.” He squeezed the flesh in his grip, “Harder, please.”

Bin drew back his hips a little further each time he thrusted, mild but still powerful. Hyunjin’s grasp on his side fell away and instead, he reached up behind himself to thread his fingers through Changbin’s hair, keeping him close as the elder peppered his skin with kisses. Changbin nuzzled into him, whispering ‘I love you’s.

Hyunjin loved the pure bliss that he felt in Changbin’s arms, being smothered in love and praises. But he wanted to cum again. And he wanted to get fucked. Hard. So he begged for it like a good boy. “Please, more. I need more. Please fuck me harder, hyung! I need it! Please, hyung!”

Changbin straightened up with a low growl, “Such a good boy for me, begging so sweetly. I’ll give you what you want, baby.” His hands found Hyunjin’s hips, his hold tight and sure to leave prints, and he drew back, leaving just the tip of his cock in the younger’s tight hole before plunging in.

Hyunjin let out a shaky groan, wiggling his ass against Changbin’s hips. The elder held him tighter and repeated his deep thrust, reveling in the wanton moan it punched out of the boy under him. “You’re still so tight, baby. Feel so good around me, sucking me back in every time I pull out. So good for me!” He was transfixed as he watched his cock slide past Hyunjin’s tight ring of muscles.

Wailing and grunting and meeting Changbin’s thrusts, Hyunjin pleaded again, “Please, hyung! Fuck me! Pound my tight ass! Fuck me harder, please!”

Growling again, Changbin quickened his pace before lifting one leg, changing the angle and abruptly causing the most beautiful sounds to pass Hyunjin’s pillowy lips. He reduced him to sobs and whines, mewling instead of forming complete words and clawing at the couch cushions. Bin smirked through his exertion, laughing lightly at how much he had succeeded in ruining the boy.

He was nearing his climax and breathed out one last question he hoped the younger could somehow form a coherent answer to. “I’m close, pup. Where do you want my cum?”

“Ngh, in me. In me, inside, please cum in me, hyung. I need your cum, need you to cum inside, please, need you to fill me up,” Hyunjin cried, plenty coherently, thighs trembling as he felt heat pool in his own belly.

Changbin leaned over Hyunjin once more, one hand steady on his hip while the other reached around to fist at his dripping cock. “Gonna cum, pup? Gonna cum for me like a good boy?” The elder mumbled in his ear, tone almost taunting, “Gonna make a filthy mess of yourself again?”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Hyunjin sobbed, “Please can I cum, hyung?”

Burying his nose into the younger boy’s neck, he smirked against his skin and gave him permission. “Of course, baby! Go ahead, cum on my cock.”

Whispering ‘thank you’s over and over again, Hyunjin’s body began to shake from how close he was. Changbin straightened up once again, effortlessly lifting Hyunjin’s knees off the sofa and he tugged just right and thrusted against the perfect spot and Hyunjin was done. Legs spasming, still clawing at the cushion he could reach, Hyunjin cried out, “Changbin! God, fuck!”

Ribbons of white sprayed over the sofa cushion and the younger boy’s walls tightened around Bin, tipping him over the edge. He stroked Hyunjin through his orgasm while he pumped him full of his cum. Changbin collapsed back on his heels, Hyunjin awkwardly falling into his lap, still connected to each other.

Using the microscopic amount of energy he had left, Hyunjin leaned back into Changbin and turned to place a lazy kiss against his jawline, melting into him as he let his battery recharge enough to make it back to the dorms.

Speaking of making it back to the dorms, Hyunjin looked down at himself and the mess of the couch in front of him and groaned. “We gotta clean up.”

“Good thing this is a pleather couch or else that stain would be a real bitch to get out,” Changbin chuckled, glancing around the room at the strewn about clothes in search of something to wipe up the mess with. His eyes landed on the roll of paper towels he kept on his desk for the frequent times he ate in his studio and subsequently spilled multiple things.

Bin’s mind whirled with various things as he silently stared at the paper towels on the other side of the room -- Hyunjin needs a shirt of some kind since he wiped up cum with his. I should have a spare hoodie in that bag over there. Chan’s probably still up even if no one else is. How are we gonna get past him without looking incredibly suspicious? Oh god, I just came in Hyunjin’s ass! That’s gonna leak out before we can get in the shower at home! Fuck! “Really wish I had a butt plug right now.”

Hyunjin snorted and turned to look at him, “Excuse me?”

“What? I- oh. I said that out loud,” Changbin grinned sheepishly. “It’s just- OK I’m not saying this to be kinky or anything but a butt plug would be convenient right now since I just came in your ass and we have to somehow make it back to the dorms, you know?”

Throwing his head back, Hyunjin laughed warmly, “I think I’ve got that handled, thanks. I’ll be fine.” Changbin nodded, still trying to come up with solutions to his other dilemmas. “Do you have an extra shirt? Mine’s kinda…” Hyunjin trailed off, gesturing at it on the floor next to the couch.

It was Bin’s turn to laugh. “Yeah. Hoodie in the bag over there,” he pointed in its direction before inclining his head towards his desk. “We can use the paper towels to clean up what we can. I’m gonna go grab them so I have to pull out now, OK?”

Hyunjin braced himself and nodded, both boys wincing in oversensitivity as Changbin moved Hyunjin off his lap, soft dick falling to his hip. When Bin returned to the sofa with the paper towels, he couldn’t help but laugh at Hyunjin who was desperately trying not to kneel or put a hand in the mess. “Sorry, sorry!” He rushed to help when the younger boy glared at him.

Once the couch was no longer a disaster and the two were as clean as they could be given the circumstances, they pulled their clothes on and Changbin gathered up his stuff before they headed for the dorms.

“How much you wanna bet Chan ‘knows’ we did something?” Hyunjin joked as they were walking down a stairwell.

Changbin let out a playful, pained noise, “Let’s just hope he’s preoccupied since we both know he won’t be sleeping.” Hyunjin nodded in agreement. “And if he’s not, don’t act suspicious!”

“Easy for you to say!”

Bin spoke up again a few moments later. “Was,” he hesitated, “Was that OK? I mean, was it good for you? Umm…”

Hyunjin took one look at Changbin’s clearly stressed expression and burst out laughing, “Yes, hyung. 10/10 would fuck again.”

The elder tried to hold back his own laugh but ultimately failed, “Oh, uhh, yeah, same.” Hyunjin knocked his hip, still giggling as he hooked their arms together.

When they arrived back at the dorms, much to their chagrin, Chan was waiting in the living room like a dad that was pissed with his teenage children for coming home way past curfew. “I had a feeling you two were up to something,” he squinted at them skeptically. “What did you do?”

“Fuck!” Changbin breathed in annoyance but Hyunjin took it the wrong way.

“Hyung, I thought you said we weren’t going to tell him what we did!”

Changbin felt like he was dying inside.

Chan just stared at the floor, entirely unwilling to make eye contact with either boy.

Hyunjin just giggled, “Oops?”

[zacc-attacc]

Kissing In The Snow: A Javid Fic

This fic is lowkey shit and I might literally post a new one to apologize for this, but have it anyway!

Final Word Count: 3.2k

Triggers: There’s a bit of an anxiety attack, and a reference to self-harm. I put an * before the attack and bolded the self-harm reference so you stay safe! Love you nerds!

The plan was originally to drive through the night. After all, it was a long-term trip, and we both had a pretty uncanny ability to stay awake. Since we had two drivers, we could switch roles every now and again. But we only made it until a few hours after dark. 

I knew there would be snow. After all, especially around New York, there was always snow during late December. But that… That was the type of storm that we hadn’t seen in years. The only time I think I had ever seen that much snow was when my family had traveled to Canada and they were hit with a snow storm. It was magical as a kid in a warm, safe cabin. But now, as an adult, driving on a dark road with the life of my best friend in my hands, it was downright terrifying. 

Jack wasn’t fully asleep when I started to consider pulling over. After all, it was only around 10 PM, meaning he was in the dozing part of the night. It was just dark enough that he couldn’t sketch in his physical notebook, and he had put in his earbuds to try and drift off. He had offered to drive, since he was sure I was sleepy from waking up at 5 AM to pack, but I assured him that I was wide awake. And I really was. Slamming three Bang Energy drinks in the span of two hours would do that to a guy. 

Snowflakes had started to fall about an hour ago. They were small ones, barely making a dent in our view. But the longer I drove, the bigger they got. Bigger, thicker, and falling faster. I knew that if I was outside, I would be soaked within three seconds. 

The wind howled, not for the first time, whistling around the car and nudging it slightly across the icy road in an attempt to push us off. I could feel my anxiety rising as I frantically tried to keep the car on the road while staying calm, but something must have tipped Jack off, because he sat up from where he was curled by the window, stared at the weather, and looked at me with shock on his face. 

“Jesus, Dave, it’s crazy out there!” 

I felt my hands that I hadn’t even realized were clenching the wheel loosen at the sound of his voice. Despite the fact that I had just been talking on and off with him for seven hours, his voice still had a strange habit of making the world seem less terrible. Especially when paired with his eyes, wide, hazel-y green, and worried. 

“Yeah,” I said, hearing that my voice was significantly higher than it usually was. 

“Should we… Pull over? Find somewhere to stay for the night? We can’t sleep in the car, you’ll freeze-”

“I’ll freeze? Last I checked I’m not the only one who can contract hypothermia,” I cut him off, smiling internally at the ‘Mama bird’ side that was revealing itself (a side that normally only showed in dire situations or when one of their friends were injured).

“Yeah, but you’re a string bean. Nothing to you,” Jack pointed out. This was true, but only when compared to him. As the linebacker for Northwestern University’s football team, he had enough muscle on him to pass for a professional bodybuilder. It was funny that he was a football player while also majoring in art, while compared to the other players with their business and accounting majors. I knew he secretly hated the team, but he was playing football for the scholarship to put him through school, so it was either play or starve. Obviously, he chose to play.

I tried to take a left turn, starting to slope softly almost 50 feet away in order to be able to make the turn. It was still almost too much for the car, causing me to need to break completely to avoid hitting a sign that read Joanna’s Nightly Cabins and Bunks, 10 mi. 

I felt my entire body tighten as I tried to steer  without adding any additional momentum to our car careening across the ice. The tires were locked in place, and still sliding like the world’s most dangerous hockey puck. Jack had stopped talking, and was holding his breath right along with me as we continued to slide. Once we finally stopped, I put my head down on the steering wheel and tried not to cry from a simultaneous feeling of adrenaline and relief. 

*********

I was shaking, harder than I had in a long time. I felt Jack’s strong, warm hand on my back, an anchor. He knew how my attacks worked, since he had seen me through middle and high school. They happened a lot less now, but that didn’t make them any better when they did hit, like a freight train of emotion and a loss of control. Where my lungs decided to say “I can’t do this anymore,” and stopped wanting to work. Where my face felt like it was set on fire, and my eyes were watering and I tired to keep everything under control but it all felt so hard and my thoughts were rushing and my heart was pounding in my ears and-

“It’s okay, Davey,” his low voice muttered. 

Davey. 

That damn nickname. The one only he had ever called me. 

He was leaning over the gear stick now to hug me, pinning my arms to my side (I had… Old habits) He was rocking, his hand on my heart as he counted the beats with me, whispering into my ear. 

“Five, six, seven, eight…”

**********

Once we got to sixty, I had calmed down a bit. I could breathe now, at least, and I had stopped crying. 

“I think I’ll drive us the rest of the way. Is that okay, Dave?” Jack murmured. He was still holding onto me tightly, as if I could break at any moment. 

“Yeah,” I said, my voice sounding worn like it always did after an attack. 

The moment I felt him pull away, I missed him. After all, he really was quite warm, and there was a winter storm outside. At least, that’s what I tried to tell myself. 

I opened the car door, and heard Jack do the same behind me. The road was icy, icier than we should have been driving on. Then again, I guess that was kind of the whole reason we were dipping out rather than driving through the night. 

As we were walking, I could feel my Timberlands beginning to lose the battle between gravity and friction. I looked up in an attempt to keep my balance, and saw Jack begin to topple. I instinctively reached out my arm to catch him, and we both spun in some strange, ice dance to keep our balance. Finally, Jack slapped the hood of the car to tether us both, hard enough that the alarm started to beep, shattering the night with its high tones.

Jack looked at me, and down at my arm, which I just noticed had somehow snaked around his waist in the struggle. I dropped it quickly, feeling my face heat up despite the snow, smiling awkwardly. Jack just patted my shoulder, and began to chuckle. A soft, not full-blown laugh at the situation. I found myself laughing right along with him. 

His laughter had always been contagious. 

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

“This is delux,” Jack grinned, unrolling his travel blanket onto the singular bunk bed. Joanna’s Nightly Cabins and Bunks turned out to be a dingy collection of cabins owned by an old woman looking to make a buck and offer hospitality to travelers. 

“I’m glad you pulled over, you’ll catch your death in that type of storm,” Joanna said from the doorway, making sure we had enough blankets and brain cells to survive the night. The cabin was small, with a few bunks lining the walls. There was a hot plate on top of a little fridge, but the electricity had been kicked out from the storm, meaning those were both rendered useless. There was an oak door leading to what I guessed was a bathroom, and a light rattling sounding above us for what I assumed was the heating.

“Thank you for having us for free, ma’am,” Jack said for the eight billionth time that night. Joanna just tossed her head back in a light laugh. 

“A sweet couple like you, and three days before Christmas no less? It’s no problem, really. I’m all for holiday cheer. Have a good night, you two,” Joanna said, turning and winking behind her shoulder as she walked away. I made eye contact with Jack, and noticed that he was blushing just as much as I was. We waited a few minutes to make sure Joanna was completely gone to continue unpacking. 

“How many times has that happened now?” I asked, hanging Jack’s scarf over a vent so it could dry overnight. 

“What?” Jack said, turning from making his bunk to look at me, his brow furrowed in confusion. 

“We had a list of all the times… People thought we were dating. Back in high school, remember?” I smiled slightly at the memory, thinking back to all the time we used to spend with each other in high school. 

No one was surprised when we went to the same college, since we had spent so much of high school half joint at the hip. Even our mutual friends were convinced we were secretly dating. It happened enough times that one day, Jack whipped out a notebook and wrote down all the times we could think of being asked. We just kept adding, until college happened and… I honestly don’t know what happened to the notebook. 

“Oh, yeah, that! I think Medda tossed it out on accident… But we have our memories, right?” Jack said, regret flashing in his eyes. I just smiled at him sadly.

“Yeah. So, what time should we get going in the morning?”

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It was probably midnight when I heard a loud, metallic bang. 

I sat up sharply, scrambling out of the sheets to make sure that Jack hadn’t hit his head and died from the top bunk. 

“Dave, you okay?” Jack asked, glancing at me from his mattress. 

“Did you hear that?” I questioned, gesturing to the ceiling where I had heard the bang. 

“What?” 

“Some sort of bang… I think the heater went out,” I said, suddenly realizing I couldn’t hear the rattle of the heating anymore. 

“...Shit. Should we get Joanna?” Jack asked. There was a beat of silence as we made eye contact, and it dawned on me that neither of us wanted to wake up this poor old woman to tell her.

This is the height of being gen z. I thought, realizing how screwed we were. 

“It… It’ll probably be fine,” I stammered, sitting back on my bunk. The air was already getting colder, and the wind howled against the cabin. 

“...Get over here. You ain’t getting hypothermia on my watch,” Jack said, rolling his eyes and gesturing to himself. I felt my face heat up for what seemed like the umpteenth time that night. 

“A- are you sure that you’re-”

“Oh, can it Jacobs. I don’t need your sister sicced on me because I didn’t do what I could to make sure you survived the night,” Jack pointed out, sounding mildly annoyed. I would’ve been more convinced if I didn’t see that he was also blushing, and had that look… That weird look he got when he was looking at a pretty girl or guy.

This is totally platonic. I reminded myself, climbing the ladder while holding my blankets. Jack nodded at me, tossing all of our blankets over the two of us. 

I didn’t think I would be able to sleep with him right there, but something about his body heat and the crashing energy drinks was enough to lull me to sleep…

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

“Davey, you still sleeping?” Jack whispered. My eyes snapped open, and the events of the previous night hit me like a truck. I turned to look at Jack, who was still laying down beside me. 

“Yeah,” I croaked. Jack nodded, and I felt him draw away from me. 

Wait, away? 

It was only then that I realized how close we are. 

And that my head had been practically laying on his chest. 

“Sorry,” I muttered, shifting away from him. 

“It’s okay. Warmth, y’know,” Jack said gruffly, sitting up. I scooched away from him  and climbed down the ladder, the cold air piercing my skin. 

“We should get going soon… I’m sure Medda is ready to have my head for having you out on a night like that,” I pointed out, dashing to the assorted vents that had our assorted winter wear, half-dried. 

“She could never, Dave, you know she prefers you,” Jack grinned, rolling his eyes.

“Well, she adopted you,” I pointed out. “She must’ve liked you enough to want you in her life forever.” 

“She once threatened to take away my dessert privileges if we ever stopped talking,” Jack said, deadpan.

“Those brownies are no joke. I’m glad you were able to put up with me,” I chuckled. 

“I don’t put up with you, Jacobs,” Jack said, self-deprecation seeping into his words. I stopped re-packing, and crossed the room to talk to him, being sure to drive my point home.

“Neither of us put up with one another, kay?” 

“I- damn, Dave, makin’ us have a moment here,” Jack said, red creeping up his face. I stepped back, apologizing under my breath. 

“No, no, it’s fine. You always had more of an emotional range then I did,” Jack shrugged, regret tainting his words. 

A few minutes later, we were packed. Jack and I both had our jackets, scarves, mittens and hats on. 

“I got it,” I said, grabbing the doorknob and pushing. 

It didn’t budge. Not even a centimeter. I shook the door, throwing my weight onto it to the best of my ability. 

“Let me try,” Jack said, grabbing my hand around the knob. I felt a sharp shock, and felt my heart kick into overdrive, pounding in my ears. 

His hands were soft. 

Jack was still struggling with the door, jiggling it aggressively.

“Its just a bit… Frozen,” Jack grunted, slamming the door with all of his linebacker strength. The door flew open, a few healthily sized pieces of ice spaying onto the fine bed of snow.

Jack had opened a door to a winter wonderland. Due to its remote location, Joanna’s Nightly Cabins and Bunks was peak stock photo winter. 

The trees were frosted with white, like they were some sort of cake, or one of Jack’s drawings. There was a big, sprawling field with a few snow dusted cabins. The main house Joanna lived in was mostly cleared (we assumed she had cleared it herself… somehow), but by far the most shocking part was-

“Oh shit, my car,” Jack said, attempting to run across the lawn to the snow-covered lump that was his vehicle. This didn’t work well, since there was almost several feet of snow covering the ground. He had only made it about 10 feet when he collapsed into the drift, his legs having been unable to fight the snow. 

I found myself half-laughing, despite being mildly worried as I helped him up. 

“We are so screwed, Davey,” Jack said, his brow furrowing as his Manhattan twang set into his words. That’s how I knew he was really worried- his accent only set in when he was drunk, sick, angry, or stressed.

“It’ll be fine, I’ll call a plow, or a tow… We’ll find some way out of here,” I assured him, holding him by the waist so he wouldn’t fall. He leaned into me, obviously not against me touching him. Well, really it was his coat, but it still felt nice. 

“How long do you think it’ll take?” Jack asked. I could feel my phone vibrating in my coat pocket, probably the boys and our families asking where we are. 

“I dunno… I might as well call now,” I shrugged, pulling out my phone and tapping on Google to find the number. 

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

“Thank you… Goodbye,” I said, just about to hang up when a powdery, cold something hit my back. I swiveled around to see none other than Jack, a small arsenal of snowballs beside him.

“Oh, you did not just-” 

“I did, Jacobs,” he grinned maniacally. I narrowed my eyes at him.

“You’re on!” I shouted, frantically grabbing snow and packing it into a solid ball. The snow was perfect for snowball fights, just the right texture. And I was wearing gloves, so it wouldn’t stick to any yarn on my mittens. 

Jack pelted me with a snowball, hitting my shoulder with a solid thwack! I pretended to fall from the shock of the hit, then rolled towards him, tossing a ball at his neck. It hit him slightly above his collar bone, and I heard him laugh evilly as he ran towards me. 

“YOU’VE MADE A MISTAKE FROM CHALLENGING ME, DAVEY JACOBS!” He yelled, attempting to grab me. I rolled away, standing above him with my superior five inches, and began to dodge snowballs, left and right while making my own. 

“JOKES ON YOU, I LEARNED FROM THE MASTER-- SARAH JACOBS!” I screeched, hitting him in the head with a snowball. 

“BUT I WENT AGAINST THE GREAT RACETRACK HIGGINS!” he objected, hitting my left arm.

“WHO LEARNED FROM SARAH JACOBS!” I shot back, hitting his lower thigh.

“AH, BUT YOU ARE NOT HER!” he pointed out, dashing away again in an attempt to confuse me.

“YES, BUT I AM HER BROTHER!” I said, dodging a ball from my right.

“THE MORE WATERED-DOWN VERSION, I SEE!” he shouted, attempting to dodge a ball coming for his torso and failing.

“OHO, YOU ARE GOING TO PAY FOR THAT!” I yelled, smiling like a fool and running towards him to the best of my ability. He grinned darkly, and I realized my mistake. 

I was attempting to tackle a college football player. First string. 

Before I could even comprehend how terrible of an idea it was to try and tackle a football player as an English major with limited athletics experience, I was on the ground and- 

His lips were on mine. 

Too passionately to be accidental. 

His hand had somehow made its way to my back, and he was holding me like he had in the night. And… It felt right. More real and right and perfect then I thought it would.

I grabbed his face so I could feel him closer. Though I think a part of me knew it would never feel close enough. 

He was doing this thing, I think to keep us warm, where he was rubbing up and down my back to keep the heat. And he kept letting me pull him closer while we just laid there, kissing in the snow.

Kissing in the snow. A romantic concept, one that lovesick teens would only dream of doing. Kissing two days before Christmas. Kissing like it wasn’t the end of the world, like we had all the time in the world. Kissing my best friend. Kissing the man who knew how to get me back when I was drifting. 

Kissing in the snow. Because sometimes, snow and too much time wasted away from each other was enough to make a teenage dream come true. 

And maybe I was okay with a winter teenage dream. 

I was okay with kissing in the snow.

[livesincerely]

it’s written in bold letters, ch. 2

The Letterman Jacket fic. Chapter one here.

Also on Ao3

00000

The 2nd Street Diner is a popular choice for post-game meals and it’s already packed to the brim when they get there, students wedged into every available seat.

“All of our larger tables are full,” the hostess says, frowning, when they walk up to her. “We don’t have a six-seater open.”

“Is there anything available?” Katherine asks, ever persuasive. “Really, we’re not picky.”

She checks her list again. “We’ve got a booth free,” she says dubiously, “but it’ll be a pretty tight squeeze.”

“That’s fine,” Katherine assures her. “Anything will do.”

The hostess leads them back and, okay, yeah, the booth is on the small side—probably designed for four people, max.

“We’ll make it work,” Katherine says, nodding decisively. “Spot, Race, you go… and then I’ll... Crutchie you just— great! And then Jack, um, wait, maybe Jack should—”

“Davey, you’re gonna have to sit in Jack’s lap,” Racetrack says, smirking at Jack, “so that there’s room for Crutchie’s leg.”

Jack’s expression falters. Katherine’s eyes light up with unholy glee.

“That’ll work,” Katherine says, saccharine sweet. “You don’t mind, right?”

Usually Jack would jump at the chance to hold Davey in his arms for any amount of time—especially when such a good excuse has been handed to him. But by this point Jack is genuinely afraid that if he has to spend much longer in close proximity to Davey, he’s gonna have an aneurysm. Still, there’s nothing he can do about it—there’s no excuse he can come up with on the fly for not wanting to share that won’t make Davey suspicious—so a minute later they’re all squeezing into the booth: Racer and Spot nested together, then Katherine all on one side, then Crutchie, Davey, and Jack on the other.

Jack makes a note to murder Racetrack extra hard when he gets the chance.

Davey arranges himself sideways across Jack’s body so he doesn’t completely block Jack’s face, which means that most of his weight is resting on just one of Jack’s thighs instead of squarely over Jack’s lap, thank god. Davey leans against Jack’s chest like it’s no big deal, sure of his welcome, which is incredibly gratifying and incredibly distracting, and throws an arm over Jack’s shoulders to balance himself. Jack’s heart skips, then beats even harder in his chest. 

Davey opens a menu and positions it so they can both look at it, but he may as well not have bothered. All Jack can think about is the way the heat from Davey’s body is seeping into his skin, how if he wanted to, he could count every one of Davey’s eyelashes.

If Jack moved his head slightly, they’re close enough that he could just— 

“Do you want to?” Davey asks, and Jack has a moment of insanity where he almost blurts out, ‘for the love of god, yes,’ but he’s able to stop himself at the last second.

“...What?” Jack says, when he’s sure he won’t say something psychotic. Davey blinks at him. 

“Fries?” Davey repeats. “Do you want some? We can split a plate.” 

Jack attempts to get a fucking grip. “Uh, no, I’m good.”

At some point the waitress comes over and takes their orders; Jack is vaguely aware of ordering a burger or something, he’s not really sure. Davey fits perfectly against him like they’re a pair of puzzle pieces slotting together, relaxed and warm in his arms. Jack really wishes he could enjoy it more as it’s actually pretty nice, except for the fact that his dick is absolutely determined to get involved in the situation no matter how desperately Jack tries to control it.

There’s nowhere safe to rest his eyes, nowhere safe to put his hands. His only saving grace is that there are several layers between them⁠—if Jack can just keep it together a little while longer, Davey’ll be none the wiser to his… predicament. Still, Jack shifts slightly, trying to find a better, less perilous position just to be safe and⁠— nope, nope, that’s worse that’s worse.

He can feel the others laughing at him: Racetrack’s shit-eating grin, Crutchie sniggering quietly under his breath, Spot and Kath’s judgmental smirks. Jack takes a moment to flip them all an emphatic middle finger from behind Davey’s back. 

You know what? Fine. It’s fine. Jack is fine. 

Sure, any second now he’s gonna pop a blood vessel or six, and he can feel the rumble of Davey’s voice reverberating through his chest from where they’re pressed together, which is a soft and strange type of intimacy that Jack really isn’t emotionally sound enough to deal with right now, and every time Davey moves one of his thighs just barely, torturously, grazes Jack’s dick, which is getting harder and harder by the second⁠—  

Food appears, a blissful distraction. Jack eats his burger one handed⁠—chewing robotically and tasting nothing⁠—as at some point he’d shifted the other hand up to Davey’s waist and he can’t bring himself to pull it back.

He goes to grab a napkin and makes the mistake of looking at Davey out of the corner of his eye.

Jack freezes, dumbstruck.

Davey is steadily working his way through his order of fries, which is fine, except that it’s absolutely not fine. See, ��cause the last thing Jack needs is a reason to watch Davey⁠—he already finds Davey utterly enthralling, even under the most innocent of circumstances. But he’s only human. And the way Davey is eating those fries is fucking obscene.

Jack is staring, he knows he’s staring, but he can’t turn away. His eyes are caught on Davey’s mouth, on the pink flash of tongue behind his teeth, on how his fingers linger against his lower lip after every bite.

Davey notices his gaze and throws him a curious look. “Did you change your mind?” he asks, lapping up one last hint of salt from his fingertips with a little flick of his tongue. “You can have a taste, if you want one.”

Jack wordlessly shakes his head, throat impossibly dry. Jesus fucking Christ.

Davey just shrugs and goes back to his fries, completely oblivious to the way he’s just sent Jack’s blood pressure skyrocketing. 

“Hey, Davey,” Racetrack pipes up suddenly with a sly smile, “can ya pass me the ketchup? I can’t reach it from here.”

Davey leans over and the roundest curve of his ass grinds right against the tip of Jack’s dick. Jack fights the urge to rock up into the sensation but he can’t help the sharp hiss of breath that escapes him, his hands clamping down on Davey’s hips to keep him from shifting any further.

“Oh, sorry, Jack,” Davey says, apologetic. “Did I hit a bruise?”

Jack longs for the sweet release of death. His fingers clench and flex against the divots of Davey’s hips, and there’s a moment where he genuinely wonders if it’s possible to combust from sexual frustration.

“You okay, Jack?” Crutchie asks, and maybe he’d be more convincing if Jack couldn’t hear the laughter in his voice. “That sounded like it hurt.”

“Eh, I’m sure Jack’s just sore,” Spot interjects, smirking. “You’re good, aren’t ya Jack?”

“Oh, I’m swell,” Jack says through gritted teeth.

“Are you sure?” Davey asks, biting his lip. “Because I could maybe—” and he starts squirming around in Jack’s lap.

Jack suppresses a groan, hands going vice-tight around Davey’s hips; Davey mercifully stops moving. “Dave, it’s fine,” Jack all but begs, voice strangled. “Just leave it.”

Davey looks at him, head tilted consideringly, but lets it go. He has to be suspecting something by this point⁠—Jack can only hope he buys that Jack’s hurting from the game, not aching for… other reasons. 

Finally it comes time to close the check and clear out. Jack pays for his and Davey’s food: partially because it’s his turn and also because he knows that Davey’s wallet is in his back pocket (it’s digging into Jack’s thigh from where they’re pressed together) and the last thing he needs is Davey reaching a hand down between them.

Then there’s the process of getting out of the booth. It takes some maneuvering for Davey to get off of him: at one point he ends up facing Jack, all but straddling him as he tries to slide out of his lap, and there’s a moment where they’re so close that Jack can feel the whisper of Davey’s breath on his face⁠—one last hellish temptation. Jack stiffly clambers up after him; he’s spent so much effort restraining himself over the last hour that his joints have locked up in protest. 

“I’m gonna run to the restroom,” Davey says. “I’ll be right back.”

Jack watches as he turns and walks away and fuck, seeing ‘KELLY’ stamped across his shoulders is no less devastating now than it was the first time. He waits a second, just to be sure that Davey is properly out of earshot, then he rounds on the others.

“You guys are fucking assholes,” he says vehemently. 

“Oh my god,” Racetrack laughs, clutching his stomach as his shoulders shake, "that was the most entertaining shit I’ve ever seen: 10/10, best fucking idea.”

“Watch your back, Racer,” Jack hisses. “I know where you sleep.”

“Your— your face,” Crutchie chokes out, and of course he’s laughing too because Jack is surrounded by traitors. “Your face when Davey moved—“

“—sounded like a murdered cat—“ Spot adds, just to really rub it in

“—it was so fucking obvious—“ Racetrack chimes in again because he can’t help himself.

“—and then Davey said, ‘did I hit a bruise?l’”

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up,” Jack says, crossing his arms over his chest. “Get it all out ya bunch of dipshits.”

“This wouldn’t be an issue if you’d just get it together and ask him out,” Katherine says without a bit of sympathy. “Or, alternatively, if you had even an ounce of chill.”

“It’s Davey,” Jack insists. “What the fuck do you want from me? Christ, I’m going outta my mind⁠—I can’t stand to be around him, can’t hardly look at him. I deserve a fucking medal for the shit I’ve dealt with tonight, jesus, get me outta here before I lose it completely. Or fuck, just strike me down and put me outta my misery because I’m actually, genuinely gonna die if he so much as breathes in my direction again tonight.”

There’s a sort of stunned, uneasy silence following his rant. Then Jack realizes that his friends aren’t looking at him anymore: they’re looking at something over his shoulder.

Jack turns around, heart sinking. Davey’s standing just behind him and the expression on his face is fucking awful. He stares at Jack for a moment. Then he turns on his heel and storms away.

“Oh, shit. Wait⁠— Davey, wait!” Jack calls, chasing after him, but Davey’s got long legs and between one second and the next he’s outside the restaurant and cutting through the mess of cars in the lot, seemingly determined to get as far away from Jack as possible.

Jack catches up to him on the far side of the parking lot⁠—the empty half of the parking lot⁠—which is probably for the best: at least there aren’t any witnesses to Jack’s spectacular fuck up.

“Wait, Dave, slow down a second, let me explain⁠—”

“Leave me alone,” Davey says shortly, and he won’t look at Jack, still marching away at a steady clip, forcing Jack to half-jog next to him to keep up. “I don’t wanna hear it.”

“No, Davey, it’s not what you think⁠—”

“Save it!” Davey snaps. “Just go away! Get out of here before you lose it completely.”

Jack winces when Davey throws his words back at him: fuck, yeah, okay that sounds really bad. He tries to salvage the situation. “No, really, Dave, you’ve got it all wrong⁠—”

“Oh, I’ve got it wrong?” Davey hisses back, finally whirling around to face him. “Enlighten me then, because there really aren’t that many ways to interpret ‘I can’t stand him,’ or ‘put me out of my misery.’”

Jack falters in the face of Davey’s obvious hurt, his mouth opening and closing uselessly as he tries to think of something to say. He starts again: “Davey, I swear, I promise I didn’t mean it how it sounded⁠—”

But Davey won’t give him a chance to talk. 

“You should’ve said something sooner, if I was annoying you so much,” Davey spits out, and he’s trying to sound derisive but there are tears starting to well up in his eyes. “No need to fucking suffer on my account.”

He scrubs a sleeve roughly across his face, then seems to remember that he’s still wearing Jack’s letterman jacket. He lets out a humorless snort. 

“Here, I’m sure you want this back,” Davey says, gesturing down at himself, and all Jack can see is the bitter twist of his mouth, the anguished, defensive set of his shoulders, the way his arms are wrapped around his body—like he's trying to physically hold himself together. “I don’t know why you even bothered, when you obviously can’t fucking stand it, can’t fucking stand me⁠—”

His voice breaks on that last part, and that’s it for Jack. He steps closer, then reaches out and takes Davey’s face in his hands, carefully wiping away the couple of tears that have fallen with his thumbs. The suddenness of the movement seems to shock Davey into silence: he looks up at Jack with watery blue eyes, his mouth parted ever so slightly, too surprised to push Jack away.

“I don’t understand how you don’t see what everyone else sees,” Jack says, and his voice is rough with tenderness. “How you can’t take one look at me and just know, you know? Anyone else would’ve figured it out by now, everyone else has figured it out. I mean, it’s a fucking game for them at this point: how many ways can we torture Jack with his obvious feelings? How many ways can we make him squirm by dangling what he wants most right in front of his nose, knowing that he’ll never have the guts to actually reach out and take it.

“‘Course, the idiocy is all me, don’t got an excuse for that,” Jack continues, shaking his head ruefully, “and there’s no excuse good enough for making you cry. I’m real sorry about that, Davey. I’m sorry, period.”

He leaves it at that, giving Davey a second to process. As he’s been talking Davey’s hands have come up to sit on Jack’s shoulders; one them goes tight around the material of his shirt. 

“I know this is you trying to apologize,” Davey says, sniffing a little, and though he’s moved through his upset, he’s still got that confused little furrow in his brow, “but I still don’t really understand what the hell’s going on so can you please just say whatever it is you’re trying to say and⁠—”

Jack closes that slight distance between them and kisses him. It’s nothing fancy, just the barest press of his lips against Davey’s, but even that brief contact sends his heart racing all over again.

He pulls away. Davey’s eyes have gone impossibly wide. 

“I’m trying to say that I’m absolutely, knock-’em’down, drag-’em-out, head-over-heels in love with you,” Jack says. “It’s kind of a major aspect of my personality, and, like, my fucking life, really. Literally everyone knows, everyone can tell, the only reason you didn’t is because you’re fucking oblivious and have, like, no concept of how incredible you are which is a damn shame⁠—”

Davey lurches forward and kisses him. It’s soft lips and shuddering breaths and thundering hearts. It’s intent and heated and slow and savoring. 

“You love me too,” Davey says with a delighted little laugh when they part that second time. “You really, actually…” He trails off and the smile he graces him with lights Jack up from the inside out and threatens to take his breath away. 

And if there’s one thing Jack’s proved tonight, it’s that he is helpless to resist that which is Davey Jacobs. He leans back in for another kiss. And another. And another.

“Wait, if that’s what was… then what happened at the restaurant?” Davey pants eventually, and Jack would be a little offended that he’s thinking of other things while they’re making out, except that he’s got his arms thrown around Jack in a way that makes Jack suspect that he’s gone a touch weak in the knees. Jack fucking loves it. “Why were you being all weird…?”

Jack shakes his head, crushing their mouths back together. “It’s you… in this fucking letterman jacket,” he gets out between kisses. “It’s been driving me crazy, you look so fucking good in it, it’s goddamn criminal.”

“You… like me in your jacket?” Davey asks.

“I like you too much in my jacket,” Jack corrects. 

Jack nips at Davey’s lower lip. Davey lets out a soft, breathy noise that Jack files away as something to be thoroughly explored later. Jack’s starting to deepen the kiss, his fingers curling in Davey’s hair for better purchase, when Davey suddenly pulls away, wide eyed.

“Wait, oh my god, that was your dick, wasn’t it?” Davey asks incredulously. “I thought it was your cell phone but it was your fucking hard-on pressing against my⁠—”

“Jesus Christ, shut up and let me kiss you,” Jack mutters, pulling him back in.

And there’s not much conversation after that.

[porkchop-ao3]

A Thrill I’ve Never Known (Chapter 8)

Daisy Chains

Not much to say about this one besides some quiet little conversation around the campfire!

(All chapters tagged with #ATINK and also posted on Ao3, username PorkChop)

-

All was quiet for a while around the campfire, though we could hear laughter and chit chat from the other side of the camp. I looked at Arthur who was away with the fairies, staring at the fire, his beer bottle pressed to his bottom lip, whistling quietly with his breath.

“You okay, Arthur?” I asked and he blinked, snapping out of it and looking at me.

“Oh I'm fine, jus’ lost in thought,” he told me, eyes ghosting over me, taking in my appearance. “You look real nice, with the new clothes and the hair, I saw Mary-Beth did that for you.”

“Thanks,” I grinned. “She's good with hair, ain't she? Said maybe she'd teach me sometime.”

“That's nice of her. I'm glad you're getting along well with the others.”

“Yeah, you folk have all been very kind, I hope I can make it up somehow,” I said. He nodded, keeping his eyes on me for a long while before letting out a breath.

“Can I ask you something?” He said, his voice going up a bit with curiosity.

“Sure.”

“That letter… the one you and John picked up for me today. That was from someone that, uhh, that meant a lot to me, at one point. Still does, I suppose. But I ain't seen them in so long I was starting to feel okay with that, about them being all a part of my past,” he explained to me, his brow creased a little.

“But now they wanna see me again, and I ain't sure that's a good idea,” he continued, glancing away. “You ever loved somebody? I mean that ain't your kin.��

“Me?” I balked, not being prepared for such a question. “No, I uh, can't say I have.”

“No, I suppose you're too young for that,” he mumbled.

“I wouldn't say it's that. My family kept to ourselves, I never got the chance to meet anyone and become familiar enough to fall in love. Then of course, it's been the last thing on my mind in more recent years,” I said, frowning to myself. I wasn't sure Arthur really knew how old I was. “But anyway, is that all you wanted to ask me?”

“I guess I was just gonna ask you what you'd do," he met my eyes again.

“Would I go and meet this person?” I wondered aloud, and Arthur nodded. “I'm guessing you're afraid of being hurt, that's understandable. I'm not the best at advice but, I think it depends. Do you care about them enough to risk it?”

“I think I do. I feel maybe I owe it to her, not to ignore her letter. But I just don't… I don't wanna get sucked into anything, 'cause that's when I turn into a fool.”

“Maybe you should go then, even if it's just to tell her what you just told me; that you don't think keeping in contact like this is a good idea,” I suggested. Arthur nodded and sat quietly in thought for a while.

The whole time I'd been speaking to him my heart had been in my mouth. I didn't know anything about his situation and I could only do my best in advising him, I just didn't want him to get hurt over something I'd suggested. But he was a grown man at the end of the day, he could make his own choices.

“How about you come with me?”

“What?” My eyes widened.

“I think if I had someone there, I might be able to keep my head. I have a tendency to drop everything for this person and I know I can't do that right now, not with all that's happened to the gang recently.”

“I understand, but me? Why me? Wouldn't that look bad?”

“I ain't about to bring one of the boys with me, they'd give me no end of crap! Bunch o’ children. Not only that, everyone here has some sort of opinion on her. But you ain't met Mary before, you ain't got any ideas about her and you won't be whispering in my ear, tellin’ me what you think of her. That's why I asked you about this in the first place.”

“Alright. I guess I see your point. I'm just thinking of how it's gonna look if you turn up with some other woman she ain't met before on the back of your horse,” I said awkwardly, averting my gaze. I could feel Arthur's eyes on me as he considered my words. In the end he sat forward, adjusting his hat and taking a swig of beer.

“If she makes assumptions then maybe that wouldn't be so bad,” he admitted quietly. “Might even make it easier.”

I opened my mouth, but didn't know what to say, so I closed it again and fidgeted in my seat.

“That is of course, if you can stand for anyone to think you've settled for someone like me,” he added.

“Settled?” I spat with a little too much disbelief. I reined myself in. “I'm sorry, Arthur. You shouldn't think that of yourself, settling ain't what someone would do for you. You're a fine man.”

“Ya’ barely know me,” he chuckled.

“What I do know is all good; you’re a gentleman. You're kind, polite, helpful, not to mention extremely handsome,” I said without thinking, stopping abruptly and drinking some beer so that I had a reason to shut up. My thoughts turned back to the conversation I had with the girls earlier that evening and I felt incredibly embarrassed. If they'd heard that…

A glance from the corner of my eye showed Arthur with his head tilted down, unmistakable amusement on his face; badly hidden. I cleared my throat and made to stand up.

“Excuse me,” I mumbled, getting out of there as quickly as I could.

He was laughing at me. What a fool I'd been to say something like that – again, and mostly sober! – no wonder he found it funny, coming from me. Just a silly girl too young to have ever loved, can't even make herself look pretty; has to ask someone else to do it for her, always getting saved by men because she can't look after herself. Of course he didn't want to hear that from me.

I walked to the edge of camp and sat myself down on the cliff, feet hanging down off the edge. I took a breath and looked out over the view; it was dark now, just the moon providing a little light. I thought back to the first night I'd meet Arthur, and the fact that he'd been in my dreams. He'd held me, kissed me, made me a woman, made me feel desirable and loved. It'd all been a figment of my imagination, my intimacy starved subconscious, and as I thought about it I felt ashamed. Who was I to think of him in such a way, even if it was beyond my control in my dreams?

And here we were, crossing paths again; and I was still acting just as foolish as I had that night. How humiliating.

I finished my beer, the last one of the night; I'd already loosened up more than enough. I heard footsteps in the grass behind me, but didn't look back, half hoping that whoever it was would just leave me alone. I'd been surrounded by far too many people and I felt exhausted from it.

“You should be careful, what if you fall off the edge?” The voice that came was the absolute last I expected to hear. I turned around and saw little Jack standing there with a half eaten chocolate bar in his hand.

I scooted back, bringing my legs up and sitting further away from the edge.

“Thanks, Jack. You're right,” I smiled at him and he came closer to me, staying further back from the edge than I was.

“Mama warned me about going too close,” he told me.

“Well she's a clever woman, you should listen to her,” I nodded. He bit into his chocolate and was quiet for a while as he ate.

“Do your eyes hurt?” He asked after swallowing and I chuckled a little.

“They did, but they aren't so bad anymore,” I said, then gestured to him. “Your daddy helped me after I got hurt, you know that?”

Jack nodded, looking back over his shoulder towards camp. John was with Abigail, and though I couldn't hear them I could tell they were arguing.

“Hey,” I said, distracting him from his parents. “You ever made a daisy chain?”

“Sure! I know how to make those,” he gave me a big smile and sat down, crossing his legs. I twisted around to face him, plucking a flower from the grass.

“You wanna help me make one?” I asked. He nodded eagerly.

“Who's it for?” He asked. I thought for a moment, not really having anyone in mind, only suggesting it to stop him from seeing his parents fight.

“Mary-Beth, as a thank you for doing my hair tonight,” I decided, smiling at him as he gathered flowers from around the spot he sat in.

I watched him as he made the chain, and my job became handing him the flowers one by one for him to link onto the rest. It was sweet, just watching him have fun and be creative, and I wondered what sort of games he played with no other kids around, and without even a fixed home.

“Do you like it here, Jack?” I asked him, handing him another flower.

“Sure. It's okay, sometimes I miss the old place, though,” he shrugged, as unfazed as any kid could be, his world was small and I suspected as long as he had his parents and the other familiar faces around him, he'd be okay. “Do you like it here?” He asked.

His question took me by surprise. He was just a child, I was under no pressure to give him a well thought-out answer, a simple yes would've satisfied him. But it made me think. I was on the fence about it, I liked the security I felt when I was here but I couldn't fight the feeling of not quite belonging, of intruding and outstaying my welcome. It was why I was trying to be as helpful as possible.

“Sure, you folk are all very kind,” I told him in the end. “I want to make sure I thank you all properly.”

“You need me to help make more daisy chains?” He asked and I laughed, his purity endearing.

“No, you're alright. You're doing a great job with this one, I couldn't possibly expect you to do any more for me,” I assured him. He held up the completed daisy chain, grinning. “That looks beautiful, Jack.”

“Will Mary-Beth like it?”

“I'm certain she will, shall we go give it to her?” I asked and he hopped up to his feet before I could blink. I stood up too, about to follow him back into camp when Abigail appeared in front of us.

“There you are, Jack. It's bedtime, come on,” she waved him over.

“We made this for Mary-Beth!” He ran over to her, showing her the chain.

“Well that's lovely, you can give it to her in the morning, say goodnight to your new friend,” she gestured to me and placed a hand on his shoulder, turning him to face me.

“You can give it to her,” he said to me, offering me the daisy chain. I smiled and took it from him.

“Thanks for your help, Jack.”

“You're welcome, it was fun! Goodnight,” he said letting his mother guide him away from me. Abigail addressed me with a polite nod, but she didn't return the smile I gave her. My stomach knotted. If Karen had gotten ideas about John and I, I dreaded to think what Abigail thought.

I let out a quiet groan, looking down at the daisy chain in my hand. I wanted to leave, I didn't want to stay any longer and cause any problems, I didn't want to make myself look any sillier in front of Arthur, I didn't want to take up any more of the camps resources. If I could, I'd have walked right out of camp there and then, but I knew that it'd be suicide going out there without any weapons, food, or shelter. I was trapped.

I swallowed thickly and walked back into camp, sitting down in the spot I'd been sleeping the last few nights next to Mary-Beth. Her book was sitting there and I slipped the daisy chain under the front cover and left it there, not feeling like finding her and handing it over. I curled up on my side and tried to sleep.

It was odd. Despite the camp being alive with noise from the party, I still slept more soundly than I ever did out there in my tent alone.

[harper-penn-happens]

Never...

Just wanted to share a little drabble I did of Jasper (one of my hunter ocs) and Ezra & Finn from When the Night Comes. Mostly fluff and teasing, if you like that sort of thing. I need to share my writing more so here goes!

Never...

It was the end of another mid-summer day in Lunaris, and for a change it had actually managed to get warm enough out to sweat without a workout. Not that Jasper had allowed that to stop him. The auburn haired Hunter was currently making his way back from the beach, back from some sparring practice with fellow Hunter Piper Meriman, taking his time and enjoying the way the last rays of the sun were painting the sky. Orange and gold with the promise of a deep bloody red before dropping off into purple twilight. A smile curled Jasper's lips, even as he rotated his sure-to-be-bruised left shoulder with a slight wince. Sparring hand-to-hand on the beach had been his idea, with the faint hope that the sand would be somewhat forgiving if (hell, more like when) Piper threw him. He was right, and he chuckled softly, letting the stretch roll into his neck and down his spine. The beach at least hadn't hurt him a bit.

It was always a challenge to spar with Piper no matter where they decided to train, and Jasper was grateful that she never felt the need to go easy on him. He might not come out the victor from their matches very often, but he always learned something. Today he had learned that he needed a lot more work on his hand-to-hand technique; it looked like he'd been relying too much on his daggers of late. Something Piper had been utterly gleeful to exploit, after her unexpected loss during their last match using blades. Jasper paused as the shadows stretched across the night sky ahead of him and turned back to catch those last winks of red on the horizon as night fell. With the loss of the sun the air seemed to cool almost immediately, and made the young hunter keenly aware of his bare torso. (The older tunic he'd worn for the match torn beyond repair after several throws.)

Rubbing his sore shoulder once more he turned his boots towards Ezra’s shop and picked up his pace a bit; he had promised the witch to come straight home after training. In spite of knowing that Jasper could handle himself just fine Ezra still liked to see he was in one piece after Piper got done with him. As he turned onto the cobbled street at last, a fond smirk played over his face; recalling the time he'd returned with a collection of impressive bruises after a match using bo staffs. His back (and backside) had been much the worse for wear after that, and he wasn't going to be suggesting a rematch anytime soon, no matter how sweet being fussed over after the fact was. Jasper rounded a corner, spying the now familiar mage light in the distance. A welcoming sight from the first moment he had stepped foot in this odd little town, even more so in these last several months.

The little bell above the door jingled cheerfully, announcing his arrival, but as the Hunter’s amber brown eyes swept around they found the shop empty but for its wares. No Ezra in sight. This was hardly unusual of course at this hour, and Jasper felt no need for alarm as he strolled through and slipped past the curtain that divided the shop from the living quarters beyond. As soon as he was on the other side the scent of cooking spices filled his senses; a playful grin lighting up his face as he crossed the room in a few silent strides to the stove and the figure standing at it. His strong arms wrapped around Ezra's middle from behind as he pressed himself close, tucking his chin over the witch’s shoulder to observe his cooking as he gave him a tight squeeze.

“What's cooking?” Jasper asked, letting the words tickle Ezra's ear as he cuddled in. His abrupt entrance had made the slightly younger man jump, only grinning further at his squeak of surprise.

“Oh!” Ezra let out a laugh that took all the threat out of the way he brandished a wooden spoon at his lover. “It's dinner. As if you didn't know.”

Jasper turned his face into the crook of Ezra's neck, nuzzling warm russet skin that was dusted with freckles, enjoying the delicate scent of vanilla under the heady spices of whatever saucy dish was bubbling on the stove.

“Hmmm, it smells good.” He mumbled, his lips finding a familiar bite-mark and brushing a kiss there. The slim man in his arms relaxing back into his hold and offering more of his neck. “You will trust me to cook something for you at some point though right? I promise I'm not a disaster in the kitchen.” He adds, enjoying the feel of his lovers laughter as he continues snuggling and pressing affectionate little kisses along the side of his throat.

“As opposed to your sparring record with Piper?” Ezra asked sweetly, emerald green eyes flashing with mischief.

Jasper let go and stepped back with mock pain, putting his hand to his heart as though wounded. “That’s hardly a fair comparison! For one thing cooking and sparring are very different activities, and for another I'll have you know I actually do quite well. I won our last match.”

Ezra turned a knowing look on the young Hunter, eyes roving over his lithe but defined frame for any signs of stiffness or injury, not missing his lack of a shirt. “And this match?”

Jasper felt his face warm under Ezra's scrutiny and found himself reaching for his left shoulder before he could stop.

“I did well enough.” He said unconvincingly, cursing his utter inability to fib even a little. Even in jest. Ezra shook his head and clucked his tongue before snickering warmly.

“Do yourself a favor and don’t let Finn or Alkar talk you into playing poker, Jas. I love you, but you've got the guile of a toddler trying to steal sweets.” Ezra told him fondly, only making his blush that much worse and forcing him to bite his lower lip to keep from smiling like a moron.

“Well, at least I'm cute right?” he asked with a one shouldered shrug, starting to walk backwards towards the stairs in anticipation of the witch’s eventual command, removing his boots while keeping his eyes glued to Ezra's back. His attention rewarded when that adorable yet somehow still sexy face glanced back at him with an arched brow.

“You'll be much cuter after you shower.” Ezra informed him. “Preferably before dinner is ready… though the view is nice.” He added almost as an afterthought, making Jasper's heart trip a little as those bright eyes seemed to caress his exposed upper body. The Hunter huffed a laugh as he turned, taking the hint cheerfully.

“Yes Sir; maybe if you’re lucky I’ll forget to put on a shirt when I'm done.” He teased, dodging a magically flung pillow from the nearby couch with ease as Ezra's laughter chased him up the stairs.

Taking the stairs two at a time Jasper popped into the bedroom to snatch a clean pair of breeches and a tunic. It sometimes still felt surreal to the young hunter to be here at Ezra's place as opposed to the tavern, with it's unpleasant scratchy sheets and the near constant noise of the patrons below. Surreal to have found a home after spending so long without one, but also… just perfect. Like finding a beloved treasure that you had forgotten you lost a long time ago.

He was moving so swiftly that when he spun on his heel to go to the bath across the hall he all but ran smack into a cold broad chest, almost bouncing off the unexpected obstacle. Taking a step back even as two impossibly strong hands snapped out to steady him the Hunter yelped, finding and glaring up at a pair of golden eyes. Finn was wearing his usual oh-so-pleased-with-himself smirk. It was an expression Jasper had come to associate with the vampire getting the drop on him, and he could feel his traitorous cheeks warming in response.

“You know,” he said slowly, trying to regain his composure and putting his fists on his hips, “One of these nights you're going to actually give me a heart attack, or knock me flat on my arse, and then how will you feel?”

Jasper was trying for stern disapproval, but somehow the flush slowly darkening his face and the fact that he had to look up quite a bit when standing this close to Finn dampened the effect. Unless Finn was the sort of person who chuckled when he was chastened.

“Sorry but no.” The vampire replied softly to the unspoken thought, eyes glinting in the relative dark upstairs. “And no worries. I'm reasonably sure I can think of a few ways to get you back on your feet should either of those things happen.” Finn leaned casually in the bedroom doorway; very effectively blocking it and showing no signs of moving, flashing his fangs in a wicked grin as the Hunter attempted to stare him down.

Jasper found himself caving first as usual, breaking eye contact with a soft tch sound and trying to get his blush under control, shifting his stance and forcing his hands to remain on his narrow hips. “Comforting. But I'd still rather you quit popping up out of the shadows like a jack-in-the-box.” He insisted, hyper aware of his pulse skipping as he glanced up to see Finn shift forward with a low chuckle.

“Wow. Ezra's right; you're a terrible liar.” The vampire informed him, delighting in the rush of his pulse and the sight of his fair skin quickly taking on the appearance of a sunburn. It was still so easy to tease Jasper, even after he and Ezra had given the friendly but charmingly naïve Hunter a crash course in intimacies. Finn suspected, or at least hoped, that it always would be.

“I- I really need to go take a shower.” Jasper huffed, shifting in place before bending down to scoop up the clothes he’d dropped when he ran into Finn. “And it isn't as if you two would enjoy it if I suddenly became adept at fibbing. You both take way too much pleasure in catching me out.”

Finn arched a scarred brow down at him from his vantage point in the door before tilting his head in agreement. “True. On both counts. We wouldn’t like it because it is so much fun, and you know Ezra finds it adorable.” The vampire smirked as the Hunter responded to the teasing as he had hoped he would; pressing his lips together and looking anywhere but at his lover as he struggled to regain some balance. The clothes in his hands being worked into a ball. It was taking all of Finn's willpower to let him dangle instead of snatching him up into his arms. Jasper had an impossibly cute way of squeaking when he got grabbed or otherwise manhandled.

Finn resisted though, instead reaching out to firmly still the younger man's hands twisting at his clothes before waiting patiently for his eye contact. Jasper bit his lower lip, staring at that iron hand with it’s intricate magical whorls laid over his own before his eyes traced upwards and met those golden ones again. Their gaze was as playful as ever, but also steadfast and sure, and the Hunter felt utterly safe even when Finn played cat-and-mouse with him. The vampire let the moment linger; his thumb carefully rubbing little circles on the back of Jasper's hand before he extricated the clothes from his grasp to refold them neatly once again, though he did not hand them back.

Jasper was seconds away from cracking, and they both knew it, but just as he opened his mouth he was spared by Ezra's voice calling up.

“Jas? I’m not hearing the shower yet…”

Finn smiled ruefully and pretended to snap his fingers, just as the witch followed the statement up with another.

“Finnegan, let him go please. I know you've got him pinned up there somehow but I don't want dinner getting cold and I need to take a look at his shoulder before Jasper gets up to anything too strenuous.”

Jasper groaned with embarrassment and put his hands up to his face as the vampire blocking him chuckled; a low and rough sound that sent shivers down his back, shaking his head. “Busted.” Finn mumbled before turning and freeing up the doorway. “No worries my love, I promise I haven't strained him. I'm sending him to clean up now.” He called back, as if implying it was Jasper lingering and not Finn fooling around.

Jasper threw Finn a disgruntled look that the vampire completely disregarded, holding the folded clothes in his iron hand out into the hall as if to beckon his lover past him out of the bedroom. It was an obvious trap, but Jasper couldn't really do anything other than try and scoot by the taller man as quickly as possible. As soon as he was passing by and snatching at the clothes in Finn's wiggling hand he felt the taller man's right hand land in a smart swat across his backside, yelping softly and twisting to avoid another as he retreated into the bath.

“Will you ever stop toying with me?” Jasper huffed once he was out of range and had the door in his grasp and ready to shut, knowing full well that none of that would have protected him if Ezra wasn't monitoring the vampire from downstairs. If dinner wasn’t waiting. Finn knitted his brow, turning his gaze upwards as he folded his arms and made a show of considering the question.

“Hmm… stop toying with you…” he intoned slowly, before letting his eyes slide back down to Jasper's face and deliberately stalking right up to him. The auburn Hunter all but trembling as Finn leaned over him in the doorway and reached out to put an hand on his hip and tug him nearer, bending until their lips were almost brushing. Jasper feeling it was a wonder that Ezra wasn't asking what that pounding sound was because his heart was pumping so hard.

“Nope. Never going to happen.” Finn intoned with a crooked little half smile before dropping a kiss onto Jasper's nose, using the hand on his hip to turn him and land a parting swat on his seat before cheerfully escaping downstairs. That cute little squeak of surprise music to his ears.

[birdiethebibliophile]

{fic} All They Were And Something More

Fandom:  The Adventure Zone:  Commitment Rating:  G Warnings:  ABSOLUTELY NONE, this fic is nothing but fluff!!! Word Count:  1,368

Here on AO3.

For @halleluland​. The promised movie night fic. The pure fluff I said would come sooner or later.

Technically takes place in the universe of That Old Sweet Feeling, but can be read on its own - you just won’t understand some, um, inside jokes.

Title from The Beautiful Not Yet by Carrie Newcomber.

Summary:    Every Thursday night, the Wonder Triplets plus Mary get together for a movie night. It goes the same way every time.

__________________

The first one to movie night was always Irene, of course, whether she was hosting or not. She had keys to all their apartments, so she’d walk on in, immediately vacuum the living room, and start setting out any snacks she’d brought. Nadiya and Mary Sage would get there next, bearing hot chocolate fixings and the fluffiest blankets they owned. The last to arrive was always Remy, who would appear at the door clutching the chosen DVD and a sheepish grin.

They would spend half an hour squabbling over places on the couches and/or chairs, and inevitably end up all squashed together on one couch, Mary Sage half in Nadiya’s lap, Remy perched on an arm because he couldn’t sit still, and Irene with her legs cross-legged under her in a way that seemed to take up way too much space for someone as small as she was. Nadiya would criticize any scientific impossibility, Mary Sage would loudly complain about the lack of explosions, and Remy would cry at the sad bits. It would end with them saying they should head home until they all fell asleep one by one, using the others for armrests and pillows and blankets. The next morning, Irene would make blueberry pancakes and Nadiya would make the coffee and Mary Sage would scramble the eggs and Remy would wash the dishes afterwards.

It was a routine Nadiya loved beyond reason or logic, and she hoped it would continue every Thursday night from now until eternity.

“Nadiya, here’s yours,” Remy said, handing Nadiya her mug of hot chocolate with marshmallow fluff and caramel drizzled on top. “Irene.” Irene liked hers with chocolate syrup and peppermint. “Here, Mary –” Hers was topped with what looked like half a can of whipped cream. Remy finally settled down on the couch, squeezed in between Mary Sage and Nadiya. His cup was overflowing with mini marshmallows. “Okay, captions on? Sliders stacked? Sewer granola within easy reach?”

“That was one time, Remy, we were on the run, and they were Power Bars, not granola bars –”

“Yep, we’re all good!” Remy said cheerily, derailing Nadiya’s rant before it could go too far. Irene, always in charge of the controller, started the movie.

“Is there kissing in this one?” Mary Sage asked. “I don’t like kissing.”

“Liar,” Nadiya said.

Mary Sage scowled. She had whipped cream on her nose already. “In movies!”

“Yeah, there’s kissing, but it’s not a kissing movie,” Remy said, already bounced up to the back of the couch and perched there with his legs dangling towards the cushions. “I knew better than to bring one after Titanic.” Nadiya remembered that movie night clearly – it had resulted in all four of them agreeing on how good-looking Kate Winslet was and disagreeing, loudly, on whether there really had been room on the door for Jack. (Kardala made an appearance to decisively say that there was absolutely not. They tried to shout her down, but shouting down a thunder goddess was an exercise in futility.)

“Ugh, fine,” Mary Sage said. “I get to pick next week, though.”

“You always pick Die Hard ,” Remy protested. “Or a Veggie Tales movie.”

“Not always,” Mary Sage said. “One time I picked Die Hard 2.  At least I don’t pick Flubber every time.”

“Wasn’t every time. It was just the first five,” Remy said.

“We still haven’t gotten around to watching my favorite movie,” Nadiya put in.

“The Fly is horror, Nad!” Remy said, nudging her with one Spongebob-socked foot. “No horror except for on Halloween. That’s my rule.”

“It’s barely horror! It’s a classic!” Nadiya said. “Plus, Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis, come on –”

“Three things,” Irene said in her small voice. “One, we also haven’t watched The Royal Tenebaums,  which is my favorite movie, if you’ll remember. I haven’t been able to find a copy on DVD. Second, we’re missing the intro.” (“As if we ever don’t,” Nadiya mumbled.) “And third,” Irene continued, standing up from the couch and nearly doubling in size, her voice dropping an octave and a half, “I want popcorn,” Kardala finished. “Did anyone bring any?”

“We have some in the cabinets,” Nadiya said. “The ones above the microwave.”

Kardala headed into the kitchen. They heard the cabinets open and close, the popping of popcorn, and twelve minutes later, Kardala returned with what appeared to be five bags of popcorn, all poured into the biggest mixing bowl Nadiya and Mary Sage owned.

“Thank you, Nadiya Jones!” Kardala said loudly. She sat down on the couch, effectively taking up ninety percent of the cushion space and nearly toppling Remy, who steadied his hot chocolate and himself with a yelp.

“What, you think we’re gonna host movie night and not have popcorn for you?” Mary Sage said with a grin, and Kardala smiled back and held up her bowl so Mary Sage could set her mug on the coffee table and fling herself across both Nadiya’s and Kardala’s laps. Kardala, unperturbed, set her bowl back down on Mary Sage’s stomach.

“They’re as sacred to movie night as sliders and hot chocolate,” Remy said. “Maybe more so.”

“But not as sacred as the sewer granola?” Mary Sage said slyly.

“For the LAST TIME, MARY –” Nadiya started, even as Mary Sage burst into laughter. Nadiya couldn’t help laughing along with her. Mary Sage just had that kind of laugh.

“It’s good granola,” Kardala said, though it was unclear whether she was defending Nadiya or Irene. “Irene’s mothers taught her the recipe.”

“No thanks, Irene’s kind has unshelled pistachios in it,” Nadiya said. “Ick.”

“No, that’s her pgorp,” Kardala said, eating a handful of popcorn that could easily have comprised an entire bag. “Her granola is much better. It has chocolate chips. The mini kind.” Suddenly, Kardala got a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “Sometimes Irene eats it for breakfast.”

“Hell yeah, chocolate for breakfast!” Remy said. He high fived Mary Sage in Kardala’s place, since Kardala’s hands were full of popcorn.

Nadiya finished her hot chocolate, set the mug down, and pulled one of the fluffy blankets up and wrapped it around her shoulders. Mary Sage promptly sat up, nearly knocking the popcorn bowl from Kardala’s hands in the process, positioned herself squarely in Nadiya’s lap, and wrapped herself in both the blanket and her girlfriend’s arms. “No blanket without me,” she mumbled, rubbing the soft edge across her mouth.

“You’re a holy terror,” Nadiya said, half-squished under a rather heavy double armful of Mary Sage. “I’m dating a holy terror. A wild child. An enfant terrible , if you will.”

“Mmhmm,” Mary Sage agreed, making herself comfortable on top of Nadiya. “Comfy girlfriend.”

Remy made a gagging noise from above them. “PDA alert, girlfriends too cute, call the cute lesbian cops!”

“There are no cute lesbian cops,” Mary Sage responded immediately. “Only cute lesbian communists.”

“Are you a communist?” Remy asked curiously.

“Probably,” Mary Sage said. “Statistically speaking.” Then, before he or Nadiya could incredulously question her about what statistics, exactly, she was referring to, she added, “Also, if cute lesbians aren’t allowed, Irene’s gotta leave, so tough beans.”

Kardala beamed. “Irene says to thank you for the compliment,” she says.

“She’s welcome,” Mary Sage said. “Kardala can stay, though.”

“Am I not cute?” Kardala asked.

Mary Sage turned and squinted at her, then leaned back and tilted her head. Kardala was wearing Irene’s favorite Hello Kitty pajamas, and, as always, looked vaguely like she’d just stuck her finger in an electrical socket. “Sure,” Mary Sage said finally. “But are you a lesbian?”

“Probably,” Kardala said agreeably, and went back to her popcorn.

Predictable , Nadiya thought, rubbing her hand through Mary Sage’s curly hair. Routine, she thought as the kissing scene came up on the screen and Mary Sage made retching noises and Remy kicked her and Kardala threatened to throw them both across the room. Ordinary, she thought as Remy dozed off like a cat spread over the top of the couch, and Kardala shrunk back into Irene as her eyes started to droop, and Mary Sage began snoring loudly from Nadiya’s lap, where her legs had fallen asleep.

Nadiya couldn’t remember ever being happier.

[gukyi]

fire and ice | kth

⇒ summary: you hate winter, but taehyung is here to change that.

⇒ jack frost!au

⇒ pairing: taehyung x reader

⇒ word count: 4k

⇒ genre: fluffity fluff fluff

⇒ warnings: excessive use of the word “snow”

⇒ a/n: a very happy birthday to the love of my wholest life, kim taehyung!!! this is in celebration of that loser’s birthday. also, i got a lot of good feedback for a jack frost au, so here it is!

Maybe Kim Taehyung is a bit reckless and a bit untamed, but he sure knows how to have fun. After all, he’s been doing this for three hundred years, give or take a few decades. It’s not like ‘fun’ is a foreign concept to him.

He’s always been like this, really, always looking on the bright side of things, trying to find a way to make his life more entertaining. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, and Taehyung is anything but dull, if he does say so himself. With his staff in his hand and the promise of winter on his fingertips, Taehyung lights up the lives of those around him. Only, they don’t know it’s him. Nobody does, really. That’s when being Jack Frost isn’t as cool (hah) as people think it is.

Jack Frost? Yeah, that’s Taehyung. He’s sure you’ve heard of him, heard of what he does. Bringer of snow and ice, the fucker behind all of the times you’ve slipped on the ice while walking down the sidewalk. Though, Taehyung likes to think he’s being funny, and that he brings more fun than anything else. The snow is just a bonus. But yes, Jack Frost, Taehyung, it’s all the same to him. He’s the one that brings winter to your front door, knocking on it with pale hands and a lopsided, boxy grin.

Not many people know who Taehyung is—or, Jack Frost, that is—besides him being “just an expression” (God, he hates that phrase), but you do. You always have.

That’s why you’re his favorite.

Kim Taehyung has been trapped as an eighteen-year-old ever since he became Jack Frost, felt the cold sweep through his blood and replace it with snow, turn his hair silver and his skin a frost-white, but he’s known you ever since you were little. He remembers you well, remembers how, the first snow of your five-year-old age, you stormed outside, looking like a puffy marshmallow, and stomped around in the snow. He remembers your mother telling you that it was Jack Frost who did this, trapped snowflakes in your hair and flurries on your face. He remembers you frowning, turning your head to the side, and declaring that you hated him.

He remembers being seen by you next. Remembers standing in front of you, frozen as ice, as you shouted.

He’s been with you ever since.

You’re something of a Scrooge when it comes to winter, always have been, and Taehyung thinks it’s hilarious. He always puts in the extra effort, when the moon decides for a sprinkle or a blizzard to befall your little city, to see how you’ve been doing.

Taehyung brings fun, brings snowball fights and sledding hills and snow days, to the people of the world, but he brings a little bit of mischief when it comes to you.

The look on your face never fails to make him beam.

The story you tell with Taehyung began at age five and has continued ever since, with him letting the wind take him back to you to bother you for another winter, without fail. Taehyung has watched countries rise and fall, seen towns build and decay, seen the world turn for over three hundred years, but you’re something of a strange constant in his life. Taehyung lost track of time by his second winter as Jack Frost, but you bring it back to him.

Maybe that’s why he’s always so drawn to you. There’s something about you that makes him wish he were still human again.

He remembers, vividly, the sound of your shrieks as he took your sled ride too far, his staff controlling the breeze that kept you flying through the air until you gracefully fell into a snowbank, heart racing. He remembers how, at night sometimes, when the wind is howling and Taehyung is creeping outside your window, he’d blow it open, letting flurries dot your windowsill and the wind wake you up. Remembers how he was the one behind the ice patch in the high school parking lot, the one that made you fall in front of that stupid crush of yours.

He relishes in how you scream his name without fail, every time something happens to you.

Taehyung loves winter, but he thinks he loves teasing you even more. After all, you hated the snow even before Taehyung barged into your life.

And when you pull up in your family’s driveway after your first semester away at college, jumping out of the driver’s seat to pull your suitcase from your boot, Taehyung looks on from the dogwood tree that grows in your front lawn, and decides that this is the winter where he’ll teach you to learn to love the snow.

With a flick of his staff, flurries surround you, soft snowflakes dotting your hair, eyelashes, black peacoat. He watches you as you pause, suitcase almost rolling away by your side, and stare up into the sky.

“Taehyung!” You shout, and it makes him burst into a fit of giggles. The sound of his melodious laughter makes you turn your head straight towards him, eyebrow raised in disapproval. “I’m back home for half a day and already you’re doing this?”

Taehyung flies down from the tree, landing softly in the thin layer of frost that dots the fading green grass of your garden, and smiles. “Thought it’d be better if I got a head start this year.”

“Whatever, I don’t wanna hear it,” you say, fighting the grin Taehyung can see wants to make its way across your lips as you reach for your suitcase.

Taehyung takes one look at the thing and decides that the fun starts now. With a kiss blown your way, he sends your suitcase flying, a sheet of ice underneath its wheels that makes it travel on its own. You almost topple over once your fingers realize your suitcase is no longer there, and it’s once you catch your breath that you see it taking a cruise down your sidewalk.

“Taehyung!” You shout again, hands curling into fists as you shake them vigorously his way. Taehyung, mid-air, is bursting into laughter at the sight of you, fruitlessly chasing after your suitcase as it slides on the ice he’s made. When he finally regains his senses, he freezes the suitcase, stops it from sliding into the road as you place a heavy hand on the thing, leaning over to catch your breath.

Taehyung flies over, a chilly hand on the small of your back. “You okay?”

“I hate you,” you say, narrowing your eyes as you scowl. “You always make winter so much worse.”

“Well, lucky for you,” Taehyung says, walking casually beside you as you wheel your luggage back up to your house, now a whole uphill battle away, “I’m here to change that.”

“Excuse me?” You ask, shocked expression taking over your face as your eyebrow raises in question. You look in disbelief, mild concern lacing your features as Taehyung grins.

“I’m gonna teach you to love winter,” Taehyung declares.

You roll your eyes, eyebrows furrowed in worry as you heave out a sigh, watch your breath dissipate in front of your eyes, already knowing you’re not going to be able to do anything to stop him. Taehyung laughs as he watches you, blowing a kiss your way as he flies off, ready to take on the world with you. His kiss bursts into a flurry in front of your eyes, and you blink as you watch the flakes fall to the ground, shaking your head fondly as you walk inside your house.

Taehyung, taking respite in the dogwood tree once more, smiles to himself, and wonders about tomorrow.

At seven in the morning, Taehyung busts through your window and blows a cold kiss onto your sleeping face, and it would be a ruder awakening if he weren’t so overwhelmingly attractive. Taehyung smiles warmly, a weird sensation for the literal embodiment of Jack Frost, as he watches you rub the sleep from your eyes.

“What the fuck!” You shout once you realize he’s here, but you immediately collapse back onto your pillow, curling away from him as you throw a pillow on top of yourself. “God, can you wait?”

“Nope,” Taehyung says, shrugging happily. “You’re learning to love snow, end of story.” He’s already asked the clouds today to bring a snowfall to your town. It’s too late to turn back.

“Now?” You groan. “You’re making my room all chilly.”

“Kind of what you get for being friends with Jack Frost,” Taehyung reasons.

Even from under your pillow, he can hear you scoff. “I’d hardly call us friends.”

Taehyung pouts. “I’m hurt, Y/N. We’ve known each other for so long and you don’t even think we’re friends?”

You pull the pillow off of you, sitting up in your bed, hair messy and a trail of dried drool down your chin, and smile helplessly. “Well, I guess we’re kind of like friends.”

Barely an hour later, Taehyung is tugging you off of your front lawn, sled in his hand, as he leads you to the best damn hill in town. He’s been down this hill so many times, seen kids sledding down it since there was a town built in this little part of the country, that he knows it almost by heart. Knows what makes the snow here tick, the wind blow.

“I don’t know about this, Taehyung,” you say hesitantly, eyeing the hill with worry. “I’m not a fan of the snow on better days.”

Taehyung laughs, takes your warm, human hand in his frosty one, and tugs you up to the top of the hill, where children have already started to gather in preparation for sledding down. Fire and ice, is what it feels like when your skin touches. He can do nothing but stay cool, emanates only a frost and a chill, but that sweet burning of the heat of your hand as it meets his turns him drunk, desperate for more.

“Come on, it’s not that bad, Y/N,” Taehyung begs. He motions to a kid beside you, a small boy no older than six, as he gets on his belly on top of the sled, and skids down to where his mother waits at the bottom. When he stands up, he erupts into giggles. “Please?”

“You first,” you say, handing the sled to him.

Taehyung shrugs, happy to take a turn, and jumps on, the momentum sending him flying forward. With a little bit of a push, he flips in the air as he’s sledding down, shrieking with joy. When he reaches the bottom, he sends you a thumbs up, feeling like he’s five-years-old all over again. You roll your eyes and cross your arms over your coat. He takes that as his cue to fly back up to you, handing the sled to you.

“Your turn,” he singsongs.

You look tense, a little cautious, as you settle in on the sled at the top of the hill. Taehyung loves the way you look at him for guidance, your worried eyes meeting his, sparkling in the sun as it beats down upon the two of you.

“Here,” he says. “I’ll wait at the bottom for you.”

Your eyes grow even more nervous.

“Don’t worry, okay?” He tells you. “I’ll catch you if you fall. I promise.”

With that, he flies down to the bottom of the hill, right in front of you, arms outstretched. With a nod of his head, he motions for you to go.

You shut your eyes the second you feel yourself sliding, instinctively beginning to scream—in terror or excitement, neither of you can tell. Taehyung watches you the entire way down, sees the way your open mouth slowly curves into a smile as you find yourself getting the hang of this sledding thing.

That is, until you hit a hidden rock buried in the ground, and you go flying off of the sled, right into Taehyung’s arms. As his back hits the snow, he laughs.

“How was that?” He asks excitedly, looking down to meet your eyes, where your head rests on his torso. “Did you like it?”

“It was a little fun,” you say, pursing your lips. “I’m sorry I made you fall,” you apologize.

“That’s okay,” Taehyung says, arms still wrapped around you as you sit up. “I said I would catch you, didn’t I?”

The next thing Taehyung does is take you back home, letting you dust off the snow that’s gotten into your boots and on the nape of your neck and along your bare wrists, where your gloves meet your coat, before chucking a snowball right at your chest.

“Taehyung!” You shout, shocked. “What the hell?”

“Welcome to your first snow day, Y/N!” Taehyung says as he forms another snowball in your hand, tossing it right at your torso. You yell again, but this time a smile is fighting its way across your face.

“Oh, you’re in for it now, Taehyung!” You shout.

Taehyung’s always loved the feeling of snow as it hits him. Call him crazy, but Taehyung loves the snow on his skin, how the cold seeps into his bones and sends a chill down his spine. Maybe that’s why the Man in the Moon made him Jack Frost. Because no matter what happens to him, he’ll always find a home amongst the snow, peace in a blizzard, happiness in the cold. Taehyung sees the light in the darkness, the fun in the frost. He always has.

He’s screaming as he runs, dodging your snowballs as you pelt them at him. The sound of his voice makes you laugh, a giddy look on your face as you finally sock him in the head. It makes him fall flat on the ground, laying on his back, and he smiles. Now you’re finally getting the hang of it.

“Get up!” You shout, a snowball already at the ready. “What, Taehyung? Too scared?”

Jack Frost? Scared of the snow? Unheard of. Taehyung conjures up another snowball in his hand, not even having to move, and it’s a split second between him sitting up and throwing it at you before you’re on the snow floor as well, beside yourself with giggles.

He flies over, juggling snowballs in his hands as he hovers above you. Your eyes are scrunched up into crescents as they look at him, bright and warm and lovely, just like you.

“Starting to like the snow yet?” Taehyung asks you, knowing smirk on his face.

“I will, once I win this snowball fight,” you say, taking a chunk of snow and throwing it right at his chest as you get up, cackling. Taehyung gasps at the feeling, surprised you’d pull such a low blow like that, and turns around, only to see you disappear behind the tree in your snow-covered garden.

“Can’t hide forever, Y/N,” Taehyung taunts, a sizeable snowball dancing between his fingers. “You’re gonna have to face me eventually!”

“Not if I can help it!” You shriek, quickly moving away from the tree to toss another snowball his way. He dodges easily, watches it fall and melt into the rest of the snow that covers your lawn like a blanket.

He approaches the tree stealthily, though it’s not like the two of you are totally unaware of each other’s locations. He can hear you giggling behind the trunk, soft laughter filling his ears with song. It almost makes him not want to chuck this snowball at you, but too little too late, and he’s pressing the ball of ice against your back with a victorious cry as you gasp.

“Taehyung!” You shout, ready to chase after him, but Taehyung’s got another trick up his sleeve (he always does, he’s Jack Frost, after all). As he pauses, meeting your eyes, he flies upwards, leaving you speechless and pouty as he rests on a branch that hovers above your head. “That’s cheating!”

“Not cheating if you can always do it anyway,” Taehyung jokes. He’s too high up for your snowballs to reach, but not high enough for your voice to be out of earshot.

“You’re such a little asshole,” you say, but there’s no insulting tone lacing your voice. Only fondness, a happiness that Taehyung doesn’t think he’s ever heard from you before. At least, not when you’re surrounded by snow. It warms his frozen heart, makes him feel like maybe, if he dreamt hard enough, he’d become human again. Human enough to let his warmth seep into yours, press kisses along your skin without it turning to frost.

Humans are weird, or at least, they are now that Taehyung isn’t one, but it’s people like you who make him wonder what might have been.

“Come and get me,” Taehyung taunts, tossing a snowball casually in his left hand as he leans back on his right.

“You’re too high,” you whine. “I don’t like the snow enough to try and get you to come down.”

Taehyung pouts at the mention of your dislike of his favorite thing that exists in the known universe. He knows you’re just teasing him. He can tell, from the way you bite your lip to prevent yourself from smiling, to the laughter that still echoes in his ears. He’s done his job but he doesn’t want to leave you just yet. He never does.

“Aw, really?” Taehyung asks, bottom lip out. “That’s such a shame. Guess I’ll just have to—”

“Taehyung!”

He’s fallen backwards, let his hands let go of the tree trunk that keeps him steady, and it’s the sight of your wide eyes that has his crinkling into smiles. His legs are hooked onto the branch, keeping him safely hanging above you, and he looks down to see you shaking your head, breaths quick.

“God, you scared the shit out of me,” you say, a hand on your heaving chest.

“Worried, Y/N?” He taunts. “You know I can’t die.”

“I know,” you say, sighing. “You just wear me out sometimes, you know? I feel like I need to always be near you.”

“Worn out?” Taehyung asks, and he doesn’t even need to see you nod before he’s sending his magic down to you. It lifts you up, brings you to him as you come to rest on the tree branch next to him. He swings his body back up to meet you, smiling at the sight of you so close to him. “Wanna rest up here?”

“I’ve never seen my garden from up here before,” you say, in awe of the view. It’s like you’re the rulers of your own little world, a kingdom of snow right in front of your eyes. Surprisingly enough, there’s nobody you’d rather be up with than Taehyung.

Taehyung can feel your body heat through your many layers, coat over sweater over shirt, hat pulled tightly over your head and gloves warming your fingers. He feels how it emanates off of you, like a cozy campfire you roast marshmallows over. Taehyung can’t remember the last time he was near fire, but being with you makes him remember the feeling anyway. You’re fire, warming up his heart and teaching him that even if he’ll live forever, there are moments which he cannot forget. Moments like these.

“Did you have fun today?” Taehyung asks, swinging his legs. One of his feet hooks onto yours, making you jump in surprise before you realize it was just him.

“A little,” you concede, and even though Taehyung knows you’re a liar, knows that you had way more than just “a little” fun today, he takes what he can get.

“Really?” He asks in excitement.

“Just a little,” you insist, though Taehyung can tell that even you know you’re fibbing.

“Okay, alright,” he says, rolling his eyes as he lets you pretend that today wasn’t fun. “Whatever you say, Y/N.” A finger reaches up to press onto the tip of your nose, making you scrunch it up.

“Your fingers are so cold,” you say, taking one of his hands into yours. You bring it up to his mouth, blowing on it with your breath, and he can feel the heat touch it before disappearing into his skin, leaving it cold.

“It’s no use,” Taehyung says, but he’s not sad about it. “I’ll always be cold, Y/N.”

“That doesn’t matter,” you decide, meeting his eyes. When he looks into yours, he can see beauty and wonder and love swirling in your irises. He wonders if you can see the pure adoration in his. “You’re warm to me.”

Hearing the words makes Taehyung do something he never thought he’d ever so, not since he became Jack Frost, bringer of fun. He places a frost-covered palm on your cheek and presses his lips to yours. Fire and ice. That’s how it’ll always be, the two of you. Fire on his lips and his tongue, ice as it decorates your hair and your skin.

When you part, Taehyung can see his breaths as he takes them, mixing with yours. He’s never been able to do that before.

“Glad I could teach you how to love the winter,” Taehyung says, and the smile that breaks out on your face is enough to warm him with the heat of a thousand suns. You’re all of the warmth he’ll ever need.

“I don’t love it just yet,” you remind him, eyebrow raised. His hands still rest in yours.

Taehyung shrugs, an idea lighting up his mind. “Then, I suppose I’ll have to come back tomorrow?”

You nod happily, and finally, finally, finally, Taehyung knows why he was always drawn to you. “I’d love to see you again.”

⇒ hmu with feedback or just talk to me here!

[askdawnandvern]

So this chapter marks a turning point in the story, as well as the finally portion of the seemingly endlessly expanding girls night. This chapter essentially puts the final pieces in place in order for the story to start to hit the final plunge. I'm hoping this means everything will start to flow a bit faster from here on out. I've also taken stock of a rough estimate of how many chapters remain, and how long that would take based on my current posting trend and I realized i'm going to have to do my damndest to up my writing speed so I can get this finished before Summer time. And so I intend to do that so that LAW can conclude satisfyingly and so that I may move on to other projects. I also want to take the time to thank commenter Guillermo for pointing out that Hyena species actually branched off of the feline family, not the canid family. I had received the message a while back, and decided rather than redoing all the previous entrees to correct them, I would end up having Ada adress it in the chapter and correct it going forward. Thank you for the helpful comment. I'd also like to thank my backers for thier continued support and suggestions. With their help going over the story chapters before posting we've got the spelling errors and mistakes down to probably the smallest margin possible. One more thing to note, this chapter contains use of the technical terms for various parts of the female and male anatomy, just giving you the heads up if you are put off by that sort of thing. And if you'd like early access to chapters and access to other perks you can check out My Patreon. www.patreon.com/wastedtimeee

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A LAMB AMONG WOLVES

Chapter Thirty: Girls Night: Self Reflection

"I was completely bare from the waist up." The ewe continued, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke." I was shaking like a leaf, shivering with every breath as I stared back up into those shimmering deep green eyes of his. His looming form just shuddering as his hungry eye's scanned over every inch of me." Dawn sighed, the blush on her muzzle growing deeper. “He was breathing just as heavy as I was, and every few moments I could see his tongue just…tracing his muzzle…” Dawn cooed. “Lapping at the edges of his maw as he watched over me…”

The other girls were practically surrounding Dawn now, the ewe cocooned between the massive tigress, the chubby wolf, and the diminutive fox all. All of them squeezed tightly up against her as they focused their attention on the ewe. They were each sporting light blushes of their own, with Qali burying her muzzle into a pillow she was clutching for dear life as she watched Dawn intently. Dawn had been weaving quite the tale, and by now, all the Hunter girls had become ensnared by her lurid retelling of her first time with Vernon.

Ada, while not on the same mattress, was practically hanging off of her own bed as she listened intently, a satisfied grin never leaving her muzzle as she watched.

“And I felt like I was on fire…” Dawn continued, rubbing her upper arms with her hooves. “Like there was electricity just shooting through me, burning a hole through me. I wanted him so badly I could barely stand it.”

The ewe adjusted her frames slightly, a smirk crawling across her muzzle.

“Yet despite everything, all the rushing hormones and emotions, I had this one…ridiculous nagging thought.” Dawn shook her head dismissively.

“What was it!?” Qali chirped, practically leaping forward as she spoke.

“Despite everything, now that my top was off, a part of me couldn’t help but be worried that my breasts were too small…”

The girls erupted into uproarious laughter, Qali practically rolling off the bed as Vanna pounded a paw against her pillow. Ada’s trademark hyena cackle was out in full effect as the large hyeness rolled onto her back, howling with laughter. And Malcolm held his stomach in pain as he wheezed out laugh after laugh.

Dawn was kicking her legs wildly as she erupted into a giggle fit of her own, the ewe delighting in just how hard she had made her new found sisters laugh. So far, aside from the picnic, the impromptu slumber party with the Hunter girls had quickly become the highlight of her night. It was certainly doing wonders in regards to keeping her thoughts away from the argument she had with Dorian earlier that evening. The wolf’s bitter, hateful screed still weighed on the ewe certainly, and Dawn knew it would be impossible to fully shake the decisive and hurtful decision regarding her place among the Hunter pack from her mind for the remaining portion of the trip. But for now, the joy and revelry had easily drowned it out, keeping her thoughts about the icy white wolf down to little more than a muffled whisper in the back of her mind.

“Oh gods, I know just what you mean!” The fox attempted to cut through the groups giggling. Qali did her best to stifle her own laughter as she struggled to add her two cents to the conversation. The diminutive fox managed to right herself while keeping her arms fastened tightly around the pillow she was holding, turning her gaze back toward to mass of mammals at the head of the bed.

“The first time when Trenny and I were…you know…” Qali let out another giggle as a blush formed on her muzzle. “Intimate.” The fox bobbed her eyebrows suggestively, speaking the word in a hushed and secretive tone before returning to her usual chirpy candor. “I felt exactly the same way!”

Dawn smiled widely at the petite fox. “Really?”

Qali gave a brisk, rapid nod before leaning back in closer to the other girls. Now lying on the pillow she had previously been strangling, the fox rested her head on her paws.

"Oh yeah." Qali continued. "We had been seeing each other for about a month when things just…escalated," Qali said with a smirk.

“’Escalated huh?” Malcolm said, forming a wry grin of his own.

Qali giggled. “We had just gotten back to his apartment after dinner, and just pounced on each other!” The fox wrapped her arms around her pillow again, squeezing it as tightly as before. “Well…more like I pounced on him and felled him like a Fraser Fur!”

“I’m surprised dat fella can even keep up witch youse.” Ada said with a laugh. “Is dat why he always seems so worn out?”

“That’s just Trenton's personality," Vanna interjected, emitting a low chuckle of her own.

Qali rolled her eyes slightly. “Oh believe me, that wolf has no problems keeping up. I think Trenny could put a hare in heat to shame if given the chance.” The fox flashed the hyena a smug grin. “And thanks to all that training for his job he’s…well he’s got the muscles to back it up.”

The fox let out an amorous sigh, fluttering her eyelids as a dreamlike stare overtook her features. It was short lived however, as a wince quickly replaced her pleasant smile, and her ears sagged mournfully. "And that's when I started to get nervous."

“Oh?” Dawn asked.

Qali gave a sluggish nod, seemingly uneasy as she recalled her emotional state from that night. “I remember I had finally managed to claw his shirt off.” Qali chuckled weakly. ”I had to practically crawl up him to do it, but I had finally managed to get it off of him.”

“That’s better than my first attempt," Dawn said with a laugh. "Vernon had to take his own shirt off; he was just too tall for me to manage it on my own.”

Dawn’s admission elicited another short burst of giggles from the group.            Qali seemed to squeeze her pillow tighter as her blush deepened. “Now I had never seen Trenny with his shirt off, so I was super eager to unwrap that candy bar.” Qali smiled warmly. “And when I finally got a look at what was underneath…well…”

“How was it?” Vanna asked.

Qali waved a paw at herself, as if fanning away a building heat. “Whew…” Qali panted softly. “That wolf was cut.” Qali lapped at her muzzle slightly as the dreamy look returned to her face. “Like, I could just make out the muscles under his fur. It was better than I could have possibly imagined.” The diminutive fox raised her paws, clasping her fingers repeatedly as if she were grabbing the air. “Part of me just wanted to run my pads up and down those abs for the rest of the night!”

“So when do we get to da bad part?” Ada said chuckling. “Cause youse are startin’ to confuse me here, are you complainin’ that your mate is jacked?”

Qali sat up, briskly shaking her head no and waving her paws out defensively. “Oh no! Not at all!” Qali asserted before slumping back down against her pillow. “I definitely loved what I saw, believe me!” The fox flashed a weak grin. “I was practically drooling.”

           "I don't know about that..." Vanna muttered.

           Qali let out a slight huff. "Please, I'd like to think I have some kind of self-control."

           "Was huh?" Ada asked with a smirk. "Sure you wasn't literally droolin'?"

Qali opened her mouth seemingly to retort, but Dawn was quick to interject.

"But it made you self-conscious about yourself?" Dawn asked, seeming to pick up what the arctic fox was getting at.

Qali clutched the pillow close to her chest, squeezing it as if she were trying to cover herself.

“I-I’m not the most voluptuous vixen out there…” Qali sighed. “I don’t have plump swaying hips, and I’m flat as a board.” The petite fox frowned. “I felt like I didn’t have anything to…” Qali paused, seemingly trying to find her words. “Really offer Trenny in the physical department.”

The little fox sat straight up; releasing the pillow she had been holding and allowing it to fall into her lap. The usually jovial and peppy fox seemed to take on a rather serious expression, something the ewe would have had a hard time picturing on her if it weren't for the fact she was seeing it.

"I don't know how much you guys know about foxes," Qali said. "I mean about how most mammals tend to see them.”

“Sneaky, shifty, sly, sweet-talkin’ types dat are neva to be trusted," Ada said sarcastically. “You guys have it pretty rough.”

“And that's just the boys," Qali said sadly. "I mean, it's something all foxes deal with when it comes to how other mammals see us. But those are usually the first thoughts that come to mind when most mammals think of your average tod."

Dawn nodded knowingly. She had heard and accumulated her own poorly thought out misconceptions in her early years with foxes, just as she had with wolves. Of course, with her rehabilitation, as well as her reconnection with Judy she had developed a greater understanding as to the pressure those ideas place on the species at large. Judy had a second-paw account of just some of the struggles that foxes had to go through in their day to day life, and how Nick had folded under the cruelty of others to resign himself to accepting the role that society had decided for him with gusto. But when it came to vixens, the ewe knew less of what struggles they faced. Val was the only vixen Dawn could say she somewhat knew, and the vixen remained enigmatic to pretty much everyone around her.

“For all the flak foxes get, vixens experience a different sort of stereotype.”  The diminutive fox lolled her head as she began what almost seemed like a well-rehearsed list. “Where tods are always sneaky and agile, vixens are expected to be svelte and graceful. Where tods use their charisma to get by, vixens use their charm and beauty.” Qali raised her paws up. “Vixens have practically become the standard of beauty when it comes to the canid society. The pinnacle of predatory grace and style."

The diminutive vixen’s paws flopped to her sides lamely.

“I can’t even count how many vixen actresses there are, and models?” Qali rolled her eyes. “Forget about it, they practically dominate the fashion world.”

The tiny fox put her hands on her hips, letting out a huff of air in order to shift her draping fur coif out of her eye.

"The public expects vixens to be these busty, curvy, and infectiously charming mammals." Qali huffed. "And we aren't built like that. Our species was built to be thin, lean and agile!" The arctic fox waved a paw toward herself, gesturing down her tiny form. "Barely any body fat to spare!"

“Well, I don’t think its any secret that all that glitzy stuff is all Howlywood hocus pocus and airbrushin’," Malcolm said reassuringly. "Out where I'm from it's hard to find a mammal that ain't had some form o' plastic surgery."

"And that's the problem," Qali muttered, her ears sagging as she slackened her stance. "The way other mammals see us feeds back into fox culture, and puts pressure on us to conform to that image, with other vixens looking down their snout at those who aren't as svelte and voluptuous." The fox sighed. "We end up policing ourselves, forcing each other to live up to this stupid image that vixens like Maid Marian, Veronica Leash, Marilyn Murrnroe unintentionally cut out for us."

Qali dragged a finger around the edge of her coif, once again trying to shift it out of her eye only for it to quickly slip back into place.

"When my sisters and I were little kits, growing up and seeing these other vixens on TV, we were mesmerized.” The fox let out a sad sigh. “I know I was." Qali placed a paw on her forehead. "They were so elegant and so pretty, and I would think ‘Wow, I can’t wait to grow up and be just like them.

Qali slumped back down against her pillow, hugging it tightly against herself as she let out a soft whine.

“Then I grew up and realized that I was never going to look like them.” The fox buried her muzzle into the pillow, hiding her face. “That almost all vixens don’t look that way without extensive surgery, and yet that’s what most mammals just ‘expected’ me to look like. That's what most other foxes 'thought' I should look like."

Vanna reached a paw out toward the diminutive fox, placing it gently on her back and rubbing it softly.

“I’m sorry Qali.” Vanna cooed softly.

"Me too," Dawn added. "That sounds like a terrible precedent to live under.”

The fox poked her head up slightly from its resting place deep within the pillow, eyeing the nearby mammals with sad, glossy eyes.

"I-its fine," Qali muttered. "I mean I-I try not to think about it you know?"

The girls shared a nod at the fox’s question.

“But when I was suddenly staring down Trenny’s delectable, sculpted body…” Qali uttered with a smirk. “Something that was supposed to be exciting and titillating…” The fox chuckled weakly. “and yet suddenly I was feeling scared because I realized he was going to see me naked too.”

“So what didja do?” Ada asked, the hyeness leaning off the edge of her bed as her attention remained fixed on the fox.

“I tell you, I’ve never moved more slowly in my life.” Qali laughed. “I did everything I could to delay taking my shirt off, and when it finally came down to Trenny being forced to do the job for me I quickly covered myself up with my arms and refused to move them.” Qali shook her head dismissively. “Trenny had to spend five minutes trying to convince me to stop covering my chest.” Qali chuckled. “I wanted to keep going, but at the same time I didn’t want him to be disappointed.”

“I find it hard to believe he’d be disappointed.” Malcolm chuckled. “I mean, it ain’t like you were stuffin’ yer bra, he must have had some inkling of what to expect.”

“I know it made no sense!” Qali chirped, sitting back up. The fox pulled her pillow close to her again. “But I couldn’t help it! I was so nervous! I wanted Trenny to like what he saw!”

"Irrational fears are just that," Dawn added, recalling some of her therapist's wisdom. "Even if you know there shouldn't be anything to fear, you can't help yourself."

Qali nodded briskly. “Exactly!” The fox let out a soft whine. "I was so worked up I had to close my eyes and grit my teeth before I was able to muster the strength to force my arms to my sides," Qali said, dramatically forcing her arms to her sides as her pillow fell back into her lap. The room fell silent briefly in the wake of the fox's sudden gesture, her eyes snapped shut as if she were reliving the moment.

“So…” Ada broke the silence, quirking an eyebrow.” How was the reveal?”

The diminutive fox developed a sudden fierce blush, and soon enough she had buried her muzzle back into her pillow. Her eyes darted from mammal to mammal as she wiggled her muzzle against the fabric as tightly as she could, seemingly too bashful to retell exactly what was said.

“P-perfect…” Qali cooed softly.

“What was dat?’ Ada asked, placing a paw to her ear as she leaned over the gap between the beds.

"He said they were perfect," Qali muttered loud enough to hear before burying her face completely into her pillowcase.

That managed to draw a chorus of ‘Aww’s’ from the collective group of girls, forcing the fox to bury herself deeper into the pillow.

Dawn placed a hoof to her heart as she felt it skip a beat. Vernon had said the same thing when she had been lying bare before him, with nothing but pure love and adoration in his eyes.

“T-that’s what Vernon said to me…” Dawn sighed warmly as she recalled their first night.

The fox perked up from her hiding place, flashing the ewe a look of shock before developing a warm smile of her own.

Another chorus of pleasant sighs rippled through the Hunter girls, Malcolm going so far as to clasp his paws to his chest in admiration of the two mammals similar romantic tales.

"Boy, looks like doze boys been reading from da same playbook huh?” Ada said with a chuckle.

Vanna let out a chuckle of her own. “Well Dorian may be as stubborn as an Ox, but he did manage to raise some real Gentlemammals.”

"Yuri excluded," Qali said with a grin.

Ada grimaced sharply. “Hey, I told yas, he can be a real sweet guy!” The hyeness protested. “Ya just don’t see trew him like I do!”

"Maybe I need a better prescription," Dawn said, taking her glasses off and pretending to inspect them with a chuckle. Dawn’s little act managing to earn a few laughs from the other Hunter girls.

Ada let out a scoff, crossing her arms defensively. “Alright fuzz butt, watch yourself or I’ll make sure you’ll end up needin’ more den glasses!”

Dawn chuckled, taking a moment to inspect her glasses before reluctantly sliding them back on to her face.

“Please, these are bad enough to have to deal with," Dawn muttered, letting out a soft sigh as she slumped back against her pillows.

Ada chuckled softly. “I take it yer bust ain’t da only ting you ain’t happy wit?”

Dawn rolled her eyes. “Take your pick.” The ewe said, gesturing up and down her body with her hooves.

“I’m probably half the size of your average ewe.” The ewe grumbled. Dawn raised an arm, flexing it slightly before gesturing at the pitiful display with her other hoof. “And I’m extremely frail and weak because of that.”

“I don’t know about that…” Malcolm chuckled. “I mean, if yer matin’ with a wolf without bein’ broken in half, I’d say yer stronger than you think.” The red wolf bobbed his eyebrows suggestively at the ewe.

Dawn placed a hoof over her muzzle in order to stifle a rising giggle, giving the wolf a playful swat with her free paw.

"I'm trying to be serious!" Dawn said, a few stray laughs escaping as she tried her best to remain firm in tone. The wolf let out a chuckle of his own.

"Alright, alright..." Malcolm snickered. "Carry on Darlin'."

Dawn let out a sigh as she re-adjusted her frames, doing her best to shake off the lingering giggles before pressing forward.

"I mean, I'm not really built as well as other sheep tend to be." Dawn shrugged. "I mean, ewes can be dainty and soft and all, but I'm not even as strong as your average ewe."

"There's nothing wrong with that," Vanna interjected. "There are plenty of other ways to be strong."

"Says da eight-foot tall tigress built like a brick wall," Ada said with a dull chuckle.

Vanna rolled her eyes slightly before placing a reassuring paw on Dawn's shoulder.

"Trust me, it isn't all it's cracked up to be," Vanna said with a sigh. "Being an officer of the law requires me to stay fit and in-shape. But when it comes to tigers it doesn't take a lot of work to build your muscles up." Vanna grimaced slightly. "Our species were built for power, built to be strong and quick."

"Dis was supposta make Dawn feel bedda how exactly?" Ada flashed the tigress a smug smirk.

Vanna placed a paw over her eyes, dragging it down her muzzle as she let out an annoyed huff.

"The reason I mention it is because there is a trade-off for that power." Vanna threw the hyeness a dull glare before continuing. "You see, much like Qali, our species was built to be lean. So our females naturally have a smaller bust size than most other species."

"Ah, so it's ya bust size too eh?" Ada said with a laugh. "Why are all of yaz so obsessed with ya boobs!? Most boys are more den happy to take anyting dey can get!"

"I don't care about my breasts!" Vanna declared with a snarl, wrapping her arms tightly against her chest as if she were shielding them from Ada's prying eyes. She held herself that way for a few moments before noticing her own involuntary action, and quickly dropping her arms back to her sides. "I mean, that's not the issue..." Vanna continued.

"Then what is it?" Malcolm asked, the husky wolf quirking an eyebrow.

Vanna let out a terse and tired sigh, and Dawn could see a red tinge forming on the fur beneath her muzzle.

"Look, the thing is..." Vanna shook her head briskly. "With the already small bust size, a fit female tiger becomes a bit...harder to discern from a fit male tiger."

"OooOOOoooHHhhh...." Qali cooed, realization apparent on the little fox's face as she leaned over her tightly clutched pillow toward the massive tigress. "So everyone thinks your a boy?"

Vanna placed a paw over her face, her muzzle tightening into a frown.

"I imagine if I took my shirt off in public, nine out of ten mammals would confuse me for one of Gazelle's dancers." Vanna grumbled. "It doesn't help that I'm big for my species to begin with."

"Oh my..." Dawn murmured, placing a hoof on Vanna's arm reassuringly. "I'm sorry Vanna."

"Hmm..." Ada placed a paw to her chin as she leaned closer toward the group on the opposite bed. The large canid squinting her eyes as she inspected the tigress carefully.

"I can see it," Ada said with a smirk.

Vanna let out a weak, defeated groan as she hunched over in shame.

"Aw lay off Ada." Malcolm chided, placing a paw on the tigress and joining Dawn in her attempts to reassure the big kitty cat. "I'm sure it's hard enough fer Vanna to open up about this as it is without ya'll addin' to it."

Ada lolled her head back as she rolled her eyes. "I'm just playin' geeze!"

"No, she's right, and that's what makes it so insufferable," Vanna said sadly. "I'm so tall and I have such a broad, flat upper body that at first glance almost everyone assumes I'm a male. I can't tell you how many times I've been addressed as 'sir' while doing my duty." Vanna raised her paws sharply. "So many of the locals, even several of the other officers assumed the same when first meeting me!" Vanna's paws flopped lamely back to her sides as she let out a long, exasperated sigh.

"Hearing that, day in and day out...It just makes me feel so..." Vanna shook her head dismissively, placing a paw over muzzle as she shut her eyes tightly. "So un-feminine."

Dawn rubbed the tigresses arm in an attempt to reassure her. It was true, even gazing at Vanna now that, in contrast to a mammal like Qali who was very visibly feminine despite her concerns, the large feline looked considerably masculine. In fact, had Dawn not heard Zach preface meeting the large tigress with the fact that she was female, Dawn might have at first assumed the wolf to be in a similar relationship to that of Xavier and Malcolm's. But upon meeting her, it was fairly easy to see the big cat's feminine side. Despite her cold exterior, the tigress carried herself with a distinctly feminine air. And if Dawn had needed any more proof, their embarrassingly girlish duet the night before easily proved the cat to be as feminine as the rest of them.

"Aw, who cares what anyone else thinks Vanna girl." Malcolm chimed in, giving the large feline a playful pat on the arm. "We love you, and Zach loves ya, and we all know yer just another one of the girls."

Malcolm had more or less taken the words right out of Dawn's muzzle, aside from adding his distinctive drawl. Vanna however, seemed just as down about her predicament as before.

"I know...I just.." The tigress dragged a paw down her face as she let out a weak groan. Vanna turned her head up toward the ceiling, looking up and away from the others.

"I just sometimes worry that I'm not...pretty enough for Zach." The tigress mumbled uncomfortably. "I mean there are plenty of attractive tigresses out there, and even more attractive mammals if he wasn't looking for a tigress specifically. I just..." Vanna's head drooped into her waiting paws, the large feline now sporting a sharp frown as she buried herself deeper into her paw pads.

"I sometimes wonder if Zach settled for less when he 'tithed' to me." Vanna whimpered. " Not only did he 'tithe' a mammal outside of his species, but someone who is regularly confused for a male. He could have easily gone for any girl he wanted with his job, his looks, his personality, but now he's stuck with me."

"Hey," Dawn said firmly, giving the tigress' arm a firm jostling to draw her attention. Vanna pulled herself from her paws in order to glance towards the tiny ewe staring back up at her. Dawn could see what seemed to be the start of tears in her eyes, something she had thought the tigress was beyond capable of.

"He loves you." Dawn said in a serious tone. "That's why he 'tithed' to you Vanna, because he loves you."

Vanna let out a soft whimper, something uncharacteristic of the large feline. "I know, but-"

"But nothin'!" Malcolm chimed in, the wolf clutching the felines arm tightly as he spoke. "Has he ever said anythin' about yer looks botherin' him Darlin'?"

Vanna offered a meek, seemingly forced smile. "W-well no. I just worr-"

"Well, what does he say!?" Qali chirped, the fox clasping her pillow tightly as she focused keenly on the tigress.

Vanna blushed slightly, the small smile on her muzzle forming into something more genuine as she tried to hide her face. "T-that I'm beautiful." The blush on her muzzle deepened as she tried to cover her muzzle with a paw. "That I'll always be his big beautiful kitten."

"See, Zach loves ya for who you are!" Malcolm chirped happily. "Just like Xavey loves me despite my little bit extra." The wolf said, patting his stomach as he let out a laugh.

"But doesn't it ever bother you?" Vanna asked, turning her sights to the red wolf. "On a personal level?"

Malcolm frowned slightly. "Well I mean, o'course it does somewhat." The wolf glanced down at his stomach, giving it an appraising rub. "No fella really wants a spare tire and big ol' love handles. But with what I do fer a livin' that was purty much unavoidable." Malcolm laughed. "I can't keep my paws outta the pot fer more than a few seconds at a time when I'm cookin'."

Vanna sighed. "So how do you deal with it?"

Malcolm scratched the back of his head awkwardly, the wolf seemingly trying to choose his words carefully before speaking.

"Well, I mean...Xavey loves me, and so does my family." Malcolm said with a soft smirk. "'Sides, I figure I'm happier bein a lil' chubby and eatin' good food than dietin' all the time and bein' miserable." The wolf let out another laugh.

"I..." Vanna paused, her expression remaining an uneasy one. "I'm not sure that advice really helps in my case."

"Like snowball said, dere's always surgery," Ada interjected with a barking laugh.

"Oh hush up!" Malcolm retorted. "Vanna is fine the way she is, same as me, Qali and Dawn."

Dawn shifted uncomfortably in place, the ewe's thoughts returning to her own shortcomings as she subconsciously touched her frames.

"Well...surgery isn't always an option..." Dawn muttered quietly, drawing the groups attention back her way.

"You thought about getting a procedure done?" Vanna asked, raising a curious eyebrow.

Dawn gave a meek nod as she shifted her body deeper against the pillows. The ewe clasped her upper arms, rubbing them uneasily as she glanced at the other Hunter girls.

"It wasn't a big deal...I just had a consultation with my optometrist about corrective surgery before my campaign work." Dawn sighed. "I figured I'd stand a better chance at bringing in more votes if I wasn't wearing these giant, goofy glasses of mine."

"I like your glasses!" Qali said, reaching a paw toward Dawn's frames before stopping herself. The diminutive fox quickly retracting her paw as she shrunk into her shoulders.

"S-sorry..." Qali muttered quietly.

Malcolm chuckled. "So touchy-feely girl, you gotta stop that."

"I know, I know!" Qali huffed, burying her muzzle into her pillow.

"I think they suit you Dawn." Vanna added, flashing the ewe a reassuring smile.

"Dough dey do kinda remind me of my grandma's, so I can sees what you was goin' for." Ada said with a smirk.

The other Hunter girls flashed the hyena a scowl, however, Dawn simply nodded in agreement.

"That was my fear when it came to the voters. That my glasses would scream 'old nan' despite the fact that most sheep have some form of corrective lenses." Dawn sighed.

"Why is that?" Vanna asked.

Dawn shrugged. "Poor depth perception. I read somewhere it was a genetic defect leftover from ancestral sheep, although it is more common in North Mammalian sheep rather than Roaropean sheep." Dawn removed her glasses, neatly folding them on her lap before turning toward Vanna's direction and opening her eyes as wide as she could. The ewe pointed a hoof carefully toward her iris. "It has something to do with the fact that Roaropean sheep have round pupils like mine that generally gives them better vision on average."

With a sigh the ewe opened her glasses and slid them back onto her muzzle.

"Unfortunately it seemed to skip over me and then some..." Dawn muttered. "I'm as blind as a bat without these things."

"But you decided against getting the procedure?" The large feline queried.

Dawn's head drooped slightly as she let out a soft laugh.

"I didn't even have the option." The ewe replied.

"Why not?" Malcolm asked.

Dawn rolled her eyes slightly. "The doctor told my corneas were much too thin for corrective surgery. There was simply no way around either being stuck with glasses or settling for contact lenses."

"Why dincha' get da lenses den?" Ada questioned the ewe as she continued to hang off the side of her mattress.

"And have to put little bits of plastic in my eyes every day?" Dawn shuddered, clasping her hooves against her upper arms and rubbing them briskly. "Ew, no thank you!"

Another fit of laughter rippled through the Hunter girls, Dawn doing her best to stifle her own giggling by clasping her muzzle with her hooves.

"I hear that!" Qali giggled, the fox squeezing tightly against her pillow as she rolled in place. "It always creeps me out when anything gets near my eyes."

"I have a habit o' squirmin' myself when my eye doctor has to get up real close to my eyes durin' a check up." Malcolm chuckled. "Ain't exactly the most comfortable position to be in."

"I am at least thankful I was able to get my teeth taken care of though, even if it wasn't really my choice," Dawn said as her laughter trailed off. "It didn't make high school any easier to get through though."

"I take it ya'll had braces then?" Malcolm asked with a smirk.

Dawn rolled her eyes, flicking a hoof playfully toward the wolf as she let out a laugh. "Braces? I had full on headgear." Dawn giggled. "Complete with the straps and everything to keep my adult teeth from coming in skewed."

"Geeze..." Ada said, the hyena cringing slightly as she spoke.

"They called me 'metal mouth' pretty regularly in high school for that," Dawn said sadly. "But it's not as if they weren't calling me plenty of other names by then. It was merely another one for the pile."

"Y'know I heard a ting or two about sheep teeth," Ada said with a soft smirk. "Mostly jokes about sheep never havin' heard of a dentist, or carin' more about dere horns bein' smooth and straight radder den dere molars."

Dawn nodded affirmatively. "Oh certainly. Sheep having terrible teeth is a well-known stereotype, although the basis is not entirely untrue."

"Cause ya'll are heavy grinders right?" Malcolm asked. "The whole prey 'needin' strong flat teeth' to ground down hard to digest stuff?"

Dawn blinked at the wolf in surprise. "Y-yes, actually." Dawn uttered. "How did you know that?"

Malcolm flashed the ewe a wide grin, placing his paw to his chest and puffing it out proudly. "I get a lot of prey customers, and knowin' how to make food suited to how they eat it is part of the job."

"Well, these days we sheep and other herbivores don't have to spend as much time chewing or using rumination to process our food considering how most of it is pre-processed." Dawn was quick to continue. "Unless you're set on preparing food the traditional way in prey circles, there is considerably less use for grinding your teeth nearly as much."

The girls remained attentive despite the ewe's fears of being boring, nodding along as Dawn prattled off more facts about sheepfolk. Despite their seeming intrigue, Dawn was keen to push through as fast as she could to get back to the topic at hoof.

"But that doesn't mean we don't still do it. Especially when we sleep, which is why so many sheep have dental issues." Dawn shrugged. "That's why you see so many rams with their front teeth jutting in several directions. All that back and forth grinding skews them while they are coming in during their teenage years."

"I see a lot o' rams wit jacked up teeth..." Ada interjected. "Especially back in the city, dough not as many lady sheeps."

Dawn nodded affirmatively. "That's because it's less socially acceptable among caprids for the females of their species to have skewed teeth." Dawn rolled her eyes slightly. "It's not considered an 'attractive look'."  The ewe said with a giggle.

"I can see why ya'll picked up with Vernon then." Malcolm said with a chuckle. "I mean if you gotta choose between pointy, sharp teeth, or jagged, flat teeth, at least one of 'em is straight."

Dawn giggled, covering her muzzle with her hooves as she kicked her legs at the wolf's joke.

"Lamb Sakes!" Dawn choked through her laughter. "You don't know how true that is!" Dawn lifted her glasses slightly, using a hoof to brush a stray tear from her eye as she tried to suppress her laughter. "I have yet to cut my tongue on Vernon's teeth, but I have on at least two of my ex's!"

Dawn collapsed back into her giggling fit, now joined by the rest of the Hunter girls. Vanna did her best to cover her muzzle as she chuckled, while the others laughed wildly. It took a few moments for the clamoring din of joy to finally die away, as one by one the girls managed to get a hold of themselves.

Dawn took her glasses off completely now, rubbing her eyes free of the lingering tears that had formed during her cackling fit. The ewe let out a few more laughs before trailing off into a pleasant sigh.

"I suppose despite all the hazing, the braces ended up being worth it." Dawn smiled broadly, making sure to flash her perfectly straight, albeit slightly crowded teeth. "And thankfully I've never been a chronic sleep grinder."

"No complaints from yer Pup?" Malcolm asked, flashing the ewe a sly grin.

Dawn rolled her eyes, letting out a dismissive chuckle. "Well, I do sleep with a night guard just in case, but even if I didn't have one it's fairly easy to tell if you've been grinding for a while."

"How?" Qali asked, tilting her head aside as she stared back at the ewe curiously.

Dawn nibbled at one of her hooves as she thought over how best to explain the tell tales signs of a ewe who had a bad case of sleep chewing. The ewe briefly glanced up at Vanna, earning a curious glance from the large feline before she turned her attention back to the other girls. Dawn wasn't entirely sure how to describe exactly what to look for without touching on a subject she had just learned Vanna was somewhat sensitive about. But now that she had brought up the subject, she couldn't exactly just drop it.

"Well..." The ewe scratched her chin. "It's really easy to pick up on if you know what to look for, especially when it comes to ewes."

"Whaddey got like a bad ovabite or sometin?" Ada asked, leaning her head against one of her paws.

"Oh no, nothing like that," Dawn replied, shaking her head dismissively. "It's just well...those ewe's that have a chronic grinding problem usually have..." Dawn tapped her hooves together. "Very well defined jaws."

Ada's smile widened as she seemingly picked up on the ewe's implication.

"Ahh, so dey got boy jaws den?" Ada said with a chuckle.

Dawn shrank into her shoulders at the hyenas words, quickly shifting her attention Vanna's way to see the large felines reaction now that Ada had carelessly blurted out the subject she was trying to dance her way around. The tigress had a slight frown on her muzzle, and despite her obvious efforts to appear unphased by Ada's blunt statement, the large feline had unconsciously brought her paw up to her chin. Vanna let out a soft whine as she attempted to glance down at her own lower jaw, rubbing at it worryingly.

"Ah not dis again!" Ada said, having clearly noticed the tigress' distress. "What, we can't talk about stuff bein' masculine now because youse a sensative about it!?"

Vanna ears pricked up as she drew her attention to Ada before quickly tearing her paw away from her muzzle.

"What? I didn't- I mean..." Vanna glanced down at her paws, a look of discomfort on her face as she twiddled her fingers. She was quiet for a moment, only to suddenly glance back Ada's way with concern lacing her features.

"My jaw isn't like a males? Is it?" Vanna asked worryingly, a quiet whine escaping her muzzle.

Ada placed a paw over her face as she leaned backward on the bed for dramatic effect.

"Geeze, I don't believe dis..." The words had come from the hyena, but Dawn couldn't see her face now that she was laying backward on the bed.

"Ada c'mon now!" Malcolm chided, waving a finger toward the large mammal's direction. "Now ain't the time to be makin' fun." The wolf said, now sitting up. Malcolm crossed his paws, furrowing his brow at the hyena sprawled out across from the rest of the group.

Dawn could hear Ada chuckling, but it was odd. It didn't sound as if it were mean-spirited, or as if she were laughing at a joke, but rather the tired and feigned laughter of someone who simply couldn't believe what she was hearing. The hyeness' weak laughter trailed off into a sigh as Ada rose from her bed. The canid taking a seated stance on her mattress as she stared back at the rest of the Hunter girls. The look on her face was oddly stern and serious.

"Vanna, trust me...youse are fine." Ada said, shaking her head. "Youse goils are all beauts, and as femmy as dey come. Right odda da box." Ada grinned weakly. "I know a ting or two about comin' off masculine, let me tells ya."

"You do?" Qali asked, the fox now pressing herself off the pillow she had been clutching, her rapt attention now focused on the hyena across the way.

Ada rolled her eyes. "Ain't none of youse eva heard anyting about spotted hyenas before?"

Dawn glanced around to find the rest of the girls more or less shared the same blank expression that she was wearing. Despite being quite the studious mammal growing up, the ewe knew very little about the species. The Hyena population in North Mammalia was considerably small, and even more so in Zootopia proper for reasons Dawn didn't really know. So information about the species was not something the ewe had spent a great deal of time absorbing.

"N-no, not really..." Dawn muttered, tapping her hooves together nervously.

"Not even da jokes!?" Ada spat, her voice a mixture of disbelief and what sounded like unease.

Dawn gave a meek, simple nod, only to get a long and tired sigh in response.

"Well, foist off." Ada smirked. "Udda mammals always got us pegged fa canines."

"You mean, you aren't?" Qali asked, tilting her head slightly allowing her ears to flop from one side to the other.

Ada rolled her eyes as she let out a barking laugh. "We'se our own species o'course! But we ain't related to canines at all!"

"I don't understand," Dawn muttered, squinting at the hyeness slightly. "I mean, I don't want to be rude but it's just-"

Ada held her paws out to stop the ewe. "I know, I know, I look like a canine and make noise like 'em, but I ain't. Not even way back on da evolutionary chart."

"Well, if ya ain't related to canines then what are ya exactly?" Malcolm asked.

"Well, hyenas like me are actually closa to cats den dogs." Ada said, flashing Vanna a smirk. "So technically me and Kit Kat ova dere are closer genetically den Snowball."

"Oh, thats bull." Vanna retorted, crossing her arms.

Ada closed her eyes, smiling widely as she shook her head from side to side. "Believe what yas want, but it's true." The hyena laughed. "Aldough I like to see it as bein' da perfect inbetween point between yous and Qails, a little of both mammals."

"Fascinating," Dawn said, adjusting her glasses. It was hard to parse, staring at the large...erm...feline before her, that despite how much more she closely resembled the Hunters rather than a mammal like Vanna, that she was indeed closer to the big cat family. Dawn was sure to make a mental note to be careful not to mistakenly refer to the hyena as anything other than feline from now on.

"But dats da fun one..." Ada said, her usual jovial expression seeming to fall as she slipped back into a more serious tone. "I seriously can't believe none of youse eva hoid da jokes. Not one?" Ada asked.

Dawn gave a decisively negative shake of her head, assuming the others more or less had followed suit as the hyena let out another tired sigh. Ada pinched the bridge of her muzzle for a moment, seemingly trying to steel herself for whatever she was going to say. It was surprising to the ewe to say the least, seeing the hyena so serious. It seemed like something she was incapable of, much like Vanna showing any sort of insecurity. Then again, the night had already proven to be full of surprises.

"Well...ya see..." Ada pushed the sagging coif of hair away from her face as she continued. "Ancient spotted hyenas were sorta...unique." Ada grimaced. "Particularly da ladies."

Dawn raised an eyebrow curiously. "How so?"

Ada rolled her eyes, letting out a shuddering breath as she seemed to struggle with her words.

"Well...dey...I mean..." Ada broke her gaze, looking down at her lap. With one of her paws she grappled her upper arm, rubbing it awkwardly. "Dey was packin' somtin' extra..." Ada raised her head slightly, making eye contact with Dawn only for a moment before looking away again.

"Downstairs..." Ada muttered.

The ewe was confused to say the least. She couldn't imagine what 'extra' thing Ada was hinting at. She had heard that some females of differing mammal species sometimes developed stray teats and so on below the belt line, but such things were easy to remove, and most didn't talk about such things with such gravity. They were a common condition that was easy to fix and usually removed at birth.

Dawn glanced at the other girls, all seeming to be just as confused as she was. Their eyes scanning each other for any inkling of reasoning as to what Ada was getting at. They must have remained that way for some time, as the hyena seemingly tired of their silent deliberation.

"A PENIS okay!" Ada snarled, blushing fiercely as she spat the words. "Ancient hyenas goils had PENISES!" Ada yelped before clasping her paws against her face in shame.

Dawn was frozen, her mouth agape as she tried to process what Ada had said. It simply didn't make sense, and her mind refused to process the information. The ewe tried to think of a response, a question, a word of reassurance, but all fell away under the utter confusion and the obvious contradiction.

"Wait, ya'll serious?" Malcolm asked, sounding as dumbfounded as Dawn's mind was. "How-I mean-Yeah, how would that even work?"

Ada placed a paw on the back of her neck, straining it back against her as she tilted her head back, keeping her gaze up and away from the other girls.

"I mean, it wasn't exactly a dong..." Ada muttered, discomfort heavy in her voice. "More like a uh...really long..." Ada winced slightly. "Clitoris."

"Like how long?" Qali asked, the fox now leaning nearly off the mattress in the direction of the hyena.

Ada cringed, biting her lip slightly as she struggled to continue.

"L-like seven inches sometimes..." Ada whimpered.

Dawn felt a gasp slip out of her muzzle despite herself. But fortunately, she hadn't been the only one in the room take in a sharp breath at that moment. In fact, she heard a chorus of gasps surrounding her as Ada's statement rippled through the rest of the group.

"LOOK IT WAS LIKE A MILLION YEARS AGO ANYWAY!" Ada spat, her face flushed with ire and embarrassment. "DAT'S JUST HOW DEY EVOLVED! AND DEY GAVE BOITH TROUGH IT! BUT IT AIN'T DAT WAY ANYMORE OKAY!?"

"Lamb Sakes..." Dawn murmured softly.

"That musta hurt sumthin' fierce." Malcolm added.

"I'm still having a hard time understanding exactly how something like that would work." Vanna muttered. The large tigress placing a paw to her muzzle, tapping a finger under her nose as she seemed to be trying to figure out the details. "I mean, if the boys have a penis, and so did the girls, then how did spotted hyenas breed?"

Ada clasped a paw over her eyes, letting out an irritated groan. It was clear the hyena was having a hard enough time navigating this bombshell of a statement without having to spend an eternity explaining the nuances of it all. But Dawn found herself far too curious to interject. Vanna had been right, it didn't make any sense from a reproductive standpoint, and that needed at least some form of explanation.

"Look..." Ada grumbled, gesturing a paw towards the rest of the group. "Millions of year ago, lady spotties had sumtin' called a 'psudo-penis' alright?" Ada's tone was a mixture of irritation and disappointment. "It ain't da same ting as a boys junk like I said, it's a big clitoris. But dat's where da boith canal was routed trew." Ada scratched her neck in clear discomfort. "So da boys had to kinda...get dere junk in dere to knock a gal up..."

"Ew..." Qali muttered softly, only to receive a soft swat by Vanna. The little fox glared back up at the tigress, clearly annoyed.

"Hey!" Qali huffed. "What was that for!?"

Vanna rolled her eyes, shaking her head dismissively.

"Be a little more sensitive gal..." Malcolm chided the vixen. "Ada just dropped a pretty big pastry in our lap. She don't need ya puttin' her down durin' probably the only time she's bein' open to us."

Qali let out another huff as she turned her attention back toward the tongue-tied Hyeness.

"Okay...I think I understand." Dawn muttered, scratching her chin as she pondered the strange information. "But if that was millions of years ago, what makes it relevant now?" The ewe asked curiously.

"Unless you are telling us that...you...?" Vanna trailed off, the tigress wincing sharply as she seemed unable to finish her sentence.

Ada frowned, placing her paws on her muzzle as her previous blush began to reappear.

"Look, a lot has changed in a million years okay!" Ada barked, her paws remaining clasped to the bridge of her muzzle. "Interbreedin' with udda hyena breeds ,and evolution put us mostly on da same level as da rest of da worlds ladies."

"Mostly?" Dawn queried, noting the large felines phrasing.

Ada let out an uncomfortable groan, dragging her paws down her face as she struggled to press onward with her story.

"W-well ya see..." The hyena ran a shaky paw through her side-cut mane. "Da ting is..." The hyena winced. "We spotties are like everyone else now, except we still have a little left ova from da old days."

"Are you saying you have a pseudo-penis Ada?" Dawn asked candidly, trying to help the troubled mammal through her clearly painful story.

"NO!" Ada protested sharply, rising in her seat slightly as she barked at the group. The flustered hyena quickly slumped back into her seat, crossing her arms and turning her head away from the other Hunter girls.

"Like I said, does deys are gone!" The hyena grit her teeth.

"Then what are you saying Ada?" Vanna asked.

Ada frowned sharply, her lip appearing to quiver slightly.

"Deese days...most of us still have a little bit of a..." Ada's voice cracked, the discomfort around the topic appearing to be breaking her down. "Enlarged clitoris."

"Oh?" Vanna asked.

"Not anymore!" Ada was quick to add before Dawn even had a chance to question her further. "I had it surgically reduced!" The hyena whined.

"Ada." Vanna said, her voice firm yet calm. "If you don't want to talk about it, then you do-"

"No!" Ada protested, the hyena pawing at one of her eyes as if she were trying to hold back the start of tears. "I mean, I'm good. I'm fine." Ada sighed. "It helps ta get it off my chest."

The room fell silent for what felt like an eternity, and Dawn found herself unsure as to how to break the deafening silence as she stared at the deflated hyeness sitting across from her. She wanted to say something comforting, something reassuring, but the ewe found herself struggling to find the right words. Dawn had a lot of personal issues when it came to her own self-image, but her femininity was one of the few things she felt confident about. And the ewe was sure even Vanna, despite her own insecurities still found herself far away from having to deal with her decidedly feminine parts resembling the other sex. And reasons like that were probably why the rest of the Hunter girls remained just as silent as she was, leaving it up to Ada to break the silence by pressing onward.

"I chose to do it, I wanted it, y'know," Ada mumbled softly. "It just made me feel...so un-goily, so...uncomfortable wit myself, y'know?" Ada sighed. "I did it for me."

"I don't think anyone would hold that against you Darlin'." Malcolm cooed, his voice gentle and reassuring. "We all do what we have to do."

"My Ma sure held it against me," Ada muttered.

"Your Mother held cosmetic surgery against you?" Dawn asked waryily.

Ada took a slow deep breath, letting out a long and tired sigh as she placed her paws in her lap. Her muzzle remained downturned as she stared at her own paws, twiddling her fingers idly.

"My Ma and Pop were immigrants straight outta Hyenya, in Africkat." Ada mumbled. "Hyenas ova dere still have a lotta strict social and cultural beliefs, and because a dat da nation is always havin' civil wars every few years. It's why my parents ended up leavin' for Zoo York"

Ada raised her head, flashing the other girls a weak grin. "And despite leavin' because of how crazy everyting was, dey still carried some strict beliefs wit 'em back to Zoo York." Ada chuckled dully. "I guess youse can take the Hyena out of Afrikat, but youse can't take the Afrikat outta da hyena."

"What kind of beliefs Ada?" Vanna asked, stealing the question from Dawn's muzzle.

"My Ma still followed da whole, 'ladies foist' superiority structcha that half da tribes in Hyenya follow. Boys are lessa mammals, and looked down on ova da females." Ada shook her head dismissively. "Deese are mammals dat believe if yas have a litter of all boys, yas been coised unless you leave dem outside to be picked off by scavengas!"

Ada sighed. "Dat said, when it comes to relics of da past, like having enlarged genital featchas, well...My Ma considas dat a point of pride. A blessing connected to are native roots."

"But you didn't?" Dawn asked.

Ada rolled her eyes.

"I grew up in da Barx, in some of da meanest schools in North Mammalia. You had ta have tick skin." The hyeness sighed. "But even I couldn't really handle da locker room ribbin' and jokes about 'havin' a tiny pecker' or havin' da udder goils tell me 'da boys locker room was across da way. "

"You shouldn't have let that get to you Ada!" Qali piped up, the fox standing on the mattress as she held her pillow close to her chest. "Those girls just sound like big bullies!"

Ada chuckled weakly. "It wasn't just dem..." Ada ran a paw through her swooping mane, brushing it away from her face. "I mean I saw da udder goils, and I envied dat feelin' of bein' normal." Ada rolled her eyes. "Plus da rumors of my endowment wasn't exactly gettin' da boys to line up around da block to date me."

Ada let out a tired sigh. " Da last straw was when jokes and rumors got so bad dat our teachas upped dere supervisin' us in order to keep da peace. It was supposed to put a stop to da udda goils behavior, but dat just made tings all all woise!" ada grumbled, running her paw through mane. "No one was makin' jokes out loud anymore, but da looks were da same. And even da teacha was clearly just as uncomfortable. Da awkward silence in dat locka room was way woise den hearin' it out loud, and dat sealed da deal."

Ada clasped her paws together in her lap, letting out another quiet sigh. "So toward da end of high school, I pooled my extra cash togedda from my side job and got da surgery to have it reduced."

"And your Mother didn't take it well?" Dawn asked, a worried tone in her voice.

Ada looked back at her paws, twiddling them nervously.

"Ma and Pop trew me out." Ada mumbled. "Dey didn't want a daughter who was willin' to trow away her heritage at da drop of a hat." The hyena shook her head dismissively. "If it wasn't fer my olda sister, I wouldn't a had anywhere to live. And I soitenly wouldn't have been able to go to nursin' school."

The ewe placed a hoof to her muzzle as sheer horror overcame her. She couldn't believe Ada's parents simply disowned her over something so paltry and meaningless. That they could be so cruel and heartless to their own flesh and blood. Then again, what was her life if not living proof that just because someone shares your bloodline means little in regards to how they can choose to justify treating you.

"And you still haven't...?" Vanna uttered, seemingly stopping short of whatever her full sentence was meant to state.

"I don't need 'em." Ada said with a shrug. "I made it wit out dem dis long, and I've been fine!" The hyena raised her head, flashing the girls a weak smile. "Besides, now I got Yuri, and I still got my sis Ama..." Ada's smiled widened despite visible tears rising in her eyes. "And alla youse...right?" The hyena asked, her wavering eyes pleading for assurance from her sisters.

It was a startling scene, seeing the tough, wisecracking hyena on the verge of tears. Her rough exterior slipping away to reveal her vulnerable, soft interior just as Vanna had to Dawn the night before. The hyeness was hurting, and Dawn knew she had to do what she could to fix it.

Although it quickly became evident that she hadn't been the only one of the Hunter girl to come to the same conclusion as a flash of blinding white zipped past her and wrapped itself tightly around the large hyena's chest.

Qali was squeezing the big mammal with all of her might, burying her head into Ada's chest as deeply as she could. The tiny vixen didn't say a word as Ada smiled back at her, ruffling her coif with one of her paws.

"Danks Snowball." Ada murmured quietly.

Dawn was next, making her way off the mattress and crossing the gap to meet the other two. Dawn said nothing as she scrambled her way up onto the bed alongside Ada and Qali before wrapping her tiny arms around the massive mammal and trying to squeeze as tightly as Qali was.

"After all that you've done for me?" Dawn asked with a soft laugh. "Of course I'm here for you. After all, that's what sisters are for?"

Ada tried to hide her sniffling behind a surprised laugh, the hyena flashing the ewe a warm smile before wrapping an arm around her and pulling her into a full side hug.

"And thank you Ada." Dawn mumbled against the hyena's shirt.

The hyena quirked an eyebrow. "What for?"

Dawn rubbed her face deeper into the large mammal's side. "For standing up for me today," Dawn replied. "You really didn't need to."

"Hey..." Ada snorted hard, trying her best to suck back the tears. "I'd be happy to punch a million wolves for yas if you need it, just ask ya big sis anytime."

Dawn felt the hyena's squeeze tighten slightly.

"Besides, like youse said, dat's what sistas are for." Ada smiled down at the ewe, causing Dawn to start welling up too.

At that moment, Dawn felt the bed seem to sink sharply next to her, and soon enough she found herself sandwiched between the hyena and what she could only assume was Vanna. The large tigress' chest practically burying the ewe into Ada's side.

"Me too," Vanna said softly, her grip tightening around the pair. The ewe did her best to shift around slightly in order to escape the overwhelming pressure, eventually slipping out from between the pair while still managing to hug the hyena in the process. Although now she was practically seated on Ada's knee.

"And me too Darlin'." Came Malcolm's voice, accompanied by another set of paws carefully maneuvering themselves over Qali and wrapping themselves around the hyena's neck.

Dawn felt a paw graze her cheek slightly, only for it to quickly retract. Turning Dawn saw that Qali had been trying to reposition herself now that they were all hugging Ada much like Dawn had.  The vixen's one paw remained tightly wrapped between Malcolm and Ada, but the other paw was held as far away from Dawn as it could be, with Qali sporting a worried expression.

"S-sorry Dawn!" Qali murmured. "I didn't mean to touch, I was just trying to find my way back into the hug!" Qali whimpered.

Dawn rolled her eyes, letting out a light chuckle as she appraised the tiny fox. She had so taken Vanna's words to heart, reacting like a timid child fearful that touching Dawn's wool would critically hurt their relationship.

Dawn let out a soft, pleasant sigh as she tilted the top of her head toward Qali's direction.

The fox eyed her in confusion, tilting her head slightly.

"Go on." Dawn said with a laugh. "It's okay."

Qali looked shocked, but only for a moment as a wide, almost insane grin formed on her muzzle. The tiny fox breathed in sharply, letting out a happy chirp before digging her paw into the fluffy wad of wool that adorned the top of Dawn's head.

The ewe could barely feel the vixens touch, but it was clear the fox was definitely feeling the texture of her well conditioned and cared for poof. Qali's ears sagged sharply, her head sinking into her shoulders as she ruffled her fingers deeper into the fluffy wool.

"SooooOOOooo Fluffy!" Qali cooed, seemingly mesmerized by the feeling of Dawn's wool between her fingers. The vixen actively shuddered as she continued to stroke the ewe's wool.

"It's like a cloud!" Qali giggled, pressing and releasing the fluff atop Dawn's head. Dawn couldn't help but giggle herself at the gleeful joy such a small gesture managed to bring the little fox, but her laughter quickly died away when she turned her attention to the other girls still wrapped around her. Vanna, Ada, and Malcolm were still locked into the hug, but their eyes were fixed on the vixen's manipulation of the ewe's wool.

If Dawn didn't know any better, she could swear that there were longing and a hint of jealousy in their eyes.

"You..." Dawn asked, a wry smile forming on her muzzle as her eyes darted from Hunter to Hunter. "You girls want to feel it too, do you?"

The rest of the girls immediately broke eye contact, muttering a variety of excuses and vague exclamations of feigned disinterest in an effort to play off their obvious curiosity.

Dawn giggled. "It's fine, go ahead."

Malcolm, Ada, and Vanna exchanged glances briefly before turning back to Dawn.

"Well, I mean, if ya'll are offerin'." Malcolm said, scratching the back of his head as he avoided eye contact.

As the wolf reached his paw out, Ada followed suit. "I mean, it can't feel different den store-bought stuff." The hyena muttered.

"I've always been curious..." Vanna muttered softly as their paws converged on various patched of the ewe's poof. Now that all four of her sisters were running their fingers through her wool, the ewe could easily feel it. Vanna's touch, despite being gentle and barely putting any pressure on her coif took up about half of the space on it alone.

"OOooHHH! Dat is soft!" Ada chirped in awe.

"It's like cotton candy!" Malcolm added, earning another giggle from the ewe.

"So...bouncy..." Vanna cooed, her paw gingerly prodding the side of Dawn's poof.

"That's the wool cream." Dawn laughed. "It really helps with the lift and volume."

"Do you think it-"

A sudden, loud groan emanated from the beneath the mob of mammals. The sudden creak stopping Qali's question dead in its tracks as the girls fell deathly still, their paws frozen mid-stroke in Dawn's wool as they nervously glanced at one another.

"What was that?" Dawn murmured quietly.

Another straining groan cut through the awkward silence, but this time it came with a sudden shudder that rippled through the bedding they were now sitting on. Vanna glanced down at the others with concern.

"I-uh...I think we should mo-"

With a sudden sharp snap, the bed dropped out from under them. It only dropped about a few inches, but the sudden jerking force had caused Ada to topple backward onto the mattress, pulling the rest of the mob of mammals down with her as the plopped down hard against the bed.

Dawn immediately noticed they were now leaning at a slight angle, the bottom of the bed now seemingly lower than the top end. The rest of the Hunter sisters all exchanged shocked and confused glances for a moment before Vanna leaned over to inspect the damage. After a few moments, the tigress rejoined the mob now splayed on the tilted bed.

"I think we broke the legs on the bottom of the bed." Vanna said, a smile trying to force it's way onto the tigress' muzzle as she tried to stifle a laugh. But the feline's efforts proved to be for naught, as the rest of the girls broke into a fit of laughter, with Vanna quickly caving and joining in.

Dawn laughed and laughed, until her stomach muscles were aching from the spasms. The ewe kicking her legs while the others howled with laughter around her, some literally. But the group was quick to cut their laughter short as they heard the sound of hurried footfalls approaching the bedroom. The last of the lingering giggles screeching to a halt as the door swung wildly open to reveal a familiar worried looking she-wolf.

"What in Ferir's fur is-!?" Audrey stopped mid sentence as her eyes quickly appraised the scene. The Wolfess quirked an eyebrow at the furry mob huddled on the now slanted bed as the girls remained in silent surprise.

Audrey shook her head softly, running a paw through her head fur.

"Teeth to Tails, ya'll girls all right?" Audrey asked.

Quietly the girls eyed each other, Dawn's irises darting from mammal to mammal as she scanned her sisters to see who was going to step forward as the first to respond.

"Yes...?" Vanna muttered, quickly joined by the other girls giving vague murmurs of agreement now that the tension had been dissolved.

"W-we're okay Mrs. Hunter..." Dawn murmured sofly, tapping her hooves together. " Just had a little...accident..."

Audrey ran a paw through her head fur again, letting out a sigh.

"Looks like it." Audrey said with a chuckle. "Never gave much thought to warnin' ya'll about bed capacity before tonight. O'course this is the most gals we've had up here at once."

"Yes, I'm afraid we weren't exactly thinking about that either." Dawn said meekly.

"Till da bed started groanin'" Ada said, letting out a hyena laugh.

Audrey rolled her eyes. " Well I can't just leave ya'll like that." The wolfess gestured a paw toward the group.

"Nah i'll be fine." Ada said with a smirk. "I can sleep at an angle no problem." The mammal flashed her teeth. "I mean, It can't be woise den fallin' asleep at a bus station, and I done dat more times den I'm proud to admit!"

A soft series of giggles rippled through the Hunter Girls, dying down quickly under Audrey's concerned stare. The wolfess let out a scoff.

"Nonsense Ada, I ain't gonna abide that." Audrey said in a motherly tone. "No one's sleepin' in that thing untill I can get one of the boys to drill the legs back in."

"Aw Auddy, ya don't ha-"

"Now I won't have it." Audrey cut the hyeness off. "One of ya'll gals will just have to bunk up with another till tomorrow."

The group exchanged curious glances, Dawn was certain they were equally ruminating on exactly which mammals were going to be in the same bed as much as she was.

"I'll leave ya'll to figure that out fer yerselves." Auddrey said, dismissively shaking her head. "Now ya'll get some rest girls." The wolfess grasped the bedroom door handle, pulling it slowly toward herself as she began to back out of the room. "Goodnight."

The girls muttered a variety of enthusiastic 'goodnights' back to the Mother wolf as she eased out of the room.

She had nearly closed the bedroom door before squeezing her head back in the room briefly.

"'Specially you Dawn, we gotta get up early Hon." Auddey cooed.

Dawn flashed the wolfess a confident smile. "Y-yes Misses Hunter. Of course." The ewe replied.

"I told ya'll, call me Auddy." The she-wolf replied with a final smirk before slipping behind the door and sealing the bedroom once more, leaving the girls to bask in awkward silence as they lay still strewn together on the broken mattress. It remained that way for some time before Qali finally broke the deafening quiet.

"Hey, I think I finally got a good nickname for Dawn." The tiny fox uttered.

Ada raised her head from the bedding, raising an eyebrow at the tiny vixen laying in between her and the pudgy wolf.

"Oh yeah?" Ada smirked. "Let's hear it den." The hyena said with a snicker.

Qali wedged herself free of the space between the two mammals, leaning her arms on Ada's stomach as she looked over at Dawn.

"Plush!" Qali chirped happily, flashing the ewe a wide grin.

"Plush?" Ada asked.

"Yeah, Plush." The fox responded. "Cause she's so soft."

For a moment the hyena looked as though she was going to simply strike the name down like she had done all the others. She opened her mouth for a moment, only to quickly close it again.

The hyena eyes shifted over to Malcolm, then to Vanna, raising a questioning eyebrow to each as if looking for approval.

"Hmm...Plush..." Malcolm said with an approving nod.

"Certainly better than Kit Kat..." Vanna muttered, a hint of jealousy in her voice. However, the stoic tigress nodded in agreement despite it.

"Alright, den it's settled!" Ada said with a smirk, tightening her grip around Dawn and pulling her back into her side. Dawn couldn't see from her place now buried in her shirt, but she could feel the sudden noogie the large hyena was giving her through the mop of wool on her head. "Plush it is!"

Dawn writhed, trying to squirm free despite laughing at Ada's playful antics.

"Stop!" Dawn giggled, letting out the occasional snort as she finally managed to pull away from the Hyena's grip. Dawn sat up, looking back down at the rest of the "Hunter girls" now smiling back at her.

"Welcome to da pack, Plush." Ada said with a smirk. the other girls still giggling around her. "You're a real Hunta goil now."

Dawn smiled warmly, feeling tears begin to well up behind her lenses as she simply buried herself back into Ada's chest, hugging the large mammal as tightly as she could. Slowly she felt the arms of the other girls wrap around her from behind, adding to the hug once again as she became enveloped in a blanket of love an acceptance. Her sisters loved her, they embraced her as one of their own, and now that she had a nickname she was truly a 'Hunta goil' as Ada would call it. But despite the ewe's overwhelming joy, in the following silence the nagging painful thought in the back of her head was starting to grow. The cruel and hateful words spat by Papa Hunter just hours before that ran in direct contrast to any progress the ewe could ever make with the rest of the family despite her best efforts.

"As long as I'm head of this household, you ain't never gonna be a Hunter."

[thedarkenedkeeper]

Glitched: Part 1 - Broken

Author's Note: I'm just going to put this out there - this entire fanfiction I plan to write is going to be quite dark. It's basically going to be an angsty horror story revolving around Anti torturing Jack as well as the egos. So if you're looking to have a happy fun time, this is not for you. There WILL be feels. There WILL be blood in chapters to come. You have been warned.....Enjoy!

Also, listen to this playlist while reading it

It was dark – blacker than black in the room.

And cold – very cold but not to the point of being icy.

No, this was the sort of cold that you could easily feel creeping up along your spine and chilling you to the very core – that feeling of unease you get when you feel like you’re being watched and you know something is very wrong.

And something was indeed very wrong.

The clattering of chains and heavy labored breaths of desperation and frustration echoed throughout the darkened hell. The green-haired Irishman behind a set of bars grasped at the chains linking both his wrists and ankles to the nearest wall and yanked with all the strength he could muster. No budge. Those chains weren’t coming loose no matter how hard he tried. He hissed in agony at feeling the shackles rub and dig deeper into the skin around his wrists and ankles, causing him to instantly release the chains and collapse to the ground. He lifted his shaky hands to get a good look. Those paled joints were bloodied and blistered horribly, some caked old blood from the first few attempts he’d made, while new blood was beginning to surface.

“F-Fuck.” It came out as a dry, raspy stutter, dread very evident in his voice.

He glanced up at the bars before returning his eyes to the chains. How long had it been? How long had he been here, chained up like an animal? He had lost track. And he honestly didn’t want to know the answer.

Faintly, footsteps could be heard coming towards him and with no warning, a creaky door flew open, a flash of blinding white light flooding into the room. Jack instantly pushed himself backward into the darkness, lifting a scarred hand to shield his eyes. He could barely see, but he managed to make out a dark silhouetted man stroll into the room, closing the door behind him. And as soon as that door closed, an eerie yet soft bone-chilling giggle rang throughout the room. His eyes widened. He knew that giggle anywhere.

“What’s so funny?” He demanded, sitting upright now and searching the room with his eyes, trying to spot the man.

Jack could easily hear the mirth in the figure’s voice when he spoke, taking a few slow steps towards the cage.

“Your so-called ‘loyal and loving fans’ are really something else, Jackaboy. I may have underestimated them.”

“What’re you talking about?” The Irishman snapped, not at all pleased with the demon mentioning his fanbase. “What have you done to them? What have you done?!”

A deeply amused chuckle came from the figure as he stood before the cage, peering through the bars to get a good look at his prisoner. “What makes you think I’ve done anything to them?”

“What have you done, Anti?!”

The demon only smirked and turned his gaze elsewhere. “Who said anything about me doing anything to them? I haven’t done anything.” Though he couldn’t see it, Jack could easily imagine Anti’s smile stretching further into a wicked grin. “It’s your community you should be questioning.”

There was a beat. And Jack didn’t like it, not one bit. There was something very seriously wrong with what Anti just said, especially with the way he was acting and how he had said it. However long he had been locked up here in this cage, Jack knew how Anti behaved and normally managed to jump to conclusions easily. But this time….there was something so unsettling about what he said that Jack couldn’t even begin to piece together what he meant. Managing to make out the shape of the demon’s head in the darkness, the Irishman stared at him out of both puzzlement and suspicion.

“What?” He gave himself a pause to give him a moment to think. He’s playing with you, you know that, He thought. He’s trying to use the community against you to bring you down. Don’t fall for it. He shook his head. “What do you mean by that?”

“Oh you know exactly what I mean.” Anti gave a fake gasp of shock. “Oh but wait! That’s right, you are just about as bad as them, aren’t you? Living in denial and such.” He cocked his head in his direction, his neck glitching out and causing a cringe worthy crack to emit from the gesture. “Ain’t that right, Jack?”

“What the hell are you getting at, Anti? Just get on with it!” The YouTuber shouted, slamming his cold and beat-up hands against the bars of the cage. “Stop wasting your time! If you want to kill me, why don’t you just do it already? What could POSSIBLY be holding you back, you fucking bastard?!”

There was a moment of dreadful silence, only the sound of Jack’s weak panting able to be heard. Twenty long and very painful seconds went by before the glitch gave a reply.

“I gave them a choice, Jack…I gave them a chance to redeem themselves.”

Confusion and fear swelled into a hybrid of emotion deep in Jack as he looked at his captor. He let out a shaken breath. “Wha-? What the hell are you - ?”

Very suddenly, Anti whipped around and crouched down to eye level with Jack, his face an inch away from his. Jack could easily see the sinister glee upon his face now.

“You’re not stupid, Jack. You think I don’t want to kill you? Believe me, I want to. I want to end you. Slit your sweet little throat,” He raised a hand and slowly ran his thumb along the wide-open gash on his own throat, “wide open and let you bleed out.”

Jack swallowed the lump in his throat and let out a shaken breath, watching Anti’s thumb before meeting his eyes again.

“But you know me, I like to have a little bit of fun with things like this. So I decided to go and give your fans a choice: Step back and watch good ol’ Anti slice and dice their hero or make a move and save dear Jackaboy.” The grin on his face stretched impossibly wide, giving the appearance of a frightening jack o’ lantern now.

A beat. A painful one at that. A wave of anxiety immediately came over Jack as he stared directly into those soul-devouring eyes. He shook his head.

“S-So what? What, you think they’ll side with you? They’d never do that, they’d never let you hurt me – EVER. They care about me, they’ll fight for me!”

A shrill unnerving burst of laughter came from Anti as he threw his head back, causing the green-haired Irishman to flinch and reel back from the bars. The demon’s eyes locked back onto him.

“Oh you have no idea just how wrong you are, Jackie. Do you not remember what happened in October?” He leaned forward. “I gave them a choice – the very same one. Save Jack or let him die. Now…which one do you suppose they chose, hmm?”

The anxiety the YouTuber had been feeling was ever so quickly beginning to transform into full-blown fear. His eyes slowly widened at what Anti was getting at. He was now finally seeing where this was going. He shook his head violently.

“ No…No, no, NO! You’re wrong! They care, I know they do!”

“Oh really? Is that so?” The glitchy demon challenged. “Because I gave an announcement just the other day, encouraging them all to create a bunch of fanart and you know what that’ll do, don’t you?”

Jack’s eyes were as wide as saucers now, knowing all too well what that meant. “No…”

“Oh yes. And here’s the kicker, Jackie: A lot of them have concluded it’s exactly what I need to emerge and take control fully. They know this, they know what’s coming, and yet…” He stopped himself, choking on a laugh at the notion of the thought, “yet they have gone and proceeded with exactly what I wanted.” Jumping to his feet, Anti pushed himself away from the bars and stood a few feet away from the cage. “I mean, just LOOK at what your ‘loving community’ has done for you, Jack!” With a flick of the wrist, a patch of darkness turned into a bunch of static, pulling back to reveal every single piece of fanart Jack’s fanbase had made in the past few days.

Jack couldn’t get himself to speak. Page after page was filled with fanart, a vast majority of it consisting of Anti. There were too many pieces involving Anti being the center of attention. Too many…Too many…

“So my question to you, my dear ol’ friend: Do you think they still care about you? Because I don’t know about you, but,” The mirthful creature couldn’t contain his chuckle, “if they truly did care about you, I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t have gone and done what they did.”

Snapping himself out of his dazed state, the Irishman licked his dry lips and barely managed to get out his response. “There’s still time to fix this. They’re smart, they’ll figure something out.” He sounded desperate, like he truly wanted to believe his own words…but he was struggling in doing so.

Anti threw his head back, another gross crack of his neck reverberating throughout the darkened hell. “HA! Is that what you honestly think? You really have no idea, do you, Jackie? Are you that blind?” With lightning-quick speed, the demon glitched right to outside the front of the cage, staring down at his weakened host. “They created me, Jack. They’re the ones who gave me a form, a face. They’re the ones who gave me life, not you.” That eerie toothy grin was still plastered on his bone-white face and it sent chills up Jack’s spine when a chuckle came from deep within his slit throat. “They are my creators…and being that they are my creators…no matter how much they say they love you, how they are on your side and that they hate me…they will ALWAYS come back to me, Jack. They will ALWAYS want to see me in the end.”

Jack shook his head in disbelief, trying hard to block out what this demonic abomination was hissing to him. There was no way it could be true, it couldn’t be. His fans – the community – they were there for him just as he was there for them; they would never abandon him, they would never give up hope!

“No…No…”

Anti pressed his face against the bars, getting a better look at the now-cowering heap of flesh named Jack. “They say they’re on your side, Jackaboy, but if they truly cared, they would’ve saved you long ago. All of this,” He flung his arms out, gesturing to all around the room, “wouldn’t have happened. I wouldn’t be a bother!” He stopped himself yet again, a fit of laughter racing out through his vocal cords. “But alas, here we are.”

A painful pang of betrayal and hurt stabbed the Irishman’s heart at hearing this and he keeled over, gripping his chest and shaking all over at the thought. He shut his eyes tight, trying desperately to ignore the demon’s words. Anti noticed his struggle and chuckled, once more crouching down to eye level to look at Jack quiver.

“And you want to know the best part out of all of this, Jackaboy? I’ll tell you. You see, the truth in all of this is that they want to see what I’ll do – to you, the Doc, Brody, all of you. They say they care and want me to back off, but we all know they’re lying.” He leaned in close, whispering through the bars, “They’re my creators, Jack…and no matter how much they deny it, they’re curious to know what their creation is capable of. They want to see just how powerful I can be.” Anti’s eyes flashed a bright dangerous green, his tone shifting to a much deeper inhuman one. “In a sense….they’re your executioner.”

That last sentence had the poor green-haired man cringing and reeling back out of horror, forcing himself into the darkest corner of the cage and curling himself into a ball. He couldn’t ignore the words, he couldn’t get the thought out of his head. Was he right, was everything Anti said the truth? Was it over? Had he lost the community to this demon? Did they ever truly care about him? Were they all fans of Anti’s from the very start? They created him after all – a dark, sinister alternate version of himself. What reason would they have to create such a monster other than to cut him out of the picture? It would make sense why they would side with Anti. Maybe he was right….maybe he was just a lab rat in all of this, a test subject for them to release Anti onto like a helpless rabbit falling victim to a rabid dog off its leash.

The tears started coming and there was no stopping them. He buried his face in his scarred hands and sobbed, feeling both mental and physical pain radiate all throughout his body. Over and over he repeated softly, “No….No….They…They care….I-I know they care….I know they do…” Hanging onto that last string of hope.

With a scoff and a triumphant smirk on his face, Anti stood up and turned on his heel, heading for the exit.

“Oh but don’t worry, Jack. I’ll please your fans. It’ll be like you never left.” He reached the door, grasping the handle. “They want to see just how powerful I can be….” His entire being glitched and the tone in his voice changed once more. “They won’t have to wait much longer.”

 And that was the last haunting statement he made before leaving the weakened Irishman to drown in his sorrow within the darkness.

Part 2 - Save Him

@fear-is-nameless

@golden-eyed-guardians

@anti-support-group! I actually wrote a little Anti fanfic! :D

[cosmiicfairy]

Wolves Without Teeth

Anyway after far too long of sitting on this idea, I finally put shitty pen to shitty paper and started my ( personally ) anticipated mc76 werewolf au. I’m kinda rusty at this whole fanfic thing tho so it’s got some kinks i need to work out later but whatever

ALSO READ ON AO3

Coffee comes first; strong, dark roasted, and bitter. There’s a pounding in his head, sharp and monotonous and continual, the type that comes side served with a hangover. But there is no alcohol, there hasn’t been in half a decade, though a bottle of whiskey lies untouched beneath the frame of his bed – the vintage is too rare, too special, and his situation too mundane to dare open it. It’s a hangover of a different variety, and a winded sigh escapes parted lips as he sits at the poor excuse for a table in the center of the room.

Jack’s cabin is bare, a single room – save for the bathroom off in the corner – that houses nothing more than the bare essentials. His bed sits in the corner opposite the bathroom, and beside it, a small dresser with a lamp atop it. There’s books stashed beneath the bed, old copies collected through his years, all read to death and falling apart. Across the cabin was the makeshift kitchen: a sink, a small oven, an even smaller fridge, and a counter. A table sat off center there, old and worn and well used. The only thing worth attention was the fireplace centering the wall across from the front door, where warm embers, still aglow from the night before, chilled in the morning air.

The first sip of coffee brings a wave of relief to the exhausted features; Jack’s shoulders relax, the tension in his grit jaw releases, and he sinks against the back of the worn chair. The headache is still there, but this is manageable, this is an inconvenience at most. A hand pulls roughly at his face, rubbing the sleep away best he can, before fading blues shift to watch the dust that cascades through the sunlight streaming in from the singular window above his bed. For a moment, there is calm.

And then there is a scream.

.:.

The morning was as monotonous as the rest – the surge of sick as nausea washes over him, the pounding from behind his eyes, the taste of bitter coffee on his tongue, and then came patrol. A rinse and repeat cycle he’d clung to for years despite the fruitlessness of the task; in ten years, he’d never caught a scent that wasn’t his own. The field he’d found himself in a decade earlier had been forgotten in time, the woods swelling around the small land he’d claimed as his own, and masking him from the eyes of others in the neighboring towns. No one ventured this far out, he only had out of necessity, and with the belief that he was going to die. But the paranoia ( particularly in recent years ) had kept the tradition going, and like clockwork each day, he woke up, let the sick pass, had his coffee, and started out for the brim of the wood. Once or twice, he would look over the field with something as close to fondness as he could find these days – surprising vitality had been breathed into the field each spring, and the blooming wildflowers brought a sweet scent with them. A small lakefront greeted the edge of the entrance to the woods, a refreshing, chilled pool in the oncoming heat of summer. It was too cold now, but a month’s time would bring the warmth, and with it, summer’s anxiety.

He was safe, for now. The air was still chilled, still brought the threat of snow with each passing storm. For now, the threat summer brought was nothing more than a nagging mite at the back of his head. In the end, he does see the irony; the heat of summer brings about the beast he willingly changes himself into day after day. But with this, he has control, he’s in his own head, in his right mind. Like this, he doesn’t mind it, even the pain that comes with the restructure of bone and body.

Jack was in his twenties when he was attacked, his body ravaged by sharp maw ( he can’t remember how many there had been, if it had been one or one hundred ) and dragged through miles of forest before he was left for dead. He’d only survived through sheer stubborn, and even that almost hadn’t counted for much. In reality, it had been the altered DNA that saved him, and what kept him on his daily path now. A wolf in human flesh, he was unyieldingly paranoid.

Jack’s nose is to the dirt, just like every day, as he stalks through the thick flora of the wood he’s claimed, eyes sharp to the movements through the trees as he goes about his routine. Fauna aren’t rare in these parts ( he’s killed enough in his days to survive ), and he makes note of each one that scampers up tree bark at his presence. A huff, not unlike a breath of laughter, leaves him as he walks slowly through. He’d grown up in the shallow ends of this very wood – far from where he now called home, but he knew the outskirts like the back of his hand, too many summers spent wandering instead of working the way he should have been.

But he pushes that thought aside, an ache of guilt in his chest as he pushes through the thick of the forest; the place he had once called home, the Morrison family farm that backed itself to the wood, was nothing more than a distant memory, one he attempted to suffocate before it bloomed into something more painful (as it often did during the nights ), one that he now chose to replace with his focus on the view ahead.

In reality, he had picked up the scent some few yards back, but the breeze has kicked up, and with it, the unmistakable musk of blood. It’s not unusual, really, other animals in this part – wolves unlike what he is now, foxes, small carnivores that pick off the pieces of rotting squirrel, or on occasion, the wandering boar. This kill is fresh, though, copper taste on his tongue the closer he gets to its source, and, for a moment, he lets himself think of the feast he might have if there’s anything left ( a proper meal, not simply the bones of what he’d let others take ). Had he been a younger man, a more excitable man, he might have run the rest of the way, danced about his feast.

He doesn’t, though. And, as soon as the thoughts hit him, new nausea washes over him, stomach churning wickedly, as Jack encroaches on the scene, the source of the smell. If not for his own stupid sense of preservation, he would have turned to run back, pretend he’d never been here, and simply close himself off entirely in his cabin. But it’s honestly shock that keeps him rooted to the ground, staring at the mangled body on the ground, shredded by claw and tooth, not unlike how he had been once upon a time. What he had hoped might have been boar, or deer, or, perhaps, even wolf of pure nature, lies covered in its own blood, very much dying. And very much human.

[markonasurface]

3/50 - “I don’t want your pity, I want your absence.”

Fandom: All for the Game/The Foxhole Court Characters/pairings: the Foxes, freshmen Foxes/andreil Summary: After the freshmen find out about Neil and Andrew, a terrible practice leads to Neil saying things he shouldn’t. A/N: Because I saw this post and all I could think of was tfc/aftg. Tbh it’s all I think about these days.

http://maelerie.tumblr.com/post/135803922052/send-me-two-characters-or-more-and-a-prompt-and

*There’s insensitivity to past trauma and homophobic remarks.*

Things had been heated all practice. Strikers shoved strikers and balls were aimed at heads. Neil was being overly aggressive with one freshman player in particular.

Levi was actually a sweet kid but he was overeager and had no filter. Neil had been dreading facing him again after last night when he burst into their room unannounced.

He was just trying to be helpful when he took the room key from a pale and visibly shaken Kevin outside of Fox Tower. He didn’t think to knock as he threw the bedroom door open and yelled, “Something’s wrong with Kevin!”

Alarmed, Neil and Andrew had both sat up in Neil’s bed. The sheets slipped down to reveal Neil’s scar riddled torso.

“Holy shit,” Levi looked from Andrew to Neil. Then his eyes traveled down, following the marks of ruined skin and he said, “Holy. Shit.”

Neil self consciously pulled the sheets back up and said, “Get out.” He sounded sick.

“Kevin -”

“We heard you.” Andrew snapped. “Go wait not in here.”

As soon as the door closed Neil slipped off the bed and pulled his hastily discarded shirt back over his head. Andrew stood in front of him, a questioning tilt to his head. Neil took the armbands he held in one hand and forced himself to meet Andrew’s eyes. He nodded and they went out to follow Levi wordlessly to where Kevin sat outside of Fox Tower.

“What took you so long?” It was the freshman girl Neil had insisted on recruiting.

He looked warily at Levi, then went to crouch in front of Kevin.

“I-I-Ichir -” Kevin gulped.

“Ichirou?” Neil demanded. “Did he hurt you? What’d he want?”

“Get out of here.” He heard Andrew command behind him. The freshmen knew better than to protest.

Andrew came to stand beside Neil before reaching and tugging Kevin to his feet. He was more than a full foot shorter but he made it look effortless. He pushed Kevin onto Neil and Neil was forced to support his weight up the three stories of stairs and to their room.

When they decided Kevin wasn’t physically injured, Andrew told him to shower.

Kevin hadn’t wanted to get out of bed which meant the upperclassmen and the freshmen all arrived before Andrew’s group. Levi had been excited to divulge the gossip he had learned.

“What happened last night?” Dan asked, meeting the freshmen at the door to the lounge. “Jack said something was wrong with Kevin.”

“We were coming back from eating and Kevin was just sitting in front of the tower not moving,” Levi told her a little too excitedly. “So we asked what’s wrong and he wouldn’t talk for, like, a good five minutes -”

Jack rolled his eyes. “It was, like, three.”

Levi waved a hand at him and continued unfazed. “Finally, he just says, ‘Neil,’ and holds his hand up. He’s like shaking. So I grab his keys and run as fast as I can up the stairs and unlock their door. No one in sight. So I run to the bedroom and open the door and say, ‘Kevin needs you!’ And did you know Andrew and Neil kiss?”

Dan only raised an eyebrow. It wasn’t a secret; they just didn’t go around displaying their relationship. Judging by the freshmen’s reactions Levi had already told them.

“I’d say they do a bit more than just kiss,” Matt said under his breath.

“You guys know?” Levi was in disbelief.

“It’s not a secret,” Allison was on the sofa, looking bored.

“Why didn’t you tell us?”

Renee tsked. “It’s not ours to tell.” She never sounded like she was trying to make anyone feel guilty but it still had the desired effect.

“Then I guess I won’t talk about Neil’s scars,” Levi mumbled.

“You saw them?” One of the freshmen exclaimed.

That was all he needed to start describing what he could remember. “There was, like, this curved triangle on his shoulder with, like, small circles in it! And he’s been shot! There was a bullet scar. His stomach -”

Suddenly Levi was pulled back and slammed into the wall by the door. His face was squished against the wall but his hands were free and he tried to push himself away. He wasn’t strong enough.

Dan sighed but otherwise the upperclassmen did nothing. The freshmen shouted. Andrew just leaned in close and snarled, “Don’t talk about what’s mine.”

He gave Levi another shove for good measure then followed his group toward the locker room. Kevin looked exhausted but he glared at the rest of the team, “Stop wasting my time with your stupid gossip.”

“You just got here!” Jack complained.

“I also put in two extra hours of practice most days of the week,” Kevin reminded him.

“Hey, Neil,” Levi was waiting for him when he came out of the bathroom stall.

“Don’t.” Neil said. He had tried to tell himself that not even changing out his bottom half with the others would just feed into the freshmen gossip but after last night and arriving this morning to hear Levi describing his mess of a body, he just couldn’t do it.

“Please.”

“Fuck off.”

Neil could have been nicer. Considering the last twelve hours though, he thought he was being nice.

“Hey, Josten,” Sheena called to him. “Your boyfriend’s a psycho.”

Neil gritted his teeth. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t heard before. It also wouldn’t be the last time someone called Andrew psycho.

When Neil shoved Levi extra hard, sending him into the wall Kevin called out to him in French. “No permanent damage!”

He shrugged and moved so that another one of their teammates could make sure Levi was okay. Neil responded back in English. “We’re not short on subs this year.”

They all took their places on the court to reset. Neil took a deep breath in through his nose. He tried to squash his father’s temper down.

“Oh, captain, my faggy captain!”

“Cut it out!” Dan warned.

Jack’s mouth twisted and he kept his eyes on Neil’s. “What I don’t understand is ...” He pretended to think, then finished. “If your boyfriend is gay, was he really raped? Can you call it rape if he enjoyed it?”

Neil’s racquet was on the ground before he could think about it. He swung his fist upward to catch under Jack’s protective grid on his helmet. He jumped on top of him and shoved at his helmet to get better access to his face.

Jack managed to roll them over and get in a couple of punches but Neil was stronger and angrier. He had Jack flat on his back again in seconds, his helmet rolling away.

Neil was yelling but he didn’t know what he was saying. All he could imagine was seven year old Andrew pleading, begging to be left alone. All he could see was Drake with his pants down on top of Andrew. All he could hear was a loud thwack and laughter, manic laughter.

Being in the goal meant Andrew couldn’t really hear the banter that went on between players farther up the court. He watched Neil’s head snap up, saw his racquet fall to the ground.

Then he was on top of Jack.

Andrew heard Neil yelling, “Fuck you!”

Wymack threw the door open and shouted, “Hey! Cut it out!”

When Neil showed no signs of stopping Wymack turned to Kevin, “Help me out.”

Kevin looked only slightly bothered and called out in French, then in English, “Don’t break your hand!”

Wymack pushed past Kevin and tried to get his arms around Neil. When he finally managed to pry him off everyone clearly heard Neil spit, “He was seven! Seven! Fuck you if you think he enjoyed it!”

Andrew felt something. It almost felt like coming off his meds, a combination of phase one and phase two. He felt exhausted and sick.

Nicky was talking to him and he barely registered that it was in German. He couldn’t hear anything clearly through the roaring in his ears. He focused on keeping his face a calm mask and putting one foot in front of the other until he was in the locker room.

He took off his helmet and threw it at a wall. He heard someone yell, then realized it was himself; he was the only one in the room. He punched a locker.

Then the door opened and he froze. He didn’t turn around to see who it was. He glared at the wall and tried to get his breathing under control.

“Hey.”

“Get out.” Andrew forced himself to sound detached.

“I’m sorry.”

Andrew whirled around and the girl in front of him had enough common sense to flinch. “I said get out. I don’t want your pity, I want your absence. Get. The fuck. Out.”

Sheena left without another word. Andrew seethed. He was angry. At Neil. He punched the locker again. Then a third time.

The door opened as he swung a fourth time. “Jesus, fuck.” Kevin ran a hand through his hair. “What is with you assholes trying to break your hands?”

“Get out of here.” Andrew pulled his fist back, and glared at the dent he had made in the locker like he could melt the metal if he squinted hard enough.

“Don’t break your fucking hand.” Kevin sounded more annoyed than worried. “Betsy’s here. She wants to see you.”

“I don’t want to talk to her. Who told her to come?”

Kevin shrugged. “No one. She was with Abby when Coach called her.”

Andrew punched the locker again and felt something crack.

“Fuck! Did you just ...?”

He dropped his hand to his side and turned to face Kevin, a smile stretched his mouth wide. “I need to see Abby first.”