#SIGHS EVERYONE GO READ BITTERSWEET CANDY BOWL NOW!!!!

[peteytheparrot]

I start drawing a new mini comic page and then blam I’ve suddenly been rereading Bittersweet Candy Bowl for the 100th time and I haven’t worked on my comic page at all 💔 Why does this always happen to me… This comic is addicting ☠️☠️

[bluefirewrites]

‘Wake Up’

May have been inspired by WandaVision...

********

Julie rolled out of bed that morning in high spirits. Despite having to wake up early for school, she had a bright smile on her face the moment the alarm rang. 

She went for her closet but, as she passed the mirror, was quite confused to find herself already wearing the outfit she was planning to wear. 

Strange. 

But she still opened the door to her closet, sliding her hangers around to find her jacket while humming some nonsense tune. Every few articles or so she sifts through, Julie would keep coming across a white shirt. 

“Sunset Curve?” she read the logo aloud, not sure why that sounded so familiar... 

She didn’t think any of it.

Her jacket was right next to this white shirt she didn’t remember owning. 

Shrugging it on, she ran downstairs were Carlos was already going on to her dad and her aunt about whatever this week’s obsession was. 

“I’m telling you dad, there’s proof!” 

Her dad laughed as he cooked breakfast (or more like burnt it...), “Whatever you say, mijo,” 

“What is it this time?” Julie groaned, already picking up a banana from the bowl, forgoing whatever mess her dad was making in the kitchen. 

Carlos was already by her side, shoving his tablet in her face, “I saw it online! These guys went into this house at like 3AM and caught a ghost on camera! A ghost!” 

She didn’t so much glance down on the screen, already dismissing her brother’s words, but before she could open her mouth, a new voice butted in their conversation, coming from the front door. 

“Oooh a ghost? Now that’s interesting...” 

“Luke!” Julie beamed at the arrival of her boyfriend and their two friends, who had just walked in. 

He waltzed over, dumping his backpack onto the couch, and greeted her with a kiss on the cheek, “Mornin’, Jules. Now what’s this I hear about ghosts?” 

Reggie pushed past Alex, who was still kicking his shoes off in the foyer, “Oooh. Show me!” he said excited, huddled over Carlos’ tablet, “Woah. That’s creepy!” 

“Do not encourage him, Carlos,” Alex finally made it to the table, “Reggie’s convinced aliens are real too.” 

“They are real!” 

“Just cuz you watch Star Wars-” 

“-Not because of Star Wars! Ask NASA-” 

“-Wh-okay. I just go and ask NASA-?” 

“-Yes. Just go and ask-” 

Luke rolled his eyes at his friends’ arguing. He reached over and picked up a piece of overcooked bacon on Carlos’ place. He took a bite. 

Julie’s eyebrows furrowed at the sight. 

“You can eat?” 

Luke raised one of his own, finishing off the bacon, “Yeah. Of course. Why? Am I not supposed to?” he joked. 

“Yes,” Julie found herself saying, “You can’t... you’re not...” 

She stopped. 

She didn’t even know what she was going to say next. 

“Julie!” 

She looked up, not realizing that she had been staring off into space, “Yes, Alex?” 

The blonde wrapped his arm around her shoulder, “Back me up here, would you? And tell this guy” he points to Reggie, who stuck his tongue at them, “that ghosts (and aliens) aren’t real.” 

“Um... er...” 

Julie... couldn’t answer that. Finding the question, and this conversation, completely absurd. 

Luckily she was saved from answering when her two besties rounded the corner, talking animatedly between each other. 

She didn’t remember hearing them come in... 

“Julie!” Carrie chirped, hugging her from behind, “Love you. Good morning, but we have a situation.” 

“What’s up?” 

Flynn settled next to her on the table, “We need a band to play at the dance this week. I’m DJ-ing of course. But we need like a killer closer.”

“But I thought Dirty Candy-?” 

“We can’t,” Carrie interrupted, and that was all she could explain, “Any chance Julie and the Phantoms could fill in?” 

“A school dance?” Luke grimaced, “Not exactly the Strip...” 

Julie couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of deja vu when she heard him say that... 

“I don’t know,” a woman’s voice carried over, appearing behind Ray, “You gotta start somewhere right? Build a following?” 

Julie nodded, “Mom’s right.” 

“She always is,” Ray remarked before kissing his wife, making Carlos gag but making Julie feel...

...sad. 

There was something so bittersweet about this moment, but Julie couldn’t put her finger on it. Even when she stood up and hugged her mom, something was telling her... to not let go. Not even for a second. 

“What’s wrong, Julie?” she asked, realizing that they have yet to break their hug. 

Julie blinked away tears that started to form against her better judgement. 

She pulled away, straining a smile, “Nothing. Mom.”

Julie took a look around the room, where all her loved ones were watching her with fondness in their eyes. Her gaze lingered on the three teenage boys, her boyfriend Luke among them- her boyfriend of... how many months? Years? 

Weird. She couldn’t remember how long they had been together. 

She shook her head to rid of that slightly distressing thought. And she took in the room again. 

“Nothing’s wrong...” she reiterated aloud, “Actually, everything’s... perfect.” 

Her mom beamed at her, rubbing her shoulder, “Glad to hear it. Now I think we should all get some breakfast before we send you kids off to school.”

Suddenly, Julie was back at the table, that had somehow grew in length and had just enough chairs for everyone. 

Looking down, she was surprised to find a yummy looking breakfast, completely different from what her father had cooked before...

Julie lifted the forkful of fluffy looking pancakes to her mouth when she heard the doorbell ring. 

Everyone froze. 

Julie did too. 

She turned to Luke, who clenched his jaw staring at the front door. In fact, everyone had stopped what they were doing to stare at the door, acting like the ringing was some sort of... hindrance... 

“Um... is anyone gonna get that?” she asked tentatively, put off by everyone’s reactions... 

“Why?” Victoria said, voice cold, “Everyone that’s supposed to be here is here.” 

“I know but-” 

The doorbell rang again. And Julie made the move to get up. 

“Hey,” Luke uttered softly, hand holding hers, “Just ignore it. They’ll go away. Let’s finish our food-” 

“You can’t eat,” Julie blurted out again, which only upset Luke more.  

His grip on her tightened, “Yes... I can.” 

The doorbell kept ringing. In short intervals, repeating in an almost desperate pattern. 

Her curiosity got the better of her. Julie wrenched her hand away from Luke’s hold and practically ran to the door, much to the loud protests of everyone. 

“Don’t!” 

“Julie, get back here right now!” 

“It could be important!” she shouted back at them, hand on the handle and opening. 

A guy with long hair and a hoodie was standing there. His eyes had a frenzied look to them, he kept taking short, ragged breaths- all in all he looked like hell. 

Eyes widened and hands already on her shoulders, “Julie! You got to listen to me-” 

“Who even-?” 

“Don’t fall for it, Julie. We have to-” 

The strange boy tried pulling her along, but she stood her ground. 

“I don’t- I don’t know you.” 

The boy sighed, kept looking wildly around himself, “You- you don’t have to. He’s gonna find-” 

“She said she doesn’t know you,” Alex was now by her side, staring down the stranger, “What seems to be the problem here?” 

The stranger stumbled backwards, eyes widening, “A-Alex?” 

“You know him?” Julie gaped at the stranger. 

“Yes- I mean, no.” The guy shook his head furiously, “No! That’s not- That’s not Alex, Julie!” 

“What do you mean?” 

“He’s not real! This isn’t- this isn’t real. It’s all in your head,” 

Julie shook her head, “No. That’s not- this has to be, Willie.” 

The guy straightened up. 

“Yes. Yes! That’s me!” 

How- how did she know his name? But once it spilled out.. it felt right. 

It was the only thing that had felt... right. So far. 

The guy- Willie, took her by the hand again, and this time Julie wasn’t wary. She sort of wanted to follow him. 

“Look, we don’t have much time before he figures out what I escaped-” 

“Escape? He-?” 

“But we need to get you out of here. We need to-” 

“William?” 

Willie whirled around and a man stood there. In a dress shirt, holding a cane. 

“No.... no,” Willie held his arm out in front of Julie... as if he was trying to protect her, “Caleb. Stop this right now! Let her go, you psycho!” 

The man, Caleb, smiled a sickly sweet smile, “Now that isn’t a way to speak to your old man, is it?” 

“What-?” 

Julie blinked and Willie faced her now, cleaned up and wearing new clothes, clothes more... befitting for the time. He stood next to Caleb, who had an almost death-like grip on the boy’s shoulder. 

“Apologies for that, miss,” Caleb greeted, “My son and I just moved in next door.” 

Willie wiggled under the Caleb’s hold, “You’re not my-!” 

“Anyways, it’s nice to make your acquaintance...?” 

“Julie,” she said, eyes on Willie the whole time. He appeared to be afraid. 

And somehow Julie knew that she should be afraid too..

She was slowly stepping backwards into the house, “Nice to meet you... But I have to go-” 

“Ah yes, get back to breakfast. Hopefully no more...” The glanced down at Willie, “interruptions.” 

“Right,” She was already inside, ready to close the door... she didn’t like how Caleb looked at her. She wanted him gone. 

“We’ll be making our leave now. Have a lovely morning, Julie,” 

With that Caleb was dragging Willie by the scruff of his shirt down her steps, the boy kept bucking trying to escape. 

“Julie! Julie!” he kept calling out to her, “You need to get out!” 

“Quiet, you!” Caleb hissed. 

Julie’s heart beat rapidly, hands shaking the doorknob, “What-? H-how?” 

“Wake up!” 

Wake up. 

Wake up?

“... if it’s all you do...” she sang softly, the words coming out along with the melody that she had been humming earlier. 

Both Caleb and Willie stopped. 

“No,” the man uttered, “Stop that.” he ordered. 

Willie grinned, “Yes. Julie! Snap out of it!” 

“Look out, look inside of you...” 

Julie turned her head, Alex was no longer next to her, back with everyone in the kitchen, who stared at her in disbelief. Her mom had rose from the table, telling her to stop. 

That made Julie’s blood run cold. 

Her mom. 

She would never... she would never to tell her to stop singing. Especially not with this song. This song that she had written for her before... before she-

Julie gasped in realization. “You’re dead.” 

Luke got up, making his way towards her, “Julie, what are you talking about?” 

She backed up, “No. You’re dead too!” 

This wasn’t real... 

None of this was real. 

She had to leave. 

This wasn’t- this wasn’t what was supposed to happen... 

Emboldened by the revelation, she kept singing, “It's not what you lost... It's what you'll gain raising your voice in the rain...” 

The house, her house, began fading away, replaced with any inky blackness that gave Julie more relief upon seeing it. 

She could hear Caleb shouting at her, and Willie’s encouragement to keep doing what she was doing. “It’s working! It’s working!” 

“Wake up your dream and make it true... Look out, look inside of you...” 

One by one, her friends, her family started to fade too, getting lost in the darkness.. 

Her eyes met her mom’s, and she almost stopped.

But no. 

Her mom wasn’t there. She was already gone... 

Swallowing hard, shutting her eyes, she... kept going... “It's not what you lost... Relight that spark, time to come out of the dark...” 

She took a deep breath...

“...Wake up...” 

When she opened her eyes, she found herself tied to a chair in some luxurious looking office. Jazz music playing faintly in the background. 

Caleb glowered at her from his place behind the desk. 

The memories came flooding back to her. 

The flowers, Nick- 

Poofing. 

To the club. She was in the Hollywood Ghost Club. 

She had been there for hours. 

Julie struggled in her bindings as Caleb stalked over to her menacingly, “Now, now, now. You shouldn’t have done that.” 

“Where’s-” she looked around, “Where’s Willie? How did he-?” 

“Somehow he had found a way out of his little holding cell and came up here to cause some trouble...” he knelt down in front of her, “I’ll make sure that won’t happen again.” 

Julie scowled at him, wanting to slap the smug grin off the ghost’s face, “Again?” 

He wagged a finger at her, “You need to be preoccupied, my dear Julie. While I figure out a way to relinquish your hold on those boys.” 

“I told you, I don’t even know!” 

“Ah, but there is a way to break it. I will find out. And since you’re here” he procured a velvet bag from his back pocket, “the boys would come running in trying to save you.” 

The perfect trap... 

Julie wanted so badly to tell Caleb off, to tell him that they wouldn’t fall for it. 

But they would come barging in to come get her no hesitation. They had risked everything for her before. 

And they would do it again. 

“Now,” Caleb stuck his hand inside the bag and gathered up some purple dust, “We’ll do this one more time. And don’t fight it,” 

Her eyes widened, realizing what was happening. She squirmed some more, but to no use, “No no no-” 

“You should be grateful. I could have easily made it... unpleasant,” 

“I’ll find a way out!” 

“Let’s see how you fare without Willie’s help,” 

Then Caleb blew the powder into the face. And her eyes fluttered closed. 

“Nighty night...” she heard him say before it all went black. 

****

Julie jerked, hunched over her plate of breakfast. 

She felt Luke’s hand on her back, “Are you okay, Julie?” 

Lifting her head, she saw her loved ones laughing with each other, enjoying the morning. The sunlight dancing behind their heads, and her mom- 

She lifted her cup of orange juice in her direction, smiling before taking a sip. 

Julie nodded, “Yeah... I’m fine.” 

“Something wrong?” 

“Uh... no.” she said, ignoring that nagging feeling in the back of her head, “Actually everything’s great.” 

Luke smiled at her, “I’m glad. Now, pancakes?” 

“Right,” she smiled back at him. 

Then she dug into her breakfast, marveling at how good it all tasted. 

Yes, it tasted perfect. 

Everything was just... perfect. 

[stevesnailbat]

i shouldn’t be feeling this, but it’s too hard to resist | robin buckley

summary: Y/N is falling for someone, but it’s not someone they planned to fall for.

warnings: mutual pining, slightest mentions of homophobia

word count: 1.9K

a/n: this fic is loosely based off girls by girl in red!! i feel like the song just fits robin so perfectly, so here’s my take on it! i’m changing my writing style to be more inclusive also, so the perspective is different on this one! the gif used above is by @harringtown once again!!!

You knew you shouldn’t have said yes to it. But there you were, sitting on the edge of Robin Buckley’s bed, chewing on your lip nervously as you waited for her to come back into the room.

You and Robin were meant to be nothing more than coworkers at Family Video, maybe acquaintances at most. You had planned on it staying that way, and on keeping your distance. But, there was always just something special about Robin. There was something about Robin's smile that was so convincing, so inviting, so beautiful. There was something that kept pulling you back in for more. 

Just friends, you told yourself, nothing more. You didn’t want it to progress into anything more—it couldn’t possibly progress into anything more, not if you wanted to save yourself from the judgement that would most likely ensue.

When the door opened once more, you had to look away, avoiding eye contact with her. You could feel her eyes on you as she walked in with the widest grin, plopping down on the bed next to where you were perched. She sat a bowl of popcorn down on the bed along with a movie and a few boxes of candy after sitting down.

“I snuck a copy of Carrie from the store, I remembered you said you liked that one.” Robin said as she leaned down to rifle through some things under her bed. “Do you want to drink? I bought some wine because I thought it’d be fun to, y’know, let loose for once.”

“Oh—uh—yeah!” you reply with a nervous smile, only making eye contact with her for a fraction of a second. “I’ll take some.”

She smiled over at you again as she pulled the bottle and corkscrew from under the bed, working to open it as soon as she took it out. You cursed yourself for how awkward you were making the situation, but it was unavoidable. Every time you looked at her you felt like your heart was going to explode, so you avoided it at all costs. You knew it was wrong, what you were feeling about her. It felt so wrong that it made the pit of your stomach turn in knots and your heart ache. The feeling wasn’t going away any time soon, though. 

Robin could tell something was up from the moment you walked into the house, truthfully. In the past four months of working with you, she’d developed a theory that you just flat out didn’t like her, so she wanted that to change. There were shifts where you would ignore her completely, and others where you’d only give her a sympathetic smile when she’d talk to you. 

She didn’t know what she did, but Robin wanted to get to the bottom of it. She had randomly sprung the idea of hanging out on you in the middle of a shift with her and Steve, you couldn’t say no to her. When you said yes, she was downright thrilled to actually get to know you after working quietly alongside you for this long. 

You couldn’t help but stare at her as she worked the corkscrew into the bottle, taking in every little detail of her face for the first time. You couldn’t bring yourself tear your gaze away as she continued, eyes wandering as she tugged her lip between her teeth. It was impossible to not think about how soft her lips looked, and how perfect she looked altogether. If someone could read your mind, they might think you were just jealous of the girl. But, truly, the feeling was something much more than jealousy. It was something along the lines of a feeling of longing and desire.

“Finally!” Robin proclaimed, setting the cork on the bed beside her as you broke from your daze. “Here, you can have the first drink and get comfortable while I get the movie set up.”

You nodded and smiled at her, but suddenly lost all desire to drink the alcohol in your hands. There was already a feeling of intoxication building inside of you, built on being around Robin alone. Just looking at her was enough to make you feel a little drunk. Her beauty was overwhelming to you, almost painful to think about in a way. Slowly, you had come to terms with the fact that what you were feeling wasn’t temporary, that what you were feeling—despite how wrong it felt—was there to stay. 

“You alright?” she asked when she turned around to see you still sitting on the edge of the bed, frozen with the untouched bottle still in your hand.

“Yeah—yeah, sorry. I’m fine.” you lied, forcing a smile onto your lips as your heart pounded against your ribs.

“You don't seem fine.” Robin pointed out, setting the movie on top of the VCR as she furrowed her brows in concern. “What’s up?” 

“It’s really nothing, I—I guess I’m just tired, that’s all.” you lied, hoping she wouldn’t see through the thinly-veiled lie you were telling. “I’m sorry, I’m not trying to be boring and fall asleep as soon as I get here."

“It’s okay!” she said quickly, moving away from the TV to sit next to you on the bed again. “We can just hang out and talk instead, if you want, of course.”

“Yeah, that’s fine!” you stammered abruptly, looking at the bowl of popcorn next to you to avoid her gaze again. 

“Are you going to homecoming next weekend?” she asked, moving around on the bed to face you once more as she broke the odd silence. 

“Yeah, I’m supposed to.” you laughed bitterly, rolling your eyes at the thought of it.

“You don't seem too thrilled about that. Do you not have a date or something?” she implored, reaching her hand out to take the bottle from your hands. “Or do you have a date and just not like them?”

“Yeah—Yeah, that one.” you said, cringing about it once more. “I’m supposed to go with my brother’s friend from the football team but I’m not interested at all. He’s—He’s just not—“

“He’s just a typical jock who’s boring and doesn’t want to have any real fun?” Robin interjected, eyebrows quirking up as a smile grew on her lips.

He’s not you, Robin Buckley. He’s not the girl with perfect skin and pretty blue eyes that looks fucking perfect in a flannel. He’s not the one who makes you want to scream into a pillow about what you were feeling. That’s what you wanted to say. You wanted to grab her by the shoulders and tell her that you really, really wanted to go with her, but you knew you couldn’t. What would your family say? What would everyone at school say? And most importantly, what would Robin even say if you told her?

“Yeah, I guess that’s probably what it is.” you sighed, shrugging your shoulders to brush it off in the most casual way possible. “I don’t want to act like I like the kid for a whole night, it feels like such a stupid waste of my time.”

“Well, don’t go with him then.” she suggested simply, watching as you tilt your head at her straightforward proposal. “Is there someone else that you actually want to go with?”

“Yeah—I mean, I don’t—I don't know.” you stuttered, a blush settling onto your cheeks as the words slipped from your lips.

“I heard you say yes at first, you can’t take that back!” she said, her eyes lighting up with amusement. “Who is it? Is it that one kid who comes into the store all the time?”

“God no! That kid isn’t in there to flirt, I think he actually just watches a different movie every damn night.” you giggled shyly, heart skipping a beat at the sound of Robin laughing with you. 

“Well, who is it then?” Robin asked again, shoving her hand into the bowl of popcorn as if she was watching some interesting movie. “Actually, just tell me about them. You don’t have to name any names, just tell me why you like them. Is that easier?”

“Yeah, that works.” you sighed, chewing on your lip as you finally looked over to her. “I don’t really know where to start, I guess. They’re really like, one of the greatest people I’ve ever met. Obviously we’ve went to school together for a while, but I really have grown to like them a lot—like a lot—in the last few months. And—And I feel like shit for pushing them away for so long, but I just can’t bring myself to fully face how I feel.”

Robin continued to listen intently as you spoke, but was catching on rather quickly. She was shocked, to say the least. She never would’ve known that you felt this way, and would’ve done something about it a lot sooner if she had. There was a twisted feeling in your gut as you spoke, looking to Robin to see the waves of realization hitting her all at once. 

“Why don’t—or didn’t—you want them to know?” Robin questioned, tearing her gaze away from yours to stare at her hands. 

“Because I’m afraid of how they feel about me, and of what other people will say if I try to be with them.” you said softly, heart sinking as Robin’s smile faded into a focused frown. 

“Yeah, I was scared too.” she replied, making your eyes go wide in shock for a moment. “I still am, I guess. I just have people who I know will actually support me, instead of ones who would disown me.”

“You—You’re—”

“Yeah, I am.” Robin laughed softly, a bittersweet smile on her lips. “I’m not very good at this whole thing yet. Which is obvious, considering I didn’t realize you might actually like me until just now.”

“Might like you?” you laughed, making her look up at you with a hope-filled gaze. “I really like you, Robin.”

“Well good.” she sighed, inching closer to you as she spoke. “Because I’m tired of shoving my feelings away every time I see you.”

You smiled, looking away for a moment as butterflies filled your gut. There was a feeling of relief in the air that was quickly replacing the dread and doubt that had filled the room minutes before. Robin reached to put her hand on top of yours, making your heart flutter for a quick moment. Her free hand hooked under your chin, pulling your gaze back to hers as she smiled at you longingly.

“I’m glad you could finally talk to me about this.” she admitted, her thumb rubbing along your cheek gently. “And I’m glad we could both get this off our chests.”

“Yeah, me too.” you replied with a nervous smile. “And since we’re on the subject, there’s something else I’ve been wanting to get off my chest for a while.”

Robin knew exactly what you were doing as she saw your eyes flicker towards her lips, but the feeling still made her heart race. You both had wanted this to happen for a while, and it was finally happening. You cupped her cheek and pulled her into the kiss, keeping it short and sweet. Her lips were just as wonderful and sweet as you had expected, and that thrilled you. 

“Do you wanna watch the movie now?” you teased, brushing a strand of her behind her ear. 

“I think the movie can wait, because I wanna do that again.” she laughed, pulling you back in for another sweet kiss.

tags (join here!) : @sourapplebaby @harringtown @jxnehxpper @charmed-asylum @heart-eye-harrington @daddystevee @a-magey @lemonypink @igotmadskills @ilovebucketbarnes @simplesammyx @willowrose99

[blueeyedheizer]

home for christmas - tom blake

A/N: I don't know how the christmas tradition works for you guys but I based this fic on my personal way of celebrating christmas. we open the presents at midnight on december 25th, I know some people open them in the morning so...yeah anyway, enjoy <3

•••

"I'll be home for christmas, I promise."

You read the words over and over, letting your thumb run across the black ink as tears began to well up in your eyes.

With a shaky inhale, you stood and made your way to the kitchen, carefully putting the paper back in the small box where you kept all of Tom's letters on your way.

You needed to keep your brain occupied, so you decided to bake some cookies that you would bring to Tom's mum for tonight. Ever since Tom and Joe had been sent to fight, the holiday seasons were bittersweet for both families. Celebrating Christmas when your son, boyfriend, husband or brother was on the other side of the world fighting a war was never easy. So when Thomas' mum invited you and your family over for Christmas, you didn't think twice and agreed immediately. They were like a second family to you, and as much as you didn't feel like celebrating this year, you wanted to be there for them. Plus, you knew Joe's wife and kids would be there as well, so they all understood what you were going through.

You couldn't help but let a few tears slip as you remembered your last Christmas with Tom. He had sacrificed all his savings to get you a gorgeous pair of diamond tear drops earring; it became one of your favorites and you quickly began to wear it at almost every occasion. Christmas used to be your favorite holiday, but now it felt like any other day. You were stuck in your house while Thomas was on the other side of the world, not knowing wether or not he would still be alive by the end of the day.

There was nothing to celebrate.

---

"Careful with the presents!" you yelled from the kitchen, seeing as your little cousin shook the wrapped presents rather forcefully in hopes to figure out what was inside. There was only thirty minutes left until Christmas and to say the kids were overexcited would be an understatement. The younger ones were running around the house and trying to convince you to open them earlier, while their slightly older siblings and cousins sat near the tree, trying to find their own presents amongst the pile of them. The adults were all sitting around the table in the living room, catching up on everything while you and Joe's wife Linda helped with the dessert in the kitchen.

"Mommy, can we open the presents now?" Tom's nephew asked as he ran towards his mother, tugging at her dress to get her attention.

"Not now honey. You've got to wait 30 more minutes." the small boy pouted and you watched him with a smile as he crossed his arms across his chest to show his frustration. He turned his attention to you and ran to your side, hugging your legs as he looked up at you.

"Please auntie Y/N!"

"You heard your mummy." you shrugged, giving him a sympathetic smile. The small boy pouted before reaching for the table and stealing a few chocolate candies from the bowl and running off with it.

"Don't eat too much candies, John. You don't want to get a stomach ache before opening your presents!" his mum calls after him and he turns around to stick his tongue out, causing you to smile. Everyone seemed genuinely happy despite the circumstances, which warmed your heart.

"I blame that stubbornness on his dad." Linda laughed before glancing towards you. Her smile faded slightly as she noticed that you didn't seem as happy as everyone else was. Your small smile barely hid your pain. "How are you holding up?" she murmured sweetly.

You only shrugged in response.

"I miss him a lot." she gives you a sympathetic smile and rubs your shoulder comfortingly.

"He'll be home before you know it."

---

Soon enough, the clock strikes midnight and you all gather around the Christmas tree and begin exchanging presents. The kids are quick to rip the nicely wrapped presents and the house soon fills with their excited squeals as they show off their new toys.

After about 20 minutes, all of the presents have been opened and the kids are already playing with everything Santa left for them. You noticed that Tom's mum had been absent for most of the presents exchanging, which you thought was quite strange considering that she loved being there when the kids opened their gifts. When you told Linda about it, she told you that she went upstairs to get some rest. It was understandable after all, she probably wasn't in the mood to celebrate knowing that her sons were somewhere in the world fighting a war while everyone else was celebrating.

But after a moment she walked back into the living room, holding a small envelope in her hands. You frowned as everyone gathered around you and she took a sit next to you before handing the letter to you.

"I forgot to give that to you." she says with a warm smile.

"What is it?"

"Well open it, darling."

Slowly, you opened the envelope and unfolded the paper that was inside, immediately recognising the handwriting. Your eyes began to tear up as you read.

"Dear Y/N,

I know these past few months have been particularly hard for you, and I'm so sorry I haven't been able to spend the holidays with you. I know how important this time of the year is to you, and to both of our families. I miss you so incredibly much, I can't wait to finally hold you in my arms. Hopefully this is our last year spent apart from each other.

PS: I do have a present for you. Mum knows what to do, just follow her instructions.

Merry Christmas my love.

Yours, Tom."

You wiped a tear from your cheek and looked up, meeting his mum's eyes. You bit your bottom lip and smiled.

"What is it, the present?"

"Put this on and close your eyes." The older woman said as she handed you her knitted shawl.

"What?" you chuckled.

"Come on, put it on. I wouldn't want you to catch a cold." she insisted, smiling as she took a hold of your hand. You frowned and glanced at everyone around you before doing as you were told. Then, she grabbed both your hands and led you somewhere, not very far from the spot you were sitting in. You realized you were standing at the front door when you heard it open and were hit with a sudden wave of cold.

"Are you kicking me out of the house?" you joked. You could hear whispers, small gasps and giggles coming from everyone around and you frowned, smiling as Tom's mum let go of your hands and put hers over your eyes instead.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."

She pulled her hands from your eyes, and you slowly opened them to see the one face you'd been dying too see for all these months.

You gasped, jaw dropping as you took a step back out of shock, your hands flying to your mouth while hot tears flowed down your cheeks. Tom was standing at the door with a smile, a bouquet of roses in hand as he opened his arms for you.

You let out a heavy sob and threw your arms around him, holding him close as you sobbed on his shoulder. He handed the bouquet to his mum so that he could hold you properly, allowing him to wrap his arms around you and hold you closer than he ever had before whilst one of his hand cradled the back of your neck. He muttered sweet nothings in your ear as you sobbed, his own eyes starting to water up. After a minute or so you pulled back only enough to be able to cup his cheek and kiss him deeply. You weren't usually one for PDA, but at this very moment you couldn't care less.

"You’re here.” you whispered, resting your forehead against his. "You're really here."

"I promised I'd be home for Christmas, didn't I?" he smiled through his tears before pecking your lips again. You nodded and pulled him back to you, just wanting to hold him again and never let go.

"Did you all know about this?" you eventually asked, finally pulling away. Everyone nodded and you could see that most of them were crying or fighting back tears of joy.

"You have no idea how hard it was to keep this a secret." Tom's mum said before sighing in relief, her hands moving to her face to wipe away her tears. With a smile, she walked over to her son and pulled him in for a tight hug, which he gladly returned.

You clung back onto him as soon as they parted, wrapping your arms around him as his own wrapped securely around your waist. He kissed the top of your head before lifting your chin up to kiss you sweetly.

"Merry Christmas my love."

[prose-for-hire]

Zombie Land

Pairing: Cordelia Chase x reader

Request: hi! i could i please have “a haunted house, thats your genius idea” and cordy please 🥺👉👈

Requested by: @onehellagaykid​

You were sat with Cordy balancing on your lap, one hand on her waist to support her as she leant into you. She had her hands looped around your neck and had been kissing you softly every so often. You had a lazy afternoon, sharing the office at Angel investigations. It was quiet, the others were away doing something demon-related so you and your girl were holding down the fort. Nobody ever really called at the best of times but especially not on Halloween so you were mostly just enjoying each other.

“I know you haven’t been the biggest fan of Halloween since you moved from Sunnydale but I thought, maybe, we could do something this year for Halloween!” You said softly, threading a hand through her hair. She closed her eyes briefly before turning to you face you properly. Her head tilted to the side slightly in that way she always did when she was looking at you adoringly.

“Y/n, I know you mean well but like nothing good ever happens on this date”

“But… I have a little surprise for you! Something fun and kinda, maybe, a little cheesy!” You gushed, practically tugging on her sleeve for you to leave immediately to prove that it would be fun.

She sighed, but nodded, pecking your lips before explaining she would need to find something to wear. You shook your head turning to dig through the desk drawers to find an outfit you had prepared earlier. She smiled but you could tell she was a little unsure. She had planned to just stay in tonight, wear comfy clothes and cuddle with you while watching a very non-scary movie. She would usually at least pretend for you because of how much you loved it.

But she was wary, bad things always tended to happen and now she had you, she didn’t want to do anything to jeopardise it. She had visions (not literal ones) of ghouls haunting you or hurting you in some way; of hideous beasts taking you hostage; even slayers taking a trip to LA and getting you caught up in a horrific and ultimately fatal situation.

The last few hours at Angel investigations was filled with you and Cordy getting changed into your costumes, between a lot of breaks for kisses. You helped zip up her costume and as night started to fall, you locked the office up and made your way to the surprise.

You all but skipped down the lane to where they had set up the haunted house. It was basically a mansion and it looked exactly the kind of place that would be haunted. But this one was just for show. There were actors and they were selling candy and merchandise on every level so it wasn’t as if there was any chance things could go wrong. You had even paid for the tickets so that Cordy would come with you and hopefully enjoy herself. When you turned into the entryway, the sign read in typical creepy font that this was the most haunted house in the area.

“A haunted house, that’s your genius idea?!” She huffed, rolling her eyes.

“Come on, I’ll hold your hand through the scary parts” you winked and she arched an eyebrow. You both knew how tough she could be in the face of… well, everything from her past. But you enjoyed teasing her. And she let it slide because of how much she loved you.

She grasped your hand tightly and squeezed it, giving you the softest smile she only ever gave to you. You had walked through several floors, with her commentary making you smile. She had seen it all before and it had been a lot more real than this. She barely reacted to any of the scares, just arched her eyebrow and squeezed your hand.

You stopped in a darker corner and stole some kisses while the coast was clear. Your hands pulling her by her top towards you. She smiled into the kiss, pressing you against the wall. The glow of the fake candlelight and the distant screams were all a blur. All you could think of was her, every touch every brush of her lips had you putty in her hands. The kiss making you breathless as she ran her hands up your body, forgetting slightly where you were. She wanted to take you home immediately, forgetting about the house. She loved the way you looked in that costume and she knew you clearly liked hers – you had chosen it.

But the kiss was cut short, she whined slightly as you slipped from her fervent hold. You instead took her hand and pulled her with you through the next room, giggling at her expression and the way she was trying to flatten her hair. She sighed as she looked around, “Hands grabbing at us down a dark corridor – that’s not been done before” Cordy rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the smile tugging at her lips when she saw your ecstatic face as you skipped through all of the creepy rooms. You jumped and gasped every now and again but it was part of the fun.

You turned the corner into a new room. As soon as you got there, something felt off. There were people stumbling towards you, stepping over bodies with intestines and organs spilling from their stomachs. You both slid on the blood on the floor trying to step backwards.

Turns out they were zombies. Real zombies.

Cordy saw it straight away. The way they started to stagger towards you. Not just because they didn’t match the room you were in (serial killer pumpkin patch) and she had an eye for those kind of details.

They were horrific. Their pasty skin, almost green in colour. It was peeling and their mouths were dripping with blood and spit. They snarled, the noise hurting your ears as one grabbed at Cordy’s top and she fought it off her.

“Aw God, really?! This is a new outfit and you’ve got your zombie goo all over it!” She screamed, pointing towards the zombie as if it was about to apologise and offer to pay for the dry cleaning.

“Uh, I think they call that blood, Cor…”

“Quit arguing and run!” she shouted, this time she was the one to pull you away into a run, desperately hauling you towards the nearest exit.

Now everyone else had figured out the threat was real too. There were a lot of people running in all directions, barely missing the terrifying grip of the living dead. Cordy had to remove her hand from yours to prise open a door, she had turned from you for a minute. In that time, you had managed to get swept up in the crowd, separating you from Cordy in the melee. You ran against the crowd, trying to find her again. You had paused for too long, looking around everywhere for your girl.

You turned around and suddenly the entire room was empty. You were on the middle floor. It had been themed like a graveyard. With vampires and men in white sheets popping up from behind the polystyrene slabs every so often.

Suddenly, there were several zombies surrounding you. You started to move, to run away, but there were too many of them. The zombies were surprisingly organised for single-minded, flesh-eating beings. They seemingly worked together to keep you still. But you fought, hard. You had been forced into ‘couples self-defence classes’ with Cordy – she had been preparing you for this moment. She knew you’d end up getting targeted like this eventually and she wanted you to be safe. She always wanted you to be safe.

They were holding you down as they snapped their teeth at you, getting dangerously close to your skin as you kicked out wildly and tried to release your arms from them. One started to pull on your hair as if they could pull the top of your head off and suck from your brain like a cola bottle. At that moment, you could see her through the bodies. The only thing keeping you going. Cordy saw you and felt the pride swell in her chest as she saw the way you were fighting so fiercely.

She had a spade. Surprisingly, they had being using real spades in the graveyard room and Cordy turned it into a weapon as she smashed various zombie heads in to get them to release you. She stabbed at the zombies, hitting their heads and making sure they would no longer be a threat. It took a lot of effort, but she managed it.

You took a fake gravestone and hit a zombie over the head with it, taking its attention from Cordy so she wasn’t rushed by the entire group. You kicked at it, but it was strong. You were starting to panic, you were new to demons and you were starting to lose the upper hand.

She came to your rescue once again and dented its skull, caving it in and rendering it properly dead (rather than the undead it had been before). It fell forward, sliding down your body and wrecking your costume as you grimaced.

You ran at her, hurdling over zombie corpses and almost bowling the both of you onto the ground with the other corpses in your relief. She wrapped her arms around you, not caring about the blood down your outfit she just wanted to comfort you. Plus, her own costume was ruined too.

“Cordy you saved me!” You shouted, clinging to her.

“You saved yourself, I just helped a little” She shrugged, before deciding, “Okay, so I totally saved your ass” you both chuckled but you really meant it. You were so grateful to have her in your life.

“Thank you!” You gushed.

“Next year we are not leaving the house” She stated firmly and she smiled as you nodded and leaned in to kiss her lips. It was sweet, you leant into her and pressed your lips adoringly against hers. You cupped her cheeks, pulling her in again as she started to pull away. You pressed several soft kisses against her lips, never wanting to forget the way her lips felt on yours.

You eventually moved from the kiss, smiling at her. Her own relief meaning she missed the sorrow in your eyes. That kiss had been bittersweet. When she looked away, your smile dropped slightly as you moved to pull your sleeve down. You shifted your sleeve to hide a nasty wound on your wrist that was now turning purple. 

They had got to you before she could. You had been bitten.

[itawonka-creates]

Seabourne Burnouts: Chapter 14 - Breach

Thank you @dickisabanana​ for beta reading.

Start [Here] [Part 13] [Part 15]  -OR- [AO3]

“No! Marinette, please. I love you.”

“I’m sorry, Alya.”

“Seriously, Dupain-Cheng? After everything we’ve all been through?”

“Chloe, you know this has to happen.”

“Marinette, no.” Her voice trailed off as she watched Marinette carefully. Marinette bit her lip before shamefully nodding. Alya frowned, “Then do it! Do it already!”

Marinette took a deep breath before doing the unthinkable. “Plus four, Alya.”

“What the heck? I thought I was your best friend!” Juleka and Mylene chuckled while Alix, Rose, and Chloe were having full-on laughing fits. Alya grabbed her pillow and smacked it on Marinette’s head, “I thought you loved me!”

Marinette bit her lip to keep from laughing, “Sorry, Alya. It had to be done! I didn’t have a red or four!”

Alya pouted and begrudgingly took the four cards out the deck. “You are so lucky I swore to protect you.”

“To who?”

“Your mom.” Marinette rolled her eyes and Alya looked at her appalled, “I’ll have you know I take my job very seriously.”

“Yeah, yeah, we know. What color?”

“Blue.”

Chloe glared at Marinette as she turned herself to face her back to Juleka. “Hey, Juleka, can you take out the knife in my back? Marinette seemed to put it in a place I can’t reach.”

Marinette grinned and absentmindedly stated, “You guys are more dramatic than Cat Noir used to be!”

Mylene looked at Marinette surprised and suspicious, “You know Cat Noir?”

Before Marinette could say anything, Alix waved her hand dismissively. “She means in general. That boy wouldn’t know what ‘subtle’ meant even if he tried.” The group laughed as they all thought of their various memories with the hero. It was nice to think of the good times, but for Marinette it was bittersweet.

Marinette sighed and put her chin in her palm as she leaned on the coffee table, “You know, you guys didn’t have to do this.”

Juleka watched as Chloe put down a blue plus two card and stacked another plus two on top, “We know.”

Rose put down a third plus two, “Plus, we haven’t hung out! I missed it!”

Mylene put down a fourth plus two, “Yeah, we need to catch up! I feel like we haven’t talked in forever. Seriously, when was the last time we’ve had a sleepover like this?”

Alix looked at her deck and pulled out a final plus two card, “It’s been a while.”

Marinette went through her own deck and scowled, “You all suck.”

“Payback, my dear Marinette. Pay. Back.” Marinette glared at Alya as she reached for the deck and grabbed 10 cards. Alya smirked and placed a yellow seven on the stack, “I love this though. And you guys will love her bed, it’s a cloud.”

Chloe nodded as she put down a yellow two. She sighed longingly, “I wonder if Bruce would get me one.”

Juleka smiled and put down a red two card, “Uno.”

There was a beat of silence when everyone shouted their various disagreements. Alix threw some of their candy at the girl, “Cheater!”

Juleka laughed, “Pay more attention, next time.”

Rose thought over her next words before saying, “You know, I love this but when Alya sent the text she said it was an emergency. What’s going on?”

A new rising tension surrounded Marinette and Alya frowned, “The class president needs a girl’s night. Let’s just leave it at that.”

Mylene pursed her lips and guessed, “Is this because of the Akuma?”

“Probably has something to do with Adrien and Damian avoiding her for two days.” All the girls froze and Alya glared at Alix, “What?”

Chloe shook her head, “I knew you were blunt, but even I know not to say that.”

Alix looked over at Marinette and cringed, “Hey, I’m sorry. I don’t think before I speak and-”

“You’re not wrong. It’s okay.” She slowly stood up and walked over to the cart of snacks. She looked around the cart and scowled when she couldn’t find what she was craving, “I’m ordering popcorn.”

All the girls jumped when Chloe slammed her hands on the table, “Finally! Yes!”

Marinette grinned, “You really love the snacks on this boat.”

“Only the popcorn. This popcorn is made by a popcorn god and I will get his contact information before leaving this boat! I refuse to eat popcorn unless it’s their popcorn!” Chloe smirked and proudly added, “I want a big bowl.”

“A big bowl?”

“The biggest!”

Alya looked at Chloe and smirked, “You’re becoming addicted.”

Chloe pouted, “I am not! I just love this boat’s popcorn. If I was addicted, I’d take it everywhere with me like Tim does with his coffee.”

Mylene shook her head and, in a concerned tone, said, “That boy worries me. He walked into a wall last week, said ‘excuse me’, and then stepped aside into another wall.”

“None of us can function in the morning.”

“It was 6 pm.”

Marinette scrunched up her nose and pulled out her phone, “That boy needs sleep.”

“Are you texting him to sl-”

“Of course I’m texting him to go to sleep. Tim won’t do it otherwise.”

Mylene laughed, “You seem to have a hold on all the Wayne boys then, not just Damian.”

Marinette rolled her eyes and waved her hand dismissively, “I do not.”

“Even that old guy thought you were Bruce’s kid. He treats you like it.”

“Alya, that’s not true.”

Chloe sent Marinette a bored look before matter-of-factly stating, “That man would probably give you everything in this room and Jason if you asked.”

“Hey! Leave my brother out of this!”

“He isn’t your brother!”

“Well, he keeps saying it.” Marinette shrugged, “Plus, I kind of like having him look out for me.”

Rose tapped her chin and scrunched up her nose, “Didn’t he almost beat that guy up back in Vigo?”

Marinette groaned, “Yes.”

Chloe crossed her arms over her chest, “He was a total creep. He was clearly drunk and he wouldn’t leave us alone. Jason has my blessing.”

“He gave the man a black eye.”

“I would’ve given him jail time.”  Chloe narrowed her eyes at the girl, “You going to get my popcorn now or-”

“Yes! Jeez, give me a second!” She left the den and closed the door behind her as she called room service.

Alya took the chance to pull out her phone and address all the girls, “Okay, so we’ll be taking a quick stop in Sines tomorrow so Bruce can pick up two more of his business people, right?”

“The man is too nice to be picking someone up from their vacation instead of making them meet us somewhere.”

“Or they are just that important.” Chloe turned back to an impatient Alya, “Continue.”

“Well, I called Marinette’s mom and turns out her grandmother’s in the area.” Alya grinned, “She’ll spend the day with Marinette, our girl gets a pick me up from her cool grandma, and maybe we get her out of this funk.”

Juleka sighed, “If you haven’t noticed Alya, we’re all in a funk.”

“Seriously, ever since this trip started I feel like we’ve barely had any good days.” Alix grimaced at the thought that initially came to the forefront of her mind, “Hopefully there won’t be another Akuma attack.”

Alya hugged herself, remembering the shock and horror she felt when she saw Damian being beaten to a pulp by the last Akuma. They’ve all seen a number of terrifying things during Akuma attacks but seeing one of their friends being beaten so violently was easily the worst. “Yeah.” She shook her head in an attempt to erase the image, “Anyways, let’s make sure our girl looks and feels great tomorrow. Knowing her grandma, she’ll probably bring her motorcycle.”

Chloe smirked, “Alright. I’m down to giving that girl a makeover. Might be fun and I can’t wait to see the look on Damian’s face when he sees her.”

Alix snorted, “Okay, just because of that, I’m in. I want to finally see that kid act like Marinette did around Adrien.” She looked over at Mylene and started to stutter in a funny attempt to mimic Marinette that first year after meeting Adrien. The girls all giggled.

Rose perked up and bounced in her seat, “Oh, this’ll be fun!”

“What’ll be fun?” The group turned back to see Marinette walking back into the room, “What?”

“Tomorrow, we’re going to make you look so good Damian chokes.” Marinette nearly stumbled at the bluntness of Alya’s words. Alya just shrugged, “Has to happen, every rom-com says so.”

Mylene nodded, “Yup. After a breakup, the girl makes sure the ex knows what they’re missing.”

Juleka smiled and said, “It might be fun to dress a little outside your comfort zone.”

“I cannot do that! What am I supposed to do if I bump into him? What would I do if anyone saw me?”

“Show yourself off and act like you own the place. I do it all the time.” Chloe smirked, “Especially when I need a pick me up.”

Marinette groaned, “Do I have to?”

Rose smiled softly, “No, but it might be fun Marinette. You are a fashion designer after all, wouldn’t it be nice to get away from your usual style?”

Marinette bit her lip and Alix rolled her eyes, “She won’t do it. She’s too shy to do that!”

“I am not!”

“Are too.”

“Am not!”

“Oh yeah?” Alix stood up and walked over to Marinette, holding out her hand. “Prove it.”

Marinette glared at the girl and grabbed her hand, “Fine!”

The girls shook on it and Alix laughed, “Too easy.”

“Wait, what?”

“So it’s settled! We all dress like we’re ready to take over the world and we start with this boat. Everyone in?” Alya stuck her hand in the middle and one by one the girls put their hands in as well, “Perfect.”

Marinette glared at her hand before turning back to Alya, “Why do I feel like I made a deal with the devil?”

Alya shrugged and said, “You aren’t too far off.” She dusted herself off and looked at her phone, “I’m going to go get some clothes for tomorrow. We should all go before it gets too late and the staff gets suspicious.”

“But we aren’t doing anything wrong.”

“Yeah, but after one of the crew members set off one of Kim’s traps outside the girls’ wing the staff isn’t too happy with us being out so late in groups.” Chloe stood up and grabbed her phone, “Not that I blame them, those boys are idiots and Kim clearly couldn’t have set it up on his own.”

The group shook their heads at the boys’ stupidity before Rose added, “But we still love them.”

The group nodded, reluctantly agreeing to the claim before they all left to their rooms to get their gear. Marinette walked over to her own luggage and looked through her things before calling over her shoulder, “Tikki, you should grab candy while the girls are out.”

The red kwami flew into view with some already in her hands, “Already ahead of you.” She watched Marinette pick out something simple, but out of her usual style. Dark skinny jeans, a flowy over the shoulder blouse, and some boots to complete the look, “You’ll look really nice in that.”

“Oh, I have an idea.” She looked through one of her bags and found the pair of dark sunglasses Jason bought her. They gave off the same intimidating vibes that a cop would wearing a similar pair. “Perfect.”

“It’s different, but still you. As long as you carry yourself confidently, I’m sure you’ll wow them.”

“I’m not trying to ‘wow’ anyone. I just need to not be me right now. This might give me a pick me up, like the girls said.” She folded the outfit and put it on top of the dresser for tomorrow as she left back to the game room. She remembered the mess she had to clean up when she first returned to her room after the last fight and an uneasy feeling washed over her. “Tikki, we should talk about the Akumas.”

“I already told you, Plagg and I don’t feel Nooroo anywhere around here.”

“He has to be on the ship, Tikki! Could he be hiding Nooroo’s presence somehow or-”

“Marinette, I’ve done my best to try and focus, but I’m not finding anything.”

Marinette closed her eyes and purple wings were the first things that appeared in her mind. She groaned, “That Akuma almost got me. I didn’t see where it came from, but it almost got me. I should’ve just transformed and took care of it then and there but-”

“Marinette, you weren’t in the right headspace and you panicked. It’s fine. You found a way out through that vent behind the couch didn’t you?” Marinette nodded, “Besides, your friends were all hovering around the door. It would’ve been hard to explain if they opened the door and Ladybug was in the room.”

Marinette was starting to get frustrated with herself, “I need to focus. Even if he isn’t on the ship, these Akuma’s are coming from somewhere. Hawkmoth’s keeping them around and he’s keeping them corrupted for some reason and I need to figure out why.”

“Well, obviously the main goal is to get the miraculous, we’ve always known that.”

“Even that’s questionable!” Marinette blew her bangs out of her face as wrapped her mind around the different Akumas. “None of them even ask for the miraculous. Tess could’ve easily grabbed them with the teleportation powers, but she didn’t.” She growled and rubbed her temples, “Nothing makes sense to me. I hate it. I don’t know what he’s thinking.”

Tikki nodded and flew up to her holder. She nuzzled up to Marinette’s cheek and tried to sound encouraging, “You’ll figure this out.”

“I don’t really have a choice. We can’t exactly have Akumas roaming around the continent. I need to know where they’re coming from. At least in Paris, we knew the Akuma would stay in the city.” She pulled out her phone and looked at the notes she made. She started jotting down little things about the Akumas after the third one in order to keep track of them. The only pattern she’s seen is that none of them seem to ever talk to Hawkmoth.

She thought back to the first Akuma and speculated if they ever did. The clock read 8:12 and she briefly wondered if the boys were awake to talk. She knew the Miraculous Cure should’ve healed up the one boy’s leg. She looked at the list Tim sent her and checked to see if the list contained names of all people on the ship, not just the passengers. Looking through it for a second, she noticed certain names had different colors to them. She smiled and muttered to herself, “You really are a boy genius.” She started to sort through the colors; green meant passengers and guests, the staff was in blue, the captain and crewman were purple. “Okay. Who brought their kids?”

She got a knock at the door and Tikki flew away to hide as Marinette ran to the door. She looked through the peephole and was surprised at the person on the other side. She opened the door and the woman awkwardly waved, “You ordered popcorn?”

“Tess?” Marinette smiled and motioned for her to come inside with the tray of snacks. “What are you doing here?”

“I got a message that someone in the VIP wing was asking for something. I always get a notification when anyone in this wing asks for anything so I can make sure they get the best service.” The walked to the den and Tess put the snacks on the coffee table. She pressed her lips together in a thin line before finally stating, “Marinette, I’m sorry about what happened.”

“What do you mean?”

“I just- I couldn’t really fight it. It was like all of a sudden everything was just amplified and overwhelming and next thing I knew I woke up surrounded by heroes.” She hugged herself and kept her eyes trained on the snack table, “I saw the video one of your friends made. It was weird to see myself like that. I was so upset and I hurt everyone. I tried to hurt you.”

It took Marinette a second to realize that people outside of France usually don’t know what Akumas are unless they go looking into it or are connected to the people of Paris. This trip probably provided her some of her first close encounters. Adding the akumatization on top of that, Marinette couldn’t imagine what’s going through her head. Marinette knew she was too desensitized to even give it a second thought, but maybe that was a bad thing. “Tess, you did nothing wrong. Hawkmoth is the one behind this. You never would’ve done these things otherwise.”

“You don’t know that.” She wiped her nose on her sleeve and shook her head, “You don’t know me well enough to say that. I hurt people, innocent people, on this ship. I hurt you and I hurt your boyfriend!” She bit her lip, “I’m a bad person, aren’t I?”

“You are not a bad person!” Marinette walked over a placed a hand on her shoulder, “I can tell you are going through a hard time right now but you aren’t a bad person! You were akumatized and you were hurting!”

“Marinette-”

“Have you ever attacked anyone before this?”

“No.”

“Do you actively seek out people to hurt when you are upset?”

“No.”

“You’re fine. That Akuma wasn’t the real you. It was just all of your bad emotions and feelings coming out and it was a bad time for everyone.” Tess gulped and nodded weakly. Marinette gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze, “Have you looked into a counselor?”

“I got one back home. She was willing to do the first session through video call until I get back home. Bruce was kind enough to find her for me.”

Marinette smiled, “That’s great!”

“What’s great?” The two turned to see Alix walk in with a bag in her hand and chewing gum. She examined Tess for a second before smiling, “Hey! You doing okay?”

Tess did her best to put on a brave face before she nodded, “I’m trying. I guess it’s hard to deal with this stuff.”

“Oh.” Alix walked up and awkwardly patted her woman’s shoulder, “Look, I’m not the best at this sort of thing but if it ever gets to you just say something. Literally to any of us. We’ve all been akumatized and it’s freaky. Trust me when I say none of us hold anything against you. Okay?”

Tess bit her lip and paused, thinking over Alix’s words, and finally nodding. “Okay.”

Alix smiled, “Now I want to know what gave you the balls to ask your boss’s kid to make you a drink?”

“What is she talking about?”

“Damian. The boy I was with when we met. That was Damian Wayne.”

There was a short pause before she choked, “That was Bruce’s kid?” She smacked her forehead and groaned, “He must think I’m an idiot.”

“He doesn’t. Trust me.”

Tess looked over at Marinette and narrowed her eyes, “Where is he anyway?” She tensed slightly and Alix noticed her forming a tight fist on her right.

Marinette quickly changed the subject, “Can I ask you something really quick? It’s about the people on the ship.”

Tess faltered for a second before snapping her fingers, “Yes! Yes. I have information for you too! Follow me!”

Marinette looked hesitant before Alix motioned for her to follow Tess. “I’ll let the girls know where you went.”

Marinette nodded, relief visibly washing over her, and followed her out the suite and into the hall. Tess was walking quickly towards the deck before making a few unexpected turns. Marinette found herself in an unfamiliar hallway and took note of the differences in the area. Marinette could tell she was walking past some storage rooms and she never realized how much was needed to run a ship. She also never realized just how many things on this ship that were left unseen. “You know if you are uncomfortable with anything I say you can tell me.”

“Huh? No! No, I was just thinking.”

Tess stopped and turned to face Marinette, “None of the boys come down here.” Marinette looked confused before Tess smiled, “Look, I’ve been through enough bad guys to know when someone is avoiding their boyfriends or exes. There’s just something in the eyes, tells me everything I need to know.” She leaned against the wall and crossed her arms, “Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s talk for a second.”

“Talk? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Tess sent her an unconvinced look and Marinette bit her lip, “Okay, so we broke up.”

“He broke up with you?”

“No.”

“Oh good!” She laughed and slapped her knee, “Christ, I was about to call war!”  She continued laughing and Marinette couldn’t help but smile at her energy. It was good to see her genuinely laugh after the earlier conversation.

“War?”

“It would’ve been hard, but I could’ve messed with him. Pretty sure Captain Staller would’ve helped too.” Marinette couldn’t help but laugh at that.

Marinette nodded and tried to hide her grin, “Yeah, I can see that.” Marinette decided to prop herself up against the wall, “He just said something. Something about his past then he caused an argument between me and Adrien.”

“Adrien?”

“One of my best friends.” Tess nodded and Marinette pressed her lips in a thin line, “Look, he-”

Tess held up her hand and shook her head, “As much as I would love to help you, I can’t.” Marinette looked confused before Tess sent her a sympathetic smile, “Look, I wouldn’t hesitate to fight the boy. Petty revenge for a friend is something I can probably do. Giving love advice when I’ve never really had any good relationships seems more harmful to you and me.” Tess hummed, “Besides, I bet you have better people to ask about this stuff. How about one of your little girlfriends? Or even your mom or aunt or something? Right now, I just don’t think I’m the best person for that job. I just wanted to know where you were right now with him.”

Marinette smiled back, “Thanks for being honest.”

“It’s something my counselor talked me into doing. Setting boundaries for myself or whatever. A topic I want to avoid is ‘love’, so I will until I get to a point where I’m okay with talking about it with her. Well, that and other things.”

“But you wanted to rage war if he broke up with me?”

“That’s not love. That’s revenge.” She tapped the side of her head and winked, “It’s different. Think about it.” Marinette snickered at the woman’s antics and Tess sighed, “I’m serious though. Try talking to someone else. I’m sure you’ve got an army of people by your side.”

The choice of words made her think back to that first Heroes’ Day battle. She thought about everyone in Paris and how they didn’t hesitate to fight and help her. Her parents were part of that fight too, supporting her on both sides of the mask. “Yeah, I guess I do. I’ll probably call my mom.”

“Good. Now, back to business. What did you need from me?”

Direct and straight to the point; Marinette loved it. More importantly, she liked moving away from the topic. “Do you know of any crew members who brought their kids on the ship? I’m looking for the two boys who became the first Akuma victims on this ship.”

“David and Jacob? Those are Marleen’s kids. Those two used to run around the ship with those dart guns of theirs all the time before that happened. They’ve been quiet since. Poor boys.”

“Do you know where I can find them?”

“Not on this ship. Marleen sent them right back to their dad’s in the states after it happened. From what I know, Bruce is paying for their counseling too.”

Marinette didn’t realize just how bad this was to others outside of Paris. The more she heard about it from an outside perspective the worse she felt about not being able to catch Hawkmoth sooner. “Can I still talk to Marleen?”

“What for?”

“Bruce asked me to help shed some light on this Akuma stuff since me and my class are a lot more familiar with them.” Not entirely a lie, but it still left a sour taste in her mouth.

“I doubt she’ll want to talk to you right now.”

“But why?”

“I think a lot of the staff kind of blame you and your class for attracting the Akumas to the ship. It’s stressing out our boss, it’s stressing out our passengers, and it’s stressing us out in general.” She shook her head, “Personally, I think it’s dumb to blame a bunch of kids for this. It’s like blaming the kids in a hospital that Joker is trying to blow up. Doesn’t make sense.” She blew some hair out of her face and shrugged, “They’re just looking for someone to blame I guess.”

Marinette’s shoulders fell and muttered, “They wouldn’t be that far off.” She groaned, “There goes the only other lead I have!”

“The A names didn’t pan out?”

“The A names?” Marinette thought for a second before gasping, “I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT THEM!” She smacked her forehead and slid down against the wall, “I’m completely useless. Just pack my bags and throw me overboard. I’m the disaster that forgot about her only other leads.”

Tess laughed, “Given the time you’ve had I’m surprised you’ve even managed to do this much! If I was trying to play detective, fight a villain, deal with boys, and avoid a stalker I’d just break under the pressure!” She walked over and rubbed Marinette’s back in soothing circles, “Look, you need to give yourself more credit. You’ve been trying to make the most of this situation and I’m really proud of you for that. I’m actually kind of mad Bruce hasn’t given you the damn ship as a reward for staying cool through all this!”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. Stop selling yourself short and stop saying you’re a ‘disaster’ because you’re not. Okay?”

“That’s easier said than done.”

Tess groaned before nodding in agreement, “Yes, I know.” She pushed herself off the wall and turned to Marinette, “Come on. Let’s get you back to your sleepover. On the way, I can give you some more dirt on those two rich men.” Marinette nodded, she liked having a third party in this to put things into perspective. She always gets a feeling that her friends and family are just telling her what she wants to hear. She’s been working on that. She knows asking an enemy is just a dumb idea and she’s trying to avoid dumb ideas. She’s been more successful with that one. Still, there was room for improvement and Tess’s information was bound to help her.

As they walked back up to the suite Marinette realized she had a library of information available to her. Room numbers, general routines, people who have access to the rooms, every detail Tess knew could be given to Marinette. It gave her a sense of control and it comforted her as she thought about her next steps. Control and comfort were two things she desperately needed right now.

The two were greeted by Chloe stuffing her face in the doorway, “Where have you been?”

“Talking about stuff. What’s been going on in there?”

The three heard something break in the background and without looking back Chloe said, “Stuff.” She pointed at Tess, “She joining us?”

“Not tonight sweetheart. I have some more rounds.”

“Can you get me more popcorn?”

Marinette scolded the blonde, “Chloe! Rude! What happened to the popcorn I got for you?”

“I don’t want you to have to call in the middle of the movie so I’m stocking up. Besides, I asked nicely, didn’t I?”

Before Marinette could protest further, Tess just laughed, “Alright. Someone will bring it shortly. Goodnight, ladies!”

“Goodnight!” Chloe yanked Marinette inside and shut the door behind her.

Tess felt envious of the girls. If she was their age, she wouldn’t have hesitated to join them. Her group seemed to be friendly and Marinette was a good egg in general. She sent a message to someone in the kitchen about the popcorn and sighed. If she was honest with herself, turning into an Akuma wasn’t the only thing that shook her up. She didn’t even remember most of it. It was only after seeing footage did she feel guilty over the attack. However, when they brought up her father and her old nickname it made her nauseous. Tess just started crying in front of these strangers and she couldn’t stop for a good 20 minutes. It was embarrassing, but liberating after holding it in for so long.

Walking around a corner, she bumped into someone. “Excuse me, I am so sorry.”

“Tess?” She looked up and noticed the man looked familiar. “Hey, how are you feeling?”

“Um, do I know you?”

“Tess, it’s Tim. Tim Drake. 3rd son of Bruce Wayne?” Tess groaned and smacked her forehead, “I’m taking that as a no.”

“Correct.” She held out her hand and smiled, “I really am sorry. I’m not thinking straight.”

He shook it and smiled back at her, “Don’t be. I’m running on fumes, so I can’t think straight either.”

She began noticing the bags under his eyes and his tired expression, “Shouldn’t you be asleep?”

“I should be. Don’t tell Marinette though. She literally texted me to sleep earlier tonight.”

Tess giggled, “Sounds like her. The girl won’t quit will she?”

“No, probably not.” He shrugged, “I like that about her though.” She hummed in agreement and rocked back and forth in place, not really knowing what to do with the silence. “Tess?”

“Yes?”

“How is she? Have you seen her?” She bit her lip, wondering if she should say anything at all. He must’ve sensed her hesitation because he shook his head and started backtracking. “Never mind, don’t answer that.”

“Why do you want to know? For your brother?”

He nodded and sighed, “The first girl he meets that he likes and he messes it up within a day.” He leaned against the wall and yawned, “Sorry. You probably have places to be.”

“It’s okay.” She crossed her arms and leaned back on the wall as well. She murmured to herself, “Break-ups suck.” Realizing she was pushing her boundaries, she shook her head and held up her hand. “I’m sorry, but I can’t really talk about this right now.”

“Oh. Yeah, sorry about that. I guess I’m just worried.”

She thought for a moment before asking, “Has anyone checked on Adrien?”

This seemed to catch Tim off guard, “Adrien? Agreste?”

“Marinette said something about him and Damian causing some kind of argument between them.”

Tess could see the gears turning in Tim’s head. His expressions changed from confused, to annoyed, to concerned, and finally something neutral. He pushed himself off the wall, “Thanks, Tess!”

“For?”

“Everything. You do awesome work here. Don’t forget that.” He smirked, “I bet I can convince Bruce to give you a raise or something.”

Tess immediately shook her head and got flustered, “No! No, he’s paying for my counseling. I can’t-”

“Too late. Already have my mindset on doing it.” He jotted something down on his phone and pulled her into a quick hug, “Thanks again.”

Tess just stood there, tense but amused. “No problem?”

Tim just laughed and started walking backward, “I got to go! See you around!” She watched as he turned directly into a wall and muttered a soft “sorry” before running off to his next destination.

She giggled to herself and wondered just how Marinette had a handle on any of these boys. She’s talked to Bruce and Dick, briefly Jason but that was usually to scold him. Tim was always off doing his own thing and talking with his brothers or friends. He was never uninviting, but he just seemed a bit out of reach. Seeing him now, it’s like watching a college student during finals week. Smart and friendly, but tired and juggling a lot of things. It was like she had the front row seats to a sitcom some nights and a drama other nights. Entertaining, but it keeps her busy and on her toes.

Tess wandered more, patrolling hallways, avoiding certain areas and people, and just being alone with herself. She realized she kept herself busy so she didn’t have to think or sit with herself. She only really spoken to her counselor once, but she was so ready for something to change she hit the ground running. Something she suggested was to be more mindful, so taking walks or meditation counted. She didn’t think she’d do it so soon, but she figured if she couldn’t sleep she might as well use the opportunity.

Still, when she finally looked at her watch when she made it to the deck, it was hard to believe it was a little past midnight. Looking at the time, some of the sleepiness finally hit her and she yawned. She looked over the railings of the ship and didn’t realize just how close they were to shore. She looked across the skyline and wondered if she should call in to explore with the kids. She rested against the railings, chin in her palm, just thinking.

She listened to the soft murmur of the people in the city and to the waves. The motors below rumbled becoming comfortable background noise. Tess laughed to herself, now knowing why Marinette and Damian were always seen around the railings.

“-eet?” Tess craned her neck to see a woman, prim and proper speaking on the phone. “Of course. He gave us a few openings, would you like to reserve an appointment for tomorrow?” Tess felt bad for her, working so late. She was still in her suit. The woman must’ve felt someone watching her because she paused and looked over her shoulder. Their eyes met and Tess sent over a small wave. The woman gave a curt nod, “Excuse me, sir. I ran into someone. Can you repeat that?” She nodded, “Of course. I’ll message you the time. Goodnight, sir.” She hung up and walked off with a purpose. Something about her made Tess uneasy, but she couldn’t quite place her finger on it.

“Tess?” Tess spun around to find a small teen standing there, wrapped in a blanket, in front of her.

“Marinette, shouldn’t you-”

“Did you see where that lady went?”

Tess quirked a brow, “Lady?”

She nodded, “Like a business lady. Glasses. This tall. Probably on the phone.”

Tess nodded and pointed, “Yes, but why-”

“Okay. Thanks!”

“Woah!” She grabbed ahold of the girl’s arm and kept her from running away, “What are you doing? Why are you chasing after her?”

She huffed, “I couldn’t sleep, so I was on my way down here to my favorite spot when I saw her. She looked familiar, so-”

“So that means you need to run around the ship like a madwoman?” If the ship didn’t hate her now, seeing her running around by herself chasing some poor secretary would label her a menace. “No. You can see her in the morning.”

“Tess, come on-”

A third voice chimed in, making both girls jump, “Marinette?”

Marinette turned to see who it was and became even more confused, “Nino?” He was in his pajamas and panting heavily. She looked up to make sure it wasn’t a full moon out tonight, there were too many things happening around her for there not to be. “What are you doing up? Shouldn’t you be asleep too?”

He took a deep breath before explaining, “I thought I saw someone I knew.”

Tess put her hands on her hips and pinched the bridge of her nose, “Look, both of you should sleep. Whoever this is, she’ll still be here tomorrow.”

The two did their best to protest, “But-”

“Go upstairs or I will tell your teachers about this!” She hated it, but knowing that they could disturb another passenger or continue to run down their reputation left her with a bad conscious. The two immediately became silent and she pointed back towards their rooms. “Go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Their shoulders fell and the two trudged away towards their rooms. Marinette knew he could ask about Adrien, she just didn’t know if she should. Would it be wrong? Awkward? Her mind was racing. “I’m not going crazy, right?”

“Wait, what?”

“Like, that lady totally looked like Nathalie. It freaked me out, man. Adrien made a deal with his old man and he promised to let Adrien do this alone. If he found out she was here, he’d freak.” Nino pinched the bridge of his nose, “He doesn’t need that right now.”

“I thought it was her too. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me! Why do you think I started chasing her?” She stopped herself from going further down that rabbit hole, she didn’t need this added stress. “You know what, it’s probably not her. Lots of business guys have secretaries, right? It probably wasn’t her, right?” The silence frustrated her, “Nino, work with me here.”

“I mean, sure. Rich dudes usually have their own ‘Nathalie’, but she looked scary similar. No way that isn’t Natalie.”

“Well, we’ll see tomorrow, won’t we?”

“I guess, but I’ve avoided that lady so many times it’s like I can just sense whenever she enters a room. It’s probably the worst superpower ever, but I’m sure it was her.”  Marinette just started giggling at his expense while he got all worked up. “Hey! Don’t laugh!”

“Sorry! Sorry! But between you and Adrien, I’m not sure who would be more freaked out by her being on the ship.”

“You’ve never had to hide from that woman! She’s like a police dog. She won’t stop and she’ll literally hunt you down. It’s like being in a horror movie, man.”

“She’s a secretary.”

“She’s a demon in disguise. Literally, if it wasn’t for the fact that she takes care of Adrien I’d call an exorcist.” Marinette was trying her best not to laugh, she really was, but her red face and shaking shoulders were not working in her favor. Nino just pouted, “Fine! Fine! Don’t believe me! See if I care!” He crossed his arms and huffed and Marinette was immediately reminded of his little brother.

If she wasn’t doing her best not to burst out in laughter, she’d think it was cute. She took a deep breath, “Nino, I love you. I needed that.”

She was still trying to stifle her giggles, unaware of the opening she gave Nino. It was a harmless comment, but Nino just had to ask, “What do you mean? Why?” He watched her nearly stumble over her blanket and he flinched, “Marinette?”

She bit her lip and decided to throw caution against the wind as she asked, “Hey Nino, how is Adrien anyway?”

Nino hummed, “Pretty bummed, but he won’t tell me why. I figured it had something to do with you.”

She flinched, “Did Alya tell you that?”

“No. Usually, if something was wrong with Adrien you’d drop everything to try and fix the problem. When I didn’t see you barge in to try and cheer him up, I realized you’re probably the reason.”

She nodded and twirled a piece of her hair nervously, “Yeah. I guess I am over the top.”

“But in a good way. You make sure people feel cared about.”

“Well, not this time.” Nino just smiled at her and motioned for her to continue. He was one of her oldest friends and his patience was something she always admired. His energy was calming, comforting, and made you want to open up. He was safe and she needed to talk to someone who wasn’t Alya. “We got into an argument. Adrien said he didn’t want to see me anymore. I broke up with Damian-”

“WOAH! Woah! Woah! Woah! What?” He ran his fingers through his hair, “Wait, didn’t you guys just start dating? Marinette, that’s not even 24 hours.” He groaned, “Dude, do you know how hard we’ve been rooting for you two after the awards dinner? Seriously! That whole week, we were just waiting for you two to get together!”

Marinette glared at Nino and said through clenched teeth, “Thank. You. Nino. I never would’ve guessed!”

“Sorry.” He sighed, “It’s just that, I don’t think we’ve ever seen you like that.”

“What are you talking about? You literally have tried to help me get with Adrien when I was still in love with him.”

“Yeah, but you could barely talk to him without overthinking yourself into a corner. I’ve never seen you just be comfortable with someone you liked like that.” Nino noticed that the more he talked about Damian, the worse Marinette’s mood seemed to be. He coughed and rubbed the back of his neck, “Sorry dude.”

She just took a deep breath and asked, “Nino, just watch Adrien for me, okay? I’ll fix this. I just have to figure out how, but I don’t want to lose him.”

Nino smiled and pointed at himself, “I’m always there for my best man. But what about Damian?”

She stopped in her tracks and snapped at Nino, “Nino, please. Can we not talk about him? I just want to know If Adrien’s okay.”

He looked her over once more and noticed that her nose and eyes were turning pink. Her eyes seemed to shine as a warning and he’s known Marinette long enough to know what it meant. Nino gulped and nodded, “Right, sorry. Adrien’s upset, but nothing me and the guys can’t handle. He’ll come around.”

“You think so?”

“You were his first friend and I don’t think you realize how much that means to him. Just give him time.”

She nodded, comforted by Nino’s words, but still felt like the guilty party. Marinette realized it was time for them to part ways and hugged him. “Thanks, Nino.”

“Anytime.” They parted ways and Marinette felt her mind still racing, even as she crawled back into bed. Tikki gave her little relief, but eventually Marinette fell asleep.

Nino, on the other hand, was still on a mission. Adrien left the room a few hours ago without a word and he just happened to see Nathalie from the upper deck’s balcony while looking for him. Part of him hoped Adrien didn’t see Nathalie, another hoped he was with her because then he’d at least know Adrien was okay.

Any other time, Nino wouldn’t worry. He’d just think Adrien wanted to explore or something, but right now Adrien was sulking. With Nino’s suspicions recognized, he grew even more concerned knowing fought with Marinette. Marinette was their everyday Ladybug. If Ladybug were to ever go against her beloved city, Paris would sustain all damage and suffer. Marinette went against Adrien, now Adrien suffered. Is it repairable? Yes. Will it take time? Probably. Are the odds in their favor?

Nino hopes they are.

Nino continued to wander the halls and thought about how to best approach the situation. His best friend had his right to privacy, but Nino was getting increasingly more worried as more time passed without so much as a text. Talking to random staff and calling out his name could only help so much if no one saw him.

He was ready to admit defeat when a notification went off on his phone. Seeing the contact’s name he immediately raced back to his room in record time. Turning into his hall he saw Adrien slumped over Tim’s side and Nino didn’t know whether to think Adrien was dead or not. Nino hurried to open the door and watched as Tim placed him back on his bed without issue. Tim must’ve sensed his unease because he simply stated, “Asleep. He’s asleep, Nino.”

“Oh, thank goodness!” Nino let out a large sigh of relief, “Marinette and Chloe would’ve killed me.” Tim laughed and Nino just pointed at him, “Laugh all you want now, but if anything happens to him we’re going to be looking at a full-on rampage! Think all the Akumas Hawkmoth has ever made times two and that still wouldn’t be close to the rage those two will unleash!”

“No, no, I believe you! It’s just funny to think about.”

“Not funny if you’re the one they’re mad at.”

Tim took a deep breath and regained a bit of his composure. Tim asked, “Why would they be mad at you?”

“Because I said I’d watch him.” He sighed and looked over his best friend lying on the bed completely unaware of everything happening around him. Nino frowned and explained, “Adrien can get into trouble sometimes and it’s not because he wants to be. He’s gotten a lot better at some stuff, but he’ll still get a bit impulsive when he’s upset. Plus, he’s too nice. If someone were to try and drag him into something, Adrien would go along with it to be polite. Unless it was something that would hurt somebody else, he doesn’t really know how to put his foot down.”

Tim frowned as he thought over Nino’s words. He’s only known Adrien for a little bit and has hardly seen him upset, but he could see the toxic pacifism. Adrien was definitely the type to go along with a plan rather than make up his own as long as others seemed to be okay with it. He was a people pleaser. It brought him back to something his friends said after Lucas got akumatized back when they first landed in Spain. Distant, strict father and lonely household, of course he’d try to do his best to get some kind of love from anyone. Even if he doesn’t realize it. Getting into an argument with someone he’s close with must be eating at him.

“Do you know what happened between those three?”

Tim panicked briefly, he asked without even asking if Nino even knew what was going on. It quickly passed as Nino shook his head, “All Marinette told me was that there was an argument. I didn’t get any details.”

Tim perked up, “Wait, you saw Marinette? How is she?” Nino was a bit confused by the rapid-fire questions and Tim added, “I think she’s been avoiding us.”

“Oh.” Nino nodded, now understanding the predicament he’s in, before smiling sympathetically. “Sorry, man. How’s Damian?”

Tim smiled back, but it disappeared as soon as he started talking about his brother. “He’s worse than he was when he got on the ship. At least before, he acted kind of like himself. Now? He doesn’t want to talk to anyone. He doesn’t want to leave his room. He doesn’t even want to fight or train with us. He loves showing off how much better he is than us! Literally, will not miss an opportunity!” Tim ran his finger through his hair and mumbled, “I’ve never seen him like this.”

Nino sighed, “Sounds like our boys have broken hearts. After talking to Marinette, it sounds like she’s a little broken too.” He groaned, “How are we supposed to fix this?” Tim was about to answer when Adrien rolled over and smacked the back of Nino’s head with his pillow. “Hey!”

“Nino, let me sleep in peace.” Adrien yawned and looked around, “Wait, how did I get here?”

“I brought you.” Adrien seemed to have just noticed Tim standing there, but he quickly accepted the situation and muttered a word of thanks. “Hey, why the hell did I find you passed out in a lounge? You were dead to the world in there.”

“Because I wanted to be alone and I fell asleep.” He rubbed his eyes, “Sorry for making you drag me up here. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

Nino smiled at his friend sadly, “I think I can make a pretty good guess.” Adrien looked at his best friend quizzically before coming to a realization. Nino simply nodded, “Yeah, I ran into Marinette.”

Adrien groaned and threw the covers over his head, “Oh no, what did she say?”

Nino shrugged, ��Well, we said a lot of things. But, the first thing we talked about was you.”

“Why?”

“Because she asked.” Adrien poked his head out of his blanket and Nino nodded, “She asked about you first. She wanted to know how you were. “

Adrien rolled his eyes and mumbled into his pillow, “Of course she did.” He turned back to Nino, “What’d you tell her?”

“That you were a complete mess and we were going to have to send you back to Paris.”

“Nino!”

“Kidding! Kidding!” Nino chuckled at Adrien’s pout and waved his hand dismissively, “I just told her you were in a funky mood.”

Adrien nodded before looking between the two. From the looks of it, Adrien was arguing with himself and Tim just patted his shoulder, “Look, if you want me to leave-”

Adrien shook his head, “You’re fine.” He sat back up and looked at Tim expectantly, “Did you want something from me? Or did you just happen to find me? Either way, thanks for bringing me back.”

“I mean, I was going to ask you about Marinette and Damian, but now knowing that you aren’t feeling well makes me think I should just leave.” Tim rubbed the back of his neck and shuffled his feet, “Thinking about it now, why would you tell the brother of your best friend’s boyfriend after they’ve had a fight. It sounds stupid now.”

Adrien just frowned and stared at his lap. The minutes of silence that followed was deafening and Tim wished he just lied to the boy. He wanted to get more information on the breakup, but seeing how upset Adrien was made Tim feel guilty for wanting to question him in the first place. Still, something told him to stay and endure.

Nino was going through a similar dilemma. Nino really wanted to break this silence, but he knew Adrien. The look on Adrien’s face told him that Adrien was in deep thought. He seemed to be debating something and Nino didn’t want to interrupt his train of thought.

Finally, Adrien broke the silence with a bombshell, “I think I messed up.”

“Adrien, what are you talking about?”

“I just got so mad and upset at her and I started yelling! I have every right to be upset, but I shouldn’t have yelled at her. And then I yelled at Damian. I just – I was so mad, Nino. I’ve never felt like that before. I felt like I was punched in the gut and I wanted to throw up and –“

Tim and Nino kept stealing glances at each other throughout Adrien’s sudden outburst and Tim finally placed a hand on Adrien’s shoulder, “Adrien, breathe. You got mad and got into a fight with a close friend. That'll hurt no matter what. Even if you were in the right, it’ll hurt.”

Adrien dropped his head into his hands and his next words were muffled. Nino took a seat next to Adrien and rubbed his back, “We can’t hear you. What’d you say?”

Adrien picked his head up slightly, enough for them to hear, “I told her I loved her.”

“Well, that’s nothing new. You always let us know that you love us.”

“No, Nino. I said I loved her. Right there, in front of Damian, and then I left.” Neither boy knew how to take that bit of news. Meanwhile, Adrien continued to wallow in his own misery, “I told her I didn’t want to look at her. I told her I couldn’t. I messed up.” His hands were shaking as he lifted his head up to face both boys, his expression full of terror and desperation. His voice cracked as he realized the impact of his actions, “I can’t lose her. I can’t lose her you guys. I was just so mad and I yelled at her. I yelled at both of them.”

Tim gulped before asking, “I thought you said you were okay with where you guys were at the sleepover.”

Adrien just hugged himself and shook his head, “I just wanted her to be happy. I wanted her to trust me.” While Tim was still going through all this new information, Nino was more so concerned about Adrien’s mental health. He felt like he was watching his best friend lose his mind.

“Adrien, you know you’ll never lose Marinette. She loves you and has for a long time. She has always gone out of her way to make sure you were okay. She was one of your first real friends! That has to count for something!”

Tim snapped out of his own thoughts and nodded, “Nino’s right. Marinette seems to be the type to go above and beyond for the people she cares about. If what Nino says is true, you aren’t going to lose her as a friend anytime soon.”

Adrien sniffed and wiped his nose on his sleeve, “That’s not what I’m worried about.”

“Then what are you worried about? Because I’m getting worried about you, Adrien.”

Adrien bit his lip before pulling his knees in close. “Nino, I can’t – I can’t tell you.” How was he supposed to tell these two that he was worried about losing Ladybug? How was he supposed to tell them that she has been one of the few good things keeping him going every day? How was he supposed to tell them that he fought beside her for years? Sacrificed himself for her for years? Blindly trusted her for years?

How was he supposed to tell them that she was the only girl to ever hold his heart?

She still held it. He hated that she still held it. He knew she’d never hurt him on purpose. When it came to feelings and romance, she was always honest with him. She never led him on. It always hurt, but she was always so careful. She always did her best to make sure she did the least amount of damage. He knew she cared for him. He knew. Yet, she failed to tell him this.

This could jeopardize both of their safeties. Their identities they’ve fought so hard to protect. During their dance at the VIP dinner, Adrien was quick to discuss how to stay safe around the family. He told her about all the files on them and their allies. Looking back, her oddly calm demeanor made sense if Damian knew. Damian could always throw the rest of them off their trail if they got too close or warn her should anything happen. This, from a hero’s perspective, was probably a great thing.

From a partner’s perspective, it irked him that she didn’t tell him about Damian knowing her identity. Considering she still lied about giving Kaalki to Marinette, she was going to keep it a secret from him. Just like she kept Master Fu a secret from him for a while, too. At least back then, they kept a lot of things from each other. He figured, considering the circumstances, that the secrets would be over. That they’d be able to talk and discuss openly. He thought that now she could fully trust him like he fully trusted her.

Finding out Marinette was Ladybug was probably one of the best things to happen to him. He loved her on both sides of the mask. He trusted her on both sides of the mask. Her initial reaction hurt him, but at least he understood it. If Ladybug was distant and cold to him, he’d be upset too. He took full responsibility for that one. But this? Why did she think she had to keep this from him? Letting her new boyfriend in the loop while he was still clearly out of it was an even worse kick to the stomach.

He felt left behind by the one person who was supposed to stand with him side by side like he’s always done for her. He had every right to be upset. He knew that.

He looked between the two boys in front of him and his voice cracked as he asked, “Is it supposed to hurt this much?”

He was usually okay. He usually only left with a bruised ego and a bit of a hurt heart, but this was a real heartbreak. Not only realizing the girl he loved was in love with someone else but knowing that she loved this new guy over him. Trusted Damian over him.

Adrien knew she’d always have his heart and he’d grown to accept it because he thought it’d be safe.

He was wrong.

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Thank you for being patient and enjoying the lastest chapter of Seabourne Burnouts! As finals come up, I’ll do my best to post again now that I’m in a better place health and mental health-wise. Just in case anyone was worried, I’m not stopping this story - I have big plans for it. 

Tag List (Bitch I have a tag list whAT!?!?!):

@maribat-archive @ozmav @thornangelic727@imfreakingmagical@constancetruggle @chloe-bourgeois-is-big-gay@someone-ev   @zazzlejazzle @tinybrie @mewwitch @rhub4rb@saphiraazure2708 @never-neverland @unholykrow @slytherinhquinn @literallytryingmybestbutok @redscarlet95 @grimmhallow31 @fandomkitten9653 @myriad-of-passionate-pettiness @fanboy7794 @mystifiedgal @shizukiryuu @ vixen-uchiha @resignedcatservant @mystery-5-5 @miraculousl4dybug @blackcanary13 @origamieater @moonlitarchangels @mochinek0 @imfreakingmagical @you-will-never-know-how-i-think @derpingrainbow @unabashedbookworm @skyel0ve @northernbluetongue @cadencehood @sizzling-fairy-oil @crazylittlemunchkin @saphiraazure2708 @mysteriouslyswimmingfan-blo-blog @ginamarie1512 @kae690 @ivette0712 @zalladane @ellerahs @auradonfairy @worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry @scribblinggraveyard @nyctamaximoff @snow-swordswoman @maude-zarella @thebookwormfairy @melicmusicmagic @zalladane @ivette0712 @ginamarie1512  @bookreader20003 @silvergold-swirl @celestiacq @themcclan @amethyst-starr5 @tamoni112 @lunar-wolf-warrior @alexzandria-747 @nataladriana9 @moonlitarchangels @iglowinggemma28 @hunter-shyreen @mermaidofthelost @jessigurl-design @vgirl-10123 @lunar-wolf-warrior @casual-darkness @xxmadamjinxx @normal-piece-of-shit @tinyterror333 @romanoff-queen @schrodingers25 @alessialeone6997 @mindfulmagics @slytherin-heartthrob @da-tasuky @asianfrustration13 @eliza-bich @kuhakuanon @my-name-is-michell @theatreandcomicfreak @interobanginyourmom @starry-bi-sky @etheralentity @creator-josie @kurogaya913 @st0rmy-w1th1n @casual-darkness @vgirl-10123 @poshplumcot @thebookish3lf @queenmj10 @corabeth11 @goblinwhoships 

Let me know if I missed anyone and message me! I’ll be sure to see it then!