#SO LIKE. DON��T STOP USING THE THINGS THAT HELP. LOGICALLY THIS MEANS THESE ARE GOOD FOR ME | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

jerichomere · 3 years ago

Text

MBS EPISODE EIGHHHHT

weak. I hate to say it but I could feel it in my heart from the start. It had good moments but this episode just didn’t bring it home. I’m going to break this up into my usual notes and then some general evaluation. Notes: What is the deal with curtain and food? He has so many weird scenes with meals.. there’s probably some hidden meaning here but I don’t know what it is And they didn’t get to chuck-root the school :((((( Constance? Wants to pour acid on curtain’s feet Haha I liked Kate’s little “Nyoope” when the recruiters found her Martina redemption and the fighting tetherball team, sure Jackson and Jillson get even more unhinged. they terrify me We got Kate yeeting Constance up the tower, but her bucket had a built in rope motor somehow WE GOT KATIE-KAT but we didn’t get Sorry it took me so long And Milligan’s still moody instead of joyous Go Constance, break the thing, yay Number Two and Rhonda had some real shippy energy in this episode and PLEASE they are SISTERS Two more close profile shots of curtain in this episode, one where he is physically shorter than Milligan but dominating the interaction, and one where he’s physically looking down at Reynie but Reynie’s getting to him. Reynie has a heart to heart and curtain passes out. That’s different. Sticky even said, “it’s anger” and he was like “no, it’s vulnerability” oooooookay then. The whisperer is not an intercom/loudspeaker. sheesh. So the kiddos leave and the twins talk, resolving nothing, then curtain escapes REYNIE AND MISS PERUMAL NO COMPLAINTS HERE *sobs* Kate and Madge at the end <3 Constance refuses adoption!?!?!?!??! And no age reveal obviously rip Sticky’s family redemption he’s going to the totally not made up Boatwright Academy now Mr Benedict is like, I love you all, no snowball fight, the end. SIKE Curtain, SQ, and a totally real engineer lady are on a BOAT. You know, I felt bad for the engineer this whole series, as she is portrayed as kind of doing the technical work hoping it’ll be used for good, while curtain abuses its practical application, but her mood really shifted in that last scene. She was like heheh hey guy that I know is definitely is evil, howabout this mysterious blueprint... are they really trying to set up the sequel. Some tree branches will have to get pretttty bent.

Evaluation: keep reading! (sorry it gets long)

To recap what I’ve said from the start, I think the casting is fantastic but the tone is wrong. The darker, more saturated filter, the isolating camera shots, and very understated music make things colder and stilted. This is a constant throughout the whole series. The book was warm, messy, and full of charm, which I didn’t feel watching the show.

characters were.. compromised? Mr B starts off with a LIE about test winners going to Boatwright Academy. That undermines EVERYTHING he does from then on. “Regrettable but necessary” DOESN’T cut it. He’s also just so anxious and jittery instead of his gentile, kind, strong book self. Just from the show, they didn’t frame his genius very well. He seems more like a fool. Not really confidence-inspiring. In the same way, Being directed to cheat is one thing, but Reynie should NOT have lied to SQ to manipulate him into seeing the forest or whatever. Yeah reynie felt bad about it and SQ called him on it, but this is like the core values of our protagonist team, the strong love for truth. Also, I feel like in the show Reynie’s leadership isn’t highlighted. Like, everyone else has their thing but you almost wonder why he’s framed as the main character. The girls got bonding and the boys got bonding but there was hardly opportunity for him to really bring the team together into a cohesive unit Also, as much as I love Number Two’s life of crime (because it’s funny), she too should have that love of truth, but instead regularly does unlawful things. AND they never explained her eating, and even stopped having yellow clothes :( Additionally, the side story of her and Rhonda’s friction (entertaining I suppose) also really changed the character dynamic. In the book, the adult team was unwavering and wise, a sturdy basis for the perilous missions of the children. But their internal strife, while adding drama, makes them seem unreliable and less absolutely good and trustworthy. And I think trust and integrity are key parts of the book’s solid narrative. Constance’s refusal of the adoption felt wrong too. She was like, “Respectfully decline, but. I’ll stick around here.” I think they were trying to keep going with her contrariness, but it just comes across as foolish pride? Constance is a LITTLE GIRL. She DESERVES a FAMILY. SHE DESERVES A LOVING PARENT (and two wonderful sisters). Yeah family doesn’t have to be by blood OR lawful paperwork, but her actions in this scene really just. cuts off the feels at the knees. We KNOW she’s strong and independent but that doesn’t mean she HAS TO BE or even necessarily WANTS to be all the time. Over the course of the series we see her warming up to people, a kind word here, a little smile there, but this adoption refusal is.. harsh. Then we’ve got Sticky. Yes, he struggles with the comfort of the whisperer. And he overcomes it. BUT in one of the earlier episodes, they had him fighting with the team, defending the whisperer, dismissing his friends... and I count this as betrayal. It may be extreme on my part, but I think he went too far. The Society is the Society. In the book he bested his fears for them and with their support. Yeah he desperately wanted to just give in but he had PRINCIPLES and knew why he couldn’t. His honor, his responsibility to stop curtain, and his loyalty to his friends got him though. But in the show he just dumped them. And then was like, oh oops jk I’m back. (I knowwwwww the book has the privilege of being able to explain characters’ thought processes and emotional states, while shows have to work with more tangible actions and words but stilll I did not Like That) And finally, curtain wasn’t smart. He had hired people doing all the work. He just used it to his ends. Less evil genius and more manipulating creep. But this? I’m more ok with. As an villain, he got the job done. But this makes him less of a foil for Mr Benedict and more of an antagonist, if that makes sense. In the book they never knew each other, but were both alone in the world and greatly smart, and they chose verrry different paths. Whereas in the show he and B were always kind of opposites, warring in motivation and method from the start.

Let’s talk about the boss battle (such as it was). I said it was weak and I meant it. The book is heart pounding. There is so much going on, and so many people in play, the narration jumping all over the place in real time, all culminating in that clash at the top of the tower. Now, the show... the highs weren’t the highs. It felt more like checking off story points. Kate and constance outside - check. Resist the whisperer to stall for time - check. Milligan reveal - check. Reynie starting to figure out narcolepsy triggers - check. Constance shouting then you are the greatest fool of all - um, no, that didn’t happen. Constance defeating the whisperer - check. Curtain escapes - check. We got zero action. No good fights. I know Emmy Deoliveira is a kid and I’m not mad at her for not being able to do action sequences or run with Constance piggyback. But there was almost no physical conflict on-screen, and that’s Kate’s real time to shine. Also they had Number two and Rhonda in the tower ready to fight and then they just didn’t. All this build up for nothing. Furthermore, and I think this is the biggest problem, there was no momentum. Yeah they cut from scene to scene, but the music and tone cut scene-to-scene too. So there was like, dramatic music, Kate’s ready to fight! Get hyped! and then cut to absolutely silent, mr curtain staring at someone. feel mildly disturbed. and then cut to Rhonda and Number two being friends and ready to fight! Aww! And yay! Get hyped! And then cut back to Sticky sitting in a chair, dead silent. It goes on like this. The music, the urgency, should have carried throughout, building in intensity and desperation as the kids come together and curtain unravels more and more and then BAM! curtain down and OH NO! the whisperer and finally Constance’s ��I... DON”T.... CARE!!!” and then the madcap escape from the island. Watching, I just couldn’t get swept away. Storywise, they tied it all up and logically it made sense but the emotional culmination just wasn’t there. It was over and done too quick. It fell flat. I didn’t feel the struggle, the suspense. And then they gave us a fabricated Mr B and Curtain conversation that didn’t really help anything. And then the falling action had some nice moments but as I mentioned, the things with constance and sticky kind of made it feel less relieving, joyful, and sweet. I know a snowball fight is elaborate to set and film but I would have loved to see it.

Final thoughts I can’t help but love the kids. I’ll say it again, I sure liked this casting. And for all the changes they had to make, the original central plot was there, and most of the characters were recognizable even with all the alterations. So I did have problems with some of that underlying integrity, as well as the overall tone and execution, but I also laughed at the little funny things, jammed to the title theme, and was excited to see this, my favorite book in the world, get more recognition. I can’t imagine how hard it would be to adapt a work of prose into an audiovisual medium, and considering how outlandish the book sometimes got, they gave it their best shot. I didn’t love it but I can recognize the accomplishment. In terms of faithful and well-made adaptations, on a scale of Percy Jackson to Harry Potter, I’d give The Mysterious Benedict Society a 6.5/10.

#mbs #The Mysterious Benedict Society

14 notes · View notes

takadasaiko · 4 years ago

Text

Learn to be Patient (Superman & Lois one shot)

FFN II AO3

Summary: Lois knows she should be patient for news, but the longer Clark takes to respond to the stolen ELT, the more worried she gets. Set directly after 1.09.

---

Learn to be Patient

One of the strangest subconscious reactions to learning that Clark was really Superman had been the worry that crept in. Logically, Lois had known that his powers didn't suddenly appear or disappear with the donning of a red cape, but it had taken a while to truly accept it when he sped off into danger. To get to the place where she could either watch or report on the live news covering whatever villain he was going toe-to-toe with without the knot of fear tightening in her gut. Slowly but surely, and with more than a few missteps in between, she made it to an understanding that she held onto with everything inside of her: No matter who he faced, the man she loved would always come back to her.

Over the years it had become easier. There were moments, but there was also a steadiness, almost a rhythm that they fell into. Once she knew who he was, any explanation as to where he was going or what he was doing had to wait until he returned. He'd always let her know once the danger was dealt with. She had learned to be patient in a way that had felt impossible in the earliest days of their relationship. That patience had become a part of her.

Most days.

Not tonight, though. Tonight she was still reeling from nearly losing one son to Kryptonite poisoning of her father's own making and the other to people they knew that had somehow been brainwashed - possessed? That was still a terrifying question hanging out on the ledge of her mind - by Edge. The same people that had stolen her ELT that had sent Clark barreling up into the sky to tackle the problem head-on. She had been left with the boys to work through everything that had happened, and focusing on that had helped in its own way for a while.

Jonathan and Jordan had gone upstairs and Lois had been left alone in her damaged kitchen with no idea if it had been Kyle or Emily that had pressed that little red button or someone else entirely. The longer Clark was gone, the more she was afraid it was someone else. Someone with a better handle on their powers that might have found a way to get the upper hand with him suffering the lingering effects of the Kryptonite gas. The longer he was gone, the more the fear built and she hated that old knot twisting in her stomach that she thought she'd learned to let go of years before.

She had to be patient. She knew she had to be patient, and part of that came with keeping herself busy. She picked up some of the debris left from the fight and took a shower. She looked in on the boys who appeared to have crashed while talking about the days' events in Jordan's room and then she finally crawled into bed herself. Clark's side of the bed was painfully empty. She curled up on her side and reached out, fingers wrapping around the fabric of his pillow. "Clark," his name escaped her on a breath and she squeezed her eyes shut.

A familiar whoosh startled her and she found him standing just inside their room, fear in his eyes and cape settling behind him from the movement. "Are you alright? The boys okay?" he asked, voice more frantic than usual.

Lois managed a small nod. "Just worried. After everything and you were gone so long…" The words felt absurd and selfish as they tumbled out, but she could see the relief wash over him too.

"I had to update your dad. I should have called."

"It's okay. Do you need to-?"

"Nope. All done. I'm home."

"What happened?"

"Give me just a sec?"

Lois gave another small bob of her head and he was gone as quickly as he'd come. She heard the shower pop on for a few seconds and found herself wondering if, fast as he was, he'd given the water enough time to catch up with him to do any good. He reappeared a handful of seconds after that at the foot of the bed in a pair of pajama bottoms and he was running a towel through his damp hair. She cringed at the bruises that had faded against his chest, but hadn't disappeared. In fact…. She rocked forward to her knees, getting a closer look at the damage that had been left behind. "Are those new?"

Clark glanced down to the marks and frowned. "I think so." He tossed the towel towards the hamper, landing it in one shot, and fell back onto the bed with her. He loosed a long, tired-sounding breath and those otherworldly blue-green eyes fixed on her. "You want to wait until morning?"

He didn't, that much was evident from his tone, but he was giving her an out if she wanted to just curl up and fall asleep knowing they were both home and safe. "I won't be able to sleep until I know," she admitted softly.

"Might not be able to sleep after either," her husband grumbled and pushed himself up so that he was sitting with her. He leaned forward, elbows braced against his bent knees, and she could see more bruising along his bare back. Her fingers ghosted over the temporary damage and she could feel his muscles tense.

"Does it hurt?"

"A little," he admitted and she leaned forward, pressing a gentle kiss between his shoulder blades. Finally, he seemed to relax just a little with that and he drew in a steadying breath. "Morgan Edge was the one that used your ELT."

"Edge himself? What, he didn't want to hide behind his super-powered army?" Clark turned to face her again and she saw a strange look in his eyes, almost haunted, and she felt the knot start to tense up as she pieced the clues together. "He has powers too, doesn't he?"

"He said he got them the same time I did."

Lois blinked hard at that statement. "What does that mean?"

"That he's Kryptonian. We were…. Evenly matched. I think he was a little stronger."

"Because of the gas?"

"I hope that's all."

"What did he want?"

Clark's shoulders sagged a little more and his gaze turned back to the far wall in front of them. "Me," he managed. "He wanted me to join him."

"I'm guessing the new bruises were his reaction to you telling him where he could shove it?" Lois tried for a tease. A quiet huff of a chuckle escaped him and she inched forward to wrap her arms around his broad shoulders. He leaned into her and together they eased back against the mattress, Lois holding onto him as he nestled a little closer. She could feel the intentionally gentle way that his fingers latched onto her t-shirt and her hand moved to stroke his dark hair in a soothing motion.

"That's my people," he breathed without looking up at her. "A megalomaniac that's willing to sacrifice living human beings to be replaced with the consciousness of a race that's been all but extinct for forty years in this universe and the echoes willing to use humans as living hosts. What does that say?"

The knot in Lois' stomach moved to her chest and it felt like it might squeeze her heart until it stuttered to a stop. "They're not all like. You're not like," she managed, voice trembling and she willed her hands steady as they held him. A multitude of possibilities flickered through her mind's eye, the worst including Edge standing over Clark's broken body, unwilling to be denied yet another thing he'd demanded of this world, and their boys would be next if he ever caught wind that there were two half Kryptonians living in Smallville. "He can't have you," she whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "I don't care if he's more powerful or if he buys up the whole damn world, this family…. he can't have us."

Clark shifted in her arms to look up at her. "I love you."

His words cut through the horrifying image, but Lois couldn't drag in the breath to answer him. So she did the next best thing as she inched down, pressing her lips against his in a desperate attempt to show him. She could taste her own tears even as he kissed her back, rolling so that he was on his back, Lois leaned over him. She broke the kiss, not able to go without air nearly as long as him, but didn't dare move far away. Instead she rested her forehead against his. "You know you're nothing like him, right?"

"Edge? Hope not. The only person I've seen you hate more is Lex Luthor."

She snorted a laugh. "I mean the other you. The one that destroyed Irons' world. You're nothing like him."

Clark loosed a sigh and Lois finally opened her eyes to find him looking at her. "I've read everything Irons left us on him and I've only found one real difference in all the articles."

"What's that?"

"He didn't have you."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Neither am I."

That same steadiness that had helped her learn how to live this life with him filled the words. He would always come home to her. He would always come home to them.

Lois flashed a tired but real smile and pressed a quick kiss to his lips and rolled off of him to her side of the bed. "Glad we have that settled. I'm exhausted."

A soft chuckle echoed behind her and Lois felt her husband scoot closer until he was pressed against her back, one strong arm around her waist and she could feel his breath against the back of her neck. It had been a long, terrible day, but he was with her now, and when the sun rose, they'd face whatever Edge had to throw at them. They wouldn't let him take their family that they'd fought so hard for.

-----

End.

Notes: I stumbled across Superman & Lois after seeing a few very interesting things on social media. I don't think I've actively watched a Superman show since Lois and Clark way back in the day, so I wasn't prepared for the rabbit hole I was going to fall down. I'm absolutely obsessed with this take on a character that has been re-imagined so many times. The lens of family is what did it for me. The solid and healthy relationship Clark and Lois have (not perfect, but healthy), the complications with the twins, and all of the chaos that comes from it. It's beautifully crafted and brilliantly executed in a way I couldn't resist.

The problem is that I haven't watched any of the other DC shows in the Arrowverse very closely in years. I got through maybe 5 seasons of Arrow, a few episodes of Flash and Legends, and nothing of Supergirl or Batwoman when I started Superman & Lois. I did spot watch for episodes that Clark or Lois were in, but I think I only managed to confuse the crap out of myself with the colliding of universes that seemed to have taken place. I'm still unsure if this Clark and Lois even remember going to Argos in the other timeline or if that's faded like a dream at this point. Either way, I imagine that this Clark would feel heartbroken over the fact that the only members of his race left are acting as parasites to the planet that adopted him. The thought spiraled into my first little oneshot for the show. I do have another started to, so we'll see how that goes. Heaven knows I don't have time for fanfiction in a new fandom, but it's just too good to resist XD

#Superman & Lois #Superman & Lois fanfiction #Superman & Lois fic #Clois #Clark Kent #Lois Lane #Superman

10 notes · View notes

sammystep · 4 years ago

Text

No One Lives Forever- CH5

(AO3 link)

Stardust Crusader Wolf Pack AU

[From the beginning- CH1]

You wake up to a gentle tapping on your arm and the smell of home cooked food wafting around the cabin. You sit up with a yawn, lifting yourself off the man who rescued you and freeing his legs. Looking down to your bandaged leg you can tell the nap (and the pain meds) really helped numb the area, at least until you’d have to move. The man – Jotaro, his name’s Jotaro- looks down at you from where he’s standing, blue-green eyes lingering on your wounded leg as well before he offers a hand to help you up.

You can’t help the slight whine of pain that slips from your mouth, but quickly rally yourself and shift your weight to your good leg. You refuse to let go of Jotaro’s arm; you know you won’t make it far without leaning on him. He seems to be a man of few words but Jotaro understands exactly what’s going on and holds his arm firm and steady as you grip it with both hands and hobble forward to the other room where the meal has been set out.

You make it to the dining room with his help and freeze when you realize how many men are here in the house. You make an effort to straighten up and lean less on Jotaro as you both make it to the empty seats. You realize no one’s started in on the food yet as Jotaro starts heap food onto his plate. They were waiting for him to start- oh god, he’s the alpha, isn’t he? Good thing you seem to be on his good side already. Less risk of being forced out of the pack’s territory and into the path of more hunters if you had Jotaro on your side.

The redhead at the table seems ready to burst with questions, you can tell he’s doing his very best to be polite about it at least, not like the guy with the silver mohawk. Your explanation and apology seem to set everyone on edge, but they’re not throwing out accusations at you, so it must be the fact that there were wolf hunters in their territory.

It’s quiet for a minute until the older man- Joseph- regales you all with a story from his youth, how he once… crashed a plane while battling a god?

By the end of dinner, you are full of delicious food and exhausted. Just sitting upright for an hour has taken a toll and you’re pretty sure the pain killers are wearing off. Your leg throbs as you shift a bit to get the blood flowing. The rest of the guys clear out of the dining room, bringing plates and leftovers to the kitchen. Jotaro stands and offers you a hand to stand up.

“Thanks.” You wince at how out of breath you sound and sigh as you take his hand.

He looks like he’s thinking hard about something before instead of pulling you to your feet he bends down and puts your arm around his neck. “What? Wait! I can walk, I’m fine!” You’re flustered to be back in his arms as he ignores you and lifts you from your chair.

“Its fine. You’re tired, and there’s no sense straining yourself just to walk down the hall.” You let out a little huff at his logic and can’t help the soft purr that builds in your chest and you accept your fate. He purrs back in response and you melt further into his hold.

He carries you out of the dining room, but you must be more tired than you realized because when you blink and open your eyes again you’re suddenly in a hallway. Jotaro has stopped in front of one of the doors, another very serious look on his face as he thinks. You hum a little to catch his attention, and it works as those aqua eyes snap to meet your gaze.

He sighs and averts his eyes, “We… don’t have a guest room here. You’ll have to get settled in my room. I’ll sleep in the lounge.”

“Oh! No, you don’t have to… I can sleep in the lounge! I don’t want to be an inconvenience.”

“No, you need proper rest. And a room with a door. You don’t know how loud the old man and Polnareff can be yet.” He wears a small smile as he opens the door and makes his way inside, setting you on the queen bed. Besides the bed there is only a cheap night stand in the room. They must have just been here for a guy’s trip or something, the space doesn’t feel very lived in.

He turns and rummages through a travel bag while you survey the room and turns around holding a bundle of clothes. “You can wear some of my PJs. Do you need help getting to the bathroom?” he nods over to the other door in the room that apparently is not a closet like you had thought.

“Thanks. Just to the door is fine. The hardest part is getting up again, I think I can put a little weight on it right now.” You nod as he reaches and helps you to your feet again. You are able to hobble to the bathroom with his help and he sets the bundle of clothes on the sink counter.

He lets go of you and rummages in a linen closet for a minute, turning back to you with a slightly dusty and mis-matched washcloth and hand towel. “Sorry, this is all that I have here, I’ll go see if the other bathrooms have a real towel or something.”

“It’s fine, this will do. I’ll just get the worst of it off right now.” You pause for a moment, trying to think of a way to word your next question. “You, uh. You guys haven’t been here that long, have you? Were you guys on a hunting trip or something? Guys weekend?”

Jotaro hums to himself, “Something like that. We were actually scouting it to expand our territory. This was our test run to see if we liked it enough to stay. But you’re right, we’ve only been here a few days now.”

“Ahh. Wow,” your eyes widen as you realize, “I must have used up all my good karma or something to run right into your new territory. What are the odds…” You trail off as you realize how badly today could have gone for you. You’re shaken from your worried thoughts by Jotaro’s hand on your shoulder.

“Hey. You’re safe now. You can stick with us as long as you need.” You smile and nod at him. “I’ll let you get cleaned up. I’ll be just down the hall if you need me.”

He turns to leave but something possesses you take hold of his hand before he can make it out the doorway. “I… Don’t want to be alone, tonight I mean… You don’t have to sleep in the lounge if you don’t want to, the bed looked big enough…” Oh jeez, you can feel how hot your face is from the blood rushing to it. You’re sure if you turned to the mirror instead of looking at your feet you’d see a previously undiscovered shade of red.

“Alright, if you’re sure.” He… agreed? You can’t help but smile as you look back up to his face, embarrassment forgotten. He’s smiling a little too and you have a feeling this is normally a rare sight. He heads for the door again, “I’ll get some more pillows while you get changed then.”

You shut the door behind him and turn to the bundle he left for you. T-shit and sweatpants. Good thing they were the kind with a drawstring, you had a feeling they were going to need rolled up at the ankle and the waist with how tall Jotaro is. You turn to your reflection for the first time tonight and are surprised with how pale you are, probably still anemic from your earlier injury.

You do your best to clean up the leftover dirt and smudges of blood and run your fingers through your hair as well as you can- a quick search of the bathroom had yielded no comb. You quickly don the sleep clothes and roll up the pants so you don’t trip on your short journey to the bed. You exit the bathroom and hobble your way to the bed, hand on the wall to support yourself. Jotaro comes back into the room holding two more pillows and a blanket he’s found. He must have changed as well, but you have to admit he fills out the simple clothes well.

You both settle into bed side by side. He’s opted to be a gentleman and keep a layer of sheets between you and let you have the thicker blanket all to yourself. You’re still tense, sharing a bed with a virtual stranger, but then you take a deep breath and all you can smell is him. Instantly you are calmed, enough that you unintentionally start purring again. What is up with your instincts today? You’ve never given into them so easy, were you still on edge from the chase earlier? That must be it. The close call must still be on your subconscious mind, you’ve never been that close to…

Your thoughts are derailed again as he purrs in response to your distress, but the fear and stress you’d felt in the forest still lingers in your mind. You wish you could relax like you had been for your nap earlier. Maybe a little bit of embarrassment now would be worth a good night’s rest?

“Ok, so this may be a dumb question, but,” you pause and inhale to build your courage, “can I… just… hold your hand? So I know you’re there? That it’s you?”

He shifts around a bit and you hear a muffled ‘Good grief’ as he turns his head to you.

You look away to try and avoid the awkwardness as best you can, “Fine, just thought I’d ask. I knew it was dumb.”

“Hmm. That wasn’t a no.” He pulls his hand free of the blankets and holds it out next to you. You marvel a bit at how large his hand is compared to yours as you grasp it. You feel almost tingly as you both settle down to sleep again. This time your thoughts anchored to the present, not the terrifying chase through the forest.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!

Some eagle eyed readers may have caught that I’ve changed at least Polnareff’s appearance a bit. This story takes place sometime between 2014-2018 so I’m modernizing their outfits somewhat- including Polnareff’s hairstyle lol.

#jotaro x y/n #jotaro x reader #jotaro kujo #jojo's bizarre adventure #jojo part 3 fiction #stardust crusaders #jjba fanfic #werewolf #family pack #jjba au #fanfic

32 notes · View notes

ephemeral-sorrow · 4 years ago

Text

The Sweetness of Frenemic Love

Sometimes the strangest thoughts enter my head and make me write something bizarre but really touching at the same time. :D

pairing: Lilly x Male!MC

summary: It`s one step from hatred to love.

warning: a bunch of fluff ;)

Have you ever experienced resentment towards someone you`ve never met in real life?

Felt irritation and anger bubble up inside your head like lava slowly filling the volcano to the brim, almost turning your eyes into two sizzling hot coals?

Lilly had been familiar with these disgusting sensations even before she got to knew MC - the obnoxious stranger Hannah sent her number to and the one who managed to infiltrate their group and spread insurgency among everyone and everything around. Her sister`s disappearance ruined their peaceful lives, putting Lilly and her parents into huge stress, when each day with news even more horrible than on previous one, took away all their hope. So, to conclude it all, a completely unknown weirdo, who gained access to different sorts of information as well as trust of her blindly oblivious friends, now was sticking his nose into other people`s business without pangs of conscience.

The way things were progressing kept Lilly infuriated and incredibly... depressed. She refused to admit that to herself, but she was even angrier because of her own helplessness. She wanted to do something useful and finally get a clue that might come in handy or at least set things up so that the investigation would be faster and more efficient. However, guys from the group already had their own theories, sources and clues, took part in various events and furthermore, acted carelessly, not paying attention to threats. ... They made it clear that Lilly`s advice was pointless, just like her participation.

That`s why the mere thought of some stranger doing more for Hannah than her family made something snap inside, clouding Lilly`s judgement and true character with boundless spite. Not to mention, pure fear engulfed her at the suggestion that MC may be the real culprit, and here, cards played so flawlessly right into his hands...

* * *

Now it was a completely different story, and it was kind of hard to believe that was how she used to think of him only a year ago. A lot happened, making those restless days seem like a distant memory or rather a thrilling movie, characters of which were another people, portrayed in another places and time.

“So, what do you make of my new car?”

Lilly blinked, snapping out of her flooding thoughts and returned her attention to the cup of chocolate icecream with gente, pink frosting before her - and finally, stared at the rest of the group, that made themselves comfortable at the cafe table. Today was the celebration on account of Dan`s grandiose purchase - dashing, brand new Audi A3 model. It costed him a fortune but didn`t lessen his enthusiasm nor pride(having exited the hospital as soon as possible, he spent a great deal of effort in finding a good job AND cutting down on alcohol). As a result, every time he ordered apple juice at the Rainbow cafe he declared: “Cool dudes drink only juice!”.

“Dan, that was the hundredth time you`ve asked this question”, despite the fake bored tone, Cleo wore an amused smile, dropping her usual strictness.

“What can I possibly do when all of you are so short-spoken?” Dan dramatically leaned back on the soft cushion. “I need details. Not talking about this pretty girl is a sacrilege”.

“If she was mine, I`d call her ‘babe’ “, ice cubes softly clincked against the glass, as Richy thoughtfully twisted his cocktail in his hand. “And the quiet purrs of her engine are the same as a hearbeat--”

“Now, now, you`re just being ridiculous!” Hannah`s melodic laugh ringed before drowning in the chatter of the crowded cafe. Lilly`s insides warmed up upon seeing her sister smiling sweetly in the Thomas` embrace. She was safe and sound, cheerful and full of love for the surrounding world. Everything was back to normal and it made Lilly genuinely happy--

She felt hot breath pleasantly tickle her ear before a crisp, familiar voice sensually whispered to her:

“I don`t know about others, but if you asked me, the only ‘babe’ I see is you”.

Lilly couldn`t really help the flush that spread on her neck, so she coughed, pretending to be extremely interested in her icecream, which was already starting to melt.

She casted a quick glance at the man beside her, attempting to look unfazed by his sudden compliment only to be met with his mischievous, affectionate eyes.

“MC, we`re... we`re in public”, she whispered back rather shyly.

“You were kind of dreamy while looking at Thomas and Hannah, so I decided to remind you that you didn`t come here alone”.

“Hmph”, Lilly pouted, fixing the fallen lock of her hair. “as if I need your tasteless remarks to cheer up. You should come up with something more original”.

MC laughed airily, flashing his signature confident smirk. Lilly took a small breath, furrowed her delicate brows and turned away stubbornly, turning a deeper shade of red. She didn`t like her heart clenching bittersweetly at his actions, especially in front of her unsuspecting friends. It was difficult to keep a perfectly composed face.

“I`ll cook you Peking meat by my special receipt tonight”, MC continued as if nothing had happened, absentmindedly observing the lively conversation between Jessy, Dan and Thomas, and how Cleo was showing Hannah something on the phone.

“I’ll take it as an invitation to your house?” Lilly inquired. “Why are you so sure I`m going to accept it?”

“Oh please, sweetie, do you want me to list all reasons in front of so many people?” His expression was calm and serious, but Donfort knew better: he was mercilessly teasing her, not caring about precautions at all.

Lilly hit his leg under the table, earning a triumphant ‘ouch’ in response.

* * *

Later that evening at his place, after having had a fair piece of the most delicious meat she has ever eaten, Lilly was helping MC to wash the dishes, drying the shiny plates with a cloth and placing them into the cupboard. He was mumbling a delightful tune under his breath. She glanced at his features. Somehow simply being with this person made her forget about all troubles. But what about him?

“MC”, Lilly tried to sound not too curious.

“Yes?”

“Why did you choose me of all girls? I mean... I`ve never thought that you might become interested in me after what I did to you a year ago with that video and vote. Like in person, let alone a woman. You`ve been best friends with Jessy from the start, so it would`ve been logical if you two have had a thing”.

“To be honest with you, your brother said the same”, he smiled with the corners of his mouth. “What I found in you”.

“Excuse me, what!?” the girl exploded with outrage, dropping the cloth out of surprise. “Jake, that little jerk!! He`s supposed to back me up in situations like this!”

MC was holding his laughter for his dear life or he would inevitably get a handful but frankly, it was getting harder.

“What did you reply? Come on, I want to know!!” Lilly was worried and frustrated at the same time, looking at him impatiently and expectantly, like a little kid who desired to know their present for birthday.

“You seem so desperate-- HAHAHA, I CAN`T!”

Lilly groaned and threw a sponge at him on full speed, not bothering that it was still wet and full of soap. What was so funny when all she wanted to hear was these important words of confirmation?

MC cleaned his face and came closer.

“I replied that you`re the one who understands me. The one who always makes my day brighter. Also you are kind and candid”, his palm rested against her cheek, tenderly caressing it, as she leaned for his touch.

“I can often be impulsive and sharp”.

“That doesn`t make you worse. You always speak your mind. I think it`s admirable. Not to mention, you are a truly charming and elegant woman”.

She didn`t let MC finish his sentence because their lips collided in a soft, albeit passionate manner. Lilly lived up to her statement - this kiss was spontaneous and full of feeling. She traced his wide shoulders, stopping when her hands found their place in his unruly hair, slightly tugging at it.

They parted once they ran out of air.

“Jake additionally said my romantic confession would lead to this”.

“Ugh, you`re terrible!!”

#duskwood #mc #lilly #lilly x mc #jake #richy #cleo #hannah #thomas #dan #jessy #everbyte #duskwood fanfiction

36 notes · View notes

mxndoscyarika · 4 years ago

Text

Red Sunsets (Javier Peña x Chinese!reader) | Chapter 8: El Punto de Sucumbir

Author’s note: I don’t wanna give toooooo much away, but I just wanted to let you know that we’ve finally reached lucky number 8 👀 If you were here a couple nights ago, you proooobably have an idea of what’s going to happen, because I had asked a few questions related to ~kisses~, if you catch my drift. Let me know what you guys think!

Summary: Family fights, grudges, and determination. Those three things defined your journey as you navigated through the workings of the DEA. Getting in was hard, and catching Escobar was even harder. You joined Javier Peña and Steve Murphy in the hunt for Escobar, forming bonds and life lessons along the way.

Like my writing? Here’s my masterlist.

Red Sunsets masterlist

Warning(s): food, Careless Whisper lol, physical affection, implied smut

“So where are you taking me, again?” you asked, looking out at the passing buildings. You didn’t recognize the shops and restaurants you’d passed. The sky was darkened to a royal blue, the last rays of sunlight already well below the horizon.

“One of my personal favorite restaurants in Colombia,” he answered. “They have good arepas, your favorite, and the owners are pretty friendly. I used to go there often before you came along.”

You let out a breathy laugh. “What happened after I arrived that made you forego your favorite restaurant?”

Shrugging, he said, “I guess you happened.” He scoffed at your pout. “Oh, don’t look at me like that. You’re worth all the arepas in the world.”

You were thankful for the shroud of darkness, because you felt your cheeks grow hot and you bit your lip to contain your grin. “And you’re worth all the homemade dumplings.”

Javi chuckled softly, fingers drumming on the steering wheel. As usual, you had the perfect response. He could barely remember a time when he truly cared about flirting, or how the women of his affections responded. But somehow, every time, you managed to turn his tactics around on him.

It took every ounce of self control to keep his eyes on the road and his hands to himself. You wore a simple t-shirt and jeans, and what little makeup you applied only served to make your cheeks and lips look unbearably kissable.

He took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the wheel. More times than he wanted to admit, he’s caught himself reaching to hold your hand or rest his hand on your thigh. Thankfully, it was dark enough that you probably hadn’t noticed. As much as he hated to acknowledge it, you weren’t his. He hadn’t even worked up the guts to tell you how he felt yet.

“Hola Javier!” the owner greeted, her face lighting up. She wiped her hands on her apron and waved for him to sit down at a table. “Hace mucho tiempo que no nos vemos. Quién es ella, tu novia?”

Javi blushed, smiling sheepishly. While he couldn’t understand what Chinese shop owners said, you could understand Spanish as well as he did. “No no no, ella es una amiga. Nos conocemos del trabajo.”

The owner of the restaurant simply hummed in response and eyed you from head to toe, much like how a parent may analyze a prom date. “Pues, no te molestaré, okey? Cuéntame si necesitas algo.”

More than accustomed to eating family-style, you and Javi ordered a couple of the smaller entrees and a flan to share. Much like how Javi let you take the reins in local Chinese restaurants, you let him order the food and make small talk. You propped your head up against your hand as you watched him, a small smile perpetually on your lips.

The low moan that left your lips when you bit into a cheesy arepa was music to his ears. He wondered if you’d sound like that when you were kissed. Only when your eyes met did his train of thought come to a screeching halt.

Fighting back a blush, he busied himself with splitting an arepa stuffed with meat, beans, and cheese and sliding the plate over. You tried not to think about how he was so gentle. “Try this one, hermosa. I think you’ll like it.”

“You’re a man aiming for my heart,” you hummed. In your past relationships, you never had anyone treat you the way Javi did with his genuine eagerness. Not that you and he were on a date, you’d never called it that, but you couldn’t help but draw the comparison. You lifted the half that he offered and took a big bite, giggling when the grated cheese stuck to your cheek.

“You have a little bit of….” Laughing softly at your plight, he reached over and brushed it off with his thumb, the pad of his finger caressing your cheek. You fought the urge to lean into his touch and nuzzle your face into the palm of his hand. Javi was just being polite, right? It didn’t mean anything.

Javi drew his hand away and glanced down at his watch. “The movie should be starting in about 45 minutes, let’s start finishing up here and then head over to the movie theater.” He paused, then added, “Unless you feel like going home for a night in?”

“What’ll we do at home?” you wondered, wiping your hands with a napkin. “I’d love to have a night in, if that’s what you want. As long as I’m with you, I really don’t care.”

His heart skipped a beat at your words, though the logical part of his mind stamped down any hope he had. Was he just a friend that you wanted around because you were lonely? It’d been a long time since his last serious relationship, but he couldn’t imagine diving back in with anyone else. He just hoped you felt the same. “We could just relax, maybe turn on some music and just talk.”

“I never knew that Javier Peña would be one to ‘just talk,’” you quipped, smiling at him.

“I can be, with the right person.” He shrugged, picking up the singular spoon and scooping up a bite of the flan. Its amber caramel sauce glistened in the restaurant’s warm lighting. Smiling softly, he held it up to your lips. “First bite is yours, hermosa.”

Taking turns eating spoonfuls of flan, you talked about things ranging from family to favorite animals. Growing up on a ranch, Javi’s favorite animal was a horse, sparking your questions about his life back in the States. You only knew the little bits of information floating around the DEA headquarters, and you wanted to know more.

At first he was hesitant, but then he told you about his father and how he’d grown up in a small town. You listened quietly as he told you about Lorraine, and how they were engaged to be married over a decade ago. His voice grew soft as he recalled all the wedding planning and shopping they did, and how their families had all converged to help out. Apparently, they’d been the talk of the town. It made you wonder if he ever missed her, or at least missed Laredo.

It was no secret that you’d come from an immigrant family, one rooted in traditions both good and bad. Well, good and bad by American standards, of course. You couldn’t deny that your parents had noticeably different views from the parents of your friends, nor could you deny that it gave you a window to your family’s heritage. No culture was perfect, free of discrimination, but you could always learn from it. All you could hope was that you weren’t too damaged or different to be with him.

“Is this how you get all your women to go home with you?” you teased, swirling the spoon in the pool of caramel. “You buy them dinner and feed them dessert before sweeping them off their feet?”

Javi shook his head. “Just you,” he replied, his voice like velvet. Shivers ran down your spine at the implication.

---

The drive back home was quiet, the two of you donning faint smiles in the darkness. You couldn’t stop thinking about what he’d said throughout dinner, the sweet words and touches. It was a different man sitting across from you, one that you normally only saw glimpses of previously.

You bit your lip and looked out the window at the passing buildings, hoping the cool night air would soothe the burning in your cheeks. What did his words mean? Why did he seem so embarrassed when the restaurant lady asked if you were his girlfriend? Were you truly just a work friend to him? If you were, why did he look at you like you hung the stars in the night sky? Why did he watch you with those dark brown puppy eyes that made your insides melt?

“We’re home, hermosa.” Javi’s voice interrupted your chain of thought as he pulled up to the apartment building. Before you could finish unbuckling your seat belt, he was opening the car door for you.

It felt like second nature to walk over to his front door and wait for him to unlock it. But something about it felt different this time, like it was more than just a friendly hangout on a weekend evening.

While Javi turned on a couple lights, you made your way over to his record player and flipped through his various vinyls. “Any music preference tonight?”

He flicked on a lamp. “Anything is fine, Y/N. Your pick.”

The sound of a familiar saxophone blared out from the record player, making him freeze.

You laughed at his startled expression and stopped the music before switching out the George Michael record for Foreigner. “Except this one? Don’t worry, Javi, I know what you like.”

Shaking his head fondly, he sat down on the couch next to you and watched as you scooted closer to rest your head on his shoulder. The lyrics of I Want to Know What Love Is filled the air as you basked in each other’s presence.

“What do you think you’ll do once we catch Escobar?” you asked. Realizing you just brought up work on a weekend, you cringed. “Sorry, you don’t have to answer that.”

Sighing, Javi shifted and replied, “I don’t know. I didn’t exactly let myself leave much behind in Laredo.”

“You have your father and your family ranch,” you suggested, playing with the blanket you’d draped over yourself. “And I’m sure you could find someone to be your sweetheart in the States. After all, you’ll be the man who took down Pablo Escobar.”

“And what about you?” he asked, rubbing his thumb over the back of your hand. He tried not to dwell too long on your assumption that he’d want to be with someone from Laredo when he could be with you. “What will the magnificent Y/N L/N do once this is all over?”

You shrugged. “I guess I’ll continue my work in the States. Maybe set up a research lab of my own to study other drugs. And maybe I’ll stop by my parents’ house and see if they’ve forgiven me.”

“Well, if you ever need somebody to tell them how great you are, you know where to find me,” he said, smiling shyly. You felt warm as he continued, “You’re an amazing agent, and an even better friend. Anyone who doesn’t see that can fuck off, in my book.”

You laughed softly at his boldness, even if you knew him well enough that he wouldn’t insult your parents to their face. It was the thought that mattered.

But as you sat there, your hand resting in his and your cheek on his shoulder, you couldn’t help but wish that you could stay like that forever. The early morning drive to work with Javi, the casual lunch breaks, dinners, and late nights all made you wish you were together. You rarely felt like you belonged anywhere, but in his apartment? In his car? His bedroom? You felt safer than you ever did back in your hometown.

“Thank you, Javi,” you murmured, your voice barely audible over the music.

“For what?”

For being there for me, you wanted to say. For seeing the best and worst parts of me without shying away. For making my coffee just the way I like it every day in the office. For staying with me after I woke up in the hospital. For having my back out on raids, and checking my vest to make sure I didn’t forget anything. For listening to me when I go off on tangents about my culture.

“Everything,” you answered softly. “For putting up with me, I guess.”

A smile graced your lips as he slipped his arm around you and pulled you closer to him. “Anything for you, mi amor.”

You furrowed your brow and looked up at him from your slouched position. “What did you call me?”

His soft brown eyes met yours, the outer corners crinkled just slightly as he gazed at you. You hadn’t realized how close you were until you could feel his warm breath against your nose. Your eyes trailed from his beautiful eyes down the curve of his nose to his plush lips. Up close, you could see the small crease in the center; it was as if he were perpetually pouting.

“Mi amor?”

Unable to resist the magnetic pull any longer, you and Javi met in the middle. Your lips slotted against each other, a soft sound escaping you as he cupped your cheek and kissed you fervently. His lips were softer than you’d imagined, his mustache tickled your upper lip. You could kiss him all night, if he let you.

Warmth bloomed in your chest as you moved to straddle his legs, hands wandering up from his chest to play with his brown locks. You’d always wondered what it would feel like to run your fingers through it, drawing soft groans from the man beneath you. You could feel the heat radiating from his body as you pressed yourself against him.

His arms wrapped around and held you close, the weight of his hand settling on your upper back. Your bodies fit together like puzzle pieces. You gave him one last kiss before pulling away for air, your noses brushing against each other. Smiling, you gave him a peck on the tip of his nose.

“Do you want to stay?” Javi asked, his chest rising and falling rapidly. His eyes searched yours for any sign of regret, of realizing that you’d made a big mistake.

You nodded and leaned in to press your lips to the crease between his brows. “I’ll stay as long as you’ll have me, cariño.”

He hummed softly against your neck, nuzzling his nose against your pulse point. “Is it too late to tell you that I really like you?”

“Maybe,” you replied, sighing as he sucked lightly at your skin. If he left a mark, Murphy would never let you live it down. But somehow, you didn’t care. You ran your fingers through his hair, making it stick up in some places. “But I’d rather you show me instead.”

The walk to his room was well-practiced from your days living with him, but knowing that he was following you made a shiver run down your spine. Everything about his bedroom was familiar, yet new. You wondered if you were dreaming, if this was just another cruel figment of your imagination after a long day of work.

“We don’t have to do anything tonight if you don’t want to,” Javi said, wrapping his arms around you from behind when you stopped at the foot of the bed. Your hands covered his, caressing his knuckles. “We could always wait.”

“I don’t want to wait.” You turned around and pulled him into a deep kiss, your hands sliding down to rest on his chest. “I want you, Javi.”

Translations:

“Hola Javier! Hace mucho tiempo que no nos vemos. Quién es ella, tu novia?” Hello Javier! It’s been a long time. Who is this, your girlfriend?

“No no no, ella es una amiga. Nos conocemos del trabajo.” No no no, she’s a friend. We know each other from work.

“Pues, no te molestaré, okey? Cuéntame si necesitas algo.” Well, I won’t bother you, ok? Let me know if you need anything.

“Hermosa” Beautiful

“Cariño” Sweetheart/darling

“Mi amor” My love

Tagging:

Permanent taglist: @cinewhore @randomness501 @pedropascalisadilf @ahopelessromanticwritersworld @catfishingmorales @halfwaythereroyal @fioccodineveautunnale @talesfromtheguild @tortles @ladamari68 @theokatcov @snivellusim @starryluce @inked-poet @this-cat-is-dea @shewritesandplants @chews-erotically @thefandomimagines @emesispo @mindless--ramblings

Red Sunsets taglist: @engineeredfiction @reylo-hope @yespolkadotkitty @geistbuster @far-too-tired-to-exist @faiinal @promiscuoussatan @thewaythisis @earl-01 @honestlystop @chaotic-noceur

Let me know if you’d like to be added to a taglist!

#javier peña #javier peña x reader #narcos #Pedro Pascal #pedro pascal x reader #Pedro character fanfiction #my writing

72 notes · View notes

suntumarchive · 4 years ago

Text

A commission for @trashbin-connoisseur ! Thank you so much! ;u;

Fandom/s: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Character/s: Donatello Versace x gender- and appearance neutral reader Kink/s: Hunger, stuffing, stomach noises, upset stomach, belly rub CW: Starvation mention

Plot: Donatello Versace is in a bad mood. Why? Simply because he hasn’t eaten yet. Since Donatello is a bit of a strange fellow and views taking a break from his work to eat as weakness, the reader convinces him to have some cake, and let them feed it to him. He enjoys it at first, but then is surprised by a stomach ache, which the reader helps him deal with by massaging him.

___

Donatello Versace lifted his gaze up to the window, and directly looked into the bright spot in the sky for a moment, admiring the winter sun that was hiding behind a thin layer of clouds. Such lovely weather. Even though it was still cold outside and a few stray snow flakes occasionally fell from the sky, it seemed like the perfect day to take a walk. But before that… he had to finish cleaning his shoes.

Well, technically, he didn’t have to. Donatello was just a bit eccentric about his shoes. Very eccentric. Even though the young man hated many, many things; dirty shoes were very high up in his list of most hated things in the world. He felt dirty, unattractive and unclean when there was just a bit of grey on his white sneakers, or a brown stripe across his fancy black leather shoes. They had all been so goddamn expensive, why did the world have to ruin everything he remotely cared about?! Before Donatello realized what he was doing, the brush in his hand went flying, and landed on the floor with a loud thud.

Oh. Oops.

“Don?? What was that?”

He rolled his eyes at your voice, and reluctantly got up to get the brush again… He wanted his sneakers to be pearly white after all. Just why was he in such a bad mood though? He woke up feeling fine today. How very annoying… Donatello was supposed to be happy. He deserved happiness more than anyone else. Or so he thought at least…

“Nothing!! I just threw the brush.”

“What? Why?”

The young man glared in your direction for a second as you entered the room. Why? No fucking idea why! It just happened! Did he have to explain everything to you? - No… it wasn’t your fault. It really wasn’t. He shouldn’t be rude. Donatello took a deep breath before he responded.

“Just because. … I’m kind of angry.”

“I see… is there a reason…?”

Before he could open his mouth to try and explain it to you, his body already helped him figure out the best way to let you know. An intense rumble erupted from his gut, filling the room with the deep, low sound of his complaining, hungry stomach. Donatello grunted softly, raising his eyebrows at his belly’s betrayal… not even his hunched over position helped with muffling the noise. Very quickly, the man’s cheeks grew rosy with shame.

“Oh, you didn’t have breakfast yet? But it’s almost lunchtime! Would you like me to make you something? Maybe some egg on toast?”

He found it sweet of you to offer that… Admittedly, he started salivating a bit at the thought of egg on toast, but as you most likely already knew – Donatello was a bit of a weirdo. He couldn’t step away from his work now. That would mean giving into his weakness, and he couldn’t let that happen. No more weakness. Never again. Donatello was a perfectionist – if he wanted the perfect, happy life, then he had to work for it. And a good step towards a perfect, happy life were squeaky clean shoes.

“NO. … No. I want to finish this first.”

You already knew that there was no use trying to convince Donatello once he had an idea implanted in his head… sometimes it would really be interesting to hear his thought process. But for now, you decided to let him do his thing, and sat down on the couch next to him. He glanced in your direction to check whether you’d make anything dirty with your feet, but luckily, you knew him well enough at this point to always take your shoes off and make sure your socks were clean before putting your feet on the couch. Satisfied, he went back to focusing on his own shoes, and immediately remembered why he’d thrown the brush. A yellow streak that simply wouldn’t get off… one would think that more expensive shoes would also be more resistant to getting dirty, but no…

GrrruuRRRRrrrglee…

Donatello grimaced, clenching his teeth, and you already knew another explosion was about to happen soon. Hunger was extremely uncomfortable for this poor guy. He had so many painful memories attached to the feeling, memories of sickness and loneliness, and he never wanted to feel hungry again, but… this was entirely his own fault. And that made him even grumpier. The more he felt his stomach twisting and cramping inside him, the more he wanted to yell. You felt kind of concerned for the white sneakers in his hands – it looked like he was scrubbing them so hard they would burst into flames pretty soon.

“Are you sure you don’t want to take a quick breakfast break-“

“Yes. I’m sure. I’m almost done.”

Donatello rather said that to comfort himself… but his stomach wasn’t impressed. Another loud groan cut through the atmosphere, and he grunted audibly before ramming his fist into his own belly, making you flinch at the sight. Of course, it didn’t stop his organ from crying. Now it didn’t only scream, it also hurt even more.

“Don, I bought a cake, remember? Wouldn’t you like a slice?”

Finally, it seemed he was ready to give in. He leaned back with a sigh, and turned to face you. There was a defeated look in his eyes that made you want to smile… almost.

“Fine… Yes. One slice. … Please.”

Good! You were relieved to hear he’d changed his mind. You were quick to make your way to the kitchen… of course, you knew very well that a single slice wasn’t gonna cut it. Donatello was a big guy with a big appetite, and he deserved more cake. More cake meant more happiness, right? That’s at least the logic he would use. It was a bit hard to understand sometimes, but you respected it… and very soon, you returned to the living room with three slices of chocolate cake, and a cup of coffee. For a moment, he seemed to panic at the sight of the amount, but his appetite was bigger than his reason… very soon, there was an excited spark in his eyes.

“That looks great. Thanks.”

“Of course”, you nodded, but hesitated before handing the plate to him…

“Donnie…?”

He smirked a bit… you only called him Donnie when you wanted something.

“Yes?”

“Do you think I could feed you?”

Truthfully, Donatello wasn’t too happy about that… he was so hungry, he wanted to wolf the cake down as fast as he could, and he hated it when he lost control in a way, even if it just meant letting you feed him… but fine. Today, he wanted to make an exception. Good deeds also made people happier, right?

“Sure.”

Looks like you were in for a treat! Usually he didn’t like being fed very much. Gratefully, you took your seat next to him, and immediately held up a forkful of cake to his mouth; you didn’t want to make him wait any longer.

You watched Donatello’s lips part, and greedily close around the bite… he instantly seemed to be more relaxed as he chewed, even though you could still hear his empty stomach begging to be fed next to you. Well, as long as he didn’t punch it again… He swallowed quickly, not leaving you much room to enjoy yourself before he opened his mouth for more. Promptly, you held the next bite up to his lips, and he continued to barely chew and swallow the big chunks audibly… But he seemed relaxed now. The flavor and texture of the creamy chocolate was so comforting to him… even though his stomach didn’t seem too happy about it.

I’m hungry for real food. Real, healthy food with real, healthy vitamins. Not… this.

Once you reached the second slice, Donatello seemed to enjoy it less and less, eating slower and slower… The noise of his stomach begging for more had changed into a weird, high pitched gurgling… He didn’t seem to mind it at first, but then he turned his head away all of a sudden.

“Thanks. I’m done.”

“Are you sure? You still have half left.”

“Yes.”

His responses were to cool and quick, you felt something wasn’t right. Did the cake taste bad? He didn’t even touch his coffee yet either… But Donatello also didn’t go back to cleaning his shoes. He just sat there, with his eyes partly closed, and his hands trembling a bit. The part between his nose and lips suddenly looked a little sweaty…

“Are you okay…? Did you eat too fast?”

“I did NOT.”

Oh, right, that was a potential weakness.

But when you glanced at his belly, you immediately knew what was up. He looked bloated, as if his stomach were bulging out, and the intense, deep rumbles had changed into constant bubbling, making his insides sound like a boiling brew inside a witch’s cauldron. Sometimes you forgot that Donatello’s stomach was very sensitive… he had been starved and struggling to survive for pretty much all his youth, and despite his claims and fear of coming across as weak, he was generally a sickish young man…

“Your tummy hurts, doesn’t it…?”

“Don’t say-“

GLRRRRRGRLUURRRghhh…

“… T… Tummy… h-hurts…”

How quickly Donatello’s expression changed from upset to suffering, his head tilted back and his eyes pressed shut… Now you were sure you wouldn’t take no for an answer. You gently placed your hands on his middle, causing him to gasp and give you a bit of an ‘excuse me?’ face, but it soon faded as you began to massage his belly. His insides angrily continued to bubble and churn underneath your touch, you felt bad for feeding him so much sugar…

“Is that okay?”

“… Lower…”

You moved down to the soft spot right above his belly button, making him inhale sharply. Did that hurt too much? Concerned, you wanted to pull your hands away, but Donatello suddenly pushed his own hand against yours… His warm touch made you blush a little.

“That’s the spot…”, he whispered, trying to lean back and give you more room to work, but he found it awfully difficult to relax... His abs still felt rock hard under your fingers, like he was clenching his muscles and trying to not let anything through. Maybe he was scared of you accidentally hurting him, maybe he was scared of seeming weak.

“It’s okay, you can let me rub your tummy… I promise I won’t hurt you.”

“Don’t call it tummy, dammit… that’s so embarrassing! Are you five or something??”

You called it tummy earlier too, dumbass.

With a small sigh, you continued kneading his belly… of course you didn’t even ask if he would lift his shirt for you, that would probably embarrass him way too much anyway… But at least you could feel his tense muscles slowly softening up as you worked your magic. The churning from inside his gut felt even more intense on your skin now, but at least now you knew the massage would actually reach him properly. Donatello turned his head to the side now, facing away from you… he obviously didn’t want you to see his pleasured grimacing.

It’s not that he didn’t enjoy your affection or appreciate you… he was just not used to someone caring about him. He wasn’t used to someone wanting the best for him… it was so difficult to just let go of this tough boy façade he’d kept up for all these years. As much as he always said he deserved to be happy more than anyone else, it was hard to let himself be when he was so scared of being hurt again.

GrroOOOAAAaaan…

“Owww…”

“Shh… it’s okay…”

The softness in his voice caught you by surprise… had he ever really said ‘ow’ around you before? You could feel the air inside his stomach starting to shift, and the young man whimpered along with his agitated organs... he kind of reminded you of a little boy for a moment. Maybe he did feel like that little boy again, the one with pretty much constant stomach aches nobody ever cared about…

“UUUUAAAARRRRRRP!!”

That… caught you by surprise as well. The belch was so loud, it felt like it made his chest shake. The uncomfortable scent of stomach acid and chocolate began to spread, and Donatello’s head fell back with a blissful, relieved moan. His eyes almost rolled back even.

“Oh God, that’s better…”

Even though his insides were still gurgling, and small burps continued to shoot up his throat, it didn’t seem to hurt him anymore… it was seemingly all just normal digestion at this point. You couldn’t help but smile at that.

“I’m so glad!!”

“Mhhrrrp… ahh… please keep going…”

There it was, your favorite expression of his… that soft, relaxed smile when he was genuinely happy. It was so much prettier than the half-evil smirk he usually gave you. Now you finally dared to lift his shirt, and continued to rub his now exposed belly. Even though he opened one eye and looked at what you’re doing, Donatello quickly relaxed again this time, purring with bliss at the lovely massage.

“Mhhm… that feels sooo fucking good…”

“Good, good… just relax and enjoy it then~”

No need to tell him that… Donatello gently placed his own hand back on top of yours, and moaned out loud again as his belly groaned against your touch. How quickly his pained expression had changed into this look of utter bliss! You felt your cheeks growing red at the sound of his pleased moaning. That was much hotter than you liked to admit… just watching him squirm softly while you massaged him, gasping and sighing at the feeling.

“Lower please…”

“Hey, you can jerk off later”, you teased him.

“No, I mean… under my belly button… please…”

Fine… you didn’t mind that. But honestly… you wouldn’t mind jerking him off either…

#writing #commis

10 notes · View notes

dragonoffantasyandreality · 4 years ago

Text

Kamen Rider Thunderbirds chapter 3 (Bit 3)

(Prologue, Bit 1, Bit 2...)

Finally, this chapter is moving! XD

I should thank @myladykayo, @gumnut-logic and @willow-salix for cheerleading for me and helping me with the plot. You ladies are awesome! :D

(Also tagging @tsarinatorment, for some lil Military bros moments ;)

-0-0-0-

"Thunderbird One to base. I can see the building fire! Looks pretty bad!" Scott reported as he steered his mighty 'Bird above the danger zone, “According to the firefighters and PD, they kept fighting the fire, but it kept on coming!”

“Alright. Be careful out there, for we do not know the cause.” noted Jeff through the comms.

The blue sashed commander maneuvered his sleek, silver Thunderbird. He searched the area, scanning everything. The building was still standing but the fire had consumed most of it. The intense heat melted the snow around it. This wasn't a good day before Christmas.

Luckily, most of the fellas inside had been evacuated. But a small group had been trapped within the basement. Nobody knows how long till the building will collapse above them. That's where International Rescue comes into the picture. And that's what made Scott a little wary… something's not right…

He didn't like the sound of it. From the information that he had processed from John and the firemen down below, he felt that the cause of the fire was intentional. It was said that the fire had started in one part of the basement, then another one in some other place, then another one… it felt like something, or someone had been setting fires all around the building… this is not okay...

"Thunderbird One to Thunderbird Two, when are you arriving?" Scott commanded.

"Arriving at the danger zone in about 3 minutes…" replied the voice of Virgil.

"Well be quick Virgil! We don’t have much time!" hastily said Scott as he landed Thunderbird One on the safe zone.

The green behemoth arrived shortly after, Scott was at the edge of his seat as he watched her land near his sleek grey bird. He didn’t have the time to instal mobile control, since the operation was needed in all hands. He began briefing the mission at hand. The field commander nearly raised his voice at the babbling terrible two, only to stop himself from doing so and kept his calm as possible. He finished briefing and got to work.

While Virgil went to prepare the Firefly, Gordon and Alan were donning their heat-protection suites as they waited for the next part of the operation. They were no longer chit-chatting, only worried. The young blond pointed out how Scott was heated as the fire of the building. The aquanaut agreed. Yeah, they did tease their elder brother for being a little grumpy. But now, they were beginning to see the problem. The terrible two can only hope this is the last rescue for their eldest, so Scott can have a long break…

Thunderbird 2 raised herself, her four copper legs raising her big green body to reveal her pod. The big door of the pod opened, falling down slowly as a yellow, bulldozer-like vehicle rolled over it as soon as it hit the floor. Firefly had been deployed!

Virgil guided the big anti-fire vehicle towards the rumble of flaming debris at the foot of the building. He struggled as he pushed them away. The heaviness and heat slowed the process, but it was better than nothing.

“Gee, this fire was a lot hotter than I thought! Even my heat-resistant suit won't cut it!” The mechanic noticed as he gritted his teeth, his grip to the wheel tight as he continually pushed the accelerator.

"Try using the fire-retardant on it!” Suggested Scott, a tone of urgency in his voice.

With a nod, Virgil reached out for the switch, "Here it goes…" he muttered, as he fired the retardant into the fiery ruble.

It exploded as the fire had been put out. But for a moment, the mechanic swore he heard an echo of a distant scream after that. It sent a chill down his spine. What was that?

"Did you guys hear that?" He asked, almost frantically. It wasn't just him who heard it, was it?

"No we didn't. What did ya hear, Virge?" Gordon chimed, a teasing tone in his voice.

"I swear I heard a scream! And it doesn't sound human!" Virgil gritted, both from the struggle of pushing away the rest of the ruble and from the annoyance for a certain redheaded fish.

"Okay, okay. You sure it isn't your engines fired up from pushing all this debris?"

"Firefly's engines don't sound like that!" Virgil growled.

As Gordon was about to say something, an irritated Scott cut their chat and told them to focus back on the mission. Their elder brother was almost at the end of his rope, as both Virgil and Gordon realized. The second eldest gently reminded Scott to keep his calm, in which his brother did. He can only hope his big bro can withstand a little longer… for now.

As soon as Virgil finished the clean up, Alan and Gordon, with Scott on board for extra hands, rolled out from the pod inside the Mole. The giant drill stood at the entrance, waiting for Firefly to cross paths with her so the second eldest can join his brothers.

Once that was done, the Mole drove again towards the clearance that was made by the anti-fire tractor. She stopped at the middle of it, her carrier then lifted her to an angle towards the ground. Her drill began spinning, her sharp propellers digging through ground as she dove into it with the help of her thrusters. Moments later, she's gone! Like a mole itself into the depths of the soil.

The brothers, with the help of John, navigated through the hard rock to the basement.

Alan began feeling an uneasy sensation clutching his stomach. He swore he can feel his tiny baby hairs rising from his skin as they dove deeper. A wave of shiver echoed through his body, his legs almost clamped together. There was something wrong down there… Very, very wrong…

"Hey Sprout, what's wrong?" Asked the starman of the brothers.

The youngest shook his head and waved off, "Uh… it's nothing John."

The elder blonde gave him a narrow-eyed look before getting distracted by Scott, who told everyone that they were nearly in the basement.

Geez, Scott was really tight on his nerves! Thought Alan...

Soon enough, they had busted through the concrete wall. Fire-protection suits on and rescue tools equipped, they ran out of the Mole (except for Virgil, just to keep an eye on the pod vehicle and he will be examining the area around her).

The whole basement was full of smoke and in big ruins. The floors was filled with huge holes and gapes. Fire was in every corner. What had happened here? This isn't caused by normal means...

Scott, Gordon and Alan scouted the areas, every room and every corner in search for any survivors. They cut through doors, putting out the flames, calling "This International Rescue! Do you need any assistance!?" But no one had answered. Only echoes of their voices through the halls…

Alan swore he saw shadows within the flames, seemingly stalking them in every corner. He could feel his flight or fight instincts kicked in. He began to feel his desire of wanting to warn his bros! But he decided to ignore the warning… He needed to focus on the rescue…

No one would believe him...

They had managed to find the trapped group, who were stuck in the storage area after Scott broke through one of the doors to the storage room using a laser cutter. They immediately gave the poor fellas some oxygen masks and some immediate care.

"Th-They came out of nowhere! They just appeared and attacked us!" A poor man stuttered, as they were escorted out of the storage area.

"Who's 'they'?" Asked Scott as examined for burns, scrapes and other potential fatal injuries.

The man suddenly shook as his eyes turned into giant saucers. He lifted his hand and pointed somewhere behind Scott's head and screamed, "T-THEM!!!"

Scott looked behind him... and dodged with the man at the last second the moment his corner of his eye caught a claw swinging his way!

He looked up at the mysterious attacker. Then Scott felt his blood froze at the sight… a humanoid creature standing in front of him, his head is that of a panther. Some parts of its muscular red and grey body had flames protruding from it. It wore roman-like skirt and golden cuffs, almost looking like an ancient warrior. And armed with a long, black metal claw on it's right arm. It looked nasty… deadly as it growled at the IR commander...

"What in the-..." His words had been cut off as he had to dodge again from another swing, the creature growled in annoyance.

"Gordon! Alan! Get the guys out and RUN!!!" He shouted at the top of his lungs as he ran the man with him.

As soon as they took notice of the situation at hand, the terrible two made a run for it with the rescuees. Gordon could almost feel the panic taking over his nervous system as they fled from the monster.

The panther creature walked as he swung his claw, unleashed a wave of flames that somehow reached in front of them, blocking the way with a wall of fire! They were forced to take another direction when they were faced by another monster!

It was like the fire-panther warrior, but it was bulkier and heavier, armored with a shield. And instead of having a head of a cat, it had the head of a goat!

“Guys! I have been under attack!” Yelled Virgil through comms.

"Really!? By what?!" Gordon dreaded this when Virgil answered his question.

"I had been attacked by some unknown threats! They will damage the Mole if I stay!"

"Hang on Virgil! We are on our way!" Scott ordered, as he and his team dodged a charge from the fire-goat monster.

"You better be quick! I can't stay here much longer!" It was Virgil's only reply before a deafening explosion was heard from the radio, before it was cut out!

"Virgil? Virgil?! Damn it!" Scott's blood froze, even when the adrenaline was rushing through his bloodstream. His brother… his best friend… Oh god please no…

"Come on, Scott, we better find Virgil!" Gordon snapped him out of his thoughts with a shake of a shoulder.

Right, they are still running. Running from these… things! Whatever they are, they are after their heads!

They kept on running. Running with the weight of the rescuees on their shoulders. Running with the flame creatures at their tails. They tried to stay close to the path where they came from. Back to the Mole… if she's still there… They are growing tired but they keep on going. Even if they had to dodge the flaming claws of the panther monster and the flaming horns of the goat monster.

They were just near their destination when the floor in front of them collapsed! Alan nearly dropped along with a guy just as Gordon caught them in time. But the respite was short, as two new humanoid fire-monsters flew out of the crevasse! One was a cobra, skinny but agile, armed with a fire staff. And the last one was an armored dragon, it's flaming sword in hand and it's fiery wings nearly fried the poor group.

"We're dead! We are so dead!" Wailed one of the poor rescuees, clinging on for dear life on Alan.

"Not yet..." Scott grunted, as the monsters closed in. "Gordon! Go this way with Alan and the rescuees! I'll distract them!

"Are you crazy?! Ya going to get yourself killed!" Warned Gordon as he grabbed his eldest brother's arms. He held it tightly, fear radiating from his eyes.

"No time, just run!" Scott shook off his brother's grip violently and ran towards the other direction. Some of the creatures got his attention and went after him.

"Scott! Come back, you Cloud Idiot!" Gordon nearly lost his professionalism as he yelled at his eldest brother, but his brother had already vanished into the flames of hell.

The prankster of an aquanaut cursed under his breath and ordered Alan continue running to find another way of escape with the rescuees, while the remaining monsters were at their tails.

The Earth shook all of the sudden. Cracks formed on the wall, Gordon halted the run to avoid potential debris from falling on them. Then a familiar drill broke through, her almost burned, yellow hull pulled from the dirt, dust and debris. Her hatch opened, revealing a certain ruffled up mechanic.

"Virgil! You're okay, ya big son of a devil!" Gordon almost cried out of joy.

"Come on, buddy! Get the rescuees in here quickly!" Virgil urged, smiling a little.

"But... what about Scott?" Alan asked, giving his second big brother worried puppy eyes.

"We'll get him!"

As soon as they settled, the rescuees secured the medbay and the terrible two seated and seat belt on, the mechanic attempted to move the Mole again. But she made some noises of a broken mechanism. He pulled the ignition again... Same thing... And the digger hasn’t moved an inch. A moment of realization...

"Damnit, the Mole broke down!"

"Are you kiddin' me!" His fish brother gaped at him, sweat and dust pouring from his face with worry. Alan sat where he was, gulping almost.

Virgil glared at the scanner, noticing two figures approaching the Mole. He won’t have time to fix her if those things are going to make things worse! Not until the blonde daredevil suggested that they should distract the monsters while Virgil repaired the Mole.

"You are not going out there shooting these bastards all by yourself, Sprout! I’m coming with you!"

"Alright! But please don't take chances!" Virgil warned seriously as he began work on the repairs. He just hope his brothers won't do anything stupid.

The terrible two pulled out their guns and let out battle cries as they began shooting the monsters, getting their attention. Together, they stayed close as they ran, getting their attention away from the broken down digger. It was a battle they didn't expect to deal with in a rescue. But, they had no other choice. They have to get out and get Scott as soon as the Mole was in a working order.

From time to time, either Gordon or Alan asked how long or what needs to be fixed. They get a response that either one or some of the gears fell off, or some circuit got fried.

They are lucky that the engine hasn't got damaged.

"Hey! Come and dare to take a piece of me, ya lizard heads!" Gordon spat as he shot the snake and dragon fire-monsters. The bullets hit them, but they only let a few sparks as the charges ricocheted off their tough bodies. The squid gritted his teeth.

He had spoken too soon!

Enraged, the dragon Monster used his flamethrower breath. The duo dodged the sting of fire, but they got separated. With a fence of flame in-between them, they got to change tactics and fast!

Just as Alan tried to run around the monsters, a familiar figure jumped in front of him! And he barely escaped its claws!

The Panther was back! Does that mean…

Scott...

Alan realized he had dropped his gun! And nowhere to run! But then he spotted a potential weapon next to him. The young blonde picked up the piece of a metal pole and let out battlecry as he charged at the fire-panther creature and hit it with all of his might. But the pole bended on impact, much to his horror. The creature grinned at him as he swiped him with its muscular arm, sending the youngster to fly and land hard.

When it began approaching Alan, multiple gunshots was heard as the sparks fly off the back of the monster. This got its attention away and turned to the one responsible for the intervention: Scott!

He was breathing heavily like a bull, the flames that reflected on his cobalt irises revealed a thundering rage. He held his gun tightly in front of him, arms stretched out towards the face of the menace.

He had enough...

"Don't you dare…" Scott growled.

The fire panther-humanoid flexed its shoulder as he approached the blue sashed commander, as the latter continued to shoot it. Realizing that the charges weren't doing much to fire-monster, Scott decided to change strategy.

The young blonde watched as his brother fighting back the creature. It ignited his desire to help his big brother. He can't just stand there and do nothing! He just can't!

But he was caught by surprise when the goat monster reappeared! He was pushed by its big shield, sending him flying towards a crevasse! He grabbed the edge just in time, his hands tightly taking hold of the , his tiny feet dangled over the deep depths of death.

"Alan!" Cried Gordon. He tried to run to the rift to save his little brother, but he got blocked by the goat, snake and dragon fire-monsters! Ready to cook some fish meat!

Scott wasn't having a great time. His ammo ran out as he was distracting the panther monster. He got close calls with the amount of fireballs and flaming slashes thrown at him. He managed to barely dodge them all, but he wasn't sure how long he would last.

But that moment of pause made him regretting, as he felt himself getting grabbed by the neck and lifted to the air, his eyes took a glance of the ugly face!

Oh shit...

Alan was hanging for dear life as he was watching his poor big brother getting thrown around like a puppet with its strings cut off. His hands are getting numb, his arms losing strength, hopeless to do anything but to expect the inevitable doom. Of himself, of his brothers, of the rescuees...

“SCOTT!!!” cried Alan as he saw the creature was about to slice his big brother to ashed pieces.

It lifted its nasty claws, and as if by magic, they ignited with nightmarish fire. The monster’s eyes glowed as it grins down at him, having finally cornered his weakened prey. Then, it swung its arm at Scott, where the latter shut his eyes, welcoming the fiery demise! Or was he…?

Its flaming claws barely touched his face when a sudden roar of the engine echoed through the walls. The creature stopped and looked over Scott as its face transformed from an evil smug to a surprised worry.

Scott Tracy followed its gaze and saw a dark figure beyond the inferno. It was approaching fast as the sound of a motorcycle grew louder and louder.

The creature took a panicked double-take before a gold and red bike flew over Scott and hit it, causing it to fly a few meters away from him! The strange motorcycle then landed in between them. The field commander nearly gasped when his eyes processed the shape of the mysterious rider...

No… not just a rider… a Kamen Rider!

-0-0-0-

#thunderbirds #thunderbirds 1965 #kamen rider #thunderbirds fanfiction #kamen rider fanfiction #Kamen Rider Thunderbirds series #thunderbirds are go

5 notes · View notes

taeguboi · 5 years ago

Text

“She’s Mine Now” Jungkook x Reader

“A fiction in which Jungkook steals the girl from right under her lousy date’s nose”

I sort of made this concept for a fiction a bit ago and... I’m not sure this quite turned out as good as I wanted to but here goes hahahaha

Fiction Masterlist

“Cheers guys!” the singer gratefully says to his audience through the microphone, showing gratitude for the amazing response to the song the band just played.

Applause fills the room as the band put down their instruments and get ready to relax during the interval between sets.

This is a great night for the pub; the drinks sales are pouring in and the crowd ebullient for the music provided by the band who are on fire tonight.

This date however… is not.

Your best friend had inaugurated a blind date after your little drunken breakdown around a week ago as you wept about feelings of loneliness and yet how you can’t help but feel hindered in moving on from your last relationship because of your dependency on it to be happy… Additionally there were also those insecurities and irrational fears about getting yourself back out there into the world of dating which didn’t exactly help your need to develop a more positive mind set.

“Tell you what?” beamed y/f/n. “How about I set you up with a friend?”

In theory, her suggestion actually sounded like a good idea; even if the date didn’t take you anywhere beyond a meal or a drink, it could be a good practice run at interacting with unfamiliar faces, maybe even a confidence booster.

You had gotten all dressed up to the nines in your little black dress: a simple, classy look one can never go wrong with. Slimming in all the right places, the garment perfectly hugs those curves, shows a little bit off, yet leaves plenty to the imagination. Alongside this dress you donned some matching heels which give you some extra height, but no so much so as to hurt your back, your prettiest dangly silver earrings with the black sapphire gems, and the gorgeous choker your friend bought you to compliment the rest of your ensemble.

“Well, not that you need it” she corrected herself after presenting it to you as a ‘good luck’ gift.

You remember scooping it up from inside the box and looking at the choker in amazement. It glistened under the light of the sunset which seeped through her living room window and looked striking with its three rows of sparkling black gems similar in appearance to the sapphires which your earrings hold. You wondered why she felt such a gesture was necessary or if you even deserved it.

“To be honest, I bought it for myself ages ago but I’ve never worn it” y/f/n clarified following your question. “It will suit you way better anyway, especially with those earrings”

You felt grateful to have such a kind hearted friend and it was the boost of encouragement you needed to get yourself out there this evening and go for it! To say yes to life! Yes to confidence! Yes to new opportunities!...

But this night, as far as this pairing is concerned, is turning out to be a great disappointment.

Sure, the band is great and the drinks are fine, but… this guy has no personality whatsoever, or at least he doesn’t have any traits or qualities you find preferable in a love interest. All he wants to do is talk your ear off and bore you with the details about how often he hits the gym, and then there was something about motorcycles you think, not fully engaging in what this dude has to say about himself. You’ve hardly been able to get a word in edgeways about yourself.

You always affirmed in your mind that looks are not everything. You never set sky rocketing expectations that he should have rock hard washboard abs or a razor sharp jawline; you know that life isn’t a movie. You didn’t care that when you first walked into the pub this evening that you were met by a man with mousy brown hair resembling the colour of the faded mahogany floor that met your feet, nor did you judge his typical smart-casual style consisting of a white v-neck, black blazer and jeans. The personality was what always mattered to you; the one thing that always sealed the deal.

“I’m just going to nip to the toilet! I’ll be right back!” you abruptly announce whilst your date is in mid-sentence about what hair product he uses which, by the way, is just a bit too much. You figure he must have put a bit too much mousse in his hair as it produces a greasy appearance even under the dim pub lighting that hovers above your heads.

“Sorry” you quietly apologise as you come to your feet and gather your black clutch bag and your phone from the small rounded surface of the tall shabby table.

After relieving yourself in the ladies room and finding yourself alone in there, you stare into the mirror to reflect in a contemplative way, ignoring the slight smudge of eyeliner beneath the outer corner of your right eye.

There is barely anything you are enjoying about the evening. You scan your brain for all the possible excuses you could make for leaving early, but nothing seems good enough:

You can’t say you’re feeling ill because he’d only offer to walk you home and that in itself just seems like an unnecessary effort for your date who will most definitely offer to walk you home only to be rejected in any further advances he’s likely to make on you. In fact, you feel somewhat apprehensive at the idea of being alone with him although that could just be your mind speculating following on from when he placed his hand on your thigh a couple of times throughout the course of the evening.

Calling y/f/n doesn’t feel like an option. She went to so much effort in a sincere attempt to make her friend happy from hooking you up with this guy in the first place, to helping you get your makeup on point, (you never realized how good winged eyeliner on your top lids looks!) to even driving you to this pub.

Doing a runner through the beer garden and out the back gate just isn’t your style either. Rude, cowardly and insensitive; you just aren’t any of those things... You suppose you could stick this through a bit longer and get a couple of more free drinks out of this, right?

‘Jesus y/n, what have you stooped to?’ you wonder to yourself.

Pulling out one of your emergency make up wipes from being crammed inside your clutch bag, you correct the small problem that is the smudged eyeliner and promise yourself that you will try harder to stop yawning from boredom, and then ultimately chucking the used wipe in the bin of the nearest cubicle.

You stumble out of the toilets, kind of forgetting about the small step on the way down, causing you to wobble a bit as your reaction time to stop yourself from falling is a bit too slow. Your shoulder crashes into the chest of someone passing by and you instantly fill up with embarrassment, apologising profusely.

“Oh crap, I’m so sorry!” you exclaim, taking a quick glance at the stranger you knocked into, then your line of sight goes straight to your outfit as you smooth down your dress in the hope that it hadn’t raised up from your clumsy gesture.

“No worries!” the voice replies back, the man already walking into the distance and towards the garden when you look up. He gives a wave to show it’s okay, no harm caused. He looks familiar.

With a black crew neck shirt and black shorts, one would think his clothes would only blend in with his ebony hair but somehow, his appearance does feel so ordinary; his fringe is a little too long almost covering the eyes yet rather than the length weighing it down, it glides buoyantly as he turns his head. You couldn’t see the colour of his eyes but they felt warm and dark, like mocha.

The logical thinking side of your brain is clearly non-existent practically as you can’t make any guesses as to why you think you recognise him and you have to urge yourself to stop thinking so pensively. Lots of people look familiar that you’ve never met before, it’s just one of those things.

Entering the main bar room, heels clumsily clunking on the floor amidst the low chatter of the punters, you search for your date as you register he is no longer sitting at the table you left him at. You let out a small sigh, one of contentment as you jump to conclusions. However, your date spots you from the bar counter and beckons you over.

“Oh, aren’t we keeping our seats?” you inquire as he places a fresh drink in your limp hand.

“Mm-mm” he hums as if to say ‘no’. “I thought we could have one more for the road and then… move on, if you like?” he requests, raising an eyebrow half suggestively.

It is now quite obvious that this guy is more into you than you are him and a small wave of panic hits you as you struggle for a good response.

Glaring feedback from one of the guitars on stage interrupts the awkward moment as the band plug back in their instruments to do their next set. Though this noise makes many tense, it fills you with a solace; that sound means the band are back on; the band being back on makes the perfect excuse to stay.

“Oh, well whilst I wouldn’t mind saying yes to one more drink, I… I was actually really enjoying the band” you stammer, taking a sip of drink after.

“Same as last time please mate” the bartender says, requesting payment as he serves your date’s drink. A £10 note is placed in the bartender’s hand and a doubting smile is thrown your way.

“Oh, okay, sure” he replies, bringing his hand into his pocket having received some pennies. You can sense his efforts to be some smooth suave kind of guy for you tonight, one with genuine intentions, but it was only coming across minutely. Move on? And before the band have even begun their second half? Impatience, in reality, is what is coming across.

You decide to ignore that your date is probably not ecstatic with your placid response to his suggestion and you turn your focus to the live entertainment.

“Come one” you smile. “Let’s go to the front”

Your suggestion turns into command as you reach out for his non participating hand, grabbing his wrist anyway and practically dragging him there.

“One two…” the singer vocalises into the microphone to see if it’s turned on and the audience response is already bursting with positive hollers, anticipating cheering and fulfilling applause that resonates across the room.

“Alright, that’s definitely on” the singer chuckles sonorously, sweeping back his highlighted mahogany hair.

“Here’s the next song to kick the night off a little…” he continues, hyping up the first song of the second half of the evening.

The main guitar riff begins the upbeat song which everyone immediately recognises causing many more layers of commotion in the room with whistling, singing along and feet stomping. You jig along to the song a little on your own, drink in hand and clutch bag under the same arm.

Oddly, you hoped your date might have wanted to dance with you, that maybe this dude might have at least one weeny small ounce of fun in him, but nothing. Halfway through the song, you glance over your shoulder, flash him a smile as you bop along and in return he sends you a rigid smile that for a split second makes you forget about how warm it’s getting amongst the crowd.

For the rest of the song, well tell a lie, the rest of their set, your eyes remained on the band. Along came more upbeat songs through which the occasional stranger would shuffle along and have a friendly dance next to you and then move along to the next amused punter with their terrible moves from 1982. There was the odd ballad to tug on the old heart strings and get everyone really singing along in the drunken semi-emotional messes they are; sweaty men with their arms around each other as the chorus hits, booming out the lyrics, mostly right, some wrong words, some really incorrect lyrics; young girls in their groups holding their drinks in the air and letting drops of wine spill onto the carefree souls behind as they sing the words correctly; couples in corners stopping their sessions of eating face to join in as they sing to one another with endearing looks.

Following a long string of songs came a drum solo to stall during a technical difficulty with the lead guitarist’s amp and you feel a bit dim-witted for not recognising that dude from earlier who is in fact the band’s drummer, who glances at you for a moment whilst he does a drum roll and your cheeks feel rosy.

And then you blush a second time when it feels like he’s looking at you again.

And again for a third time leaving you standing there both uneasy and perplexed as you recall why, when you bumped into that person not long ago, that face looked so familiar.

You conclude it’s the paranoia from the incident earlier as you analyse when and why he was looking in your direction those last few times. He was looking around the room as he played anyway. Every good performer gives their audience eye contact. In fact, he probably wasn’t even glancing at specifically you that first time, even. You shrug it off as the solo comes to an end with a crash cymbal ringing out eliciting a wide array of applause.

This time, you find yourself unable to put your hands together to make an appreciative sound. His eyes are burning into yours, a stare so mysterious, you can’t figure out what those eyes are trying to say to you. Like an idiot you can feel your jaw dropping slightly but you haven’t the focus to close your mouth before you catch a small fly and you’re not even sure you care that he’s smirking. It isn’t until the singer jumps back on stage and in front of the drummer that you snap out of it.

“This dude is awesome, right?” you ask your date who has now finally decided to stand at your side rather than standing awkwardly behind you as you haven’t allowed him the opportunity once to grab your waist or hug you from behind.

“Yeah, I guess” he monotoned, raising a glass and taking a big chug of his drink.

“So do you know any other good places to go to ‘round here?” queries your date, daring to snake an arm around your waist, his warm breath hits your ear and the front of his blazer rubs uncomfortably on your arm. You note that this is probably the least sensual intimacy you’ve experienced as his eagerness to move on mildly unsettles you.

As you hold back the urge to scrunch up your face, you muster a reply with the intention to soften the blow for him that you’re just not feeling the connection. You’re going to play it calm and cool, and you intend to buy the next round of drinks, you know, to show that you aren’t just here for freebies.

“Uh places ‘round here?” you reiterate back just before the band begin their next song.

“1! 2! 3! 4!” the singer shouts into the mic before all the instruments kick in simultaneously to start the next song.

“To be honest, not really” you explain, raising your voice to be heard over the music and cheering. This actually isn’t a made up excuse when you tell your date this; this pub is probably one of the only pubs in town that isn’t a complete dive.

“Within about a 2 mile radius, this is probably the one and only bar without sticky floors or loos that smell like p… smell bad” you continue, correcting your language at the end of your sentence.

“Well, it doesn’t have to be a pub” he suggests, now finally making some eye contact with you. His stare is somewhat menacing but not in a totally mischievous way; it’s more of a gaze that raises suspicion, as though he might be up to something. “How about a club?” he hums with expectation. “You know, get some sick beats to dance to, do some shots, that kind of thing.”

Clubs. You really really didn’t care for them. Maybe when you were a few years younger perhaps, but there’s only so many times you can get inebriated enough to tolerate an atmosphere of needy blokes who want to spike unknowing girls’ drinks and people getting off in the corner and being forever unable to hear what any of your friends are saying.

‘Sick beats? What is this guy…’ you think to yourself.

“Hey, I’ll buy the next round, yeah?” you ask rhetorically, diverting the topic of going someplace else and slipping away from his hold as you go back to the bar to order, the queue which to your relief has become a vast one. At least in this waiting situation, something interesting will happen at the end and your patience will pay off. Probably you’ll look back on this moment as the highlight of the night.

***

“Thank you! You guys have been awesome! Good night!”

The last few chords and cymbal crashes are rung out to put an end to a brilliant evening of music eliciting once more the roars of applause and appreciation from the pub’s punters.

You’re now sitting at the bar with your date, engaging in conversation…

...Not.

So actually, you’re just sitting on the stool next to this guy, a leg which is crossed over the other swinging back and forth repeatedly whilst you hold your almost empty glass. The applause dies down once the crowd gather the band won’t be coming back for yet another encore - they already did about six extra songs in total - and the room goes back into an agglomeration of chatter and clinking of glasses.

Forever the try hard type, a part of you wants to try just one more time tonight, and forever the self-deprecating type, you begin to doubt whether you gave this guy enough of a chance or not or that perhaps it’s you not sparking enough conversation. Deep down, you kind of realise you have indeed made more than enough of an effort and played your full hand in topics only to be dismissed from most of them… but the doubt about yourself is there nonetheless.

‘Fuck it, another round’ you think to yourself.

“Excuse me!” you call out to the bartender.

“Same again for us two please!” you grin, leaning back on your stool ever slightly, lazily handing over another £10.

‘Right. Here goes. Try again.’

“So the band was on fire tonight weren’t they?” you smile to your date.

“Yeah, I suppose they were” he replies, his voice faltering a little. You can’t quite tell if or not the uncertainty in this voice is because he just finished the last sip of his drink and perhaps didn’t allow himself enough time to let it go down.

You’re quite sure now that sitting around just drinking and listening to some band all evening might not have been part of his plan; it seems this band tonight were kind of a last minute booking or maybe your date didn’t think the music would go on for so long… or something or other.

“So what kind of music do you like?” you pose, really hoping he doesn’t say anymore things that are deal breakers. You might just lose your shit and be known as that one loony girl at the pub who stormed out on her first date because the bloke she was sat with didn’t like the same music as her…

“Oh, you know, anything with a good beat, really. ‘Bit of drum and bass. Stuff that really gets the party going” he replies.

You could just facepalm right here and now if it weren’t for the two drinks you are thankful to be slid your way… So basically, he likes anything he hears in the club. Wow. Very interesting(!)

Alright, so maybe there’s something else you can talk about. There must be some common ground somewhere here, right?

“Uh, I’m just gonna nip to the men’s room… I’ll be right back” he mutters, not even allowing you the chance to reply to him.

As your date makes his way through and disappears in the crowd, you find yourself in a bit of a trance, half trying to think of something to talk about when your date returns, half contemplating standing him up and leaving.

“Sorry? Excuse me?” speaks a voice, taking you away from your thoughts “Sorry, could I just squeeze in here please?” asks a girl trying to get to the bar to order.

“Oh yeah, of course, sorry love” you reply, dismounting the stool, dragging it away a little to make room, then reaching over to the two drinks to pull them over to your new spot. You stumble a little from the lack of space to move about in and accidentally tread on someone’s shoe.

“Oh gosh, I’m so sorry” you apologise as you turn around to face the stranger whose toes you just squashed. Trying to keep hold of the stool behind you, a hand behind your back remains clutched onto one of the back bars of it and it suddenly doubles up as something to lean on as you feel yourself going weak at the knees at what feels like a deja vu type occurrence.

“We’ll have to stop bumping into each other like this or I’ll have to learn your name” he smiles; it’s the drummer from the band again.

His black hair is slightly damp from the energy he put into tonight’s gig yet he still manages to look radiant. Tall and broad shouldered with eyes that are a sensuous brown, you can’t help but admire the view in front of you. You could kick yourself for how clumsy you’ve been as the evening has progressed… have you really had that much to drink?

“It’s y/n” you smile, now ignoring your seat completely and coolly leaning onto the bar... only to be suddenly shaken up by the return of your date as he makes you jump.

“Hey!” he exclaims. “Goodness, people really are like vultures with the seats in this place, huh?” he questions as he observes the already occupied bar stools behind you.

“Ah, just a bottle of water please my good man” the drummer requests now having the attention of the bartender who immediately gets his order.

“On the house dude; great show tonight”

“Thank you so much” replies the drummer gratefully, then facing back to you to say goodbye. “See you around y/n… the name’s Jungkook by the way” he smiles, raising the bottle in his hand as if to say ‘cheers’ as he walks away.

“You know him?” asks your date.

“Not really no” you reply “I was just a bit clumsy and trod on his foot” you laugh nervously.

“I apologised and we got chatting…” you explain, feeling the need to justify yourself for some reason.

“Y/n, I’m not going to scold you for talking to other people” he replies, stepping closer to you.

“But if there’s something you’re not telling me…” he coos, once again giving you that unpleasant shiver down your neck.

“I can help change your mind” he says suggestively - and it does absolutely nothing for you.

Not even the slightest bit of arousal?

Nope. Nothing.

Unsure of how to respond, you excuse yourself to go to the toilets once more.

“Sorry, I guess I’ve had a lot of these drinks; I need to use the ladies again” you chuckle.

***

The band load out the last few bits of equipment into their van and stop for a break from all the heavy lifting, taking in the fresh cool air that the outdoors offers. The singer, dark brown hair wavering in front of his face in the breeze, scrambles his pockets and pulls out a pouch of tobacco and rolls himself a cigarette which immediately goes noticed by the disapproving lead guitarist, Seokjin.

“Oi, Tae, I thought you’d given that shit up” Seokjin challenges, eyebrows slightly furrowed beneath his light brown fringe.

“It’s just the last of what I had left, promise” shrugs the singer with a slightly muffled voice from the filter he holds between his teeth, earning a glance of disbelief from the other three band members.

“What?” he shrugs again, brushing his hair back with his spare hand and placing the loose tobacco in the paper. “Anyway, it was a good night; I deserve it.”

“It’s alright ‘Jin” hums the drummer tunefully, placing his almost empty water bottle on the floor to take his sweaty shirt off, revealing a handsomely muscular body. He slides open a door to the back seats of the van, rummaging for his clean shirt as he continues to talk:

“I’m sure Taehyung’s more than aware that if he starts croaking like some old frog then we’ll find a replacement…”

“Ah Jungkook, quit teasing” the singer sighs with a smirk, leaning against the door of the front passenger’s seat, lighting up his cigarette. “You guys love me really,” Taehyung continues, taking an inhale after.

“Alright, sure we do” jokes the bassist, Namjoon, hands in pockets standing opposite Taehyung and next to Seokjin.

“You do” smiles Taehyung with a confident smirk.

Gathering the pool of fabric that is yet another black shirt, the drummer takes his head out from inside the car, slams the door shut, and throws the shirt over his body and poses a question. “So, we sticking around for a drink then?” he asks, picking up his bottle of water and taking a sip from it.

“‘Fraid not mate” replies Namjoon with a sigh. “Work in the morning”

“I’ll take you back mate” offers Seokjin, fumbling in his pockets for the keys. “I wouldn’t be drinking anyway so just let me know when and we’ll set off Joon”

“What time is it?” asks the bassist, looking at his wrist and showing an expression of exasperation upon realising he must have forgotten to put a watch on before tonight’s gig.

“Almost 20 minutes to midnight” Taehyung says, already able to see the time of 11:39 on his brightly lit phone he holds in front of him as he checks his social media.

“Oh shit” mumbles Namjoon. “Might have to go sooner than we thought then mate, is that alright?”

“You staying Tae?” asks Jungkook.

“Uh, yeah, sure” the singer replies, putting his phone back in his pocket and lifting himself from the car door. “Just lemme finish this and we’ll go back in, yeah?”

“Right see you guys at rehearsal in a few days” smiles Seokjin, bringing in Jungkook for a goodbye hug.

“See you soon man” adds Namjoon, reaching out for Taehyung’s hand and the two shake hands and bring each other in for a friendly pat on the back.

The guitarist and bassist hop into the van as Taehyung flicks the cigarette butt onto the concrete and he burns it by stamping on it. A couple of beeps from the van as it drives away prompt Taehyung and Jungkook to wave goodbye and they turn their backs to head inside the pub.

Finding a spare table in the corner of the room, the two boys sit themselves on two lonely chairs positioned behind a small round table, looking onto the rest of the room.

“So a bit of dutch courage and then we take our pick of the crowd this evening ‘Kook?” asks Taehyung casually, now definitely in the mood to pull after such a dynamic gig.

“I’ve already chosen mine,” Jungkook replies matter-of-factly as he spots one girl in particular walking past them. “See that girl over there? The one in the sexy dress?” he questions, pointing over at the bar where she now stands.

“You mean the one right next to that guy who appears to be her date or boyfriend?” Taehyung conversely states.

“I want her” answers Jungkook with a fairly deep hum showing an urge to go do something about it.

“Dude what the fuck? Not gonna happen” ridicules the singer. “She’s been with that guy all evening; I could see from the stage”

“Challenge accepted” Jungkook arrogantly responds, folding his arms and leaning back in his chair as he unashamedly checks out the target of his desire.

Now usually, Jungkook would look straight at all the curves on a woman, but not this time. He watches the way the girl coyly smiles at her date and Jungkook finds it super cute; though he’s barely convinced she is flashing a genuine smile at this other dude, she still looks beautiful and charming.

“20 quid says you can’t do it” Taehyung challenges, sliding a note out of his wallet and placing it on the table, now invested in the idea of making something a little more interesting happen again since the atmosphere of the bar now seems pretty anticlimactic to what he felt on stage just 20 minutes ago

“Make it 30 and we have a deal” Jungkook counters, pulling out a 10 and a 20 from his wallet and placing those on top of Taehyung's initial bet. “I plan to treat this girl to whatever she wants tonight”

“I think this gig got to your head Kook” laughs Tae not quite believing the audacity of his friend. "I mean I know that was probably one of our best but…"

“She’s totally into me” adds Jungkook as the girl from the bar glances in his direction and flashes a friendly smile.

“How could you possibly know that?”

“I’ve already spoken to her a few times… Anyway, is it a deal, or what?”

“Right then, 30 quid it is…” Taehyung agrees, sliding out an additional note from his wallet and slamming it down on top of the rest of the money to complete the sum proposed. He feels pretty confident about his side of the bet so he’s more than happy to up the ante.

Jungkook reaches out a hand to shake and Taehyung returns the gesture, taking a firm grip of the drummer’s hand and firmly shaking on it.

***

You had possibly taken a lot longer than expected in the ladies room. Partly it was that you needed to compose yourself as the alcohol was beginning to make you feel a tad dizzy but mostly it was you sitting on the loo seat in a cubicle composing a list on your phone.

Your little document didn’t have a title but the content mostly revolved around things you could possibly try to talk about and ways you could put an end to this part of the evening without seeming rude.

Family emergency…

Phone a friend to pretend to by chance be at the pub…

Ask him about his family…

Bite your tongue and ask more about the motorcycles

Grin and bear it and ask about his gym routine… but I’m still not fucking him.

“Hey sorry I took so long” you apologise, holding up your phone. “It was my mum; you know what parents can be like, even when you’re more than old enough to take care of yourself…”

Nice save y/n.

Deciding to stick this through for some bizarre reason, you pick the topics of conversation as ‘plan A’... okay it was more like plan B, C or D at this point, just in different variants of ‘plan A’ to just be yourself and talk. Maybe asking more questions about him will spark some other sort of conversation. Maybe making an effort to find out more about him is what this needs… even if the most of the first half of your date had already consisted of talking about him...

“So tell me more about this bike you’re doing up,” you begin with your best interested smile and trying to keep the conversation innocent after what was said before you made your panicked exit. “Maybe you could show me sometime” you continue, throwing yourself in the deep end a little but then wondering what is actually happening here.

‘Have I actually become that desperate that I’m forcing myself to make arrangements for another meeting with a guy I’m not even interested in?’

“Actually, it’s almost finished” replies your date with a much more confident and genuine smile than he gave you previously. “I know this great place where we could take it for a test run if you’re interested actually…”

Just as you’re about to reply, a figure comes barging between the two of you, half annoying you, half relieving you of the pressure to muster the enthusiasm to make a positive comment.

“Hey guys! Great night, huh?” booms Jungkook. “You managed to stand on anyone else’s toes yet y/n?” he grins.

“Not yet, no” you laugh.

“Good, good…” he hums, then turning his attention to the bartender. “Excuse me! 2 pints please!” he requests, pointing to one of the beer taps. “And… can I get anything for you guys?”

“Oh, you don’t have to” you tell him.

“No, I insist” he exclaims. “And another round for these two please!” to which the bartender nods.

“So I’m doing a bit of research guys… what was your favourite song this evening?”

Your date seems rather speechless which doesn’t surprise you as you could just tell from his vacant stare throughout the whole gig that he wasn’t so much as even paying the slightest bit of attention.

“My favourite song?” you ask, scanning your brain to try and pick one. “Well, I enjoyed a lot of them, so….”

And just like that, an engaging conversation is sparked. It goes from the music, to asking each other what you each do in your ordinary lives, to funny anecdotes, to current affairs in the news, and then even following on from those news stories with opinions and theories, and before you know it, you glance up at the clock behind the bar and it is already half past midnight.

Clearly, your date also takes note of the time and finally decides to speak again right in the middle of you and Jungkook laughing about the idea of what ridiculous conspiracy theories have been said about the very latest bit of breaking news.

“Oh my God, really? Some people are so ridiculous!” you laugh, unable to contain yourself, stitches forming in your ribs.

“Um, y/n, it’s probably about time we should get going…” he informs you, coming to stand next to you, placing a hand on your shoulder.

“Oh, really?” you sigh longingly. “I’m quite enjoying it here.”

“Well, it’s just that I’m getting a bit tired and I thought you might want to join me for a night cap…” he suggests, slightly pulling at your arm to coerce you into putting down your drink and leaving.

“I’m not ready to leave yet” you admit with a shrug as you look at the floor unable to look your date in the eye.

“Here you go guys” you hear the bartender speak in the background followed by the sounds of full glasses being placed next to you. You look up so that you can grab and take a sip of your fresh drink.

“But we’ve been here for hours” sighs your date in a huff, clearly annoyed at the rejection.

“Yeah, but our next round just came in” Jungkook adds, helping your case to stay put.

“I’m sorry, but no one asked you” replies your date through gritted teeth.

“Woah, woah!” you exclaim, standing up in front of him, hands raised as if to calm him down or bring the peace. “There’s no need to talk to him like that…”

“There’s no need to be talking to him at all if you ask me”

“Dude what the hell?” you ask.

“Yeah, come on mate!” whines Jungkook in view of your date from behind your shoulder.

“Don’t you ‘mate’ me!” responds your date with a fit of bad temper, slamming his glass down on the table, causing some of it to splash out over the edge. You notice a couple of heads begin to turn at the sudden commotion

“You’ve clearly been lingering around here all evening just so you can oogle over my bird”

“Sorry, your bird?” you protest loudly.

Suddenly aware of the attention the volume of your voice draws, so that’s only a couple more heads turning to look at the three of you, you take a deep breath and muster the courage to speak up.

“Who said I belong to you? This is a first date, a set up” you remind him.

“I said I wanted to stay. I’ve been enjoying it here tonight, and if you aren’t enjoying it as much, then I’m sorry - not my problem! I’m not going to leave just because of that.”

Taehyung, who had also been sat with you guys for the past quarter of an hour decided to chime in:

“Come on mate, maybe it’s time you should go” he suggests placing a hand on your date’s shoulder in attempt to calmly escort him out

“Who the fuck asked you either?” bellows your date, aggressively shrugging Taehyung off his shoulder.

“No one asked him, but I agree with what he has to say” you defend now positioning yourself between him and Tae. “Maybe it is time you should go. This clearly isn’t working out.”

Your date approaches Jungkook and goes face to face with him. If most of the pub were watching the scene unravelling before, every single person is watching now.

“This is all your fault, this” you date tells him in a threatening manner.

“Oh yeah?” challenges Jungkook, pushing his neck upwards towards your date so that they are practically butting heads. “And I don’t suppose it has anything to do with how bored this poor girl has been looking for a good portion of the evening or how you’re so desperately trying to get into her pants when clearly, she’s having none of it? Yeah, I know your type; you’re a creep only in it for the fuck…”

“So what if I am?”

The audacity of this comment from your date outrages you.

“Wow” you remark.

“Oh shut up!” he bellows, turning to face you once again. “We both know I could give you the time of your life if you went with me… what’s he got, eh?” he questions, placing both hands on your waist, making you feel super uncomfortable.

You push the creep off you and back away a step or two and towards Jungkook.

“You know, at least Jungkook was asking me about myself which was quite the refresher from talking to you! Do you really think you were winning me over with talks about how you go to the gym and how you ride about the county on some shitty bike?”

“Well maybe it’s just that you’re a frigid cow then”

“Oi! Oi!” yells Jungkook, pushing your - well, he’s not your date anymore, so - pushing this idiot away. The guy pushes him back and it briefly goes back and forth like this until Taehyung decides to pull his friend away, seemingly surprised at himself for being able to have the strength to do so.

“Oh my God! Just stop!” you demand. “Did you not for one moment consider that I might have just not been that into you?” you question, addressing the jerk who just described you in such a horrible way.

That really riled you up, you know. You refuse to be spoken to in such a demeaning way just because some dude couldn’t get his rock off with you. This won’t do. You know you’re not the problem here. Yet you feel the need to prove a point...

“Besides, would a frigid cow do this…?” you ask, pulling in Jungkook by the arm and swinging him in towards you lips crashing together.

You throw your arms around him as he eases into the intense kiss by putting his hands on your waist which, by the way, feels much nicer than when the other guy put his hands on you, and the entire crowd that was watching this movie-like scene cheer.

You can feel Jungkook positively responding to the kiss as he smiles into it so you milk it by running your fingers through his hair as he pulls you in closer. Your hands trail down to his shoulders and you take in how strong they feel giving you a great sense of security in the kiss… plus you go weak at the knees at how amazing the kiss feels; how amazing he feels as you bask in his warmth.

Jungkook’s lips are divine. He tastes like the drink he just had, yet the softness of his lips gave almost a honey like flavour, delicious to savour. You relish the way his tongue runs along your loose lips requesting entrance and you see stars as just a kiss progresses into a small make out. You have to try with all your might to pull away from him so as to not create a sickly public display of affection for the onlookers.

“Yeah, well whatever” shrugs the losing man as you glance over at him with a look that says ‘this argument is finished’ Attempting to give off an unbothered appearance, as if his ego hasn’t been dampened, he wanders to the other end of the bar and towards the first lone girl he can see.

At this point, many people have returned to chatting with the people at their own tables, low conversation stirring and restoring some of the usual ambience one would ordinarily find in a pub… the difference right now being that you’re quite certain they’re all talking about you, Jungkook and your jerk date.

For a few seconds, you watch this guy initiate conversation with her and those who are paying attention are humoured by the sight of the girl slapping him across the face and walking away, causing some to jeer ‘wahey!’

Out of sight, out of mind, you feel much calmer now as you see the guy walk out of the door.

“So, was that just for show or… can I interest you in coming to our next gig?” Jungkook questions, walking around you so that he stands in front of you.

“I’ll be a pleasure” you smile, heart fluttering at the sight of this handsome man. “Thank you”

______________________

tbh I’m not too happy with myself for how long it ended up being before the so called juicy bit but I figured it would be a wasted effort to not post it so if you got to the bottom of this post, I thank you so much for your time to read my 7.1k words of trash :P

Fiction Masterlist

#jungkook #jungkook fiction #jungkook imagines #jungkook scenarios #bts #bts fiction #bts imagines #bts scenarios #jeon jungkook #bts jungkook #jungkook fic #bts fic #jungkook fanfic #bts fanfic #jungkook fanfiction #bts fanfiction

121 notes · View notes

argentdandelion · 4 years ago

Text

Grace Monroe is a Liar (And Why That’s a Good Thing)

Note: this article does not sufficiently weigh Simon’s bad behaviors in Episode 11, “The New Apex”. This article has been kept unmodified for posterity.

Grace Analysis

“You know Sheena...you were right. Chloe shouldn't smile until her parents can afford to give her braces."

Grace is not simply a liar, however: she is also, to put it plainly, fake. She’s something of a social chameleon, but rather than drastically changing her presentation to fit in, she dons a fabricated, friendly and encouraging persona to make others “fit” her own desires. She even has variants of her persona for different audiences. She sounds like a friendly “cool kid” to 15-year-old Jesse, claiming he was a “natural” on his first raid although he only halfheartedly kicked a cube. She acts like an adoring parent to the younger Apex kids, squatting to the level of shorter Apex children, praising their offerings, and telling them she’ll keep the offerings someplace special. To Hazel (and Tuba) she acts like a kindergarten teacher at the first day of school, simultaneously making Hazel excited about The Apex and acting assuring to Tuba.

The most striking evidence for Grace’s lying social-chameleon-esque acts is how much her mannerisms and very voice change when addressing the Apex kids and Jesse compared to addressing Simon. In the first and second episode, she feels open to banter and bicker with Simon, such as exchanging unflattering nicknames or saying she doesn’t want his “ripeness” (body odor) giving away their position; she treats no one else as a friend like this.

Grace is not simply an insincere “queen bee” highschooler-type, either. As Uncivilized Elk has pointed out in “Cult Recruitment in "The Mall Car" – Infinity Train Analysis & Review” (warning; profanity), intentionally or not Grace’s tactics with Jesse show a step-by-step plan to indoctrinate Jesse into the Apex’s worldview. She praises Jesse and acts as if she cares about him, but is only manipulating him to a particular end. For example, when Jesse thinks the candy tastes bad, she convinces him to throw it to the wheels of the train, telling him he can “do what he wants”. However, this is almost certainly a precursor to making Jesse accept “wheeling” (killing by throwing them to the train’s wheels) denizens. Furthermore, in “The Jungle Car” she misdirects Hazel on who’s to blame for an unpopular decision, minimizes it (saying Simon was “confused”) and “resolves” the problem almost immediately: very suspicious abuser or cult-like behavior.

Initially, she engages in cognitive empathy (internal emulation of the emotional states of others) without really caring about others, to figure out how people work and so manipulate them. She has a utilitarian sort of approach, changing her persona to make others do what she wants and change them. To be fair, it’s possible not all of her kindness and empathy is faked. When Jesse took his exit, Simon calls him “weak”, but Grace says he wasn’t weak, but misled, and says: "We just lost another human, Simon. Show some respect.” Still, she’s certainly not sincere, overall. For example, despite teaching him he can “do what he wants”, when what Jesse wants goes against The Apex, Grace and Simon immediately try to stop him.

However, over time, Grace's temporary, utilitarian approach of altering personas to her goal makes her "become the mask". She eventually finds it hard to justify her continued kind and compassionate acts to Hazel in relation to her Apex worldviews, and the contradiction causes her distress.

Simon Analysis

Simon, in contrast, lies much less than Grace and is more open about how he feels, especially in his disdain for Denizens. While he initially seems friendly, when Jesse’s off on a raid he has no patience with MT’s concerns and outright tells her to “get out of here before Jesse gets back. You can’t help him like we can.” (Possible: it didn’t occur to him that Jesse might still trust Lake, so being too mean to Lake would come back to bite him.) He is also more open about his disdain for nulls around Hazel, though it would clearly benefit him to tone it down before they can “ditch” Tuba.

Two of Simon’s more important deceptions are notably half-truths, not outright claims. He claims MT broke Todd’s ankle, which is technically true: Todd kicked MT’s metal body and in the process broke his ankle. Arguably, him saying “no one knows” where the passengers go is him honestly saying he doesn’t know exactly where they go; how could he know Jesse Cosay’s home was in Arizona, and which specific location? Indeed, sometimes he does not lie even would it be very practical to do so. For example, although acting as if he “couldn’t save her in time” and pretending to be deeply unsettled by Tuba’s death would have gotten rid of Tuba and not put Hazel’s cooperation into question, he outright tells Hazel he wheeled her. His attempt to comfort her about “never hav[ing] to worry about that null again” could suggest obliviousness to the viewpoints of others, but it could also be his version of trustworthy, straightforward honesty, in accordance with his own beliefs.

It’s important to note that, though Simon is more honest than Grace, he still lies, deceives, and manipulates others. The difference between them is finesse, speed, and frequency. Though Simon may think of Grace as his plaything, or come to think of her as such, it’s Grace who’s effective at making others her playthings, by manipulating her social presentation like a social chameleon.

Root Causes

Arguably, both Grace and Simon do not treat people as means in themselves, but means to an end: in essence, other passengers are treated as tools for their own goals. It’s interesting to see how much Grace and Simon treat Apex members (and each other) like they treat nulls: that they are “only good as they are useful”. When they stop being “useful”, in the sense of helping the Apex or each other according to plan, they eventually become aggressive. Admittedly, the change to aggression is slower and more complicated for Simon to Grace in Season 3; Simon’s end goal for Grace could easily have been “comfort and companionship”, which friends naturally give anyway.

Grace emphasizes Jesse’s ability to choose for himself, but when Jesse’s decision strays from The Apex’s values and Grace’s plans, she doesn’t let him go with a “you’re missing out, buddy” lamentation. Instead, she says: “I wanted to go for the easy way, but you made it hard” and shows the Flecs where Lake is, presumably so they can do the dirty work for them. Jesse has value to Grace as an Apex member, one under her control, and not in any other sense. Grace’s logic for showing Lake to the Flecs parallels Simon’s actions in trapping Grace in her own memory tape; he says “you made me do this”. The Cat outright says Simon treats Grace as an object with: “and how should she be acting? She’s not like one of your toys.”

Grace Monroe is a liar, and much more so than Simon. And it’s because she is, in the words of the Memory Tape’s Hazel, a “coward leading cowards”. Grace’s lying comes from her fear: her fear of being wrong, of not being enough, of being alone. Her kindness to the Apex kids, faked or superficial as it may be, probably comes from the desire to give them what her parents would not. Adding onto her cowardice and fears, she initially hid her dropping number from Simon in “The Chat Chalet Car” because she "didn't want the Apex...or you...to see me like this...and think less of me." Though her fear Simon would think less of her for it was unfounded, as Simon sincerely supported her then, afterwards she hid her number from Simon. She “cut him out” (in Simon’s words) from her lack of courage to be open and honest. As Memory-Hazel points out, when Grace had the “chance to make it right”, by revealing she knew about Hazel’s condition when it was obvious she was a turtle, she did not.

Conclusion

Grace and Simon are both villain protagonists messed up by unresolved trauma and eight years of being on the train with no guidance whatsoever. One starts off slightly worse than the other, only to get much better discard her animus for nulls. One starts off slightly better, only to get much worse and expand his animus for nulls to humans as well: his former best (and only) friend, at that. It’s the tiny differences in how they relate to others and operate that cause their slightly different moral starting points and massively different end points.

#Infinity Train #Grace Monroe #Grace (Infinity Train)#Simon Laurent #Simon (Infinity Train)#Meta #Analysis #Character Study

20 notes · View notes

dershloopmain · 4 years ago

Text

End Of Everything - Chapter 1

‘’Hey, Donnie! What’s the big idea, I was watching that!’’ Raph yelled as his brother clicked the remote, changing the channel from a cartoon he was watching to the news.

‘’Stop whining Raph, apparently, something big is going up there. April thinks we should check it out.’’ Donnie replied, rolling his eyes.

‘’Then go topside and have a look! It was just getting interesting too,’’ Raph took a dive for the remote, attempting to rip it out of his hand, failing miserably.

‘’Hey stop it you big baby,’’ Donnie said pushing Raph back with his foot, ‘’I’m trying to listen. You can watch whatever you want in a minute.’’

‘’Whatever,’’ Raph said defeatedly, slumping back in the chair and folding his arms.

‘’Oh my god…’’ Donnie said, causing his brother to look up confused. Then, he saw it.

‘’Leo, Mikey get in here!’’ Raph yelled, unable to take his eyes off of the news anchor.

‘’What’s the matter Ra-’’ Leo stopped, mouth open as he too became transfixed on the news report.

‘’What are you doing dude? Why are you just standing there like a-’’ Mikey was the last to realise.

Raph felt a pit open in his stomach. He wasn’t sure if he was going to hurl or cry as he listened to what the lady said.

‘’News just in: Over 1000 people have contracted the parasite, with the numbers rapidly rising. The people in the zombie-like state cannot hear you but have incredible eyesight so stay hidden at all costs. Do not try to interact with them, as even just a minor scratch could cause you to contract it and turn into one of those things. If you’re out on the streets, we here at CNN implore you to immediately seek shelter. There are emergency bunkers if you can not return home quick enough and if you can arrive home, lock the doors, border the windows and do not answer the door to anyone outside of your household. We will keep you updated.’’

‘’Oh my God,’’ Donnie repeated, his shoulder sinking and his leg bucked, causing Raph to fall onto the floor. Though he didn’t shout. Didn’t curse. Didn’t get angry. He stayed silent, besides a small ‘oof’ as he hit the floor, jamming his shoulder.

‘’I- What are we going to do?’’ Leo said quietly, walking over and sinking down next to Donnie.

Raph felt a pit open in the base of his stomach. What were they going to do? What about in 10 years? 20 years? 30 years? Did it even matter? Would they even survive? So many unanswered questions swirled around in his mind, a feeling of nausea overcoming his senses.

‘’I’m not sure,’’ Donnie replied softly, still unable to pry his eyes from the TV screen, ‘’We could leave the city? The farmhouse should be still available.’’

‘’I don’t know. Too risky.’’ Raph said from the floor.

‘’Riskier than staying here? New York is a huge city, Raph there are millions of people here. If they see us then there’ll just be more hysteria.’’ Leo said solemnly, a strange look on his face. A look Raph had never seen on his brother before. It was fear. Genuine, pure fear. It contorted his facial features in such a strange way it nearly scared him too. But he wasn’t scared. He couldn’t feel anything, it was disturbing. Sure, the situation was strange and he was mildly uncomfortable with Leo’s facial expression but… he wasn’t scared. Just nauseous. His head was pounding, which didn't help either.

‘’I don’t know I’m just thinking of the long term. Millions of people means millions of stores right?’’

‘’Yeah and millions of infected and millions of raiders. They’ll be nothing to raid. From the looks of things, people are already panic buying. Sure, they can get more stock but long term that’ll just mean more people hitting the stores for supplied when this whole thing gets out of hand.’’ Donnie chipped in, looking down at his T-phone, quickly tapping out messages to god knows who.

‘’Don, you’re great and smart and all but why the hell are you playing with your phone at a time like this?’’ Leo said sternly, looking over at his younger brother who was still looking down at his phone.

‘’First of all, thank you and second of all if you hadn’t noticed there’s a zombie virus currently taking over new york and assumably the world. I’m asking April and Casey if they and their families are ok.’’ Donnie said smugly. Raph smirked. At least one of them was coping well with this.

‘’I don’t know… I agree with Raph. It’s not like the farmhouse has a whole lot that we don’t. Besides, we’re pretty safe down here. Even then we could make some kind of topside stakeout. Like, convert a store or something. Then we can have a ton of supplies AND multiple backup plans,’’ Mikey said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Everyone stared at him in disbelief.

‘’Wow Mikey that’s… actually really smart,’’ Donnie said with a grin. Raph and Leo nodded in agreement, smiling at him too. Mikey smiled back, rubbing the back of his head bashfully.

‘’I don’t know guys it’s not that smart,.’’

‘’It is though! Only April, Casey and a few mutants know we exist so it’s not like we have a high chance of infection. We also have plenty of food and resources down here and miles of sewers to hide in if needs be. Then, when we run out of supplies here in New York we can just go to the farmhouse. There’s that little store that had the weird dream book right? I doubt anyone will hit that. Even then we have chickens there and miles of woods. Food won’t be that hard to come by right?’’ Donnie elaborated, smiling proudly at Mikey.

‘’See little brother?’’ Raph chipped in, ‘’You aren’t a total screw up!’’ Mikey rolled his eyes. ‘’Thanks for the backhanded compliment bro.’’

‘’Any time.’’

‘’So… what do we do now?’’ Leo said, his eyes shifting around to every possible exit or entrance.

‘’I don’t know. Casey said his dad and sister were on their way to the hospital while the outbreak was happening. Turns out she was bit and uh… turned on his dad during the car ride. April said her dad was getting groceries and hasn’t heard from him in nearly 24 hours so she’s not exactly in a good state either. Should we pick them up and bring them back here?’’ Donnie said sadly, looking down at his phone. Evidently, no matter what anyone said he would bring them back to the lair so they all agreed.

‘’More heads may equal more mouths to feel but it also means more hands for supplies so yeah, why not,’’ Leo said with a shrug. Raph was unable to shake the eerie feeling Leo was giving him.

‘’Uh and they’re our best friends? Cold much Leo?’’ He said angrily. Even during the apocalypse he was still so… he wasn't sure but it was nothing good.

‘’Sorry for trying to think logically about the situation Raph. God even during the apocalypse you still won’t let anything I say slide will you?’’

‘’Nope,’’ Raph smiled sweetly.

‘’Good to know. On that note, you can go with Donnie to fetch April and Casey. Mikey and I will stay here to start prep the lair and try to figure out what food and supplies we need.’’ Raph rolled his eyes but nodded, standing to get ready to leave, when he heard a noise.

‘’Raph!’’ Donnie was shouting at him. Why did he keep shouting his name?

‘’What?’’ He responded, confused as to why he was even shouting. He was right next to him?

‘’Raph!’’ He shouted again, louder this time.

His eyes opened and Donnie stood over him, glaring. Great. Another stupid dream.

‘’What?’’ He said groggily, sitting up and stretching out his limbs, chasing away any fleeting relaxation sleep brought.

‘’Leo told me to wake you up. It’s your turn to do the supply run.’’

‘’It was my turn to do the supply run last week’’ Donnie shrugged. Raph sighed and got out of bed, grabbing his sai and bandana, wrapping it tightly around his eyes. The more he thought about it all, the worse he’d feel so, as per usual, he pushed it to the back of his mind and got ready to leave. Pulling his knee and arm pads on he took a deep breath, getting ready to face his older brother.

Slipping through the door, making sure his gear was all secure, he glanced at the large, decaying armchair Leo was sitting in, looking down on him. Nothing miraculous had happened overnight, he hadn’t changed. Raph wasn't sure what he’d expected to be honest. Nothing had changed over the last 6 months so why would it now? Leo’s eyes settled on him. Raph let out a small breath, praying Leo hadn’t heard it.

‘’Raphael, I trust Donatello has told you you’re duties for today?’’ Leo said flatly, his face unchanging.

‘’Duties? He told me about the supply run but nothing else.’’ Raph said, trying to keep the air of annoyance out of his voice but, as per usual, failing.

‘’Your duties are not only your supply run, but there’s a break in our defences. I want you to take Casey with you to check it out and make sure there’s no infected inside the barricade. Then fix it.’’

‘’That’s a four-man job, Casey and me can’t do that alone I-’’ Leo cut him off with a stern glance. He knew what would happen if he continued like this, so he shut his mouth, ‘’Fine.’’ Clenching his fists, he walked out, making sure to not slam anything. He knew what would happen if he did, and he didn’t feel like facing that punishment again.

Raph walked to Caseys room and poked his head around the hung blanket that served as a door.

‘’Case? You up?’’ Raph said, stepping into his friend’s room.

‘’I am now. What’s up?’’ Casey said with a yawn stretching his arms out.

‘’I gotta go on a supply run and Leo wants you to help me fix some ‘hole in our defences, ’’’ Raph said mockingly.

‘’So you want me on your run too?’’

‘’Possibly.’’

‘’Shoulda just said so bestie!’’ Casey said, jumping up from his mattress on the floor. Raph groaned and rolled his eyes.

‘’Stop it. We gotta go soon or Leo will throw a tantrum,’’ Casey winced. He knew what Leo could be like if he got mad and didn’t want to be on the receiving end of another ‘’tantrum’’ as Raph put it. Raph saw Casey’s calm and fun demeanor deflate before his eyes and he felt his own disappear too. That's what happens when your older brother is a tyrant he supposed.

‘’You got it,’’ He replied, beginning to pull on his own protective gear over his muddied and bloodied clothes.

Once they got to the surface, they breathed in the fresh air. Raph had to admit, a zombie apocalypse wasn’t ideal, but the pollution levels were lower than ever. The air smelt so… clean and that’s one thing he never thought he’d say that in New York.

It’d been 6 months since the world had been overrun by the infected, and 3 since the hierarchy had been ‘established’. By established, he meant enforced. Leo was at the top, then Donnie and April, then it was Mikey and Casey. Last but most certainly least it was him. Something had changed in Leo in the last 6 months and Raph didn’t like it, not only because it meant he was the one having to risk his life for the rest of them, but also because he just wanted his big brother back. The big brother that could take a joke and care about him, even if he was a complete ass sometimes. The big brother that had his back, no matter what. The big brother he once had once known though, was gone. He let out a sigh, one that didn’t go unnoticed by Casey.

‘’What’s on your mind man?’’ Casey said, slinging his splintering bat over his shoulder.

‘’I don’t know. Just fuckin’... Leo man. He’s so up himself but I’m genuinely worried. This entire thing is getting to his head seriously. You’ve seen how he’s been? On top of that, he’s been such an ass to me. It’s always me doing supply runs and me risking my shell just to get some more stuff for everyone. It’s not even like we need it! We have plenty in the sewer. Besides, I don’t think he even cares that much. He’s so cold I just… I miss my brother ya know man?’’ Raph lowered his head, refusing to let this moment of emotion overtake him.

‘’I know dude,’’ Casey said, looking away too, ‘’I just… it’s hard. I don’t even know if my sister is still alive. Well to an extent. What if someone… you know. Same with my dad. Gotta admit, this whole zombie apocalypse thing totally blows a lot more than the movies and tv shows made it look.’’ He wiped his gloved hand over his eyes, sniffing slightly. Raph looked over, his face falling.

‘’Hey man, c’mon,’’ He said softly, wrapping his arm around his friend’s shoulder, ‘’I’m sure they’re fine. We’ll find them and save them, no matter what. Donnie’s working night and day on the cure and has been for months, it can’t be long now until he has it working!’’ Raph said encouragingly, shaking Casey a little. He let out a small, less enthusiastic laugh.

‘’Yeah I hope so,’’ He looked up and smiled at Raph, something behind him catching his attention, ‘’Hey we’re here,’’ he said, pointing over his shoulder to the small corner store. They were surprised it hadn’t been hit initially, considering how open and obvious it was, but to be honest, they weren’t complaining.

‘’What do we even need anyway?’’ Casey said, pushing open the door.

‘’Shit if I know. I think we’re running low on some first aid stuff so we could just grab some of that. We could also grab some more luxury stuff like candy or something.’’

‘’Ooo yeah sure. Sounds good. April was saying she was getting bored, I’ll see if they have any stationary stuff. Then D was saying he needed more coffee so I’ll get that too. Anything you want me to grab you Raph?’’ Raph thought for a second before replying.

‘’Nah I’m good. I was gonna get Mikey some gummy bears or something so I’ll see if they have anything good.’’

‘’Suit yourself,’’ Casey said, crossing his arms behind his head and scanning the shelves with his eyes, looking for what he wanted.

Raph walked over to the register and looked behind it, his eyes wandering to a jar full of gummy animals. Mikey would love that. He walked behind the register and snagged it from the shelf, tucking it safely into the bag slung over his shoulder.

Suddenly, a noise came from the backroom. Something… falling? He looked over at Casey to see if he’d heard it too. The panicked look on his face told him everything. Raph motioned for him to be quiet as he pulled his sai from their position at his waist and slowly walked towards the closed wooden door. Twisting the handle ever so slowly, he peeked in, scanning the darkroom for signs of movement. Raph smirked and turned out, looking at Casey.

‘’All clear. I think we’re going stir-’’ Raph was cut off as he was yanked back into the darkness, only able to let out a small yelp before he came crashing to the ground.

‘’Raph!’’ Casey yelled, taking a running jump and throwing himself over the counter towards the door, pulling it open all the way.

‘’Get off me you freak!’’ Raph yelled, pushing the infected away with all his might, but it was persistent, snapping and lurching towards him. Casey swung his bat in a downward arch, pushing it further towards Raph.

‘’Dude! Away from me! Not towards you dumbass!’’ Raph screamed, pushing the creature back off him as it clawed and lurched forward again, taking him by surprise. He let out a yelp as he pushed it back again.

‘’Sorry man!’’ Casey shouted back, this time using his bat to scoop the thing off his friend, throwing it into a corner and beginning to bash its already decaying head in.

‘’You ok Raph?’’ Casey asked, looking over his friend before taking his hand and helping him back to his feet.

‘’Yeah,’’ He said, gulping air down, ‘’I’m alright.’’

‘’You didn’t get bit or scratched or anything?’’ Casey said cautiously, his eyes scanning Raph cautiously, taking a couple steps back.

‘’Not that I know of. He had a good go at it though, I’ll give him that.’’ Casey snorted, slinging his bat back into his backpack.

‘’Let’s just get what we need and get out of here. Probably attracted more with your girly screaming.’’

‘’Who are you calling girly Jones? You screamed way more than I did,’’ Raph said, punching Casey on the shoulder.

‘’We’ll call it even.’’

‘’Shit! The gummies! I hope I didn’t smash the jar when I fell back. Mikey’d love those,’’ Raph said, pulling his backpack around his body and opening it, checking the jar was fine.

‘’I just gotta grab Red something. I’ve got the coffee and stuff so we should be good to go.’’

‘’Yeah. I’ll probably grab some chocolate or something. See if Leo wants any.’’ Raph walked over to the chocolate selection on the counter. Though sparse, there were some decent choices. Grabbing a couple of crunchie bars and snickers, he stashed them away in his bag and checked he had everything. Only his sai where missing. He must’ve dropped them when he was attacked. Jumping the counter, he swung the door open again and saw them in the middle of the floor, the once cleanly wrapped handles decaying, the perfect shiny metal scuffed and marked, on the verge of rusting. He sighed and picked them up, looking back over at the zombie that lay on the floor, its brain splattered on the tiles. The grey-green skin was eerie but… so human. Raph wondered if he had been the owner of the store before all this. Most of his lower body was gone, it seemed to cut off just above his pelvis. It was nearly disturbing… but after 6 months of this, you get desensitised to the excessive violence.

‘’You ok man?’’ Casey said behind him, startling him out of his thoughts.

‘’Yeah. I'm good. Lets… just go home.’’

#zombie au #apocalypse #apocalyptic fiction #tmnt #tmnt donatello #tmnt Donnie #TMNT 2012 #teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt fanfiction #tmnt fanfic #tmnt angst #tmnt fluff #tmnt family fluff

11 notes · View notes

makomori · 4 years ago

Text

THREE | INTRODUCTIONS (Brand New Story)

USHIJIMA WAKATOSHI x OC

Nishimura Yua has to take her nephew to his first rep practice with the Tohoku Tigers at Shiratorizawa Academy. Ushijima Wakatoshi is filling in for the assistant coach on said team.

She’s recovering from a nasty breakup and he’s reeling from a stunning finals loss against the Jackals.

Yua’s drawn to his composure and honesty.

Wakatoshi finds her warmth and tenacity intriguing.

It’s the start of a Brand New Story; can they heal from past hurts and endure new challenges in order to help each other trust and love again?

CHAPTERS

ONE | NEW TERRITORY

TWO | FAMILIARITY

Length: 3.2k words

Yua convinces her nephew that a pepper session with a top V.League player isn't the scariest thing in the world. And Wakatoshi tries to understand the woman who's determination can't be ignored.

Worlds change when eyes meet | David Jones

Yua’s head whipped toward the man in question. No wonder he seemed familiar. He was taller and looked like he gained more muscle compared to the last time she saw him, but that was definitely Ushijima Wakatoshi on the other side of the gym.

But when she considered it, Ushijima-san being a part of the coaching staff made sense. He was one of Shiratorizawa’s most famous graduates and was likely to still have strong ties to the academy. She wouldn’t be surprised if Saitou-sensei coached him in high school.

Well, this turned out better than Yua expected. Without a second thought, she pulled on Rui’s hand, intent on marching over to introduce them— but stopped when his grip tightened, almost painfully, around her fingers. Surprised, she looked back at him. His eyes darted between her and Ushijima-san a few times before he worried his bottom lip with his teeth. When he tugged on her coat sleeve with his other hand, she finally understood.

Oh.

She stood in front of him and took both his hands in hers. “Hey,” she called out. Her voice was soft. When Rui’s gaze settled back on her, she thumbed his chin gently and smiled.

Yua was used to interacting and meeting with different people every day because of her job. They were usually CEOs and other higher-ups in various companies; she was seldom intimidated by titles or merits. But a moment ago, she was in planning mode and completely forgot to consider Rui’s feelings. He was about to meet someone he admired, after all.

“Wanna meet him?”

“W-what?” Her nephew sputtered. “Meet U-ushijima-sensei? I don’t know…” She could feel his flight response rising fast, so she squeezed his hands, hoping to act as an anchor while she talked him through her plan.

Yua nodded. Rui was logical like her, so she was going to lay out all the pros and cons for him. “Think about it. He’s here early, which means he’s the either the coach or the assistant coach.” Rui opened his mouth to protest but fell silent when he realized the truth of her words. “You’ll have to talk to him sooner or later. Why not sooner?”

Rui looked over at Ushijima-sensei again. He desperately wanted to meet him, but he didn’t know what to say. It sounded a lot easier in his head. He didn’t want to come off as a clingy and annoying fan. “I-I don’t know,” he repeated. “I don’t wanna bother him.”

Yua squeezed his hands again. She understood where he was coming from. He was probably thinking that Ushijima-san would reject him somehow. Sure, it was always a possibility, but Yua wouldn’t let that happen. “Sweetheart, I understand how you feel. It is scary meeting someone you look up to, but I’m sure you won’t be bothering him. He’ll be expecting you to ask a lot of questions. He’s here to teach you, remember?”

Rui rocked back and forth on his feet. He knew everything Yua-chan said was true, but he was still nervous. What if Ushijima-sensei said he wasn’t good at volleyball? And that he should stop playing? The man on the other side of the gym played on one of the top teams in the V.League and was skilled at every aspect of the game; why would he take the time to work with someone like him?

Rui didn’t think he could handle that kind of rejection.

“Hey.” Yua’s steady voice snapped him out of his terrible thoughts again. “Ushijima-san’s at the top of the V.League now, but he was just like you at one point—a thirteen-year-old who loves volleyball.”

Rui perked slightly at her words. “Y-you think so?”

Yua nodded strongly. “He loved volleyball enough to make it his full-time job. And I know because Tak-kun was just like you, too. Now he’s playing for Waseda.” She looked back and pointed at the man Rui was so anxious to meet and avoid all at once. “But one day soon, he’s gonna be just like Ushijima-san; playing in the V.League and loving every second of it.”

Her nephew’s eyes widened as he realized that he shared something in common with his idol. Just like me, his face expressed.

Yua tried to hide her grin when she saw determination return to Rui’s eyes. Meeting his idol was probably the last thing he thought he was going to do today, but there was no way she was going to let him pass up the opportunity to train with a player like Ushijima. She was proud of him. Despite being a bit nervous, he still trusted her to guide him through an unfamiliar situation. She looked at him one more time, and he returned her gaze with less apprehension.

“Yua-chan, I-I still don’t know what to say to him.”

“How about I take care of the introductions?” She offered. He nodded furiously in response. “Then I’ll give you the cue to come in and say you’re a big fan, and that you’ve admired his skills since you were little. How’s that?” Rui nodded again, this time committing her advice to memory. She gave his arms a light shake and chuckled when he looked down at her. “I’ll be right beside you the whole time.”

Rui smiled; his notorious twin dimples making their appearance. “Let’s go.”

Wakatoshi felt at ease as soon as he stepped onto the Shiratorizawa campus, but he was truly at home when he walked into the gym. He told himself to set the net up first but couldn’t resist when he saw the Mikasa balls piled in the hammock. After all, he did tell sensei that he was going to warm up before practice started.

He started with a drill where he passed to himself fifty times and repeated the process two more times. Then, he alternated short and high passes to himself two hundred times. After that, he did passes against the wall about three hundred times. He usually did about six hundred reps, but he decided to go easy on himself since he hadn’t played in a month.

Once that was done, he decided to start a wall spikes drill; his favourite. By the time he was on his twentieth rep, he was breathing hard, but he didn’t feel heavy like he did on his jog the other morning. It was peaceful. Everything was familiar. The weightlessness of the ball just before his heavy swing sent it flying to the wall. The double THUD of the ball bouncing before it floated back to him. And the satisfaction of timing his next swing exactly right.

Wakatoshi knew there were a lot of things he couldn’t control. But training like this was a way for him to let go and not worry too much about the details. In hindsight, he really shouldn’t have stayed away for this long, but there was no point in—

Suddenly, a hand shot out in front of him from the right. It was accompanied by, “Sumimasen!”

Wakatoshi caught the ball easily as it bounced back to him. Strange. He wasn’t expecting anyone to show up for another hour. When he turned, all his mind could register was:

B R I G H T

After a moment, he blinked at woman standing before him. Like most of the women he knew, she didn’t come close to challenging his height of six-foot-three, despite being taller than average. However, something was different about her. The top of her head barely reached his collarbones, but the energy he felt coming from her was powerful and almost irresistible.

Their eyes locked.

Her honey-brown gaze was warm and strong, as if they were constantly focused on accomplishing a goal. It reminded him of the intense, singular stare Hinata gave him when they met. Normally, Wakatoshi was the one who caused people to feel uneasy with his candor. Who was she? Unaware of the turmoil stirring within him, she smiled. It affirmed his first impression of her. She was indeed bright. Even white teeth and twin dimples only added to her appeal.

“I’m so sorry to interrupt, but are you one of the coaches?”

Her voice was smooth, low, and Wakatoshi decided that he enjoyed its cadence. He allowed his eyes to wander over her briefly. Early spring in Sendai was still brisk, hence her choice to don a long, soft gray overcoat. When his gaze drifted back up, he finally noticed the expansive collection of freckles on her square-shaped face. Half of her wavy black hair was pinned expertly in a bun at the top of her head, with the rest falling past her shoulders, softening her defined jaw. Arching brows framed her warm eyes. And full, expressive lips were curved into a kind smile.

Remembering that it was rude to stare, Wakatoshi cleared his throat and finally answered. “I am. The assistant coach is sick, so I’ll be helping Saitou-sensei with practice today.” There was that disarming smile again. He couldn’t help but lift the corners of his own mouth in response.

“My name is Yua. It’s nice to meet you.” She bowed to him in greeting. “And this is my nephew, Rui. He’s one of your students.” Pride was clear in Yua-san’s voice. She loved the boy deeply. She reached for the tall teen to her left, who shuffled over before looking up at him. Hesitation was evident on his face.

Despite the young man’s nervousness, Wakatoshi could tell that he was serious about volleyball. The fact he was here an hour before practice spoke volumes about his work ethic. Sensei also had a knack for scouting talented players; the dark red Chidoriyama tracksuit he wore was another promising sign of his skill.

Yua. He doubted he’d forget her name any time soon. He bowed in response. “I’m Wakatoshi.”

Her eyes twinkled with delight. “The Ushijima Wakatoshi? The Adlers’ Left Cannon?”

Wakatoshi felt his ears grow hot and he resisted fought the urge to rub the back of his neck; his habit when he was embarrassed. Despite all his success in the last several years, he still wasn’t used to being recognized. He often wondered how Romero-san managed to deal with the constant attention. He was always relaxed and attentive during interviews or whenever fans swarmed him.

“That’s right.”

“I knew you seemed familiar,” she said, while returning his perusal. He found himself wondering what assumptions she had just made about him. “Rui-kun recognized you right away.” The young man tensed at the sound of his name, but she remained steady at his side.

Wakatoshi surmised that he was nervous about meeting him; a reaction he was used to. But he wanted to change that. He wasn’t charismatic like Romero-san, but surely there was something he could do that would make Rui-kun feel at ease. Unsure about what to say, he continued to address Yua.

“Were you a student at Shiratorizawa?”

No. It would be difficult to forget someone with her presence.

Yua shook her head. “No, but my younger brother was. He dragged me to a couple of your games while he was in middle school.” She smiled again, remembering how excited Tak-kun got every time Ushijima-san went up for a spike. “He’s always complaining because he never got to play on the same team as you.”

“Does he still play?” Wakatoshi was always curious about the talent that came from the academy.

“Tak-kun’s a middle blocker at Waseda. He’s aiming for the V.League in a few years because he wants battle scary wing spikers like you.” Her smile held a challenge this time and his curiosity was piqued. He was never one to back down from a strong opponent.

“But Rui-kun here is a fan of yours.” Yua’s voice softened, and the young man finally mustered the courage to look at him. A gentle nudge from his aunt was all the encouragement he needed.

He stepped forward and bowed. “H-hello Ushijima-sensei, I’m Rui. I-I’ve thought you were a great player ever since I was little.”

It would take time for Wakatoshi to get used to hearing that. “Thank you, Rui-kun. It’s nice to meet you.” He was constantly learning and adapting his current skills, so Wakatoshi still considered himself a student. “What position do you play?”

Rui-kun looked back at Yua, and she smiled gently and gave him a reassuring nod. “W-wing spiker. Hayate-sensei said I’m an outside because I’m right-handed.”

Wakatoshi nodded in approval. He couldn’t wait to see his skills in real time. “Then you’re like Romero-san.”

The teen’s eyes lit up, and the tension in his body was replaced instantly by excitement. “Nicollas Romero? Really?? He’s so cool.” His words came out in a rushed breath, and Wakatoshi chuckled.

“I agree. I’ll be sure to tell him he’s got another big fan.” He was relieved that Rui-kun’s energy changed at something he said. He hadn’t interacted too much with younger fans other than signing autographs and occasionally posing for pictures, but he seemed to be doing all right for the moment.

Rui barely stopped himself from jumping up and down. “You will?? Can you tell Houshiumi-san that he’s amazing, too?? I’ve never seen anyone jump so high! Except for Ninja Shoyo!”

Yua’s smile became bigger as Rui-kun’s excitement grew. That was one of the things she loved about him. He was so passionate about his interests that you couldn’t help being swept up in his positive energy. He didn’t realize it now, but that passion would serve him well as player and eventual captain. He was the type of person teammates would naturally rally behind and support without question.

“I was cheering for you and the Adlers the whole time!”

Wakatoshi smiled. “I think I heard your cheering all the way in Tokyo.” Sometimes, he forgot that people from all over Japan and the world watched his games.

Rui-kun suddenly looked down and clasped his hands together. He looked like he was at odds about what he about to say next. So, his voice was quiet when he spoke. “Uhm, I’m sorry you didn’t win the championship this year. The game was still amazing to watch.”

Wakatoshi was moved by his kind words. As young as he was, Rui-kun understood what it was like to lose even though you put everything you have into it. “Thank you,” he murmured. “The loss was hard for all of us.”

“Were you upset?” Rui-kun’s light brown eyes were full of sympathy. He was genuinely upset that the Adlers has lost such an important game. “I’m always get upset when lose.”

Wakatoshi considered his next words very carefully. Somehow, he knew his answer would have a huge effect on this young man’s life as a player and as an individual. He was beginning to understand how Romero-san dealt with press and fans so well. Like the players he looked up to and aspired to be when he was younger, Wakatoshi’s current position in the V.League enabled him to inspire the next generation of players, which included Rui-kun.

“I was upset for a few weeks,” he started. That was an understatement. “But losing isn’t a bad thing. It hurts, yes, but you can always learn something from it.”

Rui-kun’s eyes had grown owlishly wide; he was hanging onto his every word. “Like what?”

Wakatoshi squatted down in front of the boy, who’s mouth gaped open at the action. “Everyone loses at some point,” he murmured. “Even me. But losing makes you want to work even harder so you can do your best to win next time. The good thing about volleyball is that you’re never alone. You can always lean on your team and coaches for support.” His eyes shifted up to Yua briefly, who was watching him just as intently as her nephew. “Family, too.” He heard her breath hitched quietly at his admission.

“I-I’ve never thought of it that way,” Rui swallowed. “Now that I think about it, me and my team are really close.”

Wakatoshi nodded and grinned. “Good. That bond will make it easier for you to work through challenges together.”

Rui-kun’s wide smile returned. It looked like dimples were a family trait. “We get into fights sometimes, but it’s still fun!”

Wakatoshi stood up. “That’s normal for every team. Fighting is a good way to communicate sometimes.” Teams fought, just like any family would. At the end of the day, a common goal had to be reached and the road wasn’t always going to be smooth.

But working towards that goal was half the fun.

“Uhm, Ushjima-sensei? I was gonna warm up with Yua-chan but I-I was hoping y-you could…” The shyness had returned to Rui-kun’s voice, but Wakatoshi knew exactly what he wanted to ask.

“Would you like to pepper with me? We still have time before the net has to be set up.” The expression on Rui-kun’s face was priceless. He didn’t think his smile could get any bigger. Not bad for his first time as a coach.

Yua-san waved her hand. “I can set everything up while you two practice.”

Wakatoshi frowned and shoot his head. “Yua-san, I couldn’t have you do that—”

But she shook her head. Black hair flowed back and forth over her shoulders and Wakatoshi was reduced to staring again. “It’s all right! I interrupted your drill and you’re taking the time to practice with Rui-kun, so setting up the net is the least I can do to thank you.”

Rui-kun interrupted before he could protest. “Will you really pepper with me??”

“Yes,” Wakatoshi chuckled.

“I’ll be right back!” He sprinted to the other side of the gym, presumably to shred his Chidoriyama tracksuit. Saitou-sensei would have his hands full with him.

“Thank you for training with him.” Wakatoshi turned to the woman who orchestrated this impromptu pepper session. “He was so nervous about meeting you.”

“I tend to get that reaction, although it’s not my intent to make anyone nervous.” He rubbed that back of his neck this time. “I’ve been told that I can be intimidating.”

Yua-san tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, giving him another brief study. Wakatoshi felt like he was being dissected. “Only at first glance. I’ve worked with much scarier clients.” He was relieved when she smiled again. “You’re sweet compared to them.”

His brows shot up. “Sweet?” No one had ever described him that way, especially not after meeting him for the first time.

Yua-san laughed at his reaction. It was a full and sweet sound. “Absolutely,” she said confidently. “You made Rui-kun feel comfortable and gave him good advice about dealing with failure. That’s sweet in my book.”

It was Wakatoshi’s turn to gape. For once in his life, he didn’t know how to respond.

“I’m ready, Ushijima-sensei!” The teen was in the middle of the gym and waving him down furiously.

“You’d better get going,” Yua-san teased. “Rui-kun has boundless energy once he gets excited about something.”

Wakatoshi somehow managed to gather his thoughts before responding. She wasn’t shying away from his bluntness like most people did. In fact, she met him head-on right from the start. He found that refreshing, but slightly unnerving. “Please stay until sensei arrives, Yua-san. I’m sure he’d like to meet you.”

The spark from earlier settled into her honey-brown eyes.

“As you wish, Ushijima-sensei.”

#mywriting #ushijima wakatoshi #wakatoshi ushijima #ushiwaka #ushijima #ushijima x oc #ushiwaka x oc #wakatoshi #haikyuulovestory

7 notes · View notes

laceymorganwrites · 5 years ago

Text

The Genius idiot

Word Count: 2,138

Pairing: Senku x reader

Warnings: swearing

A/N: So guess who watched Dr Stone and is utterly in love with Senku?

You didn´t like high school. At all. It was shit, the people thought you were weird and they were right, but being weird wasn´t a bad thing like they said it was. The teachers were all total nutjobs in midlife crises who didn´t have their shit together and took it out on you instead of teaching. And for fuck´s sake was the stuff they taught you boring.

The only good thing about the institution were the things you could out of the lessons, you were in the computer programming club for instance, you also were a member of the crafts club.

That´s where you met Yuzuriha, she was kind and sweet, quickly warming up to you.

You liked to think that you were friends, but when you saw her with her real friends Taiju and Senku, you knew you´d never belong anywhere like they did.

They were always hanging around and having fun, doing some science stuff you didn´t get.

It was none of your business anyway.

But still you were sad that you weren´t part of their friend group, they seemed to be so close and you wanted to be too. You never really bothered much with making friends, creating strong bonds with people in a relationship was something you never quite understood.

People were selfish, they only wanted others around them to make themselves feel better, to stop the cold loneliness that was creeping inside their hearts, to stop them from thinking about things they didn´t want to think about, about truths that couldn´t be denied.

Life wasn´t give and take. It was take all you can get and run as fast as you can.

Like there would be no consequences.

Surely enough though, you felt yourself become intrigued by the friend group, letting Yuzuriha introduce you to them.

You didn´t mind it as much as you thought you would, quite the opposite truly.

It was as if you finally found the true meaning of life, the source of genuine happiness and you finally understood why people glorified high school so much.

You never intended for people to get so close to you, never expected to have friends you could tell anything and feel save with.

And you sure as hell didn´t anticipate to fall in love with Senku.

You guessed it was the take of life after giving you friends.

It was like a sick joke, a sort of cruel humor Senku would appreciate if it didn´t involve him.

He was too busy to notice you anyway. Maybe it was better this way, but your mind couldn´t help but wander to him in the most irritating times.

Why did he have to be so cunning, charming, funny and have the same interests as you? And why did he have to be so devilishly handsome? And why did you have to fall for the person who made you feel so incredibly stupid all the time?

The only person who knew was Taiju and that was only because he too told you about his crush on Yuzuriha, even before Senku. He thought you could help him since you knew her.

It was nice having someone to talk about this embarrassing inconvenience without being judged or criticized. But that didn´t help the situation, so you two made a bet.

It was a win-win situation: it was a race who would confess first. And if things went good, the loser had to finance the first date. If it went bad however the loser had to make up a scheme that the confession was a lie and another bet.

You really tried to confess your feelings to Senku, on multiple occasions too. But he never seemed to get it, or rather you thought he did get it but simply wanted to avoid the topic to be able to concentrate more on his science experiments.

If you only knew how different the reality looked…

Senku might give the impression of complete disinterest in all things romantic, but really he was just scared of making a fool of himself, of being vulnerable, getting hurt, so he shut love out of his life.

Until he laid eyes on you that is.

And fuck did you turn his world upside down, he told no one, not even Taiju.

He was too embarrassed, after all those years of swearing never to bother in having a crush or something more, he didn´t want to admit defeat.

And when Senku thought you were giving him hints that his feelings were reciprocated by you, he suppressed every possibility of you getting together. Because that would mean he would have to initiate something, which he couldn´t do for the life of him even if he wanted to.

That was the downside of completely refusing gathering any knowledge on romance, love and honestly, just being a decent human being.

If it wasn´t science, he wasn´t interested in it.

To him, you were the embodiment of science and that was what scared him.

It especially scared him after the stone broke around his body.

He felt helpless and useless, trying to figure out how to get you back all those months.

3,700 years passed, it felt so unreal, like a number too big to count, all those years wasted.

You remembered waking up to a bunch of new faces alongside familiar ones.

The scenery was different. Very different.

“Where´s the school?” you asked, looking around and meeting Senku´s eyes looking at you with wonder, relief and another feeling you couldn´t quite identify. For an instance you thought it was the way you looked at him, but that couldn´t be.

It took a while to get used to the new circumstances, but with the quick explanation of the new faces and situation of the earth, you at least had some starting point.

Kohaku, a warrior from the village that Senku´s father built, which was still weird to you, led you to said village.

It was nice, people were running around happily and working one some science stuff.

For a world that was completely set back to year one, this fast progress wasn´t bad at all.

“You did all of this?” you asked Senku in awe, it was hard for you to hide your feelings around him after not seeing him for so long, even though it felt like yesterday. But then again, it would always feel that way with him.

He stopped in his tracks, somehow embarrassed by your praise and looked sideways.

“I could´ve never made it on my own though...” he admitted, it wasn´t like him, the Senku you knew would boast the shit about his success.

“You´re amazing, Senku! Bringing all those people together like that, building all of this… nobody could do it like you” you smiled at him and he swore his heart stopped for a second.

To avoid giving into you, he showed you around and introduced you to everyone.

They were all so nice and bright, so energetic, it was refreshing to be welcomed with such open, warm arms.

They explained their next big project and you immediately were woven into the daily routine. But you liked it that way, how else would you get used to this drastic change?

Senku was even more distant than before, but that was okay, he had much to do.

Well, it wasn´t really okay to you, but what did you expect from him? To confess feelings that weren´t there to you in such an important situation? It was vital to win the war to have the cellphone. You simply weren´t part of the plan. You never have been.

This revelation made you feel sad and lonely, especially since the whole village never seemed to shut up about Senku.

The priestess in particular sought you out to make you tell her all about him, that´s how you found yourself gushing about him to her and she gushed right back, making you like her and be jealous of her at the same time.

“You like him quite the bit, do you not?” she chuckled and you gulped before nodding.

“But don´t tell him, I don´t want to make things awkward. We have more important things to worry about right now” you sighed.

The priestess looked at you with an amused expression before chuckling mischievously.

“But he likes you too, I can tell, he´s different around you. There are no rules in love, I think that´s what makes him scared and unsure, he keeps talking about the rules, how if you follow them you will always get the right solution. I think he´s scared that there is no solution in approaching you.” she thought out loud.

“Don´t give me false hopes, he doesn´t have time to be in love nor is he interested in it” you groaned, it hurt to say it out loud.

Not wanting to dive deeper into the matter, you went back to the village where the others were.

You noticed Senku sitting away from the fire, closed off to himself, deep in thought.

Despite your better knowledge, you grabbed a blanket , walking up to him, thinking about how you shouldn´t all the way.

But now it was too late and you were awkwardly standing two feet away from him, stretching out the blanket.

“What are you doing?” he stated, eyeing you and the blanket.

His cold attitude made your heart sink, this was a stupid idea after all.

“I thought you might be cold” you quietly said, sinking the blanket and your gaze.

“And why do you care?” he mumbled, you were interrupting him sulking about how he couldn´t seem to approach you right.

“I don´t want you to be cold” you said bluntly, pondering about when the right moment to leave would be.

“But wouldn´t you be cold if you gave me the blanket?” Senku questioned, cocking an eyebrow at you.

“Yeah, but I don´t care, I can just sit nearer to the fire. I´ll be fine as long as I know you are” you answered truthfully, cursing yourself for saying too much.

“That´s illogical” he told you, making you groan.

“I know, Senku. That´s the whole point” you never heard of anyone that love was logical.

“I mean we could always share the blanket” Senku smirked, looking you straight in the eyes like a smug bastard. That wasn´t like him at all, but he regretted his bold words as soon as they left his mouth. This could only backfire.

“You...want to share a blanket...with me?” you repeated the question like an idiot.

“We are both cold, it is the only logical solution” Oh. What else did you expect? Your heart sunk to your knees and you let your shoulders drop.

“I think I´ll go back to the others” you numbly said, throwing the blanket next to him.

Why did you even try? There was a reason he was avoiding you after all.

“(Y/N), wait! I really want to share a blanket with you, but… it´s not because I´m cold” he rambled, blushing a bit at his own awkwardness. Why did he have to be like this? Why couldn´t he be smooth in those things?

You stopped in your tracks, looking at him in disbelief.

“This isn´t funny, Senku” you coldly told him, thinking he was only fucking with you.

“I know. It´s really not. It´s also not logical, at all. Nothing makes sense to me when you´re around but also everything does? If that makes sense...and I can´t concentrate and I don´t know how to feel about that but I know how I feel and… I´m an idiot” he fiddled with his fingers, wanting to take back every word he just said. You would just laugh at him. There was a reason why nobody liked him that way.

“It makes perfect sense, Senku. Because I´m an idiot too and I feel the same” you smiled at him clumsily.

Senku stood up abruptly, his eyes wide and shining with a ray of hope.

“(Y/N). Can I do the only thing that seems logical to me right now?” he said urgently.

You nodded subconsciously and before you could think about what he meant, his lips were on yours.

The suddenness of the kiss took your breath away for a minute, yet you adjusted quickly. It was like a mechanism which only worked when you two were together. You couldn´t help yourself but smile into the kiss as it commenced, you couldn´t believe this was happening. Senku´s hands were shaking as he put them on your waist, pulling you closer to him, making your heart jump.

It could´ve been a magical moment if it wasn´t for your stupid grin because you couldn´t help yourself and Senku´s clumsiness because how the fuck should he know how to kiss?

But none of that mattered, you´d figure it out together.

#dr stone #dr stone imagine #dr stone oneshot #dr stone senku #ishigami senku #senku x reader

56 notes · View notes

darknessisafriend · 5 years ago

Note

I have a request if that's okay, for Joaquin and reader to smoke a joint together after Joaquin has a stressful day on set and he tries smoking for the first time (Signs era). I know he's smoked weed before but first time would be cute yo

I hope you’ll like it! enjoy ;)

Disclaimer: this is a work of fiction inspired by what we see of these people, I do not claim to know them nor to establish this work as the truth about their personal lives, the realities might be completely different.

Let’s relax

“And cut!” announced the voice of the director.

Joaquin deeply sighed, he felt crushed by everything around him, he needed fresh air, out of all this, he looked around, trying to find a way of escape, among the crowd of people he finally saw a way out; quickly he walked out of the set and headed to the area where everyone’s caravans including his were placed, however he didn’t go to his caravan, someone will come for him and he didn’t feel like going back on set just yet, not after the shitty way he played, god he was so embarrassed, he headed to the farthest caravan, he will hide behind it, and think, he needed to think about his character and he needed a cigarette too.

However, he didn’t expect to find someone behind the caravan; even though it was only you, his co-star, his friend with whom he had fallen in love since the day you first met. You were sitting in the grass, your back against the tire of the caravan.

“Oh sorry, I didn´t know you were here.” he apologized, scratching the back of his head, now he had to find another hiding spot, you had turned your head as you had seen him, a tender smile formed on your lips, he was really cute when he was acting shyly with you.

“Probably because I didn´t tell anyone” you chuckled, a mischievous glow playing in your eyes. Joaquin was still dressed in his costume and by the look of distress on his face, he was close to an anxiety attack “you can stay here, I don´t mind” you offered him, patting the space on your left; he seemed to think for a bit and then he approached you and sat down not far from you, he took out a cigarette, taking an inhalation, then he leaned his head back against the wall of the caravan, looking at the sky.

You directed your gaze in front of you, he needed calm, silence, looking at him would make him even more stressed; so, you stayed silent for several minutes minding your own business, until he would be ready to open himself. He started to throw you quick glances, it was his way of telling you he was ready to talk.

“Shitty day, right?” you finally asked him, rummaging through your pockets to find your lighter, it was a good moment to fully relax.

“I feel like I fucked it up...like.... I don´t know, there's so much I wanted to express...” he started with worry, he passed a hand through his hair, it always broke your heart to hear him speak so low about himself.

“C´mon Joaq, I know you´re always stressed about this but you´re always doing great, better than any others I can assure you and you’re only 27, just relax ” you replied on a soft tone, trying to reassure him, you finally found your lighter, now time for your spliff.

“That´s not true, I think you´re gr-…is that a joint?” he asked you dumbstruck, you released a smile, it’s true he had never seen you smoke one, he had always shared his cigarettes with you.

“Yep, I call it my comfort joint; always nice after a day like this. Wanna try?” you offered him with a grin, it could only help him to feel better.

“Is it legal?” you could tell he was tempted.

“Only for medical use, but relieving stress helps to improve your mental health so, to me, counts as medical use even if I didn’t get a prescription ” you explained with mischief in your eyes as you light up your joint, he laughed.

“Alright” he gave in, scooting closer to you, it will be easier to pass it to each other; his shoulder was brushing against yours now.

“Hey, take it slow!” you exclaimed giggling as he took a deep inhalation, he handed you back the joint, his fingers brushing against yours.

“Wow...” he spoke after a bit, it was already doing effect, which was pretty logical considering how he had breathed in; on your side it was also starting to work, you could a sense of peace taking over your body, you turned your head to look at Joaquin.

“So, how do you feel?” you asked him even if you knew by the look on his face that he was feeling much better. He turned his head to look at you, he had one of those big dimpled grins.

“Gooood” you laughed, happy to see him smile. You passed each other the joint a couple of times more, until you had fully used it. By then, you just didn’t care of where you were or if you had something planned, you were joking and laughing like the two dummies you were.

“And then I turned and realized there was like 20 people in front of me! Like it was so embarrassing, my face was red like a tomato!” you explained, while Joaquin couldn’t stop laughing, falling on you as he did.

You wrapped your arms around him, it was probably your favorite effect, with weed you felt so much braver to do things and apparently Joaquin too, he settled comfortably against you, sighing happily as you caressed his hair.

“Gosh, love your hair man, they’re so fluffy!” you simpered

“Oh, you know, that’s what it is...” he replied before giggling at his own words “this shit feels so good!” he beamed as he gave you a big kiss on your cheek, you leaned in, closing your eyes at the sweet sensation of his lips on your skin.

“Damn, you're so touchy-feely now, I love it!” you squealed, tightening your embrace as he gave you another one.

“Shit, I’m so hungry I could eat tons, are you hungry?” he asked you excitedly before running somewhere, maybe his caravan and coming back with a bag of potato chips, taking a handful of them.

“Ooooh so good.” he hummed before offering some to you, it was really nice to be free and have fun like that, being on set could be quite harsh for the mind sometimes. You were the first one who had the effects dissipating, you sighed you had to go to makeup to shoot two hours or so.

“Alright I gotta go” you announced, gently pushing Joaquin off of you, you got back up, brushing away the dirt on your pants.

“What already?” muttered Joaquin, he had those sad puppy eyes that made you want to stay with him forever.

“Th effects should dissipate for you soon, stay here a bit more” You bended over to kiss the top of his head. “I enjoyed spending more time with you, maybe we should do that more often?” you tempted finding courage in yourself. Joaquin blinked a few times, thinking about what you had suggested.

“Cool...I mean yeah I´d love too!” he answered with a grin “and thanks for the...I feel much better now” he added sweetly, you winked at him mischievously before turning on your heels and going to the makeup trailer, he was such sensitive and tender guy, and you had fallen for him.

Tag list: @arcticmonkais @amourtiara @sirianfromsixties @sweetness-doesnt-touch-my-face @live-love-loki @lyoongx @skaravile @jaylovesbats @niniitah-ah @cumberbitching @dirrtyginger @valentina15 @weirdflecksbutok

#Joaquin Phoenix #joaquin phoenix imagine #joaquin phoenix x reader

55 notes · View notes

kurtty-drabbles · 4 years ago

Text

House of M au - Redone (part 2)

N/A: Let´s continue this au. I think.

@dannybagpipesarecalling @djinmer4 @tieflingteeth @muninandhugin

The Red Guard is a conception as old as Genosha itself-which is a bit ironic as Genosha is not as older as some people seem to consider- and Raven Darkholme is one of the few people that know how old Genosha truly is. Raven Darkholme is a shapeshifter and installs the idea of never asking a shapeshifter her/his age is a taboo that shouldn´t be disclosed.

Kurt Wagner Darkholme is one of few people to know sure secret and promises to take to his grave-an inside joke among son and mother-although, right now, his mind is far too focused on recent events to care for jokes.

Passing through some of his co-workers. Kurt slams the door to his mother´s office and is a pair of golden eyes look out, somehow bored at this entrance- Kurt has the mind to use his tail to close the door- and crosses his arms as he is ready to drop the bomb. "Who is Kitty Pryde?"

Raven Darkholme couldn´t be more bored with this question if she wanted. "Hi, son! how are you, son? Me? I´m fine, thanks for asking" her tone is dry as her eyes are back to the papers. You see, the Red Guards are all about action and it´s also involved in lots of paperwork.

Kurt doesn´t look too chastised at this. "I´m talking about Juggernaut´s accident...by the way, will Marko Kurt" and he looks deadpan by the fact a criminal shares the same name as him. "will be put in maximum security?"

Now, Raven shows her teeth. Is a fitting metaphor for the fearsome leader of the Red Guard. "Actually, Marko is powerless without his magic helmet...he´ll put in the common criminal cellar, along with the other common criminals" and her smile looks more devious. "As we´d inform him how his precious helmet is being melted...no more magic helmet" and Kurt arch his eyebrows at this.

"And it is?"

"Oh, Kurt...does it really matters?"

And this debate-and any moral implication- is deemed over. Well, Kurt Wagner disagrees. "mother, please" he pleads now and is unwavering sincere. "In the Juggernaut case...a woman, a civilian as far I can tell" and Kurt is showing such suspicious on his face is almost comic. Almost. "and she faces Juggernaut on her own and even had the nerve to ask for one of my swords ..." Kurt states. Raven is bored again.

"Kurt, if I were to give a fuck to every lady you meet that do anything to jump into your bed...I would be like this" and her face twist to an old crone with white hair and bad teeth. Kurt is not amused. "So, I do not see the big picture only you see"

"She stands Juggernaut...how many people can do that and be still alive?" and Kurt grins as Raven is no longer bored. "My point is, what if she´s from the Project X?" and now Raven is giving him her sole attention.

"Kurt, we dismantled that program way before you were even born. Way before Rogue was even born..." Raven commence. "Logan James Howlett is one of the last candidates...and he´s spending his life as a rich playboy...if, and I want to be clear here on the if, IF this woman is from the project X...why she would content herself in being a history teacher?" and Raven feels she struck a nerve on Kurt.

"Look, I´d not know. OK? Logan is a special case on its own. Maybe she wanted to have some normalcy...my point is: I need your permission to access the big data. I need to know more about this woman, if she´s part of the program X...we need to know...what if she gets some power up? Laura suffered that and if we´re not there...things would have turned grimly for everyone" Kurt concludes somewhat smugly. His reason has some base.

Raven rests her face on the palms of her hands. "Denial!" and it shocks her son´s to the very core. "I´ll not authorize privacy invasion for a flimsy excuse, yes, she may be from the program X, but, let´s be honest...there like 1% or less of a chance of being true...son, hear me out" now Raven is pleading. As a mother. Never as a leader. "the program was closed years ago. This Kitty Pryde is not from the Program X...but, if you feel there´s something wrong about her...you don´t need to use our data" she stops and looks at her only son.

"You´re Kurt Wagner" she starts in a sing-song tone. And Kurt starts to use the name Mom as a warning. "The heartthrob of Genosha...what lady would refuse such the Amazing Nightcrawler!" and she has a wide grin on her face and Kurt is completely bemused.

"Thanks, that´s useless"

"Anytime, son"

_______________________________________________________________________________________

The Sunshine School is not one of the elite- even if the name gives this impression- and it includes many professionals that are doing their best for the future generation of Genosha. There´re a majority of mutant teachers- a rule Magneto created in his first year and is hard to ignore it- however, there´re some humans working in the school as well.

Right now, Jono Starmore is teaching the kids about telepathy. Of course, as the man is mute. His entire class is in silence- if one is to look from outside, it sure paints an odd picture- as the teaching carries on.

Jubilation Lee is watching the class- Telepathy 101- from afar and is not thinking the scene is too strange. She watches as Jono being still and showing little changes in his expression and makes the mistake of making a soft sigh. A mistake the other teachers caught on pretty quick.

"Oh, someone is in love!" Bobby teased. And Monet-who is doing her nails- didn´t need to look up to Jubilation or Bobby to see what´s the image is being folded. "Jubilee is so obvious. Too obvious...is pathetic and adorable at the same time" and Jubilee remembers she promised to the principal she wouldn´t kill Monet- she made a promise and she is trying to uphold. She´s trying- even if the temptation is strong.

"I´m not sure what you guys are talking about...I´m just happy we have a telepath that has some morals....unlike your old buddy, Emma...how is she, Monet?" Jubilee hissed as Monet looks unimpressed.

"Still being the White Bitch we know. We love and we hate" Monet summarizes the situation in one line. "And you? Done pinning over a silent boy?"

Kitty pipes in. Her coffee is not that great, but, will keep her awake until she has time to take a nice nap. "Hey, leave her alone. If she has a crush" Jubilee vehemently denies even if she´s blushing. "let her deal with that. Teasing will not help our dear friend who is crushing someone"

"Et Tu, Kitty?"

And there´s an easy feeling among them. Bad coffee is more agreeable if you have a good company. It even helps to forget problems in the past.

Jubilee changes the subject quickly. "So, Kitty...how was facing Juggernaut?" and people forget about Jubilee´s crush-for now- as they bomb Kitty with questions.

Payback!

"Uhm...it was ok...I meet Nightcrawler...also I saw Rogue punching Juggernaut"

"Rogue?! She´s the coolest!" they all agreed. _______________________________________________________________________________________

"I mean, you saw Rogue!" Bobby is walking with Kitty as they´re responsible to clean the small festival their class made. Bobby is almost jumping like a little boy who got a present way earlier. "How is she?" and Kitty almost laughs.

"No one going to ask if I´m alright?" inquires poorly faking being angry. Kitty is not a great actress.

"Are you Kitty Pryde, right?" is all Bobby can respond. They pick the trash-the students abused in ribbons and glitter for their small festival- and are moving outside to throw away in the correct garbage can. "I can totally believe you punch God in the face...you and Monet have that bitch energy"

"I´ll not take offended because I know you and Monet. So, instead, I´ll say ...thank you"

"But aside seeing Rogue in all her awesomeness. You meet Nightcrawler...is he as handsome as the photos promise?" only Bobby to make this question. No, actually, many people would make this question.

Kitty mulls for a minute. Oh, many ladies would say how handsome he is. Kitty? She has to think about it. "He has golden eyes..."

"Man...you see Rogue and Nightcrawler and didn´t get an autograph?"

"Nah...Rogue was too busy and Nightcrawler was working...plus, my students record the whole exchange" Kitty promises to show the videos if Bobby truly wants to see. Kitty didn´t even need to ask. However, as they´re about to return to the school. Something happens. Rather...someone happens.

"KATYA!" his Russian voice is too familiar to Kitty and it can´t be no one else but Piotr Rasputin. "Are you cheating me with this man?" and Bobby is really confused.

"I´m gay buddy, and even if I wasn´t...she doesn´t seem to want to see you" and this was the wrong thing to say as Piotr is furious and is marching like a bull without thinking twice.

Bobby´s ice is strong, sadly, for once...Piotr´s stubbornness is beyond any logic and the ice is the first victim. Kitty touches Bobby making him and her unchangeable. And she quickly phases him down as Piotr is not thinking clearly.

"So...that´s your ex?"

"That´s my biggest mistake!"

___________________________________________________________________________________________ Kurt is more than aware of his effects on women. He´s acutely aware how some ladies do eye him different-his big sister often jokes she can go anywhere with him without a lady trying to flirt with him- accordingly, follow his mother´s suggestion wouldn´t be an impossible choice, however, Kurt is trying not to be a manslut-there´re limits he needs to respect and he needs and wants the ladies to respect his own limits- Kurt wants to know more about this history teacher.

Arriving in her school wouldn´t be too stalkerish-Oh, he sure hopes not- as he wants to inform her about the Juggernaut's case-nothing fair in this scenario and certainly not problematic on his part- as soon Kurt arrives in the school...he sees a man cover in metal slamming his fist on the ground shouting the word "Katya" like a lunatic.

And Kurt has to rescue whoever this Katya is. Fighting a man with metal skin is a tricky situation- Rogue would punch his face and be done. Oh, how he sometimes envy her super-strength- But thanks to his swords and his teleportations prowess. The lunatic was defeated.

And a woman phased in with another man. Kitty Pryde looks at the unconscious Piotr Rasputin and back to Kurt. "He´s not dead...he´s drowsy...is he your husband?" Kurt asked not sure what to ask. He saw this behavior with abusive husbands in the past.

Kitty frowns. "No, thank god...what will happen with him?"

Kurt looks at her. She looks shaken-rightfully so- and at the same time, her eyes hold a fury-direct to Piotr. Not Kurt, an important detail to notice- and then looks at her companion. "If you press charge...he´ll be arrested and won´t be able to hurt you or anyone else ever again"

Kitty is looking at Bobby as if asking his opinion. "That lunatic almost killed us...yes, let´s press charge..."

Kitty looks ashamed. "I should have press charges way back" she mutters and looks way different from the first time Kurt saw it- Kurt won´t lie and say he has any sympathize for Piotr- "I´ll press charges as well" _____________________________________________________________________________________

Queen Wanda is not exactly happy to know her sons- her precious boys- were almost kidnapped and it was thanks to the wannabe kidnapper´s stupidity that this grim scenario didn´t happen. In fact, she´s happy it wasn't her kids or even an innocent kid.

However, she´s the Queen. And a Queen shouldn´t let this incident goes by without taking some action. So, Pietro and Lorna are discussing what could lead Juggernaut, of all people, to try to kidnap the princes of Genosha.

"Juggernaut is strong and dumb...so, he wouldn´t come with this idea alone...or would he?" Wanda begins.

"He´s not a mutant, right? Are we sure this isn´t just a case of Mutant envy? Look, you´re really, really powerful and some humans seem to think you can give and take powers" Lorna adds to the conversation.

"Are we sure this has nothing to do with our father?" Pietro asked and Wanda sighs as she knows where this will go. Lorna and Pietro have different views in regards to Magneto.

"Pietro, the man is not even here...why he would do this with his own grandchildren?"

"Why he would try to kill his own kids?"

"Enough!" Wanda cuts them before the argument gets uglies. "Pietro, Magneto is not here...and Lorna, Magneto will forever be a bad memory for us, please, respect this"

"Look...what if Wakanda influenced Juggernaut?" Pietro pipes in and Lorna seems to take this idea.

"Yeah, Genosha and Wakanda aren´t allies nor enemies...and again, Wanda, you´re so powerful...people are bound to want some leverage against you"

Wanda frowns at such words.

"Let´s look at this way, maybe this is an isolated case...and we´ll not have to worry, but, if not...we can be ready to do whatever it can to protect Genosha and our family" Pietro promised and Wanda agrees.

"Revanche aka Kwanon is having a chat with Juggernaut...soon we´ll know what this man wanted...worry before time never helps anyone, sister" Lorna concludes softly and Wanda nods. She hopes this is an isolated case.

#House of M redone au #kurt wagner #kitty pryde #Piotr is Piotr #this is not me bashing him...this is me using what he did in canon against him #wanda maximoff #pietro maximoff #lorna dane #jubilee lee #jubs has a crush #In this house we respect Kwanon

6 notes · View notes

steebharringt0n · 5 years ago

Text

cat’s in the cradle

infant | toddler | child | teenager | young adult

a 5-part story exploring the relationship between billy hargrove and his first-born son, adam

pairing: billy hargrove x you

rating: t

a/n: GUESS WHO’S COMPUTER DELETED THIS ENTIRE STORY OVER THE WEEKEND, THEN CRASHED. LOL. yeah, i was pissed, anyways, the final part will be posted tomorrow, and Sanctuary will be updated later in the week. As always, thank you for your patience and for your support.

---

part 4 - teenager

17-year old Adam Hargrove was fucked.

No scratch that, he was dead where he stood.

Fear slid it’s cool claws over his neck as his eyes gazed over the camaro. He swallowed thickly, his stomach lurching as his eyes landed on the heavily dented front bumper of his father’s precious car.

“Oh my god, dad is going to kill you”

He didn’t even have to turn around to know that his 12-year old little sister was standing behind him. The Hargrove siblings stood outside their driveway, their attention both on the blue camaro in the garage. He twisted his neck to face a smirking Ava, her arms crossed as she carefully walked around the car, analyzing the dented bumper with her own eyes.

“Did you really think taking the camaro out was a good idea?” she questioned.

Adam licked his lips, he felt the sudden urge to vomit his entire dinner but he fought against it, “At the time ... yes ... now ... not so much ... “

His eyes landed on his 2000 Honda Accord parked adjacent to the camaro. His father had gifted him the car when he turned 16. It was a perfectly nice car, there was nothing wrong with it, but he was hanging out with Gina Sanderson and he knew his little green car wouldn’t be nearly as impressive as his father’s 78′ Camaro. He had a reputation to maintain at Sunset Cliff High, all thanks to the myth, the legend that was his father, Billy Hargrove.

It wasn’t that Adam was unpopular. In fact, if you asked anybody at Sunset Cliff about Adam Hargrove, you’d hear good things about him. Adam had lost his baby fat throughout his formative years, his jaw line chiseling out, looking more and more like his father everyday. He had traded his square frames for contacts which made his baby blues shine out more than before. He was the captain of the baseball team, his long hours of training and running had helped sculpt his body into one that the ladies loved to ogle at. And he was an all around good guy, he got straight A’s, got along well with his AP teachers.

But when word quickly got out that he was Billy Hargrove’s - yes, the Billy Hargrove - son. He knew he had to up the ante just a bit more, and taking the camaro for a joy ride (and inviting the most popular girl at school as well), was just the thing he needed to maintain that high status at school.

It was a last minute impulsive decision. Adam wasn’t really one for impulsive decisions, he was logical, he liked to think things through. He wasn’t big on rule breaking, which was something his parents loved to pride on. But something in him snapped, his rebellious streak made a small appearance tonight and he was highly regretting listening to the devil on his shoulder.

It’s not like he had $500 dollars to spare, or an extra 78′ Camaro bumper lying around as well.

He was sure his parents - more so his father - would be understanding about this, right? It’s not like he was warned his whole life never to touch the camaro, never to be inside the camaro without his father, hell, he wasn’t sure if he was ever allowed to breathe inside the camaro.

Was it worth taking Gina out on a joyride? The Adam from about an hour ago would have told you, absolutely yes. He relished in seeing the way her eyes lit up when he showed up at her house, the way her hair blew wildly in the wind as she loudly sang along to The Killers, Somebody Told Me. And when they arrived at the cliff that overlooked Mission Beach, and how the moonlight struck her, he swore he had never seen something so perfect in his life.

If you asked Adam now, he would probably tell you no. That he hadn’t seen that stupid fire hydrant when he made that sharp left out of Gina’s neighborhood. It was a poor excuse, but hell, it was the truth. That in reality, it wasn’t worth losing his freedom over.

“How much longer until mom and dad get home?” he asked nervously.

Ava shrugged, “You got about less than a hour - mom called about half an hour ago, said they’d be leaving soon”

You and Billy were currently attending a black-tie Gala for the educators in San Diego. You were being honored a prestigious award for your work with at risk youth, a mission that you held very near and dear to your heart ever since you met Billy. You witnessed first hand how abuse could warp and change a person - you remember long nights staying up with Billy, tending to his wounds, letting him cry on your shoulder, and just holding him until his nightmares of Neil would go away.

Never again did you want any child to go through that.

Billy (or now more commonly known as Bill, which weirded you out) still ran the very successful automotive shop, and managed to open up 2 more locations in the surrounding areas. The Hargroves were well off, money wasn’t an issue to them and because Billy was so tight with the dealerships in the area, cars always came and went, but he always had a soft spot for his beloved camero.

The bright headlights that suddenly pulled up on the driveway broke Adam’s concentration. The 2004 black BMW pulled to a stop on the driveway, the driver of the car wondering why his two children were currently hanging outside in front of the garage.

“Oh this is gonna be good” smirked Ava as she watched her parents step out of the car. Billy was dressed up in a white button-up, a black bow-tie attached at the top near the collar. His hair was neatly cut short, long abandoning the days of his mullet. He looked older, wrinkles donning the corners of his eyes and near his forehead, but even still at almost 40 years old, he looked good. You stepped out next, your figure was delicately clothed in a long black strapless dress, hugging your hips and curves. Your hair was pulled up in a bun, with two curled strands of hair that crowned your face. If you told people you were on your way to turn 40, they probably wouldn’t believe you.

You instantly frowned at the scene in front of you, there’s no reason why both of your children should be out this late. Your eyes gazed over at them, Ava who was looking very amused, and Adam who looked like he was on the verge of tears. Then as your eyes wandered over to the garage, and as you saw the dented camaro, did your stomach instantly dropped.

And you immediately knew the culprit.

“Oh Adam ... “ you muttered.

You looked over at Billy who’s jaw was clenched tight, his nostrils flaring. You could tell he was trying to bite his tongue, trying not to unleash loud explicits in the quiet neighborhood. Over the years Billy had learned how to manage his anger, with a lot of coaxing and learning from you, he wasn’t the same Billy Hargrove that terrorized the halls of Hawkins. But this, this could have easily made him snap back into that.

You quickly walked up to Ava, wrapping your arm around her shoulder.

“This is between your father and Adam ... we don’t need to stay out here” you whispered to her.

Ava’s jaw dropped, “But mooooooom ... “ she whined, following your lead as the both of you quietly walked into the house, leaving both Hargrove men outside in the cool California night.

Adam stayed planted on his feet, his brain was telling him to move, but he couldn’t do it.

“H-Hi Dad ... “ he weakly spoke.

Billy quickly made large strides up to the garage, walking past an anxious Adam. He walked around the camaro, inspecting it from every side. He then poked his head on the inside, checking the leather, the seats, and even to see if it still turned on. Once he realized everything else worked, and everything else wasn’t broken, or dented, he walked up to the front of the camaro, crouching down and inspecting the dented bumper carefully.

“I-I’m sorry dad, I know I fucked - I mean I messed up, and I’m really sorry. It was so stupid of me, I should have never done it, and I understand if you never want to talk to me again - “

“What’d you hit it with?” he interjected, his tone heavy.

Adam swallowed, “A fire hydrant”

Billy let a deep sigh escape his lips, lowering his head down in disappointment. He then stood up, and in one fluid motion, pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his inner coat pocket. He leaned up against the camaro, placing a stick in between his lips. He then offered the carton to Adam,

“Go on, take one, I’m sure this night has been stressful enough for you” he murmured.

Adam blinked blankly. He never knew his father smoked, let alone allow him to smoke after he had damaged his car. He hesitantly reached for one, holding it in his hand as Billy pulled out a zippo lighter, and lit up the stick. Billy took a deep inhale, his eyes staring out into the distance.

“Don’t tell your mother, she’d kill me” he quietly added, tossing him the zippo lighter.

Adam quietly nodded, lighting up the cigarette, inhaling, then going into a crazy coughing fit soon after.

“Easy there, don’t inhale too much ... the first time always suck” Billy said, patting his son’s back.

After Adam had quieted down, there was silence amongst the two.

“You know, I saved up my own money to buy the camaro ... I worked every day that summer of 83′, my old man wasn’t too happy that I decided to spend my money on a car, hell, he wasn’t happy with a lot of the decisions I made in life, including being with your mother”

Adam stood quiet, Billy rarely ever brought up Neil. It was taboo in the family to ever bring up Neil. Adam didn’t know much, but he knew that he wasn’t a good guy, even his Aunt Max would mention every now and then how terrible Neil used to be to her and his father.

So he never asked, never wondered about his grandfather.

“I drove this camero from California to Indiana. Had a lot of great memories in this camero ... it’s where I took your mother on our first date, where she first told me that she loved me, hell I think you might have been conceived in there” he added that last part in with a chuckle.

Right at that moment Adam had decided to inhale another puff, and ultimately choked on it as Billy finished that last sentence.

“Why are you telling me this? Shouldn’t you be yelling at me? Wanting to rip my head off?” Adam asked.

Billy let out a chuckle, “You know, the old me would have been livid, furious at you.” Billy paused for a second, licking his lips before he took another inhale of the cigarette. “But you’re a good kid Adam, you always have been. Even when you were a little baby your mother and I never had any problems with you. I mean when I was your age I was beating people up, I was awful, I was mean. I honestly don’t know how your mother, or really anyone, put up with me back in the day”

Adam shuffled his feet, kicking a pebble with his foot.

“T-Thanks dad ... but I mean, I messed up your car, you’ve always told me that I wasn’t allowed to drive it, or even touch it”

Billy turned to look over at Adam, “My car? You mean yours”

He then reached into his pocket, pulling out the spare keys of the camaro and placing it into Adam’s shaking hands.

His blue eyes widened in surprise, “Holy shit ... are you serious? What about my Honda Accord?”

Billy shrugged, “Ah, I’ll save it for your sister. We’ve had enough cars come through our garage”

Adam stared at the keys in his hand in awe. He shoved it in his pocket, then threw his cigarette down to the ground and engulfed his father in a hug.

“Thanks dad ... I could’t have been a good kid without having a dad like you” he muttered.

Billy wrapped his arms around his son, closing his eyes and leaning into his embrace. He felt his heart lurch at Adam’s words, tears pricked the corner of his eyes but he quickly wiped them away with the swipe of his hand. Never in a million years did he ever think a child of his would utter those words.

Billy pulled away from Adam, who’s eyes were still wide with surprise.

“Was the girl cute?” Billy suddenly questioned, his top lip curled into a smirk.

Adam avoided his father’s gaze, his cheeks blushing.

“C’mon, she must have been cute for you to become all Mr. Rebel Without A Cause” Billy pressed on, gently jabbing him in the ribs.

“Yeah, yeah, she’s cute I guess” he finally admitted, a small smile on his face as he recalled kissing her before he dropped her off.

Billy put out his cigarette, stomping it out with his dress shoes as he put his arm around Adam’s shoulder. The two of them started to walk towards the entrance of the house.

“Too bad you won’t see her for awhile, because you’re grounded for a month” he deadpanned.

Adam whipped his head, a look of desperation on his face as they walked through the front door, “Oh, c’mon Dad!”

---

tagged: @the-first-breath-of-autumn-air @justabeautiful-letdown @fab-notfat @tarahell @noodlenerd101 @crazylittlethingcalledobsession @letdecemberburninflames @kake-babe @barbarasbae @delqcour @wearewiththebands @oogachuggaoogaoogachugga @klanceiscannon14 @mrs-hollandstan @gracieadorable

#billy hargrove #billy hargrove x reader #billy hargrove x you #billy hargrove fanfiction #billy hargrove imagine

304 notes · View notes