#UGH. It makes my head spin to be sitting here like yes the most respectful thing for me to do seems to be reach out and learn

[acronym49]

Obey Me! Characters react to mc being a dragon

(trying my hand at writing headcanons, let me know what you think! Other brothers + dateables are a work in progress)

__Lucifer__

He's not optimistic. His brothers are hard enough as it is, but adding in a new large creature? It'd be better to just keep you down with Cerberus. Maybe he'd enjoy the new playmate.The annoyance turns to intrigue when he learns you have the mind of any other demon (or person, if you will). And you can speak? Strange. This wont make him like you by any means, of anything he will be very distrusting. As you live there, though, he starts getting used to you. He even enjoys your odd antics, and especially the way you can rally in any ensuing chaos (despite how often you cause it).On one or two rare occasions, he'd absently try to pet you on the head when he was in that 'dead tired from paperwork' state. Depending on your reaction, he might do it more. When/if he does end up falling for you, expect to be near him a lot (obviously). There's not so many head-pats, but he likes to have you sit next to him while he's working or reading, sometimes absently stroking you neck or asking your opinion on whatever he's working with. There'll definitely be some teasing as to how catlike you are at times, but he means it lovingly. *he might put a collar on you if you ask-*He wouldn't ever be the type to outright ask to ride on your back, but I have the feeling he'd make subtle hints to it.'Ah, darn, the ride canceled last second. How can we get there now?' Ykyk. He'll turn you down the first time when you ask if he wants to fly with you, but that's just the pride talking for him. He'd love nothing more. After all, one of the most powerful lords of hell swooping in upon a dragon? You two would be an awe-inspiring duo, that's for sure.

__Mammon__

Ugh, he's gotta watch the new student? Lame! Humans are so- what the fuck is that?He dosen't know how to react at first. This is the thing he's looking after? It'll be awkward for the first few days, but as we know, he falls for MC fast. Awkward silence changes to him griping about how you always have to follow him. After the pact, though, he realizes you're not so bad. You tease him a little bit, sure, but he notices how you praise him, too. Just simple compliments, like how he looks good in his shades, how he's so good at math, how he's super fun to be around. It makes him feel better, y'know? Other demons also seem to be a bit less inclined to make fun of him when you're around, especially when you growl at them for being so openly mean. After a little bit of time, you two are basically glued at the hip. Depending on the kind of MC you are, you two could be the ultimate partners in crime or the closest confidants (or both!). There'll never be a boring moment with you two.It wont take him too long to ask to fly on you (probably be one of the first things he asks you tbh- it's like a joy-ride squared)He'd be respectful but mopey if you say no, but if you say yes? That's a happy demon on your hands right there. Be sure to set some boundaries, though, he might not wanna go by car anymore (like when you give a hognose snake a toad and they refuse to go back to pinkies lmfao). He'll try and get you to learn some aerial maneuvers, maybe how to spin or go upside-down (it's harder than it looks). When you two aren't flying or causing chaos together, you're both just hanging out. When he's relaxed, he likes to trace his hand over your smooth skin/scales/feathers/fur. He can't help it, the texture's just so soothing. Don't point it out, though, he'll go BRIGHT red. He likes it when you two watch movies together, or when you browse Devilgram with him over his shoulder. Feel free to nuzzle him and cuddle up, this man loves it. Sometimes he returns the favor, using you as his own sort of couch while he talks with you, sometimes giving you a peck here and there.

__Leviathan__

Oh this man is hyped from the start. A whole-ass dragon? LIVING with him and his brothers? What could be cooler? He has an internal war between wanting to get a good look at you and being really nervous to get too close. That nervousnes amps up when he realizes you can talk. You might think he's a hallucination at first with how fast he darts out of sight the moment you try and look at him. Fortunately, Mammon's debt to him is what spurs your first interaction. After, he's a little bit more ok with being percieved. He plays it cool at first, not wanting to seem too pushy, but he can't help but barrage you with questions when he gets the chance. It's actually quite a fun time, especially if you love infodumping as much as he (and I) does. You ask your own share of questions as well, about the Devildom, about him, about the games and figures he loves. As you two get more relaxed with one another, you both love to sit and chat about each other's hyperfixations. You can't exactly game with him due to your talons (not comfortably, anyways), but he lets you watch over his shoulder while he games. It makes his victories that much sweeter, and any losses a tad more bearable. Sometimes he lets you go on the mic to startle or taunt the other players, just for fun. It's hard to tell exactly when the relationship begins and the friendship ends, it's a smooth transition that neither of you really notice until you're literally cuddled up together, watching Assasination Classroom on his phone at 2am. It takes a surprising while for him to ask to fly with you. You may have to be the one to bring it up, actually. Nervous the whole time, 100%. He may decline, but upon numerous reassurances he'll agree. I think it's like... that test drive scene from httyd. It's so unfamiliar at first, being high up, with the wind blowing so fiercely. After a while, though, something clicks with him. He'll gain that confidence, guiding you (with your permission) where he wants to go. Something about that wild, windswept sensation of being a mile up in the air melts his nerves. It's just you two and the sky. The others are def gonna be jealous about how well you fly together.

(Feel free to tag with your dragon ocs! Sorry for any spelling errors lmao my eyes tend to skip over words sometimes)

[princessofprocrastination]

The Faceless Youtuber (Sapnap)

MASTERLIST

pairing : sapnap / nick armstrong x reader 

summary : people often pressure faceless youtubers to reveal themselves. but for you, you were happy to show it to the world. but were they ever ready to see who you actually are? (fluff)

a/n : hi! i know it’s been awhile since i wrote a sapnap one, so here it is. (finally it’s not an angst.) AU 

-

 the first faceless legend that anyone could really think off would probably be sia. she kept herself secluded, always performing on big stages with her face covered, until she didn’t.

you loved your time being a faceless youtuber. you enjoyed it, if you say so yourself. you knew that once you let the world know what you look like, you can’t really take it back, no matter how many people respected your decision, there would still be a couple who don’t. 

the world knew very little of you, just your first name, and maybe which state you lived in. you liked to keep them anticipating and kept in the dark. 

they also knew that you were for some reason close with the twitch streamer, karl jacobs. the same karl jacobs that is always on mr beast’s videos. when they kept asking you two questions, you would tell them that the two of you simply met through mutual friends. 

of course, being friends with the opposite gender, or not would mean that there would be certain rumours, which included that the two of you are dating, or that the two of you are siblings. 

you laughed and played along sometimes at their stupid theories but it seemed like no one really had guessed who you actually are. 

honestly, you weren’t sure how no one has figured out who you are, or even just whose sibling you are. 

granted, it wasn’t often that you appeared in your brother’s videos, but you appeared in a couple, enough for at least a couple people to figure it out. 

being a friend of karl meant that you were friends with his friends, so you’ve met and spoken to everyone he knows, which obviously included everyone that’s in the dream smp.

so you’ve met everyone on the smp, eventually you got so close to dream that he allowed you into the smp. 

being karl’s fiance and all, you’ve definitely met quackity and sapnap before. and for some reason, you and them clicked so well. 

you and sapnap got really close whilst you joined the smp, being a year younger than he is. he treated you like his sister almost. 

what he didn’t know was that you hated that he treated you as his little sister. but what he doesn’t know, wouldn’t hurt him. 

you and your brother had a couple times talked about what you should do, or how you should do your face reveal. 

and it clicked to you that your brother is doing a spin on youtube rewind for 2020. and since everyone pretty much was on lockdown or in another country, he couldn’t really film people so he asked content creators to send him certail clips he wanted for the big video. 

so you brought it up to him, and not to everyone’s surprise, he loved the idea. also being the fact that he wanted to troll people about dream’s face reveal, he liked the idea of an actual faceless youtuber making a face reveal in his video. 

if people reading this hadn’t figured it out yet, yes, you are indeed the sister of the mighty mr beast. as fun as that sounds, life can get chaotic with him around, which was one of the reasons you moved out, away from him. though not far, it felt good to be able to wake up to no screaming. 

you’ve definitely thought about the consequences of doing a face reveal on his channel. 

first of all, would people even know you enough to acknowledge you? you’ve also been in the background of some mr beast videos, but they knew you as a crew member. 

of course you told your brother about your concerns, but him being his bubbly self, he told you to never say that about yourself ever again, and that your face reveal would top of dream’s future face reveal. 

-

although you and sapnap, or nick, are close, you’ve never showed him your face, and never revealed to him that you are jimmy’s sister. he respected that, and told you once that it was your choice and never rushed you to show him your face. 

but that didn’t mean you guys didn’t facetime. but instead of your face, he’d see your ceiling. 

he was one of the first people to know that you were planning to do a face reveal on mr beasts’ channel. 

you remembered exactly how the facetime conversation went. 

“sappyyy.” you greeted as the texan boy answered your facetime call. you wanted to tell him your plans as of december 2020. 

“i’m doing a face reveal on mr beast’s 2020 rewind.” you went straight to the point, not wanting to drag it out. you never understood the point, anyways. 

“holy shit, really?” you could see his face as he asks you, in shock. you nodded to him. 

“since we all know dream is really just trolling, jimmy said i could fill in the void in people’s hearts after that.” you laughed, remembering what your brother told you. 

“wait, that means he gets to see your face first?” he asked you. you nodded again. 

“ugh. he never loses, does he?” he jokes around, laughing towards the end of the sentence, clearly clueless about the two of you being siblings.

-

time came for the countdown for the premier of the video. you were nervous, but more excited. you couldn’t wait for people to see you, and to get to know more about the dynamics of you and jimmy’s sibling-ship. 

when you tweeted out a teaser video for the mr beasts’ rewind, everyone was pumped. and although a lot of people knew deep in their hearts that dream wasn’t actually going to do a face reveal, they still had that little bit of hope left in them. 

nonetheless, they were really excited to finally see you, and to get to know more about you, besides knowing which part in america you live in, and what your voice sounds like. 

you saw yours and dream’s name trending on twitter for the face reveal. while you waited for the countdown to touch zero, you scrolled through twitter, to see what they were talking about. 

some were making theories about the face reveal, saying that it was sus that dream and you wanted to do one together, that the two of you were dating. some say that the both of you were just going to troll everyone and isn’t actually doing a face reveal. 

you laughed at some of the stupid tweets you read. they were all definitely in for a treat. 

your brother, jimmy was talking to his cameraman as everyone was anticipating to watch the video. obviously he wanted to document this, he felt a sense of pride for you. also, you brought him a lot of views, according to him. 

you sat next to karl, texting nick as you bounced your leg in mixture of excitement and nerves. 

“oh my god, stop. it will all go well.” karl’s hand stops your annoying leg bouncing as he rests it on your thigh. 

“i can’t help it, after this video, everyone will know what i look like.” you told him. honestly, you didn’t care about what the public would think about you, you were more worried about what nick would think. 

what if he thought you looked weird or just generally didn’t like what you looked like. 

as if karl could hear your thoughts, he said. “he will think you’re the most beautiful girl he’s ever laid his eyes upon.” 

you rocked yourself in the chair you sat to calm yourself down. and just in time, your brother’s video started playing. 

-

SAPNAP’S POV

everyone thinks her and i have this amazing sibling relationship but none of them really know how much i hate that word so much. 

siblings. 

do we not look good together? granted, no one really knows what you look like, but why don’t people ship us together as much as they ship you with all the other guys?

i pushed that hurtful thought down my chest, though. this was it. i can finally see what she looks like. not just the top of her beautiful, healthy hair. not just the side of her neck. 

i watched through the entire mr beast video, seeing all the small creators who have became successful during the pandemic, you being one of them. 

i watched as clips of yours and dream’s youtube videos and streams popped up. i smiled hearing your soft voice talking in the background of the video. 

knowing mr beast, he would put all the important parts towards the end, so i had to sit down and watch the whole video. not that i minded, though. 

there was another thing i was curious about. i knew dream isn’t actually going to show his face, but what if you did the same thing, too? 

you wouldn’t, right?

i bounced both my legs as it came towards the end of the video. 

at that point, they were playing the dream’s supposed face reveal. i chuckle as dream removed his cardboard sign to reveal a mask. i was sure everyone knew that this was coming, anyway. 

then, your part came. 

i heard people in the background of the video talking a little bit about you. they were talking about how mysterious you are, and what they expect you to look like. 

the background voices goes quiet, as the screen starts to show your back. 

everyone right now is staring at the back of your head, your shiny hair as you type away on your computer. your hair was put down, not long but longer than shoulder length. 

your hair isn’t a natural colour. it seems like it had a tone of purple in it, just dark. although i hadn’t seen your face, your hair was just what i had expected. 

you heard mr beast call out your name from behind you. 

“hey, uh, sis? i kinda need your help.” i heard him say. 

wait. did i hear that right? 

there is no way he meant it as actual siblings, right? but then, it he didn’t mean it like that, what was the point of saying it. 

i heard you hum as an answer to him, still not turning back. 

“just turn around and see, dear sister.” mr beast himself, said again. 

oh my god. you and him actually are siblings. that basically confirmed it all. 

“why have you said sister twice now?” your voice soft, but confused to why he repeated that word. 

on screen, you slowly turned to face your supposed brother. you looked straight to your brother, finally giving him the attention he wanted.

soon, you realised that there is a camera pointing to your face. your eyes widen, not expecting a large camera pointed to you as you spoke to your brother. 

your eyes visibly flicked from making eye contact with your brother and the camera, confusion still etched on your face. you offered a small smile and wave to the camera as the scene cuts there. 

holy shit. when karl said she’d be pretty, i didn’t think she was going to be gorgeous. is she even in my league? 

the outro rolls in. mr beast has his arm around your shoulders. 

you were wearing something different this time. you wore a blouse under a sweatshirt, tucked in jeans that fitted you so well. goddamn, you are beautiful. 

“hi.” you exclaimed to the camera, now visibly more comfortable. 

i could hear karl say something, though it sounded far. in the next second, karl came in the shot, hugging you, making sure to wrap his arms on your waist, tightening it after a while. you gave karl a small kiss on the lower part of his cheek since he’s slightly taller than you.

queue the ship comments. the little interaction burned me a little but karl’s love language is physical touch and you and him have been friends for a while, so i tried to not think about it too much. 

i focused on the grin on your face as your brother went on to talk about how proud he is of you, and how far you’ve come. 

the video finally ends with you grabbing and holding karl’s hands as you went forward, near the camera to give it a kiss. 

“i love you guys, byeee.” you ended it, pulling the ‘e’ as far as you can. 

the video ends. 

holy shit. i need to call this girl. 

-

YOUR POV 

as the video ends, while the guys and you are laughing at you giving the camera a kiss, your phone goes off. a facetime call from someone you wished to hold like you did to karl. 

you jumped in your seat, on the couch, excited to finally call him and not have to cover your face.

“helloo.” you dragged your ‘o’s.

“you beautiful woman, why would you hide that from me for so long?” his voice louder than usual, almost screaming. he has a large smile on his face that complimented all his facial features. 

you smiled back to him, knowing that he wasn’t actually expecting an answer from you. 

“is karl next to you?” he asked you.

“you called me to talk to your fiance? this is unfair.” you pouted. 

“just you wait, gorgeous. pan the phone to him.” he told you. 

you showed karl’s face on your phone, now karl sitting even closer to you to get a better look of his friend. 

“yes, my betrothed?” karl starts conversating with the man on call. 

“listen here. you are to be far far away from my woman, got it? no hugging her anymore. you can only sit next to her if there’s room for jesus, no closer.” he said seriously. that was intimidatingly hot, you couldn’t lie.

“what? i got her before you did, this isn’t fair at all.” karl whined. 

“nah, before i seclude her from you, i better see some space between you and her.” nick told karl. 

“i guess you’re losing the fiance card, karl.” you told your best friend, laughing. 

karl, although still whining, tried not to laugh along with you and some of the boys who heard your conversations.

you glanced at your brother who was standing opposite you. he gave you a small wink and gave you a thumbs up, mouthing “i approve.”

you rolled your eyes. you glanced at the camera next to jimmy, recording this very conversation. you knew that everyone would not live this one down ever. 

you blushed, remembering the very words nick had said on the call. 

[lihikainanea]

This is a long angsty thought I had so I apologize: Bill and Tiger on vacation with friends and this is the first one with a few new editions to the group. Tiger gets along with all of them, but one night the girl reveals she wants to get with Bill. While Tiger gets a flare of jealousy, the calming waves and shining moon makes her feel a little more vulnerable than normal. She plays it cool, but she can’t help noticing how this girl is nice, she’s a solid friend from what Tiger can tell. She bottles up her emotions from the conversation, going straight to bed without texting or visiting Bill’s room. He’s slightly worried, of course, but just figured she got wasted. She had given him a key to her room so he walked in late to get some lovin, but she’s asleep. He sees the tears on her face, still wet and he knows somethings wrong. She wakes up from his stare and she loses it. He tries being stern with her, but he knew it was really bad when that didn’t work. She sadly tells him and he doesn’t say it’s dumb or that she’s overthinking. He just kisses her, plain stupid, grabbing her face and pulling her onto him. “Every time I look at you, kid. Every single time I look for you specifically and that won’t change.” He says, the warmth in her chest makes her head spin, and she smiles which he returns. “Plus, she spent the night with another guy hear yesterday, she was probably just a little vacation lovesick, just like another girl I know” He says, pinching her bottom. (Okay I’m done, but when she feels up to it he definitely fucks her so good she’s speechless and has to keep repeating that she’s his.)

Ohhhh sweet nani, the thoughts you have given me.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I love it when tiger just kind of gets all up in her head about this thing she has going with Bill, because goddamn if that ain't relatable eh? My friends and I talk about this a lot, about the differences in the way men and women approach dating or hell, even hitting on someone. And we have come to one main conclusion: men will almost always approach and hit on someone WAY the fuck out of their league, and women seldom will.

I don't know about ya'll, but when I see an insanely attractive guy I just like...shut down. I stare at my feet. I mumble. I blush. I want the ground to open up and swallow me whole--and the last thing on my mind is "yo, I'mma hit on this tall drink of water." Like, I would literally rather pull my own teeth out than hit on a guy that is so ridiculously attractive and so COMPLETELY OUT OF MY LEAGUE.

But dudes? Dudes will see a solid 10 walking down the street and think "Thank god I'm a fucking 14 because that bish is mine." It's actually incredible. Like, it's a scientific phenomenon.

For all the confidence that us women lack, the wrong men seem to have absorbed it all by fucking osmosis.

Fascinating.

ANYWAY. I'll bet tiger feels like that a lot. Bill is just...he's so much, you know? On the surface level there's his insane good looks, his height, the fact that he's a rich motherfucker, and he's famous. All of that weighs on tiger's mind, yes, but then she's even worse off because she knows what's underneath too. A kind, gentle mammoth of a man, the most empathic person she has ever met, someone who is incredibly sensitive and who takes such good care of her, worries over her, tries every day to make her happy. And tiger just...tiger will never understand how she got so lucky.

But then alright, it's time for another friend vacation and this time there are a few new additions. People try not to make a big deal out of it but somehow there always is just a slight check in with Bill--nobody does it outright because god Bill would be mortified and so would everyone else, but there is definitely a few mentions of new people joining the vacation and it gives Bill a chance to back out if he's not comfortable with the idea.

And maybe tiger really does genuinely hit it off with one of the girls. She's a real firecracker, and the exact type of person that tiger respects. She's funny, she's pretty as all hell, she's not afraid to make a bit of a fool of herself to make everyone laugh. This girl eats like a trucker and swears like a sailor, and tiger thinks she's good people. So much so that one night maybe the boys go off and do their own thing, macho bonding or some shit, and tiger and this girl grab some drinks and have some good girl bonding time.

But then it happens. A few drinks in, it happens. And this girl absolutely isn't trying any in vino veritas bullshit, this is really just the first opportunity she's had to drill a little deeper.

"So what's his deal?" she asks. Tiger blinks, sips her drink.

"Who's deal?" she replies. But tiger knows exactly who.

"Bill," she says, "Is he single?"

"Oh, uh," tiger knocks back another big sip of her drink, "...Yeah. Yeah he's single."

Because what is she supposed to say? No, he's taken? Then that would lead to questions about why he's on this vacation alone.

The girl gets a devious smirk, steeples her fingers together--and tiger just wants to hit something, because goddamn this girl is cute. Adorable, even. And when she gives a little whoop and a dorky fistpump, tiger feels her stomach drop to the floor--not because she's after Bill, no no, even worse--because she's actually just so perfect for him.

"Diiiiiiibs," the girl says, "Man I've been eyeing that tall drink of water all trip."

"Ha, yeah," tiger stammers awkwardly and downs the rest of her drink, "He's a handsome one."

"Are you cool with it?" the girl asks, and actually places a concerned hand on tiger's knee, "I don't want to...come between anything. If there is anything." Dis bitch is cute as a button and kind. Fuck.

Tiger gives a casual shrug.

"Why wouldn't I be cool with it?" she says, "I....don't have any claim to him."

"Would it be weird for you?"

"Go for it," she mumbles.

And tiger wants to tell this girl to back off, that Bill is claimed, and that Bill is being claimed every goddamn night of this vacation to the point where his back jammed on him again and tiger had to ice it down this morning. But she can't say any of that--and in true tiger fashion, she just gets a little sad about it. Anger and ferocious defensiveness for Bill would be her first reaction if this girl was a real fucking idiot, but god she's just....she's so nice.

"Okay, okay okay okay," the girl smoothes her hair down, starts to look real serious, "Help a bitch out. What should I do?"

And poor tiger, tiger has to sit there the whole night while this girl actually schemes to get her claws into Bill. And tiger is almost forced to help.

She retreats back to her own room that night, nauseated, sad, and with raw emotions bubbling to the surface. And bless your heart sweet nani, bless your heart for knowing mine so well--because the shining moon absolutely gets to her, the call of the crashing waves. Tiger sits out on her balcony for a bit but she just cries. Just lets it all overwhelm her, lets herself feel every emotion she tried to reel in that night as she helped give a girl tips on how to get Bill. And when she's too exhausted, when it's all just too much--she goes to bed. She misses the text messages from Bill--doesn't even look at her phone, actually. Just curls up in Sad Girl form, all balled in on herself, and falls asleep.

And Bill thinks it's pretty strange that she's not responding, and it's even more strange that she didn't let herself into his room which they had agreed would be their place of rendezvous that night. So instead, he does a quick check of the hallways and then Pink Panther's his lanky ass against the wall before deftly swiping his key card in her door and opening it.

And that's exactly how he finds her, cheeks still wet, her own thumb in her mouth, all curled in on herself. Concerned, he traces a gentle finger down her cheek and she stirs.

"Tiger," he crouches down to be eye level with her, "What's wrong?"

She blinks sleepily, bristles a little, and swipes at her cheeks.

"Nothing," she croaks. Her throat is dry from crying, and she winces.

He doesn't say anything. Just brushes his thumbs across her cheeks, keeping her face in his hands.

"Tiger," he says sternly, "We have rules."

"Yellow," she says immediately, "I don't...I don't want--"

"Okay," he soothes, running his hands up her arms, "We won't. But tiger, can you tell me what's wrong?"

"Bill, it's nothing. Let's just go to sleep."

But like, she's cracking. There are fresh tears rolling down her cheeks now, and Bill knows she needs to let something out.

"It's me kid," he says softly, "You can tell me anything."

And like, tiger cracks. It opens the floodgates. She tells him everything--the entire conversation, every little detail of it. When she works herself up too much at some points, when he starts to hear a wheeze in her breath, he puts a steadying hand on her knee to help ground her. But she lets it all out--every detail, everything this girl said about him, everything tiger told her. She's full on crying again by the end, but Bill just listens. He listens, and he waits.

And you know what I love here, nani? God it's so important. Bill doesn't tell her she's nuts. Doesn't tell her she's foolish for ever thinking he wanted anyone but her. Because that's not what will get through to her. Instead, just like he always does--he loves her and reassures her in the way that she needs, in the way that she can recognize in that moment.

He waits as she pauses, waits to see if she'll continue, but she doesn't.

"Are you done?" he asks quietly. She nods.

"Can I say something now?" he ducks to catch her gaze, and she nods again. He pulls her into his lap.

"Tiger, it's you," he says simply, "It's you kid. Only, and always."

She sniffles, and he kisses her nose.

"Everybody else can try as much as they want. They can give it their best shot. It won't matter," he continues, "It's you, kid."

Ugh, my fucking heart. It gives her the reassurance that she needs. And listen, over the next few days, Bill finds little ways to reinforce that. Maybe this girl does take a shot at him--and he politely, gently shoots her down. Maybe when tiger is feeling ready for it, man he gives it to her so good that she has to stay in bed the next day, because she's walking funny. It's his secret glances, his small winks, his hand on her knee under the table, rising just a liiiiiiiittle high under the safety of the dark night club.

It's everything she needs, in the way that she needs it.

this ask was a gift nani, thank you.

[infernwetrust]

In His Office [Michael Langdon x Fem Reader]

Summary: A recent change in your shift allows for you to have lunch with Michael at his brand new dealership.

Warnings: SMUT, SMUT, SMUT. Swearing. I think that’s about it.

WC: 2.5k

A/N: This idea came to me recently today lol. We all know Michael Langdon isn’t a stranger to a little office sex. I imagined this one with F&R Michael. Thank you for reading! -Juno

Michael walked around his dealership, hands clasped behind his back as he silently studied his employees at work. Not wanting Michael to always stress over his job as the anti-Christ, you convinced him to pursue something else that he was interested in. Why not start a business, he had thought. He decided that he would own a decent sized car lot, divided into 3 sections; luxury, middle-class, and pre-owned vehicles. The business took off well as he constantly won awards throughout the year whether it be for most sales or outstanding customer service.

He could feel the eyes burning into him as he walked passed, from employees and customers alike. He knew he was attractive. He knew that some of his workers wanted to screw him, but he paid their nasty thoughts no mind. He dressed in all black as usual. A black button up shirt that hugged his figure perfectly, tight black jeans, sporting the Michael Kors belt you had gotten him for his birthday, and his favorite pair of black dress shoes to go with it. He never went anywhere without wearing the platinum chain, which proudly displayed his last name, around his neck. That was also a gift from you.

His hands shifted behind his back and his thumb brushed against his wedding band, causing him smile a little bit as he finished walking the floor, returning to his office and taking a seat at his desk. He looked down at the wedding band, reminding himself of the passionate encounter that the two of you had shared a few nights ago.

"Michael..." you whispered against his lips as he lay comfortably between your legs.

"Hmm, my love?" he questioned, his blue eyes meeting yours, his lips not moving an inch away from yours.

"I want you to wear your ring while you make love to me. I want to see it. I want to be reminded of your commitment to me." He smiled against your lips because funny enough, it was something he always thought of too. Normally he would take it off to avoid it flying off his finger due to any sudden hand movements while the two of you got lost in each other.

"You don't have to tell me twice."

"I have your weekly sales report, Mr. Langdon." his lovely Ms. Mead said, walking into his office and gently placing the folder on his desk. He smiled warmly at her, taking a bite of his now cold bagel before moving the folder closer to him. It was only right that he made her head of the financials. She was so good with numbers and always had Michael's files correctly placed together.

"Now you know you don't have to call me that." he said to her. "Michael, Mike, even son, works just fine for me."

"I know." she said. "But we're in your place of business, my dear. I will always address you with respect."

"You're too good to me, you know that?" All she could do was smile. "Took care of me when no one else would, never left my side, always provided for me. I won't ever be able to thank you enough." She was going to say something else when Michael's front desk receptionist walked into his office, his shirt drenched in coffee.

"Jeremy what the fuck happened to you?"Michael questioned, furrowing his eyebrows as one of his first impression's of his establishment was now completely a mess. "You can't fucking greet people like that. What type of business do you think I'm running here?"

"There's a woman, in the lobby." he began, out of breath. "She keeps demanding that I direct you to her office and that she's your wife. I think she's crazy, but I tried letting her know that you're a very busy man and that she'd have to call in advance to meet with you, but she wouldn't take no for an answer." A smile crept its way across Michael's face as he snapped his fingers, restoring Jeremy's outfit back to its original state. Yup. That was you.

"Yeah, that sounds like my wife." Michael said, grinning alongside Ms. Mead. "Perhaps you should of listened to her the first time."

"But sir, I was just trying to-,"

"Ah ah. I've heard enough. Walk her back here and make sure you get nothing else thrown on you for the rest of the day or your fired. Am I understood?"

"Yes, sir." Jeremy said lowly, turning to exit Michael's office and get you.

"These fucking new hires, huh?" Michael questioned, looking at Ms. Mead.

"You let Jeff and Mutt do the hiring when you really should pass that job along to Gallant. He would make sure the right people were working here."

"That he would. That he would..." Michael agreed, rubbing underneath his chin. And then you walked into the room. With a recent shift change, you now got off at 2PM, which means you were able to meet Michael for his lunches that he took at 2:30. He stared at you, smiling devilishly, running his fingers across his bottom lip.

"You're lucky I don't fire you my fucking self." you said to Jeremy as he escorted you in.

"My apologies, Mrs. Langdon." he said, with his head low.

"Yeah, whatever. You can get out now." He wasted no time, quickly leaving the room, accidentally bumping into the side of the door, causing the 3 of you to giggle. "Ugh, Michael, don't tell me you're still chewing on that bagel I sent you to work with." You walked over to his desk, engulfing Ms. Mead into a tight hug, which she gladly returned before planting a kiss on your cheek.

"I'll leave you two, to it." she said, giving Michael a nod before leaving the room, shutting the door behind her.

"Why so bossy today?" Michael questioned, sitting up in his chair and resting his hands on his desk, admiring your unique figure.

"Between work today and your stupid front desk agent, I'm just ready to eat lunch with you and for you to come home."

"It was that bad today?"

"If I could throw my computer out of the window with no consequences, I would." Michael chuckled, grabbing his bag of Panera Bread. You knew his favorite. Turkey Bacon Bravo, with avocado, extra, extra, avocado. Cheddar Broccoli soup and a Coke.

"You and me both, my Queen." Michael grabbed a remote, the one that control the shades in his office. He lowered them, half way, just so that no one walking by would be able to peak in at the two of you. "Staying with me until I get off at 5 or do you just want to take my car and go home and then come back for me?”

"You know I am. I've missed you terribly today."

"Is that why my front desk boy ended up covered in coffee?" The two of you looked at each other with a grin. "A temper just like mine. Mrs. Langdon, I love it, just as much as I love you."

"I love you too." you responded. "My temper is how I keep things in order."

"Mmmm." Michael hummed. "Tell me about it."

After lunch, Michael returned to his duties, going over his sales reports, moving things where they needed to go, and sending out emails and reminders. You loved watching him work. You loved how fast his fingers moved a crossed the keys and how his gaze never broke away from the task at hand. You were mainly focused on his outfit choice for today. You had no idea he would be leaving the house in an outfit that pointed out ALL of his features. Though he was soft, you could still see the full outline of his length through his jeans when he sat down. His chest, outlined against his shirt perfectly, you could just make out his nipples. The size of Michael's thighs drove you insane, that you couldn't help but come over in the chair you were sitting in and start rubbing them.

His focus still didn't break and while you knew he preferred to stay focused on his work, today it didn't seem like he cared. He allowed you to rub his thigh, his breathing slightly increasing as he typed up a inventory report. When he paused for a moment, wanting to crack his knuckles, you took the opportunity to spin his chair around so that it was facing you. The both of you immediately made eye contact, but no words were spoken. You could read his face and he could read yours. You were both on on the same page. He grabbed another remote, this time the stereo remote, turning it on, leaving the music at a reasonable volume.

Your hands were already fumbling with his belt as you got it unclasped. You quickly unbuttoned his jeans, Michael kicking off his shoes and moving them to the side. You pulled them down, bringing his boxers down with his, revealing his semi-hard cock. And all you did was touch him. You knew how much Michael craved you, both intimately and non-intimately. He was weak underneath your touch most of the time. You got on your knees in front of him, hands on his thighs as you slowly took him into your mouth. He let out a Godly sigh, leaning his head back as you got to work on him.

"Ssssh." you said, popping him out of your mouth. "It seems to be a busy day for you. You don't want your customers to know what's going on behind your office doors do you?"

"And what if I do?" Michael questioned, his cock twitching from missing your mouth.

"Well let's pretend you don't. No noises. Can you do that for me, daddy?" Michael's jaw clenched at the name and he bit his lip slightly. Silent Michael was sight to see. While extremely audible Michael was one of your favorites, nothing beat looking up at him and watching as he expressed his pleasure with his face and body.

You took him back into your mouth, slowly bobbing your head up and down on his length. Michael's jaw dropped. He desperately wanted to moan. He wanted you to know how good you were making him feel, but he kept it quiet. He slowly unbuttoned his shirt, never taking his eyes off you. He didn't bother to take it off, his chest and torso for the most part exposed, his chain landing perfectly in the middle of chest. You licked up and down the sides of his shaft, using your hand to stroke circles around his spit glazed tip. The sound of the wetness drove the both of you crazy. Your own arousal soaked through your panties.

Putting him back in your mouth, you sucked on just his tip, using both of your hands to stroke the rest of his length. Looking up at him, he looked so beautiful. He was breathing heavily as he peered back down at you, running his hand through his hair, his hips starting to thrust upwards in your hand to try and match your pace. His foot found its way between your legs and using his big toe, he slowly rubbed it across your clit, causing you to moan lowly around him, the vibrations ripping through him.

You were sucking faster now, moving your hands faster. He gripped both sides of his office chair, before deciding to let them go, wanting his hands wrapped up in your hair instead. You moved your hands, knowing what he was wanting to do. Welcoming it. And you loved watching him do it too. His thrusts in your mouth started off slow and gently, before they became rough and fast. You looked up at Michael again, who was now breathing so rapidly you thought that maybe he could be hyperventilating. You could see him mouthing the word fuck over and over and over.

He stood up abruptly, pulling you up with him before smashing his lips onto yours, immediately sliding his tongue into your mouth, the two of you fighting for dominance. He was quick to rid you of your clothes before pulling his shirt all the way off. With a quick wave of his hand, everything that was now on his desk, was on his office sofa, neatly stacked so that he could return to it lately. He picked you up, setting you down on his desk.

"Now can you do the same for me?" he asked, quickly sliding into you, catching you off guard. Sensing your impending loud moan he quickly put a hand over your mouth. "No noises yes? Or I'll stop and we'll have to finish this at home." You nodded against his hand and he slowly moved in and out of you at a rhythmic pace. You pulled him by the back of his neck, closer to you, putting your lips directly against his ear. His hands roamed all over you, squeezing your breasts, playing with your nipples as he gradually increased the pace at which he fucked you. Your hands travelled up and down his back when suddenly he grabbed them, pinning them above your head.

You swore the desk was inching farther and farther away from the area it resided in as he now pounded into you relentlessly and you could help but let out a cry of pleasure, or at least you tried to, but Michael knew you all to well. He used his powers to keep you quiet, your mouth wanting to make noise, but nothing but breaths and pants coming out.

"Poor, girl." Michael said between breaths. "Dishing out challenges you can't even do yourself. Now look, I have to use my powers to keep your mouth shut. Pathetic. You enjoy being my little office toy?" You nodded vigorously. Not only had your shift change allowed you to have lunch with Michael, but it was just the fact that you were now able to spend the rest of his work filled day with him, sex or no sex.

"That's what I thought." he continued, his pounding becoming sloppier and sloppier as he neared his climax, you not following too far behind. When he let your hands go, they immediately found their way to his hair, giving it a sharp tug to which he inhaled sharply to stop himself from cursing. You grabbed him by his throat, pulling him back down towards you as you neared your orgasm, foreheads pressed against each other with nothing but pure love and lust in the both of your eyes.

You let go first, squirming violently against Michael, who sloppily kissed you following his own release shortly after, breathing and panting loudly in each other's mouths. You both rode out your orgasms until the pleasure was completely gone.

"This shift change is going to be so much fun." Michael said as he rested his face in your neck.

"So much fun, Mr. Langdon. So much fun." you said back.

Taglist: @jimmason @angelicmichael @whatcodysaid @theneverendinghunger

[todourouki]

congrats on 1k+!! can i request for sfw #14 (domestic life w/ them 🥺) with aizawa, todoroki, bakugou, and shinsou? thank you sm!! i love your works :>

AHHH! thank you so much for this, it means a lot! and ugh this is so cuteeee!

Want to celebrate prompt night with me? Click Here.

SFW PROMPT #14: What would living with them be like?

including aizawa, todoroki, bakugou, & shinsou

living with aizawa would be so nice

he’s not a high-maintenance guy

he’s more of a “as long as nothing looks like a piece of shit, we’re good”

matching sleeping bags

the man adores his sleep, i’m sure we all see that

so there’s soft blankets spread over every single couch/lounge-chair incase the two of you decide to nap

every day off, you guys have a tradition on waking up the latest time you possibly could, cooking breakfast together and eating it in bed with a show the two of you are currently binge watching on the tv

aizawa isn’t a bathroom hogger honestly he probably doesn’t even look in the mirror as much as he should

he’s pretty tidy when it comes to leaving his shit where it’s supposed to be

mostly because if he loses it, he knows he’ll be too lazy to look for it and he probably doesn’t have time

the furniture is all monochromatic

i don’t see him as a guy having brightly covered couches in his living room

everything is neutral, black, or white

minimalistic king

due to pure exhaustion all the time, color is out of the question, it reminds him of his students and he hates it but secretly loves it so all of his plates are multicolored

honestly living with aizawa sounds amazing

“Shouta,” you groan, eyes snapped harshly shut die to the light tracing into the room from the now open shades, “close the freaking things.”

Aizawa mumbles right after you, leg kicking the shade he once accidentally lifted with his foot back to where it once was. With the harsh tugs done by his feet, the light in the room finally fleeted away and allowed the comfortable dimness takeover once again.

The Pro-Hero’s arms gripped onto you tighter, nose nuzzled into your neck and bringing your body the kind of warmth necessary within the cold room. “S’go back to sleep, kitten.”

You mustered a smile, eyes still closed and hands running through the silky black hair resting underneath your neck. Mornings with Shouta were always the same— waking up once because of his leg obnoxiously releasing the shades, and both of you falling asleep once again in each other’s embrace.

You felt Aizawa begin to rub your back, fingers twinkling against your bare back soothing you beyond explanation. Within minutes, you felt yourself losing conscience, and you finally drifted back to sleep with the man you loved cradling you with unconscious admiration.

living with todoroki is exactly what you’d think it would be

i don’t mean to say it

but ima say it

this rich bitch has a ton of antique and expensive furniture lying around

mostly because he loves using his dad’s money

you and todoroki are a weird match

because you both love the exact same things

so all the furniture in your home

whether the living room be one color and bedroom be another

it all weirdly goes together because you’re both so good and coordinating shit

like your couch could be fucking orange

and the blue throw-pillows and decorations you cover your living room with just make sense

just like the two of you

living with todoroki means you figure out just how funny he actually is

also just how dense the boy could be

like he’s so sweet but also a little ✨dumb✨

he doesn’t know how to use the laundry machine and he never will don’t change my mind about this

todoroki loved cold soba we all know that

so there is a specific cabinet underneath the sink filled with all the ingredients for making it

that cabinet has to be restocked a lot

usually on days off, shouto would like to sleep in but he knows he just can’t

so if you like to sleep in, he already went out for a run, took a shower, and made you breakfast by the time you wake up

if you like to wake up early/with him, you find yourself either joining his workout or making him a hearty breakfast by the time he gets back

living with todoroki is really sweet bye i’m gonna go cry

“I just don’t understand why I’d have to press so many obnoxious buttons to get it to wash clothes,” he began, his stoic voice staring harshly at the machine infront of him as you stared at him in disbelief, “it isn’t my fault.”

“Shou, you froze the entire machine..” You repeated, a deadpanned expression on your face as you tried your hardest not to laugh.

You knew your boyfriend wasn’t the best at figuring things like this out, he hated to admit it but his family had done a lot for him back home. And sure, he wasn’t a little boy anymore and should probably know how to work a laundry machine, but he was convinced it acted up with him and him only.

“It was giving me a hard time, I didn’t even realize I froze it until I realized the clothes weren’t spinning anymore..” The frown on his face was one you couldn’t help but smile at, the grin taking over your face as you chortled a laugh.

With your empty hand, you gave the boy a kiss on the forehead, his calculating expression trying to decipher the reason certain clothes needed a certain temperature of water. Moments like this made you realize just why you loved Todoroki so much.

bakugou

is a handful

that’s clear to everyone

but living with him, oddly enough, is not

you both have a specific cleaning day

every single sunday morning

and that same night included the two of you watching a movie and having loud in-depth character analysis debate every single time

you both have special cooking days (he has more but it’s ok bc he won’t say it but he absolutely loves cooking for you)

bakugou has been through a lot, my baby

so consistency is something he depends on

he nearly breathes for it

routine is everything in your household, being something you grew accustomed to as well even if it’s not what you’re used to

every day you’d wait for him to get back home on the plush couch in the living room

so that way you’re the first thing he sees when he gets home, as well as a platter of his favorite food for the night and his fav tv show on the tv

he feels like he’s walking into heaven every single day

and depending on your schedules, you get the same thing when you get home if he beats you to it

a show/anime you’re trying to finish, the food you’ve begged him to make, and your loving boyfriend/husband lounged against the couch waiting for your arrival

you both wake up early— sorry, even if you don’t want to

bakugou doesn’t give a single fuck, he will wake you up and force you to either workout with him or start your day with him

on his days off though, you both sleep in until the afternoon

there’s literally no inbetween with your schedules

you’re both either up and ready to go by 8am or finally getting up to brush your teeth at 3pm

“How many times do I have to tell you— the real villain was not Sharpay, but Gabriella!” Your voice boomed, staring at your boyfriend who looked at you as if you had four heads.

“Babe, with all due respect, you’re a fucking idiot!” He retaliated just as aggressive and firm as you. “How can you say that when she’s such a bitch?!”

The credits of the movie you just watched played in the background, popcorn kernels pushing into the skin you had sprawled against your boyfriend. The pink reflected across your shirtless boyfriend, his ears beginning to redden due to the volume of his voice.

“Gabriella walked into that high school and literally stole everything Sharpay worked for,” you retorted, the straw you were drinking from entering your lips as you took a quick sip of the soda, “that’s being a bitch!”

He opened his mouth, signaling you to throw one of the Swedish Fish candies into his mouth and you did. With a laugh, you continued to throw food into one another’s mouth over and over throughout the argument.

“Maybe you resonate with Sharpay so much because you’re both bitches.” He snickered, dodging a pillow that fleeted your side of the couch and into his side by your right hand.

A gasp slipped your lips, narrowing your eyes at his tall figure and shoving a candy down your throat after his words, “maybe that’s why you love me, cause you’re a bitch too.”

living with shinsou >>>> breathing

shinsou is a gamer idc

there’s a playstation in both your room and your living room for game nights

yes

you guys had a game night

every single friday you guys would sit in nothing but (shinsou’s) t-shirt, and underwear and play nothing but video games all day

you usually end up falling asleep when the sun begins to come up, always taking saturday’s off no matter what for the occasion

you both are clean

being too lazy just like aizawa to have to find it if it’s misplaced

the bedroom look the best bc shinsou gets tired of monochromatic things and you hate living in a boring setting

so the two of you’s aesthetic shines through the room

if you cook, then please know food us up to you

if you can’t cook

money is spent 90% of the time on take out

because shinsou can’t cook for shit i don’t care

sometimes people wonder how it is you both manage to go to work and have a coherent sleeping schedule

and the reason is

aside from shinsou’s clinical insomnia )-:

that the two of you are absolute dumbasses

you spend all day doing homework if one of you is in college

or doing the work that needs to be done if you have just a job

and after that?

it’s just cuddling, gaming, struggling to cook, ordering take out, and eventual sleeping when you both realize you’re both past a point of ni return

most of the time though, you both manage to sleep

it’s more surprising for shinsou though bc he could never sleep properly if he’s alone

the two of you live together in GTA

also, I canon that Shinsou loves watching The Office so you guys binge watch the fuck out of that

living with shinsou is living with a bestfriend that is a civilized adult at certain times that you can cuddle and make out with

a girl can only dream <3

The sound of the console played through the room, your focused face watching the screen in front of you intently. The feeling of the bed moving along side every tap of the controller in your boyfriend’s hands trembled your limbs, your eyes being too locked on the screen to even maintain a balance.

“Go to the left, the left!” You pointed out, your legs sprawled across your boyfriend’s chest as he rested his body horizontally underneath yours.

“I know..” His voice was enough to show you he was focused, his eyes barely blinking as he followed your command and moved the character closer towards the left.

As gun shots erupted through the room, all you could see were flashes of red across the screen and players who had been attacked in Shinsou’s frenzy dead against the floor.

Exhilaration ran through your veins as finally killed the last person, the feeling of his body tending under you making you smile in happiness. You had both been trying to beat this level for weeks and you finally did it, exciting you to no limit.

The phrase “victory” strobed against the screen, making the two of you cheer in happiness at the time being well spent. He landed a big fat kiss on your cheek, pulling you in by the string in your hoodie and pressing you against him.

“Let’s beat some more ass in this next round, huh doll?”

“I’ll believe it when I see it, pretty boy.”

[mythrilhusk]

Despite Everything - Chapter 3

NOT RPF Featured Relationship (Only SFW): Puffy/Niki

(Ao3 Link) Words: 1,759 Last Chapter CW: violence, coercion

Next Chapter

Niki arrives home to her apartment after a harrowing day of working in a field where all her male coworkers talk over her constantly, barely notice her when she offers ideas, and then promptly take credit for said ideas. Sometimes she hates men as a whole concept. 

She collapses onto her favorite beanbag and flicks on a show. Puffy sings in the shower, oblivious to Niki's arrival. Smiling, Niki hums along and relaxes to the tune. 

Puffy emerges from the bathroom dripping wet and covered in a towel. She waves to Niki and retreats to the bedroom to change into her comfy jeans and the hoodie she stole from Niki. "I ordered takeout, there should be some left on the table!" 

"Thanks, babe, you're amazing." Niki laughs and gets up, going to the kitchen. 

Puffy's scroll lays innocuously on the table, open and blinking with seventy new messages. Niki avoids looking at it, not wanting to invade her girlfriend's privacy, and picks up a plate of pizza. "Puffy, you're pretty popular today!" 

"Oh? Can you read them real quick and tell me what they say?" 

Niki blushes. "Sure." She picks up the scroll awkwardly and taps through the apps to get to the messages. "Uh, it's all your superhero shit, Puffy, I don't know what any of this means." 

"Really? I told them to call the other one if they need me... oh, it's dead again, dammit." Puffy storms to the kitchen with lightning in her smile. "Thanks, Niki, I'll take it." She skims through the pile of increasingly desperate calls for help. "Ugh, I'm sorry, babe, I have to go. Sam got in trouble with the law again. Eret's good, but he's no lawyer." 

"Don't you have a legal representative?" 

"Niki, I've told you, we're not backed by anybody. We're on our own. The officials see us as vigilantes, and yeah, that's kinda what we are." 

The fact finally sinks in. "Ohhh!" Niki laughs with relief. "So your battles aren't staged?" 

"No, babe. Real battles." Puffy grabs a slice of pizza. "I gotta go bail Sam out again, sorry." 

"Let me come with." Niki decides. "I won't help you fight, but I'm a paralegal. I can help you with the officials." 

"Really?" Puffy stares at her with stars in her eyes. "You'd do that for us?" 

"For you, yes." Niki says firmly. 

"Thank you, you will not regret this." Puffy stuffs the pizza in her mouth and grabs Niki's free hand. 

Down at the city's holding facilities, Niki strides straight to the front desk. "I'm here to legally represent Awesamdude." She slams down her identification. "And this is Sam's employer, Puffy." 

The bastard in a suit behind the desk gives Niki a bored, dismissive glance. "No visitors allowed." He drones. His nametag marks him as Sapnap.

"Sam has a right to legal counsel. I am here to provide that." Niki snaps. "Let us see him." 

"What are you two, his sisters?" Sapnap laughs. "Run along. You'll see him again in five years or so." 

Niki smiles sweetly at the guard, hiding her anger. Sam hasn't been convicted of anything yet, but the officials can legally postpone the trial and keep him captive for up to five years. "You wouldn't want to piss off the Nemesis corporate heads, would you?" 

"Nemesis?? Haven't heard of'em." He shrugs. "You got anything to back that up?" 

"Puffy?" Niki gestures her girlfriend forward with the bribe. "Sir Sapnap, we'd like to see our employee and make sure he hasn't been harmed. We at Nemesis take utmost pride in our marketing team." 

"Oh?" Sapnap leans forward as Puffy transfers several thousand bullion credits to his account. "Ohh. That's an admirable missions statement, ladies. I'll see what we can do." 

"We are going to visit Sam, now." 

"Yep, he's back there." Sapnap waves them along. "I'll send the code to unlock his cell, but I'll need a bit more, uh, compensation for the paperwork to release him." 

"Of course. We will take care of that in a few days. He could use a bit of discipline for allowing himself to be caught in the first place." Niki shushes Puffy's shocked little protest. "Good day, Sapnap." 

Leading Puffy back towards the holding cells, Niki waits to speak again until she's out of ear-shot. "I'm sorry, Puffy, but we had to make it seem as though he's just an errant employee."

"It's fine, I was just startled. You're so cold in your business mode." Puffy laughs lightly. 

Niki blushes. "I have to be, or nobody will take me seriously." 

Puffy bumps her shoulder. "I take you seriously." 

"You do. Thanks, babe." Niki bumps Puffy back. 

Puffy gasps and rushes to one of the cells. "Sam!!" She cries. "What the hell did they do to you??" 

The man in the cell smiles weakly, his lips and cheeks bruised, his clothes torn and muddy with blood and grime. "Hey, Puffy." He coughs. "I got in trouble." 

"I see that, but how??" 

"I shouldn't have gone after them alone." Sam groans and struggles to sit up. "I thought I could take them, but they were too strong, Puffy, they were too strong for me." 

"Who??" Puffy snarls, vengeful fire blazing in her eyes. 

"Pax Triumvirs." 

"Damn Angels." Puffy growls. "How dare they?? I oughta whoop their asses!" 

"It's fair, Puffy, I attacked them first." Sam laughs haltingly. 

"They didn't have to beat you up so badly!!" Puffy cries. "Now we have to hire a healer!" 

"I'm right here, Puffy." Niki crosses her arms. 

"You said you didn't want to get involved. Let me respect that, babe." 

"I am already involved. I just invented an entire corporation for you." Shrugging, Niki opens the cell. "Let me do this." 

"Darn, does this mean I have to actually pay my team now?" Puffy laughs. 

"Probably, yes." Niki kneels by Sam and places her hands over his chest. "This will hurt a lot." 

She activates her magic and pours the healing fire out into his body. Sam gasps, gritting his teeth to hold back a yell. His head lolls back as he faints, but his wounds are all healed. 

Niki rises and leaves the cell. Puffy stares at Sam's prone body, tears welling in her eyes. "Is he okay?" 

"He'll be fine when he wakes up." Niki responds. "Let him sleep for now. Healing takes a lot of energy." 

"Are you good?" Puffy turns to Niki. "You aren't going to collapse too, are you?" 

"No, I'm good." Niki smiles reassuringly. "Just thirsty." 

"Can I buy you a drink?" She says it like she's trying to flirt, but she's too worried to commit to a teasing tone. 

"Sure." Niki takes Puffy's hand and leads her out of the facility, waving to Sapnap on the way out. 

In a small indie bar, Niki and Puffy sit together in a corner booth. Puffy sighs over her bloody vodka. "Sam should know better than to mess with Angels."

"Is he a Spirit too?" 

"Spirit of Dark, yeah. His boyfriend disappeared a year ago, and he's been recklessly hunting for him ever since. I don't know what I can do to keep him safe." Puffy takes a gulp of her drink. 

"Who else do you work with?" 

"Hmm. There's Jack, Spirit of Light. Oh yeah, he told you already. You just met Sam. Then there's Eret, who's Ice, and Foolish, who's Life." Puffy grins and shrugs. "And then there's me, the hot one."

"What are Angels?" 

"They're like Patrons. You know how Patrons are aligned with a type of creature or being, yeah? Angels are aligned with a concept or ideal, and they're each chosen by a god, which gives them extra power. The one downside is they're always in their fae forms." 

Niki stares at Puffy, slightly confused by some of the words coming from her girlfriend's mouth. "Gods aren't real." She finally manages to giggle. 

"Niki, where the hell do you think our magic comes from?? Thin air??" Puffy cries. "Gods are probably the realest thing about this crazy world we're living in." 

"Okay, okay. But what's a fae form?" Niki raises her hands with a placating smile. 

"All us magic folk can transform to use more of our power." Puffy explains. "It usually takes a lot of focus and willpower to stay in your fae form for very long, so nobody ever does it for staged battles, but most of us Spirits can shift easily on command." 

"Why would staying in your fae form be a downside, then?"

Puffy laughs. "Most Angels' forms are absolutely terrifying, Niki, unless they're under a glamour. None of us can take one Angel alone, much less three like Sam tried to do!" 

"Huh. How'd they become Angels?"

"Generally? They break." Puffy spins her cup in her hand, then gulps it down. "They break, they die, a god chooses them, and voila, new Angel. Then they owe the god their life, so they're bound to serve. Probably some Angels pledge voluntarily, but most are broken and pieced back together. Like kintsugi." 

"Oh. That does not sound pleasant." 

"I mean, that's life, y'know." Puffy takes another fatalistic swig.  "Us Spirits, we've at least got a choice to fight or not."  

++++

Sapnap looks up as someone enters the holding facility past visitation hours. "Hey, you're not supposed- agh-" He chokes as an unseen power slams him against the wall. 

"Where is Awesamdude?" The Lucid Spider's mandibles click and chirrup as the low, mockingly gentle voice permeates the air with menace. 

"In- in cell eight!" Sapnap gasps. "Sir, please!" 

"You never came for me." 

"I couldn't, I couldn't find you, I'm sorry!" Sapnap pleads. The Lucid Spider drops him. He rubs his throat, gulping. "My pledge never expired, Dream. I live to serve you."

"Where are the others?" 

"We lost- we lost Quackity. Bad turned against us. But George and Karl are still loyal to you, sir." 

Dream shifts down to a humanoid form, his holographic vectors of neon green containing the death-white Wurm inside. His camo-shields activate to hide the painful neon behind drab black armor. "Take me to Sam." 

"Yes, sir." Sapnap hastily goes back to the cells, trembling with confusion and terror of his lord's sudden return to life. 

Sam glares at Dream and Sapnap as they approach. "You." He growls. 

"Me." Dream laughs. "Hello, Sam. I'm going to give you one last chance, old friend. Are you going to be smart like Sapnap here, or should I kill you last after I rip your precious team to shreds?"

Sam drops his head meekly. "I'm yours to command, my lord." 

Next Chapter

[missblissy]

OC x Alastor “It’s a Deal?”

Her face never changed once while she sat there, nor did her body language or the air she carried herself with. And how long could she just... Sit there and listen to these people? Wasn’t this supposed to be Hell, ruled by Lucifer himself? So why on earth did she dare call herself a Queen? And how was she even allowed such a title?

Alastor was clueless, he hadn’t an idea what was going on. But he watched from the sidelines, behind one of the pillars of her throne room. He raised a brow as one subject left, then another came running in. How many people did she rule over? What kind of Overlord took pity on their subjects? What kind of Overlord protected their subjects? She was an odd one, peculiar, and... Quite frankly more entertaining to watch than the souls perishing just outside her territory. 

And this land? This territory she ruled over, looked as if it could be earth. The grass was green, flowing in waves, the air was warm and the sun was shining in blue skies. Maybe it didn’t help that Alastor had only been in Hell for about three weeks now, sure he was on a role, killing Overlords left and right... But she? He couldn’t defeat her- she was the only one that could beat him. And how could she? What made her so strong?

Who was Fiota, Queen of the Succubi, Overlord of Limbo? She was tall, and quite beautiful, even for Alastor’s standards. He didn’t often notice the beauty in people, or even really care for that matter. But he just couldn’t look away from her. Her fair skin was as white as snow or sheet of paper, with round rosey red cheeks hidden under bright and lovely eyes in the shade of pink. She looked majestic, stoic, and most of all, powerful. She truly was a demon, with her bouncy blonde curls hiding a pair of long and sharp horns that curled behind her head.   

“Your highness,” Another lost soul welcomed themselves into her palace home. She lived like a Queen in a palace straight out of the Golden Ages of Ancient Greece. The soul bowed in respect to her.

“What can I do for you today?” Fiota’s stoic face never changed. She sat on her thrown, looking down at the man before her at the bottom of the steps between them.

“There was a failure on my hand, Your Highness...” The man kept his head hung. Alastor could smell the fear wafting off him, “I am Aeschylus of Sparta, Your Highness, you tasked me with the mission to find Herodotus, however I could not. Hades has changed so much since Lucifer took over, but you do your best to keep The Fields of Elysium as they always were and I thank you greatly for-”

“Get on with it, Aeschylus of Sparta, I do not have all day,” Her words were cold but her face never changed. Not a single emotion was there. All the while, Alastor’s confusion grew even more, why were they speaking about Hell as if it were Hades? And the Fields of Elysium? Wasn’t the first circle of Hell suppose to be Limbo?

“Y-yes! I... I could not find him. Your territory is so large- I... I was gone for weeks and I do not think he is here anymore.” 

There was a second when Fiota lifted her brow, then she looked to one of her guards, then to Alastor, her gaze never changing its stoic form. She let out a sigh then gave a small wave of her hand, “You are forgiven,” Everyone let out a collective sigh, especially Aeschylus, “However I can no longer guarantee your safety come the next extermination,” His face dropped at her words, “Leave now, and tell anyone else to go home. We are done here for today.”

Fiota clapped her hands twice and without a second of hesitation, her guards went after that poor man and ushered him out of her sight. She quickly got up from her throne and made her way towards the back of this grand room, to where Alastor was hiding in the shadows. 

The second she got close enough, he ran up beside her and followed her lead deeper into her palace home, “Why didn't you just kill him?” Alastor asked her, “I would have slit his throat-”

“I told you,” Fiota didn’t even bother looking at him, she kept her nose high as she walked down these halls, “I do not kill people,” 

“You had no problem killing me,”

She snapped her attention towards him, her gaze cold and distant, “I never killed you,” Her words were as sharp as knives and Alastor could see a fire of anger spark within her, “If I did, you wouldn’t be standing here now,” 

“Smile, dear,” Alastor grinned while picking up his pace. He skipped a few steps ahead of her, spinning around then walking backwards so he could face her, “I’m only kidding! No need to look so angry!” But her glare never left her face, “Come on, Fiota,” Alastor tried a more natural smile, “I know, you love all life and you would rather spare than kill, because that would make us no better than the angels above, or the big man down here!” His efforts only made her glare at him more, “Fine, fine! Be that way, no fun allowed here!”

She brushed past him easily and went on her way. She almost hoped that he’d leave at this point. It was obvious that she was more powerful than him, and there was no way he could ever beat her. And yet he stilled followed her around.

“I don’t get it!” She winced at the sound of his voice. Alastor was walking beside her again, confusion on his face, “Why don’t you like Lucifer? Is he really that bad?”

Fiota rolled her eyes. She didn’t want to get into it, “He’s exactly what you think he is,” She said, “I want nothing to do with him,”

“But why?” Alastor refused to let this go, “Did he break your heart? Was he the one that got away,”

“Ugh!” She shook her head quickly, “No,” It wasn’t like that at all. She rounded a corner and soon they found themselves in a large and peaceful courtyard. Fiota swallowed down her bitterness and said, “He’s.... he’s the reason why I’m stuck here,” 

“In Limbo?” Alastor asked while still following her. He took a second to look around him and notice the massive olive tree growing in the center of this courtyard. Greek-style statues and fountains decorated spots here and there. 

“No,” Fiota shook her head, “Here, in Hell,” She stopped her quick-paced walking and stood underneath the shade of the olive tree. The wind rustled each leaf and made the tree sway in the sunlight, “I can never go...” She paused and Alastor could see pain work its way onto her face, “I... I was killed for being his daughter, that’s how I ended up down here.”

“I thought Lucifer only had one daughter? And isn’t she an infant?” 

“That would be my sister, Charlotte, who usurped me by birthright,”  

Everything was starting to make more sense now. A daughter of Lucifer who was born on earth, murdered by the church for being the spawn of the devil. Alastor could feel the weight in the air, the way Fiota’s cold gaze never left him. No wonder she was so powerful. He had heard rumors of a Forgotten Princess who was stuck in Limbo. He didn’t think that she’d be the Overlord of this place, or even a Queen at that. 

Her pain was written all over her face, from the furrow of her brow, to the narrow of her eyes, and falling with her frown, “You know,” Alastor shrugged, “A smile really wouldn’t hurt that face of yours,” 

“I don’t smile. Not for strangers,” She really didn’t want to smile, did she?

“But that’s not true,” Alastor said, “I’ve seen you smile before,” There was a wicked evil twisting around in Alastor’s eyes but more than that there was some kind of hope. Fiota gave him an odd look as he spoke on, “You were just this morning. I saw you on your balcony,” And Alastor pointed up and up and towards the top of the palace. Just peeking through the olive branch, Fiota flicked her gaze up and saw the balcony to her room.

“You’re stalking me now?”

“No, no,” Alastor’s grin never left, but he shook his head and waved his fingers in the shape of an ‘x’ back and forth, “I was minding my own business when I just so happened to hear you,” She started to realize what he was talking about. Her eyes grew wide and a red hue traveled across her face, “You know you have a lovely singing voice, you’re like some kind of princess out of a fairy tail. Singing love songs to birds when you think no one is there,” 

His grin was cocky, and he looked like he was enjoying himself, “Don’t make it a habit, listening to me,” Fiota pointed a finger at him, “It’s weird. You’re weird,” 

“And yet!” He shook a finger in the air and bounce on his tip toes once, “You still didn’t kill me! You could have, oh, you so could have ended my afterlife, just one switch cut of the blade and I’d be!” He ran a finger across his neck and played dead, “Dead as a door nail! Gone forever! And yet here we are,” He smiled wide, “Here I am, weird and totally wacky, and here you are. Talking to me like we’re old pals sharing a laugh about the past,”

“Who’s laughing?” Fiota looked at him while crossing her arms. She had things to do, places to be. How long was he going to keep her here?

“You are!”

“I am not,”

He gave her a grin and wiggle of his brow while leaning towards her, “You can be~” He pressed on, “Just give me a chance, Fiota! Let me make you smile, dear.”

“Don’t call me that,” She crossed her arms tighter and turned away from him, ready to get a move on and back to the task at hand. 

But as she turned on her heel, he was already there. She looked behind her, then back to Alastor... How..? His grin grew wider, “Fine then,” He teased, “Your highness, is that better? Come on... please? I promise if I can’t make you laugh, I’ll disappear! Good as gone, yes ma’am!”

What was with this guy? First he insisted on battling her for nearly three weeks straight, trying to steal her territory, then he admits defeat and begs to be taught by her. Now he’s listening to her sing and following her around like a lost dog. Yet here he is, offering to make her laugh, or leave for good.

“Fine,” She said, then held out her hand quickly, “It’s a deal,” Fiota’s hand held great power in it. Magic swarmed to life in her palm, a deep blue color glowed within her fingers as she held her hand out to him. And he didn’t waste a second taking her hand, clasping his own onto hers firmly with the biggest smile on his face. 

“It’s a deal then,” Alastor shook her hand then pulled away, eager to win and prove her wrong. He took his hands and fixed his tie, he straightened out his clothes and cleared his throat, “My lady,” He started, “I have a joke for you,”

“A joke?” She lifted a brow. Oh, good god. 

“Yes indeed! A joke! A simple one, I swear. I only want to make you smile, your highness,” He gave her a smile then yelled, “I’m going bananas!” Alastor paused as Fiota stared at him with a startled look, taken back by his sudden shout. Then he gave a different kind of smile, a small one as he said, “That’s what I tell the bananas before I leave the house.” 

Oh... Oh no. Fiota found herself starting to giggle, it was to late to stop it now. The little chuckles bubbled from her lips as she began to laugh lightly. She tried to hide it behind her hand, she even tried to hide her smile but there was no stopping it. 

Alastor watched happily as he won his end of the deal. It wasn’t really about the deal though, he just enjoyed seeing her laugh for once. But on a lucky note, thanks to the deal he won, Fiota could never make him leave her side now. “Laughter is the best medicine,” He nodded his head once while tucking his arms behind his back, “Would you like to hear another joke, your highness?” He asked quickly. 

Her giggles died down slightly, her smile still on her face. Fiota looked around and made sure no one else was with them. She bit the corner of her lip and said with a little grin, “Sure, why the hell not.” 

[itskateak]

(Preface: this is a really long post as I typed it as I was watching the movie so this is unedited, pure thoughts as I was watching this movie.)

I just started watching the new Cats movie and I’m already having issues with what’s going on

Why did Munk spider man his way down a wall

What’s wrong with Misto

Why don’t they just crawl on their knees Jesus Christ if they weren’t on their toes it would be better

“Are you mean like a minx” that’s not in pitch

ThatS NOT HOW JUMPING WORKS

The choreography is going good though- I knew it would. I’ve worked with that choreographer before.

WHY IS THIS NOW A POP REMIX

I have so many questions

Music is too fast. Tempos are everywhere.

Singing isn’t too bad. I can understand the words better.

Munk is a little too feminine for my taste at the moment but I like his design.

ROMANTICAL CATS (heart hands) IS THE MOST ON BRAND MISTO THING YET

Macavity speaking and singing his own song is disgusting

WHY DO THEY HAVE HUMAN TOES AND FINGERS

Why is everyone bullying Misto

AND HUMAN NOSES

Munk there’s a rhythm to the Naming of Cats. You can’t go off it whole everyone else is on it.

You guys can’t keep a tempo can you

HIS name. HIS.

Munk that’s a little sexual. NO YOU ARE WITH DEMETER STOP

stop cutting the scene up. Just let them dance.

AH REFERENCE TO ORIGINAL CHOREO. I SAW THAT

Misto is on brand except he’s not Misto yet storytellers

Also I’m liking the idea that Victoria is new to everything and the plot is they’re introducing her to the wild and the whole heaviside layer thing

THATS NOT THE MELODY MUNK STOP

they have human eyebrows too what

Munk that note is too high for you

Is Jenny twerking excuse me

JennY IS SUPPOSED TO BE MOTHERLY STOP THAT

that’s also not the melody

The human mice are going to cause nightmares

Wait is Jenny lusting after Munk

Why does he actually look interested

Munk do you have an English accent or American. Please decide.

Jenny that’s not the right notes

HUMAN ROACHES NO

WHY DO THEH HAVE HUMAN FACES

The skiN UNZIPPED OH NO

no one needed that undershot of cockroach crotches

Mm meow

huh what Tugger what was that

Okay Derulo is not bad at all

I’m missing the Tugoffolees banter though

This Tugger is a little gayer than the original

THE NEUTER JOKE OH MY GOD

Tugger is reminding me of Dr. Frank N Furter from Rocky Horror Picture Show

Why does he have an English accent though

VictoriaaaaAAAAA? (The TOES)

Jenny’s humor is eh. Don’t see the reason of putting that in.

The ending is pure Tugger though

Not a bad rendition

Grizz isn’t as rough as I imagined her looking

Oh her VOICE

HER VOICE HITS HARD

Who is this cat singing about Grizz (the first) her voice was nice

NO. WHY THE SHORTNESS ON “that”

Munk why did you grab that queen’s head

Edward Hyde is that you?

Jenny stop trying to be the comedy relief you’re too awful at it

Bustopher please STOP singing your own song

PLEASE KIDNAP HER IDRIS ELBA

THANK YOU

I wish they spent more time dancing since that’s really the point of the show and the draw to it.

Bustopher wearing heels? I’m for it. Gay legend.

“Thanks Tugger” stop this whole sequence please

Bustopher is supposed to be a very prim and proper cat. What happened to him

Still can’t get over Idris Elba being in this

THATS NOT THE MELODY OF MUNGOJERRIE AND RUMPLETEAZER

What have thEY DONE TO THE MELODY GOOD GOD

AND THE RHYTHM THEY DESTROYED THE SONG

Oh. Hey that’s pretty neat choreo though

“I bought that for her myself” “hey” “what?”

My brain is rebelling because it’s not right at all in anything I remember

Did Misto just pull a whole femur from his hat

STOP THAT. MISTO LOOKS LIKE A CLOSETED TWINK STUCK IN A STRAIGHT RELATIONSHIP

is he wearing eyeliner

GROWLTIGER IS BACK

I don’t actually know his song so this is new to me

Jenny and Bustopher being comedic relief hurts because they’re not funny

Munk “where have you been?!” Is there a love triangle happening. What happened to Demeter

Also his voice in Deuteronomy is actually really nice

“Sits in the suuun” that was beautiful oh god

Deut looks more like how I imagined Grizz would look

IS THAT DAME JUDI DENCH

I bet she regrets ever saying yes after this.

What cat is randomly wearing a crow skull around their neck. Is that a witch’s cat

JUDI DENCH CAN’T YOU ACTUALLY SING? WHY ARE YOU STRUGGLING

Why are you singing Munk’s line

Oh the Jellicle ball is next let’s go Andy show me that awesome choreo

Asparagus are you okay

Tempo doesn’t exist in this movie does it

Neither does rhythm or time keeping

IS THAT MY BOY SKIMBLESHANKS

Twirly boy Munk

Munk really just wants to be topped doesn’t he

WhAT WAS THAT TWITCHING AND THE PANTING

Andy I love you man but the traditional and classic choreo would’ve worked just as fine

Skimble and Munk being gay

what happened to Plato and why is there something going on with Misto

TUGGER YOU HAD A MOMENT YOU COULD HAVE INTERRUPTED

Ah okay I understand why that happened. No mating dance or slumber party

Cats wearing shoes disgusts me more than the toes

POINTE WITHOUT POINTE SHOESSSS GROSS

honestly? Jellicle ball is disappointing. They just cut the ten minutes of amazing dancing down to like four.

I don’t like the heavy breathing. That’s not something that was ever necessary.

Okay, the end worked okay with the big synchronized dances.

I’m ready for this Memory rendition. Already getting chills.

Those are very human hands

Oh keep with the rhythm I beg of you

Ooh altered verse

Wait that’s jennifer Hudson???

Oh we just removed a whole verse, bridge, and chorus didn’t we.

Sweet moment? See I like Vic reaching for Grizz

Vic gets a song??? Ooh intrigued

I like her voice

I’m going to cry this song is sad and I’m glad she gets a story

Though it’s kind of “you think your life is hard? Mine’s worse” feeling after Memory

Awww I’m gonna cry what a sweetheart what a lovely dear protect her

Ugh meaning of happiness. I hate this song no matter who sings it.

Wait what happened to Rumpus Cat song :( the battle of the pekes and the pollicles

What do you mean you’re about to make the choice

We still have Gus’s song, Misto’s song, and Skimble’s song.

They got Ian McKellen to do this?? How much was he paid

“Cross paws” no stop

Why is Gus singing his own song please don’t

Munk’s face bugs me for some reason

His song always makes me cry for some reason but this is kind of goofy and cute and I love it

Misto in the background is just strange for me

Is he forgetting the words sometimes and mumbling to fill in because goodness

Misto’s so eager to please what a bottom

“Macavityyy” I hate it

Munk starting Skimble’s song has the same energy as Tugger doing Misto’s songs

I’m glad they’ve kept this song the same as it was

Skimble is SO gay oh my god what a classic twink

Oooh I like this addition of the train getting started via tap

I’m actually really liking this rendition and the tap dancing on the the rails

Though the tap continuing when no one is tapping or the rhythm being wrong is uh not good

Such an iconic song and I love the changes in scene

Oh skimble that note was not good

WAIT OKAY THAT WAS MACAVITY’S DOING WITH THE LEVITATION

Oh hi Taylor Swift

Use more breath. Stop doing the pop voice thing. Stop it.

Is Bombi a drug dealer

MISTO BEING TWEAKED ON DRUGS IS THE FUNNIEST GODDAMN THING IVE EVER SEEN IN THIS LIFE

I can say though that what they’ve done to the song is exactly the vibes it needed. Sultry and pushing the boundaries.

Sad there’s not a Demeter.

SORRY MUNK WHAT WAS THAT

I actually rewinded to see what happened there with the martini glass

OKAY MAN NEEDS TO BE TOPPED OH MY GOD

“Green house glass is broken” was changed and that makes me sad

This was a good song for Taylor to show off her vocal prowess but she just didn’t

Why is Macavity naked

Why is he singing his own damn song

PUT YOUR CLOTHES BACK ON

Munk you’re still tweaking out a little

Oh here’s the sleeping orgy

What’s with this drama now with the choice thing

We don’t have Munk’s fight with Macavity. Robbed

VICTORIA YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THE ONE TO GET MISTO OUT THERE. IT HAS TO BE TUGGER

If there are no 23 spins, I’ll throw my phone

Munk that’s gay and I’m here for it. Encourage your twink Misto

“Please don’t make me do this” has phantom vibes

Munk that was a lusty look

Where’s the “ooh ahs”

This is weird without Tugger singing it and being an ego for Misto

Tugger come on. Please save this number.

Victoria I swear to god I will beat you

Why do they have one person on the melody in this. And Derulo going through the stratosphere

WHERE IS THE DANCING >:(

That trombone is playing absolutely nothing in the music at all

DON’T YOU DARE KISS HER

oh here’s the fight music

WHY DID WE UNZIP SKIN AGAIN

oh they used the fight music for the escaping of cats

How much longer is there

Oh there’s the daylight reprise thing

I want to die

To the sun, Vic. To the sun.

Munk, Tugger, be respectful. That’s your mother.

Wait that doesn’t work in this universe because Deut is female.

Oh they gave the Asian cat patterns that resemble tiger stripes hmmmm

Why couldn’t they have just filmed an actual stage version and turned that out

Oh that “smile at the old days” was god awful

How much longer oh god

I’m tired man. I wasted 6 bucks on this

Victoria just stealing Jemima’s parts

“Like a flowER as the dawn is breaking”

Okay here it is

OH COME THROUGH QUEEN. WHOLE FILM IS WORTH THIS CLIMAX

Okay so there are some cats wearing clothes and others not. What are the rules for this universe. Are they naked or are they not.

I have not shed a single tear. Usually I have by now from this show. Not a single tear.

Deut X Grizz is still my favorite ship

Is that the intro to Til I Hear You Sing that I hear. Those F to Gm chords Lloyd Webber loves.

Judi Dench stop trying to sing for the love of god.

Ah yes show off that beautiful ballet dancer that plays Vic

Aww Munk bowing to Grizz

Oh so it’s a chandelier this time and not a tire

Where’d Macavity and Bombi go

Oh there he is. What a child. Hate that.

BUSTOPHER CONFIRMED A GAY ICON

Deut being a proud mother to Munk is cute with the hands on the shoulder

Why are we reprising the first song

Also Air balloon.

WHY ARE YOU STARING AT ME JUDI DENCH

why are they all staring so intently at her too wait

Munk looks like someone is touching him inappropriately this whole scene.

Munk and Misto looking at each other

MUNK STOPPPP JESUS CHRIST DO YOU NEED TO BE REMOVED FROM THE SITUATION

The choreography doesn’t even match the beat of the song. Huh???

Misto you’re gay stop

Munk and Misto looking at each other and the shy glances away

So Grizz gets hot air balloned to death is that what I’m seeing

Oh it’s over okay

I want to cry.

It’s not as bad as I heard. Once you got used to the way things looked and just let things happen and say it might as well happen, it became a bit more enjoyable.

It’s still god awful though and let’s pray the furries never get ahold of it.

[onlyssca]

Help, I lost myself again

Hi i wrote my first byeler fanfic

ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21606247

Cold sweats. Always the same nightmares. This feeling of being petrified, trapped and so helpless. The sensation of not being quite himself. So lost in his mind. Was it even still his?

Burning fire in his shoulders. He didn’t have to be asleep to live, or sometimes relive, those horrors. The dark wasn’t necessary because he became the dark.

Freezing toes and fingers. The darkness started his trauma, and the trauma created more darkness. The only light he could reach was the one he produced when his heart made the tiniest of spark.

Hot pain in his lungs. And he could lie and say everything was fine. After all the absence of light in his chest became his normal.

The absence of air shocked him awake. He sat up, as electricity traveled his entire body. You’d think Will had gotten used to it after years of never ending nightmares, but he never did. If tears drop could be bottled, there would be oceans of sadness he could drown in and end it all.

He had stopped to sleep over at his friends. He always had been a people pleaser, so worry them was the last thing he wanted even if it meant he had to deal with the night waiting to eat him. Luckily for him, the idea of sleepovers slowly disappeared into thin air as he and his friends grew up.

Four sleeping bags in Mike’s basement became a bigger bed he could share with her. Laughter echoing in the Wheeler’s house became deafening silence in the Byers’s. Face hurting from smiling too much became back pain from all the burden on his shoulders.

From an outside prospective Will seemed completely fine. He was always a quite kid, so it made things easier. Sometimes someone like his mother or Mike would pick up on stuff. Like him spacing out for a moment, his breath quickening, a flicker of worry in his eyes, the goosebumps on his neck.

“Hey, are you okay?” Mike said pulling Will out of his trance.

“Yeah” They glanced at each other’s lips briefly.

“Are you sure?” The insistence warming Will’s stomach. He cares.

“Of course.” Will immediately felt bad for lying to Mike. But he had to.

If there was a good part to it, which really there wasn’t but in Will’s messed up mind it kind of made sense, was the floating feeling in his body when he was on the verge of passing out. Sleep deprivation wasn’t the solution but it made him drunk, not that he really knew what it felt like but he assumed.

Normally sleep deprivation could damage you and make you feel terrible, but Will lived in a constant state of horrible. As weird as it sounds, what he loved the most was the feeling of falling. That freedom he felt as his limbs lost control and simply collapsed.

He quickly stopped this habit when he actually collapsed in front of people. It was a Wednesday, 3rd period, math class. He hadn’t had a good night of sleep in at least 2 weeks. The dark circles under his eyes should have made people suspicious. It kind of did but not enough to make them ask and Will liked it better that way.

The teacher, noticing Will wasn’t paying attention to the lesson, made him go to the blackboard to solve a problem.

Will got up and that was the first mistake that caused the following ones.

He saw blur and felt the entire room spin. The ground felt like jelly and the walls resembled heat waves. His eyes rolled to the back of his head. And there it was again. That feeling of floating that Will craved. Except in reality he wasn’t floating, he was falling. For him it felt infinite but for everyone else it felt like seconds. He was briefly up then so suddenly hit the floor, hard. Will felt the cold tilled floor beneath him then. Nothing. Black out.

Will wished he could’ve stayed like this forever. It felt like sleep but it was so much more peaceful. Unfortunately, a second later, no matter how much actual time had passed, he opened his eyes, brightness blinding him. If he looked at the light long enough he could see stars. Then a shadow covered his face. It took a minute for his eyes to focus but as soon as he saw the figure in front of him he smiled. His heart rate rose a little, skipping a beat here and there. The euphoric feeling coming back but or a totally different reason this time.

Mike Wheeler, kneeled by his side, hovering his body. Will was so out of it that he would only later realize that his best friend was holding his hand, clinging to it as if Will’s body would liquefy if he ever let go. What he did notice was his face, the halo of light behind his head made him look like an angel. Did I finally die? Will thought. He saw his lips move but no sound followed. His eyes wandered across his face, until his met Mike’s big brown glossy ones. Mike’s wet eyes screamed worry, but Will couldn’t hear it. All he perceived was the familiarity, and reassurance of still being seen.

“Mike…” Will’s speech was barely audible over the whispering of the rest of the student all around them. Lucas and Dustin stood right behind Mike. The looks on their face was just as worried as Mike’s.

“Will” Mike’s mouth stayed open.

“Have you always had those stars in your eyes?” Will said, beaming at Mike who let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding then the teacher finally spoke.

“Alright, alright. Please step away from him, let him breathe.” He approached the lying boy and gestured with his hands for the others to get back. The circle around Will grew larger, but Mike didn’t move an inch. “Come on Mike-“

“No!” Mike yelled, his eyes not leaving Will who closed his eyes but did not opened them again. Now Mike was scared. His head snapped in the teacher’s direction. He couldn’t understand how the man could stay so calm when his best friend was, in Mike’s mind, clearly dying. “Call an ambulance, dipshit!” Mike spat out. This comment would’ve normally cause him trouble but the situation made the teacher brush it off.

From then on until the hospital, Will went from conscious to unconscious every 5 minutes. Flash of red and blue, and a warm hand in his was all he could manage to remember from the ride to the hospital. Something freezing entered his veins then blackout again, this time for hours.

 The sound of the heart monitor echoed in the room. The half-open door let footsteps of people and doctors be heard in the room. After an hour of pacing the room Mike had finally sat down in the chair next to Will’s bed. Joyce, who had arrived only a couple minutes after the ambulance, had offered to give Mike a ride home. He politely refused and insisted on being there as well. She sat in next to Mike whose leg’s was bouncing up and down.

Will’s pulse raising could be heard through the monitor. Both Mike and Joyce looked up. His heart beat kept going up, making so much noise in the room until he jolted awake and his heart slowed down as his breathing deepened. The lanky boy quickly stood up and the petite woman threw herself in her son’s arms. Will barely had the time to process what was happening.

“Hi,” she said, her hands on each side of his face. “I’m gonna get the nurse” she kissed his forehead then left.

Will looked around the room and his eyes met Mike’s. He got closer to the bed. Will scooted over a little in the white sheets, to let his oldest friend sit. “What happened?” Will asked watching him get on the hospital bed.

“You passed out in math class” Mike said calmly, looking at his feet.

“I told you math was boring” Will chuckled. Mike stayed quiet. Will was frowning. “hey... it’s okay, I’m ok—”

“I’m sorry” He almost whispered. How can Mike be sorry? Will inflicted this to himself, he was the one self-destructing. “I haven’t been there for you lately” Will shook his head.

“No, it’s not- you didn’t have to be” Will tried to reassure him.

“Yes I did! I’m your best friend a-and I haven’t acted like I am in these past few months. I should’ve played d&d with you, I should’ve gone to the movies more often, I shouldn’t have respected that fucking curfew, and stayed longer with you guys, ugh” Will stayed silent while Mike was word-vomiting and he wasn’t done yet. “Maybe… If I had been there for you, with you, you wouldn’t have…”

“I did not die, Mike”

“You could’ve!” Mike finally looked up.

“You can’t die from sleep deprivation” Will said, avoiding Mike’s gaze.

“If given enough time, sleep deprivation can kill you”

“Yeah, well, I would’ve stop before that. I wouldn’t have gone this far” Will said.

“How am I supposed to know that?” The room fell silent. They both became really aware of the beep coming from the machine. They held each other’s gaze before Mike broke it and looked at the catheter in Will’s left hand. “Why did you even start doing that?”

A couple more seconds of silence before Will’s shaky voice whispered “Nightmares…”

“That bad?” Mike said, worried.

Will stayed still. He couldn’t go back there. Talking about it would mean bring the dark into the light. But he was scared that the dark would swallow the light. A single tear fell down his red cheek. “You have no idea”

They got interrupted by the nurse and Joyce coming back. She checked his vitals, and the doctor prescribed him sleeping pills and vitamins. Will had to stay the night at the hospital to make sure he got some sleep before going home. Mike wanted to stay but as soon as Jonathan arrived Joyce insisted on giving him a ride home.

The next day, at school, Mike explained everything to Lucas, Dustin and Max, who hadn’t been in the same class that period. They wanted to visit him or something but Dustin pointed out that it would be better if they let him rest. That evening he went to the cabin to talk to El. She had heard about the news from Hopper, who had talked to Joyce. They didn’t talk much that evening –not that they usually did, they much preferred making out– instead Mike simply laid his head on El’s lap and cried. If he rationalized all of the events, it wasn’t that bad –not upside down kind of bad- but for some reason he needed to cry. El simply stroked his hair and waited for him to calm down.

 Weeks passed and Will’s nightmares were never mentioned after that. He stopped forcing himself to stay awake to avoid any other incident. He simply accepted the fact that he’ll live the rest of his life waking up swimming in his own tears and sweat, with his heart out of his body and burning lungs.

While Will’s nightmares stayed the same, a lot of things changed in he and his friends lives. Mike and El broke up. Contrary to popular believes, they were okay, not sad. Hopper and Joyce started dating which meant that not one but two people were added to his family. His brother went to college. El started going to school with them and they started high school. They met Suzie once.  

 The first time it happened, no one paid attention to it, because it could’ve happened to anybody. I could simply have been a coincidence. But it wasn’t. It wasn’t.

They were all six in Mike’s basement, a dumb movie on the television that nobody was even watching. It was more of a background noise. The girls were on the sofa. El was braiding Max’s hair. She had gotten quite good at it now. She used to train on herself or even on Will at home. She couldn’t anymore because his hair wasn’t as long.

They now had been living together for 2 years. At first it was weird. Will wasn’t used to living with a girl, he had always known what having a brother was like but El felt completely different. Sure, his mother is a woman but it’s not the same. However, they quickly connected, and became quite the pair.

Dustin, Mike and Lucas played Uno on the floor and Will was sat against the sofa, drawing the scene. If El had gotten quite good at braiding hair, Will’s drawing skills exploded expectations. He actually considered, once or twice, studying art when he’s done with high school. After all, every great artist is a little messed up, right?

His eyes were right on the boys, so it wasn’t hard for him to notice Mike cheating by hiding a card beneath another one to get rid of it. His eyes went back to his drawing. He wasn’t going to say anything but before he knew it his mouth opened and started talking except, his voice echoed and mixed with someone else’s.

“Mike, you cheated I saw you. Cheating is bad.” El and Will’s voices became one as they speak at the same time. The exact same sentence. Words for words.

They immediately looked at each other -confusion painted on both of the teen’s face- and so did the rest of the party.

“Wow, that was weird.” Max said. But weirdness to it was brushed off when Dustin replied.

“You guys spend too much time with each other, you’re starting to sound like the twins from the shining.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that you cheated Mike. Take seven more cards” Lucas said changing the subject.

“SEVEN! That’s harsh, I already have 20 in my hand!” Mike said dramatically.

The evening went back to normal after that. Except for the glances between Mike and Will, here and there. But it had become their normal at this point.

Will knew he’s had a crush on his best friend since forever. But recently he wasn’t so sure. It wasn’t just a crush anymore. Will was pretty sure he was in love with Mike. He used to shiver when their hands touch, now he craved his touch. He would’ve blushed if they ended up being really close, now his entire body radiated heat. Being with Mike used to give him butterfly in his stomach, now whenever he was around he could feel firework in his chest.

Those feelings he kept them deep, deep, down in his heart. It wasn’t just out of the fear of rejection but also because those feelings became so strong that, sometimes at night, if they were buried deep enough, beneath the darkness, he could use them to block the nightmares away for a couple hours. And it was good enough. Until it became the worst.

 Like every night, Will brushed his teeth in the bathroom with El before going to bed. Sometimes Will would go into the bathroom and start laughing, remembering that time where he and his sister had a toothpaste fight. Joyce was not happy about it. But it was still one of his favorite memories. When they finished, they said goodnight to each other then go to their respective room to sleep.

When he woke up from a nightmare he’d always try to not scream or breathe too loud so he wouldn’t wake anyone. And so far it had worked. After living together for so long Will was surprised that El hadn’t find out about his nightmares. He had lived with his mother and Jonathan for way longer than that but he came to the conclusion that somehow he and her, were connected somehow. He assumed it had something to do with the upside down, because they had both gone there. But then again that didn’t make sense either because Nancy, his mom and even Hopper had been there. And he definitely didn’t share that bond with any of them.

Once in his room he settled on his bed. After reading a comic book or two he drifted to sleep. No darkness in sight. Will felt so relieved when he saw freckles. It was going to be one of those extremely rare night where he could enjoy his feelings, show them, feel them, embraced them. In those dreams it was just him and Mike, floating through time and space, sharing body heat as their limbs tangled, mixing green and brown, hearts beating in sync.

That’s how it usually went.

Will was so caught up in happiness that he didn’t notice everything losing its color and brightness. Dark smoke lurked on the floor, spreading in Will’s mind. He started to worry when he felt Mike’s skin getting colder. He looked up at his now freckle-less white face. His hair was darker than usual, and his nails had grown an inch. Will felt them scratch his back. Will’s big green eye looked for Mike’s but he couldn’t find them. Mike’s face features disappeared. It wasn’t Mike, its legs and arms grew lankier. The only thing will could feel at this moment was fear and the Thing’s nails digging in his back, making him bleed.

He turned his head to find the real Mike sat in the corner of his room, hugging his knees. He looked terrified. In the blink of an eye, his and Mike’s body had switched. He was now the one in the corner watching the creature torturing his best friend. He could not move. He was petrified. He could only scream, but the sound didn’t want to come out. His vocal chords were about to explode, yet no sound came out, like he was under water.

Soon the pale body of friend became lifeless and his greyish skin became dark red liquid. The bloody mess in front of him felt like hours. When there was nothing left of Mike the nightmares started all over again. Again and again and again, until Will’s body couldn’t take it and shocked him awake.

At the same time, in the room down the hall. El woke up sweating.

Will almost let out a scream that nigh. This nightmare was so much more traumatizing than the thousands others he’d had. He took a couple of seconds to calm himself, it felt so real. The cold, the thing, Mike. Mike. Will threw himself out of bed. He stumbled on the floor and thought for a second. What was he gonna do anyway? Then it struck him. El.

He opened his door as fast as he could. He was about to go to El’s room and pond on her door. But he didn’t have to because as soon as he looked up his eyes met hers. She was on her way to his room. They stood there for a minute, until he broke the silence.

“Sorry, I woke you up” Will whispered. Though he could’ve sworn he didn’t scream.

“No. I just-” Her gaze wandered to the floor, thinking. “Are you okay?” She asked now looking at him in the eyes.

“Yes, I just” He saw her frowning then realized that lying to her won’t lead him anywhere. “Actually, no and I need your help” He took her wrist in his hand and yanked her into his room.

He closed the door behind them and led her to his bed. They sat down. Will took a deep breath before speaking.

“I need you to find Mike.” He handed her his walkie-talkie and a scarf. She took a moment to think. She did not hesitate; she knew Will was being serious she could feel it. She looked around the room, and stopped when she found his radio. She stood up walked towards it.

“It’ll work better with this” She said turning it on and choosing a channel with statics. She came back on the bed, sat legs crossed, in front of her adoptive brother.

It didn’t take too long because El knew exactly where to find him. Her mind traveled into the void, where she found Mike sleeping in his bed.

“I found him” She said.

“Is he okay?” Will asked. Her feet splashed the water as she walked towards him. He was asleep and looked peaceful.

“He’s asleep” She answered. Will saw a flash of his nightmare when he blinked.

“Are you sure? Is he breathing?” Will starting to get paranoid. The brunette took he blind fold off. She looked at Will who was shaking. She took his hands in hers, trying to calm him down. He looked down at their hands.

He’s okay. She thought.

“How can you be so sure?” He said.

“Wait you heard me say that?” She looked muddled.

“Well yeah, you just spoke” Now Will was confused. She took his chin and made him look at her.

Actually, I didn’t. She thought.

What the fuck? He thought. His eyes widened.

Yeah, what the fuck. She slowly nodded with eyes as big as his.

They waited a couple of seconds, their minds blank. Then El looked back at the radio.

“Do you trust me?” She asked. Getting closer to him.

“Of course, always” He said sincerely. She nodded and put the blindfold in his hand. She figured he’d need it more than her, as she was used to doing it. He hesitated for a second. What she was implying meant that he… but then again how do you explain what just happened between them? So he took it and tied it behind his head and relaxed. El linked their hands. He could hear her clearly in his mind.

Okay, relax and concentrate on the statics. Let it enter your head. Now think about Mike. It’s easier when you know the person and where to find them in the first place.

Okay.

El did it as well and tried her best to guide him to find the void. After some concentration and El’s help, Will opened his eyes to see, nothing but El. Her body was clear but the rest was nothingness, except for the inch of water beneath his feet. Smithereens of memories came to him. This place he had seen it before. A couple of years ago when he went missing in the upside down, El came to him, in castle Byers. And for a moment he saw that place.

“It worked!” Will couldn’t believe it. He saw El nodding, a big smile on her face.

He turned around and saw Mike’s bed. As he approached it, his vision got clearer. He saw Mike fast asleep. The mess of his hair on his pillow, and some stands of it stuck on his forehead. His lips looked wet, like he had been drooling. His right cheek was red and had the impression of his pillow on it. He looked more than okay.

His hand tried to reach for Mike but El intercepted his wrist. “It doesn’t work like that here” She said, letting go of him. He looked confused but then she waved her hand through Mike and he turned into smoke which disappeared quickly after that.

He took the blindfold off and suddenly felt tiered. He watched El getting back to herself, their eyes met and you could read on both their face. Holy shit, that just happened! Will didn’t feel it but realized what it was when this metallic taste run on his lips. He brought his fingers to his nose. Bloody fingers.

 The next day at school, when greeting everyone Will hugged Mike. Taken aback at first, Mike proceeded to putt his arms around Will. As soon as Will felt him reciprocate the embrace, he tightened his grip. They stayed in each other’s arms for a bit too long, forgetting their friends standing aside. Will’s head rested on Mike’s chest, able to hear his heart beat. He sighted in his friend blue sweater. He put one hand on one of Will’s shoulder and pushed it a little allowing both of them to look at each other.

“Is everything alright?” Mike said raising one eyebrow. Will opened his mouth, looked around them suddenly aware of their friends looking at them. He pulled away, put his hands on the straps of his backpack.

“Y-Yeah, sorry” He chuckled. Mike gave him a playful look.

Dustin, from behind, put his arms around both of his friends. He walked between them, making them follow him. “Come on lovebirds, we’re gonna be late for class, and science doesn’t wait!” He said a bit too loud. Mike laughed and shook his head while Will blushed and looked at his feet trying not to trip.

He was grateful that El didn’t mention last night at school. As much as it was exciting to discover that Will might have powers and that they could now communicate by thought, if Will wanted to reveal their discovery, he’d have to explain the context and he’d rather not. That didn’t mean that they didn’t talk about it or rather think about it.

In English class they sat next to each other. The teacher asked them to read a passage of “To Kill a Mockingbird”, the book they were studying this year. Everyone was silent the only sound in the classroom was the turning pages.

Ugh this is so boring! He thought, looking up at the ceiling.

It’s not that bad. El responded.

Shit! I forgot you could hear every of my thought. Will looked at her.

Not every single one. She felt his eyes on her so she looked back at him.

You’re sure? How can you tell? Do you think we can control it?

Okay slow down you’re drowning my brain with all your thoughts. She raised her eyebrows and closed her eyes for a bit.

Sorry. He pinched his lips

I mean I don’t know for sure, but I’m pretty sure you were thinking something when you hugged Mike this morning. But I couldn’t hear anything. So there must be a way to control it. We just don’t know how yet. Will blushed, trying to block every thoughts of Mike he could have right now in case El could hear, or see.

You’re right, we’ve been living without hearing each other’s thoughts before. I guess it got activated somehow. Will tried his best to smoothly avoid the subject of Mike. Especially with her.

Probably.

“Are you guys okay? You’ve been staring at each other for the past two minutes” Lucas interrupted them. Both of them turned towards Lucas.

“Brother-sister rivalry” Will spat out. El nodding fanatically behind Will.

“Right…” Lucas squinted his eyes.

Lunch period conversation started with everyone complaining about their upcoming tests, then shifted to small other subjects. Sometimes Will or El would comment something in their mind and the other would try not to start laughing. While the others kept arguing on whether Batman or Superman was stronger, Mike turned to Will who was toying with his pudding, it looked weird and unappealing.

“Hey Will, I um, I was wondering if you wanted to go back to my house to help me with something?” Mike said, watching his fingers playing with the hem of his sweater.

“Yeah sure! How do you want me- I-I mean what do you need me for?” Will stuttered. His ears reddened with embarrassment. Really smooth Will! He thought to himself. El couldn’t help but smile.

Yeah real smooth Byers. He could almost hear her giggle. She read the realization on his face. That’s fine you know, we don’t have to figure out how this works today, if you want to go; go ahead.

“Just to help me with a campaign I’m working on” Mike said.

“You’re working on a campaign?” He sounded surprised. “We haven’t played d&d for years” Will said.

“Yeah, I know. I just, thought it’d be nice to play one more time. Nostalgia, y’know” Mike said grabbing apple and took a bite.

“Nostalgia.” Will repeated, smiling. Their eyes stayed locked on each other for a moment making them both smile.

“What about Wonder Woman?” Max said.

“What? No she can’t-” Lucas starting to say.

“Oh! Because she’s a girl you think she wouldn’t win?!” Max interrupted him. Her eyebrows were raised above her big blue eyes.

“Yes” Lucas started saying but Max’s ‘are you kidding me’ face, made him explain. “I mean, yes she wouldn’t win but NOT because she’s a woman” He said using his hands in the air unconsciously to make himself clearer.  

“Right.” She rolled her eyes and sat back against the chair. By then Mike and Will were back in the conversation to witness the couple argue. The bell rang and Max sat up quickly and walked towards the cafeteria’s exit doors. El followed her giving the boys an apologetic look.

“I’m dead, aren’t I?” Lucas said his head in his hands.

“Yep” Dustin said.

“Oh, totally” Mike said patting his friend’s shoulder.

“Sorry, dude” Will said, shrugging. All three stood up and left.

After the last bell of the day rang, the party went their different way home. Will following Mike. They playfully raced each other for a minute, then Mike looped around Will until they both passed in front of each other, creating an invisible DNA shape on the road.

They left their bikes outside, next to the Wheelers’ car. Karen’s probably, Will thought. They entered through the basement door. Will knew this room like the back of his hand. He had so many good memories here. A couple of bad ones, but it was nothing compared to the 10 hours afternoons spent playing games or watching movies.

Mike closed the door behind them and was heading towards the couch. Will looked around the room and noticed one of his drawing on the wall. He wasn’t a stranger to seeing his drawing here. Since he started drawing he always gave Mike some of them, and he liked them so much that he’d hang them everywhere in the house. Once he put one or two on the fridge without saying anything to anybody, and for at least 5 month Karen Wheeler thought her son was some kind of art prodigy.  

As Will got closer to the art piece on the wall, he realized it was a recent one. It was the one he did when the boys were playing Uno and Mike had cheated. He forgot about it and left it there. Mike probably assumed Will left it for him and hung it.

“You’re still hanging those?” Will asked, pointing at the paper sheet. Mike turned around to face him. His fingers dropped from his lips.

“Um? Oh yeah, always” Mike said, like it was the thing he was the surest in the world. Will beamed at that. “I mean, it makes the place friendlier” Mike bit his lips, his tone made the sentence sound like he was trying to convince himself. Will chuckled and nodded.

“Mike? Is that you?” A feminine voice came from upstairs.

“No mom, it’s Santa Claus. Yeah it’s me!” He yelled back. The basement door opened.

“Michael! What did I tell you ab- oh, Will!” She looked surprised. Her voice went from sharp to sweet as soon as she noticed Will.

“Hi Ms. Wheeler” He answered politely. “I hope I’m not bothering you”

“Oh, don’t be silly, of course not!” She waved her hand. “Are you staying for dinner?” She asked calmly. Her voice was low and friendly. Will looked at Mike then back at the woman.

“Um, thanks but I think my mom wants me home tonight.” He told her. He knew that if he stayed for dinner Mike would ask him to stay the night. He would’ve loved to, but he told El they’d try to figure out their mind connection, and he didn’t want to scare or worry Mike with his nightmares.

“Okay, does she know you’re here or do you want me to make a call?” She turned her shoulder to the kitchen.

“No it’s fine. I’m sure El told her already”

“Well then, there are snacks in the kitchen if either of you is hungry. I’ll be in the living room if you need me” She smiled.

“Okay thanks mom” Mike said as she closed the door.

Mike kneeled down and looked through a bunch of tapes laying around next to his radio. He picked up the one labeled ‘For Mike’. A couple years back Will really got into music, thanks to his brother who introduced him to a couple of his favorite bands and from then Will’s music taste grew and now he sometimes made Jonathan listen to music he had never heard of. One day he decided to make a mixtape for each of his friends, which they all appreciated and surprisingly all loved. It’s like Will knew exactly what songs would fit his friends’ personalities.

“Wait, I’ve actually made you a new one” He let his backpack slid along his arms. He zipped it open and took out a small tape. This one had ‘Mixtape update x’ written on it. He handed it to Mike, their fingers brushed for a moment.

“Thanks” Mike said smiling. He took a second to look at it closely. He noticed his name wasn’t written on it. Maybe he made the same for everyone this time. “Is this one also different from the others’?” He asked looking up.

“What?” Will looked a little lost.

“My name’s not on it, so I thought that maybe you made the same for everyone this time.” Mike clarified.

“Oh. No, actually I only made one for you” Will confessed, a little embarrassed, avoiding eye contact.

“Oh.” Mike’s smiled could be heard in his voice. After a second of smiling, Mike slid the tape in the radio. Soft upbeat getting louder, leading up to Tiffany’s voice singing. Mike chortled, recognizing the song ‘I think we’re alone now’. “Quite fitting” He said, standing up.

“Yeah, well, not every song on this is a masterpiece. Sometimes there are just nice an-” Will spoke really fast and didn’t see Mike walk towards him. He took both his hands in his which made Will stop talking.

“Hey, I like it” He reassured the smaller boy.

Will’s lips parted; his eyes looking at Mike’s loving gaze, through his eyelashes. They were so close their chest could almost touch. Mike’s thumb stroked the back of Will’s hand. Will was now painfully aware of his heart beating faster. Just like in the song in the background, there was a tension building between them. Then the chorus hit and Mike started lip syncing.

“I think we’re alone now” He made faces as he silently sang. Will failed to hide his smile by pinching his lips together.

“Doesn’t seem to be anyone around” Mike moved his shoulders up and down to the rhythm. The green eyed boy slowly shook his head.

“I think we’re alone now” He nodded his head, moving their liked hands above their heads, encouraging Will to join him. He only responded with big eyes and a small smirk. The immediately sang the next part.

“The beating of our hearts is the only sound” Will dramatically grabbed his shirt over his heart. They both laughed then continued to dance and sing along the 1987 pop song. Throwing limps, jumping up and down until the very last note.

The next song started playing and Will felt nervous. He could not, for the love of him, sing ‘Can’t fight this feeling’ to Mike. It held way too much meaning.

“So, um about that campaign” He said bringing Mike’s attention to him and away from the song.

“Oh, uh yeah” He scratched the back of his head. “I kinda lied.” His nose wrinkled up.

“Why?” Will wasn’t sad about the campaign but rather confused as to Mike lied. “I would’ve come anyway.”

“I- sorry that was stupid” Mike said, sitting down on the couch.

“Not stupid, pointless maybe.” He teased. He followed him on the couch.

“It’s just that we haven’t properly hang out in a long time, and I mean we as in you and me not the party. Not that I don’t wanna hang out with the others. It’s just that we- and I ugh” Mike started to get frustrating. He couldn’t phrase properly what he meant. Will placed his hand on top of Mike’s. Sliding it off as soon as he got his attention.

“I missed you too” He said softly. Mike smiled. They sat, their backs flat against the couch, head thrown back looking at the ceiling.

Their hands were so close on the couch, fingers almost touching. They stayed silent for at least 30 seconds. None of them daring to move. The song in the background became louder and louder in Will’s mind. Quite fitting. What Mike had said only minutes ago, echoed in his mind. After all, if Will had to describe or explain his feelings for Mike he’d give that song as an answer.

The silence became anxiety. Will begged in his mind for Mike to say something. He was about to break this heartbeat raising silence when he felt Mike’s thin fingers slowly overlapping his. He waited a couple of seconds before moving his towards him. Will’s heart beat for a total different reason but didn’t slowdown nonetheless.

And just like in a movie, their fingers intertwined at the very moment the chorus started. Like their hands they became one. Their breathing and heartbeats synchronized with each other. Mike tightened his grip and Will responded by doing so, as well. Euphoria ran through their bodies, and drew the biggest smiles on their faces.

Mike turned his face to look at Will as a reassurance that this was real and not a dream. Will after fearing this was all a hallucination decided to look at him. He saw his best friend smile like he never saw him smile before. They probably looked so dumb beaming at each other but Will didn’t care. He felt all warm and fuzzy inside, he slid down the couch, smiling. Mike followed him and put his head on Will’s shoulder.

They stayed like this for the rest of the song, and the next one, and the next one. After about 20 minutes of comfortable silence they got back to talking. The conversation not mentioning their still linked hands or addressing the situation whatsoever.

 He met Hopper on the way home. He parked his truck right next to his mom’s green car. He got off his bike as the sheriff got out his car.

“Hey, kiddo” He greeted him, opening the front door.

“Hi Hop!” He ran inside.

They came home right on time for dinner. Joyce was in the kitchen finishing to season the salad. El was setting the table. Will put his backpack on the floor and hung his coat next to Jim’s. He walked passed El, smiled at her, and entered the kitchen to greet his mom.

“Hi mom” He said happiness all over his face. “I’ll go help El for the table do you need me to do anything else?”

“Hi honey, um no I’m finished thank you” She sounded a bit surprised. He went back to El and finished setting the table, humming a song while doing so. Joyce and Jim shared a look, both clueless of why he was acting so weird.

“Someone’s in a good mood” Jim said, looking at an almost dancing Will. He turned to Joyce. “Where was he coming back from? I met him in the way home.” He asked.

“Mike’s” Joyce simply answered. She picked up the salad bowl and brought it on the table.

“I see” Jim nodded.

Joyce wasn’t the best cook in the world but she tried. Her cooking skilled improve a lot since Hopper and El moved in. Jim was actually really good at cooking and Joyce picked up on some cooking techniques.

 After everyone was finished Jim proposed to do the dishes, which no one disagreed to. The parents planed on watching tv for the evening but El and Will had other things in mind. They went back to El’s bedroom.

“Okay, what do we start with?” Will said. She went to her desk and picked up a green pen. She put it flat against the wooden desk.

“Try to make it levitate.” She said.

He looked at it, lying there. He got a bit closer. He took a deep breath and concentrated. He focused his entire mind on it. He even tried to put his hand in the air like she did. Nothing. It did not move an inch.

“I can’t” Will said, his arm falling.

“Try to visualize it floating, like it’s the only thing you want.” She encouraged him, not to give up.

Will tried again. Following her advice. He closed his eyes again. He felt energy around him. The more he concentrated the more he felt it. At one point he realized that the energy was actually coming from him. It felt like a halo all around him. He was so used to darkness that light coming from him felt unfamiliar. He opened his eyes to check if the pen was floating. He couldn’t see because of how bright the room had become. His eyes adjusted, the pen was still on the desk but the room stayed brighter than it usually was. Will looked around and saw El looking between him and the three lights in the room. He fully came back to himself and stopped concentrating. The three lights faded to come back to their usual amount of glow.

Will felt drained. Blood ran down his nostrils. El handed him a tissue. He wiped his nose and sat down in her desk chair. The door opened and Hopper entered looking alerted.

“El what’s going on? The lights went crazy in the lounge and in the kitchen” He said.

“That… wasn’t me” El couldn’t lie. Sometimes to protect others she would, but she avoided hiding the truth. Jim’s eyes went from El to Will who held a blooded tissue. He weakly smiled. Then Hopper said.

“You have-

 -POWERS!?” Dustin shouted.

“Sshhh, stop shouting” Will said, nervously looking around them.

“How did you find out?” Mike asked.

“He made the lights go crazy in the entire house” El said excitedly.

“Can you show us?” Max asked curious.

“Not in here” Will responded.

“Do you also bleed like El?” Lucas asked.

“Yeah” Will nodded.

The conversation went on like that for the next 10 minutes. Random question followed by a quick response by either El or Will, mainly Will. After the bell rang, the went their way to their class. Mike followed Will and put his headphones on Will’s head. He recognized the mixtapes he gave Mike the other day. ‘Don’t you (forget about me)’ currently playing.

“You like it?” Will said a bit too loud. He took off the headphones and gave them back to Mike. “Sorry”

“I love it actually. I listened to it all yesterday.” Mike said smiling. They walked close to each other; their hands sometimes bumping into each other, and once or twice one of them would linger the touch. They didn’t even notice or acknowledge Lucas and Max walking behind them.

“All of it! There are like one and a half hour worth of songs on there.” Will said looking at Mike.

“Oh I know” Mike responded. They were so caught up in their conversation that it only struck Will that they were headed to geography.

“Mike you don’t have geography with me…” Will frowned and his eyes narrowed.

“No why?” Mike was clueless.

“Because we’re Friday and I have geography class first period”

“Oh shit, um Friday, yeah Advanced English, got it bye” He almost went to kiss Will’s cheek but chickened out at the last moment, then left running. Will laughed. “Idiot” He whispered.

 Electrokinesis was what Dustin called it. After Will showed the party what he could do, Dustin helped him research information on the subject. El helped him by training. He’d also do it by himself but found more motivation by doing it with someone. Once he learned how to control it and manage his energy, they tried other things.

El had more than one powers, and Will had been able to travel in the void as well. Their search material was primarily comic books. Who could blame them? They were still kids in a way and all they knew about superpowers came from there. Lucas had made a list of characters with electrokinesis or powers along those lines. From there they tried all the other powers those characters had. It turned out to be a good idea because that’s how they discovered that he could influence the weather. Mainly make it rain or create a small storm.

He could also control electronics, which was convenient to turn on and off the radio or the tv. He was basically a walking remote. He could also connect his mind to certain channel or amplify signals.

 All those discoveries took place throughout a week, and at the weekend that followed left Will alone in the house. Joyce and Hopper decided to go on a romantic weekend in a lake house three hours away from Hawkins, for their anniversary. With El at Max’s for a sleepover and Jonathan still in college, Will was on his own.

Mike had suggested a sleepover but as always Will refused. It had started to raise Mike’s suspicions. Will always insisted on not staying, saying he didn’t want to bother, or that he slept better at his house; which obviously were lies. This time he pretexted to have homework he had to work on.

He ate his microwaved diner sat alone watching some boring shows on television. It was quite sad actually; being all alone. He made the light brighter, trying to make the place feel more alive. But it still felt cold.

He had been so happy this past week. So happy that he could almost forget the nightmares. Almost. They always came back at night. But they seemed to be less scary as time passed. Will thought that maybe they finally grew on him and that meant that he could potentially have a good night of sleep soon.

He didn’t.

He was trapped in his mind again. This endless circle of darkness and feeling trapped. The feeling of pure cold through his body. The line between reality and his mind had become almost nonexistent.

Mike having the starring role this time. Sometimes by being the victim of his nightmares, or sometimes, and frankly Will couldn’t tell which was worse, by acting as his nightmares.

Will told himself that it wasn’t Mike speaking. It wasn’t his voice he was hearing. It wasn’t his words cutting scars in his heart. It wasn’t his spit hitting his face. It wasn’t his hands pushing him to the ground. It wasn’t his feet kicking his ribs. But as his vision blurred, so did the truth and he started to believe it.

The nightmare went back and forth for hours. From seeing Mike getting tortured, to being tortured by Mike, to watching Mike getting tortured to-

Will for the first time in such a long agonizing time woke up screaming. It kind of felt therapeutic but he couldn’t tell at the time. He had contained himself for so long that he kept on screaming and crying for five minutes. Warm almost burning tears against his frozen cheeks.

He clenched his fists in the bedsheets and kept the covers so close to his torso. He wanted to pull his eyes out to stop the tears. He screamed so loud he swore he felt his ear-drum vibrate. He let out so much of untold feeling he broke a couple of light bulbs.

When he stopped shouting. The silence was almost deafening. His wet eyelashes met his wet cheeks and his chest rose slowly. That’s when it clicked. He didn’t want to be alone. He felt so scared, even awake. He suddenly had the urge to be held and comforted. Without thinking about it twice he grabbed his Supercom and sat on the bed.

A couple of years ago he wouldn’t have been able to reach him. He lived too far away. But now that wasn’t a problem anymore. Will concentrated, which considering the circumstances was pretty hard to do, to amply the signals of his Supercom for it to reach Mike’s. He felt so weak, so were his words through the machine.

“Mike…” It almost came out as a whisper. “Mike… it’s Will… really… you” Will was drained, he barely had any energy left so the signal kept breaking. ”… -ease … up… Mike” Will was about to give up when Mike finally picked up.

“Will is… you? …-at’s wrong?”

“Please come.” With those last words Will stopped broadcasting his message. He fell back, his head hitting the pillow.

 Mike had no idea of what happened. He only knew one thing Will needed him. He didn’t care that it was 3:27am. He got up, took his shoes and coat and hopped on his bike. One the way to Will’s house, a lot went through Mike’s mind. Did Will get attacked? Was the Mind Flayer back? Was Will hurt? When the house came in sight, he almost tripped getting off his bike. He knocked on Will’s window first then went up to the front door to keep pounding.

The door opened. By itself. That was new. Mike entered threw his coat and shoes on the floor. He saw smithereens of light bulbs everywhere next to the lamps. He felt anxiety build in his stomach. He ran to Will’s bedroom; the door was already opened. He almost didn’t want to go in, scared of what he might find.

What he actually found was Will throwing himself in Mike’s arms. He was shaking and sweating yet felt so cold. Automatism took over. He hugged him so tight, brought his hands up Wills hair, his cheek against the trembling boy’s temple. Will clenched his fists in Mike’s pajamas shirt. He could feel his nails dig in his shoulders, not caring if it left a mark. Will pushed forward and held onto Mike like his life depended on it.

“Don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me.” Will said in the crook of Mike’s neck.

“I’m not going anywhere” Mike’s hands slid up and downs Will’s back calming him down. They stayed like that for a moment. Their bodies slightly rocking from right to left.

Mike pulled away just enough to see Will’s face. He placed his hand on his left cheek, and wiped away tears with his thumb. Will melted in his touch, closing his eyes. Mike took his hands and led them to the bed. He laid Will down bringing the covers up to his chest. He pulled away and Will first instinct in his worried and scared state, was to grab Mike’s wrist.

“Hey…, I’m coming back. I’m just getting you some water.” Mike spoke softly. Will nodded and slowly loosened his grip, letting him go. Mike walked to the kitchen. Will turned his head to the window noticing the rain. He wondered if Mike had to bike all the way here under the rain, but he didn’t look or felt wet.

Mike came back with the water he closed the door behind him. He put the glass down, on the bedside table. Will suddenly felt thirsty, like his throat had become sand. He drank half of it in exactly three seconds. Mike watched him swallow the water, sat beside him, on the bed.

“Stay the night. Please.” Will asked.

“Of course” Mike didn’t even think about it. Just like he didn’t think about getting a sleeping bag. He automatically slid in the covers next to Will, which was exactly what he needed right now. Closeness, comfort, warmth and… love.

For a second, they were lying next to each other only their sides touching. It felt a little bit awkward. The bed wasn’t that big but not too small either. They could fit both. However, it wasn’t the most comfortable position.

“Do you want me to-”

“Just hold me please” Will said quickly; interrupting him. Mike did as he was told and put his arm around the boy. Will immediately felt safer. Will curled up into Mike. His head on his chest, the beating of his heart calming him down. Their legs intertwined. They were like two jigsaw pieces, fitting perfectly into each other like they were made to. Like their body were made based of each other’s.

Mike tightened his embrace to press their bodies closer. Will buried his face in the crook of his neck and nuzzled in the warmth. He hadn’t feel this at peace in a very long time. In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he felt this way. Steady breathing against his neck, Mike got a little nervous. Every breath sending shivers down his spine. To stop himself from thinking about it too much, Mike found something to keep his mind busy. He brought his hands to Will’s head and ran his fingers through chestnut hair.

“Is this okay?” He whispered.

“Very” Will said. They stayed like that for a moment. Mike thought Will had fallen asleep until he felt him move, his body was shaking, he was crying again.

“Shhh, it’s okay. It’s okay.” Mike ran his hands on his back then heard Will mumble something near his ear.

“Mike… I can’t stand the thought of losing you.” Will sobbed. Hearing this broke Mike’s heart. His best friend was in his arms sobbing. How could he had let this happen? Why didn’t he pick up on Will’s behavior sooner?

“Hey, you’re not gonna loose me. It was just a bad dream” His hand was on his cheek, his thumb wiping the tears away. Will was so terrified that this could be the beginning of yet another nightmare.

“How do I know this is real?” He looked at his face. “How do I know you’re real?” Their eyes met, watching each other like they were looking directly at the other’s soul. Only looking away to get a glimpse of lips.

“I’m real.” Mike held Will’s face. He felt his own heart beat in his ear and if he paid enough attention he could feel Will’s as well. He leaned in so their noses could touch. The tip of his nose caressed Will’s. “And so is this.” And with one final movement forward their lips collided. Their eyes closed almost immediately. Mike’s hand moved to the back of Will’s neck and brought him closer.

Will felt his heart explode in his chest. Firework of feelings finally allowed to exist outside of his mind. The kiss felt like a breath of fresh air. Like Mike’s lips were the oxygen Will needed, to keep living. Paradoxically, their lips moved together until Will noticed that he wasn’t breathing. Mike pulled away briefly, nuzzled Will’s nose, making him understand that he had to breathe through his nose. It seemed logic but this was technically his first kiss.

After they both caught their breath, Mike kissed him a second time. The boy beneath him let out the tiniest whimper and Mike took it as a greenlight to deepen the kiss. He took his bottom lip in his own, bit down softly, enough to make Will’s mouth open a little bit wider. He slid his tongue inside and kissed him passionately. This new foreign sensation drove Will crazy. He brought his hands in Mike’s hair and clenched his fist in his dark locks. He wasn’t expecting Mike’s reaction. It being a moan and shaky breathing against his cheek. Euphoria ran through Will’s veins.

He smiled against Mike’s lips, who pulled away, breathing heavily. Will kept his eyes closed. He didn’t want to open them to find that Mike regretted what they had done. The only sound in the room was their breathing slowing down. When he finally decided to open his eyes, he was relied to find Mike lovingly staring at him. Will couldn’t believe his eyes. He hadn’t felt so alive for god knows when.

They didn’t talk. They didn’t have to. Simply staring at each other was enough. After studying carefully Will’s pupils Mike brought their bodies together on last time before sleep took over both of them.

Moonlight became sunlight, bright warmth caressing their silhouettes in the sheets. Mike was the first one to wake up. He had thought about going to the kitchen and making them breakfast. But then he looked at Will’s sleeping face and instead decided to stay in bed to stare at him. He was beautiful.

Mike had always found him pretty, but not to the point where his heart would beat at such an unsteady rhythm, until a couple of years back. The triggering point probably was Will’s disappearance, when they were 13. The thought of losing him and the idea that he’d have to live the rest of his life without him by his side was soul crushing. Then he came back and it felt like his heart could finally go back to make him feel alive.

The relationship he and Will had since they were little, had always been different from any other he had with anyone. As they grew older it became clearer that what they had should only be between them, hidden from the rest of the world.

Mike tried so hard to hide it that ended up hiding it from himself as well and slowly started to be distant. He quit playing d&d, started properly dating El and avoided at all cost being alone with Will. He was so scared that old habits would resurface.

Although, sometimes they did. He’d unconsciously put his arm around Will’s shoulder, take his hands to lead him somewhere or that one time, at the cinema, where Will’s pinky finger accidentally brushed against his and Mike instinctively intertwined them.

Mike felt Will move on his torso. The boy stretched his legs, and hit Mike’s lower stomach. He yawned, hugged Mike tighter and sighed, face buried in his neck. Mike was now aware that he had to get up although he didn’t want to, he needed to.

“Will” He said softly, voice raspy from the sleep. “Are you awake?” He asked.

“No” Will replied, sounding barely awake. Mike chucked.

“Will, I need to pee” Mike insisted. Will rose his head, with one eye closed he looked at Mike. The soft look on he wore made Will let out shaky breath. Last night wasn’t a dream, he was real. Mike tried to moved which reminded Will of how their body were pressed together. Did I sleep on him the entire night? He thought. He felt heat waves through his body and his ears starting to heat up.

“Fine” He fake groaned, lifting his body. He watched Mike get up and gave him a smile, he ruffled his hair, heading towards the bathroom.

Will fell back on the pillow and used the covers to hide his flushed face. He stayed under the covers a moment before he decided to get up. He heard Mike flushing the toilet then saw him come back to the room.

“You hungry?” He asked from the door frame.

“Uh, yeah” Will said. He followed Mike to the kitchen. Mike sat on the counter while Will looked through the cupboards.

“So, chef Byers what’s on the menu on this fine Sunday morning?” Mike playfully asked. Will chuckled.

“I can make pancake?” It came out more like a question.

“You can?” He sounded surprised.

“I mean Jonathan showed me once, but I never actually tried it myself…”

“How about I make us scrambled eggs?” He got off the counter and walked towards the fridge, grabbing the eggs.

“That’s probably a better idea, yeah” Will said.

Mike turned out to be a pretty good cook. He probably learned from his mom. This woman was the best cook in all Hawkins. Will had always loved it when he got to stay the night and eat dinner with the Wheelers.

They ate in silence, except for Will complimenting Mike’s cooking skills every five minutes. After they finished their eggs, Will got up to clear their plates. He put Them in the sink to wash later. He was about to turn around when he felt arms around his waist. He froze, the fork fell from his hand and hit the plate.

He inhaled quite sharply when he felt Mike’s lips against his nape. Shivers ran across his back when Mike actually placed a kiss there. He breathed deeply and his whole body relaxed. He tilted his head and felt a second kiss, this time lower and closer to his shoulder. Then another and another, Will turned around faster than his heartbeat and caught Mike’s lips. Grabbing onto his shirt bringing him down.

Kissing in the daylight felt different. Still enjoyable and mind blowing, but different. It felt like they were more vulnerable, more likely to be caught. They kissed until their lips turned crimson and their lungs felt empty. Will pulled away, hands still clutching onto the taller boy’s shirt. Suddenly insecurities came back haunting him.

“Mike I need to know if this is real…” He looked at his hands, avoiding Mike’s gaze.

“It is Will” Mike took Will’s face between his hands. Hoping touch would make him realize it was reality.

“No, I mean,” He looked up, locking their eyes. “I mean this, us” He whispered the last word feeling self-conscious for even saying it out loud. His eyes made movements from eyes to lips. Mike felt his heart sink.

“Of course!” Mike said. “I thought I made it clear, last night, that I like you” Mike looked at the floor and bit his lips.

“Right, I’m sorry” Will shook his head, eyes closed.

“Hey, no, don’t apologize!” Mike said, lifting Will’s chin to look at him.

“I like you too by the way” Will was expecting his heart to go wild but it didn’t. It stayed steady. Because he felt comfortable. Mike made him feel comfortable.

“I-I like you too” Mike said then instantly felt stupid repeating himself. It made Will smile and even chuckle.

“Do you want to watch a movie or something?” Will asked.

“Only if I can kiss you on the couch” Mike said, smirking. He placed his hands on the counter trapping Will between his arms.

“Okay, Romeo” Will said, moving his arm to go under and led them to the living room.

They spent the afternoon watching movie they knew by heart, -mostly trying to get quotes right and recreating the dialogues- cuddling on the couch.  A kiss here and there, but apart from that they remained the same. Throwing popcorns at each other while making fun of the characters being stupid at some point in the movie.

Mike was so caught up in making Will feel happy and at the same time making himself happy, that he forgot to phone his mom to tell her that he was at Will’s. While the boys were living the best afternoon in their life, Karen was worrying as to where her son had gone.

They were in their third movie when the phone in the kitchen rang. Will got up to answer and was surprised to hear Karen’s voice. After being informed that her son was there she demanded to speak to him. Will could hear Ms. Wheeler’s voice yelling at Mike through the phone. He apologized and promised to be home for dinner.

The credits of the fourth film scrolled down the screen. They stopped paying attention twenty minutes ago, deciding that cuddling was more interesting. A single blanket covering them. Holding hands, playing with hair, hugging, sharing warmth, kiss.

The front door opened, with no warning.

“-ha ha, very funny.” They both recognized Hopper’s sarcastic tone. He entered the house with two suitcases in his arms, heading to the bedroom. They pulled away and sat up as fast as they could.

“I’m just sayin- oh, hi boys.” Joyce entered the house with a bag of groceries in her hands. She walked to the dining room and placed the bag on the table. “Will, you should’ve told me you were having a sleepover I would’ve bought diner or left you money for pizza.” They looked at each other hoping an answer was hiding in the other’s pupil.

“Well, it was kinda last minute” Will said. At last El came in, carrying a bag as well, and closed the door behind her.

“Is Mike here? I saw his bike outside.” El said. She turned around and saw the boys on the couch. “Oh. I guess he is” She smiled hello and brought the bag to Joyce.

“I’m leaving actually” Mike said standing up.

“You are?” Will said under his breath. Mike looked down at Will’s face.

“You’re not staying for dinner?” Joyce asked almost at the same time, sorting the food items.

“No I told my mom I’d be back for dinner” He answered. Will stood up and followed Mike to the door. He put his shoes and coat on saying goodbye to everyone. He opened the door and headed outside.

“See you tomorrow at school” He was about to hop on his bike but Will stopped him. After looking and closing the door behind him, he made Mike face him and kissed him one last time.

“See you tomorrow” He said then watched Mike leave. He slipped and almost fell off his bike, screaming ‘I’m okay’ before continuing to bike away until he was out of sight.

It took approximatively two and a half second for the party to realize there had been an upgrade in Will and Mike’s relationship. However, the boys, in their total obliviousness state, thought they were doing a great job at behaving normally. Which they were, except for the stolen kisses when they thought no one was watching, the intense yet quick making out session in the school bathroom or in the closet at Mike’s house, not even mentioning the now recurring sleepovers.

He now allowed himself to stay over at his friends’ for movie nights. Sleeping right next to Mike made him less scared of being caught waking up in the middle of the night. As soon as he woke up Mike would immediately hold him and sooth him back to sleep avoiding bothering their friends. After a couple of weeks, they started to sense that their friends might have found out about them. They got the confirmation one morning after a sleepover at the Wheeler’s.

That morning they had slept in late. The others were up while the lovebirds were cuddling in their shared sleeping bag. Will hugging Mike like a koala on a tree. Dustin, El, Lucas and Max staring at them.

“Shall we wake them up?” Lucas asked, sat legs crossed, next to Max who was still lying down.

“But they look so peaceful” Max said getting up on her elbows. They all shared a look. She wore a mischievous smile while getting up, walking towards the curtains blocking the sunlight. She opened them loudly.

“MORNING!” She said loudly. Both Mike and Will jumped awake. Mike’s first instinct being throwing an arm around his boyfriend.

Brightness blinding them and confusion on their face they slowly got back to reality and detached themselves from one another. Silence installed itself in the room while Will anxiously tried to find an excuse. He swallowed.

“I-I got really cold a-and Mike’s pretty warm an-”

“Could you cut the bullshit and admit you’re dating already” Dustin interrupted him, from the couch.

El sat on the floor tried her best not to burst into laugh. He could almost hear her laugh in his mind, which is when he realized how stupid it was. Of course their friends wouldn’t care. They were actually happy for them. Will had been conditioned his whole life to be scared of his feelings, that they were wrong -thanks to his dad and bullies at school- that he almost believed it at some point.

“Were we that obvious?” Mike asked his hand rubbing his neck, sore from sleeping on the floor.

“Dude! you were that obvious even before you started dating!” Lucas said hand gesturing at them. And with that they all laughed so hard.

 Every time Will thought that he had reached the level of happiness to finally get rid of his nightmares, the night reminded him of how wrong he was. The more he dreamed the more frustrated he got. He just didn’t understand. Why did he keep having them?

He finally opened up to Mike about them, explaining every details and how he felt every time he woke up. They spent the night crying in each other’s arms. Will feeling relieved to get this out off of his chest after years and years of repression, but still insecure and scared on why they never went away; and Mike feeling miserable for not having done anything even though he didn’t know and felt sorry for not picking up on things.

Will thought that maybe opening up was the key and once he admitted the existence of his night terrors to someone they would go away and leave him alone. Needless to say it sadly wasn’t.

Will started to think his case was hopeless, but not Mike. He convinced him to talk about it to the others. Will was septic at first but after a couple of well-argued discussion, he gave in.

He didn’t go full graphic description for his friends but told enough to raise worry.

“And you’ve been having those ever since…” Max said.

“Since the upside down yeah.” He answered.

“Are they always the same ones?” Lucas asked in his turn. They room was so silent apart drom their voice.

“Mostly, although they became worse in a way” He looked at Mike remembering the shift in the pattern when Mike appeared in them. “The night El found out about it we woke up at the same time and”

“Wait wait” Mike cut Will and turned to El. “You knew?!” Mike  raised his voice.

“I-”

“And you did nothing!” Mike screamed. The others were speechless.

“Mike…” Will said.

“I- I’m sorry I didn’t-” She shook her head, her eyes watering she just now realized that maybe she could’ve done something.

“You’re sorry! You’ve literally been in his head and you didn’t notice how bad it was?! You’re living with him; how did you not notice?” There he was, word vomiting again, feeling so mad that there was no filter. He was projecting his own failure onto her which wasn’t fair.

Will had told him about their psychic bond and how they could hear each other’s thoughts. Right now he couldn’t hear her mind but feel it. He felt a wave of sadness and remorse.

“Mike, stop!” Will screamed. Mike faced the boy and seeing his face tightened his throat. He looked back at El and noticed a tear rolling down her left cheek.

“I’m sorry, El. I shouldn’t have lashed out onto you” Mike apologized. His voice low soundinf sincere.

“It’s okay” El said. Smiling weakly she looked at Mike in the eyes letting him know that she forgave him. He smiled back then looked at the floor. The room fell back to silence for another minute.

“What did you mean when you said she’s been in his head?” Dustin asked.

“Oh yeah, um, they have this thing where they can read each other’s mind and stuff” Mike said.

“Pretty cool, huh” Will said looking at his friends smiling, trying to lighten the mood.

“Yeah” Max chuckled then nodded. El was quiet. She thought about what Mike had said before, then frowned. In his head. In his head.

“That’s it!” She shouted. “In his head!” They all looked confused not following. “I could try going into his mind and see if I can… fix him”

“You could do that?” Will said breathing deeply. She looked at him in the eyes, held his gaze looking serious.

“I can do it” She confidently said. She had to.

They all went to Will’s room and sat in circle. El in front of Will and Mike on his right holding his hand. He used his powers to turn on his radio and El blind folded herself, statics and breathing being the only sound in the room.

They closed their eyes and they suddenly were the only ones in the bedroom except the room wasn’t a room anymore. It was pitch black all around them. They opened their eyes and the where standing in the void facing each other. She reached for him, placed his hand on his head. She felt his green eyes pierce her soul. Her head was about to explode when she felt her body sinking.

In the bedroom El jumped and her breathing accelerated.

All of a sudden he was gone and she was standing in the woods, pouring rain echoing. It was so dark, no stars in the sky. She walked backwards and felt a twig break under her foot. She turned around and saw Castle Byers, or what was left of it…

Dark smoke was surrounding it. She got closer and found a bat lying in a puddle. As she picked it up she could hear a masculine deep voice shouting. She didn’t recognize it but could understand clearly the words. Useless fag, If I wanted a girl I would’ve adopted one. The words hurt, but not as much as the pain she suddenly felt in her ribs, like someone was kicking her. It stopped as soon as she let go of the bat. She winced then kept walking.

She saw a shotgun entangled in blinking Christmas lights. The closer she got the faster the blinked and she could hear this weird noise. It was definitely inhuman but she couldn’t tell what it was exactly. She crouched to grab the gun in the lights but the bulbs exploded before she could touch it. She looked up and kept walking.

She got close enough to be surrounded by the smoke. It was getting hard to breathe. She felt the smoke going through her nose and mouth filling her lungs. Like the smoke had a mind of its own, traveling though her body. She brought her hands to her throat.

“El are you okay?” Max said worrying. El was clearly choking.

The smoke slowly but surely faded in her lungs, disappearing, leaving a taste of sadness in her heart. This feeling of emptiness amplifying as she got closer to the ruins.

“I’m okay”

She was right at the entrance. The castle was barely standing. She picked up a branch and put it back on the side. She looked at her feet and saw half of a picture. She went to pick it up but it flew away before she got the chance to look at it more carefully. Under it, on the floor there were a hammer and some nails in a box. She thought for a minute. She had never done it before but it could work. She picked up the hammer and made the nails float. She used her mind to raise the roof of the castle. She rearranged the branches and started hammering nails and building back the memory.

Before she took her blindfold off, she noticed it had stopped raining and the sun was rising. She came back to the bedroom panting. She searched the room for Will and found him sat on Mike’s lap clutching his shirt, crying on his shoulder. They were both exhausted and drained.

When the night came he felt nervous. He knew something had changed in him, he could feel it but was it enough? He had asked Mike to stay the night in case it didn’t work, so he won’t be alone. The went to bed at 10 pm. Mike soon fell asleep holding Will, but Will stayed awake for a while until sleep took over him.

Swings, a smile and a handshake. A radio, a brother and some new music. An arcade, bright orange and laughter. A shaved head then curls then a thought. A bike, a skateboard then flying. Freckles, warmth then sunlight.

Will opened his eyes. He felt his heat beat. The feeling of emptiness and darkness nowhere to be seen. He was shaking, glossy eyes looked at the boy in the sheets next to him. He sniffed and let out a breath. Mike awoke hearing him whimper.

“Hey, are you okay” Mike was expecting the worse. A single tear fell down Will’s check.

“Yes, It’s just that… I almost forgot what dreaming felt like” Will said his voice shaking.

Mike looked at him smiling, feeling and looking so relived. He took Will’s face and pressed their lips together, hard, which caught Will off guard, eyes wide for a second. He melted into the kiss, closing his eyes. He ran a hand through Mike’s messy morning hair and kissed him back. They pulled away and Will felt almost dizzy that he let words slip out his mouth.

“I love you” He sleepily said. Not processing what he said until he saw Mike beaming and felt his chest move, on top of his, as he breathed. He almost wanted to take it back but he didn’t need to.

“I love you too, Will” It was all it took for Will to feel his heart turn to fireworks sending euphoric wave of heat through his entire body.

And maybe, they might be more okay than they thought. 

[detroitwhatitmeanstobehuman]

Chapter 10 - The Difference Between Us

Part 10/17 of What it Means to be Human

Word Count: 8226

Warnings: Swearing, bullet wound fixing.

Genre: Self-insert/Hurt/Comfort/Fluff

Pairing: OC (Detective Rachel) X Connor

Rating: Mature

Summary: Returning from the Stratford Tower, Rachel insists without taking any refusal from Connor that she must repair him immediately after he’d been shot by a deviant. Hank helps out as best as he can and he can very clearly see the connection between them, even if they don’t, yet. But the most important thing right now was getting Connor fixed up, so Hank was ready to do whatever Rachel needed him to do to help.

First Chapter | Previous Chapter

---------------------------------

“Just stay in the hallway and let me grab a couple towels.” Rachel ordered Hank and Connor before running off up the stairs on all fours. Yet another strange quirk for her, but Hank couldn’t be bothered to judge her for it. Not when he was still pissed at Connor for not taking him seriously yet again and this time getting hurt. But he was relieved that Connor survived and that he was okay, all things considered.

The short woman quickly returned with a couple white towels and made quick effort to drape one over the back of the large couch and the other on the couch seat next to the other. Letting out an aggressive sigh, Rachel put down the spare RK800 parts on the table and gestured for Connor to sit on the space where the towel was draped on the back of the couch. “Go ahead and sit right there.”

“Rachel, you don’t need -” The android had been protesting like that all day, and not once did Rachel have any of his bullshit.

“Sit!” She ordered, giving him the kind of hard glare that Hank had seen enough times to know not to argue with. The kind he knew meant “get your shit together, or I’ll have to whip you into shape for you, and if you refuse to let me take proper care of you, I will kick your ass.”

Connor seemed to get the message and did as he was told, walking around the couch to take a seat, his back resting against the towel and the other towel at his side. Rachel ran a hand through her hair, pressing her other into her face. “I just texted Bianca to let her know and hopefully she can help me fix you up.” She then turned to her toolset she kept under the table and pulled it up, opening it. “But until she replies back, I’ll have to take a look at the damage. Hank, you can sit on that couch over there.” She gestured to the one to her left closest to the window.

“Gladly.” He huffed, sinking into the chair with a groan. Bear quickly settled beside Hank, sniffing at him, probably catching Sumo’s scent on him. The lieutenant was familiar enough with Rachel to have met Bear enough times. The large black dog simply laid down next to Hank, and he couldn’t help but absentmindedly scratch at the dog’s head gently.

Rachel then turned to Connor, standing over him with her hands on her hips. “Alright, I’m gonna need you to take your jacket and your shirt off.”

Connor was clearly going to object. Fuckin’ son of a bitch never did what he was told. “I don’t think -”

Suddenly Rachel leaned forward, grabbing Connor by the tie, yanking him towards her and pressing her forehead against his, fixing him with another hard glare. “Off. Now.” She ordered, her voice being the kind that Hank knew meant business.

Connor then began complying without question, his LED spinning red for a moment before slowly transitioning to yellow and then back to blue. As Connor began disrobing, Hank couldn’t help but be impressed with how easily Connor obeyed her commands. Despite the fact that Connor never seemed to listen to Hank, much to his increasing frustration, this was one of the moments that Hank was glad that Rachel was assigned on this case with them. She typically didn’t have to assert herself, but whenever she pulled rank, she really pulled rank. Anytime someone got shot, or someone needed backup, Rachel had no problems getting straight to business and picking up everyone’s slack.

Among a lot of things, it was one of the things Hank admired most about Rachel not just as a detective, but as a person.

She then turned around and opened her toolbox, pulling out a strange headgear with several lenses on it and a set of what appeared to be surgical grade tweezers. “Alright, first thing’s first, need to get a look and see if there’s any bullet or bullet pieces lodged in your wound.” Without any warning, she turned around and straddled Connor on the couch, and Hank couldn’t help but immediately avert his gaze and swear under his breath.

Hank suddenly felt very awkward and like he probably shouldn’t be here. The tension that he and practically everyone else noticed between them was already a lot to deal with on cases, but Hank felt like a pervert to be here while Rachel was dealing with this. And he had way too much respect for her to make her uncomfortable like that.

But she was entirely focused on Connor’s wellbeing at the moment and way too pissed at him to really even notice Hank, so he relaxed and just let her do her thing without comment. He knew that she didn’t forget he was there, but she would say something when it was important.

When he looked back, Rachel was laser-focused on the blue bullet wound in Connor’s chest while the poor fucker looked like a deer caught in the headlights, and judging by the red LED, the awkwardness of the position was clearly not lost on him. Rachel then hissed through her teeth and she looked closely at the wound. “Ugh, you are so lucky you can’t feel pain, because that looks really bad.”

“It would’ve been much worse for you.” Connor pointed out, and Rachel blinked in that way she does when something catches her off-guard as she glanced up at him in surprise. “I promised you that I would take extra precaution to ensure my own safety and preservation. But you should be more careful, because if something happens to you, you won’t be able to just get back onto your feet.”

Hank widened his eyes at Connor slightly, quirking an eyebrow at him. The android admitted just earlier today that he basically had a robo-crush on Rachel, even if he didn’t know what exactly that meant or even what his own weird robot feelings even were. But it was strange to hear him actually say it out loud without hesitation.

“Simon wasn’t going to hurt me, Connor.” She said to him. “I would’ve been fine. He was just hiding because he was wounded. That’s all.”

Hank then cocked his head at her curiously. “How do you know its name?” He asked suspiciously.

Rachel’s eyes widened. That was a look Hank recognized instantly. She’s never been a great liar, but she could at least pull off enough of one with a good enough excuse. But that was the face she made when she backed herself into a corner and couldn’t lie her way out of. “You were talking to it.” Connor said, looking down at her. “Weren’t you?”

She then closed her eyes and let out a sigh. “Yes...I was.” She answered, knowing she couldn’t hide from them.

“What did he tell you?” Hank asked. He knew Rachel had a soft spot for these deviants, but so far, her intuition seemed to be on the right track. As much as he hated to admit it, Hank’s perspectives were changing. Part of it was thanks to Rachel and the other was Connor. Rachel’s seemingly unshakable faith in deviants and androids as well as being able to seamlessly put herself in their positions much better than he ever could. And Connor...well, there was a lot about him that didn’t make a lot of sense to Hank, but he did care about Connor. And Connor’s attitudes and even his opinions were changing, too.

And that made Hank start to see things differently, too.

“I tried to get him to tell me anything about who he was with.” She explained, continuing to fish into Connor’s wound. “But...all I got was his name before you showed up.”

Connor sighed. “You still could’ve gotten seriously hurt, Rachel.”

“And you could’ve been killed.” She spat back with. “Also, I’m literally fishing in your chest for bullet pieces. Probably not a good idea to argue with your medic, Connor.”

Hank was sitting there, shaking his head at them. It wasn’t difficult to see that they had a thing for each other. Everyone else in the office (especially Gavin, the asshole) was making jokes about them going to town on each other.

It felt like the lieutenant was the only one who actually saw the care they had towards each other. Before the case, they clearly got along pretty well. As much as it annoyed Hank, they were very similar.

But something changed between them, and Hank could see it. In the Eden Club, something changed in Connor. As if his priorities completely changed. And even if they were too dense to figure it out, they were clearly drawn to each other.

And it made Hank uneasy. Because he knew Rachel’s history. It was what made him actually consider her as a friend at all in the first place. Even Hank wasn’t sure what made him feel comfortable confiding in her about his darkest feelings and moments, but he did. And she returned the favour. They gained an understanding.

And Hank had a real difficulty connecting with others. He wasn’t exactly a gentle or soft guy and was pretty abrasive. Most people didn’t really like him. And as much as he didn’t want to admit it, that fact did make him feel a lot more alone than he already was. Even his wife didn’t stick around for him or Cole, but that was fine.

Until Cole was gone.

And Rachel was a lot of the same. Different, definitely. But they were very similar. So they gained a mutual respect.

And the more Hank was able to actually see her in the field and work with her, the more that respect grew into an admiration and then a genuine connection.

And now, she was the only cop in the whole damn precinct he even considered a friend. And as far as he could tell, the feeling was mutual. Though, for her, it was less of other people just not liking her and more just her shutting herself off from others. It was hard for her to make meaningful connections.

So now that she was so drawn to Connor, an android made for the purpose of hunting deviants...it made Hank uneasy. The thought of her having to suffer another loss like Frank’s was harrowing and uncomfortable. Or worse, Connor completely destroying her by virtue of his very nature.

If there was one thing Hank didn’t want to see, it was Rachel getting her heart broken again. Both because he knew he wouldn’t be able to hold himself back from demolishing Connor, and because he knew she wouldn’t be able to either.

Usually, Rachel was pleasant, goofy, silly, and a bit of a bastard. But she was generally pretty good-natured, if a bit of an angry prickly foulmouth. But hey, so was Hank, so who was he to judge?

But very rarely, he had seen Rachel completely unhinge. And if there was ever a phrase to accurately describe how he felt about something, “scared shitless” was completely accurate. When something makes someone like Rachel, someone who for all her jokes and angry sarcastic remarks, was still a pretty faithful person in regards to other people, completely snap...someone who had so much empathy for others and could turn that empathy off when the situation called for it was someone you did not want to cross.

You might as well say your prayers and hope you don’t end up in Hell.

Hank could only remember three times she had ever snapped. And in hindsight, he knew why now. And the state she ended up leaving her unfortunate victims in was chilling, to say the least.

It made the seasoned lieutenant very thankful to be in her good graces.

So even if Connor deserved it, he would still rather not have to see it. If androids couldn’t feel pain, Rachel would find a way to make them. For Hank, it was just another reminder of how this dark and cruel world that seemed to continue to fester no matter his efforts to make it better continued to taint and rob people of their humanity. 

Even people like Rachel...who had no say in their suffering.

“So, what did you end up seeing?” Rachel asked, snapping Hank out of his dark thoughts. “When you were connected to Simon?”

Connor blinked for a moment, registering her question. “I saw something, in its memory...” He began explaining slowly. “A word...painted on a piece of rusty metal...‘Jericho.’”

Rachel briefly glanced up at Connor. “And that’s it?” She asked.

“Yes.” Connor answered. “I’m sorry...I wish there was more.”

“Don’t worry about it too much, Connor.” Rachel assured him, pulling out a small black object from his wound and placing it on the towel beside them. “Alright, I managed to dig the bullet out.” She said, lifting her headset of lenses from her head and placing it off to the side for a moment, looking over at Hank. “I’m going to check if Bianca’s responded. If she has, Hank, I need you to hold up the phone once we start FaceTiming so that she can see what’s going on and tell me what I should do. Can you do that for me?”

“Sure, I can.” Glad to be of some use, Hank got up from his seat and approached Rachel, simultaneously trying to avoid looking directly at her because of the awkward position she was in that she seemed to either be oblivious to or is completely ignoring.

A moment seemed to pass before Rachel looked back at Hank. “Alright, Bianca’s gonna call in a sec, and I’ll hand you the phone. Just point it at Connor’s wound and follow Bianca’s instructions, got it?”

“Got it.” Hank agreed.

After a moment, the phone started to ring and was answered just as quickly. “Hey, Bianca!” Rachel greeted, Hank leaning over her shoulder.

“Hey!” Bianca greeted back. “Alright, so how’s this gonna work?”

“Hank’s gonna hold you and you tell me if I’m doing this right.” Rachel explained, handing the phone to Hank. “Just hold it and Bianca will tell you to change positions if necessary.

--------

It took a decent length of time for Rachel to finish repairing Connor. Hank’s arm ended up getting tired and he had to switch arms and prop himself on Rachel’s shoulder even though he really would’ve preferred not to be physically close to the awkwardness.

But once she was done, Connor was good as new, the only evidence of any damage being the pile of bloodied parts on the towel next to them and the bloodstains on the towel on the back. “Alright, can you run a diagnostics check for me, Connor?” Bianca asked.

Connor closed his eyes, his LED swirling yellow before he came to, rolling his shoulder a bit. “All systems fully functional and operational.”

“Alright!” Rachel said, taking the phone from Hank. “You can go sit down now.”

“Thank fucking God...” He groaned not hesitating to let himself sink right into the seat he was in before. “Any longer and I think my arms were gonna fall right off.”

Rachel then gave him a somewhat sarcastic glare. “Be thankful you didn’t get fucking shot, Hank.” She said sternly. “If you or I get shot, we’re basically out of commission for a while.”

“Exactly.” Connor said, prompting Rachel to look up into his eyes. “You didn’t need to go through all this effort for me. I’m just a machine. I can still function and perform reasonably in condition. You don’t need to worry about my performance.”

Rachel blinked at him a couple times, looking down at her phone. “Hey, Bianca?” She asked. “Thanks for your help, by the way. I’m sorry it was so tedious.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. You know I’m always here to help.” She said graciously.

“I know.” Rachel said with a soft smile. “And believe me, nobody appreciates that more than me.”

Hank couldn’t help but smile. If there was one thing that Hank was thankful for, it was that Rachel had support throughout the periods of hardship in her life. After all, it’s not like Hank had any family to run back to if he fucked up after all. His father fucked off and his mother did the best she could, even if she had her own problems that ended up getting dumped on Hank.

Hank had no one. Well, except for Sumo, but everyone knows that dogs are better than people, anyway. But Rachel was pretty good company and Hank wouldn’t give her up for anything.

And Connor...well, he’d decide once Connor stopped being such a reckless moron and listen to Hank for once.

“Alright, well I should let you go.” Bianca said, preparing her goodbyes.

“Yeah, of course.” Rachel said with a sigh. “But I’ll text you later, okay?”

“Yeah, definitely!”

“Alright.” Rachel said. “Bye!”

“Bye!”

“Love you!”

“Love you too!”

After about a second, Rachel put her phone back onto the table and looked over at Hank. “Alright, do you mind grabbing a pack of thirium?” She asked him. “There’s a crate in the dining room. It’s pretty obvious, you can’t miss it. Just take one of the bags and dump it in the bottle inside. The instructions are on the bags.”

Hank nodded, grumbling as he got up. “Yeah, don’t worry. I got’cha.”

As he made his way towards the kitchen, he heard Rachel’s voice from the living room, very much scolding Connor. “Alright, let me explain this to you.” She started, taking in a deep breath. Hank found the white CyberLife branded crate with ease and opened it. “If I get shot and survive, which is more likely than you think, I go to the hospital, get operated on, and then with bedrest, my body naturally heals itself. Granted, it means I’ll be out of commission for a while, at least a week depending on where exactly I get injured, but my body does the work for me.” Hank grabbed a bag and tore it according to the instructions on it, and started pouring it into the empty bottle he found inside, the strange blue fluid dripping into it. “If you get shot and survive, which is less likely than you think, you have to get repaired. And let me tell you, if that last like, what, half hour?”

“About an hour and a half.” Hank responded, coming back into the living room and handing the bottle to Rachel, taking a seat on the recliner on the other side of the room.

“Wow, longass time. But you get it! If that’s any indication for how difficult it is to fix your shit. And! RK800 parts aren’t exactly in circulation! You’re lucky that the repair centre stocked on parts after you showed up.” The woman was glaring Connor down as he listened intently. “But, once you do get fixed, you don’t have to rest and you can get back into the field immediately, which is admittedly pretty nice and definitely a huge advantage you have over me.” She then gave him a look that was gentle and caring, placing her hand on his. It reminded Hank a lot of the night they first actually spoke to each other at Ambassador Bridge Park. “But I don’t need you to worry so much about me. I’m a lot tougher than I look. And you’re not as tough as you feel you are, and I really need you to understand that. So, from now on, you’re wearing a bulletproof vest.” Connor was about to object before Rachel silenced him with a finger to his lips. “That’s an order! Got it?”

She removed her finger and Connor gave him the slightest quirk of a smile. “Got it.” He replied, but the android then tilted his head. “But only if you do the same.”

Rachel then gave him one of her signature smirk-and-raised-eyebrow looks as she scoffed at him. “Are you sure you’re in a position to bargain with me right now?”

“Yes.” Connor answered without any hesitation.

Rachel let out an exasperated sigh before she replied to his offer. “Alright, fine, you dumb waffle iron.” She teased. “We both wear bulletproof vests from now on. Deal?”

Connor then smiled at her. “Deal.”

They then stared at each other for a moment before Rachel leaned down, closing her eyes and wrapping her arms around him as she pressed her face into Connor’s shoulder. “I’m just glad you’re okay.” She sighed, relieved.

Then, Connor’s arms slid around her as he pressed his face into the crook of her neck, cradled by her short, wavy hair, his LED a pensive yellow. “Likewise, Rachel.” He sighed, his eyes closing.

Hank was about to say some sort of smart comment, but...he couldn’t. He was too distracted by other thoughts and memories, both recent and long past. Memories of having held someone that way before. And memories of two young women fleeing a life of violence and abuse together just to be with each other.

This moment between his two work partners stirred familiar feelings in Hank, and he let out a sigh. They’ll figure it out on their own. He thought, smiling to himself. Fuckin’ kids...

After a moment, they pulled away from each other. And finally, Rachel seemed to realize the position she was in and promptly removed herself from the couch, hiding the red that was starting to coat her face and clearing her throat exaggeratedly. “I’ll, uh...deal with these.” She mewled, quickly wrapping all the discarded parts with the towel they were put on and then grabbing the towel on the back of the couch.

She then took them and placed them on the dining table and returned, taking a seat next to Connor and avoiding his gaze. “Drink this.” She ordered, shoving the bottle of thirium in his direction.

Connor didn’t object for once, and opened the bottle to swallow it. It was so strange for Hank to see someone basically drink their own blood, but he supposed it made sense that they would drink it. It’s probably the best way to get it back into their bodies.

Connor’s hands then folded neatly in his lap like the fucker always did, even though it looked pretty ridiculous without his shirt on. The android then placed the empty bottle on the coffee table. “I’m guessing replacement clothes get sent to you by CyberLife?” Hank asked, deciding to poke a bit of fun.

“Typically.” Connor replied curtly. “Although, if you go to the repair centre, they do also provide spare wardrobes in case of destruction.”

“Ah, good to know.” Hank nodded.

The air was now quiet between them as they sat there, uncertain and listless. “So...what now?” Rachel asked, looking over at Hank. “We’re fresh out of leads. Where do we go from here?”

“I don’t know...” Connor answered, his head hanging low. “But if this investigation doesn’t make progress soon...” He seemed to hesitate for a moment. “I’ll be replaced.”

The terror that popped on her face as she looked over at him was palpable, and Hank realized then that no matter how this case ended...this was going to be painful for her. “Well, then we have to think of something!” The way she looked at Hank made him feel weak. He tried to think. Anything that might give them some kind of new lead.

But then, he remembered something. When androids were first invented and exploding the markets, one name kept coming up. .

And like that, Hank knew what he had to do. “I think I’ve got an idea.” He said, getting up from his seat, feeling more sure of himself at the hope that glimmered in Rachel’s eyes. “But first thing’s first, I gotta make some calls.” He walked towards the door, casting a glance back at the pair. “I’ll let you know what the plan for tomorrow is. But until then, I think I should take my leave for now and leave the two of you be.”

Rachel nodded. “Okay, Lieutenant.” Connor said in his usual polite tone.

“Thanks for all the help, Hank.” Rachel said gratefully. “And sorry about your arms.”

“Eh, don’t worry about it.” Hank waved her off, opening the door. “Shouldn’t be too long until you hear back from me. See you tomorrow.”

“See you!” Rachel called after him.

Making his way out of the door, Hank walked up to his car. But he couldn’t help but steal a glance back through the windows. The blinds were cracked enough to still see them. The old man couldn’t help but feel a sinking feeling deep down.

A feeling that he was going to have to watch Rachel’s heart completely shatter again. And a feeling he was going to lose someone he was begrudgingly starting to think of as a friend.

But none of that matters until they’re down to their last rope. And right now, that rested on Hank.

So, getting into his car, he started the engine and backed out onto the snowy road, dreading the headache inducing thoughts of the phone calls he had to make. Let’s just hope this goes easier than it did when I canceled my cable.

--------

Date: November 8th, 2038  Time: 08:11 PM Rachel - Partner? Objective: Undefined

Soon after Hank left, once again Rachel and Connor were left alone. The android couldn’t help but still feel rather shaken. There was a tightness and a hesitance that persisted in his systems that he couldn’t shake.

He had risked danger before. He had risked getting run over by moving cars on the highway chasing the AX400. He had risked danger when he was fighting the Tracis in the Eden Club.

But this was different. Not only was he now acutely aware of his own mortality, he was afraid. And even now, hours later, it still persisted. Even though he didn’t need to breathe, he was also extremely aware of the breaths he was taking, too.

He didn’t even realize that he wasn’t paying attention to Rachel when she spoke to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, Connor?” She softly called, causing the android to focus his gaze on hers. “You’re still thinking about it, aren’t you.”

While he would normally be able to respond, all he could find it in himself to do was nod. Compiling words, he eventually managed to speak. “I’ve never felt this before...” He quietly admitted. “It’s...I don’t know how to explain it. But it’s unpleasant. And it makes me feel...weak.”

Rachel nodded, seeming to understand. “I get that.” She sympathized. “That feeling you have right now? Imagine feeling that all the time. Imagine getting that feeling triggered by the smallest things and then having to deal with that for hours on end. That’s what it’s like living with anxiety.” She explained, but her dark eyes were patient and gentle. “But I’ve had years to get used to and figure out how to manage it. This is new for you. You’re allowed to be confused, rattled, and unsure. It’s something you have to process at your own pace in your own time. But...it’s nothing to be ashamed of, no matter what anyone says.”

That only served to make Connor even more confused and frustrated. “But I’m a machine.” He insisted. “Designed to accomplish a task. I wasn’t programmed to fail. I wasn’t programmed to feel fear.”

Software Instability ^ “But you did fail. You did make mistakes.” Rachel pointed out, not maliciously. “And you feel fear now. It doesn’t matter if it was in your programming or not, you feel it regardless. Does your fear feel real to you?”

Truth

Lie

Software Instability ^ “Y-yes.” Connor managed to choke out. “It’s...unmistakable. And it’s persistent. I can’t ignore it.”

“Then that’s all the justification you need.” Rachel said, nodding.

Software Instability ^ She then let out a sigh and leaned into him. He couldn’t help but notice the grown abundance of physical affection from her. It was significantly more frequent and Connor was easily able to deduce that it was a result of their growing relationship.

Something that certainly didn’t help his confusing feelings and reactions around her.

“Hey, Connor?” Rachel then asked. “You don’t...consume things for recreation, do you? Like books, TV, movies?”

“I can find enjoyment and interest in them.” Connor replied. “But I don’t necessarily engage in such recreational activities in the same way humans do.”

“But you read one of my books earlier.” Rachel pointed out. “Just because you know it was from my favourite series. What did you think of it?”

Sincere

Analytical

Indifferent

Software Instability ^ “I could see why you enjoy it.” He replied in earnest. “Its fantastical elements are rather charming and endearing and its brand of humour is certainly your type of humour.”

Rachel - Partner ^  She smiled, nodding. “Right. That’s exactly it.” She looked away from Connor, her posture pensive. “But it’s not just that. There are a lot of really complex and interesting themes underlying it all. Themes of war, of cost, of family, and abuse. And themes of destiny and choice. Peace and war. And the characters are all so diverse and complex and I can’t help but really like them all.”

Connor was watching and listening intently, documenting Rachel’s every word, the enjoyment and passion incredibly evident on her soft face. “I am somewhat curious, though.” He interjected. “You seem to gravitate towards fiction geared towards children and young teens. Why is that?”

“Honestly, they’re just far more interesting and engaging to read.” Rachel replied, making eye contact with him. “A lot of young adult and teen fiction is either too boring or just too depressing for me to read. Or in some cases, it’s just not that well-written. But I find that a lot of children’s stories are a lot more inventive and creative. And there’s a lot more variety in their stories and I just prefer the general tone a lot more.”

Connor nodded. “I see.”

They seemed to run out of things to talk about before Rachel let out a sigh. “I’m pretty spent for today.” She mumbled. “I could honestly just go for some TV on the couch until the day’s over. Would you want to watch with me?”

Connor gave her a small crooked smile. “I wouldn’t be able to enjoy it in the same way as you.”

Software Instability ^ “That’s fine by me.” Rachel replied, returning his smile. “I want you to enjoy it in your own way. And besides, I enjoy your company, and that’s reason enough for me.”

Connor nodded, trying to ignore the warmth he felt blooming in his chest and the rapid increase of the rate of his thirium pump that once again turned up no issues through a diagnostics check. “Then I’ll stay as long as you want me to.” He replied with a smile.

Hiding a blush, Rachel turned away from him. “I’m gonna go take a quick shower and get in my pajamas.” She said, making her way to the stairs. “I won’t be too long. It’ll be about ten minutes.”

“I’ll be sure to count the seconds.” Connor teased, relishing the small gasp that his response managed to elicit from Rachel as she made her way upstairs to her bathroom.

Soon enough, Connor noticed Bear make his way over to the android and he couldn’t resist the urge to scratch the dog behind his ears.

But even in her absence, Connor’s thoughts continued to be fixed on Rachel. Not just on her words and the small gestures of her simple existence, but on her relation to him and her reactions to him.

Connor was aware of and had knowledge of human relationships. He was aware of the dynamics between romantic and sexual partners. But to him personally, these were all merely ideas. Abstract concepts he could analyze and observe, but never truly take part in or understand from a personal level.

And he didn’t have any issue with it. After all, he had a mission and a purpose he was designed for. He had no use or desire for such things. He wasn’t made to, after all.

But admittedly, that was before he met someone like Rachel. It was all too clear that she harboured some level of attraction towards him. He didn’t even have to scan her vitals to know that, although yes he could also tell by the scans he turned up of her.

Yes, it was clear that she was attracted to him. And there were moments that he could even detect arousal from her. But like she said herself, she had her own scruples and principles and she held stringent to them despite her clear innermost desires. And the fact of the matter was that Connor was a machine. He had no free will of his own, which wasn’t a fact he particularly lamented. So she hasn’t said anything about it either by choice, or perhaps she herself wasn’t fully aware of her attraction towards him.

But it was clear that it wasn’t just an attraction towards him. She genuinely cared about him and his wellbeing. She cared about him as a person and as a friend. She trusted him.

And the android would be a fool if some part deep in his software didn’t want to participate in whatever this magnetism was. But that was just it. He wasn’t certain of what his feelings towards her even were or what they meant. All he knew was that he felt strange and that he had nothing to compare it to and that she was the source of it. So even if he wanted to, he could never be an active participant.

But even then, he didn’t care. Not because he didn’t care about her, because he did. That much he did know for certain. He did care for Rachel perhaps more than he could even understand as a (somewhat) obedient machine.

And she cared for him. Whatever she felt and whatever principles she held fast to, it didn’t stop her from caring about him. It didn’t stop her from being comfortable with him and it didn’t stop her from wanting his company and considering him a friend.

And to the RK800 model android, that was enough to make him happy. And it seemed to make her happy, as well. He could be completely content with this, even if it was unavoidably temporary.

“I’m back!” Rachel’s voice then called, as the sounds of muffled footsteps were detected behind him, and Connor turned around and saw a rather diminutive sight.

Software Instability ^ She was dressed in her pajamas from the couple nights he had spent in her bed, But draped across her shoulders was a rather soft and velvety looking white blanket, with a lot of fluff beneath for extra comfort. “I felt like being in a blanket. It’s one of...those nights...” Suddenly her face began contorting into something rather humourous. Her nostrils twitched as her eye fluttered.

Software Instability ^ Suddenly she lurched forward in what was clearly a sneeze, inhaling and holding it before letting out a small sound that was rather indicative of the mewl of a small kitten.

She then approached Connor and settled on the couch next to him, looking very comfortable and warm in her blanket. “So, I feel like watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” She prefaced. “It’s a comedy show about the 99th precinct in Brooklyn, centred around its detectives and captain. It’s a really fun show. And...it was Frank’s favourite.”

He nodded. “I have no particular preference as to what program to watch.” He said bluntly. “But I’ll gladly indulge in it if it’s what you want to watch.”

Software Instability ^ Rachel smiled over at him and leaned over to grab the remote control, pointing at the TV and pressing the button that said Netflix.

It soon booted up, and she navigated the menu lined up with several programs down to the Continue Watching lineup. Very quickly, she selected the title called Brooklyn Nine-Nine and navigated the episode listings, scrolling back towards the pilot episode of season 1.

She clicked on it and settled backwards as the episode began loading. It started with an opening monologue from actor Andy Samberg, portraying a seemingly serious gritty cop trying to maintain his morality in a broken system before being cut by a female Latina detective played by Melissa Fumero. Connor’s focus was interrupted by a query from Rachel. “You know, you don’t have to sit so stiffly, don’t you?”

Connor evaluated his posture, tilting his head at her in confusion. “I’m sorry.” He apologized. “How would you prefer me to sit?”

Software Instability ^ She laughed a little and rolled her eyes, taking the remote control and paused the episode. “Alright, first of all, you can kick your feet up and lean back against the armrest.” She suggested.

Connor then squinted at her in even further confusion. “But won’t I just be in your way?”

There was a smirk plastered on her face. “Don’t worry, I have an idea.” She assured him. “Just trust me.”

Complying with her instructions, Connor turned around, resting his head on the armrest closest to him and tentatively placing his legs in her lap, folding his hands in his. “Is this better?” He asked, unsure.

Software Instability ^ Rachel’s eyes landed on his hands before she started to quietly laugh, a fist to her mouth. “Do you need something to do with your hands?” She asked him.

Connor glanced at them, feeling a little awkward. “Why do you ask?”

Software Instability ^ She smirked and then pushed Connor’s left leg off her lap and placed it behind her and shifted to crawl up between them. Surprised by the suddenness of it, his eyes widened and his hands placed themselves beside his hips on the couch. 

But Rachel simply rested her head on his chest, snaking her arms around his back and holding him, draping her blanket over the both of them. “Put your hands on my back.”

Software Instability ^ Connor, curious, did as she told him and found himself sinking into this touch. He wasn’t made for companionship. He was made to integrate into teams and form partnerships in the workforce. But he wasn’t made for intimacy.

Software Instability ^ Which made Rachel’s active seeking it out from him that much more perplexing and yet...desirable. It was completely open and honest. It was true. And it was pure.

“Comfy?” Rachel asked, making a pleasant hum as she further settled herself in Connor’s arms.

He nodded. “Very.” He answered in earnest.

“Good.” She replied, pulling her left arm out from under him to reach for the remote again to unpause the episode.

For a while, they laid there completely comfortable in each other’s arms. The only sound that interrupted their silence was the occasional laugh or snicker from Rachel.

But as Connor continued watching the pilot, he began to notice something about the character Jake Peralta. Something that once again returned his attention back to Rachel. “This character reminds me a lot of you, Rachel.”

Connor felt her flinch slightly as she let out a quiet laugh. “You think so?” She asked weakly. “How does he?”

The android searched for the right words to say then. “He’s rather immature and childish, but good-natured and comical.” He started to explain. “But he’s also very capable and intelligent. And he cares deeply about those around him and their struggles.”

Software Instability ^ Rachel - Partner ^ Connor could feel her smile into his synthetic skin. “That’s something I also really like about the show, too.” She admitted. “A lot of cop shows have their male protagonist be the super cocky overconfident detective who never follows the rules and gets his fellow officers in danger. He also is a massive dick usually and doesn’t really give a shit about anyone but himself and yet, the lazy writing artificially places him in the right every single fucking time. But not here.

“And it even starts it off that way here, before it immediately cuts off.” She went on, getting more enthralled and passionate with every word. “And at first, then you think he’s just goofy and immature and doesn’t take his job seriously, but then he immediately shows that he already solved the case. And then a few scenes later, he’s winning a bet he’s made with Amy about how many cases they can solve. And everyone in the precinct values him a lot as a detective, even if they enjoy poking fun at him. And Jake cares a lot about his friends. It’s a really really great subversion and Jake himself is just a really good character. I mean, they’re all pretty great characters, but I really like Jake.”

Software Instability ^ Connor could barely focus on the show when she was speaking, but he didn’t mind. Somehow, she always managed to capture his full undivided attention, and he had no complaints.

They continued to watch in silence, the occasional snicker or quip from Rachel. But Connor was beginning to feel rather jittery and impatient. He always had an issue with sitting still. No matter what, he just felt the need to be doing something. He was an innately restless being. So, hesitantly, he started rubbing circles with his hands into the blanket over Rachel’s back. He hesitated for a moment out of making her uncomfortable, but a contented sigh told him that she was enjoying it.

“I like the sound of your thirium pump.” Rachel said quietly, nestling further into his chest. “It’s comforting.”

 Connor glanced down at her curiously. “How so?” He asked.

“It doesn’t sound much different from a human heartbeat.” She elaborated. “There’s a lot more mechanical stuff going on that I can hear. Whirs, clicks, creaks and all that. But I like it. It’s nice.”

Connor nodded, unconsciously smiling at her before returning his attention back to the show.

For a while, they laid there comfortably, the episodes moving on. The android admitted that he was enjoying himself. However, as his hands were continuously rubbing his companion’s backside, his left ended up trailing up to her hair subconsciously.

Software Instability ^ And with a small content moan, Rachel started making a rumbling sound he could feel in his chest that he realized resembled the purring of a housecat.

Tease

Say Nothing

Software Instability ^ Briefly considering teasing her, Connor instead decided against it. It was clearly an involuntary reaction out of pleasure and the android would be lying if he didn’t find it incredibly endearing and charming. And he also couldn’t help but enjoy the feeling of her hair in his hands. He didn’t realize just how soft and curled her locks were. It was as if they were made to perfectly coil around his thick synthetic fingers.

After a while, she had gone quiet. Once again, the service had shown a prompt that asked if she was still watching. He looked down at her and realized that she had fallen asleep. Checking the time and realizing that it was past midnight, Connor decided it was high time for her to be in bed.

He gently shook her awake. “Rachel?” He asked softly, cupping her face and getting her to look up at him.

Software Instability ^ “Mm?” She blinked her eyes up at him slowly, smiling at him drowsily. “What time is it?”

“It’s past midnight.” He answered her, noticing her leaning further into his palm. “We should head to bed.”

She then groaned, nestling into his chest stubbornly. “But...comfy.” She protested.

“I’m sorry, Rachel.” He apologized, wasting no time gently disentangling himself from her, much to her effort to stop him. “But your welfare is important and I feel it would be best if you slept in your bed.”

Software Instability ^ He then turned the television off and turned back to see Rachel rubbing her eyes, bundled up in the blanket. Looking up at him, she didn’t even speak. She simply extended her arms up at him and made the hand closing gesture with both of her hands.

The android didn’t have to ask for her to clarify. He knew what she wanted, and he quickly bundled her up and lifted her, cradling her as he carried her to her bedroom.

He was beginning to realize that this had sort of become routine, now.

Making his way into the bedroom once again, he gently laid Rachel on her side of the bed, even opting to remove her glasses and place them on her nightstand for her. He then went into the bathroom and grabbed the same robe he used for the past couple nights, removing his dress pants and socks once again before slipping the robe on.

He had slipped onto the sheets like he had previously done before Rachel’s voice cut through the silence of the house. “Um...actually, Connor?” She said, interrupting him. “Could...could you sleep under the sheets with me, this time?”

Connor hesitated for a moment, gazing down at her as her brown eyes pleaded with him. “Are you sure?” He asked, just to be certain. He didn’t want to overstep his boundaries.

“I mean...we were literally just snuggling on the couch downstairs while you were shirtless.” She pointed out, her voice raspy and gravelly with exhaustion as she flashed a smirk up at him. “I like the feeling of being pressed against you. It makes me feel safe.”

Software Instability ^ The android found it difficult to argue with her logic and he did as she asked of him, shuffling to free the sheets from underneath him and furled himself beneath them.

Software Instability ^ Instantly, Rachel wrapped herself around him, pressing herself into his chest and humming contentedly. And Connor did the same, cradling her into him and caging her protectively with his arms.

But as she was quickly settling into him, her observation on his thirium pump was present in his mind. He found it rather odd that humans found such comfort in such things.

However, he was also curious. He could monitor heart rates and take tests on humans, but he hadn’t actually ever listened to a heartbeat. He had no interest in doing so, prior. But Rachel’s observation made him want to for the sake of being able to understand the comparison. 

“Can I ask you to do something, Rachel?” He asked, softly.

She shuffled a bit, looking up at him. “Sure, what is it?” She asked him groggily.

“Can you let me listen to your heartbeat?” He asked. “You mentioned that the sound of a thirium pump is similar to a heartbeat and I was curious about how accurate that is.”

She snickered softly in the indigo depths of the room and shifted. “Sure, go ahead.” She agreed, shuffling upwards toward the headboard and lying on her back. “C’mere.”

Software Instability ^ Connor took Rachel’s hint and laid himself on top of her, placing his head against her chest and nestling himself under her chin, wrapping his arms around her back. Her heartbeat was above average, but he knew the reason why, and he knew it would settle back to normal in a moment.

Software Instability ^ And...she was right. Strangely enough, a human heartbeat was nearly identical to a thirium regulator’s pump. And there was indeed something comforting and pleasant about the sound of another’s heartbeat. But unlike his, hers was more organic and deep. There were other sounds accompanying the sound of her heartbeat. Sounds of growls and echoes that were the sounds of the several organs inside working as they were meant to.

Software Instability ^ As far as he could hear, Rachel was a picture of health. And that brought him a sense of security in her arms. “Hey, Connor?” She asked, letting out a calm breath.

“Yes, Rachel?” Connor replied.

She seemed to hesitate for a moment. “You don’t, uh...you don’t mind having your hair touched, do you?”

Connor regarded her question for a brief moment. “I’ve never been asked that before.”

“May I?” She asked meekly.

The android didn’t see any issue, considering that that’s what he’d been doing to her earlier. “You may.”

Software Instability ^ Gently, her small, delicate, and nimble fingers began threading through his synthetic locks. And immediately, the android understood her pleasurable reaction earlier to his ministrations.

While androids couldn’t feel pain, they still had receptors and could feel physical sensations. Of which included that of pleasure. And Connor felt like his synthetic skin was prickling, but it wasn’t unpleasant. It was strangely soothing and he could even sense his software threatening to go into stasis without his input.

Now he understood what it actually felt like to fall asleep for humans, and he certainly now understood how easy it was for Rachel to doze off in his arms earlier.

Software Instability ^ Reluctantly, he set a time for his stasis to be interrupted and let himself slip into it, for once feeling completely at peace and blissful.

---------------------------------

Next Chapter

[artificialqueens]

oh, my sunlight, chapter one (branjie) - holtzmanns

(read on ao3) | (tumblr: plastiquetiaras) | word count: 2505

AN: Was I going through Game of Survival withdrawals? Possibly. This fic is going to be a short little one, but I’ve missed this verse way too much to leave it forever. Hope you enjoy it! Let me know what you think. Title from ‘Sunlight’ by Hozier. Thank you Writ for betaing <3

“Perimeter secured. Firebird’s room flanked by Rollans and McCrae, while Wilson and Qiao already positioned in the crowd. Rodriguez and Byrne across the street at 900 m, on the seventh and twenty fourth floor balconies respectively.”

“Thanks, Lee.” The all clear from the other Secret Service agent helps Brooke’s heart to unknot itself a little, knowing that the pre-G20 summit event is secure, that Vanessa is protected on multiple levels. She leans against the wall in the tiny meeting room, watches as her wife practices her speech with A’keria. Or at least, is trying to, judging by the way that A’keria’s head is in her hands.

Brooke may be Vanessa’s immediate detail, but having an entire team is useful in countering the ever-present anxiety that pulses through her veins, around her own safety, Vanessa’s safety, their well being. Sure, the days of sniper rifles and late night hits are long gone from Brooke’s life, but their safety has only become more prolific.

As expected, when Brooke’s wife is none other than the President of the United States.

“Lemme try again. I got it this time, Kiki.” Vanessa’s holding up her cue cards, pacing back and forth. Brooke has to resist a smile at the way Vanessa’s perfectly styled hair and pantsuit contrast with the slight frown on her face as she squints at the cards.

“Vanj, I swear to god. Imma have to hire you a proper speechwriter eventually, ‘cause you’re the sole cause of these wrinkles on my face.” A’keria’s feet are propped up on the chair beside her as she lets out a sigh, and Brooke’s glad that it’s just the three of them in the room, reporters and summit participants from other nations gathering in the larger conference hall, where Vanessa will be giving part of the opening remarks.

“Why do you gotta put all of these difficult words in here, anyway? My brain has forgotten all of this shit from college.” Vanessa sighs as she flops into a seat on A’keria’s other side, spinning around so that she’s facing Brooke. She pouts, and Brooke can’t help but blow her a small kiss.

“You can do it, baby. I believe in you.” Vanessa smiles at Brooke’s words despite her slumped shoulders, blowing a kiss back at her. “You’ll dazzle them like you do every single time.”

“You have to say that. We’re married.” Vanessa says the words with a sliver of marvel in her voice, as if it hasn’t been four years of marriage for the two of them already, as if they’re not well into Vanessa’s second term as president.

Brooke gets it. It still amazes her too, sometimes, the way her rings glint on her finger, sparkling in the light whenever she lifts a hand up to her earpiece while she’s on the job. That the woman she’s in charge of protecting, of keeping safe is her wife. All these years later, they’re still doing this. Surviving. Thriving.

“Doesn’t make it any less true.” Brooke walks over to Vanessa and presses a light kiss to her lips, lifts her thumb to wipe the faint transfer of her lipstick that contrasts with the one that Vanessa’s already wearing.

“Save that for later.” A’keria waves a hand in their faces, making both of them crack up. “You gotta learn to pronounce words like ‘ratification’ first.”

“I don’t give a rat’s ass, Kiki.” Vanessa drops her cue cards on the table as A’keria sighs in the same tone commonly used by an elementary school teacher.

“Yes you do. Now, we got fifteen minutes until you’re up in front of all of those cameras and other world leaders. You want them to think you’re a fool?”

Vanessa shrugs. “I’ve met most of them, how many times? Too many times. Except the new President of Mexico, he was just elected last month. I’ll be fine.”

Brooke watches with an amused smile as Vanessa pats A’keria’s shoulder as she drops her head onto the table. “There, there. From the top?”

“Firebird in position. Rollans, take the east aisle. Qiao, the west. McCrae, I want you in the media box.” Brooke mutters softly into her earpiece as clapping erupts when Vanessa steps on stage, takes her place at the podium. Her mind’s running at a million miles an hour, mapping out routes along the convention hall, looking for points of vulnerability, anything that can put Vanessa at risk.

“Roger that.” The voice of a fellow agent reverberates in her ear, followed by the other members of the team in turn. Secure. As they should be.

Brooke lets her mind pause its process for a second when Vanessa begins to speak, the pin on her lapel sparkling under the flashing lights of the cameras around her. She doesn’t spare a glance at her cue cards, letting the words roll off of her tongue almost effortlessly. Brooke would be impressed if this wasn’t Vanessa’s norm, pulling herself together at the last minute, but perfectly so. The rapt attention of the other attendants at the summit, following Vanessa’s every move like they’re being pulled in by a magnet as she steps away from the podium, is electrifying to watch.

Vanessa’s good. So, so good at what she does, and it hits Brooke every day how lucky she is to witness it.

“…look forward to productive conversations with my international counterparts over the next few days, specifically on the risk mitigation of…”

Brooke tunes out Vanessa’s speech, having heard it at least twenty times before she had stepped on stage. She lets her eyes roam around the crowd, noticing the way that the Argentinian president seems to be doodling on a napkin on his table, his Finance Minister furiously elbowing his side.

Sometimes, the international meetings truly make Brooke feel like she’s in high school again. Still a fly on the wall, watching the chaos unfold in front of her.

“Hytes? You spot the server in the second aisle? He looking a bit suspicious to you?”

Brooke cranes her neck to look at the far aisle, sees the man that her fellow agent is talking about. Narrows her eyes at the ill fit of the server’s uniform, the way his eyes are darting around the conference hall.

“Get him d-”

Brooke doesn’t get to finish her sentence when the man lets off a smoke bomb, because she’s taking one, two steps up to the podium to reach Vanessa, a protective arm around her as she pulls through the back doors behind the stage.

“Shit.” Brooke’s arms around Vanessa tighten when state sanctioned police swarm past them into the conference hall, nearly knocking them over. She recovers quickly, though, tugging Vanessa back into the meeting room where she had practiced her speech with A’keria, locking the door behind them.

“Hey. You okay?” Brooke can’t help the way that her eyes flit over Vanessa’s face, looking for any sign of harm, of damage. Her hands brush Vanessa’s hair out of her face, pat down her shoulders and arms as if the motion is going to help her find any hidden injury.

Vanessa lets out a shaky breath, one that is nearly drowned out by the sounds of chaos on the other side of the wall. “I’m okay. Wait.” Vanessa’s brow furrows, her hand reaching up to brush against Brooke’s forehead. “Why are you bleeding?”

“What?” Brooke’s wondering if Vanessa herself has hit her head until Vanessa pulls her fingers back, sees the way that they’re dripping in blood. “Oh.”

Huh. She’s confused by the sight, not being in any pain. She’s not quite sure when it had happened, either. Maybe the way her head accidentally hit the podium as she reached Vanessa? Or maybe when the police had knocked against her?

Still, doesn’t matter since it’s not hurting her. And because Vanessa’s safe in front of her, uninjured and in one piece.

Things are okay.

“Shit, baby.” Vanessa’s tone differs from Brooke’s appraisal of the situation as she grabs the tissue box from the middle of the conference table, folds it up and presses it to Brooke’s head biting her lip all the while. “I’m no doctor.”

“It’s fine, V. Head lacerations tend to bleed. Probably just a surface scratch.” Brooke’s had her fair share of cuts and bruises throughout her life, and remains unfazed, reaching for her earpiece to quell the incessant requests for updates from her fellow agents.

“Firebird is safe with me.” The sighs of relief over the comm system as soon as the words leave Brooke’s lips are comically in sync. “Updates?”

Another agent starts talking about the takedown of the man, about how he had attempted to pull out a weapon before being brought down, but the words are becoming a little softer, a little bit more muffled. Brooke watches as Vanessa grabs another tissue, pressing it to her forehead after pulling the other one back, and is she really bleeding that much? Huh.

Come to think of it, Vanessa’s getting a bit blurry in front of her, too.

“Brooke Lynn Hytes, if you faint on me in this meeting room while there’s an actual stampede happening outside these doors, I swear to god-”

“Don’t be embarrassed, B.” Vanessa’s giggle only makes Brooke groan, lifting a hand to cover her face underneath the fluorescent lighting overhead. The bandage on the side of her forehead feels overbearing, squeezing her temple just a bit too tight.

“I really fainted? Fully fainted?” A nightmare. A true nightmare, one that Brooke thinks Vanessa is finding a little bit too funny as she sits on a chair beside her ER bed.

“Why else would we bring your dramatic ass here? The on site medic was worried about blood loss. Wanted you to get checked out, with some stitches. Silk got them to shut down half of the ER in the process, while tryna get me here with you on the down low and all.”

“Ugh.” Brooke wants to disappear. The last thing that she should be doing at her job is drawing attention to herself. She’s supposed to be protecting Vanessa, but instead has created an entire debacle for the both of them.

Vanessa squeezes her hand. “It’s not like we’re missing anything at the summit. Ended for the day after all that chaos. Resuming tomorrow.”

“Good.” Brooke lets out a breath. The last thing she wants to do is pull Vanessa away from her job.

“‘Sides, everyone’s worried about you. Wanted to make sure you were okay.” Brooke groans louder at Vanessa’s statement. She doesn’t like drawing the focus. Even if their delegation is worried, she knows that her security team is going to make fun of her like there’s no tomorrow once they head back. She’s not ready for the roasts about her penchant for injuring herself in hilariously dramatic ways.

“Mrs. Hytes-Mateo?” Vanessa and Brooke both look up at the doctor who’s poked his head into the room, past the security detail stationed outside the door.

“This is she.” Brooke’s statement is ignored as the doctor does a double take at Vanessa, who diplomatically stands up to shake his hand.

“H-hello, Madame President, I was wondering why there was so much security in my ER, it’s beginning to make sense now-”

Vanessa cuts off the man’s rambling. “Is my wife going to be okay?”

“What-oh. Yes, a couple of stitches and she’ll be good as new. Now, concerning the pregnancy, as it is quite early on there should be no lasting issues-”

Huh?

Brooke can feel her own mouth drop open as Vanessa holds up a hand to pause the doctor. “Pregnancy?”

“Yes, as you probably know-”

Pregnancy.

She’s pregnant.

Actually pregnant.

Sure, they had an appointment scheduled for after the summit to follow up after the embryo transfers, but after so many failed attempts, Brooke hasn’t had her hopes up that this time would be successful, and has tried to prepare herself for the worst-

Pregnant.

The word echoes around her brain, replaying over and over and over again, and she can’t have imagined the words coming out of the doctor’s mouth because Vanessa’s face is equally flabbergasted, equally in shock as she grips the armrests of her chair.

“What’d you say, Doc?” Vanessa’s voice comes out in a squeak.  

Brooke looks up at the doctor, her eyes wide as the blood rushes through her veins because the words haven’t quite sunk in yet (she’s pregnant, she’s pregnant ), and he takes a step back.

“Oh? I’m sorry, I thought you were already aware…” He trails off, and Brooke thinks it’s just as well, because she can’t focus on any coherent conversation right now because she’s pregnant.

But then suddenly there’s a weight on her chest and it’s Vanessa, hugging her midsection before she lifts her teary face up towards hers to kiss her. Vanessa’s eyes are alight when she pulls back, a grin on her face so bright that it’s damn near about to knock Brooke over.

“Oh my god.” The words leave Brooke in a gasp, because it’s surreal, it’s not happening, not after so many disappointments and so much trying and they were going to give up after this one last attempt, but now they don’t have to, because-

“We’re having a baby.” Vanessa chokes out a sob, sniffles and Brooke pulls her closer, shaky hands on either side of her face and kisses the tears on her cheeks. She’s dreamed about this, they’ve dreamed about this for so long, this moment, this one moment that’s turned out to be a bit different from what Brooke had imagined it as but she doesn’t care, because it’s real. It’s happening.

Vanessa spins suddenly to face the doctor, holds up an accusatory finger that nearly makes him take a step backwards. “Are you sure? How do you know?”

“W-well, we’d done a blood test earlier to test her iron levels to see if that had a factor in her collapsing, and a certain hormone was elevated in her blood, one that is indicative of pregnancy-”

Brooke doesn’t even hear the rest of the doctor’s explanation because Vanessa’s kissing her again, resting a light hand on her stomach and holy fuck , she’s growing a baby and they’re having a baby, and-

Vanessa pulls back, grabs both of Brooke’s hands, squeezing them. The touch grounds her, bringing her attention back to the room, the ER room that feels almost ridiculous to be sitting in, because who cares about a small scrape on her forehead when they’re going to have a baby?

“Your First Lady is knocked up.” Brooke lets out a little giggle with the words, one that Vanessa mirrors because it feels surreal. Everything is surreal, and for a second Brooke forgets that Vanessa’s in charge of one of the most powerful nations on the planet, that her being in her second presidential term is going to make this process all the more public, put even more of a spotlight on them.

It doesn’t matter.

They’re going to be parents.

[besidemethewholedamntime]

those summer nights

For @precenna 

Here’s your prompt - finally! I’m really sorry it took me so long but I hope you enjoy it! Thank you so much for prompting me <3

Summary: Fitz and Simmons and a farm over the summer.

{Read on Ao3}

This is how the first meeting goes.

Fitz turns up to the door, which is the same shade of red as his shirt and his face is about to become. He knocks, once then another, afraid the first wasn’t loud enough. He fidgets with the hem of his shirt, with the loose thread on the hem, and then eventually just his fingers when he runs out. There’s a significant wait before his knocks are answered, and it gives him enough time to get lost in his own head.

The door swings open. Without thinking, caught in a dream, he stumbles out, “Um, Mr-Mr Simmons?”

The girl, around his own age, dark haired, curious-eyed, bites back a giggle. “Well, no. Not quite.”

Fitz wishes the ground would swallow him whole. The redness starts nowhere, comes from everywhere until his whole face is on fire. “I meant to ask if, uh, if Mr Simmons is in. Yeah. That’s it.”

“Nice recovery.” The girl’s smile is pretty. If he looks at it too long it’s all he’ll see for days. “Yes, he’s in. You can come in and wait for him – he’s on the phone just now.” She opens the door wider and he steps in. She points to his shoes.

“You’ll have to take them off, I’m afraid. Mum hates shoes in the house.”

Obediently he tugs them off, wondering only moments too late if he should have bothered to actually undo the laces. The girl looks at him curiously and he wonders if she knows.

He coughs, resists the urge to run a hand through his hair. It’s one or two beats of uncomfortable silence before she takes pity on him.

“You must be Fitz,” she tells him, holding her hand out. He takes it. Surprisingly cold, unquestionably solid. “I’m Jemma.”

-x-

He is invited to stay for dinner. Mrs Simmons is making roast chicken. “I like to feed,” she says, as she mashes potatoes with a vigour that reminds him of his mum. “And my family like to eat. Sometimes I overcompensate. Please don’t feel shy about helping yourself to as much as you like.” She looks over at her husband and daughter, both grinning from their places at the table. “They never do.”

Over dinner, Fits learns that Jemma is twenty, like him. She’s a student, like him. A prodigy, like him. She studies biochemistry. Unlike him.

“I’m studying engineering,” he tells her, making sure to have swallowed the potatoes in his mouth before speaking.

“What type?” There’s the glitter in her eyes. “Engineering by itself is a rather broad topic.”

Her parents smile as he turns bright red and almost chokes on nothing but air. “Uh, Mechanical, really. But I- well I’m interested in more than that.”

“Jemma, don’t torture the poor lad,” her father laughs. “Otherwise he might change his mind about working here.”

And suddenly he remembers what he’s here for exactly. The Simmons’ farm. The work that needs doing over the long Summer break. The money that will be lovely for his advanced studies.

“I’m not torturing,” Jemma protests. “Only testing. You’re alright, aren’t you, Fitz?”

“Of course,” he mumbles, looking down at his chicken, not quite able to see it clearly because of the memory of the sparkles in her eyes.

-x-

The work, he finds, he actually likes.

It’s hard, there’s no getting away from it. Up early, only stopping for meals, he finds he’s crashed out in the converted garage bedroom that the Simmons have set up for him by ten pm. The hay smells nice, but it gets in his nostrils and he sneezes constantly. The tractor is unreliable, but fixing it provides soothing, his hands instinctively knowing things before his brain is able to catch up. The animals, however, are his favourite. They all clamour for his attention. They like the softness of his voice, the bulk of his pockets which means that he’s brought treats. Fitz enjoys their different personalities, the way they push their heads against his legs in greeting, but their soft noises of melancholy break his heart when he has to leave.

On the weekends, when she herself isn’t working, Jemma comes out to see him. At first, it’s just messages from her father that he’s too busy to bring himself. Then, an antihistamine when he had inhaled a little too much hay and she declared that she could hear his sneezing all the way from the house.

Today, it’s a glass of diluting juice.

“You didn’t have to bring me juice.” Though he takes it quickly enough from her proffered hand.

“Well next time I won’t then,” she huffs, but her eyes let him know she’s only teasing.

Rolling his eyes, he swipes his hand across the back of his mouth. “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome.”

He gives her a small smile, and goes back to repairing the lock on the barn door. The lambs behind him make gentle noises. Jemma nods, impressed.

“They only do that when they like somebody.”

He tries not to look up at her, but can’t help the corners of his mouth pulling up. “Guess they must really like me, then.”

“I suppose they must.”

And because they’re alone, and because he’s feeling brave for once in his life, he asks, “And what about you? Do you like me, too?”

Jemma takes the glass back.

“You’re tolerable” she says, flashing him a grin before spinning on her heel and walking away.

-x-

It begins a pattern.

She comes out to see him wherever he’s working, even sitting next to him in the tractor, which proves to be quite a gymnastic feat. They talk of anything and everything, conversation never running dry in all the days and weeks that follow. He discovers that she has a boyfriend called Milton that doesn’t seem to be quite the Prince Charming. That she works in a bookshop in town during the summer; the work is the same but the stories never are. She likes the stories, the magic of it all.

“Of course, I know it’s not real,” she tells him, slurping from a carton of juice as Fitz varnishes the new stable door. “Magic is just science we don’t understand quite yet.”

She asks him questions, too, about where he’s from. He tells her of Glasgow, of the city that’s home. Of the Subway that rumbles and screeches beneath the streets and the gothic University building where he spends most of his days. He tells her about his mum, a woman that does everything for him and more, sacrificed so much. He tells her, albeit briefly, about his dad, and feels a weight that’s been there for ten years lift off his shoulders.

The weeks come faster and faster and the workload increases but Jemma is always the same. At night she’ll invite him to watch movies, compare notes about their respective principles. Sometimes he goes into the house, but mostly they stay in his little converted garage. It’s cosier, easier to pretend it’s just the two of them in the whole wide world.

The weeks come faster and Fitz finds he wishes they would slow down.

For the first time in his life, he’s falling in love.

-x-

“I’m single now.”

“Oh?” He tries to keep his face straight as he motions for Jemma to pass him another box of screws, which she does. “What happened?”

“Meh?” She does that shrug thing. “Milton. He was a bit too… impressionable.”

“Really? You don’t say.”

Fitz had met Milton once, when he had come to pick Jemma up after dinner. Untroubled by a single original thought, yet sadly burdened with a cabbage-shaped head, he hadn’t seemed rather the sort that Jemma would go after. Though Fitz had (except not really) done his very best not to voice his opinion on the matter. It might have been his own jealously speaking, after all.

“Ugh, Fitz!” She swots at his arm.

“I’m literally holding a screwdriver, Jemma. Probably not the best idea to hit me.” He sighs, but gives in and looks at her. “Are you alright, though?”

“Of course.” She smiles at him, completely genuine. “It was hardly like it would end in marriage anyway.”

The image of cabbage head Milton in a suit and tie, trying to stumble out vows he’d probably have to Google makes Fitz smile.

“Hardly.”

-x-

They’re sitting one night, out on the grass behind her house, notes spread open in front of them. They’re meant to be pre-reading for their respective courses, but instead they’re just looking at the stars.

“They’re so beautiful, aren’t they?” Jemma says, looking up.

“Very beautiful,” Fitz says, looking at her.

She meets his eyes. Smiles shyly. Tucks her hair behind her ears. “My dad used to take me out here all the time when I was younger.” She looks back up. “I had scoliosis surgery and I couldn’t move for ages afterwards. So, to stop me from being restless, dad brought me out here. Taught me everything about the stars.”

He can imagine a younger Jemma, probably much the same as she is now. Endlessly curious, with an insatiable hunger for knowledge, the stars filling her eyes.

“It was my mum who taught me about them.”

Fitz rarely mentions his mother, his life back home if not directly asked. It makes the ache bearable if he doesn’t talk about it. But tonight, with Jemma Simmons sitting next to him, the stars shining in her eyes and all around them… well, tonight he can be brave.

“She didn’t know a thing, apart from the basic stuff,” he laughs fondly. “But when I was five, I told her I wanted to learn. So, she went to the library and got all of these books with all of these pictures, and she taught herself so she could teach me.” The memory becomes real in his head, like he could almost live in it again if he wanted to. “She made it fun.”

Jemma reaches over and takes his hand. He didn’t know a touch could be so electric. “She sounds like an amazing woman.”

He nods, unable to do more.

So instead they just sit, hand in hand, watching the stars.

-x-

It’s almost time for him to go back home.

Jemma’s almost unable to be pried from his side now, even as he still works the long hours from dawn until well after. They both don’t talk about the reason why.

Most of the time it’s the two of them squidged together in the tractor, the conversation prattling away as normal. It’s rhythmic, soothing, and Fitz thinks that this life could quite happily be his life for a very long time.

One evening, with the remains of the day bleeding out as he parks in the barn, Jemma presses her hand on his.

“How long is it now? Until you go?”

There is no hesitation to his answer. “Ten days.”

“And will you be back? You know, to visit?”

He sighs, heavier than he means. It’s not that he doesn’t want to, but the cosmos would make it bloody hard. He wants to stay, but he has to go.

“Jemma,” he says softly and her eyes, the way they go heavy, tells him that she knows.

It appears they have a psychic connection. Something that cannot be erased.

And maybe it’s the moment. It’s romantic after all. There are charcoal streaks across the sky, fiery orange giving way to the dark. The farm is quiet but not silent; calm and not eerie. Jemma leans over and says, eyes glittering with all of the stars:

“Well, since we only have ten days…” and kisses him.

He’s taken aback for a moment. Just for one. Then he thinks this is what heaven must be like.

Reluctantly, they must break apart for air.

“That was nice,” Jemma says, hair slightly mussed. “Very nice.”

“Maybe we should do it again,” he murmurs.

She grins as she leans in. “Maybe we should.”

They stay there for a while. The sky turns to inky black and neither one of them notice for a very long while.

-x-

“I think I might be falling in love with you,” she tells him.

They’re both off for the loveliest afternoon of the late Summer and sit in the grass on a picnic blanket. Side by side (they way it feels it’s meant to be) they look up at the clouds, making the most ridiculous shapes they can find.

“You think you might be?” He laughs. “I already know I have.”

-x-

It’s a beautiful day when he leaves.

The September sunshine is warm on their faces, as Mrs and Mrs Simmons wish him well from the front door of the place he’s called home for several months now. The give him small gifts, tokens of their appreciation. Their smiles are knowing as Mrs Simmons says, “We’ll let Jemma see you off to the car. Good luck, Fitz. It was a pleasure having you here. Feel free to pop back anytime.”

Jemma isn’t crying. Her eyes are moist, but tears are not falling. Her bottom lip wobbles, but does not crumble. She holds his hand tightly as they walk to his car.

“I wish I didn’t have to go.”

She closes her eyes for a moment. “I know, but I have to go back to uni. And so do you.” Her smile takes a moment to break through, but it does. “We knew from the start this was a temporary thing.”

“I know, I know.” He thinks of the long drive back home, in his rusty car that squeaks and grinds no matter what he does. “Just sucks, you know.”

“I agree.” She pulls him in for a hug, so tightly that he thinks she won’t let go. Into his shoulder she murmurs, “It really does suck.”

She lets go reluctantly, checks her watch. “You better go. You don’t want to get stuck in traffic.”

He doesn’t, and if he doesn’t leave now then he won’t be able to. “Goodbye, Jemma.”

Jemma’s eyes still sparkle. They will never leave his mind. She presses him gently into the car. “Goodbye, Fitz.”

-x-

The year that follows is the slowest of his life.

“Out of everyone in the world, it had to be you to go and fall in love with a lassie from down south,” his mum exclaims, when she sees him checking his phone over dinner. “Oh, Leo. You never fail to surprise me.”

But she’s happy for him, Fitz is sure. She always smiles whenever he talks about Jemma, always asks questions.

“Why would you even want to know that?” He exclaims one day, out of patience, when his mum asks what Jemma’s favourite ice cream flavour is.

“Well, you never know,” she says knowingly, pushing her glasses further up her nose. “That information could come in handy someday.”

-x-

He completes his Master’s the same day she completes hers.

Psychically linked, even right down to the exam timetable.

Her graduation is the same day as his. He contemplates skipping his own to attend hers. His mum, whose bought a new dress for the occasion, swots his head and calls him a lovesick fool.

-x-

The time comes around again.

He knocks on the door, dressed in his best casual shirt and trousers No nerves this time, his stomach is remarkably calm, no fingers playing with the edges of his shirt. In fact he has to keep himself from bouncing on the balls of his feet. The wait has almost killed him, but no longer.

The door opens. The girl with the stars in her eyes answers and tries not very hard to hide her smile. “Yes?”

He cannot help his, either. “Is Mr Simmons here?”

Her eyes sparkle with glitter and her smile is the best thing he has ever seen.

“He’s on the phone.” Jemma takes his hand. “But come on in.”

[nhllandy]

Self Doubt with Mikko Rantanen

Translations - 

Tyttö = babe

Minä rakastan sinua = i love you

for @mikkorants96 - hope you enjoy :)

It’s always stressful when the Avs play the Minnesota Wild, I mean they are in the same division and there is a little bit of a rivalry there after last year. Mikko on the other hand, loves it. Sometimes it concerns you how competitive he gets on the ice, but maybe that’s just what makes him such a good player.

As usual, you sit in the section with all the other Wives and Girlfriends, even though you don’t really like to. They can be a little… um… bitchy? And you really don’t feel like you fit in with them, but what are you supposed to do? Go sit by yourself to cheer on Mikko?

They are all scrawny and blonde and curl their hair and this and that, not to mention the way they dress at games. They are all wearing skinny jeans and high heels and fur coats and usually sporting a gucci purse or something. Not you though, no matter what, you always stick to leggings and your no. 96 jersey.

HONKKK, a giant horn goes off signifying the end of the third period even though the teams are tied at four. For the past two and a half hours you have been biting off all your fingernails and your ass is numb from sitting on the edge of the seat the whole time. Mikko already has 2 goals, so you’re proud of him no matter what.

But overtime ? OVERTIME ? you hate ot, you get way too invested into the game and then usually end up pissed off when they lose. Mikko loves how much you love the game tho.

The horn goes off again to start the 5 minutes of sudden death hockey. All the other girls you’re sitting with have finally decided to get off their phones and watch for once, but you know they are judging how much you are yelling, oh well.

The first three out for each team have a couple of good looks, but no result yet. Then the next three and the next three and the next. All of a sudden, there is only 51 seconds left before a dreaded shootout. Mikko rushes onto the ice and it couldn’t have been better timed. Kerf dishes him the puck and he is in behind all the Wild players, just him, Dubnyk, and the clock.

He takes off down the ice and even from your seat, you can see Mikko trying to concentrate and sticking out his tongue. You are jumping up and down at this point, and at least some of the WAGs are standing up now.

He approaches Dubnyk and fakes to one side as he tucks it into the net with one hand. The goal light flashes and the place goes crazy. Music is blaring, hats are flying, Gabe basically tackles Mikko as you get a nudge and smile from Mel, one of the few wives you actually like. Mikko Rantanen, your boyfriend, has just scored the OT winner against none other than the Minnesota Wild AND finished off his hat trick.

As soon as the guys skate off, all the girls head down to the locker room. As your walking through the concourse you hear them announcing the three stars.

“And tonight’s first star, with 3 goals and the OT winnerrrrrrrrrrrr, Mikko Rantanen!”

You blush a little and it’s evident that none of the other girls are paying that much attention. You hear his slightly broken english then people cheering. Ugh he’s just so cute and you can’t wait to see him. Mikko is usually in a mood when they win games, like a really really good mood… which kind of… puts you in… some kind of mood… ugh, now you really really can’t wait to see him, and his beautiful blonde hair, just out of the shower, and after games he always wears a hoodie but without a shirt underneath and like OH BOY and his shimmering blue eyes, the way he looks at you in an irresistible sense - You are quickly snapped back to reality as fans start flooding the concourse. Stepping off of the escalator and towards the locker room. All the guys have the biggest smile when they see their beautiful girlfriends and a little part of you can’t believe Mikko looks at you like that.

Mikko hates it, but you say all the time that you don’t deserve him. He usually ends up rolling his eyes and shutting you up by putting his lips on yours. “If anything I don’t deserve you baby,” says Mikko, “I play fortnite almost as much as I play hockey, and I can’t even cook for myself.” He smiles, trying to lighten the mood.

You don’t like getting down on yourself  around him, but it’s hard not to. How did someone like you, end up with someone like him? He could do so much better, you tell yourself.

You’re zoning out in your thought as Mikko comes racing around the corner, still in his undershirt and everything but his skates. Like Mikko is actually running, a huge smile on his face, like a kid turned loose in a candy store. He zooms over to you and literally sweeps you off your feet. You are snapped out of your self-doubt but there are still some lingering thoughts, mostly fueled by the dirty looks you are getting from the girls. However, you are still really happy for Mikko and you hug him and giggle as he spins you through the air.

“(y/n) DID YOU SEE THAT!” He screams and it echoes through the entire hallway.

You think it’s adorable because he asks you that after every. Single. Game. even though you are at every. Single. Game.

“Yes Meeks! You were amazing!” You smile at him, ugh those blue eyes “but I must say, I prefer hugging you after you’ve showered.” Even though secretly you loved him all sweaty and riled up but you preferred when you are the one that makes him sweaty and riled up, not hockey ;)

“Okay okay, sorry tyttö, I’ll go shower,” he takes off back to the locker room, “I’ll be fast!” He yells as he disappears.

You can’t help but smile, and slowly you get sucked back into  your own mind.

Why are all of them looking at me like that? What did I do? They think they are better than me and it’s not fair. But, maybe they are right. I mean I’m not blonde, I can’t remember the last time I curled my hair or spent longer than 10 minutes on make-up. I’m not the most in-shape out of these girls, I can’t really rock high-heels. Oh god, What the hell does Mikko even see in me?

At this point you are starting to get visibly upset and Mel comes over to ask if you’re okay.

“Hey doll, what’s up?”

“Oh, nothing nothing, just some stress at work.”

As much time as Gabe and Mikko spend together, you and Mel have become like best friends. She basically knows you better than you know yourself. Gabe walks out of the locker room, exhausted but with a smile on his face. He walks up and puts an arm around Mel.

“Hey (y/n), sweet game huh?” Says Gabe with a grin.

“Yeah, nice job! I’m sure Mikko appreciates the assists.” You smile

“Pff,” he scoffs, “He better, I should’ve been the number one star,” He jokes and nudges you just like Mel did earlier, “But hey, we’ll see you around.”

He starts to walk off but Mel leans into your ear and whispers, “He loves you for you, never ever forget that sweetie.”

You smile graciously at her and then wave goodbye, now back to waiting for Mikko. You lean against the wall, not anywhere near the rest of the WAGs and occupy yourself with your phone, mindlessly scrolling through Insta.

Time passes rather slowly, you see a couple guys come out and they wave or smile at you. It seems a little messed up that the guys are cooler to you than their girlfriends but hey it’s whatever, you’ve always been a little bit of a tomboy.

After what feels like 8 years, Mikko comes around the corner but you don’t notice because your back is to him. He slowly wraps his arms around your waist and takes a deep breath. You feel so safe in his arms, there is nowhere else you’d rather be right now.

You close your eyes and take it all in for a minute before you say anything.

“Let’s go home, babe.” You say softly

He lets out a big breath before letting go but leaving his arm around you.

As you are walking out the last couple WAGs waiting for the guys look you up and down without saying a word. You immediately snap back into your previous mindset of self doubt. Slightly leaning into Mikko, you walk quietly to the car.

Mikko walks to the passenger side of the car and opens your door like always. After walking around and getting in the driver seat he asks if you are okay.

“Yeah,” you trail off, “just tired, I guess.” Mikko notices something is wrong, so he just drops it.

“Well don’t worry Tyttö, I’ll get you home soon.” He puts his hand on your thigh, slowly moving his thumb back and forth. Music is playing quietly in the background as you stare out the window. Mikko tries to cheer you up on the way home but he can tell that you are not in any mood for it.  

The two of you pull into the driveway of your shared condo but you don’t wanna deal with anything right now so you tell Mikko that you will just meet him inside. He gives a soft look, but he knows that you need to be alone sometimes and he respects that. You really don’t deserve him.

As soon as you see the front door close and Mikko disappear, you burst into tears. You’re not sure why this is happening, but you completely lose control. You have been holding this in since the end of the game and now here you are, sobbing uncontrollably.  You hate the way you look, but you hate having Mikko reassure you all the time so you usually just keep it to yourself. This happens every once in a while, but usually it’s when Mikko is on the road. You always compare yourself to other women, especially the other WAGs. It’s so hard not to, come on, you are dating a professional athlete! An NHL all star!

Taking a deep breathe after crying for a couple minutes, you put your hands over your face and look up. Once you move your hands, you see the front door open and Mikko poke his head out to check on you. Upon realizing that you are crying, he runs out the door and down the driveway.

He opens the passenger side door and crouches down next to you as you continue to cry. He rubs your leg and whispers, “(y/n), baby, what’s wrong? Talk to me.”

The tears start rushing out again and you turn into Mikko’s chest, really letting it all out this time. He opens his arms and accepts it. Mikko runs his hand up and down your back, trying his best to support you. He knows that you doubt yourself sometimes, but this is the first time he has seen you really breakdown like this.

After slowing down a little bit, Mikko tightens his grip and lifts you onto your feet and out of the car. Now standing, he picks you up. One hand under your back and one hand under your legs. You wrap your arms around his neck and rest your head against his chest. He carries you inside, still barely crying, and he sets you down on the floor. Right in the entrance of your condo is a hallway and Mikko leans you against the wall, runs up stairs to grab you a blanket, then joins you on the floor.    

“Wanna talk about it?”

“Mikko, why me?”

“What do you mean, Tyttö?”

“Out of all the girls in the world, why would you choose to go out with me?”

“(y/n), I love you so much. I wouldn’t trade what we have for anything in the world.” He grabs your chin so that you are looking up at him through the tears. “You are everything I could’ve ever wanted. I mean, (y/n), come on! You love to watch hockey, you’re gorgeous, you’re hilarious, you’re sexy (he says as he looks you up and down), you’re adorable when you yell at the refs, you chirp other guys with me, ugh, Minä rakastan sinua.”

“But I’m not like any of the other girls that go to the games, I’m not blonde or -” Mikko cuts you off by kissing you softly.

“Tyttö, I don’t want any of those girls. I want you. I don’t want some fake blonde that doesn’t know anything about hockey. I want a girl that is proud to wear my number and looks good doing it! I want someone who loves me and someone that, um, I can be Mikko around.”

At this point you feel a smile starting to tug at your lips and you’re slightly grinning, looking up at him.

“Ahhhh that’s it! The smile I love!” Hearing this just makes you smile more, Mikko makes everything better. Now with a full smile, Mikko jumps up and puts his hand out to help you. He pulls you up and into a tight hug. He starts swaying back and forth with you in his arms.

“OH!” Mikko screams, startling you, “sorry baby, hahah I didn’t mean to scare you but we need some music!”

“Hey Alexa, play Count On Me by Bruno Mars,” he says across the room

The two of you sway to the cute, happy song as you lean against his chest, taking in the moment. This went from such a terrible night to one of the best nights you’ve ever had with Mikko.

He is rubbing the back of your head and trailing his fingers through your hair, when you can feel him smile and start to giggle.

“What’s up, Meeks?”

“(y/n), you are the love of my life, ya know that?”

[thatfairyfangirl]

True Colors Chapter 5

They say when you’re bored time slows down...They are wrong. Time felt like it came to a screeching halt! The world seemed to be doing a pretty good job of not needing you. You were beginning to wonder why they enlisted you in the first place...You laid on the couch listing colors as you focused your mind on the ceiling, having changed its color so many times in the past five minutes you forgot what the original color was supposed to be.

“ ‘Scuse me Rainbow Bright I believe the ceiling was white.” Tony quipped as he sauntered into the common room snacking on some blueberries.

“Yeah?” You asked as you looked up to him as his blueberries turned a vibrant yellow. “It looks better in purple.” You chuckled while the light from the window created a dull shine on the stud you had embedded in your tongue as you stuck it out at Tony.

“Awe come on! I was going to eat those!” He sighed, exacerbated as he tossed the now pinkberries onto the table.

“They’re still good you know. I changed the color, not the actual fruit.” With a snicker you reached for them, tossing a few in your mouth. “Just be glad it’s your snacks and not your suits?” You asked with a playful smirk thinking how they would look in hello kitty pink.

“What would make me glad is you not making the tower look like a hippie’s mushroom trip.” He answered dripping with annoyance.

“What else am I supposed to do Tony? I’m boooooooored.” You whined as you thrashed a bit playfully on the couch.

Tony glanced down at his overly expensive watch that you were sure was hiding a suit of some kind as the colors of the setting sun danced through the windows around the two of you. “Alright then...Let’s make the night interesting. Go get the others...Tell them we’re going to play a game.” He smirked as he headed over to the bar to pour his first drink of the evening.

“A game?” You asked as you raised your pierced brow. “What are you? My dad?”

“Ouch. My pride.” He joked in return with a grin. “THE game...what do you take me for? Someone sober? I’ll go get...the bar.”

~ ~ ~ ~

“I don’t like this game anymore! Steve never drinks anything!” You exclaimed as you took yet another drink, everyone else telling you that it was your turn. “Okay! Okay! Uuuumm.” You attempted to stabilize yourself and your newly refilled shot glass, finding an anchor in Bucky’s bionic arm reaching up your back, was very kind of him to keep you from toppling over. These last few weeks had been almost tolerable with him, you were both really starting to learn how to be team mates. Maybe one day you’ll show him the song he helped you create by suggesting those old movies. “Never have I everrrrr...been a customer at the VIP Club over on 20th.”

Tony perked up a bit as he drank, a smirk on his face at the mention of the strip club, realizing that this was probably something that would really ruffle the feathers of Capsicle and Terminator. “Never have I ever worked at the VIP Club!” The words rushed out of his mouth as he cut off Bucky’s turn in an attempt to steer the conversation to get everyone there.

The rest of the group watched with jaws on the floor as you took a drink, everyone but the two who didn’t know what was so amazing about this. “What’s the VIP club?” Steve asked with a small boyish grin.

Clint, Nat, Tony and you all traded glances with each other, unable to believe they just heard the question come out of someone’s mouth. Everyone knew what the VIP club was… “It’s a gentleman's club Steve.” Nat explained in the soft tone one takes when explaining a sensitive subject to the overly innocent.

“What’s that?” He asked innocently as Bucky looked you over, wondering what secret was just uncovered.

“Should we show him?” Clint asked with a wide mischievous smile stretching from ear to ear.

“That is the best idea you’ve had all night!” Tony announced as he got up, everyone else just drunk enough to follow suit.

~ ~ ~ ~

The early October air held a crisp chill to it as the group lead a blindfolded Steve down the streets. “You really used to work here Doll?” Bucky whispered in your ear as the group made their way to the building, the trance house mix already able to be heard from behind the frosted glass that separated the illicit from the innocent outside.

“Ugh! Don’t call me that.” You insisted. “Demeaning.” You added as you watched him tug at his sleeve, trying to hide the metal underneath. With an exaggerated sigh you brushed your hand down his arm, warping the silver shade to match his skin tone to make him feel a little bit better while in public. It was the least you could do now. “You think you’re going to give us a return performance tonight?” He asked, with a raised brow.

“Maybe.” You answered with a shrug before heading towards the front of the group to have your turn at leading the blindfolded Steve.  

The swell of music as the doors opened hit Steve’s ears as he asked if he could remove the blindfold yet. His fingers brushed against the fabric covering his eyes as he was shoved into a plush seat somewhere in the middle of the room before finally getting the OK to see again. The color faded from his cheeks before growing a bright vibrant red as he looked around the room. Tasteful nudes hung on the wall, showing everything yet not enough, colored lights danced along the mirrored pillars and balls scattered throughout the room, and no matter where he looked there was a woman wandering around in as close to nothing as possible. His jaw went slack as his eyes searched for a safe place to look, somewhere without nudity… “This….” He turned to you with a folded brow, far from happy. “You used to work at a strip joint?!”

“Yeah and you used to sing and dance to sell war bonds.” You retaliated as you waved to the waitresses with a smile, each of them happier than the last to see you.

“Umm I’d like to point out that this is not a strip joint.” Tony added in with a grin.

“Yeah punk, it’s clearly a Gentleman’s Club.” Bucky joined in with a sly smile, finding an odd enjoyment in teasing him just like he did before the war.

“I don’t care what you call it. Those girls are naked.” Steve argued pointing to the stage.

“Those girls have names! That one’s Heavenly” you pointed to a blond, “and that one’s Cherry,” you pointed to the redhead dancing on the other side of the stage.

“And they are very clearly wearing very lovely dresses.” Clint added. Okay so they were dresses that showed all the bits that they should be covering, and were for the most part sheer enough to see through.

“Yeah and how’s Laura going to feel about you hanging around girls in these very lovely dresses?” Steve retorted as his jaw tensed, looking around to the rest of his team, each of them acting very unheroic right now. “And you two!” He pointed to you and Tony. “I can’t believe you would bring a pole dancer onto the team.”

“Really? That’s what you're surprised about?” Tony asked with a chuckle. “You have met me before, right?” Steve took a breath, trying to tell himself there’s no way this was how it looked, even Tony wasn’t THAT irresponsible.

“Steve this is one of the cleanest and safest strip clubs in the city with the strictest rules on how a girl acts and what she is or is not allowed to do in order to keep it that way.” You interjected in an attempt to get him onboard. “Times have changed. A girl taking her top off in the right setting isn’t entirely taboo anymore. Loosen up!” If his jaw clenched any tighter you were sure he was going to break his teeth.

“I can’t believe this joint is even still open! What ever happened to decency laws?” Steve asked as he folded his arms, trying his best to look down to the table.

“Hey yeah, good point.” Bucky looked around the room. “No one’s afraid of a raid? What happens if the police show up?”

You pointed to a man in the corner with a thin blond girl gyrating on his lap. “You tell me. That’s the chief of police right there. This is all 100% legal fun.”

“I can’t believe girls these days. A broad with no self respect can just go up there, take her clothes off and get paid for it?!” His eyes snuck up, a well of curiosity bubbling up inside about what the pole dancing would really look like. His eyes were greeted with a redhead who had more tattoos than clothing, but not much of either, arms folded as she looked down to him.

“You know the door is right there,” she huffed.

“Sorry ma’am. I didn’t mean to offend.”

“Tammy!” You cried out with a drunken smile as you threw your arms up to hug the half naked girl...Bucky finding the image of it gave him quite a stir in the pants. “Come sit with us! Put some life back in these fossils!”

“Yeah! Explain to him how very not demeaned by this you are.” Tony added having far too much fun with this.

“He’s right...I find it empowering. And It’s good money to keep food on the table for me and my son.” She answered as she pulled a chair up next to Steve.

Later that night you and Tony were situated on a plush leather couch when he whispered, “So I hear RoboCop is petitioning for your Farewell Tour.”

You guffawed at Tony’s choice of words and rolled your eyes as your voice dripped with sarcasm, knowing exactly the kind of performance everyone was expecting out of you now. “Yes Tony, I can see it now... One night only! The illustrious Mirage takes the stage with her signature move The Oona Spin!”

“The Illustrious Mirage, eh?” Bucky asked taking note of just how close you were sitting with Tony, definitely deciding in the back of his mind that you two must be having some fun on the side.  “I would’ve thought they would’ve gone with something like…” He trailed off, taking a moment to glance at your form and consider what he thought it would really have been.

“Candy?” Clint chimed in.

“Candy actually works over at the club on Murray Street now. Not that I go there often enough to know that or anything...” Tony interjected with a sheepish grin.

“Actually you look more like a Chastity.” Bucky quipped with a devilish smirk.

“Ahh now Chastity...Chastity is VIP’s best!” Tony replied.

“Actually I went by Spectrum even back then.” You answered as you laughed at Tony showing off how much he knew about the illicit world of New York’s adult entertainment. And then what he said really hit you. “Hey! Tony! I thought you said I was VIP’s best! I actually recall you saying I was the best this side of the International Date Line!” You stood half scowling, at the suggestion that Chastity was better at what she did than you were. “How many of your parties did I perform at?!”

Tony muttered to himself counting on his fingers. “Five….Six if you include the time you came halfway through.” He turned to the group to explain, “I had originally booked someone else but they quit right in the middle of the night.”

And that was the straw that broke it, no way this wasn’t what it seemed. “Tony, not only did you bring in a DJ as a combatant but she used to be a stripper and please tell me this (Y/N) is a whore thing is a joke?! Please! Because it’s really starting to sound plausible!” Steve demanded, his face red with anger.

“Again...you have met me before, right?” Tony quipped with a smirk.

You rolled your eyes watching him change colors all by himself as he jumped to conclusions. “Okay Okay!” You swayed a bit as you stood. “You really want to see me perform? Fine, I’ll perform!” You announced as you set down your amaretto sour. “If it’ll make you feel better” You bent down wrapping your arms around Steve’s shoulders drunkenly nuzzling your cheek into his back just to have him angrily swat you away.

“There are some things I really don’t want to see Spectrum.” He insisted.

“Then close your eyes.” You said with a smirk before turning toward the stage. “Move over Chastity! For one night Spectrum’s coming back to the VIP.”

Steve let his head sink down, his hands on either side of his face to shield him from what was about to happen. Bucky, however, filled with curiosity, sat forward in his chair as he watched you climb onto the stage. But neither of the girls dancing moved for you. He quirked a brow as he watched you cross the stage, passing both poles. “Ladies and gentlemen of the VIP Club you are in for quite a treat tonight. Returning to us, for one night only is DJ Spectrum.” The soft smooth seductive voice of the female DJ on the far side of the stage announced before respectfully stepping to the side for you. “While she’s up on the mic how about we give the girls on the stage a break and get those VIP rooms filled up?”

The colored lights reflected off of the studs in your brow and nose as you pulled your rainbowed hair back into a loose ponytail. “Thank you Chastity.” You smiled as you took over the mic, the women making Steve so uncomfortable thinning out as they got customers to pay money to watch them get naked in private for a while behind the curtains along the walls. “It’s been awhile since I’ve worked on this set up, bear with me guys.” You forewarned as you stuck a pair of oversized headphones on before you worked your magic with the music. For the first time everyone got to hear the music you were so proud of. Jaws dropped as you fused all the songs you had left on the computer in the dj booth into one seamless piece of art, using your powers to accent the music, adjusting the way the colored lights fell around the room.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbppJusWws0

Bucky’s lips spread into a cheshire smile as he watched you, letting your music flow. “Leave it to Spectrum to take a drunk night and turn it into self promotion. You guys did realize that they have a DJ playing the music here, right?.”Tony asked with a chuckle and an awfully smug grin as he looked up to Steve. “You have a dirty mind Captain.”

Tag List:

@sillydecoy​

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[vellihor]

選擇 ° chpt 2.

genre 》 skz mafia!au

word count 》 1857

warning 》 angst, violence, gore, etc.

__________________________________________________________

YUBIN

i knocked a few times on changbin's door. i roll my eyes as i hear loud rap music being blasted on the other side of the door. i slide the door open anyways. i see changbin punching furiously at the punching bag.

i walk over to the speaker to stop the blaring music, only to have my brother spin around to glare at me. seeing me, he hesitates before taking off his boxing gloves and hanging them up on the rack. i toss a towel at him, grossed out at the sweat dripping down his body. as he caught the towel in midair and cocked an eyebrow at me.

" we havent had sibling heart to heart talk in a long while changbin."

he motioned for me to sit down on his bed. which i graciously took up his offer on. i hugged his plushie, gyu, the only clean thing around the room. i watch as he pulls out a fresh shirt from his closet. he drags a chair from his desk to sit infront of me. then i decide to start the ball rolling.

" so whats your deal with minjung? hm? "  

i see him facepalm himself and groan into his palm. because changbin was older than me by two years, he always had trouble opening up to me. he felt as if he was not doing a good job as an older brother. thats why i started this heart to heart talk between the two of us. i waited as he lifted his head to look at me, thinking about how to put it in words.

" that woman simply ticks me off. shes single-handedly the most stubborn person i have met- "

" says you. "

i pressed my lips in a thin line as changbin gave me an unamused expression.

" i dont know we just dont work well together. i work well with anyone and everyone except her. she hates my guts, i hate her guts. we are even. then chan has to force us to work together. to be honest, i thought making the situation worse would make chan rethink about this shitty paring. guess i was wrong. "

" well from my point of view, i think the both of you should try to tolerate each other. i mean you have always been good at tolerating people. why not just tolerate each other. you guys cant jump at the first chance to kill each other. who knows maybe you guys will end up liking each other. "

he grabs a nearby soft toy and chucks it at me. probably from my last sentence. but i see him slowly consider my words.

" then whats with you and hyunjin trying to send each other to your respective graves huh? "

" thats a different situation! "

" mhmm tell me. how so? "

" ugh youre impossible. "

" lets make a deal then. if you try to get along with hyunjin, i promise to try to get along with minjung. "

i eyed him suspiciously and stuck out my pinky. he locked his pinky with mine. he shot me his goofy smile. i scoff at him as i lay down on his bed. he lies down next to me and we stay in a comfortable silence, staring at the ceiling. until i break the silence.

" do you ever miss mum and dad? "

he pauses before replying.

" all the time. i just wish they didnt leave so soon. maybe then we wouldnt have ended up like this. sure we have been through tougher things but i wonder how different things will be if they were still here. "

" remember that time we stole from the convenience store? we nearly ended up in jail. i still cant believe we survived by ourselves for so many years. "

he chuckles softly as he recalls the memories. ever since our parents died in a fire, changbin and i have always been relying on each other. i vaguely remember changbin sitting on the pavement and bawling his eyes out. his head was buried in his two hands as he sat there trying to comprehend the life-changing situation he had experienced. i remember twelve year old me being lost and clueless, wandering about in the crowd that had formed in front of the building. changbin shot up as soon as he heard my voice and engulfed me in a hug. the both of us had tried so hard to forget about that incident. but one of us would get a nightmare about it every now and then.

it has been five years since chan took us in and decided that we would have family members to look out for us. now we feel like SK is our family.

i watch as changbin stands up from the bed and looks at me in disdain before snatching gyu out of my hands. he strokes gyu before placing it down on the bed. changbin offers his hand to help me stand up. but i know better than to fall for that trick again. i push off the bed on my own. changbin looks offended that i didnt take his hand. i punched his left arm before walking towards the door. he gives me a look of pure pain and disbelief, while holding his left arm.

" did you just-? did you not hold back anything in that punch?"

" come on. dinner is about to be done. i bet you a hundred bucks that grandpa woojin is going to complain about how nobody helped him to prepare dinner. "

i chuckle as i slide the door open. i walked to living room, spotting hyunjin playing pool. changbin nudged me towards him. i scowled at my brother, only to have him flip me off. he shooed me off, mouthing "get along with him".

i walked to the pool table and picked up a cue stick. hyunjin pretended to not see me. i was going to give up being nice. but changbin was watching from the sofa. so i resorted to poking hyunjin in his ribs with the cue stick to get his attention. hyunjin saw it coming and dodged it before i even hit his ribcage. he sneered at me. i scoffed and threw my hands up.

changbin was still watching from the sofa. i took a deep breath before speaking.

" best out of three. loser treats the winner to a round of drinks. "

i sigh in relief as i see hyunjin consider my offer, nod and reset the pool table. i look towards changbin. he was giving me two thumbs up. i grin widely at him as i see him being awkward with minjung, who had just came out of the shower. he was trying so hard to start a conversation without being weird.

i turn my attention to hyunjin.

" ladies first. "

" wow hyunjin is being a gentleman for the first time. "

" hey take it or leave it. "

i say nothing as i rest my cue stick on my fingers.

__________________________________________________________

HYUNJIN

i eye the woman infront of me suspiciously. her behaviour seemed too abnormal today. she was actually being nice to me. just to clarify, that has never happened. ever.

yubin clears her throat and gestures to the pool table.

"um.... so i won and drinks after dinner are on you,"

i shrug and continue staring at her unknowingly, watching her put the cuestick down and run to the kitchen to help woojin with dinner.

i snap out of it when woojin shouted for everyone to eat dinner. i walked over to the dining table with jisung. dinner was the usual. everybody was talking loudly and enjoying dinner.

i noticed that changbin and minjung were talking to each other. i scrunched my nose in confusion. i nudged seungmin.

"whats with changbin and minjung?"

"what?"

"nobody realises that theyre being friendly to each other ????"

"yeah no dumbass. they are on a truce. they just said it just now. pay attention to the table conversation will you?"

"ouch, no need to snap at me like that. that hurt my feelings."

my mind wandered to yubin being not-so-hostile to me. she DID try to puncture my ribs with the cuestick.

__________________________________________________________

after dinner, i brought two bottles of beer up to the roof. i looked around looking for yubin but i couldnt see her anywhere.

"did she just bail on me?" i thought.

just then, i spotted a dark ball snuggled into one of the many oversized beanbags that jisung bought. i walked over to see her looking up at the sky. i plopped myself on the beanbag next to hers.

"so whats up there that got you staring for so long?"

she doesnt even look at me. no acknowledgement of my presence whatsoever. i scoff at her.

"wow so youre not even going to reply me? even after i got you beer? come on you have got to be kidding me."

after a few minutes of silence, i hear soft snoring coming from my right. "no way. no fucking way. is she sleeping?" unsure of what i had just heard, i snapped my head to look at her. leaning in closer to check if she was indeed asleep. upon a closer look, i realise i have been sitting next to a sleeping yubin.

i sigh as i sink back into my beanbag while taking a swig out of the bottle in my hand. after a few minutes, she stretches and somehow manages to hit my eye in a state of half conciousness. my right hand presses against the injured part. she recoils in shock and grabs onto my arm. her face was full of worry and she was starting the panic.

"ohmygod ohmygod i am so sorry. fuck fuck fuck. you need ice. wait here im going to go get ice for you. do not move."

i chuckle at her and removed my right hand.

"im not injured you dumbass. that was payback for making me wait for you to wake up."

she freezes with an unreadable expression. i stiffen at her reaction. she then slowly sinks back down in her beanbag with an almost inaudible "oh".

the atmosphere becomes awkward again. yubin clears her throat and reaches for her bottle of beer.

"um yubin?"

"what?"

"thats my bottle."

.

.

.

"yea i know. my bottle isnt open yet."

*awkward silence yet again*

*caw caw caw*

"so,, um hyunjin, do you have any siblings?"

*caw caw caw*

"uh....... sure yea of course i do. i have a twin sister and an older brother. my twin sister went missing when we were five and my older brother ran away from home when i was seven."

i looked over at yubin to see her mumbling to herself.

"hey dont worry its fine. really."

she looks at me with a forced smile.

"and your parents- ohmygod i just asked a stupid question didnt i? ah fuck sorry. im bad at this."

i let out a loud laugh as she facepalms herself. she gives me a questioning look.

"hey hey relax. no need to panic so much. just breathe okay? and yes to answer your question, i do have parents. both are healthy and fully alive."

"what about you, yubin? whats your story?"

"where do i even start?"

[xspideyimaginesx]

Runaway (iii)

Pairing: Criminal!Tom x Reader

Summary: Most secrets are locked away for a reason. 

Words: 2.5K

Warning: Mentions of smut, violence, and death

You watched in shocked silence as they dragged your brother and Harry out of the pool hall. You shook your head, not wanting to worry about your brother, but thoughts lingered in your head, and wouldn't leave you alone.

"Hey, sorry about that." Tom spoke behind you, breaking your train of thought. You turned around, your eyes meeting his luring brown ones. "You still up for continuing that pool game? I still want a fair chance at winning that kiss from you." He murmured as he stepped closer to you, his sweet cologne overtaking your senses.

"I-I'm sorry, but I need to go. Rain check?" You furrowed your eyebrows, knowing that it was safer for you to leave now before getting yourself into something you couldn't get yourself out of.

"Yeah, sure." He said softly, his smile slowly decreased. "Don't worry about what happened back there. Fights happen you know. It's nothing to worry about." He chuckled softly trying to lighten the mood.

"No, yeah I get it." You fumbled with your words, "It's just-it's getting late and I need to find Heather and get her home and stuff. And also the fact that I left her?" You raised your eyebrows, as your voice rose slightly.

"Hey, you didn't leave her alone." Tom threw his hands up, trying to prove innocence as he spoke. "Give me your phone." He outstretched his hand towards you.

"What?" You asked confused.

He didn't say anything as he reached behind you, grabbing your phone from the back pocket of your jeans, a smirk apparent on his face as he started to type on your phone.

"How'd you know I had my phone in my back pocket?" You asked, surprised.

"When you play pool, you lean over and-" He started, clearly amused as he tried to explain it.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it." You cut him off, flushing.

"You have a pass code, really?" He asked, slightly annoyed.

"Yes, so nosy people like you don't go snooping around on my phone." You rolled your eyes jokingly.

"Whatcha hiding in here?" A dangerous smile danced on his lips as he held your phone. "Hidden drug deals? Nudes?" His eyes twinkled with mischief as he listed things off.

"No, just don't want people to be able to go through my phone." You replied, flushing.

"You really should think of a better pass code though," Tom handed you back your phone after typing in for a few moments on your phone. "1, 2, 3, 4? Really?" He chuckled.

"What? You got in?" You asked, surprised, taking your phone quickly.

"Yep, but didn't get a chance to look for those secret nudes, though." He winked, cheekily at you. "I'm expecting a rematch soon. Same stakes. I know your secret. No way you're going to blindside me next time." He chuckled softly. "See you around." His eyes were smoldering as they seemed to be burning into yours. With just one glance, chills ran up your spine and your skin was tingling all over.

"Yeah, see you around." You gave a small smile, before turning around. 

You weaved through the pool tables, approaching the booth that Heather and Caleb were sitting at earlier tonight. You frowned slightly as you saw that it was empty.

"There you are! I've been looking for you." A hand grabbed your arm and you turned to see a fuming Heather. "Let's just get out of here. My mom is going to kill me if I'm not home by midnight."

She quickly handed you your purse, and you followed her through the numerous tables to the front of the pool hall and out the doors into the crisp night air.

The two of you stayed silent as you got into my car, and you had driven about ten minutes away from the pool hall. "You mind telling me about what you were doing tonight?" Heather asked softly.

"I-I was playing pool." You spoke softly, trying to sound innocent in the situation which you knew you weren’t.

"Yeah, I could see that. Thanks for leaving me with Blake and Caleb by the way." She rolled her eyes angrily.

"I'm sorry-"

"You drag me on this double date with you and then you ditch me to flirt with Tom of all people?" She hissed at you, throwing her hands up with anger.

"Wait, you know him?" You asked, quickly, your hands subconsciously tightening on the steering wheel of the car.

"Yeah, just ask your brother." She snapped back.

"Jace?" She nodded. "Jace knows him?" Your voice turned to ice, as you quickly turned into her driveway.

"Unfortunately." She said softly, as she picked her purse up from the floor of the car. "And I think you owe an apology to Caleb. I'll talk to you later."

You nodded, muttering a goodbye before she shut the door of the car, leaving you to your thoughts.

You quickly drove home, mentally drained, and ready for a good night of rest. You killed the ignition after you parked in the driveway. You grabbed your things and quickly made your way into the house, trying to let in as little of the cold air as possible into the house.

Your expectations of what was supposed to be a quiet house was demolished as yelling pierced the air. Rough masculine voices echoed through the house as you hurried into the kitchen.

"You can't keep putting me in these positions. I was just promoted and your little scams are jeopardizing it! If I lose my job-" The yelling silenced as your presence was acknowledged.

"Forget it…" Jace mumbled, as he rolled his eyes at you, bumping your shoulder as he tore past you, out of the kitchen.

You rubbed your aching shoulder, as you watched your eldest brother sigh heavily, running his hand down his face. "You have a good time with Heather tonight?" He mumbled softly, trying to smile.

"Uh, yeah." You said quickly. "I'm tired, so I'm going to head to bed. Goodnight." You smiled to Nick as he gave you a cheap smile and a wave before you headed outside of the kitchen and up the stairs.

You hesitated once you got to the top of the stairs, looking down the hall towards Jace's room, wondering if you should talk to Jace like Heather said, but after his two fights tonight you decided against it.

You sighed as you walked slowly into your room, shutting the door behind you before changing into some sweats and a long sleeve before going into the connecting bathroom and taking off your makeup.

Once you were done, you climbed into your bed, laying back against the numerous pillows as you looked through your phone. You opened your recent text messages and saw that Tom had texted himself your phone number. You smiled subconsciously, but nerves started to overtake it as Jace's actions and Heather's words rang in your mind.

You sighed as you settled down into bed, placing your phone on your dresser before closing your eyes and letting sleep take over you.

--

You yawned softly as you searched through the cupboards for breakfast the next morning. You grabbed a box of cereal and poured some milk and cereal in a bowl before sitting down next to your brother at the kitchen table.

"Rough night?" Your eyes ran down your eldest brother's frazzled appearance as he stared blankly at the laptop screen he had in front of him.

"These taxes are going to be the death of me." Nick groaned as he ran his hands down his face. You stayed silent for a moment, looking down at the full bowl of cereal in front of you before you spoke again.

"How's the promotion working for you? How's it like being sheriff?" You smiled before taking a bite of cereal.

"Stressful, but it sure as hell beats mall duty." Nick chuckled as he leant back in his chair. "I know it's been a tough transition since Dad passed away, but we've made it the last three years. We can make it through this."

"I'm worried about Jace, though." You said softly, placing your hands in your lap.

"You know Jace. He doesn't take things lightly." He sighed, trying to find his words. "Just look out for him, okay? I know he won't let you because of his pride and all that, but just keep an eye on him."

"I'll try my best." You said softly, before finishing your cereal and placing the empty bowl and spoon in the dishwasher.

"Heather and I are going to go to the gym for a little bit. You working late tonight?" You asked him as you stood in the doorway between the kitchen and living room.

"Yeah, looks like it. Just text me telling me what you're doing later tonight." He mumbled as he turned back to his computer.

"Okay." You replied before turning and heading to your room. You walked into the bathroom connected to your room and walked to the end pounding on the door that connected to your younger brother's room. "Hunter, get your ass up. I'm leaving for the gym in fifteen."

You rolled your eyes as a string of curse words were thrown back at you, but a few minutes later your fifteen year old brother sauntered into the bathroom, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. 

You quickly walked back to your room and texted Heather that you'd be at her house in a half hour and then you continued to get ready.

--

Forty five minutes later we arrived at the gym all clad out in our attire. You straightened your workout tank and yoga capris as you walked through the doors. We all signed in before heading to our respected locker rooms. "Hunter, you got one hour!" You called to him before you and Heather headed into the locker room and stowed your stuff away in a locker.

"What are we working on today?" Heather asked you as you exited the locker room and towards the treadmills. You each started on your own machines, 

"I'm going to work on legs and core today. We have soccer intramurals in a couple weeks and we need to get ready for them."

"Ugh, don't remind me. I'm already stressing enough." Heather replied. "Oo, they have a spinning class today. Wanna come?"

"Nah, I'm okay. You go ahead." You smiled, encouraging her to take the class.

"Ok, I'll see you after it's done." She smiled as she turned off her treadmill and hurried off to the spinning room where dozens of stationary bikes were.

You took your phone out of your back pocket and placed the earphones in before blasting music as you ran.

After a half hour and three miles later, you decided to head to some of the thigh strengthening machines. You sat down in the chair, tucking yourself in and placing your thighs against the pads. You set the weight and opened your legs and closed them, feeling the burn tingle in your legs. You got to ten, when a familiar someone greeted me, "Fancy seeing you here?" Tom smirked as he leaned against your machine, his eyes shining as his familiar smirk danced on his lips.

"Oh dear lord," You placed your hand on your chest as he surprised you, causing you to suddenly close your legs, causing the weights to crash down. You took your earphones out of your ears as you glanced up at Tom.

"Nice machine you're using…" His eyes seemed to twinkle as he smirked down at you.

"Uh, yeah." You laughed nervously as you shot up out of the chair and off of the machine. "What are you doing here?" You asked softly.

"Working out…cause this is a gym, and that's what you do here. What are you doing here other than sprea-" He spoke slowly as if explaining.

"Never mind." You snapped back, not wanting to go into any more detail of what you were doing on the machine.

"There's this party at Tony's house tonight and was wondering if you're interested in coming?" He asked coolly as we trailed over to where the rack of weights were.

"Yeah, I'll think about dropping by. Text me the address? Nice phone trick by the way." You narrowed your eyes at him, jokingly.

He let out a light chuckle as you narrowed your eyes at him. "You got it, Angel."

"Actually, do you want to catch some lunch now?" He quickly added as if on whim.

"No way, not like this." You giggled softly as you wiped a sheen of sweat off your forehead.

"I don't know. I could get used to this. You sweaty and spreading your le-" Your hand smacked him in the chest, cutting off his joke.

"Ass." You snapped back at him, but with a small smile on your lips.

"So about lunch?" He tried to resurface the topic.

"I can't sorry. I have to get Heather and my brother home. Another time maybe?" You asked softly. He nodded, concealing that the small part of him that hurt that you said no. "And I may see you tonight?" He nodded again as you looked down at your phone that you had tucked into your workout pants.

"Oh, crap, I need to go now. Heather should be out of her spinning class by now and I need to get my brother home. I'll see you later." He waved to you as he watched you saunter away, meeting with Heather who had your bags and was standing with Hunter.

"Hey," Harrison greeted Tom as he walked up beside him. "Y/N?" He asked Tom, nodding towards her, and Tom nodded slowly back. "Hey, isn't that Jace Pierce's little brother?" Harrison pointed to the young man walking off with you and Heather.

"Fuck." Tom mumbled at the realization of what he was getting himself into with your family.

Taglist:

@whiitee--sxxl