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fluffi · 4 years ago

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SARCOLINE SUNSET I: WELCOME HOME, OUTSIDER :: SOOBIN

pairing: soobin x gn!reader, platonic!ot5 x gn!reader genre: fluff, some subjective angst, bits of humor, enemies-to-lovers, childhood friends word count: 4002 event: #summerscape for @kpopscape credit: @enha-woodzies for making the gfx for this series! show her some love <3 author’s note: i accidentally deleted this post so here is a rushed reupload. it might not be as good as the original because it isnt proof read as well but i still hope the algorithm picks it up, maybe this’ll be good for the post. Also, the second part will be coming out in 15 days. warnings:��people disappearing, mentions of burning and fire (further warnings will be released in the next parts as the story gets darker)

THIS STORY IS PURELY A WORK OF FICTION AND DOES NOT DICTATE JAY OR NI-KI’S PERSONAL LIVES AND/OR FAMILY.

part two ->

The blonde stared up at an intricately designed structure in awe, walking forward to touch the sides of it and running his calloused hands up and down its rusted carved wedges. It seemed oddly cliche and unrealistic, but he could feel its story. Every touch of the ceramic pillar provided him with emotion that he couldn’t bring himself to explain.

The sun hadn’t set yet, but he could make out the faint reflection of it settling in the background. The huge pine trees around him were making conversation with each other; their faint whispers and rustles providing peace to his veins.

So entranced in the scenery of such a mystical place, he forgot to watch out for his younger peer. Kicking back into his senses, he nervously called out, “Riki! You there?” His voice, usually strong and boisterous, laced fear today.

“Don’t worry about me Jay, I’m right behind you. Just climbing this fence..and..there!” Riki let out a grunt as he jumped onto the soft grass, looking at his older friend with an innocent grin.

At the sight of his buddy, Jay visibly loosened. It was clear that he didn’t feel safe in this environment, yet felt entranced to it in some way. Riki caught up to him in a quick jog before standing next to Jay, in awe at the magnificent view that they were spectating for the first and possibly last time.

“Is this…the place you were talking about?” Riki was out of breath from running after his peer. He pats the grassy patch below him before slumping onto it, crossing his legs afterward.

Jay took a seat next to him, setting his canvas satchel and leather jacket next to him. “According to the maps and books, this is the right spot. I just want to see if the myth is true.”

Riki clapped his hands in excitement and turned to face Jay. “We’re staying till the sun sets right? I want to see what the carousel looks like at night! This structure is so fascinating. It must be beautiful out here at night.”

“No, we’re walking back as soon as the sun goes down. I do not want to risk being out here at night. People have disappeared from staying too long and I wouldn’t want to worry your mother.”

Riki visibly slumped and turned back in time to see the last drop of orange dip. It was quiet for a while. The singing birds stopped humming their soulful tunes, yet the whispering trees grew louder, their inaudible gossip echoing in the ears of the two boys.

At nine at night, Riki’s mother would call Jay, heeding no response. She would do the same for his parents and his friends. The only piece of information they could provide was that Jay had brought Riki, in his words, to “a magical place”. With no other vital details they could draw from their son’s peers, Jay and Riki’s family agree to call the local police, reporting two missing people: two minors, one last seen in a brown leather jacket, and a taller one tailing alongside him. Both their hairs were dyed in a striking shade of blonde.

Summer’s heat-blasted onto your skin as soon as you stepped out of your sleek white Toyota. It was good to be back, you supposed. Although it was something that not many people would fawn over, you were ecstatic to be home in town.

Leaving at the mere age of sixteen wasn’t easy. After your parents decided that you were too good for a mediocre high school where people cared more about their body count than grade count, they immediately sent you off to a prestigious boarding school in the big city. You were given three days to pack and say goodbye to your friends, the rest of your family, your world. As excited as you were to study in the evolutionary epicenter of technology, you didn’t like how you had almost no say in this decision.

You didn’t return home from high school even after four years of studying at that mentally draining institution. It wasn’t like you didn’t want to come back, you were just so accustomed to life in the big city that it seemed pointless to return to square one. With the rest of the world finally in your grip (or so you thought), you enrolled in a highly expensive university and received a full-ride scholarship.

Perhaps that was your breaking point. Piles of work that could never be cleared must’ve got to your head. No one out there seemed to care about your mental health and well-being. The only reason you were allowed to take a break from the university and return was because of your constant breakdowns that your lecturers called “distracting” and “unethical”. You were hoping that this drop-by in town would give you a physical and mental cleanse.

There was no place as hot as home, from where you had been. The blazing sun scorched onto the road. Carrying baggage by itself was already hard enough, but this heat was immensely torturing. You struggled to carry your belongings while trying to close the car boot at the same time. Oh, a pity. You had just returned home and you were slowly turning into a bundle of disorganization, unlike your previous methodical attitude.

“Need a hand?” A familiar suede voice behind your shoulder sounded like music to your ears as you dropped all of your luggage and turned back to see…

“Taehyun!” Child best friend number one. You were looking at a once-innocent boy with doe eyes who had matured into a fine young man. His hair was dyed platinum blonde and, although younger than you, possessed a flair that was completely unlike his past self. His facial features were more prominent than ever and you wondered if all of your friends had developed as well as he had.

You locked your arms around his neck and embraced him as he took your baggage from you.

“You’re so tall now!” You gasped in awe and looked him up and down.

“Of course I am! A boy has to grow, doesn’t he?”

Speak of the devil(s), four people tagged behind Taehyun, waiting for you to notice their presence. All of them were just as tall (if not taller) than your blonde friend and stood out like a sore thumb. It wasn’t just the height, their hair was also in very...exciting colors.

“Can’t believe you forgot about us just for Taehyun.” Ah, that nasal voice was so recognizable. Choi Yeonjun, second-best friend. You cherished him like he was your secret weapon, a power waiting to be unleashed into your industrial world. Although older than Taehyun, they seemed to be the same height now. You couldn’t tell because his new neon pink hair was waxed slick and puffy which made him look a teensy bit taller than his younger friend. You had seen him around on social media and he was a hair-changing chameleon.

Alongside Yeonjun was Hueningkai, better known as Kai in the friend group. He was the youngest one, constantly babied and spoiled, you could say. He was probably influenced by the rest of his friends too, his hair now in a mossy shade of blonde.

Poor Yeonjun, you completely disregarded his existence and dashed over to Kai instead, eagerly standing next to him to compare heights. The kid had grown so much, you couldn’t tell if you were contented that he was now taller than you or dejected that you had missed so much when you weren’t around.

“Hey, wait up!” Someone from behind called. With Hueningkai and Yeonjun blocking your view you couldn’t see who that one person walking next to Choi Beomgyu was.

Beomgyu, the last friend who joined the friend group. He was always a comedian and never failed to make your day. Although, he didn’t seem so smiley anymore. You figured that it was school stress and adulting getting the best of him. We all had those days; you regrettably knew them like you knew the back of your hand . Unlike the rest of his friends, Beomgyu’s hair was kept in a natural shade of ivory brown. He had never been swayed by the rest of the crowd.

There were so many things to do, so many people to see. You had missed out on most of your growing: having fun with friends, staying up late at night just to watch the stars, dancing on your balcony. You had missed the people too. The town felt different from when you had left it.

“Soobin! Don’t just stand behind, meet our friend! They just returned from the city, right?” Beomgyu ran over to you before giving you a little squeeze.

Who’s Soobin?

“Hey, I’m Choi Soobin. Twenty-one this year. I moved here a few years ago. You must have left before I showed up.” A simple and concise introduction from the blue-haired man. Maybe he was the root of this hair-dyeing trend in town (pun very much intended), as well as the height trend since he was just as tall, if not taller than the rest of the boys.

You briefly introduced yourself but that was about it. You didn’t know how to create small talk, nonetheless with someone completely unfamiliar to you.

Later that day, you wondered if he had replaced you, become another guardian in the friend group. As one of the oldest, you and Yeonjun were always known as the parents of your three “kids”, but Soobin seemed to take care of them equally well. Throughout the day, you watched his every action, how he helped Beomgyu with homework, how he styled Kai’s hair, how he treated Taehyun to his favorite meal, exactly like what you did when you were still around. For once, you felt like the outsider.

Marshmallow Night had always been a tradition here. It was a five-of-you kind of thing, well, the six-of-you now. It had always been the go-to celebration whenever one of you hit a milestone, or was just held for fun. The days of joy where the only thing you had to worry about was whether your smores were burnt.

It had changed a lot over the years, you guys would add some new events to it and remove the ones you guys outgrew, like hopscotch.

You had missed most of its evolution.

Instead of being the main catalyst for today’s event, you resorted to sitting at the side as Soobin took the lead, carrying tables back and forth as well as setting up the fire in a method that the five of you had never used.

Oh, how much you loathed him. You hated his innocent-looking face that spurred out words of authority and boastfulness. You couldn’t stand how he looked so obnoxious with his bright blue hair, his dark brown eyes that held an impeccable gleam. He looked so cheeky, so mean, and worst of all, he had made all of your friends convert to mini spawns of him. Even Yeonjun, the oldest member, no longer felt like the Choi Yeonjun you once knew.

If you could, you would throw him out of your hometown, except that you seemed to be the outsider here. Anyone who walked past would see five people sitting on a huge log, helping each other light marshmallows and biscuits. They would barely notice the one person hunched over on the other side, sitting on the ground, eyes dazed and uninterested.

Occasionally one of the boys would call out to you, either hand you a s’more or ask if you were alright, to which you responded, “I’m alright! Don’t worry about me, I’m having fun.”

Anyone could also see that you weren’t in the zone, but you didn’t want to ruin the moment and be a party pooper. You ended up spending most of the time scrolling on your phone, checking school emails, and such. It didn’t feel like you were back home, it felt like you were on a vacation, on your own.

The commotion had died down, for the most part. Everyone else was either discussing school gossip in hushed voices or making the most of use of their electronic device. You were tempted to join the little heated conversation that Soobin and Beomgyu were having, but you didn’t know who this ‘Chaeyeon’ girl was and either way, you wouldn’t want to voluntarily speak to Choi Soobin.

It wasn’t long before both of them went to do something else, the only sound prevalent being the wood crackling from the bonfire and the occasional chirp of evening birds.

It was a loud, sucked-in breath that drew the attention of everyone, eyes pinned onto the instigator.

Choi Soobin, once again disrupting the peace of this curated environment. He ducked his head in apology and you were about to return to your world when Kai’s curiosity got the best of him.

“Why did you just do that?” His booming voice resounded over everyone else.

You weren’t going to lie, you were curious too. It wasn’t every day you heard a gasp like that.

Soobin looked back up, eyes wide and awake. He was excited about something but seemed to be masking it for the sake of..suspense?

“Okay. You guys know Yongsam Park right?” He put his phone down and tapped his hands on his thighs in a state of urgency.

Now that statement got everyone’s attention. “It’s the flower place outside our town, everyone passes it when they enter. Of course we would know where the place is. Why are you so adamant about it?” Taehyun inquired.

“Well, have any of you gone inside the park? Or near the landmark in general?”

“No. Why would we? There’s nothing to do there than to take pictures of boring flower statues.” You stated.

“See. You guys don’t know anything about the place.” He smirked tilting his head upwards and proudly crossing his arms.

“Could you cut to the chase and tell us what it is already?” Thank Yeonjun for his smart, impatient mouth.

Soobin didn’t answer and merely flipped his phone so you could see whatever was on it. The only words you could make out were “Yongsam...missing...carnival” and something related to the park before he turned it back, away from your view.

“You can’t just say that we don’t know anything about this place then proceed to give us nothing about it.” You rolled your eyes, disinterested in the conversation once again.

“Fine. I’ll send it to you.” Soobin rolled his eyes back as four of the other boys snickered. They loved seeing the two of you bicker.

In courtesy of Beomgyu who gave Soobin your number (without your consent), you received a news article and skimmed through it with eager eyes:

[WHAT’S THE HYBE?]

YONGSAM PARK CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION, AUTHORITIES SAY 3 days ago

What’s the deal with Yongsam Park? Insiders say that, although bland and boring, Yongsam Park is currently under high-level investigation for the disappearance of a few citizens. The flower-decorated park is the perfect place to take Instagram-worthy pictures and is quite harmless in itself, so visitors were shocked to arrive at the park only to find it surrounded by heaps of yellow tape.

Yongsam Park was developed by Kim Yongsam, director of My Flowers, a multi-million florist franchise that has now spread to Japan and Taiwan. In a 2015 Interview with the millionaire, he mentioned that he had created the park in the inspiration of the rising ootd picture trend, also known as the outfit-of-the-day trend, which he had initially discovered from his teen daughter.

“I wanted to create a welcoming park for people of all ages, but I couldn’t find a suitable place to do it without the budget being drastically high. In the end, my team and I found an abandoned site and decided to build a simple structure with lower costs up there. Props to my team for the discovery of this landmark. The scenery there, especially in the evening, is stunning .” He stated in the 2015 interview with Soup Magazine.

What’s the abandoned site? With the evidence that is still standing, Yongsam Park is rumored to have previously been a carnival. Said evidence is a worn-down carousel in the back of the park, along with piles of other burnt carnival decoration and equipment. With research, Yongsam Park’s site may have once been an abandoned carnival that perished from an unknown wildfire. This may have been the primary cause of the drought that ensued in the 80s, leaving only a carousel and ashes behind. When questioned, Mr. Kim said that he had decided to leave the carousel standing behind the park due because he felt ‘drawn by its alluring glow’, as quoted.

Investigators and the local police have only enclosed the flower section of Yongsam Park because that was where the victims were spotted. They believe that disappearances took place there and are currently trying to find evidence to back up their stance. Most of this new information is not known to the public, however, Kim and his team are trying to keep it that way. The current disappearance count is seven people, the most recent case being two high-schoolers.

The carousel is still open and does not require a visitor ticket, but visitors are advised to take precautions and leave before the sun sets.

TWO MORE BOYS HAVE DISAPPEARED AT THE NOW INFAMOUS YONGSAM PARK 5 days ago

FAMILY OF TOURISTS DISAPPEAR AT YONGSAM PARK, INSIDERS SAY THIS IS THE SECOND CASE OF DISAPPEARANCE HERE 2 weeks ago

JAPANESE COUPLE DISAPPEAR AT FLOWER PARK, NETIZENS CALL THE NEWS A POLITICAL DISTRACTION 3 weeks ago

“Are you seriously...telling us...that we should visit a place where people have been kidnapped?” Yeonjun gawked. “Dude, that’s so stupid. What if we die or something?”

“Don’t say that! I was just curious if you guys wanted to go since it’s so near and since your old friend is back home.”

“It’s a dumb move. I’m not risking my life just so I can celebrate the return of my friend. Not worth it.” Beomgyu huffed.

“Hey! You’re worth it, right?” Soobin glanced at you, waiting for a response.

He was...defending you? His ulterior motives were questionable and you weren’t sure if he was protecting you because he cared about you (cue the puking) or solely because he wanted to go to Yongsam Park that bad.

You didn’t reply and chose to drown out the wailing and chaos that ensued with your friends. You clicked on a related article below, curious to learn more about this lesser-known part of the park.

[WHAT’S THE HYBE?]

TWO MORE BOYS HAVE DISAPPEARED AT THE NOW INFAMOUS YONGSAM PARK 5 days ago

Park Jongseong (20) and Nishimura Riki (15) mentioned to their friends that they would be heading to ‘a magical place’, before disappearing for around a week. They were last spotted walking through Yongsam Park, according to anonymous witnesses. This is the third case of disappearances at the park and both teens are the sixth and seventh people to go missing.

Both families reported their children missing just two days after their disappearance. With this case being the last straw, local authorities forcibly shut down Yongsam Park despite protests from staff and management.

Parents of the two minors refused to respond when called for an interview and HYBE reporters resorted to interviewing the victims’ friends instead.

“Jay’s never been a bad kid. Yeah, he might be late here and there, but he wouldn’t skip class or fly across the country for vacation during school. I just don’t understand why he’s not here with us. He wouldn’t voluntarily disappear.” Park Sunghoon (19), a friend and classmate of Jongseong (who is better known as Jay among his friends) said.

“Although I’m not close with Jay, I know Riki personally and I know for a fact that both of them wouldn’t run away like that. Why, Riki was gearing up for a dance competition that he’s been excited about all year, and now he’s just gone? Like that? Riki has always been like my little brother, and he’ll always be. I just want him back at my side.” A teary-eyed Lee Heeseung (20) says.

Netizens have been complaining about the lack of coverage on this issue.

“Maybe Mr. Kim spent all his money on covering this story up from the mainstream public. That’s why he had to build the stupid park on an abandoned sketchy site.” An anonymous netizen commented.

Regardless, we’ll be keeping our prayers for Jongseong and Riki, as well as the five other victims, to return home soon.

“...you guys are such wimps.” That was the first thing you heard Soobin say when you tuned in to the conversation again.

How dare he say that? How dare he have the courage to call you, someone who moved out on your own at 16 to live in the big, scary world, a..wimp?

“Look, Choi Soobin. I may be a lot of things, but I’m not a wimp. I didn’t say that I wasn’t interested on this trip.” You stand up and blurt out without thinking twice.

The rest of the boys are gawking at you, their mouths open wide in awe and shock. Yes, you weren’t a wimp, that was for sure, but they had known you all their life as someone who could not stand going out into the wilderness. Maybe the big city had really changed you.

“At least someone wants to go! Perfect. We can leave tomorrow at noon, bring your camping stuff!” Soobin grabbed his things and began walking away.

“Camping?” The five of you exclaimed in unison.

Taehyun, the rational member, gasped. “I, personally, wouldn’t mind going to the carousel thing..or whatever it is, but I am not staying the night. Dude, are you nuts?” The rest of you nodded your heads in agreement.

“It says in the article that we are advised to leave before the sun sets.” You point out, trying to keep your voice as steady as possible in fear of breaking this mask of false confidence, when in reality, you were terrified of this place.

Soobin turned back and eyed you down disinterestedly. “Conclusion is that we’ll bring a small backpack, or whatever you guys want to pack, and we’ll stay there until eight. Deal?”

“Seven.” Hueningkai timidly said.

“Whatever you guys want.”

You hadn’t been able to sleep last night. It wasn’t due to fear of the place you were going, rather, you weren’t too excited about having to spend half of your day around Soobin.

What were you going to say to him? You were definitely overthinking at this point.

You know, they always say that the person one hates the most is the one that they also love most. And when Soobin flipped his blue hair back or cheekily smiled, showing his endearing dimples, you couldn’t help but…

No! You loathe Choi Soobin. You couldn’t stand his smile, or his hair, or his height. That evil moonwitch.

“Hey, you ready to go?” Speak of the devil (or moonwitch), you spotted a fluff of blue hair in your peripheral vision.

You couldn’t even muster up the courage to look back at him, merely nodding your head while staring at the white wall.

“Why aren’t you looking at me? Are you...scared?” You could see him wiggle his eyebrows as he made that statement.

That was it. You turned back at him. “Yes I am. I’m absolute terrified. I can’t stand the fact that I have to forcibly spend my precious time around you. It’s like I’m about to voluntarily live a nightmare.”

Woah there, calm down. You had smoke spurting out of your ears at this point.

Soobin’s once excited face fell into one of disappointment. “Yeah, it’s a nightmare having to be around you too. Gosh, the immaturity.” He left the room in haste as your eyes shot lasers through his well-toned back.

Maybe you had gone too far with the insult. He hadn’t been mean to you at all, really.

Then again, he had been mean. He took your place when you weren’t around. Suddenly, you were determined to get it back.

“Hop on the magic school bus!”

“Shut up, Yeonjun.” You deadpanned before leaning your head on his shoulder. The two of you were finally falling back into routine and you couldn’t help but bask in this nostalgia.

You also couldn’t help but notice how Soobin kept on looking through the rearview mirror at the both of you, pupils darting away once you locked eyes with him.

Man, this was going to be a long ride.

2021 © fluffi

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kessielrg · 3 years ago

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[Kingdom Hearts] Overboard

Summary: In which Riku has to play with his annoying younger cousin, and they both nearly drown. Sorta. [modern AU]

Rating: K

Word Count: 2,249 words

If you liked this story, please reblog!

---

Riku honestly did not like spending time with Sabrina. The only girl he could possibly tolerate was Kairi, a girl from his class. Sabrina was Riku’s cousin; which meant that she had to join him. Her being a year younger didn’t really help much either. Unlike him, who was a well sophisticated 6 and a half year old, Sabrina was still 5, and that meant she was still boring.

But he had to play with her today. He promised.

“Are we ready to set sail yet?” Sabrina whined. She was already sitting on their raft.

“Almost,” Riku sighed, gathering their oars. He had to be careful not to drop them as he walked over to her. “Here,” he said once he was close enough, “Take one.”

Sabrina gave the oar a rather disinterested stare. She only took it after quirking an eyebrow at him. Riku had to do his best not to let out a sigh of relief. The last time he told her that they were going to sail the ocean, she had a fit. Uncle Oswald really spoiled her. If it wasn’t for how cool Blaine was, Riku would never want to see his cousins, aunt, and uncle.

With Sabrina with her oar, Riku carefully placed his on the raft before pushing it into the ocean. He quickly got on, and was even more quick in making sure they didn’t immediately capsize. After he was adjusted, the duo started to row further out.

“Where we goin’ this time, Riku?” Sabrina casually asked. She wasn’t very good at rowing at the same pace he had, but it managed for now.

“Dunno about you…” the boy hummed. “But I am going to explore every world in the world.”

“Oh…” Sabrina mused. “Well if that’s the case, I’m going to find my true love.”

Sabrina let out a wistful sigh as she flopped back on the raft. The raft rocked violently for a moment at the shift. Riku just stared at her in annoyance. It didn’t help that she spread out more too. Her feet nudged at Riku just slightly, which only served to annoy him more. Sabrina didn’t seem to notice as she went on to wistfully ramble, “He’s gonna be funny, and cute, and looks at me like how Papa looks at Mama.”

Riku looked off to the side just to gag. Sabrina wasn’t blind to this. She sat back up (again, rocking the raft slightly) to fold her arms and pout at him.

“It’s a better thing than whatever you said.” she told him. To emphasize her point, she even razzed her tongue at him. “You’ll be all alone, and I’ll have a boyfriend.”

“Don’t think Blaine wants you to do that.” Riku told her with a click of his tongue. He tried to start rowing again, but they only moved in a lazy circle because Sabrina was refusing to help at the moment. The temptation to ‘accidentally’ bonk her with the oar was a strong one. Unfortunately, he held back; they were going into deeper waters now, and Sabrina was not the strongest swimmer.

“Blaine can kiss my big toe,” the girl declared, even placing her hands on her hips and leaning forward a bit for emphasis. Riku honestly expected her to fall over. She -unfortunately- didn’t and eased her way back into a proper position so she could help row some more. Riku still wished that he had anyone but her with him. Sora at school also liked sailing out into the ocean. In fact, Riku was very sure that Sora wanted to be a pirate, so the idea of rowing into the ocean really put the other boy in a good mood. But Sabrina? Still bad at rowing in time with Riku. Really bad.

To his surprise, it was Sabrina who noted someone coming up to them. The two stopped rowing as the newcomer came closer. Riku’s heart pounded when he realized it was Blaine. Was he in trouble for taking Sabrina into the deeper water? Was Blaine going to watch them? What did his cousin want?!

“Hey you kids,” Blaine called out, “Aunt Minnie says dinner’s gonna be ready soon. Pack it up.”

Oh.

Blaine had been sent by the adults to collect the younger duo. It was also their ploy to talk about him while he wasn’t there- not that he didn’t know their talks by heart. Always ‘it’s so nice that Riku and Sabrina are close in age so they can play’ and ‘Blaine must always feel left out because he’s so much older than them.’ Quite naturally, not having to deal with his feisty little sister was a treat. The 10 year old casually took a nibble out of his pretzel stick as Riku and Sabrina turned to him. Their raft was nothing more than an inflatable pool lounger, and their ocean was the in ground pool at Mickey and Minnie’s house. Blaine’s favorite part was that it looked like the kids were using pool noodles to row the poor lounger along; must have been Riku’s idea. Smart kid, that Riku.

“Go away Blaine!” his baby sister was the first to shout. “We’re finding adventure and you’re not invited!”

“Blaine is invited.” Riku immediately refuted, almost horrified at the idea Blaine couldn’t join them.

“No he’s not.”

“Yes he is.”

“Nu-uh.”

“Yeah-uh.”

“As entertaining as this all is,” Blaine loudly told them, netting their attention again, “My mission is to tell you two to dock it and get inside. Hurry up, before Ortensia comes out.”

“Yes sir.” the two kids grumbled with their own level of respect. It was enough to amuse Blaine into leaving for now. Riku was more than willing to head back, however Sabrina was a wee bit bitter.

“Brothers.” the girl whispered darkly under her breath. She turned to Riku just to say, “Don’t have any.”

“I don’t think that’s my choice.” he said right back. “Come on, Mom’s been working on dinner all day.”

“Aunt Minnie can wait.”

Riku looked at Sabrina like she had gained another head.

“But Blaine said-”

“I don’t care what Blaine said. I want to find my true love.”

“Sabrina, we’re going inside now.”

“No! I don’t wanna!”

“This is why I don't like playing with you,” Riku hissed. “You always make it about you!”

“Do not!” “Do too!”

“Do NOT!” Sabrina shouted just before hitting him over the head with her pool noodle.

Riku had not been expecting that whack at all. Even if there wasn’t much force to it (it was a pool noodle, after all), Riku found himself tumbling sideways and into the pool water. Sabrina let out a surprised shout as his head dipped underwater. When he didn’t immediately come back up, she started to panic.

“Riku!” she called out to him. Not long after, Riku’s head came back up, but she didn’t feel any better. If anything, she leaned over the edge of the lounger a bit more to really make sure he was alright.

“I’m fine.” Riku grumbled, using a hand to wipe his face off. He looked up at her and realized something before quickly telling her, “Sabrina, watch it! We’re at the deep end and you can’t-”

He didn’t have time to finish because Sabrina fell over the lounger as well. It didn’t take long for her to realize they were at the deep end. It took even less time to realize the lounger had drifted a good distance away from them. Panic overwhelmed her when her feet didn’t touch the floor, and it didn’t matter how fast she kicked her feet, her head kept dipping under the water. Riku rolled his eyes -very sure that she was just being over dramatic- before swimming over to her. Her thrashing made it hard to get very close.

“Sabrina,” Riku tried to tell her, hoping she could hear him over her splashing, “Hold on to me, and I’ll get us to the edge.”

Sabrina nodded, ceasing some of her desperation as she tried to move close to Riku. She blindly moved over to him, immediately clasping her hands around his neck when she was close enough. The sudden addition of her weight made Riku go underwater as well. The things he did for his stupid cousin.

Inwardly grumbling, Riku adjusted his body to help guide them to shore. He really hoped Sabrina would get the hint and help pedal them over, but she never did. When they got to the edge, Sabrina didn’t waste any time using his shoulders to hoist herself out of the water enough to crawl back onto the brick deck. Thankfully, with her weight gone, Riku bobbed back up in record time. He got out of the water as well, sitting on the warm brick to catch his breath for all that hard work. Sabrina herself had flopped down like a starfish to catch her breath. She stared up at the sky with a look that illustrated she thought herself lucky to still be alive. Riku looked at her and grimaced.

“Are you alright?” he questioned with a tone that didn’t care if she actually was or not.

Sabrina didn’t seem to pick up on it. Instead she gave a little nod of her head and gave a breathless, “Yeah, I think so.”

“Good.” Riku nodded. “Because I’m going to kill you!”

“No!” Sabrina shrieked as her cousin lunged at her. The girl was quick to scramble to her feet and book it back to the house.

“Get back here!” Riku demanded as he started after her.

“No, you’re going to kill me!” Sabrina yelled back, almost losing her balance as she tried to look back at him.

“For trying to kill me!”

For a moment, Sabrina straight up turned around to run backwards- almost falling over herself at least twice as she informed Riku in a prudent tone, “I actually could have killed both of us. Duh.”

Riku snarled as he reached his hand out at her. Sabrina yelped before turning back around again and running away even faster. Riku’s expression hardened as he went after her. He wasn’t surprised in the slightest that she was heading straight for the adults- that spoiled little snitch.

Sabrina managed to stay just out of his range as they got closer to the adults. When they were within earshot, Sabrina immediately shouted, “Daddy! Riku’s going to murder me!”

“What’d you do to Riku?” Oswald questioned without so much looking up.

Sabrina immediately stopped in her tracks, letting out a shocked -and completely over dramatic- gasp. Riku, who had just caught up, let out a few breaths before letting out a satisfied, “Ha!” at her.

“Riku, what happened?” Mickey asked while Minnie next to him opened her arms for the boy to hug her. Riku gladly took the offer- which led to Sabrina letting out another loud, offended gasp.

“Riku tried to drown me!” Sabrina blurted in absolute fury.

“After you hit me with the pool noodle.” Riku refuted as he got quite comfy sitting next to Minnie, even placing his head against hers. “I was actually trying to save you.”

“Were not!”

“Were too.”

“As riveting as this is,” Blaine declared as he came up as well, casually placing a hand on top of Sabrina’s head, “Everything’s all ready now. We can eat whenever.” He took a look down at Sabrina -who immediately took a hold of his hand to get it off her head- before smirking, and adding on a bemused, “Maybe now.”

“Thank you Blaine.” Minnie happily chirped. Blaine grinned at her, ignoring his little sister’s rude faces, before leaving again.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I am starving!” Oswald happily said as he got up.

“But Daddy!” Sabrina whined, stomping her foot on the ground. “What about Riku?!”

“Riku can make his own plate.” came the rather callous answer. This not being the resolution Sabrina wanted, she gasped again.

“I am so mad right now!” she declared. “I am crutching my pearls!”

“Clutching, sweetie.” Minnie gently corrected her. “You are clutching your pearls.”

“That’s what I said!” the spirited girl insisted, stomping her foot on the ground. But the moment to try to rat Riku out had passed. The adults all filed out to get something to eat, leaving Riku and Sabrina behind. Sabrina refused to look at Riku as he stood quite close to her. A wide smirk was well written on his face.

“You’re so cute.” Riku coddled as he patted her on the head.

“You can’t pat my head.” the girl spat, trying to swat his hand away from her. “That’s illegal.”

“Oh?” Riku happily mused. “You let Blaine do it.”

“Blaine is my brother,” came the rather exact answer. “He does things that cousins can’t. Especially cousins named Riku.”

Riku smirked. “Fine,” he then declared, even throwing his hands in the air. “You win. How about I make it up to you? I’ll give you my cookie.”

Sabrina glared at him. She folded her arms before asking, “Any cookie?”

“Any cookie,” he agreed.

“Including Mama’s peanut butter cookies?”

“Including Aunt Ortensia’s peanut butter cookies.”

Sabrina looked Riku over with a critical eye. She stood a bit straighter as she came to her choice.

“Alright.” she agreed. “I agree. But no raisins!”

“Sure, sure.” Riku agreed with a little wave of his hand. Together the two went to get something to eat as well. All was forgiven between the two of them.

For now.

#kingdom hearts #kh riku #riku #kingdom hearts oc #kh oc #kingdom hearts fanfiction #kh fanfiction #kh fan fic #fanfiction #fanfic #fan fiction #fan fic #happily adopted #mickey mouse #kh mickey #kh minnie #minnie mouse #oswald the lucky rabbit #writers on tumblr

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nevertherose · 4 years ago

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One Hundred Seconds to Midnight: Chapters 1-8

"All Roman wanted to do was take Logan on a Doctor Who LARP within the Imagination.

But with Thomas's Sides at their figurative breaking point after the disastrous wedding, the Imagination may just have a few ideas of her own..."

Hello, Tumblr fanders, it has been a while since I've poked around in here...mostly because, I've been writing another story!

Do you like Sanders Sides? Do you like Doctor Who? Do you like the idea of the Sides playing Doctor Who characters? If so, this story was written especially for you.

I found that the process of cross-posting Mahogany and Teakwood across three platforms, one chapter at a time, involved a lot of me spending too many hours squinting at html code. Not especially fun. This time around, I've only been posting on AO3 and Wattpad.

But I wanted it to exist here as well.

So! Today I'm going to post the first half (in two posts, because apparently Tumblr has a post size limit, who knew?), all the chapters that are up so far. Then, when the whole story is up on the other platforms, I'll post the other half.

Of course, you could head to either AO3 or Wattpad, if you want to read as the chapters go up.

But if you're like me, and like to read stories in nice, big, juicy chunks...here you go:

One Hundred Seconds to Midnight

Chapter 1- The Eleventh Hour

“Who are you?”

“I don’t know yet. I’m still cooking.”

Midnight.

The witching hour.

Or was that 3AM? Roman wondered. No, that’s the devil’s hour…damn it, Virgil! You had to get them all mixed up!

It was nearly midnight on the Imagination’s border.

Moonlight, pearlescent and brighter than it could ever shine in the real world, streamed feather-light through the tall windows on Roman’s side of the Dream Palace. It made patterns of light and shadow over the black marble floors, made nighttime caricatures of the white ivory statues that lined the corridor.

Roman’s heeled boots echoed in the silence; Logan’s dress shoes, in comparison, were whisper-quiet.

Logan himself had been uncharacteristically quiet since they entered this place, Roman noted, glancing back. Normally by now the logical Side would have asked a million questions, made a million plans, or be several bullet points into a lecture about palace construction or the history of measurement units or some other nerdy, obscure subject.

And Roman would either pretend to be annoyed, or would interject witty counterpoints to make Logan stop and bluster and…

But not tonight.

Maybe he’s nervous about being here, Roman told himself, smoothing a hand over his red sash. He’s only pointed out a million times that Logic and the Imagination are anathema to one another. Maybe I should have planned something else…

Or maybe he’s just annoyed at you for dragging him out of bed in the literal middle of the night, a more insidious inner voice whispered. When you know he likes to keep a consistent sleep schedule.

Roman pressed his lips together, lifted his chin…he might be a mere facet of a single personality, but he was also a Prince, and Princes do not listen to inner demons. However, he also looked back for the dozenth time to make sure Logan was actually still following.

That was the only reason Roman kept looking back.

It had nothing to do with the way the translucent moonlight caught the other Side’s dark, immaculately kept hair, or glinted off his glasses.

In the real world, of course, and whenever they manifested near their Source, the Sides all had precisely the same face and body as Thomas. But deep inside the mind, where physical appearance was an illusion anyway, the Sides exercised much more control.

Thomas remained their base template, but each Side also tended to portray himself with features that Thomas associated with their core function. Like Patton’s fluffy curls and childlike freckles, or Virgil’s anxious, ever-changing eyeshadow, or Remus’s abominable comic-book villain mustache.

Like Deceit’s…no, Janus’s very real scales.

Damn that snake. Why did I have think of him now?

Hopefully the lying bananaconda had better things to do than pop up and spoil things tonight. Because tonight, Roman was finally fulfilling a longtime promise to Logan, and taking him on a grand adventure.

The thought made his heart flutter in anticipation, and he looked back again.

Logan within the mindscape was leaner than Thomas, an inch or two taller, and his neatly trimmed hair and intelligent eyes were almost black in the low light. His face was narrow and intense, the nose more aquiline, and he had a habit of standing straighter than any of the rest of them.

(A habit which constantly showed off his trim waist and chest muscles…not that Roman paid any attention to that…)

Roman, by contrast, was a bit shorter, but his shoulders were broad and he was more muscular, due to all the questing and sword fighting he did here in the Imagination. He wore his hair in longish disarray that paired devastatingly with his clean, square jawline; hair that could be turned loose and wild on quests, or pulled neatly back as befitted royalty. His hands were strong; with long, artistic fingers, as skilled at wielding pens and paintbrushes as they were at wielding swords.

He liked to think he was handsome.

He was also painfully aware of how little it mattered when a certain someone…ehem…never seemed to notice.

“Roman, I confess to still being a bit lost as to the purpose of this journey,” Logan said at last, breaking the high-ceilinged silence. “You said you were taking us on a…’lark’? If so, why are we wandering around the Dream Palace?”

“LARP,” Roman corrected, flashing him a smile. “L-A-R-P. It stands for live action role play, Specs.”

Logan’s nose wrinkled at the words “role play”, and Roman’s stomach lurched. He hates it, he hates the very idea of it, you haven’t even started yet and you’ve already failed…

“Oh, don’t make the scrunchy face!” he added, a bit louder than necessary, and waved a hand. “At least wait until you’ve seen it.”

Roman had only been planning this for weeks.

“You know, when you promised to take me on one of your ‘adventures’,” Logan said, making finger quotes. “I was not expecting to be roused from bed in the middle of the night.”

“That’s because this isn’t your average adventure.” Roman gestured around them. “I constructed a special dreamscape to get all the details right, and we can only use the Dream Palace when Thomas is asleep.” He turned and dared a wink. “Only the best for you, my detail-oriented friend.”

Logan adjusted his glasses.

“Let it be known that I am indulging your antics right now because you have, on occasion, had some good ideas. You will, in turn, have to indulge my skepticism.”

“I have no idea what you just said, but I’m gonna pretend it was a compliment,” Roman said with a wink, which Logan rolled his eyes at.

“Ah ha, here we are!”

Roman stopped at a set of iconic blue doors, nearly vibrating in excitement as he waited for Logan to recognize them.

The nerd did not disappoint.

“Roman…” Logan murmured, stepping forward to touch the white PULL TO OPEN sign. “They look just like the doors to the TARDIS. The attention to detail is exquisite. But why?”

“Because I’m taking you on a Doctor Who LARP!” Roman exclaimed, flapping his hands. “All we have to do is step through, and the Imagination will make us Doctor and companion, and whisk us away through all of time and space!”

Logan’s face was a mixture of confusion and curiosity. “Again…why?”

“Because it will be fun?” Roman bit his lip, looking at his toes. “I…I know you aren’t into swords and sorcery and dragon-witches and whatnot. I wanted this to be something you might actually enjoy.”

Logan’s brow furrowed, as it often did when he tried to process something that didn’t fit neatly into his graphed, notated, logical worldview.

Usually, it was an emotion.

“But won’t us enacting such an intense scenario at this time of night negatively affect Thomas’s sleep?” Logan asked.

“That’s the genius of adventuring in the Dream Palace,” Roman explained. “You can do hyperreal, immersive stuff, and if Thomas does happen to remember anything, he’ll just think he had a weird dream. The worst that could happen is he might post about it on Twitter.”

“Hmm. I can see you’ve thought this through. I am…flattered that you went to all the trouble,” Logan said in a quiet voice.

Roman had to bite back an ecstatic giggle.

Not…not because of the way his nerves skittered below his skin when his gaze caught Logan’s black eyes and soft expression. No, Roman was merely…excited! That someone like Logan appreciated his hard work!

It wasn’t like he was trying to impress anyone, like some middle school boy with, you know, a crush or whatever. For the last, well…two years.

…and then some.

Ugh. There was little point in denying his feelings; he’d only accidentally summon Janus and his oily smirk, and if that happened, Roman would most certainly die of embarrassment and that was not a lie, thank you very much.

The truth was, ever since Thomas had placed that jar of Crofters into Logan’s hands and inspired him to sing…not just rap, or begrudgingly harmonize, but actually sing…Roman had fallen, and fallen hard.

How could he not?

Logan’s words and ideas had always challenged him, pushed him to be smarter, sharper, better, just to keep up. Logan was the grounding anchor to his sails, the clarity to his excess. It used to infuriate Roman, the way he and Logan always came at problems from opposite sides and fought, sometimes bitterly, over the best way to meet in the middle.

But now?

Now Roman relished the way they traded words in a good fight, like blades in the hands of expert swordsmen. Logan, despite his dislike for anything fanciful, was a natural wordsmith…and Roman was a great lover of poetry. Even better, it seemed like Logan was also starting to enjoy their verbal sparring matches…

And then these last few months had happened.

The Decision, and Deceit, and the way that snake had let Remus out of the shadows to wreck havoc, and then the disastrous wedding itself…and Roman knew that Logan, through all of it, had been feeling pushed aside.

Goodness knew the logical Side hadn’t deserved to be shoved to the back of a courtroom, or relegated to a pixel-y shadow of himself before being removed from the discussion entirely. Worse, in both of those scenarios, Roman had either done nothing…or actively made things worse.

Roman knew he was guilty of letting his mouth run wild in his zeal to solve Thomas’s dilemmas…or in desperately hiding his true feelings. He knew his nicknames often came with barbs, his insults sometimes hit too close to home, that he often ignored or dismissed Logan’s cool, much-needed perspective.

He knew he needed to be better.

I’ll make it up to him tonight, Roman told himself as he laid a hand on the rough wooden blue doors and glanced back at Logan. The logical Side nodded, giving Roman a tiny burst of confidence.

He’ll get to play his favorite character and be his best nerdy self. This is going to be great!

Roman took a breath, and shoved open the TARDIS doors.

Chapter 2- Human Nature

“It’s all becoming clear now. The Doctor is doing the things you’d like to be doing.”

The blaring of a dozen sirens burst in Logan’s ears.

He was yanked across the threshold, Roman’s hand practically a vice around his wrist. Logan inhaled the sharp scent of metal and warm electronics, and a million figurative lights went off in his brain.

Being the physical incarnation of Logic, this wasn’t an entirely unfamiliar sensation.

The TARDIS shuddered…wait, TARDIS? We’re actually on the TARDIS?…under impact. Lights flashed; reds and greens over an ambiance of steely blue-gray, and Logan knew exactly what to do.

He shook free of Roman’s grip and strode to the center console…console, how do I know this is a console?…flipping several switches and turning the green dial to precisely 3.56 degrees to offset the radiation sheer from the M-class star they’d just spun past.

Because naturally they happened to be careening through an asteroid field.

The time rotor rose and dipped, Gallifreyan symbols whirling overhead; Logan adjusted shields and dodged rocks, striding confidently from station to station. He guided his TARDIS around the last large asteroid, one that easily could have smashed his beloved ship to bits, and then they were clear.

The TARDIS chimed reassuringly under his hands, relieved to be in empty space again.

Roman screamed.

The sound echoed off the metallic walls, causing Logan to whip around and nearly lose his balance.

“What happened?” he said sharply, leaving the console. The creative Side stood near the railing, staring down at himself in obvious dismay. “What’s wrong?”

“Look at me, Logan!” Roman said shrilly and gesturing at his body. “Just look!”

Logan examined his fellow Side. There were no obvious injuries he could see, no blood, no bruising, nothing that would merit a scream. There was just Roman, unfairly handsome as always.

(He still wasn’t sure how Roman managed that feat when they all literally, at least some of the time, had the same face.)

“I…don’t see a problem?” Logan asked slowly.

“I meant, look at what I’m wearing, Calculator Watch,” Roman snarled, and turned to yell nonsensically at the ceiling. “Am I a joke to you? When I said I wanted to be a companion, this is not what I meant!”

Logan focused on Roman’s clothing, which had shifted rather drastically since passing through those doors. His normal princely attire was replaced by a denim cutoff skirt, overalls, pink leggings, and a tight pink blouse that clung to his muscular chest and arms...

“I look ridiculous, don’t I?” Roman murmured, scuffing a combat boot against the metal grated floor. The motion drew Logan’s gaze again to the way the cutoffs hugged his hips and wow, that skirt was really short, wasn’t it?

And those tights, the way they accentuated Roman’s legs...

Logan frowned, his face feeling unusually warm. Why did he keep noticing these things? Of course Roman was more fit than the rest of them.

Perhaps it was simply that Logan didn’t usually see the evidence of it so…plainly.

Stop, Logan told himself sharply. You might be gay and allosexual, but that is no excuse to be disrespectful.

He cleared his throat.

“If I may, Roman?” he said, approaching, and made a closer examination of Roman’s outfit.

“I gather from your earlier ranting that you instructed the Imagination to cast you as one of the Doctor’s companions for the duration of this scenario?”

“Well, yeah,” Roman admitted, “but I was thinking someone like Jamie McCrimmon, or Rory Williams, or maybe even Jack Harkness!”

“You know there is some debate over whether Jack Harkness would be considered a proper ‘companion’, as he was never full time on the TARDIS,” Logan argued absently, still eying Roman’s ensemble.

It was attractive but also familiar; he just couldn’t quite place it…

“Neither was Clara Oswald at first, but nobody had a problem handing her that label from the start!” Roman folded his arms and Logan had to look away because wow, short sleeves and arms…

“Just because she was a girl and the writers obviously intended for her to be a love interest—”

“A girl, of course!” Logan snapped his fingers. “Roman, you are a companion. Specifically, you are Rose Tyler.”

“What?” Roman frowned, smoothing the overalls across his middle. “I…Hmm. You might actually be right.”

“Of course I am right.”

The creative Side scoffed at that, but continued to frown.

“I think it’s a good choice,” Logan added. “Rose is arguably one of the most beloved companions in new Who; bold, kind, and intelligent in her own way. She was pivotal to the Ninth, Tenth, and arguably the War Doctor’s character arcs.”

He laid a hand on Roman’s shoulder. (To convey reassurance, of course. Not because he suddenly wanted to touch…)

“Hers are not the worst shoes you could be given to fill,” Logan said, “idiomatically speaking.”

“Only you would drop a word like ‘idiomatically’ in everyday conversation,” Roman grumbled, but some of the spark returned to his caramel eyes.

“But look at you!” Roman said in a brighter voice, gesturing. “All proper and Doctor-ish. At least the Imagination let you keep your tie, or, whatever that thing is around your neck.”

Logan glanced down at himself for the first time.

His sensible polo and jeans had become a clean-cut black suit, with a warm grey waistcoat, a crisp white undershirt, and a silver pocket watch. A navy cravat was knotted around his throat.

His knee-length suit jacket was also black, with a striking cerulean lining.

He retrieved a slender, metallic something from the jacket’s inner pocket: of course, the Doctor’s signature sonic screwdriver. Specifically, the Tenth Doctor’s screwdriver.

Logan chuckled, remembering all the times he’d ranted to Roman about how impractical and flashy Eleven’s screwdriver became, and don’t even get him started on Twelve’s, it was practically a lightsaber…

“Interesting,” he murmured, stretching his arms to turn in a slow circle, letting the jacket flare. “Fashionably, I appear to be a cross between the Eighth and Twelfth Doctors, which I appreciate, as they are the two most sensible dressers of the bunch. And by the way, Roman, this is a called a cravat, not a tie…”

He’d lifted hands to his neck but the words died on his tongue.

Roman had summoned a mirror and was, quite literally, checking himself out. He swayed his hips, tilted one toward and then away from the mirror, pouted, did a tongue smile, and…and Logan realized he had been watching for more than a socially acceptable length of time.

He swallowed hard and cleared his throat again. But he was saved from having to speak by a loud crackling at the center console.

Both Sides rushed over, Logan seizing the TV screen and pulling it down. Gray static skittered over the polished surface. He flipped two switches and turned a dial, trying to zero in on the signal.

“I meant to ask earlier…how do you know what to do?” Roman asked, tilting his head. “You were piloting before I think you even realized we were on a TARDIS in the first place.”

Logan froze in the middle of winding one of the cranks.

“I…I really do not know.” In fact, the more he thought about it, the less sense any of the controls made. “Now that you’ve drawn my attention to it, you are correct: rationally, I should not know the function of any of these…gizmos.” He gestured at the crank he’d been winding.

“Yet somehow my hands just…know.”

Roman leaned casually onto the console.

“When I built this LARP, I gave the Imagination quite a bit of leeway in how it wanted to construct our characters,” he said. “I’m thinking it took things a step further than costume changes, like making me the companion it thinks I most resemble instead of the companion I wanted to be.”

Roman bit his lip as though troubled, then clearly shook himself out of it.

“And it must have imparted some of the Doctor’s knowledge upon me.” Logan added, not sure how he felt about the Imagination having such a direct influence over his mind. He supposed if it didn’t get too invasive, and was confined to this one night, he could deal with it.

It had proven useful so far, after all.

Roman shot Logan a fierce grin.

“Indeed! So engage that big Doctor brain and let’s see who’s trying to call us. Allons-y, adventure awaits!”

“You know ‘allons-y’ is my line, right?” Logan said dryly.

He had to use his screwdriver on the screen before the picture came clear. The stream of static acquired the cadence of a voice…and then a disturbingly familiar face stared back at his own, looking equally shocked.

Roman, for the second time since entering the TARDIS, let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Chapter 3- The Witch’s Familiar

“If you’re going to take my stick, do me the courtesy of actually killing me. Teamwork is all about respect.”

Janus had just settled into his favorite chair with a mug of chamomile tea and a political science book when he was yanked…rather rudely, he might add…onto the deck of a spaceship.

He sighed, and dismissed his drink.

When one lived in the same mindspace as the literal embodiment of chaos, one unfortunately learned to expect such interruptions.

“REMUS!” he roared, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Did I not specifically ask to be LEFT ALONE tonight?”

Silence.

Deeply annoyed now, Janus took a moment to look around himself. This was not a normal spaceship; no windows, for one, and it was laid out in levels around a translucent column at the very center. His mismatched eyes followed the center rotor up and down, his mind almost placing it…

Something clumsily rose up from the deck with a clatter, causing Janus to summon his crook with a yell.

Only…the object that dropped into his hand wasn’t smooth wood, but a slender metal instrument just barely longer than his hand. A…sonic screwdriver? What the actual heck?

Well. It was what he had.

“Get back!” He pointed the instrument at the…figure…who still slowly climbed to its feet. It was an android or robot of some sort; humanoid, and the same kind of weirdly familiar as the ship.

“Janus?” the robot said, tilting its head.

Janus froze, all the scales standing up on his body. That was…that was Patton’s voice. Flat, mechanical, but unmistakable.

After all, Patton was the only Side who consistently called Janus by name.

“Patton?” Janus whispered.

“Oh, that was so weird-feeling! Thank goodness I’m not all by myself,” Robot-Patton said, putting a hand over his…well, where his heart should have been…in obvious relief. “But why are we both suddenly on the TARDIS?”

Janus drew in a sharp breath.

Of course, he should have recognized the stupid time rotor immediately. He’d never admit it to any of them, but he was as much of a Doctor Who nerd as Logan or Roman, sometimes going so far as to spy on them when they argued over episodes together.

To learn their arguing styles, of course.

Not because he had any desire to join those discussions.

And now, looking at Patton with a sinking feeling in his stomach, Janus deduced exactly what he was: a Mondasian Cyberman. They were older and cruder in design than the reboot versions…no wonder he hadn’t put a finger on it right away.

That wasn’t really the issue.

“REMUS!” Janus shouted again, more angrily this time. Bad enough his pleasant evening of solitude had been interrupted by…whatever this was. But putting the sweetest, most emotional Side into a canonically unemotional shell, a robot?

That was cruel. That was insulting.

It was too far, even for Remus.

“Janus, is everything okay?” Patton asked, coming closer. Janus shivered at the sound of that warm voice coming from a blank metallic face with empty eyes.

“Do you…feel all right?” Janus said in a hesitant voice.

“I’m a little chilly, but otherwise I’m in ship shape!” the other quipped, giggling. “Get it? Cause we’re on a ship?”

Is it…is it possible that he doesn’t know?

“Hilarious,” Janus deadpanned, but inside his thoughts spun.

He sensed they were in a dream construct within the Imagination, which meant this had to be Remus’s doing. Remus, who reveled in gore, despair, disturbing imagery, angst, and who was in charge of Thomas’s nightmares.

Remus could…and would, given the chance…recreate the experience of being a Cyberman down to the Last. Grim. Detail.

Maybe he hadn’t meant to ensnare Patton specifically to fill this role…Remus didn’t generally pull other Sides in for nightmares, come to think of it…but meanwhile, Janus didn’t want to find out what this might do to Patton’s head.

Worse, it was becoming clear that Patton was somehow oblivious to the state of his own body; he’d used his metallic hands to clutch at his metallic chest and found nothing wrong with either. He couldn’t hear the electronic rasp in his own voice, or the heavy clanging of his steps on the grated floor.

Should Janus say something?

Would Patton believe him if he did?

Ever since Thomas’s near mental breakdown after the disastrous wedding, Patton and Janus had orbited around each other in a state of tenuous truce. They talked now, sometimes, and those talks didn’t always end in arguments. Patton began to leave space for him by Thomas’s blinds when he was called up, and he…and by extension Thomas…occasionally actually sought his input.

But Janus, well.

Janus was still a liar.

The others still called him Deceit, either by accident (Logan) or out of spite (Virgil). Then there was Roman, who invented a colorful, wounding ego-jab for him every day, and Remus, whose fond nicknames tended to double as sex jokes.

Having no other real allies in the mindscape, Janus really, really didn’t want to screw up his tenuous alliance with Patton. Why sabotage his figurative “seat at the table” over one of Remus’s stupid nightmares?

Patton would assume Janus was slipping back into his old ways, lying just because he could, and Janus would never be able to prove otherwise. And later Patton would make that sour, pinched face he always made when he was disappointed, the one that made Janus want to crawl into a hole…

So.

Best to keep his observations close to the chest, for now.

“Do you have any idea what we’re doing here?” Janus asked, striding to the center console. True to dream logic, the controls made no sense and simultaneously made perfect sense.

Patton shrugged; a strange, clanky motion of his shoulders.

Janus sighed. “Although Remus has dragged me into dreams before, even he generally understands the concept of consent.” He casually flapped a hand. “And he always leaves you ‘light sides’ alone.”

“Honestly, this doesn’t feel like a nightmare to me,” Patton said, nearly making Janus choke. The Cyberman clanked over to stand by the console.

“It’s too clean,” Patton added. “Roman let me glimpse Remus’s side of the Imagination once, not long after he showed himself to Thomas, and it was…”

Patton trailed off.

“Fragmented? Chaotic? Disturbing?” Janus supplied.

“Sure, we’ll go with that,” Patton said quietly. “This,” he waved a hand around, “feels more like Roman’s work.”

“I suppose you would know.” Janus ran a thoughtful thumb over his face, tracing the ridge that ran from the corner of his mouth to his ear.

“And I would almost have to agree,” he added slowly. “If this was a nightmare, surely something ghastly would have happened by now. But my being pulled into one of Roman’s creations makes even less sense. He literally cannot stand me.”

“Maybe this is one of those dreams Thomas has sometimes after binge watching a show?” Patton suggested. “When there’s enough material in short term memory that the twins don’t get much input? Did Thomas binge a season of Doctor Who yesterday or something?”

And to think the others still view you as stupid, or slow-witted.

Janus bit back a smile.

“It’s a good theory, Patton, but no,” he said. “Thomas hasn’t really binged on much of anything lately.”

Patton ducked his head.

“You don’t…you don’t have to rub it in, you know,” he said lowly, the metallic rasp grating on Janus’s ears. “You and Logan have both made it pretty clear that I’ve been too strict with Thomas’s time.”

Janus fought to keep his expression neutral, but his stomach twisted.

Damn it.

Leave it to Patton to find guilt where none was meant. Even if Janus claimed he hadn’t meant it like that, Patton would probably not believe him.

Patton tilted his metal head as he examined Janus’s face.

“Did you know you have a mustache now? And a little goatee?”

“I have a what?” Janus felt at his face and groaned, his gloved fingers tugging at hair that most certainly did not belong on his face; with the scales, it probably looked hideous.

His entire outfit had altered in subtle ways, he realized. His usual plum tunic and trousers were now a brown suit and waistcoat ensemble, crossed with yellow pinstripes, with a black collared undershirt. A brown, knee-length suit jacket replaced his caplet, with subtle gold trimming. His yellow gloves were unchanged, thank goodness, and his hat…?

His hands flew up to his head and found something perched over his hair, sitting at an angle. Janus yanked down a screen at the console and stared. His beloved bowler had shrunk into a tiny, flat, rakish thing with a wide brim, festooned with a cluster of yellow rosebuds and black beads.

“What on earth, Remus?” he grumbled, turning his head from side to side. Well, if he had to be honest, pinstripes and a hatinator weren’t a terrible look.

“Well, if we’re on a TARDIS, I guess you’re supposed to be the Doctor,” Patton pointed out. “Which would make me your companion.”

Janus stroked his goatee and examined their surroundings in more detail. But am I a Doctor? he wondered. And if so, which one?

And whose TARDIS is this?

Because while it was clear they were on a TARDIS…what other class of spaceship had a time rotor?…he wasn’t almost certain this was not the TARDIS.

Every corner of the Doctor’s ship, no matter which face it belonged to, tended to overflow with bright, shiny, eclectic whimsy. By contrast, this one was plain, stark, with exposed metal beams and sharp angles.

Too dark, too full of shadows.

An awful suspicion rose up in his mind.

He crossed to one of the bookshelves, ignoring Patton’s soft inquiry, and his jaw clenched. There was the Necronomicon, shelved between the Liber Inducens in Evangelium Aeternum and The Black Scrolls of Rassilon, Book of Vile and its Black Appendix, The Ambuehl Lores and the Insidium of Astrolabus.

Janus finally looked at the sonic device he’d been holding all this time; seeing now that it wasn’t a screwdriver at all, and thanked every god he knew that he hadn’t tried to use it on Patton earlier.

It was a sonic laser.

Once again, even in a stupid, nonsensical dream, Janus had been cast as the villain.

His fist had collided with the bookshelf before he even realized he was moving, books falling to the floor. He punched it again, and again, until a cool rigid hand closed around his wrist and yanked him back.

“Janus, Janus, stop!” Patton yelled in his ear.

Janus wrenched his arm away and stalked back to the console, running gloved fingers over his scales, pushing them up and smoothing them down. The familiar sensation grounded him.

“You were right, Patton,” he threw over his shoulder. “This is definitely one of Roman’s dreams, and he definitely fucking hates me.”

Patton’s heavy footsteps clattered behind him.

“Language. And how do you know that,” he asked. “…Doctor?”

Janus whirled, lips curled in a snarl.

“I am not the Doctor, Patton, and we are not on the TARDIS.” He spread his arms to encompass them both, gesturing to the dimly lit spaceship. “Look around. Look at me!”

He turned, slowly, and eyed his mustached visage in the dark view screen.

“Clearly, I am the Master.”

Chapter 4- Nightmare in Silver

“You think he knows what he’s doing?”

“I’m not sure I’d go that far.”

Patton rested his arms against the console and sighed.

Once again, someone I care about is upset, and I don’t know what to do. I guess I should be used to it by now.

It didn’t help that it was so cold in this TARDIS. He folded his arms around his middle, which felt strange and heavy, to combat the chill that seemed to have settled deep in his bones.

Janus stalked past again, grumbling to himself.

“Of course the Prince would pull me into one of his little ‘adventures’ without my consent. He probably needed an antagonist. And naturally the slippery snake would have been the first person to come to mind!”

Patton opened his mouth…though he had no idea what he was going to say…but Janus drowned him out.

“Come on, Roman!” he shouted, throwing his yellow-clad hands up. “You’ve had your fun. Yes, I’m evil, I’m the villain, I’m the bad guy, blah blah. Let’s have our epic confrontation or whatever nonsense you have planned, as I would very much like to get back to my reading sometime tonight.”

Silence.

Patton didn’t know what Janus was expecting.

“Look, maybe we should just play along for now?” Patton said aloud, wincing when Janus turned his murderous expression on him. The deceptive Side had such deep, cutting golden eyes, the human one so much darker than the other…cynical eyes that were, ironically, almost impossible to lie to.

They’d see straight through it.

“It takes a liar to know a liar.”

The glare quickly softened, though, which in Patton’s opinion said a lot about how far Janus had come.

“And how do you propossse we ‘play along’?” Janus said, hissing his s’s in frustration.

“Well, we’ve kinda decided this is Roman’s dream, right? And since we’re in his part of the Imagination, we know he won’t let anything bad happen to us…”

Patton trailed off at Janus’s pained expression, reminded of just how badly Janus and Roman’s last encounter had gone.

“What are you, a middle school librarian?”

“Thank god you don’t have a mustache.”

And I just stood there and did nothing…no, I can’t dwell on that right now. Patton shook himself out of the memory.

It was surprisingly easy; even his emotions felt a little heavy and muted. He supposed he wasn’t used to being in a dreamscape; unlike Roman, who played in them all the time.

I know Roman, Patton reasoned. He might hold a grudge for a while, but he wouldn’t actually be out to hurt Janus.

Right?

“So, if we’re on a time ship, on some kind of adventure leading up to a confrontation like you said, the first thing we’d have to do is figure out where we need to go,” Patton finished, shrugging.

Janus pursed his lips…which looked downright weird with a mustache and goatee, almost making Patton giggle…and began pushing buttons on the console.

“You are definitely incorrect, Patton,” he said, pulling up another screen and flipping a few switches. “If I have been cast as the villain in this ridiculous charade, that means Roman is likely prancing around as the Doctor right now, on the proper TARDIS. Which, as the Doctor’s nemesis, I should be able to contact…ha!”

The screen burst into static.

“Doctor, oh Doctor, do you read me?” Janus crooned, and if Patton hadn’t known just how angry he was in that moment…well, he would have never known.

Janus had tucked it away entirely, in half a second's time.

That’s the scary thing about him, Patton realized uneasily. He’s smart, nearly as smart as Logan. Smart enough to run circles around me, that’s for sure. And he’s easily as good an actor as Roman.

Those attributes, combined with his naturally manipulative nature, made it difficult to trust him.

Patton was trying.

He’d been trying since the wedding, and well, since everything else that had happened. (Patton still cringed when Thomas encountered even a picture of a frog.) He’d done a lot of thinking and growing that day (in more ways than one!), and he’d come to a disturbing, but inevitable conclusion.

Janus wasn’t evil.

He never had been.

Just like Virgil had never been evil. Mean, sure; and sarcastic, and spiteful…but at his core, Virgil had wanted what was best for Thomas.

They all did.

And then there was the uncomfortable corollary to that: Patton, despite his best efforts, despite his core Purpose…Patton wasn’t entirely and automatically good.

Two weeks ago, Janus had proven beyond a doubt that Thomas needed him…ruthlessly, cuttingly, but no one could say he hadn’t made his point. It had been Patton who’d inadvertently pushed Thomas to the brink of a breakdown, and Janus who had to pull them all back.

Despite Patton’s unease, and the little voice in his head telling him that Deceit couldn’t be trusted, could never truly be trusted because it was in his nature to deceive…Patton remembered how they’d pushed Virgil so hard he decided to duck out, and how much of a tragedy that could have been if they hadn’t all intervened to bring him back.

With a pang of guilt, he pictured Thomas lying on the floor, crushed under the metaphorical weight of everything Patton needed him to do to keep from being a bad person…

He would not make those mistakes again.

If Virgil could learn to work with them instead of against them, so could Janus. If Patton could learn to recognize when his own Purpose did more harm than good, so could Janus.

Patton had to believe that.

He’d made too many mistakes lately to believe otherwise.

The screen in Janus’s hands cleared to reveal…

“What? Logan??” Janus exclaimed, as a scream echoed somewhere in the background.

“D—Janus?” Logan countered, then looked over his shoulder. “Roman, for the love of Archimedes, will you stop shrieking? I cannot hear.”

The screaming cut off and Roman’s fuming face squished into the frame with Logan.

“Deceit! I should have known you would show up to ruin this!” he managed to shout before Logan shoved him away.

“Ruin…I’m sorry, what?” Janus glanced at Patton, looking honestly confused. “Is he roleplaying right now? We assumed this scenario was Roman’s creation.”

Onscreen, Logan placed his whole hand against Roman’s mouth to prevent him from interrupting.

“It is. But to my understanding, it was only supposed to involve myself and Roman, and…wait. You said ’we’.” Logan peered around. “Who else is with you?”

Patton started to wave, but his view was blocked by Janus bending close to the screen to whisper something. Suspicion flared in Patton’s stomach; old, familiar, but after the talk he’d just given himself, he purposefully pushed it down.

I won’t assume he’s being shifty unless he actually gives me a reason to.

Lifting his chin, he crept forward until he was next to Janus’s shoulder.

“Hey, Logan,” he said brightly, waving.

“Ah…hello, Patton,” Logan squeaked after a moment, his eyes still wide.

“Wait, Patton’s there? With the snake?” Roman’s voice yelled from the background, and then there was Roman’s face again.

“Patton?” Roman said, narrowing his eyes. “But why are you—?”

Both faces disappeared for a moment as Logan yanked Roman out of frame. Patton thought he heard a rapid, hushed conversation. He glanced at Janus, who only shrugged, looking at puzzled as Patton felt.

Roman’s face reappeared, solemn and deeply annoyed.

“Patton,” he said, and hesitated. “D—Janus. You two…well, you’re not supposed to be here.”

“Very reassuring,” Janus quipped.

“This was only supposed to be a two-person adventure: Doctor plus companion. I have no idea why the Imagination brought you both in as well; I certainly didn’t tell it to.”

“Aw, that’s okay, kiddo,” Patton started gently. “It’s not your fault—”

“Oh, sweetie.” Janus folded his arms. “I’m sorry, but that’s bull. Putting me in the Master’s shoes? Are we seriously going to pretend the Side who unashamedly hates me had nothing to do with that?”

“I didn’t!” Roman argued, his voice going high. “You really think I wanted you here, in any capacity?”

“Deceit…er, Janus, you are being unnecessarily antagonistic, and as such, unhelpful,” Logan cut in with his low, reassuring voice. “But Roman, it might behoove us to consider the role of subconscious influence. You may not have intended to pull the others in, and yet here they are.”

Roman looked at Logan, aghast, and Patton almost flinched at the raw hurt in his caramel eyes. The creative Side backed out of frame.

“So you’re on his side, too,” his voice said quietly. “Is that how it is?”

“I am not on anyone’s side,” Logan argued, raising his hands. “We are all currently in this situation together, and as such—”

Whatever he’d been about to say was cut off by another garbled transmission, taking over the screen and blocking out Logan’s face with crackly, purple static. A gray, snarling face flashed out of the haze, making Patton shriek in surprise and even Janus took a step back.

Then it was gone, dissolving back to static…and the sound of someone laughing filled the connection.

“Hellooooo, nurse,” a familiar sing-song voice crooned. “Did you miss me?”

Chapter 5- The Long Game

“You can’t just read the guide book, you’ve got to throw yourself in. Eat the food, use the wrong verbs, get charged double and end up kissing complete strangers. Or is that just me?”

Logan sighed.

He knew that voice; they all did. Even Thomas, unfortunately.

“Remus,” Roman hissed.

The mustached Side filled the screen, grinning madly. “Boo!”

“Get out of my scenario,” Roman said, his eyes flashing. “If you know what’s good for you.”

“Your scenario?” Remus echoed, faux-outrage in his expression. “Yours? The Dream Palace is my domain, too, brother, whether you like it or not.” He leaned closer, letting his nostrils and a single radioactive green eye fill the screen. “Did you really think you could keep me out?”

Roman made a sound of disgust deep in his throat.

“Am I to assume, then, that you are responsible for bringing in the other Sides?” Logan asked, careful to keep his voice even. Remus thrived on getting a rise out of people.

“Of course he is!” Roman snapped, throwing up his hands. “He loves to ruin things, especially my things.”

“Now why would having the others here ruin anything, brother?” Remus asked in a sickly sweet voice, propping his head on his hand. “Unless you intended for this nighttime romp between you and Logan to be private?”

Roman sputtered and glanced at Logan, red-faced, as Remus giggled.

“It was meant to be so, yes,” Logan supplied, unsure why Remus would find that funny…or why Roman would find it embarrassing.

“As amusing as this all is—” Janus’s crooning voice cut through the speaker.

“Great. You’re still here, snake?” Roman snarked, his arms folded around himself.

“We’re all listening, kiddo,” Patton’s metallic voice said.

Roman’s lips always curl into a pout when he is angry, Logan thought, eyeing him without turning his head, and he gets a little wrinkle between his eyebrows. Why…why am I noticing such things all of a sudden?

Maybe it was the stress, or the unfamiliar environment.

Or maybe it was the Rose Tyler outfit.

That skirt ought to be illegal.

Logan deliberately focused on the screen, his cheeks warm.

“So this is kinda new,” Patton went on, “all of us actually talking—”

“If Remus is responsible,” Janus cut in again, “then perhaps he would be so kind as to explain the objective of this late night group therapy session?”

Despite the biting sarcasm, Logan did appreciate Janus’s insistence that they get to the point, even if it did mean talking over Patton…

Speaking of, why would Remus have paired Patton with Janus?

Surely he should have grouped Patton with Logan and Roman, and put Virgil with Janus? Or…maybe not, given how Virgil hisses if Janus so much as enters the same room.

Ugh. Interpersonal drama. Logan was thoroughly sick of trying to keep track of who carried a grudge against whom, especially when it seemed to change from day to day.

And on top of that, why would Remus make Patton a Cyberman? None of these decisions make any sense…

“Right?” Roman agreed softly next to him, and Logan realized he’d said that last bit out loud.

“If anything, I should have been the unfeeling killer robot,” Logan murmured.

“You don’t give yourself enough credit, Specs.” Roman shot him a strange look, both warm and troubled. “And frankly I don’t give a stinky rat’s ass about my stinky rat brother’s sick thought process. What I want to know is why Deceit doesn’t want us to mention it around Patton?”

Logan, who was still mentally stuck on rodents and donkeys…Roman’s metaphors were always something else…shook his head slightly.

“There’s no logical way Patton is unaware of his condition,” Logan pointed out. “So I can only guess he wishes to protect Patton’s feelings on the matter, by not allowing us to talk about it in front of him.” He shrugged when Roman’s frown deepened. “Those two have been getting along much better these last few weeks.”

“I think you’re giving the snake too much credit,” Roman muttered. “Even after he impersonated you, Logan? C’mon. It has to be something else.”

Logan bit back a sigh.

He doesn’t understand, he thought guiltily. Because he doesn’t know what really happened…

“This is unacceptable, Deceit,” Logan snapped, flinging the crook away from his body. “I was in the middle of a discussion—”

“He won’t listen to you,” Deceit had said, and there was no sarcasm or snark in his voice.

“Patton asked for my opinion!”

“And he dismissed you from the conversation the moment that opinion went against his preconceived notions!” Deceit snapped back.

Silence.

Logan could hear the others still talking, out in the real world…without him…as the misty dregs of subconscious curled around their feet.

“You tricked him.” Logan folded his arms. “He was scared and off balance and you gave him an out.”

“I didn’t make him take it!”

Deceit sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Logan. You know he is wrong on this. You know what this is doing to Thomas. His unquestioning, black-and-white, juvenile morality; it’s not working anymore. Thomas needs to grow up, and Patton is not letting him.”

Logan bit his lip.

“Logan.” Deceit moved closer, dismissing his crook into mist and setting both gloved hands on Logan’s shoulders. Logan stiffened.

“Logic. Please. I am…no good at this.” Deceit dropped his head, his hat obscuring his eyes. “I operate through deceit because that is the only way I can make them acknowledge me.”

“They don’t acknowledge you because you operate through deceit,” Logan pointed out.

“A perfect catch 22.” Deceit let out a bitter laugh. “But a snake cannot change its scales and I don’t…I have tried everything I know. I cannot fix this from the shadows. I am out of ideas.”

A strange thought entered Logan’s mind.

“You care. You care what happens to Thomas.”

Deceit looked up, his mismatched eyes glittering with stinging intensity. “I am the literal representation of selfishness. Why the hell else would I go to all this trouble if I didn’t care?”

“Well…” Logan trailed off, troubled.

He’d let the others get to him, he realized in that moment. He’d let Roman get to him, with his talk of evil and Dark Sides and how they were always trying to tempt Thomas off the right path.

But…they were all part of Thomas, even the so-called “dark sides”.

Of course they wanted what was best for him…well, what Remus wanted at any given moment was debatable…even if they didn’t always go about it in the healthiest of ways.

Deceit had laughed then, high pitched and bitter.

“Really? Really? Even you think so low of me?”

“You are manipulating me right now.” Logan frowned. “You are using my concern for Thomas to make me trust you.”

“Yes! I am!” Deceit got in his face, fangs flashing. “I am a manipulative bastard because that is the lens through which my Source perceives me. But that doesn’t matter because you, Logic; you see through me, always have. And you know perfectly well that logically, any objection you have to my personality or my methods does not change the fact that I. Am. Right.”

He punctuated each word with a poke to Logan’s chest.

“Deceit—” Logan started.

“Janus.”

“What?”

Deceit sighed. “My name. My…real name. It’s Janus.”

Logan blinked. He knew the mythology, of course: Janus, keeper of doorways and thresholds, looking simultaneously to the past and future. Two faces. Seeing things from every angle.

Self-preservation.

“It suits you,” Logan said quietly.

Tension bled out of Janus’s shoulders, a stiffness Logan hadn’t even realized was there until it was gone.

“Thank you.”

“Why am I here…Janus?” Logan asked, glancing away. “What do you need from me?”

Janus looked at him intently.

“Let me speak to them as you.”

Logan raised an eyebrow, and Janus sighed, waving a hand.

“I know, I know, more deceit, more lies, but—”

“No, it’s…” Logan pressed his lips together. “You already pointed it out. They don’t listen to me, either.”

The bitter twist that accompanied those words was becoming an all too familiar sensation in Logan’s chest.

Janus snorted.

“Oh, they do. Eventually. They heeded your advice on how to deal with Remus.”

Logan shrugged uncomfortably.

“Look,” Janus added, “honest people know how to tell the truth, but liars…” he smirked, not especially nicely. “We know how to wield the truth to accomplish an end. I can pull Thomas and the others out of this rut, but they have to be receptive to my tugging on the reins.”

Logan pursed his lips.

“You won’t fool them. If you recall, you tried to impersonate me once already and barely lasted two minutes.”

“I didn’t have your blessing.”

Janus fixed Logan with his intense mismatched eyes again, and held out a hand.

Logan stared at it, torn.

This was Deceit, the master liar: Thomas’s entire capacity for deception condensed into a single, snake-faced Side. How could Logan possibly trust him to not make things worse, after all the falsehoods, the impersonations, how he’d manipulated them all in one way or another to get his way?

But…as much as Logan, personally, didn’t understand why that callback had been so important to Thomas…he could not dismiss the fallout Thomas had suffered as a result of missing it. The decision to attend the wedding had turned out to be a bad one.

Patton had been wrong to insist upon it over Janus’s objections, and over Roman’s.

Those were just the facts.

Janus sighed.

“I’ll unmask myself when an opportunity arises, if that would help,” he offered, and to Logan’s shock, slowly tugged off a glove. “I won’t…I won’t let it go on as long as it did with Patton.”

He offered his now bare hand to Logan again.

Out in the real world, Logan could hear Patton’s increasingly desperate and ridiculous responses to Thomas’s and Roman’s questions, and winced. Janus did the same.

“Please,” was all he said.

Logan sighed…it really couldn’t get any worse, could it?…and shook Janus’s hand.

In his TARDIS, Logan let out the sigh he was holding back.

He might have personal, concrete evidence that Janus wasn’t evil, but he also knew Janus had wounded Roman, badly, that day. The creative Side was simply not currently capable of viewing any situation involving Janus with any sort of objectivity.

Passionate, sensitive people like Roman tended to have an unfortunate habit of hanging onto grudges.

As Logic, Logan needed to remember that.

“Oh, all right,” Remus said, his voice crackling over the connection. “Since you’re all here—”

“Actually, Remus, we’re not all here,” Patton’s voice pointed out. “You all know perfectly well who we’re missing; we’ve done this before.”

Logan’s eyes widened. “‘Where is Anxiety?’” he quoted.

“You mean Tickle Me Emo isn’t with one of you?” Remus asked, looking delighted. “Oh dear, oh dear. Is he lost?”

“I mean, TARDISes are huge,” Roman pointed out. “He could be somewhere on one of our ships.” His voice dropped again. “I’ll bet Deceit stashed him away, because we all know how he hates Virgil.”

“Excuse you,” Janus’s voice interrupted, annoyed. “It is Virgil who hates me, not the other way around.”

“Let’s both scan our ships,” Logan suggested, hoping to head off an argument. Honestly, if Roman and Janus didn’t stop picking fights with one another, he was going to lose his marbles.

The scans pulled up nothing.

“Oh well,” Remus said with a shrug. “Guess the emo gets to miss out.”

Janus grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like “lucky”.

“All right, here’s what’s going to happen.” Remus leaned close to the screen. “I’ve crash landed on a lovely snowbound planet that’s crawling with psychotic tin cans who like to roll around yelling ‘exterminate’.”

“Daleks? A snowbound planet, so not Skarro, but where else…” Logan narrowed his eyes.

“He’s on the Dalek asylum,” Roman said lowly. “That was one of the episodes I had in mind when I plotted this adventure.”

“Very good, brother.” Remus clapped his hands. “And up there in orbit is a ship full of people who’d really like to blow up the whole planet. Oh, woe is me, whatever shall I—”

“Save it,” Roman snapped. “You’d probably enjoy getting blown up.”

“Hmm, true.” Remus’s green eyes sharpened. “Think of the mess! Little bits of intestines floating through space, long pink ropey—”

“Or?” Logan interjected, before Remus gave Patton nightmares.

“Or you have to come rescue me!” Remus’s teeth flashed as he grinned. “Because otherwise it’s nighty-night for me and all the other aliens in the asylum.”

There was a beat of silence.

“As terrible as that sounds,” Janus drawled, sounding anything but worried, “given that none of this is real, and at least one of us would very much rather not be here at all…why exactly should your plight concern us?”

Logan secretly agreed, but felt his stomach clench when he glanced at Roman’s troubled face. None of this was real…right? Would something concretely bad happen to Remus if the planet he inhabited was blown up?

Surely not.

This was only a dream. Perhaps, then, Roman was merely upset that his twin had usurped his adventure for the night?

“Also.” Remus buffed his fingernails. “You should know that the Imagination will only release us if we complete the objective. In other words,” and he sneered, purple-shadowed eyes glittering, “we’re all stuck in this scenario until we’re all reunited.”

Remus giggled as Logan exchanged a shocked look with Roman.

“I don’t believe you. This was my dream,” Roman said darkly. “And I’ve just about had enough of all this!”

He stepped back and snapped his fingers with a flourish. Frowning, he did it again, and again, his face growing paler with each try.

“Roman, what—” Logan started.

“I can’t end it,” Roman whispered, still snapping. “He’s right. He’s…he’s sealed off the dream’s boundaries somehow. Remus!”

This he roared at the screen.

“Keeping Thomas trapped in a dream state is going too far, Remus!” he yelled. “I don’t care what kind of demented game you want to play with us, but we don’t bring Thomas into it.”

“Oh, you think I created an unbreakable dreamscape?” Remus snapped. “You let the Imagination have too much reign, my dear brother, and now neither of us have the power to end the dream ourselves. I estimate we have about ten hours before Thomas wakes up.”

For a moment, all Logan could hear was the soft whoosh of the time rotor, and Roman’s shallow, angry breathing at his shoulder.

“So I suggest you all pilot your ships to these coordinates,” Remus added, and a series of numbers and strange symbols flashed up on one of the smaller console screens. “And get started.”

The main screen blipped, and Remus’s face was replaced by an expressionless Cyberman and a snake-faced Side who looked extremely pale under his scales.

“Well,” Logan stated. “This is a problem.”

Chapter 6- Asylum of the Daleks

“You’re going to fire me at a planet? That’s your plan? I get fired at a planet and expected to fix it?”

“In fairness, that is slightly your M.O.”

“Don’t be fair to the Daleks when they’re firing me at a planet.”

The familiar wheeze of the TARDIS materializing filled Roman’s ears as he waited by the doors. Logan joined him a moment later.

“Ready?” he asked, smoothing a hand over his cravat.

He looks good as the Doctor, Roman thought, eying the slimming black and navy, the graceful arc that hand made as it adjusted a pair of glasses…

He shook himself out of his distraction. “Let’s do this, nerd.”

Logan opened the doors and the two stepped out…not onto the asylum, but onto a spaceship. Shiny copper terraces lined the vast walls in curving rows, leading the eye up to a domed ceiling with a clear view of black, star-studded space. Like a huge amphitheater, or stadium. Even Roman had to admit, the Imagination had really outdone itself on the realism.

Of course, given that the ship was filled with hundreds upon hundreds of Daleks calling for violence…realism wasn’t exactly comforting at the moment.

“Surprise, surprise, I don’t see my stupid brother,” Roman commented over the dull roar of the crowd.

“No. But I recognize where we are.” Logan waved a hand. “You were right about Remus’s location; this ship is from the episode ‘Asylum of the Daleks’, in Season 7. If we are following the basic plotline, Remus is likely somewhere down on the planet below, and we will be sent to him in due course. However…I am curious as to why all the other aliens are here.”

Roman looked around again, seeing that Logan was right. Daleks formed the majority of the crowd, but he also spotted Zygons, Sontarans, Silurians, other Cybermen, Ice Warriors…and quite a few aliens from older seasons he couldn’t remember the names of.

(Logan probably could.)

A second TARDIS materialized near their familiar blue box: plain, gray; a squat column of a ship. Janus emerged first, a silver instrument gripped in one gloved hand, followed by an old-school Cyberman…Patton. Roman frowned. Seeing that metal…being…and having to remember it was actually his friend was going to be difficult now that there wasn’t a screen separating them.

“Nice work, Roman,” Janus said, sidling up next to him and faux-clapping his hands. “A ship full of aliens who want us dead; always an excellent starting point for an adventure.”

“This is how the episode starts, Mr. Oh-I’m-Such-an-Expert-in-Doctor-Who,” Roman retorted. “Accuracy is important.”

“But this isn’t accurate,” Logan pointed out. “There should only be Daleks here.”

Roman folded his arms, stung.

Damn Logan and his damned need to be right all the time.

“I…well, I didn’t model this adventure after just one particular episode,” Roman admitted. “I wanted it to be a challenge, and it wouldn’t be if Logan and I already knew the ending. So no, I can’t exactly explain why all the other aliens are here, okay?”

Logan sighed.

“I was not criticizing you, Roman,” he said in a gentler voice. “As this has apparently become as much Remus’s and the Imagination’s handiwork as it is yours, it would be unreasonable to expect you to know what comes next.”

“THE DOCTOR AND THE MASTER WILL APPROACH THE SUPREME DALEK,” a grating robotic voice boomed across the ship, making them all whip around. A large white Dalek with an antenna on its shell loomed on a raised stage near the center of the amphitheater.

“They were expecting me, too?” Janus raised an eyebrow. “Interesting.”

The lights on the Dalek’s head flashed as it spoke again.

“THE DOCTOR AND THE MASTER WILL APPROACH WITH THEIR COMPANIONS.”

The four Sides exchanged a glance, and weaved through the assembled Daleks to the raised stage. The White Supreme Dalek was not the only occupant; it was flanked by an Ice Warrior, an Emojibot (which made Patton giggle), and…

“Look, a Janus,” Roman chortled, nudging the snake-faced Side in the ribs and pointing out the two-faced alien.

“You are all nerds and my logo is a two-headed snake,” Janus complained, rolling his eyes. “I literally do not know how all of you missed that obvious clue to my name.”

“DOCTOR,” the White Dalek said as they climbed the dais. “MASTER. WHAT DO YOU KNOW OF THE DALEK ASYLUM?”

“I’m just impressed my rat-faced brother wasn’t lying about his location,” Roman grumbled, and sputtered when Logan placed a hand over his mouth.

“According to legend,” Logan said, “you have a dumping ground, a planet where you lock up all the Daleks that go wrong.”

“The battle-scarred, the insane. The ones even you can’t control,” Janus clarified. His voice dropped to a hiss. “No wonder they ssstuck Remus there.”

Roman covered his mouth to keep from snorting.

The snake would not make him laugh.

“CORRECT.” The Dalek pushed a button and a hole opened in the middle of the floor. A snow-covered planet lay below them, pristine from this high up.

“Ooh, that’s,” Patton started, and let out a metallic gulp. “That’s quite a drop. Do we, ah, have to go down the same way? Cause I remember that part, and—”

“How many Daleks are down there?” Logan asked.

“A COUNT HAS NOT BEEN MADE,” the white Dalek said.

“Millions, certainly,” a new voice chimed in. The tall, robed, dark-skinned Janus stepped forward, their front face addressing them. “But they will not be your only concern. The population of the planet consists of more than just Daleks.”

Roman exchanged a suspicious glance with Logan. This wasn’t in the episode. This is new.

“What do you mean?” Janus, their Janus, asked.

The alien Janus turned to a nearby monitor, pulling up some information. The backward-facing face continued to address them.

“Some time ago, the Daleks began noticing a curious phenomenon,” they said. “Random people, from all different races and species, started turning up on various planets in this quadrant of space, including the asylum. No ships, no technology, and no knowledge of how they’d gotten there. At first the imprisoned Daleks on the asylum simply killed them off as they appeared—”

Patton visibly winced, even with his metal body, and Logan’s eyes grew flinty.

“—but the new arrivals eventually became too many to exterminate,” the alien Janus went on, unconcerned. “By now we suspect the planet has a population of over a billion, far too many for its automated systems to handle.”

They turned their forward face to the four again.

“THE ASYLUM IS COMPROMISED,” the Dalek Supreme proclaimed. “IT MUST BE CLEANSED.”

“Hang on, you’re still going to blow the whole planet up?” Roman protested. “A billion people?”

“To be fair, that is what they did in the original episode,” Logan pointed out quietly.

“But that was just Daleks!”

Janus rolled his eyes. “Ah, so genocide is fine when it’s only the evil aliens getting blown up?”

“You know, somehow I’m not surprised to hear you defending the bad guys!” Roman snapped.

“That is enough!” Patton snapped in his robotic voice, stepping between them and raising both his hands. Laser pistols popped out of both of them, making both Roman and Janus step back in alarm.

After a tense moment, Patton lowered his arms again; the guns clicked and vanished into their casings.

“Uh, sorry kiddos, I don’t know what came over me,” he said in a sheepish, more Patton-y voice. “Can we please not fight? It…it kinda makes me feel weird and jittery when you do.”

Roman stared at Patton’s blank Cyberman face and armored Cyberman body and swallowed, hard.

Their Patton would never deliberately aim a gun at anyone, let alone his family. But Cybermen were created to eliminate…or rather, delete…anyone who got in their way.

Did Patton even realize what he’d almost done?

What would happen, if and when he was forced to confront the reality of his body in this realm? What if he didn’t figure it out until he accidentally did something terrible? It wouldn’t be real, of course, but to Patton…that wouldn’t matter.

If his Cyberman programming forced or tricked him into hurting someone, the guilt of it would devastate him.

All I wanted to do was take Logan on an adventure, Roman thought bitterly. A fun little dream adventure where he could play one of his heroes. Was that too much to ask, Imagination?

He folded his arms and glared around the Dalek ship, anywhere but at his fellow Sides.

Whatever the hell this has turned into, I want no part of it anymore.

“In order for us to destroy the planet, we will need you to disable the planet’s forcefield—” The alien Janus started, but Logan held up a finger.

“Excuse you,” he said sharply. “We have not agreed to do anything, least of all help you murder a billion people whose only crime is to have accidentally turned up in your prison. Have you even attempted to solve that mystery?"

"And why do you care what happens down there?" Roman added, sneering. "If the insane Daleks are armed—”

“DALEKS ARE ALWAYS ARMED,” the white Dalek proclaimed.

“—then why can’t they defend themselves?” Logan finished, shooting Roman a questioning glance.

Roman huffed, and looked away.

“At first they did,” the Janus explained. “But as I said, the automated systems cannot keep up with the influx. Wars are being fought over food and other resources as we speak. A starliner crashed on the surface mere days ago, and—”

“Ah,” Logan said slowly. “You’re afraid, with all the shifting alliances and new activity, that the mad Daleks will escape in the confusion.”

“We do not know who or what is behind the influx,” the Janus said. “But eventually, they will start coming with ships, or they will build them on the surface, or reach out to those who could attempt a rescue.”

“‘If sssomeone can get in, everything can get out’,” their Janus quoted darkly.

The other Janus nodded. “Even the Daleks agree, their mad brethren cannot be allowed to escape. We, of this assembly—”

They waved to the assembled crowd of aliens, who observed in eerie silence.

“—have decided that one planet must be sacrificed for the greater good of the universe.”

Roman slowly and deliberately drew his sword (which the Imagination had kindly left as part of his outfit). It rasped as it emerged, the sound hair-raising in the sudden lull.

Instantly every Dalek gunstick and alien weapon on the ship was primed and pointed at the four Sides.

“And if we refuse?” Roman said evenly.

“THE DOCTOR AND THE MASTER WILL COOPERATE,” the Supreme Dalek warned, its lights flashing balefully.

“COOPERATE! COOPERATE!” the cry was echoed by the other Daleks, filling the ship with a cacophony of robot voices.

The alien Janus shrugged, spreading their hands.

“You don’t really have a choice. If you want to live, that is.”

“Is that so.”

Roman tensed and sprang at the white Dalek, not giving himself time to think. He dodged a blast from its gunstick and leaped, bringing his sword down hard. This being the Imagination, the katana cut through the Dalek’s metal armor like butter, and it clattered to the deck in two pieces.

There was a shocked silence…but no retaliation.

“Well?” Roman shouted, spreading his arms and turning in a slow circle. “This is me, not cooperating. What are you waiting for? Are you really going to shoot us?”

If they all died on this spaceship…the worst that would happen is they’d be kicked from the Imagination, and that was what they wanted, anyway.

“Roman,” Logan warned quietly, pointing.

Roman looked.

The white Dalek’s shell was…laughing?

“Oh, Roman,” Remus’s crackly voice emerged from the fallen Dalek’s casing. “Roman, Roman, Roman. My poor brave brother who thinks he can solve all his problems with steel and bravado. Did you really think it would be that easy?”

Each word bit like sandpaper against Roman’s ears.

He growled, and stalked to the Dalek’s top half, snatching it up and quickly locating a tiny speaker.

“C’mon, Remus. End this stupid charade,” he said quietly, holding the casing to his face so he could speak quietly. “You’ve had your fun at my expense. Go back to your pile of severed limbs and gloat if you must, but end this. For Patton’s sake, if nothing else.”

“I’ve already told you, it’s out of my hands,” Remus responded; typically, annoyingly casual. “If you want to end the game, you have to come down here and find me.”

Roman exhaled, resting his head against the cold, bumpy metal for a moment. His eyes burned, but he was Prince; he wouldn’t cry, not here.

“Why must you make everything difficult?”

“Roman, in all seriousness,” Remus’s voice dropped. “I didn’t know you were taking Logan on a date tonight—”

“It’s not a date,” Roman hissed, glancing at the other Sides…one in particular.

“The Imagination brought me into this without asking, just like it pulled the others in,” Remus went on. “I am aware of what has to happen, but I did not cause this.”

“You’re lying,” Roman said tonelessly.

Remus’s whiny voice grew hard.

“I don’t lie, and you despise that about me. You hide so much shit from yourself that it baffles you when I refuse to do the same.”

“Look,” Remus added when Roman didn’t respond. “The Imagination is clearly trying to get our attention. Sure, it usually goes through one of us first, but it doesn’t have to. When it comes down to it, Thomas’s mind answers only to Thomas. ”

“How are you so sure?” Roman frowned.

Was Remus seriously suggesting the Imagination they both oversaw had gone rogue somehow?

“Because I don’t curate my side as meticulously as you do, brother.” Remus chuckled. “I listen. I let the Imagination do as she pleases, free from all those pesky ethics and morals and other boring boxes you always force her into, so that our sweet Thomas doesn’t fear the contents of his own head.”

“You expect me to believe that you know what’s going on because,” Roman let every ounce of disdain seep into his voice, “the Imagination talks to you, and not me…because you don’t make her behave?”

“You should try letting her loose sometimes,” Remus drawled, “or you’ll end up with a cane up your butt like Nerdy Wolverine over there.”

“Don’t call him that,” Roman spat.

“What you so-called ‘light sides’ always get wrong,” Remus went on, “is that the juicy stuff, the gruesome and grim, the ‘bad’ thoughts that filter up from the subconscious; they can’t all be locked away and ignored.” His voice dropped ominously. “Repression can be very bad indeed, you know.”

Roman’s reasonable nature knew that his brother, despite his infuriating attitude, was actually making some good points. Thomas had been dealing with a lot lately; the tension in the mindspace felt like a ticking clock, counting down to the next disaster.

But at that moment, Roman had no desire to humor his twin.

All he wanted to do was lock himself into his own room in the Dream Palace and spend the rest of the night writing sad poetry about love, or listing his mistakes to himself until he fell asleep.

“I just wanted to show Logan a good time,” he said aloud.

“And oh dear, apparently you couldn’t even manage that correctly,” Remus said, implacably. “So maybe you should use this opportunity to get your head out of your poopy ass, and reevaluate yourself.”

Roman slammed the Dalek shell against the floor.

It cracked upon impact, the wiring inside sparking and finally flickering down to darkness. He ran his hands through his hair, reminded, once again, why he hated talking to his brother.

Like looking in a funhouse mirror…

“Roman…” Patton sidled up behind him, laying a cold hand on his back. Roman shoved the metal arm away and stalked back to the others.

“Let’s just get this done,” he said in a low voice.

“You will need these,” the alien Janus said, pushing a button on a nearby console. A translucent vertical tube rose from a gap in the floor, holding three bulky black bracelets.

“Ah yes, I remember this,” Logan said, striding forward and taking a bracelet.

“They will prevent—” the Janus started.

“The nano cloud from converting us into Dalek puppets, yes?” Logan interrupted, snapping the bracelet onto his wrist and handing another to Roman.

The nerd is getting into this, Roman thought as he put it on. I guess that’s something.

“The cloud is only active in certain areas of the asylum,” the Janus warned them again. “And those change as different factions seize control of different areas and weaponize them.”

Patton hesitantly raised a hand.

“Um, Mx. Alien, I can’t help but notice that there are only three bracelets, and four of us?”

Logan frowned. “But Patton, why would you—?”

“I’m sure it’s because I’m part snake, Patton,” Janus interrupted smoothly, swooping in to grab the last bracelet and snapping it onto Patton’s arm.

Roman exchanged an alarmed look with Logan; that was the last bit of confirmation he needed. Patton really was unaware that he was a Cyberman.

But why on earth would Janus go to such lengths to keep him in the dark about it? Even leaving aside the fact that Patton was a walking weapon; being a machine, he didn’t need protection from the nano cloud at all.

Whereas Janus…probably did.

But when Roman opened his mouth, Janus shot him a look full of daggers and promises of pain, and shook his head. Roman rolled his eyes and mentally washed his hands of the situation.

Typical Deceit. Protecting his lies.

At least Patton would be twice-protected. If the snake wanted to risk his life for a lie, let him.

“The gravity beam will convey you close to the crashed starliner,” the alien Janus said, and then there were Dalek blasters being shoved into their backs, propelling them toward the hole in the floor.

“Oi,” Roman protested, “get your freaky little eggbeater appendages away from me, you AAAAHHHH!”

There was a push, and they were falling.

Chapter 7- Oxygen

“Look at this. Classic design. Pressure seals. Hinges. None of that ‘shuk shuk’ nonsense.”

“Space doors are supposed to go shuk shuk.”

“Are you gonna be like this all day?”

Janus was done.

He sat up with a groan, brushing snow from his jacket and vest, making sure his hat and gloves were still in place. Everything ached. Bad enough he never wanted to be part this stupid dream game in the first place; now he was probably going to literally turn into a Dalek.

All because the Imagination is being a dick and Patton doesn’t know he’s a killer robot.

Wind gusted around him, making Janus glad that the Master, like the Doctor, usually preferred long sleeves and a coat. He stood, turning in a slow circle as he took in the lay of the land. Nothing but snow and rocks; true to the episode, still.

The gravity beam had split into four as it hurled them at the planet, but Janus was reasonably sure at least one of the others had landed nearby.

He hoped it was Patton.

Not because he was concerned or anything. It was just that either of the others would be absolutely insufferable company, that’s all.

“Janus!” a metallic voice called, and Janus breathed a sigh of relief.

Patton’s Cyberman body clattered awkwardly down a nearby snowbank, sliding the last few feet to land in a heap.

“It is all kinds of chilly down here.” Patton stood, and waved rather nonsensically. “Hullo there, Janus, so ice to see you.”

Janus rolled his eyes. (He would deny to his dying day that the corner of his mouth twitched at the ridiculous pun.)

“If this scenario is consistent with its source material,” he said, gesturing to the closest ridge, “there should be an escape pod from that crashed ship nearby. Come on.”

He set off across the snow, Patton following in his wake.

“Say, what do snowmen call their offspring?”

Janus exhaled carefully. Hoo, boy, maybe Logan wouldn’t have been so bad…

“I haven’t the faintest.”

“Chill-dren!” Patton chortled at Janus’s grimace. “What did one snowman say to another?”

“St. Genesius spare me,” Janus grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose. “What, pray tell, did one snowman say to another?”

“‘Do you smell carrots?’”

Janus quickly covered his mouth.

“You smiled,” Patton crooned.

“I most certainly did not.”

“Okay, okay, one more.” Patton scurried ahead and turned around, so that he was walking backwards. “Knock knock.”

“Who’s there?” Janus said flatly.

“Snow.” Patton hooked his thumbs into the metal rim at waist, like one might on a pair of pants. Janus swallowed and looked away.

“Snow who?”

“Snow laughing matter, Janus, I don’t know why you’re smiling.”

Janus snorted before he could hide it, and cleared his throat.

“I am not smiling, how dare you.”

“That’s twice now!” Patton cackled, the sound coming out all distorted. “Admit it.”

“I refuse,” Janus said, drawing himself up. “You won’t make a liar out of….”

Liar.

He felt the joke fall flat and cringed. Even though Patton’s metal face couldn’t react, those metal shoulders visibly stiffened.

Too soon.

Liar.

Too much history between them.

Besides, you are a liar, his mind whispered. Lies of omission are still lies, Deceit, and you’re doing that right now.

Janus gritted his teeth. They topped a ridge; the expected escaped pod lay half-buried near another ridge, across a flat stretch of snow. The two Sides glanced at each other and continued their journey in silence.

Patton seemed disinclined to continue his little pun war.

Janus badly wanted to say he hadn’t minded the punning, but truthfully, keeping silent was easier. Patton’s baffling ignorance over the state of his own “flesh” was starting to wear on Janus’s conscience. He knew the longer he kept it secret, the worse the fallout would be when Patton finally learned the truth.

The urge to come clean was an unfamiliar one for him, and extremely uncomfortable.

Ironic, the master liar, conflicted about maintaining a lie.

The old him would have laughed, but…the old him hadn’t heard the sincerity in Patton’s voice, when he’d spoken Janus’s true name aloud for the first time. The old him had assumed Thomas would reject him forever…because of Patton.

And then, with Janus still smarting from the sting of Roman’s mockery, Patton had said his name.

Patton had trusted him to take care of Thomas in his stead, when the moral Side knew he had failed at it. The memory still made all Janus’s scales tingle and his heart beat a little sideways.

The new him…this him…couldn’t find it in his small, shriveled, but very much present heart to risk pushing Patton away.

They reached the pod.

Muffled shouts and something that sounded like blaster fire filtered up from inside, making them exchange another glance.

Janus set a hand on the ice-crusted latch.

“Remember, we’ll have to fight our way through a bunch of dead Dalek puppets,” he reminded Patton.

“That’s a lot of noise for just a few puppets,” Patton said softly. “That canonically shouldn’t even be awake yet.”

“I know, and that is strange,” Janus agreed. “Maybe someone got here before us. But we won’t know exactly what to expect until we get down there.”

Patton sighed, a cloud of frost puffing out of his small, rectangular mouth.

Janus pushed the latch, popped his head in, and was met with a scene of utter chaos.

About six or seven human-Dalek puppets, with stalks sticking out of their heads and blasters sticking out of their hands, were locked in a fire fight with a horde of robotic humanoids that looked like they came from the Fourth Doctor’s era, if Janus remembered correctly. Round, bulky shoulders and faces that looked like metal sunbursts.

Both puppets and robots were using the seats as cover, blaster fire zinging back and forth and exploding against the walls in little showers of sparks. Janus and Patton would be directly in the blast zone when they jumped down, a little closer to the robot side.

“Well, someone definitely got here before us,” Janus muttered.

He withdrew his head and studied Patton. Honestly, with his metal body he’d be in far less danger, and those guns in his arms would actually be useful in this situation…but telling Patton he was a walking weapon, now, would definitely not go over well.

“The hatch down into the asylum should be in the cockpit of this thing,” he informed Patton. “There’s a lot of blaster fire, though, so—”

“—don’t get cold feet and hesitate?” Patton finished.

Something in Janus’s heart twisted…something he didn’t dare examine too closely.

“Say, Patton,” he said softly, looking away.

“Yes?”

“What did the hat say to the scarf?”

Patton turned his black Cyberman eyes on Janus.

“What?”

“‘You hang around, and I’ll go a-head’.” Janus let a smirk curl his lips.

Patton was silent for a moment, but then he began to giggle, covering his mouth.

Janus pulled out his sonic laser.

He dropped into the pod with a swing of his legs, catching one of the robots in its metal chest. It fell with a screech, careening into another of its kind, but by then Janus had gained his feet and ducked behind a seat. Patton clattered down behind, with less grace and far more noise…and a random Tivolian tumbled in directly after him.

Patton caught the rodent-faced alien with a startled shout, immediately dropping them again when they screamed and struggled. Janus blinked; where the hell did they come from?

The Tivolian tumbled across the pod’s floor, only making it a few feet before getting cut down with blaster bolts. Janus saw Patton cry out, and caught the Side before he could leap out and draw more hostile fire.

“It’s too late!” he shouted over the noise.

“I should have hung on!” Patton, if he’d had a proper face, would probably be in tears. He hated death. “I don’t know why they were so scared of me!”

Janus could answer that…

“I’m more curious about where they came from,” he said instead, frowning. “They surely weren’t up on the surface with us. It’s like they just teleported in, but Tivolians don’t teleport. They don’t have the technology—”

A blaster bolt exploded across the top of the seat they were hiding behind, showering them in sparks and forcing them both to duck.

“Janus!” Patton snapped. “We need to get out of here!”

“Right.” Janus brandished his sonic. “We’ll just have to run for it.”

He leaped out, activating his weapon, and discovered that a sonic laser had a very satisfying range and kickback. Forget the Doctor’s screwdriver, he thought, blasting a Dalek puppet aside and ducking another gun blast. I wonder if the Imagination will let me keep this…

A cold, dead hand seized the collar of his jacket, yanking him back.

Then there was a yell, a clatter, and Janus turned in time to see Patton blast a puppet with a fire extinguisher. The moral Side chuckled at Janus’s shocked expression.

“I’ve seen this episode too, you know,” he pointed out.

Janus huffed.

The two dodged and fought their way to the cockpit; Janus used his laser to seal the door behind them. For a moment they simply stood there, catching their breath.

(Well, Janus caught his. Did Patton even breathe, in that form?)

“Unauthorized personnel may not enter the cockpit.” Remus’s high-pitched voice came over the speaker system. “Unless it’s an actual pit full of cocks, in which case, where’s my invitation?”

Janus was going to need something a lot stronger than tea, once they finally got out of this mess.

“Remus, for god’s sake,” he grumbled.

“God has nothing to do with my cock, but if that’s how you want to roll…” One of the cockpit screens flickered to life, and there was Remus in all his ruffly, sparkly, mustached glory. Clara’s warm, messy cove spread out behind him, reds and yellows clashing horribly with the green of his sash.

Janus moved so that his chest and shoulders blocked the screen, to prevent Remus from catching sight of Patton. If Remus saw Patton as a Cyberman, Janus would never be able to convince him to keep his mouth shut.

“All right then, where do we find you?” Janus said. “And where did the others land? Not to mention our dear missing ball of anxiety.” He leaned forward, putting on his trademark smirk. “Come on, Re. You must know. One Other to another, you can tell me.”

“Aww, Jan Jan,” Remus crooned, also leaning forward. “You care.”

“I most certainly do not!” Janus sputtered, and cleared his throat. “Patton was worried about Virgil, that’s all.”

“I was?” Patton asked from the other side of the space. “I mean, of course I am, but—”

“But surely you can at least tell us why this scenario isn’t playing out quite like the episode it comes from,” Janus interjected smoothly. He didn’t want Remus to notice the metallic quality of Patton’s voice.

“Sorry to disappoint, but I’ve already told you everything that I know.” Remus shrugged. “Roman really did give the Imagination too much freedom.”

Janus frowned.

“Then how do you know the scenario will end when we find you?”

“I actually don’t! Isn’t it great?” Remus crowed, clapping his hands. “I love stories where anything could happen. We could all get vaporized, or have our flesh eaten by—”

“Remus, focus.” Janus pitched the bridge of his nose. “So, given what we know of this particular episode, you’re assuming that our main tasks are to come get you, and to drop the forcefield on the planet so the Daleks can blow it up.”

“That’s the idea, Double Dee!”

Behind him, Janus heard Patton make a weird, choked noise, and grimaced.

“By the way, Roman and Logan are already inside the asylum.” Remus grinned, the whites of his eyes flashing. “So if you want to catch up, you’d better scute those scaly asscheeks along. Check the floor for a breach; that will be your way out. A breach, ha! Like a butth—”

Janus pointed his laser and fired on the screen, cutting the transmission and sending sparks flying all over the cockpit. An awkward silence fell in which he turned to face Patton, who of course wore no visible expression.

This, and all the reasons for it, annoyed him further.

“I swear if you ask one question about scutes or scales,” he warned, holding up a finger.

“I wasn’t…going to.” Patton held up his hands. “Logan kind of taught us how to tune out the more, er, naughty things Remus says. But I am wondering,” he added hesitantly. “Are you…feeling okay?”

“Fabulous. Peachy,” Janus said flatly, kneeling to feel around on the floor. “Fantastic, allons-y, geronimo, what have you.”

“It’s just, you seem a little angry,” Patton went on. “And you remember, that’s, that’s the first step in being converted. Maybe you should wear the bracelet for a while? We can trade on and off…”

Patton’s fingers went to his wrist, but Janus stopped him with a gloved hand on top.

Tell him, an inner voice whispered. Tell him now, before this gets any more awkward.

“That’s sweet of you, but no, I’m merely frustrated,” Janus admitted. “I would very much like to get out of here, so I can return to the pleasant evening I was having before all thisss.”

He gestured irritatedly around them.

Patton joined him on the floor and together they found a person-sized hole, with a rope ladder hanging down.

“Hey, Janus,” Patton murmured, as they were about to start the long climb down. “Can I ask you something?”

“Why do I have a feeling you’re going to ask no matter what I say?” Janus said wryly.

“Do you remember when that puppet attacked you in the main part of the ship, and I fought it off with the fire extinguisher?” Patton ducked his head.

Janus raised an eyebrow.

“They hesitated, when they saw me.” Patton’s unnaturally black eyes met Janus’s. “That’s why I had time to grab the extinguisher.”

Janus swallowed, his heart starting to pound.

“Well, I’m sure they aren’t used to anyone fighting back—”

“No, they hesitated like…like I scared them or something,” Patton pressed. “It was weird, Janus. Please. If there’s something you need to tell me…you know you can.”

Janus’s mouth compressed into a flat line and he looked away, bitterness welling up inside him.

“Can I, Patton?” he asked softly, holding up a gloved hand. A yellow indictment of everything he was. “Can I really?”

Patton sighed, long and deep.

“Touché.”

Chapter 8- Extremis

“Something’s coming. And I’m blind. How can I see them when I’m lost in the dark?”

Logan awoke to someone shaking him.

He opened his eyes to an expanse of blurry blobs and color splotches, and Roman’s sharp, frantic face very close to his. His eyes have amber flecks, his brain noted inanely. But why is he clear when nothing else is…?

Roman threw his head back and exhaled in obvious relief when Logan groaned, blinking rapidly to clear his vision.

“Singing chimeras, Specs, I was starting to worry.”

Logan sat up and touched his bare face. Ah, there’s the problem.

“Where are my glasses?”

Roman was quiet.

Logan leaned closer to the other Side, squinting. Bad eyesight was such an annoyance. If only Thomas’s developing brain hadn’t decided early on that “smart and logical” also meant “stereotypically nerdy”, and pigeonholed his own sense of Logic into actually requiring corrective eyewear.

“Roman?” Logan tried again.

“Um. About that.”

Roman bit his lip, and handed over a smashed set of frames. Logan’s stomach sank as he examined them; the lenses were shattered beyond repair.

“I found them next to you like that, when I woke up,” Roman explained. “I’ve been trying to summon another pair, but for some reason the Imagination won’t let me!”

Logan pushed down a growing sense of dread, that he’d have to navigate the rest of this adventure half-blind.

“My glasses getting broken is obviously not your fault. We did fall down a rather deep hole,” he pointed out. “But what do you mean, the Imagination isn’t letting you?”

“I mean it’s not letting me!” Roman threw up his hands. “I could summon things on the TARDIS just fine, but now…” He sighed. “I am Creativity, right?”

Logan tilted his head and frowned.

“Is that…Roman, that is a nonsensical question. Of course you are.”

“So summoning a tiny object in my own dream scenario should be easy.” Roman hung his head.

“How long have you been trying?”

“Twenty minutes, maybe?” Roman shrugged, still not looking at him. “All that time, and yet still I fail.”

Logan resisted the urge to point out that twenty minutes should be long enough to realize a thing might be outside of one’s control, and to start brainstorming other options.

Stubborn fool.

“Maybe it’s just as well we picked the wedding over the callback,” Roman added darkly, an uncharacteristic glower twisting his face. “When Thomas’s Creativity apparently can’t even control his own dreams.”

Oh…this isn’t about glasses at all, is it? Logan swallowed around an achy sensation in his chest; the one he always got when something was wrong and Roman made that face and he just…needed to fix it.

Native English speakers have a passive vocabulary of around forty thousand words, he thought, frustrated. So why, in situations like this, am I constantly struggling to find the right thing to say?

The resigned set to Roman’s jaw prompted Logan to try.

“Your inability to summon things may not be your doing,” Logan said, laying a hand on Roman’s knee. “Perhaps the Imagination is attempting to impose a sense of realism on this adventure.”

“Realism,” Roman echoed flatly. “In Doctor Who.”

Logan huffed. “You must admit, summoning objects out of thin air does defy even time-traveling alien logic.”

Roman’s face twitched in the tiniest of smiles. “So why did it work before, Teach?”

“Maybe it only worked on the TARDIS because the ship already defies every known rule of physics.” Logan shrugged. “I admit I cannot possibly intuit the inner workings of the Imagination; I can only theorize from what I have observed thus far.”

Roman chuckled softly to himself, and bumped Logan’s shoulder.

“Aww, Nerd, I’m touched. You’re trying to logic me into feeling better.”

“Is it…working?” Logan asked.

“Kind of?” An unreadable expression flitted over Roman’s face. “At least one of us is still grounded in reality.”

“Where else could one possibly be grounded?”

Roman laughed outright at this.

“Oh, Logan. Never change, okay?”

He stood up, and pulled Logan to his feet as well.

“Where are we?” Logan asked, squinting.

He could tell they were in some large, open space; all blacks and browns and dull grays. Blurry domes of copper were scattered amongst what could be bits of fallen scaffolding or machinery.

Logan was also hyperaware of Roman’s warm arm pressed against his, and his own hand clasped tightly within the Prince’s larger grip. With everything else blurry, physical sensations were all the more distracting.

“Don’t panic, okay?” Roman started.

Logan scoffed.

“You are fortunate that I am not Virgil,” he commented wryly. “Because starting a sentence like that would almost certainly have caused him to panic.”

“Well, it’s just, do you remember that scene in the Dalek asylum episode where Rory wakes up in the hanger full of dead Daleks who turn out to be not actually dead?” Roman said in a rush. “Because…yeah.”

Oh. Logan swallowed.

“So, I am guessing that those copper domes are actually Daleks?” he said softly.

Roman snorted.

“Copper domes? Jeesh, your eyesight sucks.”

“I am aware,” Logan said flatly. “Which means you will have to guide us out. If I remember correctly, as long as we are quiet and don’t kick any pipes on the ground, we won’t wake them up.”

Roman let go of Logan’s hand… and replaced it with an arm wrapped around his waist. Logan only held back a squeak because it would have been extremely undignified.

“Hey, relax, I got you, Specs.” Roman’s breath ghosted over Logan’s ear. The Prince’s shorter stature allowed him to fit snugly against Logan’s side; if Roman turned his head, he could comfortably tuck his face into the crook of Logan’s neck.

Not…not that Logan imagined him doing any such thing.

Roman drew his sword with a metallic rasp, prompting Logan to pull out his screwdriver, and they set off across the floor.

It was a strange, vulnerable sensation, Logan thought, being this close to another, being forced to rely on him for direction…or maybe it was just that Roman’s Rose Tyler outfit left so much more skin on display than his usual royal attire…

To be fair, Roman’s bare arms and short skirt and leggings were the only non-blurry things in Logan’s line of sight at the moment.

“You know, I am not sure how much good a sword will do against a Dalek now,” Logan said dryly (to distract himself). “Since it would seem that the Imagination is now attempting to be realistic.”

“It’ll be a lot more useful than a screwdriver,” Roman retorted. “Honestly, the War Doctor had a point. The later seasons really do start to treat the sonic like a weapon, and it looks ridiculous. There’s an oily-looking puddle to your left.”

They dodged around it.

“The sonic screwdriver is an ingenious, multipurpose tool,” Logan argued. “Fitting for a character who is, at heart, a pacifist. In the right hands, it most certainly could serve as a weapon. For example one could scramble a Cyberman’s circuits, short out fuses, or calculate the precise amount of blunt force needed to take down an enemy.” Logan waved the hand with the screwdriver around them. “All things that a sword could not accomplish.”

“Sure,” Roman drawled, leading them around one of the still, silent Daleks, “but you don’t point a sonic at an oncoming Dalek and expect to survive. Even the Doctor had more sense than to try that. At least a sword could cut off its blaster arm.”

“We don’t know how strong Dalek amor is down here,” Logan pointed out. “You could end up breaking your sword and then where would we be?”

“Better off than we’d be while you assembled a cabinet at them!”

Logan’s foot collided with a metallic something that made an awful CLANG and went skittering across the floor. Roman pulled them up short, his face going pale.

All around them, round blue lights began to flicker on, one by one.

“I kicked the pipe, didn’t I?” Logan said, his heart starting to pound.

“You kicked the pipe,” Roman confirmed in a sick voice.

“EGGS…!” a crackly Dalek voice next to them stuttered, making them jump. “EG-EG-EG-EGGS…!” Its twin lights flashed erratically as it spoke.

“Roman,” Logan started.

“‘Eggs, you may laugh and that’s great…’” Roman sang in a wavering voice. “‘Your smiles are what make my day’…”

The Dalek rolled toward them creakily. “EEEEEGGS!”

Logan’s breathing sped up. Another Dalek rolled in from the other side, causing him to stumble. All around them, mechanical creaks and groans and a chorus of digitized voices rose up…

“EG…EG-EGGS…TERM…”

“Roman, I believe we need to run.” Logan could see the Dalek almost clearly now, its eyestalk glowing, its gunstick rising up.

“…IN…ATE…”

Blurry, flashing lights closed in.

“‘My self-worth’s fragile like an egg,’” Roman sang. The hand gripping Logan’s middle tightened painfully. “‘When it breaks it’s tough to put together again…’”

“EX…TERM…IN…ATE!”

“Roman!” Logan shouted. “Get us out of here!”

“EXTERMINATE!”

A blaster bolt warbled past and exploded over their heads.

Roman shuddered and seemed to snap out of it, seizing Logan’s arm and pulling him so hard he nearly fell. Logan staggered, hanging onto Roman’s hand for dear life as they ran, and ran, and blaster bolts burst at their feet and shattered around them.

“This way, boys and boys,” Remus’s voice sing-singed across the room. Roman yanked them hard in that direction.

“REMUS!” Roman shouted as they ran, and Logan was impressed he had the breath for it. “Remus, you better open that door like you’re supposed to or we are DEAD!”

“Oh, keep your pants on, brother,” Remus snarked, sounding a little closer. “Although maybe Logan would prefer that you didn’t—”

Whatever else he said wasn’t audible over a hanger full of jabbering Daleks and firing blasters.

They reached a wall and Roman shoved Logan down.

“Straight ahead, crawl. Go, go, go!” he said, turning and brandishing his sword.

Bless that Prince and his stupid, stupid bravery.

Logan went, nearly tripping over his coat as he crawled under the barely lifted hatch door. Once he was past the threshold Roman flung himself under and through, knocking into Logan and sending them both sliding across the floor.

There was a hiss and a heavy thud that Logan hoped was the door shutting behind them, and finally, blessed silence. They both leaned against the wall for a moment, catching their breath.

Roman thunked his head back.

“Jesus Christ Superstar,” he muttered.

“Your welcome.”

Remus’s voice crackled through the hallway. Roman growled and sat up straighter, looking around as if his brother would magically appear.

“I did just save your lives,” Remus added. From the direction of the sound, Logan guessed he was talking through a speaker somewhere on the far wall.

“Yeah, and I’m still gonna whip your butt when this is all over,” Roman groused.

“Oooh, do I get to choose the instrument?”

Roman sputtered, but Logan grabbed his arm before he could yell back.

“You know he just likes to get under your skin,” he murmured, and raised his voice. “Thank you for opening the door, Remus. We are grateful for your help.”

There was a silence on the other end, with a quality that Logan would have described as shocked.

“Well. You two lovebirds better move along,” Remus drawled finally, shrill as ever. “Before the Silurian army shows up.”

“Excuse me, the WHAT?” Logan exclaimed.

No answer.

“Remus!” Roman clambered to his feet and helped Logan up.

Nothing.

Except now that Logan was listening for it, he definitely heard approaching footsteps and murmuring, heavily-accented voices. And they were getting closer.

“That dick,” Roman grumbled through gritted teeth.

“To be fair, I think he is trying to help,” Logan pointed out. “In his own way.”

“Don’t be fair to my brother when he’s just led us out of the frying pan and into the fire.”

“We are neither in a pan nor on fire, Roman; I have never understood that saying—”

The lights dimmed and flashed an eerie purple; Roman silenced him with a hand over his mouth. There was a voice…not Remus’s, not alien, not like anything Logan had ever heard. It chanted something, over and over again, before fading out.

The lights flared back to normal.

Logan waited, counting Roman’s shallow breaths against his neck.

Nothing.

“What was that?” he asked softly.

“Beats the hell out of me,” Roman responded. “But I guess that’s our cue to go. Stay close, Mr. Magoo.”

Logan grumbled, but allowed Roman to recapture his hand and lead them in the opposite direction of the approaching footsteps…which had resumed the moment the purple light vanished.

Next time Roman asked him to come on an adventure, he was bringing a spare set of glasses.

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myherowritings · 5 years ago

Text

slip of the tongue

— overview: during a charity interview with the top three heroes, deku and shouto “accidentally” give away ground zero’s crush on you. you’re asked about bakugou in an interview of your own and, during a fit of excitement, accidentally let your crush on him slip.

— pairing: pro hero!bakugou katsuki x [fem]pro hero!reader

— word count: 2.2k

— genre: pro hero au, celebrity crush au vibes, fluff

— author’s note: [y/h/n = your hero name] this is literally so self-indulgent i’m sorry but this was so much fun to write lolol. i hope you give in and enjoy this fic with me ;)

“Being a Pro Hero can call for a taxing lifestyle. You work day in and day out and, even during your vacations, it’s hard to catch a real break.” The interviewer waited for the three of them to nod before continuing, “Do you have any advice for young, aspiring heroes on how to balance work and personal wellbeing?”

“That’s a tough one,” Midoriya replied, tilting his head to the side as he thought of his answer. “Being a hero requires a lot of time and sacrifice, and sometimes it’s difficult to remember to take care of yourself in such a high stress environment. But if Aizawa-sensei taught us anything during our years at U.A., it’s that…”

Deku continued to talk on and on and Bakugou found himself counting the number of threads present on the arm of the sofa.

For the majority of the interview, Katsuki sat near the edge of the couch ready to bolt out of his seat. His manager claimed the special “Top Three” interview was a good way to raise money for charity, but he was almost certain it was simply a thinly veiled publicity stunt and an extra way for the crew to bring cash to their own pockets.

“To be honest, I’m still trying to figure that out myself,” said Todoroki after a long pause, inciting loud cheers and deep sighs from the audience.

Bakugou narrowed his eyes. That fucker could say he ate nail clippings for breakfast and the response would be the same.

So far, the interview had consisted of Deku blabbing on until the host directed the conversation elsewhere, Shouto piping in with a stupid comment in a low drawl that made the entire audience swoon, and Ground Zero almost bursting with annoyance at the vain questions asked.

(The question the host asked Midoriya was probably the most--if not only--question of substance. The rest were about who was dating who, how long did it take to develop such toned muscles, and other bullshit he didn’t care for.)

He found himself zoning out until Todoroki nudged him on the side.

With a blink, Bakugou turned to the interviewer who cleared his throat with a nervous chuckle.

“As I was saying…” started the host, trying to find his words. “You guys are the Top Three everyone is striving to become, but are there any heroes that inspire you? An individual who stands out as someone you trust to keep Japan safe?”

Midoriya nodded fervently, a sparkle lighting up his eye as he began to speak. “Plenty! It’s not possible to choose just one. There are so many heroes I’ve met along the way that helped make me the person I am today--”

And that’s when Bakugou stopped paying attention.

Not for lack of interest, per se, but simply because he’s heard Deku say this millions of times before. Everyone other time he opens his damn mouth, it’s to shout praises of any quirk someone possesses.

“...but ever since our U.A. years, I’ve always had a good feeling about Y/H/N.”

And that’s when Bakugou started paying attention again.

His neck snapped towards Izuku at the mention of your name and Todoroki stifled an amused snort.

You met them as a student in U.A., exactly two grades below theirs. Like Half-and-Half, you got accepted through recommendations and easily blew everyone in your class away during the Sports Festival.

Bakguou didn’t give a single fuck about you back then. He thought you were a spoiled princess who had her life handed to her on a silver platter, but as long as you didn’t get in his way, you weren’t important enough to worry about. But years have passed and, through a variety of encounters during hero training and internships, he began to realize maybe you weren’t all that bad.

In fact, you were rather...admirable.

He grimaced at the thought.

“I’m quite fond of her as well,” said Shouto, a small smile on his face as he met the audience’s captivated gaze. “She makes the best cold soba. And the control she has over her quirk is impressive.”

Katsuki snorted. “Glad to know your priorities are in check.”

“Making good soba is a noteworthy talent,” defended the interviewer, head halfway up Icy Hot’s ass. “And what about you, Ground Zero. We only have a few minutes left together, but are there any young heroes who caught your eye?”

He shrugged. “There’s--”

“He’s mentioned Y/H/N before, too,” Todoroki answered for him, sharing a look with Midoriya. “In the break room earlier, the news channel was on and Ground Zero had his eyes glued to the screen when she appeared.”

Izuku hummed in agreement. “And he wouldn’t stop talking about how powerful and pretty she looked during her debut as a Pro--”

“For fuck’s sake, I told you not to tell--”

“Sir, language! This is a live recording.”

Bakugou glared at the host for interrupting, then gave an even harsher glare to Deku and Icy Hot for opening their big mouths. Shouto quirked his head to the side, peering at him with an oblivious look that Katsuki wanted to punch off his face. Izuku simply avoided his gaze, taking a sip from his glass of water.

Todoroki blinked. “The more I think about it, the more it seems Ground Zero might actually like Y/H/N.”

Midoriya spluttered out the remnants of the drink in his mouth, coughing uncontrollably as his face reddened. He glanced nervously at Bakugou to check his reaction and gulped. Katsuki’s left eye was twitching and the crackling noise of the nitroglycerin on his hands igniting grew louder.

“Ah, S-Shouto?” Deku said with a forced chuckle, trying to take control the situation. He turned to the audience. “I-I think what he means to say is that Ground Zero likes Y/H/N...as a person. Right?”

Todoroki looked confused. “No? I meant that he likes her and wants to--”

Izuku clamped a hand over Shouto’s mouth and Bakugou jumped up from his seat, sparks flying off of his forearms. So much for being stupid enough to trust these idiots with his personal feelings ever again.

“ARE YOU A FUCKING MORON OR--?!”

“And that’s all we have time for today, folks!” the interviewer interrupted, desperately trying to take the attention away from the chaos unfolding in front of him. Midoriya placed himself between Bakugou and Bakugou’s newfound target, and the audience had their phones at the ready. The host let out a strangled cry. “A big thank you to Deku, Shouto, and Ground Zero for all that they do for Japan. Now, please-- Just leave! And tune in next time on JNN!”

- - - - -

“We’ve had an amazing time tonight with you here,” the host paused, smiling as the audience cheered, “but before our time comes to an end, there is one last thing I think we’re all dying to know.”

“Of course!” you said with a smile, crossing one leg over the other as you leaned towards him intently. “I’m all ears.”

You could’ve sworn his cheeks turned pink with a swoon before continuing. “Ahem. A few days ago, we had the Top Three heroes visit the studio for an exclusive interview.”

At the mention of the Top Three, you almost bounced out of your seat in excitement. You had known them since high school, yet you continued to be starstruck at the intelligence and talent they brought to the field. Just hearing about their accomplishments pushed you to strive to become a better hero.

“I heard! I haven’t watched it yet, but I really need to,” you exclaimed, a bright smile on your face. “I look up to them all so much and they’re such a joy to be around. The interview must’ve been so fun!”

The host muttered, “Fun… That’s a way to put it.”

You let out an awkward chuckle.

As if just now remembering the camera was rolling, he cleared his throat and straightened in his seat. “Yes, they were certainly a joy to be around. There was never a dull moment with them, to say the least.”

“Right…”

“And when they were here, they told us which talented young heroes they admired.” He gave you a pleasant smile. “Your name just so happened to be at the top of their lists.”

Your eyes felt like they were going to bulge out of their sockets. The Top Three admired you? “R-Really?”

“Yes, really. Deku said he had a good feeling you were going to make it big, ever since U.A. Shouto even said he liked the cold soba you made him,” the interviewer said and you flushed.

You were a big fan of Todoroki’s ever since his Sport’s Festival performance during his first year. Of course you had to make him his favorite food any chance you could. And Midoriya-- There were no words to describe how much you looked up to someone so powerful yet so… good. There was simply no one else quite like him.

“But what was even more interesting was what we heard from Ground Zero.”

Now, while you looked up to and loved Deku and Shouto, Ground Zero had a special place in your heart.

You looked up to him as well, there was no denying that, but lately your feelings felt like something more than admiration. The more encounters you had with Bakugou, the less you viewed him as the same arrogant (and annoyingly powerful) kid from U.A. No-- He was different now. Big-headed at times? Yes. But there was a kindness and warmth deep inside him you never quite noticed until recently.

“What did he say?” you asked, hoping your voice wasn’t as jittery as you felt.

“Well, he really admires your talent and strength, as well as the hard work and effort you put into being a Pro Hero.” The host drummed his fingertips along the desk as he sang your praises. Leaning closer to you, he lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “And--just between you and me--Shouto and Deku let it slip that he wouldn’t stop talking about you after your debut as a Pro, either. Ground Zero seems to be absolutely entranced by your presence on screen.”

Every logical part of you knew this man was exaggerating for the sake of show business, but you were too ecstatic to really care.

This was Bakugou fucking Katsuki he was talking about. Ground Zero himself!

You could hardly contain your excitement as you practically bounced in your seat. “He admires me?” You shook your head. “That can’t be possible! He’s one of the best heroes the world has! Deku may be ranked number one--and he absolutely deserves it--but Ground Zero has always been a personal favorite of mine.”

Your interviewer raised his eyebrows at your admission. “Is that so?”

“Most definitely!” you said with a zealous nod. “He’s always so determined and passionate in everything he does. Ground Zero’s a natural born hero, but that doesn’t stop him from pushing himself everyday to be the very best he could possibly be. He…inspires me, really.”

“That sounds like a little more than inspiration to me,” replied the host with a thinly veiled smirk.

You felt your cheeks heat up and, if you had Bakugou’s quirk, you knew you’d be popping off some nitroglycerin at the embarrassment. The interviewer couldn’t possibly expose you for having a crush on a certain Pro Hero, right?

“I… Ah-- What do you mean?” you coughed out.

“Oh, nothing,” he said simply, enjoying the doe-eyed expression on your face a little too much. “Well, I hate to end such an amazing interview, but that’s all the time we have for today! Thank you so much, Y/H/N, and tune in next time on JNN!”

- - - - -

“So, I heard you might have a small crush on me.”

“Tch.”

“Or did the interviewer totally blow it out of proportion and now I’m just making a fool of myself?”

“Pfft.”

“Oh, my God, I’d be mortified if--”

“Is now really the time to talk about this?!” Bakugou grunted in a strained voice. His ears were a bright red as you continued to move closer to him.

You blinked up at him innocently. “What do you mean?”

There was a crashing noise behind you as Ground Zero took down a dismembered, yet fully mobile, appendage of the Storm Villain, Karmegan. When another came up behind you, he stretched his hands out to do his famous AP Shot and you almost swooned on the spot when he aimed the perfect circle.

“I mean maybe we can talk about us after we defeat all these loser mutants?”

“Loser?!” the villain roared shooting off another army of appendage-sized mutants in your direction.

Easily dodging his attack, you retaliated with your long range specialty move and looked at Bakugou with a smile.

“So, what I’m hearing is there is an ‘us’?”

“Are you trying to flirt with me while we save Musutafu?” he asked. When you nodded sheepishly, he snorted in begrudging amusement. “That’s some nerve you’ve got there, pipsqueak.”

Bakugou punched Karmegan, who came up from your back, and gave you a slight smirk.

“How about after we survive this attack, I take you out on a date?”

The grin on your face was almost uncontrollable as you took out an enemy behind him. Katsuki ducked right as you kicked, in perfect synchronization.

“Sounds like a plan, Ground Zero.”

“We better end this quickly then, Y/H/N,” he said, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Now I’m looking forward to our date.”

4K notes · View notes

13dead-ends · 4 years ago

Text

Chapter Five Bandaids

Chapter Five of Blood Bound

Henry Cavill x Named OC

Summary: When a night out ends with a few scrapes, Henry takes care of Nina.

Word Count: 5k

Warnings: drinking, crowded club, scrapes, blood, pushing, grabbing violently?, (please tell me if I missed something)

A/N: This came from wanting Henry to spoil me and pick out clothes for me. That’s the dream. As always thank you to @hellcaster901 if it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t have finished this!

Enjoy! :)

“Nina are you busy?” Henry asked. My phone was on speaker on the counter while I was jamming a knife into a pumpkin.

“Uh,” I grunted as I pushed the blade the rest of the way through. “I’m carving a pumpkin, actually. But what’s up?”

“Seriously? September’s not even over yet.”

“This is the first of many.” I loved Halloween. I couldn’t wait to decorate so I wanted to carve a jack o lantern.

“Many?” Henry chuckled.

“I’m just excited.” I carved a hole in the top, pulling the piece out by the stem. “But what did you need?”

“I was wondering if you were busy tonight?” I chewed on my lip. I was really about to throw my evening plans out the window for this man.

“Uh, yeah actually.” I looked for my pen to trace my face onto the pumpkin. “I’m going out with Abbey.” When I told her I liked going out to clubs she immediately planned a night to go.

“Aw, okay.” I pressed my lips together. “I was gonna see if you wanted to come over for a little while.” I sighed. Damn it. Of course the one night I’m actually busy he invites me to his house. I hadn’t been there yet, but he had come here quite a lot.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Is there another time I could?” His schedule was erratic at best. On days when I expect to see him I don’t and days I expect not to see him, he shows up out of nowhere. It seemed like the littlest thing effected filming. He sighed.

“Maybe tomorrow night? If I’m not too tired. I was thinking of showing you some video games.” I had told him I liked one video game and he had insisted on showing me some of his own.

“Okay! Just let me know.” I gave up on the pen and picked up my phone. “I’m letting you know now that I won’t be any good.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.” I laughed. “Where are you going tonight?”

“I have no idea. Abbey’s picking me up and I’m letting her pick the places.” I leaned on my elbows.

“Well, be safe, okay?” My heart skipped a beat.

“I will.”

“Call me if you need a ride?” I couldn’t help but smile.

“I don’t know if you’re ready for drunk Nina yet, but I’ll keep that in mind.” He chuckled.

“That’s a sight I’d like to see.” I laughed. “I’ll leave you to your pumpkin, have fun tonight.”

“Thanks Henry. I will.” I hung up and went back to carving. I just went with a classic face with pointy teeth and triangle eyes. I set it in my windowsill and smiled. I decided to get ready after that and soon enough I was fixing my hair in the mirror, abbey on the phone with me.

“Okay, I’m here!”

“Great! I’ll just come outside now.” I ran out, the crisp air hitting me as I made it outside. It was really feeling like fall now and next week it would be October. I loved it so much. I got in Abbeys Uber with her and grinned.

“Are you excited?” She grabbed my arm as the driver pulled away from my building.

“Yes! I haven’t been out since I was in LA.” She clapped.

“Yay! You’ll have to bring to the clubs you like in LA.” I nodded.

“You’ll have to meet my friend, Irene.” We spoke the whole way to the first bar. It was a cute pub, cozy and warm.

“Now, I just love this place for its food and it’s a good place to meet up before you really get wasted.” I laughed. “And you better be getting wasted with me. We’ll walk around this area for the most part, and just Uber home.” I thought of calling Henry, but it made my heart beat faster.

“Alright, wasted it is.” She linked our arms and took us to the bar. She ordered me a fruity drink and a shot. We did the shot together and I winced at the hard taste.

“Yes, I love a girl who can take a shot.�� Abbey giggled. “James is gonna meet up with us here. Let’s find a table.” We moved through the pub until finding a table for us, with enough room for James.

“I heard Henry didn’t take any new donors.” Abbey wiggled her eyebrows

“Did you?” I couldn’t help the grin spreading on my face.

“Yeah, I was at the lab yesterday and over heard Lila say Henry didn’t take her.” She smiled. “She’s pissed, but will just have to get over it.”

“Didn’t Kari day something about losing two donors because of her though?” Abbey sighed.

“Yeah, but I think you’ll be fine. She barely knows either of you. Is she gonna stalk you or something?” I laughed.

“Fuck, she hated me the second she saw me with Henry. She doesn’t need much to set her off.” I took a big drink. “I hope she doesn’t stalk me.” Abbey rolled her eyes.

“Look if she tries anything let the office know. They’re itching for another reason to fire her.” I huffed.

“Maybe they should just fire her now.” Abbey nodded.

“They should what?” James suddenly sat next to me.

“Get rid of Lila.” James rolled his eyes.

“Yes please.” We chatted for a bit, and I got a nice buzz. Soon Abbey wanted to show me another bar and they dragged me down the street. By the third bar, I was really drunk. I stumbled as James pulled me off the dance floor.

“Where’s Abbey?” I yelled over the music as we reached the bar.

“She’s over here somewhere.” James and I searched the bar a found her at the end. She was already ordering drinks.

“What do you guys want?”

“Water.” I couldn’t drink anymore or I’d be sick. She nodded and we got our drinks.

“So I’m thinking we stay here until they close? And then go home.” James nodded smiling. I smiled too, but my feet hurt and I was too drunk already.

“Guys, I’m gonna go to bathroom okay?” I tried walking properly to the bathroom but the room was spinning a little. I made it into a stall okay and just leaned on the wall, it was too hard to stand on my own right now. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and saw a text from Henry. My drunk brain couldn’t process the words so my fingers hit the call button before I could tell them not too.

“Nina?”

“Henry, hi.” He actually picked up. I grinned into the speaker.

“Hey, what’s going on?”

“I’m at some bar, with Abbey.” I accidentally let out a hiccup, and Henry laughed.

“How’s that?”

“Fun, really fun.” I sighed.

“But?”

“I’m tired and she wants to stay out.” I sounded whiny, and I would probably cringe at that later.

“Are you saying you need a ride?”

“Yes.”

“Alright. Where am I going?” I heard shuffling on his end.

“Yay,” I mumbled. “I can’t remember the name of the bar but I’ll send you my location.” I stood up straight and lost my balance, hitting my head on the stall. “Ow.” I rubbed my head.

“What was that? Are you okay?”

“I just lost my balance. Let me go find Abbey and tell them you’re coming.”

“Nina, how drunk are you?” I giggled.

“I’m fine. I’m switching to water now. I’ll send my location. Call me when you’re here!”

“Nina, wait-“ I hung up and went out of this bathroom. I sent my location to Henry. Abbey and James weren’t at the bar anymore so I stood on my tip toes to look for them on the dance floor. It was definitely too crowded to see them so I filtered through the people, trying not to stumble as people pushed me around. I suddenly felt a grip on my wrist. I turned around, hoping it was Abbey, but was meet with a guy I didn’t know. I flinched back and tried pulling my arm away.

“Hey do you wanna dance?” He grinned at me, but I had no desire to dance with him.

“No, thanks.” I yelled back and tried walking away but he kept his hand on my arm.

“Oh come on, it’s just dancing.”

“I said no.” He pulled me to him and it was taller than me by a lot and bigger too. “Let me go,” I tried prying his hand off with my other one.

“Don’t be like –“ I was yanked away by hands on my shoulders. I gasped and turned around, his hands no longer on me. Abbey and James looked at me with the same scrunched brow.

“Are you okay?” Abbey looked at my arms. “He was grabbing you and I didn’t think you knew him.” I shook my head.

“I’m fine and no I didn’t know him.” I looked over my shoulder and he was gone. I sighed. “Thank you guys.”

“You’re welcome, Nina.” James rubbed my shoulder.

“Hey, I called someone,” I told them. “ I’m getting a ride home.”

“You don’t wanna stay?”

“My feet are killing me and I can’t drink anymore.” Plus that guy put me off the whole crowded club anyway.

“Okay,” Abbey brought me into a hug. “Thanks for coming. Text me when you get home.”

“Thank you for showing me around. I’ll text you. You both text me okay?” They both nodded and I pushed through the rest of the crowd to the door.

Henry hadn’t gotten there yet when I stepped outside. It was cool and the street lamps casted a warm glow on the street. I leaned on the wall and waited for him. It wasn’t long before I heard the door open again, the music getting louder and going quiet again as it shut. I looked up and saw that stupid guy from inside. I rolled my eyes, but my heart beat got faster. I reached for my phone to call Henry.

“Hey, you’re the girl from inside.” He stopped right in front of me.

“Yeah,” I swallowed.

“Why didn’t you want to dance?” He raised his eyebrow.

“I was leaving, obviously.” I gestured to the sidewalk.

“It was just one dance.” He stepped closer.

“I’m sure there’s a lot of girls in there who wants to dance with you.” I mumbled.

“But I wanted to dance with you.” He came closer.

“Well, my rides almost here, sorry.” I started to walk off, before he got closer, but he caught my wrist. “Just leave me alone.”

“Stop being a bitch.” He pulled me back, but his hand slipped and I lost my balance completely, falling on my hands and knees, my phone flying out of my hand so I could catch myself. My already fuzzy brain was spinning and so was the concrete beneath me. I barely noticed the car pulling up to the curb beside us. A car door slammed and I dropped my elbows, the spinning was too much.

“You better be gone by the time I help her.” I heard quick footsteps going in the opposite way. “Nina? Are you okay?” It was Henry, thank god.

“I’m dizzy.” I mumbled into my arms.

“Come on, love.” He hooked his arm through mine and lifted me to my feet, grabbing my phone at as he did. “Are you alright?” He turned my chin to look at my face.

“I think so,” I suddenly felt the palms of my hands sting, my knees feeling similar. “My hands,” I lifted them up and saw blood and gravel in them. They were scraped up from the sidewalk.

“What happened? Do I need to find that guy?” I shook my head.

“He tried grabbing me but his hand slipped and I fell.” Henry lead me to the car door, and my knees hurt worse as I walked.

“Why was he putting his hands on you?” He opened the door for me and helped me inside.

“He wanted to dance, but I said no.” I sighed leaning my head back on the seat. Henry even buckled my seat belt before shutting my door. He got in and took no time to get the car on the road.

“Fucking prick.” I nodded. “I’ll just take you to mine. I can clean you up there.” His hands gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles and his jaw clenched and unclenched.

“Thanks for coming to get me.” I leaned my head on the window.

“Of course, Nina.” He sighed. “I don’t like you stumbling around like that alone.”

“I was literally about to call you.” My palms were face up on my thighs, the gravel feeling like little pin pricks. “I just needed to get out of the club for fresh air.” Henry’s grip loosened and his shoulders relaxed.

“It’s okay, I just got worried.” My stomach erupted into butterflies, well more like bats. I smiled. “Did you have fun though?”

“Yes, it was so fun.”

“Are you tired?”

“Yeah, there was a lot of dancing.” He chuckled.

“I’m glad you had fun at least.” My eyes shut for just a second and then I opened them to find I was in Henry’s arms being carried to his house.

“Hey, there she is.” Henry smiled down at me and my heart skipped. I took a breath and patted his shoulder.

“Put me down,” I mumbled, I was too drunk to handle that right now. He set my feet down, but kept his hand on my waist. I leaned on him as he unlocked his door.

“You’ll get to sleep soon okay? I just wanna get bandages on you.” I just nodded and he opened the door. Waiting for us in the doorway was Kal. I smiled.

“Kal! Hi cutie pie.” I couldn’t pet him with my hands so I settled for a kiss on the head. He looked up at me with bright eyes. Henry laughed and patted his head.

“Let’s get you cleaned up.” Henry lead me to the bathroom, there was only a small kitchen light on so I couldn’t see a lot of the house. The one time I’m at his place and it’s dark.

“I gotta text Abbey and James.” I remembered as we got to the bathroom. He turned the light on and sat me on the toilet.

“Here’s your phone,” He handed me my now cracked phone. “I’m going get the first aid kit and some clothes.” I nodded and sent the Im home text to my friends, I slowly tapped the screen with one finger so I wouldnt have to flex my hand as much. The cuts weren’t very bad, they just hurt. Henry came back, setting a pair of his shorts and a t-shirt on the counter. I chewed on the inside of my cheek. “I hope you don’t mind my clothes.” I shook my head. “Get changed, I’ll be back in a minute.” He shut the door and I slowly changed. My knees felt tender as I stepped into the shorts that were too big for me. I pulled the draw string tight and tied it. Then pulled the shirt over my head.

“Can I come in?” I pushed my arms through the sleeves.

“Yeah,” I pulled my hair out of the collar as Henry stepped in. He paused for a second, then set the kit on the counter.

“Sit,” I sat back down and he wet a cloth with warm water. He kneeled in front of me and took my hand gently. He wiped away the blood and gravel from my hand. It stung, but after it was cleaned it looked a lot better than before. “Did you text your friends?”

“Yeah,” he moved to my other hand.

“Good.” I sucked in a breath as he hit a deeper scrape, making it begin to bleed again.

“Does it bother you?” I whispered. He looked up at me.

“No,” he looked back down at my hand. “Your vampire movies have a lot of inaccuracies.”

“I bet vampires made a lot of people embarrassed when they came out.” He chuckled.

“It’s always tempting, of course, but once you get the hang of it you have control. You don’t go crazy when you see a cheeseburger, do you?” He smoothed a square bandage over my entire palm. “Plus by the way your blood smells, if I drank now I’d be as drunk as you.” I busted out laughing.

“Seriously?” He moved onto my knees.

“Well, I think I can hold my liquor better than you, but I do get effected by the alcohol in your system.” I kept giggling.

“That’s crazy, but makes sense.” He cleaned my knees up and put bandages on them. “Thank you.” I smiled at him.

“You’re welcome.” He smiled back. “I’m just pleased with the fact that I know you’re a giggle drunk now.” I covered my mouth to hide more giggles and my face warmed up. “Come on, you need to go to bed.” He grabbed my hand, but not holding it too tightly. He lead me to his bedroom instead of the living room. Kal sat on the corner of the bed.

“Oh I don’t have to sleep in here. The couch –“

“No, I’m not tired. You get the bed.” He pushed me forward. I took a deep breath. I was already in his clothes, now he wants me to sleep in his bed.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, go to bed. I’ll be out here if you need anything.” He rubbed my back. “Goodnight, Nina.”

“Goodnight Henry.” He shut the door as he left and I got into the gray sheets. He had a huge comforter as well. I pulled everything up to my chin and my eyes stayed open. Everything smelled like him and it was overwhelming. An image of Henry climbing into bed with me flooded my brain. I shut my eyes, all the possibilities… I shook my head. God don’t be creepy, you’re in his house. But if he just came into cuddle, that would be nice.

Unfortunately drunk Nina’s fantasy didn’t come true. I woke up to the moon shining on my pillow and the space next to me empty. I let out a big sigh, feeling an ache in my head settle in. My hands and knees had a dull throb as well. I rolled onto my side and jumped back when I saw Kal wagging his tail next to me. He licked my face and I scratched his ears. “Hi buddy.” I saw my phone on the bedside table and checked it. I had only been asleep for a few hours. I looked back at Kal and he looked at me with bright eyes. He walked out eventually and I rolled back onto my back. I felt goosebumps raise on my skin as I realized how cold it felt in here. I pulled the blankets up, but didn’t feel any warmer. I huffed and sat up. I heard sounds of fighting and swords coming from the open door. I wrapped the blanket around me and got up, following the sounds. Henry was playing a video game in the living room. It looked like some sort of fantasy game. I sat down next to him and he looked over at me.

“Can’t sleep?” I shook my head.

“I don’t know why I can’t. Especially since I think I’m still a little buzzed.” He paused his game, chuckling.

“How are your scrapes?” I pulled one hand out of my blanket and looked at it.

“Good I think. Still hurts a little.” He took my hand in his and looked over his handiwork. He brushed his fingers over the bandage and then just barely over my bare fingers. His skin tickled mine. “Thanks for patching me up.” I met his eyes, hoping he knew how much I meant it.

“Of course.” He smiled, tucking my hand back in my blanket and pulling it tighter around me.

“What are you playing?” He told me the premise of the game and what he was trying to do, then started playing again. I was interested in the game, but I just liked watching Henry play it.

I don’t remember falling asleep, but I woke up still on the couch, this time my cheek was smashed against Henry. I lifted my head up, eyes wide. We were both stretched out, but I was on top of him, his arms looped over my back; the blanket over both of us now. He was breathing deeply, eyes shut. He was asleep. I had my head on his chest and one hand too. My other hand was hanging off the couch completely. I couldn’t help but relax. He was very comfy. I shut my eyes, enjoying the cuddle. Then I heard Henry take a big breath. His arms tightened around me for a second, then he moved one to his hair. I looked up at him.

“Nina, you’re awake.” Seeing his eyes so close made me panic and I pushed myself up off him.

“Yeah, uh, sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep like that.” He cleared his throat, helping me get our legs apart.

“It’s - it’s fine.” He chuckled nervously. I sighed when I was sitting up right. Sun light peaked through the window in front of us. “Good morning.” I held my warm cheeks.

“Good morning, Henry.” I rubbed my eyes. There was a headache creeping up on me now that I wasn’t sleeping with Henry.

“How are you feeling?” He looked over my face.

“Like I’m about to get a headache.” I muttered.

“I guess the buzz is gone, then?” I nodded. “How about I make some breakfast?”

“Yes please.” I grinned up at him as he stood.

“Alright, I’ll be in the kitchen.” I leaned on my elbows, rubbing my face. He was killing me, I swear. I got up and went to the bedroom to find my phone. I went back out to the kitchen to see Henry heating up a pan. I saw a kettle on his stove as well.

“Where’s your tea?” I asked. He turned and pointed to a cabinet.

“Mugs are in the one next to it.” He added. I pulled out two and put bags in. “Did you sleep okay?” I filled the kettle and set it on the stove. I turned it on and sat on the counter next to it, swinging my legs.

“Yeah, I think so.” He looked over at me, smirk on his face. “You might wanna work on your pecks though, they’re feeling a little soft.” He scoffed, pausing his hands.

“Hush, at least I wasn’t snoring all night.” My jaw dropped.

“I wasn’t, was I?” He nodded laughing at me. I smacked his shoulder.

“It’s fine, a lot of people snore.” He continued cooking putting some sausage on the pan, it sizzling instantly.

“No filming today?” I stared at my left knee, a bruise already forming at the edges of the bandage.

“Nope, I get a real weekend for once.” I smiled.

“Good, I’m glad you do.” I hopped down as the kettle started to steam, the whistle hurting my head. “Damn,” I mumbled, pulling it off the stove. I poured our tea and we added in our milk and sugar together, our elbows brushing. I sat down at the table and watched Henry cook. We talked a little bit but it was a quiet morning. I was too tired to do much else.

“Do you have any plans today?” Henry asked me as he set a full plate of food in front of me.

“Not really. I was pretty much planning on being hungover so I didn’t make any plans.”

“Do you want to come run some errands with me?” I smiled at him.

“Sure, I probably need to go home to get clothes, though.” I was still in his t-shirt. The collar was lopsided so my collar bone was showing, his shorts had been falling down all morning.

“That’s fine. We’ll stop on the way.” We finished eating and I sadly changed back into my clothes from last night. He drove us to my place, and I had to quickly get ready. I got dressed in my room while Henry waited outside. I looked in the mirror and my hair was a mess and I did look a little hungover. I huffed, I looked like this all morning? I adjusted the flannel I put on and threw my hair up. I went to my bathroom and washed my face quickly and that helped a little.

“You ready, dear?” My knees wobbled at the nickname. I leaned on the counter.

“Almost.” I checked my face one more time in the mirror and walked out. Henry stood in my living room looking at my pumpkin still in the windowsill.

“I like it.” He tapped the pumpkin.

“Thanks!” I grinned. “Shall we?” He nodded and we walked back out to his car. “Where are we going?”

“I just need to get a few things at some shops.” I nodded. Maybe I could look for a few things, I hadn’t been shopping in a while. I wasn’t paying attention to where we were going, Henry’s hand had made its way in my knee during the ride and I didn’t want to miss a second of that. As we stopped I looked out the window. It was large street, shops and stores up and down it. He turned the engine off and we got out. I stepped onto the side walk next to him.

“Where are we going?” I asked as we began walking.

“I need some new shoes, and I ordered some parts for my PC.” He explained where some of the stores were. “But I figured you’d want to do some shopping as well.”

“Sure!” I let him lead me down the sidewalk, our arm brushing every now and then.

It wasn’t long before I slowed in front of a shop, seeing a cute pair of boots in the window. “Go on inside, I need in thing in the shop over. I’ll meet you in there.” He nudged me to the door and walked off. I shrugged and went in, a bell jingling overhead. I wanted to find the shoes, but got distracted by some sweaters and then jeans. Let’s just say it took me longer to get to the shoes than normal. When Henry came back I was slipping a pair in my size on. He had a small bag from wherever he went.

“I like those.” He smiled at me. I stood from the bench, the boots had a bit of height and I didn’t have to tilt my head back as far to look at Henry as I stood in front of him.

“Me too.” I rocked in them and then took a few steps along the shelf. I saw myself in a mirror and they looked good. “I’m gonna get them.” I grinned. I sat back down and slipped them off.

“I’ll get them.” Henry placed them back in the box for me. I put my shoes back on.

“Oh you don’t have to.”

“I said I wanted to buy you things.” He looked at me as he shut the box.

“But you paid me, so technically I’m buying them with your money.” It was sweet, but I always felt weird about taking other peoples money. He shook his head.

“You did sign a contract.” His eyebrow raised and he took the box to the registers. “Was there anything else you wanted?” I shook my head and followed him. He paid, the mention of the contract made me feel less weird, but it still was. He really wanted me to shop around, though. He took me inside a clothes shop and I ended up getting a fitting room try things on. I picked a few things out and tried them on inside the stall.

I wore a pair of jeans and a cute sweater, just a little too big. I wanted a different size in the jeans though, I opened the door and peaked out to see if I could ask that employee to grab me another pair, but instead I saw a few tops and a dress hanging on the hook by my door. I furrowed my brow, I didn’t put those there. The dress was cute though. I turned it around to see more of it. The girl in the uniform came around and I called her over.

“Did you put these here?” I asked, forgetting about the jeans.

“No, your friend did.” I looked over her shoulder to see Henry leaning against the wall outside the fitting rooms, back to me.

“Oh thank you.” She took some things I didn’t want for me and I replaced them with what Henry choose. Somehow the dress fit perfectly. It hung off my hips at just the right angle and showed off just enough cleavage. I blushed at myself in the mirror. He picked this for me. I grinned. I slowly stepped out and cleared my throat. He turned around and smiled. Eyes dragging up my body.

“I knew you’d look good in that.” He smirked. “Do you like it?”

“I do.” I turned around once. “Nice choice.” I winked at him and stepped back inside. I tried a few more things on, showing him everything after the dress. He got me the dress, and pretty much anything I showed interest in. I couldn’t handle much more than that but we looked around a bit more, he got his things. Then he took me back home. Giving me a kiss on the cheek before he left.

—————

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dakotacrisis · 5 years ago

Text

Bright Beginnings

This is a spin-off chapter of my other fic: Transferred. If you haven’t read it then this may not make a lot of sense. At some point while writing Transferred Kagami and Marinette went from friends to awkward flirting dorks and I do not regret it one bit.

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It was the morning after the fundraiser and Marinette was among one of the first awake. Marinette and Kagami were still cuddled together on the couch. Chloe was curled up in bed and Aurore was spread starfish on the floor. Sabrina was the only other one awake. They made eye-contact and Sabrina waved before returning to her phone.

Marinette’s leg was asleep and she wanted to brush her teeth and get something to eat but she also had a very warm and adorable fencer using her as a pillow. So suffice to say Marinette wasn’t moving. She did free one of her arms to brush the hair away from Kagami’s face.

“Hm?” Kagami’s face scrunched up as she awoke. She looked up at Marinette and gave her a sleepy smile.

“Good morning,” Marinette whispered so not to wake Aurore or Chloe.

“Mornin,” Kagami yawned, “Sorry for falling asleep on you.”

“Don’t be.” Marinette said. Kagami’s face went pink and Marinette suddenly became aware of just how intimate a position they were in. Kagami nestled on Marinette’s chest with their legs woven together and arms wrapped around one another.

“Marinette?” Kagami asked, “Are you doing anything today?”

“Not anything I couldn’t put off till tomorrow.” Marinette was hoping Kagami couldn’t feel how fast her heart was beating. “Why?”

“I was thinking that, if you wanted to, we could--”

“Sweet jeebs,” Aurore stretched awake, “Who let me fall asleep on the floor? My back is killing me.”

“Hey! Some of us were still trying to sleep!” Chloe snapped. “Whatever, everyone up. Let’s get some breakfast up in here.”

With a sigh Marinette and Kagami untangled themselves and ordered breakfast. Housekeeping came by to clean up their junk food mess from the night before while the girls ate breakfast. Marinette herself nibbled on some strawberries while most of the others slathered croissants and toasted baguettes in jams. Honestly, if they weren’t fresh from her parent’s bakery she couldn’t eat them. Having bakers for parents had spoiled her for store bought pastries.

“Kagami, you got a little jam right there.” Marinette pointed out a spot at the corner of her mouth.

Kagami wiped the opposite side. “Did I get it?”

“No. I got it,” Marinette grabbed a napkin and wiped the jam away, “There, all better.”

“Thanks.” Kagami smiled softly.

“Oh, what was it you were asking me earlier?” Marinette asked.

“Right,” Kagami shifted in her seat, “I was wondering that if you weren’t doing anything today if maybe you wanted to hang out. I know we spent all last night together but my mother let me have the entire weekend off so I was hoping we could go out. Just the two of us.”

“I’d like that. I’ll have to stop by my house to change and drop off my dress but after that I’m all yours.” No way was Marinette going to parade around the city with a case of slept in hairspray head. Not if she was going to be spending the entire time with Kagami.

“I need to stop at my house too. How about we meet at the park near your house around noon?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

After breakfast wrapped up the girls changed out of their pajamas and collected their outfits from the night before. Marinette raced back to her house so she had time to get a shower and pick a cute outfit. Trying to run while carrying a garment bag holding a huge ballgown wasn’t easy but she made it work.

She barely said hello to her parents before she was upstairs. She tossed the dress across her chaise and hopped in the shower to get rid of the post-party grime. When she was done she went immediately to her closet and rifled through what she had. She wanted to look cute but also casual. It was a shame it was too cold for sundresses now.

Wait! She had a sweater dress that would be perfect for a chilly autumn day on the town. She grabbed the comfy red dress and slid it on. To make sure she was warm throughout Marinette also put on some fleece lined black leggings and black boots. There. Casual and cute.

She grabbed her purse and went to go meet Kagami.

Why was she so nervous all of the sudden hanging out with Kagami? They were friends. They put aside their feelings for Adrien to get to this point. There was virtually nothing to worry about. If that were true though then why was her heart beating so fast when she thought of being alone with her? It felt like when Marinette got sat next to her on her first day at Lycee Carnot. Except it wasn’t out of awkward jealousy. It felt like a lot more was on the line.

Stop it, Marinette! She chided herself. You need to get out of your head. You are just hanging out with Kagami. You’ve done this a plenty of times before now.

“Marinette, over here!” Kagami waved from the fountain.

Marinette was stopped in her tracks when she saw Kagami waving. She looked so pretty! She had on a white turtleneck and dusty rose peacoat, blue jeans, and tan ankle booties.

Marinette didn’t even know Kagami owned anything pink. She was sure that she wasn’t a big pastel kinda girl. Regardless, it looked great on her.

“Hey,” Marinette found her tongue as she approached Kagami which was hard since upon closer inspection she could see Kagami had also done her make-up before coming out. Just some tinted lipgloss and mascara but now Marinette was kicking herself for only putting on eyeliner. She could have gotten away with some color on her lips at least!

“You look good,” Kagami said.

“Thanks. You look perfect.” Again Marinette wanted to bury her face in the neckhole of her sweater. What kind of a response was that?

“Thank you,” Kagami fidgeted with the buttons on her coat. “So, um, what did you want to do?”

“Whatever you want to do.”

“How about we take a walk and see if anything else comes to mind while we do.” Kagami suggested.

“Good. Yeah. Let’s do that.”

The girls left the park and started to walk around the city not talking about anything in particular. Mainly they reminisced funny moments from the party and sleepover last night. Kagami didn’t know it since she was the first to fall asleep but Marinette had kept the others from writing on her face afterwards. It was traditional sleepover antics but Marinette fought back the girls’ permanent marker attack.

“My hero,” Kagami laughed.

“All in a day’s work, madame.” Marinette gave a mock bow.

“Watch out!” Kagami pulled Marinette out of the way as a couple of kids on scooters rocketed past them. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Marinette had been so caught up in her little bow she hadn’t noticed the scooterers. Kagami had pulled Marinette toward her to keep her from getting run over and had yet to let go. The proximity sent a ripple up of warmth up her spine. “Guess you were my hero this time.”

“We all have our moments.” Kagami let her go. Her gaze lost again to the ground. “That being said you should probably stick close. Don’t want you accidentally getting run over by a rogue biker next.”

“I think that would be for the best.” Marinette wasn’t going to miss an excuse to stay even closer to her.

They continued on their walk. Their hands kept bumping together as they walked before Marinette had enough and grabbed Kagami’s. When Kagami looked at her Marinette gave a tiny shrug. “I thought that if someone was going to try running me over you could pull me to safety easier this way.”

“Good idea.” Kagami relaxed a touch as she wove their fingers together.

A thought from last night dug its way back from Marinette’s memory and poked at her brain as if to say, ‘Hey! Remember me? Remember how beautiful you thought Kagami looked last night?’

Can you not do this right now? Marinette shot back at the voice in her head.

‘Afraid not!’ If voices in Marinette’s head had facial expressions she’d be a hundred percent sure it was smirking right now. ‘Remember how you thought her lips looked good enough to kiss? They still look pretty kissable now too, huh?’

Please stop. I’m just trying to have a nice day out with my friend.

‘You are really going to try and say she’s just a friend? You’re holding her hand. You can’t stop looking at her. You woke up this morning cuddled with her. This is not typical friend behaviour!’

Not necessarily…

‘You can’t procrastinate on this, Dupain-Cheng! You like Kagami! Admit it!’

Of course I like Kagami. She’s talented, passionate, smart, brave…

She’s also really cute and kind. She has a great sense of humor and always makes time for her friends even if it may be hard to do. When she was thinking she made little humming noises and had a habit of fidgeting and tapping her foot when she was anxious. She also always seemed to smell like green tea and fabric softener. It made Marinette want to curl up in her warm arms and take a nap.

Oh...oh no.

‘Finally figure it out? You big bi-disaster.’

We are not putting a definitive label on this right now but disaster-bi will suffice for this freak out. Do not panic, Marinette! You have a crush on Kagami. A realization that was thrown into the blinding light of day with warm morning snuggles. Keep calm. Do not let your freak out show on your face or else Kagami might start asking questions. Smile and continue walking.

They stayed out all day walking around the city and talking. They stopped for lunch at a little cafe and stopped in the used bookshop next door to see if they had any interesting titles. “You find anything?” Marinette found Kagami sitting on the floor in a little nook of the bookshop. A stainglassed window sent hazy sunbeams of yellow, orange and green around the cozy corner.

Kagami snapped her book shut when she saw Marinette sending dust dancing through the air. “Achoo!” Kagami sneezed.

“Oops, sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.” Marinette sat down next to her. “What were you reading?”

“I think I know where Nanette’s moms got the name for their cafe.” Kagami handed her the small purple book. The gold lettering on the front read: Winking Violets by Nanette Sabot.

“And who they named Nanette after.” Marinette opened it. “What’s it about?”

“I had to look it up on my phone since it doesn’t have a description in the book. But apparently it is about these two women that grew up together as friends. One had to be taken far away to a warmer town during the winters because of her weak constitution but always promised her friend that she would return in time for the violets to bloom. So throughout the years the girls became closer and closer and their field of violets grew with them. Until--do you mind if I spoil it?”

“I don’t mind.” Marinette assured her. “I have a feeling I’m gonna end up sad.”

“Oh yeah,” Kagami sighed, “The day before the weak girl was supposed to return home after the winter a harsh frost covered their field of violets killing all the blooms in one day. The next morning the other girl received a letter telling her that her friend had died. Overcome with grief the girl wandered the now barren field until she found one small violet still clinging to life amongst the frost. She dug it up and carried it home where she kept it warm and watered. When it was strong enough the girl took the bloom and brought it to her friend’s grave where she planted it. That way her friend would never miss the violets blooming again.”

“That is so sad!”

“But still very sweet. It’s the kind of love you dream of having with someone.”

“I guess so,” It might have been the light playing tricks on her eyes but she could have sworn Kagami was blushing.

“So,” Marinette handed her the book back, “Are you gonna buy it?”

“I think I’ll regret it if I don’t.” Kagami looked back at Marinette. Her big brown eyes sparkling in the light. “Amongst other things.”

“Meaning?”

“I am not an indecisive person.”

“I know.”

“Which is why the fact that I’m hesitating right now is very unlike me.”

“I thought you just said you were gonna get the book.”

“Oh Marinette,” Kagami cupped Marinette’s face in her hands, “You silly scatterbrain. I’m not talking about buying the book.”

Her hands were so warm and her face was so close. What was happening? Scatterbrained was right. Marinette couldn’t keep two thoughts together right now.

“Oh?” Marinette finally murmured. Truly a stimulating and literate response.

Kagami giggled which sent another wave of butterflies loose in Marinette’s stomach. “I know this might seem sudden and I might be making a huge fool of myself but I need to say this. I really like you. Not just as a friend. Is that okay?”

“Mhm!” Marinette nodded. “Very okay?”

“You’re sure? I know you tend to overthink things--”

“All I’ve thought about doing since yesterday is kissing you.” Marinette confessed in a rush of words.

Kagami stared back at her wide eyed. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have just blurted that out like I did. It’s just that you’re really pretty today, you’re really pretty everyday, but today even more so. You looked gorgeous last night too. I like being around you and find myself looking for more and more excuses to be next to you. You’re one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met and I would gladly do most anything to make you smile cause I love seeing you happy. Now I’m scared that the second I stop talking you’re gonna freak out and walk away and I--”

Kagami silenced her with a quick kiss.

“I really wanted to kiss you too.” Kagami said.

Marinette could only smile before she went in for another kiss. This one longer and sweeter than the first. She could taste the faint sweetness of the creampuff they had ordered at the cafe on her lips.

“I guess this means neither of us have to worry about competing over Adrien anymore.” Marinette chuckled. Her forehead resting against Kagami’s.

“I’d say so.” Kagami laughed too.

“Ahem,” the bookshop owner peeked their head around the corner, “You girls find what you were looking for?”

“Yes,” Kagami and Marinette stood up, hands holding tightly to one another, “I think we have.”

---

Transferred:

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15)

---

@ladylb @immatureidiot101 @lady-flora-of-slytherin @shamefullove @zazzlejazzle @heredemaquam @kristycocopops @schrodingers25 @sublimemagazinestarlight @crazylittlemunchkin @daydream-wannabewriter @trainflavor @never-neverland @mochinek0 @persephonebutkore

#miraculous ladybug #marinette dupain cheng #kagami tsurugi #marigami #kagaminette #transfer au #writing #they are just so cute #fluff fluff fluff!

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zeph4a · 5 years ago

Text

Monsta X Reaction to Accidentally Confessing Their Feelings for You on Vlive

Thank you to the Anon that requested this one! I was super soft the ENTIRE time writing it. <3

I’m sorry for how long winded some are. I got really soft with this one

Shownu

You and Shownu had known each other for a while. He was a wonderful person. If anyone looked up caring in the dictionary, the only description would be Hyunwoo. You had grown very fond of his nurturing, respectful, laid back attitude that he always had around you and you noticed yourself blushing around him more and more. Every time he looked at you, your heart would skip beats.

The two of you had hung out with some friends a few times but always managed to sit next to each other which spiraled a huge series of rumors amongst Monbebe and all other Kpop fans. Its usually not a very good idea but you wouldn’t help but search “Shownu” on sites like Twitter and Tumblr. “Who is this woman hanging out with Nunu?” one Monbebe had asked. You weren’t dating but for some reason your new friendship was already making headlines and you couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if you were to date. That would be answered fairly quick.

Hyunwoo was doing a post-concert Vlive with his member Hyungwon, when the question came into the chat asking if he was dating you. “Y/n? No, we are just friends, but they really are amazing. Whoever gets do date them will be the luckiest person ever.” Your heart was torn. Half because it hurt to hear him say no you weren’t together and half because he had spoken so highly of you. You were brought back to the stream from your mental malfunction by Hyungwon’s playful voice. “YA! Don’t talk like that, Monbebe will be jealous and think you lovestruck!” he laughed. You nodded your head but immediately froze solid when you heard Hyunwoo’s reply.

“I am”

You weren’t the only one that froze. Hyungwon looked at him like he had swore on Vlive. It wasn’t until Hyunwoo looked at him that he realized that he DID NOT say that in his head like he though.

“Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I said that out loud didn’t I?” He wasn’t even going to try to play it off. “Okay, so yeah I have a big crush on Y/N. We’ve been hanging out a lot lately and they’re pretty awesome. I think you’d like them a lot, Monbebe!” His face was beet red and you knew yours was too. Who’s wouldn’t be? After the slip up he pretended to not see the massive amount of spam coming in from Monbebe about you, because it was all a little overwhelming.

An hour later the Vlive ended. You wait a few minutes for him to get settled and gave him a call.

“Hello?”

“Hey how’d the Vlive go?”

“Oh, it was great we had a lot of Monbebe showing us so much love!”

“Uh hu, I heard.”

“……Wait. What did you here?”

“Oh nothing, but just so you know, you’re adorable when your flushered.”

“………………………………………You watched it didn’t you”

“Of course I did. I always watch your streams. I have to show my support”

“Thank you! So uh.. Would you like to go on a date with me?” He asked in such a small shy voice that your heart nearly gave out.”

“Of course I would.”

Wonho

Hoseok was a picture-perfect, boyfriend material man and you just so happened to be seeing him. He was always so thoughtful and respectful when it came to you and loved to spoil you.You two had been talking for a while but never said the statement that you wanted to hear. It was too soon and you knew that but you really did love him even if it was such a short time to see someone. Starship knew and while they didn’t care for it, they respected his wishes. The main reason he hadn’t asked you to be his G/b/f was because he had stated at the beginning of his career that he didn’t really see himself getting married and he didn’t want his fans to reject you because of that.

The two of you had just finished a wonderful late-night date where he took you to your favorite restaurant. He walked you to your door and kissed you goodnight then headed home to get some rest. While you were washing off your face you got a notification from Vlive saying Minhyuk had gone live on the Monsta X account. You opened it up to see him chilling in the living room, casually talking to the thousands of Monbebe’s watching the stream. You could hear someone moving in the background and heard Min laugh and ask if the person wanted to join, which followed with a “sure.” The deeper sleepy voice on the other side of the camera was Hoseok. He asked if they could do the live in his room because he wanted to lay down on his bed and Minhyuk covered the camera and followed him there.

Hoseok was too sleepy to notice that he didn’t move the picture on his nightstand. It was a picture of you and him during the date where he had taken you to the beach at night. The two of you had laughed until you cried and it was when you realized you loved him. It was a sweet memory, but one that Monbebe didn’t know about. You didn’t even know he had printed that picture off! The boys started talking and goofing off but it didn’t take long for questions to start popping up in the chat that mad Hoseok go red.

“’Wonho who is the girl in the picture with you?’ What picture are you………Oh that picture?!” He pointed at it. You could tell he was panicking just a little bit but he held it together like a champ. “Monbebe, I have a confession to make. I have an amazing person by my side that I have been seeing for a short while now. They truly make me happy and that’s why this picture is here. Every night I go to bed I look at it and think of how lucky of a man I am. I have them and I have you. Please don’t think that I love Monbebe any less! Truthfully I was worried about how you would feel, so I’ve tried to hide my feelings, even though I know I haven’t done a good job with that. And please treat them with respect too!” Those last to statements his face showed a lot of worry, which was a shared feeling for you too.

More comments came through and Hoseok perked up. Almost all of the comments were well wishes and screams for him to ask you out, mixed with the occasional “AHHHHHHH OUR BUFF BUNNY FOUND LOVEEEEEEEE, <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3.” The two of you were breathing just a little easier.

After his Vlive with Minhyuk ended he called you like he does every night and was talking like an excited toddler.

“DID YOU WATCH THE VLIVE?! DID YOU SEE HOW HAPPY MONBEBE WERE?! I Don’t know why I was so worried. I really do have the most wonderful fans. I wonder if they want pictures of us? I could share the one of us at the movies the other day! You looked gorgeous!”

“Hoho you aren’t going to be able to sleep tonight, are you?” you laughed.

“Probably not, I’m just so happy! I’m so thankful my little goof didn’t backfire on us. I’m on my way to your house!”

“Hoseok its 3 in the morning!”

“Yeah, but how lame would it be to asked you to be mine over the phone!”

The next morning you woke up to Starship making an official announcement and about 20,000 more followers on Instagram. There was also a text from Hoseok who was already at practice.

“Good morning beautiful. Have an amazing day today and I can’t wait to see you tonight! Text when you can! I love you :)“

Minhyuk

You knew Minhyuk from your childhood. He was one of your best friends that you had known since you were little and had lived right down the road from one another. Even though the two of you didn’t get to hang out much since he became an idol, you were always texting and talking on the phone, with the occasional hang out session happening between comebacks.

You also had a secret he didn’t know about. You were absolutely infatuated with him. The time that you had known each other had turned into a love story for you, where you wished you could tell him how you felt but you also didn’t want your friendship to change after you confessed. So, you kept this secret to yourself.

Minhyuk was in the United States on their “We Are Here” world tour and decided to do a live stream with his teammate, Changkyun. You had just woken up and were getting ready to head to work when you got the notification, so you decided to listen to the stream in the car like it was a podcast. You couldn’t help but laugh at their antics a wish that it was you with Min instead of I.M.

You were just getting onto the highway when a Monbebe asked the boys if they thought they would ever date while they were Idols. Changkyun said he didn’t know and really didn’t think about it too much because he didn’t have anyone that caught his eye just yet, besides Monbebe. You thought you were going to run off the road when Minhyuk gave his response.

“I’d date my best friend, y/n.”

You weren’t totally convinced it was a confession and not a sweet sentiment that was meant to find you a b/g/f, since that was definitely something Min would do. However, Changkyun made it very clear what Minhyuk was trying to say.

“Yeah you’ve had a crush on them for a while.” He commented. “YA! Don’t call me out like that” Minhyuk laughed. “Monbebe don’t need to know that, and I’m now hoping that y/n isn’t watching. I didn’t mean to say that! We’ve known each other since we were about 8 years old.” Oh boy, were you watching. You had just pulled up to work and just sat in your car, mouth wide open. One Monbebe asked why Minhyuk hadn’t asked you out and he stated the exact same feeling of he didn’t want to lose you as a friend because he didn’t think you felt the same.

You open up your text messages and send a quick “I do feel like that, though” and then reopened Vlive to see if he would get the message on Vlive. His phone vibrated and he pulled it out and read what you had sent. Slowly a huge sunshiney grin spread across his face and he showed the message to Changkyun, who let out a massive “I TOLD YOU SO,” making Minhyuk laugh.

You were completely late to work and it didn’t even matter to you, but loosing your job may not be a good idea. You tuned off the Vlive and sent him a quick “I’ll text you on my break” message, which got an even quicker, “Don’t text, call me when you can.”

Work was going so slow for you but when that first 15-minute break came around, you ran outside and his Minhyuk’s contact. It conversation was a little awkward at first but after a few minutes the two of you were talking and joking. He told you that when he got home, he was taking you out immediately and you told him that you couldn’t wait. Once your break was over you told him to get some sleep and to call you when he wakes up.

He held true to his word when he got home a month later, and your new relationship with his was everything you could had ever imagined.

Kihyun

A lot of famous Korean Idols and Actors had recently started dating and Dispatch was on High Alert. You knew that you and your new love interest Kihyun had to be careful since you hadn’t been together that long and hadn’t really had the talk about how serious of a relationship yours was. You had been on a couple of dates but hadn’t talked about how you felt about each other or if you wanted to take the next step and add labels to each other. You knew that you were head over heels for him but weren’t totally sure where he stood. He was a total sweetheart and was affectionate but past experiences had you guessing if he felt the same way for you that you felt for him.

He was doing a Vlive after practice and you were trying to clean your house and decided to tune in to show some support. You set your phone up to the side and began cleaning the counters in your kitchen. He started talking about some exciting stuff for the group and you knew that it was a matter of time before he spilled some details that shouldn’t be spilled. You sent him a text reminding him to watch what he says so not to get in trouble and then when back to cleaning.

“Yes, my love.”

You froze. He froze. Your cat froze. The lady next door froze. Everything froze.

He sat there for a second with his eyes wide and hands over his mouth. Monbebe were all over it asking who his love was. Not only did he accidentally reveled that he had a love interest, but he reveled that he did have feelings for you.

You stood in the living room counter cleaner in your hand with the goofiest grin on your face. He immediately tried to cover up what he had said but it was no use. Monbebe were smarter than that.

“Okay Monbebe. Yes, I have been seeing someone. They’re amazing and I’m truly lucky to have them. They’re watching too and reminded me to not leak anything that could get me in trouble.” He laughed. “I really care for them a lot and I hope that we can continue to see each other and be something more.”

Monbebe in chat got super soft. Chat was filled with “aww” and “I’m so Happy for you Kihyun.” Many asked when he was going to introduce you to them like they were family, which you loved because you knew that Monbebe meant so much to him. He explained that you weren’t an official relationship but not to worry because he had plans for that, and that was the only information he was going to leak, with a light hearted laugh.

You waited until he finished his stream and sent him a text telling him that he was just a tiny adorable little thing. He respond that 1. He was taller than you, 2. He is a member of Monsta X so he cant be THAT cute, and 3. He was on his way over to hang out. When he got there you both talked about where you were standing and if there should be a commitment. Needless to say the name his name in your phone was <3 Boyfriend <3 by the end of the night. Before he left he took a cute picture of the two of you and posted to fancafe for Monbebe to see.

“Monbebe meet y/n, my amazing g/b/f. At least I leaked it before Dispatch did haha!”

Hyungwon

You were hanging out with your friend Hyungwon. You were just finishing up a dance session the two of you were having since he was planning a video for Monbebe to show off some of his dance moves. You two had known each other for a while, having attended the same dance school in Gwangju. You were sad when he he moved to Seoul to follow his dream, but you came to visit as much as possible. Eventually you moved their as well and when he was wanting to come up with little dance routines for Monbebe you were always there helping and showing support. You were about to head home when he decided he was going to do a short Vlive and talk to some fans.

He was sitting on the floor of the studio in Starship’s building, talking to some fans when you were heading out the door. He looked so happy to be talking and joking around with them, that it warmed your heart. You always had a soft spot for him. You were two peas in a pod. You could talk about anything, and the best time when the two of you were just hanging out, watching movies lazily on the couch. It usually ended up in nap time but hey you were both very busy and naps were fun, right? Truth be told, you had grown a little more than fond of Hyungwon. You really liked him. You were jealous of the makeup artists and staff that always got to be with him, and occasionally flirted with him. You wished you could tell him how you felt but this friendship meant too much to you to try to ruin like that. You would much rather have him as a friend than not at all, or have the friendship just be awkward from rejection.

You had gathered your stuff quietly and was getting ready to leave when started waving and saying bye. You took this as you didn’t need to be quiet and told him bye and grabbed the door handle. Just before you walked out you heard Hyungwon very clearly say “I love you.” You stopped, smiled and looked over your shoulder thinking he was meaning it in a friendly way. You guys had said “love ya” before. His face was shocked, like he had slipped up. You were confused why he had that look on his face, but noticed the blush flashing across his cheeks. Was it possible he liked you too? You stepped back in the room and shut the door when he finally came too and started reading chat. “’ Who is the person you just told I love you too?’ Uh, well that’s my really good friend. They’re my partner in crime…..’That look says more than friend, are you holding out on us?’ I might be holding out on myself, Monbebe.” he laughed. You stood there with a grin on your face, listening to him try to explain himself to his fans for his slip up but he eventually gave up. “Okay fine, yes I have a thing for my friend, and yes they are standing about 20 feet away from me staring at me, as I wish I could go crawl under a rock in embarrassment.” He laughed again. “I think I’m going to call it for the night before I leak something insanely important. Goodnight, Monbebe, I love you all so much.” He waved and ended it, sighing and setting the camera down.

He looked looked at you with a smile and a lighthearted “oops.” You just smiled back and shook your head. “Ya know, I wouldn’t have batted an eye if you wouldn’t have freaked out.” You responded. “Well I just confessed my feelings to my best friend, unintentionally, in front of THOUSANDS.” You could tell that last part made him a little nervous, but it had happened and Hyungwon always handled everything with grace.

“Well, if it means anything to you, I love you too Hyungwon.” Your face was hot and you knew it had to be redder than his.

He stood up and made his way too you, adorable smile on his face. “Well, its still somewhat early. Would you like to go on a date with me?”

“I’d love to.” You both smiled and he shortened the distance between the two of you giving you a big hug and planted a soft kiss on the top of your head.

Hand in hand you both left the build. “Guess we don’t have to worry about the media leaking us. I did it for them.” He laughed. In that moment you knew this is exactly what happiness was.

Jooheon

*I just really love this gif yall.*

Last night was awesome. You had gone on a date with a friend that you had known for a while, or at least you assumed it was a date, considering the blushing on both ends. You two had gone to the movies to see a scary movie and then to dinner. Jooheon was a total baby the entire movie, but it was his idea. You thought it probably picked the movie because he wanted to seem all tough, but everyone who knew Jooheon knew that he was the opposite.

The next morning you had gotten woke up by your phone notification going off twice. One from the Monsta X twitter and the other from the Monsta X Vlive account, both announcing one or more of the boys had gone online for a stream. When Jooheon made it to the end of No Mercy and joined Monsta X, you immediately followed their social media pages to show support for your friend and keep up with him.

You rolled over and opened the app and where greeted by a sleepy Changkyun in a red hoodie talking with the fans. He was talking and being a flirtatious maknae making the Monbebe go crazy. You laid your phone on the bed and closed your eyes but kept the stream open. Right as you were about to fall back asleep you were jolted awake by Jooheon’s voice as he walked into the room.

“Changkyun-ah! You should have been there last night. I had such a good time, I think y/n might be the one.” I.M’s eyes got huge and he shook his head “no” as he looked over at his Hyung. You were wide awake now, palm pressed to your cheek, staring at your phone.

“What’s wrong?”

“Uh… I’m on vlive.”

There was a thick silence for a little bit, that was only broken by Changkyun chuckling and a door to one of the rooms shutting. You assumed Jooheon had mouthed a few explicit words and ran away. The image of what happened on the other side of the phone made you giggle.

Changkyun tried to cover for his best friend and buffer some of the questions that Monbebe had pouring in, without giving away too much because he felt it wasn’t his place to do. “Now what am I suppose to do Monbebe. Now theres a third wheel to Jookyun... I guess we just need to date huh?” he flirted.

A few seconds later, you received a text message from Jooheon.

“Good morning, are you awake.”

“Just got up a little bit ago, what’s up”

“Nothing just got home, wanted to see what’s up and if you wanted to hang out again tonight?”

“Of course! Let me just end Changkyuns Vlive.” The messages stopped for a few minutes and you worried that you had given him a panic attack making a joke that you knew how he felt.

“You were watching, huh?”

“I was and don’t worry I feel the same way <3”

“You do??”

“Well, duh I wouldn’t have said yes to going out again tonight if I didn’t lol!”

“Pick you up at 8?”

“Can’t wait <3”

I.M

You met Changkyun while doing an internship with Starship during their comeback for the “Beautiful” era. You both had so much fun playing Overwatch together and listening to music that it became a regular event during his free time that he had when he wasn’t working on new songs. You weren’t even going to lie and say that you didn’t have feelings for him, you did and you knew it. The problem was you were trying to get your internship that you had done to be a real job with Starship, and you didn’t want to make your friendship awkward if you were to succeed and get the job.

He was hanging out in a hotel room with his fellow Monsta X member, Wonho, and talking on a Vlive stream with Monbebe. You had flown to see the show and were hanging out in the background while they finished it up. You need to grab something from your hotel room, so you motioned that you were leaving and walked out. What you didn’t see or here was Changkyun staring you out the room lovingly. When the door closed, he said “gah, y/n’s so perfect” under his breath. He thought nobody had heard but Hoseok did and so did the camera that was just close enough to pick up everything.

He realized that everyone had heard when the questions started appearing in the chat. “Who is y/n?” “Are you two dating?” “Did our wolf find the one?” While Changkyun was nervous to answer any of the questions he felt honestly was the best option. “y/n is one of my friends. They’re an intern with Starship and pretty much me in a much more attractive form. I’m honestly nervous to tell them how I feel” he laughed. Wonho had completely broken. He was sitting there in awe and the maknae’s courage to speak on his slip up. When you re-emerged in the room all mention of what had happened stopped. You could feel something had happened and looked at the two boys with a confused face, but nobody said a word towards what was wrong for the rest of the night. You had thought maybe you should go back and see what was said but Starship was taking forever to put the video back up in a vod.”

It didn’t take long though. The next morning, you woke up to dozens of direct messages on Twitter from people you didn’t know but knew from the titles on their pages that they were Monbebe. They had worked through the night to find you and send you a video clip from the stream. You watched him say that you were perfect at least a hundred times with butterflies in your chest. You were nervous about whether you should let Kyun know that you knew, but eventually you gained the mindset to go for it. You walked to breakfast where you found him at a table with Wonho and another member named Jooheon. They were casually joking and eating their food. The second Wonho noticed you, you saw him punch Jooheon and nod to you, symbolizing to you that he had spilled the beans to Jooheon.

Kyun turned and smiled with a blush coming across his face. He pulled the chair out for you and asked how you were that morning. After sharing a few pleasantries, he didn’t even try to hind the Vlive anymore. “So Monbebe spilled into your messages, didn’t they?” You were taken back by the fact that he wasn’t going to hide it but smiled and nodded. Wonho and Jooheon scooted closer to each other and waited for the next response.

“Everything I said was the truth. I’m so lucky to have you in my life, you really are amazing. I’ve never met someone so much like me and I’ve fallen for you so hard. I understand if you don’t feel the same, but I needed to get it off my chest, and don’t worry. I’ve already talked to my boss. They’re already planning on giving you the job, and even if we were to get together that wouldn’t change. You’re an incredible worker and they don’t want to lose you, but neither do I. So, if you don’t feel the same I’ll understand but can’t we please still be friends.”

Wonho and Jooheon were practically leaning over the table waiting on your answer.

“Kyun, I’ve been so into you for such a long time.” You smiled sweetly and got up from your chair giving the maknae a huge hug, burying your face into his chest. You could physically feel his sigh of relief.

“You have no idea how happy I am right now” he said as Wonho and Jooheon sprung up, hand in hand dancing and scream their excitement that you two had started your new blooming relationship.

124 notes · View notes

poetfades2black · 5 years ago

Text

Unraveled

Author: Poetfades2black

Notes: This story will reference a lot of the episodes and feature dialogue directly from them. There will be a lot of sex as well so I would rate this as Mature.

Thanks to @untapdtreasure and @sunshyne2014 for beta

Disclaimer: I don’t own them.

CHAPTER ONE:

Goren and Eames had given up on finding love. They had resigned to live solitary lives. They weren’t supposed to fall in love. The rules strictly forbade it and as professionals they kept relatively professional and friendly boundaries. They worked well together and had a mutual respect for one another that neither wanted to jeopardize. Yet, there was this whole unspoken vibe between them that started to push them in an entirely different direction. But that’s the thing about love, when you finally give up on it, it surprises you. It surprised them. Then, through the worst times of their lives, they found their way to each other and held on for dear life.

The first time they had sex, he recalled, Eames had totally caught him off guard. He broke into a big grin as he though all the way back to the first time they had crossed their personal and professional boundaries. Sex was the furthest thought he could ever imagine becoming reality. Sure, he thought of it and even had dreams of them having sex but thinking and doing were far apart in his mind.

That day, they met some colleagues after a long day at work. Their case came with a lot of paperwork attached and, of course, he was behind on his previous paperwork so they were working most of the day tackling that. He remembered her chiding him, “Bobby, really look at all this paperwork. How did you get so behind?”

“It’s simple. I just don’t like doing paperwork. Research is fine but having to put every single detail into these reports,” he shuddered and blew air out of his mouth, “it’s mind-numbing.”

“Well, I don’t particularly get a thrill from paperwork either, but I manage to get mine done on time.” She started moving things around his desk. “Seriously, Goren, how do you keep all these notes straight and don’t get me started on making sense of what you wrote down. This sheet just has random numbers and letters. I feel like I need a cipher just to make heads or tails of this.”

“Well you do sort of, not a cipher exactly, but I do write in a code of sorts.”

“Goren, who do you actually think is going to read this?”

“Well it’s not for others. It’s for me. It makes it faster for me to write them.”

“And you understand it?”

“Yeah.”

“Of course you do.” She rolled her eyes, “Okay, well, the Captain isn’t letting us go until this is turned in and guess who has to supervise to make sure it gets done?

“Sorry, Eames.”

“Oh you’re gonna make it up to me. We are totally going out for drinks, and you’re paying for mine.” She glanced around “Mike, Carolyn, are you good for drinks after?” With a nod from them, she turned to Goren “Okay now that it’s settled, let’s get you finished with this. Let me know what notes you need and get to writing.”

Inside bar

After they finished, Eames changed into a spare dress that she had in her locker. She needed to shed her work clothes to feel refreshed and sometimes it allowed her to take herself out of work mode and let her enjoy herself. The four of them filed into a booth of a nearby bar. They were talking about the funniest moments from their cases or talking about some dumb rules that got implemented. They were enjoying themselves and off the bat, Eames observed two things. One, this guy wouldn’t stop staring at her, and he appeared to be on a date. She shook her head, figures. The other was Goren was sitting pretty close to her, and he was definitely eyeing her up. Hmm, I must look really good today. She caught him staring at her breasts a couple times and one time staring at her butt as she got out of the booth. She figured it was a typical guy behavior and thought nothing more of it, but he would tell stories and touch her arm, or he would laugh and catch her eye. She noted, He looks really good when he laughs and decided well if he was interested she would have some fun and play along.

Eames told a story that on its face was innocent and simply a recall from her vice days, but because she knew she had his attention, she played up the details of her ridiculous outfits and unbelievable John asks. She knew it would get some laughs and also get him to focus more on her. He would occasionally ask, “Do you even know how to do that?” Or what a term meant, and she would explain and sometimes comically demonstrating with table items. She leaned against him, their sides touching in their booth as they sit side by side, she shifted her legs to accidentally graze his and watched his expression change. Logan and Barek had next in the distribution of cases so they called it a night, but Eames was having too much fun messing with Goren and stirring reactions from him so she caught his eye “I could stay and have a couple more drinks. Besides you’re still on the hook for my drinks. I hope you didn’t think I was going to let you off the hook that easily.” They made their way out of the booth and said their goodbyes to Logan and Barek. She felt so strong and in control. The way Goren was staring at her with his intense eyes and confident smile made her feel like a woman. She leaned into her femininity.

“C’mon let’s go to the bar,” Eames stated while she got up and motioned him to follow. Goren fixed on her as she walked away. He trailed behind her. Goren relaxed in his seat taking up a bit of space around him legs and arms stretched claiming the area around them. After a bit of joking, laughing, and talking, a guy approached and wedged himself in the small space between Eames and Goren.

“Excuse me but you look great tonight. Can I get you another of what you are having?”

“Can’t you see I’m in the middle of a conversation here? I’m not interested, buddy.” The guy gave her a look of astonishment like he couldn’t believe she was blowing him off.

“Whatever. I was just trying to do you a solid. I thought you may want someone who could show you a better time. Obviously, you’re not worth mine.” Goren began to get up to confront the guy but Eames pushed him back in his stool. He was furious. Eames had every intention of capitalizing on this moment. There was a buzzing energy so thick she could feel it vibrating between them. They were dancing around their attraction to each other.

“Let’s not let that moron spoil the night” she said as she slowly ran her hand up his thigh and finished with a light squeeze. He was thrown off by her gesture and almost knocked over his drink. He then immediately started trying to work through it in his head is she really flirting with me or is this for that guy’s benefit? For the first time, it was difficult to get a read on her. Her touch sent him into overdrive, and he was definitely focused on staying calm and keeping a certain thing at bay. Goren began thinking and evaluating. She had some drinks, but she wasn’t drunk. He’d gone out with her and fellow cops to know when she was getting tipsy or drunk and she may be bordering on tipsy but she wasn’t near drunk.

“Um,” he starts while licking his suddenly dry lips, “but Eames he can’t just have the nerve to say and do that and walk away unscathed .

“Do I looked bothered?”

“No, actually, you don’t.”

“Let me tell you why I am not bothered.” She exclaimed a little too happily, leaning in and gesticulating widely. “He was staring at me the whole time he was on a date and didn’t come to approach me until after she left. He didn’t care that I was talking to a guy who could have very well been my date for the evening. And the top reason I’m not shedding any tears for that slime ball, was the tan line where his wedding ring is supposed to be when he put his hands on mine. So now that we established further that only losers seem to be attracted to me, let’s get back to where we were.”

As she made that statement she thought, Well I guess occasionally, an actual good guy comes to his senses every now and then.

“And exactly, where was that?” He questioned arching an eyebrow, feeling a little nervous and excited inside but masking it with assurance.

“Well, we were talking and enjoying each other’s company.”

“Uh huh,” He was mesmerized at the slow way she spoke and seductive way she was interacting with him.

“You know after a long day of the backed up paperwork, which I still blame you for,” Goren squinted and gestured as if taking responsibility, “you owe me a good conversation and more drinks to make up for it.” She playfully ran her hand up his arm to focus catch his eye.

They both laughed and then Goren spoke, “Okay, I’m impressed, not shocked that you picked all that up in the short time we were talking.”

“After dating a series of losers, let’s just say that I’ve developed a radar, so to speak. Besides, you would have too if you weren’t so distracted.”

He got a little nervous. Had she noticed me staring or focused on her tonight? He couldn’t help but notice how playful Eames was all night. She is so happy and gorgeous. I’d make a fool of myself, if it gets me that smile. He always thought she was attractive. She was a great looking woman and had the gall to back it up; but usually, he was able to put up a wall because partners are off limits, and he wanted to demonstrate his respect for her. However, tonight, he was sure she was sending him signals that maybe she was attracted to him too.

She kept leaning forward, touching his arm. He was only grateful she hadn’t done that move with her hands on his thigh when their colleagues were around because he’s not sure how he would have reacted which brought him back to maybe she waited on purpose. That would mean that she was flirting with him, but why and how much further would he allow it to go before he said something?

“I’m not distracted.” He wrung his hands and looked down briefly before looking back up.

Got you. You are so busted. “You are totally distracted, but the question is, is the reason you are distracted the reason I think you are?”

I was busted. She definitely knew I was checking her out. “And what reason would that be?”

“Not so fast, that’s for me to know and me to find out,” she said as she took a long sip of her drink. She was being confident but some liquid courage couldn’t hurt. Now, he was trying to figure out if she was really into him or just acting interested enough to get him to admit he was into her. He couldn’t help but play along. He wanted to get a read on her because that’s what he does right, read people? He figured some harmless flirting between them wasn’t the worst thing because it wasn’t like either one of them was actually going to act on it. They couldn’t.

“So you’re not gonna tell me your little theory? Well then, how will you know if you’re right?” He nibbled at his bottom lip and cocked his head to the side just a little. Well, if she wanted to play chicken, he had no trouble egging her on.

“So, you admit that you are distracted, and I’ll just know.”

“Not even a hint?” He laughed, and she leaned in again pointing her finger to his chest.

“Surely one of New York’s smartest detectives doesn’t need a hint to solve his cases, does he? I’m sure you will figure it out, eventually.”

“Fine. I’ll play but how do you want to do this? How many guesses are you going to give me?”

“Hmm..I’ll make it easy on you since you sound like you need some help. I’ll give you three guesses to guess my theory or make me believe the reason you are distracted.“

“Three, okay.” He shifted in his chair and stretched his hands out gesticulating. “You know that darn paperwork.” He said with a laugh playfully sliding his tongue between his teeth then forcing a serious face before saying, “It was unbelievably frustrating and now I’m thinking that I may have made a mistake on one of the forms. It’s been driving me a bit crazy.”

She licked her lips. Okay, Bobby if that’s how you are gonna play it. She fingered around the bottom of the glass of her drink which was now empty. “You worried about paperwork? No, that doesn’t sound like you. If you made a mistake with the case and it bothered you, that would be more believable.” She laughed and flicked her hair back. “Are you even trying?” He had a big smile on his face, then he gestured to the bartender for a refill on both of their drinks. She fingered the salt on the rim and slowly sucked it off her finger before taking a sip of her drink. He sucked in a breath as his eyes traced her actions. In his mind it played on repeat in slow motion. She’s got me right where she wants and she knows it.

“Okay you got me. You remember that case we had with the sex club and the little black book of names. When you were telling your stories from back in vice, I was just wondering if many of these girls kept records. Could you imagine the blackmail opportunities and not to mention they may have lists of what you asked for or how long you lasted. Talk about embarrassing for some of these guys.”

“Well if there was a record out there, serves them right and what has you thinking of the johns? Don’t tell me, you Robert Goren visited a prostitute.” She imitated mocked horror.

“Uh no” He smiled sheepishly. “My dad definitely did and it would serve him right if some record existed but I don’t think there would be much of interest for a guy like him.”

“Was that really what you were thinking about? The thing that has you so distracted tonight?”

“Maybe, I don’t know. You tell me,” he nodded his head towards her almost as if to say the ball’s in your court.

“Well it seems plausible. However, you were distracted way before I started my stories.”

“And you know that for a fact?”

“mmhmm,” she just purred from her lips. He stared at her for a minute waiting to see if she would go into more detail about why she knew for a fact he was distracted much earlier but she didn’t. Okay, so you are really going to make me say it. When, in fact, I think you need to do some sharing of your own, Eames. You have been all over me and have been sending me signals all night. But, if you are gonna play coy. I may just have to bite this bullet of ours.

“Well maybe that is what I was thinking.” he shifted and shook his head “Or maybe not.” He tried once more to give her an opening. “What is your evidence that I was distracted earlier?”

“Not a chance and give away my little theory. No, you are going to have to guess right if you want to know what I’m thinking. I think your previous answer had just enough truth without the real reason.”

“Is that so?” He swallowed hard, suddenly thirsty. Goren grabbed his drink downing it. He then appeared to be reaching over her to grab something.“I still, uh, have one more guess,“ he stated putting up his fingers to show one.

He smiled slyly before making his move. He leaned in blocking most of the view from onlookers with his body. Then, he placed his hand on her thigh, turning the tables on her, whispering in her ear. “Does the reason I’m so distracted have anything to do with how fucking amazing you look tonight and maybe how I can’t think about anything else but you.” There, he said it and put it out there but he knew she knew anyway. She was a damn good detective and would have picked up on it immediately. He may have been obvious about his staring but he couldn’t help that he could not look away. She was beautiful and sexy and even more so that she knew it and flaunted it, determined to keep her femininity along with being a cop in the boys club. She bit her lip. He continued,“Is it wrong that I’m having dirty thoughts about you, right now?” He ran his hand higher up her thigh slowly and tortuously up her dress. “Stop me if I’m misinterpreting.” He whispered in her ear. His hot breath brushed across her ear and Eames couldn’t speak nor did she want to. His breath caught as the pads of his fingertips touched her skin ever so lightly. He was so close to her and his hand was in a place no partner should have his hand but she wasn’t stopping him. It was turning him on. “You are making me crazy, tonight. You know that, right.” She let out a light gasp at how high his fingers were going up her legs. She almost didn’t want to speak knowing it would put an end to the teasing they were doing to each other and she didn’t want him to stop but she knew they needed to before they became indecent in public, at the most popular cop bar near the precinct.

She willed her mouth to speak, “Bobby.”

This was what she wanted. She was feeling sexy tonight and his staring didn’t go unnoticed and made her feel even more sexy. She was going to do this but it was going to be on her terms. He removed his hand and reached for a napkin to the side of her with his other hand. He wiped his mouth and placed it inside his empty cup.

“Alex.” He whispered as he stared into her eyes. He might have won this game of chicken they were playing.

He deflated a little when she shook her head. “Eames. Call me Eames.”

Was it in his head? She definitely was flirting with him. He didn’t imagine it. She got up and leaned to him as she vacated her stool. “See, I knew you would figure it out and sex was definitely on your mind.” He grinned hard and got up from his seat as well. Eames kept her voice low, “If we are going to do this, I want to keep it casual just for tonight and I want you to call me Eames.”

He smiled before the words caught his ear. “Are you gonna call me Goren?” He joked

“Whatever you want, sweetheart. Let’s get out of here.” He stumbled a bit. Wait was she serious? Are we gonna do this? Thoughts began to race through his head and he froze for a second trying to think of what to say. I should stop this right? We were going too far? I don’t want to stop it. I very much want to do this. But what if someone finds out? What if it changes things between them? How is she not nervous? He was stressing a bit about what the right play was and he was almost itching for a cigarette to calm his nerves but then Eames spoke.

Eames glanced over to him,“Don’t overthink it, Goren.” Just like that, she willed his mind to focus. How does she do that? Before he could get his words out, he found his body walking out the door after her. He had to address the obvious before they did anything and give a gentlemanly rationale; an out for her in case she changed her mind.

“Eames, this has been uh fun but you’re not seriously thinking we should act on this.”

“It’s sex, Goren. Something, I’m pretty sure we are both capable of doing without letting it get in the way of work.”

“H-how long have you been thinking about this?” his voice was betraying him as his nerves started coming back. We are doing this.

“Less talk more action.”

“Action. What kind of action?”

“We’ll if you don’t know that, then maybe you shouldn’t do this.” She replied but rolled her eyes when she realized she was going to have to lead him in this or he was going to be thinking and analyzing the whole time and she wanted his mind and attention focused solely on her. “First, we are going to call a cab. Then, you are going to take me into your apartment and we are going to have sex, passionate sex, and afterwards we are not going to talk about consequences. When I leave, what we are about to do will not have happened, understand?”

“Okay and I’m more than capable.” Goren puffed out his chest and widened his gait. There you go, Goren. I’ve always liked when you are cocky and confident. She smiled.

“Oh, I bet you are. Size 13 right?”

Please review on ff.net and AO3

#Fanfiction #otp: an aquired taste

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defkooka · 6 years ago

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I KNEW | HENDERY

Pairing: Hendery x Reader

Summary: You’ve always been by his side. You probably knew him better than he knew himself, but those forbidden feelings always lingered in the air. It just comes down to what you’re willing to do about them.

Word Count: 2.8K

Scenario: requested!!! prince!au, angst?, romanceee

A/N: okay so hendery is one of my wayv biases and i kinda, maybe, accidentally got carried away with this... but im not sorry hehe. also thank yo to the amazing person who requested this! i just kinda went with what my mind told me and it YELLED to do a prince au so here you are :) pls keep requesting i love reading your comments lol.

NOT PROOFREAD YET

“Do I look okay?” He asked as you finished buttoning the last of his shirt that stuck perfectly to his body. His black hair swooped to one side exposing his face that laid no imperfections, his two silver earrings that his parents were very against; but he still did during his ‘rebel’ days. You still laughed at the memory of him sitting in the chair, gripping your hand tightly as they put the needle through his earlobe. It was one of your happiest memories.

You slid the jacket over his shoulders and inspected it to make sure no thread was out of place. He ran his large hands over the soft fabric as he patted it down to get the wrinkles out and looked himself over.

“You always do my prince. Perfection.” You said as you backed up and watched his gaze meet yours through the giant mirror that took up most of the space in the giant white wall in his even bigger room. His bed laid a mess from you having to literally drag him out of it because he ‘refused to get up this early’. His words, not yours.

“You always say that. You kinda have too.” He chuckled and turned around to look at you better, he played with the silver rings on his hands as he did so. Something that he always did when he asked your honest opinion about something and he was anticipating your answer.

“It’s the truth prince Hendery. You’re the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.” You looked at him sincerely and gave him a small smile. It was true. He was the most handsome man you’ve ever seen. Ever since you were kids, Hendery has always been the apple of your eye and nothing in this world could change that.

Henderys family had been in reign for years. His great grandfathers crown passing on to his grandfather, then passing it on to his dad; and soon to him. They were royalty at it’s finest, and also the kindest people you have ever met. Not like your typical spoiled kings and queens.

Then there was your family. They served his family for generations, your mother growing up along is father and taking care of all his needs, meals, clothing, anything. She was his guide through life, making sure he made all the right decisions as king and being his support system. Like his adviser.

Now it was your turn to do the same thing with Hendery.

You two played along side one another growing up, instantly becoming the best of friends; You two were inseparable. You took naps together, played together, and even went as far as eating every meal together. You two were even closer than ever during your teenage years, you were there for everything. His first day of high school, his first kiss, first girlfriend, and first heartbreak. You were always the one that was left to take his heart and mend it back together, making him smile and hope for better days. And along the way; you fell in love with him.

You would think that spending so much time with someone will eventually make you sick of being around them. But it was the opposite with Hendery; it made you crave more of him. You wanted to be there for every smile, every laugh, every tear, and every time he was angry. But you knew you couldn't.

He had to get married soon, to someone on his level. Not the right-handed woman. You meant to guide him through his life, to make sure he was making the correct decisions. Not love him.

Henderys loud laugh brought you back to reality as he rolled his eyes and took a seat on his chair, slouching down even though you have constantly told him to fix his posture.

“I don’t wanna goo!” He whined for what felt like the thousandth time in the last 20 minutes.

“Well too bad. You have too, you’re dad wants you to meet the princess.” You felt a sting in your heart as the words left your mouth. Even the thought of Hendery getting engaged, and then married to one of the princesses almost brought tears to your eyes.

You knew.

You knew that one day it will eventually happen, and that you would have to stand right there and watch it all pass in front of you and not being able to do anything about it. It scared you, but at the same time it was your fault for feeling this way.

No one said that you had to fall in love with the prince. It was a mistake you committed and now there was no turning back from it.

“I don’t want to meet any princesses. I have one right here.” He grabbed your wrist that was absentmindedly folding the mess of clothes that laid on his bedroom floor. Blood rushed to your face making your cheeks turn a bright red. You shook your head and scoffed to try to hide the dramatic red of you cheeks and turned to keep doing your task.

“You and I both know I ain’t no princess.” You laughed and placed the clothes neatly on the side of his bed.

“You are to me.” You heard him say from across the room and you felt your heart sting once again. In a good and bad way.

“Come on. We have to head downstairs now.” You made your way to the door and waited until you heard his footsteps behind you to continue to the dining area of the palace.

“What do you think she’ll look like?” He nervously asked as he walked next to you. Hendery was never the one to do good around new people he meets, he tends to get shy around new people even through his humorous personality.

“She’s probably really pretty.” You blurbed out. Every time he had a dinner with his parents and another family you always got nervous. It meant that he was getting introduced to another princess that he’ll perhaps marry. You prayed that every time there was always something about them that Hendery didn’t like. And its been working up to this point.

But you knew it was wrong. The one thing that you wanted most in this world was for Hendery to be happy, even if it wasn’t with you.

But you couldn’t help the anticipation that creeped up your neck every time he came back and ranted to you about how he didn’t like the princess personality, or how awkward the whole dinner was without you there. You knew it was wrong, but you still did it.

“Please don’t make me go in there along.” He clinged onto your arm like a kid. Your body tensed and you turned to look up at his big brown eyes that captivated you. Hendery could feel how tense you were under his grip and he quickly let you go as he furrowed his eyebrows and looked over your face.

“Are you okay? You’re very tense today.” He looked at you with worry in his big eyes and you almost melted at that look.

“I-I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me.” You assured him and nodded as you grabbed his arm and finished leading him to the big ball room where the dinner was being held.

You stopped right before the big silver doors and turned towards him to see him biting his lip and messing with hands.

“Are you nervous?”

His eyes snapped down at you for a second and they snapped back back towards the big doors before he answered. “A little. I know I’m not gonna merry. I’m still not ready for this whole marriage thing, but I just have a bad feeling about this.”

“Its okay, don’t be nervous. Everything will be fine my prince. Just remember I’ll be waiting upstairs as soon as that clock strikes 10. You can get through this dinner just as you got through the rest Hendery.” You gave him an encouraging look as you too stared at each other for a few seconds longer than usual.

All of the sudden you felt him pull you into a tight embrace as he snuggled his head between the crook of your neck. You have hugged Hendery dozens of time, but this time it felt different. Like this hug held every piece of emotion he had and just wanted to share it all with you.

“Thank you Y/N. I wonder how the hell am I going to get through life without you here by my side. I love you.” He whispered the last part into your hair as he slowly pulled away and held your stare for a little longer, before letting your body go and heading inside the bright ballroom.

You were left standing dumbfounded as his words. Hendery always shares his appreciation for you every chance he gets. But not like this. It’s usually a casual ‘Thank you” or a ‘Couldn’t have done without you’. But this time even though it wasn’t very long, it felt like he just spilled his heart out to you with every word that left his mouth

You blinked a couple of times before snapping yourself out of your daydream and before someone caught you staring off into space like an idiot.

It would be a long time for the dinner to be over so you decided to make your way up to your room and catch some rest before you met up with Hendery.

What was just ‘resting your eyes’, turned into long hours of you snoring your life away. By the time you woke up it was already past midnight; which meant that Henderys dinner ended hours ago.

He was probably off looking for you and soon gave up after not finding you, you thought.

It was probably too late to go wake him up so he can tell you everything about the dinner, so you decided to get up and go get yourself a cup of water.

You opened your door and silently made your way through the long corridors of the enormous palace. You passed by Henderys room and felt curious of to what he’s up too. He’s definitely sleeping so I shouldn't bother him.

You hurriedly went to the kitchen and got yourself a glass of water and quickly came back up.

On nights like these the castle was quiet, all the staffs were exhausting and went right to bed knowing that they had to get up during early hours in the morning. But these were the most peaceful of nights. You and Hendery would sneak off and watch the stars when you were teens in complete silence, stealing quiet glances at each other. Those were the days you were careless and didn't care about ‘rules’, you just enjoyed spending time with him and being around him.

You passed by Henderys room once again and the urge to open his door just to watch his sleeping figure surged back up. This time you didn't stop yourself from slowly and quietly opening the door to his pitch black room, the only source of light was the bright moon that shone through his window, outlining his silhouette that sat up on the edge his bed.

He refused to have curtains in his room, saying that “natural light was the best kind of light and it helps me photosynthesize”. Again. His words, not yours.

A quiet sob came from where he was sitting up on his bed, his hands covering his face as his shoulders bounced up and down. Your ears perk up at the sound of his sobs that almost broke your heart. You silently closed the door behind you and the sobs stopped. He automatically knew it was you in his room, since you were the only one who can come in without knocking.

“My prince, whats wrong?” You almost ran towards his bed, quickly dropping to your knees in front of him and holding his wrists trying to pry them from his face.

“I-I can’t d-do it.” He said between sobs. Hendery hated to cry in front of people, especially you. He thought that if people witnessed him cry; they would view him as weak. And if hes weak, they would think he isn’t ready to take the thrown.

“Hendery, what happened?” You sat next to him and brought his head to rest against your shoulder as he silently cried; letting out quiet sobs every once and awhile

You stopped asking him questions after a lack of responses from him and just let him cry on your shoulder. You ran your fingers through his black hair, letting them gently massage his scalp; which through the years you learned that it helps to relax him.

After a few minutes he finally calmed down and just stayed there, face buried between your hair and neck.

“Hendery, please tell me whats happening. It’s the only way I can help you.” You lifted his face out of your shoulder and held it between your hands like it was the most precious thing in this world.

“There’s nothing you can do. So whats the point?” He coldly replied. You watched the dry tears on his cheek, his eyes red and puffy, and his hair a mess from probably constantly running his hands through it.

“What happened down there? Please tell me.” Your eyes begged for him to open up to you and finally tell you what was so bad that has led him to crying; which is something that never happens.

“They married me off to her. They didn’t ask me. They just handed me over like some worthless possession. They want me to just get married to a person I hardly know? Without even thinking about my feelings?” he spoke almost as if he was talking to himself.

You felt your heart drop to the pit of your stomach, feeling as if the walls are just crashing down on you. The blood in your veins ran cold, and you held in every tear that was threatening to spill out because this wasn’t about you. It was about him.

He took your silence as a cue to keep going, “They said they’ve given me enough time to pick, that coronation is coming up and I need to be married now.” He looked down at his hands that laid on his lap, intertwined with yours.

“I-I” You couldn’t find the right words to say as millions of emotions and thoughts came into your body as fast as they left.

“You know, I always dreamed that the girl I got to marry was you.” His words made you snap your head up and looked at him with disbelief. “Since I was little and I proposed to you that day at the playground with a stupid candy ring; I always knew-” He paused as another hot tear rolled down his cheek. He caught his breath before starting to speak again.

“I knew that you were the girl I wanted to get down on one knee for. You were the girl I wanted to rule this kingdom with. You were the girl I wanted to have kids with and grow old together. I always wanted it to be you.” Tears were now rolling down your face as you stared at him.

“Why are you waiting until now to tell me this? Right before you’re about to get married.” You looked at him through teary eyes and watched as he silently looked over every feature on your face with full adoration in his eyes.

“Because I cant have you thinking that I never loved you. That I didn’t spend nights awake just waiting until the next morning for you to burst into my room and drag me out of bed.” He laughed and you chuckled as the tears kept flowing, soon enough it would be a pool of tears in here.

“I want to marry you. And only you.” You stared at each other as silence fell in the dark room, but soon enough realization started to hit you.

“You can’t marry me Hendery.” The look on his face fell when he heard the words that left your mouth. “You’re meant to be a king. I’m just there to take care of you. What will people think when they find out that you married the adviser?” You looked at him with sad eyes and tried to pull your hands from the tight grip on his lap, but failed because he just ended up holding them tighter.

“Does it look like I care what people think? I fell in love with YOU. I didn’t fall for the amount of money you have, or what family you come from. Its always been you.” He let one of his hands come up to caress the side of your face and you couldn’t help but lean into his gentle touch.

“I don’t want you to regret this.” Your other hand came up to hold the one that laid on your cheek and ran your thump over the top of his hand, feeling the softness of his skin.

“Trust me, the only thing I ever regret doing is not telling you this any sooner.” A smile came upon his features as he looked from your lips to your eyes; asking for permission.

You slowly leaned in and he met you half way. Your lips slowly melted into one another in a soft gently kiss. He leaned away to look you in the eyes. “I love you so much” He whispered against your lips.

“I love you too” You replied before he closed the gap once again and rejoined your lips into a more passionate kiss as your lips danced against one another.

You knew. You always knew that he was the one made for you.

A/N: This story was actually pretty decent i’m not gonna lie. Definitely doing a part 2 to this in the future ;)

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gwen-writes-stuff · 6 years ago

Text

Secret Girlfriend

Imagine : You being old friends with Tom and you appear on his Livestream, Everyone thinks you're his secret girlfriend.

Word count : 2312

[ Note : I'm sorry but Famous! Y/N us my favorite to write. Btw, I accept requests.]

Y/N's POV

I was inside an uber watching the beautiful streets of London come into view, My plane landed and I immediately called an uber filled with excitement to meet my best friend.

We have both been away, him filming Civil War and me filming for a show under Syfy that's soon to be announced.

I was delighted to find out my best friend was Spider-Man! Heck, I'd do anything to play superhero roles. Have kids look up to you and wear cool costumes? I'm so in.

He's staying at his parents' house to my relief, I've missed Nikki, Dom and the boys. It's been a while and tho I fulfilled my dream of being an actress with Tom, we kind of drifted apart.

He was big now and famous, It's no surprise his fame will only grow bigger now that he's sure to have a solo movie.

Not long later I arrived and the sight of the house sent my heart racing, the memories I had in this house came flooding in.

I got reminded of the silly crush for Tom I formed when I was 14 and now I'm 20, I can't say I don't like him anymore.

We've called and texted each other but I never got around to ask him to FaceTime so I only ever saw his face on the internet, mostly because I'm following his Instagram and he grew up to be so fine.

I payed the driver and I glanced down at my luggage, Taking deep breaths to calm the beating of my heart I fixed my hair that was slightly messed up because of the strong wind.

I walked to the front door, Dragging my luggage behind and before I could even even knock, It opened. Paddy was grinning widely at me and he honestly looked taller than the did the last time I saw him.

"Y/N!!"He didn't even bother letting me in first and ran to hug me, he only managed to wrap his hands around my waist tho. I messed with this hair playfully.

I was chuckling loudly as I hug him back, "Paddy! Let Y/N in first." I hear Nikki scold her youngest. "I missed you too bud." I looked down at Paddy and he had the widest grin.

Eventually he let me go and I walked in, Almost forgetting about my luggage when Paddy gladly pushed it in but I laughed because he had to put in effort. It was heavy though I don't plan to stay that long.

I'm only gonna be having dinner and going to a hotel my mom booked for me, Unfortunately she's in the Bahamas with my dad but they did sent their love.

"Y/N let me get a good look at you." Nikki backed away to scan me before wrapping me in a warm hug, After she let go I turned to Dom and hugged him. “You're now a lady!”

"You've grown!" Dom exclaimed and I smiled sheepishly, "Sam, Harry, Tom get in here!" Nikki called out and I awkwardly stood in their living room waiting while Paddy curiously look at my luggage stickers.

"Is Y/N here?" I heard a familiar voice ask and before I know it I was again caged between someone's arms. That someone being Sam and it didn't help that Harry joined in, I coughed jokingly and they let go with wide eyes.

"You guys smell surprisingly pleasant." I joked and both smirked at my remark, "Easy, We might think you're getting a crush." Harry fired back and I scoffed faking offence.

"You're too young for me." I replied crossing my arms seeing the married couple watch us with genuine smiles in the corner of my eyes.

"You're only a year older." Sam replied, almost sounding like a question and I nodded.

"Exactly." Now I realised something, I looked around trying to find the only Holland who haven't greeted me yet and there I see him at the end of the staircase standing cooly.

Watching the exchange like he wasn't supposed to join in and I raised a brow, "Well someone didn't miss me.",Tom rolled his eyes and walked over to hug me tightly.

He even lifted me up a little and I slapped his back, looking over his shoulder I can see Sam and Harry make faces and I stifle a laugh.

I pulled away and Tom had grown Taller, my guess is I'm an inch shorter but I feel like he's towering over me for some reasons.

"Right. Dinner!" Paddy jumped and I frowned to check my watch,It was only 4pm.

***

I am helping Nikki in the kitchen with Paddy watching and assisting every now and then while the rest play in the living room.

That was how it went til Tom walked in to offer setting up the table, Nikki quickly shot me a look. "Y/N and Tom you set up the table." Tom nodded slowly narrowing his eyes at his mother and I noticed but thought nothing of it.

While I reached for spoons and forks I see Nikki send me a smile, a knowing smile that confused me.

"So how have you been Spidey?", I asked him while I set a few plates down the table with matching spoons and forks.

He chuckled lowly at the nickname and looked up to see I had a brow raised, "The same." He boringly replied and I rolled my eyes.

"So you're still 19 and feeling just a tad bit rebellious?" I asked with a teasing tone and he shot me a look, Glaring half-heartedly.

"I mean I'm still me. Charming and irresistible." I almost dropped the glass I was now moving and he laughed seeing the event unfold.

"I've been gone for a few years and I come back to have your head so big." I tsk'd jokingly while shaking my head.

If only he knew that's exactly how I looked at him. I was away for two years but that didn't change the way I feel about him, I thought it was for the best.

Knowing myself, I never stood a chance. His past ex-girlfriends when we were in high school are goddesses and I can't even compare, he's way hotter now so I'm saving myself the heartache.

But.

I didn't move on. Instead my feelings for him got stronger over the time I was away, I'm in for a big heartbreak!

During dinner we exchanged stories. I told them about the show I was in, It was about college students who discovered there was more to their stories, Studying in a school for magic they will learn that a man who calls himself the 'beast' is after them.

((This show actually exists, Please watch it. It's amazing. The Magicians on Syfy!))

"Tom's Spider-Man and you're a Magician?" Paddy asked with his eyes lit up like he was just told we're going to Disneyland and I nodded.

"Too bad I don't get a wand tho." Earning soft chuckles from the table. The food was great and Nikki really improved, not that her cooking was bad before.

Tom was sat next to me and I had to fight the urge to blush everytime our hands accidentally brush.

"So Y/N, Are you staying for the night?" Dom asked and I shook my head, Failing to miss Paddy pout and send his mom a pleading look which Nikki didn't need to see since her decision seems to be made in the first place.

"Why not stay with us? Your parents are away and you were gone for 2 years, stay." Nikki spoke up and there was silence.

I considered my options and nibbled on my lower lip unconciously doing so, I subtly sneaked a glance at Tom who seemed to be studying me and I gave in when he caught my eyes and he shortly nodded.

"Okay. But where will I sleep?" I practically grew up in this house so I know for a fact that the Hollands don't have a guest room. I reached for the glass of water and began to take sips when:

"In Tom's room of course." I almost spat it out and instead downed it real hard that I was a coughing mess. I can see Sam and Harry wiggle their eyebrows suggestively but I just literally drowned on a glass of water!

Tom was rubbing my back with his hand and I'm sorry but he's not helping because his touch is sending waves of electricity all over my body.

"You guys share a bed all the time?", Yes. When we were like 10 and we're both grown adults now?

"Uhh yea." I didn't bother to argue because the smile on Nikki's face suggested that I wasn't going to win anyways.

***

3rd Person's POV

The night ended awkwardly. Tom offered to sleep on the couch but Y/N insisted that it was his bed so he should sleep on it.

This went on for half an hour till Y/N made the bold move of suggesting they both sleep on the bed or not at all which ended with the two of them laying in bed, backs turned on each other with a pillow in the middle acting as a barricade.

The next morning was not any better when Tom woke up to find Y/N clinging to him in her sleep, he took pictures for leverage and slid off the bed.

Standing at the foot to stare at her for a moment noticing that she was wearing his hoodie, Y/N was too lazy to open her luggage so she digged through his closet not bothering to ask.

Tom went in the bathroom to do all he needed before starting the day. He planned to have breakfast with Y/N and contemplated waking her up.

If his memory served him right, she would throw you out the window if you even do as much as shake her to wake so instead he sat down on the space beside her, leaning against the headboard and scrolling through his Instagram.

Then an idea sparked up, he went on live to talk about the experience trying his best not to spoil any important scene in the movie. He was yelling too loud for 5 in the morning and talking animatedly sounding like a child on sugar.

While he was fanboying about rdj Y/N groaned and smacked Tom's side. "You're fucking loud." Tom was caught off guard that he forgot he was livestreaming and she got on the frame without both of their knowledge.

"Good Morning to you too sunshine." Tom cooed and Y/N laughed pushing herself up to look at Tom, "No good in the morning when you're yelling about Robert Downey Jr." She sassily remarked making Tom chuckle.

"What are you even doing anyways?" she asked trying to fix her disheveled hair and Tom shrugged, "Oh I was just live... streaming!" Tom jumped up and realized he has been broadcasting their exchange and Y/N looked up at him in horror.

Tom checked his phone to see his followers blowing up the comment section and he cursed under his breath, Turning it off without so much a goodbye.

"Shit." He muttered staring into nowhere like he was in a trance and Y/N threw a random pillow at him.

"I hate you." She was smiling nonetheless and Tom couldn't bring himself to tell her a few of what the comments said.

Did I see that right?

Tom has a girl on his bed!!

Oh no who's that?

Tangina sino yan?

Is that his girlfriend?

They look kinda cute together

She's kinds pretty

Same. Both a whole-ass mood.

Người nào?

SHE'S WEARING HIS HOODIE RED ALERT RED ALERT RED ALERT. THEY PROBABLY DID THE MONKEY DANCE OMGOMGOMG

***

The two had breakfast like Tom had originally planned and both went to McDonald's for breakfast of all places.

It wasn't crowded and none of them had to worry about fans or paparazzis for the whole two hours they spent just eating and talking while Y/N share experiences on set with Tom who did the same.

"I so wanna play a superhero." She exclaimed, "You can be my sidekick!" Tom offered and Y/N threw a balled up napkin and threw it at his head, it landed on his forehead.

"Spider-Man doesn't have a sidekick." But she blushed at the thought of playing in a movie together with Tom.

Both practiced and took classes together so they should be comfortable enough acting around one another.

Tom pulled out his phone and poked Y/N's cheek when she seemed to be deep in thoughts. "Hey let's take a picture."

She lifted her head and nodded shortly, Tom stretched his hand to have the phone directed at their faces and Y/N threw a peace sign while Tom had his tongue out.

"Please don't tell me you're posting that." She asked with a groan and Tom smirked at her. "Tom. I look like shit."

She didn't make an effort to dress up so she threw on a sweatpants and a (favorite band) t-shirt. Her hair was everywhere and she had too little energy to put on makeup.

"You look beautiful." His comment made her heart skip a beat and she was too flustered she couldn't retort when he posted the photo on his Instagram.

@tomholland2013 uploaded a photo on Instagram :

1 user tagged : @( your ig username)

[Photo]

tomholland2013 : Breakfast with my main g✌️

Comment section :

Y/N4life : Is that seriously @(Y/IG/U)???

hollander_love : Tom's got himself a girl woot woot

harryholland64 : That's why you two disappeared!

peterparkour.s : THE GIRL FROM THE LIVE

tom.holland.fans : The girl frkm the livestre ahhh !!

y/nstagra.m : They're childhood friends✌️

tommy.hollander : I ship it.

#tom holland one shot #tom holland #tom holland smut #tom holland imagines #avengers #spider man smut #spider man imagines #spider man #hollander

186 notes · View notes

letsgsantana · 5 years ago

Text

tagged: sam evans &. santana lopez

when: nov. 15th - 16th.

notes: discord text.

tana: the thigh hickey you gave me has almost disappeared.

tana: which means you need to re-up on moi.

tana: and I’m craving churros. Hot, from Ted’s by the cafeteria.

tana: and possibly you.

sam: churros and hickeys. what a combo

sam: anything else you want me to fetch you before i come and fuck you into the mattress?

tana: is your neck free for business, or is two o’clocks still ripe on there?

tana: wow, did you get that from some 80’s porn?

[a beat]

tana: and to return the favor I might have bought some coca-cola lip smacker for you to kiss off.

sam: you did a pretty good job the last time because it's still there for everyone to see

sam: it's annoying that no one believes that i burned myself on a curling iron sam: no, more like early 2000s amateur stuff

sam: oh, you're spoiling me here, santana

tana: I’ve always had a soft spot for ‘I was here’ tokens.

tana: that hair screams blow dry. That mark screams some A-list lips.

tana: awe, so the the golden age of porn, iyo?

tana: you’ve possibly earned a treat or two.

sam: you know, you're not as dominant in bed as you are on text

sam: i quite like this versatile santana that i'm getting

sam: thank you! that's what i keep saying! sam: care to give a hint of what those treats are?

tana: I'm lonely, so I sub out for a brat. [erased]

tana: you've caught me off-guard. And it's been a minute since I've had a hot minute.

tana: and you might be above average.

tana: and I haven't even showed you the beginning of what ten plus years of cheering has done for my versatility.

tana: either the baking kind, the me kind, and possibly an impression request kind.

[a moment later]

tana: or all of the above.

sam: i'm not at all complaining, i quite like taking charge. especially if it makes you beg

sam: oh, you need to show me soon, because i want to see this

sam: i can give you all three of those

sam: what impression would you like to see? i personally think a sean connery one would go down well with you

tana: a mess in life, and in-control in the bedroom? respect.

tana: i have a thing for dorks with big hands that feel good around my throat. tana: well, well, someone's working for that number one spot.

tana: are you trying to turn me on wit a sean connery impression?

[after a moment]

tana: explain.

sam: i gotta get something right, and with these lips, it was bound to be that sam: good, i wasn't sure if the choking was too much, but i'm glad to know that we were on the same page with that

sam: can't deny that i want to be your number one

sam: he's james bond, duh?

tana: you're in college, so at least you can add that to your list of accomplishments.

tana: if you saw my incognito google pop up, you'd blush, Sammy. It was just barely enough.

tana: moved on to porn with a touch of romcon? a hoe with a heart. my hero. tana: if this means I get to dress up as a bond girl and you never speak of this to anyone. I may be seriously entertaining this.

sam: i'm sure that the american museum of natural history will be impressed with the fact that i can make you cum three times with my mouth and another two times with my dick

sam: no? i think it might be time for us to welcome a safe word into this, because i don't want to hurt you

sam: some people would call it a gentleman in the street, a freak in the sheets, but a hoe with a heart does the job

sam: oh my god, yes please!

sam: also, i'm pretty sure just the sight of you being a bond girl would make me cum, so there's that

tana: well duh. It’s few and far between a woman gets that kind of pleasure from a man. Gotta mark it down when it does.

tana: jinxy. What do you think?

tana: i don’t think your hoe energy ever strays too far, so it’s best stick to factual nicknames.

tana: well, I do like cum. Especially yours.

sam: do i make the top ten list of best ginsburg lovers then?

sam: jinxy? i can work with jinxy

sam: then you haven't seen my gentlemanly ways - we can always change that if you want

sam: oh? what makes mine so special?

tana: no.

tana: and that's because I don't have a lovers list. But some of the best sex I've had here? Consider yourself lucky, because yes.

tana: also lovers list? what wattpad fanfic are you neck deep in, dork.

tana: I mean sure, but he better be just as hot and charmin-[erased]

tana: I wouldn't mind, as long as he's as hot as hoe sam.

tana: there's a lot and you look hot. and you've usually got my hair in your fist while you're cumming on my face.

sam: i'm flattered. /and/ it is definitely reciprocated. a lot

sam: "forbidden" - it's about harry styles and louis tomlinson. it's not very good though

sam: yeah, i think you're gonna see more of gentleman sam than hoe sam from now on

tana: I know.

tana: sounds terrible.

tana: why’s that?

sam: do you know tina cohen-chang?

tana: ya.

sam: yeah, i like her and i kinda fucked it up

tana: oh god.

tana: have you been sleeping with me while you’ve been with her?

tana: is that your girlfriend?

sam: she's not my girlfriend

sam: i'm sorry. you're not the only that i've been seeing. there's kinda been a lot of people

sam: i'm really sorry

tana: oh.

tana: well, if you’re single. Who cares.

tana: if I wanted to sleep with anyone else, I would have already. No apologies about it.

sam: it's more than that, you know? like, we've been going on dates.

sam: i just didn't realize that we were actually..."dating"

sam: you just deserve to know that

tana: you probably didn’t realize you were dating because you weren’t...

tana: why are so mopey, babe?

tana: you fucked around, and I guess accidentally got into a relationship.... tana: how long have even known tina?

tana: I’m just saying, people who jump into relationships in college usual need therapy, not a partner.

sam: we've known each other for like almost two months, which is ridiculous because i didn't want this to happen so fast, but like, guess my feelings just caught up with me one night

sam: oh, girl, if i could afford therapy i would've done it a long time ago. i've got some huge baggage

tana: you could save the date money to go to a therapy fund.

[.....]

tana: sam, you seem caught up in....something.

sam: that's probably the best advice anyone's given me lately

sam: no, i'm not caught up anymore, i got the zipper out of my nut

tana: looking back my reaction to your relationship might have not been the best. My bad. I should have just thrown

in response and be done with it, but. Like....

tana: you’re sleeping with everyone then suddenly in a relationship because you went on some dates and found out that meant you were dating someone... tana: sounds like deflecting and micro-managing in an unhealthy way.

tana: we were just talking about you giving me a facial. I’m just saying. That’s one hell of a turn around.

sam: it was never explicitly a relationship. we never said anything. and she'd hinted a couple of times at knowing about me seeing more people than just her sam: i told her that i was falling in love with her - it was incredibly random when i said it, i just blurted it out without even thinking about it, or ever having thought about it actually.

sam: and then she lost her virginity to me

sam: i don't know what's going on, i just know that i miss her

tana: you need to put down the watt pad fanfiction ‘cos it’s tripping your brain into thinking you’re in love with someone. missing someone doesn’t mean you should be in a relationship with them, it means you miss them.

tana: I’m just saying. Figure this out inline at the medi-whatever line for some healthcare, and fast track to a therapist office for an appointment. If you need company I’ll offer mine, and critics on your impressions. I’ll even bring the churros this time.

tana: but partying, sleeping around, then poking your head up from the land down under because you’ve randomly had the thought to love someone out of your line-up? Babe, just no.

tana: but most of all, breathe.

sam: It's not like that. Missing her means more to me than just that

sam: I don't know for sure if I'm falling in love with her - I think I am. Because I know I've never felt this way before about anyone. And it's confusing as hell, but she does make me feel a way that no one else has done before

sam: But I agree - it's gone way too fast. And no one seems to get that

[...]

sam: I don't particularly want to talk about this anymore though. I just want to know if you and I are still...okay? It might just be me, but it sounds like you wouldn't mind hanging out with me, even if I'm not fucking you

tana: how many times before have you said you liked a girl? And that it was more than any other of the girls before them?

tana: were you just dating her because she’s the only one who said yes, or because you only wanted to date her.

[.....]

tana: just think on it. And again, breathe. And stop randomly telling people you’re in love with them, amateur hour.

tana: I’m not sure yet. It might be hard for me to see you and not get wet. But maybe if you impress over text I’ll let you take me to get a beer so I can platonically roast you.

sam: This is the first time

sam: No, to start off, it was just a casual thing between us. She was obviously a virgin, but there were some pretty heavy make-out sessions going on. We made a deal, to get to know each other better - for her safety of not just losing her virginity to some random guy. And so we ended up just going on a lot of dates. I genuinely wanted to get to know her better

sam: I'm breathing. Thank you

sam: Just call me beef, because I'm yours to roast all day and all night, Santana

tana: sure jan.

tana: so you guys have rush delivered every step of the way. please don't get divorced before 25.

tana: you want to get to know everyone better. [erased]

tana: definitely not hanging out with you now that your 'beef' is off the table.

sam: She's not talking to me right now, so I don't think we gotta worry about that

sam: Listen, I was never that nasty. It was only on the kitchen counter those two times, and that was because you were wearing that red lacy thong and nothing else, and I've got a weak spot for that

tana: good.

tana: Well excuse me for picking up on how much you liked me spread. I thought the all access, all the time, with the crotchless red thongs would be appreciated.

tana: although, you still owe me a pair. You can gift those when you're single in a couple of weeks.

tana: if I don't like them, you can take them back. if I do, you can tell me if the guy I've replaced you with will. I'll even spread them for you.

sam: As much as I enjoy this conversation, I think it's time to shut it down

sam: Please do let me know if my replacement is any better than me though. I want to know if anyone can overtake these lips

tana: true, tell sean connery I said down boy.

tana: of course I will.

tana: what are you doing?

sam: Sean Connery? My dick?

sam: I just got back home, after practically following Tina around all day. Well, walking her to all of her classes and trying to get her to talk to me, but with my testicle still aching, I was more limping than anything else

sam: Probably just gonna put "Bob's Burgers" on and try and fall asleep to that. Maybe open a bottle of Jack.

sam: You?

tana: you do know that's creepy, not romantic.

tana: an entire bottle? stick to a cup. it's been a long day for you.

tana: I might go to an open mic night. People love vintage shit there and I need to peddle my shop some more.

sam: She went out last night, I got her a coffee this morning to hopefully make it better - I had a purpose, don't worry. It's not like I was stalking her

sam: Hmmmmmm, a bottle sounds more appetizing though

sam: Oh yeah? If you want to swing by afterwards, you're welcome to. We can just watch a movie or something

tana: this is so lame [erased]

tana: so not as creepy. good.

tana: sounds like alcohol poisoning.

tana: I don't know if you've proved movie only worthy. We'll see, evans.

sam: Not like full-on creepy. I try to only keep it semi-creepy

sam: Sounds like a good time

sam: Well, I guess I can also offer you a cup of Jack, if you want, so it's not just a movie that you came around for

tana: which is why you just need to be full-on single.

tana: also, question. why are you following her around like you have something to make up for?

tana: glutton for punishment?

tana: I haven't drank in a week. I'm a little scarred from post-halloween.

sam: I don't want to be

sam: Well, first of all, I hurt her. And now she's not really replying to my texts, in the sense that she's not.../talking/ to me or hearing me out. So, I figured it'd be easier if it was face to face. But it's not like she stopped to talk or anything

sam: Something like that

sam: Scarred? What are you scarred from?

tana: that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be.

tana: I know you hurt her, but again, why are you following her around like you need to make-up for something?

tana: you were single and hooked up with people.

tana: if she’s upset about that, that sucks, but that still doesn’t mean you did anything wrong.

tana: pick something other than alcohol.

tana: I was hungover all weekend. It sucked. I’m too weak for all that.

sam: I played her and made her feel like there was more between us, that's why sam: I did everything wrong, Santana

sam: Weed?

sam: You gotta end it where it started - with more alcohol. A cold beer the next morning is the only way to get through a bad hangover

tana: did you tell her you weren’t seeing anyone else? Or did she assume and set herself up for disappointment?

tana: I’m not saying you don’t suck, but it’s NOT all on you.

tana: I don’t like that she’s putting this all on you- [erased]

tana: I want to puke at the thought.

tana: which is why I’m detoxing with pot.

sam: I didn't say anything about seeing other people, but I also didn't say that I was only seeing her. She kept hinting at maybe knowing that she wasn't the only one, constantly reassuring me that I was the only one that she was seeing - despite going to the halloween party with Brody

sam: What makes you say that? What have I not done wrong?

sam: I can do weed. I mean, I'd probably still keep the bottle of Jack around, but I wouldn't drink all of it, y'know?

tana: sounds manipulative.

tana: hold on.

[**santana taps his icon and presses the call button. She brushes her hair behind her ear and traps her phone between her ear and shoulder as she pours some oatmeal in a bowl. When he picks up, she doesn’t spare him time for a hello-]

tana: you’re single, you fucked around. There’s nothing wrong that. Someone else’s assumptions and wants aren’t your problem. She was reassuring you because she wanted reassurance, which meant she knew you were fucking around.

tana: guilting you about it is wack, Sam. But next time don’t be so fast and loose with your dick.

[a beat]

tana: and next time don’t let someone convince you, you’re in the wrong for having a sexual appetite beyond them while you’re single. You didn’t play her, she played herself.

tana: oh, and hi. My fingers were hurting.

[Sam wasn't sure exactly what was happening. He was mid-reply, about to send Santana a confused text to what she was doing, when his screen changed and he saw that she was calling him instead. Sighing, he braced himself for what was about to come, clicked on the green phone to accept the call and opened his mouth to say hi, but was quickly cut off by Santana's rant. He wasn't quite sure what to say after everything that she'd told him, and was just silent for a bit]

sam: Hi

[He finally said, and sighed]

sam: I'm not entirely sure what you want me to say here. Several people are telling me that what I did was wrong- hell, I feel like what I did was wrong anyway. I know we never made it exclusive, but I did tell her something that sure as hell sounded like that was what we were

tana: what did you say, and when?

[Sam let out a deep sigh. This was probably the 20th time he explained it to someone]

sam: A couple of nights ago we went up on the rooftop of my apartment building to look at the stars, and she told me to tell her a secret. I'm not good with secrets, I either tell people everything, or I don't tell them at all. But, she was also kissing my neck and it was a lot, you know?

[Sam paused for a bit, bringing his hand up to rub his tired eyes]

sam: So I just blurted out that I was falling for her. I mean, if I was in her position, I would assume that it meant that the person was cutting off everyone else. Like, it's pretty serious, you know?

tana: babe. If tina didn’t know that a love confession from you didn’t mean you guys weren’t together, one, she doesn’t know you at all, whether she has a rolodex card of secrets on you or not. Two, that’s not how dating work. Case in point- you. And honestly, a lot of guys.

tana: so, again. You BOTH have your own parts in this train wreck. You randomly blurting out you love people for no reason, and her trying to manipulate her way to a relationship instead of being blunt and saying, ‘I want to be with you.’

sam: I don't know what to tell you, Tana

tana: why do you think you need to tell me something...? I’m comforting you, not the other way around.

[There was a silence as Sam took in what the girl had said, thinking it through.] sam: You're comforting me?

tana: rude! [she practically yelled]

tana: but um, ya.I’m trying.

[Sam removes the phone from his ear, holding it away from him for a second, as he hears Santana yell at him. Then he puts it back to talk to her]

sam: No, it wasn't meant like that! I just meant more that...I've had to explain myself over and over again with people, and I guess I was just expecting the same with you

[sam couldn’t see it, but she frowned. It didn’t feel right. The blame being put on him, and the exhaustion in his voice.]

tana: stop explaining yourself. You’re not the only wrong in this situation. Are you right? Not particularly. But you’re not wrong for having a sex life while single. You are wrong for not communicating more, and dropping L bombs out of the blue. Just like she’s wrong for playing games, instead of just saying how she felt, just so she could have you chasing her around campus for no good reason.

tana: I’ll be over in an hour. One cup of Jack. That’s your limit.

sam: Tell it to the people who think it's alright to be all up my business about this, please.

[Thinking about it for a moment, Sam sighed]

sam: Actually don't, I think it's best if I just deal with them myself.

sam: Three cups. I can have three cups of it. I bought it myself, it's mine

tana: who is all up in your business?

[her eyebrows crinkled together, annoyed for him.]

tana: don't worry. I have to leave my important to really warm-up for a good run through someone's soul.

tana: sam, you're trying to not touch on me. one cup, we don't want to blame it on the a-a-a-lcohol, moment.

[she snickered, cracking open an egg as her griddle started to warm up.]

sam: It doesn't matter, just forget that I said anything.

sam: Yes, but I'm also in a lot of pain with my testicle and alcohol numbs the pain. See, logic?

tana: okay....

[she sighed, debating on pressing the issue and on the whim she went with:] tana: if you need a place to vent, I'm here. No offense, but I'm cruising on side-eye with most people, and going full snixx for anyone is going to take a lot of encouragement.

tana: so you're going to have a lot of focus on your crotch, drink a lot of alcohol, and not try to flirt with me. [there's a pause]

tana: Shaky logic.

sam: Thanks, Tana, I might take you up on it sometime. It means a lot to me as well, you know? For now though, I'm done, I think I've talked about this enough. I kinda want to just move on to the next part of this entire shabang [Sam pauses, hearing what she's just said and swallows hard. She had a point that he hadn't thought of.]

sam: I mean, it's not like I can do anything anyway with my dick, because of how sore it is, but if you prefer, you're welcome to come over tomorrow instead?

tana: hopefully single, but knowing you...

tana: I was serious about taking the steps to get public healthcare or w/e the poor term is.

[santana snickers, her voice drops a little and get's breathy]

tana: sammy, you know how much I enjoyed sucking your dick, and you know how good I was at it. let's not tempt one another.... [she sighed[

tana: i'll text you later and let you know if I'm coming by.

sam: Well, I am most definitely single right now, and with no game-plan whatsoever, so there's that. Also, yeah, I know. I'll look into it. It's not just this whole thing that requires therapy. I've got a lot of baggage that needs to be dealt with [Biting his lip, Sam can feel himself growing horny and groans]

sam: You're tempting me right now, this isn't fair. It's not like I'm teasing you with anything.

sam: But yeah, sure, let me know so I can put some sweatpants on before you get here

tana: good. Single is good.

tana: and making decisions based off what YOU want, with discretion on how it’ll effect others is even better - or at least that’s what I’m told. tana: down boy, [she sang in a sing-song voice] neither I or my cleavage is there yet. Keep the pants off. See you in a couple hours. [She smiled, then hung up.]

#iphone:all #iphone:sam

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helloalycia · 6 years ago

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good news [two] // alycia debnam-carey

summary: Alycia leaves to film The 100 and you find a way to constantly stay in touch.

warning/s: none.

one | three | masterlist

Alycia left for filming within a month, as she'd said. It was a month of me literally spending every moment I could with her because I knew I'd miss her too much when she'd leave. We'd lived together for 2 years and in those 2 years, she'd only ever left a handful of times for roles, and never long enough to make me miss her too much.

But this was different. This part was the first proper part she had that was on an already established, successful show. It was important to her, so it was important to me. When she was gone though, I had to stop myself from wanting to ring her every two seconds. There were times when I couldn't fight it unfortunately.

"Y/N!"

I grinned when Alycia's face enlarged on my phone. "Alycia! Hey! I'm not disturbing you, am I?"

She shook her head, a toothy smile on her lips. "No, I'm on my break. I was actually just about to FaceTime you!"

I chuckled. "Great minds think alike." She rolled her eyes playfully as I asked, "So what's with the weird eye makeup? Smoky eye gone wrong?"

Another eye roll. "It's my costume, idiot."

I laughed at her suppressed smile. She had her hair pulled back into a half-up, half-braids do, and swiped across her eyes was some sort of black face paint. This 'Lexa' character must have been something.

"How is this the first time I've seen your costume?" I questioned, raising my eyebrows. "You're well into filming now."

She'd been gone almost two and a half months now, yet I'd only ever caught her on FaceTime when she was at her hotel or when she was about to get into costume. It wasn't always FaceTime calls either – that was a luxury. It was usually texts (which she didn't enjoy) and phone calls.

She sighed, offering a small, apologetic smile. "I've been pretty busy, Y/N, sorry."

I realised I'd made her feel bad and that definitely wasn't my intention. "Aly, I didn't mean it like that. I know you're busy and that's okay! I'm thrilled for you and this part. It's huge!"

Her shoulders relaxed, betraying any pent up tension she must have had. "Thank you. Now... how are you? How are things back home?"

I glanced around our flat from my position on the couch, before shrugging and looking back to a knowing Alycia. "Alright. It's not messy, I've not died from starvation and nothing has burned."

Alycia laughed, making me smile at the sound.

"Glad to know everything's still intact," she teased, flashing me a smile, making my stomach do somersaults.

"How is everything over there? You got anything to share about this new character of yours?"

She knew I'd caught up on her show The 100 since she'd left and I was eager to have spoilers for the second season, but she was reluctant to share anything.

She pursed her lips and glanced up, thinking, probably to what she could spoil. A bright smile filled the screen as she realised something.

"There's one thing, actually," she pointed out. "I can't say what exactly–" this earned a pout from me, "–but I can say that there's something about my character that you're really gonna love."

"Alycia!" I complained like a child. "You can't tease like that."

She smirked playfully and honestly I didn't know if it was the dark Lexa makeup or what, but I had to look away because I could feel my cheeks heating up.

"You'll love it," she promised, adding what I thought was a flirty wink, but was most likely just me projecting my feelings on her actions.

It was calls like this that became a rare occurrence between us both. Timing was off, with our conflicting schedules busying us, so sometimes we'd have to work with what time we had.

For example, there was one time when I was getting ready for a party in my bedroom when she called. I was already running low on time, but I missed her too much to ignore the call, so I answered.

"Aly." I smiled, noticing her makeup-free face and messy hair. She must have just finished a shoot.

She returned the smile. "Hey, love. How are you?"

I rested my phone on my desk, leaning it against the wall so it was focused on me, before moving back to my bed to pick an outfit.

"I'm doing good," I called out whilst choosing a shirt. "How about you?"

As I held the shirt against my torso in my mirror, I heard her reply. "I'm good! A little tired, but glad I have some free time for the evening. I thought we could chat or something, but I take it you're busy?"

I turned around and lowered the shirt, smiling guiltily at the camera. "Sorry, Alycia, I don't mean to be rude. I'm just trying to find an outfit for this party I'm going to..."

She perked up a little. "Party?"

I hummed in agreement and tested out another shirt in the mirror to see how it looked. "Yeah. It's just some dumb frat party I was invited to. Nothing big."

As I decided on my flannel and ripped jeans, I heard Alycia say, "But you hate parties."

I chuckled and pulled off my shirt. I didn't mind changing in front of her since she was my best friend and I'd practically seen her naked after I'd accidentally walked in on her in the shower when she forgot to lock the door in our earlier months of friendship.

"Yes, but I have literally not left this flat aside from uni and work since you left and I need something to do." I changed into my clothes and headed back to my mirror to see if I liked it. "I'm bored without you here, Aly, what can I say?"

I smiled when I actually liked what I saw. I'd curled my hair earlier and was yet to put some jewellery on, but for now, I thought I looked pretty good.

"Okay, well have fun, Y/N," she said adorably, forcing me to turn around and see her smiling a little. "Be safe, okay? And don't do anything stupid, not that you will, but still."

I chuckled. "Gee, thanks, grandma."

She rolled her eyes playfully. "Yeah, yeah, I get it, I'm a spoil sport."

I stifled a laugh as I went back to the mirror to see whether I should tuck in my shirt or not.

"Okay, how long are you gonna be?" she asked dramatically. "I've seen your arse like five times now. Could at least look at your phone, hm."

I laughed and looked over my shoulder. "What can I say, Alycia? It's a nice ass!"

I moved forward to pick up my phone and managed to catch a quick image of a flustered Alycia. I was surprised since she rarely got embarrassed that easily.

"Whatever...," she mumbled, avoiding looking at the camera.

"You didn't deny it," I teased further, and when she looked up, I winked for added effect.

The camera quality was good enough for me to see a faint pink blush forming on her cheeks. That was enough to make me grin at how easily flustered she got.

"Come on, I can talk for a little longer before I need to leave," I said, giving her a reassuring smile. I jumped onto my bed before looking at her beautiful face. "Tell me how your day was, Leashy."

Conversations like this were shared more frequently closer to her arrival back home which made it easier for me personally. It wasn't abnormal for me to miss her as much as I did. It was just, when you get used to someone's presence for so long, it's odd and unusual when they suddenly just leave. I wasn't sure I'd ever get used to it really, but that was a thought for another time.

Alycia returned after three and a half months and I couldn't have been more thrilled. She needed to be picked up from the airport, but I had other plans.

"I'm in a lecture then, but Maia offered to give you a lift!"

Terrible excuse, I know, but she was too tired to argue so she went with it. In reality, I had set up a small welcome home party for her, consisting of Maia, Marny and Laura, (some of her friends in the industry), and her mum. Her mum had wanted to fly in for her return which was where I got the idea to do the little party. She supported the idea and agreed to surprise her daughter of her presence, too.

So that's where I found myself the Friday afternoon when her flight was coming in. Alycia's friends were helping me set out the food and drink (just some nibbles here and there, along with some wine) whilst her mum was prepping some chicken for tonight's dinner. She'd insisted, so who was I to stop her?

In no time, Maia had sent me a text, letting me know that they were walking up to our flat now. We all got into position and waited for the door to open.

"...she wanted to be here, Alycia, but she said it was an important lecture..."

Everyone grinned to themselves as they heard Alycia and Maia chatting as they opened the door. I could hear Alycia fiddling with the lock and it took a lot of self-control for me not to rush up to the door and open it to give her a giant hug. I was shaking with excitement – I missed her so much!

After what felt like forever, the door finally opened and Alycia had stumbled in the doorway with her suitcase.

"Surprise!"

We all stood up from behind the couch, grins plastered on our faces.

"Oh my god," Alycia got out between smiles. Her eyes looked between us all as she said, "Hi!"

I laughed and was the first to make a move forward. Her eyes lit up at my presence which made me grin, and I pulled her in for a hug.

"Welcome home, Aly," I mumbled into her shoulder before pulling back.

"Y/N, oh my god! I thought you had a lecture!"

"All a lie to set this up for you," Maia butted in from behind, a cheeky smile on her lips. "Sweet, right?"

Alycia chuckled and met my eyes. They were gleaming. "Right."

I waved my hand dismissively. "It's nothing, I just missed you is all. Now. Stop being rude and say hello to your other guests, Aly!"

She shot me a playful smile before moving on to her mother.

"Mum, you never told me you were coming!" she rushed out as she pulled her mum in for a hug.

"It wouldn't have been a surprise then, would it?" her mum teased, before kissing her daughter on the cheek. "I missed you, honey."

Alycia relaxed. "I missed you, too."

After reacquainting herself with Laura and Marny, the six of us took to the living-room to hear everything about Alycia's time away. She hadn't seen Maia, Laura and Marny in a while, even since before she left for her work, so she also took the time catching up with them. I didn't mind listening in to all of their conversations – I was thrilled that Alycia was back and happy and safe.

"I'm gonna go grab some water," I said, before standing up. "Anyone want anything?"

Everyone shook their heads, but Laura added, "I'll come with you."

The two of us headed to the kitchen, myself grabbing a glass of water.

"Looks like your little surprise was a success," Laura commented, offering a smile.

I smiled, too, taking a sip of my water. I glanced over Laura's shoulder to where Alycia was sitting. She was listening intently to whatever story Marny was telling, her lips pursed in thought.

"Yeah, I guess so," I agreed, looking back to Laura. "Thanks again for coming on such short notice."

She shook her head dismissively. "Of course. It's been a while since I've visited Alycia. She seems to be doing well with the upcoming roles she's got. First this, then Fear The Walking Dead. It's amazing for her."

I furrowed my brows with confusion. "What? Fear The Walking Dead?"

Laura nodded. "The new role she landed? Didn't she tell you about it?"

I chewed on the inside of my cheek as I looked to Alycia again. "Erm, no, she didn't."

Laura shot me a reassuring smile. "Don't worry too much about it. I'm sure she was waiting for the right moment."

I nodded, though I did feel a little hurt she'd kept the news from me. We told each other everything... why hadn't she told me this?

"Come on, we should get back to them," Laura caught my attention again. "God knows what'll happen if we leave the Australians to themselves."

I cracked a smile as she laughed at her own joke, before following her and joining the others again. When I sat down, Alycia's eyes flickered to me and she sent me a tired smile. I realised how exhausted she must have been since returning from her flight. It was an early flight she'd taken, which had been delayed in itself. She would have been awake for at least ten hours. Flying was tiring for anyone.

"Guys, I appreciate you all showing up on such short notice," I thanked everyone when a short silence formed, "but maybe we should leave Alycia to get some rest."

The others nodded, but Alycia was shaking her head. "No, I'm fine, honestly! You can stay!"

I stifled a chuckle as the others laughed at her obvious exhausted expression.

"We should get going anyway, Leashy," Marny reassured her. "We'll check in on you soon, okay?"

Alycia frowned but was too tired to argue. "Okay. Thank you for coming."

The girls bid Alycia, her mum and I a goodbye before leaving.

"Come on, let's get you to bed, Aly," I mumbled, helping her up off the couch.

"Wake me for dinner!" she said, though her eyes were barely staying open.

"Whatever you say, honey," her mum laughed, giving her a kiss on the cheek. She looked to me, adding, "Get her to bed or she will literally fall asleep standing up."

I smiled. "Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised."

I helped Alycia to her room and the older girl flopped onto her bed, instantly fighting to get under the covers.

"Not even gonna change, hm?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

She mumbled an inaudible response, making me chuckle. I tucked her in and leaned down, seeing her eyes were already closed. I'd have to ask her about her new role tomorrow.

"I promise I'll help clean up later...," she mumbled tiredly.

I rolled my eyes. "Get some rest, Alycia. Goodnight." I leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

She didn't reply, so I left her room and clicked the door shut behind me.

Miss Debnam-Carey and I chose not to wake up Alycia that evening for dinner, since she was fast asleep and unmoving. Instead, we ate dinner together, (it wasn't as awkward as you'd think because we had spoken and met on enough occasions for it not to be), and saved Alycia some for tomorrow.

Her mother slept in my room, which I'd cleaned and put out fresh sheets for her. I took to the couch which had an (uncomfortable) pull-out bed that I would never think to subject Alycia's mum to for the few days she was here for.

I woke up the next morning to the pressure of someone sitting beside my head. I yawned as I turned around, forcing my eyes open tiredly.

"Hey, sleepy head," Alycia's voice rang out. I realised she was sitting beside me, leaning back against the couch.

I sighed before forcing myself to sit up beside her. I noticed she was eating from a plate of pancakes.

"You didn't have to sleep here, y'know," she pointed out. "Mum could've shared room with me."

I rubbed my eyes to rid my tiredness before responding. "It's okay. I'm sure she'd do anything not to share bed with you."

Alycia rolled her eyes playfully before nudging me with her elbow.

"Y/N, honey, good morning!" Miss Debnam-Carey's cheery voice called from the kitchen. "You can go get ready and a plate of pancakes will be waiting here for you when you come back."

I mumbled a tired 'thank you' before purposely shoving Alycia out the way to get out of bed. She laughed as I groggily made my way to the bathroom. I showered and got ready quickly enough, soon finding myself at the kitchen island eating pancakes.

"These are amazing, thank you," I told Alycia's mum with a grateful smile.

She smiled in return, but didn't get chance to respond because I dropped my fork, startled when Alycia wrapped her arms around me from behind.

"Alycia, what on Earth...?" I asked, though I rested my hands on hers with a smile.

"I missed you," she mumbled into my neck.

I breathed out before turning around and pulling her in for a proper hug. "I missed you, too."

When she pulled away, I saw her mum leave for the bathroom over her shoulder and took this as my chance to ask what had been in my mind all night.

"Alycia, did you get another job opportunity on a new show?" I came right out with it, making her knit her eyebrows together with confusion. "Fear The Walking Dead?"

When she realised what I was talking about, she tensed up.

I frowned a little. "Alycia, that's amazing and I'm so proud of you, but why didn't you tell me?"

She tensed her jaw guiltily before taking a seat on the stool beside me.

"Look, I wanted to tell you, but I was waiting for the right time," she explained, avoiding my eyes. "I found out a few weeks ago. I got a call on set from my manager."

I nodded.

"I was supposed to ring you straight away, like I always do, but I felt bad because I was already away for filming and I didn't want to make you feel horrible about me possibly leaving again."

I shook my head, resting a hand on her knee. She looked up.

"Alycia, no, I don't want you to feel bad about that!" I told her, feeling guilty that it was my feelings that had stopped her sharing this amazing news. "I'm a big girl, I can handle some time without you." I offered a teasing smile. "I'm happy for you. This is huge."

She smiled with relief. "It is... It's a big role. I'm part of the main cast."

I widened my eyes with surprise. "That's even better!"

She grinned.

"Come here, idiot." I pulled her in for another hug, this time not letting go. "I'm so proud of you, Aly. You don't even know."

When she pulled away, she said, "The writers aren't sure if they're filming in L.A. or not, but there's a high chance they will be which means I may not be leaving to film. I'll be here."

The thought of her staying here made my stomach do somersaults.

"Even if you left, it would be okay," I reassured her. "And never hide something so big from me, okay? You deserve this."

Her eyes sparkled with happiness. "Thank you."

#alycia debnam carey #alycia debnam carey imagine #alycia debnam carey x reader

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dammitadolfnomorecake · 6 years ago

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🏰⚔️🐲🐲👑 DMODT- 50 start

Curled up with Luca, Eren was in a state of shock. His hand hadn't left his stomach since the healer had left them. He wasn't supposed to be pregnant. No. He couldn't be pregnant. It was impossible. He'd given up that part of his soul, and lost Levi's clutch because of it. This was wrong. All of this was wrong. This was the wrong bed, in the wrong manor, in the wrong country, and to the wrong alpha... He wanted to run, to scream, to claw the life inside of him out, but none of that happened because he just felt so numb to the whole concept of being pregnant... again. Hearing a soft knock on the door, the omega knew it was Armin. Not just because of the lightness of the steps, or the honey smelling soap he used, but because Mikasa refused to let anyone else near his room "Come in!" Luca chirped as he stretched before walking across the blankets of the bed and jumping down with a light thud. He knew when it was breakfast time, and he knew Armin usually brought breakfast up. Given he wasn't allowed to take any herbs that weren't approved by the royal healers, his friend stopped by to collect the herbal powders prescribed for morning sickness, before visiting him. Opening the door, Armin smiled down at Luca "Hello. Are you hungry? I've got some mince for you, as well as your milk" "You're spoiling him" "He's a growing boy. Speaking of growing, how are you feeling today?" "I haven't thrown up yet" "That's progress" There was that, and the smallest of bumps his belly had become in the past few weeks since being told of his pregnancy. He couldn't escape the truth, so why couldn't his mind just accept it? Closing the door, Armin went about fussing over breakfast for Luca. So far no one had tried to get rid of the child, and he didn't know if he was disappointed or not by that "I was thinking we could take Luca for a walk today? It's warm outside, so your lungs should be alright" With no fireplace in his own room quarters, cold nights now meant spending most of his time in shower for the steam. The constant flow of hot water could only come from magic sources "That'd be nice" For Luca. Eren just wanted to stay laying in bed. If he left the window open, the eagle carrying his updates from Eldia would fly right to his bed "Awesome. I did suggest we ride down to the port and take a look around, but Mikasa said it was too dangerous" "For who?" "You. She knows you don't love riding, and that you're not that great at it" "Actually... I can ride quite well now. I wouldn't mind going down to the port" "Really?! You want to go riding? I thought you didn't like horses" "They're not all that bad. I prefer them to ships" "Did you and... never mind..." God. He really should be over it all. It'd been 3 months since Levi left, and everyone was still on eggshells about the topic "We rode for about three weeks. Down from what they call Europe. Though, for about two of those weeks we crossed the desert on camels..." Levi had laid claim to his body, flooded him with his seed over and over. The baby inside of him was supposed to be Levi's. The alpha was everything he wanted in the father of his child. He knew how wrapt he would have been, and how attending and kind... He would have taught their child to ride a horse and wield a sword... The hand against his swell rubbed at it slowly "It's ok" "It's not ok. We wanted children, Armin. We wanted that dream and future. Now I'm pregnant to the wrong alpha, who I haven't seen since he found he was to be a father" "Isn't that a good thing?" "It is. I just... I know it's foolish, but he was... soft? at the party. When I got sick, he actually growled at the people trying to help, then carried me to the carriage" He didn't have feelings for Zeke. But not knowing why he helped... left him wondering if the was ok. Or if he'd seen something like that before with a pervious lover. The man was a sleaze, yet had limited his man-whore ways since they'd wed "Eren, you do know who he is and what he's done?" "I hold no illusions over Zeke's character, and I'm quite sure he'd erase Eldia if he could. But that won't change this... inside of me" "I still can't believe you're actually pregnant" "I can't either. I don't know if it's a clutch or a human child, so I can't say how long the pregnancy will last" "You're around 12 weeks, aren't you?" "Yeah. I've only had sex with Zeke those two nights. When he first told me we'd be wed, I was scared he would force himself upon me each night. It's nice to know all these black scales of mine repulse him enough to keep him away" "I was scared too... I thought you wouldn't be able to come back from what he'd done to you" "Armin, it hurt. It hurt so fucking much... but we all had a dream for Eldia. If it's for the sake of peace, I'll find a way to be ok" The handle of the cup in Armin's hold snapped. Armin letting out a long breath as he placed it down "Armin?" "You shouldn't have to just be ok! I might be a stupid kid, but I don't get it. I don't get how you can sit there, clearly not over your alpha, and still hurt from his leaving you. And you sit there, and... you weren't supposed to fall pregnant to him. When do you get your happy ever after? It's not fair Eren. I don't... you shouldn't have to have to this baby if you don't want it. You shouldn't have to sleep with someone like him, just to keep Eldia safe. You're not even a real prince. If I was prince, I would have married you and kept you in Eldia, where no one could touch you. I hate this place, and I hate what it's doing to you!" "Armin..." "No! You keep talking about peace, but this all too much! I hate it! He broke you and left you! And you still love him! I can't even be mad at him, because he wasn't mentally stable! I want to punch him in the face for leaving, and I want him to come save us from all of this!" Climbing out his bed, Eren walked over to Armin. Gathering his friend into his hold, he nodded "I hate him for leaving me. For leaving Luca. But I'm still in love with him.... I still love and want to be with him... I tried to hide how bad things were, but even that didn't keep him beside me... some nights I can't sleep because I'm so worried that he's hurt somewhere out there. That he's lying in a ditch somewhere bleeding out, and I'll never see him again... we wanted... we wanted a baby so badly, Armin... it's supposed to be his..." Vomit filled his mouth, Eren half shoving Armin away as ran to the bathroom. In his mind, his omega was one great big mess. It hated him for thinking of aborting the child, while Eren hated himself for not being able to. Armin was right. He needed to get out of the manor. Having choked down breakfast, and kept it down for longer than half an hour, the four of them headed out to back lawns of the manor house, as Mikasa wouldn't let him on a horse in his "condition". This was least faking feeling part of whole castle grounds. Long ago another building had stood on the site of the manor, its thick foundations were blackened and broken yet left standing as show of strength. Marley's soldiers had swept in and raised it to the ground, though no one knew just when that was exactly. Eren hated that Marley had destroyed something that would have taken decades to build, but the fact they were still there was proof of something outside of polite fakeness. Enjoying the feeling of the sun, Eren was sitting on the grass beside Armin, while Luca chased Mikasa around as Mikasa tried to work out. Even if the female alpha was annoyed at her having her workout disturbed, she'd become much more adept at hiding it from Luca, calling it stamina training instead of playing chasey. Luca might not have got the concept completely, but he was happy to chance Mikasa around. Sighing to himself, Eren accidentally interrupted the game in front of him, Luca abandoning Mikasa as he came bounding over to Eren "It's ok, Lu. You can keep playing" Chirping, his son swiped at his hand "You want me to play?" "Lu! Luuuuuuu!" "Luca, Eren is..." "Armin, it's ok. Luca hasn't had the attention he deserves since I first found out I was pregnant. I don't want this to impact on my time with him. Luca, you've got to give mummy a chance" Cocking his head sideways, his son smacked his hand again "Ok. Ok. I'm coming" Chasing around after Luca, it turned into a proper game when Armin joined in. His stomach didn't feel great, if anything it felt worse by the second, but Luca was so damn happy as they played. Caught up in their own world, Mikasa was the first to stop playing. Her hand going to her sword. This simple action was enough for Eren to gather Luca up, as he looked for the threat designated by his sister "It's Queen Dina" Queen Dina. He'd been going out of his way to avoid her "We should return to our quarters. She doesn't like me being outside of my room" Mikasa nodded "I know. I've caught Yelena following us more than once. She likes to try and blend in with the rest of the guards here" "Zeke saved her life. She sees him as god, and he didn't help matters" Huffing, Armin wiped his face on his shirt "If she's that great, why didn't he marry her?" "Because she doesn't come with a country that's filled with resources" "She's also not part dragon" Eren nodded quickly "There's that. When Zeke mounted me the first time, he only took scales from my back. If it'd been her, she would probably have realised that there's magic in the scales on my face, rather than the ones on my back. She's stupid for following Zeke, but, still, I get the feeling her mind is always racing and thinking of what comes next. I'm sure Queen Dina would have preferred her as daughter than me"

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bluerosesburnblue · 6 years ago

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Liz Liveblogs Bravely Second: Chapter 5, Part 1/2

The final stretch is here. Welcome to Chapter 5: This is Our Coup de Gravy!

I’m splitting Chapter 5 into two parts due to length. This part features an amazing climax boss, and is then followed up by the Sidequest Roundup, which ended up longer than I expected! We’ll resume with the plot next go around. I understand if anyone wants to skip this one, since it is mostly sidequests, but at least read the beginning because reveals abound and the plot starts to really kick into gear. No more messing around this time!

No introduction is needed. It’s time to end this before it begins. Let’s make sure the Kaiser rests in oblivion

“I deny you all” you know, Oblivion. Buddy. Synonyms exist. Try them sometime

Between the start of the scene and actually attempting the fight I started drinking some hard cider. So if the team members are siblings, I’m the tipsy extradimensional aunt at the reunion. Let’s punch Kaiser’s blond chinstrap beard in

Aw, damn. They switched Magnolia’s and Edea’s positions in my party. Muscle memory is gonna smack me down in this fight

Edea took out about half of Kaiser’s health in one full BP volley. Not so tough now, huh? Really should be buffing your defense, instead of the attack power of everyone on the field

Oh no. The magical domino mask that everyone seems to think hides your identity but really, REALLY doesn’t fell off

Kaiser is Yew’s missing big brother. I’ll... get into why that doesn’t surprise me in a minute

...that’s not the pronunciation I expected. Denys Geneolgia. I read the name as “Dennis.” Yew just pronounced it “Denny.” It’s... uhh... I can see why he went with “Oblivion,” even if it does make him sound like an edgy 13-year-old trying too hard

So. Yeah. One of the few things I was spoiled on was that Kaiser’s real name was “Denys Geneolgia,” and after Yōko’s prank with the Danzaburō illusion and the zoom-in on Kaiser’s prosthetic hand... I kinda figured he had to be Yew’s brother. I’m sure there was probably some foreshadowing that I missed, but I feel like I caught a fair amount of it

Fuck, I can’t believe Yew’s brother is the restaurant chain Denny’s

I can’t believe Denny just got arrested before he could give us exposition. That’s totally unexpected for a JRPG. Wow.

GOOD NEWS THOUGH. Tiz and Agnès are finally in the same room as each other. I... perhaps should not have made him a ghost knight for this reunion, but she’s seen him wear worse. It’s fine

AAAAAAHHHHHH that hug was so cute. “...You came for me!” HE SURE DID. ACROSS TIME. All for you, Agnès! Tiz will never let you down!

And from her perspective, Tiz is still in a coma. It’s like he came back to life miraculously just because she needed him

AND EDEA’S MADE IT A GROUP HUG. AHHHHHH. WHERE’S RINGABEL GET HIM IN HERE FOR THIS

Nevermind, Magnolia and Yew are joining in and that’s cuter. But still. We’re missing our sixth teammate, Ringabel~

Time to give Alternis, Braev, and Agnès the low down on the end layer, and how we sent player with the Bravely Second

Agnès can actually remember parts of it because she’s also synced up to the hourglass, but since she didn’t travel through time with the party, it’s more of a dreamlike recollection

One last job. Kaiser’s in jail, but his soldiers aren’t. We need to take them down and extract or destroy the Ba’al locked in Skyhold. But this time, we complete the ceremony and join the Orthodoxy and Duchy. Two forces once at war with each other, now at each other’s backs to save the world

Ag... Agnès maybe don’t base your speech on events that now no longer happen because I changed the past?

Apparently there was quite a bit of time looping for her. She was whisked away to the edge of time “over and over” again? Was that the result of being in a timeless space, or is she referring to various new games on the cartridge, of which there are none because I only have the one (now two due to New Game+), so...

This speech almost doesn’t work because they don’t make the player go through several meaningless loops this time, so even from a meta perspective, she was only kidnapped once. So unless Agnès has lived through save files I never made, I don’t know what she’s going on about

Didn’t take the Empire long to bust Denny out of prison

Altair didn’t even help with Anne’s bestiary entry! Why couldn’t it have been written without him?!

...glad the chest key for blue chests was just sitting out on the floor of the church there

Yeah, of course it was Janne and Nikolai who broke him out. We can’t have pancake night without Denny’s!

“Does the name Jerome Balestra mean anything to you!?” Janne... Janne you fucking idiot. Mook #4 didn’t kill your dad. None of these guys know what you’re talking about. But no, kill them. Fine. You useless brat

I DON’T THINK THESE GUYS, SPECIFICALLY, KILLED YOUR DAD, JANNE! They all look the same! How can you tell?!?!?!?

You. Are. SUCH a child. Get over yourself

Nikolai should not be that acrobatic

Oh good. Bella and Cú are back. Hey, Bella, is it awkward that Yew’s rocking your getup right now? It is, right?

Denys, why are you enabling the use of “coup de gravy”? No self respecting older sibling would let him get away without some serious teasing for something so cringey. I’m an oldest sibling. I’m speaking from experience here

After Bella’s speech, I can’t tell if the Empire is just Denys accidentally adopting people who need help, or a cult

Bella mentions crimes against “her sister.” She’s a “Dark Vestal” with black hair and seems to give prophecies of doom. Is Sylvie her sister? Did Bella do something to make her mute? Sylvie was one of the big mysteries from last “arc” that never got answered, so I’m hoping for payoff here in some fashion

Not even a moment to breathe (or save). Time to battle Bella and Cú once more!

Okay, so Bella’s sister was killed on the night Eternia was founded, by the “witch” who began the Plague, mentioned in the last game. Seems that may have been started by the Crystalguard

She tried to revive her sister, much as Geist tried to revive his son. But all she made were monsters. And Cú, whose resurrection she messed up. But none of them were Donna. (So, not Sylvie. Should’ve just given her a minute to monologue). She named her doll after her sister

Cú wasn’t even technically resurrected. He’s just a statue that she managed to animate

My Spirit Magic is so much stronger than Bella’s at this point it’s comical

Cú. You’re using up Edea’s special. Hurry this monologue up

Dammit Cú. I had Critical up by 300%. Thanks for wasting that

We spared them. Of course we did! This is the Best Timeline™, guys! No one dies, no one gets to economically ruin a nation!

Yew’s determined to show Denys’s people that the word can change so long as people are willing to work for it. Stop living in the past and wishing you could undo mistakes. Time to start working for a better future. And I can’t think of anyone better to show them than Agnès

“We can’t risk her Holiness...!” Othar, Agnès killed Ouroboros, the Devourer of Worlds. I think she can handle Sad Bella and her horse man without her useless bodyguards

I like Cú. He’s a man... horse of honor

And Agnès let Bella keep Donna, her doll. So sweet

Oh just let me save the game already!

We called in Braev, Alternis, Norzen, Kamiizumi, Goodman, and Lotus to hear our story. Lotus... has no idea who we are, unless we either called him from Sagitta and told him offscreen, or he somehow also had his memories hooked up to the Second

At least Norzen won’t arbitrarily attempt to kill us this timeline

Eisen and Eternia are teaming up to make sure Agnès can’t be kidnapped to use to awaken the Crystals

Magnolia’s got a plan to take the Skyhold. “Lord Arima and Sakura remember you well. Together, we’ve been preparing for this day.” Is this Kingdom Hearts logic, where all memories are connected, so as long as we remember the last timeline, so does everyone we befriended? Who, exactly, was memory synced to the hourglass?

...is it me? It uses the player’s SP, so as long as I remember the events of the story, so do they? Lucky for you guys I’ve been doing a liveblog, huh?

...that’s actually gonna suck if the sidequests remember Bad Timeline events, because now it’s a betrayal

Agnès has given everyone pendant pieces, so we’ve got a group call with the team now

“Take back the compass”? I don’t believe they’ve stolen it yet, Magnolia

Thank GOD. I can finally save and take a break

Denny’s got the team together to recoup after having his little brother time travel just to punch his face in. Understandable

He does genuinely seem to care about his underlings, so I’m pretty sure “savior of the lost” is the kind of person we’re dealing with here

“They went down fighting for the cause.” Janne, stop. They’re not dead. Best Timeline™

So Denys, Nikolai, and Janne all remember the past timeline, too. Who... who does and does not remember? Someone needs to get me a comprehensive list. Alternis may or may not get super pissed that I intend to “betray” the orphans this go around if he remembers

I like the fact that the villains in this game are as perceptive as they are. “If we remember, then I’m sure they do, too. No element of surprise with our plans, so we need a change of course”

“My friend...” Denys is the same as Yew. He adopts people. The empire is to him what the party has become to his brother: a second family to make up for the one they botched

They’re sending Geist to claim the compass instead of Minette this time. If the catsassin ain’t a secret, may as well go with our strongest operatives

New Game+ means both New Enemies+ and all sidequests from past chapters are open, so let’s go clear out some Catmancy skills, then fix the mess I made of the last timeline and see if I like the quests any better when I like the ending. We’re leaving the Bestiary until I get the Yōkai job’s Obliterate skill to make it easier on me

I’m gonna take the quests in order of appearance, so first up is Jackal vs. deRosa, where we side with Jackal instead of letting deRosa maybe accidentally start a Cold War for the sake of making some kid happy about his thesis project

Okay, they did exactly what I was hoping they would when I realized that everyone retained their memories. Event scenes are heavily abridged, but it seems like only the party remembers everything. So they go “hey, is this what’s happening? Okay, we can help let us fix this.” instead of having the situation explained. That’ll make it easy to collect the rest of the jobs

deRosa may remember. He knew everyone’s noodle orders, but doesn’t seem like he remembers anything about the Wellspring Gem. So... I dunno

Also, WHY DID YOU TELL HIM. You know it just causes a fight with Jackal!

“For every five years our research is delayed, the world suffers a decade of sorrow...” Okay, kid. Stop being dramatic. Your thesis project is not some high-end deal and not worth destroying at least one, maybe several towns over. He isn’t even a high ranking Al-Khampis student. Sorry, dumbass, I’m not letting you make a fantasy nuke

At least he’s got his heart in the right place. He’s gonna find a solution that doesn’t need the Gem, so that everyone benefits and they don’t have to destroy a city to do it. G... good job? You should’ve considered that from the start

Hey, I’ve got an idea. Let’s find Gho Gettar and slyly whisper to him that there MAY be an owl-man hanging out in the Northeast of Eternia that MAY have what he’s looking for ;)

Weird that the Gho sidequest starts up with meeting him and Mephilia in the woods to deliver Kamiizumi’s letter when the event we got the letter from didn’t happen in this timeline. Maybe he handed it off to us during the big peace talks in Gathelatio?

I’ve been listening to Critical Role too much, because when I heard the voiceover for Kamiizumi’s letter, I couldn’t picture the character, just Liam O’Brien’s goofy smile

Follow your dreams, Gho. I promise, Amaterasu is just a (very long) boat ride away

Kamiizumi thinks we’re being naive, because being a low-ranking worker isn’t anything shameful, and we’re encouraging Gho to be a quitter. And I agree, yeah, there’s nothing wrong with being a labor worker. BUT! It’s also not for everyone. Some people are AMAZING at those kinds of jobs, and some people shine in other areas. I don’t see Gho shining as a factory worker. I just see it crushing his spirit. And his sense of dedication is not an issue, because he is putting in just as much effort into summoning Amaterasu as he did working in that factory, but the summoning work makes him happier. He’s no less a hard worker for focusing his efforts on a strenuous process that makes him happy than one he doesn’t care about

“You counsel a guileless youth, still ignorant of the world, to throw up his hands at the first hint of hardship.” But we aren’t, though. You think there are no hardships on the path to his dream? That it won’t be difficult? No, we just refocused his efforts on something he cares about. He’ll struggle through just as many hardships, but with this he’ll want to go through them, want to make it through because they’ll be for something he’s passionate about. He’ll actually have the motivation to get through those hardships, and he’ll be more pleased with the results. Sorry, Kamiizumi. Just because it’s not for a job you particularly find tasteful doesn’t mean he’s not working just as hard. Maybe even harder, since he’ll be more excited to do it

The Kamiizumi fight is much easier once you remember that your Hawkeye has the Condor ability that can pierce default

And this is what I’m talking about. Gho is getting frustrated that he still can’t summon Amaterasu, he’s putting in so much effort, but now it’s for something he’s passionate about. It might not be as fast as he accomplished something of note as he did in the vs. Mephilia ending, but he’s accomplishing just as much, and I’m proud of him. Sometimes it takes just a little longer to do something truly great, as opposed to just something good

Oh, wow, I forgot about Sage Yulyana. Not his existence, but the fact that he hasn’t been relevant to this game. We still haven’t been to the Yulyana region

According to Mephilia he fought a Ba’al about a year ago, told her about Amaterasu and one other summon (Susano-o, the one she was searching for last game, or Charybdis, the other new one from this game?) and then either left this world to hunt down the Ba’al... or just died. Honestly, either would be pretty in-keeping with the good old sage. Just as well we probably won’t be seeing him, though; I only ever used Conjurer for Obliterate

Yeah, I’m happier having Gho follow his dreams than slave away at a job he hates, even if he managed to make that job more efficient. I’ve got faith he can do just as much, if not more good like this

Well, on to the next... oh. Oh god no not Holly vs. Profiteur again oh good lord come on, let’s try to stop this economic disaster before a child gets lost in the freaking mines again

Huh. This timeline they’re all just... talking it over like mature, responsible adults. And while Profiteur is going to make sure his economic argument is sound, Holly is... going to gorge herself in Heartschild. Great. Just go to Barras in Florem and leave the rest of us alone, you loon

And even the girl is more sympathetic. She still wants to stay, but she’s scared of her granddad having to go out and fish on the open water every day if they do stay there. And, kid, I got wrecked by a Monoceros out there and this party is TRAINED to fight, that is a very good fear to have

Oh thank GOD it’s not making me chase Profiteur down again

Greater good! GREATER. GOOD!

Oh, cool, Holly’s fucking drunk. Really making a good argument for yourself there, hon

Profiteur’s plans will “only help the few?” How so? Seems to me a flourishing economy benefits EVERYONE. Besides, I’d rather side with someone taking the situation seriously than one drunk madwoman

I’m almost happy that they made Holly so unsympathetic this go-around

But... now the kid’s back to being a brat. She’s throwing a tantrum because she doesn’t want the house sold. Too fucking bad? How many kids do you think would end up homeless if they didn’t sell? I don’t think an eight-year-old should be making the financial decisions in this family. They’re not good big-picture thinkers

Also, no need to be so hostile to Profiteur, Edea! Holly’s feelings aren’t the benchmark of morality, either!

I still have so many problems with the way this quest is written, as though the conflict is modest-but-happy lifestyle vs. lavish-but-empty lifestyle, when it’s really a needs of the many vs. needs of the few scenario. As though someone being sad is a decent argument for a large decision like this. As though kids are good at making rational decisions. Sometimes families move, sometimes things change, and it’s hard and sad and difficult to adapt to, but you need to. And this opens up so many possibilities for her that she can’t even see yet. Better schooling, a better home, good jobs, heck, she’ll be able to spend even more time with her grandpa if he doesn’t have to work all the time to get her food!

The one thing this quest has going for it is that I totally buy Profiteur’s redemption from the last game. He’s still a moneygrubber, but he’s a moneygrubber who’s genuinely looking to open up some honest jobs and help a country out

“You can trust in Erutus Profiteur! If you think I am taking too long [making this country a better place], you may come to blast me away at anytime!” God speed, good sir. He sounds so excited to make this work, and I’m glad to make it happen

Sidequest still wan’t great, but much more bearable than the first time. A kid didn’t even have to almost die this time around!

Well, now it’s time to go get stuck in Grapp Keep. If we were smart, we’d tell everyone to get out before the place collapsed, but then we wouldn’t have a conflict? Oh well. Let’s go kick Ominas and his baby dragon’s asses

I don’t foresee that fight being a problem, since I have Magnolia as an Astrologian with Elemental Barrier

...at least Edea tried to avoid slamming into that guy this time

The saga of Magnolia’s cooking continues. Seems she’s gotten to be a much better chef

Oh god it just hit me. The Edea punching the wall scene happened again. We caused the damn cave-in

And they tried to warn them of the cave-in, but we still got trapped. But of course

And Artemia and Ominas definitely don’t remember the last timeline. This time, though, we’ve told Risotto’s father to form a rescue party in advance. No worry about a search party not showing up. Now we have even less reason to side with Ominas! Food for everyone! Femto Flare later, when not under threat of hunger

Ominas, dude, just learn Femto Flare when we get out of here. World isn’t screwed because a tiny dragon didn’t learn it this second. Besides, the way this is going, it ain’t gonna matter much this timeline, anyway

Man, that is such a nothing quest. No real stakes, no real emotional involvement. Nothing. Cool. Moving on

...why does the Bestiary make it sound like Bahamut is dead when the actual epilogue says he’s fine?

Kikyo vs. Heinkel was enjoyable. Let’s hope it is again, yeah?

I like the premise of “oh we already know who did it, let’s set up a trap to catch the culprit”

And they aren’t even pretending it wasn’t Whitson. Hell, Edea’s blatantly guilting him, without actually saying his name

Let’s get Sholmes in on the police force. He needs to learn a little temperance. His big problem is jumping the gun with his intuitive responses. Putting him in a position that encourages him to think more logically and put together better evidence for his reasoning can only benefit him. Intuition is best used when you understand why you’re having that gut reaction in the first place, and it’s not the only thing that makes a good investigator

Kikyo’s still an annoying fight what with her constant evading and Transience skill, but Ninja was one of my top classes last game so it’s good to have it back

Yes, yes, we know what the truth of this incident was. I don’t need to hear it again, game

And you know, I’m liking this new, mature Sholmes. Good. I’m glad he’s finally wising up

Still a decent quest, I just almost wish the stakes were higher. ...then again, this game has proven that higher stakes in these quests tends to lead to higher stupidity from Edea, so maybe it’s for the best this stays low-scale

Who feels like opening up the first co-ed school in Florem. I do! Equality of the sexes!

Straight to the fight! This one was pretty straightforward

A co-ed school with optional enrollment is moving too fast? Really Einheria? Shut the fuck up. Both of your sisters are smarter than you right now, and one’s a psycho summoner and the other grew up in the woods

I just Summoned a Friend. He named his attack “Shot thru the <3″ and had Yew’s finishing line be “You’re to blame.” What a freaking legend

Oh no Rhea’s crying. What a shame

Einheria can’t even remember her name while proclaiming her loyalty to her. God, how could you forget a name like Rhea Veeling

And Swetti’s crush is still a thing. Great

Barras has licenses to teach various forms of martial arts and 22 fields of medicine? Dude, hey, go down to Eisen, find your drunk girlfriend, and go settle down yeah? Keep her out of trouble because you’re clearly the responsible one in this relationship

Eugh. Rhea’s Bestiary entry says she only joined the Bloodrose Legion after they ruined Florem, and her whole “making up for the sins of the past” shtick was an act to get the teaching job. Wow. Fuck her, glad this is Best Timeline ending

“Regardless, she is probably the most rational of the three Venus sister...” Not in this scenario, Tiz. Not at all

Back to Florem to respect the wishes of a deceased artist. Arca Pellar’s song will see the light of day. And then eventually Praline can remix it, but I don’t think she’s gonna have the patience to, honestly

So Pellar... remembers the last timeline? But Praline and Barbarossa don’t? What... why??? What are the rules for cross-timeline memory!?

At least it doesn’t seem like we have to trek through the Witherwood again. Good

And our plan is scream our answer into a microphone so that Praline and Barbarossa hear it and the loser challenges us to a fight. We’re just provoking the boss at this point! Why???

*mic voice* FUCK PRALINE. SHE AIN’T SHIT

I still can’t hear her over her background music

“Why not recreate that song as something people today will be able to enjoy?” Why not make your own freaking song!? There’s market for both genres! It’s not like the freaking Beatles are any less popular because their stuff’s old, you know?

Praline I am far too cynical to fall for false tears. I didn’t even cave to a child’s real tears. You think that’s gonna stop me?

Oh lord her awful song’s the boss music. You know, I like Jpop every once in a while. It’s a decent genre! This... this is not a good song

See? Barbarossa just handed Praline a commission to do a song for them. It... was for Arca’s song, though, invalidating everything I’ve done. At least this time the sailors are working with her to keep true to the original spirit of the song

Well, that totally invalidated my entire choice, but at least everyone’s happy?

The Bestiary has a few interesting tidbits. Rabbits are sacred on the moon (because this game was made in Japan, of course they are), Praline has been lying about being 17 for a long freaking time, and Nikolai was apparently a fan. I... Nikolai, buddy, really? Never would’ve thought

Time for one last diversion: solving the economic crisis of Grandship. Alternis may have his heart in the right place, but his clouded judgement will wreck Grandship in the long run. Let make the Best Timeline one worth living in, where everyone’s happy

It just occurred to me that there’s over 30 Jobs. That’s nuts

Just heading straight to the council meeting, huh? Just as well, we already know who we’re here to support. Though I wouldn’t have objected to hanging out with Datz, Zatz, Alternis, and the Proprietress for lunch again

(Also, side note: The salted caramel tea I’m drinking right now is ~amaaaaaazing~. I’m not even really a salted caramel person. Bigelow teas are a gift to this earth. Alternis is gonna get a beating while I sip tea dramatically)

Shoot. The elevator’s still locked. Guess I’m dungeon running with encounters off again. Teeeeediuuuuum~

(I get the point is probably new encounters but: I don’t have Obliterate yet and I’m still overleveled. So!)

We aren’t abandoning the orphans, you overdramatic dork!

Wow. That might be the first boss I’ve lost to.

Alternis, you’re proposing now!? In the middle of combat over the economic security of orphans!? Learn some tact, doofus!

Minus Strike is complete bullshit when Alternis has 100x the max health we do. That’s just an instant kill

And Khamer seems really devoted to helping the poor despite all this. “Maybe we can have our cake and eat it, too.” Yeah, I like it!

Oh, sure, cut to starving orphans to make me feel bad

Oh, I love the Proprietress. Now that people have money to spend, they’re spending it on helping the poor! And the kids are being offered an apprenticeship and schooling! Exactly how it should be. I was worried they were gonna vilify my choice for a second there

I forgot Edea was only 18. These kids really are all younger than me

Ah, that’s cute. Magnolia wonders how terrifying Alternis’s face must be in the Bestiary and Edea can only reply with “...” Yeah, mmmhmm. Good response to the pretty-boy pompadour guy

Thank God those are over. I love this game, but that was basically an hours-long boss rush. Most of those were a bit more tolerable than the Bad Timeline runs, but I still don’t think they were written well. The flaw is in the fundamental conflict setup... but I think I’ve talked enough about my problems with them in previous entries, so let’s make like a New Timeline and cut the chit chat because we already know what’s up

I’ve finally escaped Morality Sidequest Hell. Now, there’s at least two more sidequests in the game, but I have high hopes for them. Mostly because they won’t be confined to the Choice structure that all of the others have been stuck in which means: 1. no moralizing (probably) and 2. development for party members other than Edea, because the Tiz, Yew, and Magnolia might as well have not been there at all for all they contributed to these quests

Wow, that ended up being way longer than expected. I was hoping to get right into the story this liveblog, but I guess that’s not gonna happen. Well, check back next time when I go race Geist to the spacetime compass. He... unfortunately has a good headstart considering I just did eight sidequests, but now the whole party’s level 60 and ready to go! He doesn’t stand a... geist of a chance

#bravely default #bravely second #liz liveblogs bravely second #woooooooo that was a long string of fights #but with that out of the way part 2 should be a breeze #i want to beat this game this month #so let's shoot for a halloween finale

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