#adam was like hey i like it when you read? and her brain said INSTANT INTELLECTUAL NUT

[lumiereandcogsworth]

belle immediately getting a crush on the first guy that specifically asked to hear her read

[the-insomniac-emporium]

Bound Blood (Cassandra Dimitrescu/Reader, Soulmate AU) Pt. 1

Fandom: Resident Evil: Village Rating: T for blood, language, brief nudity. Later chapters will be M Warnings: Nah fam Summary: Local vampire finds out she can't kill soft human (because they're soulmates, baby), human becomes insufferable bastard, oops they fuck later. Soulmate AU where if one person gets injured, their soulmate feels the same amount of pain and receives a scar in the relevant area.

1: Sharing Is (Not) Caring

It’s not that you had expected to survive this- being locked in the dungeon of Castle Dimitrescu, waiting for the day you’re picked to be someone’s meal. Oh no, you had given up on surviving long ago, it was just that… well, you had hoped that someone with a softer touch would do you in. But here you were, too exhausted to cry, hanging naked in front of none other than Cassandra Dimitrescu. Her eyes were trailing you up and down, examining every inch of your skin, every flaw, every unique trait. It was like she was making a mental map of which parts of you would taste best. Goddamn, you wanted to spit in her face, or scream, or say something, anything that might make her feel even an ounce of what you had felt for weeks.

But you know that she’s already planning to kill you, and to make it painful. Why give her any more reason? Why dare her to find a worse way to end your life? There was no good answer, so you stayed still, just watched her move. Maybe if you looked bored enough she’d make it quick, just stab a knife in you and drink you up like a capri sun. Or, maybe, if you kept a straight face, she would admire your courage. Oh, how you longed for people to think of you kindly now, in your last moments, when dying clean and pretty was no longer an option.

Pulling a blade from some hidden sheathe, Cassandra approaches you with a wicked grin. There’s still blood on her lips from her last victim. Had they not sated her? Or had she been like this for some time? When she inevitably drank from you, how long would your blood remain on her lips? You weren’t sure that you wanted to know. In your mind, you picture her cleaning up as soon as she was done with you. It does not make you feel any better. Neither does the way she traces a finger across your chest, left to right, practicing for the incision to follow. She pauses to lick her lips, making direct eye contact as she does.

What happens next passes by so quickly that you don’t process any of it until the whole ordeal is over. The blade’s tip digs into your chest, just below your collarbone, before dragging along half the width of your torso. It hurts like hell, but you manage to keep your misery to yourself. But your pain is soon replaced with confusion; Cassandra screams, loud enough to echo throughout the basement, doubling over herself. In an instant her knife has clattered to the floor, forgotten. Instinct takes over your brain, the default programing kicking in, and you say something that fills you with instant regret.

“Are you okay?” Your voice is a bit quiet, and raw, worn out from lack of hydration. But it is enough, evidently, for Cassandra to hear. She’s rising back up and glaring at you, one hand clutching her chest. Something in her expression tells you that she thinks you’re mocking her. While that wasn’t technically the case, there was a part of you that found joy in this, watching your captor get a taste of their own medicine. The question left in your mind was why she was in pain. “I’ll take that as a no,” you said, again left with regret at your choices.

Now her hand is swiping at your face, nails cutting you open. Once more she hisses in pain, now clutching her head, shaking a little as she does. When she meets your gaze, you see that she’s more confused than anything. More than that, you see the marks on her face, knowing instantly that they match your own. Oh hell no, you thought, grimacing.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Cassandra growled through clenched teeth. Bouncing back and forth on her heels, she seems tense, unsure of how to process what’s happening. You feel the same way, desperately wanting to pretend that this doesn’t mean you’re her soulmate. Maybe the universe had just messed up, crossing some wires, or decided to pull a prank on the two of you. Either way it was better than the alternative. Eager to think about something else, you start considering your options. The first that comes to mind is ridiculous. Stupid, really. But would it amuse you? Absolutely.

“Not gonna lie, I feel better about the idea of you killing me now. Feel free to make it painful, darlin’, I won’t mind,” you snarked, lips curling up into a smirk. Oh boy was it satisfying to watch Cassandra’s response. One of her hands raises to smack you, only for her to freeze before releasing a torrent of swears. Hurting you meant hurting herself. “What’s the matter? Can’t handle a little aching? Haven’t you ever imagined what it’s like to be on the other side of things? Under the blade yourself, blood soaking your skin, eyes too dry for even a single tear? Poor thing,” you purred, tone as teasing as it could get. Apparently it’s aggravating enough for Cassandra to fight through the pain, as she slams her fist into your stomach, leaving both of you gasping for breath. “This is fun-” you pause to cough out a few drops of blood- “really, really fun. Hey, if you kill me, how bad do you think you’ll feel?”

Before Cassandra can react, either to speak or hurt you worse, the sound of approaching footsteps draws her attention. From where you hang you can’t see much, too many cells and hanging bodies blocking your vision. But your “soulmate” seemed to know who was coming. Her face scrunches up a little, and she adjusts her robes, trying to cover the mark on her chest. Had you not still been coughing, you would have sarcastically asked her how she intended to hide her face.

“What the hell is going on, Cassandra?” An unfamiliar voice asked. The footsteps grew louder, and faster, until the new figure stood in the same cell as you. Not even bothering to spare you a glance, she approaches Cassandra, reaching to examine her face. “Did a prisoner manage to get you? I’ve told you a thousand times-”

“Don’t fucking touch me, sis,” Cassandra snapped, pushing away her sister’s hand. Both of them are visibly tense, and for a moment they stand still, staring each other down. Then the sister (who you assume to be Bela, from things you’ve overheard recently) shifts her focus to you. Something tells you that she has no intentions of being gentle.

“Did you do this, you rotten little thing?” Bela questioned, glaring at you hard enough to send a shiver down your spine. But that doesn’t stop you from trying to have some more fun.

“Oh, of course I did! I rattled my chains real good, scared the shit out of her, made her fall on her own knife a few times. You know, like that one musical?” You must look insane as you speak, grin wide but face dripping with blood. If it unnerves Bela, she hides it well, though you doubt it does. As soon as you’re done poking fun she’s pulling out her sickle. Still grinning, you make eye contact with Cassandra, who realizes what’s happening a second too late. Then the two of you cry out in unison, as the blade carves into your shoulder. Instantly Bela pulls back, stunned, turning to her sister with genuine concern. “I might have lied. Rest assured though, it was for comedic purposes.”

The next thing you know the two sisters are shuffling away from you, Cassandra begrudgingly being dragged along by Bela. Though the younger of the two had been adamant about not receiving help, she now had little choice in the matter, skin searing from your blood bond. Even you are starting to breathe harder than you’d like.

“Was it something I said?” You barked, barely able to manage a fit of giggles between your coughing. Bela shoots you a glare over her shoulder, but quickly returns her attention to her sister. They talk, quickly, soft enough that you can only make out a few words here and there. It’s hard to make meaning from it, especially considering their vastly different tones. Cassandra is pure anger, gestures fast and wide, while Bela is oddly solemn, even regretful. When you finally catch a couple full sentences, things start to make a little more sense, though you wish they didn’t.

“We can kill them painlessly, in their sleep. That way you won’t have to suffer,” Bela whispered. She’s doing her best to comfort her sister, despite the tension in the room, gently patting her on the back. Briefly, you make eye contact with her. In that moment she looks equal parts executor and unwilling jury. But she looks away quickly, even shifting her angle to prevent it from happening again.

“No, fuck that, fuck this, I’m… I’m not killing them. Nobody is,” Cassandra growled, daring to emphasize her point by pushing Bela away. Now it’s her turn to look at you, brows furrowed, eyes betraying something more than just anger. Somehow it’s a million times worse than when she first came in. You strain yourself trying to look away, cursing the chains keeping you in place, resorting to closing your eyes and pretending none of this was real. “I don’t care what you think, Bela. They’re already my ‘meal’, might as well get what enjoyment out of this that I can.”

Again, footsteps echo through the basement. Tension locks your muscles in place, and your eyes are still clamped shut, to the point that you don’t realize your chains are being undone until you’ve hit the ground. Cursing under your breath, you finally open your eyes again. There’s blood on the floor, only some of it yours, and you’re suddenly aching for a bath. More than that, though, you’re praying for something to cover yourself with. Certainly Cassandra didn’t need to see everything, now that you weren’t a piece of meat for her to enjoy? As if reading your mind, the middle Dimitrescu daughter flings open a nearby cabinet, messily searching for something. Eventually she gives a hum of approval, then tosses a blanket in your direction.

“Put it on, dipshit, then follow me,” she snapped, already walking away. For a moment you’re tempted to stay there, sitting still, waiting to see how long it would take for her to notice. But one look from Bela sends the thought back to whatever crevice of your mind it crawled out of. So you’re moving, hastily, awkwardly wrapped in a somewhat itchy blanket. Other prisoners eye you as you pass, some shouting curses or even spitting at you. At first Cassandra takes no notice, or simply doesn’t care, but eventually the noise seems to irritate her. Turning back, she takes her sickle in hand and slams the handle into the bars of a cell. It’s loud, making you flinch, but gets everyone’s attention. “Next one to make a peep gets the blood eagle!”

“Is that, like, a sex thing?” The words leave your mouth before you can stop yourself. Laughter rings out around you from the few prisoners capable of it. Cassandra is seething again, looking about ready to kill you. Then she’s shifting into swarm mode, spreading out wide, insects barreling through half the occupied cells. A few cries escape the prisoners, as the flies take bites out of them, cutting a perfect balance between pain and (a lack of) lethality. They’d be suffering for days to come, every movement making their wounds ache. “Not a sex thing, got it,” you muttered to yourself, just as Cassandra reforms in front of you. This time she grabs the blanket you’re wrapped in, using it to tug you forward, sending you towards the exit.

“Shut up for five minutes and I might let you put on actual clothes,” she growled, keeping one hand on your back to guide you. The offer is the closest thing to kindness you’ve seen from her, and you have half a mind to do what she says. Would you actually manage to keep quiet for that long? Well, you were certainly looking forward to finding out...

[cheri-translates]

[CN] S2 Gavin and MC in Chapter 19 (Part Two)

🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers from Season 2 🍒

My focus is on Gavin x MC interactions, so content relating to the plot will be in bullet-points :>

Part One: here

[ Notable Scene: Infiltrating the STF ]

MC: ...but aren’t you relieved from your duties?

Gavin seems to guess the words I haven’t said, and he lets out a soft, unnatural cough.

Gavin: I know every patrolling post in the STF, patrol timings and angles of the surveillance cameras. I can ensure that we’d get in successfully without anyone noticing. However, since I only saw his face from four years ago...

MC: I’ll go with you. As long as I see his face, I can point him out to you.

Gavin has a teasing smile in his eyes, perhaps seeing the urgency written on my face.

Gavin: In that case, let’s go for a walk in STF tonight.

-

Late at night, Gavin and I infiltrate the STF through an outer wall.

Pale moonlight outlines a misty halo around him, softening his edges.

He finds an open window with ease. Lifting me up, he lets me jump through the window before leaping in himself.

This appears to be a utility room.

MC: Captain Gavin’s really good at this.

Gavin: This is the STF. I won’t bump into anyone even with my eyes closed, much less the walls.

Before Gavin finishes speaking, Tang Chao walks in with a bowl of instant noodles, a wicked smile on his face while he pushes the door open.

Tang Chao: Instant noodles must be eaten on the sly. Otherwise, I might-

When Tang Chao sees Gavin, he pauses in his footsteps.

In this short span of time, we look at each other speechlessly, the only thing left being the steam rising from the instant noodles.

All of a sudden, Tang Chao rolls his eyes, his body doing a 180 degree turn. With the instant noodles in hand, he steps out of the door before closing it.

Gavin: ...

MC: ...didn’t you say you wouldn’t bump into anyone even with your eyes closed?

Moonlight streams in from the window, illuminating the side of his face clearly. I turn my head stiffly, watching as his Adam’s apple bobs slightly.

Gavin: Tang Chao is slacking off.

Tang Chao’s slightly frantic voice can be heard indistinctly.

Tang Chao: Since Captain hasn’t been around, there were changes to the duty roster... Please save me. That was so awkward. Oh no, I don’t want to run laps...

I stare at Gavin quietly. His expression has returned to normal, as though nothing happened.

Gavin: It’s okay, let’s continue.

Gavin listens to the surroundings calmly. After a moment, he pulls me out of the utility room.

Suddenly, a set of uniform footsteps can be heard from behind us.

STF Agent: ...

Even before we can turn, the regular footsteps turn into small, scattered steps, akin to busy bees fleeing in disarray. The surroundings slowly return to silence.

MC: Have we been completely exposed...?

With a soft cough, a reddish hue climbs up the tips of Gavin’s ears.

Gavin: It doesn’t count if we aren’t caught. 

Eli (through the speakers): Hey hey hey.

Eli’s voice suddenly drifts from the STF’s broadcast speakers. Gavin carefully pulls me over to hide in a shadowy corner of the corridor.

Eli (through the speakers): ...due to some indescribable reasons, all the surveillance cameras in the STF will take a break for 15 minutes. If a certain colleague wishes to go somewhere or do something, please do so quickly.

Gavin: ...

MC: Pfft.

Seeing Gavin’s slightly speechless expression, I can’t help but laugh aloud.

This person is protected by many people who are unafraid of anything, isn’t he?

After this, we occasionally bump into familiar faces. However, they seem to have made a prior arrangement, and choose to ignore us.

Gavin seems to hesitate on whether he should make an explanation, but it eventually turns into one sigh after another.

In the end, we “very successfully” step into the room with the “Eye in the Sky” system.

Using the system, Gavin retrieves footage from the football match, and MC is able to identify the wheelchair-bound man, Du Wen

Gavin then searches up information on him as well as his approximate whereabouts

The both of them find him in a small alley

He admits that he’s the founder of the Fulcrum Charity Organisation, and has been assisting Gray Rhino in whatever he can

He claims that he means them no harm. To prove this, he allows MC to read his memories

Although they find the circumstances too convenient and deliberate, MC reads his memories because why not

She notices that certain memories have been stored in a misty bubble, just like the “firewall” she installed for Gavin earlier

Still, she searches for memories from the New Years Change Incident

She "sweeps” these memories into her own mind, and confirms that he’s indeed a victim of the incident

Gavin asks how he should contact Du Wen in the future, and the latter says he’d appear during a safe time

Once they leave, MC tells Gavin that they can use the Golden Apple 2 to display the memories she saw

Gavin says that Du Wen’s words aren’t trustworthy, but at least they have some leads that could further guide them to the truth

The next afternoon, MC learns from Kiki that the exhibition hall will be re-opening the next day. So she contacts Gavin and plan to sneak into it that same night

When she arrives, there’s someone else with Gavin - an elderly man with a missing left arm

She finds him familiar

[ Notable Scene: MC meets Captain Yan ]

Gavin: MC, this is the old policeman, Captain Yan. Today, he’s mainly here to cover for us. Captain Yan, this is...

Captain Yan: No need for introductions. You’ve mentioned her many times.

Before I can express my shock, Captain Yan sends me a warm gaze.

Captain Yan: MC, we met once at the hospital. I always hear your name from this young lad, so I’m pretty familiar with you.

Captain Yan smiles teasingly, then gives Gavin a meaningful look.

Captain Yan: If he ever bullies you, remember to tell me. As his senior, I’ll give him a proper scolding.

MC: O-okay! Thanks, Uncle Yan.

Gavin: Cough. We’ll leave the pleasantries for next time. We should go now.

With this, Gavin speeds up and walks forward, a faint red hue climbing up the tips of his ears.

Seeing Captain Yan’s grin, I hurriedly lower my head and follow after him.

MC: Gavin, wait for me!

With Captain Yan keeping watch, MC and Gavin use the Golden Apple 2

In the simulated memories of the New Years Change Incident, Gavin notices post-injection bruises on Du Wen’s hand

Du Wen and those around him don’t seem to know what’s going on, but they’re frightened due to the sounds of gunshots and explosions outside

A handful of Evolvers revolt, but are shot to death by officers dressed in NW uniforms

Du Wen flees, and the both of them follow after him

In the end, they watch as a beam crushes the lower part of Du Wen’s body

At the same time, a drone in the simulation appears to take aim at MC

[ Notable Scene: Gavin’s Protection ]

Gavin: MC!

An urgent exclamation drifts to my ears. Turning to the voice, I see Gavin lunging towards me involuntarily.

Those amber eyes grow large in front of me. In the next second, I’m enveloped in Gavin’s arms.

My cheek is pressed tightly to his chest, and powerful heartbeats echo at my ear.

His heart is beating very quickly - so quickly that my heart subconsciously matches its frequency.

“Thump thump. Thump thump. Thump thump.”

It’s as though these powerful heartbeats are the only things left in the entire world.

In every difficult or dangerous situation, I’m always able to hear this sound.

It’s as though they have melded into my bloodstream, becoming a kind of instinct.

Gavin: It’s fine, there's no need to leave the system.

Gavin’s hand is by his ear. After stating his judgement calmly, he looks at me.

Gavin: Are you okay?

MC: Gavin, this is fake.

Gavin: Mm. But my body seems to have reacted a little faster than my brain.

His amber eyes reflect the blood-coloured sky, filled with worry and fret that he hasn’t had the time to shed off.

Gavin: Whether it’s real or an illusion, I don’t want you to get hurt in front of me.

MC: But they would simply pass through my body.

Gavin: Not even if they pass through.

He speaks unyieldingly.

MC: Okay, whatever you say.

Gavin: Let’s get out of here.

They continue looking at the chaos and hear the sounds of crying and screaming

Gavin appears composed, but the fingertips holding onto MC are quivering, as though he's barely suppressing his anger at the injustice before him

The scene shifts, and what appears before them is a NW laboratory

Du Wen has thick tubes stuck all over him, and he’s submerged in a gigantic apparatus

MC traces that the memory is from 2 months prior to the New Years Change Incident

A senior official from NW walks in, and he seems to be in charge of a secret experiment

[ Notable Scene: Gavin and MC’s Future Father-in-law]

His eyes are steadfast and icy, as though nothing can sway him.

And nothing can destroy or obstruct him.

Gavin stands rooted to the spot. He watches as the man draws closer and closer to himself-

And walks straight through him.

Gavin has already matured into someone whose height is on par with his. They have incredibly similar features, and they even share an identical straight and powerful gait.

However, Gavin doesn’t turn around. His entire body remains stiff until the world gradually gathers into a patch of darkness.

He doesn’t move. The faint white light causes him to look pale.

Slowly, he lowers his head, covering his eyes.

I stand behind him, not saying a word.

That senior official is Gavin’s father.

Once they’re out of the Golden Apple 2, Captain Yan notices how solemn Gavin looks

Gavin takes Captain Yan and MC to a simple apartment to talk

Gavin fills Captain Yan in on what they saw

Captain Yan and Gavin start discussing what happened, and MC heads over to the window to look at the view despite the best view being Gavin

Gavin brings up the laboratory, and Captain Yan asks if he saw “that person”. Gavin grits his teeth and says, “I saw him.”

[ Notable Scene: The End of Chapter 19 ]

Gavin: MC, I’ll send you home.

By the time Gavin comes up from behind me, Captain Yan has already left.

I notice Gavin’s tense lower jaw. He seems to be doing his best to appear natural in front of me.

To appear as though he doesn’t care.

Seeing this person before me, I feel my heart being clenched tight.

MC: Gavin, I want to go somewhere before heading home. Could you accompany me?

-

When we leap over the walls of Loveland High, confusion flashes across his eyes.

The gentle evening breeze brushes his fringe, and his figure is immersed in patches of moonlight.

It’s been a very long time since I last returned to this place. But images from this place always surface in my mind.

The field, the stairs, the roof, the gymnasium late at night, and the infirmary.

During that period of time I had re-lived, I wanted nothing more than for time to move a little faster.

So that I’d be able to reach that day when I could walk over to him a little sooner.

However, this year, I’m reluctant to let time pass by as quickly. 

During the time in which the wind blew by, that young man filled all my memories related to youth.

That’s how reluctant I am.

That’s why I’ve been walking slowly on purpose. Even so, in just the blink of an eye, he disappeared in the breeze of youth.

Pulling on Gavin’s hand, we walk along the field, and walk into the depths of the forest behind the school.

MC: Gavin, I think you’re angry.

I turn my head to the side to look at him. Gavin simply furrows his brows slightly, and it’s clear that he feels a little uneasy.

MC: You don’t need to pretend that nothing’s bothering you in front of me. Anger isn’t something you should feel ashamed of.

Gavin: I...

He opens his mouth, but something sews it up again.

A fierce wind suddenly rises, causing countless fallen leaves to swirl in the air.

They are reminiscent of incessant, agonised screams.

Gavin: I... just can’t understand. There are clearly many other methods. There are many other choices.

His words are blended into the wind, suppressed and pained.

I don’t turn my head to look at his expression. I simply stand beside him quietly, our fingers interlaced together, standing in the middle of the fierce gale.

With the flow of time, the fierce gale becomes calmer. In the end, it morphs into a gentle breeze, brushing our fringes.

Gavin: MC, thank you.

I shake my head, turning my head towards him.

MC: Gavin, do you know something? The reason why I brought you back here was to tell you that I hope your beautiful memories won't simply be confined to high school. Beautiful things should continue, and never end.

While saying this solemnly, my heart speeds up uncontrollably.

Gavin’s pupils quiver slightly, and he squeezes my hands tightly.

Gavin: Thank you.

Very softly, he repeats these words.

MC: Let’s walk around a little more before heading home.

I chuckle happily, my footsteps becoming incomparably lighter.

All of a sudden, my palm feels empty -

It’s as though Gavin released my hand.

Feeling puzzled, I turn around to find that Gavin had simply shifted his hand behind his back.

MC: What’s wrong?

Gavin: ...nothing.

When the girl’s confusion is dispelled and she continues walking forward, Gavin lowers his head to look at his vanished right arm, his expression composed.

As compared to his right hand disappearing the last time, the scope seems to have grown larger this time.

Gavin follows behind the girl calmly, contemplating quietly.

His time might be shorter than he imagined.

Gavin chuckles softly, the corners of his lips hooking upwards slowly.

Gavin: MC.

I pause in my footsteps and turn around, realising that we’re several footsteps apart.

MC: Gavin, what’s wrong?

Gavin: I just received news from Captain Yan. I might have to leave for a while.

MC: So suddenly?

Gavin: Sorry. After sending you home, I’ll set out.

He looks at me apologetically, as though suppressing something once again.

-

After returning home, I quickly remove my shoes and rush to the window to search for that figure.

Guessing that I’d do this, Gavin doesn’t leave immediately. He stands downstairs, waiting for me.

A gust of wind burrows in through the window, as though carrying with it slight reluctance as it makes gentle twirls around me again and again.

I lean my palm against the glass, wanting to say another farewell to him.

MC: Gavin, you must return safely.

💙 Calls and Moments: here

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[gunterfan1992]

Interview with Half Shy (the songwriter of “Monster”)

For the last few months, I’ve been collecting information for a second edition of Exploring the Land of Ooo that will also cover the production of Distant Lands. This means that I’ve started to look into the new songs that we have been graced with this year, and this of course includes “Monster,” the beautiful track from the masterpiece that is “Obsidian”. And so I reached out to the song’s writer, Half Shy, who was kind enough to chat with me via email about the songwriting process!

(Photo courtesy of Half Shy)

In many ways, Half Shy is living the creative Adventure Time fan’s dream: She got asked by Adam Muto himself to write a song for “Obsidian” after he heard her music through Bandcamp! (I’ve dabbled in fan music before, and the fact that someone from the show might listen to it just blows my mind.) What an opportunity; I am so excited for her!

Since a second edition of my book won’t be coming out until after all the Distant Lands episodes air, I thought it would be best to share my Half Shy interview now. Read on for the fascinating behind the scenes story of how Half Shy and “Monster” came to be..

GunterFan: What is your origin story? How did you get involved in music, and how did the Half Shy project come to be?

Half Shy: I’ve been making music pretty quietly since I was in high school with a keyboard and guitar. I played one or two shows a year after college when I could find a friend or my brother to get up on stage with me, but I don’t really have that performer gene in me naturally. I get too much in my head and forget what the lyrics are to the song I wrote, or what the next chord is. Total brain freeze. So that whole experience is a bit of a mental drain. It’s something I think I’d like to dig into and figure out, but right now I’m really enjoying the time writing.

Even playing a song for my friends I still get pretty nervous. That’s where the name Half Shy comes from. I’ve always been interested in making things that by their nature draw a bit of a spotlight, but at the same time, I am just really quite nervous about the attention.

I recorded my first songs under my old name Hey V Kay in my bedroom and started putting them up online one at a time. When I got enough I thought about packaging it up into an album, but then got really distracted by learning how to fix up motorcycles and going to automotive tech school. When I eventually got back around to it I named the album Gut Wrenching.

After a few years I realized that I didn’t want the day-in-day-out life of a mechanic, I just wanted to know how to fix cars for myself and to have that knowledge in my back pocket. I got back into making music but grew frustrated at the process of writing and recording songs. I felt like I wasn’t able to capture the ideas I had in my head. Like trying to draw on your computer with a mouse. Doable, but it’s not going to come out like you’d hoped.

So these last couple of years I’ve focused more on learning the technical aspect of it, from the initial ideas and lyrics, to the recording and mixing. During that process I put out Bedroom Visionaries, and while writing I happened upon the name Half Shy in an old Thesaurus which felt instantly right. Learning all of that has been fun, I even went as far as to create my own book to solidify a daily writing routine (lyricworkbook.com). All that has been a bit of a tangent from actually making much music though. I should be getting my books in December from the press so I’m really looking forward to getting back into making more music instead of dealing with printing presses, setting up websites, and sourcing ribbon suppliers.

GF: What is the story behind "Monster"? How did the show get in contact with you?

HS: I keep a log of “Song Starters” with neat things I’ve heard in the world, and I would look through it every now and then and notice just how many came from Adventure Time. Eventually I thought well, I have to make a song about this show that just keeps breaking my heart. It was around the time I was nearly done with the first [Adventure Time-inspired] song “In My Element” that I got an email from Bandcamp saying “someone bought your album (Bedroom Visionaries).”

I get maybe one or two of these a month at most so I love to go in and say hi to the person and say thanks, be curious about who they are, [and] what they’re all about. Turns out it was Adam Muto, the executive producer of the show. (I asked and he has no idea how he happened upon my stuff. He guessed that I must have tagged something #adventuretime and he just happened to see it.) So I sent him an email saying, “Hey wow thanks for checking out my tunes. Also... holy crap you’ve made the best show I have ever seen in my life.” [I] played it real cool like. After finishing up writing my second [Adventure Time-inspired] song “Betty” I couldn’t help but fangirl real hard [and I sent him another message saying], “I’m sorry this is probably awkward, but I really love your show and I wrote these songs about it.” He was incredibly kind and shared them with his Twitter Universe, and a while after that I got a random email from him saying basically, “Hey, I’m working on this thing I can’t talk about, would you be interested?” I was like… well you know I’m pretty busy working at a sign shop so I’m gonna have to pass on this once in a lifetime opportunity (J/K. Obviously I fan-girl squealed and said yes immediately).

We chatted a bit about what the project was going to be and the direction. He mentioned there [would be] two Marceline songs in the special, [and he asked if I] would I be interested in giving the love song a try? Trying real hard to suppress my instant imposter syndrome I was like, “Yea, totally I’d be into giving that a shot!” So I read through the story and loved the idea of the dragon mirrored in Marceline, thinking through how they’ve both built up a protective shell, how she grew tough for a reason, but now she can open up and be vulnerable with PB.

From there I wrote the initial demo with the first two verses mostly intact and we went back and forth a few times editing it down into the final version. I recorded the final parts for the show in my little home studio in Seattle.

GS: When you were writing the song, what emotions, thoughts, or ideas were you channeling? Was there any sort of memory of event that you were trying to artistically "catch" or "recreate" with the lyrics or music?

HS: As far as channeling an emotion, generally I’d say just the experience of existing as a human. It can be so hard to open up and be vulnerable. I can remember that feeling even as a young kid—getting really excited about something and having someone completely trash it or look at you like, “Why are you so interested in that? It’s dumb.” [It causes us to grow] a little more weary to share ourselves because we know that hurt and embarrassment. The pain of being misunderstood is something I think a lot of us can relate to. Then having to decide whether to keep sharing those vulnerable parts of yourself or think, “They’re just not going to get it, I’m going to get hurt, so why bother?” and then stop putting yourself out there. You lose a lot with that thick armor though. You might feel protected, but you’re not feeling a whole lot of anything else other than the weight and chafing of it (I had a whole lot of armor-related metaphors that I didn't end up using.).

I struggle with this in songwriting too. I’m not the bolt-of-lightning type. There are pages and pages of cliches, total garbage, bad jokes, and cheesy lines that I have to get through in order to get to something that I am excited to put out there into the world: “Here I did this thing, I know it’s a little (this or that), but I made it... What do you think?” It’s hard to open yourself up to hearing the other end of that question.

I filled about 5 little pocket notebooks just thinking through the story, ideas, and trying to get this song right. I wanted it to feel familiar and honor the past songs of the show ([e.g.,] using the ukulele and referencing a few of the familiar chords from “I’m Just Your Problem”) but also be pretty open and vulnerable and different for [Marceline]. [I wanted to] show that she’s going through some tough emotions but also figuring herself out and growing.

GF: I feel like “Monster” is, at its core, an ode to the “Bubbline” ship. How do you feel about your song being intimately connected to one of the most famous LGBTQ+ relationships in animation? Do you have any general thoughts on Marcy and PB, Bubbline, etc.?

HS: Oh, I’m a total fan girl of Bubbline. The whole story of how Rebecca Sugar and Muto slowly morphed it into this deeper relationship is just great. As a part of the LGBTQ community myself it really means so much to see the representation of characters like yourself portrayed in an intelligent way. Growing up I was too young to fully understand what was going on but I saw Ellen getting cancelled, and [I] heard people around me saying they’d never watch her show again after she came out. That stuff sinks in as a kid and so to have these characters who are not only intelligent, but funny, complex, and unapologetically strong who also happen to be queer is really great. I love that the story here isn’t about their orientation, but that they’re people struggling with how to be open and vulnerable in a relationship.

It feels like something sci-fi and animated shows do so well—to show that ridiculousness of limiting who a person should and shouldn’t love. Marceline is a 1000+ year old half-demon/vampire and PB was born from the Mothergum of an apocalyptic radioactive world, but you’re going to get hung up on them loving each other? It sort of brings it into perspective in a really interesting way.

GF: Do you have any other thoughts about the experience that you'd like to share?

HS: Just how lucky, thankful, and honored I feel to be a part of my favorite show, writing a song for one of my favorite characters. It’s also incredibly cool how the people on the show are so willing to connect and collaborate with their fandom. Everyone [on the production crew] was very open and a real joy to work with.

I’d like to give a huge “Thank you!” to Half Shy for agreeing to participate in this interview; she really was quite amiable! If you’d like to hear more of her music, check out her website and her Bandcamp. You can also follow her on Instragram here and on Twitter here. And of course, here is Half Shy’s awesome video of “Monster”.

[anika-ann]

Errare Humanum Est - Epilogue

The Dakrness and the Light

Type: series, soulmate AU series  (part 1, part 2)  x Supernatural

Pairing: Steve Rogers x reader   Word count: 3530

Summary: There are loose ends to tie; with Sam and Dean... and other friends. You really thought the times for rendering you speechless were gone. 

You were wrong.

Warnings: swearing, brief angst, guilt trips, brief talk on religion, fluff

Story masterlist

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True to your words, you decided to ask the experts on weird people appearing out of nowhere and shooting light from their hands about the strange experience you had; an encounter that resulted in you gaining your memories back.

Sam and Dean were ecstatic when you told them about remembering everything – including the time you had spent with them though, one set of memories not replacing the other.

After enough cheering via your Skype call, you sent the footage.

The silence stretched as the brothers watched the recording, their eyes wide with an emotion you couldn’t quite place. They seemed spooked, shocked, perplexed and quite a bit fascinated too, to be honest. Steve’s arm around your waist tightened, both of you holding your breath in anticipation.

Oh God, who was the woman? Was she a friend of Rowena? Worse, was she a friend of the King of Hell they had mentioned? Who-

“Holy shit,” Sam finally exclaimed, making you blink in shock. Since when Sam swore? Admittedly, you hadn’t spent that much time with them, but-?

“Quite literally,” Dean conceded, squinting at the screen again as if he couldn’t believe his eyes. You were sure you were about to burst – or at least that your heart would beat its way out of your chest with how forcefully it was hammering against your ribcage. “I thought they went under? Or, you know, up?”

“So did I.”

“Guys? We’re not following. You know who or what this was?” you asked them breathlessly, unable to bear the suspense anymore.

Sam cleared his throat and apparently closed the video, because they were following you with their gaze again.

“Uhm yeah. That was God’s sister who paid you a visit.”

Your heart positively stopped for a second-- and then you laughed self-depreciatingly. Don’t be stupid, hey don’t mean that literally.

…they couldn’t, right?

“…is that a euphemism for something?”

“Nope,” Dean accented the ‘P’ and shrugged for a good measure, knocking the air out of your lungs. And of Steve’s, probably freezing his brain along the way, because his figure went absolutely rigid behind you.

“God’s sister?” Steve parroted and you were sure he wasn’t even breathing at that point.

“Yeah. Her name’s Amara. I’m pretty sure she had a crush on Dean,” Sam explained casually as if it wasn’t a big deal.

God.

And God’s sister-

--wait, what? A crush? Huh?

“Dude. Come on!” Dean called out exasperatedly, hint of red pulsing in his cheeks.

“Like… the actual God’s sister? God, the religion figure… and his sister?”

“Yeah. Amara. The Darkness. God’s sister, whatever. We helped them to solve their family issues a while back,” Dean confirmed, a smug smile tugging at his lips at your disbelief.  

“I beg your pardon?” Steve blurted out, as if reading your frantic thoughts.

It was a lot to chew to begin with, but did Dean really just call her The Darkness? Why weren’t they freaked out by that?!

Sam sighed. “It’s complicated. Look, she also brought our mum back from death, but from what we know now, from what she said to you, it looks like Chuck brought you back and Amara thought you should also have your memories. Don’t worry about it, we’re used to this kind of crazy.”

It took you several moments of the wheels in your head turning before you connected the dots and actually registered what he was saying.

Wait, whoa, whoa, whoa, that would mean that Chuck was… the brother. Which made him… which made him-

“God’s name is Chuck?” you choked out at the same time as Steve questioned a different exclaim of Sam’s: “Don’t worry about it?”

“Yeah. Chill. Be grateful,” Dean shrugged it off as if he didn’t notice your confusion and struggle to comprehend why on Earth God would bring you back from the death and his sister (the hell-- heaven?) stopped by to return your memories on top of that.

“Hey, are you okay? You look a little pale there,” Dean hummed, eyebrows furrowing in actual concern.

Yeah, no shit. I’d like to see your face if you found out that you were saved by—oh, wait, you actually might have…

“It’s… that’s a lot to chew.”

“Come on, you already knew you rose from the dead, this can’t be-“

Sam covered his brother’s mouth with a hand, annoyed look on his face before he smiled at you compassionately. “We know. But we’re serious. There’s nothing we can do about that, just enjoy what you were given. You both have your soulmate back. Be happy.”

“Though I gotta say, my heart is broken. I was holding out for you,” Dean teased you, having wrestled free from Sam’s grasp.

“Dean!”

To be fair, Steve didn’t even flinch at such suggestion, knowing Dean’s flirty nature already, and you were pretty sure he even rolled his eyes.

“Kidding. Call us if you need help, okay?”

“Can I call to just check up on you?” you pried carefully, unable to help the warm smile slowly spreading on your lips as they slapped their hands over the other’s, Sam’s trying to shut his menacing brother up.

They stopped at instant.

“Uhm… yeah?” Dean hummed, clearly surprised, while the younger brother charmed a sweet smile.

“Good. Be careful, guys. I mean it. Let an angel watch over you. And look after him too. Send him my best wishes.”

“We will. We’ll see you, Fire Princess,” Dean winked at you and you huffed. Jerk.

“I hate you,” you murmured, waved at Sam and shut the laptop close, shaking your head.

Steve’s lips found the crook on your neck, nuzzling his face there then.

“Do you understand any of the things they said?” you slightly shifted, your lips catching his halo-like hair, your back leaning onto his chest.

“Nope.”

“And you don’t care,” you stated when he kissed your skin again

“Nope,” he confirmed cheerily, pulling your back to make you lie down on the bed. You complied, ending up on your side, spooned by his warm muscular form. “Besides wanting to know what Fire Princess means, I’m just happy to have you back, doll. You’re all that matters.”

“Steve…”

You heart fluttered in your chest, chasing heat to your cheeks at his sweettalking.

“I mean it. I’m not letting go of you, ever. If I have to lay down my shield, I don’t care. As long as I have you… I have everything I need.”

“Steve, I…” he eased his hold a bit when you squeezed his hand, allowing you to turn and face him. His eyes burned with sincerity, the way you remembered they always did when trying to convince you about something you found hard to believe – usually concerning his feelings. “I… I don’t-“

“I love you. And I mean it. Just say the word.”

“But I… I can’t be enough, Steve. That’s-“ you protested, your head spinning at the thought.

He couldn’t be serious. Could he? Steve had a heart of gold and fighting for the good cause in his blood. He couldn’t stop. Or maybe he could, but at what cost? How long it would take him to realize what a mistake he had made? And what if he blamed you then? Worse, what if someone on the team would get hurt in his absence and he would blame you for that?

Rationally, you knew the last scenario was of zero probability, because Steve would definitely hold himself responsible, no one else, but that only proved your-

His thumb tenderly traced the shape of your lips, eyes seemingly bluer than usual, as if he forced them to change their colour just to look more genuine and innocent, unable to lie.  

“You are. I spent weeks thinking-- thinking that I lost you – because of what I did, no less – and nothing mattered anymore, not really.”

“You love your job,” you stated slowly, incredulous that he was actually considering it. You tried hard to push the rise of hope and annoyingly adoring feelings towards him that bloomed in your chest.

He couldn’t do that, stop that, you bitch, he was not just yours- it wouldn’t be your choice to make-- but that was just wrong--- what if he got fed up with you-

“I loved my job – mostly because it was the only thing familiar in this century. The job was my life. And look where it got me.”

“Face to face with me, resurrected?” you teased with an awkward attempt at smile, unsure of what to make of this conversation and the mess of feelings it stirred within you. Steve only raised one corner of his lips at your silly joke. “No, seriously. I love you too. I love you and that’s why I can’t let you quit, not for me. You’re Steve Rogers. You’re Captain America. It’s like giving up your half.”

“I’ve done that once,” he muttered darkly, looking away. “And you took the other half with you.”

Tears pricked in the corners of your eyes at the reminder of why he might in fact could be able to give up on his job; because of the terrible sorrow it had brought him when making the impossible decision in his title’s favour.

You weren’t naïve, not that much at least. You both knew that that particular situation would have never happened if he was doing literally anything else for living.

You sighed, cupping his cheek and pressing a soft kiss to his lips. “Okay. We’ll think about it and talk about it later, alright? Now I just want to kiss you and cuddle you for eternity.”

His lips curled up in a brilliant smile that always made you smile back automatically, making your whole body pliant and feather-light.

“That is the best plan ever, darling,” he praised, planting a kiss to your forehead, indeed snuggling closer, leading your head to hide under his chin. Gosh, you loved when he did that, engulfing you, protecting you from the whole world.

“Thanks, Mr. Rogers.”

“No. Thank you. Thank you for coming back to me.”

You smiled against his throat, kissing his Adam’s apple. “We’ve been over this, I didn’t exactly-“

Hand still in your hair, he guided you from your favourite spot with light pull, only so he could shut you up with a kiss.

You sure as hell didn’t resist and lazily returned the affection, content to stay in that moment forever.

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In real life, moments like that didn’t last forever. Sooner or later, duties and decisions came knocking.

Decisions were hard, especially when coming back from the dead and having to choose if you should keep it secret or not for instance and oh so many more things that needed to be dealt with; which was exactly the reason why you had been avoiding it, but that couldn’t go on for much longer.

For the moment, you decided there weren’t many people to confide in, but there were still some that deserved it.

A priest of the church where your own little altar was placed was one of them, mostly because of the meeting you wanted to hold there. Then again, officially it had been Steve who invited Ryan to a safe place with little information on the reason behind such action.

Steve had warned you he hadn’t spoken to him since before your death, but it could never prepare you for the cold welcome he had got when they came face to face, while you were hiding in the shadows.

“Captain Rogers,” Ryan greeted him stiffly, voice even and sharp enough to cut deeply and precisely with that particular addressing. You and Steve had talked; you knew he had troubles coming to terms with the title after he had lost you despite burying himself in his work and making it look like it was the exact opposite.

“Ryan. Thank you for coming.”

“Why am I here? What do you want?”

Was it just you or did Ryan sound really annoyed as if he couldn’t leave this encounter soon enough? What happened to him?

“I needed to talk to you about something important,” Steve replied softly despite your best friend’s attitude.

Ryan scoffed, crossing his arms on his chest. He was a bit thinner than you remembered, but that might only be the outfit he was wearing; the sweater looked a size too big for him to begin with.

“I have nothing to talk about with you, Steve. Frankly, you being here in this very church is like a sick joke. You weren’t here when it counted. What held you? Work, I imagine?”

Even you winced at the cruel words. This didn’t sound like the man you were best friends with. Was he truly so angry with Steve? Or was it because his heart was still heavy with grief? You didn’t know whether to be touched, angry back or just sad.

And what did Ryan mean by Steve not being here when it mattered?

“It wasn’t like that-” Steve tried to explain and for the first time, his voice cracked, sending a shiver down your spine.

“Imagine that. All of them were here. All of the freaking Avengers came to her funeral-“

Oh. Oh. You had no idea what to make of that. Steve had kinda forgotten to mention that fact to you. You should have figured; he did warn you they hadn’t spoken since before your death. Shit.

Unlike Ryan, you knew it wasn’t the lack of sorrow that had held Steve back from coming – even without him telling you so, it was clear as day to you.

“-even the one from another planet. But you? Her soulmate? Gosh, Steve… what’s your excuse?”

The question was clearly meant to sting and one single glance at Steve told you that it did precisely that; his eyelids fallen shut, his hands balling into fists.

“Do you really need to ask?” Steve chuckled bitterly, forcing himself to relax his hands. You more heard the tears in his voice than saw them from your spot behind the pillar and your heart ached. “How could I show up, Ryan? After what I did? How could I look into your eyes, to her parents’ eyes? I killed her, Ryan. Don’t you think for a second that I don’t feel guilty or regret it every single day. What I did, why I… I-”

“You don’t need to explain yourself, Steve. I understand why you made the choice you did…” Ryan interrupted him with a sigh and a sideway look, almost as if in conciliatory manner. “But that doesn’t mean I hate you any less for it. Or that I don’t blame you for her death. Because I do. It was your fault.”

Ouch.

“I know. And I understand. You have every right.”

Well, this was going splendidly. Another guilt trip for Steve and hostility from your friend. Just peachy. You seriously considered just walking in regardless Steve’s plea for you to wait for his signal.

“And yet I’m grateful for the weeks you spent together. You made her happiest I have ever seen her. It’s funny how I can hate you for it at the same time,” Ryan added then, his eyes turning compassionate and kind, only a shadow of sorrow remaining.

“Life is that way sometimes. But… I didn’t come here to ask forgiveness, Ryan.”

“Good, ‘cause you’re not getting any. Why are we here then?”

Now this sounded more like Ryan. The corner of your lips rose in a tinniest smile.

“Because she always said you were her platonic soulmate. She trusted you with everything. And you deserve to know.”

“Deserve to know what?”

“That miracles happen,” Steve said simply, not making any sense to the other man. Drama queen. Then again, God had probably saved you, so he wasn’t exaggerating.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Is that why we met in a church? Some weird symbolism to… to what?” Ryan sputtered, getting impatient. You almost walked out right then. But you trusted Steve to prepare your friend better for the shock now.

“No. We met here because I believed it was a safe place and you wouldn’t have come to the Tower.”

“Safe place?” Ryan asked warily, eyeing his surroundings suspiciously, his gaze shifting to your soulmate again. “For what?”

You cleared your throat, deciding this was the moment and stepped out. Ryan’s eyes bulged, his face drained of all colour.

“Hello, Ryan. Long time, no see,” you offered a teary smile and he blinked, your name falling from his lips breathlessly and with thousands of questions unspoken.

His gaze flickered to Steve, who smiled at him tightly, gently beckoning to you, encouraging him.

Ryan took several shaky steps and you stopped, letting him cross the distance in his own pace, getting him a chance to back away when feeling like it. On the inside, you wanted to run to him and let the man engulf you in a hug and never let go, but you realized what kind of a shock it must have been.

Hell, you were still coming to terms with it.

“Baby?” he whispered, voice trembling and breaking on the single word. You didn’t bother blinking away your tears, only nodding.

At that, Ryan erased the distance in two long strides, throwing his arms around your neck and sobbing right in your ear. His breath hitched when you hugged him back; as if he had been expecting this was only a trick.

It wasn’t.

“Hey, Ry-Ry,” you rasped, your sob nearly in sync with his, which was ridiculous.

He withdrew then, framing your face with his palms, his eyes travelling all over you.

“I saw you die,” he choked out, incredulous, awed.

“Yeah, lots of people did,” you agreed, covering one of his hands with yours. “It’s a long story.”

His blown-up irises widened further. “Was that… some kind of a cover-up? Did you- how could you not tell-?!”

“It wasn’t a cover-up!” you hurried, shaking your head as his arms fell from you. ”I died, Ry-Ry. I told you it’s a long story.”

“I have time,” he mused, still starring at you, measuring you from head to toe, perplexed and teary.

“Then maybe you should sit down. Before what I tell you knocks you flat on your ass.”

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A smile was tugging at Steve’s lips at their interaction. Ryan was amazed, naturally, and Steve could relate; having her back was everything. He hadn’t been lying to her when he had told her he would lay down his shield if she asked him to. He would do anything only if it meant she would meet his gaze like at that exact moment, tears and laughter in her eyes, her lips spreading in that beautiful smile that tugged on his heartstrings.

“Steven,” the priest appeared at his side, voice low so he wouldn’t disturb the reunion. “Why don’t you join me in the back? Let the two friends catch up?”

Steve could stay right there, watching you explain the insane story, but perhaps he shouldn’t. Your best friend deserved your undivided attention and Steve would be happy to let you do so. God knew that while you were bickering and joking with the rest of his team and friends – now your friends too, no doubt – you weren’t beaming as much as you were at the moment. You needed your own time with Ryan.

“I… I suppose I should. Thank you, Father, for allowing this,” Steve expressed his gratitude, only for the other man to nod and give him a kind smile.

“Well, your friend had a point about symbolism here. Miracles do happen.... Speaking of those. I have someone who I would like you to meet.”

Steve blinked in surprise, but followed Father Lantom, trustful.  “…alright. What is it, Father?”

“It might come as a shock,” the priest warned him as he stopped in front of the door Steve was familiar with; Father had invited him over for coffee before, but Steve always refused, not wanting to abuse his hospitality.

“My soulmate came back from the dead, Father. I doubt anything can shock me at this point.”

The older-looking man chuckled, his hand laid on the handle. “I’m tempted to make a bet, but I must maintain the façade of an honourable man.”

“Father Lantom… what are you talking about?” Steve gulped, something icy creeping up his spine, his heart speeding up in anticipation.

Surely, the man wouldn’t do anything to hurt Steve. The idea was ridiculous. So why was Steve so nervous all of sudden?

“James? May we enter?”

There was no answer and if there was, Steve couldn’t hear it over the pounding in his ears. A crazy idea, old hope that he could never allow himself to feed because people who died stayed dead, even in this insane world, rising in his chest and suffocating him.

James?

Miracles?

The door opened with a creak and Steve only needed a glimpse to freeze in the doorway, his heart stopping, brain short-circuiting. The world swayed of its place and there was a crushing weight on his chest, crushing and vertigo-inducing at the same time, frantic memories of a friendship that should have lasted until the end of the line flashing in his mind, an agonizing memory of watching the fall, completely helpless.

Steve didn’t know how, but the name left his lips without him remembering forming the simple word; a word that felt like a prayer.

“…Bucky?”

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Bonus chapter ;)

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I know, I know! A cliffhanger. But it’s a nice one, right? A little hopeful, a little teasing your imagination; think about it like a post-credit scene ;) 

I can promise a bonus and a short multichapter fic ending this whole soulmate series.

Thank you for reading and your support, every comment means the world to me :-*

[chroniclesinlacuna]

Oh oh oh may I ask for "12. things you said when you thought I was asleep" for Felix and Merry? I love Felix so much and haven't read fics with him in a while :)

I am so sorry this is so late! But, thank you so much for the prompt!! I had a lot of fun with it - and...it might’ve gotten away from me a little.

Pinky Promises (read on ao3)

Words: ~1.7k Rating: G

Mason doesn't even bother to look over at him when he speaks up - which, Felix is pretty sure is the most insulting part about it.

"This your biweekly or bimonthly freak out?"

Felix pauses halfway out the window, squinting at the man laid out on the tiling of the roof, staring up at stars. "...I do not freak out every other week. Or every other month."

"They're the same thing."

Felix blinks for a moment, tilting his head, before huffing and dropping down heavily next to Mason. "I hate that."

That gets him a hum, but nothing more, and Felix watches the swirls of smoke unfurling from Mason's cigarette dissipate into the cool night air for a long, quiet moment, his fingers tapping against his knees where they're pulled up to his chest.

Mason lasts another five minutes before he sighs softly, putting out the cigarette on the tile and tucking his hands behind his head. His eyes are closed, but Felix knows he has his full attention.

"So. Where's Merry?" Mason starts it off - he always does. He may snip and grumble about talking about feelings but he never turned Felix away, and he never let Felix stew too long. Something tight unclenches in Felix's stomach and he manages a weak smile, even if Mason doesn't see it.

"Asleep." And oh, how it had sucked to slip out of that bed - pull away from where he’d been wrapped up in Merry. They didn’t get many nights like that, what with Merry having the sleep schedule of a particularly overworked college student still (Felix did occasionally worry that the man was just, one day, going to collapse due to lack of sleep, but Merry keeps insisting that he’s fine, which is concerning in and of itself) and Felix just not needing all that much sleep. Lining both of those up took work, and planning and...and was so worth it, when they managed.

But tonight he just...hadn’t been able to settle, mind going a mile a minute in the dark and the quiet. So, he’d waited until Merry’s breathing had evened out - waited until the arms wrapped around him had settled and relaxed enough for him to slip out without waking him. If he was lucky, he’d be back before he woke up, and it’d be fine.

“And?”

Oh. Right, Mason.

Felix sighs softly, picking at the tear that’s starting to show in the knee of his sweats. “I dunno. Head wouldn’t shut up.”

“About?”

“You know, one of these days you’re gonna have to like. Actually use sentences.” That gets Mason cracking one eye just to glare at him. “Or you could just. Use less, apparently. Go back to one word questions.”

He gets nothing.

Any other day, he’d wait Mason out, if only to poke and prod the bear a little more. But tonight…

“What if I fuck it up?” It’s out before he can fully think about how to lead up to it. How to phrase it, how to...how to deal with it. It’s been pinging around his brain all night - all week, all month, since...since this all started, really, when he actually lets himself think about it.. Because that’s what it boils down to, doesn’t it?

And Mason’s still quiet, but Felix can feel his eyes on him now and as much as he wants his friend’s advice here, he also doesn’t really want to meet that gaze. Doesn’t want to see...whatever might be there. Pity? Derision? Some mix of the two?

Probably not. It’s Mason. His friend. His friend who may not like relationships but who has been on Felix’s side with this from the first instant Felix himself thought it might be serious. He wouldn’t.

But the idea’s still there, scraping at the back of his mind, like the rest of this mess, so he looks back up at the stars instead.

“You talk to him?” Oh, hey look, an actual sentence. Before he can say anything, Mason’s prodding him sharply in the side, and Felix just shakes his head, the laugh he tries for stalling out before it can bubble up, but damn does it try.

“No, no I haven’t. What would I even say?” Oh god, what would he say?

The anxiety should probably be giving him horrible suggestions, but honestly? He’s just drawing a blank, and that’s...almost worse. He can take bad, and stupid, and wrangle it back to normal. He can do that, as long as he has something to work with.

But this? He has nothing. There is no conversation he could have with Merry about this, because just imagining it opens a blank in his mind that he can’t see the end of.

Well, no, scratch that, he can see an end. An end to it all, if he does fuck it up. He can see that just fine. But can’t see...can’t see a way around it. Can’t find a string of words to twist and turn to keep it from happening.

There’s another sharp prod to his side and he squawks, snapping back to the present. “Stop that!”

“Stop getting lost in your head then.”

He glares and scoots a couple inches further away, like that’ll do anything.

Mason snorts at him, settling back down, “Why do you think you have to say anything? Just start the conversation. See where it goes.” There’s a pause, one that Felix can’t quite parse before Mason’s suddenly getting up, and Felix frowns up at him, too confused to really ask why-

“Look, Merry’s a dick, but he’s not stupid. Just try it.”

“Hey!” A voice calls from the window.

Oh.

Oh shit.

Mason shrugs, lighting up another cigarette as he heads for the edge of the roof, “What, it was a compliment.”

“Only somewhat, jerk.” Mason snickers at him, waving a half-hearted salute before stepping off the roof to escape what is likely to be a very awkward conversation. “Also, Nate asked you stop doing that!”

“Nate can ask me himself!” Comes the response from the ground before Felix hears him head back into the warehouse.

Maybe if Felix sits really, really still, this will all just...go away. It’s the only thought that keeps him rooted to his spot as he hears Merry finish climbing through the window to come sit beside him.

It’s quiet then, the two of them just...breathing in the night air. And Felix aches to go back to bed - to breathe in the dark, and the quiet, and put all of this back to the back of his mind where it can’t get in the way, where it can’t hurt.

“Hey you…” Merry finally breaks the silence, gently leaning against his shoulder - the way he does when he’s testing if Felix wants him there, the way he does when he’s not sure. And Felix can’t have that.

He can have his freak out, but he never wants Merry to think he’s not wanted in his space, so he pulls his legs up to his chest again, and slumps against Merry’s side. And there’s a startled breath for a moment before Merry’s humming and wrapping an arm around his shoulders, just like Felix wanted.

“So.” Just. Start the conversation. He can do that. “How much of that did you hear?” And Felix isn’t really sure he even knows what he wants that answer to be.

“Enough.” Merry says, taking a moment to breathe in through his nose in that way that Felix knows means he’s actually thinking about what to say next. He does it a lot more than he thinks people realize.

Quiet again, as Merry thinks, and as Felix lets himself relax. He still doesn’t have a view of how this is going to go, but the fact that it’s going regardless is slightly less terrifying than he’d thought it’d be. Not by much, mind you, but enough.

“...You know. Tina’s put out a ban on any calls after two am that are not an actual emergency, because I kept calling her, in a panic.”

Felix pauses, blinking slightly and pulling back just enough to get a look at him. “Over what?” He can’t see it. For all that Merry’s pretty damn emotional, he’s not...he’s never uncontrolled, like that. It’s a...a control thing, Felix is pretty sure.

(But, then, he didn’t see what happened in the sewers, after he passed out. He only has Adam’s word on that. And he doesn’t want to see that.)

Merry gives him a lopsided, sheepish smile, “Over how I was certain I was screwing this whole thing up.”

What? How in the hell could Merry be the one screwing up anything with this, this is the best relationship Felix has ever had, and they’re still learning each other so of course there’s going to be some growing pains, but nothing that he should be worried about and-

And Merry’s laughing at him. Felix huffs, gently shoving his shoulder before settling back against it, “What’re you laughing about?”

“You just had a full rant getting prepared in your head, didn’t you?”

“Well, yeah, of course I did - how could you think you’re messing this up?”

“How could you?”

Because- well. Because…

Oh.

Felix groans, shifting enough to bury his face against Merry’s shoulder, reaching out to gently thump Merry’s chest when he feels Merry laughing again. “Shut up…”

“Sorry, sorry...it’s just...I get it, okay? I get it.” There’s a whisper of a kiss pressed to his forehead, and the sigh that slips out of him at the touch is soft, and he can feel his body sag with it.

“We’re a bit of a mess, huh?” He mutters.

“Mm. A little. But we’ll make it work.”

“Promise?”

Merry jostles him enough to get him to look up, even if he ends up crossing his eyes a little at the hand in front of him, pinky finger extended. The grin he feels spread across his face is so wide it hurts, but he’s laughing - really laughing - for the first time all night as he links their pinkies together, leaning up to press a kiss to Merry’s mouth, feeling the whisper of “Promise,” against his lips.

[gisachi]

OMG! No.19 with my Shinran babies please! Love you!

Thank you for this number, Anons! I have a particular idea stuck in my mind for this one when I first came across the prompts list. So I’m excited to finally write it down.😆 Hope you like it! Fluffy ShinRan ahead! 💞

19. One person stopping a kiss to ask “Do you want to do this?”, only to have the other person answer with a deeper, more passionate kiss. (1,937 words)

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Among the multitudes of traits Ran admires from Shinichi, it’s his confidence that always gets her.

Ran loves the way his lips tug to an accomplished smirk whenever he completes all puzzle pieces of a baffling mystery, or the way his bright eyes glint when he quotes his most favorite lines from Holmes’ cases. She loves how easily he captivates big crowds with his proud, gallant voice, streamlining facts that would put any expert to shame. She loves how he, despite his energy, turns cool and collected when facing a crisis, because as young as he is he knows how to make judgments better than any adult ever can.

She loves him like that. And she loves him even more when he’s like that, to her.

She remembers the first time he held her hand as his girlfriend during their walk home from school — he was all smiles and charm with no hint of reluctance in his eyes. The same way whenever he presses his forehead against hers to check her temperature, or when he tucks her loose locks behind her ear on her stead. He doesn’t hesitate stroking his fingers on the corner of her lips to remove grains of rice stuck on them whenever they dine out, only to eat them afterwards and laughing at how red she’ll be from that.

In those gestures, it’s like he’s teaching her how to be physically comfortable with him. Which she does learn so easily. She likes it. It makes her feel the legitimacy of their relationship. They’re not only best friends but two human beings who love each other and find comfort in each other’s physical closeness.

But as much as she feels his confidence translating through these gestures, there’s one thing he hasn’t done.

He has never kissed her.

This dawned on her when she notices how his face only goes as far as touching her nose when he presses their foreheads together, though her lips are out in the open. That, and when he drops her home after a date, he’ll get really close and it’s ridiculous how her eyes flutter in anticipation for a kiss but he won’t; instead he’ll just squeeze her hand and say his goodbye.

He’s never kissed her.

Not even an attempt.

She doesn’t know what to feel about it.

“Is there something wrong?”

Shinichi slumps beside her on the bed, body nestling comfortably albeit the worried expression he wears. She remembers they’re in her room doing homework, a routine they have after class, which they do alternately between his house and hers.

Earlier, she told Shinichi she’ll lie down for a moment, and judging by how he follows her five minutes after she said that, she figures her somber tone must’ve bugged him.

“Are you sick?”

Ran vigorously shakes her head, and it looks like she’s answering him but in truth she’s veering her brain away from her silly thoughts, embarrassed by where it has drifted to.

Notwithstanding that, he presses his forehead against hers like how he usually does. Even if he’s done this a thousand times, she still can’t help but blush.

“Weird. You aren’t.” Shinichi remarks, voice evident of concern.

“Like I said.”

“You didn’t say anything.”

He observes her for a little longer, caressing her cheek with slow strokes of his thumb, handsome blue eyes serious, unyielding.

This is embarrassing.

His face is only inches away and her breath hitches, unsure of where she must look but in the end settles for his eyes, which stare right at her like he’s seeing through her soul, reading her thoughts.

Then, Shinichi closes in and goes for it.

On the lips.

Ran releases a surprised ‘mpfh’ right when he presses on her, and her temperature begins to rise like she’s truly in a fever.

Even with the littlest movement of his mouth over hers, she feels like she’s going to pass out from the drastic temperature change in her body.

His lips are so red, so warm.

She can’t breathe. She can’t move. She can’t—!

He pulls back.

Ran dumbly looks at him, shaken by the entire feeling of them lying on her bed and him suddenly giving her a kiss. A kiss which, though abrupt, is enough to unleash all the butterflies trapped in her belly.

Shinichi just kissed her.

On her lips!

But...

“I-...” he withholds his words, eyes wide, as if startled by his own actions. The hand framing her cheek quivers.

Something isn’t right.

Something‘s bothering him.

Unsure of what she’s done wrong, she touches his cheek, only for him to flinch beneath her fingertips.

“Shinichi…?” Her voice quivers, too.

The look in his eyes before he captured her lips was so sure. Now, he gazes at her like he’s having second thoughts; eyes lidded with delicate love and affection but behind them lie badges of uncertainty.

She doesn’t like it.

All his life he’s been so confident of his choices, but why, now, does he seem to doubt giving what she secretly anticipates from him for the longest time?

“I uh… I’m sorry I-...I might’ve been rushing, I just...crap,” he hides his reddened cheeks with his back hand, averting his gaze away.

Wait.

No.

If she pays close attention to the stillness of the room, she can hear his erratic heartbeat thumping mercilessly against his ribcage.

If she observes his face carefully, she can count each drop of sweat dotting his forehead.

The more he speaks the more he jumbles up his consonants.

All of these he desperately tries to conceal with his hands but it isn’t working because they, too, shiver like it’s winter.

It’s not that he’s doubting.

He’s…

“Do you want to...do this?”

Ran blinks her doe-like eyes at his question, and in that instant he flits his nervous eyes back at her.

His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows, voice muffled by his hand.

“I mean we can…not, like, if you’re not read-”

Silly boy.

Removing his hand from his face, she silences him with a press of her lips on his.

What do you mean I’m not ready?

Torrents of emotion brew inside her as she recreates his kiss from earlier, though instead of making it brief, she does it longer.

You’ve prepared me enough—it’s about time.

She doesn’t expect him to get flustered at this. After all, he’s Shinichi. But like all other guys whose knees get weak when they receive a heartfelt kiss from their love, his whole resolve collapses, dissolves through his fingertips, as though she’s absorbing all of that from him and he’s letting it.

Wow. The power her kiss has over him.

Nothing can get any better than this.

However.

It is one thing to kiss, but another to be good at it. Though she surges on him with so much passion, she finds herself...stuck.

Does she move? Where does she place her hands?

She plants awkward kisses along his mouth, and with every passing second the confidence she mustered begins to wane.

She’s horrible. Pathetic.

He must be hating this.

“Ran.”

Shinichi breaks away, stares at her for what seems like forever.

She waits for him to laugh, but he doesn’t.

Instead, he guides her hand to his nape, cradles her jaw and smiles, “May I?”, before pulling her to meet her mouth and kiss her again.

It might be his confidence regained or a natural talent, but the way he delivers is magical. Heavenly. “Like this,” his voice comes out breathy, as he leads her mouth to a specific motion over his. Oh god. She feels as though she ascends the skies, floats above the clouds, flies with the birds with every brush of lips. It doesn’t take long until their mouths dance in perfect rhythm, lips melding comfortably like melting iron.

This is...surreal.

The bed shifts and suddenly she’s facing the ceiling instead of sideways, his upper body hovering above her. His tentative kisses become more decisive, more characteristic of him, and they fill her body with outrageous warmth as he punctuates every kiss with a soft, wet sound, and she cannot filter her next actions so she hums in his mouth, silently.

His lips are like strong armors, clashing against hers so powerfully and she’s willing to lose. The way he grazes his tongue over her inner lip makes every fine hair on her skin tingle, and she sighs in bliss as he delicately tilts her head in an angle more comfortable to them and albeit faintly, he moans.

Everything around her disappears, it’s just him and her, being intimate like this. Being more intimate than ever.

A sudden bite on her lower lip however jolts her and she opens her dazed eyes to see him with his shut tight, brows creased in concentration, his full undivided attention to her, kissing her with an intensity greater than the heat of a thousand suns and it’s...ridiculous. Ridiculous how mad her heart beats at how frustratingly handsome he looks. How her ears flush and cheeks flare up at how foreign they sound. How her vision blurs and blurs until she can no longer keep her eyes open and just fall, deep into his embrace, into his lips, surrendering her will slowly, sweetly…

His mouth leaves her with a quiet pop, weight above her lessening a little.

She cannot open her eyes, but she finds herself lifting her head, wanting to feel his lips again. At this point, it’s already a crime to stop.

“Ran?” He sounds croaky, and she doesn’t realize how dry her throat has become until she replies with an equally hoarse ‘Hn?’

Why are you stopping? Don’t!

“...Your father might kill me if he sees us like this on your bed.”

Her eyes open, reality kicking in.

She’s not in the clouds. They’re still in her room.

“Ah... you-you’re right!”

Shock and embarrassment pass over her face, realizing how much her body reacted to him like it had never reacted to anything before. Her heart rate refuses to slow down.

Oh my god. We just...

He chuckles lightly, pulls her up until she’s sitting Japanese-style on her bed.

They share a minute-long silence, allowing themselves to absorb what just happened, before he starts.

“Hey, Ran.”

“Yes?!” she squeaks, a complete opposite from Shinichi’s tone. She wants to slap herself for sounding too hyper from still being so hung up on the intense kiss they just shared.

“We’ll um, take it slow, okay?”

He soothes her with a cold but steady hand, and she feels herself gradually calming down.

“We’ll take it slow if we’re going to do more of, um... that, from now on.” He mumbles the last part of the sentence, scratching his cheek shyly, averting his gaze again like a bashful boy that he apparently is.

Shinichi stuttering, blushing, being a shy mess.

A sight she doesn’t know she needs.

“...Yes,” her lips tilt with her head, “Yes, of course,” before they widen into an adorable beam. “Then, please take care of me, Shinichi!”

His face flushes once again, more crimson than he’s ever been.

Shinichi may not know it, but Ran will always admire Shinichi for his confidence.

But seeing him like this - being a vulnerable, nervous, mess of a man - is a different story, as she realizes how she wants to see more of this, too.

Maybe tomorrow.

Maybe the day after that.

Maybe, for the rest of their lives.

After a little moment of sharing shy giggles, he stands up, extending his hand to her. “Let’s finish homework?”

She nods, takes his hand. “Okay.”

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[amazingdriverfics]

Hi I hope you’re doing well, can I request an angst fic where it’s readers first time with Adam Sackler and he moans Hanna’s name, oop sad ending pls

A/N: hey honey, I hope you are doing fine. I’m sorry it took me this long to write this, I was trying to keep up with my writing schedule when life got in the way.

Despite that, I truly hope that you enjoy this!

Warnings: smut, angst with no happy ending.

You met Adam at work, you were the stylist for a play in which he was acting on and, at first, the relationship between you two was strictly professional. You would only see while fitting tests and whenever he needed help with his costume.

And of course you thought that he was gorgeous, you wouldn’t be you if you didn’t think so, but he had never caught your attention sexually because you believed he was too much for you, too far from your league. And so you were content with watching from far.

Things started to change when he noticed you for real. Adam started to look for you for minimal things that clearly didn’t really need your attention and flirt shamelessly with you as you performed the job he asked you to do.

As he flirted, you mostly stayed silent blushing and smiling, your brain lighting up with fireworks as you did your best not to lose focus on what he asked you to do, but it got harder every time.

As the man got bolder, he would literally take his clothes off telling you that they needed repair as he stood in full glory with just underwear, watching you with his sinful eyes.

One day, while you were sewing one of his costumes, you felt his warm hand embracing your chin as he got closer, his hot breath hitting your face.

Slowly, you turned your face to him which immediately caused your lips to touch each his, very lightly, but it was still enough to set a wildfire in your interior. .

It didn’t take him long to make the kiss deeper, attaching his lips to yours and exploring your mouth with his tongue, gently dominating you and your every sensation as you felt his hands pressing to your waist, helping you to create enough courage to touch him, making sure that it wasn’t a dream.

As your hand touched his soft dark hair which barely covered his ears, you gasped, the realization that it was actually happening, hitting you finally. Your reaction caused him to smirk into you and you melted into his kiss.

——————————————————————————

After a couple of weeks of stolen kisses here and there, Adam finally asked you out on a proper date in an italiana cantina that he swore to be the best in New York city.

With the passage of time, the more you got to know each other and you got to see that he was more than muscles and naughty humor, the man was kind of weird, but he was also genuine and a good listener who had lived through a lot of bad things.

However, you were still insecure to date him. A part of the reason why was because you never really felt like you were enough, the other one was Adam’s ex Hannah. You had never met her or heard of the woman despite what he had said, but he talked too much about her and as he did, you could see that he wasn’t entirely over their relationship and his feelings for her. After all, it was all too intense.

The problem was that even though your brain knew that you might have been walking into the perfect trap which would result in a broken heart, your stupid heart kept falling for him and your needy body kept on desiring the man to touch you.

And so you decided that you would wait until you were sure to give yourself to him, you would fight your physical needs and listen to the voice of reason once in your life.

——————————————————————————

You were at his place, lying against his chest while you and him read silently, just enjoying each other’s company when you realized you were ready. The domestic vibe the moment gave you and the comfort Adam had been giving you everyday made it clear to you that you could trust him.

So gathering your courage, you opened your mouth and released the words before they got stuck forever. “I’m ready, Adam”

“What, kid?” he asked, taking his head off of his book and looking directly into your eyes.

“I said that I’m ready” you repeated smiling from how cute he was.

“For wha-. Oh” his eyes got darker as a sexy smirk cracked on his perfect face. “Are you sure?” he asked, always concerned with you.

You nodded as a reply, anticipation already clouding your head as lust started to pump into your veins.

Placing his book and yours in the nightstand, Adam switched positions, holding his body on top of yours with his hands as he lowered his head, connecting your lips together.

As you enjoyed his kisses, you got bolder, letting your hands travel through his body, feeling his muscles on his back and defined chest, gently caressing his nipples with your fingers and even playfully squeezing his ass.

“Who would have thought you would be such a slut” he said, taking his lips off of yours and letting them explore your neck, switching the support from his hands to his knees since he started to ease off your clothes.

As he marked your neck purple, Adam took your old sleeping shorts off, letting them fall on the ground before taking his hands higher up, to the bottom of your gigantic nirvana shirt you also slept on.

While he took off your shirt and appreciated your body, you felt your insecurities melt away, the way his eyes lingered upon your skin showing all the hunger, passion and devotion the man had for you and making you feel like the most beautiful woman on the planet.

“Such a pretty whore, I bet you are just as pretty down here” the naughty words echoed in your ears, going straight to your already drenched cunt as you watched his hands closing around your panties, ready to take them off as well.

In no time, you were naked, the cold air meeting the wetness on your pussy and sending shivers down your spine as your inner walls clenched around nothing, already begging for him to fill them up and fuck them just like wanted.

“Just like I imagined, the perfect pussy” Adam talked mostly to himself as you felt the tip of his finger tracing your folds, collecting your arousal in it.

You kept your eyes on his hungry ones as he started to play with your cunt, giving it the attention it had been begging for only to be denied by yourself. He started with your clit, lazily rubbing it, making you moan instantly.

“Needy, are we?” he mocked you, not stopping his lazy pace, giving you just the tiniest bit of release, teasing you, making you wish and beg for more.

“Adam, please go faster” you asked and with a low groan he gave you what you wanted.

His finger gained speed as his other hand went up, playing with your nipples, massaging them as well as your tits, before pulling them lightly, the pain mixing with the pleasure he made you feel and driving you mad.

It didn’t take you too long to cum, legs shaking, eyes closing as his name left your mouth again and again.

When you finally came back from it, you found him naked, his huge veiny dick with a red tip already dripping with precum on his hand as he pleased himself.

Your instant reaction was to gasp, the size of him making you scared, but mostly aroused, ready to be completely filled up with it.

“I’m going to ruin your perfect pussy, slut” he said getting closer.

Wrapping your legs against his waist and supporting his weight with one hand, Sackler took the tip of his dick to your sensitive cunt, guiding it up and down, purposely touching your clit every now and then.

As he provoked you and your body, you held his arm and back, eyes glued to his as if you would die if you turned your head the other way.

When he thought it was lubricated enough, he guided it to your whole, slowly easing it into you.

At first, you felt pain, not accustomed to being filled with such a huge cock, but as you felt his finger on your clit, the pain quickly turned into pleasure.

You had never been so full in your life, it seemed like he was occupying all the space inside of you, touching every part of your walls and your cervix without even moving and you thought to yourself that it was definitely something you would never get accustomed too.

He started moving slowly, giving you time to take him comfortably, the sound of his groans and your soft moans filling up the room sounding like the most beautiful poem ever written.

“Your so fucking tight” he said, breathless as his rythym started to increase. His finger never leaving your clit, as the sound of skin against skin got louder just like the sounds coming from both of your mouths.

Adam had a precise and steady rhythm which gave you constant pleasure, the fire in your body growing with every second.

“Shitshit, Hannah” you heard him say and it instantly caused the pleasure to stop.

You could tell that he hadn’t noticed what he said by the look on his face, but you just couldn’t go on. A line had been crossed.

“Stop” you said and he did what you asked, hips stopping with his cock still inside of you. “What did you just say?”.

You were able to see as realization hit him, the confusion once in his features disappearing, being replaced with regret.

He took himself off of you and stared at your face, for the first time since you met him, staying silent.

Without another word you got out of the bed, gathering your clothes on the floor, humiliation filling up the space once occupied by lust as tears stained your face. You were right when you thought you had fallen into a trap.

“y/n, please don’t go, let’s talk about this” he pleaded, hand closing around your wrist.

But it was too late, you would never feel secure with him again, the fear of losing him to his ex would always be on your mind, taking the good times away and replacing them with doubt. So you shook your head and got your wrist free of his hold, quickly putting on your clothes and leaving his room and apartment behind.

[srsly-messed-up-fruitloop]

Shielded Away (pt 1)

““Jeez Fenton, what the heck are you doing?”

Danny stopped. “Just practicing for mime school, you know...just in case the whole astronaut thing doesn’t work out.”

Wes squinted. “Wait a minute...the news said they placed your parents’ newest ghost shield around all of Amity…”

Danny groaned, for what felt like the hundredth time today. “Are you kidding me?” He prodded at the shield, only to get stung again.

At that, Wes began to chuckle, which turned into an actual laugh, eventually becoming full-blown cackling.

Danny scowled. Not calming down in the slightest, Wes continued to cackle as he walked off into the distance.”

Or, my take on this prompt posted by @danphanwritingprompts

Word Count: 5,183

Read on AO3 or under the cut

Danny glanced at himself in the mirror in the washroom. The dark circles under his eyes seemed to have doubled in size since he last saw them. Not that he cared. He was too exhausted to care. It wasn’t even lunchtime yet, but he’s already fought seven ghosts today. A thin cool mist expelled from his lips. And here comes the eighth.

Outside in the halls, a familiar voice boomed, “BEWARE, I AM THE BOX GHOST!” Danny watched himself as his eyes became a vibrant green on instinct. Transforming once again, he flew out the washroom, sighting the box-loving spirit throwing cardboard boxes at students. He zoomed towards him, grabbing his ankle, forced them both intangible, and dragged him down to the school’s basement.

“Hey! Can’t you see I was in the middle of something?” the Box Ghost whined.

“Yeah? Attempting to traumatize people once again with boxes? How many times do I gotta tell you it’s really not scary?”

“IS TOO!” The Box Ghost angrily hurled a dusty box at Danny, who then fired an ectoblast at it to defend himself.

“You know, I could think of a hundr—oof!” Somehow Danny didn’t notice every single storage box in the basement hovering right above his head, before it was too late. Man, he really needs sleep.

He faintly heard the ghost laughing above him. Of all the places in the school, he had to lead the Box Ghost here. He’s gotta remember to use the roof next time. But this time, he knows he’d hidden a Fenton thermos somewhere around here…

In an instant, he turned intangible and phased through all the boxes he was buried under. His eyes searched wildly around the basement. Where was it?

“LOOKING FOR THIS?” Danny’s head shot up, finally seeing the thermos. Well, crap. “LET’S SEE HOW YOU LIKE BEING STUCK IN THE CONFINES OF A CYLINDRICAL CONTAINER!” Hearing the beep of the thermos activating, Danny gasped as he was slowly sucked into it. Since when did the Box Ghost learn how to use it??

“HA HAH! HOW DOES IT FEEL NOW?” the ghost yelled into the container, painfully vibrating Danny’s condensed molecules. “Now if you will excuse me, I WILL HAVE MY CORRUGATED CARDBOARD VENGEANCE!” Next thing Danny knew, he felt a harsh CLUNK to his everything as the thermos fell to the hard floor.

Outsmarted by the Box Ghost, he really was having a bad day. Well, hopefully, Tucker and Sam will find him. Eventually. He could just imagine Sam berating him immediately after releasing him. “You should have called us first! Of all places, why would you bring the Box Ghost to the basement?” Tucker would be laughing his ass off. Honestly, he wouldn’t blame him.

~

Each minute in the thermos always felt like an eternity. His form was squished to the point where all he could really do is think. And he’s come to realize how much he actually depends on his friends. He doesn’t appreciate them enough.

Except, they should be here anytime now.

Anytime.

Any. Time.

Nothing.

Wait. There were footsteps. The next instant, he was being picked up. Finally, they found him. Come on now, press the button Tucker. What was taking him so long? A fair bit of fumbling continued until fingers found the right button and he was finally released. Danny groaned and stretched, feeling an ache from being compressed for so long.

“You’re lucky I found you Fenton.”

That. Wasn’t Tucker. Or Sam. His head shot up, seeing a red-haired pain in the ass holding a stupid grin, growing wider by the second. Wes.

“Were you stalking me again?”

“Just gathering evidence. You should be grateful, who knows how long you’d be stuck in there.”

Danny scowled. His friends would’ve eventually found him. “Fine, thanks. Now if you excuse me, I have a job to finish.” He flew up, phasing through the ceiling. Invisibly weaving through the corridors of his school, he noticed two things. One, his ghost sense seemed to be picking up nothing at all. Two, the hallways were deserted. He peeked into a random classroom, empty. Same for the one beside it. He zipped through the ceiling to the second floor, stopping in front of the English classroom he left behind. Empty. Save for his bag tucked under his chair. He really should stop doing that, the number of times he’d left class forgetting his bag was too embarrassing. Picking up his bag from the floor, he walked over to the window expecting a routine gathering for a ghost alarm. Nope, the fields were empty too. Weird. Maybe they’re at the front. He was just about to check, but something about the far off view of Amity’s city buildings struck him as odd. He pulled out his phone. Dead. Right, never got a chance to charge it last night.

“Everyone’s gone.” Wes suddenly spoke from the door, almost a tinge of fear in his voice. Funny, he’s never seen Wes scared before. This should be good.

“You sure?”

“I checked everywhere, even the teacher’s lounge.”

Huh. Danny glanced out the window again. “Parking lot’s completely empty.”

“The entire school couldn’t possibly abandon us—we were only down in the basement for an hour,”

“AN HOUR?”

“Yeah, I was busy collecting evidence.”

“Okay, first off, you need a new hobby. Second, why didn’t you let me go earlier if you were there the entire time?”

“Hey, be grateful. I was contemplating not letting you out at all.”

Wes could be such a...ugh. There were bigger things at hand. Like the disappearance of his entire school.

“Give me your phone.” Wes eyed him suspiciously. He stuffed his hand in his pocket and brought out a small device, slightly bigger than the palm of his hand. Danny approached closer. “Is that a freaking Nokia?”

“Can’t trust smartphones, government uses them to steal all your information.”

Of course. Danny grabbed the cell phone. It reminded him of a calculator. “Can you even text on this thing?”

“It’s not worth it. You can call though.”

Danny searched the deep recesses of his brain for his friends’ phone numbers. He dialed a number, half guessing the last four digits.

The dial tone rang...and rang, and rang once more…

A smooth automated female voice responded, “Hello, you’ve reached the voicemail of—” then there was a moment of silence. The automated voice picked back up, “Please leave your name and message after the tone.” BEEP.

He just hung up then. Sam never bothers checking her voicemail anyways. Dang, if only he remembered Tucker’s number.

“...should we just leave? Maybe everyone got sent home?” Wes hesitantly asked.

Something still didn’t sit quite well with Danny, but the idea of using the rest of the day to catch up on some sleep was too good to resist. He tossed Wes’ brick phone back to him and muttered, “Alright, see you around, I guess.” He didn’t waste any time in turning intangible and flying through the classroom window, heading straight for home.

On his journey back, it was oddly peaceful. Usually every time he flew in broad daylight at least one person would sight him and yell anything along the lines of “Hey, look! It’s Danny Phantom!” or “Screw you ghost boy!” He was still a very controversial figure in the town, even though the news seems to be taking his side now.

And well, Danny has given up on trying to woo those who still dislike him. No matter what he does, all they see is a ghost. Apparently it isn’t clear that his only intentions are protecting the town. It sucks that his parents are part of that special group. Their narrow-minded point of view almost killed him on several occasions (well...metaphorically, he’s already kinda dead).

Which is why he transformed back into human form as soon as he landed on his front step. The lights for the Fenton Works sign were off. Odd. His parents were adamant on keeping them on 24/7, despite constant complaints from all their neighbours. He dug for his key in his backpack and unlocked the front door. Stepping inside, he slipped off his shoes and shrugged his backpack to the floor.

“Mom? Dad?”

Nothing. He strode over to the kitchen and checked the basement entrance. Locked. They must be out. Sweet, nothing to distract him from his well-deserved nap. He grabbed a cookie from a jar and made his way upstairs. As he was halfway through that cookie, he passed by Jazz’s room. He failed to notice the absence of Bearbert Einstein from her bed.

He brushed off the crumbs off his hands and opened his bedroom door. Flopping onto his bed, Danny was just about to pass out until he remembered. He groaned and blindly reached for the end of his charger on his nightstand. Ugh where was it? Reluctantly peeking one eye open, he saw lying aimlessly on the floor. Ugh. Stretching to the point where half his body was off the bed (it would’ve been much easier if he just sat up), he finally grabbed the charger and plugged in his phone. Victory. Now, he could relax. He’ll deal with whatever happened later.

BRIIIIIIIIIING BRIIIIIIIIIING BRIIIIIIIIIING

No, he swore he just closed his eyes a second ago. Just a few more minutes.

BRIIIIIIIIIING BRIIIIIIIIIING BRIIIIIIIIIING

Please.

BRIIIIIIIIIING BRIIIIIIIIIING BRIIIIIIIIIING

BRIIIIIIIIIING BRIIIIIIIIIING BRIIIIIIIIIING

The vibrating stopped. Hallelujah. Now back to h—

BRIIIIIIIIIING BRIIIIIIIIIING BRIIIIIIIIIING

The obnoxious buzzing continued once more. Several rounds later, Danny slowly blinked open his groggy eyes. He had to suppress the urge to hurl his phone at the wall when he finally grabbed it. Declining the call, he was just about to return to his slumber until he noticed his screen was full of notifications. 9 missed calls from his mom, 5 from his dad, 11 from Jazz, 17 from Sam...his stomach sunk. Danny almost dropped his phone on his face when it started ringing once more, this time his dad again. He didn’t waste a moment in answering it.

“Hello?”

“Danno where are you? Did you get to evacuate with your school? Sam and Tucker say they haven’t seen you!”

“Wha—what? Evacu—”

“Hang on your mom’s here,”

“Danny sweetie, where are you? You’re not in the Casper High group.”

“Mom what did dad mean by eva—”

“And our tracker says you’re home, but you know we can never trust it since it sometimes locks onto that menace Phanto—”

“Wait a tracker?”

“Yes honey, we need to always know where you kids are, especially at times like these. Now, which evacuation group did you leave with?”

“Uhh...I’m actually home.”

The line went silent for a few moments. Danny heard his mom’s barely contained anxiety as she spoke her next words. “That’s...how did you...that’s alright sweetie. Can yo—was anyone else left behind?”

“Yeah, uhm, Wes Weston?”

“Okay...okay. Can you find him...and leave the town right away?”

“Mom, what’s going on?”

“Danny, please.”

“...okay.”

“Call us once you’re out, okay?”

“Okay mom.”

“Love you sweetie.”

“Yea you too.” He hung up then, his earlier grogginess completely forgotten now. Right, okay, he just has to find Wes no—

BRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING

A LOUD shrill noise accompanied the incessant buzzing on his phone. Danny’s stomach dropped even further.

“[11:00 AM] EMERGENCY ALERT: Due to the increasingly harmful and destructive occupation of extra-dimensional beings in the town of Amity Park, the state of Illinois in conjunction with the GiW has made the final decision to evacuate all residents. Please follow your nearest evacuation group and proceed to exit the town.”

It was 3:07 now. The entire town just left? While he was stuck in the thermos? And “increasingly harmful and destructive occupation of extra-dimensional beings”? Dammit he had it under control.

Just before Danny left the room, he made sure to grab his charger.

Grabbing his bag left on the floor by the front door, he nearly jumped when he saw Wes sitting on the living room couch.

“How did—”

“Chill Fenton, you left the door unlocked.”

“But wh...nevermind. Did you hear—”

“About the evacuation? Yeah let’s get outta here.”

He didn’t bother to look back to check if Wes was following. The annoying scruff of his sneakers on the sidewalk was enough to tell.

But twenty minutes later, he couldn’t help but wonder why Wes was left behind too. “So...why didn’t you leave?”

“You know nobody takes those ghost alarms seriously anymore, right? Oh wait, you do, cause you’re Ph—”

“What about the emergency alert?” Danny asked, cutting Wes off.

“What emergency alert?”

“You didn’t get it? On your phone?” Danny pulled out his phone and showed Wes the notification.

“Oh, heh, I don’t get those.”

“What do you mea—oh, right. Your dinosaur phone is too old to get them.”

“Hey, at least with my dinosaur phone, the government can’t spy on my every move. That seems like something you’d be interested in, Phantom.”

“If the government was spying on us, how did they manage to forget us when evacuating the town?”

“The government has bigger things they like to worry about.”

“Sure, like hiding Area 51 right?”

“Exactly!” Wes exclaimed enthusiastically. “Finally, someone gets me.”

“Dude, that was sarcasm.”

Wes deflated at that. “Screw you Fenton.”

“Yeah, I—” the next moment Danny slammed face-first into something that  stung. Quickly backing up, he saw Wes walking, perfectly unperturbed. Hesitantly, he took his index finger and slowly pushed forward, until he was blocked again. Ghost shield, great.

Turning intangible, he disappeared into the ground and tried burrowing under the barrier, only to get blocked and stung again. Dammit, he shouldn’t have told his parents about ghosts being able to get past their old shields that way. Returning up, Danny began to feel his way around the shield, attempting to find a weak spot.

At some point, Wes stopped, noticing that Danny wasn’t tailing him anymore. “Jeez Fenton, what the heck are you doing?”

Danny stopped. “Just practicing for mime school, you know...just in case the whole astronaut thing doesn’t work out.”

Wes squinted. “Wait a minute...the news said they placed your parents’ newest ghost shield around all of Amity…”

Danny groaned, for what felt like the hundredth time today. “Are you kidding me?” He prodded at the shield, only to get stung again.

At that, Wes began to chuckle, which turned into an actual laugh, eventually becoming full-blown cackling.

Danny scowled. Not calming down in the slightest, Wes continued to cackle as he walked off into the distance.

Bastard.

After Danny could no longer see the flare of his annoying red-hair, he sighed and glanced upwards, turning around until he saw the tower at the centre of the town, blasting at full strength. His parents worked relentlessly for more than a year on that tower. After trial and error with various other ghost shields, they finally perfected the ultimate model. Danny tried his best to help too, ghost shields were becoming more vital to Team Phantom as the days passed on (mostly because it stopped people from complaining about property damage). Often that involved sneaking down to the basement while they were out purchasing supplies, testing it out, and subtly dropping recommendations during dinner time. With governmental aid on their side, they were able to expand it into a town-wide defense mechanism, resistant against all ectoplasmic entities, even halfas in their human form.

With all the good their work has done for Amity, they are no longer seen as the town’s local kooks. Jack and Maddie Fenton are now revered as the country’s leading scientists on ghosts. That tower was a stark symbol of his parents’ true dedication. Every time Danny saw that tower, he felt a swell of pride for his parents in his chest. Except for this time. Instead, he felt dread slowly trickling down into the pit of his stomach. Why must everything his parents invent come to bite him in the butt sooner or later?

Plunking down beside the shield, Danny laid down in the grass and pulled out his phone again. Ignoring the even bigger clusterfuck of notifications on his lock screen, he started up a video call with Tucker.

The instant the call picked up, Tucker shrilled into the speaker “DANNY, WHERE THE—” which was then combined with Sam exclaiming, “Is that Danny? You got him finall—WHAT THE HELL DANNY?”

Shit, he didn’t mean to make them so worried. “Hey guys, I-I’m fine,” he said, sheepishly looking away from the screen.

Sam’s expression quickly switched from angry to concerned. “We didn’t see you when the ghost alarm went off...” she trailed off.

“Yeah?”

“Figured you were taking care of it,” Tucker added. “We had no idea—”

“Tucker it’s okay.”

“Wait, really? You made it out?”

“Well...errr...”

Sam’s face took over the screen, expression serious. “Danny...are you still in Amity?”

“Uhh...yeah?”

A moment of silence passed, where Sam’s eyes widened and Tucker just walked off screen.

“B-but look, I’ll figure out a way out! I helped build the shield, I should be able to take it down, right?”

Tucker jumped back into the frame, “You were the one who helped make it indestructible, especially against yourself!”

“True but—” he was suddenly interrupted as his phone started buzzing again. “Shit, my parents are calling, what do I tell them?”

“Just say you’re on your way out?”

“But Wes already left!”

“Wes?”

“Yeah, Wes, no time to explain—what do I say??”

“Just answer it!”

“Um.”

“DANNY!” Tucker and Sam both yelled.

He jerked as he hung up and accepted his parents’ voice call. Hesitantly holding the phone to his ear, he stuttered out, “H-hello?”

His mom’s worried voice crackled through the speaker, “Sweetie, where are you now? Wesley just came out and told us you were coming…”

“Uh…” He had to think up something. NOW. “Uhh...ghost!”

“Danny wha—”

“Can’t talk now, ghost chasing me—bye!” He abruptly hung up and shut off his phone. Heart beating rapidly, he stared at the black screen. His parents are going to kill him for this.

Well, if not already for being Danny Phantom. Ha.

Lying back down on the grass (at what point did he start sitting up?), he registered just how quiet it was. No vehicles humming in the background, no people; just a soothing autumn breeze brushing against the leaves, accompanied by an occasional chirp from a bird nearby. A lone cloud floated off in the bright blue sky. With a bit of squinting, it looked like a hoagie. At that moment, his grumbling stomach decided to interrupt the serenity.

Searching his bag, he found the sandwich he packed for lunch, which was now disgustingly soggy. Ew. Did his parents leave any leftovers back in the fridge? Nah...wait. His eyes locked on a Nasty Burger in the distance. If people had to evacuate, then they must’ve left their orders behind, right? Yeah, he would be doing the world a service by not letting that greasy burger goodness go to waste. Tucker would back him up on this.

Five minutes later, he phased out of the fast food joint with a bag of untouched, barely warm Nasty burgers in one hand and a Nasty soda in the other.

Danny was going back home to figure out a way to get past the shield. Not at all because of his impending food coma. So what if he decided to take a quick power nap to regain his focus? He’d get nothing done anyways if he was too tired to think.

And so what if that quick nap turned into him knocking out for 13 hours?

Startling awake in his bed, he checked the clock. 8:00 AM. Shit! He’s late for school. Stumbling out his bed, he immediately tripped over his backpack, falling to the floor in a harsh thud.

“Ow.”

Rubbing his shoulder, everything came flooding back in his now clear mind. Fuck, how could he let the Box Ghost trap him in his own thermos?

Fuck, he has to get up. He has to find a way to get past that shield. Right now. His parents, his friends...they’re all waiting. Who knows what could be happening to them, they could be in danger, they’d need him. He has to before...before…

Before what?

Danny didn’t even realize he was doing his morning routine on autopilot until he was in the kitchen, halfway through a slice of toast. “Ergh!” he exclaimed as he spat out the almost cardboard-like excuse for breakfast onto his plate.

Why would they be in danger?

Glancing outside, he only saw a flock of living birds in the distance. Where did all the ghosts go?

Maybe because there’s no longer anyone to haunt. And as long as the shield remains, there’s no chance of even a blob ghost escaping.

Wait, there’s still Vlad in Wisconsin! No, he wouldn’t dare make a move while the Guys in White were watching. That’s one thing he knew for certain about the fruitloop.

So...what now? Danny leaned back in the kitchen chair as the realization slowly dawned on him. Everyone’s safe. A wave of relief came over him, washing away a suffocating feeling he didn’t even realize was always there. For the first time in months, he could breathe.

The next thing Danny does is turn his pathetic slices of toast into a triple decker PB & J sandwich. Another first in months.

Of course he had to be finding a way to get past the shield. His parents must be so worried. Jazz...he still hasn’t called her back. Staring at the black screen of his phone, he couldn’t bring himself to turn it on again. Talking to her would only worry her even more, right? Ancients forbid, if his parents called again...what could he even say this time?

Sam and Tucker could fill her in. They probably already did. He slid the inactive phone back in his pocket and got up to drop his empty plate in the sink.

Hours later, Danny was sticking his tongue out in concentration, trying to get past the Level 4 boss in Doomed. He honestly started up the old desktop in the basement fully intending to review his parents’ notes on the shield. After nearly nodding off on the eighth page, he decided that he deserved a little break.

Yet, that break was still going strong at 5:30am the next day. He was finally on the last level. So close...his bloodshot eyes locked on the final key, just within arm’s reach. Almost...there…

Except, a shot came out of nowhere, striking his player right in his chest, killing him instantly. And because he was on his last life, Danny stared in disbelief as the words “Game Over” appeared on the screen. He threw the computer mouse in frustration, unintentionally letting a bit of his ghostly strength through.

Well, crap. He needs a new mouse now.

Maybe he can stop by the store in the morning. Yawning heavily, his eyes wandered to the lab’s wall clock, widening as he read the time.

He...he should’ve been focusing on the shield! He groaned as he took another look at the broken mouse. There’s not even any store to stop by anymore! Screw this, he needs sleep. He’ll deal with this later.

~

Apparently later meant a week from then. He honestly doesn’t know how he got so distracted. He just knew the majority of the last week was spent binge-watching classic horror movies and emptying out his dad’s secret hidden stash of snacks. Jazz probably would be able to offer him some textbook explanation for this.

At some point, he’d managed to convince himself that everyone’s eventually coming back. Why else would he still have electricity? And his family left pretty much everything behind, except for a few ecto-weapons and the GAV. There’s no way this can be permanent. And why should it be? He still couldn’t find the true reason for the evacuation, news reports from earlier that week just cite the “increasingly harmful and destructive occupation of extra-dimensional beings.” Sure, Danny’s been busting his ass more recently, but it wasn’t like the town was about to be captured by Pariah Dark again. With that in mind, why should he expend any extra effort figuring out how to get past the shield? The shield he made sure worked against his very own biology?

Plus, he was happy to have a break from everything. At least that’s what he tells himself. He tries to ignore that nagging feeling in the back of his mind, telling him that he should turn his phone back on.

Anyways, his dad’s snacks have run out. Which is why he was standing right in front of the supermarket, currently in his ghost form. He’s just going to phase in, grab what he needs, and phase right back out. Easy. It’s fine, even if he sets off any security alarms, no one’s even here to stop him. Besides, a lot of that food’s probably gonna go bad anyways.

The first thing he noticed was all the flies. They seemed to be having a party in the (slightly smelly) produce section. Luckily for Danny, eating his veggies wasn’t really a top priority (sorry Sam). He grabbed a basket, floated over to the bread area, and tossed in a loaf. One of his greatest accomplishments in the last week was learning how to make a grilled cheese sandwich. That and the snacks are what have fueled him in the last week.

It seemed like the owners still left everything on after abandoning the store. The meat section was thankfully cool and fly-free. Danny eyed his options, recalling all the times Tucker shared his favourite methods of cooking each meat. Guess that knowledge is finally being put to good use. Bacon? Yes. Steak? Yup. Drumsticks? Of course. Sausages? Can’t say no to that.

Danny floated further along, grabbing various other items, including a couple boxes of frozen dinners and plenty of snacks.

He almost forgot about the mouse. Luckily, he passed by the electronics store on the way home.

After packing away the groceries, Danny thought he deserved a nap. After, he’ll probably try making the sausages for dinner. And maybe give reading those shield notes another shot since he had the mouse now.

At least, that’s what he told himself. Instead, he finally beat Doomed. Holy shit. He instinctively reached for his phone to text Tucker. They’ve been playing that game since they were nine! He…

Faced with his still powered-off phone, Danny suddenly realized that it’s been a week since he last spoke to Tucker. And Sam.

He really should talk to them. He’s been an awful friend, he’s gotta at least reassure them that he’s alright. Yet Danny couldn’t bring himself to turn his phone back on.

Eventually, an imaginary light bulb lit up above his head, and he logged into his email on the computer. However, the moment he saw his inbox cluttered with emails from his parents, he logged the fuck outta there. Nope.

While watching The Birds later that night and seeing Melanie lock herself in a phone booth to protect herself from the violent seagulls, Danny suddenly got another idea.

~

It was a clear night, with the moon shining in all its glory, softly illuminating the dark sky. You couldn’t even tell that the shield was there. Almost would’ve been perfect for stargazing if it weren't for the useless city lights that were still on.

A family of raccoons was crossing the road a few blocks away. And a crow cawed from above on a lamp post. Otherwise, the street in front of his house was completely deserted.

He floated up until he had a view of the entire town. During his nightly patrols, it’d never been this quiet. It felt like he was almost intruding on something, being out here now.

Using his powers to enhance his vision in the dark, he searched around for a payphone. Yes, he’s seen them before, although he can’t say he’d ever used one. It's gotta be somewhere.

He passed by an electronics store with a TV playing the news in the display. He immediately halted and did a double-take. His face was splayed across the screen, with the headline underneath, “RESIDENT GHOST HUNTERS’ SON MISSING AFTER EVACUATION”.

Before he could fully process that, he was knocked to the ground. Panicking, he struggled to get back up, but was pinned under something. Hold on, this seems famili—

“What have you done with our son, ghost?” Maddie Fenton demanded, pure hostility lacing her words.

Danny stared wide-eyed at his mother through the net, standing over him and holding an ecto-gun to his forehead.

“I…uh...”

“Speak now. Otherwise, you’ll find out just how quickly a blast from this will obliterate your vile form,” she threatened, pressing the gun right to his head now.

“N-nothing I s-swear! He l-left, with everyone else,” Danny sputtered.

“Lies. You attacked him right before he was going to leave.”

Crap. In retrospect that wasn’t really a good choice for an excuse. “That wasn’t me!” he exclaimed.

In that moment Danny realized his father was also there, standing a few feet behind Maddie. “Scanner’s telling me that you’re the only ecto-entity in Amity Park. So, ‘fess up ghost boy,” Jack said, glaring at his son.

Danny looked between them. His heart dropped when he registered how stressed they both looked. His dad’s face was patchy in places, obviously left unshaven for days. The bags under his eyes only accentuated how bloodshot they were. Danny couldn’t see much of his mom due to her goggles, but she was visibly trembling. This was all because of him. That same nagging feeling he’d ignored for far too long was now threatening to boil over and strangle him. Choosing his next words carefully, he choked out, “Alright yeah, but he left. I swear.”

“No…” Maddie whispered.

“Maddie, maybe the tracker’s malfunctioning again,” Jack suggested.

She looked back at her husband for a few moments. Then, she lowered the gun. Danny didn’t even realize he was holding his breath.

“But...we’ve searched all the groups, and none of the nearby towns are reporting him. Where else can he be?” she pleaded.

“We just have to keep looking Mads,” Jack answered dejectedly.

As soon as his parents started up the GAV and turned at the block, Danny made an instantaneous decision. He transformed to human form, broke through his parents’ net, and ran after them, forgoing all consequences. The guilt was too much to bear. He ran as fast as his “barely passing P.E.” legs could take him. He passed several blocks, adrenaline fueling him to keep going. When he slammed into the shield once again, he looked up to see the GAV stopped far in the distance, with Maddie outside, sobbing into Jack’s shoulder while he held her. They were too far for his screams to reach.

[intergalxtic]

I Thought You Were American

 a fun lil Lesbian Lydia story that I thought I could put on here instead of AO3 because why not?? ya know.

I really hope you guys get this reference,,,

Let me know if you want more Lydia stories, and more of this OC!

*beetlebabes dni*

Lydia is worried. Not just a simple worry, like a difficult test coming up. She wants to come out to her friend Adeline. She has only been at the school for a few months, and she only has one close friend. Naturally, she doesn’t want to ruin it just because she’s gay. 

Lydia doesn’t really think that Adeline is homophobic, but there is still that fear lurking in the back of her mind, waiting until she’s about to come out, then she retreats. And it’s not like Lydia’s scared that Adeline will out her, because she’s already out to her family, and they obviously accept her. 

She has discussed this thoroughly with the Maitlands, and they said that if she wants to do it, and if she is ready to do it, then she should. They both tell her their ‘coming out stories’, and even though Barbara’s made her feel good about it, Adam’s gave her doubt.

So she talks to Delia about it, and Delia gives her lots of random, oddly specific advice. Fortunately, she did throw some good advice in, including: “Have a backup plan! You know, just in case.” “Don’t come out in a room with lots of known homophobic people,” “If they love you and care about you, they won’t care if you’re lesbian,”

If her mum was here, she would know exactly how to help. She would rub her back and tell her it’s okay, or punch any kids who were bullying her. Sadness nags at her, but she’s old enough to punch the kids that bully her.

Lydia lays in bed, her thoughts trapping her from any kind of sleep. Her body aches with exhaustion, but her mind is wide awake. Lydia laughs to herself as she thinks my brain just drank five energy drinks. Yup, tired and absolutely delusional. So she calls Beetlejuice from across her room. 

“Hey BJ!” She whispers as he uncurls himself from underneath the blanket she gave him, as they are yet to give him his own room. 

“What!” He whispers back. “I can’t technically sleep, but I’m enjoying having my eyes closed here!”

“Bullshit.” Lydia sticks her tongue out, then pulls her mouth into a tight line. “I’m thinking of coming out to my friend tomorrow.”

“Well, if she doesn’t take it well, I’ll set her mum’s car on fire.” Beetlejuice crosses his legs, then floats over to Lydia’s bed. 

“BJ! I’m fifteen!” Lydia exclaims louder than she was meant to. “I can her car on fire myself! And no, I won’t be doing that.”

“Damn. Anyways I’ve met Adeline. She’s the one with half-pink hair, right? She’s to… nice to be homophobic.” He points out. “She told me she liked my suit. It hasn’t been washed.”

“Gross, and there’s still that… doubt?” Lydia groans, dragging her hands down her face. Oh my god, why does it have to be so hard? 

Her and Beetlejuice stay up even later talking about possible ways of coming out, and plans for if it goes badly. But by the morning, Lydia regrets falling to sleep so late. 

As she walks into school, she holds her breath, her hands shaking with anticipation. She just wants it over with, fearing the worst. She opted for the simple plan of just saying it to her, instead of making it a big deal. 

The instant she got to her locker, she shoves her bag away and hauls her books out. They aren’t all that heavy, but Lydia’s so worn out purely from worry. As if the bags under her eyes weren’t enough. Lydia places her books on the window sill outside her classroom, falling against the wall and sliding down. She rests her head on her knees, her eyes open. 

After a few minutes, she sees Adeline’s beaten up Doc Martens racing towards her at full speed. Lydia slowly lifts her head, to see only her and Adeline in the hallway. It’s time.

Lydia heaves herself off the ground, looking everywhere except for her eyes, which fall onto the pleats of Adeline’s skirt. 

“Are you okay, Spooks?” Adeline asks, her voice high pitched, and Lydia chuckles a little at the nickname. Adeline imitates Lydia by putting her books onto the window sill and crossing her arms against her chest.

“I have to tell you something.” Lydia finds it in her, to look in her eyes. They are serious, yet caring, and a little confused by her announcement. Come on Lydia. It’s now or never. 

“I’m Lesbian.”

There is a pause. Adeline’s face is deadpan. It is only a moment, but to Lydia, it feels like forever. Just when Lydia’s about to go “Just kidding!” a huge smile breaks onto Adeline’s face.

“I thought you were American.” She says through held in laughter. Lydia’s jaw drops to the floor, relief and shock filling the space where anxiety had taken residence. Adeline bursts into an uncontrollable fit of giggles, and much to Lydia’s dismay, she joins in.

“Did you just pull a vine reference on me?” Lydia laughs, clutching her stomach to keep her from toppling over.

“I’ve been waiting so long to use that, spooks.” Adeline gains control of herself as the teacher gives the two of them a strange look as they walk by. Lydia smacks her forehead at Adeline’s silliness. 

That night, she lays awake in bed, a smile tugging at her lips. Looking back, she doesn’t know what she was so worried about. Adeline clearly was going to accept her, and her little joke is something that they will laugh about in the future. 

Lydia’s phone buzzes on her bedside table. Lydia sighs, her curiosity taking over her brain. It’s a text from Adeline, reading:

I was going to tell you this today, but you kinda beat me to it...

I’m bi

So yeah

Gn spooks x

Lydia smiles, a warm feeling spreading through her chest. She isn’t alone. She has her family, but she also has a friend who understands. Not that everyone else doesn’t, but it’s good to have someone her own age.

[softboywriting]

Grounding | Shawn Mendes

Summary: You have anxiety and so does Shawn. The two of you have known each other since you were teenagers and you have been through all the ups and downs of life, supporting each other through everything, from Shawn getting famous to you starting college. Everyone close to you knows you belong together, but you and Shawn know the time hasn’t been right, not until now. [anxiety] [comfort] [fluff] [little angsty] [non-au]

Words: 1.6k

|Masterlist In Bio|

It's nearing midnight and you realize you haven't slept for over twenty hours now. You're tired. God damn exhausted. Eyes red, skin oily, body ready to just give out. It's been a long time since you've had an anxiety episode like this. Almost a year now but you're the only one counting. You do all the things your old therapist suggested. Everything is great 99% of the time. But that one percent, God damn it's powerful, and when it hits you it's like a train just smashing into you.

There is usually a build up to an episode like this. You'll be unusually tired, slowly lose interest in eating. Everything will stress you out, from your underwear chafing your thigh to your hair not sitting just right. Usually you'll notice these things, become aware that you're not doing so well, and you'll do your best to counter all them. But it doesn't always happen that way. Sometimes life gets in the way and you don't pick up on these behaviors until it's too late and you're calling into work for your third day in a row and laying in bed staring at the ceiling and trying to figure out why you exist.

You try calling your parents, but they don't understand. Well, they do, but to a limited extent. They are always supportive, telling you it'll get better that it's temporary. Thing is, you know that, but your brain convinces you that it's not and that this is the end of the world and everything is pointless or out to get you, and really you feel like you have no choice but to listen to it's ramblings.

Your phone rings and you look over to see Shawn's face lighting up the dark room. If it were anyone else you wouldn't answer, but this is Shawn. Your one person who you trust above all others, the one person who understands. How perfect that he was calling you now. You swear the guy has some sort of sixth sense when it comes to you. He always finds a way to make things better when you're feeling bad, and just in the nick of time.

“Hey,” you answer quietly.

“You're up.”

“Yes? And you called me?”

Shawn chuckles, deep and sleepily. “Yeah, yeah I did. I had a nightmare and it felt so real, I just wanted to hear your voice.”

You're silent for a solid minute, just thinking about how strange it is that he needed to hear your voice when you needed the same thing. This wasn't the first time, he called like this often when he had nightmares or he was having a rough time. Any time of day, anywhere in the world, you don't mind. He always wanted to hear your voice. “What happened?”

“In the dream?”

“Yeah.”

“I came over to your place and I saw you on a fire escape. You were standing on the railing.”

“Stop.” The dream was already getting too heavy. You could put two and two together and see where it was going, why he was upset when he woke up. You couldn't let yourself go down that path. That was the one place you would never, ever, let yourself go no matter how bad things got.

“Can I come over?”

You glance at the alarm clock on your bedside table. Well after midnight now. What did it matter though? You didn't have work tomorrow and your classes were cancelled for the week due to snow and ice. “You know, don't you?”

“I knew when you answered the phone. You want me to bring anything?”

“No. Well. Just an extra hoodie.”

He chuckles. “I can do that. Hometown BBQ or Harvard?”

“Hometown.”

“I'll be there as soon as I can.”

____________________

There is very little in the world that is more comforting than wearing Shawn's hoodie and having him be the little spoon in your bed. He loves it, the way your arms wrap around him and you snuggle your face into the back of his neck, chest pressed against his broad back. He told you once, that he needed you as bad as you needed him, that his anxiety would sneak up on him and shut him down in an instant. You would never have believed him, he was too bouncy and happy, it wasn't until he wrote In My Blood and for the first time you understood he was serious. You remember sitting there reading the lyrics on your phone and sobbing. He was good at hiding his anxiety and his bad moods. Too good, but everyone had a breaking point.

“Hey,” Shawn says softly, hand on yours over his heart. “How're you doing?”

“Calmer. I always feel better when I have you here.”

“Can we do something different?”

“Hmm?”

“I want to have you lay on me.”

“Lay on you? Like on your back?”

Shawn shifts and lays on his back, looking over at you. “No, on my chest. My heart is racing so fast right now I think having you lay on me will help. One of the therapists I talk to says grounding is important and physical contact grounds me pretty well.”

“Oh, okay.” You crawl over him and position yourself so you're laying directly on top, legs framing his hips, chest against his and your head on his collar bones. “Is this good?”

His arms come up around your back, one hand going up the back of the hoodie and rubbing a design into your back. He lets out a deep contented sigh. “This is perfect.”

The two of you lay there in silence, enjoying each other's weight and warmth. Strange how such basic contact can make you feel worlds better, maybe that therapist was right. You will take it for as long as you can, knowing Shawn would have to leave eventually. He was a busy man.

You stare at his throat, eyes locked on his Adam's apple that bobs now and again. He has a light dusting of dark hair on his jaw and chin, you think if he ever grew it out he would look even more like his father. He was handsome enough as it is. No need to increase that factor. Your eyes wander up over his face; over his lips that look soft, nose that has pores that are too full, eyes that are closed with lashes too long for his own good. He is incredible, gorgeous and humble. Anyone would pay to be in your position, and yet, you get this view for nothing.

Shawn's eyes flicker open, finding yours in a half awake gaze. He knows you've been staring, not sleeping or even resting like he has. You don't care if you've been caught, he never seems to mind. “What're you thinking about honey?”

“How your nose needs a pore strip.”

He chuckles, a deep low noise that sends vibrations through your chest. There was nothing in the world you wouldn't give to feel that every day of your life. “Well you need a full face wash, it's like an oil slick.”

“Sounds like we make a good pair.”

“We do.” His arms tighten around you. “I've been meaning to ask you about that.”

“About what?”

“About us. About what we could be.”

You pick at his tee shirt collar. Being with Shawn would be great, in theory. Shawn was amazing, loving, everything you could ever ask for or dream of. But his life, his career, his everything that wasn't him physically and mentally as a person makes you nervous. You know he wouldn't be asking you about this if he wasn't serious, if he didn't honestly want you by his side. He always said he wouldn't put someone through his hectic life without their consent, he always said he would have to know for sure that person was someone extremely special before he asked them. So this...six years of friendship, of anxiety attacks, heartache, laughter, tears and everything in between...this was it.

“You're serious?”

“Dead serious. You know how I feel about my career and personal life intersecting. I've been in love with you since I was fourteen years old. I'm sure I want you to be by my side from here on out.”

You bury your face in his neck and close your eyes. Why did he have to do this now? It's only what you've always wanted, the conversation the two of you have always danced around. “You say it like you want to marry me.”

“Maybe someday that will happen. But right now I'm just asking you to be my girlfriend, to be my best friend and my rock. I'm tired of hiding you and our friendship. I wanna have you all the time and I want everyone to know I'm taken.”

“Yeah, I'll...I'll be yours if you'll be mine.”

“Always have been.” Shawn squeezes you tight and kisses your head.

It's been a long time coming and just like him you've been in love since you were kids. The fact that he felt it was time, in all the mess of his world, meant he was truly ready and he really needed you. He was ready to share you with the world and be openly happy and grounded with someone who loves him completely, and he deserves it.

The end.

____________________________

This was a quick piece that I wrote just to help cope with anxiety I’ve been dealing with lately and I also dedicate it to planstonightbaby because she helps me as much as I help her when it gets bad. Thanks bub. ♥

Thank you everyone for reading this! Please reblog and leave feedback! Asks and messages are so so so appreciated! ♥♥♥

[beinscorpio]

The Perfect Town

summary: After helping him cheat in his math test and a road trip Grayson finds the perfect way to confess his feelings.

I would really appreciate it if you tell me what you think of it :) ❤️

One of life’s gift to you is being good at math, and it was the reason that you graduated from high school with a high grade and went to college. One of the things that makes college much harder is that it’s full of courses that you’re required to take but has nothing to do with your major like math, and so there you were doing the test that is worth the highest percentage of your grade in your math course, calm thanks to your gift while the others were filled with panic. You were the first one who finished the test, but before you hand in your paper, you decided to look around the class.

The first thing you saw was a boy on the verge of tears. You didn’t know if it was how helpless he looked or the fact that you always thought he was cute, but something made you decide to help him. The first thing you saw a boy on the verge of tears. you didn’t know if it was how helpless he looked or the fact that you always thought he was cute, but something made you decide to help him.

“ Hey” you whispered to get his attention. From the look on his face you could tell he got confused when you showed him your paper with your answers,  but then when he realized what you were doing, he started to copy your answers.

The next time you saw him was at the library, you were on your phone waiting until it’s time to go to your next class when he entered the library and got closer to the seat next to you, he recognized you immediately then and thought it was a good opportunity to thank you that he didn’t want to waste.

“Hey thanks for helping me. I couldn’t study because my brother got into a motorcycle accident, and I had to say with him at the hospital. You saved my scholarship, thank you so much again I really appreciate it, ”

“ There’s no need to thank me, and I hope your brother gets better soon,”

“I’m Grayson, ” he introduced himself with a smile and even though you thought he was cute when you first saw him, now that you saw him smiling, he looked ten times cuter in your eyes, and you couldn’t help yourself but smile too as you introduced yourself as well.

He sat next to you, and you began talking about all kind of different things, thankfully there were only about three people in the library because otherwise you wouldn’t be allowed to talk in the first place. It was weird, but even though it was the first time that you had a proper conversation with him he made you feel like you already know him for a long time and that was probably the reason you became instant friends after that day.

Nearly three weeks passed since then, and your roommate, Odette, decided that you should watch a horror movie with her boyfriend Noah and a group of friends that know both of you. Despite your countless attempts to stop this idea from happening,  you fail.

You already knew that it was a bad idea, but the situation becomes a whole new level of bad when a friend suggested to watch the movie that came out last week, which was based on a true story. while everyone was enjoying the movie all you were doing was trying to calm yourself down, basically, you spend the whole time thinking how the hell am I going to sleep today as well as trying to convince yourself that none of the things that happened in the movie will happen to you. You finally felt relieved after the movie was over and everyone went back to their rooms.  

You were never more grateful that you didn’t have any classes the next more than that day because it was 5 am and you were clearly not going to sleep anytime soon with all the fear, so when you were going through Instagram and a car advertisement popped up, suddenly going for a ride sounded like a good idea.

You got out of your room and went to where your car was parked, and as you were about to start your car, you hear someone call your name which made you jump and scream, but then you realized it was only Grayson.

“shit I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, ” he said almost immediately after your reaction.

So you tried to explain yourself by saying “it’s ok. I don’t normally react like this, I guess this is what happens when you’re forced to watch a based on true events horror movie,”

“ Well, that explains why you’re awake at 5 am too,” he said with a laugh. “where are you going to anyway? ”

“I don’t know really I don’t have a destination ”

You know when you are just going through your uneventful day, and then something happens and you just know that your day is about to get a thousand times better, for you that something was when Grayson asked you   “Ethan and I wanted to watch beauty and the beast, but then he decided that it’s not worth it to sacrifice his sleep. Wanna watch it with me? ”

“ anything to get my mind off that movie, and nice movie choice by the way, ” you told him as you got in his car. you instantly felt like it was going to be worth breaking your dorm’s do not get out after midnight rule.

The movie was amazing with all the great music and additions to the original movie that you love so much, but when you got back to the car with Grayson after the movie, you were discussing the movie and Grayson had some points to be made.

“ ok, but he didn’t even tell her he loved her until the very end when it’s obvious he totally fell in love with her the minute that he saw her, ”

You won the argument though after you said “ what! , not only did he give her his library just to make her happy not for her to just read, he loved her to the point that he set her free and that’s basically saying I love you,” Grayson realized then even though he was definitely a words guy, but action sometimes did speak louder than words.

The two of you went to your rooms after you thanked him for the amazing day. You were confident that now you will definitely be able to sleep, and that’s exactly what you did.

After two more weeks passed, It was time for your university’s writing competition. You’re writing is not something you’re insecure about, but when you found out that Adam, the boy who got the highest grade in the English course that you took last semester was participating, you become not so sure that you can win the competition. There was no doubt that you have to know what he’s writing to get the first place, and there was pretty much only one way to find that out.

“ hey y\n what are you doing here? ” Grayson asked as opened the door for you.

“ Please come with me to my room I need to talk to you about something, ” you told him, and then the two of you walked to your room.  

“ Ok, so Adam, the guy you were talking to at the party last week, do you know him? ” you asked praying that he does. You really wanted to win this competition, but you only saw them together at a party once. You were hoping they were friends and that party wasn’t where they met for the first time.

“ Yeah, he’s a friend of mine, ”

“ Ok great I need you to tell me what is he writing about for the writing competition, ”

“ Isn’t that cheating? ” he asked which made you raised your eyebrows and he immediately knew that what you just did meant really? you say that to me out of all people?

“ ok fine I’ll tell you what he’s writing about for the competition, ” he announced, and you immediately gave him a hug.

You were waiting for your math class to start. You and Grayson were always early for this class, but today he was nowhere to be found which you thought was wired. It wasn’t until fifteen minutes of the class passed that he entered the classroom, apologized for being late and sat next to you.

“ breaking news, Adam is writing about love which I’m trying so hard not to judge him for,” he whispered trying not to get the professor’s attention.

“  of course he chooses one of the hardest topics to write about” you complained and told him to meet you in your room after he finishes his classes because you needed his opinion after you finish writing.  

love is a very hard topic to write about because you can write about it in many different ways, your experience, how you want your love life to be, or what it means to you, for you, what love means to you sounded like the perfect option to so that’s what you decided to write about. After Ten thousand and five hundred and twenty words were written you were done, and Grayson finally arrived, and the first thing you did was giving him your writing to read.

“ this is so good, I always knew you could write, but you never told me you can write like this, ” he said still reading, “ once I’m done with this you have to show me more,”

You pulled your notebook that you usually write it and gave it to him to read more of your writing. Everyone knew you could write, but you never showed your writing to anyone except to professors and all that your friends got were what you usually submit for the writing competition.

“ your writing is so amazing, I think I fell in love with the way your brain works ” his compliment caught you off guard. Out of all the things that people complimented you on, your brain will always be the one that makes you genuinely happy, and Grayson discovered that from the smile on your face.  

Four weeks passed since you won the competition, and you were finally done with all your midterms as well, but you really needed some sort of distraction because you were not doing well. Grayson and you decided to watch a movie together, and you were so thankful that you were not going to spend a bad the day by yourself. The movie you were watching was about a group of friends going on a road trip and enjoying their lives.

“ I really wish my life was a movie, you know spontaneous trips and stuff ” you blurted out. The movie was really making you want your life to be eventful instead of just studying and doing tests every day.

“let’s go on a road trip” Grayson suggested, “ we can go this weekend, Ethan is still not done with his midterms I’ll be just the two of us if it’s fine with you ”

You could tell how excited you both were for the road trip and more importantly how much you needed it by the fact that in an hour you plan everything. You decided to go to a town that is eight hours away from your town, and the road trip becomes all you could think after you managed to convince the security of the dorms that the two of you have an issue to deal with that requires to go back home for the weekend. The weekend came quicker than you expected and with Grayson driving and you in the passenger’s seat, you begin your road trip.

You spend two hours just listening to music from the playlist the two of you prepared and eating different kinds of snacks and before you knew it you reached the hotel you booked in. You two had a beach to go to the next day, and you wanted to be full of energy when you arrive there, so you decided to sleep.

How you woke up the next day was very different than how you usually wake up every day because you woke up with Grayson screaming “ y\n wake up there’s a food festival at the beach!”. It was a nice way to wake up though.

“I’m awake, ” you said, but seeing Grayson ready surprised you “ how did you have time to get dressed and everything? ” you asked him.

“ I woke up early, but I didn’t want to wake you up I had to do it though when I found out about the food festival  ” he answered putting his shoes on.

You finally got out of bed, and as you were brushing your teeth you realized how happy and unstressed you were, and it was just the morning of the first day. You were for sure going to make some unforgettable memories in this trip which to say you were excited for would be an understatement.

You found many food trucks at the beach, what caught your attention though was the sushi truck in front of the ice cream one, so you decided to eat there.

“We are so getting ice cream after this,” you said as you were eating sushi with Grayson in front of you doing the same.

Grayson was fascinated by the place because not only did the have great food, but great dessert as well.  You were clearly not the one who needed this road trip because Grayson was obviously very happy and just couldn’t stop smiling and you were happy about that because his smile never fails to make you smile as well.

You spend an hour talking to Grayson before you two got in the water and Grayson couldn’t wait until he does what he planned to do the minute you two decided to go to a beach, which was pulling you with him in the water, and it made you plan your revenge on your way back to the hotel, but you decided to forgive him when he apologized in the car and gave you complete control over the aux cord.

You decided to get snacks from a small shop on your way back to the hotel, and you found some delicious ones in case you got hungry in the middle of the night, but when you wanted to check on Grayson, you found him staring at boxes of hair dye.

“ Please tell me we’re getting some of these,” you said interrupting his thoughts.

“ Oh, we definitely are I just don’t know what color to get“

“Blue, definitely Blue and I’ll get the pink one ” you suggested. You were glad that Grayson’s hair was blonde and you had light ends which meant that you didn’t have to bleach anything and after a small fight about who will play and you winning, you got out of the shop with snacks and two boxes of semi-permanent hair dye.

When you reached your hotel room one of the first things that you did was dyeing Grayson’s hair who sat in front of you after the ends of your hair were covered with pink hair dye.

“ Grayson stop moving or you’ll end up with a blue face”

“Y/n that’s not really a smart thing to say to a person with leftover pink dye in his hand “ he joked which caused you to laugh, but your threat actually got him to stay still so you were able to finish his hair quickly.

Washing your hair from the dye was fun, but drying it so you don’t end up having to pay extra for ruining the hotel’s white pillow was even more fun, and by the time your hair was done, you were both too tired, and it doesn’t take you minutes before you fell asleep.

There was no doubt that the two of you fell in love with this town, so you woke up the next morning full of excitement to explore more. That day you decided to go to a famous library in the town, but there was one thing that surprised you when you got there and took a look at the books.

“ when did they change the cover of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson? “ you asked because the covers were really beautiful, but these books were all you read in your childhood, so you already had every single book from both series, but you couldn’t help but admire the new covers. You really wanted to buy the books, but you thought maybe another time, and you had the perfect distraction since you were in a very big library.

You ended up getting some books that were published recently, and since the library didn’t just sell books as they had a corner where you can get souvenirs from, Grayson bought matching necklaces for the both of you because you were leaving tomorrow, and he wanted to have something that reminded him of this trip and all the amazing things you did together.

Your next destination was the global village which was an open place where they had a village representing each country, and you can find at least 20 shops in each village. While some villages were selling food there was even more food outside the villages too and needless to say, you spent the whole time shopping but mainly eating.

After you exploded every single place in the global village, it was finally time to leave. You were sad about leaving a little, but you were happy that you got to go to all these beautiful and unforgettable places. You found yourself staring at Grayson who was sleeping and smiled, you really chose the perfect person to go with on a road trip because you completely forgot all the stress and anxiety you were feeling and despite that classes were waiting for you when you go back that actually doesn’t bother you for the first time ever. Thinking about it now it was probably the moment you realized you actually have a crush on him.

The drive back home was fun, but you made the mistake of not getting enough food and by the time two hours passed both of you were really hungry so Grayson, who sat in the passenger seat this time, started looking for restaurants, but a small dinner half an hour away is all he could find, so you decided to go there.

After the waitress took your order,  you found yourself talking about college for a while, and then the topic shifted to the day you first talked to Grayson.

“ You know even though I always saw you in that class when you I helped me I was fully convinced you were an angel, “ Grayson said right as two burgers were placed right in front of you.

And when you said “ I can’t believe cheating is how we became friends “ it made you both laugh. you loved moments like this, and you really didn’t want them to end.

The voice in google maps finally said you arrived at your destination when you reached your college’s dorms, you said goodbye to Grayson before we went to your room even though you knew you’ll probably see him again very soon and the first thing you did was sleep in your very comfortable bed that you missed so much.

Grayson, on the other hand, was unpacking and found your shirt with his things, so he went to give it back, but when he knocked it wasn’t you who opened the door but your roommate Odette.

“ Oh, hey Grayson, I thought you were Noah, “  she told him, “ y/n is sleeping btw “

He gave her the shirt and said “ oh, I just came to give her shirt back “

She then invited him to stay and join her until Noah shows up. Odette knew Grayson, but they weren’t very close friends. If you could describe Grayson as well as Odette in one word it would be friendly, so it wasn’t a surprise that they talked as if they were best friends, but the topic that none of them expected to talk about was Odette’s relationship with Noah. It wasn’t a secret that Odette had commitment issues everybody knew it so when she announced she’s finally dating someone everyone was surprised, you included.

“ I don’t know I guess I found out that it’s not about finding someone that completes you it’s actually about finding someone that makes your ok life better, “ she said, “ I was happy before I met him, but after I did I realized that I can happier.”  

Odette was talking about her boyfriend, but to Grayson what she said described someone else, you.

Grayson’s life was perfect, and he never thought about getting into any relationship but there was no doubt that you make his life so much better, more importantly, there was no doubt that he liked you since day one now that he thought about it. Something clicked in his head, and he got the perfect way to confess his feelings to you, so he excused himself and went immediately back to his room.

The next morning Odette gave you a bag with the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson series with the new covers and a photo album with all the photos that Grayson took of the two of you during the road trip and said that Grayson told her to give these to you. Grayson was really good at taking photos so with each photo in the album, your smile grew bigger as you started to reminisce all the good memories from the road trip. Your smile was replaced with a surprised face in a second when you saw that the last photo was from when you were at the global village eating ice cream while Grayson was admiring you, but the photo itself wasn’t the reason you were surprised. It was the “Even though I just realized that I like you, I think I've felt that way since day one” written above it.

[storytaeme]

peek a boo – day 30

spoopy kinktober drabbles – NC17

➵ Pairing: Park Jimin x Jeon Jeongguk

➵ Prompt: Flashing   ↪ content: bottom!guk, exhibitionism, riding, poolside sex

➵ Word Count: 2,745 words

Jimin should’ve known that there would be a catch to his parents leaving him all on his own for one weekend. One weekend with no supervision from his loving and doting mother and father. That meant only one thing.

He was free to be in the nude.

It really all started because Jimin wasn’t quite fond of wearing clothing. It constricted him. There were days when his fashion liberated his freedom of expression, but when he was at home, the last thing he wanted to do was add into his laundry pile—his ever growing laundry pile that he refused to do until he ran out of things to leave the house with. Thus, one weekend free of his parents instantly meant a weekend free from clothes.

Thankfully, summer was back in Busan and that meant he could enjoy all the time he needed soaking up all the sunlight he needed to activate his Vitamin D. He laid out on a mat outside by his pool, letting the heat bear down on him and dot his skin with sweat as he tried to get that golden, sun-kissed glow. With glasses propped up on his nose, Jimin quickly fell into a state of peaceful oblivion as he absorbed the stinging heat—every inch of him. He laid on his front to ensure that the entirety of his shoulders and down his back would be layered with a color so pretty it would make caramel scream, closing his eyes and plugging in his earphones to block out the world around him.

For a while, he enjoyed the silence, basking in the warmth, and listening to the sweet sound crooning into his ears. He was left unaware of the presence that had appeared before him. It took him some time but the shadow that casted over his face was beginning to bug him and that cloud that was doing it better—oh.

“Um, hi,” the man said. He looked like a kid. Really young. What the fuck?

“What the fuck?” Jimin said aloud this time around, “who are you?” he snapped upwards into a sitting position, glaring at him.

“I was called in to clean the pool,” the guy said again, showing him a message from a cleaning company his parents frequented to get their house tidied up every once in a while. Including their pool. Jeon Jeongguk—the message read—was assigned this time. “Says today, noon. It’s today, noon.”

His parents didn’t warn him about this. Of course, they didn’t. When did they ever? Jimin only grunted, his gaze falling to his legs and—fuck—it completely flew over his head that this guy was basically staring at his ass. It was just his ass. His very plump, sexy ass that had been rated the best amongst his frat brothers for three consecutive years. No big deal.

“Right, alright,” Jimin coughed, “feel free to do your thing then. I’m just going to be… here.”

With one last awkward wave, Jimin slumped his face back down, trying his best to concentrate on the wonderful sun instead of the stunning man working just a few feet away from him. Jimin chanced glances his way when he could, hiding his gaze behind his shades. Jeongguk was dressed in a flimsy, loose tank top that, if Jimin looked hard enough, he could even spot a nip slip. Shorts covered his bottom half and sandals his feet. Simple work attire for a pool boy he supposed. But that man could walk down a runway and pass as a model for Paris Fashion Week.

Jimin licked his lips, suddenly feeling how thirsty he was from the unbearable heat raining down on him and filling his insides. God, the last thing he needed to be in that moment was horny. He still needed to tan his front and he didn’t need his dick standing up and angling itself towards Jeongguk for attention.

While Jeongguk was distracted with scrubbing the pool, Jimin hurried into the kitchen to fill himself a tall glass of water, gulping it down to make up for the humidity that had evaporated from his body. Not to mention, that man looked like a glass of fucking fresh mojito Jimin could down in an instant.

Tiptoeing back to his mat, Jimin stretched himself back down on his front, his face directed towards the pool Jeongguk was working on. Jimin’s eyes trailed down the length of his arms, his biceps flexing and the muscles seeming to glisten underneath the sunlight. Fuck, Jeongguk really was a hot piece of ass. Jimin wanted some of that.

It was then the lightbulb illuminated in his brain.

He was a master in the art of seduction (or self-acclaimed at least) and, if there was one thing he was sure of, it would be how to lead an eye candy like Jeon Jeongguk right into his hands. Jimin smiled silently to himself as he flipped around on the towel beneath him. His feet were now pointing towards the man whose curiosity was piqued by the sudden change in position. Jimin could’ve sworn he saw the kid visibly startle and blush at the sight before quickly distracting himself back to his task.

Phase one: complete. Jimin let out a small whimper as if he was suffering too much from the heat. He had applied too many layers of sunscreen so he knew that he was good to go for then. But the little noise he released seemed to be enough to trigger the boy’s glance in his direction once more. Since then, Jimin saw him watching, observing quietly while also multi-tasking with his job. Jeongguk’s eyes kept wandering his way, trailing down his lithe body as he squirmed.

However, that didn’t seem to be enough. Jimin couldn’t help the way pride bloomed in his chest when he saw Jeongguk tug on the collar of his shirt or fan his face. The two could still be the result of the heat. However, his popping a boner in his cargo shorts was another story altogether.

Jimin shifted again, wiggling his ass a little so his own cock—hard and standing upright—swayed to the movement. The action was tantalizing, drawing Jeongguk’s glance towards him again. It was clear that he was doing this on purpose. There was a stern set to Jeongguk’s jaw, as if the man was restraining himself miserably to keep himself in check. But that wasn’t what Jimin wanted—Jimin wanted the man to bounce on his goddamn cock.

Taking a deep breath, Jimin finally initiated the last phase. His hands smoothed down his chest, smothering another layer of sunscreen her certainly didn’t need, but it was for aesthetic purposes. He rubbed it all over his stomach, his abs clenching in response to the cool burn of the liquid. Then he moved to his cock, coating the length as if it were lube. His fingers ran along the shaft, tugging lazily until he got himself fully erect. A pained moan slipped past his lips and Jimin saw Jeongguk freeze. With a smirk, Jimin pumped his fist harder, squeezing tighter around his cock. His thumb brushing over the sensitive slit had him rising off his ass just a teensy bit.

But the kid still wasn’t making a move. Jimin wanted to scream. He was already hard and ready. He just needed to prep Jeongguk’s ass to fit in his cock. He even had his fucking condom and lube next to him inside his wallet. All he needed was for that pretty ass to make his way to him. By then, Jeongguk had already stopped moving, hands stilling as he stared at Jimin in wonder. The boy’s hand even traveled down between his legs, catching his boner as he began to palm it through the fabric hungrily.

“Hey, Jeongguk,” Jimin called out impatiently, “can you help me out with something?”

Jeongguk noticeably stiffened by Jimin’s acknowledgement, quickly retracting his hand away from his cock as he set aside his tools and wiped his sweaty palms on his shorts. God, that fucking boner looked delicious and Jimin wanted that thing bouncing when the kid rode him. “Y-yeah?” the younger stammered, hands fidgeting in front of him. How fucking cute.

“See, I have this problem,” Jimin started, still lazily stroking his cock in a faint attempt to seem nonchalant. “Maybe you can help me?”

“What kind of problem?” He watched Jeongguk’s Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed.

“I’m really fucking hard, haven’t had a good fuck in weeks now, haven’t even had a good ass.” Jimin hissed as he pulled his cock a little harder, a moan tumbling from his lips. Jeongguk’s eyes widened to the size of saucers. “Think you can be that guy for me?” he smirked.

Jeongguk didn’t even blink before he nodded eagerly, sinking to his knees as he panted desperately, his hand returning to the bulge in his pants as he rubbed it with such determination.  “Fuck, I want your cock in me so bad,” Jeongguk whimpered, his voice pitching slightly higher. Jimin wanted to come to his voice alone. “Do you have—”

Jimin tossed the lube packet he had gotten from one of his college’s safe sex packets to him. “Prep yourself, babe, can you do that?”

“Y-yeah,” Jeongguk nodded, quickly stripping himself off his shorts and getting back on his knees. He drenched his fingers in the thick liquid, letting the sun warm it enough before he slipped his hand behind his back and down to his rim.

It was mesmerizing to see the kid’s cock twitch and bob against his stomach every time he dropped down onto his fingers, fucking himself open with his digits as he stretched his rim to ensure that he could fit Jimin inside of him.

“Fuck, fuck,” Jeongguk repeated, whimpering quietly as he relished in the godawful pleasure of his fingers inside of him. His cock was already throbbing painfully against his skin. “Been looking at you since I stepped in here, that fucking gorgeous ass, then your pretty cock.”

Jimin laughed, chucking away his sunglasses to the side as he propped himself up by his elbows, watching Jeongguk as he worked at his opening. Jeongguk’s lips parted every once in a while to allow desperate noises to escape, little whines that had Jimin stroking his cock faster. He squeezed around the base to stop himself from coming because that was the last thing he needed before Jeongguk got on him.

“Shit, I-I’m ready, want your cock in me now,” Jeongguk gasped, slipping out his fingers. As if to reassure Jimin of his point, he showed the sticky mess he had created on his fingers.

“Get on me, baby,” Jimin growled, snatching up his condom and swiftly sliding into it. He drizzled the remains of his lube onto his cock and slicked it up again, making sure that it was dripping before his hands landed on the boy’s hips when Jeongguk moved to throw his legs on either side of the elder. He hovered over Jimin’s cock for a while, dancing the tip of Jimin’s cock teasingly around his rim. The action proved to be torturous for both him and Jeongguk, but Jeongguk was loving every second of it. “Fuck, come on, Jeongguk. I’ve been hard for a while now, n-need to come.”

Grinning smugly, Jeongguk slowly inched Jimin inside of him. The elder’s pupils dilated with the actions, the pleasure slowly seeping into his bones as he let out gasps. Jeongguk looked all too happy with how much Jimin was reacting to this, to his ass clenching and tightening around Jimin as if resisting before Jeongguk pushed himself down completely. He bottomed out on Jimin’s cock, his thighs pressing against Jimin’s side as he settled comfortably on the elder.

“Bounce, baby, come on,” Jimin grunted as an order, kicking away his climax higher so he could wait out the orgasm. “Fucking ride me, Jeo—oh shit, fuck, hnnng.” His voice choked off into a broken moan as Jeongguk lifted himself up and dropped himself back down. Jeongguk started riding the elder, thighs burning as he pushed himself off only to sink back down and sliding the entirety of Jimin’s cock back into him.

Jimin could feel the tunnel pulsing around his cock, squeezing and throbbing angrily. His cock fit so snug and warmly inside of Jeongguk as the kid used him to pleasure himself. Jeongguk looked like he was having the time of his life with his hands planted on Jimin’s stomach, his ass jiggling deliciously as he fell back on Jimin’s cock. His head was thrown back in sheer euphoria, sweat creating a shimmer with the reflection of the sun upon his skin. He looked fucking gorgeous and undeniably fuckable.

“That’s right, shit, just like that,” Jimin muttered over and over, approving of all of the things the boy was doing. Jeongguk even had the nerve to do goddamn body rolls, the lines his stomach clenching and shifting with every move. He rolled his hips nicely, taking Jimin’s cock along with him. God, that felt so fucking good. How the hell was this man so fucking perfect? Jimin has fucked good-looking people before, people with abs and people with the softest tummies, people with small dicks and big dicks, people who knew and didn’t know how to use their ass. Jeongguk was the ultimate package. Goddamn, he was going to die happily in this poolboy’s hands and he would still thank God for it. “Shit, your ass is so damn nice. Do you spread your legs for everyone, baby?” Jimin hissed, glaring at the boy teasingly. “Like opening your pretty hole up to be fucked?”

Jeongguk released a whimper that seemed to confirm Jimin’s thoughts. He wondered how many of his clients Jeongguk had fucked before for extra tips. “P-please, fuck, I want to come.”

“Already? Such a little slut, Jeongguk-ah,” Jimin chuckled, giving his ass a light slap. “Tell me, you open your legs like this for everyone?”

“N-not just anyone, but you—fuck yes, you, I’d do it every time.”

God, the kid knew how to work his mouth to. Jimin hated how good that sounded in his ears. “Such a pretty thing, Jeongguk,” Jimin gasped, “fuck, w-want you to come. You can do it. You’re already so hard, so desperate for me, come for me, baby. Come on.”

Jeongguk, ever the obedient boy that he was, fucked himself down a few more times, the few times that Jimin jerked his hips up to meet Jeongguk’s movements. His cock hit deeper inside of the boy each time, rubbing up against his prostate and driving the kid to the edge as he whined, fingers trembling against Jimin’s body. He could see Jeongguk’s legs began to shake before he finally gave out, come spilling from the tip of his swinging cock, spraying lines of white across both their stomachs and legs. Jimin held on tighter to his hips, tight enough that Jeongguk was crying out in pain from how hard Jimin’s fingers were digging into his flesh.

So tight, so fucking tight. The kid was such a good fuck. He was so needy and whiney, so fucking cute and sexy at the same time. Jimin came with a deep moan from his throat, panting as he leaned back and filled the elastic with the product of his climax. He was still weak in the legs and in the heart, breath stuttering in his chest, when Jeongguk pulled himself off the elder, dipping his head down for a chaste kiss on Jimin’s lips.

He was blushing. Jeongguk was freaking blushing. The elder laughed at that, “Are you getting shy on me, Jeongguk?”

“The high wore off,” Jeongguk argued, cheeks still tinted red. Jimin wasn’t sure if that was from the sex or the sun. “But that was—that was good.”

“You really open your legs for anyone?”

Jeongguk pinked again. “That was the first time.”

“Hmm,” Jimin hummed thoughtfully, “maybe you should come here to clean more often then. Bet I can give you something better in bed than the tips you get in return.”

A cute giggle bubbled up his throat, one that seemed to have Jimin’s heart flopping in his chest. “Would love that, I could also use the tips though. College and all.”

“I’ll give you the best of both worlds, kid.”

[hypermanga]

~FIRST KISS~

Zeus

You had not seen Zack for a long time, and you thought he had forgotten about you. You tried to not give it importance, but it broke your heart deep inside. You had finally met him, the man you loved, and now he just faded, leaving nothing but emptiness inside you.

You thought you had seen the last of him.

Girl, were you wrong…

It was a stormy day, as you read some old mythology book you had found in the library, as usual, the lightning changing the tones of the old pages.

As you closed the book, you felt something, a feeling in your core, as if a lightning bolt had entered your body and had decided to take a little walk in it.

You went outside, and you ran to the hill where you talked about mythology with Zack. Your lungs were burning from the running, but your feeling wouldn’t let you stop. You felt HE was there, it was strange, but you felt it.

At last, the hill came into view, and you made your way up.

As you arrived to the top, all your illusion faded, as you only found the lonely tree, with all its leaves torn apart by the storm.

You collapsed in the floor, crying like never before.

-Zack, wherever the heck you are… Come back please… I can’t live without you. The first day I thought you were a goofball, but you’re the most intelligent, compassionate and perfect human being I’ve met. Please, don’t…Don’t

-Don’t what (Y/N)- Shouted a voice.

You stopped crying but continued sobbing, as your eyes adjusted to the figure that appeared from behind the tree.

You got up, and started running to it, with all your strength regained, and jumped into Zack, hugging him with every last drop of Love you had

-Zack, don’t do this to me ever again…

-So I’m a goofball huh?

-Come on, shut up-You said laughing.

As a single tear went down your cheek, Zack wiped it with his thumb. As the rain got more intense, Zack put his hands on your cheeks and closed his eyes, leaning in.

You closed your eyes too, and mimicked his actions.

Finally, your lips came in contact in a tender way, getting more passionate as the seconds passed.

It was the kiss you had always wanted, the kiss under the rain, the one only happened in movies, and you enjoyed every instant of it.

-I Love you (Y/N)-He said, tenderly

-I Love you too, Zack, now, and forever

Poseidon

The sea was particularly revolted today. The waves were crushing against the sun, and all the tourists had decided to go shopping instead of going to the sea. You, otherwise, decided to swim a little bit, little waves weren’t harmful.

You were reaaaaally wrong

As you wanted to get out, the sea pulled you back inside. You tried to shout, but only water came inside your mouth. You swam to the surface, only to be pulled back inside. It was a lost battle against such a powerful element, so you just gave in to your fate and closed your eyes.

-(Y-(Y/N)-You heard in your numbness, as something cold caressed your cheek-Please, don’t leave…Don’t…I Love you…

You knew that voice, it was Patrick’s. But you were dead, it couldn’t be.

You wanted to get up, tell him how you had felt since the first day you had met him in the cave, tell him how much he meant to you.

You had to wake up, wake up…Wait, I’m feeling sick!

Then, your stomach started to turn and you opened your eyes at the same time you puked all the water you had drunk while drowning.

-Thank god you’re okay! I thought I had lost you…Forever- Said Patrick, his hand not leaving your cheek for a second.

-You are not getting rid of me that easily-You said smiling.

Then, he crashed his lips with yours, knocking all the air in your lungs. But you didn’t care, it was magical.

As you pulled back panting, you looked eachother’s eyes

-Promise me you are never leaving Princess- Patrick told you, smiling with tears in his eyes.

-Promise-You smiled, kissing his forehead.

Apollo

Your friend (F/N) had a party at her house and you were invited. So now, you were walking to her house, while listening to some music of your phone and humming the tune.

You knocked on the front door and (F/N) opened the door.

-Hey (Y/N)!- She greeted, hugging you.

You entered her house and walked to the crowd, when a distinctive guitar sound made you avertyour eyes from it. You turned around and found Apollo.

You sat down next to him.

-Well hello Adam, didn’t know you were coming- You said blushing

You had to admit you had developed a crush in the boy, but you wouldn’t say it, you were too shy to do it.

-Yes, (F/N) invited me, I didn’t know she knew about my existence- He smiled at you.

You talked about half an hour until your friend interrupted the party.

-Hey guys, what about seven minutes in heaven?

-Seven minutes in heaven?- Mumbled Apollo, not knowing what was all that fuss about.

-It’s a game, where two people have to stay in a closet for seven minutes, where they can do whatever they want- You explained to him.

After that, all the boys put something in a cap, and the game started.

It was your turn and you picked up a rose. You were pushed into the closet and (F/N) closed the door.

-Hello?-You asked, to no one in particular.

-(Y/N), is that you?- A chill ran down your spine when you recognised the Voice.

-Adam…What a surprise!-You chuckled awkwardly.

-Yeah, it is- He said sweetly, blushing- There’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while now- He continued- That day in the garden, when you sung, I recognised the voice which captivated me in the fields, a voice which has made me fall in love with the girl who owns it. (Y/N), I think I’m in love with you- He concluded.

-Adam…Is that true?

-Every word of it.

Without hesitation, you approached him and kissed him passionately. His arms went around your waist, and yours around his neck.

After what seemed an eternity, you both broke the kiss, gasping to breath. -Wow…-Said Apollo, gasping. -Yeah…Wow-You said blushing-You know, we should have done this before-You said, smirking devilishly. -Well, we can’t change the past now can we?-He answered, and pulled you into another breathtaking kiss.

Ares

For the last weeks, you and Aaron had became really close, although you were opposites, you were the brain and he was the muscles, although he had a brain inside his head , a thing you doubted in the beginning.

Everyone made bets on how much time was left until you became a couple, but some girls were not taking anything of it, jealousy all over them.

You were walking down the street on your way home, when three figures appeared in front of you.

You tried to run away, but they grabbed you by the wrist. You kicked and managed to knock one of them unconscious, while you took out the mask of one. As you took it off, you discovered it was Celeste.

-You little piece of…- She shouted,

-Why Celeste?WHY?- You shouted, furrowing your brows.

-Don’t ya understand, stupid?Aaron is mine, it’s obvious he is into me!

You couldn’t help but laugh at it.

-I didn’t know he liked dumb witches…-You smirked 

She growled, and that growling was followed by whistling, making appear a lot of people, ready to beat you in a pulp.

-Well, shit- You mumbled, and got into fighting position, although you knew you had no chance- Come here, you bastards!

You closed your eyes and prepared for the impact, which never came. The sound of heavy boots made all the shouting cease, and was substitued by a lot of boots running away.

You opened your eyes, and saw Aaron’s leather jacket.

-Are you okay, little one?- He asked, truly concerned. He never sounded like that, which surprised you

-Quit calling me that Big Boy! And yeah, I’m fine, thanks- You said,taking his hand and standing up with a big smile.

-What’s with that smile?- He asked teasingly- Is the Little Red Riding Hood in love with the Big Bad Wolf?

-Maybe-You answered mysteriously. Then , you took his jacket and pushed him to you, kissing him on the lips.

When you broke apart, his face was priceless.Then , you started to walk away

-Oh! By the way, I like you too- You shouted, and took off running, leaving Ares standing like an idiot.

Hades

 Your mother had finally got fully recovered from the accident, and you were happy, to say the least.

You cried tears of joy when you saw your mother walk by herself in the hospital’s main hall, Hayden following her. You thought he was keeping an eye close on her, in case she tripped, but he only had eyes for you.

After all the time you had visited your mother, he had explained everything about his life as a doctor, and you did the same with your life., Slowly, he started to  love your voice, your vivid eyes, your beautiful laugh, that could brighten up the gloomiest days…Your everything.

You approached your mum and hugged her with all the force you had, crying and sobbing.

-Now, now, calm down (Y/N), everything’s okay now- She said, kissing your head and cheeks a million times.

Then, she moved aside, to make way to Hayden.

-Thank you so much, for taking care of my mother the way you did- You said, with a big smile in your face.

-No problem (Y/N), is my job after all- He answered, smirking.

Then, you pecked his cheek and turned to your mother.

You found her smirking mischievously.

-I think he’s not over-She said with a sing-song voice.

You turned around and felt a hand in your wrist and the warm feeling of Hayden lips  over yours. You were really shocked, but after a moment, you kissed him back.

-Well, about time!- Your mother shouted in between the other pacient’s applauses.

 You both laughed at your mother.

-You are my light (Y/N), be mine?

-For all the eternity, and beyond Hayden- You said, pulling him for another kiss.

Hephaestus You walked through a little cave you and Heath had found a while ago. The walls were full of beautiful stones and shiny gems, illuminating everything. As Heath looked around, just as mesmereized as you, you looked at him blushing. 

It’s true, you had a crush on him. You loved everything about him: his personality, gruff but sweet at the same time, loving with animals and he was an amazing crafter, like you. You remembered all the evenings you had passed with him, designin jewels for the kids and for your Store, all with the company of Inferno and Bobby.

-(Y/N)?- Said Heath, shaking you.

You blushed and looked away from him, you were just embarrassing yourself. What you missed is that he blushed the same red as you, because he also had feelings for you, but he didn’t know how to express it to you without making a fool of himself.

Much to your luck, your dogs were there to bring a solution.

Both dogs could sense that you both liked eachother, apart they had heard their owners talk about each other with passion.

As Inferno and Bobby looked at eachother mischievously in the eyes, they started to run in circles, entertwining your ropes, pulling you both together, until you were chest to chest with Heath.

-Hey!- You shouted in uníson, while the dogs just waved their tails.

You looked up to him, and smiled innocently.

He looked down, smiling devilishly.

You tiptoed and pecked him in the mouth, and the dogs untangled you, satisfied.

-Well, that escalated quickly- Heath said playfully.

And after that, he put his hands around your waist, and kissed you passionately, proving his love to you

-I love you (Y/N)

-I love you too Heath

MASTERLIST

[kuromikoneko]

Diving into Fresh Water

Again, I am behind in cross-posting my works (apparently stopping at AO3 and not posting on ffnet or here). So I am terribly sorry that these will be posting throughout Saturday, but if you’ve not read them, I hope you enjoy and share!

“Cat once told Kara she will always have a job with her. Now that she's left CatCo, Kara is considering taking her up on the offer. That consideration leads to her realizing the true meaning behind her feelings for Cat. Needing help unraveling her feelings, Kara is afraid to once again put the focus on her own needs so rather than turning to Alex, turns to her sister's sweet, understanding, new girlfriend, Maggie.“

Diving into Fresh Water

Kara felt lost and adrift at sea, or...space if she were to equate it with actually true experiences she had vague memories of. Her career at CatCo seemed to be plummeting, or perhaps floundering is the better turn of phrase in this instant. Winn was coming into his own at the D.E.O. becoming more confident and honing his skills, even going so far as to start some physical training with Alex. Alex...oh sweet Alex, was  dating. And Kara couldn't be happier about whom Alex was dating. Maggie seemed so sweet and protective and compassionate toward Alex. They really got each other in a way not even Kara would understand, at least in regards to their workaholic tendencies, and Alex was so much happier now!

James was being suspiciously vague and adamant toward The Guardian's escapades and Kara was certain he was pulling away from her as though hiding something. Perhaps breaking up with him had been a poor decision no matter how wrong it felt once they were dating. It was as though he was attracted to the idea of them being together, of her being Supergirl more than her being...her. Mon-El was...frustrating at best, infuriating at worst and would never listen to her. Perhaps his working at the alien bar was a good idea for now. If he didn't want to be a hero, see what the thrill of helping others was like, Kara decided it wasn't her place to push him or berate him. Not any more.

Her boss was seemingly despondent and shut her down at every angle. She made her stand the other day about what type of reporter she wanted to be, a subtle comment from Snapper after she exited (because, yes she did hear) but Kara was only getting about one article a month published and it was grating on her nerves. She wanted to do more, be more useful. Never was there a dull moment as Cat's assistant.

“ Whatever comes next—for what it's worth—you'll always have a job with me if you want it”

Kara was near close to damning her superior alien brain for remembering such powerful words, the urge to find Cat stronger than ever now. It had been subdued before, suppressed due to the uptick in alien attacks, of the change in job, and Alex's personal journey, but it was always there at the back of her mind. As cliché as it sounded—accompanied by a classic Cat Grant eye roll—Cat was Kara's compass in so many ways. She was the glue that kept Kara Danvers, ex assistant/failing reporter, and Supergirl, not feeling so super alien, together. Cat's advice grounded her in the same way that Alex or Eliza's hugs did, in the same way that talking about their lost worlds with J'onn felt.

But leaving CatCo to...what? Be Cat's assistant again? That wasn't wise decision, not when Cat had put so much expectation and pride into knowing Kara was meant to be a reporter, sending her off into the world to dive into those crazy water metaphors she was fond of. And it hadn't helped the Cat was in that deep blue form fitting dress that night, the lights of her office casting the softest of glows on her flawless skin, the green of her eyes adding to the effect. But this was diving in a sense, right? Just...not the way everyone expected. Kara wondered for a brief moment if this is how Alex always felt in regards to Eliza. That overbearing responsibility to be the perfect daughter, be the perfect sister, be the perfect student and be the perfect doctor before things went to shit. She made a quick note to thank J'onn once more for helping save Alex's life before she fell any further.

Perhaps it was more than a lack of helpfulness in her job, there seemed to be less passion flowing through her veins. Kara still got a rush of joy when she rescued citizens and enjoyed it very much, overhearing the previous week from Maggie that the crime rate in National City was at an all time low thanks to Supergirl. But Kara Danvers was drowning by the anchor that was her brought on responsibilities. Perhaps...perhaps she should be like Alex and do something for herself to be happy, be like Cat and dive. But that meant going after Cat.

And going after Cat would mean facing possible disappointment, possible rejection and fear gripped at Kara's heart, a strange churning of her stomach giving her pause. She had always admired Cat, looked up to her and wished to be like her one day. Be the badass boss bitch, confident in her swagger and life to not let anything affect her overtly. It was starting to happen as Supergirl, in part because of the suit and the people she surrounded herself with at the D.E.O. but she had been wavering lately without Cat's consistent presence. Kara had gone to the trouble of flying home in order to collect their old VHS tapes of Cat's old show just to recall her voice. It was strange hearing the younger version, but she knew the woman so well she could hear the precise inflections that outlasted her youth and mingled with her voice at present.

Throwing her career away for a woman. Some would say that was foolish, something seen only in cheesy romcoms. But then Kara thought about her lingering looks at Cat in hip hugging dresses, dipping down to show the briefest hint of cleavage, the way her legs looked propped up in far too high heels and she realized the warmth in her body wasn't the warmth she felt toward her friends or even her family. It was...how Alex looked talking about her crush on Maggie before they were together, it was the way Alex looked talking about Maggie now.

 Oh Rao!

Kara didn't have a crush on Cat, she...she couldn't. That's insane, that's totally inappropriate, they're coworkers...but not...anymore. It could never work though right? Kara had never considered herself interested in women, not that she was opposed. Krypton was all about equality and freedom of self and body, half of the community in same-sex marriages for crying out loud. Though Kara had always been predisposed toward male celebrities, pressured to pick her favorite or moon over the cutest—Oh! Was that what heteronormativity was? She really needed to figure this out, to talk with someone about it but she didn't want to bother Alex, the feeling of guilt settling in her gut as it pushed past the previous desire toward Cat to reign supreme. Alex had only just come out a few months ago and Kara had been playing her problems as low-key as possible to allow her time in the spotlight, time she had so often stolen incidentally. Often times this would be viewed as a power play for attention and though it was necessary to understand herself better, Kara couldn't allow herself to stomp on Alex's...triumph of sorts. This was her time to shine.

And that was how Kara once again found herself at the sparsely populated, thankfully Mon-El-less, alien bar awaiting Maggie Sawyer's arrival. She had been simple and concise in the text she sent Maggie, asking her presence at the bar as soon as she could manage to discuss an urgent dilemma. She had ordered the largest helping of fries once she arrived, begging the tender to allow the milkshake she had picked up on the way to be brought in as well. Kara was in desperate need of the comfort food and she would not relinquish her chance to wallow in her worries.

Slurping at her makeshift ginormous milkshake container (filled with three regular sized milkshakes), Kara was so distracted she missed the door to the bar opening and closing as a swift pair of boots made their way to the table.

“Mini Danvers, what's the matter?” Maggie asked in a swift breath of air, hair tousled and jacket still zipped up. If not for that last detail, Kara would have thought the woman had run over from work.

“Nothing serious, Maggie. Well...it's serious to me, but not like...like life threatening of anyone's and it's not about Alex. Don't worry,” Kara stumbled through her thoughts, jumping from one to the next to assuage the detective of her concern. She was surprised a little miffed that Maggie had phrased her question in a vague way instead of immediately asking if it was about Alex. But considering Kara hadn't called perhaps she  detected  that it wasn't as critical a meet up as it could have been. “Sorry,” she muttered.

Maggie sighed, running a hand through her long hair before loosening her jacket and sliding into the booth opposite of Kara. “You had me worried, kid,” she chastised lightly, trying to peer into Kara's face curiously. “Is this personal?” she asked softly?

Kara nodded before dropping her head pitifully to rest on the table. Surprised that Kara had come to her instead of Alex when she so obviously seemed to need the comfort and care of a sibling versus their sibling's girlfriend, Maggie extended a hand across the table to grasp Kara's hand in hers and squeeze as hard as she could so the alien could feel. Kara looked up, brows creasing down in mild confusion as to why Maggie was putting so much effort into holding her hand. Before she could ask, her fries were deposited on the table to her left.

“Thank you,” she muttered, carefully squeezing Maggie's hand back.

“Beer, Mags?”

“No thanks, Darla. Just a pop.”

The giggle that came from Kara caused a smile to alight Maggie's face. “Sorry,” she said again.

“Hey, hey...it's okay, Kara,” Maggie promised, making a mental note to use the term 'pop' more often around the younger Danvers sister to cheer her up. “What are you...struggling with?” she asked.

Kara took a moment to collect a few fries to munch on as she pondered how to go about this, hand fidgeting under Maggie's touch, not out of discomfort but revealing what was on her mind. She knew she couldn't be unspecific or last very long beating around the bush so she decided to  dive. “I have a crush on Cat Grant,” she admitted, almost too quick for Maggie to hear.

“Don't we all.”

Kara's eyes darted between the co-speakers Maggie and Darla who had arrived with the soda, placing it on the table before turning to return to bar side. “You...you...”

“It's no question Cat Grant is impeccably gorgeous. Any bicurious woman is attracted to her,” Maggie commented casually, eyes keen on Kara's reaction, a spluttering mess of non-words as she flapped her hands nervously.

“Wh...what are you talking about? That's silly,” Kara tried to wave off further questions, cutting herself off with a giant slurp of her milkshake. She endeavored to look anywhere but at Maggie's kind and compassionate face. She now understood how it had been so easy for Alex to tell Maggie she might be gay before her. There was no judgement, no amusement, no fear or pressure. It was...perfect. Rao, was Kara grateful for Maggie waltzing into her sister's life, finally both on the path toward mutual happiness with each other.

Maggie frowned slightly, realizing that Kara didn't want to talk about what was going on for some reason. A reason beyond feeling fear that her family would reject her, that Cat Grant would not reciprocate her feelings (though if memory serves, Kara was the longest assistant the mogul had ever kept). Something else was creasing her unfairly perfect face. It was obvious that Kara leeched her bravery from Alex, using her as an example to follow, and though it was easier for Alex to come out to Maggie, she felt Kara would need some gentle prodding, a different approach.

“Kara...” she used her first name purposefully to get her attention. “Are you bisexual?” she asked in a hushed tone. Kara's impossibly blue eyes widened, pupils dilating as she nearly inhaled a sip of her sweet treat before regaining control of her bodily functions.

Liquid consumed, she began to scoff and giggle and shake her head furiously, once again refusing eye contact. Maggie stared at Kara, carefully composed, waiting for Kara to calm down and begin to accept the possibility of something new in her life. When Kara was done with her jerk reaction of laughing uncontrollably and hardly voicing her denials, unable to wrap her lips around any of the LGBT words that could describe how she felt, Maggie smiled slightly and tilted her head to the side.

“May...maybe I am,” Kara whispered, more in awe than in fear, stunned.

“Are what?”

“What, uh...what you...bi...bisexual,” Kara bit her lip afterwards, trying to draw strength on her memories of Cat's prevalence for details and using words precisely.

Maggie grinned, dimples shining through. “Wow...quicker on the uptake than Alex. Good job, Supergirl,” she said with pride.

Kara blushed, head bowed. “Thanks...wait, what?!” she asked, looking at Maggie startled.

“Did Alex not...tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“That I've known for a while. Told her after you came back from wherever you vanished to. The glasses really don't help much, Mini Danvers,” Maggie leaned closer with the comment about her 'disguise'.

Kara sighed. “It's a wonder everyone doesn't know,” she muttered.

“So, why did you come to me instead of Alex?” Maggie asked, figuring she should direct Kara's attention away from her failed attempts at staying hidden in human life.

“Uh...” she mumbled, fiddling with the fries in her hand once more. “I didn't...want to rain on her parade. It's...it's  always about me and I was the reason she never had a real relationship growing up because she never got the chance to figure that out because of protecting and prioritizing  me  and she never gets to be in the spotlight and this would feel like a betrayal, like a vie for attention and I can't do that to her, not again, I—”

Maggie cut her off with a finger to her lips, Kara looking her straight on once more. “I think Alex would be proud to stand at your side as you come into your own sexuality, Kara. She wouldn't feel slighted or jealous, I think she would feel even closer to you than she did before. Your support has been everything to Alex—I truly cannot thank you enough for being there for her—but knowing how she feels to come out at this age, to relate on that level...that is the best gift any family member could wish for,” Maggie said, voice growing soft and trailing off at the end. Kara immediately reached for Maggie's hand and gave it a light squeeze, drawing tiny smile from the other woman.

“Sorry,” Kara replied for sympathetic values more than forgiveness. Maggie nodded briefly. “You're probably right. But even if she is like that cause I know she will, what if she internalizes it and thinks that I'm simply copying her and looking for attention to be focused back on me, by our friends or by Eliza? She's very good at hiding that from me,” she asked, truly and fully concerned.

“I...I'm not sure,” Maggie admitted, not quite as adept in the Danvers family dynamic and this strange power position the sisters were in or how Eliza treated both. She had a feeling Alex was always pressured to be the perfect child, as much had been revealed by Alex, but Maggie sensed it went deeper than that too what with Kara in the picture. “But you and Alex don't have a typical sisterly connection, and not just because you're an alien or adopted when you both were teens. There's very little rivalry between you two and you hardly ever fight. And I believe that's what makes you stronger together, not tear...each other...up on the insi...What?” Maggie petered off her words as Kara had begun to giggle.

“The s on my suit. It's not an s,” Kara could barely get the words out through her laughter, the amusement at Maggie's unintended comment along with how perfectly she would fit into their strange little super space family the perfect combination to set her off.

“I figured as much,” Maggie said, a little impatience slipping into her tone as she leaned back with crossed arms. “Spit out, Mini Danvers,” she added.

“It's my house crest. It stands for our motto too, which is...heh...stronger together,” Kara finally explained, able to catch Maggie's eye when she finished to drive the point home.

“Ahh...I see,” Maggie smirked, understanding dawning on her face.

Kara smiled, reaching over to squeeze Maggie's hand again. “Thank you, for listening, helping. You...you're truly a great girlfriend,” she complimented, a tiny blush coloring her ears.

“Anytime, Mini Danvers,” Maggie replied, quirking an eyebrow in question as she peered at the large pile of fries still available. Kara bobbed her head in assent watching as Maggie stole a handful and began to talk about lighter subjects to calm Kara further.

After sharing a few innocent stories of Alex's youth, even comparing some of the major differences between Earth and Krypton due to Maggie joining the Super Friends (much to Kara's chagrin at using Winn's preferred term), Kara had made her way back to her apartment. She had already sent an email into work, calling out due to a case of strep throat after checking with Alex on the validity of the statement, and texted James so he could back up her story.

She was coming to terms with the fact that she was bisexual or...biromantic. Definitely demisexual because Kara was hardly ever attracted to people she didn't know which is why her feelings toward Cat were so surprising and confusing. She hadn't ever felt this way toward anyone before and now found herself unable to contemplate dating the woman, holding her hand, kissing her gorgeous collarbones, laying naked in her bed.

Kara shook her head, gulping in alarm. She took a deep breath of air and released it slowly, glad she had opted to open her windows when she got home; the fresh air was doing wonders for calming her nerves when they reappeared after her chat with Maggie.

So now she had an even bigger problem. Did she want to quit CatCo to work at Cat's side because of a probably forgotten promise and failing career, or because of her attraction toward the woman? Knowing her luck in affairs of the heart, it was probably a little of both, but would it be worth it?

Smiling shyly to herself, Kara hoped for the best, realizing it would be worth it, if only to be with Cat in a platonic sense. She could learn to tamp down her feelings and be professional. She had for two years though she hadn't entertained the thought of attraction beyond familiarity and admiration, though noticing Cat's obvious beauty daily. She had to try. She had to dive.

Sending a bold text off to Cat in regards to a visit from Supergirl, Kara reheated some leftover takeout and settled in for a comfy afternoon of binge watching Grey's Anatomy (a show Alex refused to watch purely for all the promiscuity in medical situations) while waiting for a reply. She planned to drown out her nervousness until the time came she could speed off to Cat and ask for a job with her. The feelings, she figured, may have to wait until she determined if Cat felt even remotely the same way.

The reply came in at 6pm, such a long wait that cause Kara to question why anyone would be texting her during dinner time but upon seeing it was indeed Cat, further shocking her, she knew that Cat was probably at dinner and bored out of her mind. A smile came to her face and she tapped out a quippy reply: “Your date so boring you'd rather text your former assistant? What did he do?

The answer was almost immediate: “Yes, she is,” causing Kara to drop her phone in surprise. Cat...was on a date? With a woman??

Collecting her phone she headed for the bedroom to change into her super suit, hoping it would add to her bravery rather than detract. Then she replied: “Want a rescue?”

“St. Regis. DC,” was Cat’s reply.

Kara hummed in approval, figuring it normal that Cat might try her hand at something political, her views often causing dissention in her publications. She had been especially amused when Cat organized a handful of women in Supergirl merchandise to march on Washington with signs reading “Don’t try to grab my pussy, it’s made of steel”. If she could have joined them as either the hero or as Kara Danvers she would have, but some aliens had taken what they assumed to be an advantage and attacked National City that day.

Her concerns for not being there supporting every suppressed person had been assuaged by Maggie's stories of the people, famous and otherwise, she had met during the Los Angeles March. The stories made her especially happy and now that she knew Maggie was privy to her secret, she understood why she particularly focused on the tales of Supergirl inspiring many present. But the bigger question leading off into this tangent was what precisely Cat was involved in currently.

Long since changed into her super suit and flying through the air, Kara stayed high in the sky to feel the chill of near space on her flushed cheeks. Flushed at the thought of sweeping Cat off her feet in front of a potential suitor. She knew it was petty of her and foolish to think Cat would feel the same, but Kara's imagination had always been a wily demon. Sliding in and out of the damp clouds, she felt plesantly refreshed before she was comfortable in her skin once more and she descended on the country's capital.

Kara's fear was edging back int her consciousness, heart pounding in her throat, blood rushing in her ears, drowning out all other noises except the steady heartbeat of Cat's. She sighed and focused in on the woman, to both locate and calm herself down for barging in and essentially ruining the date, but she wouldn't do it if not for Cat's request.

When she landed, she looked around for a moment, only a few passersby gawking at her sudden presence. Kara smiled and nodded her head before moving toward the entrance of the St. Regis. Normally she wouldn't have been considered to gain access much less waved through with a star struck expression on the man's face. They didn't even ask her the purpose of her arrival and though that unnerved her with last year's Bizarro incident and this year Cyborg Superman stealing her blood (because though she agreed to protect her mentee it was still a form of theft in her mind) to sneak into the Fortress of Solitude, Kara was relieved to not be questioned.

It was easy to spot Cat in the luxurious restaurant, a prime spot for all to see and snap photos of the stunning pair. A coil of jealousy formed in Kara's stomach as she watched Cat's date reach out and rest her hand on Cat's forearm, the twitch of muscle underneath the skin undetectable to the human eye. But Kara saw. She noticed everything about Cat. Shaking her head of her troubling thoughts, Kara moved toward the table and calling on her Supergirl confidence she placed a solid hand on Cat's shoulder.

“Miss Grant,” she greeted, not entirely sure what their escape plan was, a few ideas circling her mind.

“Ah, Supergirl. I wasn't expecting you so soon,” Cat drawled, turning her sparking eyes to gaze up at Kara, a smirk pulling at her lips.

“Is something the matter?” Cat's date asked.

“No, nothing imminent, however Supergirl and I have a meeting with a beautiful refugee family needing to look at apartments. They're sensitive to light and no realtors will show them residences at night, so I asked for Supergirl's calming presence,” Cat explained, taking another sip of her wine befor dabbing hr immaculately painted lips with her napkin and beginning to rise. “Oh, look at the time. I'm afraid I will have to leave early,” she said, fingers curling around Kara's bicep as she moved to leave.

“Oh—okay. I will talk to you soon then, Cat. It was truly a pleasure,” she responded, a little befuddled at the whole situation, stunned at the superhero's appearance.

“Don't mention it,” Cat replied, waggling her free hand's fingers in a dismissive manner. She would not be speaking with that woman again. “Shall we, Supergirl?” she asked, peering up with a sly expression.

“Yes, Miss Grant. Let's,” Kara said, swallowing her own surprise at Cat's brazen disregard for her date as it seemed she was flirting with her alter ego. Moving toward the door, the attendant collecting Cat's coat from the check-in and helping her before wishing the pair a good night.

Once they were out in the fresh winter air, far cooler than National City due to its more northern location, Kara attempted to pry her arm carefully from Cat's vice-like grip. She had the urge to put some distance between them for her own sanity and crush on Cat.

“Problem, Kara?”

Kara nearly tripped over her boots, glancing around them swiftly to see if anyone had heard but apparently the woman spoke softly enough only the Kryptonian could hear. “Not at all, Miss Grant,” she promised, trying to ward off her concern.

“Is my touching you uncomfortable?” she asked, stopping to look at Kara seriously. Kara followed suit but didn't turn to look at Cat just yet. She took in a deep breath before turning and found her breath knocked out again.

“You...you look stunning,” Kara found herself saying in awe, eyes wide. The moonlight reflecting off the small snowbanks on to Cat's defined features, the curve of her plump lips, the green of her eyes brilliant was an image Kara wished to engrain in her memory forever. It gave her the strongest desire yet to paint and it stirred the warmth in her belly once more.

Cat huffed out in annoyance, jutting out a hip and placing her hand on it. “Really?” she asked, the 'k' of Kara's name cut off before she could chastise the woman fully. She was speaking to loud and this wasn't the place. She sighed and shook her head. “Fly me to my hotel room. There's a balcony. Always a balcony,” Cat said, voice dropping an octave as she revealed the notion of Supergirl visiting had crossed her mind as she travelled.

Biting her lip, Kara nodded absentmindedly before stepping forward. Cat stepped up onto her boots and Kara wrapped her arms securely around Cat's middle, pulling the smaller woman flush with her front. It made her blush but she managed to assuage Cat's fear in a calm voice. “I will never drop you,” she promised, Cat's arms looped around her neck as she took off.

The flight was relatively silent except the pounding of both heartbeats in Kara's ears and the slight shiver from Cat as the moved through the chilly air. Thankfully Cat's room wasn't far off and they soon landed on the balcony and stepped inside. Kara was about to ask about the excuse Cat at made, if she had finally found her waters to dive into and how it was going but Cat spun on her and pointed accusingly.

“Not ungrateful for the save from the most boring date I've had in years, but what the hell are you doing here, Kara?” her tone started off anger and fizzled into something short of affection, hidden behind the sharpness of her eyes.

Kara gaped for a second at the juxtaposition of Cat's reaction. “You're welcome,” she managed to say with some spite, causing Cat's head to jerk back in mild surprise. Kara looked down and sighed. “I...texted you because I...don't get me wrong, I love that you think I'd make an excellent reporter and I want to report the truth, show justice to the kind, but nothing feels right anymore without you there, Miss Grant. I keep getting sidelined for the rest of the reporters, all of my articles falling flat on their faces per Snapper's hate for anything important and topical to today's issues. I'm only getting one byline a month IF I'm lucky and I still feel like I'm floundering. I just...” Kara flopped unceremoniously on the couch in the middle of the room with a groan.

“I never said it would be easy,” Cat hedged as she finally took off her peacoat and came to perch on the coffee table beside Kara.

“I know. But I enjoyed working for you, Cat. I hate it with Snapper and I know it's part of growing up and being able to work with different minded people but you actually care. Not about me because that's selfish but about the same issues and topics I want to bring to the forefront of media. I learned more in a single week as your assistant than I have in six months as Snapper's reporter. Cat, I...” Kara cut herself off, an arm moving to rest over her face in a failed attempt to hide the blush coating her cheeks, the fact she had used Cat's first name twice glaringly obvious now. She almost revealed how deep her feelings for Cat ran too. That would not bode well for her.

Kara sat up and faced Cat straight on. Straight, hah. “You once said that I will always have a job with you. I know this is selfish and probably sounds pathetic, but whatever you're working towards now, may I please work at your side again?” she asked as confidently as she could, thankful the suit gave her that extra boost of bravery.

Cat leaned back slightly on the coffee table, regarding Kara was an unreadable expression, lips pursed in concentration. Kara waited patiently, not backing down or looking away to drive her point home. It was strange but she didn't feel...complete without Cat in her life and perhaps this was an extreme measure to take, she honestly didn't feel another solution come to mind. Cat looked down at her clasped hands and shook her head.

“Always surprising me...” she muttered affectionately. When Cat caught her gaze again, Kara was stunned to see it as open and expressive as when she speaks with or about her sons. “I left...in part...because of you Kara. It was,” she paused trying to find the right word. “...suffocating being around you as you pined after James. As the hobbit attempted to win your affections.”

Her breath caught in her throat as she leaned toward Cat, eyes wide and searching unfocused green. “But you don't feel that way, do you?” Cat practically scoffed, raising her gaze to Kara's subtly pleased smile. “What” she whispered as Kara's hands came to rest softly on Cat's cheeks, leaning further toward the woman. Cat's eyes closed of their own volition and soon Kara's lips met hers tentatively, but not frightfully. There was definite purpose to the kiss but a sense of inexperience mingled in and so, as she always did as Kara's mentor, she kissed back firmly, a hand tangling in Kara's locks to hold her close.

Kara had never felt this connection to a person before, not with James, not with her first boyfriend, or the shared kisses with college students. It was entirely different and so, so much more, so much more intense and meaningful. Attributed to the overwhelming attraction that had been building between them for two years now, though only just realized by Kara, but it didn't diminish how fresh and new and electric their kiss was. She could easily drown with her want to never come back up for air again if only to keep kissing Cat for the rest of her life.

The warmth of their breaths mingling when they pulled back was intoxicating and Kara knew she would never get used to that feeling of perfectly melding affection intertwining with delicious heat bubbling below the surface, lighting her senses on fire. “I think it was always you,” Kara muttered, thumbs rubbing Cat's cheekbones lightly.

Cat peered into Kara's face, finding nothing but the truth there in how relaxed she appeared, in the depth of her tone and in the gentleness she handled her. She sighed and wrapped her arms around Kara's shoulders to draw her into a hug, needing a stronger centering of her world right then. Kara's hands on her back were light but noticeable and Cat made a note to ask about Kara's distribution and control of her strength at a later less prominent moment in time.

“Well I could use Supergirl's help as Alien Refugee Ambassador...” Cat said with a light smugness, quirking a brow when Kara pulled back in curiosity. “With the Alien Amnesty Act, I figured they would need help getting settled on Earth, and though our reach is mostly within the States right now, who would be better suited than I? And if I had a little alien of my own to step in and welcome them...all the better for everyone involved, yes?” Cat explained, smirk crossing her face.

Kara's eyes lit up in wonder and excitement. “That's so amazing, Cat. I think that's a great idea!” she said breathlessly, pride swelling in her chest at the strides being made for aliens globally.

“I have a direct line to the President and am fed alien intelligence through some super secret underground black ops unit I've yet to be briefed on. Probably some Men in Black type deal like Agent Mulder's elusiveness during Leslie's little meltdown,” Cat explained further, brushing off the Leslie/Livewire situation as though it hadn't given her nightmares for weeks, causing her to be more snappish than usual at work. Her precious two hours (if that was even true) of sleep saturated by the fear of being pursued and electrocuted, falling to her death in a corrupt elevator and seeing the life drain from Supergirl's body. Kara could only guess on many of those reasons but two years spent endlessly by one's side gave her an advantage few would understand.

Kara smiled stiffly but refrained from commenting, should she reveal too much too soon. She didn't want to step on the President's or J'onn's toes for when they do brief Cat and the woman gets the jump on their attempts at subtlety or dramatics. “I'm sure you'll learn about them soon enough,” Kara said, pulling at Cat's hands lightly so the woman would join her on the couch and save herself the discomfort of sitting too long on the wood table.

Cat nodded gratefully, a little too prone to staying in strange positions for too long, and moved to sit beside Kara. She leaned against Kara's side, right hand holding tightly to Kara's left, a calm settling over them both. “So...does that...mean...we are dating?” Kara asked cautiously optimistic. She didn't want this to be a one time deal (not one night stand because Rao, she was not ready for that intimacy).

“Do you want to date? Be my girlfriend?” Cat asked.

Her response caught in her throat at the idea of calling Cat her girlfriend. Now Kara knew why Alex had been so giggly and odd using the term girlfriend to refer to Maggie. She felt giggly as though she were struck by a love beam and she was unable to hold it anymore. Kara giggled, nuzzling into Cat's hair as she did so. “I'd love to be your girlfriend,” she admitted with a deep breath of air, eyes sparkling at the prospect of dating Cat.

“One stipulation, Kara...” Cat held her finger up, Kara's face nearly falling. “I want you to keep writing for CatCo,” she began, settling the digit against Kara's parted to argue lips. “Reporting on our progress. The advances we're making in alien affairs. That needs to be published. But you can write from home if you prefer,” Cat smiled while Kara's face lit anew. “But for the love of god, Kara, do not use yourself as a source again, so help me,” she finished, glaring at the woman.

Kara bit her lip, bowing her head shamefaced. “Sorry,” she replied sheepishly. Eyes darting between both of Cat's she questioned, “Can we go back to kissing now?”

Cat chuckled freely and nodded her head. “Of course,” and pulled Kara in for another mind-blowing kiss.

[imagineifmattyhealy-blog]

II.

“Look, Eva.” He rubbed his hands over his face, falling back into the seat he had previously occupied. “I know that this looks bad, but,” putting his hands out in front of him- always so dramatic- “if you would just let me explain.”

“Oh, I will, that’s why you’re here and also for me to tell you that that was the most shittest set up that I had ever heard of in my life.”

“Look, George was bringing Caroline, Adam was bringing Carly and Ross was going to bring Katie as his plus because he assumed you were already going, so, he didn’t want to leave her out, but I just felt if that happened and I was with Gabby then it’d have been you that would have been left out and I didn’t want that to happen.” He stuttered as he spoke, either because he ferociously racking his brain for more lies or because he was so nervous that he was taken aback, she believed it to be the former.

“Oh so this was for my benefit?” She pointed a stiletto-nailed finger to her chest. “See, I find that really hard to believe because, first of all, I wouldn’t have been left out because, as far as I know –and correct me if I’m wrong –Ross and Katie are not a couple and are both completely single, as am I according to the outside world, so I wouldn’t have been left out because I would have been with my other single friends. Also, Caroline, Carly and Gabby were a last minute thing due to Caroline informing me of that, so if there was difficulty for someone to remember to have my name on the guest list weeks prior, then surely it would have been more trouble to add people onto a guest list five days before hand.” Her voice was increasingly getting louder as she spoke. “And, let’s not forget, your mum calling because she was upset that I couldn’t make it tonight because she told me that’s what you told her.” It was in that moment that he knew he had completely fucked up and had no idea what to say.

“Right, well it was just going to be tight-knitted and we all thought-“

“We? So if I call George right now he can verify this ‘we’, can he?”

“Fine!” He was getting aggravated, which she noticed from him gritting his teeth, something he tended to do when he became annoyed. “I thought it would just be best to take you and Katie off the guest list and we’d all meet up afterwards and go get a drink.” She threw her head back with an exasperated laugh.

“So why not tell your mum that instead of lying to her also?” Again, he was lost for words. “I’ll tell you why, because it wasn’t your decision.”  

“You what?” He tucked a curl behind his ear, something he did when he was stressed or nervous.

“This fabrication of a lie came about because it wasn’t your decision to officially un-invite me from the ball –it was Gabby’s.” She stated as a matter-of-fact.

“Oh, now you’re just talking rubbish.”

“You’re still lying, Matthew.” She sang before taking another sip of her wine.

“Fucking hell!” He shot up from his seat, he was losing his temper, he wasn’t in the mood to be interrogated, he wasn’t a child, he was also fully aware of what he had done and he didn’t fancy suffering the consequences. “Are you really that fucking annoyed about not being able to go to some stupid fucking ball?” There was the Matthew she knew, short-tempered and unable to conjure up a sentence without at least one curse word vacating it. Also, completely, overly-defensive when he knew he had done something wrong.

“No!” Shooting up as well, wine tipping out from the glass she had clenched in her hand, just how angry she was, was very apparent to him now. “I’m annoyed because you would rather have your girlfriend of twenty minutes accompany you to the ball rather than me, someone who has been in your life for almost nine years now.”

“For fuck sake, as I have already said, Caroline and Carly were there with their boyfriends so I got this crazy idea and thought ‘hey, why don’t I take my girlfriend as well?’ imagine that aye?” He yelled, walking past her for another small bottle of wine from the mini bar.

“Caroline and Carly never told their boyfriends to make sure I didn’t come because they don’t have a problem with me, Gabby does.” She yelled back, following him.

“Gabby didn’t tell me to do anything.” She scoffed.

“Aw, how sweet, defending your little girlfriend.” She mocked. “Do you tuck her in at night and read her a bed time story –she’s fucking young enough for it.”

“What the fuck’s her age got to do with it?” He looked at her incredulously. “Aw do you know what, grow up, Eva. I’m going, I’m not listening to this.” He began to walk to the door, but she wasn’t letting him get away with it.

“Yeah that’s so typical, Matty, I catch you out in your web of lies and you turn it around on me, acting like a wounded fucking soldier, as per usual.”

“Do you want me to say sorry? Hmm? Fine, I’m sorry. Now, let George or someone know if you’re coming or not and meet us down in the bar when you’ve fucking calmed down because I can’t be arsed with you tonight.” He reached for the door handle and yanked the door open, making it a point to emphasise his rage.

“I’ll let Gabby know. In fact, I’ll let her know everything.” He stopped, she knew that would make him stop.

Slowly he turned to look at her, a smug complexion meeting his full of dread.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, since she thinks it’s acceptable to intrude on my life and my friends and has now decided to add dictating my whereabouts to her list of being a little fucking cow, it’s only fair that I intrude on her happiness and let her know what it is her boyfriend really gets up to when he’s going for a ‘quick lie down’, or should I say, who he’s lying down with.” She crossed her arms, she smirked at him, and she was dead serious.

“Don’t be so fucking irrational. You’re not going to tell her.” Sighing, he closed the door and went back to retrieve his wine that seemed so essential right now.

“Don’t tell me what I will be and won’t be doing.” One thing she hated was being told what to do, and he knew that, but he also knew that it annoyed her deeply. As much as he wanted this argument to come to an end, he just couldn’t help pushing her buttons, it was a defence mechanism.

“I’ll do what I fucking like.”

“And so will I.”

Childish elements. They always played a part in their fights.

“You’re not going to tell anyone anything because I know you, Eve, and you don’t want people thinking badly of you. Do you want me thinking badly of you?” He rested his hand on his hip and crossed his left foot over his right foot as he looked at her with a bored expression. Patronising.

“To be honest, Matthew, I couldn’t really give a fuck what you thought about me anymore because your perception of me, recently, hasn’t given me the impression that it’s a high one. I’m just the fucking idiot who allows you a quick shag whenever you fancy it.”

“Now you’re just feeling sorry for yourself.” He scoffed. “And because you’re so annoyed over not being invited to a fucking party, you want to self-destruct and hurt everybody else surrounding you.”

“Sorry, did you become a psychologist over night?” She asked, sarcastically. “And, I don’t care if I hurt Gabby, it’s not exactly like we’re the best of mates is it?”

“No, but you’re willing to hurt me.” He was back to being serious now, intimidating her with his hard stare and his raised voice, she wouldn’t let him know that, though, she was finished.

“Well, it’s not like you care when you’re willing to hurt me!” She screamed back, instantly, her demeanour cracking. “Every. Chance. Every fucking chance you get!” It wasn’t until he was darting to the side, landing on the hotel bed, that she had realised how angry she was, so angry that she hadn’t even realised that she had tried to throw her glass at his head until it hit the wall and smashed into pieces. She was so taken aback by her own actions that a tear managed to break free from her tear ducts and run down her cheek. She turned away, wiped ferociously at her face then let out a breath, hands on her hips.

He was quiet. He was shocked. His wide-eyed expression watched her. She composed herself, walked to one of the bottom cupboards that concealed the small rubbish bin and pulled out a small brush and shovel before walking over to the mess that she made and began to pick up the pieces.

“This is my heart, Matthew, all because of you and your selfish ways, and this is me, literally picking up the pieces, every time.” She was too busy concentrating on containing the sob that threatened to come out of her mouth that she hadn’t realised she had cut her hand until it had happened.

“Shit!” She winced, sucking at the blood.

He moved then, saw what she had done and his instant reaction was to help her. It was always to help her, why did she think so differently?

He bent down and attempted to take her hand from her lips and bring it to his face for closer inspection but she would not allow for him to act so sweet and courageous when she knew fine well that that wasn’t him. She used to think that he was like that but now she knew that he wasn’t. He was heartless.

“Don’t touch me.” She yanked her hand from his and stood, walking to the sink to let her cut palm run under the cool water of the sink tap.

He sighed and looked down to the mess, continuing to finish where she left off and picked it up. He was tired of this conversation, they had had it too many times, and every time he told her ‘one day’, ‘they just kept missing each other’, ‘the timing was off’. The reality was that he knew she wanted more, he knew that she was so deeply in love with him and it hurt him because he did feel the same way but he just couldn’t admit it so freely the way that she could.

When they first met she was only fifteen and he was your average run-of-the-mill, frontman of an amateur band at nineteen that had got to the point where he had lost count of how many girls he had had sex with, he could probably walk past many of them in the street and not recognise a single one or even remember their names. He didn’t have the faintest of idea why they even ended up the way they did, she was four years younger than him, that was a fucked up thing to get into in that day and age. The first time it happened, he sat for days in his house, shitting himself, smoking joints to calm his nerves, but in the end they just made him more paranoid that the police were going to end up at his door and arrest him for statutory rape. And, it wasn’t even as though he could use the excuse that she had lied about her age or he thought she was older because he knew she was fifteen, he knew she was a virgin. They were both rats arsed- her being a lightweight, him having drank and smoked all day- and they were flirting, and joking, and touching, and the next thing he knew they were in Ross’ toilet, shagging in the most sloppily way he could ever imagine himself doing. He couldn’t imagine it was brilliant for her either. It was uncomfortable – she was sat atop the sink, his hip bones ramming into the marble structure of it, nowhere really to steady himself in his drunken state, it was a wonder how he was even able to get her up on the sink without falling over his feet. It was a mess. And he felt like a mess after it.

Once he got over the thought of spending the rest of his life in jail, he finally left the house, much to his mother’s relief, and had a couple of band practices and went to a few more parties. She was there at each one but he swiftly avoided her. Until, one day, she was at George’s house, with her best mate, Katie –George was shagging her –and he couldn’t really avoid her then. They talked, she told him he had nothing to worry about, they laughed about it, she got embarrassed, he took the mick out of her, she playfully hit him, and then it happened again, this time in his van. It kept happening, over and over. Over time, they built on a friendship out of the circumstances, and she even became one of his best mates –sometimes the only person he could talk to. He knew it was wrong but he couldn’t help himself. Something about this girl drove him mad. He made himself believe it was because she acted a lot older than she was that it was okay. He made himself feel better about it by sleeping with other girls, then going back and sleeping with her. He felt withdrawal symptoms when she wasn’t about and he got annoyed when she didn’t give him attention when she was –she’d do that sometimes. He got angry when she spoke to other guys or knew that other guys were interested. He’d take it out on her, claiming that it was her fault, she was acting like a ‘fucking slag’. She’d scream at him, tell him that he was the biggest man whore that she knew. He’d call her immature, a child. She’d hit him, sometimes she’d cry and he’d comfort her, and then they would be back to how it started. Sex.

He knew that, somewhere along the line –probably very early on but he wouldn’t like to admit it –that feelings developed on both parts. But, that scared him, so he got with other girls but still told her that she was his, that she was special. He knew that that would keep her around if he ever wanted her, admittedly, that was a lot. She got a boyfriend, he started to ignore her, angry with her for doing that to him, and she got angry at him for ignoring her. It was a vicious cycle. When she was eighteen, they had, yet again, another argument, him blurting out that he loved her which took her aback. That resulted in the end of her relationship. She told her boyfriend she just didn’t feel the same. She hoped that they would get together then but they didn’t. She knew that he was just happy to have her all to himself again, whilst he continued on with his ways, hurting her even more.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be with her, he did –he really did. It was that he knew how much he was hurting her now with them not even being official, and he hated to think of how much more he could hurt her if they were together. Because, if they were then it became all too real. Yes, the good bits would feel good –possibly even better –and it wouldn’t be wrong but he was scared that the bad bits would stay bad. He slept with other girls knowing that he loved her and she loved him, even had two or three girlfriends to rub in her face, he didn’t want to do that if they were a couple but he was scared that he wouldn’t be able to help himself. Then, there was the distance. He travelled a lot more now and she couldn’t always be with him. If he had it his way then she would be, but she wanted to make something of her life, not follow her rock star mates around the world. When she left school, she started university in Glasgow, and he hardly ever saw her, but when he did, they certainly made up for lost time. Then the band’s success took off and before he knew it he was jetting off to America, different parts of Europe and even Australia. She joined them on tour when she could, and, at first, it was exciting, travelling the world together, but, they were always in each other’s company which led to bickering, and sometimes, even full-blown arguments where she threatened to go home and, sometimes, she actually did. So, they were like a couple in quite a lot of ways, but Gemma came and went, then Gabby, and they were good excuses to hold off on giving her what she wanted. He wouldn’t say he didn’t love either of them, but, he didn’t to the same extent that he loved her, they would never have come close, much to Gabby’s dismay.

Gemma she liked, Gabby she didn’t. Gabby didn’t like her either, though. Which made life a little bit tougher for him. She was always complaining that Gabby was giving her dirty looks, trying to take her friends and him away from her, didn’t see why anyone put up with her. Overall, she just thought she was an unnecessary nuisance that didn’t really have to be there but it was his fault that she was. Similarly, Gabby was the same when it came to her. She was aware that they had history and she didn’t like that. Accusing him of still sleeping with her even though he told her repeatedly that he wasn’t –lying. Told him that she didn’t like the way that they acted together in her company and as his girlfriend he would have to respect that. So, he did. He stopped acting the way that he did with her in Gabby’s presence. But, that annoyed her more. Told him that Gabby was out to ruin his life and, ultimately, even if they stopped what they did, they couldn’t even be friends anymore. He was caught in between them. Both of which he cared for very much. He needed Gabby because she was good for him, and stopped him from fully committing to her, but he needed her point blank. He needed all of her. Contradictory.

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Second part :) hope you enjoy!

P.s, i would like to mention that I like Gabby, it’s just the context of the fic from the main girl’s characters (Eva) point of view.