#adults are yelling at them to sit the f down and behave

[hyah-lian]

O hello time that the mental clarity wears off and the chaos and screaming distractions creep back in

[peterpparkrr]

Banter (Ch. 3)

Series: Banter

Pairing: Roy Kent x f!Reader

Summary: You break the ice with Roy and befriend Rebecca. Keeley lays down the facts with Roy.

A/N: I started a new job today!! Getting this up and out before the insanity of all of that begins.

(Ch. 1) (Ch. 2) // (Ch. 4) (Ch. 5)

series masterlist

Shutterbug: Hey

Shutterbug: Can we talk?

You messaged Roy two days ago and still hadn’t gotten a response.

Maybe he’d deleted the app. You’d certainly been tempted to after your failed date.

But Keeley was right. You needed to talk to him. To properly communicate now that you weren’t dealing with heightened emotions. 

That’s what a real adult did. And God above did you want to behave like an adult. 

But you were also dreading it. Keeley had made you second guess your assumptions about that night. You’d barely had time to dissect your own feelings about discovering it had been Roy that you’d been talking to for weeks. How that affected your feelings about him. It made sense that perhaps you’d been a bit too hasty in deciphering his own feelings about it based on his unreliable facial expressions. 

But maybe Keeley was just giving you false hope. After two days with no answer, it was hard to read into that anything other than disinterest. Or maybe even some outright disdain. 

“Roy!” You shouted. 

You were back at AFC Richmond today to meet with Keeley and Rebecca. You had proofs to show them from the shoots and even though you had initially wished this meeting could have been virtual – or better yet – an email. 

But now that you could see Roy Kent’s all-black form heading down the hallway ahead of you this presented a unique opportunity for you to put on your big girl pants and attempt a conversation. 

Though, even with your ear-piercing shout that had caused every other person walking through the halls to turn and stare at you, Roy seemed to be intentionally ignoring you.

“Roy!” You tried again. Now walking at a near pace just below a jog to catch up to him.

You heard a grunt in response this time.

When you reach him he finally turns around and you try to remind yourself that the glare on his face is a permanent resident so as to not deter you from saying what you need to say.

“I just wanted to clear the air,” You tell him as he stares back at you. 

“After last week and the whole… y’know,” You add to fill the silence.

“Mhmm,” Roy grunts.

“I just wanted to apologize if I came across rudely that night,” You continue. “I think we were both just surprised and obviously you wouldn’t have even shown up if you knew it was me so I’m sorry.”

You catch Roy’s bushy eyebrows furrow slightly and he parts his lips as if he wants to interject but he doesn’t say anything.

“We’re going to have to see each other around,” You continue. “Keeley keeps adding shoot days to this project.”

“Can we just… I don’t know, be friends?” You ask. “Colleagues?” 

“Colleagues it is,” Roy replies with a nod.

“Great!” You reply with a relieved smile. 

“See you around, Roy,” You tell him as you head up the stairs to Rebecca Welton’s office.

“You’ll be very proud of me, Keels, I just spoke to Roy in the hallway and neither of us yelled or insulted the other,” You announce as you walk through the open door leading into Rebecca’s office to see Keeley sitting in one of the chairs in front of her desk, her legs hooked over the armrest.

Keeley simply grins at you and you hear a small chuckle from the side of the room and see Rebecca Welton in all her glory fixing herself a cup of tea while she glances over her shoulder at you in clear amusement. 

“Oh! Hi, Rebecca!” You exclaim as you try to figure out how to backtrack out of the personal information you just shared about yourself with the women signing your paychecks for this gig.

“Hello,” She greets you with a smile as she gestures for you to take a seat next to Keeley while she makes her way to sit behind her desk. 

“Is that an impressive feat for you and Roy? Not arguing?” Rebecca asks.

“Um, yes,” You tell her. “This is the first time we’ve managed that.”

“Ah,” Rebecca replies with a nod.

“They matched on Bantr and their first date didn’t exactly go to plan,” Keeley adds.

“Keeley!” You hiss as you reach out to swat your friend and her oversharing. 

“Oh, don’t worry about it, it happens to the best of us,” Rebecca reassures you. “I’m happy to share any number of my dating horror stories if it will make you feel better. But seeing as the most glaring one is plastered all over the tabloids every week I’m guessing you have some idea.”

“Rupert Manion’s a dick,” You reply without even thinking about it, causing Rebecca to choke on the sip of tea she’d just taken. 

“That’s what I always tell her!” Keeley emphatically agreed. 

“I can see why you two are friends now,” Rebecca replies with a small shake of her head. 

“Should we look at the proofs before we end up tracking down a feminist rally and burning all our bras?” You offer as you pull your iPad out of your bag.

“Yes, plenty of time for all that after the meeting,” Rebecca replies, shooting you a look.

You grin back. Now you understand why Keeley likes Rebecca so much, you’re already bordering on obsessed with this woman. 

You spend the next hour showing them your work and discussing how it can be used for the team’s marketing and communications before you work on coming up with a plan for what else they still need.

By the end of the meeting, you’ve made great headway on your plan and you’re also already ready for a drink. 

“There’s a great little cocktail bar a few blocks down, should we toast to your amazing work and our success?” Rebecca asks as your trio walks down the hallway out to the car park.

“I’m always down for a drink or three,” You reply with a grin.

“Keels?” You ask as you turn to see if Keeley is down to come out too. You can’t imagine Keeley ever turning down the option to go out, but you never know. But when you glance at her she’s glancing back down the hallway at something.

“Yes! Totally!” Keeley replies after a moment. I just need to grab something from my office real quick, but I’ll meet you two there, kay?”

“Okay,” Rebecca replies. “Shall we?”

“Yeah, we’ll order your first glass,” You tell Keeley before heading out the door behind Rebecca.

Keeley turns on her heels once the door closes behind you and Rebecca and makes a beeline down the hallway to where Roy is in his office playing with lineups on a whiteboard.

“Roy,” Keeley calls softly as she pokes her head through the door.

“Keeley,” Roy greets her as he glances up at her briefly.

“I heard about what happened,” She tells him. 

“Fucking hell,” Roy replies with a sigh. Trying not to let his irritation at anyone knowing about his vulnerability show. Even if that person is only Keeley. One of the nicest people he knows. But the sympathy or pity or whatever you want to call it in her voice is grating.

“And when you just walked past us you looked like a grumpy little kitty so I wanted to check on you,” Keeley says.

“I didn’t-” Roy hisses before he catches himself and takes a deep breath. “I don’t need your fucking pity, Keeley.”

“I know, but I’m also (Y/N)’s best friend, and I know how hard it is for her to be vulnerable. Frankly, I’m surprised that the two of you ending up on a date didn’t go worse. You two are some of the worst communicators I’ve ever met.�� 

“Thanks?”

“What I’m trying to say,” Keeley says as she tries to get herself back on track. “Is that you both suck at being vulnerable. And a blind date with someone you already have some tension with was bound to blow up in your faces. And that’s no one’s fault! But she really liked you, Roy, the version of you that she met on the app. And she likes Roy Kent too, as much as she would hate to admit it.”

“If you both want to, I think you two should try again,” She tells Roy.

“She told me earlier that she just wanted to be friends,” Roy replies as he shakes his head at Keeley. “She doesn’t like me. I’d have to be a fucking idiot not to understand that.”

“Because she thinks that’s what you want,” Keeley argues. “She thinks that you’re the one that doesn’t like her and you obviously think the opposite.”

“The two of you need to be honest about your feelings and figure this out,” She tells her. 

“I’m going to bring her to Sam’s restaurant opening,” Keeley adds. “Talk to her.”

Roy watches Keeley turn to leave and stares at the now-closed door to the office as he tries to process everything she just told him.

Could you really like him back but have rejected him in some strange self-defense mechanism? Roy would hate the idea of someone doing that to him if I didn’t know in the back of his mind that he had done the same thing. 

How is he supposed to set the lineup for the Manchester United game with all of this shit in his head?

“FUCK!” He hisses as he turns back to the board in front of him. 

“Oh!” a small voice squeaks and Roy whips around to see Will standing at the door with a box of cleats. “I just- I’ll just um, I’m going to-”

“Spit it out!” Roy huffs. “I’ll just leave these here,” Will whispers as he sets the box down and essentially runs out of the room. 

Now what was Roy supposed to do?

[skymoral]

GAME NIGHT 2 - U N O

🩵 Bi-Han x B!F Wife Reader W/ MK1 Friends 🩵

Summary: You already knew how this would turn out, but you couldn’t help yourself.

Tags: Competition, competitive, aggressive, stacking is fucking evil, arguments, family time, game night, you like to win, war

A/N: It may have a good end or it may not lol

◣──•~❉᯽❉~•──◢◣──•~❉᯽❉~•──◢

Today was another family game night you planned again. After begging your husband, and you promised you’d be present at this one

Because the last one went a bit astray when you were absent for a short moment.

You were all in the palace hall, sitting at the round table. It was You, Bi-Han, Tomas, Kuai, Kitana, Johnny(in place of Liu Kang who was busy), Kung Lao, Harumi, Rhonda(Your girlfriend), and Kenshin.

“I’m glad you guys came, especially my ladies.” You said cheerfully as you shuffled the cards.

Your two daughters were sitting in Bi-Han’s lap giving him long French braids. Johnny looked in amusement.

“So are you gonna get mani pedis next?” Bi-Han glared at him, the only reason he didn’t react or say anything. Because of his girls, as he held them.

“Johnny refrain yourself from provoking my husband. I said you could only come in Liu Kang’s place if you promise to do the fucking least.”

“Of course, anything for you doll.” You rolled your eyes passing out the cards. You saw Bi-Han about to say something but you interrupted him.

“I love your hair grandmaster, it suits you.” You smirked at him. He just looked away.

“Thank you for extending your invitation Grandmistress Y/N. I’m deeply honored.” Kitana thanked you.

“Of course! And I didn’t want to be the only lady, so I’m glad my girlfriends joined my family events every now and again!” You sat down next to Bi-Han.

“Friend I’m always down for a little fun, especially when there is a little cutie present.” Rhonda lend over to Tomas blowing him a kiss. He looked at your friend nervously.

“Up you go girls, adult night.” You grabbed them, they whined before kissing there parents goodnight and leaving.

“So everyone remembers the rules from earlier!” You clapped your hands together looking around, everyone nodded.

“Perfect! We will start with Harumi, then proceeds going to the right.”

◣──•~❉᯽❉~•──◢◣──•~❉᯽❉~•──◢

Whose next to Who

Harumi - Kitana- Tomas - Rhonda - Kung Lao - Johnny - You - Bi Han - Kenshi - Kuai Liang and then back to Harumi(who is on her left)

Everyone looked at their hands, you smirked but hid behind your cards.

“I’ll put down a blue six.” Harumi put her card down.

Kitana put down a blue one, “UNO!” She yelled excitedly.

“Ooh girl no, you only say uno when you’re on your last card. Because if you don’t you’ll have to draw one.” You laughed.

Kitana deflated with ‘oh’ as the game continued, and it was nice and quiet.

A/N: This is where it becomes toxic lol

“I’ll be back, I’m just grabbing my blanket real quick.” You got up and ran to you and your husband’s room.

Kung Lao put down a draw 4, “draw 4 little cage, and the color is green.”

“Ha! Yeah not happening. Colors red.” Johnny put down a draw four.

“Who the hell told you niggas we we’re playing stacks?” Rhonda looked at the cards.

“Stacks?” Kenshi questioned.

You came back wrapped in a big blue warm fuzzy blanket your husband gave you on your birthday. You grabbed your cards and looked at the cards.

“I AM NOT DRAWING EIGHT FUCKING CARDS! Y’all are fuckin trippin!”

“Sis were we playing regular or stacks?”

“What are stacks, if you don’t mind me asking?” Kenshi asked.

“Stacks is where if someone put down a draw card and you have a similar one. You stack yours on top, along with the next person. Until someone doesn’t have it, they will have to draw the amount of cards that we stacked.”

“Sounds interesting! Let’s try it!” Kitana chimed.

“Are you guys sure?”

“Yeah it could be fun, and it’ll be faster to.” Tomas added.

“I agree with my man Tomas, let’s play stacks.” Rhonda lend closer, shoulders touching batting her eyelashes. Tomas tensed, face turning red

“Rhonda behave! Sooo alright… fine… stacks it is… Baby I’m sorry in advance.” You looked at Bi-Han patting his biceps.

You put down a draw four, Bi-Han looked and only smirked. He put one down, then Kenshi, Kuai, Harumi, Kitana, Tomas, Rhonda, and now it’s back to Kung Lao.

“Are you KIDDING ME! I am not pulling 40 DAMN CARDS!”

“Those are the rules broham.” You smiled.

“Screw these rules, you did this on purpose. With your shuffling!” Kung Lao looked at you.

“ME! I asked everyone are you sure you want to do stacks, AND YOU ALL AGREED! Isn’t that right babe!?” You looked at Bi-Han

“Yes.”

“Asian Jack Frost would agree with you on anything.”

“I’m warning you cage! You talk as if you know every little thing, but the only thing you know HOW to do is fail in life and PISS ME OFF!”

“You wanna go French braids!?” Johnny grinned at him angrily.

“This is why yo ass should’ve left it at regular Johnny boy.” Rhonda chimed watching the four of you all argue.

“Listen happy meal, no one asked for an extra two cents. So stay out of it.”

“What you call me NEGRO!?”

“You shouldn’t speak to a lady like that Johnny.” Tomas interjected.

“That’s right tell him babe.” Rhonda smiled.

“You know how about we just take our cards back and do normal?” Harumi tried to ease the flame.

“I don’t think that’s how this work dearest” Kuai told her.

“Yeah, Kung Lao you’re being dramatic.” Kenshi told him.

“Exactly! Just grab the damn cards, after that no more stacking. Alright, JOHNNY?”

“I think that’ll be a good idea.” Kitana added

Everyone nodded, as well as Johnny. Everyone sitting back down, Kung Lao being reluctant.

“Hurry UP!” Bi-Han barked, still a bit fiery because of Johnny.

“Relax beloved.” You tried to soothe him, rubbing his arms up and down.

◣──•~❉᯽❉~•──◢◣──•~❉᯽❉~•──◢

Kung Lao put down a draw four, you drew four. Despite your slight grumble, but at least you weren’t Kung Lao.

Going down turns, it reached Kitana. Who put down there card, she noticed she only had one. “OH UNO UNO UNO!” Kitana jumped from excitement. You chuckled.

“Okay girl we gotchu.” Rhonda said smiling.

Tomas took his turn, then Rhonda. Now on Johnny who put down a skip card.

“Really Johnny!?”

“Yep.” Johnny smirked, looking at his cards

You drew a card, then Bi-Han pulled a blue card with arrows. “What does this card do again my love?”

“OOH! That’s a reverse card, so when you use that card it’ll skip Kenshi’s turn and reverse back to me.” You smiled at him sweetly.

He put down the card and, you cackled wickedly loud. Dropping a skip card, then Johnny and Rhonda started dying laughing.

“That’s it I’M OUT!” He dropped his cards, showing what he had remaining was numbers. Which made you laugh harder holding on to your husband so you wouldn’t fall out the chair.

It continued, till Kitana said uno and out. Which officially ended the game.

◣──•~❉᯽❉~•──◢◣──•~❉᯽❉~•──◢

The ladies thank you for inviting them, Kitana clearly enjoyed herself and wanted to do it again at your next one, as well as Harumi as she loved seeing you and the family.

Your girlfriend Rhonda kidnap Tomas to supposedly speak to him privately. After everyone left and you cleaned up.

You were relaxing in a nice hot bath curly hair in a bun with your husband. Your back leaning against his chest, he gave you a soft kiss against your neck.

His nose rubbing against it as he inhaled your scent, “Did you enjoy yourself my darling?”

“I did! I like these kinds of things, and having chaotic fun with everyone.” You turned around wrapping your arms around him.

“Thank you for indulging in my gaming events, and taking the time out of your busy schedule to spend this day with me. My darling grandmaster.” You smiled.

“Anything for you my beloved grandmistress.”

You both shared a lovely and passionate kiss. Bi-Han deepening the kiss. As his grip around your waist tightens.

Then one of the kids knocked on the door, interrupting whatever ya’ll was doing could lead to.

You slowly broke the kiss, “Guess that’s our cue to get out.”

“Well I guess we can finish in the room. When they go back to sleep.

You definitely like that idea, and soon enough when the kids were back to sleep. Bi-Han stood on his word and continued where y’all left off in the bathroom.

A/N: I had fun writing Rhonda and Kitana!💅🏾

[idy-ll-ique]

No Time Like The Present

Pairing: Steve Rogers x F!Reader

Genre: FLUFF GALORE

Warnings: none... maybe like one (1) mention of smut at the end

Requested: nope

Summary: On a mission, Sam, Bucky and Steve somehow get turned into one year old babies. Mrs Y/N Rogers, wife of the one and only Steve Rogers has to take care of them. After the whole ordeal is over, Steve wants his own baby.

Author's Note: Hiya peeps! I know, I know, the babyvengers trope is kinda overused at this point but I just couldn't help but write my own version of it!!!!! they're so cute after all!!! (also, writing overprotective/jealous baby Steve was so fun). enjoy!

---

"They what?!" Y/N shouted into the phone. "Yes. I'm not lying, Y/N. And you're the only one here who can help us. Please, just come over to the Compound for a week. I know you don't like to get in the middle of all the Avenging stuff but please," Maria Hill begged. Y/N rubbed her temple in annoyance.

What choice did she have?

"Okay okay, I'll pack and be there in an hour. Think you can keep them occupied?" Y/N chuckled in defeat. "Sure I can, they're surprisingly quiet for their age," Maria laughed along, "See you in an hour, Mrs Rogers." Y/N ended the call and made her way to hers and Steve's shared bedroom to pack a bag. Unbelievable.

Sam, Bucky and her husband Steve had gone on a mission. They were supposed to come back today, and they did, but… not in the way everyone was hoping. They returned… as babies. Small, one year old babies who were, according to Maria, extremely adorable. But babies. How had that even happened?

As promised, an hour later, Y/N reached the compound. Her being a civilian, Steve was overprotective of her, only allowing her to come to the Compound for emergencies. They had a house in the city; Steve no longer lived at the Compound. "Maria!" Y/N called out and the agent turned, relief flooding her face.

"Thank God, come here!" One of the other agents took her bag and Y/N followed Hill towards the briefing room. Once inside, Y/N froze in shock upon seeing the babies playing with toys on the floor. "They are actually babies," she whispered and Maria sighed next to her. "I know. Everyone is super busy, you're the only one who can handle them."

"How long are they going to be like this?"

"One week. Something on the mission, a sorceress, yadda yadda yadda, babies," the agent explained and Y/N nodded, turning to look at the babies once more. She had to admit, they were cute. Bright blond hair, big blue eyes, pale skin— that was her… husband, Steve. He wore a blue onesie. Next to him, in a red onesie, was Bucky.

Fluffy brown hair too long for a baby framed his face, his steel blue eyes focused on the toy in front of him as his lips formed the most adorable pout Y/N had seen. Finally, in a sage green onesie next to Bucky was Sam. His honey brown eyes were filled with amusement as he held up a toy bird, moving it around. All of them were simply cute.

"Hey guys," Y/N cooed, sitting next to them. As soon as she said that their eyes snapped towards her. Big, kind-of-toothless grins spread over all their faces. "Y/N!" Steve shouted gleefully, rapidly crawling towards his wife and jumping into her arms. He buried his face in her chest as he giggled loudly, slobbering.

"Hey there, baby boy. I missed you," Y/N laughed, rubbing his back as Sam and Bucky, too, crawled over to her. "Y/N," Sam whined, making grabby hands. She moved to keep Steve down but he whined louder than Sam, tightly clutching her t-shirt. "Stevie, I need to say hello," she insisted but Steve shook his head.

"My wife!" he pouted and Y/N didn't know whether to feel disturbed or awed. I mean, sure, Steve was her husband… but he was currently a baby. That's weird. "That's big Steve, mister. Now let me say hello to Sammy and Buck." Grumbling, Steve let go, sitting on the floor grumpily as Sam and Bucky both climbed into Y/N's arms with grins.

When Y/N pressed a soft kiss to baby Bucky's head, Steve's lower lip wobbled as tears filled his eyes. And when she kissed baby Sam on the nose? Steve wailed loudly and crawled back to Y/N, attempting to shove Bucky and Sam off her lap. "Aw, Stevie, come here!" Y/N giggled at Steve's behavior.

She sat cross-legged on the floor with Sam on one knee, Bucky on one and Steve between the two facing her. All three cuddled into her as Steve quieted, resorting to sniffles. "I love you so much, bub," Y/N whispered, pressing two kisses to Steve's cheeks. "Wuv you too, Y/N," Steve mumbled sleepily.

All of them were tired from their mission, it was almost bedtime anyway. Maria told her that they had all been fed already; that was a relief. "How about we all go to bed now, hm? Come on, Sammy, you first." Bucky and Steve crawled off of Y/N's lap and went back to their toys, albeit with reluctance.

Y/N then stood up with Sam in her arms and with a nod to Maria, left the room. Y/N knew where his room at the Compound was and took him there, getting him ready for bed within five minutes. "FRIDAY?" she questioned once Sam was tucked into bed. He was behaving well, given how he still had some of his adult brain with him.

"Yes, Mrs Rogers?" the AI replied. "Can you, maybe… turn the bed into some sort of a crib?" Y/N chewed her lip. "That is possible, Mrs Rogers." And she watched as safety rails showed up at three ends of the bed, spare the headrest which was already fluffy. Y/N gathered some of the pillows and placed them around Sam, caging him in.

"Goodnight, honey bun," she cooed, somehow reaching over and pressing a quick kiss to his forehead. "Night, Y/N," Sam murmured, already half-asleep. Then she went back to the briefing room to collect Bucky, who was asleep. His thumb was in his mouth as he mindlessly sucked on it, cradled in Maria's arms.

"Here," she whispered and handed the sleeping baby over. Y/N smiled and went to Bucky's room, managing to get him ready for bed without waking him up. Then she placed him in the middle of his bed, asking FRIDAY to do the same to Bucky's bed. Soon, he was tucked in nice and sweet. "Night." She kissed his forehead as well.

Maybe it won't be so bad, these kids were angels. Apart from the still overprotective Steve, of course. He was hyper. "Y/N!" he shouted the moment she came back and picked him in her arms. "Stevie, shh, bubba. It's very late, you need to be quiet," she chided gently and Steve's eyes went wide as he covered his mouth.

"Sowwy, Y/N," he muttered and she melted, pressing several kisses to his cheeks as they reached his room; the one they shared for a year before moving out. Steve got ready as well and she placed him on the bed, this time changing her own clothes and getting into bed with him. FRIDAY set up the safety rails.

Y/N placed several pillows on Steve's side of the bed as he yawned, rubbing his eyes. "Tired," he whimpered and Y/N cooed, bringing him closer to her. "I'm here with you, baby, go to sleep," she smiled. "My wife!" Steve exclaimed proudly and giggled, snuggling into her as he felt himself getting taken over by sleep.

"Big Steve's wife," Y/N scoffed to herself.

---

A knock on the door to her room woke Y/N up. Steve was still asleep, also sucking on his thumb. Confused, Y/N went and opened the door, only to see no one there. "Huh?" She was about to close the door when there was a soft whine. "Y/N…" Her head snapped downwards and she saw Bucky looking up at her, pouting.

"Aw— honey bun, how did you get out of your bed?" she chuckled as she picked baby Bucky up. He instantly snuggled into her arms. "Fwiday," he mumbled and Y/N fondly shook her head. "My intelligent baby," she teased and a smile bloomed on his face. "Your baby," he agreed and buried his face in her neck.

There was a loud cry which startled both of them.

"MY WIFE!" Steve yelled, sitting up in bed. Tears were wantonly running down his cheeks as he sniffled angrily, glaring at Bucky. Bucky cowered under his stare, also tearing up. Y/N's eyes widened. "Shh, bub, it's okay, it's okay…" she consoled Bucky first and he went quiet, clinging to Y/N like his life depended on it.

Y/N then sat next to Steve with a stern expression on her face. "That was not nice, Stevie, apologize right now," she chided and Steve cried harder after being reprimanded. "My wife, mine! Stealer!" Steve pointed an accusatory finger at Bucky, who didn't back down this time. He knew he had Y/N's support.

"Stevie."

Steve huffed and looked at Y/N with the best possible puppy look he could muster. Y/N melted. "Come here." Steve crawled onto her lap and hugged her tightly, still throwing Bucky unsure looks. "You love me, Steve?" He nodded eagerly. "Then say sorry to Bucky. Now," Y/N raised an eyebrow.

"Sowwy Bucky."

"Issotay."

"Friends?" Y/N asked, looking back and forth between both babies. "Fwiends," they repeated and finally smiled at each other. Y/N picked Steve up and wiped the tears and snot off his face, pressing kisses all over his face. "Good boy," she praised and Steve giggled loudly and gleefully. "What are you doing up so early, Bucky?" she then asked the dark-haired baby.

"Miss you," he mumbled bashfully and Y/N cooed, also pressing kisses to his face. "You are just adorable. Both of you." She placed them both on the bed and asked FRIDAY to set up the safety rails again. "Now, I'm going to get Sam. You two stay and behave, okay?" Both babies nodded. "Good boys. Be back soon."

She left the room and Steve instantly turned to Bucky, dropping his friendly facade. "My wife," he said protectively, "Not yours." Bucky rolled his eyes. "You a baby, not your wife. Big Stevie's wife," he snarked and Steve pouted harder. "Mine!" he insisted. "She my fwiend," Bucky retorted, crossing his chubby baby arms.

Steve glared at him. It was an adorable sight, really. "Only fwiend. Mine," he hissed and grumpily turned away from him. Bucky did too, pouting. That's how Y/N found them when she walked in with Sam; Bucky facing the foot of the bed and Steve facing the headrest as both of them glared at nothing. Oh boy.

"Are you guys still mad?"

Sam blinked as both of them turned to her. "My fwiend," Bucky insisted. "My wife," Steve also insisted. Y/N sighed. "You're both correct. Stevie, it's okay, I'm only Bucky's friend. I'm your wife, okay?" Just saying that made her gag. Pedo vibes… "I love you. I love Bucky too, but only as a friend."

Steve calmed down a bit after that. "Otay," he mumbled. Sam was then placed next to the two. He only stared at them, mostly with confusion but also with mild disdain at their "childish" behavior. "I'm gonna get your things now, okay? And you're all getting cleaned up. After that, breakfast."

All three of them nodded. Y/N left the room again, calling Maria. Soon, she returned to the room with two handfuls of baby stuff; diapers, clothes, powders, toys, whatnot. She changed their clothes fairly easily (surprisingly not throwing up at the sight of three soiled diapers) and then put them in new clothes.

Steve wore a tiny t-shirt and shorts, Bucky went with a sweater and full pants, while Sam went with overalls. "My handsome boys!" Y/N squealed excitedly and whipped out her phone, taking a few pictures. "Aren't you simply… ugh cutie pies," she groaned and picked Steve up first. He seemed elated at that.

"Breakfast?"

"Yes, Y/N!" The three of them shouted excitedly and Y/N put Steve in the baby pram sitting outside the room. It had three seats, meant for triplets. Bucky and Sam were also placed in the pram and Y/N took them to the communal area. There, she met Rhodey. "Hi there, Mrs Rogers," he greeted with a kind smile.

Y/N gave him a hug, much to the dismay of Steve. Baby him was overprotective to a new degree. "Issotay, they jus' fwiends," Bucky told him quietly when he noticed how Steve's eyes watered again. Steve hurriedly wiped his tears off. "Heard what happened on the mission. They are cute," Rhodey chuckled.

He waved at the kids. They waved back politely. "A handful, though. Steve has become 1000 times more protective. He got mad at Bucky because I was talking to him," Y/N rolled her eyes, "Keeps insisting I'm his wife. I don't know how to feel about that, to be honest." Y/N pulled a face and both of them laughed.

"Well, Mrs Rogers, I guess I'll leave you to it now. They look like they're hungry. See you!" Rhodey left and Y/N turned to the babies. "Hungry, boys?" They shouted again and Y/N placed all three of them on the new baby chairs at the dining table. The whole Compound was now baby proofed. What do one year olds eat?

She found out that the fridge was filled with baby food and sighed with relief. Placing three bowls in front of them, she watched them eat. This week was going to be an amazing learning experience. She and Steve had been married for around 3 years now, maybe after this week… they could try for one of their own.

If she made it through this week without any problems, she knew she was ready to be a mom. Steve would be a fantastic dad as well. "More." Startled, Y/N turned to see Bucky staring at her with a huge smile, lips and cheeks covered in mango purée as he showed her his empty bowl.

She blinked.

"Bucky, darling, eat slowly or you'll choke," she sighed as she filled his bowl, cleaning his face with the bib he wore. "Otay, Y/N," he mumbled distractedly before eating, much slower this time. She took out her phone but suddenly noticed Steve staring at her. She raised her brows at him and he frowned.

He held his hand out and Y/N took it, chuckling a bit as he tugged her closer. She moved her chair closer to his and kept holding his hand as he ate. Sam was the neatest and cleanest of them all, not too fast, not too slow and not at all messy. Steve was eating as slow as was humanly possible, to keep holding Y/N's hand.

When they finished eating, Y/N kept all the bowls in the sink and cleaned the babies, taking them to the briefing room which was now turned into some sort of a daycare room. Filled with toys, no sharp things, all the corners baby-proofed. Y/N sat on the floor near the door as the three babies crawled to the toys.

The week went by in a breeze. Taking care of Steve, Bucky and Sam was easy, especially Sam. He was the quietest, keeping to himself and his toys as Bucky and Steve fought on a daily basis. 100% of the time over Y/N Rogers. Any time Y/N gave Bucky (or Sam) even a second of attention Steve got jealous.

He threw tantrums, threw things around and cried so loudly that the entire city could probably hear him. One time, baby Steve even dumped his food on Bucky's head because Y/N was wiping Bucky's face while eating. Y/N had shouted at him then and he sobbed for an hour straight. Y/N didn't feel bad at all, he deserved it.

"Ugh, this week has been so tiring," Y/N groaned to herself as she lay on Steve's bed in her pajamas, baby Steve asleep next to her. She rubbed her eyes and took her phone in her hands, swiping through all the pictures and smiling to herself. There were over a 100 new pictures on her phone, all of Bucky, Sam and Steve.

A few minutes later, Y/N fell asleep as well.

---

Who's hugging me? My husband is supposed to be a baby.

Y/N woke up to the feeling of strong arms around her, pulling her into a firm chest as someone stared at her. She blinked her eyes open and turned her head, smiling widely when she saw her husband's own smiling face. He was big again! "Stevie!" she squealed and hugged him tightly. He laughed.

"My wife," he whispered teasingly and Y/N groaned, slapping his chest. "You were such a nightmare baby, still cute though," she laughed as Steve leaned over and gave her a sweet kiss. "Big Steve manages to keep his protectiveness and obsession under wraps, baby Steve was unfiltered," Steve grinned and Y/N shook her head.

"So I saw your real colours this week?"

"Pretty much."

"You're impossible, good thing I still love you. My Captain," she whispered and leaned in for another kiss. As they sat there making out, there was a knock on the door. Y/N went to open it, grinning when she saw Bucky standing there with a smirk on his face, leaning against the doorframe.

"Your intelligent baby is here," he joked and Y/N laughed, pulling him into her embrace. "Yup, my baby," she crooned and Steve jokingly shouted out, "My wife!" Bucky and Y/N pulled away from each other, laughing loudly. "I'm gonna go get Sam, behave," she winked and left the room, leaving Bucky and Steve alone.

"You managed to get the best wife ever, Steve, I'm so happy for you," Bucky chuckled, sitting on the bed. "I know, she is awesome. Taking care of three one-year-old babies? I love her even more now," Steve smiled, running a hand through his hair. "You two should have your own kid, you know? It's been 3 years since your marriage."

Steve considered Bucky. "She will make an awesome mother. I'll talk to her." Their little chat ended just as Y/N walked into the room with Sam. "It was so fun taking care of you guys, you were extremely cute babies!" Y/N squealed, laughing as Sam gave her a one-armed hug. They talked for a while longer (Y/N showed them all the photos much to their horror) until Sam and Bucky left the room.

Steve, sitting in the middle of the bed against the headrest, patted his thigh. Y/N plopped down on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, realizing how much she missed this. Steve put his arms around her waist and tugged her closer with a soft sigh. "You were an amazing babysitter, doll," he told her sincerely.

"Thank you, Stevie."

"And I was thinking…"

"Hm?"

"I want one of my own," he smirked at her, tilting her head. Y/N's eyes widened. "You think I'm ready?" Steve scoffed. "Are you kidding? Three babies. Triplets. All by yourself. You are more than ready, doll," he cheered and Y/N thought for a few minutes. "Okay," she finally breathed out, "Let's try for a baby."

Steve immediately ripped her t-shirt down the middle, hungrily pulling her in for a kiss as his hands roamed her body. "No time like the present," he growled, "I missed you so much, doll." They spent the rest of the day in their room.

---

A/N: lmao my bestie said baby Sam reminds her of Boss Baby. I guess it's kinda true. Thanks for reading, leave a like if you enjoyed!

[invisibleanonymousmonsters]

Only Friend

Character: Jason Todd x Fem!Reader [Robin!Jason Todd]

Summary: Gotham mourned for Robin. But who mourned for Jason Todd? Y/F/N Y/L/N wasn’t just another one of Jason Todd’s friends. She was his only friend.  

Word Count: 7,000 [One Shot]

Warnings: Violence, Death, Loss, Grief

Y/N didn’t know what time it was. She hadn’t opened the blinds in her room for days. And she didn’t plan on doing so anytime soon. In fact, she didn’t plan on getting out of bed anytime soon.

She heard a knock on her bedroom door. From the sound alone, she knew it was her mother.

“Y/N, dear. Can I come in?”

She wanted to say, ‘No.’ She wanted to say, ‘Go away.’ But Y/N didn’t even have the energy to do that. So she just laid still with the covers over her shoulders and said nothing. 

Her mom slowly opened the door.

Y/N’s family had been tiptoeing around her since it happened. They didn’t know how to handle the situation. Most parents don’t expect for their daughter’s best friend to die. No child should have to face grief like this.

But Y/N had no choice.

Because Jason Todd was dead.

“Hi, honey,” Y/N’s mother cooed as she walked into the room. Then she placed a plate of food on her nightstand. “I brought you something to eat.”

Y/N didn’t even so much as look at her mother, just continued to stare off into nothing.

“Is it alright if I open of your blinds and windows. I think you could use some fresh air.”

Y/N gave what appeared to be a half shrug, barely visible underneath the thick covers.

But her mother seemed relieved, it was starting to smell musty in the room.

Her mother sat on the edge of the bed and stroked Y/N’s face. “The funeral’s tomorrow.”

Y/N’s eyes finally looked up at her mother – desperate and scared. “Do I have to go?”

“I think you’d regret it if you didn’t, honey. You deserve your chance to say goodbye. Your father and I will be there with you.”

Then Y/N closed her eyes and burst into tears. “I had a dream about him last night. And I woke up and remembered–” she had to pause to catch her breath. “I-I-I remembered he’s g-gone.”

“Oh, honey,” her mom whispered as she pulled Y/N into her arms. “I know you miss him. I know. He was your best friend.”

Y/N pulled away and looked up at her mom. “He was my only friend,” she corrected.

———

Jason Todd was sitting at a lunch table by himself and reading when someone slammed their tray down across from him. His eyes flickered up in a glare, already expecting someone to try and pick a fight with him or something.

But instead he found a girl standing above him, smirking down at him.

No, not just any girl, the prettiest girl in their grade. No one else at this stupid school seemed to think so. But that just further proved Jason’s theory that everyone here were idiots.

“Hi,” she said confidently.

“H-Hi?” Jason stuttered back.

“I’m sitting with you,” she announced as she sat down. “I’m Y/N.”

Jason finally smirked and remained confused. “I know who you are…”

“You’ve never talked to me, so how was I supposed to know?” Y/N said back. “And you’re Jason Todd.”

“Yes?” He responded.

Y/N laughed at his confusion.

Jason Todd wasn’t popular. There was a disconnect between him and his peers. The kids at Gotham Academy were trust-fund babies and spoiled brats. They were such snobs that there were even cliques separating the kids who came from old money from those who came from new money. It all seemed ridiculous after literally starving in the slums of the city. 

Jason Todd wasn’t a rebel. He didn’t lash out or let his inability to connect to the other students make him feel down. Ask any teacher who had him and they would say he was a straight-A student and he never once caused trouble in their class. He was always polite and respectful, responsible and well-behaved.

Jason Todd wasn’t bullied. Maybe it was a vibe he gave off, but somehow the other kids knew not to mess with him. Jason came to school with a black eye once, and he always wondered if it freaked them all out enough to never try to mess with him – not that they would ever stand a chance against him.

In regards to the middle school hierarchy, Jason was nobody.

Because Jason Todd wasn’t really a kid. He just had the misfortune of also not being an adult yet.

He was just a poor punk from the Narrows, who just happened to try and steal the tires off the car of Gotham’s notorious vigilante. He didn’t belong at this snobby prep school.

But going to school was one of Bruce’s demands after making Jason his new Robin.

Jason just didn’t know how to make a convincing argument for why he didn’t need social interactions with kids his own age.

“Is this some kind of dare?” Jason asked Y/N.

She froze her eating and scoffed at him. “You’ve watched too many bad teen movies. What kind of asshole would I be to do something like that?”

But Jason still looked around the cafeteria, expecting to find a table full of people watching this interaction and trying to hide their giggles.

Y/N finally slammed down her food, sat back, and crossed her arms. “People at this school suck.”

“Uhh…OK?”

“I saw you reading Pride & Prejudice the other week. And you were wearing a Led Zeppelin t-shirt yesterday. You helped pick up Jill’s stuff when her backpack ripped open, while everyone else just laughed.” She paused. But Jason waited. “What I’m saying is that I’ve decided that you don’t suck.”

“Oh,” Jason blurted out.

“Do you honestly think anyone at this school even knows who Jane Austen is? And some dude in my English class tried to tell me Nickelback was his favorite band.”

Jason laughed at that. “How did you even respond to that?”

“I asked him if he was fucking with me and then the teacher yelled at me for swearing. And I told her, ‘How am I supposed to react to a Nickelback fan without using profanities?’”

Jason laughed again.

That was how Jason and Y/N became best friends. That was all it took.

Jason would soon find out that Y/N didn’t belong here just as much as him. She didn’t come from money – just your normal, middle-class suburban family. She’d won a full-ride scholarship to Gotham Academy, which was impressive since they only handed out one per grade.

Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne made one 30-second call and Jason was accepted – no questions asked.

Y/N was rather mature for her age, but it wasn’t the product of being Batman’s sidekick and fighting the criminals of Gotham City.

—

Any second Jason had to be a normal kid was spent hanging out with Y/N. Jason was at Y/N’s house all the time, loving Y/N’s parents and envious of the stable home Y/N got to grow up in.

It took awhile for Jason to feel comfortable inviting Y/N to the manor, despite Alfred saying he was welcome to have friends over whenever he wished. Jason eventually got over his embarrassment. While Y/N seemed in awe of Wayne Manor, the evidence of Jason’s wealth didn’t make her treat him any different. They mostly hung out in Jason’s room anyways. Or in the kitchen when Alfred made them snacks.

While they were at school, they always ate lunch together and walked to classes shoulder-to-shoulder any chance they got. They only needed each other.

They ignored everyone else. And in return, everyone else left them alone.

For the most part.

—

Jason should’ve known something was wrong when he heard the commotion on his way to third period.

When he heard kids start chanting “Fight!” his gut somehow knew Y/N was involved.

Jason shoved his way through the thick circle that was surrounding the drama.

He reached the opening just in time to see Y/N tackle a boy named Parker to the ground. The crowd gasped, not actually expecting them to actually go through with violence. Then Y/N lifted her fist and landed a punch to Parker’s face.

But Jason quickly stepped forward and pulled Y/N off.

“He’s not worth it, Y/N.”

Recognizing the voice of her best friend, Y/N allowed him to pull her away.

“Gonna let your boyfriend pull you away?” Parker yelled out.

Y/N whipped back toward him, but Jason wrapped his arms around her and held her back. “Y/N, leave it!”

“I’m not the one with the a black eye and bloodied nose, asshole!” Y/N screamed, only half fighting Jason’s hold. “Next time, I’ll kick you so hard in your tiny dick that you won’t be able to have kids.”

Jason managed to drag her through the halls with a vice-like grip on her hand.

Y/N scoffed at his efforts, “Where are you even taking me?”

“We’re ditching class.”

She shrugged. “Sounds good to me.”

Jason knew exactly what exit didn’t have an alarmed rigged to it or any video surveillance. He also grabbed a cellphone in his back pocket and started to type frantically.

“You have a cellphone! What? Since when? My parents said I can’t get one until high school,” Y/N groaned enviously.

Little did she know, Jason had set up an AI system that would call the school with Bruce’s voice and leave a recording about how Jason needed to be dismissed from school. It was perfect for Bat emergencies. 

He had added Y/N’s parents voices to the algorithm a few months ago, having a hunch it would come in handy.

As soon as they were a safe distance away from the school, Y/N let go of Jason’s hand and walked slightly ahead of him.

With their freedom secured, Jason could focus on Y/N now.

“What did he do?” He asked her gently.

Y/N was smart and calculated. If she’d picked a fight with someone, Jason knew it had to have been caused by something serious.

“Doesn’t matter,” she mumbled.

Jason rushed forward and stopped her walking. “Hey, come on. It’s me you’re talking to…”

Y/N nodded, knowing he was right. They told each other everything, or so she thought.

Her eyes went to the ground, too embarrassed to meet his gaze. “We were in health class. Today was the unfortunate lesson for learning male and female anatomy. Mrs. Martin started talking about…” Y/N hesitated. “She started talking about boobs. Said something about when girls start seeing a change.”

“And?” Jason urged softly.

“Parker chimed in and said, ‘Or if you’re Y/L/N… never.’”

Embarrassed by her confession, Y/N started walking again – quicker, this time.

Jason jogged to catch up to her. “Fuck him. Only a loser asshole would say something like that.”

“Well…he’s probably right.”

Jason shrugged. “Who cares?”

This time Y/N stopped walking. “You don’t get it,” she snapped. “Every girl in our grade is growing up. And I still have the chest of a boy. My mom won’t even let me buy a bra because she says I don’t need it yet.”

Jason was speechless. 

To be honest, he had never really noticed. Y/N wore baggy band t-shirts or flannels all the time. He wasn’t exactly studying her silhouette when they hung out. But he never imagined that Y/N would be bothered by something like that.

“Sometimes I’d just like to…I don’t fucking know…feel like a girl.” She paused. “A pretty girl,” she emphasized.

Jason stared into her eyes. “You are a pretty girl.”

Y/N sighed and rolled her eyes. “J, you don’t have to say that.”

“I’m serious. You’re the prettiest girl in our grade, Y/N.”

That caught her off guard. He’d never said anything like that to her before. 

Sure, Jason said nice things to her. But it was usually him complimenting her taste in music or thanking her for showing him a new book he loved. But he’d never called her pretty before.

Jason, worried that he’d exposed himself, pulled her to him so he could give her a noogie. And the moment was broken.

“Jason! I think I’ve proved today that I will hit a bitch!”

He just laughed and playfully shoved her away. “Come on. I’ll buy you one of those embarrassing frappuccinos from Starbucks.”

“Excuse you! They’re not embarrassing. They’re delicious.”

Jason could tell Y/N didn’t want to talk about the fight anymore. So he thought distracting her was the next best thing. 

And, by some miracle, they returned to school the next day without any punishment.

But Jason wasn’t done yet.

Parker didn’t realize he was messing with Robin’s best friend.

Jason was patient. He waited for the precise moment when Parker would be alone.

A week after the fight, Parker turned the corner of an empty hallway and jumped when he nearly ran into Jason.

“What do you want, Todd?”

Jason took a step toward him and lowered his voice, “If you ever say anything like that to Y/N again – or to any girl, for that matter – I won’t hesitate to beat the shit out of you.”

Parker side eyed him. “Yeah, right.”

Without hesitating, Jason reached forward, grabbed Parkers palm, and snapped the index finger of his dominant hand.

Parker let out a screech of pain and fell to his knees.

Jason kneeled down to whisper in his ear, “No witnesses. No cameras. And I’m actually in gym class right now, running the mile. No one will believe you.”

Parker looked up at Jason like he was a madman.

Jason smiled and patted him on the head. “Remember what I said.”

After that, Parker never even so much as looked in Y/N’s direction.

—

Jason and Y/N looked out for each other, protected each other

And Jason may have kept his other life of Robin from her, but Y/N seemed to already sense that there was something Jason was hiding. It wasn’t just something, it was dark.

When Y/N started noticing bruises and cuts on Jason’s body, she grew concerned. But she wanted to observe and think of all the possibilities before she ever brought it up.

Then one day at her house, she made a joke and slapped Jason playfully on the back.

He hissed uncontrollably and his entire body froze.

“Jason?” Y/N asked with concern.

“I’m fine. You just surprised me and knocked the wind out of me,” Jason said hurriedly.

But Y/N wasn’t stupid. She quickly grabbed the hem of his t-shirt and ripped it up so she could see his back.

“JASON! What the fuck!” She gasped in horror as she saw the bruises scattered across his skin. She had never seen anything like it. 

“Shh!” Jason tried to calm her to stop her parents from coming in and then having her immediately showing them too.

“What happened?” Y/N whispered, her eyes glazed over with tears.

“Nothing. I’m fine, Y/N. I promise.”

“You’re not fine. And this isn’t the first time,” Y/N countered. “You think you do a good job of hiding them, but I see the other bruises and cuts, Jason. And don’t think I don’t notice how often you skip school because your ‘sick.’”

Jason stayed quiet. He didn’t want to lie to her. But he couldn’t tell her. It could put her in danger. And if Bruce ever found out, he’d put a stop to the whole thing. Jason would never be Robin ever again.

“He does it,” Y/N whispered.

Jason blinked. “Who?”

“Bruce,” she clarified. “He beats you, doesn’t he?”

Jason’s eyes widened in horror. He knew Y/N was weary of his adoptive father. She noticed how absent he was from Jason’s life, then took note of how cold he was when he was present. But her theory made perfect sense. And if the roles were reversed, Jason probably would’ve come to the same conclusion.

“Y/N, Bruce has never hurt me.”

She frowned. “You don’t have to protect him. And you don’t have to take his shit. I knew something was off about him ever since I met him. But I didn’t think it was this.”

“Y/N…” Jason began.

“Does Alfred know?” She couldn’t imagined him every letting something like this happen if he did. Y/N had grown to love Alfred almost as much as Jason.

“There’s nothing for him to know, Y/N.” Jason laughed. “I was trying to walk across the railing above the great hall and fell and landed on my back. I didn’t tell you because I was embarrassed, OK?”

He knew from Y/N’s face that she wasn’t convinced. But she also knew not to push someone who was in the position she thought Jason was.

But to his horror, tears started falling.

“I just…I want you know that I’d do anything for you. You can live here! My parents love you and they’d take you in! Or-or-or we can run away together – just you and me.”

Jason hated seeing her cry. She rarely ever did it. And to know he was the cause made him feel sick.

Not knowing what else to do, Jason pulled her into a hug.

“I’m OK, Y/N. Promise. You don’t have to worry about me. Please don’t cry.”

“We just have to steal some of the stupid jewelry he has laying around and we’d be set for life,” she mumbled into his shoulder.

Jason laughed and pulled away. “Bruce took me in. Gave me a better life. He’s protected me. I know you don’t believe me, but the bruises aren’t because of him.”

Y/N wiped the tears away sloppily and nodded, but they both knew that Y/N didn’t believe him.

Y/N didn’t look at Bruce the same since that day. Not that she spent a lot of time around him.

But Bruce shared a look with Jason when he received the first very harsh glare from the pre-teen girl. It ended with a very uncomfortable conversation between Bruce and Jason where the boy explained what theory Y/N had come to.

Though Bruce said very little in response, he was wracked with guilt. To learn that someone thought he had the potential to behold the evil he tried so hard to eradicate in the world? It made Bruce sick to his stomach.

———

Now Y/N stood with her head hung low, in a crowd dressed in black.

These people didn’t know Jason Todd. Maybe they played the part of mourning funeral goer well. But Y/N saw their performances still.

The only people Y/N recognized were Bruce Wayne, Alfred, and Jason’s older brother, Dick Grayson. She’d never met him before, only seen pictures of him around the manor. Jason always seemed disappointed when Y/N brought Dick up or tried to ask about him. Y/N got the impression that he wasn’t all that great of a brother to Jason. Especially when it was obvious Jason looked up to him and was desperate for some sort of fraternal relationship.

Y/N looked up at her mother when the priest was finished with whatever he was saying. His words were impersonal, sullied by religion, and did nothing to comfort Y/N. He didn’t even say one thing about what made Jason so great. 

“Can we go now?” She whispered to her mother.

She patted Y/N’s back. “There’s a gathering inside the house now. We should say our condolences to Mr. Wayne and Alfred.”

Y/N frowned at that. The last person she wished to talk to was Bruce Wayne.

She had been watching the man through the entire service. He was stoic and collected. There didn’t seem to be any sadness to be found in his eyes.

The longer Y/N watched him, the angrier she became.

“Please, let’s just go,” Y/N begged her mother.

People were making there way into the manor now and weren’t paying any attention to a girl, despite the fact that she was the best and only friend of the boy they were pretending to mourn.

Her mother gave her a sympathetic look. “Honey, don’t you want to say hi to Alfred. I’m sure it would make him happy to see you.”

Y/N knew her mother was right. She could do that for Alfred. Plus, he gave the best hugs, and Y/N could sure use one of them right now.

They waited in a sort of informal line. Y/N wanted to hit everyone in front of them as she was forced to listen to their empty and rehearsed sympathies. Bruce didn’t say much in return, simply thanking each of them.

But when Y/N and her parents were finally up, Bruce Wayne’s expression shifted.

It was the first time Y/N saw any sort of emotion from the man. He looked heartbroken at the sight of Y/N, who’s hand was tightly gripping her mothers.

Bruce, standing at 6’2, knelt down to be at Y/N’s eye level.

“Hello, Y/N.” He greeted quietly so no one lingering around them could hear.

Y/N only glared at him. 

If she were being honest, she was surprised he even remembered her name. 

But Bruce continued. “Thank you for coming today. I’m sure the past few days haven’t been easy for you.”

Then he cleared his throat. And Y/N’s brow furrowed at the sound. Was he trying to hold back tears? No, that couldn’t be possible.

“I wanted to thank you for being such a good friend to Jason. He talked about you all the time. I’m glad he had someone like you in his life.”

Y/N felt nauseous at how genuine Bruce Wayne’s words sounded. His eyes were even more sincere.

What happened to the cold and distance man she’d had little to no interaction with?

‘He has an audience now,’ Y/N told herself. ‘He knows everyone’s watching. He’s performing just like the rest of them.’

“What did you do to him?” Y/N finally whispered to him.

Where she got the courage to speak to an adult in such a way, she had no idea – especially one as powerful as Bruce Wayne.

Bruce tensed at her question. Was that hurt in his eyes?

“Y/N!” Her mother hissed down at her.

“It was you. I know it was,” Y/N muttered as her lips trembled and tears started falling. She thought she’d run out of tears, but this was her final outburst.

“Y/N, enough!” Her mother hissed again and then made eye contact with Bruce and Alfred. “I’m so sorry. She’s not…she’s not handling any of this well.”

“You did this to him!” Y/N yelled. “He always had bruises…and-and-and cuts! You used to hurt him!”

“Y/N!” Her father finally chimed in, completely stunned by his daughter’s accusations.

“I hate you!” Y/N screamed in Bruce’s face as tears flowed down her face.

With that, she ripped her hand from her mom’s grasp and made a run for it. She heard her parents yell her name, but she ignored it and kept running.

Bruce stood up, looking unfazed from Y/N’s hateful and accusatory outburst.

“We are so, so sorry,” Y/N’s mom insisted. “She’s never done anything like that before.”

Bruce held up a hand, stopping them from continuing. “It’s alright. Really.” Then he sighed. “I’ll have Alfred go find her in a bit. Perhaps she just needs to let out some steam.”

Y/N didn’t even realize where she was running until she ended up at Jason’s bedroom.

Her entire body shook with sobs as she opened up the door.

It looked exactly the same, like nothing had even happened.

Y/N walked to the other side and slide against the giant windows, curling into a ball on the floor with her arms hugging her knees to her chest.

She cried and she cried and she cried.

There was no way for her to know how long she’d been there. But her head snapped up when there was a knock on the doorframe.

Dick Grayson leaned against the doorway with his arms crossed and a sad smile on his lips.

“Hi,” he greeted softly.

Y/N sniffed and rubbed the snot from her nose with the back of her fist, “Hi.”

“I’m Dick,” he introduced as he closed the door behind him and sat on the foot of Jason’s bed, making sure to give Y/N her space.

“I know,” Y/N answered back through a stuffy nose.

“Alfred tells me you and Jason were good friends.”

“We were each other’s only friend,” Y/N corrected him.

Dick nodded slowly.

“I hate him,” Y/N mumbled.

Dick winced. “Jason?”

“Bruce.”

“Believe it or not, I know how that feels,” he sighed.

“Did he hit you, too?” Y/N asked with wide eyes.

Dick opened his mouth, but was so shocked by the question that no words escaped.

“Why didn’t you help him?” She followed up with. “Where were you?”

Dick knew she wasn’t asking what he felt like she was: Why didn’t you stop the Joker? Why was Robin all alone? Why didn’t Batman call you for help?

But that didn’t stop her interrogation from hurting him.

“I haven’t always been there for him,” Dick finally admitted. “Actually…I’ve never really been there for him.”

Y/N looked at him with bewilderment. “Umm…” she sniffed. “I should find my parents.”

When she stood up, something caught her attention on Jason’s desk.

Y/N’s hand shook as she picked up Pride & Prejudice. He was the only middle school boy she’s ever seen reading a Jane Austen book. It was one of the reasons she wanted to befriend him in the first place.

“Keep it,” Dick surprised her by saying.

She quickly turned around and gave him a questioning look.

“You should keep it,” he told her. Then he looked at the overflowing book case she was standing near. “Take whatever ones want. He’d want you to have them.”

Y/N’s eyes flickered through the bookcase. Her heart was telling her, ‘No, they’re his books. He’ll need them when he gets back.’ But Jason Todd wasn’t coming back.

So she reached up and grabbed Jane Eyre and then Frankenstein.

“That’s it?” Dick asked. Because he would’ve let her take Jason’s entire collection.

Y/N nodded shyly.

Dick escorted her through the house and back to the gathering.

When she saw Alfred, Y/N rushed forward.

Dick’s heart ached as he saw the butler immediately kneel down and pull Y/N into a hug. He wondered what the man whispered to her. Whatever it was, it seemed to comfort her in a way that apparently nothing else was.

Then Y/N’s parents returned to her side. Dick expected them to scold her for her earlier outburst, but they just seemed concerned and started making their leave.

Y/N looked behind her and searched through the crowd to find Dick again. When she did, she gave him a sad wave.

Dick returned it with a sorrowful smile.

———

8 Years Later...

Jason had been keeping tabs on her since he returned to Gotham. He kept his distance, remained out of sight. He would jump from rooftop to rooftop as she walked home from a night class. Or he would wait for the window of her apartment bedroom to go off if it was a slow night of patrolling.

He told himself it was out of curiosity. But he knew deep down he was making sure she stayed safe.

Jason was happy to see that Y/N didn’t retain her lonesome ways in her life after his death. He frequently spotted her having dinner or drinks with friends.

But Jason didn’t know how to feel when it was clear that Y/N had no romantic partner. Was he relieved? Was he irritated that someone didn’t love and care for her the way she deserved? Would he have been jealous if there was someone in his life?

Jason wanted to find her as soon as he was brought from the dead. Even when he felt like he’d gone insane, when his thoughts didn’t make sense and he was confused…her face still echoed through his mind.

But vengeance became his priority.

And with it, Jason slowly convinced himself that it was best to stay far away from the only person he still cared about.

But that didn’t mean her didn’t want answers still.

After his war with Bruce – or really, his attempted murder Batman and the Joker – Jason allowed himself to actually look back on his old life, the parts that didn’t involve being a child vigilante.

Still not on speaking terms with Bruce. Jason decided to get his info from another source.

Cue a month or so after his brush with Bruce, Jason blindsided Dick the next time he was in Gotham and slammed him against the closest brick wall.

Jason used to look up to Dick as a kid, despite his older brother rarely even giving him the time of day.

But now, Dick was quite literally looking up at Jason. 

While Jason died a 13-year-old Robin, he was now a 6’3 man who had the set of a heavyweight boxer. Dick might be more flexible and acrobatic, but Jason had brute strength.

“What? B tell all of you not to talk to me?” Jason challenged when Dick didn’t fight his hold or speak to him.

“What do you want?” Dick asked evenly.

“Why did you keep tabs on her?” Jason growled, his voice distorted through his helmet.

“Keep tabs on who?”

“Y/F/N Y/L/N.”

Dick finally had enough of being bullied and shoved Jason’s grip off him. “Why don’t you look her up yourself? I’m sure you have no issue with hacking every personal database of hers.”

“That’s not why I’m asking,” Jason growled.

In fact, Jason had already done everything Dick had suggested. Which made him see that she had made a third-party domestic violence report to the police a week or so after Jason had died. And she had kept following up with it until the police finally came clean and told her there was no evidence to support her claim and she was wasting her time.  

It seemed Y/N was the only person that fought for Jason after he was gone. She had just picked the wrong fight.

“Why did you keep tabs on her?” Jason clarified.

“I just wanted to make sure she was OK.”

That caught him off guard a bit, seeing as Dick never gave a shit about Jason when he was alive. So why would he look after his best friend?

“What? Out of the goodness of your heart?” Jason ridiculed.

“She didn’t handle your death well, Jason. She even picked a fight with Bruce at your funeral.”

Jason smirked behind the safety of his helmet at the image.

Dick sighed and finally put down his defenses. “I failed you, Jason. All of us failed you.” He shook his head as he got lost in a memory. “Y/N even asked me why I hadn’t tried harder to protect you.”

Dick’s eyes saddened. “I figured if I couldn’t be there for you, the least I could do was make sure the most important person in your life was OK.”

It wasn’t the answer Jason was suspecting, but it was all he came for.

“Will you go see her?” Dick asked as he saw that Jason was about to take his leave.

“We were kids. Things have changed,” Jason grunted.

“I don’t think any of that would matter to her,” Dick defended. “I think she’d like to see you and know you’re OK.”

“Mind your business,” was the last thing Jason snapped at him before jumping off the rooftop and disappearing.

————

Jason did what he said: he left Y/N alone. 

He watched over her when he could. But most importantly, he didn’t drop a ghost from the past back into her life.

But he also tried to find that ghost in himself.

Somedays he thought that Jason Todd was lost forever.

But other days, like today, he still seemed to live on.

Jason browsed through the books on the shelves. He missed so many of them when he was dead and then when he reinvented himself.

Now he saw books as a time to fill in the empty space.

He was lost reading the back of covers when he heard it. No, when he heard her.

Next thing Jason knew, he was walking toward it.

“I’m sorry, dear. We’re all sold out of that title. You should’ve reserved it weeks ago,” one of the clerks told her with sympathy.

Jason peered between the shelves and caught a glimpse of y/h/c.

“I know. I just totally spaced. I think I’ll just browse for something else. Thank you for your help.”

Her voice sounded mostly the same, maybe a bit more mature. But he still would recognize it anywhere.

Jason knew he shouldn’t move any closer.

But he couldn’t help himself.

He was just one aisle away from her now, only a bookshelf separating them.

He slowly edged around the corner and smiled as he saw the massive pile of books that Y/N was trying to juggle in her arms. When she tried adding one more, they broke free from her grasp and stumbled loudly to the ground.

Jason didn’t know what he was thinking as he jumped forward and bent down to help her pick them up.

He saw her blush, but keep her head dipped from the embarrassment.

“Thank you,” she quickly laughed as she tried to pile the books back together as fast as possible.

Y/N opened her mouth to say more, but the words got caught in her mouth when she finally met Jason’s eyes.

He wondered how different he looked to her. Could she even recognize him? Or was he fooling himself when he became convinced he was an entirely different person after being brought back from the dead?

But his questions were answered when Y/N looked in shock, only unfreezing when her eyes began to tear up.

“It’s not possible,” she said so quietly that it was barely a whisper.

“Everyone good? I heard a loud noise.” The clear interrupted loudly.

Y/N jumped in response.

Jason stood and faced the clerk, “We’re fine.”

But when he turned back around, Y/N had booked it.

“Fuck,” Jason hissed before carefully handing the books to the clerk and quickly following after Y/N.

She made it further than he would expect. He actually had to look around the streets outside the store for a moment before he could spot her.

As soon as he did, he ran. But he called her name before he reached her to make sure he didn’t terrify her more.

Y/N froze when she heard him and whipped around. “Who are you?” She asked roughly.

There was a moment, when she first met Jason’s blue eyes, where she allowed herself to believe that perhaps a miracle had occurred.

But now she only saw this as some sort of heinous prank.

“It’s me, Y/N.” Jason almost sounded like he was begging her. 

She then fully took him in. Yes, he had the same face. But now he was a full-grown man – and an extremely handsome one at that.

“I shouldn’t have spooked you like that. I’m sorry.”

“You’ve been dead for 8 years,” she muttered.

“I know. It’s a…” Jesus. Jason didn’t even know how to go about this. “It’s a long and complicated story.”

“Were you ever really dead?” Then Y/N’s eyes flashed with a realization. “Did you stage your death? To get away from him?”

Bruce. She meant to get away from Bruce.

Jason looked around. This was no place to have this conversation. He couldn’t believe they were having it at all.

“Fuck. OK.” He quickly shuffled through his pockets until he found an old paper receipt and a pen. He quickly wrote something down.

“I know this is…a lot.” He ran a hand through his hair, a gesture that reminded Y/N of the Jason she used to know. “If you want nothing to do with me, I understand. You’ll never have to see me again.”

He took in a deep breath and handed her the receipt.

Y/N slowly took it and looked down to see a phone number written down.

“You deserve time and space to…” he couldn’t find the right word, “process all of this.”

Y/N watched him as if she was expecting him to vanish like some sort of hallucination.

“After you do,” Jason continued. “If you’re willing to hear me out, I’ll be there,” he told her sincerely as he gestured to the number Y/N now held in her hand.

He waited for Y/N to say something, or maybe even try to make a run for her life.

But after what felt like forever, Y/N gave a short nod.

Jason gave her a shy grin as he slowly started walking backwards. He hesitated saying one last thing for her. But his mind finally told him, ‘Fuck it.’

“I’ve missed you, Y/N.”

————

Jason told himself not to get his hopes up. Y/N had every right to be horrified by him and wish to never see him again. From what Dick described, Y/N hadn’t handled Jason’s death well at all. What child could?

But when Jason got a text from Y/N’s number a week later, asking him to come to her place, he couldn’t help but beam.

Except reality then quickly settled in. And it reminded Jason that this conversation would involve talking about his past for the first time.

‘Suck it up. She deserves to know,’ he heard his past self screaming in his mind.

An hour later, Jason was knocking on Y/N’s apartment door.

“Hi,” she greeted stiffly.

“Hi.”

She led him to her bedroom. “My roommates aren’t home right now. But who knows how long that’ll last.”

Jason didn’t stop himself from looking around. Maybe it was a habit, all of his training of taking in every new environment with acute detail. But really Jason just wanted to take in Y/N and her new life.

That’s when he spotted the three books.

Jason immediately reached for one of them.

“Oh,” Y/N said sadly as she saw what he grabbed. “Umm…Dick told me I could take those. He…umm…said you’d want me to have them.”

“You kept them all this time?” He muttered, still looking at Pride & Prejudice.

“Of course.” Then a thought suddenly occurred to her. “You can have them back. I mean, they’re yours after all.”

Jason smirked at her fumbling. “No, keep ‘em.”

Then the tension from this strange reunion returned to the room.

Y/N gave him a heartbroken look and sat on the edge of her bed. “Jason,” she whispered, “what the hell happened to you?”

Jason slowly joined her on the bed.

His breathing shook as he tried to prepare.

But Y/N deserved to know the truth – the whole truth.

So he told her everything. He told her he was Robin. He told her how he died. He told her how he came back to life. He told her where he’d been.

The only thing he left out was how she was all he could think about when he watched the bomb tick down to 0 and he knew he was about to die. 

But the hardest part was explaining why returning to her wasn’t the first thing he did.

“It wasn’t Bruce. It…you…you were Robin that whole time?” Y/N couldn’t even seem to process it.

Jason just gave a curt nod.

“I reported him,” Y/N gasped. “I was convinced he had something to do with your death.”

Jason winced at that. “Well, if you asked him, I’m sure he’d take responsibility for it still.”

Y/N’s eyes glazed over as she tried to take another look at the past now that she knew the real truth that had been hidden. So many things made sense: all the injuries, Bruce’s behavior, Dick being a distant brother – all of it.

“Y/N,” Jason whispered. Her eyes whipped to his. “I’m so sorry for leaving you like that.”

Y/N finally allowed herself to cry. “Missing you is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”

Jason didn’t care about keeping his distance any longer. He pulled Y/N into his arms, just like he used to when they were kids.

Eventually, her crying slowed and Jason knew he needed to finally say the hardest thing about this all.

“But I can’t stay, Y/N.”

Y/N wasn’t expecting that. “What?”

“I’m not…I’m not that kid anymore. I’ve done things – terrible things – that won’t ever let me return to the person you knew.”

“I don’t care,” Y/N said surprisingly harsh.

“What?”

“I said I don’t care,” even though she knew he heard her. “You think I’m the same person after 8 years, Jason? You think that little girl didn’t face the consequences of losing the best friend she’s ever had?”

Jason didn’t know what to say to that.

Y/N wiped away her tears and her entire body shifted. “From everything you’ve told me, you don’t seem to have many friends – if any. So, sounds like you could use one.”

How could Jason have overlooked Y/N’s stubbornness when he anticipated how this would all end?

“I lost you once. I’m not losing you again. Especially not with all I know now,” she added. 

Jason didn’t even bother fighting her on it. Y/N had always been his greatest weakness. At least he knew that hadn’t changed.

“OK.” He agreed. “So what now?”

Y/N smiled at his surrender. “Now…we have a whole lot of catching up to do.”

--------------------

Wow. I did not realize how long this was going to take me. 

Please, please, please let me know what you think. Reactions and feedback and reblogs are the only thing that keep me writing on here. 

[arknights-imagines]

"Oh no! The doctor turned into a child! -for a day only- How will the operators deal with this special situation?" ( A prompt for executor, silverash and hellagur, the idea is how would they individually handle this kind of situation with a kid turned f!doc ? ) Thanks for giving us all this content! Here's to a lot more Exe requests! :D

AAA I LOVE REQUESTS LIKE THESE SBJSHS 🥺😭 they're silly but they're so much fun looll tysm anon 💞💞 and it's my pleasure! I'm glad people like my stuff 🌸 and yes all the Exe requests please loolll 🥺🥺 I know you mention you wanted fem Doctor but since I wrote these in second person I made Doctor gender neutral ✨ I hope that's okay with you anon! Please enjoy~

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Executor, SilverAsh and Hellagur with a Doctor who got turned into a child for the day

Headcanon format; in second person but mostly from the perspective of the Operator

Contains: Executor, SilverAsh, Hellagur, general neutral Doctor who's meant to be the reader, implied established relationships in each hc batch, some background characters and as much softness as I could possibly manage ✨

Word count: 6.7k in total (I went a lil overboard aaa 👉👈)

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EXECUTOR

･ It truly was a 'you had to see it to believe it' kind of situation.

･ But even everyone that saw it wasn't sure whether what they saw was true or they were just hallucinating.

･ Executor had accompanied you for work around Rhodes Island that day; you wanted his opinions on new recruits for Rhodes Islands' forces. He had no objections, and he did enjoy spending the day with you, regardless of what you two were going to be doing.

･ Among the new recruits, there was one particular one - a Caster. They only stood out to Executor because they kept dropping their wand and tripping over while the drills were run. He silently wondered if they had ever even been on a real battlefield.

･ They were a bit clumsy, but relatively harmless. They were just a trainee, after all. They surely wouldn't cause any issues for you.

･ The Sankta ignored them for a while, more focused on helping you. However, while you were standing in the middle of the training grounds directing the trainees during another short battle drill, that clumsy Caster ran right into you, and you collided with both them and their wand, which lit up with sparks upon poking your face on impact.

･ "Look out-!" "Ow-!!" The collision was loud and both of you were sent tumbling to the ground. ･ Executor was quick to act, rushing to catch you before you fell to the floor, completely ignoring the flashes that had just gone flying from the Casters' Arts wand.

･ Arms wrapped securely around you, the Sankta blinked as the aggressive flashes disappeared, and he looked to make sure you were alright. "Doctor-" Executor stopped in the middle of his sentence when his eyes came to what he had in his hold.

･ Instead of you, there was a little child in his arms.

･ The Sankta went quiet for a moment, staring at the child for a few seconds with wide eyes before he realized that the child was you.

･ Executor knew that didn't make any logical sense, but there was no doubt that the child was you. They were wrapped up in your Rhodes Island coat and were wearing a shrunken outfit identical to the one you had put on that day; not to mention their skin tone and eye colour were the same as yours.

･ He stiffened a bit when you poked his cheek with your small hand, cooing out syllables that sounded like fractions of his name. "Execu?" The Sankta blinked, "Doctor…"

･ Amiya came rushing onto the scene; she had obviously seen what had happened from her place across the room with another trainee group. "Executor? Is the Doctor o-.....kay?" The young woman trailed off when her eyes fell to the child in his arms. Blinking rapidly, she exclaimed out in surprise, "D-Doctor?!"

･ Their attention was brought to the clumsy Caster who had ran right into you when they yelled out in embarrassment, crying out about how they didn't mean to and that it was an honest mistake.

･ Executor was ready to interrogate them, fully convinced this was some sort of attempt on your life, but Amiya was quick to stop anything from getting out of hand.

･ After taking a look at you herself, Amiya mumbled to herself a little before looking up to Executor. "Executor, please take the Doctor to Silence. She'll surely be able to help."

･ Executor was a little hesitant, but he had orders, and he had to abide by them. "Yes, I understand." He wasn't really sure how to carry a child comfortably, but after adjusting his hold on you a little, the Sankta was off, walking with quick strides.

･ Ignoring whatever wide-eyed open-mouth gaping stares he got as he passed through the halls, Executor was finally able to track down Silence. He called her name to get her attention, and yawning a little, she turned to look toward him, obviously rather tired. "Huh? Yeah, what is it-"

･ When she did turn her eyes to him, however, all drowsiness left her face. As soon as she saw the child in his arms, her eyes widened, and seconds after her jaw dropped open when she realized who the child was.

･ "This is the Doctor. Amiya said I should consult you on what to do next." Considering the situation, Executor was unbelievably calm, though this wasn't surprising. He wasn't showing it, but he just wanted assurance that you were alright and unharmed.

･ Silence gaped for a few more seconds, before snapping out of her shock and nodding slowly. "Um, yes. Please follow me, and explain how this happened if you don't mind."

･ Following Silence, the Sankta explained what had happened concisely, getting a little distracted at how you were fussing in his arms.

･ By the time Silence brought him and you to the medical room she had been heading to, she knew enough. "I…I see. So that's what happened. I'll just need to run some tests on them, then I can figure out what we should do." The Medic explained, walking further into the room and preparing some equipment as she passed by, "Bring them over here, please."

･ Nodding, Executor closed the door behind him and carefully placed you on the examination table. You small hands grabbed the air, and you pouted a bit, "Exe! Exe!" The Sankta shushed you gently, bringing one of his hands up for you to grasp. "Doctor, please stay still." Your smaller hands curiously tugged at his fingers, and you quieted down, focusing on his partially gloved hand. He would admit, watching you act so innocently made his chest feel all fuzzy, but he had bigger concerns at that moment.

･ Silence was quick with her examinations and tests, and allowed Executor to sit with you as she conducted them. Once she was all finished, she handed you back to him carefully, turning back to her papers as Executor did his own quick check for injury or anything out of place now that you were in his hold.

･ Amiya had come by as soon as she could, and was now standing with the Sankta, staring and blinking at you, obviously still shocked. Turning to Silence, Amiya spoke up, "And the results, Silence?"

･ Looking at her results, the Medic began, "It looks like whatever Arts effected them caused then to revert back into a child. Thankfully, it's not permanent. They should be back to normal in enough time, maybe a day." Silence explained.

･ Amiya nodded slowly, "I see. Thank goodness it's not permanent." Cutting in, Executor spoke, "Is there no method to revert then back to an adult immediately?"

･ Arts wasn't his speciality; the Sankta wasn't even aware Originium Arts were capable of such bizarre things.

･ Silence shook her head, explaining how it would be dangerous to attempt to try anything. Knowing Arts were involved, she seemed to have wanted to run more experiments on you, but she was acutely aware that Executor wouldn't allow that - not to mention it wasn't the best idea to run any kind of risky experiments on you, especially when you were a child.

･ Thanking Silence, Amiya turned to Executor. "Well, I suppose the Doctor can't carry out their work today. I think it'd be best if they simply had someone to look after them for the time being. Silence did say it would only be a day." The Sankta nodded, his calm gaze turning to you, "I agree. It is not safe for a child to be wandering around freely in an environment like this." With that being said, it wasn't as if there was a babysitter or daycare he could drop you off at, "Who should I entrust them to?"

･ After a few seconds, Amiya hesitantly replied, "Executor, do you think you could look after the Doctor?"

･ The Sankta blinked, "You would like me to?" Amiya nodded, "Yes, if you're not too busy with other accords. I think you can best guarantee their safety, and they already seem comfortable with you as is." She explained, "But if not, I can find someone else."

･ "Hm." Executor looked toward you again, seeing you staring at him with your wide eyes,"I am able to manage that. I have dealt with children on occasion while carrying out wills and testaments." He began, "I may not have the capability to entertain them, but I have no problem looking after a child."

･ Amiya sighed in relief a bit. After thanking him and advising him to look for her or Silence if he was unsure of something, she sent Executor off.

･ For a child, you were well behaved enough. He did have his own things to attend to around the facility, but you didn't create much of a fuss.

･ He hoped you wouldn't attract much attention, but that wasn't exactly possible considering his reputation and that he was walking around carrying a child.

･ Executor didn't quite understand the commotion, however. He could care less whether or not he frustrated people because he wouldn't allow anyone else to hold you.

･ "Awww!! I just wanna squish them!!" "I cannot imagine that would be comfortable for them, so please refrain from doing so."

･ When you were both alone, he very much liked it when you combed your fingers through his hair while he rested his head in your lap, but as a child you seemed much more interested in putting his hair in your mouth than anything else. He had to gently direct your hands away from grabbing his hair or his halo; while it wasn't exactly connected to him, it was just like one of his body parts, so he didn't exactly want you grabbing it as cute as you were while trying.

･ Unfortunately, conversations were a little useless considering both him and whoever he was talking to had their attention on you.

･ "Uhm, should I come talk to you another time, Executor?" "That is not necessary, please continue."

･ You would only be occupied by his hair and halo for so long, and he didn't have much that would entertain a child - in fact most of the things he kept on his person were things you'd want to keep away from children.

･ Fortunately, Amiya had come to find him, informing the Sankta that you and him would be better off staying in your office for the rest of the day. He didn't like not being able to attend to his work, but Amiya assured him she'd send everything he'd need to the office for now.

･ Your office was quiet, and he was used to staying inside it. Fortunately, by the time he got there, you were napping. Your office wasn't exactly childproof either, however, so he kept you in his lap while he did paperwork at your desk.

･ You slept for awhile, but when you awoke, you were fussing up; "Execu, Execu…" The Sankta furrowed his brows together, worried that something had happened. In a soft voice, he answered your small coos, "What is bothering you, love?" Now that you two were alone, he could drop any formalities. He didn't use the nickname too often, much more accustomed to using your own name when he didn't need to call you 'Doctor', but you seemed to respond well to it even as a child.

･ Taking one of your smaller hands in his own in hopes to calm you down, he tilted your chin to see there was anything out of place.

･ Knocking on the door caught his attention, and soon Amiya peeked her head in, holding a small tray. "Executor? Silence sent me, she said the Doctor should eat this." Noticing how you were fussing up in his arms, she hummed, "They must be hungry. Make sure they eat."

･ Ah, yes, that was probably it. You had been sleeping for a while. Nodding, Executor let her place the tray on your desk. "Of course."

･ Feeding you was easy enough, the food was just some fruit slices and a baby-food like mix that was in a jar.

･ He fed you small portions, letting you sit in your office chair while he sat in another chair before you. You were a little messy, however, and by the time you were done eating, your cheeks were covered in crumbs and pieces of food.

･ He caught your attention gently after putting the food away, calling out, "Love?" His eyes softened at how you were innocently clapping your hands together while cooing out "Execu, Execu!", and Executor gently wiped your cheeks clean with a napkin, "You've made a mess on your face."

･ You were well behaved after that, falling asleep not long after. Busy doing work and looking after you, Executor didn't even notice it was night until it was too dark to see what he was writing. Taking a break to stretch and check up on you, he considered taking you to your room so you could sleep properly, but just as he was;

･ "Hm-" He blinked, and suddenly he was holding a full grown, adult you in his lap. You were back to normal, Silence had been right.

･ Shifting, you groaned a little, lifting your head from his shoulder, "Executor…? What's going on?" You didn't seem to remember what had happened, but you were rather disoriented.

･ Softly, the Sankta pressed a kiss to your forehead; light as a feather. "You will hear about it all in the morning. Thank you for behaving well, love, but for now, please take it easy."

･ You were back to snoring in no time. Returning to his work, he figured he'd stay with you for the time being; Executor felt warm and safe with you so close, so he wasn't in any rush to leave.

･ While he knew he was cold and detached, with you, even when the most ridiculous things happened, he felt he grew a little warmer everyday.

SILVERASH

･ You snacked randomly and inconsistently often throughout the day; it was a bit of a bad habit. Half the time, you were so endorsed in your work, you didn't even pay much attention to whatever you ate.

･ SilverAsh would scold you a little everytime he caught you eating incorrectly, advising you to find time to eat a real meal so you didn't lose focus or get ill.

･ "Snacks again? My dear, you'll get sick if you keep your eating habits like that."

･ You always brushed it off though; you'd be fine, it wasn't like you were eating things that weren't edible.

･ Well, it was all fine, until you ate an old candy bar you found in between the cushions of the couch in your office. You were in a rush, and it was the only thing you had to eat. Without SilverAsh or anyone else around to scold you, you wolfed the whole thing down, going about your day afterward.

･ Though, in the middle of a conversation with Amiya just hours after you ate the candy bar, you had excused yourself suddenly, rushing off to the restroom nearby while clutching your stomach. SilverAsh had been across the meeting room, and lifted a brow when he caught a glimpse of you dashing off looking sick.

･ Wanting to make sure you were alright, he excused himself from his own conversation, taking off to go find you.

･ The restroom wasn't far down the hall. The Feline opened the door cautiously, calling out your name. "You took off rather suddenly, are you feeling well?" Concern was in his eyes when he didn't receive an amwser. Eyes narrowing, he headed further into the restrooms, knocking on the closed stall he presumed you were in. Calling you name again, all he heard in reply was small babbles.

･ Now worried, the Feline forced the door open without much warning, prepared to find you hurt or struggling to breathe - considering the sounds he heard.

･ Calling out your name again, he opened the stall door, eyes searching for you immediately. "My-.....dear?"

･ SilverAsh's tone fell quiet when his eyes came to a small lump on the ground made up of your jacket and something wiggling underneath it. He blinked at it for a moment, frozen in shock a bit. Snapping back to reality, he cautiously knelt down, pulling back your jacket, only for his eyes to widen ten fold.

･ Peeking up at him was a small, babbling little child. The Feline gaped a bit, shocked eyes staring into the little childs' curious ones. "How….-" As if he couldn't have had more surprise written on his face, his eyebrows shot up when the child smiled at him, and he immediately realized this little kid was you.

･ When you reached out to him, smiling wide and babbled out "Encio! Encio!", there wasn't any doubt.

･ Carefully, he picked you up, unsure on how to hold or carry a child, he tried his best to cradle you comfortably. Still processing the situation, he only snapped out of his shock when the restroom door opened, and Amiya peeked her head in. "Mr. SilverAsh? Is everything alrigh-" As soon as she laid eyes on him - or more specifically, who he was holding in his arms, her eyes shot open.

･ "D-Doctor?!"

･ In a blur, Amiya, SilverAsh, and little child you were in a medical room, standing before the small medical team that was Hibiscus, Ansel and Myrrh.

･ Hibiscus squealed, clapping excitedly, "Aren't they just adorable? Their eyes are so cute!!" Ansel, on the other hand, seemed interested in the fact that you had completely transformed from an adult back into a child, "Fascinating…." The only one who wasn't distracted entirely was Myrrh, who quickly asked SilverAsh how you turned into a child.

･ The Feline explained as best he could, a little stiff with you in his arms staring at everyone in the room with wide, curious eyes. Presenting the candy bar wrapper he had found on the restroom floor to Myrrh, she hummed a little, reading the packaging before making a small exclamation.

･ "This candy bar…it's long past expiry date." She pointed out. Ansel turned to her, "But that can't possibly be enough to turn someone into a child." Myrrh shook her head a bit, "No, I mean it's long past its expiry date. I'm…not even sure how the Doctor got their hands on it."

･ SilverAsh sighed a little, looking at you with a bit of an exhausted look. "My dear, must I approve everything you eat?" Amiya cut in, "Well, no matter how this happened. Do you think we can revert them back to normal?"

･ Myrrh bit her lip for a second, "We'll….have to run a few tests to determine what we should do. Is that okay with you, Mr. SilverAsh, Amiya?"

･ The Feline nodded slowly, "Be careful with them." With that, he handed you to a beaming Hibiscus, who tapped your nose happily as soon as she had you in her arms. Your eyes turned back to SilverAsh from over her shoulder, and with one last little "Encio?" from you, Hibiscus followed Myrrh and Ansel to the testing rooms, carrying you with her.

･ They didn't take long - no more than an hour later, the trio of Medics came out from the room, Hibiscus carrying you in her arms. Smiling at you one last time, she handed you to SilverAsh, who thanked her quietly, trying to make sure you were comfortable in his arms.

･ Myrrh explained their results as best she could while you occupied yourself with nibbling on the beaded pendant in SilverAsh's hair, "It's a temporary effect, probably caused by the expired snack they ate….but it will go away with some time, it looks like. If they're not back to normal by tomorrow, we'll talk with someone with more experience." In an upbeat tone, Hibiscus added in, "Proper supervision is recommended! Just look after them and they should be alright."

･ Amiya and SilverAsh nodded in understanding. Amiya spoke up, "Mr. SilverAsh, will you be alright with looking after the Doctor today? I would do it myself, but I have another important meeting I have to attend…." The Feline was a little shocked still, but you were just a child, he could definitely manage looking after you. Besides, the rest of his schedule was relatively clear anyways, so he didn't have anywhere urgent to be. "Very well. They will be my responsibility."

･ Thanking the Medics and exchanging a few more words with SilverAsh, Amiya was off, leaving the Feline with you. He turned to you, sighing a little when he found you with his beaded pendant in your mouth. "My dear, you should be more aware of what you putting in your mouth." Moving the pendant away from you, he brushed your cheek ith his thumb gently, smiling just a little when you cooed at him. "Not everything is edible."

･ He could spend his time leisurely while he looked after you, but he had no doubt that he'd run into people that would see you in his arms and immediately make a fuss. Unfortunately, as soon as he began walking down the hallway to go to his room, he turned a corner only to run right into a familiar pair of Felines.

･ Cliffheart and Pramanix; both quieting down when they saw their brother. Cliffheart smiled cheekily, and Pramanix prepared to excuse herself, but they both froze in their tracks when they saw the child in their siblings' arms.

･ Cliffheart gasped loudly, "'Cio, when did you have a kid?! I know you're intent on making sure our bloodline doesn't die out, but whoa, you and the Doctor aren't even married yet!!" Pramanix lifted a brow, leaning down to look at you. "That isn't a random child…that looks like the Doctor." Another loud gasp left her sister, "Did they go back in time?!"

･ Sighing, SilverAsh cut in, "They were being careless, so now they're going to be in the body of a child for some time." The Feline looked at you, lifting a brow when he found you trying to reach for the fluffy ears on his head, "I've been entrusted to look after them until they turn back to normal."

･ A little shocked, Cliffheart patting her brother on the back with a laugh, "Well, I guess now you can figure out if you're good with children or not!" After some more teasing remarks, Pramanix ushered her sister away, leaving SilverAsh to return to his journey to his room.

･ The Feline sighed a bit at his sisters words; you were just a child, of course he'd be able to manage you. He would be able to do his work and make sure you were alright with no problem.

･ Or rather, that's what he was hoping for.

･ Unfortunately, SilverAsh wasn't familiar with how to take care of children. He did have pets, but other people took care of them in his absence.

･ His room had enough space for both him and yourself, but he hadn't anticipated for you to be unbelievably energetic; you were unable to stop yourself from trying to climb up bookcases or tables - SilverAsh almost had a heart attack when you were about to run right into one of the sharp corners of his desk.

･ Checking you to make sure you hadn't gotten hurt, he stopped you from running about any further, "My dear, settle down. Must you be such a handful?" He attempted, scooping you in his arms and placing you in his lap. You made a few babyish noises, pouting. Sighing, the Feline reached around and took his tail in his hand, before offering the fluffy tip to you. "Here we are, pass the time with this, won't you?" Your eyes lit up with stars, and SilverAsh laughed gently when you took the end of fluffy tail in your small hands; all your focus to it. Patting your head carefully, the Feline returned to his work, fully convinced you'd play with his tail until you fell asleep.

･ After only an hour and a half of being in his lap, you squirmed your way off. SilverAsh allowed you; you seemed more calm now, what was the worst that could happen?

･ That was what he thought until he heard the door to his room open, followed by quick, rapid footsteps. His eyes widened, and he turned around only to find you were nowhere in sight. In an instant, he was up from his chair and rushing out of his room, calling your name as he looked up and down the hall. Letting out a sigh, the Feline took a deep breath before setting off to go find you. You were just a child, you couldn't have gone far.

･ He began getting worried when he couldn't find you after minutes of searching and calling your name, but fortunately, he saw a familiar Feline holding you in her arms standing at the door of his room when he had returned after circling around the hallway.

･ It was Pramanix, shushing you and calming you down. She silently returned you to SilverAsh once he was close enough. Nodding, he hid his relief and thanked her a little formally. He expected her to excuse herself right after, but to his surprise, she spoke up hesitantly, "They're probably hungry. Have you gotten them something to eat?"

･ SilverAsh blinked, looking to you to find you pouting a little and cooing out mumbles. He hadn't realized how hard it was to communicate with children, he wasn't sure how to tell if you were hungry or not, but it was likely that you were. Since that cursed candy bar, you hadn't eaten anything.

･ He nodded at his sister, "I will try that. Thank you." She bowed her head, taking her leave after saying a quick, "Good luck".

･ Once she was gone, the Feline looked to you, tilting your chin up and sighing, "My dear, you will owe me for all of this hassle you're causing me."

･ SilverAsh managed to find Myrrh and asked her about what he should feed you. She was able to provide him a small jar of sliced fruit, which would probably satisfy you for now.

･ Taking you back to his room - and making sure to lock the door this time, he sat you down at the small table he had and began feeding you.

･ You were definitely hungry; you ate the fruit eagerly until it was all gone. Afterwards, however, you were fast asleep. SilverAsh sighed in relief, picking you up and cradling you in his arms. "It's about time, my dear."

･ Letting you sleep on his shoulder, he wrote out his paperwork with his free hand. You slept through the afternoon, and before he knew it, the sun was down. Yawning just slightly, he signed his last document, before looking toward you to see you still fast asleep on his shoulder. He smiled softly, standing from his chair and sitting on his bed with you in his arms. He blinked as you stirred awake for a moment, but when he placed the tip of his tail in your hands, you hugged it a little like a plush toy and went back to sleep. SilverAsh patted your head, relaxing, "You've caused us quite a day, my dear."

･ He too fell asleep in no time, leaning against the headboard of his bed, holding you in his arms.

･ When he awoke, it was to you shifting in his arms the next morning. When he opened his eyes, he was surprised to find that he was holding a fully grown you in his arms. You were back to normal. His tail was still in your hands, and your head still rested on his shoulder.

･ He laughed a bit, relieved you were back to normal. Tilting your chin, he left a kiss on the corner of your lips. "I sincerely hope that whenever we have children, they'll have less energy as you did." You weren't awake, so you didn't pick up anything he said, but at that moment he knew he would look forward to every day he spent with you, even if you were a bit of a hassle.

HELLAGUR

･ Hellagur didn't know much about medicine, but he knew enough to know that it wasn't supposed to explode into smoke, much less turn people into children.

･ So, when he stopped to talk with you in one of the labs, he didn't pay much attention to the beaker you seemed to be mixing odd substances in. Well, that is until it bursted into a poof of oddly coloured mist out of nowhere.

･ Panic was immediate; the others working in the lab jolted or yelled in surprise as your form disappeared in the cloud of smoke your beaker had created.

･ Hellagur called your name, the smoke beginning to thin into the air and disappear. He was prepared to protect you or go after your assailant if this was some sort of assassination attempt, but none of those were the least of his worries when he saw what was left where you had been standing.

･ Bundled on the ground was your trusty Rhodes Island jacket, with a small moving lump under it. The beaker was shattered on the floor nearby, spilling that odd looking liquid on the floor.

･ Before he could advance any further, a panicked lab worker stepped in, "General, just a second please! That smoke just now could've been toxic, you should leave the area right no-"

･ The worker stopped mid sentence when a small coo came from the bundle in the floor, and their eyes shot open wide when a small head peaked out from under the sleeves of your coat. Hellagur's face mimicked their own as he laid eyes on the small figure crawling out from under your coat.

･ 'A….A child?'

･ The lab worker was in pure shock, and so was he when the mystery child turned their head and looked toward them. It was only then that he realized the child was in fact you.

･ Moving past the lab worker, Hellagur knelt to the ground cautiously, catching your attention. The Liberi called your name slowly, blinking when you stared back at him with big, doe eyes, a smile coming to your little face. In a babyish voice, you exclaimed out to him, "Hel-gur!"

･ There was no doubt; it was you. The only difference was you were a child.

･ Admittedly, that was a very, very big difference.

･ Carefully, he picked you up in his arms, wrapping your jacket around your small form like a blanket. You seemed just fine, no injuries and you didn't seem ill.

- in fact, you were alert, and curiously pulled at his hair as soon as you were in his arms.

･ "Huh." His heart swelled a bit at your behaviour, but there was an elephant in the room he had to address.

･ By then, the lab worker had snapped from their shock, and quickly rambled on about how they had to get you to a medical professional immediately.

･ Hellagur compiled, not exactly in any place to disagree, and soon he was following the panicked worker down the halls as they looked for someone who could help.

･ You were calm in his arms, thankfully. Looking this way and that with your wide eyes, you simply rested on his shoulder without any complaining.

･ It didn't take long before they were able to find Warfarin in an office nearby.

･ The lab worker awkwardly waved their arm to catch the Medics attention. "M-Ms. Warfarin?" The Sarkaz spared them a small glace, waving her hand a little dismissively, "Just a minute, the Doctor asked me to get these to them as soon as I-" Warfarin came to a complete stop when her eyes fell to you - well, child you, in Hellagur's arms.

･ Her lips formed into an 'o', and her eyebrows shot up. "Ah."

･ Cutting in, Hellagur explained what had happened as best he could, and once he was done, Warfarin let out a long sigh, blinking a bit. "Geez…I told the Doctor not to mess with medicine, it always bites back."

･ Hellagur cleared this throat a bit, looking back to you gently, "I'm aware this situation is a little outlandish, but we should begin with a course of action." The Liberi couldn't help much, considering his medical knowledge wasn't exactly extensive, but you couldn't possibly stay a child forever.

･ Warfarin snapped from her shock, nodding, "Ah, yes. Come on, let's start with drawing some blood." Dismissing the lab worker - which they seemed very thankful for, the Sarkaz motioned for Hellagur to follow, still staring at you with a lifted brow.

･ The tests were quick and simple; it seemed as long as Hellagur was nearby you wouldn't fuss up.

･ After reviewing the information she had gathered, Warfarin turned to Hellagur, her lips pursed, "Well, good news is this…effect is temporary and harmless. They'll probably return back to being an adult tomorrow." She looked to you, sighing a bit as you stared back with curious eyes, "Bad news is, I can't reverse the effects of whatever they did immediately. So we're just going to have to wait until it wears off. They'll be stuck as a child for a day."

･ Hellagur nodded, "I understand. Whose care would they be best under for the time being?" At his question, Warfarin hummed a bit, looking at you and him, before she shrugged, "Actually, General, could you look after them for today?"

･ Hellagur lifted a brow slowly, "I should look after them?" The Sarkaz shrugged a bit again, "Just look, they're well behaved when you're carrying them like that, and that isn't really surprising. If you're not too busy, I think it would be best if you watched them until they're back to normal." With that, she turned back to her computer screen, waiting for his reply.

･ "Hm. I see." The Liberi made a small hum, his eyes turning to you as he adjusted his arms. You made a small exclamation, grabbing a lock of his hair and occupying yourself with it. A light smile came to his face, and he brushed his fingers on your cheek for a moment, sighing.

･ Catching Warfarin's attention as he stood, Hellagur nodded, "They'll be safe with me, I'll look after them."

･ With that, Warfarin was off to go inform Amiya and get to work to see if she could possibly find some way to get you back to normal quicker.

･ Hellagur didn't mind putting his other duties on hold to look after you. He had a soft spot for children, and he had an even bigger soft spot for you. Carrying you around wasn't a big deal, and quite frankly, he didn't intend on letting you leave his sight.

･ The Liberi kept to quiet places for most of the day, aware that those at Rhodes Island would cause a commotion in no time once they saw the state you were in. He knew you probably had lots of energy, but it wasn't safe for a child to be running around a place like Rhodes Island.

･ Warfarin was definitely right when she said you were calm and well behaved so long as it was him carrying you. During the rest of the morning as he walked around and attended to business around the facility, you didn't cause trouble not even once, too occupied with trying to eat his hair or trying to reach the feathers on his head.

･ Hellagur might have grown a little cold because of war, but he was gentle and good with children nevertheless, and it showed while he took care of you.

･ He'd gently pry his hair from your hands whenever he'd feel you tugging on it, usually smiling softly and speaking a lighthearted remark, "Doctor, you shouldn't put things in your mouth so carelessly."

･ Sometimes you'd exclaim out gibberish like "Hel-gur!" in your babyish voice, which forced a smile out of him.

･ He brought you along with him to the library in the afternoon, letting you stay on his arm as he read his books and went over whatever papers he had to. It was a little hard to focus with you making small noises and gibberish coos now and then, but soon enough, you were fast asleep. Hellagur blinked, laughing just a little at how your face was pressed to his shoulder.

･ "Haha…being alert is important, but aren't you adorable?" He spoke quietly, unable to contain his smile.

･ When you woke up, he took a break between his work to stop and find a nice fairytale that he could read to you. Hellagur wasn't sure if you understood what he was saying, but you seemed to enjoy looking at the pictures in the books and listening to his voice.

･ Of course, the worlds in the fairytale books were just fantasy, but with you, he believed there was a world like that awaiting everyone in the future.

･ Though it seemed impossible, he was able to keep unnecessary attention away. The only one who really knew what had happened besides him, Warfarin, and a few of the lab staff was Amiya, and occasionally she stopped by to make sure he was doing alright.

･ Even she could admit you were quite adorable.

･ "They're so small…" Amiya commented with a small grin, lifting her finger and giggling lightly when you tugged on it. Hellagur grinned a little, nodding in agreement. "Adorable, aren't they?"

･ When you needed to, you were surprisingly good at communicating with Hellagur.

･ "Hel-gur!" He paused his walking and turned to you, "Hm?" Wearing a small pout, you spoke again, "Can-y! Can-y!"

･ It took him a second to figure out what you wanted, but when he did, the Liberi laughed a bit, taking a second to place you down before kneeling in front of you, "You want candy? It's quite late for sweets, but I have a few left." Reaching into one of his pockets, he pulled a single colourful wrapped candy out and presented it to you carefully. Smiling at how your eyes lit up, he placed it in your small palm and patted your head, "Beware of cavities."

･ You had been so well behaved that he barely realized the day had gone by. Soon enough, it was nighttime. After Warfarin's approval, Hellagur brought you to your room, close to midnight while you were fast asleep - or was in the midst of doing so, at least.

･ Halfway down the hall, you shifted in his hold, and in an instant the Liberi felt a bit more weight in his arms. "Huh-?"

･ Calling your name quietly, his eyes widened in shock a bit when he discovered he was now carrying a fully grown you - you had turned back to normal.

･ Mumbling, you rubbed your eyes, peeking up at him. "Hellagur…? What happened?" He shushed you, readjusting his hold on you before placing a gentle kiss on the crown of your head. "There will be time to explain, but your day has been far too eventful as is. Return to sleeping." With that, you were fast asleep again, head resting on his shoulder.

･ That same warm smile came to his face again, 'Even without the face of a child…you don't cease being adorable.'

･ His heartstrings tugged. Even if you weren't in the form of a small child, you were still the most precious and most adorable thing to him, and he silently promised to protect you no matter what form you took.

[suffering-and-happy-about-it]

death bed (coffee for your head) (Peter Parker's iPod, Part 8.)

Description: Blip was hard. Dating MJ was a pleasure in Parker’s life, so it was even harder when she told him that things aren’t working as she anticipated - one month before college. Although they remained friends. But Peter isn’t too sure if he can handle liking yet another girl.

Part Summary: The line between Peter being Peter and Peter being your Speedy Gonzales starts to get more thin and blurry for Peter when he’s around you. And with that a realization starts to come up in his head - shouldn’t he just told you? Because that situation was getting f-up with each passing minute.

A/N: Actually, this the most suiting song for Peter I’ve heard so far. I can just imagine him sitting on the rooftop, dressed as Peter as he looks down and takes photos of romantic sunsets and nature. 

Word count: 2.8 K

Tagging: @fanboyswhereare-you, @lukesbabylon, @eridanuswave​

Master list: H E R E

Just as Peter closed the window to his room quietly, not waking May up, the rain behind started pouring down and one of the big spring thunders came by. But the boy didn't care about the bolts of lightenings hitting the city beside him - he was slowly sliding down the wall as he smiled dreamily with his eyes closed. Peter kissed you. And you kissed him back. That was a stretch to say... But it happened like that in general.

As promised, he called Ned once he put the suit back to its box. When he heard as the phone called Ned's number, Peter laid down on his bed, looking into the ceiling, starting his computer to watch a movie. Pete already knew that with the taste and feel your lips on his mind, he wouldn't be able to fall asleep. And boy oh boy, Ned could tell something happened between you two as he heard Peter's first long, dreamy sigh.

"Tell me everything because you'd tell me anyway. Did she do the sushi as thought she would?" - Ned asked excitedly. It was clear that Ned's still sick, but this was a once in a lifetime occasion. No matter how much about to die Ned felt, he refused to go to sleep before Peter tells him everything.

"And sandwiches. She prepared the two things she cooks the best and I think she was trying to impress the other guy." - Peter told him in response and really, there was nothing for Ned to deny. Y/N's sandwiches were one of the best in the whole Queens. You always told the party that you prepared every piece of food you only with love - you put your heart on the plate. No wonder that you tried to impress even Spider-Man with these two everyone's all-time favorites.

"How did the whole thing even went? You sound like if it went good and I'm all ears." - Ned encouraged Peter, which was the moment that brought him back to reality a bit. It felt as if he had a split personality disorder - one of them kissed you and the other one was just told: "No, I don't want to date you". Well, you didn't explicitly said that you didn't want to have anything with Peter, but you said that you don't exactly think that he's a relationship option for you.

"Well, to say it how it is, she told me that... I think she doesn't feel the same way about Peter." - Peter said honestly, putting his hand on his chest while he waited for Netflix to launch on his old notebook. Ned hummed understandingly.

"And you left right after, is that right? There's possibly nothing else you could do." - Ned asked worriedly, but when his friend just shut up for a pretty long time, Ned knew that Peter didn't leave you on the rooftop. - "Peter, what on Earth did you do?"

"You're going to freak out when I tell you. And I don't want to listen to that." - Peter sighed and chose some dumb teenage show he could watch in the meantime. Ned sighed as well and thought for a while that maybe, just maybe, Peter might've gone insane and all with this plan.

"I kissed her." - Parker admitted more quietly, sighing dreamily once again. Ned knew that something like this would happen over time. You got in the phase when you were slowly starting to date Spider-Man, which was great on one side, but Peter was left behind. If Ned's dumb best friend chooses to continue with this insane relationship, there will be one day when he will have to tell you everything. Who is he, why did he tried to win you over as Spidey and not as Peter, or why did he kept these theatrics and game on for such a long time...

And Ned knew that this moment will be brutal once it arrives - he knew you and your nature, he knew how Peter was like... And when all the three worlds (his, yours and Spider-Man's) will collide, the results will destroy both you and Peter probably.

"Peter..." - Ned said silently with his eyes closed, but he knew that by telling him how much of a shitty thing he's up to won't help no-one. So the last topic Ned was asking about the kiss. - "Were you as bad as you were with MJ or did you scored this time?"

"Hey. Not fair, MJ was my first official kiss since kindergarten and it wasn't as terrific as she tells everyone. But I pretty much scored with Y/N today. This was a home run when it comes to a kiss." - Peter patted his shoulder with his words. And to both his and Neds wonder, he drifted off during the phone call, because the excitement just tired Peter to death.

When he met you the other day in school, you were looking like a fairy. That day, you wore a high-waisted jean skirt, a white short-sleeved t-shirt with sunflowers printed on it and a denim jacket. And just for the fun, you even put a flower headdress into a messy hairstyle. Jesus, Peter had never seen someone looking so ridiculously good in such normal clothes.

"Are you fine?" - You nudged his side with your elbow carefully when everyone sat in the cafeteria to have lunch before the afternoon classes. MJ on the other side of the table had a TEDx Talk with Ned, who was finally feeling better and Betty, about the modern society and what grossed her out this time, which you didn't listen since you were stealing lettuce from Ned's tortilla. For a reason, Ned didn't like lettuce, so you almost always all of it. - "I mean, you've been staring into the ragu for more than ten minutes and I don't exactly think that staring would make it warmer, you know?" - You asked before you opened your lips wide as you tried to get the phone out of your backpack.

"I found this meme before I went to sleep and I don't know If I was sleep-deprived or bullshit like that, but it reminded me of you." - You mumbled and searched through your gallery, clearly waiting for Peter to lean over your shoulder as he always did. That was when the thing line between his Spider-Man personality and Peter one started to blur for a second.

Peter almost leaned his palm directly behind your bottom - he, obviously didn't mean to do to harass you, but he needed to support his upper body. In the last minute, he fetched the arm back to his lap - you, thanks to God, didn't notice it. Spider-Man was way further in a so-called relationship with you but even him still couldn't do that. And you would just smack the living fuck out of Peter if he accidentally touched your butt. He just knew that you would.

He leaned closer, furrowing while reading the text which would be completely illogical for May - but it made Peter and Ned both laugh.

"Are you seriously going through memes on the other table again? You don't even listen to why the dude touched my boob." - MJ looked at the three of you grinning. You pretended that you're not even there and slowly put your phone on the table again before looking at MJ and Betty.

"The council has found a meme that can potentially be called the champion and we needed to judge it." - Ned answered MJ with all seriousness and you snorted to your palm as you hid the laughter in front of MJ. The whole meme thing was happening since New Year's Eve - you were looking for any kind of meme and you all were allowed to have three champions that will fight for the title of the meme of the year. And you had your first now and honestly, it was a killer.

"I think it passed the trial." - Peter rose his eyebrows at Ned and watched you laughing. That made him smile happily as well - just watching as you closed your eyes, trying to behave as an adult. But then, when you looked at Peter and his wrist, your eyes almost popped out. You grabbed his watch and looked at the time. Then suddenly, you started to pack abruptly.

"I didn't know its this late, guys. I have a consultation with Miss Crankypants and you know how cranky she can get once you come late." - You mumbled and put a strap of your backpack on your shoulder. Miss Crankypants, her name wasn't Crankypants, was your math teacher and you were lost when it came to math. So sometimes, when even Peter couldn't help you with the problems, you had consultations, since both you and she didn't want to spend your summer meeting up to write another exam.

"You two, see you in the evening?" - You pointed at Peter and Ned. You were talking about a Twilight marathon, a long time ago, and since MJ and Betty wanted to try out a PowerPoint presentation and you didn't want to look at that mess honestly. You, therefore, chose to hang out at May’s and you planned to show them, why Bella should've chosen Jacob and show the boys that Twilight wasn't as bad as they remembered it.

"Yeah." - Ned nodded and Peter just smiled, since the hangout was at his place this time.

"I'll bring popcorn!" - You yelled all over the cafeteria as you ran to the consultation with Miss Crankypants. May allegedly hade some kind of date, so you were free to do as you wanted at their place. Which was an ideal evening for a Twilight Saga in your opinion? You gathered on the smallest couch - and since Ned wasn't exactly a small guy, you had to scoop more close to Peter, which Ned knew - that was why he made himself comfortable. Just when Bella got hit with the volleyball ball, you put the popcorn on the table, making both the boy track their looks to you. You had enough of Ned’s bullshit.

"A), I'm feeling cold so Imma snatch one of your hoodies, Parker and B) Ned, I know that cosplaying Pac Man was your secret dream since you were small, but what is enough, that is enough. Scoop somewhere else, dude, I can't even sit like a normal human being."  - You got up and went to Peters's room when you not only snatched his hoodies since you forgot to bring yours but also changed into your old, favorite sweatpants.

Ned looked knowingly at blushing Peter - this much body contact was about to kill him. And Ned never fled from the battleground. Which you understood at soon as you got back, watching Bella and Edwards rather awkward conversation and Ned still occupied more than half of the couch.

"'ight, Peter, thank Ned for making you this uncomfortable because someone's an asshat today and I don't have any other option." - You mumbled with portrayed drama as you climbed between them, leaning your feet into neds thigh as you laid down on the other boy's lap. And dear lord, you never noticed how firm these were. And when you turned around to ask him for a pillow, you caught these hazel marbles watching you intensely as his cheeks blushed. And you had to repeat the question since Peter's brain went for immediate, automatic shutdown. Not only you looked gorgeous in that hoodie, but you were also laying on his lap... Almost as if... As if you did it every day.

"Will you give me the pillow, please? These bad boys are pretty tough, not a healthy neck support." - You laughed at that sight because Peter just looked utterly cute at that moment, your fingers pointing at his thighs. Peter just smiled back and gave you the pillow, not touching any other part of you. You made it to the end of Breaking Dawn Part One when Ned had fallen asleep and started to snort fucking loudly.

As gently as you could, you woke him up and made him go to sleep on the mattress Peter prepared him in his room. And since Ned was delusional once he fell asleep, so naturally, Peter filmed the whole conversion between you and him and laughed in the background as a little kid doing something mean. In the end, Ned was sleeping safe and sound and you made sure that Parker can still walk to his bed.

You caught Peter looking into his phone as you walked back to the living room, but he almost immediately put it away when he sat you sitting down - and even if you could now stretch all you wanted, you still laid down your head on his thighs, searching for the remote controller.

"Are you up for Part two or do you want to go to sleep?" - You asked before you pressed play. In case Peter felt tired, you still could watch the movie alone. No matter how early you all had to get up the next morning, you were strong enough to finish the movie night

"I'm good." - Peter said less cautiously, not realizing that he's peter now - so he put his arm around your shoulder to hold you a bit closer. You didn't mind him at all. You were overall passionate and PDA person - you were hugging MJ all the time no matter how hard she was cringing at that, sometimes you jumped on Peter’s back and let him carry you around the campus, sometimes you entwined your fingers with Betty when you walked down the hall or your elbow with Ned’s when he was beside you. You snuggled everyone, especially when they had a bad day. it was just platonic and from these occasions, you had the nicest photos - you especially loved the one where you pretended that Peter’s your Trojan horse as he carried you around the campus while you heatedly screamed ’Death to Troya!’.

So a hand over your shoulder? That was something you ignored completely.

You got to the point where Bella threw Jacob out of the house when you turned on your back, letting Peter’s arm reamin around your shoulder, now thrown over your collarbone. You looked him in the eyes and smiled.

"You seem weird, Parker. I wanted to ask you a few days back actually, but never got the chance." - You smiled, looking him in the face. Peter's cheeks blushed, it was basically automatic at that point, as he nodded for you to continue. - "You like someone, don't you?" - You closed your eyes a bit, giving him one of the sick smiles. You wanted to know everything - who was she, how did he meet her and if he's going to ask her out and other stuff like that. At that, Peter chuckled before he nodded.

"Is it Bethany from chemistry classes? Or Mary Jane from your physics theory classes? I need to know everything." - You got out with a chuckle. What would you do if he just told you? Just like that? That he's into you and that he's coming to see you in the suit? Instead, he chose a different strategy.

"All I gotta say is that I have someone on my mind. But because you can't keep any secrets, I'm not going to tell you who it is." - He said and laughed when you hit his arm with your palm as you started to laugh. Damn, how beautiful could you get? Because Peter could see that as more and more time passed, you were more and more pretty.

"Suck it, Parker!" - You laughed, then put your palm over his forearm as you bit your lip. - "I'm seeing someone as well now. It’s going great... And because I don't want Betty and MJ to know tomorrow as soon as you meet them at the campus, Imma not telling you who it is." - You sad proudly and turned to the movie again. Peter actually closed his eyes in frustration, knowing damn well who you were talking about.

And basically, that was how you both fell asleep while the whole super-cool scene with vampires going after each other. And that was how found you, tugging at least you into the blanket. You had your head on his thighs, hugging the pillow with both your arms while Peter sat on the couch, basically broken in his back, leaning into his palm while the other one supported his head.

What the hell was he supposed to do now?

[tahanismoved]

sometimes adults act like children. (rant)

i hope the people in question never find this.

tw // cursing, slurs and words

my parents are fully grown yet they act like newborn fucking children. they have so many whims and tempers that i tolerate on a dAILY BASIS. I TRY TO UNDERSTAND THEM but do you fucking know how hard it is. they just don’t understand that their kids matter too. it’s stupid. 

if i said this to them they’d probably get really mad at me + i don’t have much followers atm so nobody will see this unless i get big, ever. but hope nobody stalks me. it’s just that, both of them think they’re so self important and so self centred that nobody can defy them YET they can go against everything everyone says like they’re always right. fuck it you’re not the prime minister so just shut your ass up and deal with life.

both of you are so consumed with lessons that you don’t have time for your children. or at least you assume your older kid doesn’t need love, you devote all your time for her brother and just leave her alone to fucking rot and die. fuck it i want love too i just don’t say it out loud because he needs it more than i do. i wish we could go back to the way things were, when everyone appreciated and loved each other before quarantine before we were all glued to our mfing devices.

you were the one who taught me to screen record and how to use a macbook. now when you have lessons it’s like the holy grail you cant be disturbed. every fucking night he wants you to put him to bed but YOU CANT BECAUSE YOUR LESSONS WHICH YOU CAN SCREEN RECORD ARE WAY TOO IMPORTANT. instead i have to deal with shit that life throws at me. you are being used as a threat in our household, when we need people to cooperate we say that we’ll call you to come out and they do. DO YOU KNOW HOW SCARED PEOPLE ARE OF YOU? just because you’re the self claimed head of the household (bloody hell i dont think the bible says so as you claim, the head of the household is the one who naturally gains respect not demands it) doesnt mean everyone has to bow down to you. respect is earned not demanded which is what you said to me. what have you done in this family to earn our respect? besides threatening me with the prospect of divorce to shut my hell up and not say anything about what you did? just because you didn’t slap me doesn’t give me no reason to cry over what you called me. the r slur is not okay as i learned from experience. it’s not okay to call me a f*ggot either, i’m thirteen and that word is UNACCEPTABLE especially for someone who definitely is not one, and hell you don’t even know the meaning of the word.

and you. you think that showering us with your, quote, unconditional love, can override all the things you’ve done in fits of anger. you think it’s okay to just get mad and forget about it. it’s not. you made me learn the hard way that what you say impacts people yet you don’t practice what you preach. don’t care if i used the phrase wrongly whatever. suddenly it becomes okay to make the whole family sit through a lecture even you don’t appreciate. it becomes okay to lecture your children about mobile phone use when half the time during family movie night you’re using your phone to check facebook. what, may i ask, is so entertaining that you had to keep laughing during scenes in inferno? what, may i ask, grabs your attention away from a movie that you demanded the whole family watch, that you chose? what, may i ask, deprives others of the ability to speak out for ourselves just because you are living in this self righteous world you built for yourself?

what does love mean? what is family to you? is it this weird, warped mystic of four people living under one roof and eating together? quarantine has never made people more apart. i barely see you off of a screen. he wants to play trains with you but you say no. anything that he wants to play you say no, until he wants to watch the magic school bus and you start lecturing him about how bad tv is and tell him to go play legos or some toys... maybe trains? do you hear how ludicrous you are? your office mandated hours are 9 to 6 and at 10pm, chatting in “office informal chat group”, you deem it work and refuse to play with your little child, whom you gave birth to so that we’d have more peace and reconciliation in the family.

i hate to bottle up my feelings like this because it makes me very mad. it’s not nice for me to open up on social media but i can’t say it anywhere. stop saying you want to treat me like an adult if you yourself behave like a little kid. you yell when things don’t go your way. you are inflexible. you don’t appreciate us as humans, more as chess pieces in your game. lastly, i don’t feel the love you have for us. our family is going to be broken up soon and i won’t regret it honestly. i have a contingency plan in mind and have notified whoever needs to be notified. i have friends who will help me along the way. i don’t need you very honestly. i have cousins. uncles, aunts and grandparents. they all know that our family is fragile and they’ll be there for me. and honestly i’m scared. you think i’m a badass that i don’t cry but that’s just the side i choose to show. i don’t open up because i’m scared of telling others about my feelings. i’m scared of being vulnerable. because what once was that small, innocent girl in the corner, is now gone. she’s dead just like everything i have for you. all my respect and trust is dead. while there’s still some love and hope left there’s not much to go around. whenever it’s gone, it’s gone. you’ll know it’s gone.

i really don’t like to do this. everyone will see this. and i’m scared. but i have to. these are the only people and friends i have. some people are even family to me. i hope that if you know i’m talking about you, you’ll always be there for me to support me and love me. i don’t wanna @ you openly here, but i’ll tag you in the tags so you will know.

i’m sick and tired of all this drama and shit that happens on a daily basis. i just want happiness in this family. moreover, i’m sick and tired of you.

[cutesuki--bakugou]

Ancient Soul

Time Travel, Quirkless, Feudal Japan AU

“Your soul does not belong here.” Those were words you never thought that you would hear. Now, thrown into the past in feudal Japan, you must find a way to survive, all while struggling to avoid the growing feelings for one hot-headed war general. War, romance, death and love drive you forward, to find the place where your soul truly belongs.

Bakugou Katsuki x Fem!Reader

Want to start from be beginning? Check the Ancient Soul tag. New chapters released every Wednesday as long as schedule permits.

Genre: Romance / Angst Story Rating: Explicit | Adult Themes, Sex, Death, Depictions of Violence, Alcohol

Chapter 3: Travel Begins

Chapter Rating: Teen | Cursing Words: 3481

All you could do was stand by silently as the group around you prepped for departure. Arms still tied and now tethered to a tree, there was no one exactly watching you, but you could still feel the piercing gaze of the General. This Bakugou was a tall man, brawny and intimidating. From what you had seen so far, he perfectly matched the description of a leader of an army from this era, or the era you thought they were trying to depict. These people had to be reenactors of some kind or maybe activists who believed in the old ways. Whatever the case may be, they were extremely convincing, and that didn’t just include the way they acted. 

Their clothing, equipment, mannerisms, and speech all matched what you had just recently learned in class, and from just being a resident in Japan. The biggest thing that struck you as odd was that you could have sworn you recognized the name ‘Bakugou’ as if it were something you had read somewhere before. Maybe this guy was trying to imitate a famous officer, taking to his role more seriously than what was probably necessary. The shattered remains of your phone before you only heightened your annoyance at these actors, and you hoped that they were represented by someone who could either give you money for it or replace it in general. 

He wasn’t the only one to be taking this all so seriously. This Tsuyu woman was just as serious, currently stroking down the length of a black horses muzzle, whispering to it sweetly as the enormous creature towered over her. The tiny woman that took you down couldn’t be more than five foot tall, yet you imagined that she could hold her own against any of the men here. In total, you counted six people, two of them being women. You hoped that perhaps they would show you some sympathy, maybe even let you go to return to your friends while the leaders weren’t looking. You hoped but knew it was unlikely. 

Your attention was pulled away from Tsuyu as laughter erupted from two of the other men, one with spiked red hair and the other with messy yellow locks. They both seemed cheerful and friendly, nothing like the grump of a man that stood a ways away from them, adjusting the reigns on his beautiful palomino horse. The mare was impatiently stomping her hooves into the ground, and you thought for a moment that they seemed like the perfect pair. He seemed so gentle with her, talking softly to calm her obvious annoyance and running his hand along the length of her strong neck. It was… cute. 

“What is your name.” Tsuyu addressed you as she approached, leading her horse forward by the reigns. Tearing your eyes away from Bakugou, you looked at her before back at the horse, finding yourself horribly intimidated by its size. 

“It’s… [F/n] [L/n].” 

“Well, [L/n], we are prepared to travel now. You will be riding on my sweet Yonaka. He will watch you closely.” Tsuyu gave the horse a gentle pat on the neck, and you couldn’t help but give a small jump as the huge animal snorted in response to his name. Every inch of the horse was pitch black with just a hint of blue in the areas that were touched by the sun. A magnificent warhorse to be sure, and the thought of riding such a creature made you nervous. 

“H-he’s beautiful but… why are you giving me a horse to ride? Aren’t I… a prisoner? I could just use him to get away.” You shuffled nervously on your feet as Tsuyu walked behind you, untying the rope that kept you tethered to the tree. 

“That’s not possible. We aren’t going to be untying your arms, and Yonaka will not follow instruction from anyone but myself and General Bakugou. He’s the most well behaved of the group. You can try to control him, but you’ll quickly see that he’d rather throw you off than listen to you. Come.” Tsuyu took you by the upper arm, leading you over to the side. This horse was at least seventeen hands tall and how Tsuyu expected you to get on without the use of your arms was something you couldn’t quite comprehend. 

“How do I… I mean, I don’t think I can get myself up without arms.” 

“Well--” Before Tsuyu could answer your question, Bakugou came around the front of the horse, glaring down at the two of you in obvious annoyance. 

“I said it’s time to move out, get your ass on the horse.” He hissed at you, reaching up to stroke the cheek of the animal as Yonaka sniffed his hair, nearly his entire muzzle vanishing within the fluffy blonde depths. Once again, he seemed so kind to the horse, though his words sounded like nothing but venom. You couldn’t help but to glower up at him in frustration, finding that your exhausted state shortened your patience significantly. 

“I would if my arms weren’t tied. I can’t exactly pull myself up, can I- EEK!” A shriek left your lips as you were suddenly swept off your feet, your flailing body hoisted up onto the horse with ease. Bakugou’s strength shocked you in that moment as he got you settled into place on the saddle, needing very little adjustment from you, apart from swinging your leg over to the opposite side so you were sitting appropriately. “Y-You could have warned me!” 

One strong hand still firmly on your thigh, Bakugou took it upon himself to tie your rope to the horse. You couldn’t stop the violent blush that ravaged your cheeks, finding that his touch embarrassed you greatly. Sure, you weren’t exactly new to a man touching you, but you had never quite had the attention of a man this attractive. Even if that attention was to throw you up onto a horse with no regard for your opinion. 

“If I hear you even try to give a single command to this horse, regardless of the fact that he won’t listen, then I will kill you. Any attempt to flee or yell out will be the same punishment. Do you understand me, Demon?” Bakugou ignored your complaint, his glare making your stomach race violently. You didn’t doubt for a second that he meant every word of his threat, though it was so oddly paired with him guiding your foot into the right side stirrup. Swallowing hard against your dry throat, you managed a nod, fixing your left foot into place yourself. “Yeah, sure…” 

“What a disrespectful witch.” Bakugou gave a rough final tug to the rope that tied your arms to the horse's saddle, making you wince and cry out a bit from the uncomfortable feeling, though it didn’t hurt. “I don’t know where you come from or who you think you are, but you will address me with respect. I’ve already shown you more mercy than what you’re worth.” 

“Then why not just get rid of me?” You kept your glare locked with his, though your vision was blurry with tears from the verbal mistreatment. “I’ve done nothing wrong to be treated this way by you people. All I want is to find my friends and go home!” 

“I don’t believe you. You’re out here screaming and yelling in the middle of nowhere, with some strange item and dressed in rags that not even a whore would deem appropriate. Until I find out what you really are and what you know, you’re not leaving my sight.” With that, the blonde left, heading back to his horse and pulling himself up onto the saddle. You could only glare after him, though you were startled a bit as Tsuyu gave a firm whistle from beside you. With that, the only horse that did not hold a rider approached her, prancing towards her in an eager manner. 

This bay colored horse was smaller and incredibly agile looking, with barely anything on it compared to the rest of the warhorses in the party. Tsuyu pulled herself up onto it, even as it shifted in its spot with excited anticipation. “[L/n], I will be leaving the party to continue my duties. Yonaka will be gentle with you.” 

You felt a twinge of worry at the fact that she was leaving, even though you had no real reason to feel attached or trusting of her. So far, she was the only one to treat you with some sense of kindness, and you feared more mistreatment would fall upon you without her presence. “O-okay… I have one question, though… What company are you working under?” 

“Company?” Tsuyu gave a confused shake of her head. “We work for our Lord and no one else.” 

“This whole reenactment thing, you have to be sponsored by some company or… program or something.” 

“We are not performers. Whatever you are thinking, you are mistaken. I…” She turned her gaze back towards where you assumed the shrine was. “I cannot say anything else without the General’s approval.” Reaching across, she took hold of Yonaka’s reigns, leading him forward along with the rest of the party to exit the clearing they had been in. Your body jolting a bit with the horse's movements, you had to hold on tightly with your legs, wishing they would at least tie your arms to the front of you so you could hold on. 

Though, you supposed that it didn’t really matter. You were feeling lost and hopeless at this point, with no way to contact anyone to help you and no mercy from your captors. All you had to do was try to hold out until the end, until this whole little play was over and you could drag the company of this idiotic reenactment into a lawsuit that you would surely win. Unless… this truly was something otherworldly. 

Had you really been thrown back in time? Was that even something that was possible? Were you actually talking to people who had been dead for at least over five hundred years? As you exited the brush and out into the open, you felt as if the universe was giving you your answer. There was nothing there that you had recognized on the drive up the hill. Everything was flat, except for a few select sections of growing forests that were still young. The highway, power lines, and even the city in the distance were all gone. There was nothing but nature, rolling hills, and an endless beautiful blue sky, completely void of city smog. 

“W-where am I?” The question left your lips without a single thought, staring out in awe at the unfamiliar landscape. Tsuyu had brought Yonaka up beside Bakugou’s horse, turning over the reigns to her General. Bakugou gave a small scoff, pulling your eyes to him. 

“We're nearly a weeks ride outside of Kyoto, though that is not the direction we are going. You sure are good at playing the fool.” With a click of his tongue, he spurred his horse to move forward, Yonaka following along. You felt stunned, weak and so sick to your stomach you were sure you’d vomit if there was anything in there to begin with. Instead of verbal panic, all you could do was sit there, nearly in a comatose state. 

It was nearly impossible to accept, but it was the only logical explanation. You truly had been thrown into the past. To what era, you were currently unsure, but you assumed it would be revealed to you in time. 

And time you definitely had. You traveled along at a pace that was only slightly faster than casual lumbering, the entire group nearly silent except for the sounds the horses made with each step. By the time there was finally a voice that pulled you out of your deep thoughts, the sun was beginning to set, and you could suddenly feel how burning hot your skin was. 

“Let’s stop here for the night,” Bakugou called back to the party, having found a safe place to rest. You couldn’t quite find the energy to bother looking around, your throat burning with the need for water and arms aching from being tied in the same position. As Yonaka came to a stop, you almost felt like you were going to slide right off the saddle, but a presence on your right side kept you up. Bakugou was working to untie your rope that kept you connected to the horse, his expression much calmer than what you had seen so far. 

“Swing your leg around.” He gave a vague hand motion with his words, and with much effort, you brought you left leg up over the girth of the horse to sit sideways on the saddle. You didn’t have much time to complain as Bakugou took your hips, pulling you off the horse and onto the ground with ease. Body suddenly rushing with embarrassment at being so close to him, you took a step back, though your legs felt like jelly. “T-thank you…” 

With a simple grunt, he grabbed you by the shoulder and turned you around, untying the bindings that held your arms. His movements were rough and inconsiderate of your comfort, but just the fact that he was unbinding your arms flooded you with relief. “Trust me, now?” 

“No, Demon.” Bakugou kept a grip on your left wrist once the bindings were undone, turning you around to face him again. “I just know how painful sitting with your arms like that is. You seem frail.” 

It was true, your arms were absolutely killing you, the tingling feeling of the blood rushing through them enough to make you want to cry. “I-I’m not frail, but that does hurt.” You could only watch as he used the same bindings to instead tie your wrists together in the front of your body, though he kept them quite loose without enough slack for you to be able to escape or use a weapon. “Aren’t you… scared I might try to run?” 

“You’d be a fool.” Bakugou snarled as he worked, his glare flashing up to your face for just a moment. “You would die before you got far. There is no water source around here for miles, the heat would take you before anything else.” 

“I suppose… Where is Tsuyu?” 

“You just now realized she hasn’t been with us? Where she is is no concern of yours. She took Gama and will not rejoin with us until we reach the castle.” 

“‘Gama’? That horse's name is a toad? He did seem quite jumpy.” Your joke had no effect on him, just an annoyed cock of his eyebrow. You gave a small sigh, following him towards where the rest of the group was preparing camp. No sense of humor, huh. Great, I’m stuck with an asshole. Why couldn’t I be found by a super handsome, sweet and caring General that would believe every word I say! Instead, I got a super handsome, grumpy and mean General that looks at me like I’m a bug.

With the command of a single point of a finger, you sat down where told, taking the chance to stretch out your legs in front of you. Riding such a large horse for so long was quite painful, but you had a feeling that you were going to have to get used to it. There was no way that they were going to let you go, nor were they going to take you anywhere you requested. How far is it to this castle he mentioned…? I hope it’s not more than a few days, I already feel like I’m gonna die. 

After watching the group set up the temporary camp, which was literally just blankets on the ground around a small fire, you were approached by the redheaded man, who had a gentle smile on his face. “You look like you could use some water.” As he squatted down in front of you, he pulled the cork from a brown flask out with his teeth, before handing you the pouch. Carefully so as to not spill, you took it and began to drink, going slowly as to not upset your stomach. You let out a relieved sigh as the water cooled your burning throat, smiling up at the man with gratitude. 

“Thank you, I did really need that.” As you took another sip, you took the chance to glance over him for just a moment. He was just as brawny as Bakugou, though he had a much kinder face. One thing you couldn’t help but notice was the fact that the colors of his clothing didn’t quite… match. It was very eccentric, and the cloth that covered his chest was adorned with two red dragons. He seems… also very familiar. As you finished with the water, you handed it back to him, watching as he popped the cork back into the flask. “Uhm… May I ask who you are?” 

There was a slight, worried furrow of his brow as he took a quick glance back at his General, who was busying himself with starting a fire. “Aah, well… I suppose it wouldn’t hurt for me to tell you. Just don’t curse me, yeah?” 

You gave a small giggle, finding his grin infectious. “I couldn’t if I wanted to… I’m not a witch or a demon…” 

“Ah, I can’t say that for sure, but you are different. Either way, I’m Eijirou Kirishima, one of the Officers in Bakugou’s branch of our military. You’d hear most people call me Red Dragon Kirishima, though, and I have no idea where that nickname could possibly have come from.” His sarcasm made you laugh once again, especially as he gestured to the dragons on his clothing. “But, if it’s easier, you can call me Kiri. I’m not all high and mighty to demand formalities.” 

“Hey, Shitty Hair, don’t be conversing with that witch!” Bakugou’s voice suddenly snapped from his place by the fire, making you both jump a bit. “She could curse you!” 

Although you should be hurt by the comment, the slight roll of Kirishima’s eyes and wry smile kept you calm, glad to see that you weren’t the only one who found the outburst to be unwarranted. Still, Kirishima stood, heading towards the fire. “Yes Sir, I was just giving her some water is all, she seemed thirsty. Besides, if she curses me, I’ll just be sure to turn around and curse you!”

“Shut up! Don’t make me kill you, smart ass!” 

The way the party laughed made you feel more at ease, their comfort level with each other admirable. In fact, you wished that you could be more welcomed, to not be treated like such a burden or dangerous person. The small amount of joy that you had felt talking to Kirishima faded as they all settled around the fire to eat, leaving you on the outskirts alone. Although you felt dejected, you could understand. Bakugou had to protect those in his group, and if that meant keeping you distant, then he would. You would do the same if it meant protecting those closest to you, if you were ever to see any of them again. 

With a sigh, you brought your knees up to your chest, hiding your face in them. You sat in solitude for a long while until you felt a nudge to your foot, prompting you to look up, vision blurry in your groggy state. Skewered on a stick, there was some type of animal meat being offered to you by Bakugou, who was currently chewing away at his own. 

“Rabbit.” He spoke with a full mouth, nudging the morsel closer towards your face. Carefully, you took it from him, the thought of eating a rabbit making your stomach churn a bit. But, you were so hungry that you would probably eat anything that was offered to you, and the fact that you didn’t know when the next meal would come lingered on your mind. 

“Thank you. I’m surprised you’re wasting resources on me.” 

“Tch, are you stupid? What would be the point of all this if you died? Eat the damn rabbit and then lay down. We have a long day of traveling tomorrow.” With that, he left you alone to eat, devouring his own food like he hadn’t eaten in days. You enjoyed watching the group as they ate, chatting quietly and passing around a flask which you assumed with filled with alcohol. It pained you a bit to know that all these people were long dead, but you could have sworn you recognized the two names you had learned so far. 

I have to figure out who these people are… Then maybe I can become friendly with them and earn my freedom...

[jessefandomunited]

Lighter than air (part 1 Nathan x Reader)

I was not excited to get back to work. After the big storm I haven’t felt like myself, it’s been almost a month that I was out and originally I was excited. However, because of said storm that accounting job , which I loved , was now being replaced with assisting a Probation worker with their juvenile delinquents. I kept telling them I’d be better if I just continued doing what I knew aside from babysitting kids that were practically the same age as me, but they insisted that I needed to be “ eased back into it”, which meant, we’re still going to make you stay after and file. Distraught and pissed to the highest degree, I walked into the community center feeling like I had a heavy weight on my shoulder. Sally greeted me with a sad smile, “ Hello, it’s good to see you back.” “ Thanks,” I mumbled halfheartedly. “ Listen, I’m going to be straight with you, I’m incredibly busy with various projects, and I really don’t have time to properly supervise, So basically all you have to do, is make sure they don’t kill eachother, or anyone else,” She said adding a nervous laugh. “ Are you okay,” I asked. “ Right as rain, this way, I’ll introduce you, and let me said this now, be firm with Nathan,” She insisted. I cocked an eyebrow, “ wait , why?” “ You’ll see,” she said simply leading me into the locker room. “EVERYONE, GATHER AROUND I HAVE SOMEONE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO,” Sally yelled . Soon enough five young adults gathered around , all looking as if they’d rather be anywhere else but here. She told everyone my name and I added, “ You guys can call me Kit, most people do, it started as kit kat because I always brought one to class, but they shortened it.” I was rambling and Sally was giving me a stern look. “ Sorry,” I said instinctively. “Any ways,” Sally continued, “ today you will be picking up garbage around the park, grab a trash back and one of the grabbers and ….Kit, will take you there.” She shoved a bunch of the items in my arms and stormed out of the room. I looked down at the items , then back at them, “ well , lets go.” They seemed very unsure of me, and the feeling was mutual. They all did, apparently minor crimes so they shouldn’t be dangerous, right? “first though,” I said , pausing to put all the items on the ground, “ I’d like to know your names, there is a slim chance I’ll remember them, but the thought it there.” I rubbed my neck nervously and pointed at the quiet boy in the corner, “ how about you?” “S..simon,” He said simply. “ Simon good to meet you, next,” I said looking over at A girl with blond hair pulled back tight. ��� ….Kelly,” she said after a moment of hesitation. Next was Curtis, Alisha , and then there was one who was laying down across a bench , flexing. I sighed, “ I’m guessing , you’re Nathan.” “ Ahhhh, my legend precedes me,” He said hopping off the bench and leaning on the lockers next to me.  I stepped back giving him a stern look, “ get your things and follow me.” “ What a prick,” I thought walking out, Kelly chuckled behind me as Nathan said, “ I think she likes me.”

I had brought a book out to the park, it was a gorgeous day to do so and I really didn’t care what they did as long as they got their work done, or at least looked like they made some sort of effort, and that’s exactly what I told them,“ You guys are adults right?  you know if you get in trouble again you could face a lot more intense punishments than this right? Then what’s the point of me micromanaging you?” They all seemed taken aback by this , I glared at Nathan though and added , “ but listen here you, I’ll be giving my superiors a very detailed report about how you particularly behave, so watch it!” He did a mock salute, “ I WILL PREFORM MY DUTIES SIR!” I shook my head, “ get to work.” I sat down on a bench cross legged and began reading, I would look up every once in a while to just keep tabs on where everybody was. The first time I did so was a tad unnerving. I saw them all huddled in a group talking. They kept pointing at me then went back to talking. Simon alerted them that I was looking at them , but they didn’t seem to care. I didn’t move thought, I decided that maybe if they ended up hurting me, I’d be given my old job back, so I simply waved at them and went back to reading. I looked up a few minuets later , and they were all picking up trash.             

             Everything was going pretty well. Every once in a while I’d see two of them go off in a bush but they’d always come back and keep working, so who cared. There was one time I stepped in however. “ WHO THE HELL IS WATCHING YOU DELINQUENTS ,” A man yelled furiously at Simon, “ YOU ALMOST KILLED ME.” I couldn’t see Simon doing much of anything to anyone, and marched over to them. The others looked like they were going to hurt the man but I shook my head. “ Sir, what seems to be the problem,” I said holding my temporary probation worker badge out to him. “ WELL, THIS JERK ALMOST KNOCKED ME OFF MY BIKE, I COULD HAVE FALLEN INTO THE RIVER,” He yelled. I looked at Simon, then back at the man, “ and how did this happen, you look fine, he’s doing his job, why don’t you just leave my team alone yeah?” The man snarled,” HE APPEARED RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BIKE LANE!” My eyes darkened, I knew that if I wanted these guys to trust me, I needed to give them a message that I was on their side. “ Listen sir,” I said in the darkest voice I could muster, “ you didn’t get hurt, you got scared, he was doing his job, you were probably day dreaming.” I was going to keep going but he cut me off, “ excuse ME! HOW OLD ARE YOU, YOU’RE THE SAME AGE AS THEM WHO THE F*CK PUT YOU IN CHARGE!” “ Sir if you are asking me to get the police involved I will, my team has done their job and I am here to back them up. My age is irrelevant or are you saying that is your only defense against the fact that you were simply startled,” I asked pointedly, “ now I have a taser in my pocket and the police are just phone call away, just get back on your bike, and leave them alone.” The man wanted to say more, however he simply huffed and flipped us off as he rode away. I sighed, I was full out expecting that guy to punch me out cold, but he didn’t. my hands were shaking so I quickly crossed my arms across my chest and smiled at Simon, “ are you alright?” He stuttered, “i…I was going to ask you the same thing.” I shook my head, “ don’t worry about me.” I turned to see the others standing around, “ Back to work please, shows over.” I walked back to my seat and stared blankly at my book, trying to calm myself down, when I felt someone sit next to me. I looked over to see Kelly. “ Hello,” I greeted, “ did you need something?” “ I just wanted to say, that took a lot of balls, I really appreciate you standing up for us like that, most of the probation worker just treat us like animals,” she said. I smiled , “ forget about it, I don’t know what you guys have been told, but I think you guys are good at heart, no matter what happened in the past. I mean, you guys got community service, not prison, you can make a change and I know I don’t know you guys all that well, but I’m sure you guys will move on from this to do great things.” She looked at me with this intense expression for a few minuets, as if she didn’t believe a word I said. After a bit I playfully hit her with my book and said, “ I appreciate you thanking me, but you still have a job to do.” “ Right,” She said still looking at me as she got up and returned to her work. I shook my head lightly and went back to reading.

tags: @scream-kiwi79

[theumbrellaacademytickle]

Little Klaus (1)

In which Klaus is somehow deaged and the siblings take advantage of this. Also Ben's alive BC fuck you he ain't dead in my books.

When Klaus woke up he didn't notice anything different. He didn't feel different, look different or act different.

So why is it that when he went downstairs to line up for lunch (as usual) there were five strange adults in the living room?

This lead Klaus to where he was now, backed against the door he entered by and staring at the adults, who seemed to be staring at him.

"W-who are you people?" He said, cursing himself mentally for stuttering over the first word, "What are you doing here?"

"Is anyone else seeing a baby Klaus?" The Asian man muttered, eyes flicking disbelievingly between the other adults and Klaus's own.

Klaus stepped back again, "H-how do you know my name?! Where's my siblings!?" Panic had begun to rise in his chest, and he slowly started to open the door behind him, inch by agonizing inch.

"What are we supposed to do?" A man clad in leather asked, ignoring Klaus's questions, "He clearly has no clue what's going on!"

"Klaus," a smaller woman asked, getting down onto her knees (not that it was necessary, Klaus was sure he wasn't that much shorter than her), "we aren't here to hurt you, I promise. Can you tell me what year it is?"

Green eyes flicking from each adult with panic, he answered hesitantly, "2001, why?"

A rush of hushed whispers filled the room at his answer, but Klaus had finally opened the door to an amount he could slip out of and he wasn't planning on overstaying his welcome. The 12 year old flew out of the room, taking off his clunky shoes as he ran (they were slowing him down) and running barefooted throughout the mansion.

"Come on," he muttered, panicked tears pricking at his eyes, "the others have to be somewhere!"

Hearing the yells of the adults behind him only made him panic more, and he ran over the polished wooden floors, skidding and slipping as he went but never once staying in the same place for a second. As he was heading towards the bedrooms (he was sure if his siblings were anywhere they'd be there, heading down for breakfast) he ran straight into Five. The two collided and fell to the ground, rubbing their heads before clocking each existence. Five's brow furrowed in confusion before Klaus grabbed him and shoved him into the ex-junkies room, and he shoved a chair against the door in a pitiful attempt at a barricade. Still confused, Five spoke up.

"Klaus?"

Klaus's face crumpled, and he flung himself at the 13 year old (who to be frank didn't look much different at 12). "Five," he breathed out in a panicked voice, "I-I can't find the others! Diego and Vanya, even Luther is missing! And dad isn't anywhere to be found! All I found were five adults downstairs, and I don't know who they are. I'm so glad you're ok!" His eyes had filled with tears and he buried his face into Five's neck.

"Klaus," Five asked gently, putting his arms awkwardly around the pre-teen, "W-what year is it?"

"2001, but what does it have to do with anything?"

***le time skip before this gets super long***

"So, let me get this straight," Klaus stated, "The year is 2019, these people are obviously our siblings judging by the tattoos and what I'm assuming is Vanya's lack of one, and you are in the body of a 13 year old because you travelled forward in time to prevent the apocalypse and it did some weird doolally kinda space stuff and left you like that?"

Raising his eyebrows at the choice of words, Five simply said, "Yes."

"Huh. Ok. Then why am I twelve instead of..." He paused to count on his fingers, "30? Holy hell!" His eyes widened comically, "You guys are really really old!"

Laughing gently, Ben responded, "We don't know Klaus."

"I should assume that it's something to do with the space-time continuum being messed up," Five murmured absently to himself, "but with the timeline being as fragile as it is right now I am exceedingly reluctant to mess about with it some more."

"Wait," Klaus cried, "Are you saying that I'm gonna be stuck as the youngest sibling now??!!"

"Oh, this is priceless!" Diego crowed, a large grin on his face, "Who'd have thought large beansprout Klaus would end up being the baby?"

"Oi!" The pre-teen shouted, pouting, "I'm not a baby at all!"

"You sure look like one," the leather clad man teased, and Allison huffed out a laugh, thwacking him on the head.

"Behave, you idiot," she admonished, "it's gotta be scary being stuck in that situation. It could just as easily be you."

"So," Five started, "if Klaus is going to be stuck like this for the moment, unless it doesn't wear off in which case it's permanent, I think we should try and let him get to know us and start to live a normal life."

"TRUTH OR DARE!" Klaus screamed in excitement, already running to the living room to plop himself on a couch, "SCHNELL SCHNELL!"

***another time skip Yeet***

Eventually everyone was sat in the living room (Five and Luther may have needed a little bit of coaching to get them there) and Klaus grinned widely in glee.

"Youngest to oldest, so me then Five, then in numerical order we can go Vanya, Ben, Allison, Diego and Luther!" He crowed in excitement, before turning to Five (who was quietly drinking his coffee).

"Five, truth or dare?"

Thinking for a moment, Five responded, "Dare."

"I dare you..." Klaus pondered, before pouting cutely, "I can't think of anything."

Ben leaned over and whispered into his ear, and Klaus perked up significantly, "I dare you to sit in Allison's lap for the rest of the game!"

Unable to stay mad at the seance's adorable excitement, Five grumbled good-naturedly as Allison pulled him into her lap. Five quickly turned to Ben, eager to get the attention off himself.

"Ben, truth or dare?"

"I'm gonna be boring and go with truth."

"You never know what music's on the radio now, so I have to ask, what is it that you're always listening to in your headphones?"

Laughing shyly, Ben answered, "It's... It's Kpop. Korean pop. I don't know how I got into it, I think big you introduced me to it Klaus," he laughed, getting the youngest's attention.

"Really, who's my favourite groups?"

"Well, you thirst over Jungkook from BTS," Ben teased, watching Klaus turn crimson, "but your favourite groups at the moment are BLACKPINK and Hellovenus."

"Can you show me them after we're done?"

"Sure." Ben turned to Vanya, "I think Five just wanted to ask me that question and forgot the order haha, so Vanya truth or dare?"

"Hmm... Dare."

"I dare you to pick an outfit out of big Klaus's wardrobe and wear it all day!"

Laughing incredulously, Vanya made her way to Klaus's bedroom. 5 minutes later, she came down in a pair of tight leather shorts, mesh top with a loose crop top (with the word GAY in pink on black) over the top of it, and a bright pink feather boa. "Look at this madness!" She laughed in delight, shimmying over to Klaus who was giggling non-stop. She took the feather boa off and hooked it around his skinny torso, and Klaus burst into belly laughter as she shimmied it closer towards her.

"Vanya," he laughed, "Stop it! It tickles!!"

"Oh does it really?" She smiled, "Couldn't tell, truly!"

While trying to escape the feather boa, Klaus hadn't noticed Diego sneaking up behind him and lifting him up.

"You seriously thought we'd forget how ticklish little you was? Shame on you Klaus!" The leather clad man laughed as Klaus kicked his bare feet.

"No, please don't tickle me!" He giggled nervously as Vanya stepped towards him, wiggling her fingers menacingly.

"Sorry, what's that? I couldn't make it out between the giggles," she teased, and as Klaus opened his mouth to speak again she started tickling his armpits.

Klaus instantly began giggling, kicking his legs in the air in a weak protest against the tickling. He had always been weak and frail against his siblings, the slightly too skinny one, the one who was sensitive. His protesting was half hearted as his mouth spewed out bubbly giggles.

"Nohohoho fair! Vanyahahahaha plehehehehease!!!"

"It has been too long since we tickled him," Allison laughed, Five still on her lap. The teen was looking at the scene in front of him, a rare fond smile on his face.

"Why don't you join in?" Diego laughed, "Luther take the baby from me."

At Allison's squeal of delight, Luther grabbed the kid by the wrists, sitting the underweight preteen across his lap (image BC this is a strange thing to describe???)

He grabbed the boys skinny wrists and carefully lifted them over his head, pinning them with one large hand against the couch. Knowing he was completely exposed, Klaus just laid there, bursting out into squeaky giggles as Allison went straight for his sides.

"So cute~~" The woman cooed as Klaus helplessly kicked his little feet, struggling to pull down his arms.

"Allisohohohon!! Stahahahahap!"

"Oh no, sweetheart, we're only just beginning!" She grinned, and lifted his shirt up. Klaus began to giggle apprehensively, chanting no's under his breath.

"Oh yes," Allison grinned teasingly, "I remember squeaky toy Klaus, don't the rest of you?"

A manicured nail poked the inside of Klaus's bellybutton, and he let out a squeak. His face flushed red at the adoring coos from his siblings, but he didn't have time to retaliate because Allison lightly scribbled her fingers across his flat stomach, causing him to burst once more into giggly laughter. Eventually, when the woman was done and Luther let him go, Klaus curled up in her lap, giggling cutely as she lightly rubbed his stomach.

"That feel good, Klaus?"

A sleepy nod confirmed her statement, and Allison grinned widely.

"There's not long left, baby, wanna see the game through?"

The final three finally took their turn. Allison had chosen truth, and was told to pick the current cutest UA member (Klaus was an easy win), Luther chose dare and was dared to hang upside down on the railing reciting the entirety of Eminem's Rap God while Klaus was dared to have his bellybutton (his well-known weakest spot) tickled for five minutes non stop. However, at the end of the game, with a giggly little baby Klaus still snuggling into her lap ready to fall asleep, Allison was excited to see how long this would last.

[maskydoo-old]

Nightmare Neighbors 4

(I’m writing out scripts for upcoming storytime style youtube videos, and posting what I have here. Note that this is a true story. Feedback is welcome.)

Up to a point, I tried to give my neighbors, Loony and Toony Feckwad, the benefit of the doubt.

Sure, they were definitely acting like weirdos, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re up to no good.

Maybe they were just really, unfathomably socially inept and genuinely did not realize how inappropriate they were being.

Maybe they’re just having a few bad days, and I was only seeing them at their worst.  

Maybe they’re just plain weird people, but… ehhhh…. probably harmless.

Maybe my increasing suspicion of them had more to do with my own stress than anything else?

I was gas-lighting the shit out of myself. I was looking for ways to rationalize their antics, doubting my own perceptions and creeping unease.

I just didn’t want to believe that these people could really be out to get me and for no reason at all as I’ve done anything at all to them. I want the world to make sense. I wanted to believe people are rational, reasonable. And this just didn’t fit.

I was just too patient, too willing to be understanding, and too forgiving to see the situation for what it was. You might think that’s giving myself a compliment. It isn’t. It makes an easy target.

Doubting your intuition, ignoring warning signs, and denying your own situation helps the aggressors. Bullies rely on the politeness and meekness of their targets in order to get away with abuse.  

But in the end, even I could only gaslight myself for so long. Eventually, their insanity and increasing hostility got to be undeniable.

Right out of the harassing neighbors handbook, the people I’m referring to as Loony and Toony Farkwad started wasting police time with made-up noise complaints.

Now, I won’t pretend my dogs never bark, but when they do, I bring them inside. Duh.  

And in the middle of the day, among all the cars, construction, lawnmowers, and playing kids, what’s a few barks anyway? It’s not like she’s out there at some unreasonable hour, like, oh, say, 3 am.

And it’s not like mine are the only dogs in the neighborhood. There actually were a few nuisance barkers around, dogs who were left outside prettymuch 24/7, and would not be brought in no matter how much or how lard they barked and barked and barked.

Those poor doggy lungs.

Don’t. Don’t do this. It’s not OK to treat your dogs like this. If you’re not going to take proper care of your dog, if you’re just going to leave it alone outside all of its short life, don’t get a dog.

Get a houseplant. A fake one.

I assumed the neighbors just mistook one of the other barking dogs for mine. I know my own dog’s voice but there’s no reason to expect other people would. Honest mistake.

Then I got to talking with one of the other neighbors across the street. Turned out, his family had their own run-ins with the Feckwads before I moved in.

His wife even caught Loony looking over this neighbor’s fence, yelling his dog and kicking the fence boards to provoke the dog to bark as much as possible, then recording the dog’s freak-out with her phone.

Yes. Loony went to these peoples’ house, across the street, all so she could report the barking that she intentionally caused.

It wasn’t a matter of making any mistake. The Feckwads were just making bogus reports on purpose.

Why? What do they stand to gain from this? How do these people not have anything better to do?!

So there I was with animal control showing up at my door to give me warnings.

Weird that this only happens during periods when I live alone, and not when my boyfriend is home from his job overseas, even though the dogs were exactly the same.

One morning, and by morning I mean nearly 7AM, you know, when, noise ordinances end, road works begin, kids head to school, adults go to work, and prettymuch everyone is generally awake, I put my dogs outside for a few minutes, just long enough to change into my uniform.

I was just about to bring them in anyway when one of my dogs barked. Once.

Bark.

There was one, single bark.

“Molly, Shadow.”

“Shut those F-ing dogs up!!”

This guy. This freaking guy.

Tick seriously stuck his head right out his bedroom window, which overlooked my yard and the back door, and was just screaming his head off.

What. What does it look like I’m doing? I was clearly bringing my dogs inside already.

Literally the only reason he’s even able to yell at me at all was because I just opened up the door to do the exact thing he was demanding.

Even after my dogs were in the house. He was still screaming. Why? To accomplish what, exactly?

“BLAH BLAH BLAH ALL THE BARKING AT THIS UNGODLY HOUR!!!”

Oh. Oh OK. I guess 7 is an ungodly hour for a dog to bark, but 3AM, that’s just a perfect time to be creeping around ambushing women alone in the dark.

And here he is, hollering. If he hadn’t come to the window to yell, he could have quiet by now, we all could. He was being louder now than my dogs ever were.

Tch! Whatever. I had enough.

Me: “Is this how adults behave?”

(slam door)

This is when I started going outside with my dogs whenever they were in the yard, recording the whole while, making sure they didn’t make a peep, and being ready to prove it. I’d also be able to record Toony if he acted up like that again.

You’d think that now that it was certain that that my dogs weren’t a problem, the Feckwads would have nothing to be mad about. Their complaint is solved.

But that would be assuming these were reasonable people, and that their grievance was ever honest in the first place. Instead, the aggression only increased.

Loony and Toony saw that their bogus complaints, while annoying, weren’t actually getting me in any kind of trouble since they couldn’t prove anything. I didn’t give them the opportunity to create evidence like Loony did with the neighbor across the street.

So they moved on to new plans.

I felt like I was being watched whenever I was outside. I’d hear muffled voices, and shifting blinds from their windows.

Then, Loony started trying to catch me whenever I was outside. Day, night, whenever, didn’t matter.

I’d step outside, maybe to take out my trash or something, then – ope - here comes Loony. She’d stomp my way, right to my property, with body language like she’s looking for a fight.

Nope. Not dealing with this. Whatever she has planned, it’s clearly not an apology. So… I’m out.

(abandon trash, slam door.)

I started going outside less.

Again, it was only me, a 4’11 woman they ever have any words for. They never have anything to say with my 6’3, muscle-bound boyfriend around.

Another day, Luna spied me through her window, then came right out and did thing where she’d stomp my way like a mad cow charging, yet again.

But this time, I didn’t move.

She was nearly to me when (Surprise motha-f!* ) OOPS! Miss something sweetheart? My boyfriend only just got back from oversees, and they hadn’t noticed yet. Now there he was, sitting in the car parked next to me, watching.  

Luna stopped dead in her tracks! I could see the wheels spinning while she considered her options. She pulled a hard turn and pretended she was out there to check her mailbox.

Oh, just taking the scenic route were ya, hun? Yeah. I’m sure.

Now why would she do that? If she had any good intentions, if she was just there to talk to me, or to make some reasonable neighborly complaint, then why would she suddenly abandon her course? She wouldn’t. She backed off immediately because she was up to no good, but suddenly realized I was not as vulnerable as she thought.

I wonder if they thought my boyfriend and I broke up, that he was gone for good and I would remain alone. They sure minded themselves when he returned.

As long as they knew my boyfriend was around, the neighbors kept their heads down. No screaming at me. No stomping at me. No ambushing me in the dark. No bogus noise complaints. No making a peep at all. Nothing.

But that couldn’t last long. Soon, boyfriend had to leave the country again. And as unreasonable as these people were, they still possessed basic pattern recognition.

They waited for a few weeks to make sure he was gone, then they’d get back up with their antics. And on every event, they’d escalate, getting crazier and crazier.

One night, when I got home from work, they were waiting for me. Yes, again. It wasn’t the first time I’d seen them lurking in the darkut this night the crazy jumped to a new level.

“My neighbor Maskydoo McSurname at 8802 Illusion Drive is a ------ -------- --------- --------!”

Toony was outside, in the dark somewhere I couldn’t see, shouting my full name and address (why my address?,) followed by calling me a long string of vulgar and misogynist insults.

By now, the neighbors screaming all the insults they could whenever they saw me wasn’t even new. They’ve done that plenty enough it hardly got my attention.

What was new was the how.

Toony was shouting about me in third person, as if he was talking to someone else about me.

It was like what little bratty kids do when someone they don’t like is around. They suddenly turn to their friend and start loudly trash talking that person as if they weren’t aware that person was there but it’s totally fake?

It was like that. It would be pathetically sad if it weren’t so disturbing. What adult does this?

As dark as it was, I wasn’t even sure if there was even anyone actually there with him, or if he was out there alone pretending. I’m not sure which would be creepier.

I wonder if he figured it would be some kind of legal loophole, harassing me like this, claiming he wasn’t actually yelling at me… just about me.

He wasn’t even pretending to have some kind of grievance anymore. Couldn’t be bothered to make anything up.

It was just a series of loudly yelled insults.

I didn’t say anything. I was honestly too shocked to. I just spent a minute questioning everything.

What? What?! I mean - What?! Is this guy serious? He can NOT be serious. Who does this? How is this a thing that anyone does? Is this how adults behave? I. What? Is this real life?

I’ve moved in next to a Youtube comments section.

Among other things, I’m a C word, a B word, and F-ing C word and B word. Typical generic insults.

But he did get a little more original. I’m rancid, disgusting, Heinous -

Woah, heinous?

Really breaking out the thesaurus on that one. That’s worth like a 10-points in Scrabble right there.

He must have been pretty impressed with himself on that one, he repeated it a lot.

Ugly-

What, am I in violation of a city ugly ordinance now?

Fake Toony: Hello, police? I’d like to report my neighbor… for being the ugliest uggo to ever ugg!

Fake cop: Ugly you say?! Outside designated ugly hours! Now that is a crime!

Fake Toony: A heinous crime!

Oh, and – get this, he kept calling me “psycho.”

Yeah. Between the two of us, with me minding my business, just wanting to go to bed after a long, irritating day at work, and him standing around in the dark to screaming abuse at women alone in the dark

Yeah. Clearly I was the psycho one. Ok.

Toony repeated the same handful of insults. Didn’t take long to reach the limit of his vocabulary.

He just kept standing out there, screaming in the dark at nearly midnight.

I could hear him even inside my house.

What, I thought he cared about noise disturbances. But oh, I guess he’s special. A dog barking in the middle of the day makes me terrible, but this grown ass man screaming as loud as he can is just fine.

I bet every house on the block heard him. Though no one poked their head outside to check what was up. It turned out they’d all had their own run-ins with these people too and just weren’t about to get involved.

Yeah, thanks everyone.  

But I did have some help. It came from Reddit.

Yeah. That reddit. Of all places. If you want to fine a way to deal with shrieking jerks, go to their breeding ground.

I’m kidding. I like reddit.

The subreddit /r/letsnotmeet was on my side. I’d been writing about my neighbors there ever since I found them lurking around my house and detailing their creepy behavior. The sub advised me to record incidents with the neighbors, that way if their antics escalate, and I ever have to do anything about it, I’d have ongoing documentation on my side.

So I grabbed my phone in one hand and pepper spray in the other, and went back outside. I’d just record from a safe distance, just get what I need and get back inside.

But… he was gone.

So… he figured I was in for the night, so he no longer needed to be out there either.

Was he waiting for me to get home? Just so he could do this?

Ok. Alarm bells. Alarm bells ringing real loud now.

And I turned out to be right, because a pattern emerged and this started happening pretty regularly. So I had confirmation.

These people were watching me. They figured out my work schedule, irregular as it was, and knew that most days I worked a shift that would have me home at about 11PM, where they could catch me alone in the dark.

I started to enjoy days I’d work overtime, just knowing those idiots were outside waiting for me, for who knows how long, only to be stood up. HA! Sucker!

I’ll take the small victories.

[fan-fic-fix]

I love you, each of you with all my heart, always. (Poly!Hamilsquad x Reader)

Pairing: Hamilsquad x reader

Word Count: 2975

Warnings: Poly relationship, a few cuss words (like 2), some google translation (sorry, I took Spanish in hs, not French), 

Summary: You and the boys take a trip, but leaves you broken hearted. 

Author’s Notes: I wrote with more for the plot than the cuddly relationship stuff, next time I will try to add more of that stuff. 

You and your boys were sitting around the dinner table discussing dates. Days all of you had off or could take off so you could go and visit your family in Mississippi. You were nervous as hell because YOUR FAMILY IS FROM MISSISSIPPI. That means they are super conservative and you being in a relationship with 4 guys was going to be a total shock. You never really told your parents that you were in a relationship, they just thought that you dated them separately and at different times.

 “Okay, what about Junes 9-16?” Alexander asked.

 “I can do that,” Laf said.

 “Me too,” you said.

 “Me three,” Herc agreed.

 “Yep, perfect!” John said.

 “That gives us a month to prepare. I am going to call them and tell them that me and a couple of friends are going to come stay for a week.” you said a bit nervous.

 “Friends?” they all questioned.

 “Okay, look, I haven’t really told them I am dating all of you. I’m from Mississippi it’s not exactly welcomed. I have decided it was time to tell them,” you say as you look down at your fidgeting hands.

 They all surrounded you in an embrace and kissed your head.

 “I am sorry, mon cheri,” Laf said sympathetically.

 “I’m sure it will all work out, I mean you are their daughter after all,” John reassured.

 “I guess you’re right,” you gave him a half smile.

 “Come on, let’s get to bed and we can start planning tomorrow,” Herc said yawning and putting you over his shoulder.

 You loved how they each carried you in their own way. Herc put you over his shoulder, Laf let you wrap your arms and legs around you while he carried you on his front, Alex carried you like a bride and John piggybacked you. This was also one way you knew who was carrying you to bed if you fell asleep on the couch.

 You were all in the bed, and started to give goodnight kisses when Alexander wouldn’t let you pull away. There others got jealous and started joining him by kissing other parts of your body. You loved the nights when they each had their way with you and each other. Everyone always fell asleep satisfied on those nights, your favorite part was everyone’s skin as you laid twisted with each other. You slept naked anyway, but loved when all your boys did too.

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Before you knew it the say y’all were going to your hometown was here. You felt Herc slam the trunk of the car to get it to close and stared towards the airport. You gazed out the window deep in thought about this coming week. You are snapped back to reality with one of the boys moving your hair to the side and kissing your neck.

  “Ready?” John asked.

  “As ready as I’ll ever be,” you huffed.

  After a four and a half hour flight from NYC to Gulfport you pull up to your house in the rental car. You could feel your heart pounding and check your heart rate on your watch. 131. You haven’t seen that since your high school graduation. You turned the car off and opened the door.

  “Let’s do this,” you said with a shaky voice.

  “Hey,” Alex said as he pulled you to him, “Everything is going to be just fine,” he kissed you and let you go. All of the others planted a kiss on your lips also and they y’all proceeded to the door.

  Your house was right across from the beach and it had a wrap around porch on the first floor and each room on the second floor had a balcony. You were so happy to see your home again.

  “We are here!” you shouted as you opened the door.

  “Oh (Y/Nick Name)!” you mother came rushing in, hand in the air.

  “Sis!” your sister said as she followed your mother.

  “Hey! I’ve missed y’all so much!” you beamed, “Where is Mr. Steve?”

  “He is still at the office dear, we are going to dinner when he gets home,” your mother explained, “That gives all y’all a little bit of time to unpack.”

  “Oh right, these are my, uh, friends,” you said sheepishly, “Alexander Hamilton, John Laurens, Hercules Mulligan, and Marquis de Lafayette.”

  “I wasn’t aware that all of your friends were going to be males,” your mother said with a strange look on her face, “I will have to rearrange the sleeping.”

  “Why?” you asked.

  “Well, I thought it was going to be all girls so I put air mattresses in your room so y’all could all sleep in the same room.” your mother said.

  “We still can all share a room, I mean we do back home anyway.” As soon as you said this you knew you were screwed. You could feel all of the guys looking at you with wide eyes and heard them all shift with nervousness.

 “You. What.” your mother sounded mortified.

 “I mean we share a house, not a room, silly me.” you tried so hard to save yourself, but you knew you were past the point of return.

 “Okay, mother, I need to tell you something,” you started.

 “Non, Madame, we need to tell you something,” Laf interrupted.

 “We, as in all of us,” Herc admitted.

 John just stood there with red cheeks and shook his head.

 “Mother, um, you know how I have mentioned dating them? Well we are all kind of dating each other.” you stuttered out.

 “My. God. (Y/F/N). I cannot believe this. I will not allow this. This is absurd. So you know what your stepfather will say when he finds out?” your mother was furious.

 “Mother it’s not that big of a deal. Why are you freaking out?” you protested.

 “Look, in New York this may be ‘acceptable’ but here it is not.” your mother said trying not to yell, or cry.

 “Why not? You and everyone else here need to grow up and stop judging everybody on how they choose to live their lives.” you said slightly raising your tone.

 You turn around and walk towards the stairs. You grab Alexander’s and John’s wrists and pulled them with you. Laf and Herc followed. You reach your bedroom door and open it dramatically throw yourself on the bed. It still had your simple gray bedspread on it. Laf was the first one to come to you.

 “Amoureux, do not stress. We shall figure something out.” he said trying to comfort you as you sat in his lap with your face in his chest.

 “Yes, my love, we will. She is just shocked is all,” Alexander agreed.

“Look, just give her time to cool off,” John suggested.

 “Maybe I can talk to her. I am kind of intimidating,” Herc said trying to get you to smile.

 It worked. You looked at him with a half smile and even a small giggle. By then all of the boys were on the bed with you and snuggled together. You didn’t realize that your sister was standing there until she cleared her throat.

 “Oh, hey Amelia. I didn’t know you were standing there.” you commented.

 “It’s okay. I just came to check on you, well all of y’all,” she corrected.

 “Thanks, we appreciate it. We didn’t mean to cause a scene.”

 “I also came to say that I support your relationship. You are incredibly lucky to have found 4 people who love you. I know I just met them but just seeing them comfort you I can see they love you so much.” she said.

 “She is right,” Herc said and the rest nodded their heads in agreement.

 “Also, Mr. Steve will be home soon. Just thought I would warn you so y’all weren’t like this when he got here and mom told him the news.” she said.

 “Thanks again, sis.”

 “No problem.”

 You watched your sister leave and then looked up at Laf then the rest of your lovers. He stood up with you in his arms and placed your feet on the ground. You walked back downstairs and sat at the counter with the guys following you. Soon after that your stepdad walked in.

 “Hello (Y/N)!” he said excitedly, “Are these your friends?”

 “Um, yes,” you replied.

 “No, they are her boyfriends,” your mother claimed.

 “All of them?” he questioned.

 “Yes we are all dating each other.” you admitted again.

  “Um, wow, okay. I will call Callie to clean the spare rooms then.” he suggested.

“Why can’t we stay in the same room? We do at home, we all share a bed.”

  “I said that was not an option, did you forget that?” you mother butted in.

  “Please, we are grown adults we know how to behave, if that’s what you are scared of,” you sassed.

  “Our house, our rules,” she proclaimed.

  “Sweetie, please don’t do this in front of our guests,” Steve said taking your mother’s hand.

“Fine, but what I said stands. Call Callie, we are eating in tonight.”

  Your mother and stepdad walked off to their room leaving you in the kitchen with the boys and your sister. Y’all could hear your mother, but not your step dad. He cared a lot about what people thought of him and often kept his opinions to himself so he didn’t offend anyone and have his name be bashed in the press. Your mother always overreacted so you should have seen this coming. They came out of their room, your mother still looked upset but forced a smile on her face.

  “Did either of you call Callie?” she asked.

“No,” you and your sister both answered.

  “Okay, I guess we can still go out.” she sighed, “Everyone go freshen up. (Y/N), use your sister’s bathroom.”

  You huffed and rolled your eyes when you turned around and headed for the stairs. As soon as you heard your parent’s door close you went to your bathroom with the rest of the boys.

  “Your step dad, he reminds me of Burr,” Alexander said as soon as you entered.

  “Yeah…” you said.

  “I think we will be able to sleep in the same room, just not the same bed,” he started to explain, “He doesn’t want us to hate him, but wants us to get an idea of where he stands without saying it.”

  “I am going to start getting the bags out of the car,” Herc said.

  “Okay, I want to change out of these clothes anyway,” you answered.

  “We will all go. (Y/N), stay here and relax a minute while be bring everything in,” John said kissing your forehead then walking out the door. The rest followed. Herc kissed your cheek, Laf placed one on your lips, and Alex gave you a nice smack on the ass. God you loved them.

  They all came back in lugging the luggage.

  “Thank you my loves!” you said giving them each a kiss on their sweet lips as they dropped the bags.

  Went all 5 of you were changed and ready y’all walked to the kitchen where everyone else waited. Steve offered to drive everyone, but you said that y’all would follow. You and your 4 boyfriends piled up in the Beamer.

  “How are you doing, mon cheri?”

  “I… I don’t know.”

  “Everything will be just fine. I promise,” Hercules said in his soothing voice as he rubbed your leg.

  You looked at him for a quick second and gave him a loving smile. Minutes later you pulled into a parking spot and walked into the restaurant. It was called Halfshell. You had been here countless times when you were growing up, so you didn’t even look at the menu before you ordered.

  When you left you all walked out hand-in-hand not caring about the looks. You noticed that your mother and stepdad held back and calling to your sister to wait with them. You reached the car, but before you got in the car you found your family by the door.

“We will see y’all at the house, I am taking my boyfriends the the beach for a nice romantic walk!” you shouted in a mocking tone.

  You knew your mother was steaming. As you passed you could also see the smoke coming out of her ears. As you pulled into the parking bay at Court House Pier your phone rang. You connected it to the car via bluetooth and answered.

  “Have you lost your mind!?” you knew you were in deep shit now.

  “I was just trying to prove a point. We don’t care about all the stares and weird looks, so why should you? I am your daughter, you should just be happy that I am happy. That I have 4 wonderful, amazing, caring, perfect boys that all love me and each other. I love each one of them with all my heart and if you can’t handle it we will come get our stuff and find somewhere to stay. I am perfectly okay with that, and I am sure ALL OF MY BOYFRIENDS are too.” you were sure to emphasize the all of my boyfriends part to let her know that you weren’t changing your mind about anything.

  “Don’t bother coming in, Callie is already putting everything on the porch.”

  You just stared, mouth gaped as the phone call ended. You felt tears start to fall over your eyelids and down your face. They all just looked at you.

  “Honey, let me drive to the house,” John spoke up.

  Hercules got out of the passenger seat and came around to the driver’s side and lifted you out if the car and placed you in the back seat. Lafayette placed you in the middle seat and wiped your tears away. He and Alex both cuddled you and Herc was turned around rubbing your leg. As John pulled into the driveway your sister came running out. She opened one of the doors.

  “Is she okay?”

  “Non, j'ai peur de ne pas.”

  “What?”

  “No, she isn’t,” Alexander loosely translated while he was still looking at you.

  You knew the boys were mad, Laf was speaking French, John’s nose was crinkled, Herc’s breath was deep and loud, and Alexander would not stop mumbling insults under his breath. Callie started carrying bags to the car and John and Herc started loading them in. Laf and Alexander did not move because you were still sitting in the same spot and still staring off with tears running down your face. Amelia kissed the top of your forehead said goodbye and apologized. Hercules got on his phone and found a place to stay. He put the location into the GPS since you were being a statue.

  It felt like you were in the car for hours. John finally pulled into a parking garage. The purple lighting you saw out of the corner of your eye told you you were at the Hard Rock in Biloxi, so you were only in the car for 20 minutes. Once John found a parking spot everyone piled out of the car, except for you and Laf. He stayed with you while the others went inside to get a room. When they got one Alex texted Laf the room number. He opened the door and carried you up to the room. You were so thankful that none of them tried to talk to you. You knew all you would be able to do was cry. Your mother kicked you out of your childhood home. Sure you had already moved away all the way to NYC, but she just rejected you for being you.

  In the room the boys were readying the room for you. They pulled back the blankets on the bed and put your favorite movie on the tv. They even stopped at Ben & Jerry’s in the lobby and brought up your favorite ice cream. Hercules pulled out your nightgown you wore around the house before bed, John dug out his stuffed turtle for you to hold, and Alexander was calling room service to bring your favorite midnight snack.

  Laf knocked on the door and you heard them all run to the door. He carried you inside and sat you on the bed. Alexander began to take off your shirt and bra, and John peeled away your jeans. Hercules put you in your nightgown while Laf changed into his pajamas and John and Alex put away your clothes. Hercules placed you in the middle of the bed and they all climbed into the bed as well, sitting around you.

  “Are you ready to talk Sweetness?” Hercules asked in his deep voice.

  “Why does she have to be like this? My own mother doesn’t support my decision to be with all the people I love. To share a bed in my bed at my house where I grew up. Share something that was apart of most of my life with the loves of my life. To care more about what people will say about her because I am with all of you who not only love me, but each other. Why does she care more about what the public thinks than about my happiness.” you paused to blow your nose and regain yourself. “If she doesn’t care, then neither do I. If she wants me out then so be it. I refuse to let what she thinks hold me back any longer. All of y’all is all I need.”

  You took off your nightgown and handed it to Hercules. Everyone gave each other their goodnight kisses and cuddled under the covers.

  “I love you, each of you, with all my heart. No matter what. No matter the looks we get or the comments that are said. I love you, each of you with all my heart, always.”

[cluelessnamelessao3]

But It’s Not Funny

3. I Know It’s Not

Your eyes burned with tiredness as you opened them the next morning. Your phone singing some inane song you’d set as an alarm. There was a part of you wanted to throw it as hard as you could against the nearest wall. (But phones were expensive, and you weren't exactly rolling in money).

You tried really hard to ignore that destructive part and instead chucked it lightly through the open door and down the hall, rather than throwing it against the wall (or even simpler, just shutting the alarm off).

Good enough, you sighed, burrowing further into the blankets.

It wasn’t quite out of hearing range, but it was, at least, easier to fall asleep without it blaring into your ears.

You turned over and let your eyes fall closed once more.

But Luna wasn’t so keen on letting you sleep the day away and about an hour later she started fussing over you.

Firstly, staying in bed all day wasn’t good for you, but secondly, and a little more importantly right now, Luna needed to go for a walk. She couldn’t very well relieve herself within the house, nor could she let herself out.

She whined and nosed at your shoulder.

Groaning and grumbling you managed to sit up. Luna grunted softly before she, too, sleepily moved into a sitting position. Neither of you were exactly morning people.

You reached for your phone but grasped empty space. “Wha—?” Then you remembered. You threw it. Down the hall. Faintly you could still hear it chirping. You sighed wearily.

“C’mon, girl, let’s head out.”

The weather outside warranted fuzzy socks and a sweater, you decided as you paced around your room still trying to get dressed. Just as it had been one of those nights, it seemed today was going to be one of those days. Nothing you put on felt comfortable. Everything you tried on was making you feel way too frumpy, and not just that, but your skin hated the feeling of the fabric.

You pulled on another sweater while studying your figure in the mirror. You weren’t unattractive, but you did not feel very attractive. You were unhappy with your body, being neither thin, nor particularly thick. You, by all means, were healthy. Whatever that meant.

Your mind had a way of distorting things though, and each time you looked into the mirror you were just a little bit more put off.

You exhaled bitterly, disheartened as you quickly wriggled out of the sweater you had just put on. Luna was watching you anxiously from the doorway, wearing her service vest with leash attached. She was ready to go. But she didn’t have to worry about appearances.

The only things she ever worried about were you, her food, and her walks.

“Gah, just because you’re ready doesn’t mean we’re leaving just yet… God, how come dogs can be slightly chubby and still cute, but if you’re a human you’re expected to be… to be… like…” You flailed your hands around, attempting to articulate your thoughts through gesturing. It wasn’t really working. But then again, no one was even there to hear you, so did it really matter?

Luna gave a half-hearted thump of her tail when you walked a little too closely to your bedroom door as you were hanging up your discarded clothing. In the end, you’d decided on an oversized grey sweater. It was better than anything else. Pairing it with some simple leggings, you were finally dressed. At the very least, you were warm and comfortable.

Saturdays. They were okay, but not your favourite. You liked them just fine, there wasn’t anything bad about them… just… Sundays were the better. Sundays were your day to recuperate. On Sundays you would be able to laze around in pyjama shorts and a baggy t-shirt without the worry of someone bothering you.

At least you didn’t have to go in to work today, which was always a plus. No one had called in any appointments and there was no real reason to open up your little shop since most of your regular customers were out of town or busy for the holidays.

Besides, it was snowing lightly outside, and you had more interest in playing in the snow like a wild kid, rather than running a small business like a responsible adult.

Luna was pretty good on her walk, though, she was really just pretty well behaved in general, but it seemed she was doing especially well this time around considering last time you’d had to fight her from pulling you across the park to chase after a squirrel.

She did her best, but dogs weren’t always the most predictable of creatures and no matter how well trained they were… instinct was instinct, after all, and her instinct was to hunt the small fluffy rodents. (Not that she’d ever catch one, hell, she got out of breath just climbing a flight of stairs.)

You smiled at the thought, not even noticing the person in front of you until you barrelled right into them. Your face smacked directly into something hard, and you bounced off, stars in your eyes as you clutched your throbbing nose. Luna was beside herself with worry as she danced around your feet.

“Wha— Fuck, sorry, though, just ‘cause I’m short doesn’t mean you can just, yanno, like, pretend I’m not there. Maybe you should watch where you’re goi…” Your words caught in your throat as you finally took in who you’d run into.

A rather tall and lanky—and very familiar—skeleton was in front of you, his eyes filled with concern. 

Your mind went into overdrive as you tried to recover your sense; Shit, fuck, shit, this is Frisk’s loud friend… what was his name? Papaya? Pap… Paprika? You knew it was something unusual, but whether it be because you’d just knocked your head pretty hard, or because of your natural talent of getting any and all names wrong, you couldn’t remember it.

“SMALL HUMAN! It has been a while since I, the GREAT Papyrus—” Shoot, well, you were somewhat close, “has seen you! How are you doing, SMALL one?” His voice was booming, but not unfriendly.

You smiled weakly and shrugged, one hand still pressed tightly to your nose, trying your best not to flinch at his loud and overbearing demeanour.

“Did I, Papyrus, HURT you!?” His voice careened to a higher and somehow even louder pitch as his eyes filled with what seemed to be tears. You weren’t even about to question how a giant skeletal monster could cry. With the recent appearance of monsters and the discovery (or was it a rediscovery?) of magic, there were plenty of things you had decided not to question.

“It’s f-fine, Papyrus.” Your voice sounded stuffy and plugged, and you were worried your nose might be bleeding, but you’d rather sound like a nasally kid than let a nosebleed stain your clothes.

Luna was no longer pacing, and instead had positioned herself at your feet directly in between you and the towering skeleton, Papyrus. She was trying to create a barrier, though considering how large Papyrus was, it wasn’t entirely effective.

“WELL! If that is the case, then, TINY human,” You tried not to twitch at the nickname, “how about you and I, the GREAT Papyrus, do something fun on this wintry day?”

You glanced down at Luna, shock written clearly on your face, and your mind was scrambling for a way to politely decline his offer, but apparently you hesitated for too long because soon you felt yourself being lifted up and spun around.

Which only made you panic.

No. No. NO. Your heart was pounding up into your throat and you felt sick to your stomach. It was as though you could feel so many hands touching, touching, touching and they wouldn’t stop please just stop you cried, stop, you were numb though, you weren’t crying, but you wished so much that you could, you wanted nothing more than to—

You pushed at his shoulder roughly and managed to dislodge yourself from his grasp. You had a glare on your face, but there were tears in your eyes which ruined the effect. Your hands were raised, as though poised to strike again.

He, however, looked absolutely crushed.

“I am SORRY, I did not mean to HURT you!”

And for a moment you felt a swell of guilt, what was wrong with you? He didn’t mean anything bad by picking you up, he was just an overly excited and friendly person… He didn’t mean anything bad…

“N-no, I am so—” You started.

Before you could apologize however a distinctly more feminine, yet still just as loud voice interrupted you.

“HEY! You little punk! What the fuck do you think you’re doing, hitting Paps like that?”

Your head swivelled around to take in a rather large and commanding figure… She resembled a fish… or maybe she looked more like a mermaid—one with scales all over, not one that was just meant to be… some sort of sick sexual fantasy. Either way, judging by the size and sharpness of her incisors, she could probably tear you to shreds.

She looked like she wanted to.

Papyrus, bless his kindness, tried to cut Undyne off with “It is okay UNDYNE! It was MY FAULT for startling—”

But it was to no avail, she apparently wasn’t done berating you, and actually, it seemed like she was just starting, “What the fuck kind of garbage hits an innocent monster like that? You little shrimp, picking a fight with the sweetest guy I know just because you think he’s easy?”

You frowned, trying to defend yourself, "That's not what happene—"

Papyrus was staring in horror between the two of you. You were sitting on the ground, your eyes burning with something between anger and fear, and the large fish lady was glaring down at you with disgust. Luna, being very brave and very good, was standing stiff legged in front of you as though that would prevent the angry monster from eventually killing you—because honestly, with the murderous glint in her eyes, it seemed inevitable that this would end in your maiming and or death.

“God, small, pathetic whelp,” she interrupted your meagre defence and you stood up as she continued to tear into you, her words only enraging you further—it wasn’t your fault you didn’t like to be touched, it wasn’t your fault you panicked, you shouldn’t be getting yelled at for something you couldn’t control—she folded her arms across her chest, still staring you down.

She moved towards you, as though she was about to grab you, or hit you, “If you lay a finger on Papyrus again you tiny, insignificant, speck of dust, I will personally see to it that you neve—”

She didn’t finish her sentence.

You, unable to contain your anger and humiliation lest you start crying, punched her. In the gut. Hard. (And it probably hurt you more than it hurt her, but the thought was there, right?)

With more strength and confidence than you actually felt, you rebuked her angry accusations.

“Back the hell up! I didn’t fucking do it on purpose, you ignorant can of tuna, I was just startled from being picked up suddenly, god.” Your hand was stinging, and you tried to be subtle as you wiped the tears from your eyes.

“Papyrus wasn’t hurt,” you glanced at him and he nodded, “You are overreacting to something you don’t even understand!”

She was doubled over, though you weren’t sure if it was from shock or because you had actually managed to knock the wind from her. Again, Papyrus was speechless, just watching with a mix of horror and… was that amusement in his eyes?

“Shit, fuck, sorry, I shouldn’t have punched you, that’s probably not the best way to stop an argument…” Your voice was trembling, and you laughed awkwardly to hide the tears pooling in your eyes. You just punched someone. You, and your small childlike fist, had just punched someone in their gut while they were yelling at you for being an overly aggressive human—not only that, but you’d also called her a can of tuna… was that, like, racist or something? Or, er, species-ist?

You felt your face burn with mortification, Luna gazing between you and the fish lady with an increasingly nervous expression on her puppy-dog face.

“You punched me.” Her voice was strained, and you flinched away from the sound, “You… you’re so small and tiny and… you punched me…” You could hear the disbelief in her words.

“L-like I said,” you stuttered out, “I’m so sorry, I just, I panicked and didn’t mean to hurt Papyrus’ feelings, and uhm, I’m sorry for like, uhm, punching you, although maybe, like, next time, don’t yell at mildly frightened small people? I mean, I guess?” You were babbling and there was no stopping it.

Undyne was still hunched over, her arms wrapped over her stomach and shoulders shaking—it almost looked… like she was laughing?

She straightened suddenly, eyes bright and face flushed, “I guess I overreacted… heh…” She seemed almost sheepish now.

“Again, I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have hit anyone, that was bad,” you mumbled, rubbing your arm self-consciously.

“Nah, punk, it’s my fault. I saw you push Papyrus away and I kind of freaked out… I went… overboard.” She kept chuckling as she spoke, but you could hear a sort of begrudging apology in her tone, “There has been kind of a lot of human on monster hate… and… well, yeah. Sorry, kid, shouldn't have jumped to conclusions” she finished, offering you a hesitant smile.

Papyrus took that moment to break in, “SMALL HUMAN! Do not fear! This is Undyne, a VERY good friend of mine, and Undyne, this is TINY HUMAN, a very good friend of our other SMALL HUMAN!”

You tried not to groan at the emphasis he put into announcing your size. Sure, you were short, but this was just bordering on the edge of mean.

“How about we… we start over, U-Undyne?” You offered with a meek smile on your face. Your cheeks were still stained red, and you were pretty sure your hand was bruised from hitting her—because god damn she had some rock hard muscles in her stomach, but at least it seemed like the confrontation was over.

She smiled, “Yeah, punk, we can start over.”

You offered her a hand, she shook it, and you both smiled.

She then looked over at Papyrus and wrapped her arm around his shoulder, pulling him down to rub the top of his skull. You stifled your giggles as he protested loudly, “Next time, Paps, don’t just pick up people at random! It sends the wrong messages, you BONEhead!”

He groaned at the pun, but you couldn’t help but snort. Undyne gave you a strange look before grinning wildly.

All at once the tension dissolved. Monsters were so much more forgiving than humans.

Monsters hadn’t actually been around for even a year, but they were slowly being integrated into society. It made you happy to see the monster-run and monster-owned businesses open around your little apartment complex. There was something about their welcoming personalities that just drew you in.

Within the last month you’d gone to a little semi-known bar and grill that was aptly named “Grillby’s” at least fifteen times. The owner, who also happened to be the cook and bartender, was a rather smokin’ hot (pun definitely intended) fire elemental by the name Grillby. He was pretty calm and just crackling with a somewhat sarcastic sense of humour.

Despite that though, he seemed to be pretty gentle and kind—at least, to you he was. Sometimes when patrons got too rowdy, he’d be quick to boot them out. He ran a pretty nice little place. But that wasn’t really the reason you continued to return to this cosy establishment, you’d taken a liken to him on your first visit, and apparently, he had enjoyed your quiet conversation enough to encourage you to come back and have a chat every once and a while.

You were kind of relieved when Papyrus offered again to hang out, and this time you accepted without hesitation—it was the least you could do to apologize for making such a scene.

Undyne suggested getting food and you were quick to agree as the three of you made your way down the sidewalk, Luna following at your heels. You stayed pretty quiet the entire time, feeling a bit overwhelmed at the wild confrontation that had just occurred. Your mind was reeling, and you were certainly suspicious of how quick Undyne had been to forgive you.

They were nice. Too nice. Where was the trick? There had to be a trick somewhere, right? It couldn’t be so easy. No one was inherently good. They would betray you sooner or later. You needed to be on guard. Subconsciously you gripped all the tighter on Luna’s leash. She, sensing your unease, made sure to walk at your side rather than behind you.

Luna always had been rather protective.

The familiar atmosphere of Grillby’s was rather comforting as your trio made their way inside. Undyne bellowed a quick hello to everyone and dragged Papyrus over to a table. You were following rather meekly behind. Normally, you would just sit at the bar and have a side of fries or something, but it seemed that wouldn’t be the case this time.

It was a break of routine, and you tried to push away the feeling of worry. Today was just not your day.

The conversation wasn’t so bad, though, and you soon found yourself engaged in a lengthy discussion of anime with the rather nerdy Undyne. Apparently, she had a ‘good friend’ (you noted the blush on her face as she mentioned this ‘friend’) who had introduced her to anime in the first place.

She was clearly smitten; you could see it all over her face as the two of you talked about the timid and sweet Alphys. You were doing your best not to tease her about it, but Papyrus obviously didn’t seem to hold the same hesitations you did.

“AGH, UNDYNE! You TWO should just DATE ALREADY! The two of you already act like DATEFRIENDS ANYWAY!” He threw his hands up in exasperation as Undyne’s smile began to strain. You swore you could see her eye twitch just the slightest.

“NNGAH! Paps, you can’t just SAY something like that! It’s not like that between us… she’s just… uh, a, uh, good friend! Yeah, a good friend.”

You snorted unattractively and raised an eyebrow at her before muttering, “Yeah, but I don’t think everyone wants to kiss their ‘good friends’.”

That seemed to set her off as she nearly flipped the table, but thankfully you were saved by the appearance of Grillby with a tray full of food.

You hid behind your meal as you all but shovelled it into your mouth, Undyne doing pretty much the same in her embarrassment. Papyrus was looking all too innocent as he picked at his fries.

Turned out he was kind of a food snob, as he proclaimed—a little too loudly—that this greasy establishment could never match up to the GREAT Papyrus’ cooking. Grillby didn’t seem to mind though, instead just chuckling and nodding slightly from his position behind the bar.

As your lunch progressed you realized just how popular both Papyrus and Undyne were. Most seemed to regard Undyne with a lot of respect—some monsters even referring to her as “Captain” and bowing their heads to her. Papyrus, on the other hand, commanded no respect, but he certainly got a lot of affection. It was as though everyone viewed him as a younger brother of sorts.

The nicest thing about the lunch was that no one questioned your place there, nor Luna’s presence. In other places you would often get dirty looks for having a service animal without having a visible disability, but here? People just accepted you. Actually, most people seemed to love that you had a cute pet like Luna. The bipedal dog-like monsters absolutely adored her, and she’d made fast friends with most of them.

Plus, it seemed they could understand each other in a way you had trouble comprehending. They could, in a sense, speak both your language and whatever ‘language’ it was that Luna used to communicate. It was pretty damn cool.

Finishing the last of your fries you offered to pay for the meal but Undyne waved you away with a hearty laugh, “Hell nah, punk, it’s the least I can do after giving you such a bad scare earlier,” she paused, seeming to choose her next words carefully, you could see something like respect gleaming in her eyes, “’Sides, you’re pretty tough for being such a small fry—that punch was good. I’m sure if you just let me train you a bit, I could get you to be GREAT at punching!”

Your quiet response was drowned out by her loud guffaws and you couldn’t help but laugh too. What strange people! Who actually LIKES to be punched?

A little piece of your soul felt slightly lighter as you spent the rest of the afternoon with the aggressively friendly Undyne and boisterously naïve Papyrus. They were good people…

And for once in your life, you felt pretty damn content.

[placesthatchangedpeople]

A testimony about the so-called Straight Inc. rehab

Straight Inc. was basically abusive and a misunderstanding about how to treat people who are suffering from addiction. Addiction is an illness and people needs to treated just as well as people with other kind of illnesses.

This was not the case at Straight. It was punishment not treatment and as result many of the former teenagers who were put there, has committed suicide.

I was put into Straight Incorporated in 1981, 20 days before I turned 16. One of my big crimes before Straight goes like this. My best friend from church and I were arrested for dropping fluorescent light tubes from the top of the Palmetto. FL water tower in the middle of the night. (small town anyone?) I had also smoked pot for the first time the summer before my 15th birthday and by now could probably manage to get a ¼ ounce with my best friend once a month or so if I was lucky.

I’m sure the main reason for my incarceration wasn’t drugs, but that I had completely quit taking orders from my parents. Not going to church, not coming home, coming home late, yelling like I had learned it from the pro’s. This was all true.

I also had once grabbed a large kitchen knife to shield myself from my older brother during a bad argument on Christmas Day. The knife did no good, he knocked me unconscious moments later. He was 18 and a body builder at the time, me 14 and an artist. I woke up tied in electrical cords and rope on my living room floor. My uncle and cousin were there. Everyone was standing over me re-acting to me struggling crazily. Saying, “He‘s on drugs!”, “He‘s crazy.” I hadn’t yet tried pot at this point, so they were actually wrong. I wasn’t on drugs.

For the record my brother went on to later in life abuse both his wife and his son. I’m sorry that they had to endure that. Mark had been controlling me with induced pain and violence from birth. He could control me with a glance. I hated my parents for not protecting me from him. Mark is no longer alive. He was struck by lightning years ago. I remember standing next to his casket with my hand on his chest, crying. It was the first time I had ever been in the same room with him and not been terrified.

I hated my home life and spent most of my time at my best friends house even eating most meals there. His Mother also attended our church and my parents and her were friends.

My parents thought I had problems long before Straight. I was being psyche & IQ tested and sent to counselors since I was 9 or so Mom says now. For the record I had also been a successful Boy Scout, published my own School newspaper at the age of 7 and built my own electric guitar from scratch using old stereo components when I was 9. I did have problems, big problems. I could not accept the things I was being told to believe about the world.

When you enter the program you begin 1st phase. You are called a new-comer. You have no rights and have to gain permission for each physical move you make, under the guise that you may be trying to escape. This means you even have to ask to move across the bedroom to get a pencil. Bathroom trips also have to be approved and you are watched while doing your business. Remember that the person enforcing this stuff is another kid or two, not some trained clinician. The parents do not normally intervene, even in their own homes.

It’s 24/7 without a break. You’re not allowed any entertainment, not even reading. No reading road signs on the way to the building. No reading the cereal box at breakfast. No music, no TV, no nothing. You are alone for sure. You have no contact with anyone on the outside including your parents. Every privilege will now have to be earned. For me it was terrifying having no one to help/console me during the most frightening experience of my life.

You’re either with the program or not, these crazy sounding rules are self-enforcing really. Any infraction is considered to be rebellion, never just a mistake. So the minute you decide to go along, whether faking or not, you have to accept these rules completely and place them on yourself in total, for fear of not progressing and never having freedom again. Punishment is normally only for those resisting in some way. All those who conform are left alone and treated with total respect. It’s a brilliant system and it works.

As a dear friend said: “It is just horrific, because this has come out of people researching and coming up with theories of how to control people, using other kids coz they know peer pressure will work better than using adult authority figures. It is sick. I just see Facist Nazi's when I read this...it is their tactics.”

You can just imagine how the former “click” associations played out once inside the program. You could easily tell what click people were in before the program most of us probably brought it up early when it was our turn to talk. It was one way to not feel alone. Of course it also gave staff the opportunity to place former “hippies” new-comers with former “jock” old-comers, you know, in order to “help us process our true feelings.” How great it must have been to finally get the revenge your click so deserves buy having complete control over your worst high school enemy. I was on the receiving end of that one too.

Each day, you wake up, get ready for group and eat a breakfast of some sort. The first rap session started at 9AM each day and the last one ended at 9PM, except on Sunday when we started at 1PM. A rap session was a long group discussion led by staff. All the sessions had the same format Past-Present-Future but with different subjects each time. The group sat in two sections with the girls on one half of the room and us on the other. Sometimes the girls and us were separated for sessions to allow for more intimacy. Raps were it, all day every day, except for meals and daily 90 minute exercise. 1 or 2 staff in the room to 120-300 kids depending on the time of day.

For those 12 hours plus at the building each day, you have to sit up in perfect posture, meaning - facing and watching the person speaking, both feet flat on the floor in front of you and your back not touching your chair in any way. Sounds nice huh? Them looking out for our posture like that. The problem is when the enforcement of such posture is left to the fellow teens sitting around you. Did you get a chance to see Lord of The Flies?

Here’s how it works. The worst 1st phasers are sat on ‘front row’ closest to staff. So what you want if you’re trying to have a bit of fun is to sit right behind them on the 2nd row. This way as soon as they slouch down and their back touches the chair you get to drive your knuckles into their back!!! This makes them jump forward off the back of the chair. Very entertaining for a teenager who hasn’t been allowed to even read a cereal box for entertainment for months now. Screwing with the other inmates!!! Yay!

After a few times, if you’re lucky, they will stand up, pissed off. Then you and everyone nearby get to tackle them and force them to the ground. If they keep resisting you get to drag them to the back of the group, stretch them out and sit on them until they clam down. At first they sit just 5 people on you. 1 on each leg and arm and 1 on your torso. This often is enough and in a couple of hours your back up front and sitting up straight.

Being sat on by 5 people was no problem at all for most of us rebels. I could still get something free and start swinging. Then they went to 7 people and it wasn’t long before I was a standard 9. That’s 9 people sitting on me to shut me up. 2 on each leg, 2 on my torso, 1 on each arm and 1 on my head. They would turn my head to the side and them someone would sit on the side of my head. This would normally shut me up but it would be hours before I would calm down enough to be released. I had times when I would spend several days in a row on the floor with people on top of me.

I am probably most ashamed to admit firstly that the program works, at least I know it did for me. It really did. I bought it all to the letter. I resisted at first. Not to much physically, but I was open about my opinion of what they wanted. Of course then I figured that I would fake it and get out. This I guess works for a few folks, It didn’t for me, I assure you. I didn’t progress an inch until they broke me. BS got me no where.

Not only was I tackled and sat on, but I also tackled and sat on others while in straight. This is the hardest thing to think about for me. How they got me to do things I would not normally do,? To that extreme? When I first made 3rd phase, my first new-comer tried to escape by jumping from our moving car on Cattleman road not to far from the building. I didn’t hesitate and jumped out right behind him, tackled him and drug him back to our car. We drove on to the building, went into group and neither of us were even checked over for injuries by anyone.

While I was on 4th phase and making the best school results of my life, I slept each night with a 21 year old man tied under my bed. He was mentally challenged and known to be violent so this was an extra safety precaution that I had taken, beyond the normal caged window and door-key pinned in my underwear stuff. It also helped us all sleep more since he would often mis-behave during the night to punish us for his captivity. I’d love to know why someone with his obvious issues even ended up in a rehab. He didn’t stay long.

My first escape wasn’t until my 14th month in the program, long after I had earned the privilege to come and go unsupervised. After earning my way up to 4th phase and living back at home for a while, going to school again for months. After leaping from moving cars and tying R.J. under my bed, after I was broken, after I conformed, then I was started over. This means sent back to the beginning of the program like a new-comer, stripped of everything and taken away from home. That was the last time I ever lived at home as a minor.

A former director of Sarasota Straight had left the program and went to work at the Life program. (a competitor) He had contacted my folks about switching me over and he confirmed some of the bad Straight rumors that my folks had heard were indeed true. He told them that the Life program was the good of Straight, without the bad. My folks had spoke to another Mother who had switched both her boys to Life recently. Their mother had become a dear friend of my folks ‘in the program’ on the parents side.

Mom and Dad at this point were having a wonderful new relationship with me, their brand-new, perfect, Straight program son. I was making straight A’s and 1’s in school for the first time ever. I had a bedroom full of program kids every night and I was on my way. 7th phase was just 3 more steps and then graduation. WooHoo! I could probably even got a job working in the program some day.

Out of their new found respect for my feelings, they sat me down to ask me about switching to the Life program, to see what I wanted. One evening at our kitchen table in a house full of program ears, we talked about it. I don’t remember much more about the conversation than finding out where a few of my program friends had gone, Life. I do know that there wasn’t any decision made and I didn’t think I was leaving Straight at that point in any way. I probably resisted, if I had to guess, I was pretty Pro-Straight at that point.

The next day when I got to the program after school. They called on me right away, I thought they wanted me to bring the rap out of the confrontation portion and into the positive part at the end where you get to say how well you are doing now and how much you love straight. I leapt to my feat and began my bit. A bad thing happened then. A 5th phasers hand went up. This feeling is like no other.

My conversation with the folks about the other program had made it to the Straight staff’s attention and this 5th phasers job was to expose the story to the group (about 300) so that they would tear me apart. They did, I couldn’t say anything right, not a chance. The one thing you couldn’t ever be in straight was innocent, impossible. I went down in flames and I was started-over on the spot. Back to 1st phase. That was the last of the original me that ever existed, I ended there.

Time to run! Escape! A few nights later my old-comer had left some change on the bedroom floor, about 32¢. I watched it all evening, planning how I would wait ‘til they were all asleep and use a coin as a screwdriver to remove the screws holding the expanded metal cage attached to the window and jump from the 3rd floor that night. I did, in my underwear. We weren’t allowed any access to any clothes at night as a deterrent to escape. I actually found laundry on the lines just outside the window and I was off like a flash.

I ran for a while and stopped finally at a convenience store hungry about 3AM. I was starving of course, starving is part of being on 1st phase unless you are really doing good and/or you have a sweetheart old-comer. I also heard that some of the parents would not allow starving the kids in their home and would make their old-comer kids feed even the bad 1st phasers.

After a while of watching me search the aisles and counting my 32¢ occasionally inquiring as to the cost of different small items, the clerk said something like, “why don’t you grab a few hotdogs on me?” (Thank you wherever you are!) I wandered outside and started in on my hotdogs. As I was eating, the parking lot was filling up with the 3rd shift of the Winn Dixie distribution center getting off work. One of them offered me a hit on a joint that they were passing around. There I was, high again, just days after being Straight’s super kid.

Three days later I went home to my parents and begged them to take me back to Straight??? The auto-suggestions had kicked in, Remember I said, the program works. I was sure that I would die if I stayed outside the program. I was scared to death, really. They took me right in. A few days went by before I realized what had happened. There I was, on front row in group thinking, How did I get back here?

I then knew for the first time that they had brainwashed me. How did I come back to this horrible place and of my own will? I decided I would get out again and this time not come back. 5 months later, somehow I had earned a little trust, a mistake was made and I escaped again from the building in the middle of the day! WooHoo! I ran until I reached a friends house that I had found while out on my previous 3 days of freedom.

After I escaped the 2nd time I got serious about my drug use. It became my identity. I was free and I was using drugs. I had learned a lot and had almost no fears now. I added a few drugs to my list and found myself in jail again by 18. Luckily for me I had avoided crack, heroine and some of the other “harder stuff.” While in jail I decided to go straight again so I could save up some money. I had been homeless about half of this last bit, since Straight.

I got out of jail and I stayed completely sober for more than 16 years. I decided to stop using and I did. No drugs or alcohol at all. My best friend helped, he was straight now too. His mother had put him in Straight too, on my folks advice. She then pulled him from the program on 3rd phase about the same time as my start-over. He never used again that I know of.

At the time he and I were both working part-time as roadies for HAVOC. Our friends band. He did sound and I did lights and also handled all our interactions with normal folks. I had skills and I could make anyone think anything I wanted about me. I could certainly look like a middle class square any time I wanted and this was handy for renting venues and such. I was around drugs all the time, it didn’t bother me in the least. My identity was one of the strange straight roadies that work for Havoc. We would always mingle and entertain ourselves with our intoxicated friends.

I started all my personal relationships by giving warnings about myself and my psyche. I would say how I have a much deeper understanding of the inner workings of the emotional mind than normal because of being formerly brainwashed and having to get myself out of it in a program designed to teach you about yourself. I would not tolerate anyone in my life unless they agreed to accept this extra side of me and to deal with it whenever necessary. Nothing like a know-it-all, huh?

I would use the program techniques and other things I had figured out to point out levels of detail in life that most people probably don’t/shouldn’t deal with. Needless to say, I was a mess. I used anyone who would listen as a therapist and could subject them to a verbal “Moral Inventory” of myself without warning. Nothing could interrupt this process once I got started either. What’s more important than truth? I would think. “No you can’t leave the room.” “I can’t go to work now, I have to share this.”

Another part of the deal if you wanted to be my friend, is no films with torture or captivity in them. No exceptions. Watching anyone being controlled by another makes my feel sick to my stomach, lots of anger, rage. Even watching a child be scolded most of the time is too much for me. Interestingly though, I never connected this with Straight until recently???

After the band slowed down, I moved in with my parents again. Within just a few months, I found a local country girl and moved in with her and her 3 kids, I married her and became an instant dad at 23. We were lucky to have a free house from her family or we would have starved on my sometimes 6, sometimes 15 thousand a year. A true local business gentleman found me, hired me, mentored me and finally I was nearly lower middle class. Thank you Bob! Hannah was born in May of 1990 and I was a real Dad.

My 1st marriage ended in 2001 as far as the living arrangements go. It had ended years before, in most other areas. She was always encouraging me to go off where-ever I needed to, please, and get myself together. This even though I was the sole provider to our 4 children, not sleeping around or anything and completely sober. Wasn’t she lucky? I would think to myself then. Meanwhile I ballooned up to 363 pounds and I could silence my children with a glance. Weren’t they lucky? It’s no wonder they haven’t spoken to me since I left. I was a real prize. I was very successful now as far as western standards go. My middle-class parents/siblings actually wanted me around and acted tolerant of me. It was great. I nearly died that way.

In 2002 I started a new journey. I found the new-age self-improvement game and I was thrilled. I began to work on myself. A lot of it was crap, but there were nuggets to be found among the rubble. I made some great progress and began a new era in life, again.

A lot has changed for me recently. I’ve been working (under the table) about 25-30 hours a week since March. In the past few months I started having “frozen moments”. They would be just a minute or two at first but then became longer and eventually lasted for hours. Not being able to move, frozen in fear. Like someone quietly hiding in a closet hoping not to be found by a burglar.

I called my family (Mom, Sis & Bro-N-Law) and told them I was having trouble and asked, if they didn’t hear from me for a while, please check on me. I was scared that I might be losing it and may reach a point of no return soon. Then…

I was watching a documentary online a little more than a week ago. It was “High: The True Tale of American Marijuana”, about American drug history. I was not prepared for the section of the film about Straight though. I had previously thought that Straight was only 2 locations in Florida and had closed years ago. Boy was I wrong. Straight had been a huge corporation with like 12 locations and was still going in new and different versions. I was shocked. I was one of over 50,000 x-straight kids. George Bush Sr. had even done TV ads for Straight while our Vice-President. Straight hadn’t closed, instead they became Drug Free America Foundation. Advisors to the government on teens and drugs. ANGER - RAGE - ANGER - FURY - BURNING

What I am trying to avoid telling you is the horror I have felt every moment since I saw that footage. I sleep now in short spurts, waking over and over, only to remember and then wishing I was back asleep. My old 5:30AM wake up has become… finally getting out of bed in frustration around 3AM. I have not been able to work, I have not even left my camper unless I had to since then. I’ve been working on writing this since then also. It helps.

I’m trying to believe now, that it wasn’t my fault. That the methods that they used to break me were tried and tested to be proven. They have been used by the militaries and governments of most cultures, on adults for a long time. Logically, I know I have nothing to be ashamed about. Still, I feel that I am less than you. My mind tells me that the other kids didn’t break. They were all faking and I was the only one weak and stupid enough to be broken. You wanna’ talk about feeling powerless?

Now wherever I go, I am thinking about my shame. I’m not ashamed of my drug use, my sexual history or my finances although many people would be. I am ashamed to have been broken. I am afraid because I don’t remember when I quit resisting. I don’t remember the exact moment they broke me. How did they do it? Why did I stop fighting for myself and holding on? My breaking point must be easily accessible to others. How do I shield this fatal weakness? I don’t feel safe.

Really though, I don’t remember anything about my life prior to Straight that isn't a belief I formed about myself while I was in Straight. I don’t remember how I saw myself or the world before Straight. It’s like I was erased. This is a terrible feeling, the loss of identity. The anger with this is limitless. Several former Straight kids have gotten arrested for stalking/harassing the program’s founders and I know why. Revenge is now my first and last thought daily.

It seems my life prior to a week ago was just fiction. It’s like I was still just a Straight escapee and had been running still, my entire life. However even though I am experiencing these horrible feelings and memories again so vividly and constantly now, this seems real and before didn’t. How could living with all this, having never dealt with it, been real? I prefer this realness painful or not.

I feel I have a chance to live for real now. Since I’ve had this shift. I don’t feel driven to worry about where I am headed now. I don’t even care about probably losing my job. I’m glad to be feeling real and I’m not going to run from it in any way. I’ve already went to the local free clinic and requested counseling. Recovery from Straight is my only priority now.

I’m staring myself over now, at 45. I feel like a scared teen runaway , 15 years old. Why am I having to do all this on my own? But I’ve got a fresh slate in my own score book for the first time I can remember. I want more than anything for my family members to react to this story the way you have. I‘d like some empathy, some regret, some acceptance. I’d like them once to consider that maybe, just maybe, I wasn’t the Devil personified.

[ebachan]

Crossing destinies – Chapter 6 – Shadows of the past (2/9)

Original AU: @gaysilver

Inspired by: @sonicrobots

Genre: Action, adventure, fantasy

Rating: T (14+), middle+ violence (maybe light swearing)

Story:

Shadow is a priest living peacefully in a middle sized town. But lately, he is noticing dark aura is surrounding its citizens, causing them to behave aggressively. As he is investigating the cause of this, he encounters Sonic – a mischievous boy being outside at such late hour. Before he can accompany him to a safer place, he notices a sinister aura. There is a demon nearby, so he makes a totally believable excuse and rushes there. There he meets small demonic creature – Eclipse feasting on his prey. The clash is inevitable and no one knows how it ends… especially when certain hedgehog makes a bigger mess. After this night, nothing will be ever the same.

Silver closed the door to the cellar. “What did you find?” he asked once he saw Gold.

“It took longer than I expected, but with Blaze's help I was able to confirm that agent Blue had a child, a son.”

They headed to the living room, sitting there. “Who was the mother? You make it sound like he had it in complete secret.”

“That's partly true. The mother was Maya blue.”

“Maya?” He thought for a bit, unsure if he ever heard that code-name.

“It's no wonder you can't remember that code-name. Her rank was B and agent Blue was her senior partner and teacher.”

“Well, the Order was never particularly against marriages among agents. But why did they were so secretive about this?”

“I met Blue on a few occasions, he was always very protective. I bet he wanted to spare his son of it. I looked into his mind when he was sleeping. His memories were so clear. It was him, who scribbled those words on the gun. He strongly believed his dad is fighting bad guys. He was practically his hero. The news of their death was a huge blow for him.”

Silver smirked. “Fate has a strange sense of a humor, doesn't it? The murder of his parents was by his side all the time.”

Gold frowned a bit. She knew he isn't a bad person, but there were moments where he was very insensitive. “The girl has a very strange gift as well.” She changed the topic.

“Hmm, that's right. Who is she anyway?”

“Amy Rose, the only daughter of Rose family.”

“So a rich spoiled brat?”

“No, she is ladylike and unusually mature for her age. I'm sure you have noticed that already.”

He sunk a bit into his armchair, crossing his legs and arms. “Yeah, she wasn't panicking that much. She even managed to calm her demon quickly, giving me an easier time to carry it.”

“It's him.”

“Eh?”

“The demons isn't it, but he, and his name is Eclipse.”

“What? Ah, right, she was shouting its name.”

“No, she told me when we first met.” She told him about it.

“That's still no reason to regard it as a living being.” He shrugged his shoulders.

“I won't argue, you have a point, but her own is valid as well.”

Silver frowned at her. Considering demon a living being? “That girl is obviously naive. That demon must have sweet-talked her once he was chained to her.”

“Sonic! Mister Shadow!” Amy's voice was all over the place.

“Stop shouting!” shouted back Silver.

Amy rushed there. “Where is Mister Shadow?! What have you done to him?! Where are the others?! Answer me!!” Her clothes were dirty, crumpled and she would use a shower.

Silver felt like smacking her, but he held back his anger and only smiled, stroking her quills.

“There is no need to concern yourself with a fake priest.”

Amy clenched her fists. “He is much more honest and kinder person than you can be with your fake smile!!” yelled Amy at him, running to her temporal room, shutting the door behind her.

Silver bristled and his eyes turned red for a moment. How that runt dared to call him fake?!! His rage was slowly getting out of the hand.

“Silver, calm down…” Gold gently touched his shoulder, but her companion quickly shoved her away, pushing her on the floor. He turned around, closing himself in his room as well. Gold sighed and after a little while, she silently knocked on Amy’s door. “Amy, can you please open the door?” She waited, expecting no reaction, but the door went ajar.

“I’m not apologizing to him! He is fake!” Amy was peaking outside.

“I understand your anger, I just wish to explain you something about him.”

Amy frowned a bit. “It’s not like I’m angry at you.” She let her in, closing the door afterward.

“Thank you.” Gold sat down on the bed and Amy next to her.

“I’ll listen.”

“You are really mature for your age.”

“I was educated to be a proper lady.”

“You are as well headstrong, much like Silver can be.” Gold made light smile, remembering their first encounter. “You see, Silver never met his parents. According to folks from his home village, he was found nearby during a storm. The village chief couldn’t leave a child so it was accepted and raised by a local priest.

How old was he at that time? No one is sure but he appeared to be at most 4 years old. He never played with other children and he often tried to run away. He was as well quite aggressive. Adults were at a loss what to do with him. When I first met him, he was believed to be ten years old. I was called there because of an unfortunate accident.”

“What happened?” asked Amy when she made a pause.

Gold continued her story…