#also I wanna name that floor doofus

[wordsmithwhumpsandfluff]

For the ask game - we haven't seen a ton of sick Keiko, so I'd love that. With caretaker Amberlynn but also someone else of your choice. And the cause is that Keiko is overworked (common for a med student) and trying to power through, and insisting he's fine. He's with Amberlynn and the other person but says he needs to go - home or to work, and they following him because they know he's not fine. And find him dizzy and nauseous from exhaustion and not eating/drinking enough. Emeto please and thank you!

Amberlynn frowned as she got Keiko’s voicemail again.

She had called him during the day, and he’d texted her to call in the evening instead since he was so focused on studying.

It was now past 9pm, and he wasn’t picking up his phone at all. She hadn’t seen him all week since he’d been either in classes or studying at him apartment.

Suddenly, while Amberlynn was staring at Keiko’s contact, Jordan’s name appeared on her screen. She answered and put the phone on speaker.

“Hey, Jor,” she said.

“Hi, Amber-babe,” Jordan said back. “What’re you up to right now?”

Amberlynn sighed. “I’m trying to call Kei. He said to call him in the afternoon, but it’s dark out and he’s not responding.”

Jordan made a hum sound and said, “Really? He’s ignoring you, too? He said the same thing to me and isn’t answering now.”

Now Amberlynn was really worried. Not answering her calls was one thing, but ignoring both his girlfriend and his sister? That was very weird for him.

“I was thinking of heading over to check up on him,” Jordan suddenly said. “Y’know, just to make sure he hasn’t stabbed his own eye with a pencil or knocked himself out with one of those giant textbooks.”

Amberlynn couldn’t help but giggle before asking, “Could you pick me up on your way there? I wanna talk to him, too.”

Jordan said she would, and then hung up. About ten minutes later, Jordan was outside Amberlynn’s dorm building and Amberlynn got into the car.

By the time they got to Keiko’s apartment building, it was nearly 10 at night. The two girls took the elevator up to his floor and went to his apartment. Amberlynn knocked, and they got no answer. Then Jordan knocked—or, rather, pounded—on the door so abruptly and loudly that Amberlynn startled.

“Open up, doofus,” Jordan singsonged through the door.

Still, no answer.

Jordan sighed, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a key.

Amberlynn raised a brow at her. “You have a key, too?”

Jordan chuckled and nodded. “It’s an ‘emergency only key’, as he called it. And I have emergencies all the time, like when I’m nearly bored to death and I need to bug him to save my life.”

Amberlynn smiled at that. Once Jordan unlocked the door, they both walked in. All the lights were on.

“Kei?” Amberlynn called out, walking further into the apartment. The place was neat, as always, and nothing seemed off besides Keiko’s absence. “Keiko?”

Amberlynn walked over to his bedroom, the door of which was closed, and Jordan followed beside her. “Hey, Kei,” Jordan said, knocking on the door. “You alive in there?”

No answer.

Frowning, Amberlynn opened the door and found that the lights in the room were on as well and Keiko’s bed was made, but her boyfriend was asleep at his desk with his glasses all crooked on his face and literally drooling onto his textbook.

Jordan snorted and covered her mouth at the sight, fighting back giggles. Amberlynn smiled softly and shook her head, walking over and gently rubbing Keiko’s back, coaxing him awake.

“Hey, baby,” she whispered. “Wake up. C’mon, Kei.”

He groaned softly, blinking awake. He saw Jordan and Amberlynn, and he frowned, looking confused. “What’re you doing here?” he asked, sitting up and rubbing his face tiredly.

“Making sure you’re alive,” Jordan said, sitting on his bed. “We were trying to call you for hours.”

He frowned deeper, his brows furrowing slightly. He fixed his glasses. “Hours? What time is it?”

“Almost 10,” Amberlynn answered, and Keiko’s eyes widened.

He cursed under his breath, running a hand through his hair. “Dammit, I didn’t finish yet,” he mumbled to himself. He looked back at his desk, which had textbooks and papers all over it. It was so messy, and his head was so heavy with exhaustion that he couldn’t make sense of any of it, but he knew he had to finish something. He just had to figure out what. But which paper was it that he was writing on again? And which book was he reading? And—

“Hello? Earth to Keiko Tanaka?”

Keiko nearly jumped out of his skin when Jordan snapped her fingers in his face. When did she get there? Wasn’t she sitting on his bed?

“Are you okay, Kei?” Amberlynn asked, looking worried.

“Yeah yeah, I’m fine,” Keiko said, picking up a red pen. There was also a blue pen and a black one, but for some reason he felt like he needed the red one. “I’ve just got a lot to finish. I don’t want to add anything I planned to do today to tomorrow’s workload. That would just stress me out.”

Jordan scoffed, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Kei, I think you’re already stressed out. You look. . . well, to say the least, you look like sleep-deprived shit.”

Keiko raised an unimpressed brow at her. “We really are twins then.”

Jordan laughed at his retort. “I’ll have you know that there is such a thing as the prettier twin.”

Keiko sighed, rubbing his face. “Okay, yeah. You’re the ‘prettier twin’ or whatever. Can you leave me alone now? I have to work.”

At that, Jordan frowned a bit. “Kei, you’re exhausted.”

“You should go to bed, babe,” Amberlynn said, crouching beside his chair and resting a hand on his arm. “Jordan’s right. You look really tired.”

He looked at her, still frowning. “I’m not that tired. I’m really fine. And I can’t sleep until I finish. . . um. . .”

Amberlynn’s brows furrowed together. “You can’t even remember what you’re working on?”

He sighed again, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I just need to focus, Am. I promise, we can talk or whatever when I’m finished.” He sounded slightly annoyed, which is what really told Jordan and Amber just how tired he was.

With a small huff, Amberlynn snatched the pen from Keiko’s hand, making him exclaim “Hey!” and try to grab it back.

“Go to sleep,” Amberlynn said, her voice coming out so sternly that both Keiko and Jordan looked surprised.

Keiko frowned deeper, looking down. “I-I can’t,” he said. “I have too much work to do, and sleeping will just waste my time and then I won’t be able to—” His words stopped when he suddenly gagged. He covered his mouth with his hand as he retched over his lap, and just in time to catch a small stream of bile, Jordan placed a bin on his lap and was saying, “Okay, just let it up. You’re okay.” It was then that Keiko realized he had started to tear up.

Amberlynn cupped his forehead and pushed back his hair, cooing over him softly as he retched and heaved, only bringing up small streams of bile since, truthfully, he had nothing in his stomach. Keiko was too exhausted and dizzy to even comprehend what she and Jordan were even saying to him.

Maybe it would be fine if he closed his eyes just for a second. Yeah, definitely. Just for one—

“Kei,” Amberlynn suddenly exclaimed when Keiko began to tip dangerously to the side in his chair, nearly falling. “Okay, yeah, you are definitely getting in bed.”

Jordan took the bin and set it on the floor. Keiko didn’t fight or argue anymore as his sister and Amberlynn got him to stand up and brought him over to his bed, pulling back the covers before he laid down so they could cover him with them.

Jordan left, saying she was going to turn off all the lights in the apartment, and Amberlynn stayed sitting on the edge of the bed, petting Keiko’s hair. “When was the last time you got any sleep, Kei?” she asked.

He shrugged, which told Amberlynn enough. Then she looked around his room, realizing there weren’t any plates or cups around like there usually was when he was studying. Frowning, she looked at him again and asked, “When was the last time you ate? Or drank?”

He seemed to think hard, despite how exhausted he was. Then he shrugged again, and Amberlynn sighed. “Okay. Go to sleep now, baby. I’ll be right back.” She stood up and left the room, turning the lights off and going to find Jordan.

“Hey,” she said when she found Jordan in the kitchen, on her phone.

“Hello,” Jordan said back, pressing send on a text message before pocketing her phone. “El was just texting. So, how’s Kei?”

Amberlynn sighed. “Your brother doesn’t remember the last time he slept, ate, or drank.”

Jordan scoffed, shaking her head and chuckling. “God, its 11th grade midterms all over again.”

“I think I’m gonna stay here tonight,” Amberlynn decided. “Just so I can make sure he actually takes care of himself tomorrow. There’s not gonna be any point to all this studying if he’s dead by the time he goes to take it.”

Jordan smiled. “My dumb brother better make you my sister-in-law one day,” she said, and she cackled when Amberlynn’s expression turned shocked and her face became bright red. Jordan gave Amberlynn a quick hug and peck on the cheek before leaving. Then Amberlynn went back to Kei’s bedroom.

She grabbed a large t-shirt from his closet and put it on before climbing onto his bed with him. She tried to do it as quietly as possible, but Keiko opened his eyes when she accidentally made the bed dip too much. “Am?”

“Shh, go back to sleep,” she whispered, laying down.

He watched her for a second, sleepily. Then, he turned onto his side and scooted closer to her, wrapping himself around her and making her smile and giggle quietly as he melted against her. He buried his face in her neck, and all but draped himself over her. Amberlynn planted a kiss on his head, sighing heavily.

“Pancakes in the morning?” she asked, whispering against his hair.

He hummed and planted a small kiss on her neck in agreement before falling back asleep.

[skatetheatrics]

hand    moves    up    to    wrap    around    the    back    of    his    neck,    rubbing    gently.    ❝    yeah,    uh...    her    stuff    isn't    as    complicated    as    mine.    lucky    for    her.    i'm    glad    she's    not    got    to    deal    with    so    much    shit.    ❞    he    didn't    want    anyone    else    to    have    to    deal    with    what    he    had    during    the    latter    half    of    his    teenage    years.    it    had    been    painful,    trying    to    navigate    all    of    that.    he'd    just    wanted    a    break.    ❝    yeah,    it    wasn't    the    best.    i'm    more    or    less    over    it    now,    but    it    was    a    shitty    way    to    spend    senior    year.    lily    was...    great.    at    the    time.    but    i    never    wanted    to    hold    her,    or    anyone    else,    back.    ❞    he    shrugs,    trying    to    shift    his    thoughts    and    get    off    that    topic.    ❝    i    get    nervous    sometimes,    start    to    ramble...    maybe    that's    also    cringy    to    say,    but...    i    don't    particularly    care    right    now.    you    kinda    make    me    wanna    tell    you    the    truth,    even    if    i'm    going    to    look    like    an    idiot.    ❞

❝    you're    hard    to    miss,    whether    that's    on    my    sister's    feed,    or    here    in    the    room.    you    stand    out.    i    mean...    i've    never    seen    someone    so    beautiful.    so,    yeah,    uh...    i'm    very    interested.    ❞    he    says,    the    smirk    that    had    been    on    his    face    less    smirk    and    more    soft    smile    now    that    he    was    getting    more    comfortable    with    her.    ❝    you    know,    the    cold    isn't    that    bad.    i'd    rather    be    cold    than    warm.    when    you're    too    warm,    it's    not    fun    to    be    curled    up    with    someone    you    love.    if    i    get    too    hot,    i    want    to    lay    on    the    floor    in    boxers    and    think    cooling    thoughts.    at    least    when    it's    cold,    cuddling    is    on    the    table...    ❞

he    looks    down    at    the    arm    she    places    on    his    bicep    and    instantly    the    soft    smile    that    had    been    on    her    face    is    now    much    brighter.    he    sees    this    as    a    good    sign.    a    sign    that    he's    not    imagining    the    spark    he's    feeling    between    them.    ❝    i    really    like    talking    to    you,    too,    nini...    ahh...    see,    i    thought    i    wasn't    nervous,    but    i    just    stumbled    over    your    name    all    because    you    put    your    hand    on    my    arm...    ❞    he    says    it    with    a    shake    of    his    head,    chuckling    at    how    much    of    a    doofus    he    probably    looks    to    her    right    now.    ❝    there's    a    balcony    out    this    way.    honestly,    you've    probably    been    here    more    than    i    have,    you    probably    know    your    way    around    better    than    i    do.    ❞    he    says    with    a    laugh,    but    he    places    a    hand    on    the    small    of    her    back    anyway    to    lead    her    toward    the    door    to    the    little    balcony.    it    wasn't    big,    so    he    hoped    that    nobody    would    come    and    disturb    them    hoping    to    smoke    or    cool    down    from    way    the    room    has    heated    up    from    all    the    people    inside.

   ❝    oh- well that's really sweet. it kinda sounds like um- from the little goldie's told me... about your situation... she kinda got the winning end of this. as far as relationships with parents... and i mean she's younger right? so... living at home more so...   ❞    even though now they are all adults, she gets what he's saying. he cares about goldie, of course he does.   ❝    i'm sorry about your mom... and that your dad wasn't able to really- be there for you when you needed it. i'm really sorry... but i am glad you had lily. you deserve to have someone in your life who lifts you up...   ❞    she then realizes what he's said, and she's blushing again.   ❝    ahhh oh gosh... you're so sweet. thank you. but um- it's okay. i think people might say it's a bit of a red flag if you're talking about your ex on a date, but- we're not on a date.   ❞    she shakes her head, smiling at him.

   ❝    yeah- comfortable. exactly, or nervous... honestly.   ❞    well- when she's really nervous she'll start talking in that awful british accent... at least that's not going on right now.   ❝    well i'm glad i'm not the only one noticing... i'm glad you've seen me too.   ❞    she's amused by his flirtations, new best friend... come on ricky... but it's sweet. the way he clearly does like talking to her at least. she nods at his words, pink stained cheeks as she looks up at him.   ❝    good to know. that you're interested in me.   ❞    she brushes a strand of hair from her face with a smile as he bites his lip. he's really attractive, she won't even try to deny it. she wonders still if this is a bad idea. he's goldie's brother. she doesn't want to upset her friend by flirting with her brother or goodness knows what else he might want... but then- she's not going to be in chicago long... there's no harm in talking to him.

she nods at his words.   ❝    you should definitely visit. it's a lot of fun- new york. and i like la. like i said, my moms went to college there, so... they know it better than me, but- i will say i miss the weather when i'm in new york... or here- like- i don't know how you handle the cold so well...   ❞    she shakes her head.   ❝    i'm sure you'll get to do exactly what you want someday. you should listen to your ex girlfriend- follow your dreams.   ❞    she says it a little teasingly, but she's smiling genuinely too. nina tilts her head at his question.   ❝    well, i don't know if you should leave or anything but... if you'd like to go sit outside or upstairs or something... we can. i don't mind the idea of talking somewhere quieter. it's not rude to me at least.   ❞    she giggles. hand reaches up to rest on his bicep, the girl looking up at him through eyelashes.   ❝    i don't want goldie to be mad at me, but- i like talking to you..   ❞    

[some-messed-up-writing-for-you]

If you’ve got time, could you do a continuation of prompt #123 please?

Request #29

Warning: none, just Villain being a flustered doofus.

Here you go! 🙃

Part 1

~~~~

By the time the pair of criminals had reached the donut store, Villain's face had turned beet red. Though, they could at least blame it on the cold winter air.

Other Villain kept looking at them with that stupid smirk, not even slightly relenting as the two of them went up to the counter. The villain tried to remain calm, but as they came face to face with their crush, their heart went crazy inside their chest.

"Oh! Hi, Villain's Name!" - the person behind the counter said in that sweet voice that had Villain's knees wobbling.

"H-Hi, Civilian." - the villain replied, giving them a smile and tiny wave. "H-How are you doing?"

"I've had better workdays." - the civilian answered with a laugh and dismissive flick of their hand. "But I also had worse ones, so I'm doing pretty good in summary!"

"T-That's uh- good to hear."

Civilian continued to smile, leaning against the counter. "So, what can I do you for?"

"Uh... What do y-you wanna get, O.V.'s Name?" - Villain asked the other criminal, turning toward them.

Other Villain wanted to burst out laughing at the other's flustered state but kept their cool. "I'll take five chocolate-covered, please. And you?"

"I uh... I'll take pink sprink. A-Also five uh- please." - the villain stuttered out, secretly giving the other villain a small glare when their crush wasn't looking.

"Pink sprink, eh? Good choice, Vivi!" - Civilian said, grabbing a small box and starting to fill it with the two's desired donuts.

The other villain couldn't help the snort that escaped them as they whispered in amusement at the nickname, "Vivi?"

Villain's blush somehow managed to grow as they whispered back in an embarrassed-angry tone, "Oh, hush you-."

"Here you go!" - the civilian said, setting the box on the counter.

The villain was quick to give them the conveniently perfect amount of money. They definitely hadn't memorized the entire menu like some weirdo with too much time. Nope. Definitely not.

"Enjoy the donuts!"

"Y-Yeah, thank you." - Villain stammered out before the two criminals retreated out of the store.

As the pair walked back home, the villain was prepared for the other to start pocking jokes at them. But surprisingly, the entire way back, Other Villain remained quiet, with only a small grin on their face to give away what they might be thinking.

It gave Villain a foolish hope which instantly shattered as the door to their shared house closed, and the other villain doubled over, cackling.

"VIVI?! PFFT- HAHA!"

"S-Shut up!" - the villain demanded, stomping their foot as their partner in crime continued to laugh.

Villain's face burned as they set the box of goodies on the kitchen table, grumbling under their breath and doing their best to ignore the other. They frowned as Other Villain used the wall as support so they wouldn't fall to the floor, slowly calming down.

"Are you done yet?" - the villain asked, glaring.

Through occasional giggles, the other villain managed to reply. "Y-Yeah."

Villain rolled their eyes, turning back towards the box. As they opened it, and the sugary scent infiltrated their nostrils, their expression softened, a smile dancing on their lips.

They grabbed one of the pink donuts and bit into it, humming contently at the taste. Today was a good day.

But tomorrow was a yet unknown to them nightmare.

[displacedentities]

Night Out

My quickfic for @doodledrawsthings​ Coffee Shop AU! In truth I had this in the books for months and just never got around to finish it ;u; Unfortunately only the muse can decide when it’s time to slap me with enough serotonin to work on this, so I rode the high from recent art and wrapped it up! It’s not as clean as I wanted, but you know what, have it anyway.

-Myst -----

Finally. Another shift in the books.

With a heavy sigh, Luka stretches his back as the clock chimes up on the wall over the glass doors. Deft fingers untie the back before he slips the fabric apron over his head. A light snap of magnets punctuates the white noise of steaming coffee machines, and Luka stuffs his nametag into his pants pocket.

Luka was embarrassed to think about how much of a struggle it was to steady on for the entirety of the workday. Stress ate at him all the time, over so many things. Harriet was priority number one - did he remember to prep her meals for the day? Was she still ok, back in the apartment? Was Professor Popcorn in need of more repairs? Luka would happily handle such a task, of course, but...

He wasn't guaranteed to have thumbs when the evening finally came. There was his time limit to think about.

"Hey Luka?"

Damn, but being cursed was such a pain. Chopping vegetables was a particular bane of his existence. How could he trust himself with a knife like that? Ugh. He hated to make Harriet do it - no child should be wielding a knife before the age of 13, for any reason. He'd just have to MacGyver a solution or something.

"Luka..."

And on top of that, he had the upcoming bills to fret over. Rent was due in a few days, and he'd made a decent amount in tips, but they could not afford to have their upstairs neighbor burst a pipe again. He and Harriet had spent the entire afternoon toweling up their poor carpets to avoid getting mildew. Or worse, bugs. Luka was a fan of bugs, but not in his carpets, or sneaking into the mattress where they could bite his daughter.

"HEY!"

This time, the voice manages to pierce the haze of worry writhing in Luka's brain. Jolting to attention, the auburn-haired adult turns around, blinking owlishly at his colleague, Clover.

The braided redhead is giving him a wan smile, her brows furrowed in worry as she sets down a large bag of coffee beans under the counter.

"You spaced out again, buddy. Did you hear a word I said?" the barista asks, folding her arms over her stained apron.

"Uhh... you said my name," Luka replied, feeling a bit awkward as he chuckles once. "Sorry, I probably missed anything you might have asked me."

"I was asking if you ever go out."

"Ah- what?"

That was unexpected. Go out?

"You know-" Clover holds up her hands to gesture to the world in general, and beyond the coffee shop doors "-out! Like, with friends or anybody?"

Ah.

Luka laughs once, rubbing a hand on one side of his face.

"You mean since I moved into town? Nah, not really. Me and my daughter have only been here a few months - can't say we made many friends just yet."

Nor was that a risk they could take. Who knows how long they could stay here, before he was inevitably found out? One could argue it was a risk just- doing what he was doing now. Trying to hold a job, staying in an apartment; a semi-permanent living situation. They'd been on the road so long, old habits were quite hard to break. And if he was entirely honest with himself, Luka didn't know yet if he felt safe, even six months past the first day he arrived in the rural town of Subcon.

Clover's frown deepens, her arms dropping back to her sides. Her dropped guard betrays her worry, before she tries to play it off with another lighthearted smile and upbeat words.

"Oh come on, it can't have been that long since you've just done something fun for the sake of it. When was the last time you went out with friends and enjoyed yourself?" she asks.

"Why is this important?" Luka asks, his own guard slowly rising. He didn't quite see where she was going with this, but he wasn't sure he'd like it.

Oops- maybe not the most polite way to phrase that, as he sees an awkward flinch on Clover's face. Quick, recover! Luka chuckles once, also trying to lighten the mood.

"You and MJ never really asked me that kind of stuff before. I thought I was hired to serve coffee, not tea."

"We serve both, ya doofus," Clover smirks, rubbing one of her well-muscled arms with the other in a self-conscious gesture. "You should know that, since you've been working here almost four months now. And uh- well, MJ just kind of noticed you always seem very tired whenever you leave work."

Luka smiles back, but it's forced. Careful. Don't give any hints that it's anything serious. Don't be suspicious.

"Oh, that? I uh- I'm not used to the retail scene. I'll probably adapt to it soon."

Clover doesn't seem convinced. Still, her expression is sympathetic, rather than judgmental or suspicious. She leans her back on the counter, looking over Luka's exhausted demeanor and baggy eyes with a skeptical smile.

"I'm sure you will." She rests her hands on the counter. "In the meantime, you should go out for bowling with me and MJ! We were planning this outing for about a week, and maybe you'd wanna come with?"

Luka stops mid-folding of his apron. He turns toward Clover with surprise.

"Bowling? As in- knocking over pins in an alley, bowling?"

Clover rolls her eyes, amused. "No, as in rolling cereal bowls. Yes, that kind of bowling, Luka. It'll be fun! Eat some cheap pizza, knock over pins, watch the uncanny valley animations on the TV screen, the whole shebang. You up for joining us?"

"I uh- I didn't know there was a bowling alley here?" Luka says, his voice pitching up as he gives a sheepish laugh. "I- I don't know..."

Shit.

He could already feel the first touches of his curse starting to well up. A quick glance to his hands- okay, no purple yet. But it was coming.

Luka tucks his hands behind his back just in case.

"I'm not sure, I have Harriet to worry about..." he fumbles, rushing to think of excuses. It hurts his heart a little when he sees the disappointed expression Clover wears.

"Are you sure?" she asks, her tone gentle. "It'll only be a for a couple of hours - I could ask Cookie next door if she'd be willing to handle your daughter for the night. She's a fantastic sitter, and your daughter would have Mu to play with."

Luka opened his mouth, preparing to turn it down- then closed it again, brows furrowed as he chews over the thought.

Only a few hours... hm. His curse's current time limit was somewhere a little short of eight hours, he was sure. As long as he didn't have to pick up a shift at work, he would have most of his day free to spend out of the motel. An outing to a bowling alley couldn't possibly last eight hours, though he'd... never actually gone bowling before.

"I.... don't know... I've never been bowling, I'll just hold you back-"

"Nonsense," Clover says, waving off his excuse immediately. "MJ and I aren't professionals or anything, Luka - it's just for fun! You've never been?? That means you've gotta try it, at least once. Please?"

...mmh. Luka would be lying if he said he wasn't very tempted. But he had so much to worry about! His daughter, his curse... keeping his job, being able to support the two of them. Not to mention, getting used to his slow camaraderie with Clover and MJ. That sort of outing would throw their friendship into first gear.

"It's ok," Clover interrupts his thoughts, standing back up straight as she grabs a rag and finishes wiping down the counter. "You don't have to come, we just thought... you know, it might be fun. You look like you need some serious time to unwind, dude. All we ever see of you is showing up to work, dealing with customers, then you leave. And hey, if you change your mind, the offer's still open."

Luka curls his fingers, foot tapping the floor in small fidget.

"Well, I'm gonna start closing up the back," Clover says, tossing the rag into a laundry bin next to the employee break room. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Wait!"

Clover stops, turning around with the laundry basket.

"What day were you planning to do it?"

What am I thinking?? I can't go on an outing with them!

Unaware of Luka's silent stresses, Clover beams, her smile lighting up once again.

"Saturday! Would that work for you?"

"Mnhg- maybe?" Luka concedes, forcing his own sheepish smile despite his brain screaming No nO this is a bad idea! His mouth continues to run away from him. "Saturday is my errand day - me and Harriet go out for groceries in the morning, and eat out at whatever lunch restaurant she picks. I wouldn't be open until the evening, and Sunday's game day for me and my daughter."

Bad idea, what are you doing?!

"That's perfect!" Clover says, delighted and still not privy to Luka's inner struggle. "If we close the shop at five, we can drive to the bowling alley around 5:30, play a game or two and eat. Should go until about... eight-ish? How's that sound?"

Say no, say NO!

"Sure, sounds fun."

AGH!

"Great!" Clover says, a skip in her step as she lopes off to the back room with the laundry basket. "I'll text MJ to let him know - he's already gone back to his apartment."

"Yeah, I'll uh- I'll text him too," Luka chuckles, scratching behind his head with one hand- and immediately putting a stop to that action, as he feels the points of sharp claws dig at his scalp. Both arms are dropped and tucked behind his back, a big smile on his face. "Gotta give him the full details and everything, haha..."

"No problem- see you!" Clover bids Luka goodbye, waving one hand as she cheerily hauls the laundry bin off into the back.

"Bye!" Luka says, his voice cracking from nerves.

Oh thank god she's gone.

Luka pulls his hands back out into view, and sees the telltale purple staining begin to creep up his flesh. Peck. It was already starting- Clover left just in time. He could already feel the sharp ends of his canines starting to poke into his bottom lip. He didn't have much left of the day in human form- he had to get home right now.

Snatching up his belongings from his locker, stuffing his work apron inside, Luka loops his bag over his shoulder and leaps over the service counter. He missed the rack of sugar packets this time, thankfully, his sneakers squeaking on the tile floor as he bolts out the door. The bell rings as the glass entryway opens and shuts, signaling his departure. Car keys are whipped out of his bag, a slowly deforming finger just managing to push the button to unlock the vehicle as he clambers inside. Just five minutes- he could make five minutes.

The engine of the car roars to life, and Luka zips off out of the employee parking space, trying his best to ignore it as his fingers swell and fuse together, and his eyes reflect golden light in the rear view mirror.

------

MJ's car putters up to outside the bowling alley, fixing his blue-dyed hair with a sigh. Clover, in the passenger seat, drums her hand on the door handle with excitement.

"This is gonna be so much fun," she says, turning to look over her shoulder at the stiff and uncomfortable Luka in the backseat. "I'm so glad you decided to come, Luka- we'll show you the ropes of bowling!"

"Great," the young man says, putting up another shaky smile as his fingers tense around his kneecaps. "Can't wait!"

"That's the spirit," MJ speaks up, giving Luka a quick smile of his own before twisting the key in the ignition. The car's engine dies down, the doors unlocking as MJ shifts the gear into park. "Clover told me you were nervous about hanging out, and that's completely fine by me - if you feel uncomfortable and don't want to stay, just let us know, ok? We'll drive you back to the apartment building, no hesitation."

Luka inhaled deeply, letting out a heavy sigh from the back seat of the car. It felt like his nerves were trying to shake him apart. A glance at his watch-

Was he really going forward with this?

...Yes. He was. As much as Luka worried, Clover had been right. It'd been far too long since he'd taken 'me' time.

Luka puts a hand on the door and pulls the handle, stepping out of the car before he has a chance to psyche himself out.

It's just a couple hours. He still had plenty of time, after his midday outings with Harriet.

Stay calm. You can do this.

The sign above the brick building shines with neon lights, saying 'Pins & Cushions' in bright blue and red. The backdrop is a painting that Luka can swear was painted in the 80s, displaying a bowling ball as it barrels into pins and knocking them askew with a cartoony impact mark.

"Pins & Cushions?" he says aloud, smirking a little bit.

"Kind of silly, right?" MJ speaks up, locking the car behind him with a click. "Sounds more like a sewing parlor than a bowling alley."

"It's because they boasted having cushioned chairs," Clover says, snickering. "You've never been, but most bowling alleys have these awful plastic chairs that hurt to sit on for too long."

"You mean like the chairs in high school?"

Luka's joke earns a quick bark of a laugh from Clover.

"Couched seating areas in a bowling alley was, sadly, a craze that never caught on," MJ says, ascending the concrete steps up to the building. "But this one did, and the place is like forty years old and too stubborn to change, so your butt will thank you later."

When the doors open, Luka is immediately washed with a cocktail of smells he didn't think could- nor should- ever go together. First and foremost is the thick smell of plastic and rubber, followed by the chemical odor of cleaning sprays, and the sizzling smell of burning cheese. Air conditioning blasts them from above as the three young adults enter the bowling alley, the doors sliding shut behind their backs. The sounds hit next - a cacophonous mix of rubber soles squeaking on polished floors, heavy objects falling and rolling, and the clatter of pins falling into the trap at the far end of the establishment.

It was loud, smelled strange, and the carpet looked lifted straight out of an arcade.

Luka was torn between anxiety, and a strange sort of excitement he hadn't felt in a long, long time. This was something new, something unfamiliar- he had hours to enjoy himself, and spend time not worrying about stresses of life. Harriet had a sitter, paid in advance with an alarm for when he would return, and he was out with- friends? Had him accepting this invitation solidified their friendship at this point? ...the thought made a happy butterfly flutter in his stomach.

This would be a great evening, he could feel it.

"Earth to Luka." MJ's amused tone causes Luka to jump. "Something on your mind? You're smiling."

"Oh- uh- nothing," Luka says, scratching behind his head sheepishly. "Just- thanks. For inviting me. I think I really did need this a lot."

"YEAH you do!" Clover thumps him on the back with one hand. "Come on! You have to give your shoes to the clerk so they can give you your bowling shoes."

"Ah, what? I have to take off my shoes on this carpet?" Luka complains, lifting a foot with distaste. "I feel like I'm stepping on twenty-year-old candy."

"It's part of the charm!" Clover sings, already removing one of her sneakers. "It's either this, or slip all over the place on the actual alley floor. You're getting the full bowling experience whether you like it or not, coffee boy."

"Ex-CUSE me!" Luka says with a dramatic gasp, hopping on one foot as he works to remove his own shoes. "I think you will find I'm a coffee man, thank you."

"Coffee twink," Clover counters.

"No, that's MJ."

"HEY! I will call lion's share of the tips for that one," MJ shakes a sneaker at them both in a mock scolding gesture.

"YOU'RE BOTH COFFEE TWINKS," Clover declares to the entire establishment as she fights off her last sneaker, racing for the counter before the others can catch up. "HURRY UP, COFFEE TWINKS, WE NEED TO PICK OUT BOWLING BALLS."

"I have dibs on the galaxy patterned one!" MJ yells after Clover.

Clover gives MJ an evil grin as she takes her bowling shoes and pays the rental fee, tying them before sauntering over to the racks of bowling balls. Her hand hovers over the selection, giving a teasing pause over the bowling ball made with swirled star plastic.

"Don't you dare," MJ hisses from the counter, pointing an accusing finger at Clover as he hands over the money for both his and Luka's rental shoes.

"It's either the tips share, or the bowling ball! You decide!" Clover yells back, drumming her fingers on the coveted starry bowling ball.

"Fiiiiine," MJ says with a dramatic tone, though his smile gives away his mirth. "You know I wasn't going to take the tips anyway, Clo."

"I know~" she says, giggling while she moves on to a different rack of bowling balls. "And you know I wouldn't do that to your poor weak arms, either, Moonie."

Luka finishes tying his rental shoes, thanking MJ before he makes his way down the small stairway to the alleys. It's very bright in this section of the building, with cushioned couches surrounding tables and standing consoles. Metal railings and a chute of some kind were positioned at each alleyway, some with bowling balls sitting idle atop the metal racks.

"So, what now?" Luka asks, the excitement of wading into unknown waters welling in his chest again.

"Pick a bowling ball!" Clover says, gesturing to the racks of heavy plastic spheres. "You'll want a heavy one, but not too heavy for you to lift and throw."

"Go easy on us, Clover." MJ shakes his head as he picks up his favorite starry ball. "Ms. Gun Show and her fourteen-pound bowling ball."

The redhead leans over and scoops up a swirled green bowling ball, hefting it on one arm and pumping it like a weight.

"You might get some guns yourself if you helped me landscape and move sod around my garden, Coffee Twink #1," she says, flexing a bicep.

"I refuse to acknowledge that nickname."

"Sorry, it's our team name now," Clover laughs, "the Coffee Twinks!"

"Hey, I thought our team name was the Comets?!"

"That was before Luka joined the team - now it's a 2-to-1 twink majority, I don't make the rules."

Luka just has his face in his hands, laughing through the whole exchange as he leans on the metal racks.

"You're just as bad as Harriet!" Luka laughs, pushing his hair back out of his eyes with one hand. "I don't even know where she learned that word - Cookie's daughter, probably?"

"Definitely," MJ says with a thousand yard stare, earning more laughter from Luka. "Go pick a bowling ball, I'll get the console up and running for our game."

Wiping tears from his eyes, chuckling under his breath, Luka turns to the racks and peruses the selection. The bowling balls come in all colors - most are black or dark brown, but there's a rather delightful mix of brighter hues like pink, blue and yellow. Some are marbled, some have glitter in the plastic, and a few very beat-up bowling balls have graphics of cartoon characters that were popular in the 90s. Well-loved by the children who patronize this establishment, he was sure. Harriet would love the Scooby-Doo ball - oh no wait. The one themed after a Pokeball, for sure was her poison of choice. And clearly the pick of the litter for many other children, as it was covered in scratches and dents from decades of use.

Ah- there was one themed after a jack-o-lantern! How fitting. He loops his fingers into the grip holes of the bowling ball, and heaves it off of the rack- only to almost crush his toes as the weight yanks his arms to the floor.

That was- heavier than expected!

"Oooooh, nice pick," Clover says, spinning her own bowling ball in her hands. "You sure you can carry it, though? That's a 10-pounder."

"I'll be fine-" Luka says, grunting as he lifts it back up with both hands this time. "Just- caught me off guard, is all."

"Alright, game's all set," MJ announces from the console.

Above their heads, a large tube television flashes blue before displaying a score board.

A loud k-chunk k-chunk k-chunk of machinery draws Luka's eye toward the other end of the alley. Metal rigging and machinery descend from the covered roof of the pin trap. Resembling a large soda crate, the rig drops an array of ten white bowling pins, before unclamping and ascending back into the darkness of whatever creation of god resided in that ceiling.

"You're up first, Clo," MJ says, waving a hand to indicate she should move forward.

"Watch and learn," Clover throws Luka a smile, the competitive taunt dampened by her genuinely helpful tone. "You want to throw the ball so it rolls like this-"

Stepping forward onto the squeaky, smooth polished wooden platform, Clover lifts her bowling ball to her chest. With a quick inhale, she lopes forward two steps, swinging her arm back with the bowling ball, before reeling it forward on the last stride and underhand throwing it into the aisle. The heavy green bowling ball lands with a tHDD before skidding its way down the oiled track, rolling in a long, smooth line. The swirled green sphere smacks into the bowling pins with a loud tHWAKK!!, sending all but one of the pins flying into the darkness beyond. The ball disappears into the hole, and Clover puts her hands on her hips with a huff.

"Damn, almost got a strike." Clover snaps her fingers, shrugging. The green bowling ball clatters back up the chute. She grips her fingers into the trio of holes again, and goes for another throw.

The bowling ball rolls down the course, straight as an arrow for the last pin. The pin spins off the wooden platform into the darkness, earning a whoop from Clover.

"Nice, got a spare!" Clover declares, throwing her arms up in triumph. She sashays her way back to the couches. "Who's up next?"

"I'm up," MJ says, standing from the console. Looping his fingers into his own starry bowling ball, MJ rolls his shoulders and steps up onto the oiled wooden planks. "I'm going to get the first strike of the day, just wait."

"Sure you will," Clover snickers as MJ winds up.

When he releases the ball, it rolls at very high speed- before curving halfway down the track, the topspin he put on the ball causing it veer off course and land in the gutter.

Face flushed, MJ coughs into his hand, suddenly very invested in fixing his shirt as Clover grins. The galaxy ball returns to the trough, and MJ pointedly picks it up again, winding up for his second throw. The bowling ball rocks down the course, and knocks over about six pins, leaving a corner of the triangle still standing.

"Woo!" Clover cheers, clapping as MJ returns to the seating. She reaches over and nudges Luka on the shoulder. "You're up, Luke! Show us whatchu got!"

Heart in his throat, Luka stands from his seat and steps up.

The bowling ball grins up at him, daring him to chicken out. It was heavy in his hand. Still, he walked up onto the polished floor, feeling the rubber on the bottom of his shoes as it grips the oiled surface.

Fighting the weight of the heavy bowling ball, Luka takes a step forward, swinging his arm back before bringing it back around like a pendulum. The ball hits the track with a heavy thDD as it’s released, sent rolling off down the track. Around the halfway point, it spins off course and lands in the gutter with a clunk.

“Aww,” Clover says, leaning over the chair cushion. “And you had such good posture, too.”

“It’s ok,” MJ speaks up, seeing Luka’s visible embarrassment. “It’s your first time bowling! Nothing to be ashamed of. You have another shot before we rotate players.”

Disappointed, Luka rubs at his arm. Well, that was a less than encouraging performance. But he noticed the angle of the spin on the ball. Maybe he could fix that.

The ball clatters up the chute back into the return trough. Luka picks it up with a huff of breath, holding it to his chest as he does mental calculations. If he turned his wrist at just the right point...

Stepping forward, Luka swings back and releases the ball, putting a top spin on the ball at the last possible moment-

The jack-o-lantern face rockets down the alley, the path straight until the very last second. It curves to hit the front pin from the side, knocking every single pin into the abyss beyond.

"OHHHHH!" Clover and MJ exclaim, clapping with enthusiasm as Luka looks stunned.

"You got a strike!" Clover says, applauding with a big grin. "You were totally pulling our legs about being a newbie to this, huh??"

"I think I just got lucky," Luka tries to play it off, feeling an uncommon shyness as he smiles.

Clover shakes her head, not having it.

"Luck nothing! That was pure talent, and you got a strike, dude!"

"Technically that was a spare, but still a strike in my book," MJ says as he rotates the turn order on the console, giving Luka a smile and a thumbs up.

"Oh let him have it, Moon Moon," Clover laughs as MJ throws her a pout. "Our new boy's got game!"

Luka hunches his shoulders, an awkward smile curling across his cheeks as he walks back over to the couches. Clover jumps to attention and makes her way to the track, picking up her green bowling ball for another round as he sits down.

This was... much more fun than he had expected it to be. The background noise of the bowling alley was surprisingly pleasant. He found he could get used to the dull odor of plastic and cleaner- and honestly, that hot cheese smell from what must be the pizzeria was tempting his stomach. But best of all was the camaraderie he could feel sparking between him, Clover, and MJ. Were they officially friends now? Or had they been already, and he was just- in denial? If Luka was entirely honest with himself, probably the latter. MJ and Clover had been nothing but kind and understanding, to him. His sporadic hours and excuses had done nothing to faze them with regards to their treatment of him at work. They still offered him drinks and invited him on this outing, offering even to pay for his expenses, didn't they?

"Hey Luka!" A call from MJ breaks him out of the small reverie. "You're up, again."

"And after this round, we can hit the arcade! I bet I can out-dance you on DDR, Coffee Twinks," Clover smirks.

"No betting. I know you can."

Maybe- maybe he had nothing to worry about.

---

The evening is going fantastic.

The first bowling game had been a pretty close match between Luka and Clover. Clover had the arm strength to pull off some mean and fast throws, but Luka had developed a system. Figuring out how to spin the bowling ball just the right amount had made up for his noodle arms and less weighty bowling ball. It wasn't long before he figured out how to roll a pretty straight record of spares and strikes, with the occasional 7-10 split. After bowling around, they went into the arcade section, with an entire paper roll of quarters to blow on games. A vicious Ms. Pacman multiplayer match had led to MJ smoking all three of them, and as predicted, Clover out-danced both of the boys on the DDR and Stepmania machines. Luka had to collapse over a nearby chair with exhaustion after his matches. He'd finished off the arcade run with a very lucky pull from a claw machine, winning a black cat plush with big yellow eyes that he was definitely going to enjoy giving to Harriet.

The three of them sat around their table at the bowling console again, laughing over a hot cheese and pepperoni pizza.

"No way, you didn't!" Luka gasps, wheezing for air.

"I did! I punched his goddamn lights out!" Clover laughs, slapping one knee. "The guy was being a huge creep, so I introduced him to my fist."

"I hope you didn't get in trouble with the cops or something for that." Luka tilts his head, giving her an impressed and worried look.

"Can't get in trouble if nobody reports it," MJ chimes in, smirking past his soda cup. "He complained to me, but I had the security tapes AND plausible deniability because I wasn't on the floor. Corporate took our side on this."

"Nobody from the city wants to drive all the way out to podunk Subcon for a random dudebro's complaint." Clover sits back on her cushioned seat, chomping into her pizza happily. "Mmmmm- delicious melty cheese."

Luka chomps into his own pizza, exhaling and blowing on it as it nearly burns his mouth.

"Easy, tiger!" MJ smirks around his own mouthful of pizza.

"I know, it's just so good," Luka says, laughing into his hand as he sips some of his cola. "But in like- the way you know it's not that great? Does that make sense?"

"Night in the Woods taught me the Pizza Scale, and I stick by that," Clover says, crunching through her crust to grab up another slice, washing down the bread with some soda. When she reaches for another piece of the pie, she pauses, and lets out a huff. "Oh, that sucks. I guess they didn't clean the bowling balls that well this time. Gross."

"Hm?" Luka says through a mouthful of pizza.

"Your fingers are all oil-stained from the finger holes on the bowling ball, Luka. Big Al needs to wash the bowling balls properly."

Confused, the law student shifts his attention down.

The ends of his fingertips are discolored with ebony purple.

Luka can feel as his brain zeroes in on the first sign of his impending transformation, and begins to shift into emergency mode as it relays the steps he must take in order to avoid further exposure. He'd gone over this information with himself many times over the past five years. It was ingrained in his mind, what he had to do, the information practically screaming at him. But he can't hear it. His ears are filled with buzzing as reality breaks into the facade he'd slowly built up over the course of hours.

No-

No no no-

His pizza slice drops to the paper plate as he fumbles with his bag, pulling out the cell phone from the liner pocket. Shaking fingers tap the screen with frantic speed, trying to turn the damn thing on-

9:17?

They'd been here nearly four hours?!

He'd spent the morning out with Harriet, doing their grocery shopping and walking around the town's outdoor mall as much needed father-daughter time. Eight hours of being in disguise had long since passed.

His time limit was up.

This couldn't be happening. Yet the numbers stare back at him from the glare of his cell phone screen. They even have the nerve to tick over to 9:18 right before his eyes.

This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening! It wasn't fair!

"Luka, you ok? You're turning pale..."

Clover's question just barely manages to pierce the haze, causing Luka to jolt in his seat. Posture stiff and breath shallow, he lifts his head to meet Clover's questioning eyes. She's staring at him with building concern, her smile becoming a frown of worry.

The tension is palpable in the air as Luka struggles to find words. Finally, he manages to say something.

"It's- it's a quarter past nine-"

"Oh shoot-" Clover says, sitting up abruptly as she grabs her own phone.

MJ checks his watch, wincing. "Oof. Sorry, Luka. I guess we lost track of time passing. I'll apologize to Cookie for the overtime, we can finish this round and go-"

"Don't feel good- going to the bathroom-" Luka wheezes, scrambling to his feet as he scoops all of his belongings into his bag and races past MJ's seat.

"Luka!" Clover yells after him, her heightened concern audible in her voice. "Ok, we'll- we'll start cleaning up! Let us know if you need-!"

Her words are cut off by the slam of the bathroom door. Luka's bowling shoes slip over the slick tile floor, his hands gripping onto the cold porcelain of the bathroom sink to steady himself. He brings his shaking hands up to view in the mirror. The blackening purple skin was spreading up his finger joints, reaching his palms.

No- not now! Why now?

Luka clenches his fists and his jaw, focusing every ounce of his will on making the purple go away. He can almost feel a vein pop on his forehead- if he still had veins, anymore- as he strains to make his unwilling body follow his desires. The purple starts to recede at a caterpillar crawl... but it slows. And the harder he tries, the more he can feel his arms struggle to hold their shape - becoming less solid.

"No- no!" he whimpers, clenching his hands into the sink again. The action splatters small droplets of purple sludge against the porcelain, which vanish moments later as the purple staining once more consumes his fingers - and now his palms. "Stop it! Just- let me be human! Please!"

He lifts his head to the mirror. Despair fills his gut as he sees amber eyes staring back at him in the reflection, and the beginnings of an inner glow fighting to come out from the back of his throat.

Luka lets out a wordless sound of sorrow, lifting an arm to pound one fist against the mirror in vain. The reflection is unfazed in its destitution, tears beginning to gather at the edges of its eyes and mouth set into a sob of clenched teeth. The reflection's canine's lengthen several inches as the eyes stare back, accusingly. The purple was starting to spread up its neck, just poking out the collar of the shirt.

"No..."

This wasn't him. But it had been, years ago. This was SUPPOSED to be him.

He curls his fist, watching as the fingers start losing their shape. Fusing together, becoming single digits and his thumbs vanish back into the purple sludge of the limb.

"I was finally-..." Luka whimpers, "...I finally felt human again."

-bang bang bang-

The sound of a fist knocking on the bathroom door causes Luka to yelp and jump back from the mirror.

"Luka? You ok in there?"

It was MJ.

Peck!

Grabbing his bag, Luka books it into the furthest stall of the bathroom. He slams the metal door behind him, fumbling to lock it with his swelling mitten fingers. Alarm shot through his gut as his shirt felt tight around his torso. Already?? This was faster than usual! Had he really pushed it that much?

"Hey man, are you sick? Clover and I are really concerned. Do you need any help in there?"

"NO! NO I'M GOOD!" Luka yells from the bathroom stall, clapping a two-fingered hand over his mouth as he hears the slight reverb echo to his own voice. Dammit! "I'M JUST- I'LL BE FINE!"

He was not fine, he would most certainly not be fine!

"Luka, you sound croaky." It was Clover this time, probably a short distance behind MJ. "Dude, are you sure? MJ, maybe you should go in and check on him-"

"NO!"

No, the reverb was stronger!

"Luka, I'm coming in."

"MJ it's fine!"

Luka could hear the seams of his shirt starting to stretch and strain. The seconds were ticking by as strings started to pop at the neck.

Shit, shit!

Luka turned left and right, the stall cramped and uncomfortable as the ruff of fur around his neck thickens and threatens to burst his shirt open. He needed a way out!

Aha! A small window, to the outside! Wow, that was probably the worst location for a window. And it was so small-

The door creaked as MJ started to turn the handle.

NO TIME!

Luka makes a dive for the window. His fingers catch on the sill, and he hauls his body up onto the tiny ledge, his head pushing up the glass and emerging out into the open air. Squeezing through the narrow space, he struggles to pull his feet through, kicking off the bowling shoes and hearing them clatter to the tiles below.

The door comes unlatched, and MJ enters the bathroom, looking around with a frown.

Luka was gone. And for some reason, his bowling shoes were abandoned on the questionably cleaned bathroom floor.

Just outside the window, tucked next to the wall of the alleyway outside the bowling alley, Luka is panting with adrenaline. He can feel his chest expand further with each breath, the fur mane around his neck already splitting apart his shirt. His fingers had fully lost their human shape by now, coalescing back into the familiar mitts he hated so much. A reminder that, no, he wasn't human. No matter what those people in the bowling alley thought of him, and what he thought of them in return... no matter how much he wanted to be human, again.

"Luka?"

His entire torso now fully drenched in purple, Luka hangs his head, listening as he fights to strip off the shirt suffocating him.

Footsteps, in the bathroom.

"...Luka? What the-... Clover, he's not here?"

"What?? But he- went into the bathroom! He was just-!"

"His shoes are here..."

"His shoes??"

Luka forces himself to stand, wobbling a bit further away from the window as he focuses all of his efforts on keeping his legs. He can't lose his ability to walk, not in the middle of town!

God dammit... god dammit! Why couldn't he just enjoy his night? Now he was wandering alleyways, half transformed, and MJ and Clover were no doubt worried to hell and back. What could he even say? 'Sorry, had to take a break to wolf out in the bathroom'?

-brrring brrring-

The buzz of the phone in his pants pocket- which was getting tight against his waist, he noticed. Luka quickly extracts the phone before it can be damaged by the fabric.

MJ's caller ID stares back at him from the screen.

The decision to trust these two with his information was biting him in his rapidly purpling behind. He'd been so careful not to slip up, and the ONE TIME he makes a mistake... He had another decision to make. He could not respond, and just be a complete asshole, but he could protect his secret a little safer, for just a little bit longer. Or he could pick up, and... he didn't know. Bullshit something? Would they even believe whatever malarkey he could cook up in seven seconds for bailing out of a bowling alley restroom? God, he was terrible at improvised excuses! He was a lawyer, not an actor! But if he answered the phone call, maybe- maybe he could hold on to that feeling again. The warmth of companionship of peers his age, that he hadn't felt since law school. Since... Vanessa. But he couldn't think about her right now. What mattered was his safety- his daughter's safety.

Peck. He didn't even think about that part. Could he really rip Harriet out of a somewhat stable home life, again? She was just starting to get along with Cookie's daughter, and he didn't want to take that precious first friendship from her.

Luka was only pulled out of the downward spiral by the vibration of the phone, which he only now realized had registered a missed call, and was now on the second call. It was still MJ, the picture of him in his Horizon employee cap still smiling from the bright phone screen.

He had to do something. He could feel his legs protest the form they was struggling to hold.

Survival instinct set in. First, he had to get away from the scene.

Stumbling to his malforming feet, Luka jogs away from the alley, ducking away from the Pins & Cushions and avoiding the bright neon sign on the side of the building.

As he walks, a headache hits, and Luka just knows his face was losing more of his familiar features. Didn't need a mirror to know that he was definitely the shade of a bruised plum, and that his eyes were glowing like gold beacons. The sharp teeth at the edges of his mouth were digging into his bottom lip as he dodges and weaves to avoid line of sight from storefront apartment windows.

The woods were so close by, just a few more blocks.

Faster. He had to run faster. But his legs- were fighting him! Already he could feel his steps become lighter, movement more fluid. It was a struggle to keep a walking stride, rather than just- leap into the air. No way was he going to fly a block from pecking main street.

His phone continues to vibrate, threatening the call to drop.

Right when he reaches the sidewalk, Luka pants for breath, collapsing beside the pole for a street lamp while avoiding the amber spotlight. Taking one last rueful look at his phone, he sighs, and presses the answer button with a doughy purple finger.

"Luka?" MJ's voice patches through. The reception isn't great, but it's sufficient. Maybe that was a lucky break, considering what his voice was going to sound like in a second.

"Hey," Luka answers. Yep. He sounded like a toad that swallowed a brass tube. "Sorry- about that."

"Dude, are you ok?? Where did you go?" MJ spoke so quickly it almost interrupted Luka, concern clear and evident in his voice. "You ran or something and- you left your shoes at the counter, and the cat plush for your daughter. Clover got them for you-"

"It's ok," Luka says, wincing. "I can pick them up tomorrow. I- don't feel well, and I have to go get Harriet."

"Luka, we could have driven you home for that," MJ responds, a hint of hurt and confusion. "You know you can tell us if you're uncomfortable, and want to leave, right?"

"No- this- I was having fun," Luka responds, cupping a hand over his mouth to try to muffle the echo. He had to wrap this up. His voice was getting less natural by the second. He really hoped the poor reception would mask it. "Look- I'm sorry MJ. But I really had to go."

"You're not getting kidnapped or something are you?" Clover's distant voice suddenly patches through in the phone. MJ must have his phone on speaker. "Because if you are, I'll hunt them down! Just yell where the car is taking you!"

"I'm not- look, I'm sorry, but I just had to go, ok?" Luka says. "Harriet needs me."

"I thought you were feeling sick?" Clover says, her worried tone now tinted with... suspicion. "You ran to the bathroom, and we were all worried about you, dude." Her voice becomes just a bit distant, as she turns to speak to MJ, but the phone picks it up. “Actually, did we ever hear anything from Cookie...?”

"No- I am-" Luka can feel his lies crumbling, nearly becoming true as he experiences a sensation similar to his stomach heaving from the anxiety. "Thanks for the wonderful evening, I'll pick up my stuff later- bye!"

"Wait-!!"

-click-

MJ's protest is cut off, and Luka set the phone down on the grass, putting his head in the other hand. That was terrible. But he couldn't back out on it now. He would just have to deal with the consequences of that phone call tomorrow.

Not like having shoes or not bothered him, anyway.

Exhausted and resigned, Luka slides away from the lamp post into the chaparral, and begins rapidly pulling his shirt over his head. No way was he going to lose another shirt, not after the last one. This was his last nice shirt, and he intended to keep it as long as possible!

A quiet gasp jolts him out of his frantic folding.

Luka whips around, shirtless, half de-pantsed, and his body a full shade of deep shadow purple. His golden eyes glow in the reflected street light as he freezes on the spot, making eye contact with another human being across the road. It was the stocky mustachioed man from the coffee shop- the regular who came by and sketched quietly in a corner. Pinstriped suit- which seemed to be the only outfit anyone ever saw him wore- an apron, and grey khaki pants. The thick glasses would make it difficult to tell where he was looking, if the man wasn't standing with his square jaw hanging down at his chest, head angled directly toward Luka. Everyone dismissed him as a paranoiac, a hermit who stopped by for his morning caffeine fix and quiet atmosphere to indulge in his imagination. Rumors flew that he used to work for some sort of tabloid magazine, and was fired- or promoted?- for how crazy his stories were.

Whatever the reason, this man was now standing, groceries dropped to the pavement, and staring at Luka. A very half-naked, absolutely not human-looking Luka.

Face suddenly burning hot with embarrassment and fear, Luka grabs his belt loops and bolts into the trees.

The movement causes the man to only gape more, making a wordless noise of astonishment before the forest breaks their line of sight and Luka retreats into the safety of the woods. Luka just barely remembers to grab his shirt and belt from the bushes. Vanishing entirely from sight, stumbling over debris as his transformation takes full hold of his body, Luka wheezes as his heart beats in his chest. After all that, he was seen! Peck! Did he just ruin everything because he wasn’t paying attention? But- but it was just the local hermit, the resident conspiracy nut. That wouldn’t be so bad, right? This wasn’t as catastrophic as being spotted by a teen with a cell phone open. Surely, this was the safest possible person in town to accidentally spot him mid-transformation. Repercussions would be minimal.

Thank god the man didn't have a camera.

[avataroftheglowcloud]

❤️ Sparring Match - Prinxiety Oneshot 💜

Prompt:

Genre: fluff

AU: I imagine it as human, but you can take it as them being in their canon setting too

Warnings: mention of (pretend) stabbing, (plastic) weapons and (pretend) death, though all these things are just briefly acted out and it isn't in detail or anything

A/N: hey! I see people putting fanfictions on here so decided to do the same, so uh, let me know if you wanna see more of my stuff or something! I post fics more regularly on Wattpad, and my account name there is @you_gota_fiend_in_me. I have a Sanders Sides oneshot book and am also working on a Danganronpa oneshots book and possibly a Cecilos (WTNV) oneshots book!

I know this isn't what the original prompt was about, but I found this idea cute. Also, sorry it's short! This was really all I could do with the idea, but I hope you enjoy regardless!

Word count: 362

Virgil didn't quite know how Roman had managed to convince him to do this, but he found himself in the living room with all the furniture pushed against the walls as he "battled" with his boyfriend, plastic swords in both their hands. As their swords clashed together Virgil was walking backwards, Roman following him, and Virgil soon found himself trapped between Roman and a wall. As ridiculous as he thought this game was, he was competitive, and he could tell from the triumphant grin on Roman's face that he was about to lose if he didn't think fast.

They were swordfighting, so that bought Virgil some time to think — until Roman brought the plastic sword to Virgil's throat.

“Surrender!” Roman bellowed.

"Never." Virgil leaned over the plastic sword and kissed Roman. Roman was surprised at how sudden it was, but after a moment he dropped his "weapon" and leaned into the kiss.

Eventually the two pulled away from the kiss, though their heads remained close together. Roman felt something jab his chest and was confused until he saw the smug smirk on his boyfriend's face and realised Virgil hadn't dropped his own sword.

"You fiend!" Roman jumped back, glaring at Virgil, though he wasn't truly mad. Just a sore loser. "Evil!"

Virgil laughed as Roman clutched his chest dramatically and sank to the floor. "I have been wounded! Stabbed without remorse! And by he who I thought loved me, no less."

"Of course I love you, doofus," said Virgil, crouching down to kiss Roman's forehead.

"Too late! I am past the point of being cured. You did this to me, you ... you brute! You barbarian! Bleh." Roman fell fully onto the carpet, feigning death.

"Well, that's a shame," Virgil said with an indifferent shrug, standing up. "Because I was going to propose a date watching Disney movies with the brave prince, but I suppose I'll have to do that on my own now."

"Wait! Maybe the prince shall live after all." Roman scrambled to his feet, much to Virgil's amusement. "Yep! It's a miracle!"

"And does he forgive me?" Virgil asked.

"I suppose," Roman replied.

"Good, let's put the couch back then."

[hydrate-or-diedrate]

MAAA

It's not Dave bleating like a goat though 😔

Yeah Jane you go get that mail!

OH BOY DID SHE JUST FUCKIN DIE?!

END OF ACT 6 ACT 1 SURE AFSKJDHDLD

Hello robo-Andrew

JOHN AND JADE MY BABIES AAA

Oh FUCK yeah, merit badges rock

Glub glub nak nak

"Act 6 Intermission 1" getting creative, eh Hussie?

GOD TIER GOD TIER GOD TIER

3

YEARS??

I wanna know what the storyboard for this looked like. I wanna see all the red yard and thumbtacks and an exasperated Andrew Hussie desperately trying to solve the puzzles he made for himself x)

YEAH PM KILL HIM! TELL HIM SERENITY!

Jack, you harlot, she's trying to kill you, nows not the time to get all red on her when she clearly loathes your ass and also you just killed her friends for no damn reason

Baby boy Karkat is crying AGAIN

Also Sollux is 100% dead now I guess? He's laying on the floor covered in his own blood at least

AWWW DAVE LOOKS LIKE SUCH A LITTLE DOOFUS IN HIS NEW JAMMIES

Oh my gosh they're sending their note in a bucket. The trolls are going to be so embarassed

HAJDHDKJD

Let Aradia have a corpse party!

Karkat is having a panic attack :( poor baby

LMAO HE GOT KO'D BY A THE BUCKET

Oh NY God of course my laptop decides now is the time for a random update

Frustracean

WV!

Jesus how is there so much more to this story

End of act 6 intermission 1 I guess lol

Okay yeah Jane is super dead already lmaooo

JACK? WHAT?? THE GAME HASNT EVEN STARTED YET JACK FUCK OFF

WAAAAAAAAAA

ACT 6 ACT 2 I GUESS FUCK ME

No she did NOT get launched to the side of the house she was RIGHT there! Fuck you, Andrew!

BEC BUT CAT?? HI??

Fine, god cat is a reasonable way to survive that explosion 🙄

Okay I don't even know the other Strider's name yet but he's actually hilarious, fantastic book annotations

Jane you fuckass

Don't you dare "hoo hoo hoo" me, young lady

DAMMIT

pst

hey jane

step away from ur compuner

Wow these kids are going in wayyyy more prepared than all of the first 3

We got Roxy Lalonde :0 and she's a fanfic author omg

Dirk? Really pulled the short straw

Why the FUCK does he sleep with his feet towards the wall and his head at the open end of the bed? Is he a monster? A senator? A murderer? Some other variety of terrible person? The hell is wrong with this kid

FRIGGLISH

Sleepwalkin' time. I hope she busts a move

Dirk why is your dreamself covered in blood

Dirk is gay??? 👀👀👀👀👀

Or not?

Fuck it, not-exclusively-hetero until proven otherwise, at least, because I deserve it

OH MY GOD HES AT LEAST NOT STRAIGHT

FUCKING SMITTEN WITH JAKE HELL YEAH WE LOVE QUEER REp

Day 12 of reading homestuck, starting intermission 2 😔

But first, Nepeta doodle

Half of the children are dead, and now we're doing Egypt things I guess wahoo

Oho? Are we meeting Lord English? At long last?

AYO HOWD CUEBALL GET THE EXTENDO LIMBS UPGRADE?!

HONK

?? No and also I don't believe you? What?

John playing the piano 🥺

Are you serious we're actually starting Act 6 right away?

Fucker

I have a love/hate relationship with the fact that I'm starting to be able to read the Alternian text without the cheatsheet

Oho? Jade or Jade ancestor?

Jane?? Inchresting

And she's 15?! Even more inchresting

Oh my gosh it's genderbent John

Oh wait wait no, new Jade took John's place (sorta but not quite) and got named Jade, and new John took Jade's place and is named Jake? AND HES NEARLY 16?This age difference is like peanuts tbh because they're still kids but still!!

Or maybe he took Rose's place, judging by the symbol on his shirt...

Okay look this is fun and all but I wanna know if my version of my babies survived the scratch 😭

Wait, the bunny belong to Jake's *grandma*? So are these the reset version of the quartet's kids??

I'm so confused y'all

I sincerely hope this goes faster than the beginning of the story did I might actually die if it doesn't

Is this all lowercase gray text person,,, a version of Karkat? Wouldn't the trolls have not been affected by the scratch/reset since they were sitting outside the universe? Sorry, all lowercase with capital U

Woah that's some ominous white text

Okay this version of Lalonde has the exact same hair as Rose's mom and a drink this has to be their predecessors but funky

FFS JANE ITS JUST CALLED A "FLAG"

Ooookay so this is B2, and the Jade he's talking to is in B1, is what I'm hearing. And then I'm guessing that UU is in A1 just for the hell of it because that sounds right for no reason.

Hehe squirtle glasses

Well that was certainly a dream

HELLO LUSUS? HI?? HUH??

Love that Jake is apparently living in the monster version of jurassic park ahdkjdhjd

Aw sick, another murder bunny. Can never have too many of those!

Sebastian you fool

[h2bakugou]

Hi! I was wondering if you could write the reader having an older brother who also goes to UA but the two don't really interact that much unless they're like play fighting and maybe one day Todoroki or Denki (who don't know the two are siblings) see them fighting & they get really concerned bc neither of them are using their quirks or any form of fighting, the two are literally just smacking the shit out of each other. Also, if you could make it so Todoroki or Denki is dating the reader :))

a/n: hi!! of course! i turned this into a headcanon so i could write for both todo and denki!! i hope that’s alright hun! thank you for the request! personally having an older sibling, fighting is sure to ensue. my sister can be a bit of a headass but i love her to death, she’s an avid reader of my blog and often helps me out! if ur reading this brit, give me diamonds on royale high 😩😩

headcanon: them finding out you have an older brother who attends U.A.

key: (y/n) - your name / (f/n) - first name / (l/n) - last name / (e/c) - eye color / (h/c) - hair color / (y/q) - your quirk / (b/n) - brother’s name

warnings: fluff, swearing, siblings being siblings

»»————-　★　————-««

shoto todoroki

»»————-　★　————-««

In the months of dating you, you’d never once mentioned to Shoto that you had an older brother.

The opportunity had never really presented itself. Between classes and hero stuff, you already didn’t have much time with dating. You made time for each other on off days, and dinners with his siblings were always nice, but you’d just sorta failed to mention your brother to Todoroki.

It wasn’t like you’d forgotten about your older brother. He attended U.A. too.

Your brother was a third-year whereas you were a first-year. He had to handle things like graduation, and what he would be doing after school. You were both pretty busy. The few times you’d actually gotten to see each other, you cherished.

Whether it be (b/n) teasing you about something or him proceeding to beat you up, the two of you going at it for the five minutes you had to spare, it was a fun moment shared between two siblings.

Today was just one of those days. 

Changing classes, you had a few minutes to spare and you just so happened to see the back of your brother’s head peeking over the top of some students as he walked down the hall. Catching up with him, you were unaware of your boyfriend who has also spotted you from behind.

Trying to catch up with you, Todoroki picked up his own pace, jogging down the hall after you.

“Dipshit!” You called out to your brother. 

Your brother nudged his friend’s arm and stopped, turning around to face you.

“Sup.” He greeted you with a flick to the forehead.

“Eat shit.” You rolled your eyes, flicking his forehead back. 

Todoroki was confused. Who was this guy? Was this some sort of friend? Another guy you liked? He didn’t have all the details so he couldn’t jump to any conclusions.

All of a sudden you slapped the back of his neck with force, causing the boy to glare at you.

Todoroki rushed over.

“Oh hey, Sho!”

“Woah who’s this?” Your brother stepped in, slinging an arm over your shoulder.

Stomping down on his foot, your brother recoiled at your action, taking a step back.

“This is my boyfriend Shoto. Shoto this is my brother, (b/n).” You rolled your eyes at the doofus behind you.

“You little-”

“Don’t make me tell mom!” You threatened.

“Does mom know you have a boyfriend?” Your brother shot back.

“What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her-”

“I’m so telling!” “Don’t you dare!” You chased after him down the hall, waving to Shoto who gave you a sympathetic look. He could imagine his own siblings doing the same.

Later that afternoon, Shoto got the chance to talk to you about your brother.

“I didn’t know you had a brother.” Shoto spoke, sitting across from you at the common room table.

“I apologize for not telling you sooner, we don’t get to see each other very often.” You said your apology for not informing him sooner.

“Does he not like that we’re together?” Shoto asks, curious as to what your brother thinks of him.

“No, no! He’s happy for me, for us. He’s just a shithead.” You tease. Shoto feels a nice weight lift from his shoulders. He was worried your brother was going to hate his guts.

“I’d love to have the both of you over for dinner again sometime, and any other siblings if you’ve got them.” Todoroki smiles. You nod and laugh.

“He’d probably flit with your sister.” 

“She deals with enough hooligans with my brother.”

»»————-　★　————-««

denki kaminari

»»————-　★　————-««

Like Todoroki, you’re all so busy. U.A. is an amazing place but you’ve got to have time management. Besides holiday breaks and off-days, you’re pretty busy. 

You’ve got training, and classes to attend all while managing schoolwork, agency offers, and internships. And any other extra-curricular activities and trips and events.

Denki and you make time for each other. Most of this time consists of eating pizza and late-night snacks together while watching scary movies and playing video games.

Your brother is also pretty busy. Being a third-year requires having all your shit together for when you graduate.

You see each other in the halls, but you’re lucky to have lunch with his class as well. 

Though you don’t sit together, the both of you having your own group of friends, if you ever need to tell him something or if you just wanna annoy him, you can walk over to his table and do so.

This being said, Kaminari has no clue who the tall guy you’re talking to is. e’s a bit jealous. The guy looks visibly older, and a lot more mature. 

Deciding to go step in, he notices the guy teasing and hitting you, flicking your forehead and punching your arm.

Before he can say anything, you punch him in the gut. No quirk, no nothing, just a plain and simple punch to the gut.

“Ass.” You laugh, teasing your brother as he grumbles in pain.

“Oh, she got you!” Your brother’s friends cheer you on.

“Hey is this guy bothering you babe?” 

“Babe?” Your brother seemingly snaps up, almost like he wasn’t in pain from the blow to the stomach.

“Babe?” Denki says to you, now worried about who this guy was. Your face was hot as you shook your head.

“Kami, this is my dipshit brother, (b/n). (b/n), this is my amazing boyfriend, Kaminari.” You kiss Kaminari’s cheek and smile, reassuring the electric blonde that this was nothing more than siblings being siblings.

“Nice to meet you, bro!” Your brother extends a hand for Kaminari to shake.

“Nice to meet you too dude! I didn’t know you had a brother.” Kaminari mentions, making your brother glare at you..

“You didn’t tell this awesome bro that you had a cool ass brother?” Your brother fakes being hurt while you just roll your eyes.

“Yeah because the guy who clogged the second-story bathrooms after drinking spoiled milk is ‘cool.” You tease. Your brother’s friends join back in with some laughter.

“Yeah well, you snore super loud.” Your brother retorts.

“You little-!” You charge toward your brother, clinging onto him, tackling him to the floor.

“(Y/n)!” Kaminari calls for you.

“I got this Kami! Look away, babe!” You laugh, before slapping your brother across his face.

Later that day after having been told off by Aizawa to leave your brother alone, you were able to hang out with Kaminari.

“Why didn’t you tell me you had a brother?” Kaminari held you in his arms as he watched you play some RPG on his handheld console.

“He’s super busy, he’s a third-year and we never really get to see each other, plus it never really crossed my mind.” You admitted, pausing your game to turn and face him.

“I’d like to get to know him better if that’s alright, I think it’s important to have a good relationship with your brother.”

“Why he’s a butthole?” 

“I just want him to trust me, and ya know, let him know that I’ll take good care of you.” Kaminari kisses your cheek, smiling and resting his forehead against your own.

“If that’s what you’re worried about, I can promise you that he loves you.”

“Really?”

“As long as I’m happy, he’s happy.”

»»————-　★　————-««

masterlist

[just-a-creep-babe]

Kinktober Day 1

BEN Drowned: Silly Sweet Sex

Gee gOLLY I am so not used to super fluffy smut, idk how this turned out lmfaoo

This one isn’t super smutty just cause I’m not sure how to go about writing sweet sex, but I hope ya can enjoy what I came up with regardless uwu

Also!! Since kinktober = a lot of fics (seriously, sO many hours went into making these, I’m 💀💀) I wasn’t able to make them all as long as this one :”) Some are decently lengthy, others are short and others are even shorter. They’re definitely not my best works either, but I’m super glad I was able to challenge myself like this either way :>

But without further ado, I hope y’all enjoy this lil month filled with smut <33

~Requests are closed~

Masterlist: x

Any tips are greatly appreciated! 

“(Y/n), I’m bored~”

The blond throws his arms around your form and nestles his face into the crook of your neck

“Wait, I’m—I’m so close—“

Your fingers work furiously against the controller as you chew your lip, brows furrowing in concentration

He huffs, blowing warm air against your skin, and then his lips slowly curl into a devious smirk

You should’ve known by then to kiss your sweet, sweet progress goodbye

Because he suddenly yanks you back and you’re sent toppling over and out of view of the high definition screen above the bed

“N-no, BEN!”

You shriek his name, frantically mashing buttons in a last-ditch effort to save your dying character

But you’re all-too late as the obnoxiously familiar Game Over music sounds out

“I was so close” you whine

You squirm in his grasp and pout, letting the controller fall from your death-grip and onto the floor with a lame thunk

He has the audacity to “awh” at you

“Don’t worry, you’ll get it next time,” he reassures, “But right now, I wanna hang out with my lovely girlfriend whom I love oh so very much~”

He smooches your forehead and it has you rolling your eyes, a reluctant smile tugging at your lips despite yourself

“Yeah, yeah—ok, whatever. What do you wanna do then?”

You shift on top of him and manage to pull yourself up into a sitting position, with your legs now straddling his thighs

He grins, satisfied with his victory, and props his head up into his hands

“Mmh, I dunno, baby. What do you wanna do?”

“I wanna finish my level~” you tease

He groans, sitting himself up as well, and you giggle at the way it almost has you falling off of him

He wraps his hands around your waist, tugging you closer to him so his lips are inches from yours

And with a content hum, he places a chaste kiss to your bottom lip—not nearly enough contact to satiate your sudden urge for more

“First you make me lose my game and now you try to tease me” you huff

He laughs, pulling away, but not before giving a quick “boop” to your nose

“You’re so adorable, how could I resist?~”

“I am not adorable! I live in a mansion full of demons and serial killers. I’m a menace to society”

There’s a brief injection of silence as the both of you stare one another down

And then the corners of his mouth twitch, his lips quirking, and you can tell he can’t hold back any longer

His composure breaks, shattering in a fit of boyish giggles

You’re about to say something but he reaches for your sides to tickle you and it has you shrieking our his name again

“You’re too cute, (y/n)~”

You fall back, forced into a burst of uncontrollable laughter as his fingers mercilessly run up and down your soft spots

“O-ok! Ok—I give up! You win!!”

You manage to wheeze the words out between yelps and giggles, tears already springing to your eyes

“Nuh-uh! Say you’re cute! Say that you’re a cutie and I’ll stop!”

“Ok! I’m cute!! I’m a cutie—s-stop it!!”

His onslaught finally relents, leaving you breathless with your hands pressing to his chest as you try to regain a hold on yourself

And, of course, he chuckles at how flushed you look beneath him, his canines tantalizingly sharp and pearly white beneath his lips

One of his hands encircles your wrists and he plants a kiss just below the inside of your palm

“Aw, see? That wasn’t so hard to admit, was it?”

You stick your tongue out at him

He laughs, and then he’s nuzzling into the crook of your neck and sighing

“Y’know, I think I thought of something I wanna do”

“Yeah? What’s that?” you hum, fingers absent-mindedly brushing through his hair

He slyly rolls his pelvis into you—and you can feel his hard-on pressing between your legs

When he hears your breath catching in your throat, he pulls back to look at you, grinning wolfishly

“You wanna play with my Master Sword, baby?” he croons, his brows wriggling suggestively

“You’re such a dork!”

You give him a light smack, and he gasps in feigned offence before that damn smirk returns to his annoyingly pretty lips

“You’re just jealous of me, baby”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah”

You tilt your head to the side

“And what exactly am I jealous of, hm? I thought I was the cute one”

“Mmm…” he bites his lip, smiling “you’re right—you are” he gives in, kissing your nose before adding, “But I bet you’d look even cuter riding my dick~”

You roll your eyes, bringing your hands to his chest, which has him moving away to let you sit up

“Alright, you win. Again” you sigh a little too dramatically

His face cracks up into that damn smile again, and you really can’t help but give a quick kiss to his cheek

He doesn’t hesitate to tug his shirt over his torso—briefly fumbling as his head gets trapped halfway through the material—before emerging with a stupid grin on his face and his hair all tussled up

“Dork” you laugh

You push him down and settle on top of him, this time parting your legs so that his growing bulge is settled neatly right where you need it the most

“Mmh, you loooove me~” he teases

You roll your eyes again

And then you lean down, capturing his lips, savoring the kiss and the way he quietly moans against you—how warm and soft his mouth feels before parting and letting his tongue taste you entirely

He wraps his hands around your hips and guides your body to move in tandem with his, all while keeping your mouth busy with his own

Nimble fingers tug at the hem of your shirt, so you pull away to slip the material off, and when you look back down at him, he’s got a big, stupid grin on his face

“What?” you ask

He shrugs

“Nothing”

Your gaze narrows, a knowing smile at your lips

“I‘m not gonna take my bra off if you’re gonna be a doofus about it”

His lips part in shock, feigning innocence

“What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean”

He tries, very briefly, to keep the act up, but the look you’re giving him has him laughing openly again

“Ok, ok, I swear I’ll behave”

You shake your head, biting back a grin as you unclasp your bra and let it drop from the swell of your tits

He bites his lip, eyes darkening as he stares at your chest and grinds up into you

“Y’know, I like your pants, too. Were they on sale? Cause they’re 100% off at—“

You slap a hand over his mouth

“I swear to god, you absolute dork, you’re not getting any action tonight if you finish that sentence”

You can feel his broad grin beneath you hand

And just as you’re about to remove it, you feel the warm, wet flat of his tongue as he licks a long stripe up your palm

“BEN!”

You shriek his name, and as you’re caught off guard, he moves up and traps you beneath him

He chuckles, kissing up your neck

“What’s wrong, baby?” he laughs “You didn’t seem to mind my tongue a few seconds ago when it was in your mouth~”

Your face flushes

“I-I just wasn’t expecting it!”

He laughs again, but then he’s back to nipping at your neck, and you’re whining beneath him, and his hands are fumbling with the zipper of your pants

He helps you wriggle your way out of them before tossing them to the floor

Then he looks back at you, grinning widely

“100% off at my place!!”

You don’t have time to answer before he’s cutting you off with another kiss, to which you groan against him but don’t bother pushing him away

He pulls your panties to the side, exposing your slick, throbbing cunt to him so he can lazily stroke up and down your slit, making your hips buckle up into him

“A-ah, BEN~”

Your back arches as he dips a finger between your puffy folds, your entrance already tightening around him, relishing his digit dragging along your sensitive nerves

You clamp your teeth down on your lip, gazing up at him through furrowed brows

And it has him adding a finger, twisting them both so your fluttering walls are wrapping even tighter around him

“God, look at how cute you are, (y/n)~”

Your face flushes at the way he looks down at you—like you’re a goddess at the beckon of his fingers—and the attention is almost embarrassing

“W-will you just shut up and kiss me again?”

He chuckles, no doubt enjoying how flustered and riled-up he’s already gotten you

“Anything for you, little cutie~”

[mermaidssonshipss]

best friends brother

this was like.. kind of a request but not? just an anon and i being silly and suddenly everyone was yelling at me to write it. so i did. yeehaw. i’m sorry if it sucks idk don’t yell at me.

warnings: cussing! really just lots of fluff.

pairings: rudy pankow x reader

word count: 2,639

You were currently sprawled out on Henning’s bed, your eyes glued to your phones screen as you aimlessly scrolled through instagram. Rudy, your best friends older brother, was set to return home from shooting season 2 of Outer Banks tonight, and Henning had asked you to come over and help decorate the house. As per usual though, Henning wasn’t there. He’d ditched you to go hang out with Sarah, the girl he was currently seeing, and you and his mom had done the bulk of the decorating. 

“I like you much better than Sarah.” their mom had commented randomly in the midst of you setting out chips, and you let out a laugh. 

“Sorry, but I’m definitely never gonna be into Henning like that.” And it was the truth, you 100% were not into Henning Pankow... Rudy Pankow was a different story, though. While you’d grown up around the Pankow’s, you were 2 years younger than Rudy, so your friendship with Henning had just naturally blossomed faster as you tended to share a lot of the same classes. Through becoming close to Henning though, you’d also grown a tiny crush on Rudy, the older brother who you always seemed to run into whenever you came over to visit Henning. He’d always given you shit about being best friends with Henning, claiming he was the better brother and you should totally ditch him to hang out with the cooler, older version, but you would always giggle and scurry away quickly, your cheeks turning red. By the time you had turned 18, Rudy was out in LA acting and finishing up college, which had given your school-girl crush time to settle. Whenever Rudy visited though, your crush always seemed to come crashing back in worse than you’d remembered it. 

Once the clock read 5pm and Henning still wasn’t home, you decided it was time for you to leave. Rudy would be showing up soon, and while you loved the older Pankow, staying away from him made it easier to avoid your growing feelings. You’d spent the last hour on his instagram, stalking his newest pictures and all of his cast mates pictures, and your stomach was in knots: he looked good, he always looked good, but every time he came back from filming Outer Banks he was always so gorgeously tan, his blonde locks usually dyed even blonder, and you found it hard to stop yourself from staring. 

You skipped down the stairs, your bubblegum pink toes tapping against the hardwood floor as you grabbed your purse.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” Momma Pankow was quick to call out before you could slide your sandals on, throwing the towel she was holding down as she raced over to you.

“Home. I know Rudy will be here soon, don’t wanna interrupt your sweet little welcome home.” You smiled, and the older woman before you shook her head, her blue-eyes narrowing into a glare.

“Rudy would kill me if I let you leave. He’s been asking about you all summer, dear. He’s in the car now headed this way, and I’ve already texted him letting him know his doofus brother isn’t home, but you’re here. We wouldn’t wanna disappoint the boy, now would we?” She had a knowing smile on her face, and it made you feel slightly uneasy: there was no way she knew about your crush, there couldn’t be... right?

“Fine.” You sighed after a moment of her pouting, and she clapped happily before snatching your purse from your hands and hanging it back up before her arm was wrapped around your shoulders and pushing you into the kitchen. 

About 30 minutes later, the front door burst open, Rudy’s presence immediately lighting up the comfortable home as he dragged his suitcase in behind him. He abandoned it in the middle of the hallway, heading to the kitchen where he could hear his mom laughing. His indigo orbs fell upon his mom first, his smile bright as she raced over to him, throwing her arms around him and squeezing him tightly. 

“Is that a fake tan like last time, Pankow?” Your voice hit his ears and his gaze immediately fell upon your figure, which was currently perched upon the counter, a shy smile on your lips as you looked at the older boy.

“Let’s head to the shower and find out.” He shot back, winking at you as his mom gasped and slapped his arm, scolding the boy for his crude comment. You let out a loud laugh in response, jumping down onto the floor as he made his way around his mom and over to you, his arms wrapping around your small figure and pulling you into a hug. 

You held onto him tightly for a moment, breathing in the scent of his cologne that you’d missed so much, before forcing yourself to pull away.

“Did you dye your hair?” He asked after a moment of looking down at you, his hand reaching up as he grabbed a strand of the now silvery blonde hair in-between his fingers, tugging on it lightly and watching as the curl bounced back into place.

“Yup. Like a month ago. Henning still hasn’t even noticed.” You snorted, rolling your eyes at the thought of the oblivious younger boy you called your best friend. Rudy didn’t respond, just let out a quiet hum in response before dropping the strand of hair he was holding onto. 

3 hours had come and go, the 3 of you all now comfortable on the large couch in the living room as Rudy told stories from his time on set. You’d completely forgotten about Henning’s existence until Rudy finally brought him up, honestly. 

“Dude, where the hell is Henning?”

“Out with the girl he’s dating.” His mom responded as she pushed herself off the couch. “It’s late, I’m gonna head to bed, this old lady can’t stay up much longer. You two have fun.” She quipped, moving out of the room before Rudy could respond, so he looked at you, his face contorted in confusion. 

“Wait but... you’re.. right here?” His voice held a questioning tone, and you raised an eyebrow. 

“I am indeed..?” You responded back, your voice also questioning. 

“I thought... I mean I don’t know I just figured when Henning mentioned he was dating someone it was you.” He mumbled, his eyebrows furrowing. At the words, you pretended to gag, shaking your head and laughing at the thought.

“Absolutely not. Love the kid to death, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve seen things, Rudy. Heard things I can never un-hear. Henning and I aren’t, and never will be, a thing. He’s with some girl named Sarah.” You shrugged, watching as Rudy leant back into the couch more, his expression unreadable. Before you could further question the older Pankow, Henning was bursting through the front door and racing over to Rudy, jumping on him and causing the two of them to fall to the floor as they rolled around on the carpet, wrestling with one another.

“And with that, I am leaving!” You announced, shaking your head at the boys who simply waved goodbye, though Rudy tried to pop up and actually give you a hug, Henning was quick to pull him back down. 

Once you were gone and the two boys were alone, Rudy pushed Henning off of him and launched right into it.

“Who is Sarah? Why aren’t you dating y/n?” Henning gave him a look as he shrugged his shoulders, throwing himself down onto the couch now.

“Y/N? She’s my best friend dude. I’m not into her like that. She’s also definitely not into me like that, either. She likes older dudes.” He responded simply, grabbing his phone out of his pocket to read a text he’d gotten from Sarah. 

“How the fuck can you not be into her? Have you seen her? She’s like.. I don’t know.. perfect.” Rudy huffed, collapsing down next to Henning, who was now raising an eyebrow at his older brother.

“Then you date her.” He replied simply, and Rudy was quiet in response, looking away from his younger brother. “Dude... you fucking like her! Why didn’t you say anything!” His hand was now slapping at Rudy’s shoulder, causing him to scoot away as he shoved Henning’s hand away from him. 

“I figured you two were a sure thing! Also the bro code is taken very seriously in the Pankow household!”

“Well this is me giving you permission. I don’t care, dude. It’s always been clear there was something between you two, anyway. Mom always teases y/n about dating me, but I know deep down she wants her to end up with you.” He chuckled, and Rudy just blinked at the boy before shaking his head in response.

***

It had been two weeks since Rudy returned home, and for some reason, you’d seen the older Pankow more in that time than you think you’d seen him in the past year. Henning would invite you over, but within 10 minutes of you arriving, he’d claim Sarah was asking for him. The first few times, you’d been annoyed, cursing the boy for dragging you out of the comfort of your own home just to ditch you, but each time, Rudy had appeared, asking if you wanted to hang out instead, and you’d quickly forgiven Henning. Now, it seemed to be a routine. Henning would invite you over, you’d show up, 10 minutes later he’d dip, and then Rudy would come and save the day. 

You two had migrated to Rudy’s bedroom tonight, the two of you propped against his headboard as you watched the first season of Outer Banks together. Upon the discovery that you still hadn’t seen it (you really just didn’t think you could look at Rudy on your tv screen looking that good for 10 episodes without wanting to explode, so you’d avoided it) he had given you shit until you agreed to watch it, and you had agreed on one condition: he had to watch it with you. 

A pout was on your lips as you gripped onto Rudy’s blanket that was currently wrapped around your cold body. The scene on the screen was one where Luke and JJ were getting into an altercation after he had been picked up from jail, and you glared at the TV as he struck JJ. 

“I don’t like him.” You mumbled, your nose scrunched up in anger. Rudy was watching you, a soft smile on his lips at the expression you were currently wearing, and he almost leaned over and pressed a kiss to the tip of your freckled nose.

As the episode continued your pout only grew, and Rudy was truly having the hardest time holding himself back.

“You’re a very good actor and it’s making me sad.” you huffed after the hot tub scene, and Rudy let out a small chuckle. “Don’t like seeing you sad.” you mumbled, curling further into his blankets as you slid down the bed slightly.

“Well, I can assure you I am not sad right now.” He responded, sending you a warm smile as he also slid down the bed so he was at the same height as you, his shoulder knocking into yours lightly. 

“Good.” You sent him a small smile in response, and without second guessing it, he wrapped his arm around your shoulder and pulled you into his side.

For the next few episodes, you two remained like that, your arm draped lazily across his waist as your head rested on his chest, still tilted towards the screen. His fingers were running through your hair slowly, tugging on the strands every now and then on accident, causing goosebumps to erupt all over your skin. 

Suddenly, Rudy’s door was being slammed open, both of their heads shooting to the doorway, their eyes falling on a smirking Henning. 

“You two finally dating?” He asked, and Rudy grabbed one of his pillows, throwing it at the now chuckling boy as he dodged it and left the room, closing the door behind him. Your cheeks were red as you pulled away from Rudy and he shot you a confused glance, his hands quickly reaching out and pulling you back into him.

“He’s an idiot, ignore him.” He rushed out, and you let out a quiet laugh, nodding your head in agreement before settling back into Rudy’s hold. 

Rudy’s heart was racing, and he felt like a 16 year old boy who was about to have sex for the first time. In reality, he was literally just holding the girl he’d secretly harbored feelings for since he was 12. He’d always pushed his feelings aside, refusing to go after you because he’d always thought you were his brothers, but now that he knew he could have you, he felt like a love-sick puppy. He was 22 years old, for Gods sake, yet he was terrified to tell you he was into you.

Finally, you’d finished the show, and after ranting to Rudy for 20 minutes about your issues with John B’s character, the two of you were now lying down silently. You were currently resting on his chest, your fingers playing with the gold ring that adorned his pointer finger, twisting it around slowly. 

“Can I tell you a secret?” He spoke after a moment, his voice low, and you could feel the way his chest rumbled underneath you as he spoke.

“Of course.”

“I really want to kiss you right now.” He whispered, and your eyes snapped to his in surprise. He was watching you closely, and you could feel his heart hammering against his chest under your hand. 

“Then kiss me.” Your whisper was even quieter than his had been, and within seconds he was pushing you back onto the bed so he was hovering over you now, his lips attaching to yours. 

Your arms immediately wound around his neck, pulling him into you as he deepened the kiss, your lips moving together perfectly. One of his arms was holding his body up above you so he wasn’t resting his entire body weight on your small body, the other trailing down to rest on the side of your thigh as your leg wrapped around his hip.

The two of you were completely lost in one another, the feelings you’d both been hiding for one another for what felt like forever pouring out onto each others lips. It’d been a long time since a kiss made you dizzy and caused your stomach to erupt in thousands of butterflies, and you decided in that moment you only ever wanted to kiss Rudy. 

Rudy was losing his mind as his lips worked against yours, his fingertips digging into the flesh of your thigh. Your lips were the softest he’d ever felt against his own, and he never wanted to feel anyone else’s. 

Eventually, the two of you were forced apart so you could breathe, his forehead resting on yours, and you could feel his soft breaths against your lips as your own mingled with his. 

“God I’ve wanted to do that for so long.” He muttered, placing a soft kiss on your bottom lip, his teeth nipping at the now swollen skin. 

“Well why the hell did you wait?” You responded breathlessly, your fingers now running through his hair, something you’d always wished you could do.

“Because I’m an idiot.” He responded simply, and you let out a soft giggle.

“Do you wanna be my idiot?” You were never this forward, but something about the way Rudy was looking at you right now made you feel comfortable enough to say the words you were thinking, rather than holding them back. His lips were ghosting over yours, and you could feel him smiling.

“More than anything.”

[haileyyanneupton]

❄ small - one chicago au ❄

Hailey Upton and Adam Ruzek have been friends for as long as they can remember. When Hailey leaves her prestigious private school to be with Adam in her junior year, she’s introduced to a new group of people who feel strangely like home. 

pairings

jay halstead x hailey upton adam ruzek x kim burgess kevin atwater x vanessa rojas kelly severide x stella kidd

masterlist | series masterlist

❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄

❄ one ❄

Hailey let out a loud huff as she hung upside down off of Adam’s bed one afternoon. She had been at her new school for two weeks and so far, she had spent one lunchtime locked inside a toilet cubicle, two in an empty classroom, three wandering the halls with a sandwich in hand and the rest in the janitors closet. She had attempted to talk to some people in her biology class but when they had ditched her in the hall, she had been too embarrassed to search for Adam and ask if she could sit with him. In the end he had managed to find out anyway — Hailey wasn’t very good at lying to Adam — leaving him to insist that she meet his friends.   

“Are you sure they’re not going to mind, Adam?” Hailey asked nervously, her hair strewn across the ground of his bedroom floor. “They seem really tight knit and —“ 

“You need to stress less, man,” Adam chuckled, glancing down that the girl from the head. “You also should probably sit up before all the blood rushes to your head.” 

“But hanging like a bat is fun.” 

“So is being conscious.” 

Hailey sighed loudly as she pushed her legs off of Adam’s bed and instead starfished out on the ground. She was nervous, but covered well — if she wanted to make Adam’s friends to like her, she was going to have to. Adam had always spoken highly of them, making Hailey worry that maybe they were too good for her. After all, she was just Hailey Upton. Plain old boring Hailey Upton. A knock sounded at Adam’s door as his mother pushed it open far enough for her to poke her head through, a warm smile on her face as she looked between Adam and Hailey.   

“Are you two hungry?” Pamela asked gently, brushing a piece of hair behind her ear. “I can fix something for you both if you want a snack or something.” 

Hailey looked to Adam who shrugged, his eyes tearing away from the textbook he had been pretending to read for the last hour. “I mean if you’re making something, I don’t think we’d be opposed.” 

“Well what do you want?” Pamela had an amused smirk on her face as she tutted playfully at her son for a moment. “Hailey?” 

“A hash brown.”

Pamela chuckled, nodding her head up and down. “Hash browns. I can do hash browns. What about dinner? What do you both want for dinner? I’m in a good mood today, so I may be inclined to make you whatever you want.” 

“Actually — I can’t stay for dinner tonight, Pam,” Hailey interjected with yet another sigh. “I promised my mom I’d help her this apple pie that she’s found the recipe for. She’s really excited about it — it’s kind of adorable.” 

Pamela smiled, though Hailey could see the fondness mixed in with worry in her eyes. They didn’t address it — they never addressed it — it was more of an unspoken fact at this point. In their neighbourhood, when things happened everybody locked their doors so that they could have plausible deniability — nobody wanted to get involved directly. Adam’s family had been the first ones to ever offer up a place of solace for Hailey, who was now the only child left at home after her brothers had left for college or to go and work — the first ones to ever actually acknowledge that something was going on. Hailey didn’t know if it was because Bob was a police officer or if it was because they were nice people breaking away from the sense of conformity that had been forced upon everybody on the street, but either way she didn’t mind. She liked it at Adam’s house. Hence why she spent most of her time there. Hell, she even had a key hanging off of her keychain for the Ruzek’s residence — she was family. 

As Adam’s mother went off to put on some of the frozen hash browns she had in the oven, Hailey pushed herself back up and off of the floor and made her way back up onto Adam’s bed as she picked up her math textbook and stared down at the problems on her page. They were just that — problems — problems that Hailey wanted to set on fire so that she didn’t have to deal with them. Unfortunately for her however, she had been informed by her mother earlier that week that apparently that wasn’t how pre-calculus worked.   

“Sometimes this stuff makes so much sense, and other times I feel like this sigma guy is going to try and eat me,” Hailey huffed angrily as she skimmed over the page and answered the very few problems she knew how to do. “Look! See? Doesn’t he look like he’s going to jump out of the page and try to swallow me whole?“ 

Adam chuckled at Hailey. “You’re doing better than me, at least. I’ve been staring at these chemical equations for days and if I don’t get them done tonight, Mr Ramirez is going to kick my ass. All I’m seeing is a bunch of letters — they mean nothin’ to me.” 

“Let me see.” Hailey peered over at the boy’s book, using her finger to scan over the words. “Those are easy. Give ‘em here, I’ll do them.” 

“You’re the best, Hailey.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Hailey grinned up at her friend. “I’m disappointed that it took you this long to work that out, doofus.” ❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄ 

The next day back at school, Hailey waited anxiously out the front of her English classroom for Adam to come and find her and bring her to his friends. She drummed her fingers against her thigh as she looked around for the boy, about to chicken out and retreat to the janitor’s closet for yet another lunchtime when she saw the face of her best friend walking alongside a brunette girl. Hailey vaguely recognised her but couldn’t seem to put a name to the face, waving a hand politely in their direction as she pushed herself off of the wall. “Hailey, this is Kim. Kim, this is Hailey.” 

Kim grinned widely, waving hello to the blonde. “Hi! Sorry it took us so long to get here — Adam got himself locked in the lab and I had to come and rescue the idiot.” 

“Of course he did.” A small smile of amusement came onto Hailey’s lips as she rolled her eyes playfully. “Where — uhm — where are the others?” 

“They’re waiting in the art room,” Adam answered, putting an arm around Hailey as they began to walk, the man squeezing her into him comfortingly. “Quit being so nervous.” 

“Wow, Adam. I’m cured.” Hailey quipped back monotonously. “Thank you so much.” 

Adam smiled back at Hailey with an over-enthusiastically proud smile as Kim snickered from the other side of the man.   

“I like you already, Hailey.” 

As the three of them walked into the art room, closing the door behind them, Hailey was faced with a group of people all staring over at her. She instinctively moved a little bit closer to Adam as her heart skipped a beat, the girl clutching her books to her chest as she forced a smile. They seemed nice — they seemed really nice — would that mean that they wouldn’t like her because she didn’t always come across the same way? They seemed really close too, which worried Hailey. She wasn’t the type to gossip and she for sure wasn’t ever going to be able to have people over at her house in the situation that they’d want to hang out there. What would she tell them if they asked to have a study date at her house? Would any of them— 

“Hailey,” Adam hummed in the girl’s ear as she snapped out of her oncoming vortex of overthinking. “I promise they won’t bite.” 

Adam gave the girl an encouraging smile as she stepped further into the room, following Kim who naturally fell into place between another boy and an empty spot that Adam soon filled.   

“Guys, this is Hailey,” Adam introduced lightly as she found a spot on top of one of the tables, her books being placed down behind her as she smiled shyly. “She’s got this crazy idea that you guys aren’t going to want her around.” 

Kim gasped dramatically. “What? No! The more the merrier, girl!” 

Hailey’s smile remained but her gaze dropped to her hands which were sitting in her lap as she tried to make herself seem less rigid. It had been so long since she had really tried with anybody that she had forgotten how to, the prospect overwhelming her just a little bit. She was used to accepting that things usually didn’t work out — she really didn’t want to get her hopes up.   

“This is Kevin,” Adam pointed to the boy beside him as he gave a friendly nod. “You know Kim. Then there’s Jay, Kelly, Vanessa and Stella.” 

Hailey noticed that she was beside Vanessa who held a hand up for a high-five which she happily returned, her smile widening just a bit further. On her other side was a dark haired boy with green eyes that were impossible to miss, the colour of his shirt only bringing them out more — she was pretty sure she had caught his name as Jay.   

“I gotta go wash my hands in the bathroom,” Stella announced suddenly, looking at Vanessa and Kim who immediately stood up. “You wanna come with us, Hailey?” 

Hailey nodded gently, she too rising to her feet as she glanced back at the textbooks she had placed on the table. “Yeah, sure. Um — Adam, can you —“ 

“Don’t worry.” Jay placed a hand on the books, nodding once in the girl’s direction. “I’ll watch ‘em for you.” 

Hailey smiled gratefully at the boy before following the other three girls out of the art room and down the hall to where the bathrooms were. To her surprise, they were relatively empty — that was almost unheard of — with just the few freshman walking out after touching up their lip gloss.   

“Ugh,” Stella groaned as she turned the water on and ran her hands beneath it. “Man, I love Hot Cheetos but they stain my fingers so badly.” 

Kim chuckled lightly at the girl as she made some witty remark that earned another groan out of Stella while Hailey and Vanessa leaned up against the wall. Hailey had a leg propped up as she pulled her phone from her pocket, searching for something to do so that she didn’t feel so — uneasy. 

The feeling of someone kicking her foot lightly bought her attention back to the girl standing beside her. She had a warm smile on her face as she looked up at Hailey with a knowing look, her arms folded loosely together.   

“I get it, you know,” Vanessa started, causing Hailey’s eyebrows to knit together curiously. “I’ve been the new kid before. Twenty four times to be exact.” 

Hailey’s eyes widened in shock. “Twenty four times?” 

“Yeah,” Vanessa nodded with a light chuckle — it was obvious to Hailey that she had expected that reaction. “I’m a foster kid. Been in so many different homes at this point that I’ve lost count.” 

“That’s rough,” Hailey’s voice was light and sympathetic. “I’m sorry.” 

“Nah, don’t be. It’s alright. I just mean — you don’t have to be so nervous with us.” 

Hailey shot the girl a smile as she settled slightly, feeling better about the whole situation now that she had connected with Vanessa. By the time they had gotten back to the art room, the boys were throwing skittles across the room and trying to catch them in their mouths like idiots.   

Hailey resumed her position beside Jay once again, snorting lightly to herself as Adam nearly ran into a table after tripping over his own feet. When a skittle was thrown in Jay’s direction, he missed catching it in his mouth but instead managed to catch it against his chest with his hand, grinning as he turned it over. 

“Green,” Hailey observed, her lips curled upwards. “My favourite.” 

A certain sparkle could be seen in Jay’s eye as he held the skittle up by Hailey’s mouth, chuckling as the burst of flavour bought a beam to the girl’s features. As the rest of their lunch break came and went, Hailey felt much more at ease. For the first time in years, she finally had someone else she would be able to smile at in the halls — someone to say hello to in class. Even though she had only known them for an hour, she could tell she wanted to stick around. Besides — she could see how happy Adam was having all of his friends in one place.   

Maybe it was about time things started getting better for Hailey after all.

tag list: @ruzek-halstead @lissethsrojas @sammywiths @butterflies44 @upsteadheart @shawnscheeks @puckluck28 @karihighman @thetwit @azu1ang3188 @juu-series @justanotheronechicagofan @stinaax @stayupton @fullwattpadmusictree

[copper-wasp]

Even a Devil May Drabble: Dante x Reader: Valentine’s Forgetfulness (Part 19/?)

Rating: E

Words: 1,353

Tags: Explicit Content, Established Relationship, Light Foodplay, Dante Being an Adorable Doofus

Also posted to AO3!

This was a gift for CheesySquid from a discord server, but it seems that their tumblr blog has been deleted or renamed. If you see this and want me to tag you, let me know Squid! (Also, I posted this on AO3 on V-Day but forgot to post it here 😅)

“Dante?” you queried into the darkness of Devil May Cry’s interior. Flicking on the lights, you looked around, immediately sensing something was up. The office was... clean. No pizza boxes or empty Jack Daniel’s bottles on the coffee table, no nudie mags on the floor or dirty dishes piled precariously on the jukebox. Something was definitely wrong.

You didn’t notice the vase of flowers until you nearly walked past it, the only thing on Dante’s desk, besides his treasured photo of Eva. There was a note card, a heart with your name in the middle written on the envelope, and you picked it up. Opening it, you found a note from Dante, reading “Happy Valentine’s Day to the only woman who will still put up with me. I love you, [Y/N].”

Oh fuck.

Today is Valentine’s Day.

Fuck.

You’d completely forgotten, your mind full of all the tasks on your plate at work. And, from the looks of it, Dante not only got you an enormous bouquet of flowers, but also cleaned the entire office as a gift to you.

And the damn flowers were peonies, your favorite.

Feeling awful, you set the note card back on Dante’s desk, shrugging out of your coat and draping it over the back of his chair, along with your bag. You assumed Dante had to go out, so you decided to take a bath, needing to stew in your terrible-girlfriend shame, and hope that ordering some pizza for him when he got home would be good enough until you could get to the store in the morning.

Stepping up to the second floor landing, you paused, seeing light coming from beneath the door of yours and Dante’s shared bedroom.

“Dante?” you called out again, answered with an ‘In here,’ by the man in question. Well, there went your plan to take a nice shame-soak.

You shuffled over to the door, sighing as you opened it. There were rose petals on the (also, somehow, spotlessly clean) floor, a trail of them leading your eyes to quite a sight.

“Hey there gorgeous, I hope you’re okay with having dessert before dinner,” Dante said, already completely naked and sprawled out on the center of your bed. Your mouth fell open in shock as he lifted up a huge bottle of Hershey’s chocolate syrup and squeezed it all over his chest.

You were still standing in the doorway, biting your lip to try not to laugh. It didn’t work, and a huge bark of laughter racked your form. You clapped a hand over your mouth to try to quell it, but lost it all over again when Dante started laughing along with you, holding the bottle up again to let a long stream of sticky chocolate drip into his mouth.

Once you were able to speak, you made your way towards the bed where Dante was still posed. “Dante, you are such a goof,” you said, shedding your cardigan.

“Good, she’s taking off her clothes, my plan is working,” he said, dipping a finger into the syrup on his skin before pushing it between the lips you loved to kiss.

“I have to apologize, babe,” you said, losing your boots and socks next. “I forgot today was Valentine’s Day.” You quickly unbuttoned your dress pants, pushing them down over your hips to puddle on the floor.

You looked at your boyfriend, who was giving you a gentle look, as you started to unbutton your blouse.

Dante smiled, gesturing for you to join him on the bed. You did as he asked, kneeling at the end of the mattress, fingers still working on the buttons of your shirt. “It’s okay. I knew you would,” he said, “You’ve been so busy at work, and I wanted to do this for you. You saw the flowers too, right?”

You nodded, giving him a grateful smile. “I did. Thank you, Dante, they’re absolutely gorgeous.”

“You’re gorgeous,” he replied, helping you push your blouse off of your shoulders. Your bra and panties didn’t even match, but the heat in Dante’s eyes told you that didn’t matter, that all he was interested in was getting you out of them.

Before he could tug the strap down your arm, you pushed him back onto the mattress, avoiding the drips of chocolate migrating down his body. You quickly straddled him, his cock jumping beneath you, dipping your head down to lick a long stripe over his chest. You pulled his nipple into your mouth, sucking it clean and he grunted, his hands moving to grasp at your waist.

“How long were you waiting for me?” you asked, dragging a finger down his abs and lewdly sucking the chocolate from it, looking down into his eyes.

“Hours, days, who knows?” Dante joked, but you wiped the smile off his face when you scooted back on his thighs, grasping his cock in your warm hand. Pushing his legs apart, you settled between them, enveloping the head of his cock in your mouth, a little bit of a chocolatey taste still on your tongue. It got a lot saltier as you swirled over his slit, swallowing the precum that had gathered. Dante was already moaning, and you took more of him into your mouth, tag-teaming with your hands either on the rest of his substantial shaft, or gently massaging his sack, trying to hear one of each of Dante’s array of noises.

When you released him from your warm, wet mouth, he looked thoroughly debauched already, eyes half lidded as he gazed up at you.

“Want me to ride you, cowboy?” you asked, reaching behind you to undo the clasp of your bra. Your breasts free, Dante’s hands cupped them, thumbing over your nipples and making you arch into his touch.

Dante didn’t respond, just spared a hand to snap the elastic of your panties, urging you to remove them. You slid off the bed, making a grand show of removing the lacy underwear, shaking your rear at him as you pulled them down.

You took another lick of chocolate off of Dante’s abs before straddling him again, letting his cock rub against your slit. You were soaked, sucking him off exciting you almost as much as him, and when you raised your hips to sink down onto him, his length slid smoothly against your velveteen walls until it was buried to the hilt.

You rolled your hips once, earning another beautiful noise from the man beneath you, before setting the pace that both you and he enjoyed.

His name was on your lips, blackness creeping in at the edges of your vision as your climax loomed, Dante harshly whispering filthy things as you let your hands smear the remaining chocolate syrup over his body. His fingertips went to your clit and with just a few practiced swipes your cunt clenched around his length, tears clinging to the corners of your eyes.

You cried out Dante’s name, feeling him buck up into you frantically before he too reached his end, coming deep inside you.

Grabbing one of your hands, Dante pushed your fingers into his mouth, moaning around them as he cleaned the sweetness from them.

“We did make a little bit of a mess, didn’t we?” you asked between panting breaths, seeing the flecks of syrup that had landed on the sheets.

“I’ll clean ‘em later,” Dante said, cock still happily inside you. You bent forward, not caring about the mess, and let him wrap his arms around you.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Dante,” you said quietly, pulling him in for a proper kiss, full of tongue and whimpers.

“You too, babe,” he replied, kissing your forehead. “Wanna get a shower?”

“That would be wonderful,” you replied, feeling sticky from more than just the chocolate syrup. “And then we can get some pizza.”

Dante looked like you’d just gifted him the world, a big goofy smile on his face as he helped you to the bathroom. You professed your love and thanks to him throughout the rest of the night, especially when Dante carried you back to bed for round two.

-:- -:- -:-

Thank you for reading!

Find me on:

Twitter: @copper_wasp_

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Discord: @copper_wasp#1545

[jungshookz]

in the walls; kth

👻 pairing: kim taehyung x reader

👻 genre: spooktober day (3/7); horror but again not scary enough to knOck your socks off

👻 wordcount: 2.5k these r getting longer n longer 

👻 summary: knock-knock. who’s there?  

(picture source here!)

                                    ◢▅◣Ξ◥▅◤Ξ◢▅◣Ξ◥▅◤

“-but yeah, that’s pretty much it!” namjoon smiles as he tucks his clipboard underneath his armpit “congratulations, y/n… you’ve officially moved in!”

you grin excitedly before letting out a little squeal and whiPping around to take a look at your brand new apartment

this is the first apartment that you’ve purchased with your own money so it is definitely a veRy exciting chapter of your life

it’s all yours!!!!!!!!!!

“as you know, i’m up on the sixteenth floor - if you need anything, just gimme a call and i’ll be right down.” namjoon pats his phone tucked away in his pocket and offers you another gentle smile

side note

namjoon is the sweeTEst landlord you’ve ever met

he’s so polite!! and kind!! and you can tell that he cares about every single one of the people who live in his building

he’s also,.,. pretty easy on the eyes and that’s just the cherry on top

(those dimples??? pLEASE)

anywaYs

you should probably figure out what you’re going to eat for dinner

it’s nearing eight o’clock now and you haven’t eaten anything all day because you were too busy getting all your furniture delivered and put together

luckily you had some help from jimin and jungkook otherwise it probably would’ve taken you like two whole days to figure out how to put the couch together

although you will say that jungkook spent half the time trying to find one missing screw from the little plastic baggie full of nuts and bolts so it was pretty much just you and jimin working together  

(eventually he found it)

((it had somehow managed to bury itself into the corner of the room and he accused jimin of putting it there so that he wouldn’t be able to help with the couch and somehow screw it up))

(((jimin had no comment to make)))

to your complete and utter despair, you open the fridge to reveal absolutely nothing

to be fair you haven’t gone grocery shopping yet so you’re not entirely sure why you were expecting to have a fridge stocked full of fresh produce

you could really go for a burger

…thank god for food delivery services

“uh-huh… yep… yeah… got it… mm-hm…” you shut your bedroom door behind you and adjust your head so your phone is better sandwiched in between your ear and shoulder

you reach up to scratch as your freshly washed hair as you continue to listen to your mom on the phone

your hair is still a little damp but you couldn’t be bothered to blow-dry it all the way and you know that if you mentioned to your mom that you were going to go to bed with damp hair she would probably have a heART ATTACK

“i know, mom… yes, i locked the doors- yes, the stove isn’t on- yeS, i double- i triple-checked everything-”

as much as you love your mom you have to admit that she’s being a little toO much right now

this isn’t the first time you’ve lived alone so you don’t even know what she’s freaking out about

she’s just being a classic mom

but also it makes you feel oddly happy to hear her nagging you as if you were still a teenager

“you know, i have to get up early for work tomorrow so i should probably head to bed soon…” right on cue you let out a little yawn as you pull the blanket up and make yourself comfortable on your (brand new!) bed

after about three more minutes of ‘make sure to-’s’ and ‘don’t forget to-’s’, your mom fiNAlly decides to let you go

you plug your phone into the charger and set it down gently on the bedside table after checking that your alarm is set for tomorrow morning

yeP

7:45AM

bright and early

and then you switch your lamp off and all of a sudden your bedroom is engulfed in darkness

besides the soft glow of the moon peeking through your blinds

you didn’t think you were thAt sleepy but now that you’re snuggled deep into the warmth of your soft duvet and cloudy pillows.,,.,.

yeah

you’re dEfinitely ready for a good night’s sleep

it’s when you’re about to fall asleep that you suddenly hear a gentle knock against the wall right above your head

your brows furrow in confusion as you stare into the darkness

…

…

okay maybe it was just the apartment settling-

knock

you perk up and lean over to turn your bedside lamp on before sitting up straight and twisting to look at the wall

huH

interesting

you reach out slowly and smooth your hand over the wall before giving it a knock of your own

and then you wait

…

and you wait

…

and you-

knock-knock

your head tilts in curiosity and you purse your lips

o….kay….

you get up onto your knees and the mattress dips slightly as you shuffle in closer towards the wall

“h-“ you clear your throat, “hello?”

you hold your breath as you wait for a response

maybe you’re just that tired

you’re so tired that you’re imagining sounds

that is a definite possibility!

and now you’re so tired that you’re literally talking to the walls

“uh…” you lean in so that your lips are just brushing over the wall “-can you hear me?”

knock-knock

you jump slightly at the sudden response

okay

maybe your neighbour just likes getting to know you at-

you take a peek at the clock ticking away on your bedside table

11:48 at night

“i, uh, i’m y/n!” you lean in and press your ear against the wall and when you don’t hear a response for a good ten seconds you speak up again “what’s your name?”

all that can be heard is the quiet tick-tick-tick of your clock

“…should i guess your name?”

knock-knock

alright

well

it seems like your neighbour isn’t very chatty but that’s completely fine

you can figure something out

also this is kind of a weird way to introduce yourself to someone but you’re not judGing

“okay, uh… knock on the wall when i get the first letter of your name- got it?”

knock

you let out a little huff and turn around so you can lean against your headboard and you pull a pillow onto your lap

it looks like you’re not going to be going to bed anytime soon so you might as well get comfortable “-a, b, c, d, e, f, g. h, i, j, k- elemeno- p. q, r s, t-“

knock

you perk up immediately “t?”

knock

“okay, t. uh, a-“

knock

oh hEy

that was easy

“ta. a, b, c, d, e-“

knock

“tae? is that your name?”  

knock-knock

“tae.” you test the name on your tongue and decide right then and there that that’s a pretty nice name

tae

“okay, tae. it was very nice meeting you, and i don’t want to be rude or anything, but i need to go to sleep, but i’ll talk to you tomorrow?”

a moment of silence goes by and for a second you think you’ve ruined your first impression with your neighbour but then-

knock-knock

okay! that’s a good sign

you turn to switch your light off before snuggling back underneath the covers

“goodnight, tae.”  

and so, it goes

you and this ‘tae’ person continue having these little interactions every night

it’s weird

even though he hasn’t said a single word to you and has only been able to communicate to you via knocking against the wall, it feels like you have a real connection with him

obviously you’ve been asking him a lot of yes/no questions and that’s how you’Ve gotten to know him

you know he’s 23 years old

you know he has black hair

you know he has brown eyes

you know he likes to play the saxophone

you know he moved into the apartment building five years ago

which is kinda crazy if you think about it because he was an 18 year old living by himself and when you were 18 you were petrified at the idea of even being in a grocery store without your mom (not going to lie - the idea of that still scares the crAp out of you)

you know that his favourite colour is purple

you know that he likes dogs better than cats

you know a lot of small little things about him but you just can’t help but wonder what else there is to know about him

you haven’t exactly built up the courage to ask him if he’d like to meet up in person because this knocking on the wall thing seems to be a zone of comfort for him

and even though you have a description of what he looks like that’s not the same as actually having a face to the name

(which is why you spent an hour the other night staring through your peephole just wAiting for tae to come out)

(no one came out >:-( )

“hey, tae?” it’s about week 4 and a half when you finally decide to do something about the situation

you reach out and press your palm flat against the wall “do you wanna come over to mine one night? or something? i don’t know… i just feel like… you know, it’d be nice to actually meet you and all that, so if you wanna come over sometime i’d totally be down…”

at the 20 second mark of silence you immediately become concerned

o god

u scared him off

you were toO forward

you shouldn’t have said anything!!!!! you shouldn’t have said anything to ruIN this nice little friendship that you made and the you genuinely enjoy being a part of

:-(

“or not! it’s totally fine if you just wanna stick to the knocking, i just-“

knock

you shut up as soon as you hear the familiar knocks on the wall and you give a little nod “…can i take that as a yes?”

knock-knock

the corners of your mouth tug up in a smile and you turn to lean against your headboard

aLright

see?

it wasn’t that hard

“anyways, that’s how i learned that dish soap doesn’t go into the dishwasher at all.” namjoon snorts as he shuts the dryer lid shut and you let out a little chuckle

you haven’t known namjoon for that long but you can safely conclude that uh

he’s a little bit of a doOFus

“oh! by the way, i was meaning to ask you-“ you hoist yourself up on top of the washing machine and reach over to pull your basket full of fresh laundry closer to you “what do you know about tae?”

namjoon’s brows immediately knit together as he leans forward to turn the dryer on “who?”

you falter for a second

“uh, tae? my neighbour.” you hum and continue to diligently fold your clothes

“…tae…?” namjoon trails off and narrows his eyes slightly

hm

he knows every single one of the residents of this building better than he knows the back of his hand

but tae isn’t ringing a bell

…o god

is he a baD landlord????

“wait, are you talking about suite 403 or 401?”

“403.”

“40- wh- are you sure?”

“uh-huh. pretty sure. i’ve been talking to him for a couple of weeks now and he seEms like a nice guy but he doesn’t seem to like talking- which is totally fine, by the way, i’m not bAshing anyone for not liking to talk- i just invited him to come over sometime and i was wondering if you knew anything about him so that when we actually meet i’ll have a pretty good idea of-“

“oh, 403! namjoon suddenly perks up when the realisation hits him, “no one’s lived in that suite for years.”

yeah

no one’s lived in 403 for years

and by that he means that even before he took over the apartment building no one lived in that suite

the previous owner didn’t really tell him too much about it so he himself doesn’t really know too much about it

you immediately stop talking and tilt your head before letting out a snort “uh… no, i’m pretty sure someone’s living in that apartment. i talk to tae every night- he knocks on my bedroom wall and-“

“are you sure you’re not just hearing, like, the pipes creaking or something? because it’s been a while since i last checked those so maybe-“

“no, i’m like 100% sure that someone’s on the other side of that wall, namjoon.” you state firmly and namjoon raises his hands in defence

you swallow thickly and reach into your hamper with a shaky hand

no one’s lived in 403 for years

what does that even meAN

that doesn’t even make any sense!!!!

how could it be????

maybe namjoon’s just getting his suite numbers mixed up or something

that’s probably it

(you don’t bother double-checking that assumption with namjoon in case he hasn’t mixed up his numbers and what he’s saying is completely and utterly true)

when you return to your apartment after folding up your laundry you can’t help but notice that the air in here feels different

this is supposed to be your home

this is supposed to feel like home but the living room light is flickering slightly and you can hear the low buzz of the heater through the vents and at the same time your hands and feet are freezing

you know what

it’s whatever

you’re just going to go to bed!

you’ve had a long and tiring day and you don’t have the energy to think about whether you’re going crazy or not

“i’m not crazy. i’m not!” you mutter to yourself as you crawl into bed and snuggle up to a pillow

“not crazy.” you sigh to yourself as you stare into the darkness

you’re noT crazy

you haven’t been imagining these knocks

you’ve been talking to someone and that person’s name is tae and-

every single one of the hairs on your body shoots strAight up when you suddenly hear a familiar knock-knock

only this time, it’s not above your head against the bedroom wall like it usually is

no

someone’s knocking on your bedroom door

help me help you make your wishes come tru (aka send me a spooky request)

spooktober masterlist // main masterlist

[junjosekaimangalover]

Something Off And Something New - Mizuki X Pregnant! Reader

Kamisama Hajimemashita X Reader * Requests Are Open *

Kamisama Kiss ( Kamisama Hajimemashita ) X Reader

Something Off And Something New - Mizuki X Pregnant! Reader * Requested By Lady_Saki01 * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I don't own the Manga/Anime Kamisama Kiss ( Or Kamisama Hajimemashita ) nor do I own any of the characters from the franchise.

I'm so sorry for the lateness of this request but I'm happy to report that it's here now. So here it is.

Please Enjoy~! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your POV: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I was having an old ordinary day but today was slightly different than the others, I recieved some big news that completely changed everything. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tomoe's POV: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I was cooking dinner for my mistress when I heard some annoying snake come through my kitchen.

" Mnm~! Something smells really good, can I have a taste? " Mizuki tried to stick his finger in the pot but I smacked his hand away.

" No! This food is only for my mistress, not for some dumb snake who has his own shrine to look after. So, why don't you go and attend to it. " I replied.

" You are forgetting that your Land God is my wife and this is also my shrine now so in a way, you have to serve me as well. " He grabbed his now reddened hand and retreated a little.

" I only serve my Land God Mistress because we have a contract, you and I possess no such contract so no I don't have to wait on you. However, do me a favor and wake her up. The dinner is almost ready. " I replied.

" That I will happily do. "

" Good. " ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your POV: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I was sleeping soundly until someone was gently moving my shoulder and calling my name.

" (Y/N____ )? "

" Hm? "

" Wake up my love, dinner is ready. " Mizuki kissed my lips to try and wake me up even further.

" Ok, ok, I'm up. Let me get myself decent for you guys. " I sat myself up.

" Ok, see you in 15 minutes. "

" Ok honey, see you. " I smiled while rubbing my eyes from the sleep I had. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15 minutes later: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I got myself dressed and looked at myself in the mirror and noticed that my stomach had looked a little bigger than usual.

" Huh, need to do something about this little weight gain. It's not that big of a deal though. " I dismissed it as nothing and went back to my usual routine.

I left my and Mizuki's bedroom and went over to the dining room to see my husband and my good familiar Tomoe arguing like crazy again.

" What are you two arguing about this time " I asked as I sat down on my knees on the floor.

" My lady, would you please to tell your idiotic husband that I am not his servant and I will not wait on him! " Tomoe shouted towards me.0

" Honey, please tell this stupid fox that I am your husband and I live with you here now and that if he's your servant then he is automatically mine as well! " Mizuki shouted towards Tomoe.

" Men please, I just woke up and I don't wanna deal with demonic dumb arguments. " I replied while yawning.

" Please honey? " Mizuki gave me the puppy dog eyes that I couldn't resist.

" OK then. Tomoe has a point when it comes to waiting on me. Our contract clearly states that Tomoe is my familar and I don't want to burden his life with him waiting on anybody else. Tomoe is my familiar and he serves me as that contract states. So please don't make him do stuff that you can easily do or just to upset him honey. " I stated.

" Thank you mistress. " Tomoe smiled and brought dinner over on the table.

" You're welcome Tomoe but Mizuki has a point as well as you do Tomoe. " I replied.

" I knew you would be on my side love! " Mizuki trapped me in a bear hug.

" How on earth does he have a point? " Tomoe asked.

" While Mizuki isn't your Land God to wait, I would at least appreciate if you can please treat my husband with some respect and not call him idiotic. This is now his home too as well as it is mine and yours. " I responded.

" I see, well I'm sorry to have caused you distress my lady. " Tomoe bowed in curtesy to me.

" Thank you Tomoe, you don't have to apologize to my husband if you do not wish too. " I said while wrapping my arms around my husband.

" Thank you mistress. " Tomoe smiled towards me.

" You're welcome. "

" Sweetheart? "

" Yes Mizuki? "

" Does that also apply to me? "

" Yes Mizuki. "

" Oh good. "

" So what's for dinner Tomoe? " I asked.

" We are what you asked for a few days ago my lady. ( Your Favorite Dinner Meal ). " Tomoe set the dinner down and placed some of it on my plate. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Later: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- " Well that was excellent as always Tomoe, thank you so much for that wonderful meal. " I said while getting up from my seated position on the floor.

" Thank you mistress, I'm happy you liked it unlike someone here. " Tomoe looked at my husband and my husband just rolled his eyes and turned towards me.

" Anyways, honey why do you go wash up and we will do that thing we were talking about yesterday. " Mizuki winked at me.

" Ok love, I'll see you in a few minutes. " I headed off to my room to grab some stuff for the bathroom and took a bath. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tomoe's POV: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I was cleaning up the table and washing the dishes but while doing this I couldn't shake something from my mind. I felt that something was off with my mistress but her aura and physical health seemed perfectly normal.

" Tomoe? "

" What is it now Mizuki? " I sighed in annoyance.

" Did you by any chance notice something a little off with (Y/N___ ) lately? " Mizuki crossed his arms and leaned against the counter.

" I did actually, I can't pinpoint on what it might be actually. I know that something is different but she seems perfectly healthy and fine. I don't think she notices anything different with herself. " I replied.

" I noticed that she seems a little bit bloated and she has been consuming a lot of dairy products than what a normal human should consume. She's said that she loves cheese but to see her eat more than she usually does is odd, don't you think? " Mizuki informed me on what he's observed on her.

" She also has been sleeping a lot lately now that we're talking about odd things. " I mentioned to him.

" Huh....I wonder what's wrong? " Mizuki replied.

" Mizuki? "

" Yes Tomoe? "

" When was the last time you and (Y/N___ ) were.....you know, alone together? " I asked.

" A week ago, maybe two. Why do you ask? "

" It might be possible that we are sensing another presence here with us at the shrine. "

" It can't be, the only ones here are us, her and the shrine spirits. " Mizuki replied.

" I mean a presence that has not entered this world just yet. "

" I don't follow. "

" God, how she fell in love and chose to marry you I will never know. I mean, it is very possible that she might be pregnant with your child doofus. " I explained.

" Oh, oh! " Mizuki realized. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your POV: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- " Ah, that was such a nice relaxing bath. " I closed the bathroom door and headed towards my bedroom door. When I opened I was greeted by my husband who had an excited but yet serious look on his face.

" Hey love. "

" Hey Mizuki, is everything alright? " I set my clothes down.

" Well, I want to discuss something kind of serious with you. "

" Like what? "

" Well, have you noticed anything strange with yourself lately? "

" I noticed I gained a little wait but it's not that big of a deal. Why? " I replied.

" Well, Tomoe and I have noticed something was off and we explained on what we've observed on you for the past week and we may have come up with a conclusion. "

" And that conclusion would be? " I asked.

" We think it's very possible that you may be with child. " I stood still for a brief moment and then I chuckled slightly.

" Well, that is some conclusion you two made. "

" We won't know for sure until we test the theory out. "

" You want me to take a pregnancy test? "

" Yep, here. " Mizuki handed me two pregnancy tests.

" Oh, why two? " I asked.

" Just to be really sure. "

" Ah, ok. Why don't I go do that? " I took the tests and headed back into the bathroom but before I did, Mizuki grabbed my wrist and looked me in eyes.

" Honey, I know we hadn't planned on kids until some time later but please know that if you are carrying my child then I will be over the moon happy. " Mizuki said excitedly.

" I know Mizuki, I will be too. " I placed a hand on his cheek and smiled. He released my wrist and let me take the tests. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- An hour later ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I walked out of the bathroom and Mizuki was immediately at my side like a puppy waiting for his master to come home and love him.

" Well? " Mizuki asked eagerly.

" Well, it looks like you have an excited wife who bears your daughter or son's life inside of her. " I smiled.

" Really?! "

" These don't lie Mizuki. " I pointed at the tests that both said positive.

" Oh (Y/N___)! This is so wonderful! So what gender is it? " Mizuki asked.

" Mizuki, the tests just tell you if you are pregnant, not the genders of the child. " I explain.

" So we gotta wait to know? " Mizuki whined.

" Sorry honey, that's how it works. " I comforted him.

" Aw... " ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 years later: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- " Mom! " My 4 year old son came up running to my side while my 4 year old daughter was running up behind him.

" What's the matter honey? " I rubbed my son's head as he was almost crying his eyes out.

" Sis keeps on scaring me! "

" Quit being such a baby! " My 4 year old daughter stuck her tongue out at him.

" Sweetheart, you both are babies. However, what did you do to him this time? " I asked.

" I merely said boo and he completely freaked out, it's not my fault that he's a baby. " She replied with a small grin. My son hid behind me even further while whimpering.

" Now sweetie, we've talked about this. You're brother is sensitive to these things and it's not nice to make fun of that or take advantage of it. Now, what happens when we get a little bad with our behaviour? " I asked.

" We get punished.... " She looked down at her feet.

" Right, now I will let your father decide on what your punishment will be later but for now I want you to apologize to your brother and I want you to both get washed up for dinner. Got it? "

" Yes mommy, I'm sorry. "

" Good, now go and wash up. "

" Ok! " My twins ran off to the bathroom while Tomoe and Mizuki had just come home from doing their own things.

" Evening my lady. "

" Evening Tomoe. "

" Good evening my love, how are the twins doing? " Mizuki asked.

" Good except that ( Your daughter's name ) scared ( Your son's name ) again and I don't know how to make her realize that her brother can't handle stuff like that. If he gets scared like that again then he will and I'm afraid to say this but he might have a heart attack. I hope this is just a phase. " I sighed.

" Oh honey, I'm sure it is just a phase for her. Remember that she's a very playful young child. What's her punishment this time? " Mizuki wrapped his arms around me.

" I'm leaving it up to you this time. " I replied.

" Oh this will be hard for me. "

" You know honey, I still can't believe I was pregnant with twins. I thought you and Tomoe only sensed one presence while I was pregnant. "

" We sensed that there was a presence but we didn't know how many. "

" Too bad but I'm happy that we have those two here with us now. "

" Me too. " ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well here is your oneshot, again I am so sorry that this came so late but here it is finally!

I hope you've enjoyed it. :)

P.S - This is my work so please don’t steal this by copying/pasting this story on another site without my knowledge.

[grayhyacinth]

The Final Show

Ship: Kaminari X Jirou from BNHA

Description: The final year at UA also concludes Jirou's band. With her music, can she reach Kaminari's heart with her final performance?

Author's words: I absolutely ADORE this ship! I regret making it long... I also uploaded it to my ao3 account, click here! I made a banner :P

Warnings: Cussing

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Jirou was beyond ecstatic for her final year at UA! Especially since her goal at becoming a Pro Hero was just around the corner. Unfortunately, there were some obstacles that obscured her path.

For instance, every 3rd year student at UA had to decide their future. Such as going to college, joining an agency, finding mentors, and finding a trustworthy insurance company-- to fix any damage that might happen while working.

For Jirou, this was a walk in the park! She had planned-- months prior, that she was going to mentor under Present Mic before joining an agency.

Although she laid down her future path, Jirou was like any students in her year. Apprehensive. But not for the reason that you may think.

The purple-hair girl had started a band in the middle of her first year, that had grown sensationally! Reaching many thrilling hits and succeeding in several genres, Jirou was extremely proud to have been the leader.

But all of that was coming to an end.

Bakugou was going on to bigger and higher platforms that would no doubt, make him the number one hero; Yaoyoruzu was going to be a huge publicity hero and make herself known in the public eye; Tokoyami was going to train up in the mountains for years, before coming back into the city; and Kaminari? Well, the big doofus was going to join Kirishima and mentor under Fat Gum, who unfortunately had to put up with both of their stupidity.

These were all wonderful and exciting futures for her friends, but why did she feel sad?

Jirou was scribbling down lyric ideas into her notebook when suddenly, a body collided into her desk.

"Hey!"

"Ah! Sorry, Jirou!!" Kaminari grinned widely at her, before throwing another fake punch at Kirishima.

"Pshhhh... It isn't manly of you to disturb a lady while she's busy, Denki."

"Hah!" Kaminari landed a punch before Kirishima activated his hardening quirk. "It's not my fault! You're the one who push me into the desk!"

Jirou rolled her eyes at their bizarre antics and picked up her notebook, shuffling over to Yaoyoruzu's desk.

"They really do share one brain cell, huh, Momo?"

"Hm?" Yaoyoruzu barely lifted her head to greet Jirou, too engrossed in her own notebook to pay attention.

Jirou frowned. "Heeeeeeey, earth to Momo?"

As if on cue, the black-hair girl snapped out of her concentration and fully faced her friend with an apologetic smile.

"S-Sorry about that!! I really need to get more sleep these days..." Yaoyoruzu trailed off. She then shook her head once more and lifted up her notebook, showing a design of a hero suit.

"I was thinking about changing my costume," she said sheepishly. "Do you think this is too... girly?"

"Girly? It looks like a suit for an R-rated hero!Besides, aren't you going for PG13 at most?"

Yaoyoruzu nodded her head slowly in agreement, before clasping her hands together and thanking the purple-hair girl for her opinion.

"So! What did you need?"

Jirou opened her mouth to reply, but then the bell for class rang, and she quickly dived to her seat.

"Later." She mouthed.

- Time skip -

"Later" was a complete understatement. Usually for the soon-to-be hero, it meant "until lunch." But this time, this time, it meant "give me an entire week because people SERIOUSLY cannot get their shit done!"

For the entire week, Jirou was tasked with fixing her entire band! Even the words, "fixing up" was an understatement! She had to buy new supplies, get new wires, re-order speakers, re-edit the soundtracks, and find out why her online merchandise store was glitching.

But, by the end of the week, it was all finally fixed!

Jirou collapsed onto the dorm room's couch in pure exhaustion. Her body was sinking into the couch, sending her into bliss. Even her eyelids were on the brink of shutting! Dream land was just an arm length away. But unfortunately, her mind was bursting with ideas, each running frantically into different directions.

With a sigh, Jirou sat up and searched through her backpack.

"Ah hah! There you are!" With a delighted smile, the purple-head slammed down the notebook onto the coffee table and turned to an unfinished song.

"Hm? What did you find, Jirou?"

In an instance, the girl shrieked and threw the notebook across the room. She then turned around and strained a grin at the person behind her.

It was Kaminari.

"Oh... Hey Kaminari! What's up?" Jiroy twirled the dangling part of her ear and fluttered her eyelashes. Hopefully the dunce part of his brain will kick in...

With a raised eyebrow, Kaminari walked over to the thrown notebook and picked it up. "So... am I not supposed to ask why you just freaked out? Or should I stay silent?"

As he was about the hand back the notebook, Kaminari conveniently looked down and noticed the unfinished song. "Hm? What's thi- hey!"

Jirou had hastily grabbed her notebook from the yellow-head and turned away, a blush forming on her cheeks. Please tell me he didn't read it...

"It's nothing! Just a list of agencies I was looking into..."

"You know," Kaminari said slowly. He then placed a hand on the Jirou's shoulder. "Fat-Gum was looking to find another student... preferably a female." He chuckled.

Jirou blinked. "Wha-"

"Anyways, it would be nice to be partners with you again... but this time in crime!"

Partners in crime. The words stayed glued to her conscious as Jirou quickly walked away. It was a good title.

"Yeah... sure... I uh... have things to do! Don't be late to practice and I'll see you tomorrow! Good night!"

"Okay! Good night, Jirou! Think about it, would yeah?"

Jirou walked away without a reply and the open she reached her room, she had slammed shut the door behind her and grabbed the nearest guitar.

Playing a couple cords, her heart returned back to it's original beat and Jirou leaned her head back, deep in thought. The song was close to finish-- all it needed was a title and an ending verse.

But, it wasn't the fact that one of her band members saw an original-- because that was a petty thing to get angry over. It was because the person who she wanted to dedicate everything to, saw it. The one person who made her panick with a red face and a heart that beat 1 million beats a minute, read it. That was almost as bad as fighting All Might face to face!

Hopefully things will get better. Jirou thought.

Hopefully.

- Time Skip -

That fucking, son of a bitch, mother fucking of a Pikachu, deserves death. No, no, no. The dunce didn't deserve death, he deserved a thousand years of hunger and agonizing pain!

Jirou stomped into her room and slammed the door shut. She grabbed the nearest guitar and strung a note with so much furry, the sound vibrated for minutes. After a while, the note died down and so did the purple-head's anger.

She was infuriated at none other, than Kaminari. Who, conveniently was being a huge piece of shit these last few weeks.

For example, three weeks ago Jirou declared for the band to practice one last time before heading back to the dorm room. Usually, this meant to go all out and don't. Hold. Back.

Who would have thought that Kamin fucking Nari decided to actually go all out??

"Okay, guys! One last practice and then we can all head back home!" Jirou had declared proudly. For her, these practices meant a time to rejuvenate and connect to music, passionately. "One, two three-"

All of a sudden, the speakers had blasted music that made everyone fall to the floor, clutching their ears in pain.

It was the sound of a guitar.

"WHAT THE FUCK, KAMINARI?!"

"YOU WANNA FUCK???" Kaminari gave a playful-wide grin at Jirou and continued with his charade.

She became bright-burning red with embarrassment. As she scrambled up the turn off the speaker, Jirou had listed 100 different ways the kill Kaminari. Scratch that, 1 million!

The purple-head had successfully turned off the speaker and turned towards the blonde, "OUT!"

Thinking back to this time, Jirou regretted the way she acted. After all, it wasn't Kaminari or Jirou's fault for their actions.

They-- including all of the 3rd years, were all incredibly stressed out with studying for their finals and college entrance exams. That including rigorous training and last minute plans for the future.

Jirou pulled out a song labeled, "Hopefully Partners." She had finished it a couple weeks back, but never had the time to play it. It was, after all, a song she dedicated for Kaminari.

He had been the one to encourage Jirou to make the band, created the name, and made her life rotate around his words. He was the only one who had done anything for her, out of pure kindness.

Picking up her guitar, she strung a chord.

"Electric waves are dancing. Oh yeah. Dancing around you, babe." She took a deep breath, "The thumping beat of thunder, is creating a symphony that makes me think, will this all fade?"

Jirou stopped after. This is super cheesy... With a shake of her head and a smile, she picked up her phone and diled Yaoyoruzu's number. If she was going to sing this song, then she better get practicing.

- Time Skip -

"Jirou... what are you wearing?!"

The girl in question turned around, confused. "What do you mean?"

Yaoyoruzu sighed and exclaimed, "This is a monstrosity! How are you supposed to go onstage with this... this horror?!" She waved arms up and down, pointing out all the flaws of the dress.

This was their very last performance. After tonight, the band was just another prominent figure in history. They had all played several songs before this, but performance was special.

Jirou had called the manager to schedule a secret show, dedicated to Kaminari-- who was going to be in the crowd, oblivious and certainly living up to his nickname.

"Momo, it doesn't look that bad,"

Rolling her eyes, Yaoyoruzu grabbed the purple-head by the ear and shoved her to the nearest changing room. "This is why I bring extra clothes! You're going to look absolutely fabulous tonight!"

Groaning, Jirou shook her head and slipped into the outfit. She was then pulled into a chair while Yaoyoruzu did her makeup. All when having to hear the black-hair girl exclaim how much of a disappointment Jirou was.

"And done! What do you think?"

She stood up and walked over to the nearest full-body mirror. The dress came down, mid-way to her thigh, and it was similar what she wore to I-Expo. Except, it had black-dark clouds on her chest, then a sunset color bow on her stomach, and then purple and yellow lighting strikes going all the way down.

She was in awe.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we actually have one last performance from your beloved band! As an apology for this long and late night, drinks and appetizers will be free!"

Jirou snapped out and quickly gave Yaoyoruzu a hug, whispering a thank you into her ear.

"Please don't thank me," Yaoyoruzu giggled, "Thank your terrible fashion skills. Now come on, we have a show to preform!"

Jirou shook her head in laughter and together, they went on stage.

The bright lights hit her in the eyes, blinding her from the crowd. She walked over to the microphone, guitar in hand.

"Uh..." she turned around and faced her friends with a smile. "I would first like to thank my amazing band members for pushing through these last three years, my classmates for attending every show, and all of you for encouraging us every night."

She blinked.

"But I would like to thank everything to Kaminari Denki. This song is for you!"

With that, she strung her guitar and the lyrics poured out of her like water. Every note-- every word fit in like pieces of a puzzle. The music flew through the crowd, entrancing them in a slumber that made them lean in for more.

The song was three minutes long, but for Jirou, it was as long as ten seconds. As the last note played, she bowed. There was so much more that she wanted to say. There was so much more songs that she wanted to make and preform.

A bitterness filled her heart as she walked off stage, but then a thought occured to her. Jirou ran back, bumping into the backstage members and hastily grabbed the microphone.

"I LOVE YOU, YOU STUPID PIKACHU!"

Jirou was pulled off stage by embarrassed backstage members and she was carried over to Yaoyoruzu, who gave them a sympathetic smile.

"That was... really amazing of you, Jirou."

Jirou froze in her tracks. Her blood rushed to her head, her muscles screamed at her to run, but her feet stayed rooted to her spot.

"S-shut up... Kaminari."

Yaoyoruzu, who felt extremely awkward gave Jirou a pat and gave hand signals to everyone to leave them.

"Ugh. Just get a room, jeez." A girl-- around Jirou's age muttered while passing by them. The words only made her burn like lava.

"Wh-what do you want?"

Kaminari hummed, amused by the girl's mortification. "I was thinking.. how about going to the park?"

"What?" Jirou whispered.

"I kind of... planned something tonight, as well." Kaminsri stated, also embarrassed. He then held out his hand. "Wanna go?"

Jirou reached out, but then retreated a bit in hesitation. Was she really willing to go out with the biggest idiot in Japan?

"F-fine."

Unfortunately, Jirou was looking at the ground as Kamianri led them to the park, because she didn't notice the adorable grin that spread across his cheeks.

The lamps lit the path and as they neared their destinations Jirou couldn't help but let out a suprise gasp. Kaminari-- with help by all their friends, had decked out the park like a full on love paradise.

There were fairy lights and lanterns that hung from tree to tree, heart shaped balloons that twirled in the wind, and even sprinkled rose petals on the gravel path.

If this was extravagant, then Jirou didn't know what else to call the next biggest suprise of the night. Because at the center, there stood an ice gazebo with the most romantic dinner laid out.

"You're going to attract flies, Jirou." Kaminari chuckled.

Jirou immediately shut her mouth and playfully smacked him. "S-shut up."

As they both sat down to eat, the atmosphere changed. Their normal, playful chatter that consisted of pure stupidity filled the night's air, and if you recorded their conversation, it would sound like a quarrel between a squirrel and a chipmunk.

"So," Electric boy placed his utensils down and scratched the back of his head. "I've been meaning to tell you something for a long time..."

Jirou looked up and as if a boulder was in her throat, she swallowed. "Yeah?"

"Jirou... no, scratch that. Kyouka-- wait, can I call you Kyouka??"

"Sure...?" This wasn't the first time Pikachu boy had said her name. But, the tingling senses in her heart definitely hadn't happen the last time.

Kaminari coughed. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

His gaze penetrated hers. There was no laughter, no sense of playfulness that usually surrounded Kaminari. Hi eyes that was usually bright and cheerful, was filled with a serious glint that was as hard as steel. The pounding in the poor girl's heart had increased three times it's usual beat, but she couldn't care less.

"HAH! Stop joking around Pikachu! You seriously need-"

"I'm serious."

The cherry blossoms that surrounded them, swayed to the wind, creating a beautiful scene that surrounded Jirou's vision. As if it were possible, the dunce head in front of her looked truly handsome.

She smiled. "Fine. But then I get to call you Pikabae."

Kaminari burst out of his seat and with a quick swoop, picked up the magnificent girl in front of him. "You can call me whatever you want. As long as your mine!"

They both laughed, eyes twinkling beneath the starry night. Kaminari slowly set her down, but his arms never left her waist. They were centimeters apart, and if Jirou wanted to, she could close the gap.

And she did.

[internutter]

Anon requests Ransei

“I’ll be back late, so you two go stay at Aunty Mak’s, okay?” La’ming kissed each of the twins on their foreheads. “It’s not a school night, so you can stay up late and watch shitty television and eat shittier food if you want.”

Koko rolled his eyes and blew a raspberry.

Lulu elbowed him and said, “Gourmet pizza exists, dingus.”

“If it can have pineapple on it, it’s not gourmet,” grumbled Koko[1].

“Don’t worry about me, okay. I’m fine. It’s just a really long session at the studio.” She spared a word for Makarune. “Don’t let them cook anything extravagant, okay? They should be kids. It’s burgers and popcorn kids crave, not pate du foi gras or whatever.”

“You try to cook a decent Pappardelle one time...” grumbled Koko.

“Don’t let ‘em run through your budget,” La’ming whispered. “Common, everyday ingredients, only.”

Makarune saluted. “I honestly don’t mind having a couple of little gourmet chefs in my kitchen. Go. Do your thing. It’ll be fine.”

It wasn’t.

Most of the day went well, but all it took to ruin a good day was a slick patch on a polished floor and a bad fall.

The twins didn’t know about any of this until the next morning, when they checked their emails.

It was a simple, brief message from a ran.som@gmail.com and it said, Got your mom. Email back 4 deets.

The screaming happened exactly five seconds after the message sank in. The twins ran for Makarune. They ran for Angus, on the top floor. They raised fifteen colours of stink and nobody could get a word in edgewise between the two of them. Not that either of them were making much in the way of sense.

The words ‘ransom letter’ and ‘mom’ surfaced a lot, but since the twins were talking over each other the entire time, it took a few moments to unriddle.

By then, Makarune had dosed them with the special sedative apple pancakes and hot chocolate. The emergency meeting of friends of the family had to happen on the rooftop garden, since it was most of the apartment block by then.

Avi was there with Johaan, hand in hand. The Pithons were there, as were the McDonalds. Then there was Makarune desperately trying to keep the twins at least on something resembling an even keel. So far, the Pithons were assisting by wrapping the twins up in their tails, Avi was attempting to coach them through some breathing and memory exercises, Johaan was playing Calm Emotion, and the McDonalds were analysing the shit out of the email.

“What kind of kidnapper sends a CC?” wondered Agatha.

“Or uses Gmail?” pondered Angus.

“Whaddathey want from us?” Koko snivelled. He had his hands wrapped around a big mug that almost dripped marshmallows and cream. “We’re kids. We don’t got shit...”

Lulu wiped her face. “I been savin’ up my pocket money, an’... I got... almos’ twenny dollars?”

Agatha elbowed Angus, pointing to something on the screen. Angus peered at it, lifting his glasses up. He said, “Oh, shit.”

Koko started out-and-out bawling again. “It’s the curse! It’s the cur-hur-hurse... I hurt our mo-o-o-om...”

Lulu wrapped herself around him. “We’re not bad luck, doofus. Our stupid father didn’t know anything about anything. We’re not cursed.”

“Indeed you’re not,” said Angus. “This isn’t a ransom email. It’s an email from someone who’s name concatenates into ‘ransom’. Specifically, ran dot som.”

“I think it might be from one of your mom’s... co-workers. Ransei Somner.” Also known as Hornee D’Lite to a select crowd. “I’ve emailed her back. Your mom took a tumble and broke her arm. She’s in recovery and I have the ward details.

Koko gulped down the hot chocolate. Lulu did the same. Together, they said, “Is she okay?”

*

La’ming surfaced from a cloud of dandelion extract. Her left arm really hurt. “Ma’am... There’s a large crowd of people here to see you. They say they’re your family.”

She looked over to Ransei. The large, thickset tiefling said, “I only emailed your kids,” and shrugged.

“Wanna see m’ babies,” La’ming slurred, deep in the valley of the dandelions. “They’ll be worried about me...”

The nurse pulled aside the curtain enough so that La’ming could see the entire fucking crowd of worried residents from her apartment block.

“Heeeeyyyy,” she crooned. “Th’ gang’s all here... Where’s my babies?”

Twin golden streaks shrieked, “Mom!” and then she was covered in family. Not so skinny, any more, but still so small and so light and very, very wet.

“Din’ wanna make y' cry, m’ poor babies...” It was very important to kiss them. She couldn’t kiss them enough. “It’s okay... they got me onna good stuff.”

“Ease up,” said Ransei. “Careful of her left arm.”

“Is this your family, ma’am?”

La’ming squinted at the mob. “Yeah, they is m’ fam’ly. We all ‘dopted eachother...”

Ransei introduced herself to the family as a ‘co-worker’. She had had the foresight to get into some street-passable clothes before climbing into the ambulance with La’ming.

Those who recognised her as Hornee D’Lite kept that knowledge to themselves.

She was a thickset, russet-coloured tiefling with an enormous set of horns. Everything about her was thick.

“You didn’t tell me your babies were this cute,” she cooed. “Hey, there li’l darlin’s. I work with your momma. Can I cuddle you?”

Lulu looked to La’ming, who slurred, “Rans issa ver’ gen’l frien’...”

She was also, the twins discovered, soft and warm and the kind of comfort they needed at that exact moment.

The assembled crowd of well-wishers decided to wait until La’ming was sober before telling her about the upset, that morning.

[1] Opinions expressed by characters are not necessarily that of the author.

[TAZ Prompts Remaining: 10]

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