#also i was so shook today listening to the Why Are People Into That podcast

[camelotsbi]

I wouldn't normally post about this but I have so many conflicting feelings about Liam Payne's passing,,,,

I was a hardcore directioner from 2013 to 2016 (back when we were waiting for the 18 month hiatus to end). I was there, I saw all the hype, watched all the videos and listened to all the albums. I fangirled with my friends. I read a lot of fanfiction,,, I remember crying when the news about Zayn's leaving dropped, and how all of the girls at my school were absolutely devastated the next day.

And today I'm here, still holding a lot of 1D's songs close to my heart, reading about Liam's death, and I feel...nothing. Which is a lie, because then I wouldn't be here writing this. And, at the same time I find no other way to describe it.

I pretty much stopped following the guys when the first solo album dropped and it became clear that the hiatus was going to be a lot longer than 18 months. I listened to Harry's album but wasn't impressed. I listened to This Town and fell in love with it, so I bought Flicker when it came out. I didn't listen to Louis'. I didn't listen to Zayn's. I didn't listen to Liam's. But I read the criticisms and the (bad) reviews. It kinda became clear to me that, out of the five, he was struggling the most to find a path outside of the band.

I also remember the interview Liam did for a podcast and how he sounded so full of himself. How he said he was the "honorary member of One Direction" and that the whole thing was built around him because of a promise someone had made to him. I remember feeling angry and being in disbelief. I think he lost my sympathy in that moment. But I also just felt bad for him... I remember him talking about how his album was written by other people and not thought through enough so it didn't feel like a cohesive piece of art. He clearly didn't know who he was outside the band and I think he probably didn't know what he really wanted either. Idk.

This past week I was talking to a friend about why I slowly grew to dislike him, and how I kind of had already grieved One Direction, because the boys I fell in love with back in 2012 feel soooo different form the men we see today.

So, when I saw the news, I didn't cry. It took me by surprise. It shook me. But it didn't make me feel sad. If anything, I feel sad about his family, his friends and the other 1D members. I feel sad for the fans who lost a piece of their heart today. And I feel kind of relieved that whenever he is, he is no longer in pain.

I don't think I'm gonna miss him. I've been grieving the whole band for a long time.

[pbandjesse]

I was so nervous about today and it did not matter at all. Today was great.

I slept pretty well last night. When James left for work I was aware of the time. And did the thing where I was like. If I wake up at X I will be able to sleep for Y more minutes. Which is very annoying because it makes my brain like. Loop that information and then I cannot sleep. But thankfully I was able to fall back asleep and I woke up at 930 and felt great honestly. I'm glad I slept until then. It was the best I have felt.

I got up and made the bed and got dressed. I wore my new black dress that is a very thick material and it drapes so nice. I had breakfast and listened to a podcast. I spent some time fixing my one necklace to make the chain longer so it lays nice in my necklace stack. I've really been enjoying layering my necklaces lately. Makes me feel pretty.

I was doing good and felt good. Except my eye. Which hurt so stupid bad. It was swollen and red and watering uncontrollably. It would take a long time, hours, to calm down. I am not sure why it happens and it doesn't last forever so I don't understand it. I rinses my eye and used drops and eventually it was okay but I would have to redo my makeup. Ah well.

I spent the morning just enjoying myself. Hanging out with Sweetp. I put the dishes away. I had the leftover pizza and got myself together for my class.

I did read the Wikipedia article about the artist we were talking about today. Norval Morrisseau, who went by Copper Thunderbird. I was glad I did the reading. And I'm glad that we were talking about a specific person. It made it easier for me.

I left here around noon. Said goodbye to Oleksander who was sitting in the hall. He told me it was cold outside! And I told him I almost didn't wear a coat but I was glad I did.

Its a quick drive over to awah. I was really nervous about unlocking the door and disarming the building but it was totally fine.

I got in and very soon Naomi was ringing the bell. She was very sweet. About 40, very kind. She told me to shush her if she's talking to much but I'm like. I will not be doing that!!

Soon our contact for the autism society came and she was lovely. She said we would have teens first and then adults. And we were expecting up to 20 people! Woah! But I was excited.

And I was right to be so. It would end up being about 11 per group, with half being the parents or carers of the students. And they were all so fun. For the first group I would just explain the project to each of them individually so no one was waiting around.

We had a good mix of abilities. My favorite person was Ireland. Omg was she great. She was really really excited once I started listening to her about her self insert sailor moon character. She was bouncing out of her seat. Her mom kept saying how excited she was. But I was just thrilled to be talking to her. The boys that all came were also excellent. I had some great moments with everyone. One of them really loved to clean and organize so he cleaned all the pallets. I'm just glad he was having fun.

Soon they were cleaning up and the adult class was coming in. They were also great. But we did the class a little different. Instead of talking to each about the project I talked to everyone at once. Got to talk more about the artist and the style and it was nice. There was one guy who shook everyone's hands and he was very kind. He seemed excited when I was like. Yes this is the project but when you are done please use the materials and paper and make what brings you joy. And he was like. Thank you. And it felt so nice. I really felt like I was at my best today in so many ways. I also felt super authenticity myself today. Like I felt lighter inside.

As the hour wound down I started organizing the bags for materials. Naomi would collect and clean and I would sort and put away. Periodically check on everyone. And it was fun. I think next time I will play music. Just to bring some more joy into the room.

I let everyone know I wouldn't be there next week but that the program would still be on. And they said they hope I have fun learning glass blowing and that I better bring pictures back. I promised I will!!

We were pretty well cleaned up. And soon I was arming the building and heading out. I hope I did it right. I think I did. There wasnt really a way to check so I really hope it was correct.

It was a little warmer out then. I would quickly drive home. I went upstairs and dropped off a few things. And then went out again. I walked to the Walgreen to get some hair stuff and chips. It was a nice little walk. And then I came home.

Soon James was home too. While I was drawing a ring leader bear. And James would heat up pasta for me and eventually make me a quesadilla. I ate weird combinations of food tonight. Which upset my belly. But it was nice just hanging with James on the couch while I drew.

Eventually I took a bath. And me and James watched a little documentary. The skin on mu right hand hurts really bad right now so knitting wasn't super fun but I got a few rows done. And now we are in bed.

It is a good day. I feel happy. I am a little nervous about tomorrow because the groups are huge. But it will be a good day. I have decided.

I hope you all sleep well tonight. Take care of each other!! Goodnight!!

[touchmycoat]

kinktober: day 10

day 10: flogging

the sub!Marco saga continues...

(CW: the flogging is done with a metal chain, which is absolutely a thing irl! Bike chains!)

//

//

“Good,” Ace said primly, before blowing a stream of cool air over Marco's chest. The sound Marco made was inhuman. “Thank you for your honesty.”

“I have,” Sabo muttered, attention fixed on Ace's lips, the corners of which turned up into a smug little grin when Ace noticed, “a fantastic idea.”

Ace—beautiful, generous Ace—straightened and gave Sabo the kiss that he craved, right there next to Marco's cheek. Sabo stroked the arch of Marco's neck along with the strokes of Ace's tongue, and pressed their bodies even closer together.

“Marco,” Sabo husked into Ace's mouth, “I'm gonna fuck you. But before that, I'm gonna beat you until you beg for mercy. Would you like that?”

“Yes.” The answer came immediately, guttural and groaning. Marco's hips were stuttering like he didn't know whether it was better to arch forward into Ace or back into Sabo. “Anything you want yoi.”

“Anything?” Sabo's critical tone was paired with a scolding rake of nails across Marco's Adam's apple, and Ace turned his head to watch, blinking with the indolent satiation of big cats facing cornered prey.

“Anything,” Marco promised. The sheer amount of power he was trusting Sabo with was as heady as it was aggravating. This was probably slightly different from what Ace was feeling, Sabo reflected. For Ace, the sharp edges were a weapon, wielded and worn to damage but ultimately home in a scabbard or stored away in a chest. For Sabo, the edges were underneath—if he just unfolded his fingers like peeling away skin, he could show Marco the metal belt buckle inside. What pretty bruises it would make.

But—

“This would be too easy for you.”

Sabo stepped back with a wink and a loud, mean slap to Marco's flank. As he crouched to pull out the box underneath the bed, Ace draped himself over Marco from the front, lazily grinding his hips.

“What, the flogger?” Ace asked dubiously. “Haven't we used it on you already?”

“I'm just an average, breakable human with fragile skin and nothing to prove. That nice soft flogger is mine,” Sabo replied absently, sliding the big heavy box aside as he reached past it. The nature of a ship—no matter how large—was that space was limited and sometimes, the corners underneath your bed ended up stuffed with sailing material.

Sabo grabbed a large fistful of the metal rigging chain coiled beneath the mattress, and yanked it out into the light.

Marco didn't even see it, but the sound was enough. The noise he made in response—Ace didn't even bother asking for mercy.

“Oh.” Fingers clawing into the welts on Marco's back, Ace's eyes went dark and vicious. “Can I do it?”

“Um, yes.” As if Sabo's ever wanted anything else. Haki in his fingers, it was a simple matter to cut off a suitable length of the chain, about as long as his belt. A bottle of medical-grade alcohol from Marco's shelf emptied into a wooden basin, and Sabo was watching the minute, anticipatory shivers of Marco's back as he loudly dipped the chain in and out of the sterilizing bath. “I think I'll get his dick in my mouth.”

How much more, Sabo wondered as he approached, would it take to drive Marco fully insane? Like some smooth courtship dance, Ace backed away as Sabo got closer, cocked his head in vivid consideration as Sabo draped the chain first over Marco's shoulders. Marco flinched at the touch, then at the cool burn of the alcohol dripping down his torso.

And Sabo was about to make this so much harder for him.

“The rules are simple,” Sabo declared. He glided a hand down Marco's left arm to the elbow, then guiding the whole limb up until Marco's upturned palm was about shoulder-level. There was a hardcover book on the desk, which he placed in Marco's hand. There was also a drinking glass (one of three), which he placed on top of the book.

There was a pitcher of drinking water, which Sabo slowly tipped, until the glass balanced on the book was filled to the brim.

“One,” he told Marco, “you don't have to say mercy if you don't want to. If the water spills, we stop. Easy as that.”

Which was the punishment and which was the reward?

“Two.” With a nonchalant crack of his neck, Sabo dropped to his knees in front of Marco. He glanced up with a flash of teeth. “Try not to move your hips too much, yeah? You know I have that sensitive gag reflex.”

Sabo didn't think there was a more intoxicating sight than Marco's expression at that moment, telegraphing so clearly, I don't think I can do this.

...He was proven wrong just a second later, when Marco's met his gaze, eyes all hazing and trusting, pledging, but I will since you asked me to.

All, thank you for asking me to.

Ace took up the chain, and Sabo took Marco's cock between his teeth.

//

The chain was brutal on his back.

Pain, Marco thought, was pain. There was nothing unclear about it. It wasn't pleasure, not like a warm lap of tongue against sensitive flesh, nor was it the ecstasy of friction and accelerating tempos. Pain was pain, was thudding where the weight of the metal slammed into his flesh, was stinging where the tail-end chain link licked into his skin. Pain was the enamel edges designed to rend meat scraping up the length of his cock as Ace guided his hips forward then back, in and out of Sabo's mouth. Pain was the strain in both his arms, but particularly the left one, outstretched without support and weighted so precariously on his shaking palm.

Pain was pain, and Marco loved every fucking second of it.

How could he not? There was the bone-deep quivering shame of not being the one on his knees, the one in service and of use. But with that came the allaying recognition that all this was punishment and righteous. This was what Marco, when he wanted to be at the center of attention, deserved. This was him taking and taking and taking what the two most beautiful boys in the world wanted to give him. This was them trusting him with their darkness and their blood.

It was the least Marco could do, giving his in return.

There really wasn't that much blood; the part of Marco's mind doused in phoenix fire was certain, absolutely clear on the extent of his wounds even as Marco held it back. His back though, felt dripping with it. It must be the alcohol, cold then burning against the breaks of skin, trickling down a swathe of muscle before catching in another welt right underneath. It felt like Ace was flaying him open, and Marco wanted nothing more than to bare his ribs.

And Sabo—that wicked, brilliant brain. He who designed this particular round of torture, he who announced the rules. The cup of water stood tall and trembling, but not a single drop has spilled over its edge (onto Marco's accounting book, Sabo that bastard). How the hell had Sabo found the exact perimeters of what Marco was capable of, then gotten his fingers in, then stretched Marco open to accommodate him and Ace? How the hell was Sabo grinning slyly up at Marco, all white teeth and hot breath, promising to ruin Marco if he broke and to ruin Marco if he didn't?

The next lick of Ace's chain struck so perfectly into a previous welt that Marco had to scream. The glass didn't tip. The next lick of Sabo's tongue lapped insistently under Marco's foreskin and into his slit. The glass didn't tip.

Fuck. I can die like this.

The game, Marco knew, was no fun if he held out for too long. He knew the role he was meant to take, going boneless and trembling with exhaustion as he finally let the water glass fall, shatter on the floor portending Marco's own fate. He knew he could take hold of the mercy so readily offered and be helped to the bed. Be gently stretched opened and then thoroughly filled.

But—the arm stayed up, stayed steady, shot through with rigid iron and a determined shout of No! You can take this! You can take it all. It was a mantra preaching selflessness. Take everything they want to give you. It was the most selfish shock of thrill. This is what I want. They are hurting you because you asked for it. This is all for me.

Sabo, jaw probably sore, allowed his lips to draw back over his teeth, encasing Marco in a silky wet warmth. His hands gave Marco's pants a firm downward tug, and obligingly, the material fell puddled at Marco's feet. When Marco shifted to lift his legs, Sabo stopped him.

Leave it, Sabo's gestures, the demeaning arch of his eyebrow said. Marco felt his ears going hot with shame, and at once he felt so itchingly compelled to kick his pants away, to stand totally nude instead of as this humiliating, obvious object of undress. Which was the intended reaction. So Marco hissed through his teeth and forced all his attention onto keeping the glass steady and water unspilled.

And that's when Ace decided to switch his aim, bringing the whip of the chain down to the flesh of Marco's ass.

An arch of water jolted over the rim, splashing soft on the worn leather of the notebook. Both Ace and Sabo froze in all their motions.

“Sorry,” Marco choked, a terrible fear beginning to eat into his skin. “Sorry yoi, I—Sorry—”

“Sorry's not the word I want to hear,” Ace said from behind him, so low and steady that Marco felt instantly like grounded lightning. “So do you have something else to say, or can I continue?”

He wants to continue.

He wants to do this for you.

“No,” Marco said, the most pious man in the world. “Please continue.”

And then, when the next stroke came: “thank you.”

Sabo, beneath him, was just letting Marco's cock sit in his mouth. It was a gift. It was torture. Ever cognizant of Sabo's request not to choke him, Marco ached with the effort of not letting his hips so much as twitch. A drop of water fell onto Sabo's cheek, and for a moment Marco feared the worst, that this was all over because of his stupid mistake tipping the glass—but then he realized it was his sweat, dripping off the tip of his nose. So Marco pulled his head upright, focused on the glass again. Focused on keeping it tall at every whip of metal across his ass. Focused on keeping it safe on the strikes that licked into the insides of his thighs. Focused on keeping it unbroken as Sabo just kept breathing, doing very little else, around the tip of Marco's cock.

Tears as well as sweat ran down Marco's cheeks, but he didn't notice.

His attention was tunneling, everything whittled away except for the thud-sting of the chain in a rapidly steadying rhythm and the inadequate clasp of almost-suction around his dick. Marco could hear nothing, see nothing beside the shaking arm and the tendons of the wrist and the book and the glass and the trembling water. Had lost all concept of things like breath and time and motion. Just knew that one thing, then the other, stopped, and there was nothing else but the water and feeling so profoundly lost that he wanted to collapse sobbing—and then there was a hand—a hand on the glass with the water—the hand tipping the glass with the water over—

Marco shook back into himself with an awful gasp. The loud smash of the glass against their cabin floor followed immediately after, Sabo standing upright now before Marco with one hand still unapologetically outstretched over the space where the glass had once been placed.

“Oops,” he said, his casual shrug so catastrophically mismatched with the intent expression on his face. “Oh well. We've had quite enough of that anyways, haven't we?”

“I'm gonna bring your arm down now,” Ace said quietly. He was so close and warm next to Marco's ear that Marco started. There was, indistinctly, sensation in some faraway part of Marco's body—his fingers, he realized. Both sets, gone numb and cold that Marco could clearly imagine just cutting them away with little pain. Ace was gently prying his right hand loose from the grip on his restraint (restraint—hah! As if such a self-imposed thing could truly be called a restraint), and Sabo had removed the leather-bound book, massaging feeling gently back into Marco's left hand.

When Ace grabbed firm hold of Marco's entire right arm and pulled it down, a soft, agonized cry escaped Marco's throat. Sabo took the same moment to lower Marco's left arm as well. Marco squeezed his eyes shut so tightly against the pain that he didn't know whose thumb came up to gently wipe away the tears on his cheeks.

“You're one stubborn bastard, aren't you?” Marco didn't know how much of the grudging admiration in his tone Sabo meant to let him hear. “That was good, wasn't it? That was everything you wanted. Just say that's enough, that's all you needed, and we'll let you rest.”

“You said,” Marco slurred, listing forward and backward into warm arms. Oh, how he longed to do as Sabo suggested. Just relax, and let everything come to a stop. Get a nice hand from Ace, or maybe Sabo was feeling generous enough to finish the blowjob. But there was still a gnawing unrest, deep inside his core. An emptiness that begged to be thoroughly claimed, and filled. “You said you'd fuck me.”

The moment of silence that followed was so excruciating, that the sudden, vicious grip of Sabo's hands digging into his ass was bliss by comparison.

“Got it,” Sabo said, voice gone so perfectly savage as he lifted Marco, all the weight on the freshly whipped, burning flesh of Marco's backside, and Marco screamed—

“No mercy. We finish the scene.”

[study-coffee-chicago]

Who Would've Thought? A Government Teacher and an English Teacher (A Halstead Brothers + Upstead + Halstead Daughter! Imagine; Part of AU-gust)

A/N: Thank you for reading! Remember to like/reblog and comment! I'm also donating all the proceeds that from my buy me a coffee account to Save The Children to help the children of Afghanistan. Link to buy me a coffee.

Anyway, enjoy!

"Hey, I know you aren't a morning person," your dad said as he walked up to you sitting at the bar in the kitchen with a piece of paper in his hand.

"You're right, I'm not," you said.

"All I need is for you to look over the seating chart I made for the juniors."

"Make sure you didn't put people who have beef next to each other?" you asked.

"Exactly. And I figured, since it's your class, you'd be the perfect person to do it."

"And because I'm your daughter."

"That, too."

He set the paper in front of you. "Since I'm doing this for you, care to make me my coffee?" you asked

"The pumpkin spice one?" You nodded. "Kid, it's the first week of September. It's like 75 out (23.9 celsius). Fall's not even close. And, technically, it's still summer."

"Listen, Dunkin' came out with their pumpkin spice stuff in mid-August. And, you know the minute it hits September, I get in the fall mood."

"But you still won't go to a Bears game with me and your Uncle Will," he said.

"Dad, I don't understand football."

He pulled the K-Cup out and put it in the Keurig. "I told you that me and Uncle Will could teach you. And, you seem to understand it when you're at school football games."

"I just cheer when everyone else does. It's not that hard."

"Fair enough."

He pointed to the counter of the bar, so you looked down at the seating chart. You waved him back over to you as you heard the sputtering of the Keurig, telling you that all your coffee was almost in your tumbler.

You pointed to two seats. "These two girls have had beef since middle school, so throw them across the room from each other." Your dad grabbed a pen from his breast pocket and drew a line to put one of the girls on the opposite side of the room. "These two are dating, so unless you want them talking all the time, I suggest you at least move the guy to a different group." He drew another line on the seating chart. "And this guy dated these two girls, so you need to make sure that they're as far away from each other as possible."

"Which one is he dating now?" your dad asked as he drew more lines.

"Neither. He was dating both of them at the same time. Get why none of them can be by each other now?"

"Gotcha."

He took the seating chart from you and handed you your tumbler of coffee. "I don't drink it black," you said as you raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, believe me, I know, but I'll leave you to do that because I don't want to mess up your coffee to creamer ratio and have you get mad at me for it."

"Fair enough."

You sighed as you poured your creamer into your coffee because you thought about all the homework that was going to be piled on to your plate this year.

"What's wrong?" your dad asked.

"I'm gonna be drowning at the end of today."

"Can't argue with you there. But tell me if you think your homework load for APUSH (AP US History) and AP Gov (AP Government) is getting too much for one class. I'll talk to the teachers. And, you have me to help you with your government homework." He said the last part with a huge smile on his face.

"Dad," you groaned. "You've been waiting for me to be a junior forever now just so you could be my teacher."

"Yup, and you chose AP over me. How rude."

"Sorry, but college is expensive. It was only like 50 bucks a class when you went to college back in the olden days."

"Young lady, I am not old."

"Fine, you're vintage. Better?" He just glared at you while you finished stirring your coffee and then started making your breakfast. "But, at least Hail- Miss Upton doesn't give us a ton of homework because she knows we're drowning in homework already and have the SATs to worry about, so that's nice."

You were super thankful for your Honors English 11 teacher, who also taught AP Stats. She gave you at least half an hour each class period to do your homework since she knew that most of you had sports or after-school clubs or a part job to get to and didn't have all night to do homework. She was the one who also said to send her an email if you couldn't get the assignment done and she'd give you an extension. She said that your physical health and mental health were way more important than you finishing your homework.

Your dad was like that, too. Granted, he didn't give the students in his class a ton of homework to begin with, and he made the class fun...at least, that's what you heard from the kids who were juniors last year. The only time your dad really gave homework was when he gave out study guides to fill out. He'd give them out a week before the test and then after two days, he'd check that everyone got them done and go over them in class so that everyone had the right answers to study from. Mr. Jay Halstead also didn't give tests on a Monday because that was just cruel...and he knew that when he was in high school, he absolutely hated homework, so he didn't give a lot of it. And, he hated coming to school on a Monday when he forgot to study over the weekend, so he didn't give tests on Mondays.

"You're not going running this morning?" you asked as you cut up a banana to go into your oatmeal.

"No, I think I'll run with you guys after school today at practice."

Your dad was also the high school cross country coach. You weren't a fast runner by any means, but your best friend, Emma, had made it to regionals and was a great runner. And, your dad said that you either play a sport in high school or you get a job, so you joined the cross country team. In all honesty, you liked running for the endorphin rush it gave you after the run and just talking to some of your teammates while running or listening to music or podcasts while running. But, you weren't competitive, so that's probably why you weren't as fast as Emma, and your dad knew this. But, he was just glad you were being active in some way after school and that you enjoyed exercising even if you weren't the best or the fastest runner. He just wanted you to live a long and healthy life, and he knew starting to exercise in high school would help you build those healthy habits.

But, usually what your dad did in the morning was go to school at like six in the morning, so he'd be up at five, and then he'd utilize the weight room or the indoor track to workout. Then, he'd take a quick shower and get ready there, and be teaching by 7:30. Yeah, he was crazy for running that early.

"You know," you started, "Miss Upton likes to run. Maybe you should see if she'll co-coach with you? Or maybe she'll run with you in the morning?"

Jay shook his head and took a sip of his coffee. "Y/N, how many times do I have to tell you that Hailey and I are just friends. Nothing more."

"Says the man who lesson planned with her last week," you said, wiggling your eyebrows.

"Y/N, she's a coworker. I would've done that with anyone. It was just coffee. You read too much into things."

"Dad," you sighed. "You haven't dated in years."

"Yeah, since Abby dropped you off on my doorstep." He used to refer to Abby as your mom, but she wasn't around, so when you were around 14 years old, you just started referring to her as Abby. After all, you had never even met the woman, and she didn't want you, not even leaving an address on the note attached to your pajamas, so she didn't deserve the title of Mom.

"So, 17 years. You haven't dated in 17 years, Dad. You gotta get back out there. Even Uncle Will said you need to."

"You talked to your uncle about this?" he asked. "Oh, and put some egg whites in that oatmeal for some extra protein."

"What? You gonna make us lift weights today at cross country practice?"

He shrugged. "You never know. Now, no more talking to Uncle Will about my love life."

"There's not even anything to talk about. But, he does think you and Miss Upton would look cute together."

You added some egg whites to your oatmeal and put it back in the microwave for an extra minute.

"This has been going on for way too long now, Y/N. We're not gonna date. We're just friends and coworkers. Just drop it."

You put your hands up in mock surrender.

Ever since freshman year when you had Miss Upton for creative writing (yes, she taught one section of AP stats, one section of creative writing, and she also taught Honors English 11 and regular English 11 for the rest of her sections), you knew that her and your dad would be a great match. So, you confided in Emma and she agreed. Ever since then, you hadn't really let the topic go.

"Fine," you groaned...even though you and your dad both knew that the topic would not be dropped in the slightest.

"Now, do you want me to drive you, or do you want to drive yourself?"

Usually, since he left before you, you'd just drive yourself to school since you were 17 and had been driving for a year now. But, during the first week of school, your dad didn't do his morning workouts, so he always gave you the option if you wanted to ride to school with him.

You pursed your lips. "Fine. I'll ride with you, just cause it'll save me gas."

Jay laughed. "You're not even the one who pays for your gas."

He was right. He was the one who paid for your gas because you had always studied hard...and you played a sport, so you didn't have time for a part-time job. Because of this, Jay decided he'd pay for your gas. But, you did have to work a part-time job in the summer.

"Fine. It prolongs the time before I have to go to the gas station. How's that?" you asked.

"Miss Upton would be proud of how you worded that."

"Maybe you should tell her that, Dad. It'd be a great conversation starter."

***

"So," Emma began as you were warming up for your run after the school day ended, "how'd the chat with your dad go?"

You sighed while jogging. "I don't think it's ever gonna happen. He's too damn stubborn to ask her out and he claims that they're just friends and coworkers. I hate it. They'd be so damn cute together."

"I know," Emma agreed. "You know, I overheard her in the hallway between classes saying that she was going to chaperone the homecoming dance. Maybe your dad could get in on that and that's how they could talk more?" she suggested.

"Emma, that's a great idea, but I really don't want my dad at homecoming. That is awkward as hell."

Emma laughed. "Sorry, didn't think about that."

"Hustle up!" your dad yelled. "Time to stretch!"

You started your normal stretching routine before your dad started to give his normal beginning of the school year speech. "Alright, I need all of you to listen up. I don't want anybody talking over me, you hear me?" You all nodded. "Okay, good. So, I know that some of you have heard horror stories about the old cross country coach who said that if you miss a practice, then you miss a meet...unless it was for being sick." Most of you nodded.

Before your dad started coaching and the other cross country coach retired, a lot of the students hated the previous coach's coaching style. His coaching style was run more to get better at running...which sounded good in theory. But, this didn't actually work. You see, what would end up happening was that he'd make the runs longer and longer. He'd even make the athletes do a long run on Saturday and then a short run (which to him was three miles) on Sunday. If an athlete didn't send him the screenshots from apps like map my run, then they wouldn't be able to race in the next meet. This obviously was a recipe for overtraining and injuries. You heard that one girl even hurt her IT band from running so much! So, it was no surprise that most people hated the coach and so many parents complained, so he stepped down, and then your dad came in to coach.

"That's not how I coach," your dad continued. "School and your grades are really important. So is sleep. I don't want you guys not getting sleep or not getting to spend time with friends or not have other social interactions because you have to practice for two hours and then go home and do homework and get to bed late. I don't want you guys to be sleep-deprived zombies." Most of you laughed at that. "With that being said, if you're overwhelmed and feel like there's not enough time in a day, just come talk to me and we'll figure it out. Whether that's only coming to practice for an hour or taking a few days off to study for an upcoming test or taking time off for a family emergency, we'll figure out what to do." Everyone nodded. "Alright everybody, let's go run the big loop. Keep track of your split times."

***

You were walking inside with Emma to go grab your stuff from your locker after you had finished practice. Perks of having your dad be a teacher? You and your friend could leave your stuff inside instead of bringing it outside with you.

"Just meet me in my room when you're done, Y/N," your dad told you. "Have a good night, Emma."

"You too, Mr. Halstead," she replied.

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Jay when it's not school or practice hours?" Jay smiled and then walked down the hall to his classroom to retrieve the stuff he had brought with him for the day...with his shirt sticky from sweat since he had run with you guys today.

He walked out of his classroom with his backpack and gym bag, to come face to face with Miss Hailey Upton walking out of her classroom as well.

"Run with the team today, Jay?" she asked.

"Yeah, you know, first week of school, kind of hard to get my early morning runs in when there's so much to do on the classroom side," he answered.

"Understandable. I've been doing mine after I lesson plan and before dinner. Hopefully, I'll be back to nightly runs soon before it starts getting dark earlier and earlier."

"But, when it gets too dark, then you'll be running in the mornings soon...and then it'll be cold," Jay pointed out.

"There's this thing called a treadmill, Jay. I utilize that in the winter."

"That shows that you're an English teacher: you use big words."

Hailey rolled her eyes. "I see you reading books during your lunch period. I know you know big words, you just prefer not to use them."

"Yeah, because I want the kids to think I'm a cool teacher...not a snob."

"I am not a snob!" Hailey jokingly argued.

"I'm kidding, Hailey! I'm kidding! And, I know you lesson plan and grade on your lunch break, too instead of going to the teacher's lounge."

"Spying on me now, huh?"

"Our rooms are right across from each other and we have the same lunch period, what else am I supposed to do?" he laughed.

Hailey sighed dramatically. "Oh, I guess. Tell you what: come to my room during our lunch period and I can give you some good book recommendations."

"I get enough book recommendations from my daughter, thank you very much. But, I guess I can always use more."

"So, see you during tomorrow's lunch period?"

"See you then. Have a good night, Hailey."

"You, too. Tell Y/N I say hi and not to work too hard on all her homework."

Then, they walked down the hallway and Jay walked back towards where you were still chatting with Emma. All the while, he was thanking God that you weren't there during that conversation between him and Hailey because he wouldn't hear the end of it. But, he was also wondering what the hell he'd just gotten into.

***

"You will not believe what I just saw!" Emma whispered to you the next day in your AP gov class.

"What?" you whispered back.

She had forgotten her laptop in her locker and had to go get it. Which, the route to her locker from the classroom you were currently in went right past your dad and Hailey's classrooms.

"Your dad and Miss Upton are in her classroom eating lunch together."

Your eyes practically bulged out of your head. "No way!"

You received a glare from the teacher and were quiet. But, you'd be sure to ask your dad about this when you went home tonight.

***

"Uncle Will's coming over for dinner in an hour," your dad told you when you got inside your house after practice. You had decided to drive yourself to school today instead of riding with him. "How much homework do you have?"

"Uh..." you blanched and set down your backpack and unzipped it. Then, you grabbed your planner and flipped it open, laying it out on the kitchen table. "I have an AP stats worksheet that's due tomorrow, I have to read half a chapter in my AP bio textbook by Monday, I have to read a full chapter of my AP gov textbook by Tuesday, and I have an APUSH assignment due tomorrow. Oh, and I should probably read a chapter of the book I chose to read for my English class plus I have to annotate a few paragraphs of crappy 16th-century literature by tomorrow, too."

"Christ," your dad said. "So, what do you have to do tonight?"

"AP stats worksheet, APUSH assignment, and I have to annotate for English. I could always not read the chapter in the book I chose to read if I don't want to."

"Do you want me to just tell Uncle Will to come over this weekend?" he asked.

Jay know knew you absolutely loved his brother and that you were always excited to tell him about your day and how school was going. It had always been this way because, when Jay found you on his doorstep, he was 22, and had just started undergrad and was working on his teaching degree. Because of this, when Will wasn't studying in his last two years of med school and later working in a hospital as a new resident, he was your go-to babysitter. And you absolutely loved when he came over...despite not being able to remember much because you were so young. Apparently, you had been particularly fascinated by Will's red hair and would pull on it every chance you got. But, he'd let you play with it until it really started to hurt him because you were his favorite (and only) niece and he knew he'd do anything for you. This came in handy as you got older because you realized you had him wrapped around your finger and would always ask him for homework help. Or, if your dad wouldn't give you spending money, you'd go straight to your Uncle Will, and usually, he'd give you some.

"No," you answered. "A doctor needs to know stats, right?"

"I think so," your dad answered. "Why? Are you struggling already? Do you need to go into the regular stats class instead of the advanced one?"

You laughed at your dad's concern. "No, I'm fine. Just figured he'd be able to check it for me to make sure I did everything right."

"Oh, good. And, I'm pretty sure he can do that. Now, go take a shower so you can get started on your homework before he gets here and so I can start on dinner."

***

"Guess what?" you asked as all three of you twirled your spaghetti onto your forks at the dinner table an hour later.

"Chicken butt," Will said.

Jay rolled his eyes. "I swear, I wonder if Mom and Dad were lying when they said that you were older. Maybe I'm the older one and they just lied to us because you sure do act like the younger brother."

"Relax, Jay. Just because I'm more fun than you and Y/N likes me better, does not mean that I'm immature."

"Anyway," you said, wanting to tell Will what you had found out earlier today, "do you want to know what I have to say or not?"

"Go ahead," Will said.

"Okay, so today during AP gov, Emma had to back to her locker to grab her laptop. And she went right by Dad and Miss Upton's classrooms." You paused as you looked over at your dad and saw his eyes slightly widen and then go back to normal. "And they were eating lunch together in her classroom!"

"Awe," Will cooed. "My little brother's back on the market. Good for you, man." Then, he turned to you. "Upton's the short, blonde English teacher you've been trying to set him up with for years now, right?"

"He's not supposed to know about the set-up part!" you hissed.

"Oh, sorry. Jay, forget I said that."

"Y/N, I already you've been trying to set us up," your dad laughed. "It's been kind of obvious."

"Now that that's settled," Will started, "how'd it go? What did you two talk about? And are you having lunch together tomorrow?"

"You two are terrible, you know that?"

"Oh, we know," Will said. "But, you can't ground me, so I can be as terrible as I want."

Jay laughed. "She won't get grounded for that, Will. She might get grounded if she keeps procrastinating her stats homework, though."

"Need help, kiddo?" Will asked. "I have to read stats for things like new drugs and stuff, so I'm good at that. Don't know if I can help you with actually solving the problem because it's been ages since I've done that, but I can try."

"No, thanks, though. I just took a long shower so I have to get it done after dinner. I understand it all, though."

"Good, you can always come to me if you need help with it, though," Will offered. "Or, since it's Miss Upton--" He looked directly at Jay when he said Miss Upton and then turned his attention back to you. "--who's your stats teacher, you can always ask her. But, be sure to drag your dad along with you."

"Will!"

***

Two weeks later

"Might want to tell them to drink a ton of water after this, Jay, because it's so hot," Hailey Upton said as she walked up to Jay Halstead--and Coach Halstead for the next few hours--at an away cross country meet on a Wednesday afternoon in mid-September. "Or better yet, get them some Gatorade."

"Hailey?" Jay asked as he turned around, getting his stopwatch ready. "What are you doing here? And, I'd get them Gatorade if I could. I kinda forgot to pick it up last night."

"I'm here because some kids asked me to come to their meet. And, I always try to come to those things if kids ask me."

Jay cocked an eyebrow. "Would two of those kids be my daughter and her best friend?"

"Among others."

He looked down at the rolling cooler she had brought. "What's with the cooler?"

"Well, you may not have had time to pick up Gatorade, but I did. So, there's one in there for each kid plus the coach...and me of course."

"How'd you know Gatorade would help?" Jay asked. "Other than logic of course."

Hailey laughed. "I've run a few marathons in my life, Jay. I know all about proper hydration and how important it is to refuel after a hot run."

At this, Jay raised his eyebrows. He knew that she ran, but she didn't know that she ran marathons. "Oh, wow. Which ones?"

"You know, the Chicago marathon obviously. Always wanted to do like Boston or someplace, but you have to qualify for those, you can't just go and sign up like here in Chicago. Oh, and I've always wanted to do a Disney marathon. I think it'd be cool, you know? Run through Disney World, maybe hop on some rides during the race."

Jay smiled. "That actually does sound really fun."

The announcer said that it was ten minutes until it was time to race.

"I gotta get to the first mile marker," Jay said.

"Okay, where's our tent? I'll go put this cooler under it."

Jay told Hailey where the tent was and was about to leave when she stopped him.

"Where do I get the maps? I can go to the second mile marker to help out with times in case you can't get there fast enough," she suggested.

"That'd, uh, that'd actually be great, Hailey. Thank you. And, you just get the maps from the table right over there," Jay answered and pointed to a table about 200 meters away.

"Awesome, thanks. See you after the race, Coach," Hailey joked.

Jay nodded and started to jog off toward the first mile marker. But, all the while he wondered what the hell this woman was doing to him. Because he felt his cheeks heating up in a blush as he jogged off.

And, as for Hailey, well she was watching as Jay jogged away and loved the way he ran with perfect form and how his biceps flexed just enough that she could see the muscles slightly bulge.

She laughed to herself. If they ever went running together, she'd have to tell him to loosen up because you weren't supposed to run with your arms as taut as his were; he was wasting energy.

But, for now, she just made her way over to the tent and left the cooler and then went to get a map and start off toward the second mile marker to help out a fellow teacher...well, maybe he was starting to be more than just a fellow teacher. Neither of them really knew at this point. But, Hailey liked the thrill of it all. She felt like she was in high school again...a high school student, not a high school teacher.

***

You panted and winced as you crossed the finish line. Shit, your shin splints were really acting up this time, and God, it was so hot out and you felt nauseous and even had to walk during some points of the race. We'll see what your dad had to say about that.

Wait, was that Miss Upton coming up to you?

It is! She actually came!

"Y/N, are you okay? I saw you walking," she said worriedly while your dad jogged over since you were the last one on your team to finish.

"You good, kid?" your dad asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. My shin splints just hurt really bad and I think the heat's making me feel sick."

"Okay, well, I have to go watch the boys and make sure they're ready. Hailey, can you, uh, help Y/N? The medical tent's across from here. Maybe make sure she gets under our team tent without puking and get her something to drink?"

"I can do that, Jay, don't worry."

Emma walked up to you. "Good job!" she exclaimed.

"Girl, I didn't even run as fast as you! You flew through there. But, it's hot as hell!" you said.

"It is really hot. You gonna watch the guys' race?"

"No, Dad told me to sit under our tent in the shade. Gotta get some ice for my shins first, though."

"Shin splints acting up?"

"Yeah."

Then, you, Miss Upton, and Emma walked over to the medical tent where you got bags of ice wrapped around your shins.

***

"I'll run to Mcdonald's and get you ice, too," your dad said before you got in your separate cars back at school after the meet. "What do you want?"

"Uh, a ten-piece nugget--don't forget the honey mustard--a medium fry, and a medium lemonade," you said as your dad typed it into the notes app of his phone. "Thanks."

"I'll see you at home. Drive careful."

"See you in like half an hour."

Then you drove home and decided to start on some homework while still in your sweaty cross country uniform.

When your dad got home, you gobbled down your food because damn, you were hungry after that mentally taxing race. Then, you and your dad filled the bathtub up with ice and cold water.

Time for hell...aka an ice bath. At this point, you'd do anything to prevent your shin splints from getting bad. At least the old coach wasn't coaching because, from all the horror stories you heard, it'd be worse for your shins if he was coaching and not your dad.

After you changed into a pair of spandex shorts and a long-sleeved running shirt and a hoodie, you lowered yourself into the freezing and icy water. You set your phone timer for eight minutes and braved the cold for that long.

Then, after that, you drained the bathtub and took a very hot shower. But, as you were in there, you started feeling nauseous again. You crouched down and actually ended up throwing up a bit in the shower. It was nothing major, you just figured it was from eating too fast. But, you were still really tired.

And this is what you told your dad when you got out of the shower.

"But, I still have homework," you said defeatedly. "I kinda wanna just go to sleep now. It's already 7:00 and I have at least two to four hours of homework to do."

Jay sighed. He never wanted to play this game, but he wasn't going to let you run on not enough sleep tomorrow when you weren't even feeling your best.

"What classes?" he asked.

"Uh, I have to get APUSH done which will take me like at least two hours, and then I have English and stats homework," you answered.

Jay sighed. "I'll give Hailey a call and explain the situation and see if she'll give you an extension on the English and stats homework."

Your eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yes, now go grab some water and get started on your APUSH homework. And.. it will only be a one day extension."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! You're the best Dad ever!"

Then, you grabbed your water and went back upstairs to your room.

But, all you could think about was that your dad and Miss Upton were talking over the phone outside of school. Maybe they were becoming more than just co-workers.

Jay dialed Hailey's phone number and grabbed a beer from the fridge.

"Jay?" she asked when she answered.

"Hi, Hailey. Yeah, it's Jay. Listen I have a huge favor to ask you," he said.

"What is it?"

"So Y/N puked a bit in the shower, probably because of the amount of sodium in those damn chicken nuggets she wanted, and then she took an ice bath and then a hot shower, so the quick and significant temperature change probably played a role. Anyway, how it happened isn't the point. It's just that she's really tired and she has AP US history homework that she has to finish. So, would it be okay if you gave her a one day extension on her English homework and her stats homework? If not, I completely understand because you can't just make exceptions because she's a teacher's kid and--"

"Jay, relax," Hailey laughed. "Yes, I'll give her the extensions. What is it that you always tell your team? Their physical and mental health comes first?"

Jay chuckled and then took a sip of his beer. "Yeah, that's about right. And, thank you. Y/N will greatly appreciate that."

"No problem. But, I also have a favor to ask you."

Jay cocked his head to the side and raised his eyebrows. "Oh yeah? What's that?"

"So, we're short on chaperones for the homecoming dance and I was wondering if maybe you could chaperone? And, I figured that since you have a kid and would probably want to be there for her pictures before the dance, you don't have to help us set up. Maybe just chaperone and then help us tear down? If not just chap--"

"Hailey, of course, I'll help out. Now, Y/N, she might not be happy that I'll be chaperoning her school dance, but I'll be there. Count me in."

***

2 weeks later, 3 days before homecoming dance

"Okay, I know I'm just your English teacher," Miss Upton started at the beginning of class that day, "but I still care about your guys' safety. So, please, please, please do not drive drunk or buzzed. Call your parents to pick you up. I can absolutely promise you that they'd be happier that you called them to pick you up than you trying to drive home and getting into a car accident."

"What if my parents will be mad at me for drinking anyway?" one kid asked.

"So, if that's the case, you can always call me and I will come pick you up from wherever you're at. I can lose a few hours of sleep to make sure that you guys are home safe." She started writing numbers on the whiteboard. "Right here is my cell phone number, if you think you'll need it, write it down or make it a contact in your phone. Again, I'd rather not come to school on Monday and learn that one of you is in the hospital because of something that could have been prevented."

You pulled out your phone, you didn't think that you'd need Miss Upton's number, but you figured you'd put it in just in case since two girls from your AP gov class asked you to be the DD for a party. You were kind of friends with them, like you studied for tests together, but that was it. But, you had debated it because it was a party after homecoming and you had never been to a party before...let alone one after a dance.

"Oh, Miss Upton," you said as you put your phone face down on your desk.

"Yes, Y/N?" she asked.

"What color dress are you wearing when you're chaperoning the dance?"

"I haven't really thought it much." She furrowed her eyebrows as she wondered why you were asking this question. "But, probably red. Why?"

"Just wondering."

And now, you just needed to make sure that your dad had a red tie and that he actually wore it when he was chaperoning the dance.

***

3 days later, homecoming

"What about this?" your dad asked as he walked out of his room in dress pants, a white shirt, a navy blue tie, and a sport coat.

You were already in your dress and had gotten your hair and nails done earlier in the day, so now you were just waiting to take some pictures with Emma and then actually go to the dance.

"Hmm, I don't know. The shirt and tie are kind of what you wear to work everyday, so I think you need something different. Maybe a brighter tie or something," you said and then walked into his room and opened his closet.

You sifted through the closet until you found what you were looking for: a black shirt and a red tie.

"I think you should wear these," you said and laid the two pieces of clothing on his bed.

"What? Why? You know I never wear red. That tie has been hung up in my closet since you were probably ten," he argued.

"That's the point, Dad! You need to get out of your comfort zone and wear something besides what you wear to school...or in your case, work. It's a dance, so you have to wear something fancy."

Jay groaned. He knew he wasn't going to be able to win this argument.

"Fine. I'll change."

"Good."

Then, you walked out of his room.

Your plan had worked.

***

"Mr. Halstead," Hailey said as she saw Jay walk onto the dance floor a few hours later when all the lights were off and the cleared-out cafeteria became full of students dancing.

"Miss Upton," he greeted. She laughed. "What?"

"It's nothing," Hailey said quickly. "It's just that, well your tie..." she trailed off while his eyes raked down her body in the slightly tight (but not too tight because they were at a school function) spaghetti strap bright red dress that she was wearing. "Let's just say I now know why Y/N asked me what color dress I was wearing."

Jay groaned and shook his head. "My daughter. Always...you know, I don't know what her game is at this point, but I should've suspected something when she told me to go change."

But damn, Jay thought, she does look good in red.

God, Hailey thought, I wish he'd wear those kind of black shirts to work more often.

***

It was now after the dance and you and your dad had arrived back at home at around the same time.

"You're a little devil, you know that?" he asked when you were both inside.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I plead the fifth," you replied.

"Very funny. You can't do that."

"Yes, I can. You should know this, Dad, you teach government."

"You can plead the fifth in court, but you cannot do it with your dad. So, I know that you asked Hailey what color dress she was wearing just so my tie could match it."

"Oooh, so we're calling her Hailey and not Miss Upton now. I'd say that's a step up. What did you two talk about at the dance? Because I know for a fact that you didn't ask her to slow dance."

"And you didn't slow dance with anyone either, so we're even, kid," Jay retorted.

You rolled your eyes. "I'm gonna go take a shower. Get this hair out."

"Okay." Your dad yawned. "I'm gonna get to bed. Now I know why you sleep until noon the day after dances: they're exhausting."

"Tell me about it. Goodnight. Send Miss Upton-- well, Hailey now-- a text to make sure she got home safe!"

You didn't even wait for your dad's witty reply before you bounded up the stairs and into your bathroom.

But, you didn't actually end up taking a shower. You ran the shower while you washed off your makeup and re-did it into something more party-appropriate and then took down your hair and put it up into a ponytail.

After half an hour, you turned off the shower and wrapped your still dry body in a towel after you had stripped off your dress. You peeked out of the bathroom to see that your dad's bedroom door was closed, which meant that he was asleep.

Then, you tiptoed into your room and changed your clothes.

You pulled out your phone to tell the girls to park a few houses down so your dad didn't hear the car pull in the driveway or see the headlights.

Your plan of going to your very first high school party was a go.

***

It had been two hours since you had snuck out and it was nearing two in the morning. And, you weren't feeling too hot. You had decided not to drink because you were the DD out of you and the two girls from class. And, you had kept the car keys away from them so that they couldn't do anything stupid...and so you could keep them safe. You hadn't drank anything, but you had eaten the fruit off of the top of the spiked punch bowl and, for whatever reason, you were starting to feel lighter and happier.

Shit.

Your dad had warned that fruit soaks up alcohol. How could you have been so stupid to forget that? He was going to kill you! There's no way you could call him to pick you up, absolutely no way!

Somehow, you found your friends, they were by the makeshift bar, no shock there because you knew the only reason they were there was to get drunk. Note to self: if people you only know because of one class ask you to come to a party for the sole purpose of being the DD, do not go.

Luckily for you, one of the girls' boyfriends played on the football team and wasn't going to risk his season just for one party. So, you told him that you needed to leave and that you were the DD and asked if he could get the two girls home safely. He agreed and you passed off the car keys to him.

Then you walked outside, the chilly mid-October night air helping to slow the nervousness coursing through your veins about facing your dad.

You pulled out your phone and hit the contact you had made in class a few days ago.

"Hello? This is Hailey," you heard Hailey's voice on the other end of the phone.

"Miss Upton, it's Y/N Halstead," you said.

"Y/N? Are you okay?" You heard shuffling on the end of the line and assumed that Miss Upton was standing up from somewhere.

"I mean, I'm kinda woozy I guess. But, I snuck out and my dad doesn't know where I am." You hung your head. You couldn't believe you had been so stupid.

"And you had a drink so you can't drive home?" she finished.

"Yeah." She didn't need to know the details. All she needed to know was that you needed help getting home.

"Okay, send me your location and I'll be there soon, okay? Is it safe for you? Do you need me to stay on the phone or call the cops?"

"No, no, I'm perfectly fine. Just need someone to drive me home."

"Okay good. Send me that location and I'll be there soon."

Then, she told you the model of her car and the color so you could spot her easily. Once you were off the phone, you sent her your location and she replied with a thumbs up, telling you that she got it.

Your phone rang. You thought it was Miss Upton, but then you looked down and saw it was your dad.

Double shit.

***

"Please don't tell my dad," you said when you pulled up to your driveway half an hour later.

"Y/N, I have--"

But, she was saved from telling you that she needed to tell your dad when the front door flung open.

Your dad must've seen the headlights.

"Go," Miss Upton said. "You're only prolonging the inevitable if you stay in here."

You sighed. "Will you walk me up?"

"Sure."

So, both you and Miss Upton exited the car.

The minute your dad saw you, he ran down the steps to you.

"Young lady!" he yelled. "Where were you? Do you know how worried I was? You could've gotten seriously hurt!" He paused. "Get over here!"

You knew to listen to him when he pulled out the dad voice.

He put two fingers underneath your chin and tipped your head up. "Breathe. Now."

It was faint, but it was there, your dad smelt stale vodka on your breath...mixed with a citrusy scent and teeth that hadn't been brushed since the previous morning.

He sighed and clenched his teeth. Then, he put his hands down and he finally spotted Hailey. "Hailey, what are you doing here?" he asked, unclenching his jaw.

"I always tell my students that they can call me if they need to get picked up from parties and can't drive. So far, Y/N's the only one who has utilized that."

"Well, thank you. I'm sorry she had to make you come out at this time of night." He turned back to you. "As for you, go inside. Not only did you drink, but you went to a party, too. We'll talk in a few minutes."

You hung your head and made your way inside and sat down on the couch in the living room.

Jay walked up to Hailey. "I'm really sorry about her. But, thank you for getting her home safe. How far did you have to drive? I can give you gas money for all of this on Monday."

"Jay, it's fine. I make this offer for homecoming and prom every year. You don't have to pay me. I just wanna make sure all the kids get home safe, that's all."

"At least let me buy you coffee or something. You brought my little girl home safe when I didn't even know where she was. I think that warrants some type of reward."

"If you want to repay me that bad," Hailey began, "I'm lesson planning and grading at Starbucks tomorrow. I guess you can buy me a coffee."

"Done. Text me the time and I'll be there."

"Will do."

"Now, excuse me, but I have to go deal with my daughter."

"Goodnight, Jay."

"Night, Hailey."

Then, she drove off and back to her house while Jay walked up his front steps and wondered what he was going to say to you.

"Look at me," your dad demanded when he made his way into the living room.

You looked up. "I'm so--"

"No," your dad said quickly, cutting you off. "You don't talk. You only listen. Do you understand me?" You nodded. "Good. Do you know how worried sick I was when I couldn't find you inside? I was beside myself, Y/N. I didn't know where you were, I didn't know if you were hurt. I'd never forgive myself if something happened to you. What you did was stupid and reckless and please do not ever, ever do that again. Never do that again. Do you hear me?"

"Yes," you answered.

"Good."

You took a deep breath before you asked your next question. "Am I in trouble?"

Your dad sighed and sat down next to you. "As much as I want to ground you, no you are not in trouble. I'm just so relieved that you're home safe. And, you made the right decision by not driving and calling someone to pick you up...even if it wasn't me."

"Do you want an explanation as to why I went?" you asked.

"No, God no. I may look calm on the outside, but on the inside, I'm still pissed."

"Can I ask how you knew I snuck out?"

"You forgot to leave your fan on and I knew it was way too quiet in your room."

The doorbell rang.

"Shoot, I forgot to tell your uncle that you're home safe. But, you better go up to bed before me and him talk and think of a punishment for you."

"So you're still mad?" you asked.

"A little mad, but mostly I'm just relieved and disappointed. I thought you knew better." You hung your head. "Now, go to bed."

"Okay." You stood up. "Goodnight, I love you." You gave him a hug.

He gave you a kiss on the forehead. "I love you, too, kid. Now, get to bed."

You went upstairs, but instead of going all the way to your room, you sat down on the landing, intent on listening to your dad's and your uncle's conversation about you.

"Hey, she's home. It's all good," Jay said as he answered the door and then motioned for his brother to come inside.

"Oh, thank God. Where was she?" Will asked as they made their way to the living room and sat down on different couches, facing each other.

"Apparently she went to a party. I know she drank because I smelled alcohol on her breath. It was just a bit, but it was there."

"If you want, we can bring her to Med and I can do a tox screen to see the level of alcohol in her system," Will suggested.

"You know, that's not a bad idea actually."

Jay quickly stood up, but Will stopped him. "I'm kidding, man! Don't do that! She was still lucid when she came home, right?"

"Yeah, she was walking and talking normally."

"Okay, then sit your ass back down and don't drag your daughter to Med. Did you ground her?"

"No, I actually didn't."

"There's a shock. You always said you'd ground your kid if they snuck out. Oh, how things changed."

"I was just so relieved," Jay said and sat back down. "When Hailey pulled in the driveway and Y/N got out of her car--"

"Wait," Will started, cutting Jay off, "Hailey picked her up? Hailey Upton?"

"Yeah," Jay answered. "Apparently she'll give out her phone number to the kids in case they need to get home safe from somewhere after prom and homecoming. And, Y/N called her and not me."

"I wouldn't call you either," Will joked. "You'd probably scream at her in front of everyone at the party."

"I would not!" Will cocked his head to the side. "Okay, maybe, but that's beside the point. All that matters is that Y/N had the wherewithal to know that she couldn't drive and she solved that problem. God, Will, the amount of adrenaline that left my body when I saw her get out of that car was astronomical."

"I bet. So, do you know where she went?"

"I just know it was some party. She got lectured when she got home, don't worry about that." Jay put his head in his hands.

"What? What's wrong, Jay?"

"Anything could've happened to her, Will, and I wouldn't have been there to protect her. I wouldn't have been able to protect my own kid."

"Jay, you can't blame yourself. Hell, most teenagers do this stuff."

"I know, I know. It's just that her grades have been slipping slightly and I'm wondering if I should have her transfer schools." Your eyes widened as you listened to that part of the conversation. "Maybe, having her dad teach at the same school isn't helping her. She went to a party, Will. Maybe it's the kids she's meeting in class, maybe being at another school would be better for her."

"Jay, you can't make a decision like that based on one stupid decision the kid did." He knew his brother was torn up about this, so he changed the subject. "What'd Hailey say?"

"I offered to pay for her gas, but she shut me down."

"Anything else?"

Jay sighed. He knew his brother wouldn't let up. "We're going out for coffee tomorrow to grade. She said I can repay her by buying her coffee there."

"Aw, you're going on a date."

"It is not a date! It's just two coworkers working in a coffee shop together...in their off time."

"Sure, keep telling yourself that."

A few minutes later, the conversation was over and Jay walked Will out, so you made your way to your room.

One thing was for sure: you were not giving your dad another opportunity to even think about you switching schools.

It was time to grind...starting tomorrow because you desperately needed to sleep right now.

***

You woke up around 11:00 the next day, which was Sunday. Then you got up and went downstairs to eat some breakfast.

"Morning," your dad said. "I made breakfast sandwiches. There's two in the fridge if you want one...or both."

"Thanks," you said. You wanted to ask if he was still mad, but you didn't really want to have an argument right when you woke up.

But, being around teenagers all day must've given your dad a sixth sense.

"Listen, kid, I'm not mad at you if that's what you're worried about. You just... you scared me last night. If something happened to you because I couldn't protect you-- because, as a parent, it is my first responsibility to keep you safe. Anyway, if I couldn't keep you safe because I didn't know where you were, I would never be able to forgive myself."

"Can I tell you why--"

"No. As a teacher at the school, the less I know the better. I really don't want to have to tell the administration and then get kids suspended from their sports for drinking. So, all I know is that you snuck out, went to a party, and drank. I don't wanna know who else was there or whose house it was at."

"But, I--"

"Y/N, end of discussion. Now, I have to go and meet Hail-- Miss Upton, for coffee since she so graciously picked you up when you made a bad decision last night. Don't do anything stupid when I'm gone or else you will be in trouble, got it?"

"Yeah, I got it. I'm just gonna study for the SATs."

"Good idea. Be back later. I love you."

"Love you, too, Dad."

***

"...And whatever she's having," Jay said and slid over so that the barista could input Hailey's order.

"Just a grande vanilla sweet cream cold brew, please," Hailey ordered.

Jay paid and then he and Hailey waited by the other side of the counter for their drinks to be ready.

Jay laughed. "You and my daughter have the same taste. You both like vanilla sweet cream cold brews."

"I'm shocked you let her get that with the amount of caffeine in cold brew," she said.

"Eh, it's just like once a week. On my rest day when I don't have to be at school before dawn to run, I'll grab her and I something from Starbucks, and then she'll just stop by my room to get it before school starts."

"That's nice of you," Hailey mused.

"Yeah, but nothing compared to Miss I have coffee in my room for the kids and you can drink as much as you want Upton."

"If you've ever heard kids talk about how little sleep they get like I do since I teach AP classes, then you'd get why I do that, Halstead. I hear kids saying that they normally only get four hours of sleep a night because they're up so late doing homework. While I don't think they should become dependent on caffeine at such a young age and need to be getting a lot more sleep than that, they need to stay awake during school. That's also probably the reason why you and I don't give a lot of homework."

"And it's ridiculous how early school starts anyway," Jay said and grabbed their drinks off the counter.

"I'll drink to that," Hailey laughed and then poked her straw in her cold brew and took a sip.

Once they took their seats, they talked a little before starting to grade and lesson plan.

"Not to pry or anything," Hailey began, "but did you ground Y/N? You don't have to answer it if you don't want to, I'm not her parent, so I know I'm not the least bit entitled to that information."

"Well, you did pick her up when she needed help, so I'd say you are entitled to that information," Jay chuckled. "But, to answer your question, no I didn't ground her just because I was so relieved that she was home. The amount of adrenaline and cortisol that dropped in my body when I saw her get out of your car was amazing, Hailey. Thank you so much." He paused and took a sip of his cappuccino. "But, we did have a talk about how she shouldn't be doing that because it's dangerous and if something happened to her, that I wouldn't be able to help her and since I'm her parent, my first job is to keep her safe. She does know that if she sneaks out or goes to a party again, I will be grounding her, though."

"Well, you had a much different and a way better reaction than my dad did when he learned that I snuck out," Hailey muttered.

But, Jay had great hearing and heard her. He put down his coffee and furrowed his eyebrows. "What happened? You don't have to tell me anything you aren't comfortable with."

"Why did you become a teacher?" Hailey asked instead.

"Why did I become a teacher?" Jay repeated and Hailey nodded. "Well, as you know I was in the Rangers in Afghanistan and, while I was there I saw so many kids walking super far to schools or us accompanying children to school. They had to go through so much just to get to school, and I wanted to make a difference in kids' lives here Stateside. So, when I came home, I enrolled in college and got my degrees in education and a minor in history." Hailey had known that he was a veteran, which explained why he took every September 11 off, but she didn't know he became a teacher because of what he saw over there. "What about you?" he asked. "You went into social work before you became a teacher, right?"

For the past almost month and a half, the two teachers had been eating lunch together in either Hailey or Jay's classroom, and during those, they obviously talked about their experience with education and what made them want to go into the teaching field. Hailey mentioned one time that she was originally a social work major but then switched it to education. But, Jay didn't know why.

"Yeah, yeah, I was originally a social work major. But, it uh, it brought up some really bad memories and I didn't think I could handle being around that all day," Hailey answered, staring directly at her coffee.

Jay cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean? Again, you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

"Um, it's okay. It's a part of my past. So, why I said that you were a lot nicer to Y/N when she snuck out was because, well, when my dad found out that I did, he uh, he..." she trailed off.

Jay's gaze was soft and sad as he finished for her. "Physical?" he asked, referring to the type of abuse she had endured as a child and teenager.

"Yeah," she whispered.

"Hailey, I am so, so sorry that happened to you. I'm honored that you'd tell me this."

"It's uh, it's why I give those kids my phone number in case they need help. And, at the beginning of the year, it's on my syllabus, too," she said.

"In case they need a way out, they can call you," Jay said, piecing it together.

Hailey nodded.

Jay reached across the table and gently grabbed Hailey's hand in his. "You're a good woman, Hailey Upton."

She smiled sadly and nodded, grounding herself by focusing on the feeling of Jay's hand in hers.

"Do you want to get started on grading now?" she asked after a minute had passed.

"That might be a good idea," Jay laughed. Then, he let go of Hailey's hand. But, neither of them wanted that little handhold to end.

***

One month later

God, you were in pain. You didn't wanna get out of bed; you just wanted to sleep. Hell, you needed sleep.

Over the past month, you had thrown yourself into studying. You wanted to stay at this school. You loved all your teachers and you didn't want to leave your friends, especially your best friend Emma. And, you were also scared that if you had to transfer schools, that you might not do well on your AP exams or that you'd have a bunch of other requirements that the new school had that you'd have to do the last half of your junior year and during the entirety of your senior year.

You didn't want any of that.

So, you had come up with a plan.

The day after homecoming and that next week, you studied an hour or two hours later than normal. But, you still felt that you had work to do if you didn't want your dad to transfer you at the end of the semester. So, during your study hall hour, you'd go to the teachers and ask how you could get your B+ up to an A- or your A- up to an A. You'd even review questions you got wrong on quizzes so that you could get them right when those types of questions showed up on the tests.

Yes, the teachers probably thought you were crazy because you had good grades already and were trying to be Little Miss Perfect (or they thought that you were trying to get into another scholarship bracket for college or trying to become valedictorian), but you didn't care if you looked crazy. You wanted to finish your high school career at the school you were at now.

Also during this time, you had been "going to sleep" around 10:00-11:00, which was your normal time, just so that your dad didn't get suspicious. But, what you'd actually do was sleep for an hour-ish and then get up and study more.

It started with you studying until midnight and at the latest 1:30 in the morning...and then you'd wake up five hours later at 6:30. It wasn't ideal, but you could manage. Because, since your dad went to school earlier than you, you just brought extra coffee to school and he didn't notice a thing.

But, since all the teachers wanted to get their tests in before Thanksgiving break, for the past two weeks, you had been doing your power nap thing so your dad assumed that you were asleep, and then would wake up and do homework and study until 3:00-3:30 in the morning. This meant, that during the week, you were running on just three to three and a half hours of sleep a night. And, it wasn't like you could catch up a ton on the weekend, or else your dad would get suspicious. So, you just got like seven or maybe eight hours of sleep on the weekends. So, you were constantly in a state of sleep debt and in desperate need of caffeine.

You had done the extra cup of coffee for the first two weeks, but for the past two weeks, you had been drinking two cups of coffee at your house before school and finishing the second cup at school right before classes start, but then going into Miss Upton's classroom and getting another cup of coffee. Then, you'd also get another one from her room a little after lunch. (You made sure to never go in there during her lunch period because your dad and her still ate lunch together and you didn't want him to get suspicious.) Also, sometimes you and Emma would go to Starbucks to study after school. So, lately, you had been averaging four to five cups of coffee during the week and just two on the weekends. Because, again, you couldn't have your dad getting suspicious.

And, your dad and Miss Upton ran together in the morning before school now, so you really had to be careful about what you told Miss Upton. You couldn't have her telling your dad that you were drinking a couple additional cups of coffee. You just told her that your coffee never stayed warm long enough when you brought it from home, which is why you opted for hers. And, she bought it.

To cover the bags under your eyes, you had been wearing a bit of extra foundation and cover-up. And, to make sure that your dad didn't notice at home, you'd wash off all your makeup after school, but then quickly redo the area under your eyes.

So far, he was oblivious.

But, for a week and a half, your stomach had been super achy and you couldn't stand to eat anything in the morning before you had at least one cup of coffee. So, what would typically happen was that you'd end up eating a bowl of overnight oats in your car in the school parking lot before walking inside so that your coffee had time to digest. You figured out that you were fine after that. Well, it was still achy, but not as bad as in the morning.

God, you wish you were at that point right now.

For the past five days, you've been feeling nauseous and your stomach has been achy, but in the morning, there'd be a stabbing pain before you had any coffee. You'd roll out of bed when your alarm went off and go straight downstairs to get coffee because that seemed to be the only thing--besides ibuprofen--that would alleviate the pain.

But right now, right now was the worst you had ever felt in your entire life. You felt like someone was stabbing your stomach and it wouldn't let up. You felt nauseous like you'd puke any second. And, trying to get into another position didn't help. Nothing helped.

Fuck, you had to swallow your pride and your secrecy and go tell your dad.

You needed help and you needed it now.

So, you got up. But, that just made it worse. You swallowed, trying to keep the lump in your throat and not have it go on the floor.

You whimpered and then walked a few steps and opened your bedroom door.

Then, you threw yourself on the floor and crawled across the hallway.

You held your breath as you stood up, anticipating a ton of pain--which came--when you stood up and opened the door to your dad's room.

Then, you went back on the floor and crawled in there with tears streaming down your face.

It took all your energy to whisper, "Daddy."

***

Jay blinked sleepily. He thought he heard his daughter mumble "Daddy", which she hadn't called him in years. But, then he heard it again.

He looked down and saw a figure curled up in a ball on the floor.

"Daddy, make it stop, please," you whimpered.

He quickly flicked on the light so that he could get a better look at you.

"Y/N, baby, what's wrong?" he asked quickly when he saw your tears, your face contorted in pain, and how jagged your breathing was.

"Hurts," you whimpered as more tears fell and you clutched your stomach.

He jumped out of bed and knelt down next to you. "Your stomach?" he asked urgently. You nodded. "Can you sit up?"

You nodded and leaned against his bed. But, that was a bad idea because the minute you were upright, you puked right down yourself. You groaned and pressed down more on your stomach, which just caused you to vomit more and more.

The minute you started to vomit, Jay looked at the clock. He started to soothe you by rubbing your back, but then quickly stopped and ran into the adjoining bathroom to grab the trashcan and put it underneath your mouth instead.

"There you go, there you go," he soothed as he held the trashcan with one hand and rubbed your back with the other. "Get it out. It's okay. It's okay. I'm right here. I'm right here, Y/N."

But, when you puked for almost four minutes straight and were still in pain after, Jay knew something was seriously wrong.

"Don't get up, you'll make it worse," he said. You nodded weakly. "I'm gonna go grab you some water and Gatorade and put those and a bowl in the car. Then, we're gonna go to Med to get you checked out." You nodded again. "I'll be right back. I love you."

He gave you a quick kiss on the forehead and then sprinted off into the kitchen to grab the stuff he previously mentioned. Then, he ran outside and unlocked his car, turned it on to start heating up, put that stuff in the backseat, and sprinted back inside.

"Y/N, you still awake?" he asked when he walked back into his room.

"Mhm," you hummed with your eyes still closed and your hands still clutching your stomach.

"Okay, I'm gonna throw on a hoodie and my shoes, and then I'm gonna run into your room and grab you some shoes and a hoodie because it's pretty cold out. Are you okay here?" you nodded slowly. "Okay, I'll be right back. Don't get up."

Five minutes later, you had your shoes and hoodie on. You weren't much help getting those on; your dad basically had to dress you as if you were a baby again.

"I'm gonna pick you up and bring you to the car and we're gonna go to Med to see Uncle Will."

"Uh huh," you said, letting your dad know that you had heard him. Then, you felt yourself being lifted off the ground and soon felt the chill of the late November air and then the leather seats of your dad's truck on your back and the warmth of the truck.

"There's water and Gatorade. I want you to take a few sips," your dad said. "There's a bowl, too in case you have to puke again."

You drank a few sips of Gatorade and then laid back down and closed your eyes.

As your dad backed out of the driveway, he called Will to explain the situation and tell him that the two of you were on your way to Chicago Med.

After the call, he threw his phone into the passenger seat and reached his left hand into the backseat, and grabbed one of your hands. You gripped your dad's hand weakly as he drove as fast he could to Chicago Med.

He had to make sure that his little girl was okay.

***

"We've got a treatment room right here," Maggie said when she saw Jay sprinting into the ED with you in his arms.

She quickly led him to it and he laid you down in the bed.

Will rushed in with Natalie and April a few seconds later.

"Y/N, Y/N, can you hear me?" Natalie asked.

"Hurts," you mumbled.

"Jay," Will started, "did she puke on the way here at all?"

"No, no, she didn't. She just puked for almost four minutes straight at home and it's worse when she sits or stands up. She's been clutching her stomach since she woke up."

"Gonna- gonna--" you started to heave and a pink basin was thrust under your mouth and then you emptied the few sips of Gatorade into the basin. You started to cry even harder once you finished. "Make it stop, make it stop! Please make it stop!"

Natalie turned to your dad. "Do we have permission to administer medications?"

"Please," he answered, his voice cracking. He was terrified. He was terrified something was seriously wrong. He had never seen you in so much pain. "You have permission. Just please help her."

April pushed antinausea and pain medications as well as a light sleeping medication because it was apparent that, along with puking and being in a world of pain, you were also utterly exhausted.

"Y/N," April started, "you're going to get sleepy soon. But, can you give us your pain level on a scale of one to ten?"

"Ten. My stomach hurts at a ten," you answered while tears still ran down your face.

"Did you eat anything you weren't used to? Drink anything?"

"No, no," you panted. "Just- just lots of coffee. Not a lot of sleep. Studying."

Will and Natalie shared a look. They knew what this could be. And, at least they got it out of you now, because it was clear that the meds were starting to work and you were fading fast.

"Hun," Natalie began, "we're gonna leave April in here with you in case you get sick again. Is it okay if me, your Uncle Will, and your dad have a chat outside real quick?"

"Want my dad. Please."

Natalie smiled sadly. "Okay, he'll stay. We can talk to him later."

Your dad reached for your hand and held it and rubbed his thumb over the top while you drifted into a medication-induced sleep.

Five minutes later, you were out.

Jay looked at his brother. "What's going on? What's wrong with my kid?"

"From what she told us, it sounds like the acid in the coffee she's been drinking has been irritating her stomach lining. Has she been drinking a lot of coffee lately?" Will asked.

"Not that I've noticed. But, sometimes there's a little less in the coffee pot than I think there should be. But, even if she is drinking two cups, that can't cause this, can it?" Jay asked worriedly.

"No, two cups shouldn't. But, if she isn't sleeping a lot, sometimes lack of sleep can make people feel pretty crappy. So, if she's drinking more than her normal amount of caffeine and not sleeping, then that could be what's causing it."

"But, she goes to bed at her normal time," Jay argued.

"That doesn't mean that she's sleeping. She could be lying awake in bed. Has she seemed more tired to you?"

"No, not that I've noticed. Uh, what do I do, Will? Can't you run some tests?"

"I mean, I can run one to see if she's sleep-deprived, it's a plasma cortisol test. If her levels are elevated, that means she's not getting enough sleep. But, it wouldn't give us the reason why her stomach's hurting so bad and why she's nauseous and vomiting," Will answered.

"Then don't run the test," Jay said. "If it's not going to figure out the problem, then I don't want to put her through that. But, what do we do?"

"If it's what I think, an irritated stomach lining, then we keep her for observation for a few days, ween her off of caffeine to a healthy amount, give her antinausea and pain medications, and just wait for her to go home until she feels better," Will answered.

"Okay. I guess we wait. You mind grabbing me some coffee?"

Will laughed because they had just been talking about how you had been possibly drinking too much coffee and now Jay was asking for it. "Yeah, I can do that. My shift ends in an hour, so I'll be down here to wait with you then."

Jay smiled. "Thanks, man."

***

It was 7:30 in the morning the next day, which was Thanksgiving Day, when Jay's phone rang, waking him up. He answered it without checking the caller ID because he didn't want to disturb your peaceful sleep.

"Hello?" he asked groggily.

"Jay? Where are you and Y/N?" he heard Hailey's voice through the phone.

Shit, the Turkey Trot, he thought.

He and you always ran the Turkey Trot every Thanksgiving, sometimes dragging Will along if he didn't have to work. Then, you'd have your Thanksgiving feast later in the day. Granted, your dad had to keep pace with you for the entire time, so it really wasn't a race. But, it was a nice bonding experience, so the two (sometimes three of you) kept it up.

Jay had mentioned it to Hailey one morning when they were running the indoor track before school started, and she said she'd sometimes run it, too. So, Jay had invited her to run it with him and you, and she agreed.

You were convinced that Miss Upton and your dad were secretly dating.

But, Miss Upton had been waiting for you and your dad at the designated meeting spot for half an hour now. And, Jay Halstead was not one to be late.

"Listen, me and Y/N aren't going to be able to make it. She had some stomach issues last night and now she's in the hospital and the doctors are trying to figure out what's wrong," Jay said.

"Oh my God," she said as she started to walk away from their planned meeting spot and towards the parking garage where she parked her car. "What hospital are you at?"

"Chicago Med," Jay answered. "Why?"

"I'm gonna find someplace that's open and grab breakfast and then I'll be there."

"Hailey, you don't have to."

"Jay, I want to do this. I'll be there within the next hour."

Then, without waiting for him to protest once more, she ended the call.

***

When you woke up a few hours later, you rubbed your eyes, despite the IV in your hand, and rolled over.

"Well good morning, or almost afternoon," your uncle Will said and stood up. "How's the pain on a scale of one to ten?"

"Uh, maybe a six, seven?" you said.

But then, you looked around the room.

Why was Miss Upton here?

"I'll go get a nurse and let you three talk," Will said and then left the treatment room.

You looked at your dad and raised your eyebrows. At the same time, the achiness in your stomach started up again and you clutched it.

"Gonna be sick?" your dad asked.

"I don't know," you answered.

He handed you the pink basin anyway (a clean one because last night's was gross and went off to get cleaned) and you set it on your lap.

"Feel like you can eat anything?" your dad asked. "Hailey brought food...and coffee, but we'll have to check with the nurses about how much coffee you can drink."

"You brought it?" you asked as you looked at Miss Upton.

She smiled. "I did. I called your dad to see why you two weren't at the Turkey Trot yet, and he said you two were here, so I figured I'd find somewhere that's open and get you breakfast." She rummaged around in the bag and pulled out a container. "He mentioned you were having stomach issues so I opted for something light, so the fruit and nut oatmeal from Mcdonald's. I also grabbed a packet of syrup in case you wanted it sweeter."

She passed the food to you along with a spoon and a napkin. "Thank you," you said as you took them from her. "Sorry I messed up your run."

Hailey laughed. "It's okay. My run's the least of my problems. Me and your dad just want you to get better."

You tried to hide your smile. She said she and your dad. She cared about you more than she did other students...and you were just waiting for them to slip up and call each other babe at this point.

"Hey, I'm back," Will announced as he walked into the room. This time, he had Dr. Choi and Monique in tow. "Natalie and April have Thanksgiving off, so you have Dr. Choi as your doctor and Monique as your nurse."

You nodded.

"Hi, Y/N, I'm Dr. Choi, as your brother just mentioned. Monique here is just going to check your vitals." You nodded again. "I understand you've been having some stomach issues. Can you tell me when they started? Any changes to your diet or routine that I should know about?"

Here goes nothing.

You looked at your dad as tears formed in your eyes. "I'm sorry," you said. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

Your dad moved his chair closer to you and gently grabbed your hand. "Tell me what, baby?"

"I- I went to that party because--"

"Y/N, how many times do I have to tell you that I don't want to know why because I'm a teacher? Me and Miss Upton are both teachers."

"But I didn't go to drink at all! I hadn't even planned on drinking! I didn't even drink a drink!" you yelled, causing Monique to take a step back. You took a deep breath and turned to her. "Sorry, sorry. I'll be calm so you can do your job." After a few breaths, Monique went back to checking your vitals and you continued your story. "These two girls I know from my AP gov class asked me to come to the party to be their DD. So, I went. But, when I was there, I ate the fruit from the punch bowl and I forgot that the fruit absorbs the alcohol. I'm sorry."

"And when you realized what happened, you called Miss Upton?" your dad asked.

"Yeah," you confirmed. "And, I even made sure to give the car keys to one of the girl's boyfriends who wasn't drinking because he plays sports so that they'd get home safely."

Jay smiled slightly; he had taught you well.

"Did you keep drinking consistently after?" Dr. Choi asked. He couldn't see one drink causing all these problems.

"No, God no!" you said. But, then you clutched your stomach and took in a deep breath.

"Pain?" Dr. Choi asked.

"Yeah, it's not as bad as last night, though."

He looked to your dad. "If she wants more pain meds, will you allow it?"

"Yes," your dad answered.

"Do you want more pain meds?" Dr. Choi asked.

"Please," you answered.

So, Monique started to get the pain medication ready to go into your IV and then pushed the meds.

A few minutes later, once the medication had started to work, you continued your story.

"I heard you and Uncle Will talking," you said.

"When?" your dad asked. "Me and Uncle Will talk a lot."

"The night I snuck out. You and Uncle Will were talking and you said that you might make me transfer schools if my grades don't get better. I don't want to transfer schools, Dad."

Your dad sighed. "Kid, I was mad, but in reality, I wouldn't do that. That was just me being angry and trying to find a solution when I wasn't in the right headspace. Were you so nervous that your stomach hurt all the time?" he asked.

"No," you answered. "but, I started staying up later and doing homework."

"Really? You always seemed asleep to me."

"I'd sleep for an hour and then wake up and study more." Your dad sighed. "I'm sorry. And then I was just sleeping for like three hours, so I'd drink four or five cups of coffee a day and my stomach hurt so bad in the morning if I didn't drink any coffee, so I'd eat breakfast in my car before school."

"For how long?" your dad asked. "For how long have you been bottling this up? For how long have you been waiting to eat breakfast?"

"The stomach aches started a week and a half ago. I'm sorry I didn't tell you." You started to cry harder.

"Hey, hey it's okay. We know what happened now, so hopefully, Dr. Choi and everyone else here can fix it." He looked up at Dr. Choi who had been intently listening as well. "Right, Doc?"

Dr. Choi smiled. "That's right, Y/N. And, what it seems to me is that you've just been drinking too much coffee, and coupled with the lack of sleep, have had abdominal cramping and nausea due to all the caffeine irritating your stomach lining. So, what we'll do is ween your caffeine intake back down to one to two cups of coffee per day, not go cold turkey because you'll probably feel pretty crappy if we did that, and then continue giving you pain meds and antinausea meds. We'll probably keep you here a few days upstairs in a recovery room just for observation to make sure nothing else is going on."

"So, I have to spend my whole Thanksgiving break in the hospital?" you asked.

"I'm afraid so," he answered.

"Well, this sucks." You looked at the table next to Miss Upton. "Is that coffee for me?"

"It is. I don't know if you can have it, though," she answered.

"She can have it," Dr. Choi answered. "Just, no more after this one seeing as that's a large."

You nodded.

"I got you a vanilla iced coffee. Since apparently, we have the same taste because your dad said you also like vanilla sweet cream cold brews as much as me," Miss Upton said and then handed you the coffee.

"Seeing as everything looks good, me and Monique will check on you later." He turned to the three adults in the room. "If she pukes up that food or her stomach pain gets worse, come get us."

"Will do, Doc," your dad answered.

"Jay," Hailey started, "can I talk to you for a minute? Outside?"

Jay furrowed his eyebrows slightly but nodded. "Of course. Be right back, Y/N. I love you."

"I love you, too, Dad," you said.

Then, your dad and Miss Upton left the room.

Outside the treatment room, Hailey took a deep breath, grounding herself as she prepared to talk to Jay.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out.

"For what?" Jay asked, utterly confused.

"I knew she was drinking extra coffee but didn't tell you! Well, she told me when she brought it from home, that it would get cold too fast, so she always came to my room and had two cups during the day. If I knew she was drinking some at home, too, I would've never let her have any. I'm so, so sorry, Jay!"

"Hailey," Jay began and placed his hands on her shoulders, "it's not your fault. Hell, I didn't even notice it and she's my daughter."

"I know, but I just feel slightly responsible for her being in that hospital bed--"

"It's not your fault, Hailey. I promise. I don't blame you one bit and I know Y/N doesn't either."

Meanwhile, back in the treatment room, you really needed to use the bathroom.

"Uncle Will?" you asked, causing him to look up from his phone where he was trying to figure out what restaurants were open for dinner on Thanksgiving. He really didn't want him and his family eating hospital cafeteria food for Thanksgiving dinner.

"Hmm?" he hummed and gave you his full attention.

"I really need to go to the bathroom," you told him.

He pocketed his phone and stood up and moved over to you. "Okay, I'm gonna help you up and with one arm, I'll hold on to you and with the other, I'll hold onto the IV pole for you. Is that okay?" You nodded. "Do you think you'll need help in the bathroom? I can grab a nurse if you need me to," he offered.

"No, just help me to the bathroom, please. I should be good when I get in there."

"Okay." Then, he helped you up and the two of you made your way over to the bathroom where he stood and waited while you went inside.

Back with Hailey and Jay, Jay reassured Hailey once again that none of this was on her.

"If anything," Jay began, "I should be thanking you. You got Y/N home safe after that party."

"Jay, we've been over this. I would've done it for any one of my students," she said.

"But, would you take their dad up on their offer of buying you coffee if it wasn't my kid you picked up?" Jay asked and tilted his head to the side.

"Probably not," Hailey said, a blush rising to her cheeks.

"Can I ask why?" She stayed silent. "Listen, Hailey, it's been a long time since I've seen you as just a fellow teacher," Jay admitted.

She looked up at him. "Since we're all sharing secrets today, it's been a long time since I've seen you as a fellow teacher, too, Jay."

Jay smiled and moved a piece of her hair behind her ear. He leaned in. "Can I?" he asked.

He didn't get a response because she quickly pressed her lips against his. It was the kiss she had been waiting for since she asked him to eat lunch with her that first week of school.

You and your uncle Will had chosen that exact time to make your way back to your treatment room. You two had seen everything: your dad putting a strand of Hailey's hair behind her ear and them leaning in and kissing.

You were glad that one of your hands was free because you whacked Will across the chest in excitement.

It was finally happening!

Jay and Hailey pulled away and looked at each other and smiled.

"I uh, I hope that was okay," Hailey said quietly.

"Oh, it was more than okay. I'd happily do that again, but we should probably get back into Y/N's room. She's probably wondering what's taking us so long," Jay said.

Hailey laughed. "Probably."

The two turned around and saw you and Will standing thirty feet away. Jay's eyes widened. "Uh..." he trailed off as Hailey blushed hard.

"Finally!" you exclaimed.

"Yeah, I agree with Y/N on this one," Will laughed. "But, who would've thought? A government teacher and an English teacher?" He started to help you walk back to your treatment room but turned his head back to Jay and Hailey. "Oh, don't stop on our account."

"Will!"

A/N: hank you guys so, so, so much for reading! Again, please remember to like/reblog and comment because I love reading all your comments and seeing that you liked/reblogged because that means you enjoyed reading the imagine! Again, I am donating all my proceeds on buy me a coffee until the end of AU-gust to Save The Children to help the children in Afghanistan. Buy me a coffee here.

As always, if you want to be added to my taglist, just tell me and I’d be happy to add you!

Taglist: @theambracer88@virtualreader @kelelas-life @celyndavies @brookerz122493 @musicismyescape27 @anotherfan07 @thexplosivegirl @dreamingwithlens @xoxmariaxox @onechicago18 @iamasimpingh0e @i-like-sparkly-things @herecomesthewriterwitch @liampayne88

[missblissy]

Glad you're back!! Miss you! I see about your post, can I have some modern AU maybe of Human! Alastor x reader going to an aquarium? Maybe a cute date? Haha thx amazing to have you again

(( QwQ/ It's good to be back! And I would be honored to do that. I had a lot of fun with this. I hope you enjoy!!))

It was hinted with salt filling the air. Misty and warm, the summer sea winds rolled off the coast and into your hair. The Long Island sound was picture perfect, just as you remember in your childhood dreams. You were staying in a quaint little town your familly use to visiting summer after summer when you were a child. And it was the perfect place for you to bring yourself on a long over due vacation. Work had been too much to handle this past year, and now you could spend the next week relaxing on the soft sandy coastal beaches of Long Island. 

However today you had plans to take the ferry across the sound to the aquarium. Sure... you were going by yourself but... So what. You didn’t particularly have many friends, nor a partner in your life. But so what? You were an introvert natrually and a social gathering over five people where never your thing. 

You had just made it to the ferry docks. As always, you were fifteen minutes early. You couldn’t bear to be late, especially since you considered “on-time” to be late. You were sitting on a public bench facing the sound. Dozens of other people have started to gather around the same place as you. You were just about to take one of your favorite books out of our bag when someone approached you.

��Do you mind if I sit?” You saw a man standing before you. He had a pleasant smile. A soft one that just barely met his eyes. You took one second too long to peer at him.

“Uh-...” You tore your gaze from his soft brown hair and to his polished shoes. They were out of style yet he somehow managed to pull it off, “Yea-.. I mean no...! Help yourself.” You tried to return his smile but you were far more awkward about it. This man had some strange sense of fashion. He looked oddly in place, however, he seemed like he was trying to live in a time long since past. 

“Are you waiting for the ferry too?” He asked, making simple conversation to fill the void of silence. 

You glanced at him quickly a second time and made a nervous little laugh. His dark complexion matched his brown eyes hidden behind perfectly circular glasses, “Oh... yes.” You remember you had your ticket in your hand, “It shouldn't be much longer until it arrives,” 

The stranger nodded his head slowly, “Have you ever been on a ferry before?” You nodded your head to his question, “Ah, first time for me. They don’t have ferries where I’m from.” He said with a cool expression.

He seemed chatty for a stranger. Most of the time when strangers tried talking to you, you’d brush them off. But this man was lucky that you thought he was rather... stunning in the looks department. That, and he seemed rather harmless as of right now. So you indulged in his conversation, “Where are you from?” You asked. 

The man paused only slightly then turned himself to face you. He held out his left hand for you to take. You were hesitant but you still reached out, “Alastor,” He said, “I’m from New Orleans. I’m guessing you’re a local?” You wouldn’t have ever guessed that, he didn’t have any kind of southern twang or drawl to his tone.

You shooked his hand but you couldn’t stop yourself from laughing a little at his question, “No, no,” You waved your hand a little, “Uh- aha... I’m (Y/N). And I’m not from here, but my family and I use to come here all the time for summer vacations.”

“Well, it’s certainly a lovely place to visit. I’m here for business though so I can’t say I’ve gotten the real experience of it all yet. Today was my day off, however, and I thought I’d go see this aquarium one of my friends keeps telling me to go to. She’s rather annoying about it, truly, spoiled even and quite the nagging little thing. But she is my friend after all and I’d rather not deal with the consequences of not listening to her.” 

There was a moment there went you felt your heart stop for a minute, “That’s... really ironic.” You said slowly.

“Oh? You have a bossy friend too?” He jested with a smile. 

You laughed for a second then shook your head, “No, I mean that it’s ironic that you’re going to the aquarium,” You paused for a second then reached into your bag and pulled out your phone. You showed Alastor and said, “I’m going too.” 

He peered at the e-ticket on your phone, the pushed his glasses up on his nose with a deep laugh, “What a small world!” He laughed, then laughed some more, “How truly ironic indeed!” Then without a second to waste, he faced you once again then asked, “Would you like to go together?”

The question startled you. You didn’t expect that. He was very bold, wasn’t he? You had only just met and he was asking to spend probably what would be the rest of the day with you. You were flustered suddenly, then you were tongue-tied, lastly, you cracked your voice as you answered, “S-Sure! Yea- um--....” You felt your cheeks turn a little pink, “Sorry. It’s just... That was unexpected.” Just as you said that the loud horn of the ferry screamed as it pulled into the docks. 

Alastor stood up while smiling down to you, “Life wouldn’t be life if what you expected happened all the time.” 

He then held out his hand, offering to help you up from the bench. You took a moment, sitting there and taking everything in for what it was. Alastor stood before you, looking as though he was some kind of mathematician, or professor, now that you got a good look at him. His red tie was tucked behind a brown sweater vest that stopped just shy of his belt. His hand was offered to you, while the wind dusted his brown hair around in the breeze. And that smile on his face, it was soft yet firm enough to show that he was pleased to help you up. 

So you decided then... why the hell not? He was right, life wouldn’t be the same if it was exactly like what you expected. You took Alastor’s hand and pulled yourself to your feet. The two of you chatted while boarding the ferry, and then stood beside each other while leaning along the guard rails of the top deck.

The both of you talked about all kinds of things. You found out that Alastor was some kind of internet personality, not really. He had a podcast he ran and owned with some friends of his. It was apparently very popular and well known, though not that well known because you’ve never heard of it before. And to say that didn’t hurt Alastor’s ego a little would have been a lie. Apparently, Alastor also had a strong taste for liquor, because at one point he went to the ferry’s indoor bar and came back with two rum on the rocks.

You told him it was only noon, to which he replied, “It’s five o’clock somewhere,” And laughed before taking a sip of his drink. You decided to have the one he got you and told yourself it’d only be one which Alastor stayed true to. He didn’t wander off for another drink once he finished the one he had. There was another point that you learned that Alastor had the habit of ignoring his phone, to the instance where he got annoyed with it and turned it off. It seemed he only wanted to focus on talking to you and listening to what you had to say.

Alastor and you talked the whole ferry ride, which was just under an hour long. And when you docked, you both walked side by side down the three and a half blocks to the aquarium. It wasn’t a massive place, but it was a good size with a decent amount of animals. You originally came here with the idea of looking for inspiration within sea life. For you were an author, after all, writing stories for a living came with its ups and downs. For instance, right now, your much-needed vacation wasn’t really a vacation. The current book you were working on took place in late century seaside town, much like this one. And you had run into the worse possible writer’s block you’ve ever been in. 

As you and Alastor had finished passing the entry gates and showing your tickets, you wondered why Alastor would want to come here with you. Maybe because he realized how terribly awkward it would be if you continued to cross paths all day. You also thought about how you wouldn't be able to focus on working with him around now. You also didn’t really want to out yourself, or your current story. 

But that would soon be unavoidable. You and Alastor had just made it to the open exhibits of the aquarium. You had stopped on an old wooden bridge to briefly look out at a beautiful koi pond. Alastor leaned over slightly while resting his arms on the bridge railing. He had a soft smile that was barely on his lips, “This one oddly reminds me of home,” He sighed. 

You learned along the railing as well, looking over the swampy like pond. It lily pads all over, with a dark green water filled with dead trees and moss. You couldn’t see them, but you could hear the bullfrogs chirping away. Seeing it gave your a sudden surge of inspiration. Something about it made you get several ideas for your book. You couldn’t let them slip away, so you reached into your bag and grabbed your notebook.

While you became lost in your own world, scribbling down idea after idea, Alastor quietly watched you. It wasn’t in a way that you noticed, because he’d only take a side glance here or there. But after a moment or so, he finally asked, “Forgot something to add to your grocery list?” 

It was meant to be a joke but it went right over your head (Mush to Alastor’s dismay).

“O-oh..” You then laughed weakly, “No... It’s for a story I’m working on.” 

Alastor turned to face you slightly while still leaning on the rail, “Oh, like an author?”

You took a dry swallow then glanced away and shrugged, “Yea,” You didn’t want to egg him on. But of course, he asked anyways. 

“Are you published?” He seemed genuinely interested. Yet there was a reason you wanted to avoid it. Oftentimes when you told people about your books, the general reception wasn't that good. There was a reason you wrote under a pen name. 

However, Alastor wasn’t from around here, and you weren’t on New York Time’s Best Selling List yet, and probably never would be. So there was a chance he wouldn’t know or ever heard of your books. 

So you took the chance and said, “Yeah. I’m the author of Sea Rise.”

“Oooh,” Shit. “That book series about the pirates?” Dammit. 

You felt your cheeks burn as you took in a deep breath and nodded your head, “You’ve heard of them?” You wouldn’t look at him though. You just kept your gaze on some turtle resting on a log. 

“Yeah, never read them,” He gave a slight chuckle, “But the girl I work with-”

“You said her name is Charlie, right?”

“Yes- Well, she reads ‘em. She’s a big fan. I’m under the assumption that it’s about fictional pirates?” 

You took in a small breath then sighed, “Pretty much. It’s... not that amazing or anything. It’s okay.” You noticed that Alastor pushed off the rail and started to walk again, but slower this time.

“Tell me about it.” His words surprised you enough to look at him with a shocked expression. He laughed at you while giving a small wave of his hand, “Only if you want to. I’m sure you can’t talk much about spoilers.”

You blinked, then let out a shaky laugh, “I-I don’t know. It’s... A long story. This is for my fourth installation.”

He hummed with a slight chuckle, “Well it’s a good thing there is a snack bar over there.” He pointed to one not that far away, “And plenty of places to sit too.” 

There was something that flickered around in your chest. You felt butterflies you always wrote about in your stories. You peered at Alastor finding it hard to stare at his face. You glanced up from his shoes and got caught in that tilt in his smirk. Heat ran to your cheeks and spread across your nose, you gave a sharp nod of your head then awkwardly stuttered out, “O-okay!” With maybe a little too much excitement. Who knew that today, of all days... You’d run into someone like him. 

[amindofstone]

Match up, No. 6

@femalegoatthing said:

Hi, I saw you were doing matchups and I'm curious about them.Could I be matched with a male one piece character? I am a 20 yr old female, with a INFJ personality. I am 5'2", with red hair and glasses. I love to draw and paint, I am also obsessed with documentaries and murder podcasts. I am described as being rather chaotic and caring, like some strang goblin grandmother. Thank you so much for doing matchups, I wish you luck!

Match up rules can be found HERE.

a/n: Hi! Hello! Guten Tag! Hola! Bonjour! Okay, enough. I´m glad you requested and can´t wait to see what you think of what I came up with. Like always please be honest with me and tell me if you don´t like it, if I disappointed you or if you hated it. Tell me please. Give me a feedback so I can try my best again and make sure you are happy with the outcome. It´s just that I´m really insecure of my work and never happy. Like so far I am only happy with just one work of mine. One out of all the things I did until know. Anyways please enjoy what with come next. I wish you a happy reading!

Warning(s): Maybe grammatical or spelling mistakes since English is my third language and I´m still improving in every aspect (Please have mercy on that.)

!!! Please do not steal my idea or work. Credit me if this is shared or published in any other platform or any other way. Please respect me as the writer and my work. Picture is not mine. Credits to: Please tell me ASAP if you know who the artist is so I can give credits. Thank you in advance. !!!

· After a bit of thinking and a tiny bit of researches I decided to pair you up with Charlotte Katakuri

· Dating someone from the Charlotte family is absolutely difficult. If there is someone they like or someone else likes they have to get a permission of every family member and of course the head of the family, Charlotte Linlin

· But if a relationship is set by the emperor herself there is nothing that can be changed

· You are the daughter of a pretty feared and well-known mafia boss. You father is known for selling different kinds of weapons. You on your side had absolutely nothing to do with his work because he made sure you never get involved in his life to much. The fact that he lost your mother because of his work is enough of a burden to him so taking care of you is the least thing he could do

· After months of not seeing your father he came back home and had a nice dinner with you. You two cooked together and he for once told you something about his work that surprised you. You didn´t questioned it and just listened to him like the good obedient daughter you are. You nodded or hummed once in a while, during your preparation for dinner to make clear that you were indeed listening to his words. Once in a while you also managed to ask some vague questions about something but that was it. You didn´t wanted him to stop after all since it was the first time after a long period he spoke about his work. So it came that at dinner your father informed you about his decision to work under the name and security of the emperor Big Mom. For a second you stopped in your tracks but quickly put yourself together and nodded without giving a comment. You were surprised but even more shocked when he told you that he was doing that since more than two years now with the condition of you marring her third child and second son Katakuri.

· Time passed and the only thing you knew was the name of the man your father wants you to marry. You never complained or asked him questions about his decision because he was always right and always wanted the best for you. So you simply agreed and packed your belongings to sail to Big Moms territory to meet you in laws

· Time flew by and you were in one of the many guest rooms in the Whole Cake Chateau waiting to be called for a meal. But two days passed by now and nothing like that happened. You were stuck in your guest room alone with your father only coming to see you for breakfast. But today was different. A guard came to inform you about a dinner with Big Mom and your future husband. You nodded and saw the guard leave your room. You were nervous and didn´t know what to do but you tried your best to smile and get ready for meeting the man you were supposed to marry soon. The first impression was important after all

· You were waiting at the dining table for Big Mom with your father when suddenly a door opened. You instantly stood up and looked at the direction just to be greeted by the emperor and her son

· A (super) tall man entered the room and made your eyes widen out of shook. But that quickly turned into a small pout when you realized that you´ll look like a dwarf next to him. You all sat down and had a conversation with Big Mom and her son. More precisely your father and the emperor. You and the man who sat in front of you were only giving short agreements to questions once in awhile but other than that sat quietly.

· You were lost in your thoughts when you heard your soon to be mother in law tell you that you and her son should talk in the room next door promising that you would be alone. You nodded and sat up to follow the enormous tall man who lead you into a living room with couches, a bar, three huge windows, a chimney and some bookshelf’s. Without talking Katakuri gave you and a sign to sit down. Soon after he sat down too, right after he got you a drink and placed it in front of you. At first none of you talked but that changed after the man cleared his throat and introduced himself. It started with a simple small talk and questions about you and your origin. You knew he wanted to have an overview of what kind of person you were that he was about to marry soon. And you didn´t opposed to it and tried you best to show yourself on a good light while making sure to be honest.

· “I know that you aren´t happy about this marriage but there is nothing we can do. Let´s make the best out of it and try to get along as good as possible. I don´t expect you to spend time with me or call me your husband when it´s not necessary or even love me. The only thing I want from you is honesty and loyalty towards me and my family.”, said the man in a calm and reassuring voice. You should have been happy that he didn´t force you to anything but just honesty but you weren´t. You felt bad about him thinking you would be ashamed of calling him your husband just because it was an arranged marriage. “I promise you that I will do my best to please you and your family as good as I can. And if you thing that I hate you or the situation I am in, I can assure you that it is not like that. You seem to be a nice, well mannered man and I have absolutely no problem in being called your wife. If there is anything I can do for you never hesitate to tell me. Like you said. Let´s make the best out of it.”, you gave him a loving smile and talked a bit more while keeping a respectful distance from each other.

· Time flew by and you got married. After your marriage you got to learn your family in law better and got pretty close to a lot of them. You tried to show you from the best side although you were an introverted person. Katakuri knew this and respected you for that a lot. He really appreciated your effort in getting to know his siblings. It was really hard for you in the beginning but with time you stared to like some of them a lot and so it came that you found people to spend time with when Katakuri was taking care of his work as the minister of the flour island

· Living with Katakuri was the absolutely easiest thing of the whole marriage. You barely saw him or got time to spend with him. He never was home for any meals so it was always you or one of your siblings in law. One of them was always Brulee that took care of you and spend time with you. You didn´t mind that you couldn´t see your husband at the beginning because you both talked about this before your wedding a lot and he made sure to prepare you for a living with him. You told him that you were fine with it but slowly with weeks passing it started to bother you. Months passed and you took it personal and wondered if he avoided you on purpose or even hated you.

· It was a Friday evening. You had your dinner like any other day alone and sat down afterwards to paint a bit. You once told your husband that you liked painting and if you could turn a room in your shared house into an atelier but he didn´t mind and send you people to help you decorate the room after your likings. You were busy painting you latest work when you heard someone walking towards the room you were in. Your first thought was Brulee so you smiled and called her. “Brulee, I´m in my atelier. Come in.” You were about to turn around and look at the door when you let out a little scream. “I´m sorry. I didn´t want to scare you. Were you waiting for my sister?”, you husband spoke in his deep but calm voice. You shook your head and put you brush aside. “No you didn´t scare me. It´s just that I didn´t expect to see you home this early. Is everything alright?”. With a worried gaze you looked into the eyes of the tall man that shook his head slowly and apologized for disturbing you before he left to probably get in his room.

· You were nervous and confused of his sudden appearance at home. Thousand of thoughts ran around your head and raised you nervousness. But you gave yourself a little slap on the cheek and went to prepare him a little snack. You prepared him a tray with tea and donuts and knocked on his room. For a long time there was no response so you thought he might have been asleep out of exhaustion. With a little disappointed sigh you turned to leave when you heard a soft come in. Your eyes widen and you started to shake slightly. With a racing heart you opened the door and tried to avoid any eye contact. “I got you something to eat. Do you want me to leave it for you?”

· Katakuri was surprised. Why would you get him something and care for him? He had his maids and butlers that would get him anything he wanted so why would you do that? That absolutely didn´t make sense to him. You heard him thank you before you put the tray on the coffee table and wished him a good night.

· After that night he seemed to come back home earlier more often that caused you to wonder what changed in his work. You were confused and curious but never had the courage to ask him until Brulee asked you if her stubborn brother started to come home earlier. You were surprised and stared at her for who knows how long thinking if she was looking at her through the mirrors but the woman told you that she had a serious chat with him and made him change some of his habits.

· A year passed and you and Katakuri started to talk with each other more. You learned about his likings and his disliking. He told you about his work and showed you his office. He once even took you on a walk around the town to show you one of his favorite bakeries. It took the both of you a lot of time to get used to the fact you were married but at some time it happened. You would spend evenings together talking or playing chess what always turned to be harder than it should be because of his Haki that allowed him to look in the future. He would never admit it but he really enjoyed, in fact even loved seeing you get mad over him using his Haki at you. You would always call him cheater and pout the rest of the night until he would apologize with a donut.

· You were happy that you somehow managed to turn the marriage less awkward, sad and dull but there was still something not right. You felt sad when he would leave for work and get worried when he left for missions. Whenever he would come back you would have the need to hug him and thank god that he was doing fine but you always held back. Your actions made you realize that you started to like him. Even more than just like him. Cause you fell for him. So you tried you best to get closer to him by once in a while holding his hand not knowing that it made his heart do flips. Whenever you would take his hand in yours even if it was just for a second you feared him to push you away or having to start all over again from cero in your relationship

· One day you caught a horrible cold. You had no energy to move, talk or eat. You were laying in your bed like a corpse. Brulee and Pudding took care of you the whole time and never left your side. But it was a moment that made them scream in fear. You lost you concisions and made them worry to death. Brulee out of panic jumped through your mirror to go and get her brother. Screaming his name she jumped out of a mirror in the serious looking man’s office telling him that his wife is doing horrible and lost conscious. The usually calm Katakuri jumped out of his chair in a matter of a second following his sister through the mirror to get to you. To their luck the moment they came back running into your bedroom you were awake.

· “Y/N? What happened? Pudding why didn’t you call a doctor yet? Brulee go wet the towel.”, both of his sisters were again running around the house with worry written all over their faces. But not only were the women worried, your husband himself was worry itself but he made sure to not show any trait of that. He sat down next to you on the massive bed and took your tiny hand carefully in his and drew circles on the back of it.

· “Katakuri why are you here? I am fine. There is nothing to worry. It´s late did you had lunch?”, “You´re sick. You shouldn´t worry about me now.”, you shook your head and wanted to sit up when the man next to you kept you in place. “You can take care of my meals when you´re healthy again. Until then make sure to take care of yourself.” You had no energy to fight back so you gave a slight nod and let your husband and his sisters take care of you.

· Time passed and it got dark. Brulee and Pudding said their goodbyes and made sure to explain Katakuri how to take care of you and if her state got worse to call the doctor again. When they left Katakuri was about to go up to his room when the thought of you being alone hit him. A bit unsure whether he should stay with you or not he walked back to you room and light up some candles before he took of his shoes and sat down next to you on the bed. He was nervous. His heart was racing and his mind was an absolute mess. But his face? The definition of calm. You felt his presence next to you and smiled. You thanked him and took his big hand in yours and let sleep take over you once again.”No need to thank me doll.”

· And just like that it was the first time he ever called you by something else than your name but also the first night he shared a room with you.

[cassava-49]

Let's Play Cupid

It was the 14th of February and Claude couldn't be happier. Today's the day of his final test as a Cupid. As a Cupid, one must know how to pair someone with a person who will make them happy for the rest of their lives, but get it wrong, let's just say that lawyers are going through a lot of checks.

In his school they were taught how pair and match people to each other. They also learned different kinds of love that could be used for the pair. They were taught how to see the signs of a mutual and capable attraction, and how to deal with the aftermath of unrequited love.

For their last test in their school in order to graduate, he must be able to pair 20 people. Given that Valentine's day is the loveliest and loneliest holiday that would be a perfect day for matchmaking. Each of their success will be recorded by a superior who will be watching them as they performed their exam. If they succeed they get to go to the human world in their assigned areas to matchmake humans in either their Cupid form or they may disguise themselves as humans to help them find their love. Given that students were not allowed to be in the human world in either form without the supervision of the superiors.

"You're Claude, right?" a fellow Cupid asked. Claude turned to find a tall man with brownish orange hair whose wingspan was twice his and had a warm brown colour. He nodded excitedly as his feathers spread out to show his excitement. "Yes sir," he replied in a high pitched tone. "I'm Sparrow, I'll be your supervisor today," the man introduced himself as he held out his hand to shake the junior's hand.

Claude took it excitedly and shook it with both hands. Sparrow grinned at the young man's excitement as he let go. "Alright, your assigned in Paris, correct?" he asked in assurance. "Yes sir, the city of love itself. I'm ready and excited for today," Claude answered. "Let's get going then, you're not the only Cupid whose been assigned to Paris," Sparrow reminded as he turned heel towards the portal. Claude hopped towards his senior and followed him to the human realm.

...

"Now students I want you to finish up to the tenth chapter of 'The Three Musketeers' by next week so that we could continue our discussion," Ms. Bustier said as she dismissed her class. The students hurriedly got out of their seats to enjoy the rest of the day.

Marinette fumbled with the letter in her hands as she looked at the boy in front of her. Noticing her actions, Alya have her a light nudge as she pointed to the boy in front of them. Marinette turned to her friend with pleading eyes trying to tell her that she can't do it yet. Alya gave out a sigh of frustration by the girl's reluctantness.

"I could give it to him for you," Alya offered. "I know this is not going to help you talk to him on your own but it's getting tiring now. Do you or do you not want him to know how you feel?" she asked her friend once Adrien left the room. Looking down at her feet she sighed and replied, "I want to, but if you do this for me how will I gave him when he gives me his answer?" Alya placed an arm over the girl's shoulder and have her a tight squeeze. She smiled at the bluenette and said, "Alright, you've got this."

A snort broke them from their moment. They turned and sneered at Felix who was giving them a heathen look. "I bet she's not going to do it," he stated as a foxy grin formed on his face. Alya scowled at the boy and crossed her arms over her chest. "I bet you wrong. You know why? Because today is the day, I can feel it. There's no better day to confess your love than on Valentine's day," she defended her friend. "Really now?" he quipped as he raised an eyebrow at the two.

"How about this, if I get to confess to Adrien today you're going to be my pack horse this weekend when I go shopping. If I don't," Marinette began. "You're going to go on a blind date with a friend of mine," Felix said as a sly smirk formed. Marinette's eyes widen as they turned into a scowl and smacked him on his head. "No way, I'm not that desperate," she exclaimed to him while he laughed at her actions.

"You know, he does have a point. But if she doesn't take the blind date I'll have it," Alya commented. "Alya! I thought you didn't want to date anyone," Marinette said in betrayal. Felix grinned and nodded and said, "I guess you could fill in for her anyway."

"That's unfair, I'm the one whose the bet about," Marinette pointed out. "Well then, are you going to take the blind date offer, then?" Felix challenged. Marinette looked at him, contemplating whether it's a good bet. "Fine, I'll do it," she finally said as she flailed her arms agreeing to their stupid bet.

He crossed his arms and shrugged his shoulders while Alya placed her fingers on her forehead and shook her head in disagreement. "Alright, what are we waiting for? Let's go and see if you can really do it," Alya said as she placed her hands behind the two's back and guided them out. "Wait, wait, why is he coming too?" Marinette asked in confusion. "Well I have to see the bet go through so don't mind me," he says as they exited the room.

...

"So newbie, where are we going?" Sparrow asked as they flew over the city. Claude looked around and began to think. "Why not a high school? There's a lot of teens who are looking for love and could actually help them find the sweet young love they're looking for," he responded. Sparrow pondered and made a note on his notebook. Claude looked at him worriedly and asked, "Was I right?" Sparrow closed the notebook and replied, "That's for me to know and for you to find out, later."

Claude nodded and spotted a school with an open courtyard and landed on the roof and began to scan the perimeter. Cupids have a special ability to detect attraction and capability of humans to another. For Claude, he can see it via scents and colour, a rather rare process that makes it difficult for him to interpret.

"Alright, let's get over the point system," Sparrow spoke as he landed next to him. "If you get soulmates you get 10 points, possible lovers 9 points, young love 8 points, admiration developed through time 7, love at first sight 6, first love 5, sweet 16 lovers 4 points, retrying past relationships 3, friends with benefits 2 points, and finally casual sex 1 point, but the wild card may land you any point," he went over. Claude nodded and took in a deep breath and began to focus.

"Oh right," Sparrow interrupted. "I can deduct points as well, if you matched the wrong pairs, if you use the wrong formula I have to deduct 8 points. If you match those who are not compatible 9 points will be removed. And if you mess up a currently working relationship or possible relationship I'll be taking 10 points," he finished.

"Why are the deducting points higher?" Claude asked. Sparrow shrugged and said, "I don't really know, maybe to fail you guys faster," he joked.

Claude turned his attention back to the courtyard and began to focus on the students and took in the plenty scents and colours around him. He noticed two friends walking with each other. The blonde had two colours around her, one was white, but was slightly faded, either because of the distance or the age. The other colour was pink and it was wrapped around her friend who had the same colour.

He knew this would be a big problem if the soulmate appears but with the faded the colour made it was slightly impossible. Taking two arrows he fired at the two, making a trail of dark pink roses follow.

...

Rose giggled as she told Juleka about a cute video she watched about Prince Ali. Juleka smiled at her as a light pink blush dusted her cheeks. They both stopped in their footsteps as if they were hit with an arrow. The looked at each other and smiled.

"Do you want to, you know, go to that ice cream shop that they keep on talking about?" Juleka asked Rose. Rose smiled and nodded as she took the goth's hand and began to drag her to Andre's.

...

Sparrow looked at Claude and smiled as he said, "That gives you seven points, not bad." Claude smiled to himself as he looked back at the students as he saw a stray colour blue between two people who kept on glancing at each other. He took in the scent and realized that he need to get them back.

He took the arrows and fired at the jock and the other athlete as a trail of blue roses followed. The male pulled the typical I left something in the classroom, making the girl followed him to speak privately.

Next he saw another stray of blue from a girl who was walking into a car and a boy who was driving another couple around town. He aimed at them making the male bike towards his ex.

Sparrow raised an eyebrow at him wondering why he's wasting his points on people who broke up instead of using it to those who have a higher chance of giving him a higher point.

Claude spotted a yellow mess with a sweet honey scent from two friends who were listening to a podcast together. He smiled and shot two arrows at them changing their mood. Next he say a string of red coming from a classroom in the second floor. He flew closer to find an artist and a writer working on a comic, and are obviously attracted to each other, but are too shy to talk about it. He grinned and leaned against the door frame and shot the two arrows that was followed by red roses.

He smiled at this and suddenly caught a whiff of a zesty orange smell. He turned to find a rocker who had a hopeful look towards the girl. He was radiating a strong zest smell, but it was a weak orange colour towards his counterpart. He hates this, it makes it hard got him to decide, mostly because the girl had a strong red colour making it hard for him to decide which one to follow.

Taking a cream colored arrow, he shot it at the two. He watched as the arrows landed on the two making them meet eyes. He watched as the colour changed into a sunset orange with a mixture of a light violet as the scent was an early morning.

"Not bad, you really are moving quickly. You still have fifteen minutes left," Sparrow said as he landed next to Claude.

...

Once out of the classroom Marinette felt a different chill in the air. She shrugged it off as they tried to look for Adrien, who would be at fencing class today. They began to go down the steps, but she can't help but look around.

"Guys, do you feel the weird chill in the air?" Marinette asked. Alya shrugged and answered, "Don't tell me you're getting cold feet?"

"I'm not, it's just that there's something different about today. I mean look, Ondine and Kim are holding hands," make pointed out as she pointed at the couple who just came out of the room. Alya's eyes widened in interest and said, "Scoop! I can't believe they're back. I've got to go and ask them now. Felix make sure that she gets to confess, do not sabotage it."

Felix rolled his eyes and said, "Whatever, as long as she ends up in an awkward situation I'll be happy," he commented earning him a slap on the stomach. "Sadist," Marinette mumbled. Felix chuckled but stopped in his tracks when he saw his two friends together, closer than ever.

Following his line of sight Marinette smiled and began shaking him in excitement. "Oh my gosh, are they finally going out?" she asked as she pointed at Allan who had an arm over Allegra, while they were sitting on a bench listening to a podcast. "I don't see why it's such a big deal," he told her. "What?" she asked in an offended tone. Felix removed himself from her and said, "You know it was bound to happen so why you're overreacting about it." She huffed at his comment and began to look for a seat.

They found a bench and waited for Adrien's duel against a new student in red to finish. "There's something really strange about the air," Felix commented. Marinette nodded in agreement as she tried to figure out what's happening. It suddenly clicked, making her grin and casually reply, "I think it's love."

Felix scoffed at her answer keeping his eye at the game. "Why? Because it's Valentine's day," he sarcastically said. She rolled her eyes at him and said, "What do you know about love anyway? I'm pretty sure you haven't felt it."

He chuckled at her statement as movement caught his eye. "Well, I know when someone's attracted to another. Speak of which, it seems like I found a blind date for you," Felix stated. "Really now, I think Lila has something to say to you though," she commented noticing the brunettes movement.

...

Claude began to look around again, there he found a trio of students coming down the stairs with a string aura to them. The brunette with red tips had a strong pink colour surrounding her while a sweet Carnation smell emitted from her. The bluenette beside her had multiple colours crashing around her, but the strongest ones are white and dark pink, both pointing towards the fencer. However, the blond beside them had nothing, no colour and no scent.

This was a rare occurrence given that all of the people he had seen with this usually end up alone. It's either, they don't want to get attached to anyone romantically, or they are really good at hiding romantic attraction and thoughts. If a Cupid can't detect it, what more the person they love.

He then caught a sudden smell of a horrible odor that could cause him to puke. He turned to find a young girl who was surrounded by her peers. He looked closer and looked at the rather morseful colour colour combination the girl expelled. She was the type of people Cupids dislike, given that they are the homewreckers and whorish opportunists.

He noticed her line of sight and was locked with the blond he just saw. She watched her get up and began to walk towards the boy. He watched as the blond ignored her attempts and touches. However, at the other end he could see another boy who held a letter in his hand and was radiating an orange colour towards the bluenette, who held only the scent of friendship for him.

"You poor soul," he commented as he suddenly noticed a faint red colour mixing with the orange of the boy. Claude turned to find the source of it, it came from the brunette from the stairs who was also radiating a red colour that's mixing with the pink. He smiled as he shot both of them with the arrow.

Suddenly he a sweet fragrance of fresh wine was calling from behind. It was intoxicating and dangerous, given that it's the call of love at first sight. Claude could feel himself get reeled into it, given the aroma was to good to say no to. This made him unconsciously take up two arrows and turned to face the culprits and shot it at them while a spring is violet roses followed.

Realising what he had done he began to see the string white from the male for down. That was when he realized that that was the male fencer the bluenette was fated to. He knew he messed up big time today.

...

"Why am I not surprised?" Felix commented as Lila arrived and gave her model smile with a small wave. "Happy Valentine's day Felix," she greeted him. Marinette wanted to gag at her actions knowing they were all superficial. "What's so happy about today when today is supposed to be the death anniversary of Saint Valentine?" he asked.

"Well, it is his death anniversary. Did you know that I actually babysat his great-great-great-grandson?" Lila spectacled trying to catch his attention. Marinette lost it, making her laugh at this statement while Felix tried to school his features. "You do mean from a close relative not a direct descendant," he tried to clarify.

"Is there any difference?" Lila asked not catching on on what she just said. This made Marinette laugh harder not being able to control her laughter. "Marinette really is crazy," Lila commented. "I mean look at her, laughing at nothing," she added.

"That may be so, but if you were in her position, wouldn't you laugh as well?" Felix asked her. Lila have a puzzled look, not picking on what they both meant.

"You do know that Saint Valentine is a priest, right?" Marinette asked catching her breath. It finally clicked and she knew she couldn't back out now as she placed an awkward smile on her face and began laughing awkwardly. "You got it, it was a joke. I was joking," she tried to save face.

Luckily for her luck was on her side, as Alya arrived and placed an arm over the girl's shoulder. "Hey Lila, I have a major scoop for you," Alya said in an ecstatic voice. Feeling relieved, Lila turned her attention to the reporter, "Really, what is it?" she asked trying to sound excited. "I just found out that Kim and Ondine are back together," Alya exclaimed as she shoved her phone to the Italian's face.

"You know, you still have to notice Nino over there," Felix whispered to Marinette as he edged his head to the boy's direction. Marinette turned to look at Nino and asked, "Are you sure it's for me? I thought he had a crush on Alya if I'm going to be honest." Felix shrugged and simply said, "Whatever." As they both turned they're attention to the duel.

The duel finally ended with both of them pointing each other, making it difficult for the referee to decide. Mr. D'Argencourt smiled as he placed his hand under his chin. "Well it seems like my students are still unbeatable," he stated. "Take your saber away, along with your helmet," he commanded.

The red fencer frowned under her mask, not wanting to show her face to a crowd knowing her failure. Adrien, however, pushed his helmet back and turned to his teacher. "Are you sure, sir? I think he got the point," he defended his competitor. He turned to the fencer and said, "Why not a decisive match to prove yourself?"

The red fencer sighed as she shrugged off her helmet swishing her short dark hair and made eye contact with her opponent. But as their eyes met an instant connection was felt.

Marinette and Felix noticed this, causing her heart to clench and an unintended tear slid down her cheek. She knew that look on both of their faces very well. Those looks they are giving each other are the looks of people who have fallen in love with the first time they made eye contact.

She couldn't help but feel like she's not going to get the answer she would be hoping for. This made her get up from where she sat and began to run out of the school.

...

Sparrow looked at the horrible mistake that Claude had made. He looked at the male fencer and the fleeting figure of the bluenette. Those two were meant to be soulmates, but it seems like Claude paired the wrong couple. He looked back at where the girl sat, only to find that the blond male had gotten up and followed behind her.

Even for Sparrow he wasn't able to hear any form of love emanating from the boy, but seeing him follow after his friend he couldn't help but hear the enchanting symphony of soulmates from him. He looked back at his student and approached him from behind.

"You have to fix this you know that," he told Claude. Claude looked lost as he placed his hands on his head. "I-I don't know how to fix this. They were supposed to be soulmates and I separated them because of a spontaneous emotion," he ranted, feeling angry about himself for making the wrong decision in matchmaking.

Sparrow placed a hand on his shoulder and told him, "It seems like you're forgetting a little thing about soulmates." This hit him as he flew up immediately and began to look for Marinette to set it right.

...

Marinette didn't know that she started to run away from him. She just ran and ran with no direction not caring where she was going as the tears streamed from her face. She even left her schoolbag and dropped the letter she was going to give to Adrien. She finally got tired and sat on the closest bench she found and began to cry her eyes out.

Passersby looked at the girl with pity knowing that she's one of the unfortunate souls that Valentine's day looked down on. But she didn't care about what the other people thought, she just cared about the look Adrien was giving his fencing opponent. Indeed that girl looked beautiful and strong, she had a confident aura around her. Not to mention, she looked like she had a lifestyle and status that was similar to Adrien. How can she ever compete with that.

"Of all the places you could be in, you chose that most romantic spot in Paris," Felix spoke in front of her. She looked up to find him kneeling before her to match her height. He placed her bag and the letter next to her as he took a handkerchief from his pocket and gave it to her. She silently took it and wiped her eyes and blew her nose. He got up and sat next to her with their bags in between.

"You saw it too didn't you?" Felix asked Marinette. She nodded solemnly not wanting to face him with her tearstained eyes and runny nose. "You recognized the look on their faces?" she asked mildly surprised that he knew what a lovestruck face looked like. "I'm not that heartless you know," he replied as he placed both of his arms on the top of the bench's backrest. She snorted and chuckled at his answer as she wiped her eyes again.

The two stayed silent for a while as Marinette tried to compose herself. "Thanks for bringing me my bag," she said once she felt that she would no longer cry. He hummed a 'you're welcome' to her as he looked at the changing sky. She took the note that she wrote for Adrien and began to contemplate as she strolled down memory lane.

...

Five months ago

"You're such a dick, Felix!" Marinette screamed at him as he was sitting on the branch of a tree reading her diary. "Scream all you want, this cat isn't getting down, and remember there are kids in the park," he mocked her with one hand holding the tree and the other he placed his head on to of it while he held the diary and gave her a wink. He adjusted his position as he leaned his back on the main stem of the tree as he began to read her diary aloud.

"Today was an amazing day, I was able to go to the movies with Adrien~ even though I was in my pajamas wearing pink goggles and a towel on my head," he read in an over the top voice making him laugh loudly. "Seriously Marinette, that was the only thing you wrote as the highlight of the day," he added as the bluenette turned red in anger and embarrassment.

"Just shut up and give me my diary back," she shouted at him, losing her patience. "You shouldn't leave these things out in the open you know. If you already had a box for it make sure that it's always in there," he told her sad he continued to flip through the pages.

This made the girl climb the tree as well, hoping to retrieve it before he reads anymore of her embarrassing secrets. Felix, on the other, was rather enjoying this, he knew he still had time given that he's at the top and it would take a while before she'd reach him. He flipped through some pages and a certain word caught his attention.

He read it silently, "Dear Diary, today Felix annoyed the hell out of me again. But I can't help but feel happy to know that at least someone was brave enough to point out my flaws. He's actually right about me being a doormat when it comes to my friends, I noticed that now. Even though he insults us it seems like he's actually looking out for us in his own way (at least he's not as bad as Chloe). He's starting to grow on me despite the horrible first impression we got from him. I just hope that he'll start saying things in a nicer way. I feel like if he was kinder he would be like an antisocial version of Adrien, they look so alike.

"If you look at his blond hair, it's so kept you'd think that he consumes a single can of hairspray or hair gel every day to keep it that way. His eyes are darker than Adrien's though, making him look more mysterious. It makes me wonder what goes on in that thick head of his. Is he thinking of different ways to judge everyone or world domination? Or is he think of, nevermind, as if he'd be think of that. But his eyelashes are very much longer than Adrien's giving him a kind of feminine touch, maybe he got it from his father. But when he looks at me it sometimes makes me feel like Adrien's looking at me.

"Oh Adrien, I just love sitting behind him, because I get to look at the back of his head all the time and when he stands up I could sometimes look at his cute butt. Wait, if Adrien and Felix look very much alike do they have the same body build, like is Felix as ripped as Adrien? Then that would mean—"

"Gotcha!" Marinette exclaimed as she took her diary from his hands. Felix flinched at this realising that he was no longer paying attention to the owner. She gave a victorious laugh only to lose her balance and fall. He reacted quickly, stretching out his arm and caught her, but he was dragged down. He turned them so that he would take the impact as he held Marinette in his arms protectively.

Felix groaned on impact feeling like he broke something. Marinette quickly got up and began scolding him. "What do you think you were doing? You could've been severely injured taking the fall for both of us. But you did deserve for reading my diary," she rebuked. He gave out another groan as he mumbled an apology to her.

"I know, I know, it was stupid of me and I kinda deserved it," he says as he tried to get up. "You think," she sarcastically replied. She sighed as she helped him up as he winced and whimpered. "Ow, ow, ow, careful, I'm fragile," he whined. "Why? Cat didn't land on his feet and ended up bruised," she mocked him. She brought him the get house, where they were supposed to be doing a pair project only to have a brawl.

She placed him on their sofa and began treating his bruises. "I'm sorry," he said as he winced at her touch. "I shouldn't have took your diary it's private," he apologized as he looked at the first aid kit in front of her. "I should be sorry too," she said. "I'm so clumsy that I lost my footing and fell," she explained. The two fell silent as she finished up. "Thank you," he told her. She smiled at his gratitude and replied, "You're welcome, but I should thank you for taking the fall for me. He gave her a smile as he awkwardly scratched his nape and said, "I had it coming. Karma is a bitch anyway." She placed a kiss on his bruised forehead silencing him.

...

Marinette began tearing the love letter she made for Adrien. Felix looked at her with confusion, but didn't stop her. Once she finished she got up and threw it in the trash can and went back to where she sat.

"Are you giving up?" he asked trying to fill in the silence. She looked up at the sky whose colours were changing and turned into a sea of coral colours. "I guess so, I don't want to abuse myself with my obsession with him. He needs me as a friend not as a lover, the same goes for me. I always felt like we were just meant to be friends and I'm happy with that, as long as I'm in his life and he's in mine," she replied.

This made him smile as he looked at the sky as well. "So you gonna start looking for other guys?" he asked her. She shrugged still looking at the sky, "Maybe," she replied. He turned his head slightly to look at her and said, "Luka perhaps? He's s great guy anyways." She turned her head slightly at him and asked in a confused tone, "Weren't you going to set me up on a blind date?"

"Are you still willing?" he challenged with a cheshire smile. "Only if you'll be my blind date," she joked. For some of reason this made his heart skip a beat like that time during their project. She laughed at his reaction as she turned back to the sky. It was short lived because she felt herself get dragged from her seat.

"Where are we going?" she asked rather lost as to why he grabbed her hand and bag. He flashed her a toothy grin and said, "On a date, of course." This made her flush stopping in her tracks, this made him stop as well. He neared her only to have her grip his hand tighter and dragged him along. "Keep up, were going ice cream hunting," she said in a happy tone.

Sparrow and Claude sat on the railings of the Eiffel tower with a satisfied look on their faces. "They are more than two fragments of an original soul," Claude whispered

[woah-were-halfway-there]

The Sweetest of Them All

A/N: just another little bonus part of the AFTR universe that I came up with out of nowhere. Also, I left this as third person instead of second. Enjoy!

Word Count: 3.2k

Y/N has never been a big fan of Valentine's Day.

To her, it was overrated and expensive. But, she'd be lying if she said she didn't love the fact that it gave an extra reason to love on Auston a ridiculous amount. Sure, she did that every day, but to be fair, she loved how the title of Valentine's Day added a bit more fun and excitement to something she'd normally do any other day. It felt different for some reason, so even though she didn't love the so-called holiday, she still tried to plan something special for it every year.

Admittedly, she and Auston almost got competitive about it with trying to one-up the other with affection. They didn't care about gifts. They cared about the time they spent together and the thoughtfulness behind it.

Usually, it was Y/N that came up with something ridiculously sweet for Valentine's Day to do for Auston. However, this year, he had her beat.

For some odd reason, Y/N woke up very early that day. Maybe it was the baby waking her, or perhaps it was her internal clock saying sleep was no longer necessary. But, regardless, she was awake much earlier than usual. She also knew Mia wasn't awake or else she would've heard her, so she took that time to lie back in bed and relax for a few minutes on her own.

The bed felt incredibly empty, given that Auston was with the Leafs in Washington and wasn't expected to be back in Toronto until late that night. Frank was a good cuddle buddy alternative, but sometimes the Goldendoodle just wasn't enough when Y/N was missing her man. Of course, this was one of the days when she missed him a lot, so she took that as an excuse to text Auston and at least get this so-called holiday kicked off.

Y/N Happy Valentine's Day, Aus 🥰 can't wait to see you tonight

She wasn't expecting him to message back right away, seeing as it was only 7:30 in the morning, but much to her surprise, he did.

Auston Happy Valentine's Day, babe 💕 Can't wait to see you either. Did the flowers for Mia get delivered?

Y/N Yes, they got here last night. They're beautiful. I set them on the kitchen counter, so once she's awake and we go downstairs, she'll see her little V-Day gift from you

Auston Perfect. I got part of your Valentine's thing with me right now too. Ready for it?

Y/N Is it going to make me cry?

Auston Probably

Y/N Great. Hit me with your best shot

She stared at her phone screen for a moment, expecting it to light up with the notification of an incoming FaceTime call from her husband or a picture, but instead, he sent her a link. But not just any link, it was the link to the video recording of a new Spittin' Chiclets podcast episode that was over an hour-long called 'Love Day: Part One.'

Confused, but also insanely curious, Y/N then leaned over to grab her laptop from the bedside table and got into the most comfortable position her growing baby bump would allow so she could watch the video like that. As soon as she was about to press play, her phone buzzed with another text.

Auston This was filmed a couple of weeks ago when the Chiclets guys were in Toronto. They interviewed at least 10 different guys in the league at different times, and they're kind of long, which is why there's more than one part. Just watch the intro, then I'm the first interview. Mitch is on part 2 if you want to watch that as well, but yeah... call me when you're done 💕

Still unsure of how to process what was going on, Y/N just shook her head and followed the link.

The video started with Biz, Whit and Rear sat all-around a table, each wearing a different red, white or pink shirt with heart-shaped balloons positioned behind them. Empty bottles of Pink Whitney sat on the table, acting as vases for bouquets of roses, making Y/N roll her eyes and chuckle at how far these guys would go for good product placement. But, she kept watching, and unsurprisingly, Biz was the first to speak.

Biz: "For Valentines Day this year, we wanted to do something different. Something more soft. So, we're going to tell, well, I guess, show some love stories."

Whit: "Bet you all didn't know that some of the greatest love stories to ever be told have happened to some of the guys that play in the NHL. Don't believe me? Guess you'll have to listen to find out what they are."

Rear: "We asked some players to come in and talk to us about their relationship stories and give as many details as they were willing to give. And let me tell you, they were great. To start us off, we have Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs telling us his fairytale romance."

The video then clipped to a shot of Biz sitting next to Auston in what Y/N assumed was the hotel downtown that the Chiclets guys were staying at. Auston wasn't dressed extravagantly or anything, just wore a grey hoodie, black pants, and his signature Raiders snapback.

Y/N immediately recognized his outfit. She remembered Auston coming home in those same clothes early one afternoon after he did some running around downtown with Mia, and started thinking of how not once did he mention doing anything for the podcast. He kept this very on the down low, and Y/N was excited to see how it would all play out.

Biz: "Alright, with us today, we have none other than the Leafs number 34, Auston Matthews. Welcome back to the show, Auston. How ya doin?"

Auston: "I'm great. Thanks for having me. How are you guys?"

Whit and Rear: "Good."

Biz: "Great, real good. Now, Auston, you know what you're here to talk about, right?"

Auston: (chuckling) "You're acting like you didn't spend the last week blowing up my phone until I agreed to do this."

Biz: "Amazing! You do know. So, here's how it's all going to go down. We've got a list of questions about your relationship with your significant other. Your obvious better half. And are going to take turns asking them so the people listening at home can get a bit of insight on your, and I quote, iconic love story. Why don't you give us a little summary of your relationship before we dive in?"

Auston: (hesitantly) "Sure, okay. So, my wife Y/N and I have been married for almost two years now. Our anniversary is at the end of July. She accidentally forgot it last year, which I haven't let her live down. Y/N, babe, this is your six month in advance warning that our anniversary is indeed coming up again this year… She's going to hate that I mentioned that. We, uh, we've been together since my first season in Toronto, so for a pretty long time now, and it's been amazing. We have a daughter, Amelia, but everyone just calls her Mia unless she's in trouble. She just turned two on January 25th, and we have our second baby on the way. They're due to be making their grand appearance in late June. We also have our firstborn, Frank, the Goldendoodle. Can't forget about him. But, yeah, that's my little family."

Whit: (nodding along with Biz and Rear) "Fair enough. Now, how and when did you and Y/N meet exactly?"

Auston: "We met on the night of my first NHL game back in 2016. She was at that game."

Biz: "Oh, yeah? Was she there for a reason?"

Auston gave him an unimpressed look.

Biz: "What?"

Auston: "You know why she was there!"

Biz: (shrugging) "Our listeners don't. C'mon, refresh my memory. Was she there to cheer someone else on?"

Auston: (shaking his head) "Yeah. She, uh, she's a cousin of one of my teammates, so she was there with their family to watch him during our first game."

Biz: (grinning widely) "What teammate?"

Auston: "The one out in the hallway keeping my daughter occupied while you keep being annoying and asking me questions you already know the answer to."

Everyone laughed at that, including Y/N, as she shifted onto her side, being mindful of her growing bump that seemingly became more noticeable each day, and got comfortable as she braced herself for what the rest of this interview would entail.

Biz: (still laughing): "Just to clarify for everyone who still doesn't know, he's talking about Mitch Marner."

Auston: "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up."

Rear: "I take it that Mitch and Mia get along really well? I haven't heard a peep from her since you came in here."

Auston: "Oh, she loves him. Yeah, that's her Mitchy, alright. Him and Steph, who you will hear all about once Mitch comes in here, are Mia's godparents and some of her favourite people."

Whit: "That's awesome. And how was that at first, though, being romantically involved with one of your teammates' family members? Sounds like grounds for some chaos, if I'm honest."

Auston: "It sure made meeting the family a bit more nerve-wracking. I'm just kidding. No, it was fine. It was definitely a little awkward at first trying to figure out how I was going to tell Mitch that I wanted to date his cousin. Like, he and Y/N are very close. Always have been. And the last thing both me and Y/N wanted was for Mitch to be uncomfortable. He did handle it really well, though. It's because of him I was even able to get to know her in the first place, which I'll never be able to thank him enough for."

Rear: "Now, you're a pretty private guy. You post the odd picture of your little family from time to time. Y/N is rather private, as well. So, really, no one knows your guys' story other than those who have lived it with you or watched it unfold. I'm sure many people will jump right on the chance to listen to this, seeing as you and Y/N are one of the most beloved couples in the NHL. But, what exactly made you want to come on here, give a bit of insight into your private life, and talk about it all?"

Auston: "Well, for one, Biz would not stop asking me to do it. Literally kept calling and texting me for days until I finally agreed."

Whit: "Shocker."

Biz: "Hey, now."

Auston: (chuckling) "That and also I figured, why not. I love my wife, and I love our little story. It's nice to think back on everything that's happened and see how it all got us to where we are now. With all the ups and the downs, its uh, it's been an amazing ride for sure, and I wouldn't change it for a thing. Also, it's for Valentine's Day. I haven't told her I'm doing this, so when you guys drop the episode, I'm just going to send it to her without much context."

Whit: "Do you think she'll cry?"

Auston: "Absolutely. I know this kind of thing would make her tear up regularly, but those pregnancy hormones have got her bad. Without a doubt, she's going to call me crying once she's done watching this."

Y/N scoffed as he said that and grabbed some tissues to wipe away the waterworks she already felt coming on.

Biz: "I've met Y/N many times now. The first time being back in what, 2018?"

The screen then showed an old picture of Biz sitting in a restaurant with his arm wrapped around Y/N's shoulders, both smiling widely as they held up their drinks, with Auston seemingly moping off to the side a little bit. Y/N chuckled at the image, instantly thinking back to the day she first met Paul Bissonnette and how wild it was before the photo faded away and showed the guys again.

Biz: "Yeah, it was when she was in Scottsdale visiting you during the summer. Great girl, completely out of Auston's league."

Auston: "Hey!"

Biz: "I'll never forget you sassing her when she commented on how hot Arizona was, with her being Canadian and all, but damn she was fast putting you in your place by calling you a, what was it?"

Auston: (grumbling) "Desert Boy."

Everyone burst out laughing again, except Auston, who just rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically.

Auston: "Whatever. She sasses me all the time when I complain about the snow, but the one time I do it back, I get called a Desert Boy and can never live it down."

Biz: (still laughing) "Ugh, amazing. Okay, moving on because we don't have much time and can probably fit in like two more questions. So, Auston, tell us how you knew that Y/N was the end game for you. How did you know that she was the one?"

Auston: "Oh, man. I don't even know how to explain it. Growing up, you see all these movies and shows, or read books where people always find someone who is their soulmate. Their perfect match. And I never knew what the feeling of finding that person was because I had never experienced it. My mom would tell me that when I did find that person, I'd know. That it'll be such an intense feeling, and to be honest, I didn't believe her. Until I met Y/N, I know that sounds cheesy, but it's true. The first time I met her, something drew me in, and I knew I wanted to get to know her better right away. Mitch spoke so highly of her, so did the other guys on the team that had already met her and over the first couple of months of us knowing each other, I saw what they meant. She quickly became one of my best friends ever. When we started dating, I saw more of how good a person she is, which attracted me even more. She is so selfless and caring for everyone around her; it truly blows my mind. I had never seen my family welcome a girl I introduced them to as quickly as they did her, and I trust their judgment the most. But even if they didn't do that, I know they would have accepted her regardless because, honestly, I probably seemed like a lovesick idiot. I still do. Y/N became this significant light in my life that I knew I wanted to be there forever. I began thinking about what it'd be like spending the rest of my life with her. Then it became something that I knew I needed. I can't imagine my life without her, and I never want to. She makes me so happy and has given me more than I could ever thank her for. I'll never understand how I, of all people, was the one to capture her massive heart, but I do know how lucky I am."

As he spoke, the screen showed a little picture slideshow of Y/N and Auston over the years of their relationship. It started with one that Ema took the first time Y/N had ever gone to Scottsdale. Y/N was sitting on the edge of a pool, and her legs dipped into the water. Auston stood between them as he wrapped his arms around her middle and leaned against her while looking over at where Ema stood taking the picture. The next one was from a Christmas party where the two were under a mistletoe as Auston leaned Y/N back and was kissing her cheek as she laughed and held onto him for dear life. There was a picture of them with Auston's family, one of them with Mitch and Steph, and another of Auston with his arms around Nate and Mya, Y/N's younger brother and sister, as the three smiled at the camera and Y/N was in the background looking confused.

The last few pictures were a bit more recent. They showed Y/N holding Frank as a puppy, a maternity photo of her and Auston posing when she was pregnant with Mia, and one of them on their wedding day with Mia and the rest of the gang. Then, the slideshow concluded with a very recent picture of them taken just a couple of weeks prior at Mia's birthday party, where Auston has his arms wrapped around Y/N from the back, showcasing her growing belly. At the same time, she leaned against him and glanced over her shoulder at him lovingly. The photos then went away and showed the guys again as Auston finished speaking.

Auston was right. Y/N was full-on bawling by that point.

All the guys were smiling as Auston finished saying his thing, but were soon interrupted by a knocking noise followed by a door opening.

Mitch: (offscreen) "Wait, no! Don't let her in!"

Mia: (also offscreen) "Daddy!"

Mia then came into the frame as she ran towards Auston, not caring about what was going on or who was there. Auston was quick reacting as he smiled widely and scooped Mia right up into his arms, making sure to place multiple kisses on her cheek as she giggled and squirmed in his hold, while Mitch became visible too and shrugged.

Auston: "Hi, mini. I missed you. Did you have fun with Mitchy?"

Mia: "Yeah! Where's mommy, daddy?"

Auston: "She's at home, baby girl. I'm almost done, then we can go get a Timbit while we wait for Mitch to be done. Sounds good?"

Mia: (knuckling at her eyes, tiredly) "Mhmm."

Rear: "This is adorable."

Biz: "Hi, Mia."

Mia: (shyly while hiding against Auston's chest a bit) "Hi, Biz."

Whit: (laughing) "Okay, I think we've kept you long enough now, Auston. Is there anything else you and Mia would like to say to Y/N?"

Auston: "Yes. Happy Valentine's Day, babe. I love you so much, and I'm sorry I'm not there right now. You're going to hear a lot more from me on actual Valentine's Day, but for right now, I think that's just about it. Mia, can you blow a kiss to the camera so mommy can see it and say 'happy Love Day!'"

Mia: (blows the kiss) "Happy Love Day, mommy!"

Auston: "Can you tell her that you love her?"

Mia: "Love you!"

Auston and Mia then waved to the camera and said bye as the clip faded out, and a new interview of another NHLer began playing.

Y/N's heart felt so full. She couldn't stop crying over how much she loved her family and how badly she needed to hear something like that. Life had been particularly hard on her as of late and seemed to keep throwing her curveballs, but this, this was exactly what she needed. To be reminded of how loved she is and that she genuinely is never alone.

She then grabbed her phone to call Auston and remind him of how much she loved him, that day and every day. The two talked for a few minutes before Y/N was pretty sure she could hear Mia waking up. After saying their goodbyes, Y/N found herself thinking about how, regardless of how she feels about the actual day, this was a Valentine's Day she will never forget.

[lucky-sevens]

mechanisms fanfiction recommendations

this began as a compilation of my own works for my about, but i decided to recommend some others as well!

i have kept this list to 20 of other people’s + all of my own, because i have a lot of mechanisms fanfiction saved and didn’t want to go overboard! in addition, i’ve made sure that everyone i draw from is a different author, vs. several by the same person, for the sake of variation and giving more people a spotlight! i’ve also made sure everything is complete, which sadly means i’ve left out a few of my favorite longfics. i’ve also tried to have a decent balance of album-focused things vs crew-focused things.

a note; i’ve tried to have a variety (of both genre and length), but my tastes skew towards angst and longer oneshots, so that’ll be a lot of that sort of thing. (please mind the tags on some of these fics!) this is also all sfw, as i’m a minor, but it’s not all gen.

edit: i copy-pasted the summary from each of these works over to this post!

no matter what you do it won’t go away by AssyEr

Brian coming to terms with being made of metal.

Hatter and Hare Top 5 Gay Moments!! [NOT CLICKBAIT!!!] by shella688

Majors Hatter and Hare grinned at each other as they shook hands.

Then, all of a sudden, the grins faltered slightly as a realisation went through both their heads.

Oh no, the realisation went. He's cute.

Date Night: New Midgardian Prison Edition by OnceAndFloral

The Mechs cordially invite Lyfrassir to date night in their prison cell. And by "cordially invite" I mean "orchestrate an elaborate scheme".

eternity will see her dead by Garecc

Rose Reds are made to die, and eternity will see them dead, sent off to another bitter end.

cold as numbers by alderations

Ivy starts at the beginning.

Every morning, Ivy starts at the beginning. Rubbing alcohol, scalpel blades, sensations that should be twisting and cutting and crushing, if the words could coalesce into feelings. A subdued voice, a cool hand on her forehead. She is Ivy Alexandria. She starts at the beginning.

beat inside your heart by zinabug

Jonny and Nastya sibling oneshots part two. (Note from @lucky-sevens- they all function on their own.)

And Sew by fracnkie

The benefits of teaching your Toy Soldier to do the following: sew, do makeup, how to cure a sore throat, and how to shoot a plasma blaster.

Ashes To Ashes, Dust To Dust by CloudDreamer

It was the two of them against the world. But then the two of them against each other, and that seemed so much harder than fighting all the worlds combined.

Wayfarers by Oblivion_Wanderer

Nastya and Lyf meet in the cold of space; Nastya adrift after leaving the Mechanisms and Lyf fleeing from the destruction of the Yggdrasil system. Each feeling lost in their own way, they decide to travel together.

No Heart To Break by meteornight

The Toy Soldier was not real. It could never be real, not if it had any say in the matter. The widow had said that the toy was real, that it had once been a real man with a real heart. The toy knew that was a lie, for if it was a man, why would she treat it like a toy?

is it piety is it purity is it virtue by consumptive_sphinx

“Percy’s blunt, not stupid,“ Mordred says when Kay asks why they’re even friends, “and anyway she’s great, she never calculates anything, she just says stuff and makes everyone else deal with it. I could never be brave enough.”

This is because Mordred absolutely does calculate every word that comes out of his mouth, except sometimes when it’s two in the morning and everyone except him and Galahad and Percival has gone to sleep and he can argue as passionately in favor of peace as he wants with the only two people who won’t call him a traitor for it, and while he doesn’t not appreciate this trait of Percival’s, like hell is he going to admit to his real reason.

orpheus, the soldier, and the short-billed dowitchers by alexsandr

orpheus finds rest with an unexpected friend.

No Violins Allowed by Alienea

Lyf had been having a very peaceful and fulfilling few decades, at least in terms of work fulfillment and being able to afford to bail out of the system at the very first moment anything happened.

So of course that was when the Mechanisms appeared over the horizon.

Labyrinthine by DuskDragon39

Your story is a labyrinth.

Your story is built along wandering lines and windings so vague that you, its architect, cannot trace your way out. It is your scream at its center, your pain that fuels it.

(Or: Daedalus and the stories they tell about him.)

Baking With Goggles (Safety First!) by eminorseven

Marius tries to justify bringing Jonny and Tim to the kitchen. Brian daydreams. Jonny stabs many walnuts. Tim gets locked out and explodes things.

Typical baking stuff.

Surprising Salvage by OddmentsAndTweaks

A normal boring morning is made infinitely more exciting by the prospect of a ship boarding. The Mechanisms prepare for chaos and murder and some really good violence. What they get is one very defiantly defended ruined vessel and a morning no one expected at all.

I wanna stay here with you by SnailArmy 

Loki and Sigyn get to be wives, in stolen moments. 

As It Was by i_am_made_of_memoriies

Jonny walked down the corridor, his steps burdened by an invisible force. His face was passive, and where there was usually manic glee, there was only a hint of curiosity–someone was trying to enter through the airlocks, and he was going to kill them.

Nastya returns to the ship formerly known as the Aurora to find the mechanisms at the end of their time.

burned out from a joyride by spiralingcosmos

ashes has a nightmare; as a result, they make a new friend.

In Which Nastya Is The Narrator Of The Deaths by nonbinary_frog

(Note from @lucky-sevens: There is no summary included, but I feel like the title works well enough.)

---

my heart in your hands

How Jonny d'Ville's mechanization came about.

i’ve got a map of your eyes (but i’ve never seen your face)

That’s not the real Rose. All the memories and feelings were merely planted in her head.”

 “Very true.”

 “And given the effective age difference, it’s unlikely they’ll have much of a life together, not to mention the massive amount of trauma they’ve both endured.”

 “Absolutely.”

 “Not only that, but everyone else they’ve ever known or loved is dead and they’re trapped on a planet full of corpses in a vast interstellar empire that is going to suffer the most horrendous power vacuum and associated bloodshed the galaxy has ever seen. Oh, and they’re both known war criminals and will likely be on the run for the rest of their lives.”

“Like I said. I love a happy ending.”

-Ever After

the death of a phoenix

You are Ashes O'Reilly, and you are twenty-three, and you are dying.

an exercise in futility

Post-Lashings.

ballast

The Aurora doesn't have a daemon, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have a soul.

marching ever through the black

Whoever’s uniform you wear No loyalties to hold or share No burning hate, no bitter fear No heart to break, so shed no tear

TMA Is The Mechanisms’ Podcast (series)

The Magnus Archives is a podcast distributed by the Mechanisms, a crew of immortal space pirates roaming through the galaxy having fun, violence, violence, and violence. They have an inane distaste for laws, and so refuse to put their podcast under any kind of copyright law whatsoever. Today's episode was cowritten by Ivy Alexandria and Nastya Rasputina and performed by Jonny d'Ville. It was produced by the SS Aurora and directed by Jonny d'Ville- well, no, but sometimes he wants to be in charge of things and the other Mechanisms don't find it worth arguing about. To comment on episodes, make donations, and view links, images, and show notes, simply throw yourself into space and the Mechanisms may or may not find you. Probably best if they don't. Thank you for listening, though why you choose to spend your time like this is beyond the Blogbot's understanding.

thank you for reading! i’d highly suggest trying these!

[snowdice]

Popcorn and Podcasts (Part of the Cuffed Universe Series)

Fandom: Sanders Sides

Relationships: Logan/Remus/Virgil (a bit more Logan/Virgil focus)

Characters: Logan, Virgil, Remus

Summary: Logan has a little reunion with some people while doing his job at Target.

This is a Cuffed Universe fic.

Previous fics in this series:

Tea, Cookies, and Handcuffs

Matboards and Subway Sandwiches

Espionage and Iced Coffee

Extras:

Moving Day

Notes: Non-consensual drug use mentioned, morally grey Logan, cop Remus, fighting, biting, being restrained

Logan’s eyes scanned over the security camera footage. He knew this was just a Target and did not need perfect security, but…this was a horrible set up, honestly. He itched to fix it. He wanted to rewire camera 9 to get a clearer picture and to tilt camera 6 slightly to the left so there were fewer blind spots. There also really should be another camera by the food area and one near the computers if they wanted true coverage. Really, just one by the popcorn maker and another near the gaming shelf would completely… He shook himself. It was good that there wasn’t another camera near the gaming shelf. He wanted them to have a blind spot… even if the inadequacy made his eye twitch.

He checked his watch and turned to the laptop he’d brought. He’d have to wipe it after this because he was using the store’s wi-fi, but it was annoyingly slow anyway. At least he was only using it to track the hacked into correspondence about the drop. Nothing seemed to be amiss in the conversation there, so he turned back to the security cameras. Everything seemed fine, but he couldn’t help but be anxious about the blind spots made by their system. Perhaps he should do another walk around just to be sure. He already had enough popcorn to sustain him for a week from his last trip out, but perhaps he could get something to drink.

He glanced once again at his laptop before standing from the rolling chair and grabbing the security guard’s keys. This Target had extremely poor security. None of the minimum wage employees had questioned him being the new security guard in the last three days despite the fact that he had not been hired. He exited the security office and turned back to lock the door behind him. As he was doing so, a man opened the door to the employees only section of the store where the security guard office was located. Logan could see a red shirt out of the corner of his eye; it was likely an employee trying to get to the break room.

“Hey, dude,” the voice greeted mildly as he went to pass by. Logan turned on instinct at the sound of the very familiar voice. They locked eyes. “Lo-?” Virgil started, clearly surprised, but Logan jerked forward and shoved a hand over his mouth before he could finish. He made a muffled yelping noise and only Logan’s knowledge of the man’s 2am got-surprised-in-the-kitchen instincts kept Logan from getting a knee slammed into his groin. He swiped Virgil’s legs out from under him and rotated so that he was at the man’s back. His free arm came up to restrain him in a hug to keep his arms at his side.

An unhappy growling sound rumbled under Logan’s hand as Virgil jerked against the hold. Logan paused to think. After a couple of seconds, he made a decision and pulled back with his grip around his waist, causing him to lose his footing a bit. Teeth comped down on Logan’s palm. He winced, but it didn’t stop him from dragging the man back into the security office. He slammed the door closed behind him with his foot and then struggled to force Virgil into the chair Logan had been sitting in before.

Virgil was cursing him quite inventively by the time Logan managed to cuff both of his wrists to the armrests.

They stared at each other for a few long moments. Then Virgil kicked him.

It was a stupid endeavor considering he was restrained to a chair on wheels. The impact of the kick was rather gentle, and the man himself went flying across the office, almost toppling over backwards except that Logan lunged for him and managed to keep him from falling.

“That was a rather foolish venture.”

Virgil stared at him for a moment and then kicked him again. Logan winced as that kick hit a bit harder because Logan refused to let him go. Logan quickly turned him around and slammed the button with his foot to keep him from rolling anymore.

Logan rounded him, careful to stay out of kicking range and took a seat on the desk to look at him. “Hello Virgil,” Logan said. “It’s nice to see you again.” And it was. He had missed Virgil far more then he’d anticipated. He was not a stranger to leaving people behind, but it had taken much more effort to smother his melancholy over never seeing Virgil again than it usually did. Looking at him now, those smothered feelings came back, smarting far worse than the kick a couple of moments before.

“Seriously?” Virgil asked. “What the hell?! Why me?”

“I assure you this has nothing to do with you.”

“I still got tangled up in it again.”

“And I apologize for that, however you will have to stay here until I am through with my job.”

“What job?” Virgil asked. Logan just raised an eyebrow and refused to respond. “Why is the security guard office of Target your supervillain base anyway?”

“That does not concern you,” Logan said.

“It does if you’re going to handcuff me to a chair!”

Logan just hummed and turned back to glance at the security camera footage again.

He heard Virgil shifting around and testing his restraints behind him for a few minutes. “Please, Logan, just let me go,” he pleaded. “I won’t go to the police, I swear.” Logan picked up on a bit of a distressed Virgil tone. It should be easy to ignore. He didn’t need to make sure Virgil was content anymore. They didn’t live together, and Logan would face none of the future consequences of his discontent.

Logan blamed the fact that he turned around to face him on years of habit. He did not know what to blame for the way he felt his face soften when he looked at him. “I will be finished in about an hour, Virgil,” he said. “I just can’t have you interfering.”

“Yeah, and then after that are you going to leave me tied up here so I can hope someone happens to come by soon?”

Logan tilted his head at him. “You are upset about being left restrained last time.”

“Yeah, no shit.”

“You were never in any danger. The drug truly wasn’t harmful, and Remus was bound to wake up, and I would have sent an anonymous tip to the police station if I didn’t hear anything through police traffic within a few hours.”

“Yeah, well, I have anxiety,” Virgil shot back.

Logan blinked at him. “My apologizes for any undue distress.”

“You can stick your apologies up your ass, Logan or whoever the fuck you are.” His eyes looked hurt, and Logan felt a strong impulse to reach out and touch, but considering Logan was the source of said hurt, he doubted it’d be welcome.

“I will be sure to arrange your release by 5pm,” Logan said. He tapped on the digital clock on the desk. “There is no need to worry until then.”

Virgil just frowned at him.

“How about one of your podcast shows to pass the time,” Logan suggested. He minimized the window with the chat on the laptop so he could pull up the podcast application he’d installed. “I have been keeping up with that one about North American cryptids. It is still just illogical pseudoscience. I believe a new episode was set to come out today.” He scrolled down to the newest episode of the podcast. “It seems to be about the ‘Skunk Ape’.”

“I… you still listen to that?” Virgil asked. “You hated that show.” And he still did. He had just… found himself listening to it anyway, especially on days where he couldn’t sleep.

“You liked it,” Logan said. They stared at each other for a long moment. “S-so, it should afford you some measure of calm until you are released.”

“How kind of you,” Virgil said darkly. Logan looked away from him and pressed play on the podcast. Logan ended up feeding him some of the copious amounts of popcorn he’d gotten from the food area earlier, but other than that, they didn’t interact much. The silence was not nearly as companionable as it had once been, and Logan became hyperaware of the angry glares Virgil kept throwing him.

About three quarters of the way through the episode, Logan looked over at the security feeds and cursed. “How the hell?” he asked.

“What?” Virgil asked through a mouthful of popcorn. Logan had set the large bag of popcorn on a table next to Virgil and had apparently been too slow in his hand feeding, because Virgil had chosen to lean over and pick up a few pieces of popcorn himself with his mouth. It was not the first time he’d seen Virgil eat popcorn like a horse eating from a morral, and it was just as disgustingly adorable as always.

Logan reached over to wipe his buttery mouth off with the handkerchief he kept in his pocket even as he was distracted by Detective Remus Royal’s dumb face which had been caught on camera near the entrance. He watched as Remus walked up to the help desk and showed his badge to the woman standing there.

“Is that Remus?” Virgil asked.

“First name basis?” Logan inquired with a raised eyebrow.

“You left me handcuffed to a kitchen table with his drugged ass,” Virgil said dryly. “I think I’ve moved past using his last name and title.  Not to mention I got to know him pretty well because he spent a couple of months interrogating me while trying to find you… Oh. Is he here looking for you?”

Probably, and damn him for getting this close. The bastard has never gotten close. The one time he’d caught Logan had been a complete fluke because they happened to book a room at the same motel. “Dammit,” he hissed when after a few moments of talking, the woman at the front desk nodded and let him behind the desk so he could enter the employees only door…

Logan and Virgil locked eyes briefly and then Virgil opened his mouth, readying to scream. Logan jumped forward and stuck the handkerchief in his mouth. “Apologies,” he mumbled. Virgil very clearly did not forgive him. In fact, Logan would have to make this quick because Virgil was already working the handkerchief out of his mouth when there was a knock on the door.

Logan turned to the door and flung it open. Remus seemed surprised that the door had opened so quickly and then even more surprised when he managed to process Logan’s face. Logan grabbed him by the wrist and yanked him inside before he could react, using momentum to throw him to the ground and shove a knee into his back.

“Ow! Shit!” Remus said as Logan kicked the door closed again. “Oh no you don’t!” Remus yelped when Logan’s hand went for the handcuffs on his waist. He rolled, managing to throw Logan off, but Logan was on him again in the next moment. He kneeled on one of his wrists to keep it pinned, but the other was free. Remus aimed a punch at Logan’s face, but Logan managed to block it. The second time he tried to punch Logan, Logan ducked out of the way and grabbed his wrist. Remus tugged roughly, but Logan still managed to reach over with his other hand and grab the handcuffs of his waist. “Damn you,” Remus said, trying his hardest to wiggle away and bucking. Logan ended up throwing one knee over his stomach to keep him in place so he could snap one of the cuffs on his wrist and the other on the leg of the heavy desk.

They stared at each other for a few seconds. “You know,” Remus said and clicked his tongue. “If you wanted to be on top that badly, you could have just asked.”

Logan blinked at him. “I highly doubt being cordial about handcuffing you would have resulted in the desired position.”

A spit covered handkerchief fell on the top of Logan’s head the next moment as Virgil finally managed to work it all the way out with his tongue. “Life is a nightmare,” Virgil contributed.

Remus’s eyes flickered up to Virgil. “Hey, Virgil, what are you doing here?”

“He saw me while going to the employee breakroom,” Logan explained.

“Since when have you worked at Target?”

“Since you got me fired from my last job, you dick,” Virgil said.

“Right,” Remus said with a wince. “Sorry about that again.” He looked back at Logan. “Not that I’m complaining,” he drawled, “but are you planning on getting off of me any time soon?”

“Give me a moment,” Logan said. “I need to find something to do with your free hand.”

Remus gave him a wide smile. “…Well.”

“Don’t,” Virgil hissed. “Please, just don’t. Not in front of me at least.”

Logan looked up at him in confusion, but he just rolled his eyes, so Logan dismissed it as unimportant. He carefully got off Remus and stood. He cast his eyes around for something that would work as restraints.

“You could just leave that hand free,” Remus said, innocently. “I promise I’ll be good.”

He found an extension cord in a box in the back of the office. “Forgive me if I don’t believe you,” he said dryly.

Remus gave him an impressive pout, but Logan was unmoved. He walked over and started using the extension cord to secure Remus’s other arm to a different leg of the desk.

“So, what’s it today?” Remus asked. “Hacking into Target rewards accounts to steal data? Stealing a couple computers? Ooo! Are you going to go to the make a bomb out of cleaning supplies and blow us all up?”

Logan heard Virgil suck in a little breath and glared at Remus as he finished securing him the best he could to the desk. “Stop it,” he said with a frown. “You’re scaring Virgil.”

“Oh, I’m scaring Virgil?” Remus asked. “You kidnapped Virgil and tied him to a chair.”

Logan shrugged as he stood. “He was in the way.”

“Is this even real life?” Virgil asked. “What is going on?”

“I unfortunately cannot tell you Virgil as it would compromise what I am attempting to do, but I am not going to make a bomb or harm anyone here.” He glanced down at Remus who was already eying the extension cord for weaknesses. “Except perhaps him if he doesn’t behave.”

“What are you going to do?” he asked idly, “Spank me?”

Logan raised an eyebrow and poked him in the cheek with his foot. “Deviant.”

“Or step on me. Even better.”

“I said quit it,” complained Virgil.

Logan turned his attention back to his computer and found that everything was right on time. His target was already on the security camera in the electronics section. The drop off would be in 5 minutes and the pick-up was set to be 5 minutes after that. Logan had a rather small window. He quickly wiped the computer of everything except for the podcast app and then rewound the podcast episode back to a few minutes before where they’d been when Remus had interrupted. “I really must be going now,” Logan told them. He picked up his keys and stepped carefully around Remus. He glanced back at Virgil as he opened the office door, an odd feeling in his throat. “It was nice to see you again, Virgil.”

He shut the door on Remus’s complaints about not receiving a personal goodbye for himself.

Want to read more? The next installment is:

Rats, Pizza, and Supply Closets

[passionate-hedgehog]

Hooked (Damien Haas x Reader)

Damien and his producer girlfriend just wanted to update their fans on a SMOSHcast after he posted a picture to his instagram account indirectly outing them as a couple. So, why are Sarah and Shayne singled out at the end?

Damien Haas x OC

5020 words

ITALICS are flashbacks

AN: I wrote this in 5 hours so if it sucks, it’s because I rushed. I tried really hard not to delve into SMOSH fanfiction but fuck me, I’m here. and I hate it. I had to pee the entire time. I have zero clue how VIDCON or any fan convention works. It is what it is. Mythical are assholes kinda in this.

AN2: Find my first Ian Hecox fic here.

AN3: I’ve rewritten it to be a Damien x Reader

m.list

“Welcome to another SMOSHcast. I am Ian Hecox from SMOSH.” The host of the podcast looked into the camera put off to the side to record video. “We have a few guests today. Right next to me is producer Sarah Whittle…”

“Isss meee!” The producer proclaimed in her cute tone. “I’m Sarah Whittle from SMOSH.”

The host continued, “And next to her is Shayne Topp, actor extraordinaire.”

“Heeeeyyyy. I’m Shayne.” The actor whispered weirdly into the mic.

As the group at the table giggled and/or rolled their eyes, Ian did the next introduction. “And then we have our video game professionalist: Damien Haas.”

“Aw, that’s sweet, man. Thank you.” Damien replied to the host and then looked into the camera. “Yes, I am Damian Haas, an actor from SMOSH. Disclaimer: we ALL play video games. Don’t let them fool you, listeners.”

“Mmmm...not quite.” The final guest commented from the left side of Damian. “Unless you count merge games on the phone. Not that you haven’t tried to hook me into them.”

“Oh, yeah.” Shayne piped in. “Y/n, you’re not a fan of video games.”

 Damien and Y/n were sitting on his couch with controllers in their hands and cats by their legs. Damien was working on loading Smash Bros onto the tv while Y/n scratched behind Zelda’s ears.

“I know our thing is you watching me play, but I think you might really like this one. I promise.” Damien tapped at his buttons to work through the settings.

“When I gave you that business card back at VIDCON that said ‘I’d love to watch you play games sometime,’ I meant it. YOU play. YOU.” She pouted.

He shrugged as if it was out of his hands. “It’s already been decided.”

“Do we gotta, though? Like, I’m totally content watching you play and using my hands for more important things...like loving on the felines. So important.

”“Super important.” Damien nodded in agreement.

“Super important.” Y/n repeated, feeling as if she won.

“Too bad.” Damien looked back at the screen. “What character do you want to play as?”

Y/n groaned in despair and threw her body backward against the cushions. “Fuck me.”

Damien looked at her with raised eyebrows. “What’s up?”

The look on Y/n’s face told him not to push it.

 Damien turned his head to the new producer. “You just can’t be hooked.”

Ian chuckled. “Well, I think we’ve proved that you can, as a matter of fact, be hooked.”

She looked at the host with a playful glare. “You really ready for this conversation?” 

It was Y/n’s first VidCon and, honestly, still her first month at Mythical. Her job was to engage the attendees that walked past the Mythical booth in conversation. She was meant to talk about things pertaining to the people and things in the videos. She was still fresh at her production assistant role and didn’t know much about Mythical’s behind the scenes things quite yet. She’d had a few people stop by, and she was able to amp up the hype for the projects she knew were coming up. That was a thing she could do, and she did it well. She loved Mythical so far.

When a small group of people around her age started walking towards her booth while laughing and what looked to be recording, she started to feel a little shy. She was an extrovert, which helped with what she was supposed to be doing. But there hasn’t been an actual group of people to approach her. The closer they got, the more nervous she got. She ended up deciding to take the L and make herself look busy in hopes that they’d just keep walking. It worked in the end, but she felt bad about purposefully not doing her job. She promised herself she wouldn’t let herself do that again and made sure to engage with anyone she could while at her station.

When it was Mythical’s turn at the panel, she stood off to the side and took pictures of her bosses and co-workers. She filmed a little for future needs and made sure to enjoy her time overall. She also made sure to listen to what Rhett and Link talked about and store it away for later and made mental notes on things she had questions about.

It was when she was going through some of her pictures during the fan Q&A that she noticed someone was watching her. She had glanced up for a second while being in thought when they locked eyes. She squinted while trying to figure out who he was really looking at because there was no way he was looking at her. She wasn’t even a producer that the fans knew. It took a minute, but he eventually looked away, while looking like he was caught with his hands in the cookie jar.

The next day, she was able to explore a little bit more. One of the OG producers took over the booth, and she decided to go and see what else was out there. She ended up stumbling upon interactive video gaming booths. She wasn’t a fan of video games, but she always liked watching people play them. Those that really enjoyed video games would be the most entertaining. It always pulled her in.

She scanned the games that were being played and caught sight of the group of people from yesterday. Feelings of guilt from not doing her job hit her, and she gnawed at her lip. She knew she had to start going easier on herself, but there was still a fear that the company would one day realize she was some incompetent girl from the midwest that didn’t belong in California or the industry.

“Hey, are you okay?” A voice spoke from in front of her.

She looked up and noticed the guy from the day before looking at her with scrunched eyebrows. “Huh?”

“You looked like you were trying to give yourself snakebite piercings with your teeth, and your foot was tapping faster than Thumper. Do you need anything? Or is there someone I can get for you?” He looked around the area.

She shook her thoughts from her head. “No, thank you. I’m fine. I didn’t realize I was that lost in thought.”

“Do you...do you work for Mythical? I saw you yesterday taking pictures of the panel, and I noticed you were at the booth. So yes...you do work for Mythical. That was a dumb question, never mind.” The guy scratched his face awkwardly.

Y/n assessed the situation. Was this guy a fan of Mythical? Like one of THOSE fans that she needed to be concerned about? Or was he just trying to make conversation? Y/n was at a disadvantage. She was alone at VIDCON (and California altogether, but that's for a different day), and she wasn’t quite sure what to do.

“Hey, Damien! I thought you were going to play the Halo campaign?” A blonde guy came up to the two. There were a few others with him; Y/n recognized them as the group from earlier.

The guy, Damien?, looked to the group as if forgetting that they were there. “Oh. Yeah. That slipped my mind entirely. Guys, this is...uh…”

“Y/n. My name is Y/n.” She smiled her work-place smile—the polite one she saved for when she didn’t know what else to do.

“She works for Mythical. Isn’t that cool?” Damien smiled as if he really thought taking pictures of the panel at VIDCON was the biggest dream job anyone could ever have.

“I think you’re way too excited about what I do for my job.” She laughed in response.

“It’s probably because he relates to it a little. We work for SMOSH.” The blonde friend supplied.

Y/n tried really hard not to let her face control the conversation. “Forgive me, but I don’t know what that actually is. And by the looks on your faces, I feel like maybe I should….”

“Oh, it’s ok!” Damien interjected. “If you haven’t gone to a panel yet, ours is later tonight. You should come by and check it out. Our channel has a few different things.”

One of the other group members stepped in. “Yeah, there's sketch comedy, video games, things like that. You’re at the video games booths, so I’ll assume you like video games?”

That made her chuckle. “I actually don’t really like video games. I was just wandering around because I got a break from the Mythical booth.”

When she looked at the group again, she noticed they were all staring at Damien with raised eyebrows.

“Oh. Right…” He said while looking shocked. “Well... as Noah said...there’s sketch comedy?”

“Well, who doesn’t like to laugh??” Y/n shrugged. “I’ll try to make it to the panel! Thanks for introducing me to something. I have to actually make it back to my booth to help with cleaning up. But I’ll be waiting for the panel!”

On the last day of VIDCON, Y/n was exhausted. She was just thoroughly exhausted. When she went to get herself a snack from the food service area to refuel for breaking down the booth, Damien was there as well. His group wasn’t with him, which made it easier for her to approach him.

“Damien?” She called when she was a few feet behind him. He turned around and held a pleasantly surprised expression. “Hey, I ended up missing your panel, but I hoped it went really well.”

“That’s ok. It means a lot that you found me and told me that. Thank you for the consideration.” The look in his eyes was earnest. He really meant what he said. “How was your first VIDCON?”

“I wasn’t really sure what to expect, to be honest. I don’t know a lot about any of this. I’m completely new to the industry. But I’m excited to see where it takes me. I hope to see VIDCON next year. Maybe you’ll be here too?” She licked her lips, wondering if that was a little too forward.

“I hope so, too. I’d really enjoy that.” He gave a smile that melted Y/n’s insides.

“Oh! I have a thing for you!” The PA reached into her sweater pocket and pulled out a small card. “It’s the industry, and one of the rules is to exchange business cards, right? Here’s mine.”

He looked at the white cardstock in his hands, noting that something was scrawled onto the back of it. “I gotta say. You’re super prepared for someone new to this. I don’t even have one. But thank you. I gotta get back to my group so we can head back to Sacramento. It was nice to meet you, Y/n.”

Y/n watched him reach a hand out to her, and she took it to shake. “It was nice to meet you, too, Damien.” 

The host sighed. “And our final guest, today, is SMOSH producer: Y/f/n Y/l/n. This is her first cast, and we’re very excited to have her on.”

“Aw, thanks, Ian. I almost forgive you.” She said with a glint in her eyes. “Yes, I am Y/n. I’m a new producer for SMOSH. I currently work under Sarah until I can get my feet more settled on the ground here.”

Shayne chimed in. “Have you noticed a difference yet? Between here and Mythical?”

The producer looked to be in thought before she replied. “Hm. The obvious difference is the job title. I was just a PA there, but I did a lot of producer side work because there were opportunities. I didn’t ever actually produce, but I still did a lot. I’m not complaining; I loved it. Obviously, or I wouldn’t have stayed as long as I did. But because I am currently working under someone, it’s mostly the same.”

The host closed his water bottle after taking a swig from it. “Are you excited to start as a producer on your own soon?”

“Uh, oh! Trick question!” Shayne called in his Aunt Carolyn voice before going back to normal. “You gotta say yes. Or you get fired.”

“Listen, bruh. I’ll take you. Don’t think I won’t.”

“Well, that’s not fair. Fighting you is like fighting three people right now. I’d have absolutely no hope!” The actor threw his hands into the air.

“OOOH nice segue, Shayne! It goes right into today’s first topic.” Ian looked into the camera. “We’ve always considered SMOSH as a...a family. We’ve had good times and some really awful bad times together. There are a few different kinds of out-of-the-workplace relationships amongst all of us.”

“Yeah, like Y/n has become my complete best friend. I mean, it started while she worked at Mythical, but it hasn’t changed since she moved over here. And right now, especially right now, we’ve grown even closer.” Sarah cut in while motioning to the new producer.

Y/n excitedly jumped in. “Yeah, I’m super thankful for Sarah just existing in the first place. I don’t have any family here in California, as you guys here at the table know. So, during everything that’s been happening, it’s been really...uplifting to have her support through it all. I couldn’t imagine the past year and a half without her.”

Sarah’s sweet smile held as she reached her hand out across the table and Y/n grabbed it to hold for a second. The men around the table let out a chorus of “aw’s.”

“Yeah, Damien, are you being replaced?” Ian asked. Jokingly.

The actor chuckled. “Listen, if Sarah wants to replace me, that’s fine. She’s got more cats. I completely understand.”

“That’s true.” Y/n looked into space. “She has quite a few more cats than you. But Freya and Zelda have become my children. I could never leave them behind. I’d have to take them with me!”

Damien looked at her for a second before he gave a simple “no.”

“I tried. Sorry, Sarah.”

The older producer giggled and shrugged. “That’s okay. I don’t know how many more cats Claudio will be okay with me having.”

“You just see Claudio coming home one day to an apartment full of six cats, and he’s super confused. ‘Sarah Whittle???? Do you even live here anymore? Sarah?’” Shayne laughed after giving a very bad mimic of Claudio’s accent.

“And then there’s just one giant cat because I’ve become one myself. ”

“But it’s like a cat from the movie ‘CATS,’ so it’s super terrifying.” Damien chuckled his way through his addition to the joke.

“Oh, my God. No. My poor husband. I couldn’t. OKAY, no more cats. I give I give! Damien, you can keep your girlfriend.” Sarah laughed.

There was a quick hush that spread across the studio. Ian raised his eyebrows and nodded. That just made his job so much easier.

“So, back to today’s topic…Some of our guests have an announcement to make.”

“It’s not really an announcement, though, Ian.” Damian began but stopped when the girl to his left gently put her hand on his arm.

“It kinda is. The photo from earlier wasn’t like...an official announcement. The caption you gave was a little vague. I also don’t know why I’m even arguing. My bad, babe.”

Damien turned toward her as best as he could with the surrounding equipment and table. “No, don’t worry about it. You’re right. This morning’s photo wasn’t an official statement.” 

If there was one aspect of being in Y/n’s current life situation that she detested the most, it was the constant migraines. Without fail, she would develop a headache when she first woke up.    

Damien learned to be prepared for the morning routine. In the first few months of their new lifestyle, he had grown to realize that mornings weren’t going to be the easiest. He would be the first to wake up, take his shower, and start the coffee and tea. Y/n had been a heavy coffee drinker until recently.  

After the actor got his morning routine out of the way, he went to wake up his girlfriend. It wasn’t that she wasn’t a morning person...but that she had difficult mornings. As he walked into their shared bedroom, he noticed she was sleeping peacefully for the first time in a while. Without wanting to miss out on the opportunity to express how happy he was at seeing his partner in a relaxed state, he pulled out his phone and snapped a pic. He opened Instagram to edit the picture, adding a grayscale filter. The caption was kept short, simple, and mildly vague; they did have a SMOSHcast announcement to make later that day, after all. After making sure that the blankets covered her body, he posted the picture for all of his followers to see. He proceeded to put his phone back into his pocket and get on with the rest of the usual morning routine.  

 Y/n pouted. “You’re so good to me.”

Damien gave a gentle smile and tapped her bottom lip so she’d stop. “It’s because you deserve the world.”

“I remember now why I made that rule about you two showing affection in the office. Y’all are gross.” The host shivered.

“You don’t have to lie, Ian. We know you dig it,” Shayne interceded.

“Yeah, when I first started a few months ago, I really believed my job would have been in jeopardy had Damien and I been caught in anything other than a respective distance apart from each other as co-workers. But, now that I’ve been here for a minute, I can tell how much you like to see your kids happy.” Y/n winked at her boss.

The president of SMOSH nodded in agreement. “The rules were for you two, honestly. I knew that you wanted to keep things private, so I was just trying to create a safe work environment for you. I’d never, well...at least now that I’m in charge of it all… I’d never ask you guys to do anything you weren’t comfortable with. When we agreed that you’d be coming over to SMOSH, Y/n, I knew that your privacy as a person and a couple would be at the top of your concerns. It wasn’t necessarily your choice to be a part of SMOSH, and I’ll never stop apologizing for that, but I want your experience here to be worth it. You’re worth it just by existing.”

“God, Ian. You know I cry easier these days, man. Don’t do this to me. Don’t be that ho. Fuck.” The girl was wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her SMOSH merch hoodie. “It’s fine. I didn’t actually put makeup on today. It’s cool. Whatever.”

“But I mean it. You were thrown to us when we needed it the most, and I’m, and the rest of us, are extremely grateful for you.”

 There was a jovial nature to the lounge that everyone was in. The SMOSH cast hung out in between sketch takes and were gathered for an impromptu meeting that Ian had called earlier that day. No one thought anything of it when Y/n walked in and made herself comfy next to Damien on the couch. Shayne was originally next to him, but he automatically got up and sat on the arm instead.

“How’s today been so far?” The Mythical PA asked as she settled in.

“Not bad. We knocked out a few sketches. We have some Pit stuff to record after this meeting.” Her boyfriend’s best friend responded.

“OH Y/n!” She heard Courtney cry from across the room. “Them boots! They’re so cute!”

“Thank you, Courtney! I found them on a resale Facebook shop. I’m not mad at them.”

Everyone in the room fell into their own conversations about this and that. Y/n took the time to look around and really take in the SMOSH members surrounding her. A year ago, she didn’t know ANYTHING about SMOSH, but she was happy for the relationships she built and the opportunities that being affiliated with the channel gave her. When SMOSH was bought by MYTHICAL, she found herself wandering over to SMOSH once or twice and did some side work. They’d borrow her occasionally, and she loved it.

Ian had walked into the room during her reverie and was attempting to draw everyone’s attention. Y/n missed the first part of what he was saying but eventually caught on.

“So, because we’re down a producer, we’ve been able to pick up a new one full-time. I think we’re all pretty excited that Y/f/n Y/l/n is officially joining our team as a SMOSH producer.” Ian kept going, but Y/n tuned him out to work through what he just said.

“Wh...what?” She asked, completely confused. “What did you just say?”

“You moved to SMOSH?” She heard Jackie ask from her right.

“Babe?” Damien looked down at her with scrunched eyebrows. “I didn’t know you were leaving Mythical.”

“I...I didn’t either.” The girl started floundering. “I...what? When did I move here? What do you mean I work here now? I don’t...What? I love Mythical...I would never leave.”

The president of SMOSH sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Well, fuck. This is not what was supposed to happen. I was given the green light from Mythical to make an official announcement. I would not have had this meeting if I, at any point, didn’t think you would know…”

“So...just like that...I work here now?” The girl was close to tears.

The room was quiet.

“Right. Right...I uh…” she got up and wiped her hands on her jeans. “I guess I have an office that I gotta cleanout on the other side of the building. If you’ll all excuse me…”

No one said anything as she left. Everyone looked at Damien, who then looked at Ian. Ian sighed heavily and walked out of the lounge.

Y/n was in the office she used to occupy putting things in boxes and trying hard not to cry. She loved working at Mythical. There hadn’t seemed to be any problems that she could see, but maybe she was so blinded by all of the good things in her life that she missed something.

“Do you want some help?” Damien stood in the doorway, wearing a sad smile.

That’s when she lost all composure. He must have caught the second she was about to start sobbing because he was right next to her chair, holding her as she kept sitting. He whispered words of love and encouragement as she cried.

“I don’t understand! I thought I was doing so well. I love it here! I got so much out of being here. What did I do?!”

Damien was crouched next to her at this point, wiping her tears. “Did you talk to them?”

“For like a minute. They said that I’d see more opportunities at SMOSH. They said that they could see me becoming something better over there. But they didn’t tell me that before they talked to Ian? I’m the one that essentially got fired! How can they just make these decisions for me?! I’m not…” She stopped.

“You’re not what, Baby?” He had his hands cupping her cheeks.

“I’m...I’m not ready...I don’t want to be a producer yet. I’m not ready to leave the nest yet. I don’t want it to change.”

Damien nodded in understanding. “That’s what’s really upsetting you, isn’t it? You don’t feel you’re ready to make this career change. Yes, and about being traded to SMOSH.”

“Don’t get me wrong. I love all of you. I love SMOSH. But I belong at Mythical. This is my home.” The woman sniffled. “It’s not time to leave.”

“Baby, you’re going to flourish at SMOSH. I know you’re terrified. Especially since this isn’t something that was discussed with you. And you’re right. It’s not fair. I’m sorry that they didn’t say anything to you.” He brushed some hair out of her face. “Love, it’s your choice if you want to work at SMOSH, but Baby, it’s time to leave Mythical.”

The next day at SMOSH, the couple found themselves at Ian’s desk. They were called in first thing, but Y/n wasn’t quite sure why. Ian was in his chair, taking a sip of his coffee while the two looked at each other.

“I think...we need to talk about somethings now that you’re both at SMOSH together. I know that you guys have been keeping everything private dealing with your relationship.” Ian took a minute to think through his thoughts.

The two nodded to show that they were listening and agreeing, so far.

“I couldn’t be happier that you two found each other. You’ve somehow managed to find your perfect other halves. It lifts the spirits here when you’d come over and visit, Y/n. You were already one of us before this week happened. I mean it.”

Y/n gave a sweet smile. “I know you do, Ian. I love you, too.

”Ian sucked in a breath. “So, I’ll have to lay some rules down in order to protect your privacy, because that’s my concern. What you do out of office hours is whatever. If you decide to come out as a couple, then I support it one hundred percent. But for now, with your wishes to remain unknown to the fans as in a relationship, there can’t be any PDA. We gotta nip that in the bud. I know this place is our home, but you never know. And when we’re on location or on a set, just please be careful. Okay? We’re a small company. We don’t have that many PR resources. Okay? Does that sound fair?”

The couple looked at each other. They seemed to be conversing with just their eyebrows and head movements. It took a minute or two before Damien spoke up.

“Yeah, about that...We do want to keep it as private as possible, but that might start to get a little hard.”

“Please don’t tell me that one of you posted something and that I’m too late.” Ian tapped the desk, anxiously.

“Oh, don’t worry, Ian.” Y/n bit her lip. “You’re not the one that’s late.”

The president couldn’t keep the deadpan expression from his face. “You kids are gonna put me in an early grave.”

 “Keep it up, Hecox, and I’ll quit. I swear it. I’ll just sit at home all day with the cats whilst judging OG SMOSH videos and why that weirdo with a bowl cut acts the way he does.”

“Okay, claws in, tiger.” The table laughed with Ian trying to fake-placate the girl. “I’ll hold in the nice things for the rest of the cast.”

“Thank you.” Y/n blinked. “No, wait!”

“Hey, Y/n,” Shayne called. “I like your hoodie.”

“Oh, this ol’ thing?” She pulled at it. “It’s borrowed, and it’s super soft. I’m LIVING. I wanted to ask if there was some vault or something where I could get my own.”

“No, no…” her boyfriend patted her shoulder. “You can wear this one. You can just wear all of my hoodies. Don’t worry about it.”

“I won’t be able to fit in them forever. I was already bigger than you to begin with. I don’t have long until I’ll get stuck putting them on. I need bigger ones, babe.” She turned to Ian. “Honestly, I don’t care what they look like. I just know I’m quickly running out of time before nothing fits anymore.”

“Yeah, of course. You’ll get your own to pick from. Don’t worry about it.”

It was Damien’s turn to pout. “But I like seeing your tumtum. Don’t put it awaaaay.”

“I love you so much, Damien, I do. But I’m about to suffocate in this.” She tried pulling at the bottom hem of the shirt to prove her point.

“If I may ask, how far along are you?” Ian spoke. “Also, as I ask this, I can see Shayne in the corner of my eye, giving me a look because he knows this answer.”

The blonde gave a suspicious smile. “I’m like the pregnancy stalker. I wasn’t trying to be weird about it. I was trying to give them their space, but like, Damien is my best friend in the entire world. I admit I have a problem. It hasn’t reached the point where I show up to doctor appointments, however.”

“Yet.” Y/n chimed in. “But uh to answer your question, Ian, we’re about...6 months? I think? Honestly, anything with numbers is gone from my head. Pregnancy brain is real. I talked to my best friend back home, who has two children, and she said sometimes, pregnancy brain never goes away. So...I’m SUPER excited for that. I can't wait to never do math again. THANKFULLY my man is super smart. He just has to be smart enough for the both of us from now on until we die.”

“That’s the most pressure I’ve ever been under. Thanks, babe.”

Shayne laughed. “Yeah. Having a kid? Easy. Being smart? Oh, man. OOOOOOH MAN. Whole other level.”

The SMOSHcast went on and drifted away from Y/n and Damien’s relationship to other topics. They talked about upcoming projects, future trips, and movies that were coming out. Shayne and Damien threw out jokes. Sarah and Y/n shared looks pertaining to things that were between just the two of them. Ian made sure to keep the talk flowing and always had something to say to stir the pot.

Finnerty called out that they were winding down to about fifteen minutes left of recording. Ian looked at the couple across from him and gave a slight signal that Sarah and Shayne didn’t miss. They shared a look but waited for the expecting couple to start. Y/n and Damien looked at each other to decide who was going to start. Y/n shrugged and sat up straight.

“So there was something else we wanted to share. But it’s actually for the two of you.” She faced Shayne and Sarah. “We were wondering if you’d do us the honor and be our kid’s godparents?”

Sarah’s face lit up, and Shayne gave a simple and quiet “what?”

Damien picked up where Y/n left off. “You two are our best friends, respectively. While yes, we wanted to discuss everything and make this cast an honest statement to the fans, we wanted to ask you something important to us. We love you guys, and there’s no one better for it.”

“OH MY GOD YES! REALLY?!” Sarah yelled but immediately apologized into the mic to the editing team. “You really want us to be godparents?? It’s a total, yes from me! I could never turn that down!”

Everyone turned to Shayne, who was busy trying to hide his tears behind his hands as he tilted his head back. They let him try to collect himself for a minute before Damien tried again.

“Buddy? You good?” He put a hand on his best friend’s shoulder.

“Oh, my God. You really trust me with that?” The blonde actor ran his hands through his hair while still looking at the ceiling.

The look in Damien’s eyes was softer than what Y/n was used to seeing aimed at anyone but herself. But she understood it. It was Damien and Shayne, after all. She winked at Sarah as the two giggled softly.

“Of course! Who else do you think I’d ask? You’re the only one I’d ever pick for that, man. I love you. And I’d be honored if you’d just say ‘yes,’ you dingus.”

“Well, duh! You think I’d say no? Oh, my God.” Shayne and Damien awkwardly hugged as best as they could.

Ian nodded at the whole thing. “Yep. Well, that’s a good place to leave that. Thank you, guys, for listening. If you enjoyed this SMOSHcast and want to know when we post more, then hit that bell. Subscribe. And hey, watch the rest of the videos we’ve uploaded. Stay safe out there. We love you.” 

[damianwaynerocks]

Zuko & the Waynes - Chapter 3

Batfam/ATLA au

Description:  Prince Zuko, pre-finding Aang, falls into Gotham City. After being adopted by Bruce Wayne, Zuko finds himself enjoying life in this strange world. Zuko Wayne has a family who loves him unconditionally. Zuko Wayne is a hero, saving the innocents of Gotham City every night. But Zuko soon finds himself at the center of a plot that threatens to destroy not only this new world he's come to love, but also the world he's trying to leave behind.

A/N: okay, so the members of the titans and young justice team are different in this au.

Young Justice: Tim Drake (Red Robin); Cassie Sandsmark (Wondergirl); Kon/Conner Kent (Superboy); Bart Allen (Impulse)

Titans: Dick Grayson (Nightwing); Koriand'r (Starfire); Garfield Logan (Beast Boy); Rachel Roth (Raven); Jaime Reyes (Blue Beetle); M'Gann M'orris (Miss Martian)

Chapter 2 | Masterlist

Chapter 3:

"So, you remember the plan?"

"Yeah, we got it," said Cassie into her earpiece, having to raise her voice to be heard over the pouring rain outside. "Don't worry about us, we're fine."

"Good to know," Tim responded into the comlink.

It was the night of the auction. Zuko was wearing a black suit while Cassie was wearing a red dress. Both had their masks on. Kon, also known as Superboy, was sitting in the driver's seat. He was acting as their chauffeur, and was there as backup in case anything went wrong. Zuko rolled his eyes as he heard a slurping sound in his com link, presumably from Tim taking a sip of coffee.

 "That was gross," Kon sighed. "Don't do that." 

Tim ignored him. "Proud of you both. Remember, if the wrong person gets their hands on the magyntite, not even Superman will be able to stop them." He paused. "No pressure, though.”

"Wow, you're great at pep talks." Zuko adjusted the mask on his face, making sure it hid his scar. "You ready, Cassie?"

"I was born ready," Cassie responded with a grin. "Now, let's go, Henry."

"After you, Larissa." Zuko grabbed an umbrella and stepped out of the  self-driving black limousine they'd borrowed from Bruce. He went around to her side of the vehicle and opened her door for her. Cassie looped her arm through his, muttering a thank you as Zuko raised the umbrella above both of them. They walked into the casino.

 Just inside, a bouncer stepped in front of them. "How tall is the eagle's wingspan?"

"That means do magic," Tim said through the coms.

 "Uh," Zuko's mind raced as he tried to think of a spell on the spot. "Fire Dragon Iron Fist!" he finally said, and a ball of fire appeared over his closed fist. The bouncer nodded, and unhooked the red rope, allowing them to step inside.It was bright and loud and flashy, and Zuko had to stop for a moment to get his bearings.

 "You good?" Cassie whispered, placing a hand on his chest to steady him. "It's okay. Let's just go downstairs, follow me." She gently led him towards the back of this casino. Tim had told them that there was a staircase behind the bathrooms, and the basement was where the auction was taking place.They walked past the doors that said 'men' and 'woman' and opened the third door, revealing stairs going down to a concrete basement. "You okay now?" Cassie asked as they began to descend. 

 "Yeah," Zuko grunted. "I'm fine." They walked down a dark and damp hallway, a stark contrast to the bright lights and clean floors of the upper floor. The reached a huge room with a wrap around balcony overlooking the bottom floor. Many people, all wearing masks, were crowded together. 

"It's about to start, Mr. Henry," Cassie said. "Let's go sign in." The pair walked through the people until they reached the stairs leading to the bottom floor. Arms still linked, they walked down the stairs. 

"There's a ton of people here," Zuko mused. "I wonder what they all want to buy." 

Cassie shrugged. "Drugs. Artifacts. Who knows." 

They made their way to the middle of the throng of people and sat down in two of the chairs. The auction started soon after, and the words the auctioneer was saying sounded like white noise to Zuko. Finally, twenty minutes in, Tim's voice in his ear made Zuko flinch. "Magyntite is next," he said. "Be ready."

Sure enough, the man held up a silver briefcase. "Magyntite!" he yelled. "This drug is like Kobra Venom! Bulk up your muscles, lady and gentlemen. Do I hear... two million?" Zuko raised his hand and the same time another man did. The man glared at Zuko, who did the same.Back and forth this happened, Zuko and this man trying to get the magyntite. In the end, though, Zuko and Cassie got it for $45,000,000.

 "Holy crap," Cassie breathed as they walked back up the stairs. "That man wanted to kill you." 

Zuko hummed. "He isn't the only one." 

Cassie gave him an amused look."Is that so, Sir Henry?"

"Indeed it is, Lady Larissa."

Golden eyes gazed into blue for a second, both having small smiles on their faces.

  "Yo, you guys get it?"

"Uh, yeah," Cassie replied, breaking eye contact. "Yeah, we're heading back now." 

Zuko's face reddened. He hadn't felt any feeling similar to that since Mai, when he was thirteen. He shook his head to clear it. Don't be stupid, he told himself. Don't even go there. No chance of that happening.

"You good?" Cassie asked, raising an eyebrow under her mask. Zuko cleared his throat and nodded a little too quickly.

"Me? I'm great. Splendid. Never been better!" he babbled. "Oh Agni, I bet Kon is going crazy! Uh, let's go see him!" He linked his arm with Cassie's and half-led half-drug her through the club and out the door.

"And the lovely couple returns!" Kon cheered as Zuko opened the door for Cassie. "I missed you! Tim told me I couldn't listen to my podcast because I had to stay alert so I've been bored out of my mind."

"Oh, poor baby!" Cassie mocked. "Do you need a massage and a nice cup of tea?"

"I do, actually."

"Too bad, Superbrat."

 Zuko looked out the window. He missed his uncle's tea.

 Only 11 more months. 

___

The next morning, Zuko, Duke and Damian were at the table eating breakfast. Zuko was about to put a piece of bacon in his mouth when he felt eyes on him. Looking up, he frowned as he met Duke's eyes. "What?

Duke's eyebrows were furrowed in disbelief. "Dude, it's 7:00 in the morning. Why are you already dressed?" 

Zuko blinked. While the others were in their pajamas- Duke in an old t-shirt and shorts and Damian in his silk robe -Zuko was in jeans and a Ralph Lauren button-up, his hair in a topknot. He would've put shoes on, if it weren't for Alfred's no-shoes-in-the-house rule. "I'm used to getting up at dawn and getting ready. It's what I've done for three years."

Duke shook his head. "You're making me feel like a slob, Zu."

 "You will not feel that way for long," Damian spoke up. "For I hear Drake coming down the stairs." 

Sure enough, Tim walked around the corner, staggering to the table. He was in an over sized black Superman shirt and his boxers with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. His long hair was a mess, and the circles under his eyes made it look as though he had been punched in the face.  Alfred pulled out a chair beside Zuko, a cup of coffee already in his hand. Tim stumbled towards the chair, looking as though he was about to pass out. He sat down in the chair slowly, and Alfred immediately put the cup of coffee in front of him. Tim blinked slowly, before picking up the coffee and bringing it to his lips. 

"Well," Duke chuckled. "I no longer feel like a slob." 

Damian wrinkled his nose, scoffing at Tim. "You are a disgrace, Drake. Have some self respect." Tim stared at him owl-eyed in response.

 "Just give him like ten minutes," Duke said. "Anyways! So I heard you went on a mission last ni-"

"Master Duke!" Alfred interrupted him sharply. "Might I remind you the rules of breakfast?" 

Duke seemed to shrink into himself as he answered in a small voice, "No vigilante talk at the breakfast table." Alfred nodded in approval before going back into the kitchen. Duke turned back to Zuko. "Later."

Zuko hummed in response. 

--

As soon as breakfast was over, Duke ran to Zuko excitedly. "So!? How'd it go?"

"It went fine," Zuko replied. "I mean, we went in, got the stuff and got back in the car."

"That's it? No fights?"

"No fights."

"What about Cassie? Any emotions?" 

Zuko coughed, his eyes widening. "What!? No! Don't be stupid!"

Duke laughed. "Dude, you're gonna have to get better at lying if you want to join the business."

"Which could start right now, if you want." Zuko and Duke whirled around to see Bruce holding a cup of coffee. "You've been here for a month. You can fight and you're smart. You're welcome to start training today, if you want."

Zuko's jaw dropped. "Uh, yeah! That'd be great!" 

Bruce smiled."Fantastic. Go get changed into something comfortable and we'll start."

Zuko practically sprinted to his room, but before he could change, his phone chimed.

Cassie Sandsmark: good morning doofus

.Zuko grinned in spite of himself.

Zuko Wayne: good morning!

Cassie Sandsmark: how'd you sleep?

Zuko Wayne: great but i don't know if tim slept at all he's barely alive right now

Cassie Sandsmark: sounds like tim

Cassie Sandsmark: so when u joining the hero business

Zuko Wayne: right now,, I'm about to start training

Cassie Sandsmark: YAY TELL ME HOW IT GOES

Zuko Wayne: of course

__

Training, Zuko decided, was difficult. It'd been a month since he'd started, and while he was improving, he was sore and sick of computers. 

"If I have to break another one of Tim's codes, I'll kill myself," he groaned, flopping on to the couch beside Damian, who nodded. 

"Every time Drake speaks, I want to kill myself." Zuko eyed him wearily.

"That's harsh."

"Such is reality." Damian flipped to the next page of the book he was reading. "So, your first patrol is tomorrow?" 

Zuko grinned."Yeah. I'm so excited." He sat up, cracking his knuckles. "Gonna be a blast."

"Are you finally adequate at lying?" 

Zuko winced. "It took me a while but yeah, I got it."

 "Good. We cannot have you exposing our secret." He looked up from his book. "Christmas is next month. Pennyworth instructed me to inform you that he needs a list of what you wish."

Zuko groaned. "I have no idea what I want."

"Well, figure it out," Damian replied. "Because if you do not, I'll have to listen to the complaining."

__

It was the night of his first patrol. Zuko turned to the mirror. His suit was a black kevlar lined jumpsuit with an obsidian utility belt and combat boots of the same color. There was a blue bat symbol across the chest, and a demon-type stage mask of the same color on his face. He looked at the blue gauntlet on his wrist and flexed his arm.

Dick whistled lowly. "Lookin' sharp, Zu."

Zuko grunted in response, but he couldn't stop the corners of his lips from twitching upwards.

"Good to see you suited up," Bruce said as he saw his son. He turned to the Bat Computer and typed something in. "Alright. Nightwing and Robin, you take the east side. Red Hood and Black Bat, you take the west. Red Robin, you take south. Blue Spirit and I will take north."

"You got it, boss man," said Jason with a mock salute. At that, the vigilantes headed out.

"Remember," Bruce began as he and Zuko got into the Batmobile. "Code names in the field." Zuko nodded.

"I won't forget, Batman."

"Good to hear, Blue Spirit." 

After a few minutes if driving, Oracle spoke. "Croc is robbing a store on the corner of North and Order," she said. "Blue Spirit and Batman are closest."

"We're on it," Bruce said, and sped up. 

They reached the corner in five minutes, and jumped out of the car. "Croc!" Bruce yelled.

A huge reptilian humanoid turned toward the voice, and smiled. "Batman!" he chirped. "And who's this?"

"Blue Spirit," Zuko said stiffly. 

Killer Croc chuckled."New kid to destroy? I love that." 

Croc rushed him, snapping his jaws viciously. Zuko jumped into the air, doing a flip over the creature. Fire blasted out of his elbow and he punched Croc in the snout as he turned. 

Croc stumbled back. "Igniting your elbow to increase the force of your punch? Smart. Not smart enough." He ran towards Zuko again, claws outstretched, moving at inhuman speeds. Zuko ducked under his claws and gave an uppercut with the same advantage into his stomach. Croc was thrown into the air by the force. Before he could land, Zuko sent a blast of fire at him, engulfing him in flames. Croc screamed and fell to the ground, charred and smoking.

 "He's still alive," Bruce said gruffly. "Not bad. I'll call Gordon." Zuko's chest swelled with pride, but he simply nodded. 

"There's a robbery at the R&D center of Enterprises," Oracle said suddenly.

"Blue Spirit and I are going to check it out," Bruce answered.

"10-4," Dick replied. "Call if you need backup." Bruce grunted in response and, gesturing for Zuko to follow, jumped back into the Batmobile before speeding off.

"R&D?" Zuko echoed what Oracle had said earlier. "What's that?"

"It's the Research and Development Center," Bruce replied. "It's where we store Batman Inc. tech that's still in production."

"Oh."

“That's right. If anyone succeeds in getting their hands on what's in there-"

"-They'll get their hands on everything." Zuko bit the inside of his cheek. "It's fine. We can do this."

A hint of a smile ghosted across Bruce's lips, so small that Zuko wasn't sure if it'd even been there in the first place.

__

The Research and Development Center of Wayne Enterprises was primarily used to develop advancements in technology. These advancements ranged from more effective cancer treatments to new engines for vehicles.The blueprints listed the building as being eight stories. Unbeknownst to the majority of WE's employees, there was a basement. A basement hidden far below the actual building, so far below than an express elevator was needed. This basement was where the technology for Batman Inc. was developed.

Unlike the secret basement of Falcone's club, this basement was in pristine condition. It had a hospital feel to it, with white flooring, walls, and ceiling. 

Bruce and Zuko had just grappled down the elevator shaft was landed at the end of one of the basement's hallways."The only alarm that's been triggered was the entry alarm," said Bruce. "The rooms where the... merchandise are kept have separate alarm systems. Can you tell me what this means, Blue Spirit?"

"The intruder either doesn't know what exactly is down here, or they just haven't managed to get into the rooms yet." Zuko frowned. "Wait, if they figured out this place was here then that means they definitely know what's down here. So then they haven't found the location of the 'merchandise.'"

"And you believe that to be the most probable scenario?"

"Well... yeah. I mean, unless they managed to bypass the alarm system. But that's impossible, this place is un-hackable ever since that incident with Ra's al Ghul. The security system is invincible. Right?"

"Rule of thumb, Blue Spirit," Bruce grunted, raising his arm closer to his face to he could activate his gauntlet. "Nothing is invincible. Everything has a weakness. Some are harder to find than others, but the only thing that is truly invincible is God Himself. And I don't think He would have any reason to break into Wayne Enterprises."

"Okay, but they tripped the alarm when they came in," Zuko pointed out. "So they must not have been able to hack the system."

"Unless they want us here."

Zuko sucked in his teeth. "So that's what you think? This is a trap?"

"It isn't a trap if we know about it," Bruce countered. "Here, I'm pulling up the motion sensors." Sure enough, the holographic screen coming from the gauntlet showed motion in room 121.

"Is that one of the rooms?" Zuko asked. 

Bruce nodded."Yes." He and Zuko started to run in the direction of the before mentioned room. "There's very dangerous technology in there. We need to stop this intruder now." The two were sprinting, taking twists and turns through the winding hallways until Bruce stuck his arm out, signaling for Zuko to stop. In front of them was room 121, the door ajar.

"Holy crap," Zuko whispered. "They hacked us."

"They hacked us," Bruce echoed. "And now they're going to pay. Manuever 13. Be cautious." Bruce rolled a metal ball into the room, and it exploded into smoke Using the smoke as cover, Zuko and Bruce dashed into the room. 

Using the heat signatures to see through the smoke, Zuko jumped forward, swinging down his broadswords in arc. His eyes widened as they hit air; the person had disappeared."What-" he broke off as someone landed a hit to his spine. Zuko whirled around, kicking out at his attacker, yet his foot hit air as the assailant dodged again.

"A teleporter?" he muttered. A laugh hit his ears, and the assailant landed another hit to the back of his head. Zuko tried to return the hit with one of his own but, of course, he missed.So far, Zuko noticed, they were teleporting closely around him. They were staying in close proximity with him. It would be hard to deduce where exactly they would strike, unless he limited their options.

Zuko stomped on the ground, and a ring of fire flared up around him. The attacker led out a gut wrenching scream as they were caught in the flames.He caught a glimpse of a person in a black suit clutching their arm before they teleported above his head, aiming a dropkick above him.

 But Zuko had anticipated this. He grabbed their leg from above and slammed them on the ground. They landed with a crack and coughed.

"You just broke my spine, you asshole," the person wheezed. They were still now, and Zuko could see she was a girl with long brown hair in a wine-colored robe. 

Zuko gulped, forcing down the rising panic at the girl's words. "Maybe you shouldn't have tried to break my skull."

The girl shrugged. "Just following orders."

"Who are you!?" Zuko snarled. "Tell me! Who are you and what do you want with this technology!?"

"Well, if you must know," the girl said, pain evident in her voice despite her calm tone. "I am but a servant of The Lady of the Dual Skies."

"The Lady of the Dual Skies?" Zuko echoed. "What does that mean?"

"Nothing's taken," Bruce said as he crossed his arms from where he stood behind Zuko. "Nothing has even been tampered with. You clearly weren't looking for anything here. So what did you want?"

"The Lady does not permit me speaking with anybody but you." The girl was speaking directly to Zuko, not sparing Bruce a glance. "She has something she wishes you to know."

Zuko narrowed his eyes behind his mask. "And what would that be?"

The girl grinned wickedly. "She says she'll see you soon."

With that, a portal opened up under the girl and she disappeared in a flash of purple light.

[self-proclaimed-chaotic-good]

Crush | Brad Davis x Filipina!Reader (Oneshot)

Prompt: Summer Vacation

Fandom: Spider-man (MCU)

Words: 2285

A/N: Look, I just like Remy Hii, alright? Anyways, I’ve had a draft of this for a while now, but I didn’t have the motivation until now to finish it. Reader is Ned’s younger sister, but was not affected by the snap/blip, so they’re in the same grade now.

-

Everything was different when the Blip happened, the event that caused half of the planet’s population, including your older brother, to disappear. Everyone that survived were forced to keep going without them, not knowing whether or not they’d ever come back. You entered Midtown without your brother to guide you in high school life, having birthdays without some of your friends and your brother to embarrass you in karaoke. Then suddenly, during a pep rally, everyone came back.

To accommodate those that had disappeared during the Blip, school had to start again, which meant that you were now in the same grade as your brother. He was surprised to see how much you’ve matured and became even more protective as before when he saw one or two classmates so much as look at you a certain way.

On the way to the airport, Ned was nagging at you to stick to his side and triple check that you had packed everything. You rolled your eyes and knew that while you had missed him during the five year Blip, you also knew that it was a matter of time before you would get tired of it again.

“Ay sus, kuya,” you groaned as Ned shifted his rant to your classmates that had survived the Blip with you and were suddenly an upperclassman like him.

As the two of you neared the group at the airport, you spotted Peter and gave him a pleading look to stop your brother. He looked a bit distracted but gave you a sympathetic smile. You slipped away from your brother as he turned to Peter, talking with the teachers before going through the usual international travelling process.

After going through the TSA, you met up with your classmates and discussed the locations that the class will be going to. You excitedly added that you managed to save enough money to get a film camera.

“What kind?” you heard a voice that made your heart skip.

You look up to see Brad Davis smiling at you. Your cheeks heat up. “What?”

“What kind of film camera?” Brad repeated.

“Oh, um, Olympus. OM-ten.”

He nodded in approval. “I love those. Very easy to use. Can I see?”

You blinked. You looked over at the teachers, then at the clock. There was still some time until the group had to head to the terminal. “Oh, yeah, sure. Lemme just…” You shifted your backpack around so you could pull your camera out.

His smile widened as he reached out for it. “In good condition, too,” he said, flipping it around to pop the lens cover off.

Your hand twitched as the cover hung from the string that was tied to the camera, swinging as Brad looked through the viewfinder and adjusting the focus. Just because you have had a crush on him since middle school, doesn’t mean he’s safe from your wrath if he breaks it. You didn’t even tell your parents that you bought it, as they would have told you to buy the cheaper digital cameras or borrow Ned’s camera.

Just as you reached out to grab the camera back, Brad turned around, winding the film and shot a picture of Michelle as she walked by. She paused and frowned.

“Did you just take a picture of me?” she asked.

“Well, yeah-”

“Ask for my permission next time. Don’t be one of those male photographers that take pictures of people through a hidden camera and make profit out of them. That’s all kinds of bad,” she said, grabbing the camera from him and handing it back to you. “What was that podcast you were talking about again?”

“Serial Killers by the Parcast Network?” you said.

She smiled. “Yeah, I think I’m gonna listen to that for the rest of the flight.”

“Sorry about that!” Brad called after her, before turning to you. “You listen to podcasts about serial killers?”

You shrugged, forcing yourself to walk away and find your brother. Of course, he liked Michelle. You almost forgot about that.

-

“Doesn’t it, you know, upset you seeing them like that?” Peter asked as you sat next to him in the plane.

He jerked his head towards the other aisle where Michelle and Brad were sitting together watching a movie. There was a twinge of jealousy and as soon as you found out they were sitting together, you hoped that she would just immerse herself in the Serial Killers podcast instead of interacting with him. You couldn’t be mad at her, though. Michelle was cool and she had always been friendly with you. You also knew that Peter had a crush on her, too.

“Why would it upset me?” you asked, feigning indifference.

Peter gave you a knowing look. “Because I see how you look at him-”

“Yeah, the same way you look at Michelle, right?” you countered.

“She’s got you there,” Ned piped up.

He groaned, hitting the back of his head on his seat. “I just… I had plans and now it might not even work out. When the hell did Brad Davis become like… like that.”

You shook your head. “You guys were gone for five years, Pete. A lot can change in five years.”

 “And you still liked him all this time. Why?”

You looked down at your lap where you had kept one of the snacks handed out by the flight attendant. You picked up and started to play with it. Why did you still like Brad Davis? You always thought he was cute, but there were a lot of classmates that you thought were cute. That doesn’t mean you had a crush on all of them. He was smart and funny and he had the same interests as you. That's still not enough of a reason. You had many friends that fit those characteristics.

Then you remembered how he would always be paired with you in labs, how happy he would be because, according to him, being paired together would guarantee an easy A. Whenever you were studying alone at the library, he would pass by and drop a spam musubi that he always bought off of one of your classmates next to your textbook. Sometimes, he would join you at the table and study in silence together. He knew you were an introvert and he always made sure that you felt included while also making sure you were comfortable. It may sound so simple, but in a society where people tailor to extroverts and push introverts to become extroverts, it meant a lot to you.

“It’s not a big deal,” you said with a shrug, “I’m sure I’ll get over it during the trip. Not like we’ll be hanging around together anyways.”

Ned snorted. You smacked his arm hard, making him whine. Peter sighed, glancing back at Brad and Michelle, an idea forming in his mind.

“Ned, make it so I have to switch seats with Brad,” Peter said to your brother.

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“What about our plan? American bachelors in Europe.” You raised an eyebrow at this and snorted. Ned smacked your arm.

“That's your plan! That's a solo plan. Come on, this is my plan.”

Peter pleaded desperately to him. Ned rolled his eyes and sighed, coming up with a story that Peter was having a perfume allergy so he could move seats. You looked between them, his plan clicking in your mind. You narrowed your eyes at Peter.

“It’s not going to work,” you said.

“It will!” Peter said, looking back at Ned who gave him a hopeless look. Peter’s face fell.

-

After the long flight and the journey to the cheap dingy hotel, you joined your brother and Peter in their room. You sat cross legged on Ned’s bed while eating your airplane snacks, eyes following Peter as he paced back and forth.

“Dude, just talk to her,” Ned said.

“Tell that to (Y/n) with Brad!” Peter said, waving a hand at you.

“Whoa, stop bringing me into this,” you said, throwing a cashew at him, hitting him on his forehead. You winced. “Tita May told me your Peter tingle wasn’t working.”

“Stop calling it Peter tingle, it’s not… anyways, I’ve got a plan,” he said, standing in front of you and Ned. “I like Michelle. You like Brad. Brad likes Michelle, and Michelle… might like Brad. What I propose is to work in separating them.”

You raised your hand. “Right, but that would require me taking the initiative and confronting him,” you said, “This is me we’re talking about.”

Ned also raised his hand. “That would also require me to approve of Brad Davis being in proximity of (Y/n).”

“You’re spending the day with Betty, so why would it matter to you?”

“Well, I’m a man now, ading, and I can’t always be there to protect you.”

You rolled your eyes at his ridiculousness. “I was fine for five years without you, remember?”

Ned sighed, shaking his head at you. He looked at Peter. “They grow up so fast.”

Peter growled in frustration. “Enough! We’re leaving for Saint Marco Polo’s Square soon. Just… (Y/n), please.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll see what I can do. Remember, this is me we’re talking about. Don’t expect much.”

-

You went around Saint Marco Polo’s Square with Michelle while Peter had gone to buy the Black Dahlia necklace for her. Brad had been trailing behind the two of you while you snapped pictures of Michelle every time she posed. She went to get food for the pigeons so she could take a picture with them. You checked the exposure on your camera finding the right focus to use. When you looked up, Brad was staring at you.

“What?” you asked, trying to look busy with your camera to avoid looking at him.

“I can take pictures of you, if you want,” he offered.

You hurriedly shook your head. “No. No, no. I’m… I prefer to be behind the camera. I’m not the type to be in front of it. I’m not suited for it.”

He frowned, opening his mouth to question your choice of words. Michelle bounded over with the bird feed and waited until they perched on her outstretched arms. You turned away from Brad to take her picture, shooting it as soon as she smiled widely.

“Okay, that’s enough picture taking for me today. Now, boh!” Michelle said, giving you a grateful pat on the head before heading off on her own.

Which meant that you were now alone with Brad. Until, of course, he decides to follow her. You cleared your throat, looking around the wide square for something to do. You couldn’t help but notice that Brad hadn’t left his spot since Michelle left. Slowly, you turned your head towards him just as he raised his own camera up.

“Can I take a picture of you, at least? Just one?” Brad asked, giving you a small smile.

Damn it. Your heart skipped a beat at how soft he looked. You lowered your camera, drawing out your answer as you looked at what the other students were doing. Some were vlogging, or taking pictures, or, like your brother, were getting their face drawn into a caricature or riding in a boat. You finally had alone time with him without any effort on your part and you honestly never thought you’d make it this far in the plan.

“What… what do I have to do?” you asked nervously, your cheeks heating up.

“You can just be casual, nothing too fancy. We can go get some ice cream and walk around, if that makes you comfortable.”

You nodded. “Okay.”

The two of you walked towards the shops, looking for an ice cream parlor, talking about cameras and the history of Venice. You didn’t know why you were always nervous at every beginning of your conversation with him, but you knew that over time, you were a lot more relaxed.

You were scooping the sides of your ice cream so it wouldn’t drip out of the cup when you heard a shutter. Your eyes widened as you looked over at Brad who was smiling with a camera in hand.

“Don’t worry, you look great,” he said, showing you your picture.

Your head was tilted, the corner of your lips turned up as you scooped your ice cream. You looked happy and content. It was honestly one of the few pictures of yourself that you were fine with.

“It’s… not bad,” you relented.

“You can take all the pictures you want of me, if you want,” he said, striking a heroic pose next to one of the bridges.

You laughed, quickly adjusting the exposure and focus of your camera with one hand before winding the film. He flashed a smile as you looked through the viewfinder. You were about to take the picture, when you saw the water churning behind him. You quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the canal as the water came crashing down.

Your brother, Betty, and Michelle, ran over. “Run!” Ned shouted, grabbing you and pushing you in front of him to start moving. Once you joined the other students and the teachers at a safe distance from the canal, all of you took a moment to catch your breath.

“Well, that was an exciting first date,” Brad joked.

You huffed out a laugh, not missing the dangerous look that Ned shot at him. At the sound of a loud crashing, you all looked up to see the water creature smashing a bell tower, a figure swinging around to save it while a costumed man shot green energy beams at the creature.

You sighed. So much for a relaxing vacation.

[lilacmoon83]

Lightning in a Bottle

Also on Fanfiction.net and A03

Chapter 30: Crosswinds, Pt 2

Aurora felt the phone buzz in her sock, as she stood out on the deck outside the beach house. She looked around and then pulled it out, reading the text.

"Need to hear from you or the deal is off," she read. It was from her military contact and she looked around nervously. She didn't want to work for them...but if she didn't, then it was quite possible that she would go to jail and never see her son again. For the moment though, she ignored the text and shoved the phone back in her sock, before going back inside. More passengers had arrived by then...including David Nolan and his wife. It was curious. Margaret Nolan was the only non-passenger that seemed clued in on everything and showed up wherever David went. Aurora counted eighteen other passengers arriving, nineteen if one were to include Margaret Nolan, who wasn't on the plane. But she kept coming back to how odd that was. While it was reasonable that some other spouses might know a bit about what was going on with them, those on the plane seemed to keep their loved ones out of this or at arm's length. But David chose to bring her into everything and even hearing Margaret speak, if one didn't know, they might think she was on the plane too. She was as heavily immersed in all of it, as much as her husband and she debated on whether or not to reveal that to her blackmailer.

She knew they would find it interesting, but she liked them. They seemed so close and so in love in a way she had never seen before. She shook her head. Nothing could get in her way of getting her son back.

"Thank you all for coming…" Fiona said, greeting them.

"And why exactly are we here?" Captain Liam Jones asked.

"Yeah...and she's not a passenger, so what's she doing here?" Leroy Miner slurred.

"Are you drunk?" David asked.

"What's it to you, handsome? Why don't you answer my question," Leroy replied.

"She's here, because she's my wife and I want her here," David replied sternly.

"Yeah...so back off and I hope you didn't drive here," Emma said, giving him a warning. He glared at her, as he saw the badge on her hip.

"Relax…I took a cab here, blondie," he said, in a surly tone.

"Okay…I know tensions are high, but we brought you together today to assess our situation," Glinda said.

"Why us?" Bethany asked.

"As you know, the Nolans were integral in helping rescue these passengers from a military black site operation. They were experimented on and with the exception of a couple, most remain unresponsive," Glinda said.

"We also know that when the plane exploded, these ten passengers had the same urge to go to it that we did. They just weren't allowed to come to the hanger since they were in captivity," Regina added.

"We think it's important that we all share our experiences since we know that we are definitely their focal group," she said, as she looked at the Nolans.

"You weren't there...so why are you involved?" Liam asked suspiciously.

"It...it is a derivative of my research that they were using to experiment with the Callings. Against my knowledge," Glinda responded.

"So you say," Liam murmured to himself.

"Well...if we're talking about experiences, then let's talk about the believers. They were waiting outside the courthouse when I made bail, fawning and trying to follow me. It's creepy," Bethany complained.

"I agree...these believers are always standing around the street. Before the plane, I was an entrepreneur and then I came back to nothing. No one will take me seriously now in the business world. It seems these believers are the only ones that don't hate us," Baron Samdi said.

"Well...there's a reporter after you two. Anyone else have the press following them?" Emma asked.

"Oh no...that's just golden boy and his pretty little wifey here that wasn't even on the plane," Leroy replied.

"Excuse me? You think we like being followed around by reporters?" David asked.

"You certainly seem to be in the thick of all of this," Leroy replied.

"My husband is the reason the passengers that were held captive are alive!" Margaret exclaimed.

"She's right," Regina agreed.

"Squabbling is not going to get us anywhere. I want this house to be a sanctuary for all passengers. I have it available until spring. Hopefully, we can help the passengers that were experimented on by then, but I think it's important that we stick together, especially with all the attention on us," Glinda reasoned. Liam looked at David and gave him a head nod, motioning him outside, as they mostly dispersed. David took her hand and followed him out onto the deck.

"Captain…" David said. Liam briefly gave Margaret a look, wondering if he could really talk with her there, but then decided that her husband would tell her whatever he said anyway.

"I don't think we can trust this woman," he said. They exchanged a glance.

"I'll admit, we had our reservations at first, but she's helped us every step of the way," David replied. Margaret nodded.

"He's right...believe me, I thought the same as you at first. But she has helped. She was there with us at the rescue," she said.

"Her research is the reason those passengers are vegetables!" he pointed out.

"This whole thing could just be another extension of the experiment and we're all her lab rats," he added.

"I get your caginess, but I truly don't think she has malicious intent," David said, but Liam didn't look like he believed it.

"You don't understand...you don't have people blaming you for the flight," Liam said.

"The government is all over this and this stuff in the wrong hands…" he said, as he trailed off.

"What stuff?" David asked, but Liam sidestepped him again.

"We can't trust that woman and this whole thing was a waste of time," he hissed, as he stormed off for his car to leave. David and Margaret exchanged another glance, before turning to find Aurora Rose there.

"I...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop. But he seemed to be getting really agitated there," she mentioned. David let that slide for the moment and decided to ask her some questions.

"When you were held captive...did you ever hear them talk about someone called the Major?" he asked. She thought for a moment.

"I overheard a conversation that Jenkins was having on speakerphone with someone he called Major and he acted like he was afraid of her; like she was really powerful or something. She said that money was no object, because the Holy Grail was priceless," she said, with a shrug.

"I remember that, because it was a weird thing to say. I don't know what the Holy Grail is...but she wants it badly," she added. David's eyes widened and he looked at his wife.

"The Major is a woman...you're sure?" he asked. Aurora nodded and she was surprised when Margaret took her hands.

"Thank you so much...that's very helpful," she said.

"She's right...we really appreciate your help," David replied. Aurora smiled, a real smile, like she hadn't in a long time. She didn't remember the last time that someone had been kind to her or appreciated her. It felt nice. She watched them go and felt the phone buzz in her sock. She took it out and glared at it, before tossing it into the ocean.

~*~

Emma got to the station and dropped Paul's file onto her desk. She looked up and noticed that Killian was walking in the door, which was heralded by clapping. He looked a bit shy at the attention and she smiled, as she gave him a hug.

"Welcome back," she said.

"Thanks," he replied.

"I'm surprised to see you. You know you could have milked this for a few more sick days," she teased.

"I know...but I actually wanted to talk to you," he replied.

"Oh...we'll have to talk later. I'm trying to find a woman. She's the wife of a passenger that didn't show up at the hanger when we got back," she said.

"And before you ask...yes, the Captain signed off on the investigation," she added. He smiled.

"So fill me in," he requested. She hesitated though. She knew they needed to put some distance between them. He was married...and she couldn't have him. But...as usual when it came to him, she caved.

"Her name is Helen Santino. He was an attorney before the plane...and apparently a good one. We're talking serious money. When he disappeared, it looks like she lost everything. Last known address is some crappy apartment in Astoria," she replied.

"Social media?" he asked.

"Yeah...that's the weird part. There's nothing...she's about our age, so it's strange that she doesn't have anything," Emma replied.

"Maybe she wiped it," he suggested.

"You think?" Emma asked. He shrugged.

"If Clorinda Taylor's reaction to her sister Tisbe coming back is anything to go by...then we know some people didn't react well to the plane coming back," he replied. She nodded.

"Everything before that suggests they were happy...so why didn't she show up at the airport?" Emma wondered.

"Maybe there is someone else," he replied, as their eyes met.

"Uh yeah...anyway, I think I'll go check out her place in Astoria," Emma said.

"I'd love to tag along," Killian replied. She was about to protest, but he was really good at this kind of stuff, so she relented and allowed him to follow her to her car.

~*~

David drove them home and out of curiosity, they started listening to Aaron Glover's 828 gate podcast on the way

During the 5 1/2 years that the plane was missing, the flight path, weather patterns, and telemetry have been exhaustively studied. The NTSB took eighteen months and it's full of holes. But I'm not giving up. I'll find the truth.

As they arrived home, David shut it off and they looked at each other.

"Well...he's definitely better than creepy Sidney Glass," Margaret mentioned.

"Yeah...but I'm still not sure we should trust him," David replied.

"There's only about a minute left in this one. Let's finish it," she suggested, as he turned it back on.

"That's about all for this episode, but don't miss next week's installment when we discuss the mysterious Major involved in all this and her quest for the Holy Grail," he said. Their eyes widened and they looked at each other in shock.

"The Holy Grail…" Margaret said.

"Just like Aurora talked about," he replied.

"I guess we need to talk to him, after all," Margaret said, as they got out and headed into the house.

"Hey Dad...can we shoot some hoops?" Henry asked. David smiled and took the ball from him. They would call Mr. Glover later. It had been a long time since Henry felt well enough to play basketball.

"Sure buddy...that sounds great," David said. Margaret watched him go and saw Olive on the couch with her math book.

"How was your day, honey?" she asked.

"Pretty boring...how about you and Dad? Did you find Johanna?" Olive asked. Margaret sighed.

"We did and she was happy to see us at first, until she realized we were there to talk about my mother's death," Margaret said.

"What happened?" Olive asked.

"She told me to leave it alone, stay away from Cora Mills, and then she practically kicked us out of her house," Margaret replied.

"Well, that's majorly weird and suspicious," Olive said.

"It was...and I didn't get a chance to ask Regina to pull my mother's medical files," Margaret replied.

"Well, until you do...we could poke around the Internet for more information," Olive suggested.

"Okay...let's see what we can find. You drive, Internet wiz," Margaret said, as she sat beside her daughter and they began looking.

~*~

A few hours later.

After helping her Mom do some research, Olive left the house with her gear and arrived at the rock climbing studio.

Lance unpacked the gear back in the box of his truck, as Olive approached and he smiled when seeing her.

"Hey Olive," he greeted.

"Hi Lance...thanks for meeting me. I know this is still kind of weird," Olive replied.

"It's not...just so long as your parents know," he reminded her. She nodded.

"They do...and they're fine with me continuing to do rock climbing," she said.

"That's great...so how are they?" he asked. He said they, but Olive knew he meant her mother. She beamed.

"They're great...I mean Mom is her old self. With Dad back, it's like the light inside her turned back on and Dad is way more patient with me than I deserve," Olive said.

"Don't say that...you're not half as bad as you make yourself out to be," he replied.

"Maybe…I think he gets that I'm not a little girl anymore, but he also still treats me like I am...but in a good way that I didn't realize that I missed," Olive confessed. Lance smiled.

"That's wonderful...and that's what a father does, no matter how old you get," he replied. She nodded, as they went inside the rock climbing place. They were unaware, however, that Sidney Glass was across the street in his car, snapping photos of them…

~*~

While shooting some hoops with Henry, David waited to hear back from the podcaster about a meeting. He hadn't agreed to anything yet, but Aaron texted back and agreed to meet for coffee. Margaret told him to go ahead and then pick up dinner on the way home, while she spent some time with Henry. He agreed and kissed her quickly, promising not to be long. He parked and arrived at the coffee shop, looking around in hopes that no one was watching him. He was a bit higher profile lately than he was comfortable with.

"Hey...thanks for meeting me," Aaron said, as he handed him a coffee.

"Thanks…" David said, as they sat at a corner table outside.

"So...you listened, I assume?" Aaron asked.

"Margaret and I listened to a few episodes," he said.

"So, you're agreeing to be interviewed?" Aaron asked.

"Not yet…" David said.

"You have to understand that the passengers...we don't know who we can trust right now. We feel like we all have a target on our backs," he added.

"I get that," Aaron replied.

"But you might be able to earn my trust," David said.

"How?" Aaron asked.

"What do you know about the Holy Grail?" he asked. Aaron looked around.

"Where did you hear that term?" he asked.

"Not important…" David evaded. Aaron sighed.

"I have a source," he said vaguely.

"Can I talk to them?" David asked. Aaron shook his head.

"I can't reveal my source or the information will dry up," Aaron refuted.

"What can you tell me then?" David asked.

"Right after 828 returned, the Senate Intelligence Committee, House Appropriations started having secret meetings in which they earmarked millions to preserve the phantom shiner. It's a fish. Hasn't been seen since the 1940s. So why earmark funds?" Aaron asked.

"To pay for a Clandestine operation," David surmised. Aaron smiled.

"Very good, Professor," he teased.

"But all my source had was a fragment of a conversation he overheard. A senator said, 'It's the Holy Grail.' We have to be the first, or 828 blows up in our face," Aaron said.

"The Holy Grail? You think that's what the Major's looking for?" David asked.

"No, not literally. This isn't Arthurian legend. But it's something big," Aaron said.

"So...you ready to go on the record?" Aaron asked.

"Not quite," David replied.

"But you told me something...so I'll tell you something I know," he added, as Aaron listened with rapt attention.

"The Major is a woman," he revealed.

"You're sure?" Aaron asked. David nodded.

"And we know that it was a military black hawk that she came to Red Hook in, but we'd need someone in intel to trace it further," Aaron said. David thought back to Agent King and though he knew that he blamed him for Vance's death...he could tell that he truly cared about Vance. If he could somehow convince him that it might have been this Major that was responsible for his death, then he might agree to help them.

"If I could talk to Agent King...I might be able to convince him to help. But I need access to him. Do you think your source could make that happen?" David asked.

"It's worth a shot," Aaron replied.

"Good...make it happen and we can see about that interview," David agreed, as they shook hands and parted ways.

~*~

Emma and Killian arrived at the apartment building, which was the last known address for Helen Santino. Emma knocked and when they found no answer, they turned the doorknob, finding it unlocked. Thinking that might mean foul play, they drew their weapons and slowly walked in. They searched, but found no one.

"Clear…" Killian called.

"Clear…" Emma echoed, as they met in the kitchen. They found a carton of milk that had an expiration date that was well past. There was also stuff scattered everywhere, like someone left unexpectedly.

"I do not want to know what's in that carton," Killian joked. She snorted.

"She definitely left in a hurry," Emma said, as they looked through her things.

"She either left in a hurry or was taken," Killian said, as Emma found some documents and photos.

"Yeah...can you continue searching? I'm going to take these to Paul and see if it jogs his memory at all," she said.

"Sure," he agreed, though he was clearly disappointed that she was ditching him. Perhaps it was for the best. They couldn't be together anyway, but that didn't stop him from watching her go with longing...

[sopwithwhump]

Something Else is Taking Over

Hey y’all I overcame some writer’s block with some Welcome to Night Vale whump (just discovered the podcast, loving it! It has whumptential >:3) Cecil is experiencing strange blackouts, which lead him to waking up in different places, all beat up. Carlos cleans him up after he gets quite hurt from one such episode. Tw: possession 

It first occurred to Cecil that something was amiss when he suddenly found himself in the diner. Except, it was the daytime. The diner was only open at night. Except, he was on the floor. Bleeding. The glass door was broken, a Cecil-shaped hole smashed into it.

           He looked around. How the hell? It seemed that he was just at the grocery store, purchasing some wheat-free bread. Everything went black, for just a brief moment, and here he was.

           Still attempting to process what happened, he slowly got up, then snatched some napkins from the nearest booth and pressed them to his bleeding arm. He then quietly opened the door and ran out, hoping he wouldn’t have to explain his break-and-enter to the sheriff’s secret police.

           His car was out in the parking lot. The purple Volkswagen’s driver door was open and the keys were still in the ignition, although it was not running. Cecil was left with many questions. Usually he did not entertain questions, because he would go insane if he tried to search for answers to every question his Night Vale life created. He was conditioned to accept the strangeness of his town, to be fond of it even. But never had he been buying bread and then suddenly transported into a diner, seemingly having to have broken in to the place.

           He carried on with his duties of the day. Attending a press conference on the new playground adjacent to the dog park, and how no children are allowed to play on it, visiting Carlos to see what he had discovered about Night Vale today, and going out into the sand wastes to observe the giant sand snake and the blue helicopters circling above.

           When the evening came, Cecil sat in his recording booth. He flipped a switch, which caused the ‘ON AIR’ sign to illuminate. The broadcast then began.

           “A man in a black coat means misfortune. A man not wearing a black coat also means misfortune. You are not safe. Welcome to-”

           He blacked out. Then, a brief vision of the front of city hall. Then black again. After that, Cecil suddenly shook awake on the grimy space-themed carpet of the arcade in the Desert Flower Bowling Alley and Arcade Fun Complex.

           “Hey! Cecil! You alright?” A middle-aged man in a bowling shirt called as he ran over, carrying a red bag with a white cross.

           “Teddy? Oh… my head… my nose…”

           “Don’t move, Cecil. So… what happened to him?” said Teddy Williams, looking up at two boys who stood nearby.

           The first boy looked up at Dr. Williams nervously. “Well… you see… you were probably in the back… when he went totally berserk! He ran across the nice lanes, sir! And then he ran into the arcade-”

           The second boy slapped him. “Get to the point. You threw a five-pin bowling ball at his head. Hit him right in the face. That’s why his nose is bleeding!”

           “Dr. Williams, this isn’t true! I’m not the one who threw the bowling ball, Jimmy is!”

           “I don’t care who threw the ball, get outta my bowling alley!” snapped Teddy Williams. “Balls are not to be taken out of the lane area, nor thrown at people! Get out!” The two boys quickly exited the premises as Teddy kneeled in front of Cecil.

           “Cecil? You alright, buddy?” He took a penlight and shined it in Cecil’s eyes.

           “Bowling ball?” said Cecil, “Oww. Listen Teddy… I don’t know how I got here…”

           “I was listening to your broadcast. You got cut off. Then there were… a lot of crashing sounds. Then dead air. Soon enough someone comes running to me about a man trying to crawl into the pin retrieval area of lane ten. I was ready with my broom to chase the intruder when someone again came to my office to tell me that the ‘radio guy’ got hit in the head with a bowling ball. So I put the broom down and brought my medical kit instead.”

           “That… what? I… I blacked out, Teddy… I was running around like a madman? Owww… that explains the pain throbbing through my whole head. Maybe that kid was right to hit me with a bowling ball.”

           “I don’t know, I didn’t see. That’s not important right now Cecil, what’s important is getting you fixed up. Pupil response is fine, your brain didn’t get scrambled. Your nose needs some fixing, though. Come to my office.” Teddy helped Cecil up and gave him some gauze to hold to his face.

           “Sit down… lemme see here…” said Teddy as he took his light and examined Cecil’s nose. “Swollen like a balloon. I… think we should wait for the swelling to go down so the damage can be seen easier. Plus, this is a bowling alley, not a medical facility. Tough luck, Cecil. Just put some ice on it and see someone in a day or two.”

           “Thanks, Teddy…” said Cecil, sulking out of the office. Teddy tossed him a cold pack.

           “Keep it. I… hope you’ll be alright, Cecil.”

           Cecil spent the rest of the evening laying around in pain, holding ice to his face. He eventually went to bed in an attempt to get some rest. These blackouts had left him tired and achy for some reason. Maybe I should get an appointment with the doctor. Or the jam salesman, perhaps, he thought before going to sleep.

           Cecil’s morning went as normally as normal could be. The shrill cries of various sand-monsters in his backyard woke him up at the crack of dawn. After chasing them off his property with his broom, he kneeled at the blood stone circle in his kitchen, still wearing his purple collared pyjamas, to begin the day with a short devotional.

           And that’s when he blacked out once again. This time he caught a glimpse of the outside of the  library, and then the interior of the Arby’s. After another period of sensing nothing but void, he awakened on a cold linoleum floor. In pain. A lot of pain.

           “Cecil! Oh god… it’s you! How is it you? What? I…” he heard the voice of Carlos say. Cecil grimaced and groaned in pain as Carlos tried his best to gently roll him over. “Cecil… you just… smashed through the window… but… you didn’t look like you. Your eyes… they were all white. You… you could float… oh man… there’s blood everywhere…”

           “C-Carlos?” Cecil groaned, looking up at his boyfriend, “Carlos… w-what are you implying? Augh… it hurts… help me…”

           “Whatever. We’ll address that later. Let’s just… get you cleaned up.” He gently lifted Cecil in his arms, grimacing when Cecil did from the pain. He made his way back into the lab, cleared off the top of a lab bench, and laid Cecil on it.

           “Hang in there, Cecil…” said Carlos as he frantically gathered medical supplies, “I’m not a doctor, but I’ve got enough knowledge in advanced first aid…” he rummaged through a large first aid kit and laid out bandages, antiseptic, a pair of forceps, a cold pack, and many more items. He folded up an extra lab coat and placed it behind Cecil’s head, then proceeded to put on some blue medical gloves.

           “Alright, Cecil, let’s just have a look…” he said in a calm, yet concerned voice, “glass… some much glass, oh Cecil…” Cecil had suffered a large number of cuts from smashing through the window and whatever else he did before ending up here, many with glass embedded in the wound. As Carlos continued assessing his boyfriend’s condition, he noticed that Cecil’s left arm was very swollen. He gently brought Cecil’s arm over, which caused Cecil to flinch.

           “Sorry... just hold still, I gotta feel this… I’m worried it’s broken…” Carlos felt the injured arm until Cecil couldn’t help but convulse in pain.

           “I’m not sure if that’s broken or not… oh dear… but your nose does seem broken, however. Ok, we’ll deal with bones later… I need to take care of the bleeding… you okay, Cecil?”

           “H-hanging in there, Carlos…” he whimpered. Carlos looked a Cecil with concern and compassion before getting the gauze and other supplies ready. After sterilizing the forceps, he’s decided to start with removing a larger shard of glass.

“Okay, Cecil... this is going to hurt...” he said, taking Cecil’s right arm. He picked up the forceps. “Hold still... deep breath...” Cecil followed that instruction, drawing air in and holding it as Carlos swiftly worked the piece of glass out of the wound. After dropping it aside on a metal tray, he quickly applied pressure to the cut.

“Okay… two more. These ones aren’t as big.” He quickly removed the next two pieces of glass and worked to get the bleeding under control. Cecil whimpered.

“Hey, deep breaths. I know it hurts. I’m going to get you to the hospital after I clean and bandage the worst of these cuts, okay?” Carlos put his hand on Cecil’s chest. “Breathe.”

Cecil nodded and followed the instruction to take a deep breath through the pain. It hurt quite a lot. Everywhere. His arms, his head, his legs, everything. As Carlos kept one comforting hand on Cecil’s chest, he used the other to gather some gauze. He took it away to soak the cotton in antiseptic.

“This will sting, hold still…” Carlos gently cleaned the wounds, pausing whenever Cecil winced or made a sound of discomfort. Eventually, he had gently cleaned all the cuts he could see and had covered them.

“Okay, you did really good… I’ll just put that arm in a sling and we’ll get you to the hospital. Come on, I’ll help you down from there.” Carlos proceeded to help Cecil sit up, then move to a stool next to the lab bench.

“I’ll just take your arm… now Cecil… I just want to know… what’s happening to you?”

“I started blacking out and waking up in different- ouch! -places,” Cecil explained, flinching when Carlos moved his arm the wrong way. “Sometimes catching glimpses of random locations… I always seem to be floating. And… at a high speed…”

Carlos gently tied up the injured arm in the sling. “Yeah… yeah you were. Flying, I mean. Your eyes… they were all white… no pupils. It took me a second to realize it was you… but… not you. You scared me. Cecil… I don’t think I even have to ask, but are cases of… possession common here?”

“It happens, for sure,” said Cecil, “but- ah! Easy there! I keep myself protected with blood stone rituals and whatever… oh no…”

“Can whatever is possessing you be driven out? Like… is there a cure?”

“Depends on the thing, I guess…”

“Alright. Maybe the doctors at the hospital know more than I do. But we gotta stop whatever this thing is from just… completely wrecking your body.”

Cecil nodded. “But I mean… without a host, wouldn’t it die? Or possess someone else?”

“Cecil, don’t sympathize with whatever is possessing you, please. I’m sure they’ll kill it before it affects anyone else. Or something. I don’t exactly know how these things work yet. Let’s just get to the hospital, shall we?”

Carlos helped Cecil into the passenger seat of his car, then quickly drove off to Night Vale General Hospital. After paying a parking fee of five tears, he helped Cecil into the emergency department.

It was a busy night; they were in for a long wait. “Hour and a half, at least,” said the tired triage nurse at the desk, “take a seat.” Cecil sat down. He was shaking a little, and Carlos noticed this.

“You okay?” said Carlos, putting his hand on Cecil’s shoulder.

“Oh? Me?” Cecil then sighed. “Yeah… yeah I never liked hospitals. They’re too bright. They smell too clean. There’s too many machines. They also smell of the miasma of disease. I don’t know which is stronger.”

“Ah. Yeah, I know it can be uncomfortable. This is my kind of element, of course, working in science, but I can see how it’s unsettling to someone who works in a cozy, dark recording booth. I’m here, Cecil. Just focus on me.”

Cecil closed his eyes and nodded. He held Carlos’ hand as he settled in for the long wait.

About 15 minutes had passed when Cecil blacked out again. This blackout was very brief this time. When he woke up he was in a hospital bed. His whole body felt numb and heavy, as if he had had a couple drinks. Carlos looked into his eyes.

“Cuh… Carlos?” He groaned, “Carlos… what… happened…”

“You, uh… you had another episode. They sedated you. Fixed you up. Got rid of that demon that had taken up residence. Put it in a demon-proof jar for me to study. I’m glad you’re awake,” Carlos explained gently, “I gotcha. You’re going to be alright.”

“Thank you… Carlos…” said Cecil weakly. Carlos held on to Cecil’s limp hand.

“Don’t mention it. Now get some rest. I’ll be right here.”

[stayextrafrosty]

I am Your Future, I am Your Past: Chapter 4

A Roswell New Mexico soulmates AU

I enjoy writing flashbacks too much.

Also, my love of Fall Out Boy always finds its way into my writing so... sorry

Read on AO3

-

Alex stared at the ceiling, racking his brain for some sort of logical explanation. Tessa was not some god or angel. She cared deeply for people and was by no means perfect. If he remembered correctly, perfection was a requirement of celestial bodies.

He groaned, pulling himself up from the couch. He needed to go somewhere. Anywhere that wouldn’t let him be alone with his thoughts. He would go see Liz. That always helped. He didn’t know if he could face Maria right now. Whatever Michael was telling her was a lie. He could feel it.

He tried listening to the radio on the way to the Crashdown but nothing ever stuck. Every song that played just annoyed him and every podcast on the local stations was about Aliens. He had grown tired of rumors.

Even the worst traffic was manageable in a small town like Roswell. The streets looked crowded but rarely was there any delay. But today was different. Cops directed the traffic away from where he needed to go. He turned off to a side street, still remembering all the ways to avoid being seen.

He pulled up to the Crashdown only to find police cars with their lights on. He parked his car in the back next to the dumpster before walking around front. He looked around and saw Max first.

“Hey! What’s going on?” He ducked under the police tape and one of the other officers stopped him.

“Sir, this is a crime scene—”

“Easy, Osorio. He’s a friend of the family,” Max said, walking up to them. The cop tipped his hat and headed over to the larger group.

“Max, where’s Liz? And Rosa?” Alex had seen his fair share of hate crimes directed at their family. It doesn’t usually require this much police involvement.

“You shouldn’t be here, Manes.” He laughed humorlessly. Was Max really trying to make him leave his friends?

“The hell are you talking about? What’s going on?” He straightened his shoulders, shifting his feet slightly. He was a commanding officer of the air force; he wasn’t going anywhere until he knew what was going on. Max grabbed his arm, pulling him to the side. His whispers were angry.

“Alex, it is not safe for you here.” His eyes widened as he glanced over Max’s shoulder. This was something targeted? At him? He yanked his arm away from Max.

“I’m going inside.” He walked as quickly as he could. Max would have to handcuff him if he wanted him to comply.

He pushed the doors open, taking in the broken glass and tables. Liz and Arturo stood toward the back of the restaurant. Neither of them seemed hurt so he allowed himself to release a breath.

“Liz,” he called. She looked up at him, her face tear-stained. He rushed over to hug her. “Where’s Rosa?”

“She wasn’t here when it happened, thank god.” She paused for a moment, seeming to realize who he was. “Shit Alex, you need to get out of here.” He shook his head.

“Why does everyone keep saying that? What the hell is going on,” he demanded. He looked around and then he saw the graffiti. Sprayed across the wall were giant red letters.

Bring Alex Manes or everyone will die. The old cattle ranch.

He could hardly comprehend what he was reading. Why wouldn’t they just come after him directly? Why go through all this trouble just to get his attention?

“How did this even happen while you were open?”

“Flashbang. Multiple actually.” Alex turned to the new voice. A boy with green hair and rubber gloves held three flashbangs. They didn’t appear homemade. They could have easily been official US Army gear.

“And who are you,” he asked cautiously.

“Forrest Long. Weapons consultant for the Roswell police department. By the look on your face… I’m guessing you’re Alex?” Forrest offered a sympathetic smile.

“Those look like something professionally made,” he said without answering the question. He hummed in agreement, looking impressed.

“Definitely. US army quality, actually. Did you serve?” Alex was almost put off by how friendly he was being. Shouldn’t he be questioning him about the graffiti, not his background?

“Uh, yea. Though I’m on leave now.” Forrest smiled at him.

“I thought so. You give off that vibe,” he said casually. Another officer called to him. He looked over his shoulder and gave a polite nod. “Sorry, duty calls. Hope to see you around Alex. And don’t worry about that. I’m sure we’ll catch them.” Alex smiled, thankful for the reassurance. Max took his place as he left.

“Alex. The sheriff thinks it would be best if you went into protective custody. Or at least stay home until we find this person.” He raised his eyebrows in shock.

“You can’t be serious? Did you forget I served in the Air force? It’s literally my job to protect people and you’re not even gunna let me do that,” he asked, enraged. Max opened his mouth to retort, but he cut him off. “Everyone that was here was threatened! I’m not going to sit back and wait while you guys do a half-assed job at finding this guy!” Liz rested her hand on his arm.

“Alex—”

“No, Liz. I’ll figure this out myself. I will not let other people get hurt because of me.” He stormed out the front door, fully intending to drive over to that ranch right then.

Whatever this creep wanted, Alex was going to find out. He just had to stop at home and pack extra weapons. He would put on a bulletproof vest. Go in at 1900 hours. Use the shadows as cover. He almost made it to his car before Max stopped him again, shaking him from his daydream.

“Hey. You do not get to rush in there without thinking,” Max scolded.

“I’d rather die than let anyone else get hurt because I was too scared to show my face,” he yelled back. He’d made the mistake before…

“Think about Michael!” He froze. Michael’s name woke him up. His rage vanished. “If you get hurt…” Max didn’t need to finish the sentence. He clenched his fist, slamming it against the side of his car.

“Damnit!” He looked back at Max. He watched him sympathetically.

“Look, I know it sucks. But I swear to you, we will figure this out. Do not go to that cattle ranch,” he promised. Alex ran a hand through his hair. There was nothing he could do. He was useless. “Call Michael and tell him what’s going on. This could be a trial.” He nodded, opening his car door.

Alex watched Max walk back to the front of the building. He covered the mark with his hand. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if Michael got hurt again. The way he was talking earlier made it sound like he didn’t have a choice. He would be hurt again and there was nothing Alex could do about it.

He pulled onto the road, pressing Michael’s contact. The Bluetooth in his car was finally working. Would he be annoyed? Maybe he should just go back over there. Then again, if Maria was still there…

He shook his head. He was happy for them. They were good together and seemed healthy. Something he and Michael never were. They didn’t have time to figure it out.

“Alex, what’s up? Weren’t you just here a few hours ago?” Michael’s joking tone helped relieve some anxiety.

“We have a problem, Guerin. Someone all but destroyed the Crashdown.” He sighed.

“Probably Wyatt Long and his friends. Bunch of racist pigs. I’ve kicked their asses enough times they don’t go to the Wild Pony anymore though.” Alex wanted to laugh at his cockiness. Too bad that wasn’t the case.

“It wasn’t them. It was a targeted attack… At me.” Michael went silent on the other end. He was worried the phone disconnected until he spoke.

“Are you ok?” Alex could hear the shaking in his voice. He rested a hand on his chest, feeling that something was wrong.

“Yes, I’m fine. The attacker left a note. They disoriented everyone before writing a message on the wall. ‘Bring Alex Manes or everyone dies.’ I can’t just leave this alone.”

“Did they give a time or location?” Alex turned onto his street, hardly noticing he was in his neighborhood.

“No time but they said they wanted to go to the old cattle ranch. I’m guessing they’re talking about the one just outside of town.” He and Michael had spent nights out there stargazing when he needed to get away from his father.

“Well then they’re not professional. What kind of criminal doesn’t set a time limit for a bounty?” Alex pulled into his driveway.

“They’re some kind of professional. They used Army level flashbangs.” Alex heard shuffling on the other end of the line, followed by loud clangs of what he guessed was metal.

“Ok. I’ll go with Max to check it out. You stay home where it’s safe.” Alex couldn’t stop the sarcastic laugh that followed.

“Fuck, now you sound just like him. Did you miss the part where I said I can’t leave this alone? I’m not just going to hide.”

“Please, Alex…” He sucked in a breath. Was Michael Guerin begging? As much as he wanted to give in, he stood his ground, though he softened his voice.

“If this is some sort of trial… I need to be with you. We’re better off together,” Alex reasoned. He didn’t have time to consider how it may have sounded. He heard him sigh again.

“Fine. I’ll be by tomorrow with Max to figure something out.”

“Fine.”

“Why do you have to be so bullheaded,” Michael teased. His tone lightened considerably, but he could still feel that something was wrong.

“And why are you pretending to be calm about the issue?” He sighed heavily into the phone.

“Because.” Alex shook his head and scoffed. “What do you want me to say Alex? That the idea of anyone hurting you makes me want to hurt them ten times worse? Somehow I think you’d frown on that.” He had no idea how to respond. The idea was barbaric, but that certainly didn’t stop the flutter in his heart. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” The line clicked off.

He sat there, considering his words. The mixed signals were dizzying. Sometimes he’s talking about Maria and pushing him away. Other times he holds him close or says things like that. Alex needed off whatever ride they were on.

-

Michael cursed Max sometimes. He understood they needed backup but who was this guy? Some ex-military weapons specialist? Sure, he seemed nice enough but should they really be getting outsiders involved in this curse business?

“He’s one of the best we got. Jenna couldn’t come because she’s stuck questioning witnesses. This isn’t exactly official business. Actually, the sheriff specifically told me not to go to this place.” He was grateful for him bending the rules. He knew Max could get fired for this. He looked over at the guy with green hair talking on his phone.

“What was his name? Forrest?”

“You’re not always the smartest person in the room, Michael” He rolled his eyes

“Yea yea.” Forrest hung up and made his way over to them.

“Sorry about that. Family crap. What’s the plan?” He stood with his back straight and feet planted. He showed complete respect for Max even though he was probably higher ranked from a military standpoint.

“This is my cousin Michael. He’s helping us out with this. He’s a friend of Alex’s,” Max said. He reached out his hand. Forrest took it with a smile.

Were he and Alex friends? He wasn’t sure. They talked about things, but it wasn’t the normal stuff. Did he still like music? Does he still have a bag of cheap makeup? What was his favorite color? It was always about curses and the past.

“I look forward to working with you. If Max trusts you, then so do I.” Michael gave a stiff smile and nodded.

Shortly after, he was climbing into the passenger seat of Max’s undercover car. Forrest followed behind them in a van that had a handful of tech and tools. He watched the desert zip by, not usually having the chance to take in the scenery.

A small town like Roswell didn’t have the funds to have tree’s imported so there was mostly just cactus and some bushes. They needed rain otherwise there was going to be issues for the farms on the outskirts of town.

The cattle ranch where they were headed seemed too specific. He and Alex had spent a lot of time there. Michael had often thought about it while he was gone. They were some of the good memories they had before he started pushing him away…

-

Alex shivered next to him, curling up against his side and burying his face in his shoulder. Michael smiled, wrapping his arm tighter around his waist.

“You sure you don’t want to go back? It’s a bit colder than normal.” Alex shook his head.

“Not tonight. With Greg dropping the news that he was leaving for the reservation, my dad’s in an extra bad mood.” He pressed a kiss to his head. He wanted nothing more than to get a small trailer where they could live together. Then maybe Alex would have a chance at the life he wanted.

And maybe they could go through it together.

The curse hadn’t manifested. Maybe they wouldn’t have to go through more pain and suffering at the hands of the gods or whatever. He watched as clouds started to cover the stars.

“Hey, I understand about not going home but we should find some shelter.” He felt him shift to look up at the sky.

“Let it come,” he said, sounding almost depressed. Michael chuckled.

“You say that now but what happens when we’re both soaked and looking for someplace warm?” Alex shook his head, laughing along with him.

“I mean, you’re pretty hot so…” Michael was glad it was dark so Alex couldn’t see the blush. He was always surprised by how bold he could be. And he loved that about him.

He pressed another kiss to his forehead, then to his cheek and finally his lips. Alex laughed into the kiss but responded eagerly. He ran his hands up his chest to rest on his jaw, deepening the kiss. He ignored the pain in his hand to hold him tighter.

Lightning cracked and the sky opened up, dumping water onto both of them. They both burst out laughing, scrambling to collect the blankets and make it back into the truck. Jumping out of the back of the truck, Michael yanked the door open, shoving blankets inside. Alex handed him the last of them. Michael took in the image of the soaked boy.

“What—”

Michael pulled him in, kissing him again. The rain soaked him clean through but he didn’t care and Alex didn’t seem to either. They held each other, letting the rain fall around them. Alex’s hands were tangled in his hair. They separated, just breathing each other in.

“Hey, I’m not going anywhere,” he promised.

Michael wanted to be foolish enough to believe him…

-

A particularly rough bump shook him from his daze. Rain, the cattle ranch, and promises that were broken too soon. He looked around the now residential streets.

“Welcome back to the land of the living. You know I said your name like ten times?” Max glanced over at him, an eyebrow raised.

“Sorry. Just old memories.” Max rolled to a stop on the curb in front of Alex’s house. He turned off the engine but grabbed his arm before he could get out.

“I still think it’s a bad idea to bring him with us,” he said. Michael was in full agreement, but it didn’t seem like there was much they could do.

“I’m aware it’s a bad idea but if you can talk Alex out of it, please do.” They got out of the car, walking over to Forrest next to the van.

“We picking someone up,” he asked, seeming slightly confused? Max nodded and started up to the front door. They didn’t even have to knock before Alex had opened up welcoming them all in. He did a double take when he saw Forrest.

“Not to be rude or anything but what are you doing here?”

“Max asked for my help, though I should be the one asking the same question. We don’t usually bring the target of the bad guys on missions,” he said, though not accusing. Did they know each other?

The three of them stepped inside. The inside of his house was almost claustrophobic with all of them. Michael couldn’t stop looking between Alex and Forrest. Alex was smiling, being more open. Alex lead them all to the kitchen, offering water.

“What’s the plan? I can go in as bait, I have vests and the like.” He wanted to shoot down the idea immediately. Thankfully, Max was way ahead of him.

“No way. The idea is to keep you safe Manes.”

“You don’t just throw a hunk of meat into a wolves den and expect it not to attack,” he added. Alex sighed, looking between the two of them.

“I mean. It’s not the worst operation plan. We used to do stuff like that all the time in the Army,” Forrest said. Michael wanted to punch him in the face. This is why they shouldn’t have brought in outsiders. Alex was looking at Forrest appreciatively.

“He goes in, wearing a bullet proof vest, hell we could probably throw him in full combat gear if we want to be extra cautious. This person obviously wants him for something so we really have no reason to think he’d get hurt anyway. I have thermal imaging in the back of the truck. We can use that to pick out the assailant. We’ll all have weapons and we open fire when they show themselves. If you want to get greedy, we can have Alex question them beforehand but I recommend making sure they’re immobile first.”

The way he talked made it hard to argue. Some details were missing though. Before Michael had time to say anything about the obvious plot holes, Forrest continued.

“I can walk with Alex, make it seem more like we’re giving him up so no one else gets hurt. They’ll probably ask me to surrender my weapons, which I will do. We’re going to need the cover of the night for this. Not that I don’t trust you two and your stealth but just to be safe. Alex, I’m sure you can handle yourself but I’m going to need confirmation you’ll run if things go south.” His face fell slightly. He wasn’t sure if he had ever seen Alex run. Walk quickly yes, but never run. Did his leg allow for it?

He reached down, lifting his pant leg. Forrest followed everyone’s gaze to the metal and plastic prosthetic.

“I would say yes but I haven’t quite gotten to the running part of physical therapy.” Forrest blinked a couple times before smiling at Alex.

“Then you can just count on me to have your back,” he said, raising a hand to salute him. His little smile returned. Michael clenched his fists, wondering when the last time that smile was directed at him. He turned toward Max. “What do you think? You’re the boss.”

He and Michael looked at each other. The plan itself was simple but with the little information they had, it was pretty solid. As much as he hated the idea of Alex’s safety being anyone’s hands but his, a former soldier was probably the best bet.

“I can’t disagree with anything you said so I’d say we’re good then. We’ll ship out at 8. We’re going on the assumption the person who wants him will be there. Considering they didn’t give a time. We have to also consider the person who wants him might not be there at all. We need to take whoever shows up alive.” Forrest and Alex nodded.

“We’ll talk about positions as we drive later, see what kind of cover we have,” Michael added. Everyone nodded. “If you’re waiting for a ‘hands in’ thing it’s not happening,” he joked after a few seconds of silence. Forrest grinned and Alex chuckled. Max just shook his head.

“Let’s go get food, Michael. We’ll all need it,” he said, heading for the front door. The tugging at his heart tried to keep him from leaving but he couldn’t think of a good reason not to leave him with Forrest. He glanced over his shoulder at Alex, who just watched him. Then he turned and followed Max. He was almost out the front door when he heard Forrest say something to Alex.

“We should go get something too. Wanna come with?” His blood boiled but he forced himself to keep walking, digging his nails into his palms.

“Sure.” And he had to pretend his heart wasn’t ripped out of his chest.

-

Alex sat in the van with Forrest. Whatever he had felt earlier had him worried. He had physically grabbed at his mark, then had to try and play it off as stress tension in his shoulders. The drive thru was running slow but Forrest had insisted the place was worth it.

“All I’m saying is good Mexican food or even tex-mex doesn’t have a drive-up option,” He said, laughing. He shook his head.

“You only say that because you’ve never had this.” The window finally opened and the worker handed the bag of food over. He thanked her and pulled into a parking spot to adjust how things were being held.

He handed the bag of food to Alex and he had to admit that it smelled delicious. He slipped his wallet into his back pocket before pulling out of the spot slowly. Someone in another car honked and the van jerked as he hit the brakes. He laughed as Forrest shook his head.

“Am I going to die due to your inability to drive a car without a rear window?” He watched the SUV drive past. He raised his finger, telling him to wait.

“In my defense, the person obviously ignored that I had the right of way,” he said, smiling.

“Suuure,” he drawled. Watching this guy be so comfortable with himself made Alex hopeful. He wasn’t bad looking either. Did he like him? Maybe a bit. But with his luck, he’d be straight. He could rarely judge correctly.

“You into music,” he asked?

“Yea. Used to play guitar in my angsty teen days.” He laughed and turned on the radio. He tuned until he found an alternative station. There wasn’t much other than country and top 40. The signal wasn’t great, but it was enough.

“Well this station plays a lot of stuff from the two thousands so as long as you’re still ok with listening to angsty pop-punk.” He smiled, watching him tap along to an old Fall Out Boy song.

Ok. He really liked him.

Alex half sang along, still embarrassed about singing in front of people. It was easy talking to him. They shared interests. He understood some of the things he went through while at war. They pulled into his driveway; Max’s car wasn’t back yet.

“This was fun. Maybe once all this is over, we can go out again?” He blinked in surprise. Wait… He’s serious.

“Uh…”

“You don’t have to answer right now. Best not to make promises on adrenaline.” He took the bag from his lap and hopped out of the car. Alex shook himself from shock and followed him. He half jogged to catch up, still unsure of what his leg could take.

He pulled the keys from his pocket, unlocking the door. How could he tell? Was it obvious? Was that even a bad thing? Was he seriously interested?

They moved through the house and back to the kitchen. Forrest pulled the food out of the bag, setting it down in front of two seats at the table, respectively. He watched him.

“How did you…” The green haired boy glanced up at him then smiled sympathetically.

“I didn’t. But I figured I’d give it a shot. Not exactly a fan of the closet after spending so much time in it.” Alex was jealous. He was out but only to his close friends. He’d tell someone who asked but he wasn’t comfortable displaying it openly.

“Look. I’m comfortable with myself. But if you’re not, then I won’t force you to do anything you’re not ready for. If you ever feel like giving it a try, just give me a call.” Alex smiled at him. Maybe it was time he learned to be ok. His father didn’t control him anymore. There was no reason for him to be scared.

“If your offer still stands… I’d like to hang out when this is all over.” Forrest grinned at him, nodding appreciatively.

The two of them sat at the table, chatting casually. Alex refused to admit the food was good, even though he ate everything. Then again, he had always been a nervous eater. Whatever happened tonight, he had to make sure it ended. He needed to protect his friends.

The front door swung open, Alex hearing Michael and Max talk quietly. He looked over at the clock, realizing it was almost time to leave. Time had never gotten away from him like it did while he was talking to Forrest. He needed to mentally prepare. Alex cursed his lack of awareness. It was one of the first things they taught in basic. Always be aware.

“Hey, don’t panic. I’ve got your back,” Forrest said, resting a hand on his arm.

As much as Alex wanted to relax, the only way this mission was going to go smoothly was if he was in fight mode. Shut down all emotions. No thinking. Stick to the plan.

A quick stab of pain in his chest made him turn. He locked eyes with Michael. How long did they just stare at each other? It felt like years, but it must have only been a moment. His eyes had glanced down at Forrest’s hand on his arm. He saw the way his jaw clenched. The muscles in his neck. The way he scrunched his nose when he sniffled.

They looked away from each other, Alex casually pulling his arm away from Forrest, concentrating to make sure it didn’t seem like he was embarrassed to have it there. Although that might have been the case. He liked Forrest. There was just something off about Michael seeing it.

“You guys ready for this? Alex,” Max asked. He nodded, letting his mind shift into battle mode.

“I’ll grab some extra supplies. Be right back.” He stood, his arm brushing against Michael’s as he passed.

“Do you need help with anything,” Michael asked before he got too far. He paused. He didn’t really, but something felt off.

“Sure.” He followed him in silence. He stood at the door, just watching Alex move about his room. He pulled open the closet, moving clothing to the side to access the safe where he kept guns and ammo.

“Do you like him?” The question caused him to miss a number for the combination. He shook his head and restarted, laughing at his suggestion. He just needed to play it cool.

“Max? I mean he’s alright,” he joked, trying to deflect.

“You know what I mean, Manes.” The flutter in his heart returned. He pulled the safe open, looking for as much time to come up with an answer as possible.

“What if I do? Careful Guerin, you almost sound jealous.” He tried to keep the bite out of his voice. What right did he have to be jealous? He was the one always pushing him away. He stood from the safe, slowly turning back towards him. Michael's fists were clenched.

“I just mean that you should be careful. Relationships complicate things. Remember Maria. I have to keep her in the dark so she doesn’t get hurt. I’d just hate for you to have to go through that,” he said, not meeting his eyes. Even without the mark, Alex knew his tells at this point.

“And you still try to lie to me. You’ve never been good at that,” he said, focused on loading his gun. He snapped the mag into place, double checking the safety was on before setting it down.

He felt Michael’s presence beside him. He had moved silently. Alex looked up, almost bumping his nose against his. He didn’t move away. A soldier never backed down. No matter how hard and fast his heart was beating. Michael glanced down, then proceeded to lay a hand over his heart.

“Remember that works both ways,” he said softly.

He backed away, picking up the boxes of ammo he had laid on the bed. He left the room without another word. Alex took a deep breath, calming himself. He would worry about that later. He had to focus on the mission.

He walked back to the closet, pushing things around, looking for the bulletproof vest. Once he finally located the damned thing, trying to pull it out was more effort than planned. Stuck on the closet door. Alex cursed, trying to find where the strap had snagged on. He groaned in frustration. There was a chuckle from behind him. Looking over his shoulder, Forrest stood there with a grin.

“Need some help with that?” He ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

“Yea, I guess so.” Forrest came and reached over him, close enough to smell whatever cologne he was wearing. So different from Michael. More of a spice. He unhooked the vest from a metal part of the door and pulled it out.

Alex smiled and stood with him. He looked back at the closet, thinking if there was anything else he needed. Then he shut the doors.

“Thanks. Probably just stress. I’ll be fine once we get going.” Forrest rested a hand on his shoulder.

“I have no doubt. You are a hero after all.” Alex raised an eyebrow. “I do my research purple heart guy.” Alex couldn’t stop the grin. He was flattered. He had gone through the effort of learning about him.

“Well I’m glad I’ll have you there as my backup,” he said, picking up the gun from earlier. He reached for the bulletproof vest too, but Forrest shook his head.

“I’ve got this. Let’s go.” He followed him back to the other two. Once they reached the kitchen, they all fell silent. The pressure to make sure nothing went wrong weighed on all of them. Alex straightened his shoulders and lifted his head.

“Let’s do this.”