#also its the last ep... sniffle

[ghoooooooooooooooost]

can someone remarry this man

[wooeo]

i forgot to put the tiktok link on my last ask incase you didn’t see the video of kai, so here it is: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPREak1wH/

also i’ve been trying to write some thoughts about sunoo and wonie since they’re my biases but damn it’s so much harder to write for them, for some reason lmao. same with hoon, jake, and hee. the easiest to write for are ni-ki and jay <3 idk why tho

here are some hcs that i did come up with after spending so long on them:

• yk how there’s duo brand partners? ex: heejay, jakehoon, wonki. enha girlie in a duo brand deal with sunoo!!!!!!!!!

• (name) rejecting all solo brand deals until one with sunoo was sent <3

• whenever (name) & sun are next to each other, they’re never not interlocking their arms & chatting in their own world

• jungwon and girlie going on late night walks together and one day finding a secret spot to chill

• that one spot is now their special hiding place, that not even the other members know about. they do hear about it tho and are like “wtf why aren’t we allowed to know?”

• won: “i asked if any of you would like to come take a walk with me but you said no soooooo :/ “ losers weepers ig

• i saw a video of cha eunwoo brushing off an eyelash that was on somi’s cheek. i think that’s so sunghoon and heeseung coded!!!

• they would turn to face (name), turn back but then do a double take and brush off a stray eyelash off for her

• or fix them if one seemed about to droop down and poke girlie’s eye

• i feel like jake would do something similar too but like with fixing (name)’s clothes instead? or brushing her off after they had to sit on ground for an en o’clock ep

• like patting off imagery dirt or actual dirt if they were outside. idk how explain it properly, so i hope yk what i mean 😔

• whenever girlie is accidentally in the way of something or someone, jake pulls her to his chest and says something like “careful, love” in english

link to eunwoo and somi clip: https://youtu.be/5Qh0zLfUxhw?si=1mJPG61HbbFDY4rN

timestamp: 1:55. the video randomly popped up on my recs after watching astro trying to catch a bug lmfao

- 🔮

🔮 anon.... your mind.... its so big and juicy....

i hadn't seen the video of kai so thank u for that 😭 in front of all those fine ass women 😭😭 i won't touch on everything you said 😋

i don't think you'd reject all form solo brand deals, don't think h*be would let you tbh — they're taking any and all chances to capitalize off of you. but !! you're so much happier when you're doing a brand deal with sunoo! also your face cards side by side ?? crazy. absolutely decked out in gorgeous jewelry and clothing lord,,,, you and sunoo is an insane iconic visual duo like,, we all croed 💔

the hiding spot with jungwon is so cute omg ,, imagine its like a small back alley cafe where theres next to no one so its all quiet and you sit and walk for hours 😭💔 turning off your location so the other boys can't track you and interrupt lmfao. like you love your boys but they're so loud all the time and its nice talking to jungwon, praising him for his hard work and him being flustered and praising you in return 😭😭

heeseung and sunghoon take care of you in quiet ways,, fixing your hair, your clothes, if you have a stray eyelash *sniffle sniffle* they're so careful and never say anything about it, they just do it quietly and move on *sniffle* and jake *sniffle* "careful now," what if i die

[ageless-aislynn]

Aislynn's Rumble Jumble of Random Thinky Thoughts on Halo s2 ep 5 "Aleria."

Spoilers, natch. 😉

I was holding out a little bit of hope, especially given that Riz went back for Vannak, that we were going to get some sort of last minute reprieve to save the big fellow. Sadly, no. 😭

John's guilt that Riz went back for Vannak's body because he had been pushing her so hard was understandable but I don't believe that was the whole story, if it was even a part of it at all. I think she went back for him because because he was one of them and they don't leave one of their own behind. More than that, she went back for him because she loves him. Call it the love for a brother, for a comrade, a friend who has been at her side since they were children, she loved him. Of course, you're also welcome to call it romantic as well, you know how I support my fellow shippers 117% at all times 😇 (she says, as if she hasn't totally written Vannak/Riz shippy fic 😂😉)

Poor John, of all the trauma he's been through, this has been by far the worst of it all: he's been abandoned by the UNSC, he's lost his armor, he's lost his identity as Master Chief, he's lost Reach, has lost Cortana, lost Admiral Keyes, lost Kai, lost Vannak and then now Riz. That moment when he tells her she's all he has left just about broke my heart. When she hugged him, he did a brilliant job, IMO, of showing how for a moment, he just wanted to close his eyes and collapse onto her, then pride makes him withdraw and try to pull a facade together like it doesn't matter. *sniffle*

I obviously hope this isn't the last we see of Riz but, at the same time, I'm happy for her. She deserves some peace after the terrifying amount of physical and emotional violence she's been through. Just seeing her smiling at the end made my heart feel a little better. Love you, Riz. I hope we see you again having a great life, bb, you deserve it. 💖

Okay, so I was NOT expecting Laera to go all Negan with a barbed wire bat. 😮 But was it satisfying to watch the quiet menace growing larger and larger, while that shopkeeper dude clearly realized that he would've been better off taking a beating from Soren? Yes, that was very satisfying, indeed, lol! And why I wasn't expecting the UNSC to have taken Kessler is beyond me because of COURSE they know about him (Halsey called him by name, after all) and of COURSE they're going to want a son of a Spartan. Will any of Soren's enhancements have been passed down genetically? Will Kessler be more likely to survive the process if they put him through it? Will they not even have to put him through it at all? I would imagine they have a lot of questions they'd like answered. And Laera and her bat would be very happy to answer them all, I'd imagine... 🥊😠🥊😉

Now, the three most important things about the scenes with Makee, Cortana and not!Thel!Arbiter whom I shall try to now call Var 'Gatanai since that's his name:

I still don't care for Cortana's makeover. 🤷‍♀️I liked the bit of camaraderie between her and Makee, especially with Makee's line about what happens when a useful thing loses its use. I see a forced alliance in their future, if not an actual friendship.

I still keep staring at Makee's eyebrows, wondering if they're more blonde because she dyed them or is it from whatever she went through to bring her back to life after last season. Yes, this is the important thing to keep worrying about. 🙄😜

I had to struggle so hard not to loudly exclaim, "ARE YOU BLINDED BY ITS MAJESTY?" when Cortana showed Var the Halo lands Makee and John frolicked through in season 1. 😇😂😉

And fourth place runner up, I didn't get as many shippy vibes this week between Makee and Var, whom I can call by his name or by not!Thel!Arbiter but not just "the Arbiter" because I'm a card-carrying member of the Fangirls of Arbiter Thel 'Vadam Fan Club and I'm not going to risk losing my membership. 😂😉

My bb boi. *draws sparkly hearts everywhere* 💖💖💖😉

I'm of two minds about them pretty obviously giving Var the Arbiter storyline here. However, if they would've called the character Thel 'Vadam(ee) but not had him voiced by Keith David? Um, HERESY. I don't say that sort of thing often when it comes to new adaptations but, c'mon, he IS the Arbiter when it comes to voices and considering that Thel would be CGI or whatever they're using to create Var and the other Elites, it's not the same sort of prospect as I've heard other people say, that they should've dubbed Steve Downes' voice over Pablo Schreiber's. (Yes, I saw that pop up a couple of times in the earlier days.) I mean, clearly Steve Downes IS Master Chief when it comes to the games but dubbing a live action actor is never going to look smooth, IMO.

Anyway, I think this means we won't be meeting Thel in this series, since his storyline is currently going along without him. 🤷‍♀️

Now to see what's in store for us next week. I am both looking forward to and dreading Kai and John's inevitable reunion. He's going to feel utterly betrayed, I'd think, and as I've said before, if she's not utterly devastated by Vannak's death and feeling guilty over not being there when Silver Team needed her... I'm going to have to super-duper fix that with fic. *nodnods* 😜😉

PS - Am I writing something utterly fluffy for Vannak right now? OF COURSE I am! C'mon, Vannak, jump in the AU Party Warthog, where you'll always be safe and happy!

[sofapup17]

My Thoughts on Episode 3 of the Wedding Plan (esp the fourth part of the ep)

J’Im is absolutely right about letting your head make the right choices when your heart is compromised. And I love how she tells Nuea that he shouldn’t have to be a third wheel in someone else’s relationship. This girl is a genius. Plus, it was really nice to see a supportive boss, since I feel like the only ones I’ve seen are toxic (that editor in Lovely Writer, ahem). J’Im is literally a girlboss. I respect the hell out of her.

Yiwa and Marine!!!! I was so overjoyed that we got to see so much of their relationship. Honestly, it was way more screen time than I ever expected for them, since we got so little in the trailer. The way Yiwa stood up for Marine and told her team off for dissing her was so satisfying. They have so much chemistry together, which makes them even more fun to watch. Especially how Yiwa and Marine were flirting with each other at the cafe XD (How did Nuea not conclude that they were together? I mean, I know his gaydar was going off, but he decided to ignore the rampant gay flirting, I guess?)

The reveal we all wanted (because Nuea deserves to know the truth)! Unfortunately it’s not really a reveal, and it wasn’t even revealed by Sailom, but by Nuea, who guesses at the truth and hits the nail on the head. I really need to give Nuea more credit. He’s pretty perceptive (more perceptive than I would expect a bl main lead to be). Plus, I bet he’s seen at least a couple lavender weddings in his time as a wedding planner. Unfortunately, Sailom decided to lie and risked his future relationship with Nuea in the process. I know why he decided to lie and I empathize with him, but I’m still a little annoyed.

And now, my thoughts on the last quarter of ep 3:

Rain and Payu’s proposal scene was everything LITA fans could’ve hoped for. Though I only made it through the first couple eps of LITA, that proposal scene made me sniffle. Something about seeing queer couples happy really tugs at my heartstrings. Their kiss was a pretty good example of queer joy and openness. Their friends/family were clapping and supporting them in the background, which only heightened the joy of the scene to me. The behind the scenes crew clearly chose this location for its light and airy setting, symbolizing and accentuating Rain and Payu’s happiness and love. 

Nuea actually helped Payu plan the proposal, so while the proposal is happening, he stands watching (WATCHING! OFF TO THE SIDE!) in a corner with Sailom and they hold hands. After that scene is over and everyone leaves for home, we get a shot of Sailom and Nuea kissing in the car. The place is almost completely dark. In contrast to Rain and Payu’s proposal scene (which happens in a place so drenched in light that it’s almost a pure white), they’re kissing each other at night in a parking garage with no one around to witness their feelings for each other. Also in contrast to Rain and Payu’s scene, their kiss is bittersweet. Sailom even says that it isn’t a good idea for him to be doing this right before he leans in. The only light source is the automatic light that turns on when you turn off the car, symbolizing how their relationship is hidden, not public and celebrated like Rain and Payu’s. When Sailom and Nuea kiss, it’s soft and sweet and secret. 

Earlier in the episode, we meet Sailom’s mom, right after we are told that Sailom and Yiwa have been in a fake relationship for 13 years. I wonder how much they fear being outed, to willingly hide these parts of themselves. When we met Sailom’s mom, she seemed perfectly nice, if a little pushy and nosy about his marriage. But Sailom seems exhausted by this short encounter with her (probs because he has to pretend so much around her) and it makes me wonder how common these interactions are. We’re told that Yiwa and Sailom are already disappointing their moms a little by keeping the wedding “small”, so it doesn’t seem surprising that Sailom’s mom is a little concerned by their marriage. Plus, in the trailer, we’re told that Sailom is only getting married because his mom wanted him to. Why are Sailom and Yiwa keeping their sexualities such a secret? Is it because of the familial pressure to get married in a heteronormative wedding with all the trappings? Or is it something else? Why does Sailom fear her finding out he’s gay? Or does she already suspect something (she mentioned his frequent “nighttime escapades, but those could very well just be him working until late)?

We know that Sailom is very honest about his feelings with Nuea, and Yiwa seems to be in a happy committed relationship with Marine. (GO LESBIANS!) So why do Sailom and Yiwa feel like getting married is the only way? And I can’t imagine that Marine would be very happy becoming Yiwa’s mistress for the rest of their lives. How long do Sailom and Yiwa feel they can keep this lie going for? It doesn’t seem like Nuea and Marine would be willing to go along with it for too long. As J’Im says, you shouldn’t have to be a third wheel in someone else’s relationship, no matter how fake it is. I look forward to seeing Sailom and Yiwa’s character arcs. (THOUGH I REALLY WANT TO KNOCK LOM AROUND A LIL, so if Nuea slaps him, Lom has it coming : ) (WHY IS THIS BOY SO MANIPULATIVE JEEZ)

(I want to maim him a lil. just a lil tho)

(why am i having serious thoughts about this unserious show????)

Thanks for reading my rambly thoughts abt ep 3 of this trash dumpster fire show! *said sort of affectionately*

(SAILOM"S PUPPY FACE 🥺)

[heyitsyn]

Keeping Up With Seijoh Ep. ∞

a/n: this made me tear up a bit ngl bc haikyuu always hitting us with ‘theres no next year for us’ typa bull like BLS TAKE PITY ON MY SOUL AND STOP TIME AND KEEP MY BOYS TOGETHER :(((((((

it has an infinity symbol bc this is in the future so there isnt really an episode number 

for more seijoh content, check this masterlist out!

anon:

the third years coming back to seijoh the following year for a surprise visit, and watching over practice cuz they were in town for break. being impressed on how kyo has calmed down (a bit), kunimi actually giving a sh-, yknow the deal. just the growth of their kouhai makes them 🥺🥺 but THEN- Y O U walk in with the team’s bottles n the small gasp that comes out of your mouth when you see them. they GAWK cuz you’re maturing SO well (stfu oikawa- my eyes up are here) and just 🥺🤲

SO LIKE UNLESS YOURE NEW TO MY BLOG YOU KNOW THIS FINNA BE A SAD ONE BC SEIJOH THIRD YEARS ARE MY FAVORITE BOIS AND THEM GRADUATING MAKES ME :(

oh god here comes the tears

so

it was something you knew was coming since yanno, third years and all that

but you were so sure you had more time left before it happened

didnt you just join the team and met them like yesterday?

nope love you met nearly a year ago

and they made quite an impact on you in the short term you were together

so during the day of graduation

it wasnt really a school day since it was mostly for third years and the whole ceremony but kouhais could come so they could send off their senpais

you already called each third year the night before, nearly 2 hours per boy, to talk to them and cry with them so you didnt have to cry during the day

but ofc

you were sobbing already when you saw your captain walk up and get his tube with the diploma inside

they tried to remain strong as they sat in their seats but a single glance at you and the team at the stands above, the tears were already either forming or full out slipping

i know yall finna beat me up for this but im not really familiar with the other third years in the team bc theyre not really shown in the anime or manga that much so i dont have a good grip on their character so can we pls pretend theyre not in here?? omg pls dont kill me though

the ceremony felt like a long time for the seniors but when it was finally over, they ran out of that building and yall did too and you bolted yourself into the arms of your captain

oikawa held you tightly against him and he didnt care about being seen by his fangirls, who were waiting outside for him, or the others who wanted to have you to them too

‘i love you, y/n-chan’

he mumbled and you nodded

‘mhm. i love you too, oikawa-san. i love all my boys’

YALL MY HEART IS BREAKING BC OIKAWA ACTUALLY MEANT IT THIS TIME AND YOURE STILL OVER HERE THINKING THAT HES JUST SAYING IT AS A FRIEND LIKE IM-

iwa ripped you away from him and your face was buried into his chest

but it didnt last long since the others got a little impatient and just joined the hug turning it into a group hug

‘i dont want you to leave!’

kindaichi sobbed and kunimi sniffled, holding on tighter to the backs of his senpais

even kyo was sad but hes a tuff boy so he easily hid that behind his usual frown and glare

after seeing their parents and reassuring them they would be home soon, you started your trek towards your usual hang out spot

the second and first years were walking ahead of you while the third years fell back in step with you in between them

mattsuhana flanked your left while iwaoi were at your right

the tears were now gone but sniffles still filled the area and everyone was still down in their spirits

you held tightly to the warm big hands of iwaizumi and the soft touch of mattsun’s hand as if you were clutching your life-line

but you knew no matter how tightly you held on to them, they would still go and eventually leave you behind

the ramen shop was filled with another round of tears as everyone realized that this would be the last time seijoh og would have ramen here

‘WE DONT WANT YOU TO GOOO~~~~!!!!!!’

kindaichi sobbed while kunimi aggressively shoved noodles in his mouth to hide his hiccups

you refused to eat because you were so sad that you were scared you might end up throwing it all up later so you settled on relishing your time with the boys

oikawa was busy talking to yahaba and telling him tips and tricks for next year while iwaizumi was consolling the others who were crying

that left you to harshly wipe off the tears and focus on the jokes that matsuhana were telling to help and lighten up the mood

‘think of it like this! you won’t have oikawa and iwaizumi fighting anymore!’

well,,,,,

that kinda made things worse

geez makki stfu!!!!

you bursted into full tears and you sobbed, loudly and freely

‘WAAAAAHHHH!!!!!’

you wheezed and then continued to cry

everyone flinched and got startled at the sight of you crying

theyve seen you cry before but not this intensely and sadly 

‘DONT GO!!! OU-OUR FAMILY’S GONE!! ITS B-BROKEN NOW!!!!’

you wailed

everyone is so used to seijoh antics that they didnt even bat an eyelash when everyone started crying

‘damn it, i was trying not to cry!’

iwa growled and buried his face into his hands to hide the pain in his eyes

‘come here, y/n-chan’

mattsun cooed while sobbing and you went straight into his arms and his arms tightly wounded around you

he pressed kisses on your neck to calm you and he whispered promises to keep you from thinking that you would be alone

the boys were all still crying even when you paid for them and at the exit, everyone wouldnt let go of each other

ngl it was a weird sight of seeing these boys just hanging on and hugging the others and you were tightly pressed against makki’s chest 

‘dont cry, y/n-chan. we’ll be here, always. just a 4-hour ride to tokyo’

he promised but you shook your head

‘--too far’

you mumbled and he was able to make out a few words and he laughed

‘i swear you’ll see us in a few hours’

it took a few words of assurance from makki and eventually mattsun and iwa joined

oikawa stayed back because he already wanted to walk you home and iwa knew you were the one that was the hardest for oikawa to tell his plans to

waving them good bye, you fussed and made sure everyone was not crying anymore

‘you text me the moment you get home, all right? and kyo-san, let the food in your stomach settle before-’

‘before i take a bath-yea i know’

he rolled his eyes but he smiled lightly before hugging you

‘go home now, y/n’

he pushed you towards his captain but you pulled away one last time to give each boy a kiss on the cheek

their lips trembled, especially the third years, and wanted to keep their tears in but they rocket launched to space

yanno that one part in season 1 when kiyoko told them to work hard and then they just snot-rocketed and cried

oikawa interlaced your fingers as you both walked towards your house and it was quiet

you were sus bc it was too quiet and oikawa would usually be either skipping, humming a tune, or just yapping his ass off

but right now

he was quiet, slouchy, and,,,, not oikawa

you looked up to see his face and you knew it wasnt just the graduating part

it was like,,,, he was nervous

you squeezed his hand and that got his attention

‘oikawa-san, whats wrong?’

he suddenly stopped and your linked hands caused you to also stop so you watched him stare down at his shoes and you blinked at him in confusion

‘oika-’

‘y/n, tell me to stay’

he,,, sounded like he was begging

pleading

desperate to hear you say it

‘why should i?’

you asked and he finally lifted his eyes to stare into your eyes

he gulped before further explaining himself 

‘coach got me a volleyball scholarship’

he whispered and your eyes widened before you launched into him for a hug and pulled back to cup his face

‘oh my god! tooru! a scholarship?! im so proud-’

‘in argentina’

he finished and your eyes dimmed, the lifted corners of your lips falling into a frown

‘o-oh’

you stuttered and pulled your hands away but he grabbed them, placing them back to his face 

‘but if you dont want me to go, i wont-’

‘NO! what?! tooru, its your dream! you and iwa-san wouldnt stop talking about that match with argentina and-and you want to go there! dont you dare let that slip away!’

you scolded frantically however oikawa’s face scrunched before he started crying

‘i-i can’t! y/n, i’ll be alone! its so far away! far from iwa, far from you-’

then you reached to your tippy toes and kissed his nose then leaned back with a big smile

‘no matter how far, ill always be right here. im always going to be here, waiting for you’

you mumbled and oikawa hiccuped then leaned his forehead against yours, eyes clashing that was so full of love and fear

‘then dont you worry, y/n-chan. oikawa-senpai will work really hard and he will come back and make you happy’

he whispered and you pulled him even closer to give him the biggest hug

‘im looking forward to it’

TIMESKIPTIMESKIPTIMESKIPTIMESKIP

ONEYEARONEYEARONEYEARONEYEAR

truth to be told with guilty conscience, the third years havent really been in touch

yes theyve called and messaged but there wasnt a normal kind of communication, especially with oikawa

but they decided to go over there during a simultaneous week break for universities in tokyo and iwa, makki, and mattsun pressured oikawa to fly back to japan just for a week to visit

‘iwa-chan im so broke righ-’

‘fine, we’ll see y/n ourselve-’

‘OKAY FINE! HERE! IM BUYING THE TICKET NOW SEE?!’

bahahaha im sorry i love oiks so much its not even funny

they agreed to not tell anyone, even coach, to surprise you all and to see your faces of surprise bc mattsuhana are little shites and they love to mess around

it was a normal day during practice

yahaba was teaching some first years how to serve while watari was giving exercising tips on how to bend their knees without shrieking in athritis

kyotani was doing jump serves while kindaichi and kunimi tried to block him

it was a normal day

the former third years knew the ins and outs of the place and oikawa still had his keys of the gym since he never gave it back so they were easily able to sneak in

they sat on the bleachers and observed everyones growth which really blew them away and took them aback by how much they improved in little time

like kunimis actually huffing and throwing a mini tantrum bc hes so into it and hes mad he didnt get that block right

they also noticed the larger amount of new recruits and based on their practice, it looks like they would be in good hands for the next few years

however, the true shock settled in when this happened

kyotani cursed loudly when the ball hit out but yahaba scolded him for saying a bad word in front of the first years

‘kyotani, dont say that anymore! its not good to teach the babies bad words!’

he ranted and the college boys shared a look of caution and fear, bracing themselves for kyotani’s normal screaming and tantrum for being called out

but they were the most surprised when the bleach-haired boy simply glared at him and turned away to go pick up another ball to hit

‘did,,,, did kyoken-chan-’

‘was he just calm right now?’

‘oh my god iwa-chan kyoken-chan got abducted by aliens!’

I SWEAR TO GOD ITS LIKE THE CURRENT THIRD AND SECOND YEARS GOT AN OIKAWA ‘IWA-CHAN’ SENSOR BECAUSE THE MOMENT HE SAID THAT, THEIR EARS TWITCHED AND THEY JUST KNEW

THEIR SENPAIS WERE HERE

their eyes were wide and their attention snapped towards the bleachers where indeed, their 4 fathers sat

‘OIKAWA-SAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!’

kindaichi screamed and he NYOOMED towards the stairs but kunimi grabbed him by the collar

‘come down here, senpais!’

yahaba urged and coach and naoi shared a look of initial shock but then transformed into happiness

it was nice to see the family together again

they quickly turned into a dog pile with the hugs that were given around like kyotani actually giving iwaizumi a hug and makki and mattsun affectionately ruffling everyone’s hair

the other first years were just staring in awe at the legendary third years of seijoh that theyve heard so much about

‘everyone, these are your seniors!’

yahaba presented and the 3 third years became very flustered but ofc attention whore oikawa soaked it up

‘yes, hello, my little disciples! you are my legacy so work har- IWA-CHAN!’

he was cut into his famous line when his best friend bonked him for being too self-absorbed again

‘waaa, l/n-senpai was right’

some first year mumbled at the scene and their ears perked up at the name

‘l/n?’

‘where is she?! y/n-chan!’

oikawa shouted and looked around

BECAUSE OF FATE

YOU AUTOMATICALLY MANIFESTED THERE

‘YES YOU CALLED’

okay no but you actually walked in just in time, carrying the crate of water bottles, focused on not dropping them so you didnt really see the others

they were silent not because they wanted to mess with you and see how long youd figure out that they were there

no

they were silent because of how BEAUTIFUL you became

you gained a few inches and your hair is now longer with your baby fat slowly melting away and you were also finally showing your growth with your body

the eyes that used to gleam with childish innocence was now mature and poised like a perfect lady

even the way you walked with a crate made it seem like a ballet performance with the grace at every step and the flowery aura you exuded

you have turned from a ridiculously cute and pretty girl to a beautiful goddess

AND YOU WERE ONLY IN YOUR SECOND YEAR HOW THE HELL ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO HANDLE IT WHEN YOURE FINALLY A THIRD YEAR?!

CAN YOU IMAGINE THE AMOUNT OF BOYS THEY HAVE TO WARD OFF?!

‘my god’

iwaizumi mumbled, flushing red and turning away to hide his fluster

‘beautiful’

oikawa whispered and he gulped, not remembering how strikingly attractive you are

‘have mercy’

makki whined softly, clutching his heart as it started beating fast and made his stomach feel all funny

did they act like this back in the day?

mattsun doesnt have control so he ran forward and you were just putting the crate down when you were lifted off of the floor and twirled around

so like yahaba waved off the others to go back to practice so its like not awkward to be standing around and see this happening

there was only one person who did this to you

‘mattsun-san?!’

you shrieked and you giggled happily as he put you down so you were able to hug him properly and eventually, catching sight on the others behind him

your gasp made them smile widely and you pressed a hand to your mouth to hide the shock and your overjoyed laugh

if they could take a picture of this and remember the amount of love your eyes held and the pure unfiltered happiness that swirled in those orbs

it was like they felt themselves falling in love with you all over again

‘oh my god everyone’s here too!’

you ran to them and jumped at the awaiting arms of iwaizumi and he was still the bara arm babie you remembered

‘i missed you, doll’

he whispered

‘hmmm,,,i missed you more’

he let you go and you skipped over to makki who engulfed you in his arms and you felt his soft brown hair because you remembered he loved it when you ran your fingers through his hair

‘youve grown! so much! you got even more beautiful!’

he exclaimed and you giggled, bashful at his compliment

‘hmm~, no i didnt’

he gave you a deadpan look and you chuckled before scurrying away towards the one you wanted to hug the most

he definitely got more toned and he got taller too

you didnt have any time to react since he grabbed you and squished you against him

‘youre here, oikawa-san’

he nuzzled his head against your neck

‘mhm, im here now, y/n-chan’

he placed a kiss on your nose and you scrunched your face but there was a big smile that was clear

then oikawa’s eyes trailed from your face to your,,, ahem,,, girls

‘jesus, y/n-chan really grew, huh’

he complimented and you blinked confusingly before trailing after his eye’s gaze and it landed on your chest and you punched him

‘urusai, oikawa-san! my eyes are up here! youre so perverted. pervert oikawa-san’

you pouted and moved to seek comfort in the arms of makki

‘hmm, oikawa’s perverted as usual. i think it got worse with all those argentinian women’

makki teased and mattsun joined to poke fun at their captain

oikawa whined and told iwa they were making fun of him to which his own best friend betrayed him and starting teasing him too

you simply watched on and your eyes watered, your sniffles catching their attention

‘eh? why are you crying, y/n-chan?’

oikawa asked while approaching you to wipe your tears with his thumbs

but you shook your head with a teary smile

‘n-nothing-just,,,, i missed you guys. an-and im so happy because its like our f-family’s back together and i just-i-’

you cried but it was out of happiness and their hearts warmed

ofc they felt guilty because they were aware that they werent as in touch as they shouldve been so you probably felt lonely and casted aside without any contact from your boys

but they know now to make sure you feel loved and cared for because as you keep saying, they were your boys

they were a family

seijoh is a family 

and you love them 

but they love you more

a/n: okay im sorry this is probably trash and all over the place and im crying and stressing but ive been writing in between my college alg homework and its been so hard like WHY IS NUMBERS SO HARD LIKE WHAT-?! but this has kinda been the baby of my break time and relaxing few minutes bc i procrastinate too much and i want to do something i like before i actually go insane and i promise PROMISE that once everything is cleared up i will edit this and im already working on the other requests so expect a few to be out by the end of the week or something like that!!

[orangezinnia]

sooooo...should i watch rottmnt?

short answer? YES

long answer? yyyeeeEEESSSS.

(that is a rottmnt joke. episode 31 minute 3:55)

i don't know how many episodes there are (and i don't want to know! it was cancelled after 2 Seasons and i'm savouring every bit i can), but at a pace of 5 to 10 minutes of episode a day, it's lasted me 2 months, and S1 ain't even done!

and now, for the Actual long answer, a.k.a. my shamelessly gushing rundown of what makes me run crying back to rise every time i check out other turtle media! (/j. mostly)

first off, to crush a Hoover Dam of turtle show lore like a beer can, Raphael's characterization in his various incarnations is often... lacking. and when i was a kid i used to turn off the TV 'cause he annoyed me. but now! he's my favorite guy!

love how they changed his theme of "being impulsive and hotheaded makes you mean" to (riffing a bit here) "makes it easier to visibly care abt ppl, and for others to listen to you, but everything falls short after that". which is why he's bad at plans, and any strong fear for his bros can come out pretty explosively!

'Plans?' i hear you say, 'why is THAT his team contribution?' because, well, a basic turtle-show-lore scope tells you that Leonardo is the leader, right? blue bandana, duel swords, yada yada cultural phenomenon. but NOPE not in rise! actually i think it's the only incarnation where this is the case? and it was a brilliant bit of planning ;> theres a netflix movie that released August 5th this year btw ;>

but my absolute uncontested fav fav fav divergence is THEYRE ALL DIFFERENT SPECIES OF TURTLE! and it goes SO HARD for the quirks of their xenobiology to be giving in so handily to their visible aptitudes!!

Donatello's mechanical 'battle shell' is worn constantly to make up for his lil' spiny softieshell back- Michelangelo can do this Box Turtle thing where he pops all his limbs into his shell, and it seems only fitting against his youngest status (13, 14 don 14.1 leo, 15 raph), his overemotionality, and general 'razzmatazz'- Raph's alligator snapping turtle build (spiked shell! big boy!) making him an absolute tank AND a bulldozer, and leo

plus! the resultant designs creates an immediate and pleasing distinction between them for viewers, which was one of the things i historically (read: as a 10 yr old) disliked about 2012-2017 TMNT. the animation, by the way? Cool As Shit! i willingly watch the rise intro before each ep, sometimes slowing its speed just to absorb it better. practically every time i do, there's something i never noticed!

the style of Battle scenes in particular has left me feeling winded with just how creatively the animators can manipulate the medium. (i've seen fight storyboards from the movie, and they mericlessly squish me like a bug, so hell knows what'll happen when i see the full thing...) and about the villains, i haven't been disinterested by a single one yet! they're endearingly gimmicky but eccentric, and bombastic but p enjoyable

alsooo feel free to imagine donnie with autism, bc iirc he was confirmed by a head writer to be autistic coded! hyperlink unrelated

also unrelated, don't watch rottmnt compilations yet no matter how bad youtube recommendations want you to!! anything that's 'for 3 minutes straight' worthy will always make you laugh much harder when you come across them naturally. and then you'll be disappointed you spoiled yourself. im not speaking from experience at all no what haha [surreptious sniffle, whine]

ANYWAY thanks for the ask, im once a nerd always a nerd

[melancholic-pigeon]

Too Short For Ao3 Fic #3? 4?

SO this is the extended edition of the bonus wip I did with Sally's birthday. The overall fic it belongs to is Extremely Smutty, so I went in and revised out the brief references and I'm posting the family-centric g-rated stuff for anyone who wants that but not the smut! Cough.

Also, I felt bad about missing WIP Wednesday again. Lolsob.

Percy rouses at around eleven PM to a sketch of himself on Jason's pillow. There's a note on the other side. 

I wanted to wake you up to say goodbye, but you looked so comfy I didn't have the heart to. your mom's presents are in the bag by my desk. say hi to everyone for me. I'll call tomorrow anyway.

love you to the moon and back.

-J. ❤

Complete with a little red heart. He doesn't even care that the doodle of him next to it, burritoed in a pile of blankets, includes a little spot of drool— he can tell by the rest of his cartoony, ballpoint features that Jason put it in because he thinks it's cute.

(And by the fact that he's said so, several times.)

Percy gathers up his junk. The cornflower blue sweatshirt he steals goes halfway down his fingers. He's come to accept that at six foot three and counting, Jason is the taller of them and always will be— barring some sort of horrible wood-chipper accident or curse from a grumpy deity. 

Fortunately, there's something about looking up to meet someone's eyes that Percy finds incredibly attractive. He has since Annabeth outgrew him for the first time in eighth grade. 

He heads out in his own jeans and the boxers he packed and the sweatshirt that smells like cinnamon. Once he boards the train, he stands with his arm around a pole and the other holding the bag against his chest, and tries to stay casual and keep the grin off his face.

It's almost midnight when he gets home. His mom, of course, is still awake, so he heads into the living room to greet her.

"My other half says hello."

There's a pile of presents on the coffee table. He puts the bag with the rest of them and sits down, kissing her cheek.

"He didn't have to get me anything." She closes her book and eyes the bag with a fond sigh. "How is he?" 

Percy's the same way she is, always happy to do favors and give gifts, but feeling pretty awkward about receiving them. Jason's even worse, the three of them in an ongoing and circular competition to never let any of it go reciprocated. 

"Working too hard, as always. Pulling As and winning games and barely sleeping to do it. His stepmother's up his ass and his father's a bully, so, you know, news at eleven." He leans his head onto her shoulder. "That's why he gives you stuff. He's trying to show you how much he appreciates you." 

She sighs, and Percy knows it's because she's just as frustrated by the whole thing as he is. 

"He knows I appreciate him too, I hope." 

"Without a doubt." Percy smiles at her, watching as she goes a little pink and smiles back. "You have a talent for making him feel appreciated." 

"He treats my baby like a prince," she says softly. "That's why I appreciate him so much in the first place. How could I do anything else?"

Percy turns his face into her shirt collar, another futile attempt to hide his goofy expression, 

"He really does, doesn't he?"

Holding doors, pulling out chairs, offering an arm on unsteady streets. Jason's never laid his coat over a puddle, but Percy's pretty sure he would, if the option presented itself. 

His mom starts playing with his hair, her fingers light and familiar.

"I'm just happy you're happy, sweetheart."

He knows that feeling too. 

Half asleep from the petting, Percy lets himself be a little babyish. It's after midnight now, which means it's her birthday, and he knows that sometimes she misses when he was Estelle's age and little enough to curl up in her lap. He's way too big for that now, obviously, but he can still slide down the couch and rest his head there. 

"You too, Mama." 

She looks at him, her eyes misty with emotion and almost green in the light.

She's smiling, too. 

She smiles a lot, these days.

—

In the morning, Paul makes coffee while Estelle helps unwrap the avalanche of presents. She's at the age where ripping paper makes her squeal with hysterical laughter, which worms its way into Percy's heart and melts it into pudding. 

Several of them are from Percy's friends, including a handbound book of original recipes from Leo, a lovely silver bracelet inset with mother-of-pearl that Beckendorf made himself, and a huge sheathed knife with a matching decorative handle from Clarisse. The last one makes his mom snort as she gets up to put it on the bookshelf, out of reach of curious toddler hands. 

"Decorative. Sure." 

"I bet she'd teach you how to use it if you asked." 

"I know how to use a bowie knife, dear. Your father and I used to catch and cook our own fish when we went camping."

"Which reminds me, he still hasn't taken me out," Paul cuts in, frowning. "I've been saving up dad jokes and embarrassing stories for four years."

"I'll bug him about it the next time we talk," Percy promises. "It's probably the ADHD." 

"Do you want me to bug you about bugging him?" 

"If you haven't set something up by blueback season, yeah." 

Percy and Paul went in on a pound of jasmine tea, which his mom reaches for next. She immediately asks for a cup— it's one of two days out of the entire year where she lets other people wait on her, for a change, and even that took a lot of cajoling. 

Paul makes the tea, since Percy usually scalds the leaves and it turns out tasting like grass. She probably wouldn't complain anyway, but it's her birthday, and she deserves to have the best tea that can be made in their kitchen. 

"Is the last bag from Jason?" Paul sets the mug on a coaster in the middle of the coffee table, and Percy scoops the baby into his lap so she doesn't try to grab it. She mashes her tiny hand against his cheek.

"And Thalia. I'm not sure if they went in on stuff or he just packed them both in one bag to make it easy." 

Either is a possibility. He watches as his mom reaches in and pulls out a large wrapped frame, Thalia's spiky handwriting answering the question. 

Whatever's inside, it makes her shut her eyes and exhale deeply through her nose. 

"Please pass on that I am absolutely furious."

She turns the frame around. An autographed vinyl EP of Sign O' the Times by Prince— one of the albums Percy grew up on, though she skipped a number of the songs when he was little. Thalia must have spent a fortune on it. 

"That woman is incredible," Paul breathes, lightly touching the glass. "How does she get this stuff?" 

"See!"

"She has friends in high places." Percy grins as Estelle reaches for the album, and holds her over the glass so she can touch it too. "She's also really good at barter chains."

His mother shakes her head, but he can tell how delighted she is— the two of them have spent hours animatedly talking about music, Thalia hanging on every word and groaning with jealousy over the concerts his mom went to in the eighties. 

"I know exactly where I'm going to put it." 

Thalia got her a turntable for her fortieth birthday last year, as well as a full set of replacements for every worn-out record in their collection— and had the originals framed too, since they had sentimental value. They're currently occupying the better part of two walls of his mom's study. 

There's a blank spot by her bookshelf, right underneath the first copy, that the autographed album will fit into perfectly. Percy grins. 

"I'll hang it up for you later."

She doesn't argue. There's only Jason's left, his careful print written out across the same paper Thalia used. The crinkling draws Estelle's attention, and she gleefully reaches over to help tear it off.

Their mom gasps at what's inside and puts a hand to her mouth, her eyes going bright.

It's a watercolor portrait of Percy and Estelle, laughing by the shoreline. She's dressed in a little bucket hat, a ruffled swimsuit patterned to look like a clownfish and the coolest shades in the world— sparkly blue frames shaped like seashells that he kind of wishes he could get in his size. He's in a wetsuit, having spent the morning surfing, and he's holding onto her hands so she can jump at the waves. In the distant background is the Montauk lighthouse.

It's beautifully done, like everything else Jason's ever put to paper, but Percy's never choked up like this over one of them.

"You remember that, Beluga? That was on my birthday, when you came and visited me and Jason at the beach."

"Beach?" she asks, expectant. Paul bursts into laughter, sounding as rough-voiced as Percy feels.

"You're your mother's daughter, sweet pea."

"Beach!" Estelle insists. Percy noses her pudgy cheek.

"It's too cold to swim, baby." His mom's eyes are sparkling, still a little teary. He can see Estelle in the smile on her face. "But we could go for a walk and visit." 

"Brunch first." Paul kisses her— Percy averts his eyes, wrinkling his nose at his sister to make her giggle again— and gets up, heading back into the kitchen. 

It's a lovely way to spend a late morning. Pale blue araucana eggs courtesy of Grover's new hens, a blueberry coffee cake from Nico by a fantastic hole in the wall in Hell's Kitchen, Paul's signature home fries made with blue potatoes and seasoned to perfection; all of it delicious.

Jason calls while Percy's doing the dishes. After his deep, resonant performance of the happy birthday song, the five of them chat on speakerphone for a little while, though he has to excuse himself pretty quickly to keep banging through his reading. 

"Maybe next year," Percy sighs. His mom puts her hand on his hip, then crouches down to help Estelle with her light-up sneakers. 

"He's always welcome for a rain check."

"He's always welcome, period," Paul adds. For the second time, Percy gets dangerously close to sniffling. 

Montauk is a little far for a day trip, so they head to Brighton Beach instead. Estelle's shrimpy legs get tuckered out more quickly than the grownups' do, so Percy ends up carrying her on his hip, snuggled into his jacket to block the chilly breeze. She points at seagulls, shouting triumphantly every time. 

"More bird!"

"That's right. A whole flock of 'em."

They watch for a while as the gulls fight over a discarded pizza crust. Then Percy feels an arm around his back and a head against his shoulder.

"I don't know how I got so lucky," his mother murmurs, barely audible over the rushing of the waves.

Percy's eyes sting. 

For most of his life, her birthdays had been spent without fanfare. He was rarely actually there for them anyway, and Gabe complained so much it was easier to just ignore the day and focus on survival instead. 

She'd been triaging like that since before she even met his dad, keeping herself afloat when nobody seemed to care if she drowned. It would have been easy to lie down and give up. Percy's pretty sure he would have, in her place. 

He turns to hug her with the obligatory proclamation of a Stella Sandwich. He catches Paul's eye over her shoulder, and gets a wide, sentimental grin in response. 

"Luck's got nothing to do with it," Percy tells her, leaning his cheek against the top of her head while his sister wriggles with delight between them. 

"Listen to our son," Paul adds. "He's very wise, as you raised him to be. This is all on you, honey." 

Within moments, she's surrounded by her whole family on all sides, and Percy has another arm around his back, and he's getting a little choked up over it all. 

When she first started dating Paul, back when Percy was still in middle school, she'd spent weeks all aflutter. It was the happiest he'd ever seen her at the time. They'd sit outside and work on her car together, and she'd slip into song like a grease-stained fairytale princess without even thinking about it. 

Seeing them interact is like cool water on a burn, Paul's devoted kindness soothing a lifetime of sitting back and watching people treat her like dirt. He worships her, just like she deserves and long overdue.

"I love you," she says, tearful and muffled in someone's shoulder. "All of you, more than anything." 

"Love Mama," Estelle replies, and that's it— Percy's blubbering.

It'll never undo the damage, but it's about time she got a chance to heal and thrive. 

-here in our bed, chapter 7, ~6200 words

[sneezedarling]

When Its Cold- MacCready/Sole Sneezefic

Hey guys. I hope you enjoy another fallout 4 fic, this time with Sole as the sneezer

“You alright, Mac? You’re shaking,” Sole glanced over at him.

“That’s because its fuc- freaking freezing. Aren’t you cold?” MacCready wraps his battered coat tighter around himself.

“It’s the middle of winter, what did you expect?”

“I thought we would still be asleep at the ass-crack of dawn not hiking through the middle of nowhere,” MacCready side-eyes Sole, hat pulled low over his eyes.

“Yeah, well the faster we get this done, the faster we can get back to the settlement with proper beds and good blankets, but by all means, if you’d prefer to spend more time out here just enjoying my company I’m not gonna stop you,” Sole smirks and turns towards MacCready, eyes full of amusement.

“You’re a pain in the neck sometimes, you know that right?” MacCready rolls his eyes.

As Sole throws him a wide smile in response, MacCready fiddles with the sleeves of his jacket. He can’t help but stare at Sole as he realises how untrue his previous statement was. Nothing about him was painful and, cold be damned, he was willing to do whatever it took to spend as much time with Sole as possible.

Sole’s emerald eyes shine and his pale skin seems to glow in the light of the rising sun. The fiery orange hair spilling across his forehead had been the first thing MacCready had noticed about him when Sole approached him in The Third Rail that night and now it matched his cold-bitten nose and cheeks. MacCready’s studying Sole so intently he doesn’t notice the twisted piece of rusted scrap metal on the ground in front of him until he’s tumbling forward. He throws his arms forward, bracing for impact but it never comes.

“Woah, easy there cowboy,” Sole’s hands on his arm are the only thing keeping him from going flying.

As Sole pulls him up, MacCready looks to the ground, praying the embarrassment tinting his cheeks is masked by the effects of the cold air.

“You good?” Sole asks, removing one of his hands to brush his hair out of his eyes.

MacCready adjusts his hat and flexes his fingers, trying to push some warmth into them, “yeah, yeah all good.”

Sole gives him that smile again before turning back the way they were going. They walk like that for a few minutes in silence before MacCready hears a small gasp from beside him. He glances over at Sole who’s staring up at something. Mac tries to follow his eyeline but can’t see anything. He’s about to say something when he hears another soft gasp from Sole. One hand comes up to hover in front of his face for a few seconds before he lowers it, shaking his head as if to clear it.

Sole sniffs and scrubs at his nose as MacCready raises a questioning eyebrow. When Sole meets his eyes all he gets is another sniff and a shrug in response. He watches as Sole’s expression falters, eyes falling closed and an identical gasp tumbling from his mouth as it hangs open. He barely gets his hands up in time to avoid hitting MacCready.

“Heh…Hep’tschoo! Heh’ESHOO! Heh’ktch!” Sole pinches his nose to stifle the last outburst, eyes watering.

“Woah, boss! Ble-”

“Hep’tch! Heh…ehhh…Oh f-for fu-uhh fuck’s s-sake…”

“Bless you.”

“Hih!...Heh’ksht! Ep’tchh!” Sole pinches his nose harder as he lurches forward in quick succession.

“You really shouldn’t do that, I read somewhere that it pops your braincells.” MacCready keeps his eyes trained on Sole as he sniffs hard and rubs his eyes. “Also, it looks like it hurts.”

Sole doesn’t answer, his eyes drifting out of focus once again and breath hitching as he reaches up to his face. His nose twitches and flares as Sole becomes increasingly more frustrated with the sneeze eluding him.

“Heh…hiiih…H-Heh’tshoo! C-Chri-ihh…ehh…”

“Bless you. Bless you again?” MacCready resists the urge to reach out and swat Sole’s hands away from his quivering nose.

Sole sniffs and rubs aggressively at his nose, shaking his head in response. Goosebumps ripple across his bare arms as a shiver runs down his spine.

“You look cold, boss. You want my jacket, or something?” MacCready rubs the back off his neck as Sole raises an eyebrow.

“Never took you for the chivalrous type, Mac.” Sole’s smiling now.

“I’m not,” MacCready clears his throat, trying to get rid of his oddly defensive tone. “You just look cold and if you freeze to death out here, I will have gotten up early for nothing, so do you want it or not?”

Sole laughs softly. “I’m fine and you’re just as cold as I am. Keep y-your ja-ahh…Hep’ktch!”

“What’s the matter with you? You sick?” MacCready tries to make eye contact but Sole’s too busy gearing up for another sneeze.

“Hih’tchh! No, no I’m fine. I-ehhh…Etchoo!”

“Yeah, you look fine. Real convincing.” MacCready steps closer.

“No, I am. This happens sometimes…Hep’ktch…when it’s c-cold…heh…Heh’tsh!” Sole roughly pinches his nose to lessen the noise of the sneezes punctuating his sentence.

“Did you miss the part about popping braincells? Stop doing that!” MacCready pulls Sole’s hands away from his face. “There’s an old apartment complex just up here, we should stay there until it gets a bit warmer.”

“Mac, I’m f-fine,” Sole’s face betrays his words as the pre-sneeze expression takes over again.

“You’ve sneezed like twenty times already and its freezing, waiting an hour or two isn’t-”

“Heh’tchoo! Eshoo!” Sole sneezes into his shoulder because Mac’s still got his hands.

“…Isn’t going to make that much of a difference.”

“Hih’tchoo! Hetshiew!” Sole sniffles softly as he snaps forward with one last, itchy-sounding sneeze.

“Bless you. Let’s go?” MacCready looks at him expectantly.

Sole pulls one hand out of MacCready’s grip to push a piece of hair that has been displaced by the sneezing out of his eyes and rub his red nose, a small smile forming on his lips, “yeah, okay. Let’s go.”

As they walk, Sole begins to move his other hand but MacCready twists their fingers together, pulling Sole close enough to bump shoulders as they walk. When Sole raises an eyebrow, MacCready just shrugs, making Sole smile wider. 

[pomegranate-belle]

Fic or treat - Matt and Foggy during that one Halloween ep of Spiderman where people turn into the monsters they dress up as for the night (doctor strange helps sort everything out if I recall correctly)

I guess this is a recurring Halloween Thing (Buffy, Halloweentown, and now apparently Ultimate Spider-Man) and honestly I love it with all my heart and soul. So this got... Long. Also I just sidestepped the actual plot of the episode because Baron Mordo sucks eggs and I don’t care about him, lol

—

Foggy’s still adding the last touches to his costume and hasn’t put it on yet — that’s the only thing that saves him. But the second a blast of orange light radiates across the city, he knows something fucked-up freaky is going down.

“Oh jeez,” he mutters to himself, watching through the window as the energy continues to spread like ripples on a pond. “Matty, you might wanna go get your other Halloween costume.”

There’s a groan of pain from behind him. Foggy whirls around.

“Matt, what—”

But Matt doesn’t answer. Can’t answer, more like. He’s staggering around, hands clutched to his head. Foggy has no idea if it’s a direct effect of the freaky magic flooding the city or if whatever that magic is doing is overloading Matt’s supersenses, but either way he can’t just stand by and let his boyfriend suffer. He rushes over and wraps Matt in a hug — takes as much of Matt’s weight as he can, tries to cocoon him so his senses have time to settle or acclimate or whatever they need to do.

“I got you,” he murmurs nonsensically. “I got you, Matty, it’s ok, it’s gonna be ok, just breathe with me, buddy, just breathe—”

All Foggy’s reassurances are choked off when a clawed hand closes around his throat. He’s shoved backwards, into the wall, and Matt’s...

Matt’s gone.

In his place, the figure Foggy had been holding — that not a minute ago had been the love of his life — is otherworldly and terrifying. Its skin is cold to the touch, and flecks of gold freckle its face, creep down from its ears to the familiar arch of its cheekbones. It has Matt’s messy, dark hair but his eyes, still unseeing based on the way they don’t track, glow ice blue. It still wears the white tunic Matt had put on, but the cloth is clearly of finer quality. What was once a sparkly golden pipe-cleaner halo is now an aura of radiance so bright it makes Foggy’s eyes water. Oh yeah, and this thing’s got a pair of fuck-off enormous white wings instead of the tiny, goofy-looking faux-feather ones Matt had strapped on like a backpack not five minutes ago.

When it opens its mouth — Matt’s mouth — and speaks, the words are unintelligible and so powerful that Foggy instinctively stops trying to remove the hand from around his throat and claps his palms to his ears instead. He has an alarming thought — that he’s going to die here — and the very distant realization that Matt would be completely enraged about him giving up. But even if this... Angel. Thing. Even if it’s not Matt anymore, it was him. And Foggy has to believe the magic that changed him is going to be undone. There’s like a hundred fucking superheroes in Manhattan alone so like, it had god damn better be undone. And when it is, who knows if any injuries sustained will carry over? Foggy could never risk hurting Matt like that. He just couldn’t.

Jessica Jones does not have this problem.

Foggy learns that the second she comes bursting through the door of the apartment and discus-throws her unconscious vampire boyfriend right at Angel Matt’s unprotected back. Not that Foggy actually sees any of this — because, again, fuck-off big swan wings — but once he’s able to breathe again he’s also able to put the series of events together thanks to context clues. Flattened angel plus unconscious Hero of Harlem with an open, snoring mouth and especially pointy canines plus panting, disheveled Jess? The math’s not hard. He and Jess stare at each other in silence for a few seconds.

“You ok there, Nelson?” she asks at last, gruffly, before stepping forward to sling her enormous boyfriend into a fireman’s carry.

“Yeah? I’m good, I think. Mostly. Um...” Foggy points at the knocked out form of Luke draped over Jess’s shoulder. “How did you...?”

“Vulcan nerve pinch,” she says flatly, but doesn’t give Foggy the necessary space to determine if it’s a joke or not. “Now come on, you’re the one who knows every-fucking-body, who do we need to stomp to fix this?”

Good to know you saved me because you were concerned for my safety or something, Foggy thinks but is smart enough not to say.

“I don’t know who did it,” he admits, now that he has the time to think, “but that guy Strange who lives in the Village is supposed to be a wizard or something. Maybe it’s one of his baddies.”

Jess slams a fist into her open palm, murder in her eyes, then immediately has to break the pose to stop Luke from slumping onto the floor.

“Well he better fix it or I’m gonna kick his ass,” she insists, clearing her throat and straightening up again.

Foggy does not dignify this with an answer, and to further pretend he didn’t just witness Jess fumble Luke like a football he crouches down to check on Matt. He doesn’t seem to be unconscious, although at first it’s a little hard to tell based on the ethereal, retina-searing glow around his head. But upon inspection, the prone angel is in a pose Foggy knows well — Matt’s ‘I’m suffering and I refuse to move’ pose. Often adopted whilst sick or otherwise mildly inconvenienced, and never done while seriously injured. Which is good, Foggy supposes.

“Up and at ‘em, Matty,” he mutters, slowly and gently closing his hands around the angel’s and noting that Matt’s newly clawed nails are tipped in gold.

Matt gets to his feet without a fuss, just tilting his head to the side curiously. He sniffs. Once. Twice. Then flips their handhold so his fingers are circling Foggy’s wrists and pins him to the wall again. This time, though, instead of strangling him, he buries his nose in Foggy’s throat, sniffling at his pulse point like a weirdo.

“Hey! Murdock! Don’t make me come over there!” Jess snaps.

“It’s good, we’re good!” insists Foggy shrilly. “He’s um. He’s just. Sniffing me.”

“Fucking weirdo.”

But there’s no thud of Luke being used as a blunt weapon again, so at least she’s listening to him. After another ten uncomfortable seconds, Angel Matt pulls back. Slowly and gently, he lets go of Foggy’s wrists before combing the fingers of one clawed hand through Foggy’s hair. Then he smiles and speaks.

The expression, combined with the musical but incomprehensible words, is so beautiful that tears begin to streak down Foggy’s face. Angel Matt brushes them away with the side of his thumb.

Jess ruins the moment by groaning in frustration.

“Ok, we get it, gay love conquers all, can we get a move on before my boyfriend wakes up and tries to tear out my throat again?” she demands.

Which, to be fair to her, doesn’t sound like a great time. Matt’s wings flare angrily and he spits more crazy angel language at Jess that sounds like a threat, but Foggy is able to soothe him easily enough. After that, he tows Matt along by the hand like a particularly docile six-year-old and they set out without further incident.

—

The problem with having a huge city-wide curse fucking up everyone’s night is that getting a cab is impossible. On the bright side, Jess is one of the few people Foggy knows who actually owns a car. Then again, it’s usually hard enough fitting everyone inside that car without a potentially-murderous vampire and an angel with a fifteen foot wingspan to consider. They’re still trying to figure out the logistics when a horde of monsters descends upon them. Foggy counts two zombies — and there’s a frightening thought, are those guys contagious? — a werewolf, a ninja, and some kind of terrifying... Fish person. There’s lots of snarling, howling, and gnashing of teeth. Foggy really wishes he hadn’t been so preoccupied with Matt and had the foresight to grab his baseball bat on the way out the door.

“I don’t suppose you’ve got like, a tire iron in there or something?” he asks Jess as they’re backed up against her car.

“What do I look like, a mechanic? I’ve barely got gas in this piece of shit car.”

“Cool, great,” Foggy says, too strained to be as sarcastic as he wants since this is about as far from cool and great as it’s possible to get.

Then Matt squeezes his hand and lets go. Foggy scrambles to try and pull him back to safety, but his strides are long — too long for any normal human, like he’s gliding instead of walking. He doesn’t stop until he’s standing squarely between them and the monsters, and then he flares his wings wide enough to block them all from view. Foggy can still hear snarling, but he has to squeeze his eyes shut as the luminance around Matt ramps up about a thousand percent. There’s hissing, yelping, and the slap of feet on concrete, and the light turning the back of Foggy’s eyelids orange only fades after the sounds of retreat abate into silence.

“Holy shit, Murdock,” Jess mutters. “Maybe we oughta keep you like this.”

“Jones,” Foggy scolds. “Rude.”

He opens his eyes to find Matt now facing him as though waiting for something.

“What, Matty?”

“Fuck’s sake, Nelson,” says Jess, “he just saved our bacon — you gonna thank him or what?”

Matt continues to stare — for a certain value of stare, Foggy supposes — in his general direction expectantly.

“Um. Yes, thank you,” Foggy says, and probably because he’s gone completely insane, reaches up to pat Matt on the head. “You, um... Did good? Yes. Good job.”

Matt leans into the touch, beaming, and honest to god the expression is almost brighter than the glow of his halo. Jess makes a very rude gagging noise as she stuffs her still-snoring boyfriend into the trunk. Matt and his wings, even folded up, take up the whole back seat, so Foggy rides shotgun. With monsters of all shapes and sizes roaming the city streets, what would otherwise be a pretty boring car ride ends up feeling like a chase scene in Jurassic Park, but at last they make it. Foggy wasn’t a hundred percent on the address but Strange’s place is pretty hard to miss. It’s enormous and scary-looking and it’s got a big skylight in the shape of some round symbol that probably has magical significance.

There’s no answer when they knock on the door, except for a “doctor is out” sign that flickers into existence, along with a huge padlock — you know, just in case they weren’t getting the message. Foggy’s torn between being weirded out and being amused that the creepy mansion has a sense of humor.

“He’s not even home?!” Jess kicks the door, hard. “This is bullshit!”

She lets out a wordless, frustrated shout, and Luke startles awake. He’s on his feet almost immediately, eyes glowing blood red. Matt wraps his arms around Foggy from behind, casting huge shadows with his flared wings. But Luke? There’s no recognition of Jess there, except as food. None of the half-domesticated sentience Matt’s been showing, just snarling animal hunger. Luke’s such a chill, reasonable guy that the contrast is shocking and even if he hadn’t been held back Foggy wouldn’t have been able to do more than freeze in terror as Luke pinned Jess to the wall of Strange’s mansion and lunged for her throat. Jess, thankfully, is more of a fight instinct person than a freeze instinct one. Also she’s got superstrength. She catches Luke’s wrist and flips him like a pancake. Once he’s on the ground and winded, she really, genuinely does Vulcan nerve pinch him back to sleep, which is wild. Foggy had been leaning sixty-forty towards her being joking about that.

“Well,” he says awkwardly. “That was impressive.”

“Impressive? Impressive?!” Jess is laughing, but the sound is sharp and bitter. “It should’ve been me,” she growls, stomping back down to the sidewalk and kicking a stray soda can so hard it embeds itself in the wall of a building across the street. “Fuck. I hate seeing him like this. I’m already— half fucking feral, and he’s got that unbreakable skin. It should have been me! He’d probably just sit there calmly and let me try to bite him while he worked out how to fix everything, and all I can do is be a, a panicked fuck-up!”

“Jess!” Foggy scolds sharply, extricating himself from Matt’s arms to confront her. “You’re not a fuck-up. You kept Luke safe. You didn’t let him hurt anyone. You got us here. Look, if Strange isn’t home then maybe that means he’s out fixing this. That’s a good thing. You just need to take a deep breath. We‘ll rest here a little bit, then we’ll start driving back — dollars to donuts whatever big fight is probably going down right now is in, like, Times Square or something, because it literally always is with you super-people.”

Jess makes another frustrated noise that Foggy hopes isn’t going to end with him going through a wall, and then plops down on Dr. Strange’s porch. He settles in beside her, and Matt perches beside him. Luke’s still sprawled in front of them, snoring again. They wait quietly for a good ten minutes, and the tension fades from the air.

Foggy’s just about to suggest they get up and start heading back the way they came when there’s another blast of orange magic — this time running in reverse, moving in towards an epicenter instead of out from it. It washes through them with a disorienting whoosh and leaves behind two dazed boyfriends in simple, cobbled-together costumes.

Foggy’s never been so happy to see a lopsided pipe cleaner halo in his life. He kisses Matt full on the mouth. Matt kisses back eagerly but is also the first to pull away.

“Not that, not that I’m, um, complaining but... What was that for?” he asks, baffled but clearly amused. “And... Where are we?”

So then Foggy has to explain, while watching Jess rip the cheap plastic fangs out of Luke’s mouth and stomp on them repeatedly, exactly how the four of them ended up in front of Dr. Strange’s creepy magic mansion.

“So anyway,” he finishes lamely, “I guess somebody saved the day or something, but we didn’t do much.”

Matt shakes his head.

“You did wonderfully.” He takes a deep breath, the way he always does when he’s gathering himself to say something emotional. “I love you.”

“Love you too, angel,” Foggy says, and the flush of embarrassed pleasure that colors Matt’s cheeks in response is sweeter than any candy.

[actuallylorelaigilmore]

title: "i wouldn't say it sober, but the truth is coming out. i didn't miss you until now, until now."

Thanks for this! And for your help fact-checking. this story just wanted to keep going on and on. I have too much fun with them.

FP x Alice, Riverdale. Also on AO3.

She could hear his motorcycle long before FP pulled up to the trailer: a low rumble that grew into a roar, vibrating under her feet as he killed the engine. Alice was grateful for the warning–it gave her time to collect herself.

“What are you doing here?”

“Waiting for you.”

She couldn’t decide if he looked or sounded worse. Clearly he was sober enough to ride home, but FP still had the hard-edged look he usually carried during a bender. His tone, though, was more exhausted than anything.

He’d never been able to hide much when it came to her.

Alice stood as he approached, squaring her shoulders. “Are you going to invite me in?”

FP shoved his door open with unnecessary force, leaving it gaping open behind him. Apparently that was all the welcome she was going to get.

She followed him in and closed it.

“FP Jones, do you have the gall to be upset at me right now? Because I came here to give you a piece of my mind, and of the two of us, I’m certain that I have the right.”

“You always think you have the right, Alice. What else is new?” FP ran a hand over his face as he dropped onto the couch.

Frowning, she stepped closer. “You look like hell.”

“Quite an investigative mind you’ve got there.”

“No, I mean it.” Concern cooling her anger, Alice perched carefully on the other end of the couch. “You weren’t in great shape at the bar, but this is something else. What’s going on?”

“It’s not your problem. Why don’t you say what you came here to say, so I can get some sleep?”

FP stood as he spoke, moving into his kitchen. She could hear him rummaging through cupboards, eventually emerging with a bottle in hand.

“What happened to AA?”

“I’m over that.” He let the bottle hit the table with a thud, then returned to his kitchen long enough to bring two glasses out.

FP poured whiskey into both tumblrs, nudging one her way. “You look like you could use it.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“I saw the look on your face when Betty was onstage, Alice. I’m assuming that’s what brought you here.” Tossing back the whiskey, FP drew his eyes down her body. “Surprised you didn’t change first, though.”

Shrugging, Alice reached for the glass. “I came straight here. I didn’t think you’d be at the Whyte Wyrm for so long.”

“Didn’t you hear? It was a party in my honor. No reason for me to rush out.”

“Besides your parole.”

He pointed a finger in her direction. “Don’t you start with me. You’re not my mother, or my wife.”

Alice slid her glass back towards him, raising an eyebrow when he refilled it and his own. “What about Jughead? I thought you were ready to be a better example for him.”

“That can’t be why you’re here,” FP replied. “You don’t care about Jug…or me. And I’m not in the mood for a lecture.”

“I came here to thank you.” She sighed. “Give me that.”

FP’s fingers brushed hers as he passed her the second round of Jack. “Well then, I guess hell is ready to freeze over,” he drawled while she drank.

“I walked back into the Whyte Wyrm tonight,” she pointed out. “I think it’s safe to say there’s an ice rink down there now.”

FP chuckled. “Yeah.”

“Anyway,” Alice said, “I wanted to thank you for stepping in, earlier. I was too shocked to think clearly, and I appreciate you breaking the silence. Covering Elizabeth up.”

“Of course. Hey, she earned that jacket.”

“God, don’t remind me.” Alice shuddered. “I fought so hard, FP, to keep her as far from my past as possible. It’s like she’s determined to ruin her life.”

He spoke the words she didn’t have the heart to add. “Like you ruined yours? Come on, Alice, that’s not what happened. You seem happy enough, where you ended up.”

“You live here,” she said quietly. “How would you know?”

“We’re divided by train tracks, not an electric fence. I have business on the Northside often enough. I see you.”

Alice stared at him, not sure what to say. She couldn’t remember the last time she was actually happy. Maybe before Polly…maybe before everything she built started to crack. But FP didn’t need to know that.

“One more?”

His surprise was brief, replaced with that grin she’d never needed to see again. It was the same smile a younger, bolder FP aimed her way while his hands traced her curves, the one she used to kiss off his face before climbing on the back of his bike.

Alice swallowed the need and the regret along with the whiskey. “That’s the stuff.”

“You probably have Johnny Walker at home,” he said. “The kind that’s a hundred bucks a bottle.”

“Three hundred,” Alice agreed, smiling in spite of herself when FP whistled in appreciation. “But nothing beats a bottle of Jack in a lonely trailer after a long ride. I haven’t forgotten everything.”

“Good to know.” He toasted her with his third glass, then capped the bottle and leaned back.

She pretended not to feel his eyes on her, relaxing into the couch and closing her own. “Do you think maybe you could help me, FP?”

The crude reply that occurred to him first was too easy. Alice had no right to crash his home, a place she’d sneered at for years, and sit there sounding so fragile. Especially covered in leather and mesh, looking like under different circumstances she could eat him alive.

He hadn’t been able to save her when they were kids. Or himself. He’d lost his wife and little girl. Jughead was the last–and least expected–straw.

Older, if not exactly wiser, FP Jones was the worst possible choice to be anyone’s savior. And still, it tugged at him. He had never been able to ignore that quiet, broken tone.

“Help you how?”

“She won’t listen to me. And given our history, I can’t really blame her. I have zero credibility, trying to keep Betty away from the Serpents, but I need her to be safer than that. I need her…”

Alice sniffled, eyes shut against tears he could hear but not see. “FP, I need my daughter to be more than I was. She’s so smart, so capable. She could do amazing things, but not if she gets stuck here.”

He hummed in agreement. “Preaching to the choir, Alice. If I knew how to keep our kids from following our example, believe me, my son would be working on a novel right now, instead of god knows where with a snake on his arm.”

“You–” She cut herself off, eyes flying open to meet his. “Huh. I assumed you sanctioned Jughead’s initiation. Like father, like son.”

“I approve of Jug’s choices about as much as you enjoyed Betty’s snake dance. Kid takes after me a little too well–can’t make him do anything.”

FP shook his head. “Honestly, you should’ve known better than that. I may have been full of stupid pride at his age, just like Jughead, but I cleaned up my act in Shankshaw for a reason. This life isn’t good for anybody.”

“The Serpent King,” Alice mused, still watching him closely. “You don’t sound like you used to.”

“Time comes for us all. Neither do you.”

“Seeing Betty tonight was a particularly unflattering glimpse in the mirror,” she admitted. With a smile, Alice added, “For someone who supposedly cleaned up his act, you’re down half a bottle already.”

“Best laid plans.”

She leaned over, plucking the Jack Daniels off the table by its neck. “I hear ya.”

FP watched the head of the Northside Neighborhood Watch swallow whiskey straight from the bottle, a smile tugging at his lips. “I’ve missed the hell out of you, Alice Cooper.”

He didn’t expect a response. He didn’t even mean to say it. FP could hold his tongue pretty well, even when he couldn’t hold his liquor, but something about the picture she made sitting in his living room…a little too bright on the faded couch, a little too loud in the quiet.

Funny how easy it had been to forget that about her. Seeing her around hadn’t hit him like this; Northside Alice was a different animal, stiff and cold and defensive.

This was the girl he’d loved, with the years layered over her like the dark makeup she’d put on for his party. She shined through it all regardless, fierce and hurting and alive.

No one FP had ever known was as goddamn alive as Alice. 

“Sorry,” he offered into the silence that had fallen between them. It didn’t feel awkward, exactly, but it didn’t feel calm, either. He chose not to think about the unavoidable tension in the room, two married ex-lovers with broken hearts drinking alone. It was safer ignored.

Alice took one last drink from the bottle, pushing herself up off the couch onto shaky legs and resettling at his side. “Don’t you dare,” she told him, her voice low and insistent. “Don’t you dare apologize to me.”

“What–”

Her free hand brushed his mouth, lingering on his bottom lip before she set the bottle aside and gripped her hands in her lap. “Just hush, would you?”

He nodded, squinting at her like her behavior would make more sense if he was wearing his reading glasses. Alice wondered idly beneath her buzz if he still had the wire frames she used to like.

“I can’t tell you the last time someone said something like that to me, and I believed them.“

Her voice was barely more than a whisper, and with only inches between them, FP could feel her words as much as hear them.

“That’s how long it’s been, I can’t even remember. In a way…it feels like the last time was with you, too. I always knew you loved me, FP. I could always feel it.”

“That was never our problem,” he agreed.

Lifting his hand to her face was a mistake. It wasn’t his first terrible decision of the night, and probably wouldn’t be his last, he thought as Alice turned her cheek into his palm.

“Sometimes, I miss you too.” She looked away when his eyes widened in response.

It hit him like a gut punch, and FP accepted the pain as penance. For the things he’d done.

Or things he wanted to do but didn’t.

He cleared his throat and stood, ignoring the way she blinked up at him. Those hazy blue eyes would be the death of him if he wasn’t careful.

And he was drunk, but not so reckless that he could make tonight that night.

“You should go home, Al.”

Nobody called her that anymore. It used to annoy her how often he shortened her name, when she liked how old-fashioned and feminine it was. Hell, it used to be one of the things she loved about Hal, the delicate way he’d say her name and make it sound like a caress.

Hal still never called her anything but Alice, but it was impatient now. Annoyed. There was no affection there. 

FP could fit more affection into two letters than she’d heard from her husband in a year.

He was right, she realized. She had to go home. Now.

Before she didn’t.

“Thank you,” Alice said, straightening her jacket as she stood. Pulling her Northsider voice on like she pulled the leather down. “For the drinks, and the company.”

“Anytime,” he replied easily, like she wasn’t taking a part of him with her when she left.

She always did. He’d learned to live with it.

Pretty Alice Cooper would go home to the suburbs, and hellraiser FP Jones would drink himself to sleep, and the world would go back to the way it always had been. Or at least they would both pretend it had.

After all, that was one more thing they had in common these days.

They’d both gotten really good at pretending.

[agirlhasnonamehotd]

Defining Moments In Life and Love

This one is Mark x MC from Mark’s point of view. Enjoy!

“OOF!”

The sound of my ringtone, set to full volume, scares me out of a deep sleep. I hit the ground shoulder first, and swear as the sheets tangle around me like a straight jacket. The phone still screams out the sound of light sabers crossing. Damn Start Wars. I’m changing that crap.

 I fumble around the nightstand until I feel my phone and pull it towards me. If this is Amy and I’ve missed more than one call and two texts, I’m toast. I might as well answer with an apology. I take a breath and look at the screen. Ten missed texts. Two calls. All from Dani.

 Shit.

Dani’s good about respecting my sleep. When I text her goodnight I never hear from her until soccer practice is over the next morning - usually that is because I initiate discussion. If she’s trying to reach me at 2 a.m… something’s wrong. I answer the phone.

 “What’s going on?” I ask in alarm.

 I hear sniffling on the line, and very faint voice.

 “I’m in the hallway Mark, please let me in.”

 I hang up without another word and fight my way out of the sheets. I look, bleary eyed, in the mirror. Just boxers. Not a good idea. I throw on a soccer shirt and proceed to the door. As soon as I see her… I feel an overwhelming sense of concern. And also… attraction.

 She’s in my doorway in a short, slinky dress. It is so tight it hugs every curve in a way that makes my brain feel like mush. She’s beautiful. She’s perfect. And sad.  Her body shakes as a sob breaks free. Oh God…

 “Come in,” I whisper.

“Dani…what happened?”

“It’s Aidan… we…we…” her voice trails off.  

 Dani collapses against my chest; grabs a fistful of my shirt in one hand and wraps her other arm around my back. All at once I am both thankful and frustrated she’s not touching bare skin. I know what I want to do, but it’s not an option. Instead I wrap my arms around her and pull her closer.

 Maybe too close.

 “Is it bad?” I ask.

“On a scale of 1 to 10,” she warbles, “an 11.”

 This will not be an easy fix. No words of wisdom will solve this. She needs consoling. I have practice in four hours and it doesn’t matter to me at this moment. I need to take care of her. I want to.

 “C’mere,” I tell her gently.

 I walk her over to the futon in the den and help her sit. From the desk I pull a box of tissues and hand it to her. She looks up at and gives the faintest hint of a smile. It hits me straight in the heart. I never knew someone could be simultaneously breathtaking and heartbreaking when they cry.

Don’t think that.

 “Mark I’m so sorry I called,” she exclaims, “you have practice soon! You need rest! I’m sorry, I know Amy won’t want me he-“

“Nope,” I interrupt her, “forget Amy. I only care about you right now”.

 Did I really just say that? Forget my own girlfriend?

 Who was I kidding…I love Amy. When the two of us are together it’s pretty good…but…but..

That is a horrible road you’re travelling down, asshole. I go down it anyway. She’s no Dani.

 With a sigh I take one of her hands in mine and look at her. I look into those shining eyes and I wish like hell they were bright with the reflection of her smile. My heart aches to see her laughing, even if, like most days,  it’s at my expense.

 “Tell me.”  Is all I say.“I…I was supposed to go with Aidan to a party, but I had to write a paper. I told him I probably woudn’t make it. He seemed okay with it,” she starts, “ Ends up the paper wasn’t as complicated as I thought. I finished it, got dressed, and dragged my roommate to the Sig Ep House to surprise him… yeah, what a lovely surprise.”

 She stops and reaches for a tissue to wipe her face.

 “I guess in my absence he found someone else to occupy his time,” she mutters, “and his dick. I told him to go fuck himself and ran out.”

 A triumphant feeling washes over me. One of Dani’s many amazing qualities is her strength. I wish I had it. Maybe then things with Amy wouldn’t be so…

Dani. Focus on Dani.

 “Did he come out?” I inquire.

“Yep, but I still walked away. He looked like an idiot holding a pillow over himself, “she laughs bitterly, “he could’ve used a post it note instead. The pillow was a generous covering.”

 I laugh. Really loud. So hard in fact that a little snort escapes. Now, even though a tear still drips its way down her face, Dani is laughing, too. Seeing her full lips curve up in a smile and hearing her happiness, however brief, renders me breathless. Without any logical thought process I cup her face in my hands; rub her cheek with my thumb. She smiles up at me and for the moment…for one damn moment I see it. She and I together, this look on her face when I tell her that since my birthday party last year she’s been a constant thought in my head. That being around her makes me feel electrified, and bright, and ready to accomplish anything. I want to tell her she’d never be unhappy again. Not with…

 “Mark…”

When I come back to reality I realized I’ve stopped caressing her cheeks and am touching her lips. My heart drops to my stomach…but…I don’t see confusion or anger in her gaze. Instead I think see… no…that can’t be… her expression mirroring my own?

 “Does he need a soccer cleat to the balls?” I joke, moving my hands back to my own lap.

“Make sure to wear a ski mask when you do it,” she warns, “can’t have you kicked off the team for garbage like him.”

 That’s my girl. Well, not my girl. Her strength continues to inspire me. I look at my phone. An hour has gone by.  Beside me, Dani yawns.

 “I don’t want you walking across campus by yourself,” I tell her. The thought of some drunk frat boy or Aidan approaching her makes me anxious.

“Mark, I have that mace keychain you got me, I’ll be fine-“

“You’re staying here.”

 I take her hand and pull her off the couch. She needs at least a couple hours of sleep to ease her mind. My bed still looks a tornado hit it. I fix the sheets and comforter from my trip to the floor and then pull them down on one side. Dani climbs in.

 She’s in my bed. What would it be like to see her there on a regular basis? To come back from the kitchenette while the coffee brews and see her sound asleep. What would it be like to…

 “Stay?”

 The thoughts in my head fall like teetering Jenga pieces. I blink once, twice, three times. Did she just ask me to stay?

 “You sure?” I ask her

 “Please.”

Laying in bed is a forbidden thought so I sit beside her. She turns on her side; instead of using my pillow she puts her head in my lap and takes my hand in one of hers.

 “He never deserved you,” I finally confess, “you know that right?”

“I guess,” she mumbles.

“Someday…you’ll have someone in your life who will understand how special you are,” My voice quakes when I say it, “because you really are one of a kind.”

“Mark… you’re my best friend,” she whispers through another yawn.

“And you’re mine, Dani,” is all I can manage.

 Those are the last words we say to each other. I stroke her hair and watch her eyelids slowly droop until they’re completely closed.  I never move and she never lets go of my hand. My whole body feels different.  Like something isn’t and will never be the same. In this moment my best friend becomes something more to me. I’m not sure what and I’m not sure I should even define it. I just know somehow …when the hurt stops and her smile permanently returns… when the time is finally right for us…

 She’ll be mine.

 And I will NEVER make her do anything but smile.

[saintkimora]

ok……..here is the long awaited post of what happened on saturday night! (Last Saturday night btw not yesterday night) ive been too busy to post about it until now but it is juicy

so as i said on saturday, joel and i were texting on and off that day but it was weird as usual. so after i showered i wrote out a text to him saying that even though we havent been communicating much recently i still miss him and think about him all the time and that i appreciate the chances i do get to talk to him. so i sent this message but literally the second it sent i got a message from him. like we sent our texts at the same time. so i started reading his text and it started with “perry……im really sorry but what we have isnt working out” skafjhkajdhfkjads so i felt like a jolt in my legs and had to sit down. so he sent this long ass breakup text and here are the basic points that he used

he isnt ready for a relationship/exclusivity (even though HE was the one who literally deleted all his dating apps the day after we met bc he wanted to focus on pursuing me)

he hasnt been making the effort and i deserve someone who does

he hasnt been opening up and he is aware of that bc he knows he isnt ready

i deserve someone who is in a better place in their life than he is rn/someone who has their stuff together

i dont deserve what hes putting me through

he wants time to be single and make mistakes and regret them (stupid ass reasoning btw)

he knew using texts was the wrong way to end it but he wasnt strong enough to do it in person

he apologized if i feel like i wasted my time on him/if i regret anything ive done w him (since the last time i saw him before this was when i had sex with him)

hes sorry that he isnt treating me better

not my fault at all

so yeah that was the text! i didnt even read it fully until later on like i skimmed it and called him immediately and asked if we could talk in person (ofc i got all choked up trying to ask and almost started crying over the phone) so he said yes he owes me that much so i grabbed my tissue box, tried to put on my shoes (my mom had to help me bc i was shaking too much) and drove to his apartment and then sprinted to his apartment from where i parked a block away. i got there and his roommates werent home so it was just him. he opened the door and i said hi and he let me in and it was v solemn so we went into his room and sat on his bed and this is where the drama really started

so i was like “can i have a hug” and he was like “yes” so we hugged and i started crying. so we hugged for a while and then we separated and i was like “ok so explain why you want to end this” so he started explaining it to me. i was crying and he was crying too but i was crying more obv! i was like bawling. his eyes were red and tears were falling and he was sniffling but he wasnt like crying hard

so he just explained that he was in a bad place when he met me and he still is in that bad place (in reference to his depression) and how its not me its him and how i deserve someone who puts in the effort and doesnt distance themselves from me and actually has the time to see me and i was annoyed bc caleb did the same thing and i am sick of other guys telling me whats best for me like *vicki from rhoc voice* how do you know whats best for me? and like obv just bc you have depression doesnt mean you dont deserve love, like he said he still liked me and wanted to be with me and how it was breaking his heart to have to do this so i did not want him to end something just bc he felt he didnt deserve me or that he wasnt worthy of my love or anything like that 

so he also explained how he wasnt ready to settle down and i was like sis we arent even officially boyfriends yet, its not like im asking you to marry me and have kids lmfao and he said he wasnt ready for exclusivity so i was like “does that mean you wanna fuck other guys?” and he was like “i dont know” so ????? and he was like “im feeling conflicted” so i was like wtf is going on in here on this day

also i asked if his roommates were home and he said no he was home alone tonight and that was part of why he was feeling so bad and its like sis…..if being alone makes you feel worse then making yourself even more alone by breaking up w me doesnt seem like the best way to fix that! and i told him that i was free tonight and he couldve just invited me over if he was feeling lonely and he was like “i thought you would be busy” like sis literally the only times i am ever busy on saturday nights is when im with him!! lmao

he also said he wasnt opening up bc he couldnt/wasnt ready for it yet, but like i wasnt asking him to open up like all i wanted was for him to put a modicum of effort into our conversations just to show that he cared, like we can just keep doing fun things like im not asking him to get all deep and vulnerable with me (although i would love that too)

so we just had a very emotional time, i was crying my eyes out nonstop and he was lightly crying as well, there was lots of hugging and holding and stuff so like i was really really REALLY losing it like i was so MESSSSSSSSSSYYYY like i was just getting all in my feelings and saying all the things im gonna miss about him and like apologizing for anything i did wrong/apologizing for not being enough for him and like it was really really bad. but i was still also cracking jokes like a dumbass throughout the whole thing lmao bc i like to find the humor in things

i decided to mention that i was originally planning to ask him to be my bf officially on our next date (that plan had changed since he became cold and distant the past week or two but originally i was planning on doing it on the next date after i got back from the retreat) just bc i was being emotional

at one point he was laying on the bed and i was sitting on the edge of it crying (and covering my face bc im an ugly crier even though he’d already seen plenty of footage of me crying at this point) and he held out his arms and was like “come here” and i was like “no” and looked away and he was like “please” like that was very satisfying bc it showed that he needed comforting as well at that moment

at one point i was just laying on my side rolled up in a ball scream crying into my hands now THAT was messy. it was nice though bc joel moved in behind me and tried to hold me and calm me down. speaking of calming down! there were some points where i got like………REALLY bad like i was breathing so hard and fast it was troubling but whenever i had a wave of that joel held me and tried to soothe me and help me breathe

i even offered to have an open relationship if he wanted (bc this was during the exclusivity convo) bc i was just trying to grasp at any straws i could at the moment in the hopes of reaching an agreement or just stalling for time so i could move past his walls and get through to him. in reality i would never even consider it bc it is definitely not for me but at the moment i was desperate. he said no though bc he knows i wouldnt want that and he said he didnt want me to compromise myself for him

so then this is when we reached the turning point. so joel was laying down and i was like half sitting on the bed/half laying on him. and i said something along the lines of “you dont have to go through this alone, i wanna be there for you” and like when i said alone he lost IT! like we had a breakthrough he started bawling just like i was this whole time!! obviously it was hard for me to see him in that state but it was also kinda nice to see how much he cared 

but then he started breathing really fast and he was like “i think im having a panic attack” so i was like uh oh so i was like omg do you want me to get off of you or something but he was like no stay here so i kept holding him and tried to help him ride it out. but then he choked out the words “i think im making the wrong decision” like !!!! i have never felt such a strong feeling of hope in my life! but i was just like its fine dont worry about it just breathe and btw during this event he was laying on his side so he was looking to the side while i was kinda on top of him so i was like at him. so then he turned to look me directly in the face and………………………

he said “I love you!” like !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hearing that made me SO so happy so i was like “i love you too!” and we hugged and kissed and then he was like “ask me!!” and i was like “ask you what???” and he was like “ask me what you were gonna ask me before!” and i was like “OH! joel……will you be my boyfriend?” and he was like “YES!” and then we hugged again and laughed and made out and it was really really passionate even though we were both gross with tears and runny noses, like it might have even been the most passionate kissing ive ever had! it was a very emotionally intimate moment and i loved it

so then he was like “im sorry” and i was like dont worry about it lmao so then we just continued cuddling and kissing and stuff for a while. he told me that he knew i loved him back bc during my breakdown i said “i really really really really liked you” and he said he knew i wanted to say i loved you lol

he also said hes gonna try to open up more and put more of an effort in so!! that was nice

so it was hot in his room and we were all sweaty on top of being gross from crying so we showered together which is always fun. and during the shower he was very touchy and he would like press his body against mine and give little kisses on like my chest or my back which i really loved. we also did some sexual stuff too

then we got out and dried off and he finally said he would watch flavor of love with me!! so we watched a few eps and it was super fun. then we cuddled until we fell asleep holding each other which is always one of my fave parts of our dates. he was very affectionate and sweet and i really liked it. then we fell asleep and in the morning i had to go home bc i had work or something

so yeah thats it! it made me really happy that he said i love you (and that he said it to me first!!) and i made sure he knew that he could always ask me for anything he needed if he was feeling down again or something. so now fast forward to today he is back to texting me every day and being an active and engaging texter! and i went over to do homework with him on monday night which was fun! and then on friday night he invited me over at like midnight and we got checkers and then we hung out and cuddled and watched more flavor of love. and then we did some more sexual things which was really fun! he was really really into me again and he literally is the hottest guy ive ever met so i enjoyed getting to make him feel good and stuff

on friday the 13th i am taking the gsa eboard + jami w me to go see the addams family musical at his school since he is part of the pit orchestra so that will be fun! i am very happy to have joel back and i am even happier that we are officially boyfriends now! and its so so so nice to get i love you texts again!! overall i am very happy with how things turned out and i am glad i fought to make it work instead of just seeing the text and being like ok bye

[scenarios-on-ice]

*appreciates the blog* *exists to appreciate le blog* it's raining so very hard where I am *breaks out into song* iTS RAINING MEN! HALLELU- anyways it's raining just as hard how my tears were coming down my face when I watched episode 12 (of yoi) for the 2nd time *sniffle* it shouldn't be legal to have s so much beautiful in one anime *dramatically wipes tear* ~🌸

The randomness is strong in this one… YoI is the most beautiful anime ever and no one will ever convince me otherwise. I also cried while watching ep 12 and the last anime that made me cry before that was Your Lie in April, more than half a year ago. Seriously, YoI is so worth watching.

[rhizokapi-for-tjlc]

Bamf emotionally aware John and ethics in Granada Holmes (kinda)

People talking about bamf John and wanting him to take charge. Yes! I want to see him acting with consideration, proving that being patient and having emotional competence is very much compatible with agency. That is who he is, but its associated with his depression. Depression changes you in some ways, but it also turns you against yourself because you become the worst version of who you really are, because you are too tired. The sitting down type. Considerate becomes passive. I want to see John talk, which is what he has had a problem with since ep 1 and I want to see him handling his necessary violent actions, in the war and the (probable) shooting of Mary honestly. Let him feel ffs. All this talk about bamf John sometimes tips over into dfp territory. When John is violent or acts rashly, its not when hes feeling great.

“I was a soldier, I killed people” “you were a doctor ” “I had bad days”

Those were bad days for him. Yes, he was bored treating people who had the sniffles but that was a confession told as a joke. John has serious trauma and ‘missing the war ’ is whats known as survivor’s guilt and ptsd. John shooting the cabbie and being fine because he saved Sherlock is John in episoder 1. Depressed, desperate John. This season is all about facing your demons and Ill be very surprised if that goes only for Sherlock.

Mary being an assasin really makes it clear that fine with killing is the last thing John Watson is. Neither John nor Sherlock enjoys inflicting malicious and deadly violence. They need to do, and sometimes enjoy doing, whatever it takes to do the right thing. The rush of adrenalin doesnt change that, even if it is a big part of the experience. If anything, that makes them more conflicted.

This is part of why I am so into the Johns Alibi reading of t6t, it really works for continuity in character growth. The narrating may have been false, but Marys death and Johns grief but lack of shock or impulse to help were both real.

If you watch the Granada series, ethics was always present and Holmes is very empathetic. I wouldnt call it sentiment, because Holmes emotions are deeply rooted in his personal ethics of right and wrong. His pathos, logos and ethos are completely aligned. This wasnt really present in the first seasons of BBC Sherlock were Sherlock presented more with a House MD arrogance , but I have a feeling this is where they are going (partly because the most similar character to acd holmes in existence is The Doctor as written by Steven Moffat imo ). Culverton Smith being despicable and “its not a game any more” could be this. Our contemporary Sherlock and John have been younger than they were in canon, but they are growing above and beyond. At least I hope so.

[heyitsyn]

Keeping Up With Seijoh Ep. 4

a/n: uwuwuwuwu @animesportboys​ and i were just talking about this and my heart was just bursting at this thought 😭

for more seijoh content, check this masterlist out!

also requests are currently closed right now since i have like nearly 30 to finish so please be patient with me and wait for me to finish it all and until then i can open them up again. however, dont stop sending me cute stuff okay?  🥺

summary: its the time of the month for seijoh’s manager 🥺

@ yn when shes extra moody and mean during that time and does this every time she hears anything even come out of the boys’ mouth

oh dear

so basically

it’s,,,,,, a natural thing that most girls go through every month for more than half of their lives and its absolutely D R E A D F U L

the boys ofc knew what the hell a period was bc hello health class so they knew you would become this,,, other version of yourself

youd be moodier, childish, and easy to annoy and snap to everyone

but you would quickly realize how you’re acting then be all regretful and teary and cry easily and then youd forget about it then start the cycle again

you’d stick your tongue out at them and tease them mercilessly, making them run even more laps and pushing them harder

‘I SEE THOSE ARMS SHAKING, IWAIZUMI HAJIME. ADD 15 MORE TO THAT ROUTINE’

‘WHAT?!’

‘IF I SEE YOU EVEN A STEP BEHIND KINDAICHI, YOU WILL BE RUNNING 8 MORE LAPS KUNIMI’

‘NOO!!!!’

‘CHECK YOURSELF OUT ONE MORE TIME, YAHABA, I WILL GOUGE OUT YOUR EYES’

‘HAVE MERCY!!!!’

dear god they hated it

when it was time, they would protect themselves and work even harder and be more perfect to make sure you couldnt see their faults and point them out and try and kill them

it was like war for everyone

but they didnt know the exact date it started so they didnt really know when to start preparing for war until it came

this time, you didnt either

you didnt even know you were starting as you were extra busy booking the buses for away comps and collecting and emailing teachers for any missed homeworks for the team

so when it did start,,,

oh dear part 2

it wasnt really something you found out when you woke up that morning but you noticed you must be getting close since you were feeling extra cranky and you havent even been awake for more than an hour

nothing really happened throughout the day so you were just thinking that you didnt get enough sleep last night so you were just tired and wanted to sleep

but then it happened

you were standing next to iwa, reviewing his spike percentages when you shifted your weight to the other leg and then your eyes widened

your water broke

i saw this tiktok of this one girl and she was about to start filming with her friend when her eyes widened and her friend knew immediately and her caption was ‘my water broke’

iwa was worried as heck on to what was going on with you and even followed your gaze to see it on the wall and nothing out of the ordinary

‘y/n?’

‘oh god’

you mumbled and you wanted to run but you were too scared that you leaked and probably have an obvious redness on your white track pants

yep it def was your time bc you felt tears welling up in your eyes and you sniffled, embarrassed and upset for this to happen now, of all times

then oikawa tooru bursted through the doors

iwa, taking his eyes off of you and to the captain, started to yell at him until he noticed the brunette’s flushed face and panting form, hunched over as he gripped on the door handle with the plastic bag

you, too busy trying to think of a way to get out of there like deciding to waddle or to just crawl, didnt see oikawa as he approached you

the team paused and watched as he took a black hoodie from the plastic bag and wrapped it around your waist

‘hmm, y/n-chan, better get dressed so we can go now’

he hummed and you snapped out of your panic and looked up at him with watery eyes

‘oikawa-san’

you whispered and he nodded, eyes knowing what was going on

‘coach, theres a planetarium special tonight’

oikawa shouted without tearing his gaze away from you and coach irihata instantly knew, knowing the code that oikawa came up with when you became a part of the family team

the elder coach made a noise of agreement and oikawa didnt wait to up and carry you in his arms and waved to the team while pushing your head in his chest so you can hide

‘work hard everyone!’

‘oi, shittykawa! what the hell-!’

but an intense side-eye from his best friend shut him up and he knew something happened so he didnt say anything since he trusts oikawa to fix it

‘i trust you will take care of them, iwa-chan’

iwaizumi nodded firmly before shouting to resume back to practice and he himself went back to the line for spikes

you were carried to the bathroom so you could change into your emergency undies and pad and after you did your business, oikawa noticed you uncomfortably waddling towards him so he took you back into his arms

oikawa continued to carry you like his bride down the street towards an unknown destination, humming a children’s show tune that takeru loved to watch, while you maintained curled around yourself, partly due to the shame but also from the pain in your abdomen

you wiped the few stray tears that spilled past your eyes and oikawa chuckled when he noticed you aggressively wipe them off

‘hmm, y/n-chan, you shouldnt do that to yourself. it irritates your eyes and the skin around it so gently dab it next time, kay?’

you nodded, burrowing back to his chest and breathing in his scent

french toast

he smelled like french toast as the smell of caramel and vanilla wafted into your nose

‘howd you know’

you mumbled against the fabric of his jacket

oikawa stopped his humming and replaced it with a chuckle

‘oh, y/n-chan. oikawa-san is a reliable senpai, dont you know? i got a tracker! just for you!’

he answered and your eyes moved from his arm to his smile and you gripped his jacket tighter, fingers curled around it as if it was your lifeline

‘thank you, oikawa-san’

your words of appreciation made oikawa’s heart thump and he faltered a little, blush creeping up his neck, but he fought it down, covering it up with a smirk

‘you should be, y/n-chan! girls would kill to be you right now!’

you rolled your eyes at the return of his cocky attitude but you knew better

the real oikawa tooru was under that mask

turns out, he carried you to his home as his house was the closest while yours had to be taken by a bus

thankfully his parents were out and his sister and nephew were in a trip in tokyo that you had the house to yourselves without anyone asking questions that might make you uncomfortable and them misunderstand

he shut the door with his foot and made his way up the stairs with ease, his strength truly impressing you at that moment, before settling you down on his bed

it wasnt even on purpose but you curled yourself on his blanket, head buried in his pillow

his heart combusted and tooru had to look away or else he wouldve jumped on you and coddled you forever

instead, he quickly ran over and knelt down under his desk to reach for the box that he has prepared for you

‘y/n-chan, i never knew your pattern until last month so i was able to prepare for you now’

you looked up from your position on the bed and sat up enough to see him standing there, grinning with a mint green box

‘wh-what is that?’

you asked and he shuffled over, sitting next to you

‘this, is the y/n care love box! this special box was created by yours truly with everything you want and need during this dreadful week. theres your favorite food, warm socks, coupons you can spend like watching movies and eating ten tubs of ice cream while we talk shit about the boys’

he listed, gripping the box nervously 

‘so? do you like it?’

he looked away from the box and to you but his smile slipped into a panicked one when he saw you silently crying and biting your lip to keep the sobs in

‘y-y/n-chan! i-its okay if y-you dont like it! o-oikawa-san can-’

‘no!’

you cut him off and lunged to hug him with all your might

hehe all might

E A T   T H I S

‘i love you so much, oikawa-san! so much! thank you!’

you sobbed into his neck and he tightly hugged you back, lifting you so you could comfortably sit on his lap straddle him if you want me to be straight forward

oikawa gently moved so he was leaning against the wall that his bed was pressed against while you were pressed against his warmth

his fingers were drawing small circles on your back and whispering corny jokes or puns that made you giggle and laugh and occassionally, he would kiss your nose and you would whine at the ticklish feeling

eyes fleeting around the room, your eyes settled back on the box and you reached out, wanting to grab it until oikawa beat you to it and snatched it for you then placed it on your hold

‘whats inside, oikawa-san?’

you cutely mumbled, sitting comfortably back on his thighs so you could open the box in front of you

oikawa laughed

‘just open it and figure it out yourself, y/n-chan’

you pouted at his tease but smiled widely when you revealed the contents inside

‘oikawa-san!’

his eyes followed your surprised expression and his hands gripped your waist

‘you like it?’

he whispered and you nodded, looking back up at him and kissing his cheek, his 

‘youre so sweet, oikawa-san! like-like this candy bar! howd you know i like this?’

you held up the treat and he shrugged

‘i keep seeing you get it whenever we go to the store’

you continued to sift through the things, seeing a dvd of your favorite movie, a f/c heating pad, a note that said your favorite ice cream was in the fridge, a bag of your favorite chips, fluffy socks, the goodies

you didnt even notice yourself crying again, only realizing it when there were wet spots beneath you

oikawa saw this and he quickly but gently put the box to the side and cradled your face with both of his hands, softly wiping the tears away with his thumbs

‘aw, dont cry, my little baby. princesses should never cry’

you sniffled and choked a laugh

‘hah, n-not a baby. j-just hor-monal’

you complained and oikawa snickered but shook his head then kissed your nose again

‘youre my baby’

you didnt have it in you to complain so you went back to snuggling into him

oikawa squeezed you and went back to drawing the circles on your back and he felt you relax into his touch and slump against his form, slowly starting to snore

your head rested on his shoulder and he turned slightly to watch your eyes flutter and nose scrunch when a strand of your hair fell on it

his heart continued to beat faster and faster and it showed by the way his fingers shook as he carefully lifted the hair away from you

he slowly bent down to give you a kiss on the forehead before laying you down to sleep more comfortably

‘good night, princess’

he sweetly placed a last kiss on your cheek before getting up to go prepare your heating pad for when you wake up

the next few days were possibly the best period days youve ever had

maybe because it was oikawa telling the team that you were in,,,,, satan’s domain currently and they should be careful with you so they tried their best to lift the weight and burden off of your shoulders

however,,

the next day after the incident,,,

they still didnt know what was wrong with you and oikawa forgot to text the gc about your condition so they were still unknowing

like today

during your classes, you were feeling off, almost nauseous but eating little bits of your chocolate treats were helping you get through until lunch

ofc kunimi noticed bc hellow he sits next to you and he doesnt pay attention during class so hes been watching you sneak little bites so the teacher doesnt see and ducking under your book

he was just amused with the way your eyes would widen if you thought the teacher caught you

kindaichi and kunimi and you usually ate lunch together at your classroom since you three only got to hang out as first years during lunch

so they know you usually have a bento with you and have a general idea of how much you eat

and kunimi thought since you ate all those chocolates earlier, you wouldnt eat as much food but then he saw you scarf down your bento, eat 2 more bags of chips and was finishing last chocolate bar

kindaichi,,,, wasnt even finished with his own bento and was watching you, amazed, at how easily you ate all of it

they didnt say anything since they thought you just didnt eat dinner last night but even during the walk towards the gym for after school practice, you were complaining that you were hungry and was eating another chocolate bar

they thought something was truly wrong bc you were eating so much more than usual

kunimi watched you chew on it as you opened the gym door and still ate even when you were talking to mattsun about his jump height

‘man, you sure are hungry, aren’t you, y/n? thats like your fifth chocolate bar today’

kunimi teased, grabbing a ball to spike but he froze, seeing you with the coldest and angriest look hes ever seen

you blinked at him, grip tightening on the treat, and mattsun slowly backing away from you

you advanced towards the blep boy, treat already forgotten and shoved to be held by mattsun 

despite your shorter height than kunimi, he trembled slightly as you looked up at him

‘are you calling me fat, kunimi? are you? am i fat? do you think im ugly? im a piggie?’

you ranted and slowly started crying, making kunimi frantically scramble to stop you before the other upperclassmen see or worse, oikawa-san

‘y/n-wait-no!-um’

‘y/n-chan?’

kunimi shut his eyes tightly in fear at the deadly sweet voice of his captain and kindaichi and mattsun sent a quick prayer to their fellow teammate before he was going to get killed

‘uh oh, i think we’d have to start looking for a replacement for kunimi’

makki, who just arrived, teased making kindaichi fearfully look at him

‘eh?!’

‘oh, you first years have never seen oikawa mad, have ya? well, you’ll get front seat of it!’

mattsun clapped him in the back making him gulp

you werent sobbing but you were definitely crying, tear tracks quickly being wetted by the numerous amount of tears that fell

kunimi scrambled to his knees and folded himself, forehead resting on the floor by his hands

‘I APOLOGIZE! PLEASE DONT KILL ME! I APOLOGIZE! PLEASE FIND MERCY IN YOURSELF AND FORGIVE ME, Y/N-SAMA!’

it was certainly a sight to see

normally calm and collected and chill and relaxed hippie kunimi begging to be forgiven

oikawa stepped forward but you quickly felt the change of your mood, feeling bad for your boy and scrambling to pull him back up

‘oh kunimi-kun! dont kneel like that! the floor is too hard and might give you knee pain!’

it was like whiplash

iwa stepped in the gym and saw the team’s confused and bewildered expressions and saw you, kunimi, and oikawa and he shook his head

this aint even half of bad as he has seen

oikawa gently took you away from kunimi and held you to him instead, giving you a smile, to which you returned, and looked at kunimi, a deadly glint in his eye

‘what happened, y/n-chan?’

the tone of his voice sent a chill to run down everyone’s spines and even iwa, the boy who’s seen this a handful of times, shivered and nervously watched oikawa, ready to jump in

but you just blinked, completely unaware of the change of atmosphere

‘oh, um, i overreacted. i was eating too much food today and mustve annoyed him or something’

you sheepishly mumbled but oikawa was having none of it

‘no, its fine. youre literally bleeding out as we speak! dont feel the need to validate yourself!’

he lightly scolded while you hung your head low and continued to apologize but he gently bonked your head before scolding you again

the team definitely knew now that you were in that,,,, time and they definitely knew now, especially kunimi, that even if youve seen oikawa mad, youd think that the devil was more merciful than him when it relates to the topic of you

a/n: i swear to GGGOOOOODDDDDD im an oikawa whore who cant seem to stop writing for him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[singingwordwright]

Gorgeous cover art courtesy of @beyondthehunt Originally betaed by @roseglass with some final (eventual) copy-editing by @bonibaru

A Separate Peace (sequel to One Easy Answer) a Malec AU by @maleccrazedauthor

(Also on AO3)

Chapters: 16/28 Word Count: 104,900 Rating: Mature Premise: Arranged Marriage AU, Canon Divergent starting at Ep 1x12

(Please See Chapter List for Notes and Summary)

Despite his desperate rush to get back to the Institute, Alec managed to call Catarina and inform her that Magnus had been injured. She promised to find someone to watch Madzie and get there as quickly as she was able. Overhearing Alec’s side of the conversation from where she sat next to him in a filthy mundane cab, Izzy offered to look after Madzie and asked the taxi driver to pull over to let her out to make her way to Catarina’s house.

Alec wasn’t certain that running back to the Institute wouldn’t have been faster than waiting for the cab to make its way through snarls of traffic, but finally the sign for Battery Park appeared. Alec stuffed his money through the partition to the cabbie and jumped from the car nearly before it had come to a stop.

The infirmary was full of bustling medics treating Magnus’s wound with what amounted to little more than mundane field medicine. Angelic runes wouldn’t work on him, and they wouldn’t have access to warlock healing. As he rushed to Magnus’s side, he caught a glimpse of Clary and Max, hanging back in a corner out of the way. Jace was nowhere to be seen.

Magnus was conscious, thank the Angel, but his face was pale and twisted with pain. Dried blood at the corners of his mouth and trailing down his chin suggested one of his lungs had been punctured, and his breath sounded alarmingly raspy.

“Hey. I’m here,” he said, linking his fingers with Magnus’s. “I called Catarina. Izzy’s gone to sit with Madzie so she can come.”

Magnus squeezed back and gave him an attempt at a smile, but when he tried to speak, he began to cough and a mist of blood splattered everyone around him.

“What’s his status?” Alec demanded, staring at the splash of crimson on his hand in dread.

The chief medic—the one he’d conspired with to keep Izzy’s yin fen addiction out of her files—looked up from the other side of the bed. “Holding his own for now,” she answered. “But if we don’t get a warlock in to heal him, we’re going to have to perform surgery to repair the wound and re-inflate his lung the mundane way. We all know the procedure, in theory, but none of us have experience with it. We’re too reliant on runic healing. We need a warlock.”

“Catarina Loss is on her way, she should only be a few minutes out.”

The medic nodded an acknowledgment and jerked her head toward the corner where Clary and Max sat. “In that case, sir, give us room to work, please.”

She was right. He was in the way. But it would have been easier to tear his own arm off than release Magnus’s hand. Alec felt the effort of it like a physical torment; unlinking his fingers from Magnus’s was like slowly rending his own flesh. Finally he drew away and staggered backward toward the chairs against the wall.

“Where’s Jace?” he asked Clary, dropping into one.

“Reporting to the Inquisitor.” Her eyes were swimming with tears. “He has to explain how we lost both Dot and the Mirror.”

“What? How?”

Clary shook her head. “I don’t know. Jonathan was there. He stabbed Magnus. Then he and Jace were fighting and I was trying to get through to him, convince him he didn’t have to do Valentine’s bidding, and that’s when Dot drew on Magnus’s magic to open a portal practically on top of us. She said to ask Magnus about the Mirror, but we checked his pockets. He doesn’t have it. It’s gone.”

Magnus burbled a groan from the bed and Alec shot to his feet, but the medics had closed in around him and there was no place for Alec to reach him. After a moment, he quieted, and Alec sank back down into his chair.

“What are you doing here, Max?” he asked, trying to muster a smile for his brother.

“I saw them bring Magnus in,” Max said gravely. “But you weren’t here, and Jace had to go. I thought family should be with him.”

Alec’s eyes burned and he reached out to run a hand over Max’s hair. “Thanks,” he said, his throat tight.

“You’re a good brother, Max,” Clary said, sniffling. “I wish we were all so lucky.”

“Oh, that’s right.” Max gave her a considering look. “Jace isn’t your brother anymore.”

Clary gave a watery chuckle. “No, definitely not.” She sobered, looking over at Magnus. “And my real brother isn’t who I thought he’d be. He hurt Magnus. And Dot…”

Two more tears ran unchecked down her cheeks. Unlike his mother or Izzy, she felt no need to try to hide them or wipe them away or preserve her makeup from their ravages.

“I know Dot was dying,” she said. “I know she only had a day or two left. But it shouldn’t have been like this. She should have been with the people who care about her.”

Magnus groaned again, something that sounded like an argument, or protest. Alec clutched the arms of his chair against the urge to rise again, and listened as the medics urged him to calm down.

The chief medic turned to speak over her shoulder.

“I want everyone who isn’t medical personnel out of the room, right now. He’s too agitated to have you in here.”

Alec clenched his jaw against the urge to argue and instead nudged Clary and Max up and out of the room. They sat in the chairs lining the hallway outside while Alec hovered at the door, watching through the small window at the top while the medics worked inside.

“What happened to Dot once she portaled you away?” Max asked Clary innocently. The elevator chimed its arrival down the hall and Alec turned toward it, praying it would be Catarina. Sebastian came striding out, however. Alec turned back to the little window, barely glancing at him.

Clary’s voice was filled with venom. “My brother happened,” she told Max. Out of the corner of his eye, Alec saw thought he saw Sebastian almost trip over his feet as he stopped short. “It turns out my real brother is a monster.”

Sebastian hesitated before approaching, apparently unwilling to court the idea of Clary turning that wrath on him.

“What is it, Sebastian?” Alec asked, not bothering to look at him.

“I, er, just…got in from patrol and heard there’d been an…an incident with Dot. Your husband, is he all right?”

“No,” Alec said flatly. “He’s not.”

“What happened to you?” Clary asked, sounding shocked enough that Alec dragged his attention away from the window to actually take in Sebastian’s appearance.

His fair skin was a mottled red, as though irritated by some allergic reaction. His eyes were bloodshot.

“Ah.” His normally smooth voice was full of grit, as though his throat were raw. He looked down at his reddened hands as though seeing them for the first time. “Particularly rare and nasty subspecies of elapid. A little more slug-like than a true elapid, which tend to be closer to snakes. They spew a slime that corrodes flesh on contact as a defense mechanism, and the fumes from it inflame the tissue of the throat and lungs. I got it washed off my skin quickly, so hopefully it will heal in a few days’ time.” He hesitated, then asked as though he couldn’t help himself, “Did I hear you properly? You ran into your brother, after all? And he’s with the Circle?”

Alec turned back to the window and listened with half an ear as Clary filled Sebastian in on how Magnus had come to be injured and Dot had sacrificed herself for the rest of them.

“Jace was right about Jonathan,” she concluded bitterly. “When I see him, I’m going to make him pay. For Magnus, for Dot, for all of it.”

“But…he’s your brother. Your family,” Sebastian protested. “You always stand by family, isn’t that what you all keep saying?”

“He’s not my family,” Clary spat. “We may have the same blood, but he’s not. Maybe he could have been, if Valentine hadn’t twisted him, but we’ll never know.”

“Don’t worry about Jonathan,” Max said, nudging Clary with that embarrassed, almost grudging brand of emotional generosity unique to preteen boys. “Jace says the Lightwoods always take in strays.”

“Thanks, Max,” Clary said softly. Whatever they said next was lost on Alec as he became absorbed in the flurry of activity around Magnus’s bed. His phone buzzed with a message, and Alec dug it out of his pocket, frowning to see Catarina’s name on the screen.

Standing outside. Denied permission to enter.

As Alec read the message, their phones all chimed in unison with the Institute’s alert message, a security advisory flashing on their screens notifying them that the Institute was being closed to Downworlders not already on the premises. Clary and Max shot out of their chairs, following quickly on Alec’s heels along with Sebastian as he jogged down the hallway toward the elevator.

When the doors opened, however, the elevator was already full. Jace and Imogen Herondale stood there along with two of the Elite Guard.

“What’s going on?” he demanded, looking from Jace to the Inquisitor and back.

“I want Mr. Bane’s—Mr. Lightwood-Bane’s—room under guard at all times,” the Inquisitor said, ignoring Alec.

“I’m sorry, Alec,” Jace murmured, leaning in close. “It’s Imogen’s orders. She thinks Magnus and Dot may have conspired to steal the Mirror.”

“You can’t be serious!” Alec ran a hand through his hair, trying to tamp down the panic surging up in his chest. “Catarina Loss is standing outside right this minute to heal him. If you don’t let her in, the medics are going to have to do a mundane procedure that, frankly, they don’t have the training to actually do. Magnus could die.”

“Well, perhaps you can answer the question of what your husband may have done with the Mirror.” Imogen turned an icy gaze upon him. “Dorothea Rollins words when she was last seen were that he had it. But he does not.”

“Dot’s last words were that Magnus knew about it,” Clary corrected, her hands clenched furiously at her sides. “He can’t tell us what he knows until he’s healed. All you have to do is let Catarina in, then this can be settled.”

“Really?” The Inquisitor’s words dripped with disdain. “We should let another warlock into the Institute when all evidence indicates that the last ones we trusted misled us into helping them hand the Mirror over to the Circle.”

“That’s crazy!” Clary said hotly. “Magnus and Dot would never do that!”

“Dorothea Rollins worked for Valentine for months. We were fools to believe she ever stopped. Perhaps Mr. Lightwood-Bane was duped by her, or perhaps he was complicit.”

Clary appeared ready to explode. “Dot didn’t work for him, she was his captive! He used a mind control serum on her!”

“So she claimed. And yet now she’s disappeared with his son, and the Mirror with her. For all we know, this entire ploy was an elaborate setup.”

“There are other explanations, Imogen,” Jace said, looking from Alec and Clary to his grandmother with barely masked anxiety. “While Clary and I were busy confronting Jonathan, Magnus and Dot may have transported the Mirror somewhere safe, to be recovered later. We need Magnus healed before we can find out.”

“Our medics will do their best for him,” Herondale said, softening her tone. “Then we can determine the extent of his complicity. But until further notice, no other Downworlders are to be permitted entry.”

“You’re so worried about Downworlders. Maybe you should start focusing on the people already within this Institute!” Alec snapped. “That’s the real threat to our security.”

Her gimlet gaze found Alec again. “Just what do you mean by that?”

“Our plan tonight was leaked to. By Duncan, one of our own people. We found him wearing a brand-new Circle rune.”

“Duncan?” Jace asked in astonishment. “I knew he had some anti-Downworld sentiment, but—”

“Aldertree recruited him, apparently,” Alec explained. “The Circle killed the Shadowhunters that were dispatched as backup for me my sister and then tried to kill the Downworlders who came to assist us on the mission. So now we’ve lost five more people. We’re lucky the Downworlders didn’t think we’d led them into another trap, or any hope for peace would have been lost. Which is exactly what the Circle wants. They want a Downworld uprising.”

Jace frowned. “How do you figure?”

“Duncan confirmed as much. Aldertree told him a war was coming. Torturing Raphael, cracking down on the Downworld. It was part of a plan to increase tensions.”

Jace sighed. “That idea has Valentine’s fingerprints all over it. Provoke the Downworld into hostilities, turn the Clave against them, and suddenly instead of being enemies of the state, the Circle looks like heroes who saw it coming from the start.”

“Exactly.” Alec looked at Herondale, who was listening with a thoughtful expression. “Inquisitor, please. Regardless of what you think of me, or my husband, you are playing into the Circle’s hands. If Magnus dies, we lose a powerful ally, and Downworld sentiment will turn against us once they learn you denied Magnus the care he needs.”

The Inquisitor shook her head. “You present an interesting theory as to the Circle’s strategy and motives, but I’m afraid the order remains. We will take no further chances with the security of this Institute. Our people will give your husband the best care they can.” She looked at the Elite Guardsmen. “Allow the medics all the room they need to work. For now, we’ll proceed on the assumption that Mr. Lightwood-Bane will have a satisfactory explanation and allow him visitation, but he’s not to leave the Institute until the matter is settled, even if you have to bind his hands to prevent him from using magic.”

She walked away without so much as sparing Alec another glance, and he started after her, his hands ready to wrap themselves around her neck. Jace planted a hand on his chest and shoved him back until the elevator doors closed behind Herondale.

“Do not ruin what little standing you have left with her, Alec!” Jace snapped.

“Are you Head of this Institute now or not?” Alec shot back. “If so, act like it instead of letting her walk all over you.”

Jace’s head jerked back. “Whoa! I’m not the enemy here.”

“Then try being on my side of this before she ruins everything we’ve been working for! Or don’t you remember how desperate we were to find a way to make things right and secure lasting peace after the Soul Sword and those damned tracking chips?”

Jace flinched, and Alec knew he’d struck a low blow there. “You don’t need to throw that in my face. Look, regardless of the fact that Imogen’s my grandmother, she is the Inquisitor,” Jace said with an emphatic shake of his head. “She outranks me about a dozen times over, and you know that. You’ve been just as helpless to countermand her orders as I am now.”

“We gave a promise to the Downworlders who attended that first summit, when we offered them the treaty.” Alec dropped his voice. “We swore we’d do whatever it takes to protect them from unprovoked aggression by the Clave. Do you remember what that entailed? How far we promised we’d go if we had to?”

Jace’s eyes widened, his jaw dropping. He glanced quickly at Sebastian, who was lurking several feet away, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else, to the Elite Guards who had taken up station on either side of the door to Magnus’s room. “You can’t be talking about—”

“Whatever it takes. You have until dawn to decide which side you’re coming down on before I pull the pin on this. And if my husband dies before then? Don’t bother pretending it’s mine.”

Alec slammed into Magnus’s room before Jace could respond. Magnus appeared to be unconscious on the bed, and the bustling activity seemed to have subsided. When Alec entered, the subordinate medics filed out.

“We’ve sedated him with mundane drugs and have him stabilized for now,” the chief medic said before Alec could prompt her for an update. “We need that warlock soon, or we’re going to have to prep him for surgery.”

Alec rubbed his brow, where the tension was beginning to coalesce into an ache. “That may be unavoidable. The Inquisitor has forbidden any other Downworlders entrance. Are you the medic who’s best trained to do the mundane procedure?”

She nodded. “Not that that’s saying much. It’s ego, really, that keeps us from learning non-Nephilim healing as well as we should. When this is over, I’m going to propose to the Clave Medic Corps that we start slipping our people into mundane teaching hospitals to learn alongside the med students there.”

“I’ll back you if you do,” Alec said. “Not that that counts for much either, since I’m no longer in charge here.”

“Because of him?” she asked, nodding toward Magnus.

Alec sighed. “Not entirely, but I’m sure being married to a Downworlder—and a man—doesn’t help.”

“I understand. My girlfriend’s a werewolf with the Queens pack. I, um, haven’t really mentioned her to many people around here.”

“Yeah, I get that.” Alec tried for a reassuring smile, but it probably came out as more of a grimace. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I ever got your name?”

Her smile managed to be much more genuine. “Liz Velez. Don’t worry about the name. Heads of Institutes don’t generally deal with the medics much unless there’s a contagion or a severely injured Shadowhunter to report on.”

“Well, Liz, I’m not Head of the Institute anymore. And even if I were, I probably still should have taken the time for introductions.” He turned his focus back to Magnus and dropped his voice to a bare murmur, “Tell me honestly—do I need to look for some way to violate the Inquisitor’s orders and get him out of here?”

Liz looked at him thoughtfully for a moment, then glanced toward the closed door. “I can keep him stable for maybe another hour,” she replied under her breath. “If you can’t find a way to persuade the Inquisitor before then, let me know and I’ll step outside for a smoke break.”

Alec frowned in confusion. “A smoke break?” That was a mundane habit very few Shadowhunters ever picked up. And Alec could swear he didn’t detect the slightest hint of cigarette smoke even standing right next to her.

“Yeah. A smoke break. Outside.” She gave him an intent stare. “Where I might just bump into someone glamoured as a Shadowhunter. Whom I would then innocently accompany into the Institute to avoid triggering the wards.”

Alec sucked in a breath. “A smoke break. Right.”

It was an incredibly brave offer she was making. And also a risk Alec had no right to ask her to take. “Understood. Let me see what I can do first. Don’t—don’t stick your neck out unless you have no other choice.”

“I don’t plan to,” Liz said simply, checking over Magnus’s vitals. “But as far as I can see, there’s coming a point where this Institute is going to have to choose between doing things the Clave’s way or our way, and it seems like the Clave’s way isn’t getting us anywhere. I know where I plan to stand where that happens. And now so does the Head of my Institute.”

On to Chapter 17!

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