#also wow almost all of the ones i drew so far have cheek dots

[creaturefeaster]

wanted to draw all the side character mimes but im quickly realising there's many of them that dont have solid designs yet and also i feel like im forgetting some

[stinkysam]

Deke Shaw - But if you had told me, I would've told you.

Warning : none

Genre : fluff

Synopsis : "Imagine if you will a scenario where a character finds out the reader is an artist (or has knowledge of it) and mentions it in passing or brags about it to everyone else. Then, per everyone's curiosity the reader is forced to pull the sketchbook out from his bag and is like "okay but I'll only show you the pages *I* like" before someone immediately wrestles it out from his grasp (and trust me I played tug-o-war for a good five seconds). Nothing too embarrassing was in it thank goodness but mayhaps there's a fluffy twist where it turns out the reader has numerous doodles or candid sketches of the person he likes in there? Cue a confession sequence lolol" - @intrepid-captain

Reader : male (he/you)

You were sitting in your corner peacefully, Deke, May and Daisy sitting at the table near you while you drew silly doodles for warm-ups in your sketchbook. You were so focused you didn't hear May and Daisy talk to you.

"[Name] !" Finally, May's voice caught your attention.

You looked up, slightly startled, wide eyes looking at them.

"Daisy was talking to you."

"Oh no, it's fine." Daisy said.

"She wanted to see you drawings."

Daisy smiled politely. In all honesty, she was indeed curious but she also knew not every artist liked to share their art. Deke perked up, gaining interest in the discussion.

You quickly debated with yourself, not daring to say no, you accepted. This simple doodle wasn't much anyway so there was nothing to fear. So you turned your sketchbook to them so they could see. It was two people fighting, one about to high-kick the other in the head.

What you didn't expect was for May to grab it. She stared when you didn't let go before ripping it away from your hands. Clearly not understanding the silent message.

She showed it to Daisy who tried not to smile. She got the message.

Then May turned the page and you stood up.

"No. No. No. No !" Your voice grows louder with each 'no' as you try to approach them as fast as possible to grab your sketchbook back but May pulls it away once again.

"Look, there's us." Daisy says, pointing proudly at the portraits. "So cool, right ?" She says, leaning to the side to let Deke see.

You stand there, sweating bullets, hoping they won't turn the pages anymore.

"Oh, that's me !" Deke says, surprised to be in here as well. He grabs the book from May's hands and turns pages.

Oh no.

"Oh wow that's me again !" He laughs, excited, slightly walking away from Daisy and May.

"Don't-" You try to intervene but they ignore you, too engrossed in your art.

"Always my best angles !" He turns more pages. "There's- there's a lot of me, actually." He says, this time more serious. What the fuck ? They're all so prettily drawn. He smiles, slightly nervous.

May hums, not that interested anymore, staring at you instead as if to say "Him ? Really ?".

"Really ? Let me see." Daisy's hands are already on the sketchbook, turning it toward herself.

"No !" You yell again, finally grabbing the book from their hands. "That's enough !" Your face is hot in embarrassment, you can feel your cheeks burning. "Those are not the pages I wanted you to see."

"Why did you draw Deke so much ?" As Daisy asks that, Deke places his hands on his hips.

"Why wouldn't he ?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't he." May repeats with a small smirk.

"No reasons at all." You say to May and Daisy before turning to Deke. "Don't think too much about it."

"Oh." Daisy says, almost disappointed by your answer. Boring.

Wait. Ohohoh… She smiles knowingly, having connected the dots.

"There were far more portraits of Deke than us…" she 'thought' aloud. "Like, daily drawings of him. This is an obsession at this point…"

Oh my god.

"No. Not at all."

"Really ?" Deke smiles, stepping closer as if to take another look at what's inside your closed sketchbook. Daily drawings of him ? "I mean, that's understandable-" He starts.

"I don't know what you're talking about." You cut him off, taking a step back. You won't let him take another peek at your drawings. "He was just around when I wanted to draw. That's all. This is just a coincidence."

"There's lots and lots of them though." Daisy said, squinting her eyes.

"Not that much."

"Almost like if he made you want to draw." May added.

You grimaced, trying to hide your nervous smile. Why were they all siding against you now, what did you do to them ?

"I don't know what you're talking about." You laugh awkwardly.

"Really ? I make you want to draw ?" His arms are now crossed, still leaning closer.

"No." You deadpanned as you started to walk away wanting to get out of this situation.

Daisy and May chuckled, watching you leave as Deke quickly followed you.

"Can I look at them again ?" He asks, excited. It's the first time someone drew him like this. He looks so cool. So good. Is that how you see him ?

"No ?" You say, avoiding eye contact. Focusing on walking away. Where, you didn't know, but away.

"Then why are you drawing me this much ? Daisy said-"

"Oh my god, don't listen to what she says !" You stop in your tracks.

"Come on, can I look at them again ?"

"No."

"Why not !?"

"Because this is embarrassing !"

"What is ?"

Oh my god. How could he be so smart and so fucking dumb at the same time ?

"You really haven't guessed ? Why there's daily drawings of you ? In my sketchbook ?" You say, tapping your foot on the floor, looking at him. Daring him to fucking think.

"I mean. I know that I'm… awesome, good looking, smart." He jokingly began to list before- "Oh my god you like me !"

"Maybe…" You said quietly.

"You could've just said it." He laughs, a bit too pleased.

"Sorry, you didn't really let me know if your crush on Daisy was over."

"I would've told you if you had told me you had one on me !"

"Well, I wouldn't have told you because- This is endless !"

He grinned, clearly overjoyed.

"You really like me ?" He asks, and you grimace. Sometimes he really made you want to lie. But you decided against it.

"Yes." You said, feeling your heart beat in your ears.

He grinned.

"Good thing I-"

"Wait, you're not into Daisy anymore ?"

"Uh… no."

"Since when ?" You ask, confused.

"Since you kind of, uh stole my heart." He chuckled awkwardly, trying to sound confident, a light blush spearing to his cheeks.

You stared at him and he shifted, feeling now uncomfortable.

"You like me, right ?" He asks, biting his lower lip, feeling unsure of what he heard you say earlier. You said you liked him, he didn't make that up, right ?

"Of course, you do ?"

He nodded quickly.

"But can you stop looking at me like you're so suspicious of something ? Please ?"

"Sorry, I just… I didn't expect you to get over your feelings for her, so…"

"Well, she thought the lemons were lame so I had to."

"What ?" You frowned. Lemons ?

"No, it's just- nothing." He looked down, before looking at you then away. He nervously scratched his ear before taking your free hand.

"I really like you, [Name]. I'm not joking. You're-" He smiles. "Kind, talented, funny, handsome, you're really nice to be around, you're patient, you… you listen to me, you're-"

"Okay ! I get it !" You throw your head back with a nervous smile. "I can't take compliments, that's enough !"

"But it's true !"

"Ahh ! Stop it !" You felt your face heat up again in embarrassment.

"I like you, [Name]."

You closed your eyes, calming yourself and mainly your heart that was beating a bit too uncontrollably.

"I like you too." You said, squeezing his hand in return, smiling.

[sableflynn]

anything goes (2)

This is part 2 of my sadistic card game story, based on the prompt by Avie and Dot. Original prompt here. This also applies for my “forcibly stripped” square for @badthingshappenbingo​ !

CW: noncon stripping, noncon touching, forced alcohol use, mention of broken bones and cuts, hand trauma

Part one | Part two

Also on Ao3

---

At some unseen signal from Volkan, a servant entered and laid down a platter of fruits and cheese and refilled their drinks, like this was some sort of fucking cocktail party.

“This is taking so much longer than I expected,” Volkan said, choosing a strawberry from the platter and popping it in his mouth. “Not that I’m complaining, of course. He looks amazing, and we’re barely a third through.”

Anna said nothing. Across from them, Kailo knelt on the floor, shaking with muffled sobs through the gag, cloth wrapped around his eyes and stuffed in his ears. She realized she was clenching her fists, nails digging into her palms. She forced herself to relax them, let out a slow breath. Don’t let him see how this is getting to you.

He saw. “You should have a drink, Anna,” he said, motioning towards her untouched glass of liquor. “It might take the edge off, make the rest of this easier for you.”  

Anna refused to look directly at him. “No.”

“You sure?” Even out of the corner of her eye, she could see his self-satisfied smirk. “You might even end up enjoying this, if you let yourself relax a little.”

Kailo was trembling, weakening before her. The sooner they got through this, the sooner she could take him home and get him help. “Just play your next card.”

Helping himself to another piece of fruit, Volkan pulled the next card, and his eyes lit up. “Oh, fuck yes.” He dropped the card on the table, and Anna read the elegant script: Strip them naked.

“Don’t.” The word slipped out before she could stop herself, and she wanted to reach out and pull it back in, but Volkan had already frozen and was turning back to her, so slowly.

His eyes on her were poisonous. “Are you forfeiting the game?”

“No.” Her voice was a whisper.

He took a step closer. “You were okay with everything we did before, but this is where you draw the line?”

“No.”

“No, what?” He stepped closer.

“I wasn’t okay with any of it.”

“But you let it happen.” Another step, and he was in front of her.

She swallowed. “Just...just do it.”

He smiled, tilted his head, then took her chin in one hand. She almost wrenched her head away, but she held still. How can I flinch from this when Kailo is going to go through so much worse—has already gone through so much worse?

“Do what, Anna?” Volkan asked, his grip on her chin deceptively gentle.

He’s going to make me say it. “Finish your card.”

The grip on her chin tightened infinitesimally “Be more specific, Anna.”

She looked him in the eye. “Strip him.”

At once the hand on her chin was gone, and Volkan was rummaging through the tool box. “If you insist,” he said, pulling a small knife from the box.

“If you cut him with that, you forfeit the game,” she said in a fit of desperation. “The card doesn’t say to cut.” It was a weak attempt to take back the control she had lost.

Volkan hummed in agreement. “I guess I’ll have to be careful, then.” He stood behind Kailo, hand trailing gently down the side of his face, and then began to undo the gag. “I’ll take this out for now. I want to hear him beg.”

As soon as the gag was off Kailo began to cough, his body shaking with the force of it. Then he started begging, and Anna felt her heart shatter. “Please, please, please stop—” He broke off into another fit of coughing that turned into a shuddering sob.

Volkan laughed. “Wow, I haven’t even done anything to him yet and he’s terrified.” He toyed idly with Kailo’s curls. Anna gripped the edges of her seat with white knuckles to stop herself from flying at him in a rage. What the fuck do you mean you haven’t even done anything to him yet?

True to his word, Volkan was careful with the knife as he began slicing Kailo’s clothes away. Kailo flinched every time the knife cut into the cloth, but Volkan had perfect control and was soon pulling the remnants of the shirt from his body. He ran a hand over Kailo’s now-bare chest, and Anna wondered with dread just how much more intimate these cards would get.

Volkan pulled the pants off and Kailo was now fully stripped before them. Anna averted her eyes, then realized that was fucking pointless when Volkan was still crouching right over Kailo and running a thumb over his cheek. Kailo jerked away from the touch, curling his legs into himself in an attempt to keep some sort of dignity. “D-don’t touch me,” he whispered, his voice wavering, and then it broke as he continued, “please, please don’t…” His breaths were short, sharp.

“Your turn,” Volkan said as he turned back to her with a supremely satisfied smile, but she was already pulling the next card, desperate to get through this as quickly as possible. Play with their hair. She held onto the deep relief that this wouldn’t be something painful, and crushed down the unease at just how this would feel to Kailo immediately after being stripped naked. She rolled the die and landed a three.

“Three minutes,” Volkan said, pulling an ornate watch from his pocket. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep time for you.”

Like hell do I trust you to be honest about that, she thought as she made her way to stand behind Kailo. Beginning the countdown in her mind, she placed her hands as gently as she could in Kailo’s hair. He immediately jerked away with a cry, a soft whispered please don’t. Hating herself for it, Anna placed her hands on his hair again and began running fingers through his curls. One eighty, one seventy-nine, one seventy-eight, one-seventy-seven…

As the seconds ticked by, Kailo’s sobs quieted, and he began to lean into the touch. Anna wasn’t sure that was any better. Ninety-two, ninety-one, ninety, eighty-nine… Her eyes flicked up to see Volkan watching with a deep fascination, occasionally glancing at his watch. Forty-five, forty-four, forty-three… Kailo’s breaths were softer, and he almost seemed relaxed. Three, two, one—

“Stop.” Volkan startled her with his punctuality; she’d been so sure he would try to drag it out. He smirked at her confusion. “What, did you think I’d try to cheat you?” Drawing his next card, he added, “Why would I need to cheat, when you’ve been playing so well?”

Anna sat as Volkan read his card. “Give them alcohol.” He briefly considered the bottle sitting at the table with them, then got up to search the bar. “I’m not wasting my good liquor on this,” he said.

While Volkan searched, Anna allowed herself a moment to consider Kailo. With the gag out, his breathing was much louder, even as he had managed to contain his sobs. He was stripped naked. Covered in cuts and bruises. One arm broken, the other carved with Volkan’s name. And we’re just about halfway through. She wondered if he could make it through the rest of the game. If she could make it through.

“Here we go.” Volkan returned with a bottle of clear liquor. Without further ceremony, he crouched next to Kailo, unscrewing the lid and pressing the bottle to his mouth.

Kailo jerked his head away. “Please don’t—I don’t want—” Rolling his eyes, Volkan snarled a hand in Kailo’s hair and jerked his head back, forcing the bottle once again to his mouth. The liquor splashed down his body and Kailo cried out as it washed over his cuts. His cries turned to coughing and choking as Volkan continued forcing the drink on him, pouring the liquor until Kailo’s throat bobbed with a swallow. Anna could smell the alcohol from where she sat.

As Volkan returned to his seat, Anna drew her next card. Stroke their thigh. She couldn’t help but frown at that. How much further will these cards go?

Volkan glanced over at the card, scoffing as he read it. “You’re worried about that? Would you rather slice him open some more?”

“I—no,” Anna said, cursing herself for getting so easily flustered by a simple card. “But don’t play coy. You know how this will feel to him after what you did—”

“After what we did, Anna.” He reached across the table and rolled the die for her. “Six minutes. Do it, or I’ll take him home and do much worse.”

Hating how easily Volkan got to her, hating every flicker of weakness she had ever shown him, Anna knelt next to Kailo and laid a careful hand on his thigh. He gasped and flinched away, and once again, Anna ignored his protests and continued to touch him.

I’m not hurting him. I’m not hurting him. I’m not hurting him. She tried to convince herself that it was true, tried to block out his sobs and quiet pleading as her hand continued to move almost of its own accord. His skin was warm under her palm, his thigh slick with the liquor that had spilled over him. She couldn’t bring herself to look at him, even though she owed him at least that much. She stared straight ahead, and moved her hand mechanically up and down his thigh, and counted the seconds in her even breaths.

The very second her time was up, she withdrew her hand as if it were on a burning stove, and Volkan laughed, pulling his next card. His eyes gleamed as he read it. “Ooh, time magic. That means I get to go through all the cards we’ve played so far and choose one to repeat.” He scooped up both their cards and began rifling through them. “I do love a good encore.”  

Of course he’s got to make a big show of this, Anna thought, but she couldn’t deny the growing dread she felt as he explored his options. “Let’s see...I could break his other arm, slice him up some more—ah.” He pulled out one card with relish. “Make them scream. I don’t think you fully appreciated this card when you had it, Anna.”

“Just do it already, then,” Anna snapped, her entire body tense as she waited to see how he was going to drag this one out. Volkan sauntered over to Kailo, completely at ease, circling around him a few times. Eyeing him. Finally, he paused in front of him, and laid a gentle finger on Kailo’s lips. A clear message: be quiet. Kailo was already nodding.

Anna dug her nails into the leather of the couch, and waited, and said nothing.

She watched as Volkan toyed with Kailo, testing limits, finding every tiny way to hurt him. He started small—if any of this can be considered small, Anna thought bitterly—jostling old injuries, digging fingers into bloody wounds, twisting already-broken bones. Kailo was biting his lip in an attempt to contain his cries.

Volkan was taking his time. I took my time with it, too. She had gone slowly in hopes of finishing the card without hurting Kailo too badly; Volkan was enjoying the build-up and anticipation of hurting Kailo in as many small ways as he could. Not that that distinction would make any difference to Kailo. All he knows is that he’s being hurt again, and again, and again.

Anna nearly jumped when Kailo screamed, and her eyes snapped up to find the knife stabbed clean through his hand. And then Kailo’s scream quieted, and he started talking through his sobs: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to, please stop—”

Volkan looked thrilled. “Seriously? Is he always like this?” he asked Anna with a broad grin. “It’s like he was made to be someone’s plaything.” Anna bit her tongue and didn’t rise to the bait, but inside she burned. Every fiber of her being longed to destroy this man and everything he stood for and to tear his fucking empire to the ground.

She drew her next card.

Rest. For a moment Anna blinked at the card, processing. What was the catch? She picked up the die and rolled a five.

“Five minutes’ rest,” she told Volkan. It seemed too good to be true.

He nodded, but made no move to step away. Instead, he began to circle around Kailo once again, studying him as one would a fascinating art exhibit. Kailo was tense, jumpy, twisting in his bonds as if trying to find where the pain would come from next.

“You’re not—” Anna began, but Volkan cut her off.

“I’m not touching him. I’m just looking.” He crouched low, staring Kailo in the face. “God, you’re so fussy about all this.”

This isn’t a rest, Anna thought. This is just...putting off the inevitable. They still had eight more cards to get through before this was over. And Kailo had no way of knowing even that—for all he knew, this wouldn’t end until he was killed. He was hyper-alert even with the blindfold on his eyes and cotton in his ears, flinching every time Volkan moved, as if he could sense the shifts in the air. Volkan drank in all his reactions with a satisfied smile.

The minutes slowly ticked by. Volkan continued his circling, admiring his (our, Anna reminded herself) work. Kailo trembled in the bonds, his head hanging low, curls damp with sweat. Anna watched them both, and waited for the rest to end.

[presumenothing]

〜the guiding star〜

the promised neverland official short story serialised in shounen jump giga 2019 summer vol.1–3 written by nanao // translated by presume (@angerylab) NOTE: spoilers past the anime in this part.

emma’s part | ray’s part | norman’s part

Norman, who should've been shipped out. What supports him in his isolation is —

In the space enclosed by cold white walls and glass, a boy was sitting at the desk placed in the centre of it. Questions appeared on the monitor, and he solved them one after the next.

The white-clad men behind the glass watched that young test subject.

“…at present, there haven’t been any mistakes yet. All correct.”

“Full score, huh. How long can that last…”

This was Λ7214. Norman, who should’ve been shipped out on that day, had instead been moved to this research facility. From the daily tests and the thoroughly-managed life, he understood that this too was a house, just in another form.

Without even a twitch of his eyebrow, Norman continued to solve the questions smoothly.

But at the question that appeared next, his movements stopped for just an instant.

Question 169: Presently in the year 2046, name the star that is a Cepheid variable approximately 430 light years away from the Earth, at position α=2h31.5m and β=+89°16′.

Without realising it, Norman lifted the pen.

(Ah…)

Of course, it wasn’t that he’d gotten stuck on the solution.

The answer to this question was Polaris A of Ursa Minor – the North Star.

In the back of Norman’s mind, the events of that night they’d spent in the house resurfaced with clarity. The sky full of stars that extended above them. The chilly night wind, and the hand lantern’s light…. The fact that he’d been just a little scared in the moment he stood up on the roof; surely that hadn’t been revealed to those two.

(Emma, Ray…)

Nostalgia clenched around his chest.

The researchers had observed the boy’s hand stop. But then he immediately began solving questions again, so they didn’t pay any further attention beyond that.

On hearing the announcement that marked the completion of the 200th question, Norman took off the headphones with countless cords extending from it.

In order to return to the room he’d been assigned, he walked down the hallway. Even if he lifted his gaze for a glimpse, what he saw would just be unchanging white ceiling.

The sky couldn’t be seen from this windowless facility.

(Even when at the house, we shouldn’t initially have been able to look at the starry sky either, but…)

Recalling the girl who always spoke of wild ideas in defiance of all absurdity and recklessness, Norman smiled faintly.

Down the house’s corridor where the scent of breakfast wafted, Emma came running over, bright hair bouncing.

“Good morning! Hey, let’s go look for constellations tonight!”

Ray, the other boy who’d been headed to the dining hall together with him, answered as expected to that sudden invitation.

“There’s no way Mama would allow something like that, is there.”

Emma puffed up her cheeks at the instant rejection, but even Norman couldn’t deny that. It was a rule in the house, after all. Going outside at night wasn’t allowed. Even if they asked Mama, it’d surely be difficult to get permission as long as there wasn’t a major reason for it.

Was there no other way to see the constellations besides from their bedroom windows? Norman pondered. And then he abruptly recalled.

(Windows…)

“—the attic window.”

At Norman’s short mutter, Emma and Ray turned towards him.

Norman had only noticed it by chance.

While they’d been playing outside during free time, the ball thrown by their younger brother had hit against a small window in the house’s attic. At that time, he’d been able to see the window’s lattice shake just slightly.

When he went to confirm it afterwards, it really did seem that the inlaid lattice had loosened a little. The attic wasn’t a place where their younger siblings played, so he’d thought there was no need to hurry to fix it.

And that had borne fruit. Mama still didn’t know about that window yet.

That night, the three of them had secretly climbed the house’s roof.

The atmosphere had been strange yet wonderful. That was a place where they’d always lived in, but climbing up the roof was a first. So was enjoying to their hearts’ content the starry sky that stretched so far beyond them.

“Wow…”

Looking up at the sky, he made a sound of wonderment despite himself.

The constellations he’d seen in books were spread above them just like that. Cassiopeia, the Big Dipper, and the North Star at the end of the path connecting them. One after another, the three of them spotted the constellations they knew.

“Constellations are interesting, huh…”

Emma, who’d sat down on the roof, murmured as she looked up at the sky.

“Within any one constellation, there’s both big and small stars. Even though they also could’ve made constellations with just the more conspicuous stars.”

Her gaze turning back away from the sky, she smiled as she looked towards Ray and Norman.

“The people who made the constellations were nice people, right!”

Ray, who’d been listening to Emma’s comments, informed her blandly a short moment after.

“Well, even the stars that are almost invisibly small are really just far away, and their actual sizes are ridiculously huge, so.”

“That’s true. Like the North Star too, it’s said to be 46 times the size of the Sun.”

“What!? Seriously!? That one!?”

Eyes wide, Emma pointed yet again at the small dot amidst the night sky. Norman nodded, smiling.

“Yep. And besides, the North Star itself isn’t even just one star, but actually three stars that are seen to overlap each other.”

“Oh, I see. So there are actually three stars together over there…”

Emma’s eyes sparkled as she spoke.

“That’s just like us!”

Lying down on the bed in the room, Norman looked at the ceiling. A hanging mobile of the planets, perhaps intended as some interior decoration, moved slightly in the faint breeze from the air vent.

From here, the real night sky couldn’t be seen.

But calculating from the date and time, he could roughly picture which constellations were now spread out above this facility.

(In just while longer…)

Like they’d seen at the house back then, Cassiopeia and the Big Dipper should come directly overhead. Norman closed his eyes. Behind his eyelids, the arrangement of the stars appeared, overlapped with the faces of his siblings.

(Somehow, with everyone…)

He wanted to make the escape a success, without lacking even one person.

One star alone couldn’t make a constellation. It was because of the countless stars covering the night sky, that so many fairytales and legends had been born. The big stars, and the small stars too; if even one was lacking, the constellations would change.

And without the constellations, it’d also be difficult to find the guiding star – the North Star.

He recalled the words that Emma had said that night.

“One day when we’re all adventuring together, we just need to use this North Star as a landmark, then!”

Back then, he’d laughed at how very like Emma it was, to talk about adventures and such. But now, it’d turned into survival in a world adjoining dangers beyond mere adventures. With what emotions had Ray been listening to those words, having already known the truth back then? Under the same sky, the two of them ought now to be somewhere fighting desperately to protect their siblings.

Aware that he was being watched, Norman lifted his left hand.

In the same way, he pointed at the star that the three of them had spotted back then.

(Emma, Ray… everyone, wait for me.)

He would live and escape from here. Clenching his raised hand, Norman drew it towards his chest.

Relying on that North Star, he’d definitely achieve a reunion someday.

fin.

[you-get-to-exhale-now-cyrus]

Hello! You asked for prompts? So For tyrus, maybe some best friends to lovers trope? Like, they're both out to each other and bond over being gay and unrequited crushes. And then.. they catch feelings. Love ya���

((this is so open ended and i have no idea where it’ll go but YES i need more requests like this or angsty ones. also they’re aged up in this one, like bc tj can drive))

It was a lazy September afternoon, and TJ and Cyrus were, surprisingly enough, not sitting in TJ’s living room watching Marvel movies over and over. TJ drove him and Cyrus to one of the state parks and they were going on a hike. Yes, Cyrus complained about physical activity, but TJ convinced him to come. So before he knew it, he was kicking rocks and sticks out of his way.

“How much longer?” Cyrus panted, struggling to keep up with TJ and his long strides. Curse genetics for giving him the short end of the stick, literally.

TJ chuckled, slowing his steps to try and let the shorter boy catch up. “I’d say another quarter of a mile, so not that long, Underdog,”

“Homophobia,” Cyrus muttered through gritted teeth, the path ahead seeming to only get longer and steeper. At least the leaves were starting to change colors and fall to the ground. That was the only saving grace of this trip.

That and being with TJ.

After what felt like ten miles to Cyrus and far too much sweating, the boys finally reached the peak of their trail. It was a small site with a few picnic tables, remnants of a fire pit, and trees surrounding the place. It was truly beautiful, and it was probably worth the hike, although Cyrus would not admit it.

“What do you think?” TJ asked, taking a seat on one of the picnic tables facing a split in the earth.

“I think that I’m sweating in places that I never have before,” he mumbled, “but it’s breathtaking, really, the whole view.” And he meant it.

“This is where I come when I need to clear my head, or when I’ve had a bad day. So, I’m here most days,” he said with a dry laugh. The boy regretted his words when he met Cyrus’ pout; he was so weak for that.

“Kidding, I’m kidding.” He put his hands up in mock defense and beamed, but Cyrus wasn’t buying it.

“How often do you come out here?”

The only sound that filled the air was the rustling of leaves, as TJ let the question settle on to his shoulders. How often did he come here? It wasn’t every day, not really. But it wasn’t once a month?

“Probably a few times a week,” he shrugged, leaning his elbows back onto the table, “I’m not always here because it’s the end of the world and the only that can cure it is a hike and crushing some leaves. It’s peaceful here. I come here to think too,”

“You know I’m always just a text or a phone call away,” Cyrus assured him, patting his back twice before slinking his arm away. “What kind of things do you think about?”

TJ shrugged in response, distancing himself from the question. “Nothing terribly important.” That was a complete lie. “This is the idea place to think gay thoughts,” he joked, “whenever there’s a rainbow, this is the best place to see it from,”

“Now you’re speaking my language,” Cyrus chuckled, ruffling a hand through his hair, and letting the silence make itself at home for a brief moment. “Did I ever tell you about my first straight boy crush?”

“You mean Jonah?” TJ raised his brows and Cyrus doubled over in laughter, nearly crying.

“Jonah Beck is the most bisexual person I’ve ever met,” he choked out between giggles, “he’s not straight. No, I’m talking about Carter,”

TJ’s jaw dropped. “Carter Mason? Like, captain of the baseball team? That Carter?”

“No, TJ, Carter the plumber. Yes, Carter Mason! It was in middle school and I was only just becoming comfortable with the fact that I was gay,” he explained, his eyes lighting up as he spoke (and TJ was totally not blushing as he watched Cyrus’ lips move).

“Anyways, I thought he was cute, because in all honest, me and every girl in the seventh grade thought he was cute. I had his number from a biology project that we worked on together, and so one day I texted him ‘Hey, do you wanna go to the Halloween Dance with me?’, which honestly, how did Seventh Grade Cyrus have that kind of courage?” he chortled, before clearing his throat, “Then he couldn’t say the he couldn’t go out with me because I was a-” he paused, the word caught in the back of his throat, “something I’d rather not repeat,” he swallowed his words, letting out a shaky breath.

TJ’s frown deepened, slinking his arm around Cyrus shoulders. “That’s awful. Like literally disgusting. But honestly? He does’t deserve you, and you can do so much better,” he sputtered, his cheeks flushing a gentle pink.

Cyrus eyes crinkled when he smiled, and TJ believed he could melt into a puddle right then and there. This boy was too much.

“What about you? Who was your first straight crush?” Cyrus asked, and TJ had to laugh.

“Funny you should ask,” he mumbled, his heart deciding to thump loudly in his chest, “actually my first guy crush was someone I thought would be straight, but turns out that he’s not,”

“Wow, what luck,” Cyrus mused, kicking the crimson leaves underneath his feet, “tell me more, tell me more, was it love at first sight?” he sang, cracking himself up.

“Probably,” he replied quickly, “I mean, I’m not the type of person that really believes in love at first sight, but it was pretty damn close. He’s, like the greatest person ever,” he blushed, noting that Cyrus hadn’t moved from under his arm. The sun had slowly started to go down; you could still see it all, but the sky was bring painted a brilliant mix of orange and pink.

“Aww, TJ has a soft side,” Cyrus joked, poking the taller boy in the side and making him laugh. It all felt so natural that he almost didn’t notice when their hands were touching. Almost.

“Only around you, dork,” he stammered, his words a touch too ‘lovey’ for his taste, “I-I mean, like, you’re one of the only people I can be open with,”

Cyrus felt his lips melt into a smile, and allowed his head to lean onto TJ’s shoulder. He could get used to this, except that he also couldn’t. He couldn’t get used to something that would only cause him pain in the long run. That’s what happened with Carter.

“If you’re so open, why don’t you tell me who this mystery guy is?” Cyrus pressed, his eyes fluttering shut for a moment. He focused on TJ’s heartbeat, steady.

“I-I can’t. I mean, I could, but I also can’t.” TJ fumbled over his words, allowing his head to lean on Cyrus’.

Cyrus turned his head upwards, his chin nearly touching TJ’s. It felt like all those times when they walked, and they hands barely brushed together, but he ached to hold the other boy’s hand. His eyes flitted across the blond boys face, freckles dotting his skin.

“You can tell me,” he whispered, “I cross my gay heart that I won’t judge,” he chuckled, feeling TJ’s breath tickle his skin.

I won’t judge. When did Cyrus ever judge him? Never was the answer, but it didn’t mean that TJ wasn’t scared. He was still terrified, but at least he knew things between them would still be…relatively normal.

“Cyrus I-” he choked, his eyes meeting Cyrus’ and practically being able to count his eyelashes he was so close, “I like you,”

Cyrus broke into a smile and then into a laugh, peeling himself off of TJ and laughing so hard that tears were trickling down his cheeks.

“Whew, you really got me there,” he wheezed, flicking tears off his face with his thumb, “for a second I thought you said you liked me. This mountain air is making me hallucinate.”

TJ’s shoulders slumped, his happy demeanor long gone. “I’m serious, Cyrus,” he whimpered, allowing his fingers to trace the grooves on the picnic seat, “I like you. And I get it if you don’t like me, that’s…fine.” A lie. “But I don’t want things to change between us,”

Cyrus drew his brows up together, and offered a weak smile. “I-I kinda do want things to change between us,” he admitted, linking his hand with TJ’s. Cue the butterflies.

Error. TJ.exe has stopped functioning. “Wait–what?” he sputtered, his reddening cheeks a result of the crisp autumn air and the involuntary blush cause by being around Cyrus.

“Do I need to spell it out for you?” Cyrus balked, bringing his legs up onto the seat and crossing them, “I like you too, TJ. Have for a while, actually. I just..was worried you wouldn’t feel the same so I didn’t say anything. But hey, we’re here now.” His voice got softer as he spoke, and with each word, he inched closer to TJ until he could rest his chin on the blond boy’s shoulder.

“Yeah, we are here now,” he hummed in response, pulling out his phone from his pocket, “Carter Mason has no idea what he missed out on that night, but I don’t want you to have missed out on that, too. Care to dance?” He asked, turning on a slow-song playlist and offering his hand to Cyrus.

The shorter boy happily accepted, taking TJ’s hand and letting him guide them a few feet away from the picnic tables. Cyrus hands found themselves around TJ’s neck, and TJ slinked his hands around Cyrus’ waist. The boys swung softly from side to side, and according to Cyrus, TJ looked like an absolute angel when the golden sunlight hit him. His eyes sparkled like the night sky, and his smile was warmer than ever before.

“Thanks,” Cyrus mumbled, resting his head on TJ’s shoulder and taking in the scent of his cologne. Although it had been a pain in the ass to climb all the way up here, it was now definitely worth it, and he would do it all over again.

The song ended, fading into a new one and Cyrus picked his head up from his resting position, his eyes meeting with TJ’s. “Can I kiss you?” he practically begged, already leaning in towards the other boy’s lips.

“Please,” TJ managed, before he was swept away by the indescribable feeling of Cyrus’ lips on his. It was like the world was frozen and spinning out of control all at the same time. His lips buzzed in an unfamiliar fashion, but when he pulled away, he ached for that feeling again.

“Better than Carter Mason?” he joked, putting his chin on Cyrus’ head and pulling him into a hug.

“So much better,” Cyrus hummed happily. This was so much better than Carter Mason. So much better than sitting at home and watching movies. So much better than not saying anything.

This was perfect.

tag list: @shortstackofpeaches @seanna313 @geekingbeautytx @heavenlybyers @ghostswasp @wlwandimack @giocondasstuff @lemonboytyrus @adorejrizzle

[littlewanderer1998]

Lucas and Cole’s Pink Sky

The sky is upset and its cries about to pour down soon. Lucas looked up and the thunders began to roar than usual. It was not like this when they first discovered this spot in their neighborhood. His friend Cole, an adventure lover who would want to be a ranger someday introduced him to it. Every afternoon, when the sun is about to kiss the hills and the sky turned in a cotton candy pink, they would climb up the only narra tree on the field filled with makahiyas. With their own expedition journal, drawing different adventures they would like to encounter someday.

“Someday, I would like to be a storm chaser. When everyone is fearing destruction, I will be the one to study it!” Lucas looked at his friend’s big brown eyes who can’t believe with what he just said. He drew himself on their journal, facing a humungous tornado.

“Wow! I never knew you had it in you Lucas! Okay, while you are chasing storms, then I will be the protector of the forest from bad and greedy people!” Cole stood up on the branch they are sitting and put both of his hands on his waist beaming with smile. The light from the pink sky and peering sun illuminated Cole’s face. Focusing on it, Lucas thought he was beautiful, full of ambition, and dreams in life. It was just another normal day for him and his friend, dreaming about the future they are about to hold.

Cole left a note in his notebook the other day in class. He was supposed to meet him on their spot for today. 5:30 passed and Lucas watched as the clouds began to look heavy. There is still no sign of his friend which is very unusual because he was never late. Especially, if he was the one who tells them to meet up on the dot.

“Rain, rain go away. Come again another day. We like to climb the tree today. Rain, rain go away.” Lucas looks up as he began to shake his foot on the ground while clenching the sidewalk he was sitting. He glanced from left to right looking from afar. Not even a shadow of the one he was waiting for showed up.

The thunders let out a loud scream and the raindrops fell hard. Lucas zoomed straight ahead on their tree while he puts his bag on top of his head shielding himself from the cold. He checked his watch and it was pass 6 o’clock, he is sure his mom would scold him for staying out this late. Still hoping to see his friend, he waited. How would he call himself a storm chaser someday if with this only little rain he would give up right? The rain stopped and the sky turned into pitch dark but there is still no Cole who would greet him with his usual “Ahoy friend!”

There are no stars that night, only the lamp posts guided Lucas on his way home. Disappointed, he went straight to his room not even hearing the lecture of his mom about coming home late. He hugged his pillow and lay on his bed. His mom slowly opened the door and she saw her small Lucas on his bed then heaved a huge sigh as she enters the room.

“What happened dear? Did you fight with Cole?” she puts her hand on top of his head and stroke his hair. He heard his mom’s gentle voice and began to peek at her from his pillow.

“Cole did not come to our spot today. He promised he would be there.” Tears are now rolling on his cheeks, and he is having a hard time breathing out the words, so they all tumbled down to one another and escaped between his cries.

“Oh honey, maybe he did not mean to upset you like this. Maybe something came up for him to not meet you as he promised to.” She hugged him tightly and gently rub his back trying to calm him down.

“But you said promises are not meant to be broken right?” breaking from the hug, he looked at his mom with disbelief. He cannot imagine that she is allowing someone to break his promise even though she told him a hundred times to never break his to someone.

“Even though we do not want them to, sometimes they do honey. But that doesn’t mean they don’t love us. Maybe there might be a reason why they broke it.” His mom explained in a calm and nurturing voice.

Lucas did not reply. All he can think of is how his best friend forgot about him. He is lonely, angry, and worried at the same time. This is his first time experiencing a bunch of emotions all at once and he cannot seem to handle it. Everything is too much.

“I’ll wait for you on our dining room. Let’s eat dinner now honey. I cooked your favorite Adobo.” The door closes. Adobo does not seem to be the answer to his problem right now. How will he find his best friend? Is he hiding somewhere?

Later that night with those heavy thoughts in his mind, he keeps on changing positions to have a peaceful sleep, but his body betrayed him. His senses heightened as he feels the cold breeze coming from his electric fan. He hears the ticking of the clock, the paper flipping from left to right, the rustling of leaves from his window, and the chasing cats on his house’s roof. He can feel the wind that night blew harsher than usual, and the trees seem to knock on his window. Inviting him to look outside. His electric fan is not helping either because it was also competing with the other noises. The papers on his desk are dancing through the air of it. It became intense until he heard a whooshing sound and the next thing he knew; his papers were scattered on the floor.  

He does not want to open his eyes. For all he knew there is a white lady standing over his window looking at him. But curiosity overflowed in his brain, so he decided to carefully stand. As he looked around, he saw nothing but the papers on the floor. Lucas picked up the papers and found Cole’s note about the meet up that was supposed to happen hours ago. He felt veins popping on his temples when he saw it, but something was on that note that he did not get to see before. There is an arrow pointing for him to peek at the back.

At the back of the paper, there was a poem that says:

If I’m not on our spot,

I’m in a place where the cross is red,

And the beds are white.

Now a journey for you to plot,

Where a dog barks with dread,

And a street was flooded wiped,

White capped people will not let you in,

But my room is close when your birthday begins.

               Suddenly, an imaginary glowing light bulb appeared in his mind, and it was then that he knew what his friend means. He was challenged on a journey. A quest he needs to accomplish on his own. Ready to face it with his game face on, he grabs his backpack and removed everything inside it in one drop. He gathered everything he will need: a bottled water, Boy Bawang, Cheeze Curls, and an egg sandwich, journal and a pen for recording his adventure, a stress ball to play with, wallet, extra shirt, handkerchief, some mints put in a Ziplock bag, phone in case of emergency, and the improvised map he drew after reading his best friend’s poem.

Everything is set and the only thing he needs is to write a note for his mom. He placed it in a scented envelope and carefully slip it in his parent’s bedroom door. Lucas only uses his scented envelopes in special occasions, and he can say that this one by far is the most important event ever happened within his 11 years of existence here on earth.

Before he opened the door, he let out a huge sigh and convinced himself, “I can do this!”. He turned the knob and a dark street welcomed him. It is only 5 o’ clock in the morning when he looked at his watch. The lamp in front of his house kept turning on and off. His heart is thumping like crazy as if it wants to separate from his body. Lucas knew this challenge is going to be tough especially for a boy like him. But with his heart on his sleeves, he tightened his grip on his backpack and took his first step outside.

He walked, and walked, and walked. The street is like a never-ending line. He calculated the time he will be in his friend’s location; it will take 8 hours if he will walk this slow. So, he picked up his pace and began to jog. Everything was going smoothly except for the fact that he is growing tired, and he is covered with sweat. The hard rock heavy bag almost dragged him from walking, and he is losing his balance. He passed by Cole’s house, the playground near it, the field, and their spot. Looking at it appeared to be melancholic around this time.

Hours have passed and he can feel himself slowing down on walking. He needs to take a break so he decided he will run one full blast and rest once he reaches the corner street. However, he did not know that there was an uninvited guest waiting for him in that corner. The big white stray dog growled louder than a motor and showed its pointy sharp teeth. Ready to attack any minute and tear Lucas into pieces.

“What should I do?” He muttered to himself. He immediately scanned the street for protection. Nothing! There is nothing to protect him! He began to panic as the dog continued to bark furiously at him. It was backing away while walking around him as if examining him. Then, he noticed something odd. The dog was poorly hurt. He can see the red slashed wound near its right foot, and it looks painful. Then his eyes wandered next to the dog’s tail. It was tucked between its hind legs while its both feet were shaking. The dog was obviously just scared. A wave of empathy filled Lucas and he cannot help but wipe a tear that escaped from his left eye.

“Oh, poor boy. Who’s this cruel to hurt you? Don’t worry I won’t harm you.” He bended on his knee the same as the dog’s level and did not look straight into its eye. He remembered reading it before online. Slowly, inch by inch, he walked with cautious attempting to be near the dog. The dog is now shaking, and it has a pair of sad eyes. He waited for a minute before the dog walked warily towards him. It started sniffing him and began to wag its tail when he saw Lucas taking his egg sandwich out from his bag. “Here, you can have this. You need this more.” Lucas said, while feeding his favorite sandwich to his new friend.

“Why are you here alone? Where are your friends?” He whispered softly to the dog, but it only looked up at him with confusion in its eyes while it was trying to process what he just said.

“You know what? I’m traveling on my own too. Because I’m looking for my friend.” Lucas then started telling the whole story to the dog from the beginning up until the current part of his journey. Not minding whether the dog understands it or not, he was very eager in telling his story. As he looked at his watch for the time, he knew he needed to leave.

“It was nice to meet you! I need to go now my friend. Goodluck with your own journey.” He was sad on parting with the dog, but he is already behind his target time to reach his friend. So, he stood up and walk without looking back at the dog. He knew that once he looks back, he will be tempted to stay with it for a long time, so he continued on his journey. Little did he knew that his newly gained four feet friend was following him from behind.

It was at 12 o clock when Lucas decided he will take a break for a while. Unlike yesterday, he can see the sun highly up and brighter. He was sweating like crazy, and his mouth is all dried up. So, he got his bottled water from his bag and raised it up on his mouth. However, someone snatched it away from him before he could get the taste of the cold thirst-quenching drink.

“Hey! That’s mine!” Lucas hurriedly tried to catch up with the boy who just stole his bottled water. And as if it were a miracle, he heard a loud bark. It was the stray dog he befriended earlier. It was like a cheetah zooming towards its prey from behind. The next thing he knew, the dog was on top of the back of the boy holding his water in its mouth.

“How come you’re here?! Did you follow me? Oh, thank you!” The dog walked towards him and handed him the bottle. It was panting hard, and he can see how much energy got drained from it. Lucas shared the water in the bottle with the dog. The dog happily obliged itself and hungrily drank the water. It perked its ears and tail with excitement of the cold drink refreshing it.

“Hmm… now that you are following me, I should give you a name! Oh, I know! Narra! You are going to be called Narra like the tree with its strong branches and trunk!” Narra liked his name right away and licked Lucas’ face with full of adoration.

Together, they continued the journey. They saw tall buildings standing side by side to each other, stores that offer colorful things and delicious food, and busy people walking as if they are running out of time. He wanted to share about the new world he witnessed that day with his best friend. Lucas can’t wait to see Cole’s reaction about the things he is about to tell him.

Suddenly, as they began to get closer to Cole’s location, the clouds covered the sun, and everything went dark. Thunders started roaring and birds flew around seeking for shelter. As he looks up, the rain is signaling Lucas that it is going to fall hard.

“Oh no! Let’s go Narra!” but as soon as he said this, the rain started falling. Every drop seemed to echo, and Lucas’ clothes are now dripping wet. Narra barked at him and pointed at a small shed near the Seven-Eleven store. They waited but it looks too impossible for it to stop soon.

“You’re wet son. Do you have an exchange of clothes?” An old fat lady asked him. Her hair was neatly tied in a bun and he can see her one and only tooth with her huge smile. She was wearing a yellow dress while holding a large woven tray filled with candies.

“It’s okay. I brought an extra t-shirt.” Lucas proudly took his shirt out of his bag and show it to the old lady in front of her.

“Wow! What a responsible boy you are! How come you are here all alone in a big old rainy city? Where is your mom?” She motioned her hand on an empty stool next to her asking Lucas to sit with her.

“I am looking for my friend. He is in that tall white building over there.” Lucas sat next to the lady while pointing at the direction he was talking about.

“You’re at the near end of your journey then! That’s so close from here. However, you have to wait for the rain to stop first. What happened to your friend by the way?” she curiously asked.

“I’m not really sure. All I know is he left me a note asking me to go to where he is. By the way what’s your name? I’m Lucas.” For a minute, Lucas became a bit worried about what the lady said to his best friend.

“Oh! My name is Martha. I’m a street vendor here selling candies for five years.” She offered a candy to Lucas, but he politely declined it. Instead, he grabbed his Boy Bawang in his bag and opened it.

“Five years?! That is so long! Do you want one?” He then offered his Boy Bawang to the lady.

“Of course! I wouldn’t say no to food.” She gave her palm to Lucas. He observed the variety of lines in her palms as if telling different stories, she encountered. He then shared the Boy bawang with her.

“Martha do you have a best friend?” Lucas looked at her in the eyes. Martha gazed at the two innocent eyes who is looking up at her hoping for an encouraging answer.

“I once did. But the thing is, as you grow old there are times that you may lost them, and you just have to move on with your life.” She gave a real answer. No more and not less than what she has been through. She knew Lucas is a smart kid and smart kids do not want to be treated as such.

“What’s the name of your ex-best friend then? How come grown-ups always say about moving on stuff? Aren’t you supposed to fight for what’s making you happy?”

“Sometimes Lucas, life has hidden monsters along the way and sometimes these monsters may also be the person you are walking with. In an adult world, you have to take care of yourself first or else you’ll lose that.” She pointed at Lucas’ heart.

“Then I will just not grow up! Even though I can’t be a storm chaser anymore I’ll just stay with my best friend forever.”

“Oh honey, you still have a lot of things to learn in life. I know that you know you cannot not grow up just like that. One way or another, you will. You just have to be prepared for that.”

“I will! Cole and I have a strong bond and not even growing up can tear us apart. You’ll see it! Every year we will visit you to prove it.”

“Promise?” Martha offered her pinky finger to Lucas amused about what he just said.

“Promise” Lucas sealed the promise smiling and just like that, the rain stopped, and the sun began to peek at the clouds again. Narra barked at him and he then knew he needed to go to his final destination.

“Martha, I need to go now! Thank you for accompanying us!” He stood up and waved his hand.

“Don’t forget to go to a comfort room and change your shirt!”

“I will! Bye!” Lucas said as he was running without looking back. Rushing towards the place where his best friend is. Where his happiness is.

A few minutes of running and walking, a tall white building greeted him. It was humungous just as what he thought. Lucas wondered how he will be able to find his friend while avoiding all the people in a white cap and uniform. He then saw a sign “NO PETS ALLOWED.” With a drawing of a dog and a red cross sign over it.  

“Narra, I’m so sorry. Even if I want you to meet Cole you must stay here. Just wait for me okay?” As if Narra understood, he backed away and sat on a corner. Lucas then hurriedly went inside the building before a guard notices him.

Cole said that his room is near his birth date and Lucas’ birthday is on June 30. So, it is either Cole is on the 3rd or 6th floor of this building. He narrowed down the rooms he is going to look for. He then learned that these specific rooms are 305, 307, 629, and 631. Elevators are dangerous to use right now because once he saw it there is an employee inside who is assisting everyone who goes in it. He is more likely to get caught there so he had no other choice but to rush on the stairs and go to the 3rd floor first.

As busy like it was on the first floor, the third floor was no different. Everyone was running around and rushing. There are people on benches waiting for their numbers to be called. He began looking for the rooms and as soon as he saw it, he was disappointed for the thought that none of it was the room he expected it to be. The first room, room 305 was an optometrist’s office while the second room, room 307 was just a storage room for medical supplies. As he was about to go out, a nurse called him out.

“Hello there little boy. Where’s your mommy? Are you lost?” He can’t think of anything that moment, so he just nodded.

“Don’t worry. Come here let’s find her.” The nurse took his hand and as they were about to walk, he lets go and run the other way around faster than he could ever run. As he went around the corner to go to the stairs, he noticed a janitor’s cleaning trolley and hid inside it for a while. He then heard the nurse’s heels coming.

“Where did that boy go?” Lucas heard the nurse went upstairs calling for him many times but after her voice fade, the trolley began moving. The janitor is now moving him on an unfamiliar place, and he does not see it because the cover is blocking his view.

Then he tried to think and listen to his surroundings. The busy like noise turned down and all he can hear now is the music from the janitor’s earphones. He remembered the song. It was one of Cole’s favorites, “You’re My Best Friend” by Queen. He remembered how fun it was blasting the song on his room while they are dancing like no one exists in the world other than them. The moment when the bridge of the song came, the trolley stopped. He heard the janitor opening a door and closing it and as soon as he was comfortable enough that the janitor was no longer there, he went out.

He saw that he was in front of the men’s comfort room. So, he walked away and look at the sign where he is already. But there are no signs, instead there are only doors on the corridor but even the doors do not have a room number on them.

It is now past 6:00 pm, he can see from the windows that sky is turning into yellow orange now. If Cole were here, he would be delighted to see such view. Knowing that he was this high up, he is sure he is near on the 6th floor now, so he continued up until the last door and saw that he was on the fifth floor. Two more flight of stairs and he will be able to see his friend!

So, Lucas wasted no time and ran his way on the 6th floor. It was this time now. His heart is pounding like crazy while he is now in front of room 629. He slowly turned the knob and peeked inside. Instead of Cole, an old man welcomed him. He was holding a picture and looking at it intently.

Lucas was about to close again the door when he heard the old man started talking without looking at him.

“You know kid, it is rude to open someone’s room without planning on visiting them.” The old man smiled but still not looking at Lucas. He is now watching outside the window; the yellow orange light covered his face.

“I’m sorry, I was just looking for my best friend.” Lucas closed the door behind him and began to walk towards the old man’s bed. He was thin and very wrinkly. If a tornado is close to them, Lucas thinks the old man would be taken away right away because he looks like he weights the same as a paper.

“Oh, lucky! You have a best friend? You know, I once had a best friend too, but I lost her.” He said while looking at the picture. Lucas grab a chair nearest to him and sat on it.

“How come?” He tried to take a peek on the picture but on it there was only a faded black and white playground.

“We used to play here as kids. Never knew one day, life can be harsh when you are an adult to the point where you can lose someone so important to you.” He now looked at the old man’s face. He may not be crying but his eyes were sad looking at the picture.

“You lose someone important just because you are an adult?” Lucas curiously asked. Because if it is like that, then just like what he told to the old lady, he really does not want to be an adult anymore. Even if it is meant not being a storm chaser.

“It’s not like that kid. Sometimes there are hidden monsters along the way in life. It can be the person you are walking with but most of the time it can also be this.” The old man pointed at Lucas’ heart.

Then everything that the old lady said on the waiting shed near convenience store flashbacked on him. Being an adult is a lot to handle. The other said I might lose my heart along the way now the other one is saying my it can be a monster too once I become an adult. Lucas did not respond to what the old man said because of everything that is going on his mind.

“Well, have the best of luck on finding your best friend!” the old man touched Lucas shoulder and smiled. He saw the yellow orange sky behind the man turning into pink. It is Cole’s and his favorite sky. He then smiled to the old man and bid goodbye. This time he knew where his friend was and as he opened the door on room 631, the room seemed to be bursting in pink color from the sky. Cole is looking out the window and his back is facing Lucas. It was beautiful. Lucas did not notice the big hospital equipment around Cole, neither did he noticed Cole’s new shaved head. The only thing he is looking right now is his best friend. The Cole he was too afraid to lose, his buddy.

He slowly walked to Cole but before he took his first step, his best friend turned around and saw him. His smile glowed the room.

“I knew you’d make it.” Cole looked directly into Lucas’ eyes amazed and full of delight. Lucas then walked straight to his friend’s bed.

“What happened? Why are you here?” Tears are starting to form on his eyes, but he did not let it happen. He wanted to show Cole how strong he was to handle this surprise. It was then he noticed how tiny Cole looked in his hospital gown and the hair that used to be as black as a coal was now gone.

“It’s fine. I’m alright Lucas. You’re here! You cracked my poem and found my room congrats!” He hugged his friend tightly. Lucas looked at their expedition journal. There is a new entry which what Cole drew. Cole and Lucas sitting on a branch at their favorite narra tree; the cotton candy pink sky, their favorite sky was beautifully painted as the background.

“I drew that while I was waiting for you.” For Lucas it looked pretty. He can see the weak strokes his friend’s fragile hands made and touch it. He sat on Cole’s bed and told him his adventure from the beginning where he met Narra, the promise with the old lady, up until the old man in room 629.

It feels like the first time they went up on that narra tree together. Two friends sharing stories of their different adventure; one with independence and the other with bravery. Their laughter and giggles filled the room and together they sighed and smiled as they look at the pink sky from Cole’s hospital window. It was still majestically beautiful.

“Do you think our friendship will last for eternity?” Lucas asked without taking his eyes off from the pink sky.

“Do you really have to ask that?” Cole looked at Lucas. Together they smiled and they both knew the answer. That day, the pink sky witnessed Cole’s and Lucas’ promise to a never-ending friendship.

[girl-next-door-writes]

Work For Free - Part 7

Characters: Reader, Fili, Bilbo, Bard, Faramir, Smaug, Eowyn, Tauriel, Eomer… anyone else I fancy just throwing in.

Summary: Here is the tale of a day, just one day, confined within the four walls of a small but perfectly formed Tea Room.  There is drama and romance and probably a bit of slapstick thrown in to break it up a bit but I’m not promising anything.    

Word Count: 1862 words

Prompt: Coffee Shop AU (I may have taken a little bit of a liberty with this.) and Neglected Characters from the Tolkeinverse.

A/N: There are some ideas that just take hold and won’t let you go until you have captured them on the page.  This is one of those ideas.  There is no way I will ever be 100% truly happy with this series because it is a sprawling epic in my head BUT what I have written, I hope, is entertaining and I would LOVE any feedback.  So, thank you @littlered83 for coming up with such an inspirational challenge for me.

Part 1 Part 2  Part 3  Part 4 Part 5  Part 6

Through a door in a wall there was a tea room.  Not a nasty, sticky, damp tea room filled with incontinent old ladies complaining and the faint smell of wee, nor yet a minimalist, ironic hipster take on a tea room with beanbags you can’t get out of and strange ergonomic chairs that dig into your spine: it was Bilbo Baggins tea room, and that means comfort.  

The power had gone out in his apartment yet again and Faramir was just wandering aimlessly with his laptop strapped into his bag.  Today was just going from bad to worse, first an argument with his brother and then his father had chewed him out about the situation only to be cut off when the power died and half of his work had disappeared.  Maybe his father was right, maybe he was just a waste of space.  The light tinkling of a bell caught his ear and, looking up, he saw a flurry of red hair entering a small tea room.  His curiosity peaked, he followed her and discovered the most adorable little place he had ever encountered.  Heading up to the counter his eyes ran over the vast array of options, eventually asking the brunette behind the counter what he would recommend.  The barista had been friendly and helpful even suggesting Faramir take a seat at a table near a socket and plug in his laptop. He had spent all day there just watching the comings and goings.  He hadn’t felt this relaxed in a long time.  

That was four years ago and still he came back practically every day to write.  Wandering into the shop the little bell jingle, a sound that never failed to make him smile no matter how often he heard it.  “Morning Faramir, you want the usual?  Just set up at your table and I’ll bring it over to you.” The sweet barista called over and he smiled politely.

“Thank you.” He replied before scuttling off towards the back corner to his usual table.

“It’s not his table, it’s my table and my electricity he comes in here using every day.”  Faramir frowned at Bilbo’s daily grumble.  Feeling a little guilty he didn’t plug his laptop in, deciding to run off the battery for a while.  Fili was wiping down a table and when he noticed the plug socket empty he reached over and plugged in the laptop.  

“Don’t worry about him, I think he just likes to complain.” Fili confided with a warm smile before tensing slightly as the tea girl made her way over with a tray.  

“Give me a shout if you need anything okay?”  Faramir nodded without looking up, acknowledging he had heard as his fingers ran over the keys creating and deleting words on the document in front of him.

At 4pm on the dot the door opened and the tinkle of the bell had Faramir looking up, a soft smile graced his face when he saw the mysterious blonde he had been admiring for months now enter with the sullen gentleman. His fingers paused over his keyboard as he watched her march over to the counter, obviously in the middle of a heated discussion with her companion.  From where he sat Faramir couldn’t make out what was being said but the body language of the pair in addition to the lovely barista had him furrowing his brow with concern.  He was contemplating raising to his feet and providing some sort of assistance when Fili’s voice rang out through the room.  “Excuse me?  You come in here quite often and have you ever once even bothered to ask her name?  You say this job is hardly taxing and you may be right but it turns out she’s pretty damned good at it and there is far more to it than simply making rude customers tea and not spitting in it.  As for ‘knowing her place’ how do you know she’s not currently studying to be an engineer or a doctor or something and works here to help her pay for school?  Maybe she’s an incredible artist and works here just because she enjoys meeting people?  I think you owe her an apology and probably your sister too because ever since you came through that door today you’ve been rude and a poor example of a man.” Faramir bit back a smile as the silence in the room became almost palpable.  He had been watching the interactions between Fili and his work mate for some time now and a part of him was immensely proud of how he was handling this situation.  He only wished he could have been that brave, maybe then the beautiful, delicate woman with the enchanting smile would have looked at him the way the object of Fili’s affections was currently looking at him.  

Watching the embarrassed man head towards a table he couldn’t take his eyes off the girl who scurried after him and sat down, looking at her companion with such concern it made Faramirs heart ache.  They were too far away for him to hear the conversation and as the ambient noise of the tea room slowly filtered back in after Fili’s outburst he could only silently observe from behind his laptop screen. It was apparent that the girl was trying to appease her friend and even more apparent that it was not working.  “JUST DROP IT! YOU ARE NEVER RUNNING THE SITE!” The man’s hand slammed down on the table and once again Faramir was compelled to stand, wanting to rush to her aid but his courage failed him.  Perhaps his father was right, he was a loser.  As he looked up the man was leaving and as he was already on his feet Faramir took a deep breath and forced his feet to take him over to her table.

Her head was resting on the table and he stood awkwardly for a few seconds before finding his voice.  “Are…are you okay?” she looked up at him and he felt his entire being expand and contract at the same time as his heart began to pound.  She was even more beautiful up close with such sadness in her eyes.  When she smiled at him and nodded he shuffled nervously, fighting the urge to flee.  “He… he really shouldn’t talk to you like that.”  He offered.

“Oh, it’s fine.  He’s my brother and he’s not always like that, he’s under a lot of pressure right now.” She assured him but the oceans of emotions swirling in her eyes had him so captivated that he couldn’t stand the thought of anyone speaking to her harshly.

“That may be a reason but it’s not an excuse.  You spilled your drink, here, let me get you another.”  Faramir broke eye contact and looked over at Fili who was smiling supportively in his direction.  Indicating the drink Fili nodded his understanding and he turned back to the woman who had so easily captured his heart before she had ever spoken a single word to him. “I’m Faramir.”

“Eowyn.” She smiled that heart melting smile once again before continuing, “would you like to sit?”  

“That’s a pretty name.” the words were out of his mouth before he had chance to filter them and he cringed at the obviousness of such a comment.  “Sorry, that… that was…” he stumbled over his words, feeling the sense of hopelessness rolling over him.  This had been a stupid idea, he should have kept to watching her from afar instead of opening his mouth and proving he was an idiot.

“No, thank you.  It’s very sweet of you to say.”  His eyes flickered to hers momentarily and he rubbed the back of his neck.  Not only was she beautiful but she was kind and sweet and he knew for certain he had no chance with her.

“I have to admit I’ve seen you here a few times now.  Oh, that sounds kinda creepy and…” his face scrunched up as a sigh of defeat left his lips only for a look of confusion appearing as he heard her giggle.

“I come here a few times a week, how about you?” He was glad Fili drew her gaze as he placed the fresh drink on the table, it gave him a moment to look at her without her eyes on him, it also gave him chance to come up with a response that wasn’t going to cause him to die of embarrassment.

“I come here pretty much every day to write.  They are kind enough to tolerate me taking up a table.” Faramir nodded at Fili who just smiled broadly and moved off to continue his work.

“You write?  What are you working on?”  Her enthusiasm threw him, it was unusual for people to actually care what he was writing or for him to tell them he was a writer.

“Just… just a novel actually.” He could feel his face heating up as she looked at him over her drink.

“What’s it about?”  She asked and he wasn’t quite sure what to say.  Taking his time he frowned, not entirely sure where to start.  

“Well, it’s about two brothers and the eldest is the fathers favourite and the youngest can’t seem to do anything right and it explores their relationship with each other and the effect their fathers favoritism has on them.”  It was not so loosely based on his own relationships and he wondered if she could tell just by looking at him.  

“Wow, that sounds quite intense.”  Their eyes met and he smiled shyly, a smile that only grew when she looked away nervously with a soft smile of her own.

“Yeah.” He agreed softly only for the moment to be broken by a flurry of activity as a redhead came bounding into the shop and right over to the counter.  Faramir shook his head and chuckled, his eyes falling on Eowyn once more.  “All the comings and goings here can be quite inspirational actually, depending on who comes through the door.”  Her eyes flickered to his and his cheeks flushed, he got the feeling she knew exactly what he meant by that last comment.

“I really should be going.”  His heart sank as those words escaped her lips, this moment was far too brief.  “I think I’ve given him long enough to cool off but… will you be here tomorrow?  I would really like to repay you for the refill.”

“I’ll be here.”  The disappointment was drowned with the growing sense of hope, especially as she beamed at him.  Watching her through the window his heart leaped as she sent a small wave his way. Turning to see if Fili had witnessed all that he grinned as he saw the redhead harassing him.  Getting to his feet he retrieved his laptop and sent Fili a wave as he left, eager to return tomorrow to spend some more time with Eowyn.  This place was magical, he had felt it from the first moment he had stepped foot in the door, and there was no place in the world he would rather hang out that at Bagend Tea Emporium.

Tag: @deanxfuckingadorablexwinchester @nea90sweetie@knittingknerdy@feelmyroarrrr @vintagevalentinexx@cojootromuelle@sdavid09@luckynumber1213@zombi3gyrl07@neeadinghugs@hobbithorse19@fromthedeskoftheraven @everyjourneylove  @rosa-kirk @palaiasaurus64  @like-a-bag-of-potatoes@luckynumber1213 @littleblue5mcdork@littleblue5mcdork

[g-amzees]

My little Lighthouse

Title: My little Lighthouse Ship: Gamzee Makara ♥ Tavros Nitram, Other Characters & Ship(s) mentioned. AO3: http://archiveofourown.org/works/9896126

It was four in the evening when Tavros entered the livingroom in quiet, heavy steps. His shoulders and his head hanging, looking dead beat.

Gamzee, who was sitting on the couch and watching tv, took one worried glance at his matesprits face. The thick, dark circles under Tavros’ eyes and the way he swayed on his feet tiredly, was still a sight - even after three sweeps of dating - he was trying to get used to. It was hard to hide his concern. Tavros tiptoed behind Gamzee, leaning down into him, chin dropping on to his head right between those long horns. A soft sigh escaping his throat. “I’m home.”

“Welcome home, bro.” Gamzee turned his head murmuring, placing a small kiss on the others cheek, as he wrapped himself around his beloved neck and just held him.

“Did you, uh, miss me ?”

“‘Bout as much as sopor in my ass, motherfucker.”

“Wow, uh. That’s gross,” Tavros shuddered, then yawned widely, "Charming, as always.”

Gamzee chuckled, then turned around and eased forward, far enough to properly touch Tavros’ overly tired face and stroke his thumbs over that hard jaw. “Yo, when was the last motherfuckin’ time you actually slept ? You’ve been gone for quite the time again, motherfucker. You’re all up and working too motherfuckin’ much, brother.”

“Uh. That, depends,” the other Troll gave him a tired half-smile, “what day, is it, exactly ? And yeah, i know, but uh, i can’t help it.”

“See, motherfucker,” Gamzee sighed and stroked his long, slender fingers through the soft, black hair at the back of his best beloved’s neck. “I bet you didn’t motherfuckin’ eat properly either. Messiahs, you’re getting rid all of that miracle flesh i love to get my cuddles on at.”

And as if on cue, Tav’s stomach rumbled and growled lowdly, begging for attention. “That’s, uh well not, entirely true, I had tuber paste.”

“That’s not real good motherfuckin’ food in the long run, you know.”

“It is when it’s, all you got, uh and you’ve been on a week long stakeout, and need some carbs. Being a, cavalreaper isn’t an easy job, Gamzee, you, uh, you should know that.”

The skinny clown just shrugged at his lover while rubbing through his own black, wild curls, “Yeah, yeah. If you say so, brother. I still think you need to take better motherfuckin’ care of yourself. Why don’t you motherfuckin’ change into some motherfucking chill clothing, while I’m all up heading to the meal block. I’ll make you a motherfuckin’ wicked meal, motherfucker. And after that, you can even have some motherfuckin’ chocolate-pie.”

Tavros drew a big breath, took only a little step back to turn around for the ablutions block and almost immediately stumbled. Gamzee reacted fast, his arm shot out and grabbed the edges of Tav’s dirty uniform, keeping him from toppling over.

“Sorry, uh,” His weary voice sounded slightly embarrassed, “I’m really, dead on my feet, it seems. Thank you, for the catch.”

“What are you all up and apologizing for, Tavbro ?” Gamzee giggled at his lover, “Just hold onto a motherfucker, I can walk you there.”

Tavros blushed in embarrassement, braced a hand on Gamzee’s shoulder and let his sweet clown guide him the short way to the other room.

He chuckled as he watched Gamzee take only careful little steps. “I think, I could get used to this, like having uh, a sexy servant that carries you anywhere.” Another big yawn cracked his jaw.

Gamzee furrowed his brows, “No motherfucker, don’t. This is a special motherfuckin’ service just because you’re all up and about to fall flat on that beautiful face of yours. I wouldn’t want you to break one of 'ya horns.”

Tavros couldn’t have possibly kept that sheepish smile that crawled up from his lips at the others words. “Oooh. Oh, so uh, what else, is included in this, special service ?” He tried to sound suggestive, but he was so exhausted and worn out, that he missed his usual seductive tone.

Gamzee just snorted right away at his best beloved’s poor attempt, “Even tired to the bone, you’re still a motherfuckin’ perv, Tavbro. What a miracle.”

The other Troll just giggled sweetly, too worn out to come up with a worthy reply. Not that he cared anyway, his matesprit was right after all.

“Well, I’ll go to the down and get that miracle-meal ready, then feed you properly and throw you into our motherfuckin coon. Come on down when you’re all up and finished, motherfucker. And please, don’t fall down that stairs.” Gamzee grabbed the stronger one’s hand and pushed him carefully through the door to the ablutions block.

Tavros just smiled blissfully as the door shut close behind his back. Getting out of his uniform was a bit of a drag in his terribly tired state. Since cooking would take his man longer than five minutes, he also decided to take a quick shower. He was dirty after the long week out in the fields, with barely water to drink, and basically none to wash, which was unfortunately required when working for the military. He also smelled grossly like sweat anyway and really didn’t want that to be a huge turn off for Gamzee, after it’s been too long since they saw each other. It maybe was only a week, but with a dangerous job like his, a week could feel like months to him. He likes his job and he thinks it’s honorable, but it’s still risky as fuck, and one can never be all too sure that they’ll return from a mission.

But Gamzee was the light in his life, no matter how dark his missions could be. And they were dark at times, with hope gone and lost, darkness descending. But he always knew he had someone he needed to return to. Gamzee’s existence alone was enough to always guide Tavros home.

He felt extremely refreshed after the hot shower and just a little bit less tired, even if only for the moment. He put on his favorite black shirt, which showed his sign in glimmering bronze color. He also put on the most comfy, clean pants he could find in the small block, which was a pair of Gamzee’s dotted pants. He owns at least nine of those, and Tavros finds that fact really ridiculous, every now and again. But that gave him the opportunity to steal one for himself, over and over again. They were comfortable as fuck, so he doesn’t blame his little clown for adoring them so much. He was also glad Gamzee liked his clothes wide and flexible, or else Tavros wouldn’t fit in, being quite a lot buffer than his slender partner. That would’ve been a shame.

After he finished himself up, he left the block and made his way slowly down the stairs, careful not to topple over, and yawning yet again, as he reached the meal block. He sat down with a whispered I’m back, his elbows resting on the dining table and eyes fixed on Gamzee as he was about to finish off the cooking.

“So, uh. Did anything, exciting, happen to you, this week ?” Tavros’ words slurred a little, tiredness taking over after the heat of the showers settles in. He really was trying hard to stay awake.

“Let’s see, motherfucker. Terezi thought it would be motherfuckin’ hilarious to blow up some of Equius robots, when all he was up and doing was asking me out on a pitch-date. She ended up making a huge fuckin’ mess, man. Eqbro was pissed as all shits and Nepeta had to pap the fuck outta him. Buuuut it really motherfuckin’ was hilarious, brother, i’ll give a sister as much. Karbro came over some motherfuckin’ times to check on a brother. Still takin’ me for a fuckin’ wiggler that can’t take care of himself, checkin’ out if i was eating and such. Didn’t say no to some pale sessions in a pile either, motherfuckin’ craved them even, the little miracle blooded brother. I tell you, it was glorious, i hella love teasing them nubby, sensitive horns,” He brought dishes full of deliciously looking food, put them down on the table and sat down to join Tav, who already got his hands on the silverware, “Oh, you also missed our wicked humans friendos. Johnbro, Davebro and Jadesis were all up and came over for a visit. Rosesis wasn’t with them tho, she’d rather met up with Kanaya, motherfuckin’ long distance relationship and such. Everyone motherfuckin’ gathered up and we had a fine ass dinner. I was up and told them to come by again when you’re around, motherfucker, don’t worry at that. Oh, and Aradia messaged a motherfucker a few motherfuckin’ times and asked me all out 'bout her pale-brother’s status, all fuckin’ worried as all shits about you, but I wasn’t much of a damn help, so we just got our worry on together…. And last but not motherfuckin’ least, work was quite the mixture of hilarity and hell. A brother had orders to cull some of them enemy motherfuckers, but overall, it was just shitty routine, s'all.”

Tavros didn’t respond and chewed lazily on a piece of bread, which had it’s crust cut off because Gamzee knew that’s how his lover liked it.

He couldn’t surpress yet another yawn, nodding with is head and blinking his eyes rapidly in an attempt to keep them open.

“Sorry brother, I am all up talking too much.”

“Hmmm? What, uh no. No, no Gamz, no, ’m sorry. You could, speak forever. I love your, voice, and i could listen, to you all day, and night, and never get bored. I want, to ..hear everything, you got to say. It’s not, you - it’s the, job and uh i’m just really, really beat…”

Gamzee just watched him as he mumbled sweet apologies, smiling softly and being really relieved to have him home. They both had quite dangerous jobs, his man being a cavalreaper and himself as a first class subjugglator. But when Tavros was gone for a week and beyond, a hollow feeling settled in Gamzee’s stomach. A feeling that would never ease until his matesprit walked back through the front door of their hive.

“…You, uh believe me, ..right ?” he asked, sounding only slightly alarmed, as he poked his chocolate pie - which is a dessert he loves and couldn’t turn down, no matter how tired he was - with a fork.

Gamzee gave him a heart-warming smile in return. “Yeah brother, i know as much. S'all good, dearest of brothers.”

By the time the dishes were empty and ready to be pulled away, Tav’s head was burried in his arms on the table.

“Hey,” Gamzee walked over to gently shake his shoulder, “let’s get you to coon. Was a long motherfuckin’ week for a brother.”

“Sex, comes first. Get a bucket.” Tavros mumbled as he had a hard time lifting his head along with his huge and heavy horns, and looked at his beloved with tired, reddened eyes.

“Fuck, bro. That can motherfuckin’ wait 'til some other time,” Gamzee lifted him out of the chair and placed a sweet kiss on his cheek, “you need sleep first. I bet a brother can’t even go up the stairs without motherfuckin’ falling like a pupa.”

“Uuuh. You won’t, let me fall, Gamzee.” Tavros leaned heavily against his mate, nuzzling wearily against the soft skin that smelled like cotton candy. “You never have, before, and even if I, did fall I know, you would catch me. Not. One. Doubt.”

In his exhaustion he might not understand what he was saying, or much it meant, but Gamzee surely did and his heart melted away. Melted at the words he was given, melted at the little breaths that tickled against his skin. He never expected to feel so much for this big, self-conscious, kind, beautiful troll when they first met, but he did, and it only grew stronger with every little moment that passed. And it hasn’t stopped yet, it’s like his heart is expanding with every little affection or sweet word he was given from the other, it might even explode one day. It would explode, just like that, and paint the surroundings with love and purple. That’s what’s going to happen.

They ended up in the respiteblock together, Tavros with both hands pressed against the wall with his little clown in between, leaning in closer and asking Gamzee for a tender good-night-kiss in whispered, sensual words.

Gamzee couldn’t think properly. His favorite troll was way too close to his face, his smell invading his cartilaginous nub, the scent of soap and chocolate making his mind all fuzzy. He thought he was ready for the kiss, they had kissed a billion times before, but nothing could have prepared him for the firm, yet soft press of the other’s lips against his after a long week. The heat that spread from the other through his cold body was instantaneous, his eyes closing as he pressed into Tavros, his hands coming up to grip the man’s muscular arms. Gamzee felt Tav’s big hand slide up to his face, cupping his jaw, their lips moving and sliding together as his head was tilted a bit. His legs threatened to give in, as he felt Tavros then slide one of his hands to the back of his head, his strong fingers weaving through his wild mane and the other gripping one of his horns firmly to pull him even closer. As he felt those fingers brush down the back of his neck, right down the middle, he let out an involuntary moan. He definitely needed to pull away soon. Tavros heard the moan, the sound filling his ears like music and going straight down to his lower stomach. He tightened the grip on Gamzee’s horn, his fingers still caressing the spot on the curly-headed’s neck, reveling in every moan he pulled from the clown as he felt Gamzee slide his hands up over his chest to grip the powerful shoulders, the other’s whole body coming closer. He sucked on Gamzee’s bottom lip, nibbling it a little, moaning against it as he felt blunt claws dig into his back. He took a step closer, bringing his body flush to his matesprit, as he pushed his lips against the others again, harder, the kiss getting deeper.

Gamzee’s hands rubbed gently at Tavros’ muscular shoulders with soothing, circular motions and then draggin his sharp claws down that strong, shivering back. It really was a gorgeous back and Gamzee loved touching the place. Tavros moaned softly, arching into his touch, the spot being a constant weak point for the bronze-blood. The soft, warm lips pushing harder against his own, the kiss running the risk of deepening.

But suddenly, Gamzee pulled back, breaking the tender, sloppy makeout.

“Nnnngh..Nah, bro …stop..” he swatted Tavro’s upper arm, “you’re.. too motherfucking tired to.. start anything.”

“B-But,” he stuttered, voice shaking but quiet, “I’m never, too tired for, a pailing session, really.” To fortify that statement, Tavros leaned in closer and buried his face in the crook of his lover’s neck, sucking on it softly.

Ignoring him, Gamzee put his hands onto Tavros chest and pushed his beloved away, as soft as he knew how to. Though it killed him, he tried to keep his touch impersonal and quick this time, not only for the other troll that really needed a day or two of sleep, but also for his own sake. Just a minute longer, and he wouldn’t be strong enough to stop. Tavros let out a soft sound of frustration, but couldn’t get a firm hold on Gamzee, as he tried to keep his lover pushed against the wall. His dead beat body slumping down into the purple-blood’s arms. Proof he really was completely drained.

Too bad Gamzee couldn’t say the same about his own body. He was careful to keep his lower half from touching Tavros. He needed to calm down fast. Tonight’s not the motherfuckin’ night, my excited purple bone-brother, he thought.

“Kay,uuh. ..Let’s.. let’s hop into, coon.” Tavros’ yawned. His voice had become so hoarse and scratchy, Gamzee had to strain himself to actually hear what he was saying.

“Hell yeah, bro, finally you make some fuckin’ sense.” Gamzee groused a little, but made sure he was careful as he picked up the big bull, and carried him through the rest of the room until they reached the recuperacoon.

“Messiah’s, you’re motherfucking heavy for someone who’s all up and didn’t eat much in a motherfuckin’ week” he complained.

Tavros turned his face into Gamzee’s chest and sighed deeply, a happy and content sound, “Mmmmhmm.”

“Yeah motherfucker, you’re not the brother toting around two-hundred pounds of dead weight.” Gamzee joked some more, “But ain’t no problem for a motherfuckin’ bad ass subjugglator like me. Gainin’ muscles and shit.”

Tavros just snorted quietly at the statement as he lifted himself up and crawled into the pleasant warmth of the coon that was full to the brim with sopor-slime, waiting.

“You, uh, not joining me ?” he asks, staring at the clown in confusion, who just stood there and smiled at his lover, bright and wide like an idiot. “Nah, my man. A motherfucker still got a mission to attend to. I’ll be motherfuckin’ off in a few minutes.” “Oh. Oh god, Gamzee. Fine..,” Tav murmured, rolling over, “Just, be careful. I don’t, even ..ask. It’s an order, i demand that from you. Make sure, you come back in one piece safe and, sound. When i wake up, i need ..y-you.. here…”

“Yeah motherfucker, don’t get all up and worry 'bout a brother.”

“Gamzee..,” Tavros whispered as he closed his eyes and let sleep finally take over, “..love you.”

“Love you too, brother,” Gamzee replied, and his breathlessness was surely due to having hauled Tavros’ big and heavy ass across the hive the whole evening, and not from the lump that was blocking his throat.

Gamzee would always return to him. Tavros was the same to him, as he was to Tavros.

The brilliance of Tavros’ smile, the warm glow of Tavros’ touch and the radiance of Tavros’ presence.

This light, so bright, one could see from hundreds of miles away, would always guide him home.

“I love you motherfuckin’ too, my little Lighthouse. And don’t ever fuckin’ forget it.”

[vintagesewingmachine]

New Riders: Chapter 4

okay this one might be a bit long. and they never mention what the honorific phrase for a female of great promise, just male which is finiarel, so I just made one up. its marked with a *star. and i know i didnt get all of the accented and dotted letters and such. sorry. Enjoy!

It seemed as if the world had come to an abrupt halt. The trees stopped, the river dropped out of sight and the sun was blinding them.  When Serance’s eyes had adjusted, what she saw took her breath away. The world did indeed end. 

And started anew. 

The wide river they had been following had dropped into a huge waterfall that spanned a large portion of the gigantic cliff. The pale trees had ended at the cliff line. And below, a sea of emerald trees, deciduous and coniferous. The waterfall poured into a vast, turquoise lake at the bottom of the cliff. The flatness turned into rolling, forest covered hills, and then into stark stone mountains that speared the sky, leagues and leagues away. And, sprawled around the lake and into the forest, were large stone buildings. Wide paths snaked through the structures, wide enough for large dragons to walk side by side. Most of the buildings were big enough for multiple dragons as well. In the centre, a big statue demanded attention, with a couple of smaller statues surrounding it. It was a large dragon with a man astride, and the other statues were of an elven woman, a human woman, and two human men. And as they circled closer, she realized that there were two even smaller statues as well. A young girl and a small woman with a strange weapon. Serance wondered who they represented. 

It's… it's so beautiful. Absolutely breathtaking, Serance thought. Nasingr rumbled her agreement.  

It took some time to land, due to the sheer size of the cliff. Once on the ground, though, Serance turned to fully appreciate it's immenseness. It stretched for leagues in either direction, and she couldn't see the end. And height wise… it was at least three kilometers high. It was a sheer, straight rock face, the cracks and chunks of rock giving it an intricate appearance. Serance wanted to draw it. Nasingr hummed in awe, inhaling deeply to smell the delicious scents on the air. They were standing on the lakeshore, near the statues. A cool breeze ruffled Serance’s golden hair, and she closed her green eyes to better concentrate on the different aromas. Lately she had been able to better distinguish different scents. She peeked open her eyes and glanced at her companions. Adalan was staring in open-mouthed wonder at everything around him. Likean’s face was unreadable in the way that most elves’ were, and Queen Arya’s face was the same, though Serance thought she could see an unrecognisable emotion in her deep, fathomless green eyes. Firnen was just as still beside her. Kalkin was swinging her head from side to side, trying to take it all in at once just like her Rider. 

 She sensed them before she saw them.

  A great, alien consciousness touched her mind, and she instinctively shied away, throwing up mental shields. It brushed them aside like leaves and she froze. Nasingr quickly melded their minds and a growl reverberated through their minds as she used her own strength to shield her Rider’s mind. A hint of amusement flitted through from it, and it withdrew. 

   Serance suddenly snapped back to the outside world and whirled around, Nasingr swinging her head around to look behind them as well. There stood a man. Arya smiled, Adalan look confused, and, still, Likean’s face was unreadable. She studied him as she did most people she met. His brown hair curled around his temples and his bangs were ragged and hung almost to his brow. But it was singed, as if it had been lit on fire. His eyes were brown and slightly slanted, more than a human’s but less than an elf’s. His features were angled like an elf’s, but slightly more rugged. His exposed ears were tapered to a small point. He wore a deep blue tunic that reached mid-thigh, dark brown leggings, and leather boots. A flash of blue drew her eyes to his hands, on which there was a sapphire ring, and strange patterning. On a thick belt hung a beautiful blue scabbard with a sword sheathed inside. He was very handsome, and looked young. 

   Movement flicked above her, and she glanced up to see a blue dragon. She blinked. But before anybody could do anything, the man said, “I suggest you all plug your ears.”

  Arya immediately did so, and Serance quickly followed, along with Likean. Adalan frown in befuddlement, which he immediately regretted for the great blue dragon landed with an earth-shaking thud, and he was thrown to the ground. The man and the elves flexed their knees to keep their balance, but Serance had to steady herself on Nasingr. And they were all glad for their covered ears (except for Adalan, who had not listened) when the dragon - Saphira - flared her massive wings, stretched forward, opened her huge mouth and roared. 

     It was a magnificent roar. It was long and loud and fearsome. Kalkin had visibly shuddered, and Adalan had cried out and clapped his hands over his ears, a little too late. Even with her hands over her ears, the roar was beyond deafening. It was a challenge to all who could hear it, which, Serance thought and Nasingr agreed, would be everyone and everything for kilometers. But after the initial flinch, Serance and Nasingr held their ground. Finally, when the blue dragon was out of breath, she closed her jaws with a snap. Everything stood still for a moment. And then Firnen jumped into the air, soaring before landing, and bounded like this until he was flying. He flapped thunderously and roared back, though not quite as long as Saphira, and she responded by taking flight as well. Everyone watched as they gained altitude roaring and shooting fire back and forth, chasing each other. Playing. When Serance finally lowered her gaze, she found matching expressions of joy on both Arya and the man, whom she assumed was Eragon Shadeslayer. Even Likean looked happy.

    A whispered “wow” from Adalan brought everyone’s attention back to the ground.    Arya stepped forward, touching her fingers to her lips. “Atra esterni thelduin, Eragon Shadeslayer, Kingkiller.”

  Eragon smiled, returning the gesture. “You honour me, Arya Drotting. Mor’ranr lifa unin hjarta onr.”

   Arya completed the ritual with, “Un du evarinya ono varda.”

   Eragon conversed briefly with Likean in the ancient language before fixing his eyes on Adalan. He quietly observed the young man before doing the same to Serance. She blushed from the attention. 

   Then he said in the common tongue, “Come. There are benches over here.” They all followed him, Nasingr and Kalkin lumbering behind the party. As they passed the group of statues, Serance realized that one of them was of Queen Arya, and, looking up, the man on the dragon looked like Eragon. The dragon was obviously Saphira. And one of the human men looked familiar… Roran Stronghammer, she decided. This must be the people who played the most important roles in defeating Galbatorix,  she said to Nasingr. 

 Yes, I think so too, she responded. She rustled her wings excitedly. Wasn't Saphira grand? Her scales are the most splendid blues I have ever seen. And did you see how big she was? Bigger than even Firnen! Her wings were absolutely massive. Nasingr probably could have gone on like this for longer, and Serance would have listened because she agreed one hundred percent, but they had come to a little outdoor sitting area. Several stone benches carved with decorative designs were placed in a sort of triangle in front of the beach. The beach was white sand, looking stunning alongside the crystal-like lake. Eragon gestured for them to sit while the dragons curiously sniffed around before crouching down beside their Riders. 

   “I am Eragon, as I am sure you have already guessed,” Eragon said. His voice was odd, Serance thought. A mixture of the rough Palancar Valley accent and the lilting cadence of the elves. He continued, “And I know you are Adalan and Serance. Arya Drotting has told me much about you.”

    Serance’s face warmed. What did that mean? She nervously glanced at her friend. He looked completely fine, blue eyes eager and pushing his brown hair from his face. She turned back to Eragon. But his eyes had gone vacant and he stared into the distance. Serance frowned, when suddenly his eyes snapped to Likean.

  “Blodhgarm would like to see you.”

   Likean nodded, a sharp motion of his head, and left. 

   Who is Blodhgarm? Serance asked Nasingr. Should we know who he is?

I think… that he was one of the twelve elves who guarded the Shadeslayer during the war. 

 Oh. Serance forced her attention back to the conversation at hand. Eragon was speaking again. “We won't start lessons until tomorrow, for the Sanctuary has beautiful things I think you would like to see. At first I will be seeing what you know and how far your abilities stretch, for though Arya has kept me updated, I would like to see it with my own eyes. There are many empty houses you can choose from with your dragon to live in. As for your lessons -”

  He stopped abruptly, and a flush coloured his cheeks as his eyes went distant again. Even more oddly, Arya also stiffened and… was that a hint of colour on her cheeks? Both Serance and Nasingr were puzzled. Arya and Eragon quickly glanced at each other.

   “Ahem,” Eragon cleared his throat. “As I was saying, there are nine categories. Archery, literature, hand-to-hand combat and swordsmanship, history, cultural studies, gramarye, biology, maths, and aerial combat. For you dragons, there is flying and history, which will be taught by Saphira and… well for now it will be Saphira, and she does things… at her own pace, so I cannot tell you much about your curriculum as some of it is private to dragons alone. She will talk to you when she is… finished.” Now he fixed them all with his gaze, saying, “While you are being trained and instructed, I expect you to meld fully with your partner, so you learn everything your partner learns. Arya has already taught you how to do this. And, as you have previously done with your instructors, you will address me, Saphira and anyone else who is teaching you as ‘Master’ in this language and ‘Ebrithil’ in the ancient language. I will give you a tour of the Sanctuary, but before we begin, are there any questions?” 

    Serance tentatively raised her hand, and Eragon nodded at her, but before she could say anything, Adalan blurted out, “How did you kill him - Galbatorix, I mean? None of the stories are very clear about what happened. Just what happened before and after.”

    Arya stiffened and Serance cringed as her eyes flashed dangerously. But Eragon looked Adalan in the eyes steadily until he started to blush at his insensitive question.

   “That is a painful story for another time, if at all, Adalan-finiarel,” Eragon said quietly. 

   Adalan nodded mutely and went an even deeper shade of red. Eragon turned back to Serance, giving her permission to speak.

   “Um, what about - the other new Riders?” She asked quietly. 

  “They are all at different stages in their learning, so sometimes you may be taught together, but for the most part you will be taught alongside Adalan-finiarel. Occasionally you will be taught alone. Does that answer your question, Serance-finiaral*? 

  “Yes. Thank-you,” she said softly.

   He nodded and rose to his feet gracefully. The rest followed suit, the dragons rising as well. The Shadeslayer tilted his head. “I hope Saphira does not wreck Firnen’s saddle.”

   Arya sighed her agreement. It took a moment for Serance to realize what they meant, and when she did, she blushed. Now she knew why Arya and Eragon both had flushed earlier. Saphira and Firnen were mates that haven't seen each other in years. 

   Nasingr snuffled her golden hair from behind, distracting her. Serance smiled and placed a hand on the warm violet scales. Eragon led the way through the Sanctuary with long, purposeful strides on the wide stone paths. Nasingr and Kalkin’s talons clacked on the stone. As they passed the grouping of statues, Eragon sighed and ran his fingers through his brown hair, making it stand on end. He gestured helplessly to the statue of himself on Saphira. “Despite my protests,” he said, “The elves and Gim, the dwarf Dragon Rider, and even Kalvog, the Urgalgra Rider, insisted upon making this monument.” He pointed to each statue in turn. “That is Queen Nasuada, my cousin Roran, Murtagh, Angela, Elva, and Arya. They did not make a statue of Thorn, due to the fact that nobody really knows him. Though I don't think that he would care either way.”

   “Cool,” Adalan said. Serance nodded. She had learned about all of these people before. They continued. Their guide pointed out buildings, saying what they were. The Library, empty houses they could live in, things like that. He showed them the sparring field, which was right beside the archery range. There was a forge, a hatchery, and a large table surrounded on three sides by trees facing the lake where Eragon said was where they had gatherings. This is where they ended their tour. 

  Eragon turned to face them all. “This is your new home. You can go and explore, or find somewhere to put your stuff. You can see if you can find the other Dragon Riders if you like. There are certain places, however, that are off limits. If you happen upon one, you will encounter wards. Do not try to get past them. The consequences will be severe. The resident elves have their houses farther into the forest, and you will respect them by not intruding. You will not engage in unsupervised duels with others, and you will not invade others’ privacy. The breaking of these rules will lead to unpleasant punishments. Do you understand?”

   “Yes, Ebrithil,” Serance said. Adalan copied. 

  Eragon smiled kindly. “Good. You can go now.”

   Adalan grinned and mounted Kalkin. They set off on one of the paths. Serance turned to Nasingr.What should we do?

Well, Nasingr said. These saddlebags are starting to itch. We should probably go find somewhere to stay.

Okay.

Nasingr started down the path, but Serance stayed a moment longer to look at the lake. She noticed Eragon and Arya were standing down on the white sand beach, both facing the cliff. Arya handed something to Eragon, and his hand brushed hers. Serance blinked. This was obviously private.She quickly ran after her dragon. 

   The sun was approaching the horizon. They had spent all day giving the new Riders a tour. But now here she was, standing beside Eragon. In this beautiful place, surrounded by dragons, enjoying the peace she and her people had suffered so much for. She had taken off her boots and now dug her toes into the soft, white sand. It was warm from the day’s sun. Firnen was away with Saphira, doing what mated dragons do, and along with him all of Arya’s belongings. Except for the letter and package from Roran.

   “These are from your cousin,” she said, handing them over to Eragon. He nodded and took them from her. As he did so, his hand brushed hers, sending a small jolt through her body. She hastily withdrew her hand. Instead of opening the package, he tucked it away in a small pouch on his belt. 

  “So,” Eragon started, looking over the  lake and cliff.  “What do you think?”

   Arya gave him a small smile. “Think of what, Eragon?”

   Finally he met her gaze, his mouth quirking. “Still a stickler for precision, I see. What do you think of the Sanctuary?” 

   What did she think? She thought that she was so full of emotion she didn't know how to speak. So she said simply, “Vér nuanen.” It's beautiful.

   Quiet joy lit his face. “I know. All the pain, all the death - it was worth it. It was worth this.”

  “It was,” she murmured. “It is.” And she grasped his hand. It was warm, soft and rough at the same time due to calluses from wielding weapons. He stiffened for a moment before relaxing. Together they watched the sun as it slowly started disappearing behind the giant ridge. The colours seemed to light the river on fire, making it seem as if liquid fire poured down the rock face. Arya wanted to make a fairth, but was reluctant to break the magic of the moment, so she stored away the image in her mind for later. For now, she was content to enjoy this blessing with her dear friend, the cries of dragons in the distance.