#am i obvious. i have no clue. i haven’t liked anyone in years. one of those years was covid

[flowerwiththemachinegun]

Have we learned anything new from Tseng's background? Well, since I haven’t I’ve come up with this. I surely am not bilingual or anything and I couldn’t figure out just how to make my own little language (yet, I have to for another fic) so all of this is just yanno, english. Right before FF7 events, cause I don’t like little ponytail Tseng. GN as usual unless folks start getting overly freaky (not in this fic)

Title: Dead Languages

Description: about 2.5k words. After committing the silliest of crimes you catch the Turks' attention. Taking little to no time to catch you and bring you in for interrogation. The only problem is they have absolutely zero clue what you’re saying, until Tseng finally arrives. Staring at Tseng with absolute delight, relief washes over you. Part 2 will contain more detail about the conversation between the reader and Tseng. 

___________________________________________________

To say Reno was pissed was an understatement, pacing back and forth behind Rude’s seated position in front of you. Elbows on the table, Rude’s head buried in his hands out of stress, sighing heavily once more. They’ve tried for hours to get you to talk. There’s just absolutely no way you’ve made it all the way to Midgar with no way of communicating with anyone. From the few words they could make out, they knew you were from Wutai. That and your appearance made that painfully obvious.

They’ve tried threatening you quite a few times, the eccentric duo getting fed up with your “games”, as they call it. Genuinely, you had no idea what they were saying, but boy, were they angry. The red head’s face was just as red as his hair and the bald guy. Well, he seemed more upset at the other suited man for screaming so much. They were certainly no less upset after a blonde man dressed in all white came into the room. Sitting across from you for not even ten minutes staring back at the two men in black saying something in a dismissive tone, then leaving. You couldn’t help but think everything about him was a bit strange. The blonde’s get up combined with the strangely obedient creature he had in tow.

Eventually, you were left alone, staring at the wall for what you felt like was an endless amount of time. After an additional hour went by, numerous people came in and spoke to you, well tried. Each of them speaking a different language you simply couldn’t understand. Growing more and more frustrated yourself, you couldn’t help but give up any attempts at communicating with anyone. Your anxiety gnawing at your mind as you realize you might never leave this room at the rate things were going, surrounded by all of these strange faces. Every person is either talking to you like you were a five year old or becoming frustrated with your lack of communication. At some point, it was no wonder you completely shut down. 

Alone. Again. In this tiny interrogation wall, rubbing your eyes before laying your head in your arms. To think that the trek from Wutai to Midgar was exhausting, “that was nothing in comparison to this shit,” You thought to yourself, deciding to do your best to enjoy the next couple of hours as you were waiting around for your next round of interpreters. You couldn’t quite understand why they were so intent on talking to you rather than locking you away. It was an all-around ridiculous situation to be quite frank, becoming obsessed with myths of beasts living inside of precious red orbs. You wanted nothing more than to obtain that power for yourself in an attempt to take over other nearby villages to save your own.

Coming from a small village where a majority of your people were dying off, the population was not able to multiply faster than what they were expiring. Sure, your goal may have been a form of tyranny, but hell, you were the only one even trying to push for the future. The objective was simple enough: bring back as many of these strange creatures, harness their power, and force the other villages to follow your traditions. It mattered not who you had to slaughter to make your dream happen. It seemed to be going surprisingly smooth, the Shinra building being surprisingly easy to break into. You were able to make it to the materia room and snag as many of the summon materia as you could after practically disfiguring one of the infantrymen and snagging his uniform to blend in. Only to be caught by Reno and Rude as you were making your way back down the ungodly amount of stairs that made up the side entrance.

Pulling yourself from your thoughts as the door was all but being kicked open by Rufus, evident that he, too, was fed up with trying to find a way to speak to you. Raising your head up to acknowledge those who have walked in. By this point, Rufus was ready to just lock you up or, worse, pass you off to Hojo. Of course, he had his other two suits in tow, Reno and Rude, both of them just staring at you with an almost pitiful expression. Thinking to yourself, “That was concerning.” They haven’t said much to you since coming into the room, talking amongst themselves instead. Probably pondering on what they were going to do with you. Watching the white clad man stand up, pulling a device out of his pocket and holding it to his face as he walks out of the room. He almost seemed relieved by whatever that interaction was. Leaning back in your chair, you simply stare at the two Turks, curious as to what would happen next but making no attempts to speak. 

A few moments pass by before Rufus enters again, this time with another man in black. Dark hair ran down his back, neatly pinned up so that not even a stray hair would fall into his face. Not even a wrinkle in sight. What really caught your attention, though, was his eyes. Beautiful honey like pools meeting your gaze, immediately perking up at the sight of his tilak. An action that did not go unnoticed by the others, as over the course of the day, you would hardly acknowledge them, maybe sparing a disapproving glance. You quickly utter a few words, which causes Tseng to do a double take. Very rarely was the Turk caught off guard, but he couldn't deny that hearing someone speak his language was surprising in itself. 

Your gaze never breaks from Tseng as you hear Rufus address him, “Oh? Is this a lost friend of yours?” Tseng pulls  the seat out from in front of you and gets comfortable, for once his movements showed just how perturbed he was by the situation. Trying to keep his voice steady as he responds to Rufus, “Not quite, but I could tell you they came from the same place as myself. Our language never expanded outside of several villages. A place called Mahitotsu, no outsiders were allowed in either, never allowing themselves to mingle with modern-day people. Most of them wouldn’t be able to read nor write in another language due to the permanent barrier they’ve put between themselves and the rest of the world. The villagers themselves are reluctant to even deal with their neighbors.”

With a nod of Rufus’ head, he gestures towards you as he speaks, “Well, figure out why they're here stealing from me.” Something Tseng too was very curious about, most information regarding Shinra or materia for that matter is practically nonexistent. Coupled with the fact that your small off grid village also knows nothing of the world outside of it. For you to trek from the depths of Wutai to get here must have called for a damned good reason. Opting to give you a more traditional welcome in hopes of making you more willing to tell him any information you may have, Tseng starts by taking his gloves off, extending his hand to you. Placing your hand in his, Tseng brings the other to rest soothingly on top of your own. Bringing a few questionable looks from everyone in the room, they’ve never seen this tactic before, and Reno was going to make it known. Regarding Tseng in a teasing voice, “I thought you were here to make them talk, not flirt.” 

“It’s simply a greeting.” Tseng retorts back, red daring to tint his cheeks. It’s been so long since he’s done this. Paired with the way you're staring at him almost makes him want to melt. Getting rid of those thoughts quickly, Tseng begins addressing you. Stating that he obviously knew where you came from, asking what brought you out here. How did you get out here? Not for a minute did he let your hand go as the interrogation went on for hours, not that you could complain. At some point, Rude couldn’t help but mention that it was an awfully long greeting as he stared at your connected hands. Sure, he could’ve let your hand go quite some time ago. A part of him just can’t help but to enjoy this.

Once Tseng received all of the information he could get out of you, looking to Rufus to summarize what was said. Giving Rufus your name as well as place of origin, “They’re looking to save our village, albeit it’s not the smartest plan, though for that particular region of the world it would work considering the lack of knowledge and resources. The goal seems to be using summons as a way to entrap all of the other surrounding off-grid villages, forcing them to abide by our customs, down to forcing them to forget their own language and convert to our own. The reason is that the village is roughly estimated to die off in the next century. They seem to think ruling by fear would be the best way of going about completing their goal.” 

Rufus taps his fingers along the table, resting his head in his hand as he looks from your conjoined hands back to meet Tseng’s eyes. “Right idea, though this should be used for something much bigger than a bunch of forgotten tribes. I’m impressed they’ve made it thus far.” Tseng can’t help but nod in agreement. It is quite the feat to have survived the journey here. Especially knowing there isn’t much known about the rest of the world where you reside. Once again, pulling Tseng out of his thoughts, Rufus throws an idea out, “If they can prove to be just as loyal and useful as yourself, I say we keep them. Obviously, you would be doing all of the training. Not to mention, they need to figure out how to communicate with the rest of society. Dare I say, I have a good feeling about this. Or you could let them know they can rot in one of Hojo’s pods. The choice is theirs.” 

Tseng gives your hand a gentle squeeze before explaining what your ultimatum consisted of. With a shake of your head, you tell him that if you can’t accomplish your goal that there isn't a point of going forward in life. Translating your words back to Rufus draws a deep scowl from him, considering your choice should have been clear. Tseng gives a light shrug, letting out a deep breath. He certainly didn’t want that to be your fate, but after trying to convince you to change your mind and join them, it was clear you weren’t going to budge. Giving Rufus an almost sad expression, doing his best to cover up how he felt about the series of events. “All they want is for our people to continue to thrive-”

Cutting Tseng off as Rufus can’t help but finally notice a specific word that Tseng keeps repeating, “Our?” A smirk spreads across the vice president's face, “You’re people are right here, Tseng. Though, I imagine you have some attachments left to your hometown. Am I wrong?” At that, Tseng breaks any eye contact, staring down at your hands as you bring your other hand to rest atop of his as you sense his tension. Still refusing to look at anyone as he speaks, “It would be a shame for that to be their fate in my eyes, yes. Though I’m sure I've been long forgotten about, there are still people one could say I care for.” 

“Then I have another proposition, this time something that could benefit you both and myself?” Rufus finishes with a questioning tone before carrying on, leaning back in his chair. “We can make merging these villages a reality. It would be easier done if we utilize our troops. Though I have no intentions of trying to spread a dying language, I by no means plan on getting rid of it either. We can leave them isolated as they have been after bringing them together, of course leaving a group of soldiers to keep watch, make sure everything goes according to plan. Anyone stationed there is going to learn how to speak…whatever it is, you all call it. Though this will result in the land becoming Shinra property, is that something you can deal with? We can work out the finer details later, but (Y/N) will work for us, and they will have to live here.” 

“It isn’t me that needs to consider this,” Tseng states before finally meeting your gaze once more. It’s debatable if taking over land in Wutai would start another war, but it doesn’t seem like Rufus plans on making a ruckus as Shinra takes over the land. At least not yet. Translating what Rufus had to offer, and this time, it manages to catch your attention. A frown crosses your features as he details the portion about residing in Midgar and having to learn a new language, but to his surprise, you don't mind Shinra’s occupation so much. More than likely, due to your severe ignorance in regards to what Shinra is capable of. Telling Tseng that as long as you can get your way, it was an arrangement you could live with.

This starts the journey for the next year, being forced to live with Tseng until you can navigate the world by yourself as well as becoming a trustworthy individual. The plans to take over (insert town name here) would also not come to fruition until your training was thoroughly complete. You have to prove yourself in order to pave the way for your goals, even if you fail to realize you're being taken advantage of. To everyone's surprise, Tseng wasn't too upset about the arrangement. Sure, living with a total stranger wasn't on his ‘to do’ list per se, but you had him completely and utterly captivated. Tseng's subconscious had every intention of getting closer and closer to you. Making sure to spend more time than necessary teaching you what different items were as well as teaching you how to communicate with everyone else. Though he loved talking to you the most in your native tongue, there was something so magical about how your voice rang out to him as you spoke. Maybe this living situation would prove to be far more beneficial than he thought, and it had nothing to do with your training. 

___________________________________________________

I hate to cut it off abruptly but every other idea is going to be put into part 2. This seemed to be the most decent stopping point for me. Couldn’t get this out of my mind, as I tried writing other fics this idea just kept begging me to use it, so I shall. 

Tseng lowkey has attachment issues and falls in love easily, can't tell me otherwise and it's a hill I'll die on. He just tries to keep his mask on at all times, but I can see poor babies' tears right through that shit.

[princess-of-the-corner]

Amnesia!Dabi

K, I don’t know if my asks are being eaten, or not, but my devices are being temperamental little shits, so I’m sending this instead, because the submissions usually work. If the asks did get through, apologies for cluttering up your in box, and you don’t have to answer this one (but if this sucker deletes itself one more time, I am chucking it out a window).

The asks seem to be disappearing but the submissions are working! Idk why! But given the length and topics I’m going to be putting this one under the read more and answering in bold!

Topics separated by *

How long was Toya a Hero before “dying”? What kind of mission was it That led to his “death”?

In CC I have it be that he was a Hero for a bit under two years. I haven’t picked an exact date, but he graduated UA having just barely turned 18, and died sometime when he was 19.

As for the ‘mission’..... I haven’t hammered out the exact nature, but he still dies in a forest fire. This time it was chasing down a villain who decided to hide in the forest. That said, the cause of the fire is still unknown. Given how AfO(or whoever he had doing this shit for him) managed to yoink Toya’s nearly-dead body before anyone else despite how many search and rescue teams were looking for survivors.... I may make it that this was intentional on the villains part, one of the associates luring him in and starting a fire to fake his death.

*

How exactly do the other Todoroki’s see Himiko, do you think? Like, they clearly accept her readily enough, but how quickly are they just adding her to the family tree?

I feel like Fuyumi and Himiko’s relationship would be a little awkward for a while. Like, Fuyumi feels as though Toya replaced her with Himiko, while Himiko probably ends up seeing herself as Dabi’s replacement goldfish. “Oh, he only started caring about me because I remind him of his sister. He has his sister back now. He probably doesn’t need/want me anymore.” I mean, they probably have a very heartfelt conversation about how he can love and care for both of them, but how long would that take?

I did answer the thing about the ‘feeling replaced/like a replacement’ in another ask but yeah they’d have to have a conversation about it. Tbh I think either Shoto or Enji would prompt that conversation due to the whole, ya know, Enji accidentally made Toya feel like he was replaced by Shoto(though in that case he kinda was but not exactly but still). So they kinda click on to what’s happening and remind Fuyumi that /she’s/ the one who’s always reminding them to talk about things but stubborn hypocrisy runs in the family.

I think this would lead to the more solidly ‘adding Himiko to the family’ because when they /do/ talk and Toya finds out he puts his foot down on nope, they’re both his sisters and they’re different people and that’s fine!

But also... the family is real weird in that they have a habit already of going ‘well you’re family now’. Like the Burnin thing is still happening here. And Hawks was low-key getting dragged in. They might be a little more dragged in in this au but that’s a different subject.

*

How exactly do you think they confirm Dabi is Toya, and not a Nomu? Once it’s confirmed, how do they even break it to anyone else?

Testing for that would happen really early on. So it.

After Dabi shows up at UA with Himiko, they interrogate him on things as one would for a villain that just turned themselves in. He confesses to the amnesia stuff(he kinda has to because he can’t answer basic questions like ‘what’s your legal name?’ and ‘how old are you?’). He offers what he does know.

And like. There are some very obvious clues. His Quirk for one. If he tells them about how ‘that peppermint kid triggered a memory’. He’d probably tell them he dyed his hair but it’s actually white(though it might also be a bit red at this point given he hasn’t been overusing his Quirk). He’s pretty sure he had siblings because of the memory triggers from Himiko.

They start putting it together but do dna and fingerprint tests to be sure before they tell anyone. And the results of the DNA testing do indicate 100% match to Toya.

Now re: Nomu specifically.... they haven’t encountered a Nomu that’s any kind of coherent. All of them are very kinda fucked up. (Side note for both this and CC: though both Dabi and Kurogiri were experimented on, it was different than the Frankenstein nonsense the other Nomu are so they’re still themselves.)

Breaking it to anyone else is hard but they break it to Enji first because ya boy has the security clearance to Deal With This™. But it pretty much boils down to just telling him the facts of “Hey, a villain just turned himself in. Says he has amnesia but the shit he does remember, along with physical features and his Quirk and along with the dna testing we did say that it’s your fuckin kid”.

Which. Enji takes about as well as one can in that situation. A bit skeptical at first because he has to be, so he does make sure there’s no chance they’re wrong but GOD his kid is alive even if he doesn’t remember jack shit.

They let Enji do the bit re: telling the rest of the family and reassuring them that ‘yes, this is real holy FUCK’.

*

since this is “Enji actually woke up earlier, he’s working on shit” would Rei be in better shape? Maybe not out of the hospital, but visiting more and such?

yes and no? Hm. It.

So things up to and immediately after Toya’s death are pretty much the same as CC and that.... I haven’t gone into it much because I plan to do so in Road to Hell. But obvs Rei’s mental health was on a downward spiral and she goes in the hospital. She does start to get better but.....

The news of Toya’s death causes a drastic relapse. Like she was getting better but was still quite fragile and the death of her son really just hit her hard.

Rei has to come back to that and while I do think it’s a little easier with knowing that Enji is also working on his hot mess of things and that the remaining kids are doing better too, I don’t think it’s enough to speed up her recovery that much.

So she’s likely still in the hospital, but similar to canon/cc she’s on the verge of being cleared for release.

*

(Now for a bit more comedy)

When Dabi “escapes” the clinic, I think I originally said something like, it takes them a full fifteen hours to notice he’s just gone. How do They realize? What do they do? Why does it take another week to locate him? How absurd can we make this? (Seriously, I like to imagine Dabi’s “escape” as just a comedy of errors, like, Fate decided “oh, you know what’ll be HILARIOUS?”)

I mean I’d assume whatever staff are there go to check on him again. Either in general ‘check his vitals’ or because the one tried to sedate him and didn’t realize it failed so they’re here to sedate him again but whoops he’s gone???

There’s the panic of them trying to find him and all but they honestly just fucking can’t. Surely he didn’t just walk out the door, right? Okay okay okay the door guard was asleep but surely he can’t have wandered /that/ far? Nope he’s just. He’s just gone lmao. They’re all getting fired.

*

Again, I’m sorry if you did get these asks, but my computer is being glitchy, and it is slowly driving me insane. Also sorry for sending all these at once, you dont have to answer them all! Answer them (or don’t) in your own time, I’m sure you’re busy! Hope you’re having a good day!

(and now, if I hit the “submit” button while chanting a Lord’s Prayer, along with a blood sacrifice, and a can of peach juice, then hopefully it will-

[glaivenoct]

12,13,14.&19, if you could please?

Thank yoouuu again for indulging me friend!! ;u; <3 (Behind The Scenes Fic Questions)

12.) Is there a trope you haven’t written yet but really want to?

I don't know what this really qualifies under as a Trope per se, but I've always wanted to try writing a whumpy fic where Noct gets taken captive and experimented on. Experimented in the sense of trying to suppress his magic or tap into the power of the crystal or whathaveyou through Noctis. Something along those lines as long as it has to do with messing with Noct's magic/magic responses, forcing him into a constant stasis and then pushing him to the limits so to speak.

Listen. All I really want is an excuse for Noct to be strapped in a chair, barely coherent because everything is taking a toll on him. And I just want him to fucking snap because whatever test or method they try next is not only painful - but he's just so overwhelmed that it sets off some wild, magical self preservation instinct in Noctis.

He can't control it. He screams while his eyes ignite that violet color like when he summons one of the six. The lights above him and windows around him fucking shatter and short circuit. He busts out of his restraints like it's nothing. Anyone or anything in the near vicinity is absolutely fucked and terrified.

Basically, give me Noctis feral with power and the bros/Nyx/Cor having to talk him down and snap him out of it.

*coughs* So, um. Yeah what trope is that? ...is this a trope? What's a trope again, I need a dictionary lmao

13.) Is there a trope you wouldn’t write if it was the last trope on earth?

Hmm.. probably unrequited love because... I mean that's just no fun to me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

14.) If you were stuck on a desert island with only two characters, which would you pick?

I accepted my fate and dug my grave with Nyx and Noct years ago. There's no turning back now.

Lmao that surprises no one, SO ASIDE FROM THE OBVIOUS, IF I HAD TO CHOOSE ANYONE ELSE. Hmm.. I think I'd choose Merlin from bbc Merlin because I at least have someone fun and magical (and wouldn't that be handy on a deserted island) to pass time with! Aaaand.. Agent Twilight aka Loid Forger from Spy x Family. Not only am I simping HARD for the man lately, but between him and Merlin, I'd be safe as fuck. He's fucking smart and would probably have some spy connection that ends up getting us off the island anyway. And while he wait - he can make me and Merlin foooood. He'll find a way, he always does that smooth culinary fucker. I'd trust Twilight and Merlin with my goddamn life, fuck!

15.) Who is the easiest/hardest character for you to write about? Why?

See... given that I kinda stay in my little NyxNoct corner and don't venture much into writing outside of them - I guess it's easy to say that both of them are the easiest for me to write? At the same time it's still hard because... well, I don't know if I even write them well? Don't get me wrong, I personally enjoy the way I write them, but at the same time I sometimes wonder if, despite that, I write them in a way others would consider "in character". Sometimes I think I do, but sometimes I doubt myself too. It can be a back and forth thing at times, but at the end of the day I still manage to write things I'm proud of.

Again, OUTSIDE of those two. The hardest character for me to write is without a doubt Ignis. Why? I have no clue. Whenever I look at the bros and think about writing them it just goes like this:

Noct: Yeah cool I got this Gladio: Mmm yeah I can pull this off probably Prompto: Erm, winging it but I think it'll be okay Ignis: ????

Not to talk about Cagefighter AU again but. Listen. The aside is a Monster for many reasons. I am nervous about the aside for Many Reasons. One of those many reasons for both of these circumstances is "I hope to fucking god I can write a convincing and in-character Ignis because he's a big part of the whole damn thing. Everyone start your prayer circles for me n o w."

I think for the most part I've been able to do him justice, and in turn it's starting to help build my confidence a little with writing him. But to say it hasn't been challenging would be a lie.

As always, I am doing my best ;u;

[mars-ipan]

holyshitholyshitholyshitholyshit

[blamebrampton]

One line, any fic

I am an absolute shambles when it comes to Tumblr challenges (I don’t ignore them, I just first overthink and then forget them) but dearest @magpiefngrl tagged me in on this one and I am in a Get Things Done mood, so here we go!

Pick any 10 fics, scroll somewhere to the mid point, pick a line, and share it! Then tag 10 people.

1. From And On The Other Side A Welcoming Voice (https://archiveofourown.org/works/8892007 H/D, 38K)

Draco shook his head ruefully. 'Turns out twenty years is long enough to start missing you,' he said, though it was a lie, he had missed Potter from the first instant.

2. From Of Great Price (https://archiveofourown.org/works/119133, Remus/Sirius and James/Lily, 30K) (slight cheat as these lines have to go together)

'Do you mind?' I asked.

'Oh no,' said Myrtle, earnestly. 'It's quite all right. You can come here whenever you like, I'll not tell a soul. Hardly anyone else ever comes here, it'll be completely secret, I'll even keep the floors dry.'

And I meant to take umbrage, but really, I was in a terribly good mood, and I did have Remus shaking with silent laughter against me, so I accepted the offer with good grace.

3. From And Save Me From Bloody Men (https://archiveofourown.org/works/118676, H/D, 10K)

It was absurd how reassuring I found him. But I had seen my father and Voldemort afraid of this man when he was still a boy. All of that symbolism was still there. Even the Muggles had wanted to touch him this morning. He was on our side and we would win.

4. From Little Red Courgette (https://archiveofourown.org/works/118431, H/D, 30K)

Draco glared at him for a long moment. When he spoke, it was with cool deliberation. 'I am willing to bet several Galleons that you have the full set of Potter posable action figures at home, don't you, Smythe?'

5. From All the Important Words Unspoken (https://archiveofourown.org/works/5494034, H/D, 73K)

Draco suppressed the urge to ask where the other half wanted to poke him.

6. From On the Turning Away (https://archiveofourown.org/works/2854709, H/D, 26K)

He shrugged. 'Maybe not. But if I don't want to go through my life defined by things that happened to me as a child, I am very much convinced that you shouldn't have to, either.'

7. From A Young Radical’s Guide To Love (https://archiveofourown.org/works/643932, H/D, 66K)

And Pansy looked completely nonplussed when Granger spontaneously hugged her. Draco smiled. He didn’t mind it when Granger and Potter treated them as though they were a little simple on some matters. They did the same with Ron, after all.

8. From Doing the Lambeth Walk (https://archiveofourown.org/works/387467, H/D, 26K)

There were excuses for why it took so long. You couldn’t walk up to a man and ask for the details of the worst day of his life. Well, unless you were Rita Skeeter …

9. From Marginal Notes (https://archiveofourown.org/works/136329, H/D, 9.4K)

‘Steady on,’ Draco pushed her back with a gentle hand to her belligerent forehead. ‘Three important failures of logic there: firstly, Potter saved my life in that battle, so it would be ridiculous for him to turn around and bop me on the head. Secondly, Potter is the one person worse than me at killing people in the entire school, he defeated He Who Must Not Be Named with an Expelliarmus for Merlin’s sake. Thirdly, why am I arguing with a foetus? Get outside and pursue The Chosen One if you must, I saw him headed down to the Herbology Greenhouses.’

10. From For The Public Good (https://archiveofourown.org/works/123322 (H/D, 23.5K)

Harry raised his hands helplessly. 'Normally we have clues. Or at least obvious motivations. What do we have here? Someone who doesn't like the Statute of Secrecy? About the only person I can leave out of the investigation is your father, he loves it.'

I’m meant to tag other people but due to the aforementioned lack of organisation, I have no idea who has and hasn’t already done this. You should if you haven’t! @raitala and @tackytigerfic, you two in particular as I am reasonably sure I’ve not seen either of you do this wee beastie

[theroomofreq]

can you give me muggle jily recs pleaaseeee <3 :D

HOW MANY HIGH-QUALITY MUGGLE JILY FICS ARE THERE?? TOO MANY TO COUNT. *cracks knuckles* BUT I am here for the challenge. Jily AUs are my JAM.

Again, shoutout to our amazing @jilyarchive friends who tag every wonderful muggle jily au they come across. here is the link that will take you to their tags page. You'll find links to specific tropes and AUs :')

I've searched through my own AO3 bookmarks and history tabs, and I present to you 28 jily muggle fics that I LOVE. I am THRILLED thinking about all the good things in store for those that read these wonderful stories. This list took me ages to make because I went through and reread most of these brilliant fics. Happy reading !! xx

properly improper by @lizardcookie

“Marry me,” Mr. Potter repeats, closing the distance between them by striding back up towards the sofa, only to stop and crouch to one knee right there at her feet, looking up at her. Burning. “Pick me,” he elaborates. “Pick me, choose me, love me instead.”

- this fic is the reason why I comment the way that I do (spoiler it's because it's amazing)

The Wedding Ring by @mppmaraudergirl

What is undeniably worse than attending your sister's wedding looking as desolate and forgotten as a wilted houseplant? Drunkenly ringing your ex-boyfriend and asking him to be your date.

- SOBS UNCONTROLLABLY AT THE PERFECTION

Oh my god, they were ROOMMATES by @magic-girl-in-a-muggle-world

Silly one-shot, Muggle AU with Fem!Jily as pining roommates and Marlene as their matchmaker.

- the fic that brought me back to jily and inspired my deep obsession of fem!jily

Swipe Right, Swing Left by @downn-in-flames

The unspoken rule of using dating apps in D.C. is that you always start with where you work.

James Potter, it seems, never picked up on that one.

- giddy just thinking about this gem

'Tis the Damn Season by @petalstofish

It doesn't feel like Christmas for Lily Evans, not after losing her parents to COVID before the Holiday season. She anticipates spending Christmas all alone until a boy from her past shows up and offers her a mutually benefiting deal that has her calling him 'babe' just for the weekend. 'Tis the damn season, after all.

- cries in respect for lyrical writing

Watch Me Unwind by @maraudersftw

Lily Evans hates her job, hates the bigoted customers she has to serve as a bartender at the richest club in the city. But the one person who makes bearing all of it worth it has someone else in his arms tonight. (Rated: M)

- obsessed with the way the plot jumps around the time line in this

oil be there for you by @abby10fanfic

Texting/Social Media AU: Lily and James haven't spoken for 2 years. But that's all about to change thanks to Peter and his involvement in an essential oil pyramid scheme. Featuring boss babes, toxin-free lifestyles, binding contracts, and a very oily journey.

- YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE HOW FAB THIS IS

a matchmaking mission by @downn-in-flames

James Potter has a mission: get Sirius Black and Remus Lupin to finally admit that they both fancy the pants off each other by Valentine's Day.

His partner in crime? Lily Evans, Remus' flatmate, who he also happens to be slightly in love with

- DOUBLE the amount of pining idiots in love :")

about time by @jilyss

'sure, yeah, I can accompany you to that black tie event for your work tonight. wait. why are we on a red carpet?'

- this is my emotional comfort fic, your honor

whiskey business by @elanev91

Sirius Black has a (bad?) habit of picking up hobbies that take over his and James' flat -- this most recent one? Homemade vodka that James now has to try and peddle to everyone in the building.

- hysterical! must read!

Fashion Disaster by @maraudersftw

James Potter is roped into an awful dare by his best-mate, which involves him wearing atrocious pieces of clothing for all days until Christmas as dictated by Sirius. If this wasn't terrible enough, he now has to contend with his maddening crush on the beautiful saleswoman at the clothing store.

- classic hijinks that I live for

it wasn't a pity invite by @elanev91

Part of the December "Winter Tropes" Jily challenge. Prompt: my family invites you to join our holiday meal as an obvious setup and omG i’m so sorry

- awkward Christmas date that owns my heart

spice and honey by @clare-with-no-i

tagging along with her food reporter sister to profile James Potter, London's hottest young chef, is not how Lily Evans pictured her Monday going - especially if he's anything like Petunia’s described.

needless to say, she's in for a whirlwind at Chez Maraudeur.

- I'm one re-read away from printing this out and putting it on my bookshelf.

Waffle Wars by @elanev91

There's only one waffle maker in the dining hall and it literally always breaks. So, naturally, the only reasonable course of action is to meticulously map out when it's working and, ultimately, do a heist.

- the witty narration in this fic can not be matched

You Can Hear It In The Silence by @alrightginger

Lily is non-verbal and deaf in a world where the things your soulmate says about you end up written on your skin. She has known about her soulmate since she was seven, but knows they don't have a clue she exists and possibly never will.

- exquisite, cue me sobbing forever

out the window by @displayheartcode

A new family moves to Ottery St Catchpole.

- everything I could ever want in a fic, forever in my mind rent free

The Christmas Guest by @thegodmachine

An Evans Family Christmas: Petunia is bringing her fiancé and Lily is bringing her…Friend…

- petunia pov that gives me WINGS

Football, Calculus, and Cappuccinos by @moonawrites

At eighteen years old, James Potter has a lot going on. He's a rising star navigating the politics of professional football, the pitfalls of sudden fame, the fallout from choosing his dream over his father's company... and a serious crush on the red headed new barista at his favourite coffee shop.

- I'm still working my way through this fic, but trust me when I say its a GEM

if u like pina coladas by @zephyrcove

Lily is desperate for a date to Petunia's wedding, James has been pining, and their friends meddle ;)

- explain to me how characters can be so perfect via texting fics?

Shelf Awareness by @ghostofbambifanfiction

It's too far out of her way and she's wasting so much money, but Lily can't help but return to the bookstore every weekend, where her passion for good literature has, perhaps, been unexpectedly reignited by the messy-haired, pun-making, rather handsome bloke who works there.

- you absolutely must know that I binge read this and then immediately REREAD it

How to win a witch in 10 days by @adenei

“She’s going to find some unsuspecting wizard, get him to fall for her, and then do all the things that turn men away to get him to break things off! Won’t it be the best way to see what witches do that drives men crazy?” But what happens when the man in question is a blast from Lily Evans's past? A Jily Magical AU based on the romantic comedy "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days."

- fic based off of a rom com? YES PLZ :’)

The Fight Before Christmas by @ghostofbambifanfiction

The heartwarming Christmas tale of Lily Evans and James Potter - two plucky kids who hated one other, until the day they really, really didn't.

- complete sucker for this one

All This Time by @thejilyship

James and Lily grew up next door to one another. Their bedroom windows giving them glimpses into the others life, and also offering prime opportunities to argue with each other over every little thing. They never figured out how to be friends when they were kids, but now that they've graduated from college and are home for the summer, they have a second chance to get things right.

- one of my favvvv tropes

Let Me Love You by @thejilyship

With only a month until she's set to take the throne of Gryffindor, Lily is informed that she'll have to get married or choose to give up her throne. She never thought she'd have to even entertain the idea of an arranged marriage. Enter, James Potter.

- cries in princess diares AU

The Fabulous Baker Brothers by @frustratedpoetwrites

Lily walks a different route home from work and stumbles upon a cute little Bakery with an even cuter baker in the window.

- yes yes yes to embarrassed pining.

Marigold Mornings by @mppmaraudergirl

This is a fun game she thinks, as she removes her hand from his side and reaches up to run it down his chest.  He catches her hand in his own, takes a step forward so that her nose nearly brushes against his shirt. She can feel the heat radiating off of him—or maybe it’s from her. He licks his lips and her eyes are drawn to the motion.  She knows it is a bad idea, absolutely knows it.

- incredible storytelling featuring dynamic characters :') a favvv

Welcome to Pettyville by@women-inthe-sequel @alrightginger

When Lily Evans accidentally sends a text to the wrong number, she isn’t expecting to find the right person behind it. She can’t stop talking to Prongs. The only thing is, Prongs can’t stop talking about the girl in his class. What could go wrong, other than the number?

- LOVE SQUARE ANYONE

The Kiss a Stranger Project by @alrightginger

“What’s your name, then?” she asks, realizing they haven’t even properly introduced themselves yet. She nervously crosses her arms.

You shouldn’t kiss a guy without knowing his name first.

Right?

- THIS ONE WILL LIVE IN MY MIND FOREVER

[the-enzyme]

So, I hope these don’t go to the dark-side, on this place. This is my Myou Bettina on a male 3-part-toso-body, ball jointed doll. He is a doll, around 28cm in height (I haven’t measured him, yet, but going by Myou’s measurements!). He is going to be my fan-art version of Ken Kaneki. So he should represent a 19-year-old, young man. Not a child. I am posting these to show the body blushing I’ve done on him. I have also made two wigs, the first one in the 1st image is synthetic fiber, the one in the 2nd image is brushed out acrylic yarn. 

I’m very happy with him so far. I purchased pale blue eyes for him, because I like blue and Ken is supposed to have either grey or blue eyes depending on the manga or anime version. I wanted him to have small irises eyes, but the ones i got were normal sized. So, he’s wearing the default Myou Bettina’s eyes in these, which are purple. They are lovely eyes, and actually have small iries, unlike the pair I purchased for him. I did purchase a few more pairs from Myou; the ones that are default to Alan, which appear to be blue, and the ones that are default to Reid, which appear to be beige or a tanner-grey.  I have no clue when I’ll be getting those, but hopefully soon.

In some of these images, he is posing holding or next to Ken Elephant Red Wing gashapon shoe figures. I was hoping they would be a touch bigger, but they are so tiny. They might work for flat-foot Barbie, or Azone Pure Nemo, but I haven’t tried them on any of mine yet. They won’t fit on these dudes, but maybe the girls might be able to wear them. I don’t know their foot sizes. The shoes are really nice regardless, but they are sadly too tiny -- which would have been obvious, had I read the measurements from their official website, but I didn’t.  I love this little guy, he is so beautiful. If I am being nitpicky, I wish his shoulders were a cm wider and/or his head smaller. His features are a bit too-baby-faced, but I missed out on SoulDoll  Little Kimmy, a million years ago and it still haunts me at night. Since I saw Alan, I knew I had to have one of these Myou mature tinies, even if I didn’t have anyone to bring to life with him. 

However, I feel like he makes a very decent Kaneki (for my purposes), and I will also force him to cosplay as Accelerator and KH Riku. When I stop being a lazy-bum and start sewing stuff for him to wear.(:

[onceupon]

London Boy - Part 4: Just friends

summary: You wake up to find Rafe Cameron in your bed. Even though nothing happened, you’re still left trying to make sense of it all.

pairing: Rafe x reader (slowburn)

warnings: swearing, drinking

word count: 5k

a/n: thank you so much to all of you who have been reading along <333 sorry in advance if you want this to progress faster haha, it simply must be this slow, sorry I don't make the rules (even tho I do lol). Not canon Rafe!! 

masterlist

Your eyes slowly flutter open as the early morning rays wake you up. You didn’t even remember falling asleep. As you slowly gain consciousness you’re startled by the weight of Rafe’s arm draped across your body. What the hell? When did that happen? He spent the night in your bed?

Your mind races at a million miles an hour as you slowly slip out from under his hold. You were careful not to wake him up, not wanting to face any awkwardness. You throw on fresh clothes and grab your backpack, desperate to make your escape. You had wanted to get to school early today to work on some homework anyways, never before so eager to trade in the comfort of your bed for the library. 

After a quick pit stop to pick up a coffee and a croissant, you swing the heavy wooden doors open. You liked campus at this hour, the morning light still soft, the air crisp, and the atmosphere silent. As you scan your eyes for a spot to sit, you notice the unmistakable sight of fluffy brown hair hunched over a table. 

“Liam?” your whisper. “What the hell are doing here?”

That classic cheeky grin spreads across his face as he looks up to find you standing in front of him. “I go here, Y/n. Forget already?”

You roll your eyes, “I just didn’t know you were the studious type.”

“Not gonna lie to you babe, I’m not. But Rogers is already all the way up my ass over this class, and I’m not letting that prick hold me back a year.” 

You pull out the chair across from him and go to sit down, spreading your books out on the table. 

“Who said you could sit with?” he asks, and you shoot him a look. You’re not in the mood. “Geez alright, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed… you good Y/n?” he slows, taking in your disheveled appearance. You hadn’t so much as brushed your hair. 

“Can you promise not to tell anyone,” you stare dead into his eyes. 

“On my life,” he extends his pinky, and you accept. 

“Rafe… slept over last night…”

“Oh shit!” he exclaims, and your eyes widen at his echoing voice. 

“Not like that,” you hiss, not wanting to draw anymore attention to the two of you. “Nothing happened… like he just came over to watch a show and then we talked for a while and just accidentally… fell asleep. I panicked when I woke up and realized he was still in my bed so I ran out of there as fast as I could and now…. well now I’m here.” You nervously chug your coffee, heart racing. 

“So he hung out with you all night and didn’t make a move?”

You nod, nervously awaiting his analysis as you take a bite of your croissant. 

“Damn, boy must really like you,” he muses. 

“What? Definitely not,” you scoff. 

“Y/n, let me tell you a little something about guys. If we really like you, we’re gonna make the time to hang out with you, no matter what. The fact that he’s coming over your room to watch a show and hanging out with you until he physically can’t stay awake - I mean I can’t make it any more obvious to you.”

“I don’t know I just don’t think so… You don’t know Rafe like that, he’s a total player back home. He can pull any girl he wants, so if he liked me like that he would’ve done something by now. This is probably how he is with all his friends and I’m just reading too much into it. I’m sure Lily Colts will be in his bed soon enough,” you mumble. That last part stings in particular, you had already thought it, but saying it out loud made you feel… icky. 

“I may not know Rafe like that, but I know guys like him. I am guys like him. He likes you Y/n. So what if he pulls a lot of chicks, he doesn’t actually care about them. But he cares about you, probably can’t even understand why, and now it’s like bam Uno reverse. He can’t pull the cards he normally does, and now you’ve got him confused and he doesn’t know what to do. Man’s down bad. Give him time though, he’ll come around,” he explains to you calmly, stealing your coffee cup from you and taking a sip. 

“Honestly can I just start paying you to figure my life out for me. You make everything seem so simple.”

“Because it is simple. You insist on complicating it. But I know how you could pay me,” he adds with a wink and you shoot him a glare. You know he’s just joking (partially), he loves pushing your buttons. 

“Well whatever. I’ll believe it when I see it,” you resign on the Rafe matter. You wanted to believe what Liam was saying but it didn’t quite make sense to you. You were only going to drive yourself crazy trying to read between lines that you weren’t sure existed. Rafe was just used to situations like this with girls. To him last night was probably no big deal. It was to you though. You would never let ‘just a friend’ stay over like that, with his arm around you no less. But Rafe didn’t need to know that, you decide. 

—-

You manage to avoid Rafe all day, not having any classes with him on Friday’s. As soon as your last class is over, you sprint home, relieved when you’re the first back at the flat and can quickly slip into your room undetected. You set down your bag and sit on the edge of your bed. Your hand slowly runs over your comforter, still ruffled from where Rafe had been laying the night before. The indent of his head is still on your pillow; you can almost smell the scent of him lingering in your room and hear the sound of his soft whispers. You wonder what his first thoughts were when he woke up in your bed alone - was he confused? Embarrassed? He probably thought nothing of it at all. You can just picture him casually getting up with a stretch, like it’s the start of any typical day.

You slip into the shower and let the water wash over your body. It’s warm and soothing, and it’s reminding you of Rafe laying next to you, of his arm wrapped around you. God if there was only a way to shut your brain off once in a while. As much as you tried to suppress it, there had been a tiny part of you that was happy to have woken up in his embrace, giddy like a school girl with a crush. You’d always wondered how a moment like that would feel, or how a moment like that with him would feel. You had conveniently failed to mention the “arm” detail to Liam, maybe because in the back of your mind you knew it would only help prove his theory right.  

When you make your way back to your room, your phone buzzes and the Royal Fam 🇬🇧🇺🇸 group chat appears. 

Olivia: who wants to go out tonight 😈

Topper: me and Rafe have to be up early tmrw for soccer - rain check on this one ladies 

Olivia: :( 

Olivia: girls night out??

Millie: you know I’m there!

You’re a little bummed that Rafe won’t be there tonight. But a girls night sounds like just what you need to get him off your mind. 

Y/n: I’m in :)

Not even a few minutes later Olivia and Millie are barging into your room, causing you to let out a startled yelp. 

“My god, heard of knocking,” you exhale with your hand coming to your chest. Your statement falls on death ears. 

“Which jeans with this top,” Olivia asks, holding the clothing items against her body. 

“Should I curl or straighten my hair with this,” Millie follows, holding her outfit up. 

“Uhh,” your mind scrambles, “those jeans Liv. And straight, Mills,” you reply, shocked by your own decidedness. “But now you guys have to help me, I have no clue what to wear.”

“Say less,” Olivia flashes a smile. 

Within minutes they tear through your closet, picking out your outfit. Things were always much more clear with a fresh set of eyes. The three of you discuss the night’s logistics before making your way to the kitchen - couldn’t go drinking on an empty stomach. Rafe and Topper are already there, and you try your best to act natural even though your stomach ties itself in a knot the moment you catch a glimpse of his face. You haven’t seen him since you ran out this morning. 

“Uh hey I’m gonna run to Sainsbury’s real quick, I wanna get a chaser, anyone need anything,” you ask, avoiding eye contact with Rafe. Your nerves get the best of you and in terms of fight or flight, you were ready to flee. 

“Hey wait I’ll come with you. Gotta pick something up for dinner,” Rafe stands grabbing his jacket, and before you can interject, he’s leading the way down the hall and out your shared flat. 

“So what are you chasing tonight?” 

“What?” you ask startled, his question pulling you back to reality. Your mind had been running in a loop, trying to read him and the thoughts in his head. You wished now more than ever that you knew what Rafe was like behind closed doors back home, so you could somehow make sense of it all.

He chuckles at you, lost in your own world. “You said you needed a chaser?” Those intimidating blue eyes have found their way to yours again and you hastily look away, focusing in front of you instead. 

“Oh yeah- uh just for the vodka,” you laugh nervously. 

“Basic,” he mocks. You scoff in surprise and lightly hit him on the chest as the laughter leaves your lips. He’s sporting a shit-eating grin, having successfully egged you on. 

“You’re funny if you think I’m gonna do shots of whiskey before going to a club.”

“Well you do owe me one…” he says.

“Oh so he remembers?” you reply, amused.

“Of course,” he states so calm and so sure. Your head swirls at that, his cool confidence making you melt. The automatic doors slide open in front of you, fluorescent lights stealing your attention from the boy you were finding dangerously more attractive by the second.

“I thought we’re supposed to take it together? But someone’s being lame and not coming out tonight,” you say sarcastically, playing it as cool as you can manage. Rafe’s confidence seemed to come naturally, but you were more of a fake-it-till-you-make-it kind of gal.

“Hey you know I have soccer,” he defends. The Kook Prince was not one to turn down a party without cause.

“Excuses excuses,” you shake your head.

“Actually, speaking of soccer, you uh- you and the girls should come tomorrow. If you’re not doing anything. Or not too hungover I should say. Game’s at 12.”

“Can’t make any promises Cameron, but we’ll see,” you smile, earning a satisfied smile from him in return. 

You make your way to the frozen food aisle, Rafe explaining to you how they call a soccer field a football pitch here, as you laugh at him grabbing 5 frozen pizzas (dinner solved for the next week, of course). You ask him which chaser you should pick. He points out a cola, so naturally you decide to get blackberry seltzer water, Rafe twisting his face in disgust (who would voluntarily drink that tv static). You always felt so nervous at first, to be in Rafe’s presence, but all it ever took was a few minutes for you to completely relax around him. He was intimidating, yet inviting. Mysterious, yet open. He was somehow the cause of your anxious nerves and yet the source of your comfort. The fear of facing Rafe after running out this morning had paralyzed your thoughts all day, and now you could hardly remember why. He hadn’t mentioned it at all, as if nothing happened. His normalcy confirmed for you that him sleeping over was in fact no big deal, and you almost want to laugh at yourself for how much you had worked it up in your head. You two were just friends, and perhaps Rafe was used to being… a friendlier friend than what you were used to. But that was okay, you could learn to be friendlier too.

—-

Rafe and Topper had decided to accompany you guys in the kitchen as you pregamed. They slowly sipped beers as you, Millie, and Olivia pounded back shots, laughing at the way you guys got progressively drunker and progressively louder before finally heading out. And much to your surprise, the boys were still seated in the same spot hours later, when the three of you stumble back into the flat, McDonalds in hand.

“Oh look who’s still up,” Olivia slurs, taking a bite of her cheeseburger. 

“We can’t go out, we have soccer,” Millie mocks, almost falling to the floor as she trips over her heel, Topper and Rafe not making any effort to hide their clear amusement. 

“Fun night huh?” Topper quirks his brow. 

“The funnest,” Millie holds her head high, sinking down against the wall until she’s sat on the floor. You had made a beeline for the dining room table, silently admiring your chicken nuggets. In that moment, they were the best thing you had ever tasted. 

“I want Jake,” Olivia pouts, and before anyone can say a word she’s turned on her heel, burger in hand, off to crawl into her boyfriend’s bed. 

“Alright you drunk, let’s get you to bed,” Topper laughs, scooping an incoherent Millie up to her feet by her elbows. 

“M’not drunk,” Millie protests, even though she’s leaning her full body weight against Topper who sarcastically nods at her, escorting her down the hallway. Rafe sits on the couch, silently playing with the cards in his hand again, not the least bit uncomfortable with sharing your company in silence. 

“I’m mad at you,” you say matter of factly, taking a bite of a french fry. At this point, the alcohol is doing the talking. 

“Mad at me?” Rafe stops shuffling the cards and raises his head to look at you, intrigued. 

“Yeah because you didn’t come to the club,” you furrow your brows, chucking a fry at him. He catches it instantly, laughing to himself with a shake of his head. 

“Don’t worry I saw all your guys’ snaps, I feel like I was practically there.”

“That’s not the same,” you frown, throwing another fry which he catches yet again.

“I’ll try to be there next time,” he laughs.

“That’s better I guess,” you grumble, eating another chicken nugget. The room grows quiet, Rafe training his attention back to the cards.

“When are we watching the next episode Cameron,” you break the silence, chucking another fry. He barely has to look up to catch your latest throw, shaking his head with a chuckle. He puts the cards down and makes his way over to the dining table, standing right above you now. 

“Come on, time for you to go to bed,” he beckons you toward him with his arm, to which you only furrow your brows in indignation.

“I’m not done with my food,” you protest.

“Now you are,” he says, grabbing your last fry and finishing it with one bite. “Now c’mon.” You reluctantly grab onto his extended arm to help you get up. You walk down the hall together and he opens your door for you, letting you in as he leans against the frame. You immediately fall back and collapse on to your bed with a gasp, you didn’t remember it feeling so soft when you were sober. 

“Goodnight L/n,” Rafe laughs, staring down at you. 

“Goodnight Rafe,” you mumble, seconds away from passing out. He smiles to himself at the sight of you still in the outfit and shoes you had been out in, bent in surely the most uncomfortable position possible, legs half way off the bed, yet somehow already asleep. He’s about to head back to his room, but he hesitates, turning back to you with a sigh. As slowly and quietly as he can, he pulls your shoes off for you, lifts your legs onto the bed, and covers you in your blanket. And just as quick, he slips out of your room and back into his.

—-

You wake up the next morning, letting out a groan when you realize you’re still in the outfit you had worn clubbing. Your head dully aches and your throat is desert dry so you force yourself up and to the kitchen. When you see the aftermath of McDonald’s containers on the table, vague memories start flooding your brain in horror. You couldn’t have… could you? Did you actually throw french fries at him? You close your eyes and slowly run your hand over your face in realization. Great, you think to yourself, Rafe probably thinks you’re an annoying idiot. Good grief.

You hear the door of the flat opening and Olivia appears in the kitchen, holding a plate of breakfast sandwiches, your mouth watering at the sight.

“Thank the lovely lads in apartment 4E,” she laughs, placing them on the table. “Oh god, we went hard last night didn’t we,” she says, taking in the sight of the flat.

“A little too hard…” you remark.

“No such thing, darling! Now eat up and get dressed, we’ve got a match to catch,” she declares before disappearing down the hall where you can hear muffled groans of Millie being reluctantly dragged out of her bed. You sigh and sink down into a chair, grabbing a sandwich and taking a bite. Heaven. You make a mental note to thank Jake for his chef skills. You had completely forgotten that you and the girls were supposed to go watch Rafe and Topper’s match today. Your worries about having to face Rafe yesterday had been quick to melt away, but today they were back with a new vengeance.

—-

“Okay no one wander off when we get there. Y/n, fair warning, these games get… rowdy,” Millie says, as the three of you walk toward the field, arms linked.

“Things get pretty crazy at Kildare too,” you laugh, “so yeah, don’t fucking let me out of your sight.”

The three of you shake off your fits of laughter as you stumble toward the stands, finding a spot amongst the already packed crowd. You’re finally able to take in your surroundings, glancing at the field ahead. The opposing team is warming up on the pitch, clad in red. Westheath’s team is off to the side, the boys stretching and getting ready in their white uniforms. The dirty blonde immediately catches your eye. He’s jumping and jogging in place, headphones in as though he’s tuning out the physical noise around him, and probably the mental noise too. You wonder if he’s listening to one of the songs he showed you the other night. 

He pauses his jogging to stretch out his arms, his eyes glazing over the stands, when suddenly they lock with yours. Your cheeks flush pink, embarrassed at having been caught staring, but his face just pulls into a wide grin and he gives you a wave. You wave back, and he does a quick hand motion that everyone does at Kildare games back home. You laugh and do the responding gesture, as he smiles cheekily at you before a teammate comes up to him, pulling his focus away. The exchange was brief, but oddly intimate. There was a whole field and a couple dozen people between you, and yet you two were the only witnesses to the interaction. You smile to yourself, relief in the fact that maybe getting a french fry chucked at him wasn’t enough to make him hate you after all. You wonder briefly if Rafe spends half as much time overanalyzing things the way you do. Liam was right, you do insist on overcomplicating things. 

“Hey, earth to Y/n!” Olivia laughs, waving her hand in front of your face. “The game is starting!”

—

The final score flashes on the screen: 4-2, a win for Westheath. The students are going nuts, rushing the field. Olivia and Millie lead the way, pushing through the crowd until you guys reach Rafe and Topper.

“Let’s go boys!!” Olivia yells, jumping up and down with the sea of bodies and beer around you. Rafe and Topper react with equal enthusiasm, pulling each of you in for a hug. You and Rafe are the last to hug, him pulling you in brief but close against his large sweaty body, arms wrapped around you. You don’t even mind the stickiness of the hug, feeling deja vu at the warm feeling of being in his embrace again; a feeling that is foreign yet familiar, one you hadn’t felt before. 

“Did you guys see Rafe’s goal in the second half!?” Topper asks, clapping his friend on the back.

“Of course we did, super star!” Millie cheers, giving Rafe a high five as he humbly shakes his head and laughs at his friends. The mental image of his goal was burned in your head, one that your mind would certainly play for you involuntarily over the next coming days. 

“Alright we gotta go do some stuff with the team, but everyone’s going to Central Bar later. See you guys there?” Rafe asks.

“You got it,” Olivia replies, and they jog off with quick waves, you meeting those blue eyes in silent acknowledgement once again. It was that gaze that always made the rest of the world seem to disappear while his eyes met yours, making your heart skip a beat. He’s just a friend, you remind yourself. Just a tall, attractive, soccer-playing friend…

—

“Y/n! Liv! We’re doing a round!” Jake calls you and Olivia over to where him and Liam are already at the bar, four shot glasses ordered and lined up.

“On three! One, two-“ Liam chants, as the four of you down the alcohol. Central Bar had been buzzing with what felt like half of Westheath’s student body all day. After the game, you and the girls had gone back to your flat to nap and eat, before meeting up with Jake, Liam, and the rest of their boys to head to the bar. Rafe and Topper were already pretty buzzed when you guys got there, playing a round of table tennis with you before the rest of the soccer team and their other friends pulled their attention away. You couldn’t help the way your whole body tensed when Rafe greeted Lily with a tight hug, humbling you with the confirmation that Rafe’s actions toward you weren’t anything special. You resolved yourself to a night of drinking and dancing your worries away with Liv and Liam instead.

“Alright, round of table tennis? You two against me and Y/n?” Liam challenges.

“Please, I saw Y/n playing before, you guys have nothing on us,” Olivia flashes an evil smile, her competitive side coming out.

“Oh it’s on Liv,” you laugh, as your foursome stakes your claim at the pong table. While Olivia and Jake gather the balls and paddles, you notice Liam grimacing off into the distance. You follow his line of sight, landing on Topper and Millie drunkenly dancing together across the bar, a bit too close for comfort.

“What is she doing with that geezer,” he mumbles.

“Liam! Jealousy is unbecoming of you,” you gasp in mock disbelief.

“I’m not jealous,” he scoffs, and you quickly realize that he actually is, even though you had just been joking. Your jaw falls slack as you put two and two together. Liam and Millie were always by each other’s side, at school, at the pub, when you were all watching a movie at his apartment a few nights ago. He would tease her relentlessly and his own words rang in your ears If we really like you, we’re gonna make the time to hang out with you, no matter what. 

“Shut up! Shut up!,” you whisper yell, hand coming to your mouth. “I should have realized this whole time… of course you like Millie! Everything you’ve been telling me you think exists between me and Rafe has actually been about her! She’s your Uno reverse card!” You’re shocking even yourself at these revelations.

“No no no, you can’t use my own words of wisdom against me, that’s not how this works Y/n. So what, maybe I slightly give a shit about Millie? Who cares. Her and I both know that’s never gonna happen. I still stand by everything I said about you and Rafe so don’t think your getting off so easy on that.”

“Then tell me why you’re staring at Millie while Rafe hasn’t so much as glanced my way since the minute Lily Colts got here, hmm?”

“Oh Y/n, Y/n Y/n Y/n,” Liam tuts, shaking his head laughing as he turns to the game your group of four is about to begin. You don’t have the energy to argue with Liam over the matter right now, oblivious to the fact that Rafe had indeed been glancing your way, several times. In fact, he was glancing at you right now, as Liam reached his arm over yours to help you actually hold the paddle the right way. You just hadn’t been glancing back to notice, scared of what you may or may not see between him and Lily if you did. 

—

The night dies down and it’s time for the pilgrimage back to your building. You’re walking with Millie when Liam quickly falls in step with you two. You give him a knowing smirk, to which he responds with a glare behind Millie’s back, but you let the two banter as you fall behind, now walking alone. You stare ahead, eyes mindlessly settling on Lily walking in between Callum and Henry at the front of the pack. You don’t notice the pair of legs that begin moving in pace next to your own. 

“Tonight, by the way,” Rafe’s voice startles you as you jump next to him. He chuckles at the confusion written all over your face. “You asked last night when we’re watching the next episode. And my answer is tonight, L/n,” he states.

“Haven’t you been up since like the crack of dawn? Aren’t you tired?” you ask incredulously.

“Too tired for Game of Thrones? Never,” he scoffs, Liam’s words ringing in your ear. If we really like you, we’re gonna make the time to hang out with you, no matter what.

“Well then tonight it is,” you smile. “Sorry about the french fries last night by the way,” you say meekly, looking down at the sidewalk in front of you, cheeks burning.

“Seriously L/n, talk about a horrible throw. Room for improvement,” he jokes with a comforting smile, saving you from yourself.

���Good game by the way,” you add, grateful for the way he was letting you off. 

“Thanks,” he looks at you, shoving his hands in his pocket. You turn to look at him too, and after a few moments laughter is taking you both apart. Nothing funny was said. Neither of you knew why you were laughing. And yet it felt natural, not an ounce of awkwardness in the air.

As your whole group walks into the building, people begin to peel off, splitting towards staircases and off elevator stops. 

“I’m fucking beat,” yawns Topper, as you and all your flatmates file into your hall. 

“I’m gonna sleep like a baby tonight,” Millie yawns in agreement. One by one everyone files off into their rooms. You open your door, backing into yours, Rafe across the hall from you backing into his. Laughter tugs at both your faces once again, as you let your doors close. You manage to change into your sweats and brush your teeth before you hear the light rap on your door. Rafe enters, in a t-shirt and gray sweatpants, your weakness. But you feel comfortable being alone with him now. The Rafe jitters had finally began to subside. 

“Alright L/n, episode 4, you ready for this?” he asks, plopping down in his spot next to you. 

“Oh I’m very ready,” you reply, sitting up to reach for your laptop which was resting by your feet. As you lean back, you find yourself in Rafe’s arm. He had extended it out before you sat back, effortlessly catching you against him. His hand rests casually on your arm, and you gulp, pressing play. You pray he can’t feel the way your heartbeat quickens and your body flushes. So much for those jitters being gone. 

The episode plays, you and Rafe making comments here and there before your chatter eventually dies down, leaving just the sound of the show to fill the room. You can feel Rafe’s body lean further and further down, becoming heavier and breathing slower. You very slowly turn to check, and sure enough he’s fast asleep. You sigh, and shut your laptop, careful not to stir him. You could easily shake him awake, tell him to go to his bed, but for some reason you don’t. You don’t mind him here. In fact, you almost prefer it, his body heat keeping you warm. He had already slept over once before and it clearly hadn’t been a big deal, so what was the harm in letting it happen again? You’re just friends after all, you remind yourself, not sure who you’re trying to convince. And so, the two friends fall asleep in the same bed again. 

---

🏷: @hopebaker​ @pogueslandia​ @mardema​

[hmspogue]

Outer Banks season 2 Official Trailer shot-by-shot rundown

A comprehensive post where I scream about analyze the entire trailer frame by frame for clues, theories, and plot. Just my own opinions and general tin foil-hatting

These are screenshots from Netflix’s trailer for Outer Banks season 2. I do not claim or own any of these.

note: this post is tagged as a long post if you wish to avoid having to scroll until your thumbs break.

“My old man used to tell me, ‘it’s best to never say you’ve hit rock bottom’.”

(Putting all of these shots together since they’re scenes we already know but-) Holy shit, okay let’s just....start off like this I guess, damn.

“'Trust me’, he said...”

Kiara looking back and forth between the boys like this really just feeds the headcanon I have that her form of grief this season is going to be her trying to hold it together for their sakes (and eventually just snapping).

JJ just looks fucking furious someone give these kids a hug? I already know this scene is going to ruin me.

“You can always go...”

JJ back working at the hotel. He looks literally so angry again in this scene I could see him self destructing at work and losing his job? (Please do not be isolating yourself you beautiful son of a bitch even though I know you’re going to).

Pope in the Twinkie (costuming wise they all are in warmer looking clothes for some of the shots, so just confirming it’s a little bit into the school year when this all takes place).

“Lower”

Big John was real big into pep talks, I see. (seriously can you imagine Big John having this conversation with like 8 year old John B after he fucking dropped his ice cream cone or some shit I shouldn’t be laughing).

I’m just-

These poor kids, I wanna know how the police all the way down in the Bahama’s knew about them?

Their calves....

“RUN!”

Are going to be so fucking jacked by the end of this season I stg.

Fuck you.

“The gold from the Royal Merchant....it’s here.”

For a while, I had thought that maybe they didn’t even make it to the Bahama’s at the front of the season and ended there (because everyone had been filming in there). But I guess they’re going to be making two trips.

If I were a bird from this POV I’d shit right on that house no questions asked.

oooooh ho hokay. Just so we’re clear. Ward Cameron not only get away with murder and about two dozen other felonies, but-

“Half a billion.”

HE STILL FINDS THE GOLD IN THE CRAIN HOUSE AND GETS TO KEEP IT?

Not the polo with the snap back, I just know this man has a playlist called Sad Boi Hours that is just Juice WRLD’s top 5 songs on Spotify and he tells his friends they wouldn’t know the underground artists he listens to.

Sh, you have lost screaming privileges. Go inside and take a nap maybe.

“John B, we are fugitives in a foreign country.”

So, previously, I was talking about how I was confused how they would still be trying to find him is everyone thought he was dead, but here the wanted poster clearly says “presumed lost at sea”. I think that will be interesting to see how the Pogues all interpret that. 

Especially because they already had a memorial for John B and everything, I wonder if there will be any part of the Pogues holding out hope that they both could still be out there OUCH.

I’m going to circle back to this, but it looks like John B and Sarah are going to get separated for a little while in this man hunt, I could see my idiot himbo son trying to sacrifice himself so Sarah can get away but in reality just....stranding her.

“Promise me you won’t do anything stupid?”

Oh, sweetie....

“Well, Sarah Cameron, I do stupid things all the time without realizing it.”

The volume of his self awareness is astronomical. sir, that is your whole character summed up in your own words.

GOD, IT’S ME AGAIN. PLEASE LET THEM LEAN INTO COMPLETE HIMBO JOHN B THIS SEASON I’LL DO ANYTHING-

nyyooooOOOOOOOOOOOOM-

“Hold on!”

The complete abject terror I would feel having John Booker Routledge driving get-away and then saying the words “Hold on” while reaching fro the gear shift? The english language fails me. 

Sarah, bestie, I’m so sorry.

I just wanna know-

what the plan or objective was in this situation. What was the reason for being this dramatic.

Rest in piss, bozo <3

“Ward’s still out there...”

Okay, same conversation they were having as before. I wonder what makes them decide they need to get back to the OBX for this tho.

“I can clear my name. This can all be over in one shot.”

It looks like Topper watching this but way more concerningly, correct me if I’m wrong but this 100% looks like....John B gets caught. And the DEATH PENALTY?! He did have a mug shot for the fliers in s1 and the one above but he was never brought in? Plus he just looks super dirty and dishevled in this one so I-

Jail break anyone?

I also still want to know if they’re going to go with a Topper redemption arc this season. like, does he know more than he should just from being around Rafe and his big fat mouth? Is he going to help out the Pogues even if it’s just for Sarah?

This shot just suddenly made me really sad. The thought of this all started because Big John left one last thing for his son to find, his literal life’s work. And when it all started, it was just a fun adventure John B and his best friends were going on together and having fun with. Then it all got dragged to absolute shit and turned into what it did, including the remaining 3 Pogues thinking that this treasure hunt took their two best friends away from them. And it’s nothing like Big John intended it to be.

Why my eyes wet?

Now we’re edging into what I was talking about earlier with John B and Sarah getting separated.

“If you think there is anything I wouldn’t do...”

Once again, John B is no where to be found. Also, just in case y’all didn’t already know or forgot Ward is an actual psychopath.

I believe this one of the new character, played by Jontavious Johnson (Stubbs). Based on the voice over it lowkey sounds like they’re implying Ward maybe hired Stubbs and Cleo to find and bring Sarah back. My theory would be I bet they do go to retrieve her, but she somehow convinces them that it would be more beneficial for them in the end to be on the Pogue’s side instead.

Miss Girl you gotta be keeping your head on a SWIVEL. Especially when you’re a FUGITIVE of the LAW-

“...you haven’t been paying attention.”

My guy, who are you clarifying this for?

It’s what you deserve for monologuing.

in all seriousness, the idea of them coming to face to face with Ward in Nassau after thinking they finally escaped him is genuinely terrifying.

“SARAH!”

It kind of looks like they’re either hiding their faces or covering their noses? I don’t know maybe it was from some tactic to get away from Ward.

What did I literally jsut say about yelling privileges, you unhinged mother fucker?

“I’m calling the shots now. I’m driving.”

The following progression of scenes made me actually snort-

“I can’t drive stick.”

PLEASE THE FINGER GUNS LAUNCHED ME INTO ORBIT I LOVE THEM, YOUR HONOR.

Alright, so now it looks like we’re in Charleston. This is the same scene with Heyward’s truck that got leaked from BTS (read: JJ and Kie shoulder touch).

One of the main things that stuck out to me in the following scenes which, you will see, is it lowkey looks like Pope is kind of heading up this part of the operation, or even going in alone? The following clips are just very Pope focused. 

I don’t know what it means, it’s just an observation.

“John B was not the only one that Ward double-crossed.”

LIMBRY-

Bro, we have been hearing about this woman for literal months and I just have....so many questions? 

Who the hell is she? How is she connected to Ward? Why is she in South Carolina instead of the OBX? How do the Pogues even learn about her and how to track her down? How is she meant to “help” them? GAH I JUST WANNA KNOOOW. I already know I don’t trust her though and no I will not be offering up supporting evidence.

Sir, that is my son please unhand him.

“I think you know what I want.”

.......no? But feel....free to explain yourself?

The print on the paper is the same one that’s on the ceiling tiles in the following scene. Obviously, with a key on it that most likely goes to the place a few shots from now.

Hell yeah, son, let’s get SLEUTHING.

“The treasure belongs to the Pogues.”

DAMN STRAIGHT.

Bestie’s I’m not going to lie, I stared at this frame for a solid 10 minuets and I have no idea what it says on there I’m sorry. Someone in the comments is welcome to enlighten us.

“We gotta find it first.”

I can’t tell if that’s just dirt or if he hurt his head? But he look GOOD right now for one thing. For another, same outfit as the one in the Twinkie from the beginning of the trailer.

Look at her. LooK AT HER! LOOK! AT! HER! I MISSED HER SO MUCH even in that damn smiley face top that continues to haunt my waking hours she is in it so much and it stresses me out for literally no good reason I’m sorry-

I could literally cry right now and I think that speaks volumes to how little we actually see him genuinely happy. Have I mentioned how much I love that red hat?

Also, probably not that important, but this is not from the same scene as the shots of Pope and Kiara were. This is from the next one-

“Woogity-woogity?”

“Give me some woogity, baby!”

Yeah, this pushed me over the fucking edge, the way that they’re actually happy and laughing? The fact that they kept woogity-woogity and made it A Thing? Yes.

I am, however, going to be intentionally ignoring what appears to be the very intentional stagingof having such an obvious space between where Kiara and Pope are sitting adn where JJ sits, even including the level they’re sitting on because I don’t have the emotional capacity to face those implications right now. Thank you for your time.

Yes yeeeeEEEEEESSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!

GIVE ME ALL OF THE SCENES OF THEM ACTUALLY GETTING TO BE TEENAGERS AND JUST BREATHE AND LAUGH AND HAVE A GOOD TIME AND NOT BE RUNNING FOR THEIR FUCKING LIVES!!!!!!!!!!!

before Rafe comes in and literally starts shooting because they can’t breathe for more than 7 seconds but we’ll....get to that.

They refer to Sarah as a Pogue this season or I burn Netflix to the ground. Your move, Jonas.

50 bucks says John B is driving the Twinkie again for the first time since being back.

I deadass think the Pogues JUST got Sarah and John B back and they’re just having the time of their life. Kie was in her smiley face outfit when Pope was in this one a few clips ago, and I still hold to the belief that that one still they released of JJ and Kie hopping over a fence is the Pogue reunion so-

Ward? I have no idea what he’s looking at behind the wall paper and I’ll be so honest I don’t care my eyes are only seeing Pogue content right now.

“This is a map of the whole island.”

This fit, when will John B learn how to operate buttons, stay tuned for season 5. Also my previous theory of this being their reunion outfits and stuff because Pope is in the back in the same jacket as before.

The plot thickens and so has JJ’s hair, Rudy drop the shampoo brand.

Please, dear God, tell me they’re back in the sex church. For @jiaaraa sake.

Kiara, your Madison is showing.

Okay, I really did try but all I can make out is Something to the tomb begin something something.

You’re welcome.

I am no expert but I do not believe boats operate on land.

John B looks like he is in the same outfit here that is in his mug shot we saw on the TV screen so I have a sneaking suspicion this is where he gets caught. 

“John B is back-”

Once again with the damn sexual tension that’s always between Barry and Rafe in every scene they do are we about to kiss right now?

“-it’s him or me.”

First of all, no.

Second of all, I’m just....so very confused about this time line this season. It kind of looks like Ward and Rafe follow and find Sarah and John B in Nassau (unless those scenes by the truck were actually back in the OBX). So did they....go to Nassau, then just come right back when they did? I’m just confused.

Put that thing back where it came from or so help me.

Literally when will you stop at this point I am begging you. 

This looks like the same scene the Pogues were, ya know, literally just having a good time at so fuck me, I guess.

Yeah, no, it’s going to be a no from me, I’m just going to pretend like I’m not seeing this and moving on.

I have simply no idea what is going on here or who that is on the bike but maybe JJ? Maybe Luke even? I think that’s JJ’s bike. 

The sewer scene. The SEWER SCENE-

For months sicne that tiktok leaked this damn scene has been genuinely all I could think about. So (obviously) it seems like they’re sending Kie down into the sewer to go do seomthing and things go horribly, horribly wrong. 

If you haven’t seen the tiktok, essentially all it was was JJ and Pope screaming and trying to lift up the man hole cover while Kie is begging for them to hurry from inside. I’m cheating a little bit as this isn’t a shot from the trailer but this picture was posted and it’s from the same scene.

I’ll just....leave this here. Back to the trailer shots.

Nice. Also, same shirt as mugshot.

Hey, um, what? 

Kiara’s car, she’s driving, I can’t tell who’s in the back seat or the front.

Holy God what is going on and how can I as an audience member put a stop to it?

So, same scene as we will see and was in the teaser but, for some reason, they’re all jumping off of a giant ass boat into the little life raft where it looks like JJ gets hurt later but don’t you worry we’re getting to that.

JJ AND KIARA WITH THE POGUE HANDSHAKE JJ AND KIARA WITH THE POGUE HANDSHAKE THEY BOTH LOOK SO DAMN GOOD AND THEIR LITTLE SMILES SPARE ME-

Cleo 🥵

I’m so excited to see her arc and what it brings this season you guys have no idea.

Please for the love of God be about to get Ward Cameron’s ass like he deserves literally punt him into jail right from Tanny Hill.

Sarah at My Druther’s with what looks like a bloody bandage on her side? Same outfit she’s wearing when they’re running from the police on the beach and she has the bandage there too so. Interesting. 

Topper hugging who I’m pretty sure is Sarah, being a general douche because he’s clearly looking at John B like 😏 

Clips like these serve to remind me just how many of my worldly posessions I would gladly give up to be able to punch Topper Thorton in the throat one time. 

I think this is Cleo jumping off the boat with Pope after John B and Sarah. 

Absolutely busting a lung at Pope’s form in this one.

John B and Sarah waiting in the life raft, still Cleo and Pope coming after them. The obvious next question is where are JJ and Kiara. The scene I’m sure you all have been waiting for is coming up and clearly takes place in the life raft as well.

So, I really think JJ and Kie get left for last, something horrible happens as they’re trying to jump (my head instantly goes to JJ maybe like pushing Kie out of the way and getting hit on the head instead or even just some accident). 

And, oh my GOD a scene of him falling off the boat after it happens and Kiara diving in after him immediately, having to desperatly try to stop him from sinkingand get to the life raft holy shit-

Girl CATCH HIM?????

Because why wouldn’t this be Rafe’s fault. Part of me wonders if this isn’t related to JJ being hurt.

I am going to try and unpack this as calmly as possible because behind my computer screen I am vibrating at a frequency that could shatter glass but respectfully.

WHAT IN THE FUCK IS TIAUEWFHLAILA

Okay, so scene wise, JJ’s hit his head somehow (probably while he was jumping with Kiara) it looks like and now they’re back on the raft. 

In my opinion, this is either:

A) JJ is in really, really bad condition after getting hurt in the jump and they’re not sure he’s going to make it. So this is a “Please stay with me, stay awake, please don’t die” hug OR

B) They very narrowly just avoided a deadly situation (my first thought is JJ hits his head while jumping, passes out in the water, maybe almost drowns but Kie and the others get him onto the life raft in time) and this is more of a “Oh my God, you’re okay, you’re safe now, we’re okay” hug. 

I honestly lean more to the second one based on the little bit of Sarah’s face we saw in the background. To me, it almost looked like she was smiling thru tears, which, fits way more with the second option than the first. 

Anyways. Moving on before I burst a lung again.

(also, before anyone comes at me, no, I’m not happy JJ is hurt, obviously.  

(Once again, arrest outfits). You can still see the bandage but it looks like Sarah’s limping now too so...good Lord give the girl a break maybe?

Everything in this trailer just went to shit so fast I think I have whip lash, can we go back to the Pogues hanging out and being happy now pkease I liked those scenes.

“I get it. You guys are scared.”

“No.”

She’s cute but, uh, hello sewer scene outfits. Seems like them planning to do whatever the hell they were going to do in the sewers but the boys are starting to get cold feet as maybe they should but hind sight is 20/20 I suppose.

“It’s kind of cute.”

“I’m not scared.”

“You should’ve just led with that.”

I will never be able to express how much I adore Pogue banter and general dumbassery and I have a feeling this season will not be lacking in either department

I high key don’t think these two are actually going to be there for this scene to go down but I’ll let it slide this time because-

They do be kinda cute.

It both feels like I’ve been waiting for this damn show for 3 years and also like I just watched season 1 last month explain that to me. 

Either way holy shit. I missed this dumb show and these dumb kids so much it physcially hurts and WE GET THEM BACK IN T-MINUS 16 DAYS.

Also. Where The Hell Is Wheezie Cameron And When Will She Have The Rights She Deserves.

[squishneedsahero]

Without Direction

The Lost Padawan Part 1

Word Count: 1842

You were raised in the Jedi order, Padawan of Jedi Master Obiwan Kenobi.

You were breathing heavily, heart beating out of your chest as you could only pray no one noticed. You had no idea what was happening, but the Clones had all turned, suddenly going and killing all of the Jedi in one swoop. Master Kenobi had left you at the temple while he went after general Grievous and that was apparently too dangerous for a Padawan. This of course had you upset and feeling useless, so you had been messing around when everything went down. This messing around had ended up saving your life, why you had access to Clone armor wasn't important, but you deciding at that moment to try it on had saved your life.

Now you were still in the armor, but on a ship going who knows where as you just needed to get away from Coruscant as fast as you could. No one questioned why a Clone was on a passenger ship off world but you could only be grateful that they didn't. You could only stand there, stiff backed and unspeaking as you traveled.

Sooner than expected you land and are able to get off of the ship, quickly getting as far away from anyone from Coruscant as you can, talking someone into giving you some clothes from their stall as you did so. You run off and change before getting out of town.

You fall to the ground as you find somewhere that seems somewhat safe to stop. You pull out your lightsaber and study the hilt as tears form in your eyes. The adrenaline was wearing off and the reality of everything that had happened was setting in. You had lost everyone in a single day. Your Master was gone and dead along with all the other Jedi, the Clones you had thought to be friends weren't, everything was taken from you just like that.

You spend the night on the ground, always somewhere between sleeping and crying as all of you just hurt and you felt lost. You were still only a child, yes you were well enough trained to be a Padawan learner but being executed alongside all the other Jedi for warcrimes you hadn't committed made no sense. It was all you could do to keep yourself from completely falling apart, here you were, the last Jedi alive in the entire galaxy and you were just a lost child.

The next day things look no better,  but you get up anyways, dumping the armor before going back into town. You luckily had a few credits in your pocket so you didn't have to use the force to convince someone to give you food. As you eat you are able to sit down and almost relax a little, unfortunately a transmission of Senator Palpatine from Coruscant begins to play across all the screens in the area.

"Citizens of the civilized galaxy," Palpatine begins, "on this day we mark a transition. For a thousand years, the Republic stood as the crowning achievement of civilized beings. But there were those who would set us against one another, and we took up arms to defend our way of life against the Separatists. In so doing, we never suspected that the greatest threat came from within."

"The Jedi, and some within our own Senate, had conspired to create the shadow of Separatism using one of their own  as the enemy's leader. They had hoped to grind the Republic into ruin. But the hatred in their hearts could not be hidden forever. At last, there came a day when our enemies showed their true natures."

Your heart is in your throat and you can hardly swallow your food as you hear him announce these things. You, y/n l/n, had been at Master Kenobi's side for years and he along with the other Jedi leaders had wanted nothing more than for the war to end. But none of that mattered now, the Jedi were gone, the Jedi Order had been wiped out, and only these blatant lies would succeed in reaching the ears of the public. You get up and walk away, back into the wilderness with your few supplies you had been able to grab, planning to just stay here on Saleucami until things settled enough you could get away unnoticed.

You spend nearly a week of your time traveling through the wilderness until you come to another town large enough to have a space port. The place is crawling with Clones but it was obvious that Palpatine was trying to gather things as quickly as possible to maintain his control over the galaxy, meaning the Clones weren't paying any attention to a random teenager. At this point your face is coated with a layer of dirt, which you don't mind since it adds to hide your identity.

Your first stop is to once again get some food and replenish your supplies as well as find a way to earn a few credits for later. It's as you're looking over a fruit stand that you feel a nudge from the force and two men talking nearby catch your attention. It doesn't take you long to recognize the faces, or face, the one face you had to have seen thousands of variations of, many the same but each with a different person behind it. They were clones.

The thing that had you so focused on them was the fact that they weren't wearing their armor, along with the fact that anytime other clones passed by they hid their faces from view. You try not to stare but you keep an eye on them, something was drawing you to them but you couldn't bring yourself to trust a couple stray clones on the spot like that.

Following them from a distance you are able to see that they are avoiding the other clones and one of the two you feel you recognize. He has a tattoo covering nearly half his face and you know you had fought beside him at one point, not that that meant a whole lot at this point. They stop and you can hear them talking about getting off world, they clearly don't want to be caught and it is as they are leaving town that you decide you can trust them.

You follow from a distance, trying to stay undetected, not sure how to approach them but the force was pulling you to do so. It isn't until you are well out of town that you begin trying to approach them, and it isn't until you get close to them that you realize something is off, they had realized they were being followed.

"Who are you?" The tattooed one asks loudly as they turn to face you, guns drawn.

Your heart is yet again in your throat as you step out into the open, both hands in front of you in an attempt of showing you mean no harm. You don't want to answer their question so you make a statement of your own, "you're clones."

You can see their grips on their guns change and you raise your hands a little higher, "I promise I don't mean any harm- I'm just wondering why you two aren't helping the others," you quickly explain, praying they won't shoot.

"Answer our question and might answer yours."

You take a deep breath, okay you can do this, it's just a matter of trust, and your life. Leaving one hand up in front of you you use the other to remove the hood you were wearing and then reach into the folds of your cloak to take out your lightsaber, holding out the hilt without igniting it, simply showing it to them. "I just need to know why the two of you are different."

The two men are more than a little surprised to see the lightsaber in your hand and share a glance between themselves. The fact that you were willing to show your face and the fact that you were one of the Jedi truly meant that you meant no harm.

Hunter looks at Cut for a moment and in almost a whisper says, "I recognize them, they're a padawan." From there he looks back to you and more loudly says, "come closer and we can talk," seeing as you were nearly a hundred feet away.

You take a breath as you move closer, hoping they wouldn't mind the tight grip you had on your saber, considering that they still had yet to put their guns down. You do a decent job at keeping your emotions down and hidden but the two clones know that you're scared, only a few years older than the children they had waiting for them.

Your eyes are locked on Hunter as you get closer, finally placing him and saying softly, "you're Hunter," you glance at the other but know you haven't a clue who he is, "with clone force 99... right?" you ask gently.

Cut nods and puts his gun away, "don't worry kid you don't have to hold your lightsaber so tight, we aren't going to kill you. And yes this is Hunter," he answers you, recognizing how sacred you really were, "I'm Cut, can I ask who you are?"

Your grip relaxes as he holsters his gun, then nudges Hunter to do the same with his gun. You can't bring yourself to let go of the hilt of your saber but you do at least let it drop to your side in a relaxed position. "I'm y/n l/n, Master Kenobi's padawan learner."

That's when Hunter nods, realizing that was when he recognized you from, he and the others of the bad batch had sometimes reported to Cody, the commander under General Kenobi. "So, why were you following us?"

"I- uh-" you stutter a bit as you try to get your thoughts together. You pause another beat before deciding to just share why it was you had followed them, "all of the clones turned against the Jedi and exterminated them, I lost everyone I knew and the two of you are different, you didn't kill me on sight... you were hiding from the other clones... like I am."

Thats when things begin to click for Hunter, while he had lost a close friend he still had the others. You on the other hand had lost everything and everyone, having nothing but a lightsaber and to be killed if recognized. "Okay kid, we aren't sure why the others turned but we are trying to figure it out. We're getting Cut and his family off this planet, then leaving ourselves."

Cut looks at Hunter for a moment then says, "you're welcome to come back to my family's farm with us, take a moment to relax, I'm sure you're tired."

You look at the two, and it's a moment before you accept the offer. There was still hesitation and fear running through your veins, but you had survived a war, you had grown up on the battle field, you could survive this too.

[wandsandwheezes]

Assassini | G.W

Warnings // 3.5k // SMUT 18+, Sex, knife play, assassins, murder, attempted assassination??, contracts, ownership, breath play, begging.

A/N // Hi I am literally obsessed with assassins creed that is the only thing that prompted me to want to write this. this is not by any means my best work i just couldnt get the idea out of my head. that is all. thank you @gcdric​ for helping me as historically accurate as possible. 

Your chest heaved as you stepped through the opening double doors and into a stunning reception area; rolling stone walls and a beautiful glass ceiling that showcased the fantastic hues of the Florentine sunset. You knew what you had to do, after all you would have never taken on the task if it didn’t fall within your capabilities. You rubbed your hands together before smoothing out your dress, you felt a fool coming to a high-class party on your own, knowing that the image of a stunning and well presented lady such as yourself standing on her own was sure to cause a scene among men, but with such an important target you couldn’t afford to be chasing around or keeping a date in tow; there was simply too much to lose. 

Feeling the cool metal of the dagger sheathed against your thigh brought you back down to reality, your mind had begun to wonder of a life away from the horrors that came with the trade, what it was like to be a trophy wife on the arm of a wealthy man. That was not the life you had been blessed with, instead you spent your days between contracts, taking out whoever you needed to to get the pay, taking your prize gracefully before you were onto the next. People feared your ability to be able to take a life without remorse and without question, that was the reality of who you were; a cold blooded assassin. 

The latest contract had been practically shoved down your throat, only just finishing up business before you were being shipped off to track the next target. No rest for the wicked. You were on your way to the grandest bash of your career, it would be packed with every wealthy man you could think of, every bachelor prancing around trying to find a wife but your eyes were dead set on finding one man - George Weasley. A very wealthy man, but ruthless, known well for the money of his family name but known better by the blood money that kept him feared by many. It was a contract that only a fool would take, failure ended in torture. You were no fool and you would not fail. 

You knew the person who had last attempted the Weasley Contract - not the brightest man but someone who was notorious for getting the job done, it all came as a surprise at the order when the news of his death spread through the halls like wildfire. His tactics were good; sneak past the guards and get him dead in the night, his downfall was that George knew he was coming, waited for him even. You were glad however, that despite taking on the failed contract, you had the element of surprise on your side, nobody suspects a woman, not even George. 

You caught sight of him standing with his hands pressed against the railing as he leaned over the balcony, eyes surveying the room as he spoke to someone standing beside him. George was tall, that much was obvious from the way he towered above most people standing around him, he had a chiselled jaw, dark striking eyes and long messy orange hair. He looked like a god, a pedestal he had placed himself on, and you knew that you had to get closer to him, better yet get him alone. 

You had never once whored yourself out for the sake of a job, your years upon years of training gave you a sharp enough edge that you wouldn't ever need to rely on a feminine touch but tonight was different, the way his eyes scoured the crowd, you knew he was hungry for some female attention and if you had to give in to anyone for the sake of the job, it would be him. 

You wore a beautifully detailed red gown, the corset pulled tight around your waist emphasised your ample breasts, threatening to spill at any moment and left not much to the imagination. Your plan was to catch his eye and you knew this was the dress that would do that. You followed his gaze and placed yourself directly in his line of vision, careful not to make yourself too obvious as to not attract unwanted gazes. When he caught sight of you he swore he could have stopped breathing, you truly were a vision of God. 

He couldn't take his eyes off of you from that moment on and you had to admit that having a lingering male gaze did make your cheeks flush, suddenly feeling stuffy under the many layers of dress. George instructed one of his men, rather curtly, to bring you to him, a task that was handled quickly and with hurry as one of his aides approached you. “Mr Weasley has requested your company.” 

Perfect, everything was going exactly to plan. As you were led up a grand staircase and past the guards that hadn’t even given you a second look. Now that you were on the private balcony, surrounded by members of the Weasley family and their company who were all schmoozing without any care in the world for the hundreds of guests below them, each one hoping they would be lucky enough to get that special invitation. Standing just behind George you were able to see with your own eyes just how much he truly did tower over you. Something inside of you bubbled and you refused to believe that it was anything but pure happiness for your plan going as well as it had. 

“What’s a pretty Lady like you doing here on her own?” He asked smoothly, eyes not falling away from the gaze they held over the bustling crowd. As you looked over the balcony you could see that the room was packed, spotting the way the men flirted with any and every woman they could lay their eyes on, couples falling to the edges of the room in passionate lip locks, uncaring for the vast group of people around them. 

“What makes you think I’m alone?” You quipped back, watching as a smile fell over his lips, finally pulling his eyes away from the crowd to face you. The moment your eyes locked again, this time inches away from him you felt that same bubbling feeling in the pit of your stomach. 

“No respectable partner would let their Lady come to a party with her breasts heaving like that, well… not unless the Lady wants to be seen.” His eyes scanned over your upper body before meeting your eyes once again. You weren’t sure why you were holding your breath but the second his knuckle was grazing over your exposed collarbone, brushing your hair over your shoulder, you finally let out a slow, shaky breath. 

“And to think I was just wearing a nice dress.” You sighed comically, turning back to lean your hands against the railing, taking a moment to compose yourself without having to stare into his eyes. Never in George’s life had a woman thought of talking back to him, so having you quip back at him with a tongue as sharp as his own, practically running circles around him in conversation made him even more determined to have you. 

“You’re a quick one, smart I assume, probably raised by men, or at the very least a strong minded woman. A fighter too, you have the shoulders for it, money doesn’t matter to you much from your lack of jewellery- Stop me If I’m wrong.” With every assumption that spilled from his lips, you realised that you had blown your cover, fear immediately building in the pit of your stomach until it reached your eyes. “So what brings you here, If not for a man, what for?”

“Who said I didn’t want a man?” You finally looked back at him, a teasing smile on your lips. You watched his face ease, taking a brave step closer to him as you realised that he truly didn’t have a clue.  You were brave for doing this, letting him see a vulnerable side to you, one that could leave you easily exposed. 

“I’m sure you know who I am, don’t you sweetheart? Yet I haven’t a clue who you are.” He was smooth, able to pull your name from your lips without even a second thought. Perhaps it was a bad idea to lead this way, fearing that a part of you would grow attached to his smile or addicted to his perfect laugh.

“Well, count yourself lucky that you’re up here then, all you’ll find is boys down there.” You weren’t surprised that George was the cocky sort of man, part of you found it endearing that he obviously had some sort of saviour complex about him, figuring that he would selfishly have you to himself and ‘save’ you from being surrounded by the inferior. 

“I’d be luckier alone with you.” You leaned in, whispering just low enough for him to hear. You were feeling brave enough to get suggestive with him, hoping that he would catch your tone and give you some time alone. You felt his hand pressing against the small of your back as he pulled you in closer, your mind wondering as soon as you could breathe in his scent, a part of you forgot why you were truly here as it became drunker off of the male attention. 

All it took was one look from him to his aide and you were being led by him, past his friends and family up another set of stairs. You heard the sounds of chatter, laughter and clinking glasses fade away as you were ushered into a private room, the doors swinging shut behind the two of you, finally realising that you were alone with him. 

“Are you going to tell me why you’re really here?” He sighed, pulling at your wrist to tug you into his chest, his hot breath fanning in your neck as you stood pressed against each other, uncaring for the huge amounts of space that the room had to offer. Being so close him made you lose all of your inhibitions and suddenly the contract no longer mattered to you, the one thing that did however, was bedding the man who had you in a trance. In all your years of working contracts, nobody came above the job but now as your lips were inches away from his, George Weasley was more important. 

"I'm here for you." You muttered, hand snaking up to tangle in his long, messy hair, giving the locks a gentle tug that made his eyes darken. Feeling him guide you backwards, taking small steps with him until your back hit a wall. His strong hand travelled its way up your leg, hoping to hitch it up to hook around his hip as he pushed every layer of fabric up so he could get a good look at the gorgeous thighs he wanted wrapped around his head. Your breath caught in your throat when you felt his fingers stop over your dagger, pulling it free from where it was held. 

As his eyes surveyed over the intricate detailing of the handle, you couldn't help but avoid his gaze, startled only by the chuckle that fell from his lips. "A mark of the brotherhood… They send you to bed me and leave me vulnerable?" 

You shook your head, watching as he pressed the dull side of the blade against your throat, his commanding eyes forcing you to look at him as he pressed himself closer to you. "They sent you to kill me?" 

He pulled the dagger from your throat, shoving it into your hand as he laughed, pulling away from you, letting the skirt fall back in its place as he turned around to walk away from you and deeper into the room. It was obvious that he wasn't afraid by you, certainly less the prospect of you being able to kill him. You didn't like being underestimated, much less by someone who would be easy for you to kill. You pushed yourself away from the wall coming up behind the man and tackling him to the floor, hips straddled directly over his as you pressed the knife against his throat, watching the way his eyes lit up with surprise, his hands finding your hips to grip onto tightly. 

"I like you, you've got a lot of nerve, probably one of the most gorgeous women I've ever laid my eyes on so tell me what's the contact worth?" He chuckled, hands tugging to grind your hips against his tentatively, watching as you fumbled to keep your thoughts straight. Composing yourself as you ignored the pleasurable feeling of your hips rocking against his, instead pressing the dagger closer to his throat. You were about to respond to his question when he cut you off quickly. 

"Whatever it is I'll double it, hell I'd even triple it under two conditions." He spluttered quickly, hands stilling as he realised that you weren't to be messed with. You cocked your head to the side, pulling the blade from his throat as you considered what he had to say, dragging the tip of your dagger gently over his jawline and down his chest with a sickly sweet smile, the alluring confusion evident in your tone of voice "Conditions?" 

"Condition one, Work for me and I'll pay better than any contract ever could and two, you're mine to have." He suggested, his tone coming across as commanding making it seem like you truly had no choice in the matter but you knew better. 

"I don't belong to anyone, Weasley, especially not someone I work for." You bit back, watching as he laughed softly, hand gripping at your waist as he flipped you over, the dagger clattering against the floor as he pinned your hands down, back pressed firmly against the cold surface, feeling him press his lips to your exposed neck. "You belong to me now, seems a waste of such perfect breasts for you not to be."

"Were you going to whore yourself out for me? That's precious." His lips travelled down, peppering wet kisses along your collarbone as his hands still gripped onto your waist. Any semblance of fight in you disappeared the minute his lips were on your skin, a sick part of you adored how he wanted you but an even sicker part wanted him to take you. 

"Where's the confidence, darling? Not ready to submit to me already, are you?" His voice was thick with arousal, hands finding their way to your hips again as he slowly ground his hips into yours, teasing you ever so slightly as he pushed himself closer to you. Somehow George had managed to shock you into silence, your head filled with nothing but the the image of him fucking you into the morning, not even room to think of a quick remark or retorting comment to quip back at him.

“You’re insufferable.” You breathed out, letting his strong arms pull you off of the floor, hoisting you up on his hips to trap you between the wall and his chest once again, his hand this time was quickly up your skirt once again, feeling the wetness that pooled between your legs that confirmed you wanted him just as much as he wanted you. “And yet you spread your legs for me with ease.”

He didn’t dare tease you any longer, pulling himself free and sinking into you like there was no time to lose. Just when you thought you were full, he had more to give and you were feeling stretched out beyond belief. Your nails dug into his shoulders as he pulled loud moans from you with every deep and slow thrust, the pleasure coursing through you had you rolling your head back which he only took as an invitation for him to wrap his hand around your throat, groaning lowly as his eyes flicked over the way your face contorted with overwhelming pleasure,  “You’re so fucking tight.” 

“George, please.” He hummed at the way your voice came out with the strained begging, feeling pleasure build in the pit of your stomach as you realised the churning movement you had been feeling throughout the evening had been butterflies, the building want and desire for the man who was now fucking you loudly into the wall. 

“I like hearing you beg, what do you need, sweetheart?” He hummed, pressing his lips to your exposed neck, right over where your vocal chords were, feeling the vibrations of your moans flow through his lips, pushing him over the edge to pick up his pace, focused intently on making you cum as he found himself growing addicted to the way you squeezed around him.

“I need to- George, It feels so good.” He shook his head, pulling completely from you, letting your feet drop to the floor as he spun you around so that your chest was pressed to the wall, whines still falling from your lips as his hands were back up your skirt, pulling your hips into the right position to push himself inside you again, this time his hands pulled at the strings of your corset, tightening it to a point where it only added to the pleasure he was making you feel.

“You only get to cum when you ask for it.” With every thrust, it felt as if he was tugging your corset that little bit tighter. Pushing you closer and closer to the release you craved, so desperate for it that the only word that fell from your lips was ‘please’. Not what he wanted to hear. One of his strong hands pulled your hair into his fist, pulling your head back to rest on his shoulder, a smirk evident on his lips through the tone he used, “Please, what?”

“Please, I need to cum, George” You whined, hand coming up to wrap around his forearm, nails digging into his skin as his pace picked up finally, the hand still attached to the strings of your corset giving a final tug as you released around him, becoming a mess of spluttering moans for him as he pulled out of you, spinning you around once again to thread his fingers into your hair and pull you into a passionate kiss. 

Something about the way his lips tasted made you never want to pull away, finding yourself chasing his lips as he pulled away to gaze over your features, a smile on his lips as he took in just how beautiful you were, feeling like for a moment he may have truly met his match, watching as your chest heaved while you slowly drank in the high he had given you. “Next time I hope to see these beautiful breasts in all their glory,” 

“Next time? Thought you knew I have to kill you now.” You laughed as his fingers tucked your hair behind your ear, an action that sent a shiver down your spine. You watched as his tongue darted out to wet his lips, head shaking slightly to sway the hair out of his eyes, an action that made you melt at the knees.

“Very funny, now about your first contract.” He spoke quickly, tucking himself away and making himself presentable before pulling you deeper inside of the room, standing you by a large painting, tilting your chin up to avert your gaze to a particular individual, “Know who that man is, angel?” 

You swallowed thickly, eyes gazing over the large, pristine painting, well aware of who he was. The man that had set the contract over George’s head. You nodded at his question, his arm slinking around your waist as he leaned down to press a chaste kiss to your ear. “Good, I want information; You tell him I’m dead and find out what his next move is, if you get me that, I’ll know you’re loyal, just for that I’ll pay you more than you’ve ever seen.” 

“George, he’s the one that requested this cont-” You spoke quietly, his hand tugging you closer to his body, a deep sigh falling past his lips, leaving you in silence for a few moments until his warm toned voice spoke up once again.

“I know, and you’re going to find out why, understand?” He sounded genuinely upset, the man who had ordered the hit on him was a close family friend, but yet someone who craved the power that George had. Part of you knew that it wasn’t just Cedric Diggory that wanted him dead but he was the only one with enough money to make the bounty worth it, and yet you had found yourself wound up on his side. “Good girl.” 

Your chest was still heaving as you stepped through the opening double doors, this time hand in hand with the man who you had come here to kill, something had changed in your time alone and you knew that you would be the last person to hurt him. You were running off the high of belonging to someone, a new contract and the willingness to submit. You were George’s new personal weapon, a force that even he didn’t know the true extent of. Better to have you on his side than against him, as good as you felt against him after all. 

taglist //  @starlightweasley​​ @slytherinsunrise​​  @gcdric​​​ @theweasleysredhair​​​ @whiz-bangs78​​​ @pansydaisy​​ @vogueweasley​​​ @vivianweasley​​​​ @feetoffthetablee​​ @thisismynerdyself​​​ @witch-and-a-half​​ @loony-loopy-lupinn​​ @rip-us​​ @hopemalfoyweasley​​ @pigwidgexn​​

[extasiswings]

Get in, clowns.  We’re going to the circus.  On ao3.

Eddie’s palms are sweaty.

It’s warm outside, the sun beating down on the park bench where he’s sitting, but it’s the nerves that have his hands clammy as he turns his water bottle over between them.  

When Buck had walked in the house earlier, he’d taken one look at Eddie and rolled his eyes before shoving him back into his bedroom.

“You can’t wear that,” Buck said, rifling through Eddie’s dresser.  He emerged with Eddie’s tightest pair of jeans and shoved them at his chest before turning to the drawers with shirts.

“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” Eddie asked, baffled as he looked down at himself and then, skeptically, at the jeans.

“You look like a dad.”  Buck’s voice went muffled for a moment before he made a noise of victory and pulled out a deep red, long-sleeved shirt that Eddie’s pretty sure is at least a size too small. 

“Kind of hard not to.  Since I am one and all.  That’s not exactly a secret.”

“Yeah, but you can look like a hot dad who is making an effort instead of a regular dad going to the grocery store or something.  You’ll thank me later.”  

After Eddie had changed and walked out of the bathroom, Buck’s face shifted—Eddie could have sworn his eyes darkened, that his voice was rougher as he pronounced Eddie much better.

So Eddie knows he looks good.

But his palms are still sweaty.  He uncaps the water bottle and takes a sip more to have something to do than because he needs it.  And then he starts drumming his fingers against his thigh, needing something to occupy them, some way to move.  

He’s tempted to pull out his phone, to reread the latest texts from Bobby or even the shameless teasing in the group text that Buck started with his sisters—and boy, was that a mistake, putting the three of them in touch, because Eddie never in a million years would have told them he was going on a date if he hadn’t done it by accident because Buck’s direct messages happened to be right below the group—

He’s still not sure he should be, is the thing.  Dating.  He still feels like he can’t quite breathe right when he thinks too hard about it.  Can still play that last dinner with Shannon over on loop, from her asking for a divorce to the implication that really being with him again would be so terrible she would have to run for the hills and leave their child behind.

He didn’t exactly have great self-esteem to begin with.

Eddie wipes his palms on his jeans—he’s in the middle of debating whether it’s bad parenting to make up an emergency involving your kid to get out of a date, when—

“Eddie!  Hi,” Ana greets, walking up the path.  

The anxiety in his chest twists tighter as he gets up from the bench and waves.

“Hey.  You, uh—you look really nice,” he says, because it’s true and also the easiest thing he can remember from the last time he did this.  

Ana smiles.  “So do you.”

There’s a pause that lingers a little too long and then they both start trying to speak at once, cutting off abruptly when they realize.  Eddie rubs self-consciously at the back of his neck.

“Should we walk?” Ana offers, nodding down the path where it leads into the trees.

“Sure, yeah,” Eddie agrees.  

It’s actually not...bad.  She asks him about work and that’s a safe enough topic that he’s comfortable spending a few minutes telling her stories from the station.  She shares a little about the challenges of virtual teaching.  And then she asks about Chris, and, well, that’s an easy subject—Eddie could talk about Chris all day.  

He just finishes the story about the actual building of Christopher’s skateboard—which involved no small amount of comical trial and error on the part of two decidedly not Chris-sized grown men—when Ana gets a thoughtful look on her face and glances sideways at him.

“Can I ask you something personal?”  She asks.

Eddie rocks back on his heels and hooks his thumbs in his pockets.  “Sure.”

“How long has it been for you?”

Eddie’s eyebrows shoot up.  “Since...the last time I dated?”

Ana nods.

“Well…” He wets his lips to stall.  “The last person I dated was my wife.  And I’m not sure it was really dating in the same way after we were married so...I guess...eleven years give or take?”

He laughs and he can hear the edge of self-deprecation.  “That obvious I’m out of practice?”

“No,” Ana says.  “No, that wasn’t—it’s really not actually. Although it does explain some things.”

“Things?”

She bites her lip.  “Nothing bad,” she insists.  “Just—”

“Have you ever been on a date where the other person talked about their ex the whole time and it was kind of obvious they still had feelings for them and you couldn’t help wondering why they weren’t with the ex when they clearly wanted to be?”  She asks.

Eddie blinks, scrolling back through their conversation trying to think—he’s pretty sure he hasn’t mentioned Shannon except for the once.  And he’s not still—

“In high school, maybe?” He answers.  “But I’m not sure—”

“I was trying to figure out if you and Buck ever dated,” she clarifies, and Eddie stops in his tracks, his mind shorting out as he takes that in.

“I—what?”

They’re back at the parking lot anyway, and although they could take another loop around the park, Ana stops by the closest bench and smiles as she leans against it.

“Look, I like you, Eddie,” she says.  “And if I’m totally off base and you want to see me again, I will definitely pick up the phone.  But if I’m not?  I couldn’t not say something.”

“Buck’s my best friend,” Eddie replies.  His head is swimming but it surprisingly doesn’t feel bad.  More like he’s been handed the clue card for a puzzle he was trying to solve and while the pieces haven’t quite come together fully, they’re getting there.

“You talk about him like he’s your partner.  Like the three of you are a family.  And when you talk about him you look like…”  Ana shakes her head and laughs, but it’s not unkind.  Just soft and maybe a little longing.  “I would love for someone to look like that when they’re talking about me.  Thinking about me.  So, I thought you should know.  Just in case you didn’t.”

Another puzzle piece falls into place and Eddie sucks in a breath.

“I do like you,” he says.

“Yeah...but you’re in love with him.  Right?”  Eddie’s quiet and Ana nods.

“I’m gonna go,” she decides.  “This was nice, for the record.  Maybe we can do it again.  As friends next time.”

“Ana—” Eddie calls after her.  When she looks back over her shoulder though, he’s not sure what to say except, “...thank you.”

“Let me know how it works out?” She asks.  “I’m a little invested now.”

Eddie laughs and runs a hand through his hair.  “Yeah...sure.”  

He drives home in a daze, so much of the past two years—maybe even longer—suddenly thrown into new light.  Everything he’s been afraid of, everything that’s been holding him back—all of the baggage and insecurities that Shannon left behind, that have made him feel like he’s not good enough, like he can’t be a partner to anyone—

He never stopped and looked too hard at what he already had.  What he was already doing.

What he has.  What he is doing.   

With Buck.

In the stark glare of hindsight, it’s easy to see—he was still married when they met, was worn down and bruised and not looking for anything.  He needed a friend and Buck slipped in to fill that void and Eddie...put him in a box.  Put them in a box.  Carefully compartmentalizing every aspect of his life because it was easier that way, because it allowed him to sort through the tangled knots of expectation from any number of other sides, any number of other identities—husband, father, son.

There was no baggage attached to friend.  No forgive and forget and take your wife back because kids need their mothers or you’ll drag him down with you or I wasn’t enough.

There was just...Buck.  Present.  Supportive.  Caring about him.  Believing in him.   The real him—masks off, walls down, warts and all.   

The longer Eddie thinks, the clearer things become.  His mind flips through memories like a scrapbook—panic attacks and phone calls at two in the morning, nights on the couch playing video games with Christopher and the slower, lingering moments with just the two of them after they put him to bed, all those months sharing a bed in Buck’s apartment while he despaired over being away from his son and Buck reminded him he was a good dad—

How many of those nights had Eddie wanted to kiss him?  How many times had he felt that buzz under his skin, the whisper of it would be so easy, only to shove it down because it was too dangerous to deal with.  

And when he thinks now about the future, about having someone in his home, in his bed, in his life, when he pictures it, all he can see is Buck.

It feels right.

“I love him,” Eddie says out loud, tasting the words on his tongue, letting them linger.

I love him.

His pulse spikes with his anxiety, but it calms down as he sits with it.  Because he knows Buck’s not going to leave.  He trusts that.  Buck’s seen him at his worst and none of that has ever driven him away.  So maybe…

Eddie’s mind flicks back to earlier in the day, to the dark heat in Buck’s gaze as it dragged over him before he looked away.

...yeah.  They’ll be okay.

He’s home before he even really registers and takes a few slow breaths before he shuts off the truck and gets out.  When he steps through the door, it’s a strange feeling.  The space is familiar but not.  More...settled somehow.  Home.

Home.

Eddie closes the door behind him and follows the sound of running water to the kitchen.  He stops in the doorway, leaning against the frame, and spends a moment just watching Buck scrub potatoes in the sink until the other man glances up and notices him.

“Hey,” Buck greets.  “Chris is reading in his room, I’m just working on dinner.  How was the date?”

God, I love you, Eddie thinks, and nearly has to bite his tongue to keep it to himself.

Yeah.  It’s right.

He shrugs.  “It was fine.  Ana’s nice.”

“When’s the next date then?”  There’s an odd note in Buck’s voice that makes Eddie push off the frame and step closer. 

“There’s not going to be one,” he replies.  “Ana’s nice...but I don’t want to date her.”

Buck stops.  Shuts off the water and turns, leaning back against the sink.

“No?”  Buck’s brow furrows.  “It’s not—do you still feel like you’re not ready?”

“No, it’s not that,” Eddie replies.  “I do think I’m ready.  But with the right person.”

His heart is pounding in his chest, but it’s not fear.  More...anticipation.  

He swallows hard.

“Ana said something that made me realize that...I don’t want to start from scratch with some stranger.”

Eddie takes another step closer and Buck inhales sharply, emotions shifting across his face too quickly for Eddie to name them all.

“Eddie…”  Buck sounds hoarse, a little disbelieving.  He leans forward for a moment before shaking his head, clearing his throat.

“I can’t—I need you to be specific,” he says.  “Because I can’t make assumptions here, I can’t—”

Eddie kisses him.  Steps in far enough that Buck’s body presses flush against his, slides his hand around the back of Buck’s neck, and kisses him.  Buck makes a small noise and grips him right back, his hands curving around Eddie’s hips nearly tight enough to bruise in sharp contrast to the way Eddie’s mouth feathers against his, soft as anything.  

“Specific enough?”  Eddie breathes, staying close enough that their lips brush again.  Buck surges up and uses his grip on Eddie’s hips to turn them, pinning Eddie against the counter as he kisses him again in response.  Once, twice, three times, and Eddie shivers.  

He hasn’t been kissed in so long, hasn’t been touched with intention like this—he’d forgotten what it felt like.  His body floods with heat as Buck’s hands slip under his shirt, spreading wide over his rib cage, and he parts his lips eagerly for Buck’s tongue.

Down the hall, a door closes, and Buck jumps back, Eddie slumping against the counter to keep himself upright.  Buck is flushed and panting and Eddie’s pretty sure he can’t look much better, too warm and electric, wanting, wanting, wanting—

Both of them catch their breath and watch the door, but Christopher doesn’t appear.  After a minute Eddie catches the faint sound of a toilet flushing and he looks back at Buck.  

And he laughs.  It bubbles up from his chest like champagne fizz, bright and warm and right, and apparently it’s contagious because Buck starts up as well, stepping in again and sliding his arms around Eddie’s waist, ducking his head to laugh breathlessly against Eddie’s neck.

When they calm down, Buck stays close, his lips feathering over Eddie’s pulse.  Eddie hums and closes his eyes as he tips his head back to give Buck better access.  

“I’m in love with you,” he says.  “In case that wasn’t clear.”

Buck’s lips curve up against Eddie’s skin.

“Well that’s convenient,” he replies.  “Since Chris was asking me earlier why you couldn’t just date me if you were going to date again.”

Eddie’s startled into another laugh.  “Really?”

“Really.”

Eddie grins and opens his eyes again.  “Hey Buck?”

“Yeah?”

“Go out with me?”

Buck snorts and pushes him out of the way so he can go back to the potatoes.  

“Help me finish getting dinner together and we’ll see.”  But the second Eddie turns away, Buck snags him by a belt loop and reels him back in for another kiss.

“Yes,” Buck says.  “Yes.”

And it’s right.           

[drarrily-we-row-along]

Day 7: Wedding

Harry loved having a boyfriend.

There were a lot of reasons that he loved having a boyfriend (and this boyfriend in particular, at that) but one of the most unexpected reasons was because it was convenient to have someone to bring to events.

Harry no longer had to worry about being seated at the awkward single table, no longer had to listen to people tell him that they knew just the right witch/wizard for him. He no longer had to worry about not knowing what to do with himself when everyone else started dancing. And most important, because his boyfriend was Draco Malfoy, Harry no longer had to worry if he was making any hideous faux pas because Draco always quietly and gently guided him to doing the correct thing.

Five years. Nearly five years of this perfection.

He loved Draco Malfoy for many reasons and having a date to go to weddings with was definitely among them.

They'd gone to a lot of weddings together, especially toward the beginning of their relationship. The war had made a lot of their friends decide to get married quickly and the two of them had gone to wedding after wedding in the couple of years following.

It had been a lark. They went to weddings, laughed at the people who cried for no apparent reason, drank entirely too much, and had a lot of fun.

When Ginny and Blaise had announced that they were getting married, Harry had expected that this wedding would be like the others.

He was wrong.

(More below the cut)

It wasn't that Draco was mad (at least he didn't seem to be), it was that he'd been weirdly detached in the weeks leading up to the wedding. He was polite to Harry, but honestly that was as much a red flag as anything.

By the time the day of the wedding rolled around, Harry pretty much constantly had a pool of anxiety churning in his gut.

He watched as Draco fiddled with his dress robes, setting everything just so, and he couldn't stop himself from blurting, "Is everything alright?"

"Of course," Draco said, glancing up and catching his gaze in the mirror. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"I don't know," Harry replied. "That's why I'm asking."

Draco hummed and went back to looking at himself in the mirror.

"It's just you've been a bit quiet."

"Have I?" he asked noncommittally.

"Yes," he replied with a sigh, recognizing the classic Draco Malfoy deflection tactic at play. "If I've done something wrong, I wish you'd just tell me," Harry said, collapsing back onto their bed. "I didn't mean it, whatever it is."

Draco walked over to him and stood between Harry's thighs before gently taking his hands and pulling him up, "You haven't done anything wrong."

"You're sure?" Harry asked as he leaned in and pressed his face against Draco's stomach, wrapping his arms around him.

"Yes," he replied, fingers tenderly carding through Harry's curls.

"I love you," Harry murmured.

"I know," Draco replied, equally soft. "Come on. We're going to be late."

Harry sighed but didn't argue with him, he supposed that whatever it was could wait until after the wedding.

The wedding was lovely. Blaise cried but Ginny didn't; normally this would have caused the two of them to giggle but Draco's lips barely tipped up and Harry didn't want to laugh about it by himself. So he just found himself clearing his throat a bit awkwardly and looking back up at the bride and groom.

The reception was at the Zabini Manor, in the sprawling gardens and Harry took Draco's hand as they wandered through the rose bushes. "You're sure you're okay?"

"I wish you would stop asking me that."

Harry's brow furrowed, "Well I wish you'd stop being weird," he said.

Draco's quicksilver eyes flashed, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Harry replied stubbornly.

"I did. I was giving you the opportunity to change your answer," he replied and strangely Harry felt a bit of relief. Bickering was good. Bickering was familiar.

"I just want to know what is going on with you-"

A group of people walked by and Draco smiled disarmingly at them before grasping Harry's elbow and tugging him away from the main path. He walked them over to a blossoming Cherry Tree and Harry might have enjoyed how beautiful it was and enjoyed the lovely smell if he wasn't so preoccupied with his boyfriend.

Suddenly an entirely unwelcome, unhappy thought popped into his head, "Wait," he said, "Are you..." he trailed off because it physically hurt him to say it. "Are you in love with Blaise?" he asked, lowering his voice and glancing around, just in case anyone had followed them.

"What?" Draco spluttered. "Of all the hare-brained-"

"Or were you?" Harry asked. "Is that why this wedding has been so different? You could have told me-" he said.

"Potter, you're being ridiculous!"

"Am I?" Harry asked. "Look, I wouldn't have been mad. Especially if it had just been because you used to love him. I've loved other people, too. Not the way I love you," he hastened to add, "But it would have been-"

"Shut up," Draco snapped. "For fuck's sake. Just." He huffed a breath, "Shut up."

"Will you tell me what's going on if I do?"

The other man groaned in obvious frustration, "Fine," he said, then repeated, "fine. I'll tell you. I am not, nor have I ever been in love with Blaise."

That was honestly a relief. Harry said nothing he just gave a nod, hoping the other man would continue.

"But we were one another's back up plans."

"Back up plans?" he asked curiously.

Draco nodded and wandered a few steps away, looking at the gnarled roots of the tree. "Yes. If we were still both single by 40 we were going to get married. Better to have someone to come home to than to be alone forever."

Harry, thought this through but couldn't understand why this had been making Draco upset for the past few weeks, "But neither of you are single."

"Well, not now," Draco replied, looking intently at the cherry blossoms to avoid looking at Harry. "But he's just gone and tied himself to someone else, so..." he trailed off.

"Are you planning on breaking up with me?" Harry asked, panic rising in his gut. "Draco, I love you. I'll do anything-"

"What? No. Potter," he said, looking at Harry now, "Harry," he said, reaching out to him. "No. It's the opposite that I'm afraid of."

"You're afraid that I will break up with you?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Of course I am!" Draco all but shouted before visibly trying to compose himself. "Of course I am. You are Harry bloody Potter. You're obviously too good for me."

"What?" Harry yelped but Draco just kept on talking.

"Everyone says so," he said, as if it was anyone else's business, as if Harry gave a rat's arse what other people thought. "And honestly, if you wanted to marry me, you would have done it by now; it's been five years and there's never even been a whiff of a proposal."

"But-" Harry started.

"So, it was just nice to have Blaise as a back up. To know that when you got tired of me at least there would be someone-"

"Okay, stop!" Harry exclaimed. "First, Blaise can fuck right off." Draco's brow furrowed and he opened his mouth but Harry talked over him. "I literally never want to break up with you. I am in this for the long haul and I thought you knew that."

"Well-"

"No, it's my turn," Harry interrupted. "You are the reason that we're not married."

"I know," he assured, nodding, "I'm not the type of person someone marries."

"What? No!" Harry protested. "Godric, no. Draco you told me you hated weddings. You said you hated the entire concept of marriage. You hated the status, and the games, and the politics-"

"I didn't mean that about getting married to you!" he protested.

"Well, how was I supposed to know that?"

"Because there was nothing political about this!" he said. "There's nothing about status, or rank, or politics, or games about our relationship."

Harry stared at him, "Draco, I have wanted to marry you for so long," he said. Draco looked skeptical so Harry said, "Remember that night that we went to the Weasley's, it was our first time there as a couple?" Harry continued, remembering the moment like it was yesterday.,"And you went outside at one point when we were playing games."

"I remember," he interrupted.

He kept talking anyway, taking a step closer to the other man, "And I came outside to find you and you were standing there staring up at the stars with tears in your eyes."

"I remember," he growled.

"Let me finish," Harry said, clasping his hand in his, "and you asked if that was what it was like to have a real family."

"Look, Potter-"

"Let me finish," Harry repeated. "And I told you that I didn't have a clue because the Weasley's are the closest thing I've had to a real family."

"Yes," Draco replied. "And we talked about my mother."

"Yes," Harry agreed, "But that doesn't matter because I knew that instant that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. I knew that I wanted to have a family with you. I knew you were it for me."

"What?" he whispered. "Harry we'd been dating for what? A month at that point?"

"Twenty two days," Harry replied. "And I knew. I've never been one for taking a long time to make decisions. My gut has never really led me astray and I know when something feels right." He tugged Draco a little closer until they were standing mere inches apart, "And nothing has ever felt more right than you."

"Harry," he whispered, "Really?"

"Yeah," he replied, leaning in to peck his lips. "Marry me, Draco Malfoy."

"Really?"

"Really."

Draco was nodding and throwing himself at Harry, kissing him fiercely and Harry wrapped him up in his arms and kissed him back.

When Harry pulled back, he rested his forehead against Draco's, "I love you."

'I love you, too."

"We should get back before everyone notices we're missing."

The other man nodded but made no move to leave. "And we probably should keep this between us for now. We don't want to steal their spotlight."

"Our little secret for the night," Harry promised. "But then after that everyone will know," he said. "Everyone will know that I am yours and you are mine, no matter what. Until death do us part."

"Until death do us part," Draco whispered back like a promise.

A promise that they both fully intended to keep. No matter what.

Day 6: Proposal | Day 8: Chickens

[another-cancer]

Day 9, July 15th Pixie

“Pixie is it? That’s what the media has been calling you,” he said in his twisted voice.

She growled, “One person is allowed to call me that and you sure as hell ain’t him.”

Look I am back! Hopefully with semi-regular updates as I try to finish this.

///

She had been having a bad day. An unlucky one above anything else. Marinette still carried luck from her days as Ladybug. But luck runs out. Especially when the old Ladybug holder had been spending so much time with a current Black Cat holder.

The bad day started with a coffee malfunction, her coffee machine broke. So she went to her favorite cafe. They were closed due to a break in the night before. She ended up giving up on coffee. Instead, she opted to visit work.

While Marinette mainly worked from home, she did officially have an office at Wayne Enterprises where she oversaw the JTodd fashion company, her mini-empire that continued to be commission only after all the years. Named after Jason Todd. MDC had died when Ladybug did when the original Marinette Dupain-Cheng passed. Now, this version of Marinette headed an up-and-coming fashion empire, overseen by WE.

However, while she was making her way to the office building, faith proved to have other plans for her. A kidnapping. By the one and only Joker. Fuck.

///

“Pixie is it? That’s what the media has been calling you,” he said in his twisted voice.

She growled, “One person is allowed to call me that and you sure as hell ain’t him.”

Her arms were tied back above her head as a bomb sat in the middle of the room equal distance from her and the Joker.

“Well, sweetheart that other person isn’t here are they?”

Knowing the answer she looked around the room, they were alone. Jason was nowhere to be seen. She was alone. She blacked out.

///

Blink. Blink.

“Looky here, it looks like the doll is finally awake again,” Joker said to an empty room.

She was tired, from just hanging there. She wondered why she wasn’t dead yet. Why was he keeping her alive?

“Oh no you look a bit sleepy again, what a shame,” he said as she drifted back out of consciousness.

///

Loud. Pain. Needle? Blood. Dark. Quiet. Sleep.

How long had it been?

///

Fifteen hours. She hadn’t been seen for fifteen hours. She was kidnapped. And he was terrified. Marinette always texted or called, she checked in constantly. At hour three he considered it a fluke, at hour five he questioned Adrien, at hour six he searched Wayne Enterprise, at hour eight he started searching the city.

“You need rest,” B told him.

“No, I need to find her!”

“Jay we are going to find her, I promise, but right now you look like Tim, you’ve been out here too long,” Dick joked.

“How the fuck are you joking at a time like this?”

“I’m just trying to lighten the mood a bit.”

“Fuck that shit, Marinette has been missing for fifteen hours, we don’t know who the fuck has her or where the fuck she is,” Jason was steaming.

///

Marinette vomited. What the fuck was going on? Cameras. The Joker was no longer with her. It was just the bomb and her. And now a camera, a camera with a blinking light. She was being recorded, probably live-streamed knowing Joker’s flair for the dramatics.

He was going to find her. Barbara could help. She would be okay.

“Jay,” she whispered, staring into the camera, “Jay.”

She repeated it over and over until she couldn’t. She said it until she couldn’t speak.

‘I love you,’ she mouthed.

He would never get it. He wasn’t able to read lips.

///

“What do you mean you can’t trace it?” Jason demanded to know.

Barbara said, “It’s bouncing off too many towers, I can’t find an exact location.”

“What if they’re moving?” Tim suggested.

“What?” Jason asked, refocusing his attention.

“Look in the video Mari is swinging back and forth, and she threw up, she gets motion sickness. That would explain why the signal is bouncing off a bunch of towers.”

“You’re right, that would explain it, but it would need to be something big. Like a truck. I’ll start looking,” she turned back to the screen.

Tim continued analyzing the video footage looking for clues. Perhaps trying to figure out what Marinette had mouthed. And Jason. Jason felt useless. All he could do was wait for an answer. Wait for a location. Tim had the video muted so Jason didn’t have to listen to her repeating his name. So he didn’t have to listen to her suffer.

///

Someone had apparently given Bruce the news of a breakthrough. He was back in the cave with Damian and Dick. Jason thought it was stupid that no one was out looking for her. But what did he know? He needed to take a fucking break. Bullshit. Everyone standing in the cave without Marinette felt empty as they filled Bruce in.

“What happens when we find her?” Damian asked.

“We rescue her,” Jason stated as the most obvious thing in the world.

“No Damian has a point, there is a bomb. If we do anything too dramatic it will blow. A truck that size has a large gas tank, that could take out half a city block. We need to lure the truck out of the city somehow,” Dick suggested.

“Do you know how long it has been?” Jason quietly asked.

“What?” Bruce prompted.

Speaking louder he repeated, “Do you know how long it has been?”

Everyone stared blankly.

“Twenty-Three hours. She’s been missing for twenty-three hours. She has been throwing up on live television for the last six hours. I haven’t seen her in over twenty-six hours. We need to rescue her as soon as possible.”

“We understand, but we need to protect the city. We can’t let that truck blow,” Dick reasoned.

“Fuck the city. This is Marinette we’re talking about.”

“Jay, we can’t just-”

“You don’t understand, I- We- She-” Jason couldn’t find the words, “She’s important.”

“We know she’s family.”

“She’s more than that. I need to save her.”

He loved her.

///

She couldn’t open her eyes. They were too heavy.

Everything hurt.

Where was Jason?

///

He stopped every truck he came across. But he didn’t need to stop the one in front of him to know.

She was there. He could feel it.

It calmed him, around her aura he was more rational.

///

An explosion shook the whole city.

Her body was in his arms.

She had no pulse.

Tears welled up in his eyes as he let her go to perform CPR.

As he attempted to bring life back to her he repeated, ‘I love you,’ over and over.

And then a pulse.

She was still alive.

She had a chance.

Red Hood checked Pixie Todd into the hospital ten minutes later.

///

Jason came rushing into the hospital five minutes later.

“I’m here to see Pixie Todd,” he demanded.

“Mr. Wayne, she is in surgery, when she is out it will be family only until she awakes.”

“We have the same last name.”

“While I won’t question how you know what name she was checked in under, I will say you yourself have confirmed to the media, you aren’t related to the girl. I’m sorry, we understand she is your friend, but you won’t be able to see her until she’s awake.”

“We got married, '' he blurted out, “last year we didn’t want the media to know. I just want to see my wife when she gets out.”

He lied effortlessly.

“Oh, I’m sorry I assumed-”

“It’s okay, I just would like an update on her condition.”

“Of course, I can go get her surgeon.”

“Hey, can you not tell anyone about the marriage?”

“Of course Mr. Wayne.”

She was going to be okay.

Masterlist AO3

First Previous Next

[thefanficmonster]

Finally, You’re Back

Part 1: ‘There You Are’

Karl Heisenberg (Resident Evil 8: Village) x Reader (Gender Neutral)

Warnings: Mentions of Injury and Human Experimentation, Insecurity, Swearing, Spoilers for RE8

Genre: Angst, Romance, Some Humor and Fluff too

Summary: And there they are, back in that village half a decade later to retrieve what’s theirs but unaware of what they’ll find in place of what they remember.

Requested by one Anon and the idea was modified by another Anon, so thank you both so much for sharing your creativity with me, it’s really been a huge honor to write a fic inspired by such a beautiful idea. Love you both! 💕

If again is what he hoped and prayed for, why is he damning it now Why does he resent himself for having hope When he previously wished nothing but to have it Why does their presence hurt When it used to heal him Why do they remind him of how much of a monster he is When previously they were the only one making him human Why is he worthy of their presence When he’s only become worse They upheld their promise But the person they are coming back to is no longer alive He’s taken his place and he hates himself for it He’d kill himself to get him back He’d do just about anything Just to prevent those eyes from seeing them differently Just so he can greet them with open arms and say:

“Finally, you’re back“

But as of now all he can say is:

“You’re back, but the one you’re searching for will never return“

He was made aware of their presence the day of their arrival in the village. He knew all about their venture, going around the village asking for him to be looked at with terror by the villagers they came across. He watched as all the people refused to tell them his whereabouts, claiming they didn’t know or they couldn’t tell. No matter what bribery or convincing method Y/N tried to use, the villagers refused to stand down from their determined ground.

They refused to give up though, going against his prayers that they would. They might have felt discouraged but they never, not even for a second, thought to give it up. Never did they even consider forgetting him as an option. It’s been half a decade and they still remember him, they still have the will to look for him despite all the time that has passed, despite the odds that aren’t in their favor, despite the lack of help from anyone.

They keep going, keep trying. They keep driving the sword deeper into his chest, piercing his heart.

If only they could accept me like this. If only they could look at a monster the same way they looked at that boy they met five years ago...

His mistake, although blatantly obvious even to him, is not something he’s willing to correct. He doesn’t want to give them a chance. And the answer to the question many - even he himself - would ask ‘why’, that answer he doesn’t want revealed.

Because he knows it and would do anything in his power to keep it from swimming to the surface.

The answer? - It’s because he’s afraid. Terrified really.

What of? That’s the part he’s not sure about. Is he afraid of them being scared, disgusted and repulsed by him? Or is he afraid of the complete opposite - that they won’t bat an eye at the change he’s undergone. That latter option leaves him with a bitter taste in his mouth, his stomach turning. He doesn’t believe he deserves that reaction, after all he’s done, after becoming the monster he is now, he’s done his best to not even think about them - attempts that have failed miserably. Not a day has gone by that they haven’t been on his mind. He thought getting rid of the dog tag necklace - the promise - would cleanse his system of their memory that’s etched itself so deeply within his mind and soul but his hands refused to cooperate when his brain kept telling them to lift that necklace off his neck. He couldn’t do it, and he hated himself because of it for a while, but if he’s being honest he felt more relieved than anything else. He doesn’t want the only real memory, the only pleasant memory of his human days gone. He doesn’t want to wipe Y/N from his mind, they’re the only thought that still sends his heartbeat speeding in a positive way. He knows he’s a coward for what he does, hiding in the shadows and watching them waste their time with the villagers who think they are downright insane for going around looking for Karl Heisenberg whom the entire village knows as Lord Heisenberg. Not using his title each time they ask never fails to bring a smile to his face. It’s a relief that they at least have a nice picture of him that has stuck with them. And if it’s up to him, that’s the picture that will remain, they won’t see him like this, this new him won’t replace the old him in their mind. He’d do anything to make sure of it.

That being said, you can imagine the massive shock and mini heart attack he experienced one day when his motion detectors picked up on someone entering the factory in broad daylight. Rushing to the camera display, the briefest glimpse was enough to make out who this foolish person looking for their death was. 

Goddammit, Y/N!

It was no longer a danger to his sanity, their presence at the factory was an even worse danger for them. His creations wouldn’t think twice about slicing their tiny frame in half with their implemented chainsaws, designed to do exactly what he’s hoping they won’t get the chance to do this time. Running to the elevator, all he can do is silently pray he reaches them before they come across one of his minions.

What he’s going to say to them? How he’s gonna greet them? He hasn’t got the slightest clue, all he knows is that he has to get to them asap.

Running out of the elevator once it settles on the ground floor, he almost crashes directly into them, eyes wide with shock as the adrenaline is still pumping throughout his body despite the immense amount of relief he feels wash over him. He doesn’t notice at first, but when he does his heart sinks: their gaze is empty and their face unreadable. He can’t bear to have them looking at him like that, it hurts more than physically hitting him. Hell, it hurts more than the experiments Miranda did to him.

“How’d you find me?“ He decides to end the silence for his sanity’s sake, his heart heavy and aching in his chest.

They shrug, “Wasn’t easy, I’ll have to admit, you’ve trained the villagers well, none of em wanted to give me even a clue.“ They give him a small smile before looking around at the factory walls and everything lining them, “And then I put it together on my own. It was a bit of a stretch...“ they trail off, their eyes scanning him from head to toe, “...but I see it was a lucky one.“

He can’t help but huff, more out of disgust for himself than anything else, “If you call this lucky you’ve gotta have a few screws loose.”

Much to his surprise, this remark earns him a genuine, wholehearted laugh from Y/N, “Oh Karl, didn’t you pick up on my loose screws back when we first met? That’s odd, people usually take one look and can already tell.”

He scoffs, letting a small smile slip onto his face before he chases it away, forcing himself to maintain the seriousness, “I can’t believe how foolish you are. Didn’t you, even for a second, think there was maybe a good reason why people didn’t want to give you my whereabouts?”

“Oh I didn’t need to think about it!“ They say, lifting a pointer finger in the air as if to emphasize their point, “They were pretty clear when they were calling you stuff like ‘monster’ and ‘cruel Lord’ or whatever.“

Heisenberg’s eyes widen in an instant, “So you knew? You knew I was...I wouldn’t be the same as you remember me?” He asks, his jaw almost reaching the floor.

They nod nonchalantly, “I mean, I was sure of that part, it’s been half a decade, after all. Of course, I didn’t expect such a drastic change but it changes nothing. The villagers made it all sound super scary and dramatic...”

Karl doesn’t get confused often. However, right now, they’ve got him completely flabbergasted. “You were told about me...about me being what I am and you still showed up and walked into this place everyone fears like you own it? Where the fuck is your self-preservation instinct?!”

With an eye-roll, Y/N pushes past him, entering the elevator and walks over to the buttons to choose a floor, “Up your ass, Heisenberg. Right next to the stick that’s got you in such a foul mood. Is this how you welcome back an old friend?” Though the words themselves were harsh, they spoke them in such a way and with a sincere look in their eyes that they had the complete opposite effect of what they’d usually have. Hell, he wants to laugh at the vocabulary on its own, it’s so refreshing to hear someone use those terms and speak so freely around him, unfazed by his powers. To be fair, they’re probably not even aware he has any.

Looking at them now, their intense gaze telling him loud and clear that they’re completely unfazed, has him going soft. They’re still his connection to the humanity he’s lost, he’s still clinging onto it thanks to them. And while he still believes he doesn’t deserve to preserve any last piece of it, he’s glad that he’s not the judge of that. The punishment is not his to decide. It’s theirs. And who knows, allowing him to keep a tiny fragment of his humanity may be the ultimate punishment but he doesn’t know it yet. Regardless, he’s happy with it as long as it means he has them by his side to carry said punishment out.

When all they get in response to their words is a laugh they too let a smile lighten up their features, “There you go, knock some humor into you.” They turn to look at the buttons briefly before locking their gaze onto him once again, “I like what you did with the place. Care to show me around?”

He shakes his head as his laughter dies down, “You won’t like it.”

Y/N rolls their eyes yet again, “Leave that up for me to decide, old man.”

A frown comes across Heisenberg’s face, “Old man? How dare you?”

The sound of their laughter almost manages to wipe the frown off his face. Almost. “Old man who can pull off even a century old dog tag necklace.” They say, sizing up the necklace resting over his chest which he automatically reaches out to touch as a result of her remark. “You can keep it, by the way. I don’t need it back. I’ll be sticking around for some time after all.”

Before he can even process what they said, they’ve pulled him into the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor, looking out of the open side of it to be able to see the inside of the factory as the metal box keeps climbing, carrying them with it. Their back is turned to him so he can’t see the look on their face but he can only hope it’s not one of horror or disgust. If he were to receive that look from them his heart would shatter on the spot. So he’d rather they don’t turn around - both for him not to be able to see them grimacing and so they can’t see him staring at them with that look in his eyes.

Look of adoration he’s never given anyone before nor will he ever give to anyone else. And so, all the pieces of his soul have found their proper spots.

Thanks to Y/N.

Finally, you’re back.

[imaginejamesandsirius]

Can u do a fic where like James is currently dating lily and then Sirius starts dating some random guy from whatever house and James gets like super jealous and possessive trying to keep Sirius to himself (I’d write it myself but I can’t write for shit lol)

((A/N: In keeping with the prompt, there is brief James/Lily in the beginning))

James frowned. "Who's Sirius with?"

"Hm?" Lily looked up, then followed James's stare over to where his best mate was. "That's Fabian, you know that. You're on the Quidditch team together, for Merlin's sake. What's up with you?"

James opened his mouth to say that nothing was wrong with him and bugger you, Lily, for even suggesting it, then he paused. He was bothered by this. There was no reason to be bothered by this. Sirius and Fabian weren't mates, so James hadn't seen them chatting before. Gideon and Fabian were the year above them, and they were busy with Quidditch and all their NEWT classes. Neither of them exactly had time to socialize with random-arse people in the year below them. James's frown deepened. Sirius wasn't a random person, and he was perfectly capable of talking to anyone in Hogwarts, especially someone as cool as Fabian. So why was he upset? "I dunno," he said to Lily, but his mind was reeling, trying to figure it out.

Normally, James was only bothered by people talking to his friends if they were dangerous. All the Slytherins in their year had plenty of reason to hold a grudge, so that would've made sense. But Fabian was a Gryffindor, and perfectly trustworthy besides, so it couldn't be that.

"Look," Lily said with a small smile, "I get that you're used to Sirius always being around, but you wanted to spend time just the two of us, so he has time to branch out."

"He is not replacing me," James said indignantly. He was Sirius's best friend and he always would be. Getting a girlfriend hardly changed that.

"I wasn't saying that. But be realistic, for a second. He wants to spend his time with you, but you're busy. Remus and Peter took all the time you spent off doing your own thing to study, so he can't hang out with them. He had to find someone else."

"Fabian's not drowning in spare time."

"Maybe they have free time at the same time," Lily said with a shrug. "I dunno, do I look like a seer to you? C'mon, stop worrying about what Sirius is up to and let's enjoy our time alone for the next hour, yeah?"

James dredged up a smile for her because he was happy that they had some time alone in Hogsmeade before they met back up with their friends. He should enjoy this. Besides, he'd see Sirius then, and he'd be able to ask him about what was going on between him and Fabian. Because that glimpse that he'd gotten hadn't been two friends talking; it had been more than that.

He might be reading too much into it, but there had been something in the way that Sirius was standing-- or maybe it had been in his smile?-- that made James think they were flirting. If they had been flirting, James would have to caution Sirius to knock it off before he got hurt. Fabian was a good guy, yeah, but getting involved with somebody a year above them was asking for trouble. Everyone knew that they were supposed to date within their year. Less heartache that way, and Sirius was rather sensitive, even if he liked to pretend that he wasn't.

*

"Hey," James said, pulling Sirius off to the side. He waited until the rest of the group was too far away to hear them before continuing, "I saw you with Fabian earlier. What's going on with that?"

"Oh," Sirius said. He sounded a little surprised but not horribly shocked at being seen. He seemed pleased, judging by the small smile that spread across his face. "We were, er- on a date. He asked when he saw that I was alone, and I figured why not?"

"Why would you go on a date with him?" James asked, sounding ridiculously rude.

Sirius blinked, smile giving way to confusion. "Because he's nice to me? And funny?"

"No, I mean why would you date him?"

"The same reasons I just said, tosser. What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing's wrong with me," James said defensively.

"Then stop acting like there is," Sirius replied, brushing past him. They were both heading to Gryffindor Tower though, so James fell into step next to him like he always did. "I had a nice day before you got your wand in a knot. The first nice day I've had since you decided to abandon me for Lily, I might add."

"I did not abandon you for Lily."

Sirius snorted, clearly not believing him.

"We still see each other all the time!" James insisted.

"Yeah, because we take all the same classes and sleep in the same dormitory, not because you make time for me anymore."

"I never had to make time for you because you never had anything else to do; that's different," James said, and then immediately regretted it. "I didn't mean that how it sounded. I just mean that there was never someone I wanted to see other than you! Wormtail and Moony always crop up when they wanted to see us, so I didn't have to make time to see them. Lily's different."

"Tell your bloody girlfriend that she can see you when we're hanging out then."

"She already does. Or have you somehow missed her and Marlene sitting next to us in the Great Hall and in the common room? I know, of course, that you haven't. You just ignore them."

"I always ignore Marlene," Sirius said, rolling his eyes. "If I look at her, she thinks it means I'm interested. Look, I don't know what's crawled up your arse today, but I'm allowed to date someone. You made time for Lily by spending less time with me. I am now spending that free time by hanging out with Fabian."

James grit his teeth together. What Sirius said made sense, but something about it was bugging him. He couldn't put his finger on what it was, but it didn't feel right. Something was wrong with the situation. He knew that he couldn't say anything to Sirius about it right now; he'd only get more upset with James. "Fine," he gritted out.

Sirius narrowed his eyes, daring him to object again, but James stayed stubbornly silent.

*

Sirius's relationship with Fabian was short-lived; he said that while Fabian was a good bloke and all, it didn't really feel like they were dating when they spent time together. James was unreasonably happy about that, and things went back to normal for them. He didn't realise that he'd been ignoring everything else in his life to spend more time with Sirius though, not until Lily confronted him.

"You're spending more time stalking your best mate than you do sat in class, James," she said, arms crossed over her chest. "Look, I knew going into this that you and Sirius were close, but this is obsessive."

He blinked, doing a quick run-through of the last week. He had spent a good portion of his time hanging onto Sirius-- literally, since he hadn't wanted for him to wander off if he looked the other direction-- but he wouldn't call it obsessive. "We're mates," he defended. "Of course we spend time together."

"Yeah, you're mates, but I didn't say yes to a date just to fight for your time. You used to know that you couldn't spend your every waking moment with him, and now you're regressing."

"I'm not regressing," James said. The idea was insulting, and he kind of couldn't believe she said it. He needed to make things clear to her, and there was no time like the present. "Sirius is the most important person in my life, and if you can't handle that, maybe we shouldn't be dating."

"You're a tosser," Lily said, expression stony. "But you're right. We shouldn't be dating." With that, she turned on her heel, hair tossed over her shoulder, and stalked away.

James was pretty sure he should feel something other than annoyed that she'd dragged him away from Sirius just so she could get jealous. He made his way back to their table and sat down without saying a word.

"Hey," Sirius said, scooting over to make room for him.

James had the urge to wrap an arm around Sirius's shoulders and pull him back to where he'd been before.

"What did Lily want to talk about?"

"Nothing," James grumbled, and it was obvious that he was lying, so he didn't feel bad about it.

Sirius frowned. "You alright?"

Sensing that Sirius wasn't about to drop it, he sighed. "We broke up. She said I was spending too much time with you, and I told her to get over it." He shrugged. "It's a good thing I'm not a prefect, or meetings would be awkward as hell."

"You broke up with Lily?"

James nodded.

"Over me?"

"Pretty sure Lily has a problem with me, not you, if it helps."

"You've been talking my ear off over her for three years, and then you break up after a few months?" Sirius asked incredulously. "Over me?"

"Are you going somewhere with this?"

Sirius continued to stare at him like he didn't have a clue what was going on, then shook his head. "Guess not."

*

As much as James wanted to forget what Lily had said, he couldn't. It kept repeating through his head as he laid down to sleep and ignoring it didn't do him any good.

He had been spending a lot of time with Sirius lately. They normally only did this over the summer, when there was nobody else around that they could hang out with. James would be less inclined to do it if he ever got annoyed with Sirius, but that didn't happen. No matter how much time he spent with Sirius, he was always willing to see him more. He never wanted a break. He'd liked Lily, but he hadn't wanted to spend half that much time with her. More than two dates a week and he started to get annoyed. Not with her, necessarily, but with the fact that he couldn't relax. He was always relaxed around Sirius.

When he'd imagined falling in love, he hadn't thought that he'd want to spend more time with his friends than his girlfriend; he'd imagined it at about fifty-fifty. It was probably what Lily had been thinking would happen too, and she'd been good with that. She hadn't been okay with the split being ninetyeight-two though, which was fair. If Lily had been the one ignoring him, he would've been a lot more pissed off than she'd been. Although, now that he thought about it, she'd been plenty angry when she first asked him to talk, and he'd tried to brush her off. He definitely owed her an apology for that.

With a sigh, he rolled onto his other side. He was hoping that he'd be able to get to sleep now, but instead of thinking about Lily, he was thinking about Sirius.

He'd been really upset when Sirius started dating Fabian. It didn't make any sense. Like Sirius had said, he was mostly spending time with him whenever James was with Lily, so it wasn't cutting into what little time they had, or summat. And on the flip side, he'd been really happy when Sirius and Fabian split. He hadn't had a reaction that extreme to his own breakup-- even though the emotion he should've felt was sadness, but his point still stood. He should've been upset about him and Lily breaking up, but he kind of... hadn't cared. He was more upset about the fact that he didn't care than that they'd broken up.

Or maybe, he thought as he rolled onto his back restlessly, he'd gotten upset with Lily for suggesting that he spend slightly less time with Sirius. Because she'd wanted her boyfriend to spend time with her, and he'd said no. If nothing else, it showed that he wasn't ready to date someone, because he didn't think his response wouldn't have been different if he'd been dating anyone else. Well, except for Sirius, because then there wouldn't be an issue. Hanging out with Sirius would be the same as hanging out with his boyfriend.

Whatever, he'd apologise to Lily tomorrow, and hopefully she wouldn't be too pissed at him. He'd be honest, and that would probably be enough.

*

"Lily, can I talk to you for a second?" he asked, going up to her in the common room as she was working on an essay-- History of Magic, by the look of it.

It was obvious that she was still mad at him by the way the corners of her mouth tightened, but she still nodded and set down her quill to follow him outside the portrait hole so they had a bit of privacy.

"I wanted to apologise for yesterday. I acted like a berk, and you didn't deserve that. You were right; I shouldn't date someone unless I'm actually going to make time for them, and I should've realised that before I ever tried to ask you out. I'm sorry."

"...Thank you," Lily said, scuffing her shoe against the floor. "Since we're not getting back together, can I say something?"

"Sure."

"You might want to warn the next person you date that you and Sirius aren't just close; you're a package deal."

James frowned at her. Not because he was angry, thank Merlin, but because he didn't understand what she meant. Weren't all friends like that?

"Like, you don't care for Marlene, and that's fine because we could still spend time together without it getting in the way. But if I didn't like Sirius? Forget about it. We wouldn't have made it a week. I doubt that's going to change, so a little warning might be good for you."

James blinked. "Right. Erm, thanks."

Lily rolled her eyes, sensing his insincerity. Which, in his defense, he hadn't meant to be insincere, but he didn't exactly understand what she meant by that. He'd heard every word, but it still wasn't any different than what he'd been thinking before-- Lily and Marlene were friends, yes, but no one described them as being close, certainly not the way that Sirius and James were described as close. "Whatever, mate, it's your life." With that, she walked past him and back into the common room.

*

James was beginning to hate these late night revelations he was having. Last night had been that he wasn't ready for a girlfriend when he spent so much time with Sirius, and tonight was- well, that maybe he wanted to date Sirius instead of some bird. He'd been horribly jealous when Sirius started spending time with Fabian-- and yes, he realised the irony of having accused Lily of getting jealous of him and Sirius when he was the one who was guilty.

Oh, who was he kidding? He wanted to date Sirius. There was no 'maybe' about it. He'd only had his realisation ten minutes ago, but he didn't know how he was going to see him tomorrow morning without throwing himself at him. Face first. He wanted to kiss Sirius. He wanted to snog his face off.

In his defense, he'd always known that Sirius was fit as hell, but he hadn't known that his appreciation of his best mate's looks was crossing a line from platonic to romantic. He wasn't sure, for a moment, if romantic inclinations were exactly what he was feeling, but when he compared it to how he felt about his other mates, it solidified his suspicions: he fancied Sirius.

And he had no idea what to do about it. He had a feeling that grabbing and kissing him the next time he saw him wouldn't go over too well.

*

Naturally, James dealt with the situation by kissing Sirius the first time he saw him that morning. It wasn't exactly pleasant, because Sirius had been brushing his teeth, but he didn't immediately shove James away so he was going to count it as a success.

Sirius blinked at him. He held up a finger, spit in the sink, then said, "What the hell is going on with you?" He didn't sound upset, which was another point to this being a success for James.

That being said, James really should've waited until he was more awake. He didn't have his glasses on, so everything was blurry. Except for Sirius when he had kissed him because he'd been right in front of James's face. Also it was harder to form a coherent sentence before he'd been awake for an hour. "You know Fabian?"

"I'm familiar with him, yes," Sirius said dryly. He reached for a cup and rinsed out his mouth, then wiped so it got rid of the little white specks dotting his lips.

Absently, James rubbed at his own mouth and was unsurprised that a bit of toothpaste came off. "I was erm, really jealous when you were seeing him."

"I know."

"If you know, then why are you confused?"

"You're weirdly possessive of me. I know that. Kissing me is a bit much, even for you."

James rolled his eyes. "Turns out that the weird possessive rubbish is me wanting to date you."

"What do you mean it 'turns out'?" he asked. At least he wasn't grossed out or summat.

"Well I was thinking last night, and I realised-"

"Last night? You figured out that you fancied me last night?"

"Erm," James said, very eloquently. "Yes. Is that a problem?"

Sirius snorted. "You don't waste any time."

"Well I realised it last night, but it's not like I started to fancy you last night. I think it's been going on for a while."

"You're-" Sirius started to say, then he pressed his lips together, trying not to laugh.

"What?"

"You are easily the most ridiculous person I know."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"It's you; of course it's a good thing," Sirius said, leaning against the counter. Thoughtfully, he folded his arms over his chest. "So we're dating now?"

"You never said yes, or how you felt, or anything," James pointed out.

"The answer was obviously yes."

"Was it obvious?"

"Was it not?" Sirius asked, brow furrowing.

James shook his head.

"Oh. Well, when Fabian asked me out, I figured that I couldn't feel worse about seeing you with Lily if I was also dating someone. And I've been pining after since like, third year, so it's probably a good thing that you didn't notice. It would've been really awkward. You're a bit of a dumbarse, but it always works out in my favour," Sirius said with a grin.

"Rude," James said idly. "Be nice to your boyfriend. I'm sensitive."

"Sure you are, mate. Sure you are."