#and he has to stay the bright eyed and cheerful kid that everyone expects

[phatcatphergus]

Tubbo goes day after day to the fed offices to get any shred of information on Fred and the one time he gets it, he's told Fred is dead. He asks to see his body and is told that it's so mangled and mutilated it doesn't even look like a person.

[yourlocalfictionalenthusiast]

IN LIFE, IN DEATH...

PART TEN

:Masterlist:

A/N: And that’s a wrap! Ahh, writing this series has been so fun and I’m so glad that so many of you have liked it so much. Thank you guys for staying until the end and hopefully for upcoming stuff 👀 I hope you enjoy the finale of In Life, In Death... <3

(Also the song mentioned in part six and this part is ‘She Is Love’ by Parachute) <3

-

December 1994

Luke groaned as he woke up, squinting hard to try and adjust his eyes to the amount of light in the room.

Even before he could see clearly, he knew he must've fallen asleep in the studio judging by the soreness in his back and neck that he always got when he slept on the old couch. It couldn't have been more than six in the morning, and Luke could still feel the tiredness in his bones. So he tried to turn away from the light and hopefully fall back asleep, but there was something keeping him firmly in place.

His heart skipped when he looked down and saw that you were laying right next to him with your head on his chest and an arm thrown across his stomach. When he realized that his own arms were wrapped around you, his heart broke out into a full-on tap dance.

Waves of confusion ran through his still-foggy brain until he saw his guitar case propped up against the piano and his backpack on the floor with his clothes spilling out of it.

Then the events of last night quickly came back to him.

How he had gotten home late from rehearsal and his mom was waiting in the kitchen with his latest report card and her signature lecture at the ready. One minute he was standing there yelling, packing all he could fit into his bag, and the next, he was halfway to the studio with the rain soaking him head to toe.

He had expected it to be empty when he finally got there, but he was flooded with relief when he saw you. All the frustration slowly melted out of him the longer he laid there with you, leaving him feeling exhausted and shivering despite how warm he felt.

The last thing he wanted to do was talk about any of it, but when you asked, the words came out of his mouth before he could stop them.

He remembered rambling and crying again, the sound of your voice and the feeling of your fingers in his hair warming him up even more. Then finally, he remembered falling asleep with his chin tucked on top of your head, the smell of your shampoo filling his senses.

Without thinking, Luke reached down and carefully pushed a piece of hair away from your face, tucking it behind your ear and smiling to himself when you shifted into his touch. Then taking in a sharp breath as the realization ran through him all the way down to his toes.

You were his best friend.

The person he wanted to see at the end of a long day. Whenever he was full of anger or lost in confusion, all he had to do was look at you and everything suddenly made sense again. With your pretty smile and laugh, and your way of flipping that little switch inside him that made his head all fuzzy and the ground start spinning under his feet.

You were his best friend, and he was in love with you.

-

2020

All you felt was a mixture of anxiety and nausea as you stood on the Orpheum's street corner, biting the tips of your fingernails.

The entire plan hinged on Willie and Teddy getting everything done in time, and considering that they had betrayed you all before, you couldn’t help but expect the worst.

“Look, don’t worry. Willie said he’ll get us on that marquee.” Alex said nervously as he kicked pebbles across the sidewalk.

“This is going to work, right?” Reggie asked.

“It has to.” Luke mumbled, wincing seconds later when another shock hit them.

Two sharp pops cut through the air behind you and you all whipped around to see Willie and Teddy standing just a few feet away. Willie was watching you all carefully with concern written all over his face, his eyes lingering on Alex longer than anyone else. Teddy stood at the edge of the group, practically burning a hole in your face with his guilty stare.

“Are you guys okay?” Willie asked.

“Yeah, nothing we haven’t felt before.” Alex laughed awkwardly. “How’d it go?”

“Well, when the opening band wakes up, they’ll find their bus two hundred miles out of Vegas.” Willie said with a proud smile as he did a spin, showing off his stolen jacket with the band’s name across the back.

“With absolutely no chance of getting back in time.” Teddy added.

Luke gave Willie a fistbump and pointed up to the office above the Orpheum. “That means there’s probably a promoter up there freaking out right now.”

Willie grinned, sarcasm laced in his tone. “Nah, man. This is Hollywood. I’m sure he’s being very professional.���

You laughed and then Alex slowly inched forward, clearly struggling for the right words to say to Willie. You gave his arm a quick squeeze before following Reggie and Luke down the street to give them space. Before you even got halfway down the sidewalk, Teddy poofed next to you.

“You know, If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you don’t want to talk to me.” He joked.

“Teddy-”

"I just-I didn't want to leave things the way we did." He rambled. "I'm sorry, I should've told you everything that night in the diner-"

"Teddy, It's okay." You said. "You told me before Caleb could put the stamp on me, and you didn't know the details about the plan until after it was too late to help my friends. Plus, I know how much you're risking helping us now."

As soon as the words left your mouth, you felt some of the weight fall off your shoulders. You weren't sure why since the situation was still a little painful and awkward. But being around Teddy always made you feel a little like that kid who started working at the diner with Cece all those years ago. Besides, they were so alike that you found it hard to stay mad at him.

You held out your hand for Teddy to shake. "Despite everything, I'm glad we met."

“Likewise, Gorgeous,” Teddy said with a relieved smile as he grasped your hand. With a subtle wink, he nodded over towards where Luke was standing at the end of the street. “He’s a lucky guy.”

"What? How did you?-" You sputtered as he stepped away. You never told Teddy about Luke, or at least you didn't think you did.

Teddy just smirked in response before disappearing into the air. At the same time, you saw Willie skate away out of the corner of your eye, leaving Alex alone on the sidewalk.

You all phased next to him and Luke squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. "You okay, man?"

"Yeah. I'm good." Alex smiled slyly as he gestured to the office. "Looks like this show needs a new opening act though."

You grinned. "Let's go see if we can help with that."

-

When you got back to the studio, you found Julie pacing back and forth in the middle of the room as she wrung her hands together.

When you all poofed in, she immediately jumped into a load of questions, losing her breath halfway through and flailing her arms around.

"Whoa, just sit down," You laughed excitedly. "We'll tell you everything."

Julie took a gasping breath and plopped backwards onto the couch then stared at you all with expectant eyes. "Well?"

"It worked!" You announced. "Everything's fine."

"You should be getting the call...now!" Alex pointed to Julie’s phone on the table just as it started buzzing. You all cheered and Julie shushed you as she answered the call.

You heard a woman's voice say something through the phone and Julie gave a thumbs-up as she started jumping on the couch. You watched in amusement and mild horror as Luke and Reggie lifted Alex up into the air and spun him around.

Once he was back on the ground, Luke and Reggie made a beeline for you, each of them grabbed one of your arms and flipped you upside down over their shoulders.

You all spent the next twenty minutes laughing and screaming and Alex even got a little teary-eyed but you pretended not to notice. Then Julie called Flynn and ran off excitedly to decide her outfit for the night, leaving the four of you alone to plan out the setlist.

“Okay, so I’m thinking we start with Stand Tall.” Luke said excitedly as he wrote the words down in his songbook.

“Sounds good.” Reggie said, suddenly quiet.

“’Sounds good’? Guys, I wanna hear ‘That sounds awesome!” Luke reached out and nudged Reggie’s shoulder. “I know this isn’t the way we imagined any of this. But we need to be all in tonight. This is our second chance to play the Orpheum!”

“I get it.” Reggie sputtered. “But it’s hard. Do we even know what’s on the other side when we cross over? Do we still get to hang out together?”

You shifted your weight as the happy little bubble surrounding you popped. You had been so wrapped up in the excitement of finally playing the Orpheum that you almost forgot what tonight was really about.

“You guys are the only family I have.” Reggie’s eyes were glued to the piano as he played with his fingers. You reached out and locked his arm with yours in an attempt to comfort him.

“I don’t know what’s gonna happen either. But it’s not like we have a choice.” Alex said.

Suddenly, Reggie’s arm fell out of yours as all three boys fell back, clutching their sides.

“I’m pretty sure we do.” Reggie groaned. “And it rhymes with ‘Hollywood Ghost Club’.”

The garage doors creaked open and Julie appeared with a bright smile and a blue garment bag in her hand. When she saw your expressions, her smile fell. “What’s wrong?”

“We just got hit pretty hard by one of those jolts.” Alex said. “But we’re fine.”

“Oh, good.” She nodded, though she still looked on edge. “I’m nervous.”

“That makes two of us.” You said. “But we made it this far for a reason. We got this.”

“Can you ride there with me? I'm gonna need more pep-talk material for the drive there cause I still think I might puke.” Julie tucked her hair behind her ears.

“Of course, and don't worry, we’ll leave the windows open.” You joked, making everyone laugh.

The sound of a car horn cut through the air and Julie looked outside. "That's my dad. Are you ready, (Y/n)?"

You nodded. "Yeah, uh, give me a second. I'll meet you in the car."

As Julie disappeared behind the doors, you turned to the boys and sighed as you tried to soak up this moment. For all you knew, this could be the last little window of time you had alone with them before tonight.

Julie was a huge part of the band of course, but these were your boys. The ones who you started this all with, who had been by your side for everything.

From the look on all their faces, you could see that they were thinking the same thing.

Without saying a word, you launched yourself at Alex. He made a surprised noise but recovered quickly, throwing his arms around you and holding you tight.

"And I'm the emotional one?" He jokingly muttered in your ear and you pinched his side, making him jump back. "Rude."

As soon as your arms were open, Reggie stepped forward and hugged you so tightly that you were thankful to not need oxygen anymore because he was definitely crushing several vital organs.

You laughed and gave him one last squeeze before pulling away, locking eyes with Luke instantly.

Alex cleared his throat awkwardly and grabbed Reggie's shoulder, steering him over to Luke's songbook to 'check out the setlist again'.

"And then there were two." Luke joked.

You laughed and stepped into his waiting arms, making him laugh. You soaked up the feeling of comfort and familiarity for a minute before pulling away.

"This, uh, is for you," Luke said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. You knitted your eyebrows together in confusion as he handed it over. "I wanted you to have it in case...well, you know. If tonight doesn't work."

"It will." You said, trying to ignore the fact that it very well could happen. "You're not getting rid of me that easily, Patterson."

"I wouldn't dream of it." He quipped back, his voice sounding softer and less teasing than you would've expected. You pulled back from him and because you didn't know if you would ever get another chance, you stood on your tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek.

You moved away too fast to see his reaction but the gesture made the other two boys smirk at you as you dashed out of the doors, making a beeline for the car pulling out of the driveway.

-

The back rooms of the Orpheum were a maze.

You had left for a few minutes to walk around the venue and clear your head, trying to wring out the last of your nerves.

By the time you found your way back, you expected to find the rest of the band rushing to get ready in the dressing room. But all you saw was Julie anxiously pacing as she had been earlier, a habit she seemed to have inherited from both you and Alex.

“You okay?”

She snapped her head up towards you and sighed. “Yeah, just a little worried. The guys aren’t here yet.”

You looked around the room and then at the clock, frowning. The show was in less than half an hour and that was already cutting it close. Part of you wanted to go check on them but Julie seemed to need you more at the moment.

“Okay, well, give them another ten minutes. I'm sure they'll be here. They wouldn’t miss this…again.”

You ran your palm across the front of your pocket, feeling Luke's note next to your parent’s photo, and hoped you were right.

But then more and more time passed until the stage manager came to escort Julie to the stage.

"Just a second!" She calls out and then turns to you. "(Y/n), something's wrong. They were getting those jolts pretty hard before we left. They must've run out of time."

You shut your eyes tight as the words sunk in. All you could bring yourself now was, ‘This isn't what was supposed to happen.’

The world fell out from under your feet and you had trouble even standing up straight as you imagined what must've happened to them. Your best friends, your brothers, your family was gone and there wasn't anything you could do about it.

The guy knocked again, this time a little harder and with a nervous tone. Julie chewed her lip as she looked between you and the door and you could almost see the cloud of grief settling over her.

As hard as it was, you tried your best to shove your feelings down and marched up to Julie. There would be time to fall apart later, but you knew that this what they would want you to do. "Let's go do this for them, okay?"

She took a deep, shaky breath before hesitantly nodding. You followed closely behind her as she walked out the door though the halls until she reached the stage. You waited beside Flynn in the wing as Julie settled behind her microphone and addressed the crowd.

There were scattered claps from around the venue and then she took a deep breath before singing the opening.

After the first few lines, you took your cue and materialized at the center of the stage. The crowd gasped and cheered the way they always did, but you kept your eyes shut tight and focused on the music.

Just as the song started picking up, you heard a familiar pop in the air and then the sound of drumming. You whirled around to see Alex mounted onto a drum set at the back of the stage, twirling his drumsticks around and smiling like he had never been gone at all.

Once you got over the initial shock, you wanted to cry with relief. They were okay, they were here. Alex winked at you goofily, and you ran towards Julie’s keyboard.

She had started bouncing on the balls of her feet, both of you finally getting into the song now that they were coming back. You followed suit, dancing around the base of the drum set as yours and Julie’s voices came together.

Then Reggie appeared on the other side of Julie and you ran to his side. You bumped his shoulder with yours and he grinned, moving to stand back to back.

The song was ramping up to the chorus when a staticky noise cut through the air, not loud enough for the crowd to hear but enough to make you all look over to the other end of the stage.

You could see Luke's form fading in and out, a look of anguish on his face, and the pit in your stomach opened up again. The crowd was on the edge of their seats as Alex's drumming paused and Luke finally materialized to sing the opening of the chorus.

You didn't even know you were moving until you suddenly found yourself across the stage next to Luke, unable to stop smiling as you sang.

Julie joined you, throwing her arms up in the air happily and jumping around. Reggie appeared by her side, flashing the crowd a winning smile.

Alex stood up and gripped his mic as he sang this solo. You looked back at him and flashed him a proud smile, then whooping loudly when Reggie sang his lines.

You all went down the line hitting your notes until the chorus kicked in again and your heart felt so full you almost couldn't stand it. This was what you were so close to achieving before you died, it was all you had wanted for years, and you knew that if you hadn't died, that night would've changed your life. But this night was something even more special. Because you were all here, all together.

Even if it was just for one last song.

Julie caught your attention and nodded towards the platform that spread out into the crowd. You followed her to the center and stood back to back as everyone cheered.

The guys joined in on either side of you, Alex grabbing one of your hands and Luke holding the other. You all bowed to the audience before taking your cue and vanishing, leaving only Julie on stage.

You landed in the wing, feeling a little lightheaded and overwhelmed from all the emotions you had experienced in the last five minutes. The elated smile fading from your face when all three boys poofed by your side only to fall to the floor instantly.

“It didn’t work.” You said miserably as Julie emerged into the backstage area. She grabbed Flynn and whispered something to her, pointing in the direction of her family. Flynn nodded and disappeared into the crowd while Julie ran to your side.

You hauled Alex onto his feet, letting him lean on you to stay upright while Luke and Reggie trailed behind Julie as she led the group back to the dressing room. Once everyone was inside, they collapsed on the couch or the floor, loudly groaning in pain.

“What happened? Why didn’t it work?” Julie asked tearfully.

“I guess playing here wasn’t our unfinished business.” Alex said hollowly.

“Point Caleb.” Reggie muttered as he clung to the side of an armchair.

You stood frozen next to Julie as panic spread through your whole body, both of you flinching in sympathy as the shocks continued.

“You have to save yourselves right now.” Julie begged. “Join Caleb’s club. It’s better than not existing at all!”

“She’s right.” You managed to say, your voice shaky and almost giving out. Your stomach flipped at the thought of them having to work for an evil club owner forever, but the alternative was worse. “You guys need to go now! For me. For us.”

“We’re not going back there.” Reggie shook his head.

Luke pulled himself up and stumbled forward a little so that he was right in front of you. “No music is worth making if we’re not all making it together.”

You sighed sadly, thinking back to your conversation yesterday. “So no more regrets?”

Luke let out a deep sigh and then reached up and cupped your cheek with his right hand. “Just one.”

You furrowed your eyebrows in response and Luke blinked hard as if he was trying to find the words. "I never told you why I left that night."

"Luke, don't." You gave him a weak smile. "I get it."

"You do?" He asked.

You struggled to get the words out. "Yeah, I mean it was bound to happen eventually. We just got too close and it was weird for you. I understand t-”

"What?" Luke asked, cutting you off with a confused look. "No, no, that's not it at all. Read the-"

Before he could finish, you heard Julie gasp loudly from a few feet away. You looked over to see her stepping back from Alex with an awestruck look on her face as she gripped his forearms.

Wait, what?

Before you could even begin to process what you were seeing, Reggie was reaching out to Julie, who grabbed his wrist and hauled him up to his feet. The three of them stared at each other for a few seconds before Julie turned to you and Luke.

“Guys, come here.”

Alex reached out and pulled you into his side while Luke threw an arm around Reggie’s back and Julie brought you all in closer to her. At first, nothing happened. But then there was a faint buzzing sound and the boys lifted their wrist towards the ceiling and you all watched in awe as the stamp floated away in the blink of an eye.

“Whoa.” Reggie said, his eyes still glued to the ceiling. “I don’t feel as weak anymore.”

“Yeah, me neither.” Alex agreed. “Not that I ever was that weak in the first place.”

You rolled your eyes and let your head fall over on his shoulder. “What do you think that means?”

Luke smiled. “I think it means the band is back.”

It was quiet for a second before Alex looked at you all shyly. “You guys think we can try that hug thing again?”

You laughed as you huddled together again, sniffling and laughing. Then Julie yelled out that you had played the Orpheum and then you were all jumping around, still tangled in each other’s arms.

Eventually, you all broke apart and while the boys started chasing each other around, you turned to Julie. She looked into your eyes and immediately flew into your arms, muttering into your shoulder, “I always wanted a big sister.”

The words warmed your heart and you squeezed her extra hard, grateful that you actually could now. “Well, I’m honored.”

“My family's probably looking for me so..." Julie stepped back from your arms with the biggest smile you’d ever seen on her face, you jokingly bowed to her and she copied the gesture before disappearing behind the door.

You wiped the last of your tears out of your eyes and turned around to find Alex and Reggie were talking in whispers and wearing knowing smiles. When Alex saw you looking, he cleared his throat and nudged Reggie’s shoulder.

“Hey, Reg.” Alex said cheekily, not taking his eyes off of you for even a second. “I was going to check out the next band. You wanna come with me?”

“Sure!” Reggie started strolling towards the door, stopping only for a second to nudge your shoulder and whisper ‘don't do anything I wouldn’t do’ in your ear.

Alex fixed Luke with a pointed look over his shoulder and Reggie gave him a dorky wink before they poofed away. You smiled fondly at the space where they were just standing and awkwardly turned towards Luke.

“Hi.” You said, laughing awkwardly.

“Hi.” Luke muttered back as he stepped forward until he was close enough to grab your hand. “About what I was saying earlier…”

You opened your mouth to say something but he shook his head and pointed to your pocket. “Read it. Please.”

You tugged the note he had given you earlier out of your pocket and carefully folded it open to see that it wasn’t a note at all. It was the love song that Julie had found that day in the garage, the one that he didn’t want anyone to see. You struggled a little trying to decipher Luke's handwriting. The ink was a little smudged and the song was clearly unfinished but it was the most beautiful thing you had ever read. And he had written it for you.

"I didn't leave because we got too close," He said. "It was the opposite, (Y/n), I left because I was scared to lose you, and I know that doesn't make sense because I kind of did w-"

You carefully tucked the paper back in your pocket with one hand and grabbed the back of his neck with the other, pulling him down and closing the last bit of space between you.

Luke's brain short-circuited for a second before he started kissing back, grabbing your waist with enough force to nearly knock you both backwards. It was dizzying and a little desperate, yet weirdly familiar, as if you'd been kissing him your whole life.

Most moments with Luke felt like they were happening in slow motion, but this time it was like a high-speed movie montage of your whole lives. The stolen crayons, the time capsule, the pre performance pep talks, the smell of cinnamon, the ferris wheel, his jacket, the movie nights and songwriting sessions. All of it had led up to this moment.

"I love you." Luke said immediately after you pulled away. "God, I love you so much. I'm such an idiot. I'm sorry."

“Hey, it’s okay.” You laughed, blinking another wave of tears out of your eyes. “I should’ve told you forever ago instead of skirting around it.”

“And what is it that you should’ve told me?” He said teasingly and you rolled your eyes. You had gotten so used to Luke being so shut down or nervous around you that you almost forgot how much of a little shit he could be.

“That I love you too.” You said, unable to stop smiling.

Luke leaned down and captured your lips in another kiss, this time threading his fingers through your hair as he cupped your cheeks in his hands. “I’m never gonna get tired of hearing that.”

You bit your lip to keep another laugh from bubbling up as you looked up at him, feeling completely overwhelmed in the best way possible. "So...what now?"

"I don't know." Luke admitted. "But I know one thing."

"What's that?"

"That no matter where we go, or what we do," He pushed a piece of hair behind your ear. "In life, in death... I'm yours. Always."

-

The End

-

In Life, In Death Taglist:

@ifilwtmfc @instabull @wanniiieeee @tenaciousperfectionunknown @charliegillespiewife @merceret @itismeasmolpotato @lilostif16 @dangerouslyclose @iainttakingshitfromnobody @givemebooksorgivemedeath @sunsetcurvedotmp3 @askgeoff @mayleenicole5676 @puppy11148 @vampire7595 @wackyworrieruniverse @reallysparklychaos @lovelydaydreams15 @rachmmb @musicismyescape27 @stackie4ever​ @spidermankenobi

(Strikethrough means I can’t tag you)

JATP Taglist:

@caitsymichelle13 @sunsetcurvej​

Let me know if you want to be added!

[serendipityunho]

Cheat Codes (M)

❀ Genre: smut, angst, college au ❀ Pairing: dom!Seonghwa x brat!Reader (fem.) ❀ Word Count: 5.3k ❀ Warnings: explicit language, intoxication, brat taming, hair-pulling, fingering, biting kink, blowjob, teasing, clit play, dirty talk, begging, explicit sexual intercourse, a little bit of a fight between seonghwa and yunho, yunho got his feelings hurt :( 

❀ Synopsis: "This party's boring, wanna get out of here?", may have perhaps led you to make the biggest mistake of your life by sleeping with your best friend's other best friend, your best friend who happens to be in love with you.

Another year, another number changed on his age. Despite that change, Yunho would always remain a child at heart, getting excited and wide-eyed at the birthday cake you’d always bake him. But for the past couple of years, there’s been a twist, he was able to drink legally. Since then, parties and gatherings were always wild, bringing a new meaning to the word ‘celebration’.

You’d do anything for your best friend, and he’d do anything for you. Yunho was there for you since you could remember, he was the first to show up with a bandaid when you fell off your bike or when you tripped over the rock chasing him around his house. It was an unbreakable bond, everyone knew it, they could see it, how close the two of you are. 

“One time for the birthday bitch- Ow! What was that for?” Mingi shot Yunho a hurtful look as he rubbed his arm from Yunho’s warning punch.

“Call me a bitch one more time and let’s see where that leads you,” he was obviously kidding, who in their right mind would ever dare to harm Mingi? All he does is just vibe in his own little world, smiling at every living thing.

This year, it was a whole lot more different compared to his usual birthday bashes. The girls, the beer kegs, the rave lights, the party animals? Not a single one in sight. Yunho thought it was time for a change in the annual scenery, it definitely let the both of you breathe a little bit more.

To be honest, it felt quite unusual without the booming music and sweaty bodies sexually grinding against one another. Not that you were complaining, it was a relief not to witness any more wild scenes.

Last time, San had to get stitches on his head as a result of slipping off the diving board. And Mingi? Let’s spare the details and just say his chest was in pain from a Hennessy-drunk-Wooyoung trying to vacuum his ‘tiddies’. Don’t ask how he managed to secure a vacuum in the first place. 

“Happy birthday, shithead,” was the first thing you say to him, pulling yourself onto one of the kitchen stools as you watch him gulp down a cup of whatever mix of alcohol he had swirling in there.

“Thank you, shithead, want a drink?” Yunho always offered you drinks whenever he had the chance, getting you drunk was always his favourite thing to do. Why? It was so he could freely express his feelings for you without the fear of you remembering it the next day. 

How did you know that? Yunho had once underestimated your drinking ability. It was quite a night to remember when Yunho mistook your fuller cup of alcohol for his, making him spew out the most cooing confession you’ve ever heard.

It honestly didn’t come as a surprise. One of you was doomed to fall for the other, he just happened to be the first. 

“No thanks, we’re keeping it calm this time, remember?”

“Right, right. Calm.” 

Several of his friends had been invited to Yunho’s little birthday gathering. They had just been as confused as you were when you were told there was no big party this year. But, of course, none of them questioned the birthday boy of his intentions.

You’ve familiarised yourself with their faces around campus, but San and Wooyoung were the only two you’ve actually brought yourself to talk to beside Mingi occasionally. The two were tight-knit, maybe even more so than Yunho and yourself. A pair who wreak chaos and havoc everywhere they go. No one could ever forget the time Wooyoung walked the walk of shame with nothing but a pizza box covering his lower region and San’s beanie on his head. 

“You never told me what’s with the sudden change,” no one had really asked Yunho, maybe that’s what he liked about them, the suppressed urge to ask a million questions. “No girls accepted your party invites? Shocking.”

“No, it’s not that,” Yunho sighed, leaning back against the counter with his hand wrapped on the edge. “I can’t have big loud parties for the rest of my life, you know?” 

“And what about it?”

“Don’t know, I just felt like having people I actually care about here,” it was rare to have a friend like Yunho, sure he was easy to talk to but that doesn’t automatically make someone his friend. “A time where I don’t have to fake a smile for an entire night because that shit just makes my face cramp.”

“Oh, please, don’t get all soft on me now. It’s your birthday, cheer up a bit, yeah?” You punched his shoulder playfully before hopping off the stool, grabbing his hand to lead him to the yelling boys in the backyard. 

“Pftt- I’m not getting soft, you know it’s the Vodka.” oh, the excuses always amazed you.

You could feel goosebumps poking out from under your cold skin, the night was chilly with a few waves of shivering breezes, you couldn’t help but mentally scold yourself for forgetting to bring a jumper with you. Yunho probably had none left considering you’ve stolen almost all of them to bring home.

It was a mystery how none of these boys reacted the way you did to the cold, it was as if their skin was ice itself. They just continued yelling and throwing arms around each other like it wasn’t a single care in the world. The brooding effects of alcohol, you could say.

Yunho wasn’t particularly a wild drunk, but when he was, it was something that needed to be recorded and watched the morning after. He was never wildly drunk at his big birthday bashes but tonight was, as said, different. Drowning himself in bottles of soju until his pale skin flushed bright red, Jongho could probably mistake it for an apple and break his skull. God hopes that doesn’t happen.

Despite familiarising yourself with the new crew, there was one who you couldn’t help but pay attention to more. He wasn’t like the others, he didn’t give off San and Wooyoung’s chaotic behaviour, he didn’t carry Hongjoong’s talkative manner and he definitely doesn’t seem like he would replicate Mingi’s clumsiness or Jongho’s bright personality.

The best you could assume from this boy was that he would probably share the same bluntness as Yeosang. Cold and blunt. Nothing else.

Park Seonghwa.

There was something about him. Maybe it was the sense of mystery that caused him to occupy most of your headspace. He looks like he holds a lot of mystery, mysteries you were eager to explore. 

You didn’t even realise you were staring blankly at him until the brooding pair of dark brown eyes met yours from across the circle of fold-out chairs, making you choke on the cheap liquor before quickly snapping your gaze away from the boy and to the drunken group of boys looking like they were playing ring-around-the-rosie.

It was just the two of you. Sitting in the array of seating with live entertainment before your eyes. Entertainment as in watching Mingi trying to lick his elbow. You could’ve sworn the people in front of you were simply just children in the bodies of grown men. Where did Yunho even find these boys?

Amusement from watching the chaos unfold before you quickly washed away as you kept your seat warm, watching your liquor hitting the sides of your cup as you lazily mixed it. Laughter boomed recurrently throughout the backyard, something that was honestly keeping you awake for the night.

You hate to say it but, you were bored as fuck. 

Sure, it was nice to stray away from Yunho’s regular birthday bashes but a little more entertainment rather than alcohol and snacks would’ve been a little nice. The several bodies of young men seem like they’re having the time of their lives just dancing on the edge of the pool right now, one was surely destined to fall in and cause a chain reaction.

Seeing Yunho so happy and not actually fake smiling was enough to convince you to stay and not drag him to the closest nightclub. What the birthday boy wants, the birthday boy gets.

“Hey,” the voice was nothing like you’d expect, soft and comforting but deep and brooding at the same time, making you snap your attention to the boy sitting down on the chair next to you.

“Hi,” was he as bored as you were? Looked like it. His cup was nearly as empty as yours.

“How long have you known Yunho?” Seonghwa asked, slouching back against the flimsy chair as he downed the last of his drink.

“Since we took our first baby steps. Childhood friend, and you?” 

“Known the big guy since highschool,” that’s weird, Yunho never mentioned a guy named Park Seonghwa once in his life till now. Let alone, you’ve never even seen him around school since the two of you went together.

“I don’t remember him telling me about you until now. Did you go to the same school as us?”

“I studied abroad in Australia, that’s why he never mentioned me. Thought our friendship wouldn’t last by the time I got back so there was no point in bragging about it.”

Well that explains it then.

“Huh, interesting,” despite sitting a few feet away from the pool, the lights had illuminated his face perfectly, showing off his sharp features you were able to admire from up close when he moved seats next to you. There was one thing you were captivated by the most. His eyes.

They were very alluring eyes, it was as if they were hand-sculpted by an almighty deity itself. 

His leather jacket framed his figure perfectly, a beautiful man with a sense of style? Makes you wonder if he has a girlfriend.

“Yeah, look,” Seonghwa sighed, running a hand through his sleek black hair before inching closer to you. “I don’t know how to say this but, this party is getting boring. Wanna get out of here?” 

And so you were right.

“As much as I would like to, I don’t think I should keep him out of my sight.”

“We can just go somewhere more calmer like upstairs if you want?” You wanted to snort at his desperation. It was clear what his intentions were and he obviously wasn’t trying to hide it. Yet, you weren’t willing to hide yours either.

“Yeah,” you smirked, licking your top row of teeth before pushing yourself off the chair. “We can go upstairs.”

Seonghwa didn’t even bat an eye before taking a hold of your hand in his, literally dragging you back inside the house where he discarded his empty solo cup in the trash along with yours. The source of laughter grew quieter as the two of you descended further into the house, silently navigating up the staircase with nothing in mind other than the fact that both of you were obviously desperate for some sort of action.

Your easy agreement probably made it sound like you were one of people who slept with anyone they could, but that wasn’t the case. Turning down boys was practically your profession. But with Park Seonghwa? You wanted a taste of that. 

You wanted a taste of his mystery, you wanted a touch of that tattoo strip on the side of his neck and the ones on his fingers. You just wanted to feel the flexed bicep underneath the tough leather jacket and the alcohol kissed lips against your neck and preferably on every inch of your body.

Who could blame you for wanting to?

“I didn’t think you were the desperate type,” Seonghwa lows, pushing you against the bedroom door as he locked it. 

“I’m not,” your eyes flicker up to his, smirking as you place a hand on the side of his neck, tracing his tattoo with your finger. “You just happened to catch my attention recently.”

“I’m flattered, really,” Seonghwa smirked, eyeing your features with his arms caging you between his body and the door.

“Just fucking kiss me already.”

“Oh, you’re so desperate for me to just fuck you right now aren’t you?” Seonghwa growled, grabbing your waist and pushing you backwards onto the bed until you were flat on your back.

“You’re delusional if you think I’m going to beg for it,” patience wasn’t really on your side, you weren’t gifted with it at all. Especially when it came to fucking.

“Alright, bet.” 

A pair of luscious lips slammed against yours in a matter of seconds, Seonghwa was pushing your body deeper into the mattress as his knee pushed open your legs and hands sliding up from your sides to your hands. It was as if you were kissing nothing but mouldable chocolate that tasted of a faint strawberry chapstick, kissing it so hungrily.

“You think I can’t make you beg? Just watch,” Seonghwa’s lips hovered over yours, barely parted as he pushed your legs further apart with his knee, fingers popping the button of your jeans before pulling down its zipper.

“I don’t give in ea- shit,” your head lurched forward as Seonghwa pressed his fingers against your clit, rubbing it slowly before guiding it down to your folds and cloaking his fingers with your wetness.

“Fuck, what was that? Starting to get wet for me?” 

“Don’t act like you don’t have a stiffy here,” you could feel Seonghwa’s hard-on underneath his jeans rubbing against your thigh, making you smirk before subtly moving your leg.

“Are you trying to make me beg? No, I don’t play like that,” Seonghwa lowered his face against your neck with a low groan, sinking his long fingers into your pussy with ease before pumping them in and out, earning a quiet whine from you.

“Tsk, tsk, I can do this all night, you know?” You could feel a smirk against your neck, the chilling inhales and exhales against your skin sent shivers down your spine as Seonghwa quickened the pace of his fingers pumping in and out of you, causing your knees wanting to shut close.

“Fuck- Seonghwanggha,” he wasn’t kidding when he said he could make you beg. You were literally on the verge of it. His fingers weren’t enough and he knew that, they were just enough.

“Aw, are you getting needy? Hm? Do you want more?” The tease sent your brain into a frenzy, cloaked with a thick film of haze as Seonghwa starts to rub your clit with the palm of his hand while still fucking you with his fingers. 

“Yes, jesus fucking christ- yes!”

“Yes what? Hm? What do you want?” 

“You.”

“I need you to say it.”

“Ohmyfuckinggod- I want you to fuck me.”

“Sorry, I couldn’t hear that.”

“Fuck me, I want you to fuck me- ughhnah fuck,” a sharp pain brews against your neck, Seonghwa had caught the flesh of your neck between his teeth, biting it while pulling your jeans and panties down to the floor. 

A moan slips out of your mouth as Seonghwa licks the spot on your neck, kissing it before sucking on your jawline. The sudden idea of where you were and what you were doing left your mind like a flash, all you could think of was being touched, touched by Seonghwa and kissing his tattoos on his fingers that were knuckles deep inside of you.

“Told you I would make you beg.”

Underestimation was always your weakness, tonight was a clear sign you should probably stop doing that. 

“You flatter yourself too damn much,” you grit, flipping Seonghwa onto his back before lowering yourself onto the waistband of his black jeans, eyeing his bulging erection with a smirk.

“But was I wrong? I don’t think so,” Seonghwa sits up, holding the side of your face in one of his hands before sliding them up to your hair. Your mouth shoots wide open as Seonghwa suddenly grabs a hold of your hair, pulling it back to expose the bruised skin on your neck.

Oh, how much you wanted to just rip his tongue out for his reckless teasing. It was driving you wild, too insanely wild. But you love it.

His belt unbuckled with ease as you yank his jeans and boxers down to his ankles, freeing his hardened cock that just hit his stomach. Your shirt already found itself discarded onto the floor with the rest of the items pulled off your body, as if they were just another decorative piece on the floor.

The longer he watched you with a cocky smirk, the more you wanted to just slap it off. But you were so turned on. So, so turned on you could practically feel your wetness smearing between your thighs.

A small wince shot out from above you as Seonghwa hissed through his gritted teeth, staring down at his dick in the palm of your hands, squeezing it lightly before slowly pumping. You knew if you decided to tease him, it wouldn’t end well for you, what else could you expect from a man like this?

“Jesus fucking christ,” Seonghwa moans, head falling back as he props himself up with his elbows. The tip of his dick was itching to hit the back of your throat any second now, just waiting for him to buck his hip up into your mouth.

It was the brief groan from the back of your throat that sent Seonghwa’s thighs squirming and abdomen tensing hard. You could tell he was enjoying the way your tongue swirled around the base of his cock, pressing against his length with enough pressure to have him gripping your hair.

Just the sound of him reacting to your mouth sent your head into a cloud full of lust. You wanted more and the best you could do at the moment was just rub your thighs together in anticipation as your eyes shot up to Seonghwa’s, droopy and filled with nothing but desperation.

“Fuck, you’re good,” his scrunched up face said it all. “Come here.” 

You remove your lips from his throbbing length with a kissing sound before climbing on top of him only to be flipped right around, wrists pinned down on either side of your head. It was impressive how he could do that so nonchalantly with nothing but a cocky smirk.

“I should’ve guessed you were a brat,” Seonghwa hissed, brushing his tip against your clit. The urge to just buck your hips against his was killing you but you knew it would only do more harm than pleasure.

“Then I guess you better fuck me like one.”

The fire in his eyes was more than any sentence. His desire was fuming inside him, eager to cloud his judgement the moment your hole stretched from his length suddenly sliding into you.

He sure knew how to work his dick right when a grunt outed from your mouth as Seonghwa hooked his hips at an angle before thrusting. The eye-rolling pleasure only lasted a few seconds before Seonghwa quickened his pace, starting to snap his hips into you as he hooked both of your legs over his shoulders.

Fuck, you wanted to kiss him, but he knew what he was doing to you. He was doing it on purpose. There was no way he was going to let you kiss him. No way to busy your mouth as moans escape it recklessly.

“Ohffuck-” your head was growing lighter and lighter by the second, back arched off the mattress by now if it wasn’t for Seonghwa pushing your knees against your chest.

It was quite embarrassing hearing just your moans bouncing off the walls of this room as Seonghwa was pile-driving you deep into the bed, it only made you more desperate to crash your lips onto Seonghwa’s to deafen them. You really didn’t want to bite down on your arm, but you were more desperate than ever.

“Aw, why are you being so quiet hm? Is this dick not satisfying you enough?” Seonghwa smirks from above you, parting his lips so you could finally hear his staggered breathing.

“Y-Yeah, something like t-that- unghh,” sarcasm was undoubtedly your go-to method to cope with certain situations, but this time it was sarcasm that would get you more than you asked for.

“Oh? You really want to fucking play like that? You’re not going to be able to walk once I’m done with you.”

Emptiness looms in your heat as Seonghwa pulls out, latching either side of your waist before flipping you around on your stomach in a flash. A surprised gasp left your lips as he stingingly squeezed the flesh of your ass with a chuckle, hoisting you onto your knees.

“You really think you’re different from everyone el- mhmmh,” your snarky remark was cut short when you felt a hand push the side of your face against the mattress, legs twitching as Seonghwa thrust himself into you once again.

“You’re getting on my goddamn nerves,” Seonghwa snarls, keeping a tight grip on your hair in his fist as the other hand smoothes over your side.

The pumping pleasure coursing through your body felt electric, making you feel like you were above the clouds with each hard thrust. You could feel your ass bouncing as Seonghwa’s thrusts became sloppy, louder as the room echoed with nothing but a mix of your lewd moans and slapping skin.

“Tsk, I can feel you shaking underneath me. Regretting it yet?” 

“I can fucking handle it, shut up,” you weren’t raised as no weak bitch.

“I really hope so,” well fuck. You could feel your thighs quivering as Seonghwa slowly pushed your legs further apart, stomach falling closer against the mattress. Just barely above it. “Impressive.” 

It was a new angle that had you wanting to cry, with the way his cock hit deep in you and both of his hands either side of you holding him up. You couldn’t help but let your face fall against your arms, breathing as if it were your last and brows furrowed so hard you could feel your face about to cramp.

“Seonghw-aaahhmhm,” your legs twitched, pushing themselves higher off the mattress as your ass hits Seonghwa’s stomach with no choice. You couldn’t hold the position any longer unless you wanted to burst into tears from the burning in your thighs.

“What’s the matter huh? I thought you could handle it.”

“P-Please,” you cry.

“What do you want?”

“Kiss me- just please fucking kiss me,” your voice grew deeper and louder, desperation dripping from your tongue like poison as you push yourself off the mattress and flip Seonghwa onto his back with no time wasted in hoping your soaking wet cunt back on his length.

“Get your pretty lips here then,” your lips crashed harshly onto one another, teeth clashing as saliva coated your lips. The weak taste of his strawberry chapstick was still there and you loved it, love the way his lips moulded perfectly with yours each time as his hips snapped up into yours.

Seonghwa’s hands grip your hips roughly as he tries his best to hold them up with your legs quivering. His hips were snapping up briskly with a slap, shooting immense pleasure through your body like little sparks bottling into a ball in the deepest pit of your stomach.

“Oh fuck, right theremhmmgh right there,” you whisper a moan against his lips before letting your face fall in the nape of his neck, hand cupping the side of his face as the other grips the bedsheets.

Seonghwa just couldn’t control the loudness of his breathing anymore, grunting through gritted teeth as he shut his eyes close and glutes on fire with how rapid he was moving his hips. It was a breath-taking moment with your knuckles turning white and nails on the verge of tearing into the bedsheet as the pleasurable feeling of his cock pounding into you from below just pushing you to the edge of your combustion.

“Uggnghh- shitohmygod!” your fist loosened on the bedsheets before slamming them closer to your body, pushing yourself off of Seonghwa’s chest with a high-pitched moan and wide mouth as your brain turns into mush. Nothing but electrifying pleasure washed over you like a tsunami, making you clench tight around Seonghwa’s cock and gazing into his droopy lust-filled eyes. 

A white film casts over your vision as you lower your lips onto Seonghwa’s, giving him a slow intent kiss as his hips calm down. Legs still quivering with the slightest movement as you lowered yourself with him, making his length slide out of you with ease and just poking at your stomach.

Seconds which felt like minutes went by with nothing but silence. Just basking in your own silent thoughts in your own heads.

You should’ve felt anything. Anything but guilt.

Why guilt? Out of all emotions, why guilt after fucking a stranger you just met? A stranger who was brought to you by your best friend. Your best friend who once confessed he loves you.

“This was a mistake,” you didn’t think twice before scattering to get your clothes, rushingly putting them back onto your body as Seonghwa was left there with confusion written all over his face.

“Wait,” he booms, “what do you mean this was a ‘mistake’?” 

Seonghwa replicated your actions and started putting his clothes back on in a swift, still waiting for an answer after you responded with nothing but silence. He should’ve known, he was Yunho’s best friend too after all. 

“Listen, just forget this ever happened, please,” just thinking about this night would eat you alive, and it would definitely kill Yunho from the inside.

Before Seonghwa could say anything, you dashed out of the bedroom door, skipping down the stairs with your heart pounding like crazy, ready to jump out of your chest. It wasn’t long before you could hear footsteps following you closely behind, which made you even more uneasy as you could tell he was desperate for answers.

“Hey, what the fuck is your problem?” Seonghwa grabs you by the arm, halting you in your escape before letting go with a piercing stare. “You can’t just beg me to fuck you like that and say, oh, ‘this was a mistake’.”

You could tell he was mocking you, but you really couldn’t blame him. The only person to blame here was you. You should’ve known better than to sleep with one of Yunho’s best mates, especially when you knew the boy had deep feelings for you.

“Because it is a mistake,” you grit, “we can’t tell Yunho what happened… it’ll break him.”

In all honesty, it would break you more than him. Guilt was a more deadlier disease than heartbreak, it was worse when it came down to friendships more than love itself.

“Wha-”

“Can’t tell me what?”

Your eyes widen in shock as you snap your attention to the familiar voice behind you, already feeling a pang in your chest as your eyes locked onto Yunho’s innocent ones. Seonghwa kept quiet as you tried to choke out a few words to Yunho, flickering his gaze back and forth between the two of you.

“Um, nothing! Nothing, we were just getting to know each other, that all,” you try your hardest to make your fake smile not obvious, but it clearly wasn’t working with Yunho’s confused gaze turning into a suspicious one.

“Getting to know each other huh?” Yunho poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue, running his eyes up and down the two of you.

“Yeah.”

“I could tell,” an octave drop in Yunho’s voice sent you breathing harder as his facial features hardened, soft brown loving eyes turned into a cold glare. “You fucking bastard.”

Yunho’s attention wasn’t on you anymore, it was focused on the person standing behind you. Everything happened so quickly, next thing you know, Yunho was pinning Seonghwa up against the wall by his collar, faces close in proximity with jaws clenched and fists balled.

“You fucking knew,” Yunho snarled, “and yet you still fucked her. I thought you were my best friend, Hwa. What the fuck happened to that huh?”

“H-How?” could he smell Seonghwa’s cologne on you? What the heck.

“Your shirt is inside out.” 

Well, fuck. Not only did he catch you lying straight to his face but he caught his two best friends fucking each other, his best friend and someone who he had poured his heart and soul to.

“Yunho, please. I can ex-”

“You can explain? Yeah, alright go ahead, let’s hear what you have to say and if this motherfucker has anything else to add to it.”

“Yunho, get your hands off of me or we’re going to have a problem,” Seonghwa tries his best to pry Yunho’s grip from his collar, standing on his toes as he faces his deadly glare.

“We already have a problem, Hwa,” Seonghwa drops down with a thud as Yunho finally lets him go, throwing his glare back onto you. “Go ahead, say what you have to say.” 

“I-I… we just… we were desperate, Yunho,” it wasn’t the best and most plausible excuse but it was honestly it.

“Desperate. Out of all people, you choose him? Are you serious? I don’t know if you got my hints, but fuck!”

“Yunho, I am so so sorry. Please, just-” 

“God, I hate being in love with you!” 

It was at that moment, you could see your world crumbling down as Yunho bites back a quiver. His eyes glossy and starting to frame with red as Seonghwa also couldn’t help but wear a remorseful face.

“Hey-”

“Don’t fucking touch me, Hwa,” Yunho aggressively brushed off Seonghwa’s hand on his shoulder, throwing him a side glare as he lowers his head. “Go home.”

“Woah, what is going on?” all three of your heads snapped up to a red flushed, drunk Mingi with a half empty bottle of soju in his hands stopping mid way with a questioning look on his face. Soon enough, the whole group of boys were here, standing behind Mingi with a replicated confused face.

“Everyone, go home. I’m not feeling good tonight,” Yunho pushed through the group of boys, passing to the kitchen where he grabbed a new cold bottle of soju from his fridge.

“Man, you sure? Want us to stay just in case?” Jongho spoke, brows raised as he was concerned for his gloomy looking friend.

“Mingi can stay, I don’t trust him alone at home while he’s drunk. Everyone else go home, please.”

“Yun-”

“I said leave,” you could barely even choke out his name before getting cut off again, guilt slowly but painfully chewing away at bits of your soul.

“Alright, you heard the man. Leave him be,” Yeosang took the liberty to usher everyone out with swaying arm movements, clueless of what had unfolded before everyone had walked in.

Mingi smiled brightly, waving his goodbyes and yelling his goodbyes as he joined a slouched Yunho in the kitchen. You couldn’t help but plaster a fake grin to fuel his happy hour before leaving out the door, embraced by the cold once more. But this time, you weren’t just cold on the outside, you could feel it inside of you. As if you had just turned yourself into a cold-blooded killer.

Murdering whatever trust and happiness Yunho had left in that big body of his.

Like everyone else in the entire world, you had to live with what you got, what you’ve done, what you can’t take back.

-

Copyright © 2020 by serendipityunho

    All Rights Reserved

[moonbeambucky]

Friday Night Fights

Pairing: Wrestler!Bucky Barnes x Reader [AU] Word Count: 5948 Warnings: action, fluff

Summary: A night at a wrestling show proves more than you may be able to handle.

A/N: I’m so excited because I haven’t seen this before and I’m really, really happy with how it turned out! Thank you to my pizza love @all1e23​​​ for beta reading 🍕❤️ Reblogs, comments and likes are always appreciated! gif source (x)

It was early in the evening but the sky showed otherwise. Its pitch black blanket draped the world in darkness; a consequence of winter where night rolls over earlier as the days go on. Y/N is huddled together with her friend Wanda, teeth chattering as they brace for a gust of wind, the kind that’s so cold the icy breeze burns your face. They’re standing in a line that wraps around the block, hearing the excited chants from people all around them. Some are a little louder than others and Y/N suspects a few have been keeping warm thanks to those beers wrapped in paper bags. While she was too cold to physically show how excited she was, inside she was thrilled. It was the first Friday of the month and Y/N was spending it the way she’s spent all of them over the past year, front row at a local wrestling show.

MWF had been running monthly shows for a few years now but it wasn’t until Wanda’s brother Pietro begged them to come with him that she was hooked. It was so much fun to watch the athletic matches and even though there were some storylines that bordered on ridiculous they were a lot of fun. Y/N can honestly say she’s never laughed harder than watching a man named Doctor Doom wrestle The Invisible Woman. He was so convincing in kicking his own ass she was almost positive he really was in a match against a woman that no one could see.

Tonight was different though; Y/N and Wanda were alone, waiting to get inside the venue without Pietro because he was making his debut! He caught the wrestling bug from the moment they all went to a show and after speaking with some of the wrestlers he found a local school and started training. Things were rough, as Y/N remembered the day after his first lesson, Pietro was so sore he couldn’t even get off the couch of the apartment they all shared. As his training continued so did his injuries; his body was covered in bruises from all moves he was learning but he didn’t care. Pietro loved it so much and eventually his body got used to the new brand of workouts he was putting it through.

While he was training Pietro still went to shows with Y/N and Wanda but now things were different. He was on hand to help set up the ring during the day, staying after the show to help break it down and pack it in the truck. He no longer viewed each match through the eyes of a fan but as a student, carefully studying each move and the story the wrestlers were telling. Watching them interact with the crowd made him hopeful, imagining himself in that ring one day with a crowd of people cheering for him. That day had finally come.

The show wouldn’t start for another half hour at least so Y/N and Wanda went to the line for refreshments, saying hello to a few people along the way. They had grown familiar with some of the crowd, seeing familiar faces that were also dedicated fans. Besides the regulars there were always new people, fathers with their young children either using this as a replacement for expensive WWE shows or just bonding over more wrestling in their lives. It was always a treat to watch the kids yell at the bad guys as they walked around the ring, pointing fingers in their face before recoiling back with fear if they were snarled at.

There were a lot of women there too, some older ones where it was clear they had grown up watching classic wrestling. Sometimes it was obvious that they were there to meet their favorite stars from the past. Usually the shows had one match that featured someone that used to be really popular. They were older now, a little slower but still put on an entertaining match. During intermission they would sell signed 8x10 pictures from a table off to the side. It isn’t anything compared to the money they used to make but it’s something of a living, and taking a selfie with their fans makes everyone happy.

Other women filled the crowds, young ones that hoped to get in the ring themselves one day or those who were only there to support their boyfriends or other friends who were in the show. You could always tell who was there to support who, watching their disinterested face lift up from the phone it’s been glued to all night to cheer for someone, and once the match was over you could see how quickly they got back to their phone, furiously texting away probably asking when they could finally leave.

After the shows some kids would wait around hoping to meet their favorite wrestler, full of nervous joy as they took a picture with them. It wasn’t always the kids who were anxious to meet someone, a lot of times there would be some women blatantly flirting with some of them. Y/N’s seen a few wrestlers take someone by the hand, pulling them behind the curtain to get lost for a few minutes. As long as everything was consensual there was no issue with it though she couldn’t help but grimace as she watched it happen unbeknownst to that wrestler's girlfriend hanging around and waiting for him to leave the locker room.

Pietro always told her not to say anything. “Keep your eyes open and your mouth shut.” It’s a lesson he learned the hard way after confronting someone about cheating on their girlfriend. They took it out on him during training, leaving a red handprint shaped welt on his chest for days for not minding his business. This was not a side of wrestling that any of them liked.

Making their way to their seats they were taken aback by the presence of the large ring assembled in the center of the room. It was always a beautiful sight and being there felt like home. The cold metal chairs brought comfort, the bright fluorescents that shined down on them from the vaulted ceiling brought warmth like a cozy fireplace. This was more than something to do on a Friday night; it was tradition, creating new memories with every show.

Y/N took off her jacket, draping it over the back of the chair. “Do you like it?” she said, turning to Wanda, proudly showing off her sweatshirt.

The bright blue fabric was eye catching but the design on the front really stood out. It was the symbol for a wrestler that everyone knew was her favorite; red and white circles surrounding a bright white star in the center meant for “Captain America” Steve Rogers, the current MWF heavyweight champion. He was a blue eyed, blond haired, six foot wall of pure muscle with the sweetest baby face she’d ever seen.

Steve was enthralling. Women would scream extra loud as they ogled him (those tights don’t leave much to the imagination) and kids would jump up and down cheering as he gave each and every one a high five. Steve was an all American wrestler, a good-hearted person who believed in clean matches and rushed out from the back to help others if their own opponents were cheating to win. And lately he’s been coming out a lot.

There was a faction known as Hydra that Steve has been feuding with for some time now. A man named Red Skull, whose face was painted to look like one, served as their leader, standing ringside as his assets would fight their way to the top for a shot at the championship. For a while he pushed Crossbones, a real sleazy villain that took cheap shots at the audience, sneering at them as he told them how lucky they were to be in the presence of his greatness. Steve had many fights against Crossbones but he wasn’t alone.

Steve used to be a tag team, Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes, the Howling Commandos, brothers in arms that were the reigning tag team champions. Fans adored them, cheering as they took on Crossbones and his partner Baron Zemo. One night Steve held up his belt over his head, rejoicing in another win for himself and Bucky, proudly showing it off to the crowd and never expecting what happened next.

A vicious blow knocked him to the mat, the belt dropped from his hands. Confused, Steve tried to get up but a heavy boot kicked him back down. He wondered who was attacking him and if Bucky was faring better than he was, that is until he was able to turn around. Bucky was standing over him, his foot kicking Steve in the ribs. He groaned in pain, his body feeling the agony of the attack but his mind suffered more. “Buck, why?” But Steve never got an answer.

Bucky grabbed his head, forcing him to his feet but Steve fought back to defend himself. He blocked one punch but not the next two blows that came out of nowhere; a swift kick to the stomach from Zemo that sent him right into another strike from Crossbones across his back.

Steve wobbled to his knees disoriented and Bucky took advantage of his former friend’s weakened state. Bucky pulled Steve by the top of his tights setting him bent over between his legs. He smirked feeling his attempt to find the strength to fight back, clawing at Bucky’s thighs to break free. Bucky wrapped his arm around Steve’s waist and with all his might he hoisted him up, flipping Steve’s body up quickly so his legs were straddling Bucky’s head and just as fast he used all his force to slam Steve’s back down onto the mat.

Bucky got up, laughing as he stared at Steve laid out in the ring, joining Crossbones and Baron Zemo as the newest member of Hydra as the crowd roared with anger. Ever since that day Steve has been facing Bucky Barnes now known as The Winter Soldier– an enemy with the face of a friend.

The main event tonight was Steve against the Winter Soldier who was fighting for a shot at the title. Everyone was excited. Y/N wasn’t the only one in a Captain America shirt although some people in the audience smudged black paint around their eyes, emulating their new favorite villain to show their support.

The Winter Soldier had become an intimidating figure, wearing a black mask that covered the bottom half of his face, piercing blue eyes stood out against the smear of black war paint. His left arm was wrapped in silver electrical tape from his wrist and up his forearm, the sections making it look like his arm was replaced by metal plates. A final piece was taped just above his bicep as if to show off the prominent muscle.

He traded bright blue tights for a dark black fabric with a jarring red star on his thigh. It was like he had it just to taunt Steve, showing him he remembered his roots and all the years they spent together as a team but now he no longer cared, twisting the image of a patriotic star for one that was blood red, dripping with the hate that fueled him.

Like everyone else, Y/N couldn’t wait for that match but first the show had to begin. A man walked out from the curtain to a roar of cheers. He was an older man with grey hair that bordered on silver and bright teeth that flashed against tanned skin. He entered the ring with all eyes on him, partially because of his striking gold jacket, beneath it an even bolder red tie that stood out against a bright cobalt blue shirt.

Bringing a microphone to his mouth he spoke, “Welcome to the Marvel Wrestling Federation. I am your host, the Grandmaster!” The Grandmaster smirked, taking in their enthusiasm. The crowd was pumped and he knew it was going to be a great night. “Please welcome your referee for the night Phillip Coulson!”

“COUL-SON! COUL-SON! COUL-SON!” The crowd cheered as a man in a striped shirt entered the ring, a modest smile spreading across his thin lips.

With that the first match of the night began but Wanda could hardly pay attention. Pietro had texted her saying he was going to be in the second match and her leg bounced nervously. She vacillated between feeling excited and nervous, wanting to cheer on her brother for his debut but in the back of her mind she couldn’t help but fear for his safety.

Sure, Pietro had been training for a while but that didn’t mean that things couldn’t go wrong. Y/N looked over at Wanda, taking her hand and squeezing it, hoping to provide some comfort to her, realizing how hard Wanda was squeezing her own hand back as the first match ended.

“Making his debut, all the way from Sokovia, here is Quicksilver!” the Grandmaster’s voice boomed as music hit, and suddenly a figure raced out from the curtains to the sound of fast paced music.

Y/N and Wanda shot up to cheer for him, proudly screaming as he ran around the outside of the ring, slapping hands with everyone before he jumped up on the apron. Stepping inside the ring he went to the corner, standing on the middle ropes as he raised his arms up, smiling at the crowd.

He looked incredible. Neither of them had seen his outfit, ombre blue pants with a white lightning bolt going down the side of his leg. His white boots shined brightly, their luster not yet marred by the history of a long career. His chest was bare and though he was not as tanned as some other wrestlers he still very much looked the part with bright blue elbow pads on his arms. He winked towards Y/N and Wanda, who was filled with nervous energy she could barely hold her phone steady to record his match.

“And his opponent, from Queens, New York he is the amazing Spider-Man!”

Everyone jumped up from their seats to cheer for a masked wrestler who was always a crowd favorite. He was a few inches shorter than Pietro but much slimmer, wearing a full body spandex suit in red and blue with a webbed designed all over it and a small black spider in the center of his chest. His eyes were blocked by a white mesh surrounded by black trim but somehow you could see the expression in them.

Pietro began clapping his hands, a rhythmic beat for the crowd to join in as he and Spider-Man circled each other in the ring. Once they began both men showed off their skill of high flying moves and near pinfalls for each of them with nonstop action throughout and the crowd loved it. Wanda’s smile was stretched proudly across her face as she watched her brother. The match was over before anyone wanted it to be, with Spider-Man climbing to the top turnbuckle and doing a backflip splash onto Pietro for the three count.

Ref Coulson raised Spider-Man’s hand in victory but he quickly went to his opponent and helped him to his feet. Pietro was half-keeled over with one arm across his stomach, feeling the pain from where all of Spider-Man’s weight had landed. Spider-Man took Pietro’s hand, celebrating Quicksilver as a mutually respected opponent.

Wanda and Y/N stood up and cheered loudly, sitting down again once Pietro had gone back through the curtain.

“He was incredible! Did you see that? My. Brother. Did. That!” Wanda exclaimed.

Y/N was just as proud of him, knowing how hard Pietro trained. His first match was a great success and she hoped it would be the start to an incredible career.

The next match saw Quake take on Black Widow, another member of Hydra. She was a short redhead but her opponents should know not to be intimidated by her size. Though she was a strong fighter Black Widow was also conniving, cheating to win whenever it seemed victory was just out of reach.

She walked around the ring with a slow stride, ignoring the boos and comments from the crowd. As she was approaching Y/N she noticed the Captain America shirt she was wearing and her red lips pulled into a disgusted scoff. Black Widow snarled at Y/N, unable to bear the mere sight of her enemy’s symbol.

As soon as the match began the crowd was behind Quake all the way which only seemed to upset Black Widow more, anger that she held firmly inside. She launched a vicious attack, raking Quake in the eyes to impair her vision as she tried to pin her right away. Quake kicked out, and after a lot of back and forth it seemed like Quake was finally getting the upper hand.

Not wanting to lose Black Widow found the strength to stop herself from being thrown into the corner, reversing the move and whipping Quake right into Ref Coulson who dropped to the mat in pain. With Quake and the referee both down Black Widow smirked, using this opportunity to slip out of the ring and grab a metal chair.

Black Widow raised the chair above her hands, about to slam it down onto Quake before she noticed from the corner of her eye that Ref Coulson was using the ropes to ease himself up. Not wanting to be caught, she slammed the chair down onto the mat. The sound alerted Quake who turned around and just as quickly Black Widow threw the chair to Quake and fell down onto the mat. Ref Coulson turned around and was stunned to see Quake holding the chair above her opponent. He refused to listen to her protests as she was caught red handed, signaling to the announcers to end the match and the bell rang.

The Grandmaster’s voice echoed through the room, “The winner of this match as a result of a disqualification, Black Widow!”

The crowd booed as Quake continued to argue with the referee. He helped Black Widow up from the mat, unable to see the wicked grin that spread across her face. Her expression was one Y/N saw again that night as Crossbones and Zemo fought against Falcon and Hawkeye but unlike Black Widow, their opponents would not fall for Hydra’s tricks.

Hawkeye spotted Zemo hiding by the apron of the ring, trying to hold Falcon’s foot down so he couldn’t kick out as Crossbones attempted to pin him. Racing towards him, Hawkeye speared Zemo into the guardrails, knocking him out. Crossbones and Falcon were trading punches and Falcon was stumbling in the center of the ring. Crossbones began to climb to the top rope, setting himself up to jump off and hit his signature move, the Strike Force.

Seeing this Hawkeye jumped to the apron, knocking into Crossbones who landed crotch first into the turnbuckle, letting out a painful groan. Hawkeye called out for Falcon who turned around, and both men climbed to the top rope, lifting Crossbones to a standing position as they threw his arms over theirs.

This was their finishing move, the Birds of a Feather, as Falcon and Hawkeye did a simultaneous backflip off the top rope, while holding Crossbones who flipped along with them, slamming furiously onto the mat. Thunderous applause carried through the room as the referee counted to three and Falcon and Hawkeye remained the MWF tag team champions.

There were so many other matches that kept Y/N and Wanda entertained, like Thor against his brother Loki, the two having their own long standing feud but now it was time for the final match and Y/N was full of anticipation.

The Grandmaster stood in the center of the ring again, commanding the microphone as he spoke to the crowd. “Wow, what a show, what a night! And now, without further ado… it’s main event time! Making his way to the ring at 240 pounds he is the fist of Hydra, The Winter Soldier!”

The faint sound of music is heard over the crowd, like a scream heard underwater. The tension builds with a growing hum, the cry is louder yet different, mechanized, like someone is trapped inside a machine. A motorcycle hums, revving its engine, racing louder and louder until a crash of metal clangs.

At the height of tension the Winter Soldier takes a solid step through the curtain as the haunting scream blares out. It’s as if the person he used to be was still inside, Bucky Barnes, Howling Commando, friend to Steve Rogers, trapped inside the shell of a brainwashed assassin, scratching at the walls and screaming to free himself. But the Winter Soldier is nothing like Bucky Barnes.

His movements are deliberate and slow as he stalks the ring. Blue eyes visible through the darkness of black around them. They speak volumes with every glare as he makes his way around the ring. Kids who are brave enough scream at him but the Winter Soldier doesn’t react. He’s cold, devoid of emotion, as mechanic as the sounds of his entrance music. Y/N does see something in his eyes, the subtle squint as he sees her Captain America shirt. She, like many others, boo him as he passes by.

Not everyone hates the Winter Soldier though; he has his own fan base that doesn’t care about what side of good he’s on. Y/N can hear the difference in the tone of their screams, lascivious howls as he steps in the ring. They cry out as he undoes the buckles of his leather jacket to reveal a broad chest and she wouldn’t be surprised if they had dollars ready in between their fingers to stuff down his pants. His hair is dark and stringy, falling just on top of his muscular shoulders. He removes his muzzle, rolling his neck from side to side as he awaits his foe.

“From Brooklyn, New York, weighing in at 225 pounds, he is your Heavyweight Champion, Captain America, Steve Rogers!”

Patriotic horns blare along with rhythmic percussion, building triumphantly until Captain America pops through the curtain to a clamor of cheers. The belt shines brightly around his waist as he takes a second to pose, hooking his thumbs into the top, proud to be the champion.

Y/N stands up, cupping her hands around her mouth to amplify the sound of her cheers making them rise above the rest. Steve was slapping hands with a group of children but he heard her, his boyish smile growing as he turned to see her in the front row wearing his symbol.

As Steve approached Y/N he took her hand, pressing a kiss to the top of it that set her cheeks on fire. She sat down giggling in her seat with Wanda, hardly able to look at Steve anymore even though she couldn’t take her eyes off of him. Her breath got caught in her chest for a moment as the Winter Soldier glared in her direction. She swallowed the hard lump in her chest uncomfortably, feeling on edge by the intensity of his stare.

The Grandmaster leaves the ring as Ref Coulson pats down the legs of both men to make sure none of them have any weapons. Steve would never but you can’t put anything past Hydra. The bell rings and the match begins, both men circling each other. Steve puts his hand out to shake, an honorable sign of respect he shows towards all of his opponents but his former friend roughly slaps it away. The Winter Soldier lunges towards Steve to spear him to the ground, unleashing an assault of vicious punches to the champion.

Steve blocked what he could but it seems like the Winter Soldier is on a mission to take him out. Steve is able to push him off, rolling over to try and stand but his opponent is on his feet first The Winter Soldier grabbed Steve and squeezed him into a headlock, tightening his grip as Steve hissed. Steve tried to get out of the hold, clawing and punching his way to get the man who used to be Bucky to release it. Instead he bends his knees and gets his arms under the Winter Soldier’s thighs, with all of his strength Steve flipped him over his shoulder but the reprieve did not last long.

Just as quickly he was attacked again but Steve grabbed the Soldier’s hand, whipping him into the ropes. As the Winter Soldier ran back towards Steve he was caught with the strong force of Steve’s drop kick that sent him to the mat. Steve went to cover him for the pin but the Soldier kicked out. The match had everyone on edge, back and forth as they traded powerful moves until both men were laid out in the ring.

“Come on Steve!” Y/N shouted.

He was dazed, trying to get up as the ref began a countdown from ten. He slapped the mat with his palm slowly and the crowd joined him; slow claps that built with speed, encouraging Steve to get to his feet. The Winter Soldier stood before Steve did so he grabbed him by the back of the head, slamming his face into the turnbuckles. The Winter Soldier set Steve up in the corner, slapping his chest with a violent thwack. Steve screamed in pain, the sting burning his skin.

The Soldier slapped him two more times before he grabbed him by the hand and violently threw him into the other corner. Steve’s back hit the turnbuckle and he groaned in pain. The Winter Soldier ran towards him but at the last second Steve lifted his foot to kick him in the face. The Soldier stumbled and Steve hoisted himself up to the middle rope, jumping off and locking his arms around the Winter Soldier's head; the momentum allowed him to swing his body around and as Steve landed on his back the Winter Soldier was stunned from the impact of the top of his head being driven into the mat.

Steve goes for the cover but the Soldier just barely kicks out. The crowd groans in frustration with Steve who gets up. With the Winter Soldier still down Steve gets up, he leaps to the center of the ropes, springboards off the top rope and does a back flip. It’s the Star Spangled Splash and the crowd goes wild as Steve crashes down on the Winter Soldier. He goes for the cover again, the referee counts, one, two, thr– The Winter Soldier kicks out at the last second.

Frustration washes over an exhausted Steve. He grabs the Winter Soldier by the hair to get him to his feet. Steve gets the Soldier in a front facing headlock and tosses his left arm over his own neck. He hooks his own arm behind the Soldier’s left leg, cradling the Winter Soldier against him. His hold is locked tight and then Steve throws himself backwards, tossing the Winter Soldier over his head. He’s pinned to the mat, his head and leg still locked in Steve’s clutches, and Steve does a bridge to add more pressure to the hold.

Steve is waiting, holding the Winter Soldier down expecting the referee to be counting. He’s been holding him down for longer than the count of three so where is the ref? The crowd is screaming, telling Ref Coulson to turn around but he doesn’t hear them. He’s too busy dealing with Red Skull and Black Widow who had rushed out from the entrance. He knew it was almost over for the Winter Soldier and he wasn’t going to let Captain America have another victory over them.

Red Skull made Black Widow jump up on the curtain to distract the referee as Crossbones and Baron Zemo snuck inside the ring, stomping on Steve’s stomach. He released the hold, groaning as the men continued to stomp him.

“Turn around! Ref, turn around!” Y/N, Wanda and so many others pleaded.

Crossbones grabbed Steve, lifting him into a fireman’s carry as Zemo climbed to the top rope. He swung Steve around to disorient him, inadvertently knocking into Ref Coulson who dropped to the mat. Zemo flew off the top rope to add to Steve’s pain as Crossbones spun him out, spiking his head into the mat.

The Winter Soldier rolled out of the ring, going over to the table where the Grandmaster was sitting. He grabbed the championship belt in a vicious tug of war that the Grandmaster had no shot of winning. Steve was using the ropes to get to his feet and the Winter Soldier ran full steam, hitting him in the head with his own belt.

Chaos broke out as the bell was ringing for the match to end but no one inside the ring seemed to care. They used every opportunity they could to continue their assault on Steve.

Y/N got to her feet, leaning over the guardrails as she screamed at all of Hydra. The Winter Soldier whipped his head in her direction, his eyes flaring with rage. He signaled to Crossbones and Zemo who dragged a half-conscious Steve to his knees. He was in the corner, his head dropping forward as both men held his arms back.

The Winter Soldier jumped down from the ring with determination, stomping towards Y/N who was still giving him shit, screaming “You knew you could never beat Steve in a fair fight!”

Wanda was trying to pull Y/N down to her seat as the intimidating frame of the Winter Soldier hovered in front of them but it didn’t stop her. Y/N’s arms were in his face as she continued to defend her favorite wrestler. “You’ll never win! Steve will always kick your ugly, frostbitten ass!”

A round of “oohs” spread out from around her, the sound that quickly turned into “ahhs” as Y/N screamed. Her words were enough to break the Winter Soldier who grabbed her with two hands by the throat, lifting her over the guardrails. Her legs kicked furiously to get out of the chokehold as she struggled to breathe.

Wanda was screaming as the Winter Soldier placed Y/N down, only to quickly toss her into the ring. Confused, she crawled to the corner in an attempt to get out, feeling the unfamiliar padding under her palms but she didn’t get far. The Winter Soldier pulled her by the foot, dragging her back.

Y/N screamed for help and the Grandmaster shot up but Red Skull saw him coming and kicked him in the face, laying him out before he could make it into the ring. Cowering on all fours, Y/N began screaming as she felt the bottom of her sweatshirt being pulled off. She held onto the hem of the shirt she had on underneath; far too thin to be worn alone, her arms prickled with goosebumps but Y/N couldn’t think about that. Fear ran through her veins and she stumbled backwards, leaning against the turnbuckles. The Winter Soldier held up her sweatshirt that bore Steve’s symbol to the crowd and facing her again he ripped it in half, tossing the shredded fabric at Steve.

This jolted him alert and Steve looked around, getting his bearings. His eyes shot open wide as he realized one of his fans was in the ring. Steve struggled to break free and Red Skull saw the determination in his eyes. Steve was straining his muscles to loosen the hold but Red Skull came up behind him, locking Steve’s head in a chokehold as Crossbones and Zemo strengthened their hold on Steve’s arms.

Black Widow sauntered towards the fearful Y/N, who begged mercilessly to be left alone but she should have known Hydra only cares about themselves and they needed to make a point. There was nothing Steve could do but watch as Black Widow lifted Y/N above her shoulders in a fireman’s carry, the girl helpless in her arms.

Wanda screamed in fear as Black Widow popped Y/N’s legs up, throwing them behind her as she locked her arms around Y/N’s head, magnifying the impact on Y/N’s neck as she hit the mat.

The crowd lost their minds, screaming as one of their own was unmoving in the center of the ring. Steve fought harder to be free of his hold and his enemies let him go. He walked straight into a fierce kick to the stomach from the Winter Soldier who quickly hooked Steve’s arms behind his back, locking his grip around them.

This was it, his finisher– the Dead of Winter.

He lifted Steve into a vertical position with his back against the Soldier’s chest, holding him there as if to prove to the fans that he was obviously the stronger of the two former Howling Commandos. The Winter Soldier then dropped to the mat, driving Steve’s head straight into the unforgiving ring.

“HO-LY SHIT! HO-LY SHIT! HO-LY SHIT!” The crowd went wild as the Winter Soldier bared his teeth, a growling scream as he defeated his former friend.

Steve was on his back unmoving as Black Widow dragged Y/N’s lifeless body and draped it over him. The Winter Soldier laid Steve’s belt on top of her, as he and Hydra taunted the crowd, showing them what they thought about Captain America, his fans and his stupid title.

Security was finally called in but it was too late, Hydra had left the ring. Ref Coulson was dazed but awake, horrified to see a fan in the ring. Weakened, he called out for medical attention the girl in the ring and Steve, telling them not to touch them.

Most of the crowd filed out of the building but some of them stayed, like Wanda who cried as she watched Y/N being loaded onto a stretcher, carefully taken out of the ring with a collar around her neck.

Y/N opened her eyes to find a massive shadowy figure standing over her. Through a curtain of dark hair she recognized the blue eyes of the Winter Soldier. A smile spread across his face as his hands came for her throat… removing the collar that was stabilizing her neck.

“How’d I do Buck?” she asked with excitement bursting in every word.

“So good doll,” Bucky said, taking her hand so she could sit up.

He stood between her legs, his arms finding their spot on her waist as he pressed a kiss to her lips. She tasted salt from his sweat but it was something she was used to after so many nights of training together.

“I can’t wait for you to make your debut. You and Steve versus me and Tash.”

She nodded, smiling just as widely as he was. “I think Wanda’s more excited to seek revenge on what ‘the Black Widow’ did to her friend,” Y/N joked. “Did she tell you she picked a gimmick name? Scarlet Witch.”

“It suits her,” Bucky said, taking his hand to gently rub away some dirt from the mat that was on Y/N’s cheek. “How ‘bout we get cleaned up and maybe tonight you can try and pin me?” A smirk pulled at his lips, the glint of mischief twinkled in Bucky’s eyes.

“Try?” Y/N scoffed, looking into the eyes of her boyfriend with a smirk of her own. “Oh I don’t need to try Bucky, I can get you on your back with ease.”

Bucky grinned, pressing another kiss to her soft lips as he helped her off the stretcher. Y/N already won his heart, a match that Bucky happily lost.

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[thetravelerwrites]

Dr. Mael Halvorg (Part 2)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Relationship: Male Part Fae/Female Part Fae Additional Tags: Exophilia, Monster Boyfriend, Fae, Naga, Reader Insert, Anthropology, Genetics Content Warnings: Children, Pregnancy, Incubation, Infertility, Birth, Oviposition, Egg-Laying Words:

Commissioned by @ivymemnoch​! The reader and Dr. Halvorg discuss his lingering infertility problem. Amai lays her final clutch of eggs. Please reblog and leave feedback!

The Traveler's Masterlist

“Good morning, class!” You said on the first day.

“Good morning!” Fourteen bright voices responded.

All of the children except for baby Yenu were sitting on their tails behind desks in a room that had been set up as a classroom by the staff.

“So, every day each week we’re going to work on a different subject,” You began. “Mondays are reading and language comprehension, Tuesdays are maths and sciences, Wednesdays are social studies and economics, Thursdays are geography and history, Fridays are fun days with arts, crafting, music, and educational games. Today is Monday, so we’re going to start with reading. You should each have a workbook appropriate to your developmental level in your desks, so please take out your reading workbooks.”

As the children shuffled and searched for the right book, Dr. Halvorg stepped inside the classroom with a clipboard. You raised an eyebrow.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?”

“I’m observing the children in a school setting to see how they adapt,” He replied.

You narrowed your eyes at him. “And I’m also assuming how I teach, correct?”

He dipped his head sheepishly. “I was curious. And it’s for my research.”

You raised an eyebrow at him. “Mm.” You turned back to your students and fell into your teacher’s voice. “Keenai, if you would begin reading the first sentence, please?”

Keenai picked up his workbook and started reading. “The small dog lives in a red house.”

“Can you tell me which of these words are verbs?”

“Um…” He looked at the sentence, frowning.

“To remind you, a verb is an action word, something someone does.”

“Uh… lived?” He replied slowly.

“Very good.” You said, and he smiled in relief. “Tani, you’re next. Read the next sentence in your book.”

“The red house was built on a wed… wedeness…”

“Wednesday,” You said. “That’s a hard word, I know. Can you tell me what the noun is in that sentence?”

“House?”

“Good! A noun is a person, a place, or a thing. I’m a noun, you’re a noun, the room we’re in is a noun.”

“Is Nenish a noun?” Jinsa asked.

“Yes.”

“Ha ha, you’re a noun!” Jinsa said, pointing at Nenish.

“So are you!” Nenish interjected.

“Hey, hey! Settle down, please!” You called over them, sitting on the edge of your desk. “Fuma, you next.”

Fuma read from his book, and then Amaia. Next, you went down the line of the four-year-olds, having them read a sentence and find colors, shapes, numbers, or sounds in the sentences. The three-year-olds were next, and they simply read small sentences. You then had the one-year-olds spell and say three-letter words.

Their quick development was normal for nagas, as they tended to age quickly until they hit puberty, when their aging progress slowed to accommodate for yearly hibernation, but it was also startling in conjunction with the developmental levels of similar creatures. You had never studied the advancements of a species’ young so closely before, and you had to admit, it was fascinating. You could see why Dr. Halvorg found it so interesting.

You set the children writing tasks appropriate to their learning level and took a moment to talk to Dr. Halvorg, who was scribbling quickly in a notebook.

“They have computers now that you can write on, you know,” You told him, amused.

He looked up over his glasses at you and quirked an eyebrow. “I am aware of that, thank you. I’m not quite so old-fashioned as I seem, regardless of what Amai might tell you.” He looked back down and continued scribbling. “I’m a chronic note-taker. A bad habit I can’t seem to break, though with my profession, it’s often a strength rather than a weakness.”

“Hmm,” You hummed. “And what do your notes say about my teaching?”

“Adequate,” He replied, still scribbling. “Don’t misunderstand, that’s not a criticism. I hold everyone to an extremely high standard. If you hadn’t met expectations, I would have dismissed you.”

“So I meet your expectations?” You asked sardonically.

“At the moment,” He said, snapping his book closed and standing up. “I still want to observe your other classes before I’m completely satisfied.”

“Hmm,” You said again.

True to his word, Halvorg attended every class that week, observing you interacting with the children. Other than a question or two about your future curriculum, he stayed quiet. At the end of the week, he asked that you submit a weekly progress report until you either found a replacement or were dismissed.

It seemed excessive to you, and you were beginning to wonder if he still saw the children as an experiment. He seemed to care about them, but how much of that was genuine and how much of it was his own self-interest? You were starting to feel leery of and disconcerted by him.

Perhaps he picked up on this, because he seemed to go out of his way to avoid you. He had you direct all of your questions and reports to his assistant and rarely picked up his phone. Any conversations were brief and succinct. He did send you notes on your curriculum, making suggestions for each child. If you weren’t already suspicious of his motives, you might almost have though it sweet.

“I think Halvorg is avoiding me,” You told Amai when the two of you went to lunch together. Now that the two of you could hang out after all the years, you made it a point to set time aside for each other and had lunch at least once a week.

“What makes you say that?” Amai asked, drizzling dressing over her starter salad.

“Ever since he watched me teach classes, he’s barely spoken to me. He seemed excited to exchange research notes when I first arrived, but now he seems to have no interest in speaking to me since he finished observing class.”

“He could just be busy,” Amai suggested. “The four year old’s birthdays are coming up. He always does something special for the kids on their birthdays.”

“Are you concerned that he only sees your children as test subjects?” You asked her. “He seems obsessed with them.”

Amai laughed. “I thought that way in the early days, but he genuinely loves kids. If anything ever happened to me or Yenuno, I’m confident Halvorg would take care of them.” She took a sip of her mineral water. “Are you coming to the kids party? You’re invited, obviously.”

“Will there be clowns? I hate clowns.”

She snorted. “Nothing so gauche. I think Halvorg set up a treasure hunt. The kids always love whatever he plans. Honestly, I know I complain about him, but he does make it easy for me sometimes. I haven’t had to plan any major events since the kids hatched.”

“Hmm… I don’t know. It’s strange to me how involved he is.”

Amai sat back in her seat and eyed you shrewdly. “Did he ever tell you about his son?”

You looked up in surprise. “Son? I thought you said he had no children.”

“He doesn’t… technically.” Amai set her fork down. “You didn’t hear this from me so don’t repeat it, but he had a wife nearly a hundred years ago who cheated on him. He raised a boy, thinking he was his son, but the child was actually fathered by the other man. His wife left him and took the boy with her and he never saw him again. I don’t think he ever got over that.”

“Oh, god,” You replied, horrified. “I can’t imagine what that’s like.”

“He’s spend the last several decades saving dying races from the brink of extinction. In a way, he thinks of those children he helped bring into the world as his children, too. And every time he has to let them go, it’s like losing his son all over again. I think the fact that he gets to help raise our babies is something of a gift for him. Trust me, it’s not something he takes for granted.”

“I guess I hadn’t thought of it like that,” You said in dismay.

“Halvorg is stuffy, strict, and a stickler for protocols, so he can be difficult to read, but I assure you, he loves my children as if they were his own. It may have started as research, but he has a family now and I think that’s what he wanted all along. Try not to judge him to harshly.”

You conceded with a nod. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

The following Saturday, you attended the kids birthday party as requested. The kids were excited and zooming around the receiving area, shrieking and laughing, all of them wearing party hats and nothing else. Amaia was piggy-backing on Dr. Halvorg, her tail wrapped around his waist for stability and her arms hugged around his neck. Dr. Halvorg walked around completely normally, as if this was a typical action and he was used to it. He watched the children playing with a wide, fond grin on his face.

You walked over to Amai and Yenuno, who were watching from the refreshments table with Yenu, feeding her crackers.

“Nothing like a little bit of chaos in the morning,” You said.

They laughed.

“You’ve never seen them after a group kill,” Yenuno said. “They’re uncontrollable after they’ve taken down an elk together. It’s pretty incredible to watch for me, personally. Nagas in the wild typically don’t work together and they especially don’t hunt together, not even siblings.”

“They are very close and friendly, for nagas,” You remarked. “Markedly different to most snake-related species I’ve met.”

“It’s Amai’s blood and influence that’s doing it, I’m sure,” Yenuno said, kissing his wife’s cheek. “She’s the most friendly and cheerful person I’ve ever met.”

“To be fair, sweetie, you haven’t met all that many people,” Amai said, laughing.

“That is fair,” Yenuno conceded. “My point stands, though.”

“Alright children, gather ‘round!” Halvorg called, and they flocked to him, swirling around him like a whirlpool. “Now, you guys are going to split up into teams to help Nenish, Tahara, and Sadji find their gifts. Nenish will have Tani, Jinsa, and Keenai on his team. Tahara will have Amaia, Osan, Ishni, and Dashu on his team. And Khuzho, Chidil, Fuma, and Itheti will be on Sadji’s team.” He handed a small leaflet to each team. “Follow the clues to find the treasures! Go!”

The kids scattered, giggling madly.

“Come get something to drink and rest for a minute, Halvorg!” Yenuno called. “I think you’ve earned it.”

Halvorg grinned boyishly, an expression that brightened his face and made him look… well… rather handsome. He jogged over to the table and had a ginger ale. Elves have hypermobile ears, and his ears were high and wiggling slightly, a normal indication in elvish peoples of happiness and excitement.

“I think they’ll really enjoy their gifts this year,” Halvorg said, taking sips of his soda. “And the treasure hunt is half the fun. It’s challenging, but not too difficult. If they work together, it should be no trouble at all.”

“You didn’t get them history books like last year, did you?” Amai asked with her eyes narrowed. “You might as well have burned the money you spent on those for all the use they got out of them.”

“No, I learned my lesson,” He said defensively. “I bought toys.”

“Educational toys?” Amaia asked shrewdly.

He stopped mid-sip and looked at Amaia with an eyebrow raised. “…maybe,” He said into his cup.

Amaia rolled her eyes. “At least Yenuno and I ordered some stuff the kids will like.”

“You don’t know that they won’t like them,” I said. “I loved educational toys.”

“Yeah, but you’re a nerd,” Amaia said, poking you playfully.

“So what? Your kids could be nerds, too. I’m pretty sure Osan is going to be a Star Wars fan. He’s been talking my ear off about the Mandalorian.”

“It’s so strange,” Amaia said, ignoring your response and looking off in the distance. “I thought that because the kids were hatched in clutches, they would be like twins or triples or the like and have similar interests and personalities, but they’re all so different. Different likes, different traits, different styles. It’s amazing.”

“It amazes me, too,” Yenuno said, staring into his drink with a wistful expression. “My siblings and I separated when we were young, so I don’t know what they were like or if we had similar interests. Honestly, until recently, I never gave them a thought. Watching my children work together… it makes me wonder what my own siblings were like, and if they’d still be alive today if we had helped each other.”

There was a contemplative silence for a few minutes, broken by excited voices reentering the receiving area.

“We found it!” Tahara said, holding up a wrapped gift. The other four were carrying smaller treat bags that had their names written on them. “Uncle Maël, look!”

“Excellent! Well done!” Halvorg said, bending to give Tahara a hug. “Now, let’s wait until your brothers return with their gifts before we open them, okay? How about you five play tag until then?”

“Okay!” Tahara said.

“I’ll play with you,” Yenuno said. “I’m starting to get fat, preparing for the incubation period.” He patted Amai’s belly, which carried his three eggs, likely to be the last clutch they’d have together.

“How soon?” You asked Amai as Yenuno took off to chase with his children.

“Any day,” Amai said with a weary sigh. “And I’m ready for it. These little guys are heavy.”

“Boys or girls?”

“We won’t know until they hatch. It’s too hard to get a clear picture with the ultrasound, and besides, even if it could, both the male and female genitalia are internal, so it’s nearly impossible to tell.” She took a sip of ginger ale. “We’re really hoping for at least one girl. Don’t get me wrong, we love the boys more than anything, but we’d like Amaia and Yenu to have some sisters.”

“I’d like to be present for the laying, if that’s okay,” You said.

“For your research?” She asked.

Your head rocked back. “No, because you’re my friend and I want to be there for you.”

Amai smiled fondly. “Oh. Of course, thank you.”

Dr. Halvorg had not added anything to the conversation with you and Amai, and instead went to the table and made a plate of snacks. You gave Amai a look and a cocked eyebrow, and she nodded understanding, slipping away from her spot to watch her husband and children play.

“Dr. Halvorg?”

He flinched and looked up, glancing around furtively and noticing that the two of you were alone. “Yes?”

“Why are you avoiding me?”

He opened his mouth and closed it again before responding, “I’m doing no such thing.”

“I’ve requested at least three meetings with you this past month, and you’re always too busy,” You said dryly.

“Well, I am,” He said, turning. “If you’ll excuse me…”

“Are you avoiding me because I asked you out?” You asked bluntly.

He missed a step in his stride and stopped.

“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I should have realized from your professional demeanor that you wouldn’t be open to interoffice dating. I apologize.”

Halvorg sighed and turned to face you. “It’s not that. Not exactly, I mean.” He set his plate on the table and looked you full in the face for the first time in weeks. “I haven’t given a thought to dating in…” He rubbed his forehead. “Gods… decades. The question took me off guard, of course, and I actually had to sit down and give it some thought. I’ve been wrapped up in my work, of course, but I think I was just distracting myself.”

“From what?”

He sat on the edge of the table and crossed his arms. “It’s hard to talk about. I don’t even really talk about it with Yenuno, and I would consider him my closest friend.” He sighed heavily and avoided your eye. “I’ve ignored my personal life in favor of spending my career and fortune in this century helping races achieve something I want for myself.”

“Children?” You guessed.

He nodded a little morosely. “Not just that, but that is a significant part of it. I’ve been following the reproduction rates of Celtic fae since the fae were originally integrated and it’s decreasing year by year. I live in constant fear that my own race will be extinct in my lifetime.” He quirked his head at you. “Your race still seems to be fairly prolific, is that correct?”

“Oh yeah, I have a bunch of brothers and a truckload of cousins. No problems there.”

He sighed. “I don’t know what the problem with my race is. I’ve studied genetic traits, magical impediments, marriage and divorce rates, and ratio of coupling to conceptions.The numbers are terrible and I don’t know why. That’s what drives me crazy. I hate not having an answer.”

“Have there been miscarriages?”

“No, that’s the crazy thing, the rate of conception is extraordinarily low. I think there have only been three live births of Celtic fae blood in the last year.”

“Oh, jeez,” You said, sitting against the table next to him. “I didn’t realize the problem was that severe. Have you considered whether it might be a physical problem?”

“How do you mean?”

“Have you ever done a sperm count? Or had an MRI of the area to see if there’s a blockage? That kind of thing can be genetic and men tend to be shy about stuff like that.”

He tilted his head and frowned. “No, I haven’t. It actually hadn’t occurred to me. Honestly, I’ve been so focused on my work to distract myself, it may have worked too well and I ignored such things.” He looked at you and smiled. “You’ve given me something to think about.”

You smiled back. “Good. I wonder if the females of the race have a similar issue. It may have been something bred into the people over time, over centuries.”

“That’s possible,” He said. “There’s certainly a precedent; some creatures have been bred to extinction. Remember the pug?”

“That tiny dog breed with the squashed face?” You said. “Yeah, they died out a while ago, didn’t they?”

He nodded. “That was human interference, though. Yenuno’s people were dying out due to antisocialism; too reclusive to even propagate their own species. Yenuno was the only one of his kind to take up this project, and even he was reluctant.”

“He seems happy now,” You remarked.

“Yeah,” Halvorg said softly, watching Yenuno laughing and chasing his kids with a sad kind of jealousy. “He does.”

You watched his face, the deep, deep sadness creasing his face and making him look older than he was.

“Follow up, Halvorg, see a specialist. This may have a fix that didn’t exist the last time you tried.”

He nodded, smiling at you, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “I will.”

As you stood up, you bumped his shoulder lightly. “Thank you for talking to me. I appreciate that you trusted me enough to discuss such a sensitive subject. I get the feeling that you don’t share yourself with many people.”

He laughed. “No, not really.” He looked up with a smile that seemed more sincere. “Thank you for listening.”

Amai went into labor three days later. She was taken to the laying room, where both Yenuno and Dr. Halvorg were present in addition to the interspecies OBGYN. You were suited up in scrubs and the paper gowns that surgeons wear, as was everyone else in the room besides Amai, who was completely naked, and Yenuno, who never wore clothing. There were natal heart monitors on her belly and an EKG hooked up to her chest.

Amai was sitting on a specially designed chair that would allow her to pass the eggs through her birth canal and into the waiting arms of the doctor. She was already sweating and panting by the time you arrived. The OBGYN and Dr. Halvorg were having a quiet conversation. You went to the other side of Amai and took her hand, trying not to wince when she nearly crushed your fingers.

“Is she okay?” You asked in alarm.

“She’s not fully dilated yet,” Halvorg said, pulling his braid into a surgical cap. “The eggs are getting impatient, it seems.”

“Yeah, well, so am I, so they can settle the fuck down!” Amai shrieked at him.

He bore the abuse with no reaction other than a wry smile. Yenuno wisely said nothing and simply wiped Amai’s forehead with a cloth.

“It won’t be long,” the OBGYN said. “She’s almost there.”

“Just saw me open and get them out,” Amai moaned. “It would hurt less.”

Yenuno tried to kiss her cheek, but she swatted him away weakly.

“No,” She said peevishly. “No touching ever again.”

“You said that last time,” He said, smiling fondly.

“Yeah, but I mean it this time,” She said sulkily.

“Of course you do, darling.” He patted her head. She scrunched her face up at him in annoyance. She was always adorable when she was miffed.

“I’ll make you into shoes,” She said sourly. “And a matching purse.”

It took a while for Amai to dilate fully, and by then she was very tired. Yenuno was looking worried; she’d laid several eggs over the years and never struggled this much before. Perhaps this being their last clutch was a good idea.

“Okay, I think we can start pushing now,” The doctor said, getting ready to catch the eggs. “Amai, when you feel the next contract, hold your breath, bear down, and push.”

“Okay,” She breathed. “One’s coming.”

We all braced for the push. Amai took several quick deep breaths and held it, her face pulled tight in pain and effort, doubling over in the chair as she did. You and Yenuno held her hands and patted her back and murmured encouragement. Halvorg was waiting with a soft cloth to take the eggs for cleaning, after which they would be laid in a specialized incubating carrier to be taken to Yenuno’s cottage.

The first egg came slowly and with much screaming. The doctor caught it and handed it off to Halvorg. The shell of the egg was soft and needed extremely delicate care, but Halvorg was well practiced by now and got the egg washed and into the carrier under ninety seconds and returned for the next.

The second egg came more quickly, but Amai screamed the whole time. By the time the third and final egg was laid, her voice was raw and she was too exhausted to scream.

But it was over. She fell back into the recline of the chair as if boneless and breathed in shallowly, her eyes barely open.

“You were amazing, darling,” Yenuno said gently, kissing Amai’s face. “Rest. I’m taking the eggs to the cottage. The children will visit you when you’ve slept.”

She turned her head slowly to look at him and touched her fingertips to his face, tracing down his cheek, chin, neck and chest before letting her hand fall back to her side, and her eyes closed. Nurses came to whisk her away to a recovery room, the OBGYN following behind. Yenuno and Halvorg left to take the eggs to the cottage for the incubation, and you were left alone in the laying room.

As you were shedding the paper gown and surgical cap, you noticed a small book lying on the ground. It looked to be one of Halvorg’s research journals, though it was smaller than his usual ones. He must have dropped it out of his back pocket when he was disrobing. You picked it up and took it with you with the intent on returning it to him in the morning.

And of course, you’d completely forgotten by the time you woke up.

Amai recovered enough in a few days to be up and walking around. She and the children took turns keeping Yenuno company, as he grew morose if he was left alone too long. You had declared half days until the new babies hatched so that they could have more time with their dad.

One afternoon, after the children had left class for the day, Dr. Halvorg came in and sat on the edge of your desk.

“Hello,” You said pleasantly, closing the folder with their latest work for grading. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”

“I wanted to let you know I took you up on your advice,” He said, looking a little bashful. “I went and saw a specialist. They’re going to be doing some tests soon. Sperm count, blood tests, an MRI. Any test that can be done will be done.”

“Good!” You said, swinging your chair around. “I’m glad. Maybe you’ll finally get an answer.”

He sighed, looking pensive and anxious. “I’m trying not to get my hopes up, but I still wanted to thank you for pushing me to do it.”

“I didn’t push you to do it, Maël,” You said. His eyes narrowed at your use of his first name, but he didn’t say anything. “I just brought the subject up. It was your decision to do it.”

“Well, thank you all the same,” He replied. “I admit, I’m nervous about it. I could either get wonderful news or have my worst fears confirmed. I don’t know how I’ll react to either option.”

“Would you like me to come with you?” You asked him.

He looked at you in surprise. “You… you don’t have to do that.”

“I know I don’t,” You replied. “But this is the kind of thing you need friends for. And since Yenuno is tied up with the eggs, I could be a good substitute. You don’t even have to think of me as a friend, if you don’t want to, just an emotional support associate.”

He was quiet for a moment. “I think of you as a friend.”

“Well, thank you. I was hoping we’d get there eventually. So? What do you think? Want some support for this?”

“Not for the tests, I can do those by myself perfectly well,” He said, adjusting his tie nervously. “But… for the results… perhaps… a friend would be nice.”

“I’ll be there for you, then,” You said, standing and patting his arm. “Does Yenuno know about this? Have you talked to him about it?”

“No,” He replied. “I didn’t want to tell him while he’s dealing with his own new babies. Besides, if the news is not good, I don’t want people feeling sorry for me. If the news comes back positive… I don’t know… I think this is one thing I’d rather keep to myself.”

“Except for me, you mean,” You said.

He nodded concedingly. “Besides you.”

“Let me know when the results come back and I’ll go with you. We’ll make a day of it, go to a spa, get a bikini wax together, eat some overpriced salads, buy something ridiculous we want but don’t need. It’ll be a blast.”

He actually laughed a little. “Sounds like a plan.”

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[hellbound-honeybee]

Prompt 8: Frail (Drarry)

This one kind of got away from me but it was a joy to write.

---

In the months after Voldemort's death, the Ministry pushes through several trials every day. The prosecutors are slammed with having to manage so many files at once but it's what must be done in a post-war society. Harry ignores the headlines for the most part, he doesn't need to see what the Ministry deems 'suitable punishments' for death eaters. Harry spends the summer helping Minerva restore Hogwarts with a group of volunteers. He stays at the Burrow when he can, with the whole family grieving and Fred freshly buried Harry takes up the bulk of the housework. George hasn't left their room in weeks, Molly breaks down every few minutes, everyone else is uncharacteristically silent. 

Three weeks before September Minerva approaches Harry, asking him quietly about his plans for after the summer. Harry shrugs explaining that he once thought about joining the Aurors, with all he's done for the wizarding world his training would be cut in half and he would be fast-tracked right into the field. He's not sure if he still wants that, it's what everyone expects of him but Harry is tired of fighting. 

"You know, we still don't have a DADA Professor for this year and with how you lead the DA in your fifth year... Merlin knows the school has seen far less competent professors in the position. If you wanted, you could stick around and help finish repairs─ I don't think we'll get it all done before classes start─ teach a few classes." McGonagall offers and Harry feels like he's finally found North. "Of course if you decide you like it, I could always hire you officially. And if you so chose to stay beyond that, well you'd have to get some more qualifications under your belt but I'm sure you could manage that next summer."

"I really think that might be nice," Harry agrees eagerly wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans. "Just a temp for now. Thank you, Minnie."

"Oh come here, boy." Minerva waves away Harry's offered handshake, ushering him into a tight hug instead. 

--- 

It took two whole classes with a group of wide-eyed first years for Harry to fall in love with the job. The new seventh years welcomed him back with cheers and claps on the back, these people that Harry had fought beside were still hurt, still broken, but it made them cling to each other all the tighter. The younger kids hadn't known him personally but they had also seen firsthand the horrors of war, now they seemed to treat Harry a little less like a celebrity.

Harry marvelled at the difference between the second-year students and the first years. It was a bit like looking into the sun. They were so bright and hopeful, untouched by the trauma and pain that seemed to perpetually hang over the other students. It made Harry feel lighter, he enjoyed teaching students that have never needed to learn. He also enjoyed helping the older students though it took more energy, he became their mind-healer as much as their DADA professor. Death had given Harry plenty of nightmares and with the new privilege of freely roaming the halls at night, Harry came across several students out of bed. 

The younger they are the harder it is for Harry not to wrap them up in a tight hug, instead, he crouches on the floor in front of them. The first one had been a fifth year  Slytherin boy. With Severus, dead Harry became the new Head of Slytherin and subsequently learned to appreciate houses other than Gryffindor. The Slytherins, Harry discovered, could easily outwit a Ravenclaw in an argument. While the Ravenclaws value the pursuit of knowledge simply for the sake of it, the thing that makes someone a Slytherin is how they use their knowledge and wit.

Harry's own mind-healer, bless the saint of a woman, commented on his growth during one of their sessions sometime around late November. "You are really making progress with your healing journey, I am very proud of you." 

"Thank you, I still have plenty of bad days but they're becoming farther apart," Harry replied sinking into the soft couch in his mind healer's office. "I'm going to take Minnie up on that permanent job offer, I don't know what I'd do without my classes. Sometimes I feel like they're healing me as much as I'm helping them."

"That's great," The mind healer closes her notebook, crossing her wrists on top of it. "There is actually something I hoped to discuss with you. I know you haven't gone to any of the Death Eater trials but the Malfoy trials have just been announced. Do you intend to go to Draco and Narcissa's?"

"I─ I don't know." Harry is surprised by the question. He hasn't thought about the Malfoy's in months, not since he took up teaching DADA at Hogwarts. When Harry had started his therapy sessions the healer had insisted on covering everything, not just the war. She knew his childhood inside out by this point, every nitty-gritty detail of his life with the Dursleys. She knows all about his crush on Draco Malfoy, poorly disguised as a rivalry, and of course how both he and Narcissa had saved Harry's life. 

"You don't have to decide right now, I just think you should consider it. Draco was a huge part of your life, he's not someone you'll just forget about."

--- 

Harry finds himself sitting at the back of a courtroom on December 29th. It had been a rather spontaneous decision, even that morning Harry had been pacing Grimmauld place, debating with himself. No one knew he was here, not even the people in this room, Harry had glamoured himself before even entering the Ministry. 

Lucius was first, he was a weak and dirty looking man now, moments from crumbling in on himself. Harry was not surprised nor disappointed to see him sentenced to life in Azkaban without parole. The guards led him away and Harry didn't feel a single thing for the man, not a sense of justice nor a twinge of pity. But then it was Draco's turn and Harry's heart broke in his chest.

The last six months had not done him well, Draco's fluorescent hair was dulled by layers of dirt and grime. Somehow he looked paler than usual and just downright frail. Harry felt sick watching the guards shackle him to the chair stationed in the middle of the room. As the case progressed, Harry's nauseous feeling only increased. Finally, just before newly appointed Minister Shacklebolt declared a verdict, Harry interrupted.

"I, Harry James Potter would like to testify on behalf of both Draco Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Black-Malfoy," Harry called, waving away his disguise with a wordless spell. A wave of whispers flow through the courtroom, even Draco stares at him in bewilderment. Minister Shacklebolt nods waving Harry onto the floor. 

"Mr. Potter, please state your proposed punishment for Draco Malfoy." Minister Shacklebolt, Harry stands between him and Draco much as Dumbledore had at his own trial several years previous. 

"I propose house arrest and community service." Minister Shacklebolt raises an eyebrow but doesn't outright dismiss the idea. "I have ownership of the Black ancestral home, there is plenty of room and I can find something for him to do at Hogwarts. I can keep an eye on him myself, make sure he follows all his parole orders."

"And Mr. Potter, why do you believe that Draco Malfoy should be granted house arrest instead of time in Azkaban?" Minister Shacklbolt knows Harry well, and he's saying Harry's name now on purpose. Harry never uses his fame to get things he wants, but now he's going to and Minister Shacklebolt is encouraging him. 

"I have known Draco Malfoy since we were eleven years old. We grew up together, I know him better than anyone else here." Harry takes a deep breath, turning slightly to look at Draco. "We've almost killed each other several times over the years, but when it counts we also save the other's life. While trying to take down Voldemort I got caught by a group of Death Eaters, Hermione Jean Granger managed to hit me with a hex just before we were captured. I was unrecognizable to all but the people who knew me. Draco Malfoy was tasked with identifying me and he lied. He lied to save me, so that I could defeat Voldemort. Without him, more people would be dead." Harry turns his back on Draco again, looking steady and sure with each word. "On the record: there are very few people I, Harry James Potter, trust and one of those people is Draco Malfoy." 

"Mr. Malfoy, is it true you purposely failed to identify Harry Potter to aid him in killing Voldemort?" Minister Shacklebolt inquires, Draco nods mutely. "Why?"

"Vol─ Voldemort liked to threaten me by torturing my mother, it's the only reason why I took the mark. I was a coward, too afraid to get my mother killed. When Harry came to us, his face was so swollen and bloody but I knew who he was in an instant. It's the face I've been taunting for the past seven years. If I got caught lying I could just say it was a mistake, Voldemort would kill me and not my mother." Draco's voice is weak and breaks in places but he pushes on. 

"Right before I was about to take the mark, our sixth year, Harry found me crying in a bathroom. He offered me an out, he tried to help me but I was too scared. I couldn't mess up like that again. So I lied. I told them I couldn't be sure if it was Harry or not. Voldemort could kill me but I couldn't let him kill any more people." A tear streaks down Draco's cheek, it creates a white line as it tracks through the dirt on his skin. 

"Given Draco Malfoy's statement and the testimony from Harry James Potter, we must come to a verdict. All in favour of one year of house arrest and three years of community service?" Minister Shacklebolt finally concludes the trial, Draco is shaking like a leaf. Wand tips light up across the courtroom, an obvious majority. "Alright then, Draco Malfoy will serve out his house arrest at Grimmauld Place, community service will be sorted with his parole officer. Harry Potter, I trust you will keep him in line?"

"Yes, Minister. Thank you, Minister." Harry nods hovering by Draco's side as the guards unchain him. Draco's so weak he stumbles almost as soon as he stands, Harry catches him and leads him to the bench. "Wait right here, I have to get Narcissa too." 

---

True to his word, Harry had also gotten Narcissa house arrest and community service. Since she was an adult, Minister Shacklebolt gave her several more years than Draco got. Aurors and the parole officer had to come to Grimmauld to set up the proper tracking wards and get everything in order. Minerva, ever the wonderful witch she is, agreed to let Draco serve out his community service at Hogwarts. During the week Draco would stay in Harry's professor quarters and every weekend Harry and Draco would floo back to Grimmauld Place. It was rather unconventional and somewhat inconvenient but 100x better than being in Azkaban. 

Draco hadn't complained once about needing to be at Harry's side 24/7, but he did tease Harry for how much food he piled on Draco's plate every meal. Harry was just happy that he could no longer see Draco's ribs poking out of his skin anymore. To his surprise, the students had actually taken quite well to Draco joining them in class. Harry expected some nasty words but instead, his seventh years cackled and mocked them for being attached at the hip 'just like old times.'

"Some things never change, Professor Potter," One Gryffindor had commented while his friend told Draco to blink twice if he needed help. Draco had simply smirked and told them that Harry would be the one to regret their arrangement. 

A year later Draco finished his house arrest and officially became the Potions professor. Harry offered to help him get his own flat now that he didn't have to be at Grimmauld but Draco declined. "We're only there during the summer now, hardly seems to be any point." 

Draco also technically had his own professor's chambers closer to the potions classroom but he never used them. Harry's chambers became theirs and somewhere along the line, two beds became one. To celebrate Narcissa finishing out her three years of house arrest and four years of community service, Harry gifted her Grimmauld place and moved into a lovely little flat in muggle London with Draco. So many years after his stint in Azkaban Draco was still skinny and pale but he was a man now, no longer the frail and sickly boy Harry had vouched for. 

---

< Prompt 7: Slither (Drarry)     Ao3     Prompt 9: Collide (Wolfstar) >

[doc-pickles]

that was our place, I found it first

in which alex and jo both struggle with their new realities and that overwhelming sense of deja vu....

hey hi hello this isn’t new (it’s been on AO3 for a hot minute) but I hadn’t shared it here so enjoy. and everyone say thank you to olivia rodrigo.

It’s three weeks into his stay in Kansas when the weight of his new reality hits him square in the chest. He’d wrangled both kids inside and sent them to wash up, quickly changing out of his scrubs before meeting Eli, Alexis, and Izzie at the dinner table. He’s about to ask how the day has been for everyone but he’s stopped dead in his tracks, the words slipping from his mind.

“Hey, you're invited to Mer's for Thanksgiving.”

“Really?”

“I'm invited and, uh, I'm bringing you.”

“The attendings are gonna be weird if I'm there.”

“No, they're not.”

“Just go without me. We'll meet up after.”

“You think I wanna be there if you're not.”

“You're sweet.”

“Okay, screw it. How about we get takeout chicken and eat it in the car like we were raised to do?”

“I think I love you.”

“Yeah, yeah, settle down.”

The sound of his daughter’s voice brings Alex back to the present, eyes moving from the platter of fried chicken in the center of the table to Alexis who’s staring at him in confusion. He quickly plasters a smile on his face, making a joke at his daughter’s expense that makes both children giggle loudly. Dinner passes by quickly and soon both kids are off to bed, visions of a bright eyed brunette intern closing Alex’s mind as he cleans the kitchen.

+

“Auntie Jo!”

The exclamation from Zola sends all three Grey Shepherd kids hurtling across the room to wrap their arms around Jo’s legs. Struggling to keep her balance, Jo let out a laugh as she listened to each child bombard her with questions. She hadn’t seen them for almost two months so the attack was unavoidable but not unwanted as she let the kids contagious joy bring a wide smile to her face.

“Hey, glad you could make it,” Link appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, Scout wriggling in his arms. “I’m not much of a cook but there’s fresh coffee and donuts. I got them from that place that’s on...”

Link’s voice faded out as Jo’s eyes settled on the pink bakery box behind him, the children clinging to her forgotten as her mind drifted.

“Cheers to an incredible day. You deserve it. Actually, I helped, too. So cheers to us.”

“Hey, powdered sugar's your favorite.”“Yeah, no. This is great. Thanks.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“So it’s been a long morning around here,” Link, oblivious to the far off look in Jo’s eyes, finished his thought off before turning back to his friend. “Can I get you some coffee? You look tired, no offense.”

Jo nodded her head, shaking off the last foggy visions of the supply closet from her mind as she hoisted Ellis onto her hip, “Coffee sounds perfect, thanks Link.”

+

“You know, maybe we should just head down to the courthouse, make things official.”

Alex’s head snapped up from the bowl of cereal in front of him, eyes wide as he stared at Izzie who was packing lunches for Eli and Alexis. Her comment was nonchalant, eyes not even leaving the lunch bags in front of her as she continued the thought.

“It might make things easier than going through a big fuss, plus it’s close to the hospital so it wouldn’t be super out of the way,” Izzie finally looked at Alex who was staring at her in shock still. “What do you think?”

“I don’t even know if my divorce has gone through yet, I think getting married is jumping the gun a bit Iz,” Alex forced the words out of his mouth, heart pounding loudly as Izzie began to laugh. “What? What’s so funny?”

“I meant go down to the courthouse to get you on the kids paperwork,” Izzie stifled another laugh as Alex let out a breath of relief, his heart rate coming down significantly. “Geez, what kind of backwoods tacky idea is a courthouse wedding anyways?”

Alex’s mind began to drift as visions of vampire teeth and fake blood on a day not too long ago filled his mind.

“For better or worse...”

“For better or worse.”

"...for richer or poorer...”

“For richer or... pregnant.”

“What?”

“I'm pregnant.... Ha! Scared you! I got you so good.”

“Wait. You're not pregnant?”

“No. Oh, my God, you should've seen your face.”

“... so I told Jenny we’d swing by around 8,” Izzie looks expectantly to Alex, who’s coming out of his mental dog and still staring into his cereal bowl. “Alex? You okay?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine,” his eyes flit to the living room where Eli and Alexis are playing a game, loud peels of laughter coming from them. His heart twisted for a moment, picturing Jo between the two children playing along with them as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “Yeah I’m good.”

+

“You’re just the cutest baby in the whole wide world aren’t you,” Jo’s voice was a soft coo as she rocked a drowsy Scout in her arms, the loud voices of his cousins outside drowned out as they stood in the living room. “You’re gonna be handsome just like your daddy and so smart like your mama. I don’t know what those two are gonna do with you.”

“You’re a natural you know,” Jo’s head popped up, meeting Amelia’s gaze as she leaned against the doorframe of the living room. “He won’t even fall asleep for Maggie.”

“Well Auntie Jo just has the magic touch,” Jo pressed a finger against Scout’s cheek, the infant curling closer to the new source of warmth. “Maybe that’s why OB sounds so appealing, all the babies I get to hold and love on since I’m clearly not having any of my own anytime soon.”

A low chuckle left Amelia as she crossed the room and grabbed Scout from Jo, the little boy nuzzling into his mother’s chest contentedly, “Don’t count yourself out. I wouldn’t put it past you to become a mom sooner rather than later.”

Jo watched Amelia walk towards Scout’s room, her mind thinking back to a time when having her own kids wasn’t just a far off dream.

“I'm ready. I mean, let's do it. Let's make a baby, right now.”

“Are you out of your mind? We’re not having a baby!”

“I want to have kids with you. I love how much you care for Kimmie, and it really makes me want to have kids with you. And if it's okay with you, I would really like to take your last name. Because I've never had the last name of anyone who's loved me.”

“I'm sorry I talked about kids on our honeymoon. It was stupid. It was just... you were talking about the future and snow stuff, and it just popped into my head. Like, I could see our kids playing in the snow, having fun, which is... You know, kids, snow. It makes sense.”

“Alex, shut up, please. I-I have an idea, a big idea, and I love you, and I will love all of our children, or at least one child eventually.”

“We're in the baby hat place? Are you pregnant and you didn't tell me?”

“She asked me if we wanted kids, and I said yes because we do. And she's making the hats extra big because I had an extra big head.”

The thoughts in her head overwhelm Jo, heart beating erratically as she collapses onto the couch in a fit of tears she hadn’t realized were falling. Eventually Amelia comes back, silently bringing Jo into her embrace as her tears fall. She doesn’t know how long she sits there crying, begging any higher being that would listen for Alex to come back so they could have the family they so desperately wanted.

+

“There’s a storm brewing! Expect two to three days of nonstop rain and wind in the North Eastern Kansas area, this storm is not letting up.”

Alex’s eyes floated to the window of his office, the news report blaring from his laptop fading as he focused on the rain hitting the glass. He’d lived in Seattle for a large majority of his life, he should be more than used to the sight of rain. Instead though the water dripping down reminded him of another storm years earlier, a storm that changed his life.

“Listen, I have to tell you something.”

“No, you don't.”

“You don't even know what I'm gonna say.”

“I think I do, and you shouldn't.”

“Jo…”

“I'll mess it up, Alex. I mess everything good in my life up, and... we work as friends really well, and... and I don't wanna mess that up.”

“You won't mess anything up.”

The memory fades from his mind as a knock sounds on the door of his office, one of his attendings hurtling questions at him a mile a minute. Jo’s bruised face and beaming smile haunt his thoughts for the rest of the day though, the feeling of her lips on his haunting him as he attempted to keep his head screwed on straight.

+

“Watch out Seattle! Another super soaker is in the area. Local officials are advising everyone to stay off the roads until this storm passes. If you have an emergency or need to leave…”

“Great, we’re going to get the whole of Seattle’s dumbasses in the ER tonight,” Bailey’s voice broke Jo out of her trance as she stared at the TV in the attendings lounge, fingers absentmindedly twisting the necklace around her neck. “Wilson, keep an eye on the NICU for me. If the power goes out we’ll need to keep an eye on those babies.”

Jo nodded, leaving the lounge in a daze as her mind brought up her first Seattle superstorm and a night not unlike tonight that changed everything.

“Last night, before the tree, you asked me a question. You wanted to hear me say the words. So I'm... Saying them right now.”

“I don't hear anything.”

“Shut up.”

“Okay, but…”

“I'm... I'm serious.”

“Fine.”

“I love you.”

The words still echoed around her, the storm drowned out by the look on Alex’s face as they finally shared a kiss that felt like it was years in the making. That night changed everything for them, it started them off on a crazy eight year rollercoaster that despite its tragic ending Jo wouldn’t change for the world. As she walked the halls of Grey Sloan she was reminded of countless memories between them, their whole relationship playing out in the hallways of this hospital. A light feeling settled in Jo’s chest, the memories for once bringing a smile to her face instead of sending her into a crying fit. Maybe that dreaded sense of deja vu wasn’t always a bad thing…

[vagrantblvrd]

That time Din gets hired on as part of a crew for a heist back in the Imperial days, right?

An old friend of an old friend and favors are owed and if - if - they pull this off Din’s cut will be substantial, but mostly it the favors owed part of things.

Doesn’t like it, but again with the favors owed and finding work’s been harder than usual and so on.

Besides, Outer Rim and might be a good idea to lie low(ish) for a bit.

It’s definitely a ragtag bunch of criminal lowlifes he’ll be working with, shifty-eyed and untrustworthy as hell even if he’s been assured they know their jobs. (Won’t try to stab him in the back until the heist is over, which is oddly reassuring.)

He gets dirty looks from them which he’s used to from others, it’s the calculating looks that concern him. (Mandalorians have a reputation and it gets them all sort of attention, usually the wrong kind.)

Strangely, it’s not Imperial defector that worries him most with the crew, it’s the kid.

(Din’s not so much older, but looking at the kid and how bright he is it’s hard to remember that.)

Pilot, wheelman, Din’s been told he can fly anything, which. Yeah, sure, Din will believe that when he sees it because the ship they’re going to be using is decades older than him and maybe, maybe, Din’s making a mistake taking the job, favors be damned.

And the kid, can’t be older than twenty if that, blond hair and blue eyes and friendly in a way that unsettles Din.

It’s an act, it has to be because no way someone like that would be that bright after this kind of life for any length of time. Or, and this might be worse, it isn’t and this will be the kind of job that breaks that spirit of his, clean down the middle.

Either way, Din tries to stay as far away from the kid as he can once they set off to wherever for the job.

The armor makes it easier, all the stories people tell about Mandalorians and the reputations they’ve built for themselves over time reinforce them, don’t they.

So Din keeps mostly to himself when he can. The others snap and snarl at him - literally in some cases and posture, but Din can’t be bothered.

Knows his worth, and it’s that certainty that has them backing down when he does something so small as tilt his head a certain way.

The only ones who don’t seem to be on the same page are the Imperial defector and the kid.

Snide remarks, barbed comments from the former, wide smile and cheerful chatter Din tunes out easily enough.

It’s a long way out, though. Some backwater ball of rock and dust and shattered dreams and they have to stop to replenish supplies, and somehow, somehow, the kid’s just.

There.

Din heads off to touch base with contacts in the area and so on, and the rest are picking up supplies getting drunk and a little - only  little because they wouldn’t want to draw unwanted attention to themselves - wild before they set off.

When he gets back to the landing pad the kid’s...tinkering, is the best way put it, on the ship.

Muttering about this and that and talking to himself about who knows what having to do with lower than expected performance from the engines and he just. Gets lost in it, doesn’t seem to realize Din’s there for the longest time as he crawls over, inside the ship, the engines.

(Reckless, Din thinks at the time, but that’s not quite right. Or it is, but there’s something else about it too he can’t pin down.)

When the kid does notice he’s got grease smudges across one cheek, the bridge of his nose. More on his clothes like he’d wiped his hands on them and didn’t realize, and he tosses Din this smile.

Bright, friendly, a wave of his hand and then he hops down and comes over to where Din’s sitting on cargo containers, sits himself down without an invitation.

Din’s braced for more of that relentless cheerful chatter, but it doesn’t come.

When Din glances at him the kid looks, he looks tired. Dark circles under his eyes, set to his mouth as he looks at their ship.

Old, old, thing, pre-Imperial and then some, well past its last legs and too stubborn to realize it.

Smiles, this small, wistful thing as he drags his eyes away from the ship to settle on Din. Still doesn’t say anything, which is odd for the kid, but Din’s not going to be the one to point it out.

Minutes pass, the kid shaking his head and letting out this sigh, tired, weight to it that seems at odds with the kid’s usual cheerfulness, and he looks back at Din. Looks like he’s going to say something, and then there’s noise, raised voices, too-loud brash.

The rest of the crew coming back and the kid - Din watches as the kid slips back into the role of the cheerful, gullible newbie, going over the others and letting them bully him into loading the supplies they brought back like they’re doing him the favor, giving him his big break and all.

It.

There were things about the kid that didn’t seem to fit right before, that unsettled Din when he was around him, but this -

Interesting.

Dangerous, too.

Too easy to know to look for people like the Imperial defector, the countless dregs of society he’s met over the years all too happy to upfront about wanting to stick a knife in your back in one way or another, but this?

The kid?

The kind of thing you don’t see - forget about in the face of more over threats - until it’s too late.

Like he knows Din’s watching him, the kid looks over him and smiles before one of the others yells his names and he hurries to see what they want.

Din sits there for a while after that, listening to others bustle about before he gets up and walks up the ship’s lowered ramp.

Means to keep a closer eye on the kid after that, but the others make it difficult, riled up because there’s a Mandalorian involved and eager to prove themselves or make a point and Din honestly couldn’t care less, but they’re persistent about it.

Still, a job is a job is a job and he deals with it.

(Doesn’t start fights, but everyone knows who ends them)

The kid and that mask he wears, this look in his eyes sometimes when he thinks no one’s looking, like he’s seen too much in too short a time and it’s made a mark on him.

And then he’ll shake himself out of it and slip that mask back on and things just go on.

Then the heist happens  where everything falls apart before it even starts because someone sold them out, let the Imperials buy them and then it’s all running and shooting and dying.

Din’s got no loyalty to the crew, but he tries to keep them from dying, but they’re outnumbered and outgunned and panic and fear and Din’s the only one to make it back to the landing pad.

Too quiet, and there’s a moment he thinks someone got the kid, waiting for them to come back from meeting with a contact in the city, scouting the area -

When he gets closer to the ship he hears voices the Imperial defector and the kid.

Arguing about going to get the others, that they can’t just leave then, and when Din walks up the ramp it’s not hard to figure out who sold them out. Not when the Imperial defector’s holding a blaster on the kid, is actually gloating. Saying something about getting more for the kid than a lifetime of heists like this one, which Din doesn’t understand.

But.

Between the kid who hasn’t done anything against Din and this bastard who sold them all out, with Imperials hot on his tail, it’s an easy enough decision to kill the defector.

Ignores whatever reaction the kid has to that as he kicks the body down the ship’s ramp and heads up to the cockpit to start the pre-flight.

Knows it’s a risk turning his back on the kid, but Imperials on his tail and a problem for later, assuming there will be a later.

The ship’s lifting off when the kid slides into the co-pilot seat next to him and at a look from the kid when they see a damned star destroyer sitting in high orbit with Tie fighters riding escort -

“Time to earn my pay,” the kid says, like either of them are going to get paid after this mess, and something has Din give him the controls.

Some fancy flying later and they break past the blockade and hit hyperspace.

Don’t say anything for a long, long time, and when he looks over at the kid that’s look is back on his face, too old for how young he is.

They don’t talk much as they make their way to safe(er) territory before they part ways.

The kid off to who knows where, and Din to where the Crest is waiting for him and a word with the old friend who got him tangled up in the botched heist.

Doesn’t think too much about the job, the kid, after that until he picks up a bounty puck some time later.

The kid’s face and a different name than the one Din had known him by and he sighs as he stares at it before he pockets it along with half a dozen others.

Slings the kid’s puck into a bin of spare parts on his way up to the cockpit and focuses on tracking down the rest, and so on and so on.

Wonders at the the kind of odds that has him running into the kid himself, a new name on a different planet and the same kind of trouble.

Startled smile and recognition and trusting Din not to shoot him in the back while dealing with said trouble.

Again and again, and it’s more the fact that whatever trouble the kid’s caught up in has to do with Imperials than the kid himself that has Din lending him a hand before he knows what’s going on.

Doesn’t know if the kid’s just that bad at picking jobs or if it’s something else, something deliberate, but he still helps him out when they run into each other.

(Sometimes, though, the tables get turned and if the kid just happens to be in the area Din’s the one who gets rescued, teased, the kid’s laughter stuck in his head long after the danger’s past and they’ve gone their separate ways again.)

Din picks up regular bounties in the meantime, and always this moment of disbelief when he runs across the kid’s face and a whole slew of different names attached to a bounty puck over the years. Wonders if the kid knows some of his identities are worth more than others, and that bin with the spare parts and bounty pucks fills up and doesn’t look past that because sometimes it’s better not to know.

The second Death Star goes the way of the first one and the Empire falls, but it’s not gone.

Remnants of it wherever you look if you know how towards the Core, more and more blatant the further out you go because the New Republic is hindered by politics, can’t operate the way it did when everyone called it the Rebel Alliance.

Creates more work for people like Din, though, one way or another.

And then he takes that bounty from Karga and gets in over his head, only seems to dig himself deeper as he goes. Finds people willing to go down alongside him, and then Gideon and the Jedi.

Older now, going by yet another name, when Cara and the others apparently recognize him.

Din’s tired, confused, and his kid is staring at the Jedi with this. This longing Din’s far to familiar with, and with everything that’s happened, will happen, it’s -

Not the easy choice, to send Grogu with the Jedi, far from it, but it’s the right one. (Knows by the way it hurts it must be.)

Din goes back to his life after that, avoids Bo-Katan’s calls and pretends he can’t feel the weight of the Darksaber on his hip.

Pretends he doesn’t see the looks Karga gives him before handing over bounty pucks, the ones Cara gives him.

Goes on with his life because there’s nothing else for it, but then there’s this dusty little planet somewhere.

A bar.

Figure in a black cloak and a bounty puck tossed on the table between them, Din’s own face on it for a change.

The kid - Jedi - taking a seat across from him, what looks like a smile on his face from the light the puck gives off.

“I’m looking for someone,” the Jedi says. “Do you know where I can find him?”

Din stares at the Jedi, not sure what he wants, is there for.

If it about the price on Din’s head he wouldn’t bother with all...this.

Before he can ask, though, there’s a very familiar noise. Soft coo, and he sees the ears before the rest of Grogu, poking up over the edge of the table before the Jedi laughs and picks him up to set him on the table.

“What is this?”

The Jedi pulls his hood down, glances at Grogu who’s staring up at Din, tiny hands reaching for him.

Second nature by now to reach back, but attachments. Cruel for someone Din hasn’t considered an enemy in...he can’t remember, to be honest.

The Jedi must see it, or maybe senses it, because he drops his gaze, leans back in his seat and sighs.

“They were wrong, you know,” he says, and Din doesn’t know who or what he’s talking about, but the Jedi continues. “They were wrong about ‘attachment’.”

His eyes meet Din’s, erring.

Apologizes for the abrupt way he left with Grogu, for not contacting him before this, but -

“You’re a hard man to find.”

Strange smile as he says it, eyes flicking towards the puck and back to him.

Trouble and all the ways it finds him, or the reverse, and there was a time the Jedi was part of it all.

Might be now, when he extends an invitation to go back to his school with them, and Din.

Lets himself look down at Grogu and tells them yes.

But there’s trouble before all that, hunters and bounties and Din doesn’t know who they’re after  - the Jedi or himself, Grogu - but it hardly matters in the end.

A Mandalorian in beskar and a Jedi and a little one to protect and it’s short work, if not without casualties.

“Not again,” the Jedi sighs, taking in the wreckage of his X-Wing.

Din looks at the Jedi, and little Grogu in his arms and sighs.

He’s got a new ship now, still learning it’s quirks, but there’s enough for the three of them, and they can tow the X-Wing along behind.

Drops a hand on the Jedi’s shoulder on his way past, and tips his head towards his ship nearby as he walks past.

Strides up the ramp of his ship, Grogu chattering to himself as he looks around, and after a brief hesitation drops the bounty puck with his face attached into a bin half full of spare parts and bounty pucks bearing the Jedi’s face.

A smaller collection than the one that had been on the Crest, but large enough to catch the Jedi’s eye.

Din busies himself with making sure everything’s stowed away, working around Grogu who trails after him with determination wherever he goes, and avoids looking at the Jedi when he activates one.

Grateful for his helmet as the Jedi laughs, note to it Din doesn’t try to identify when he finally turns around to look at him.

Studying the bounty pucks with a slight frown, and Din meets his gaze steadily when he looks up.

Tilts his head just so, and turns on his heel to head for the cockpit, stopping only to pick Grogu up.

Glances over when the Jedi slides into the co-pilot’s seat and once they hit the black of space sees a glimpse of the kid he met all those years ago in the grin, smirk, he sends Din.

Cocks his head just so, and something about it has Din giving him the controls.

No need for fancy flying now, no Imperials or otherwise after them, but there’s  bit of flair, flourish to it as the Jedi sends them into hyperspace, home, Din doesn’t think because it’s too soon for that, but Grogu will be there along with the Jedi, which is more than enough.

(Okay, but this is all an extremely long-winded way to blather on about that time Luke was on  sekrit mission for the Alliance and things got was more complicated than anyone expected? Contacts he was supposed to meed with killed in an ambush and a Mystery that ended with him being hired on for a heist??? Because Imperial defector and information and whatnot, but then there was also that Mandalorian character and anyway.

Yes.

Luke giving poor Artoo a message to give Leia and the others when they came looking for him when he didn’t check in and that whole thing with the ambush? Please don’t worry, Luke’s fine, just kind of involved with a heist and such, like you do, be back as soon as possible!

And then more shenanigans in which he keeps running into that Mandalorian while on sekrit missions for the Alliance and so on and Din is just ??? as Luke explains that because he kind of hates how it makes sense in all the way it shouldn’t.

Also? Leia Organa-Solo shot Din the moment she stepped off her ship on her visit to Luke’s school because someone forgot to inform her he was there now, and just.

It’s a lot, okay, a lot.

Also.

Leia kind of looks like she wouldn’t mind shooting Din again when she figures out Luke got FEELINGS for him, just on principle.

Rather than be offended or anything like that, Din is immensely relieved to learn at least one of Luke’s people has common sense, like for real.

But yes.)

[jjbabyouterbanks]

Cheater! (Part 2)

Summary: John B cheats on you with Sarah Cameron.

If you haven’t read part one then click here and give that a read first ☺️

Warning: Angst? Mentions of cheating, swearing. Please don't read if that makes you uncomfortable

So a lot of you asked for it. So here it is! Cheater part 2. I have so many ideas about what can happen so let me know if there should be a part 3. 

🌸I do not own gif, credit goes to owner��

Let me know what you think might happen and if you enjoyed it!

It’s been 1 month since you found out that John b cheated on you with Sarah Cameron. You still couldnt believe it, John b always use to talk about how he could never like a kook because of how stuck up they are but now his cheated on you with one. But what hurts the most is that he doesn’t regret it, his not even sorry about it. The other day you went to go for a surf with Kie and ended up having to see Sarah and John b making out on the beach. They aren't even trying to hid it and it feels like your heart gets torn out anytime you see or hear about them. 

“Why are they here?” Kiara walks into the kitchen of the Wreak and passes you a dirty plate, you have been working with Kiara at the Wreak for about a year now, her family was nice enough to give you a job after you got fired from your old one. 

“Who?” You didn’t even need to ask, you knew exactly who it was. You don’t understand why John b still comes here even though he knows that it hurts you.

‘Barbie and the trader” she rolls her eyes “I’ll kick them out” 

“No Kie it’s fine, I have to talk to him eventually” You sit the dirty dishes down and smile at her while you walk out of the kitchen and over to the table that they are sitting at “Hi welcome to the Wreak, what can I get for you?” you don't make eye contact with either of them and just look at the ground. 

“Uhh actually y/n I was wondering if I can talk to you quickly?” John b looks at you and smiles sightly. “I know you don’t want to but I ju...”

You cut him off “Yeah we can talk.” you quickly turn around and walk out the side door of the Wreak which leads outside. “What do you want John b” you can feel your body tense up when you look at him. 

“I'm so so sorry y/n, I didn’t want it to be like this. I wanted it to go a completely different way. I never wanted to hurt you” 

A laugh leaves your mouth “Your kidding right? You didn’t want to hurt me? John b you cheated on me! What did you expect to happen? Of course that would hurt me.” You felt like your body was on fire, you have been trying to hold in all your pain for the last month and finally it’s exploding.

“It was a mistake y/n!!” 

“Oh really? If it was such a mistake then why the hell are you still with her?” 

“Guys stop!” you see jj walk outside and walk over to you and John b “yelling at each other isn't going to help anything!” He stands next to you “come on y/n lets go for a quick surf”

You look at John b and then realise that jj’s right, nothing is going to be solved if the two of you just yell at each other all the time. But you need space, you can’t just forgive him that easily.

“Yeah.. that’s a good idea”

You walked down the beach with jj the whole time he was speaking you didn’t hear a word he said, it was like you put him on mute, his mouth moving but you can’t hear the words. Your mind was going 100 miles an hour and you hated that John b could still make you this upset.

“Y/n? What do you think?” JJ tapped your arm when you didn’t answer his question.

“Uhh what?”

“You weren’t even listening? I said maybe we should just sit on the beach and not surf, I don’t think your in the right headspace to go in the water right now.”

He was right, you definitely weren’t in the right headspace, everything was mushed up in your brain and nothing was making sense. You knew that if you went in the water right now, you would probably just get smashed by every wave.

“Yeah sounds good”

You both sat down on the sand at the beach, at first you couldn’t think of anything else expect how much you hated John b but after a while you finally started to stop thinking about him for the first time in weeks. JJ knew exactly what to say to make you feel better. You guess it’s because his been treated so badly his whole life he know exactly how to cheer someone else up. JJ has been your best friend for years, his always been the one person you can rely on to cheer you up, the one person to be there when you needed a shoulder to cry on. You’ve never thought about having anything more then a friendship with jj but maybe that’s because you were always so focused on John b.

So here he is sitting with his arm wrapped around you, pulling you into his chest. You could hear his heart beating and feel his chest moving up and down with each breath.

“JJ?” You move your head so that your facing him.

“Yeah? What’s up?” His big happy smile appears on his face and his bright blue eyes looking into yours. You felt like you were home. You felt like for a minute everything and everyone around you didn’t matter. That it was just the two of you that existed. So that’s when you leaned in and kissed him. You had no idea why you did it. Was it because all your emotions where mixed up? Or did you really have feelings for jj this whole time but just ignored them because of John b.

The kiss got pretty passionate but then he pulled away “y/n..” he said your name so quietly you could hardly hear him over the waves of the water.

“Oh my god... I’m so sorry. I don’t know why I just did that.”

“It’s fine.. it’s okay” he smiles sightly but looks away “you know it’s just John b... his my best friend”

“Yeah... yeah. I’m gonna go” you quickly start grabbing your stuff.

“No you don’t have to go.. it’s just you know I don’t want to break the bro code.” His right, you should have never put him in that situation. John b is like a brother to him and you know how much he cares about him.

“It’s fine j... I’m sorry” you quickly stand up and walk off.

As you walked back to Kiara’s house you felt bad that you put jj in that situation but you don’t regret the kiss. Kissing him made you feel something you have never felt before. It felt something completely different to what you use to feel with John b.

You bring your fingers to your mouth and rub them along your lips, you could still feel jj’s lips on yours, thinking about kissing him made you get goosebumps across your whole body.

-Later that night-

You were laying in Kiara’s bed with her. You’ve been staying at her house for a while now, she has helped you so much through this whole John b thing and you don’t know if you could have gotten through it without her. The room was completely silent and the moon shinning through the window was the only thing that was making light.

“I kissed jj...” You laid there looking up at the ceiling of her bedroom and the words just slipped out of you mouth.

“Wait what?” Kie sat up turning on her bedside lamp and looking at you “When?”

“Today at the beach...”

“jj? As in blonde hair, blue eyed, annoying jj?” She looked at you blankly.

“Yep. JJ as in our friend jj and John b’s best friend”

“Oh... right” she didn’t smile or want anymore details, she just turned the light back off and laid back down.

“Kie? You alright?”

“I’m fine..” her voice sounded shaky, like she was trying to hold back tears or something.

“Kiara tell me what’s wrong? Do you like jj or something?”

“No!” She basically yelled out but then lowered her voice again “no.. I don’t like jj”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“I don’t like jj...but I like....I like you y/n...more then a friend..”

[shimmeringclouds]

Ichimatsu - A Winter Carnival

𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳!𝘐𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥!𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳

DISCLAIMER: Our reader is not in a relationship, she is just the child of Ichimatsu. There is no romantic relationship between these characters and others.

"Papa!" you called from the front door, your small hands struggling to pull on your shoes. Footsteps sounded behind you, and you heard a soft chuckle.

"Papa, my shoes won't get on!" you cried, cheeks puffed as you pouted. You felt his large hands lift you up from the floor, standing you upright and taking your shoes from you, kneeling down.

"You've got them on the wrong feet, kitten," Ichimatsu laughed, guiding your tiny feet into your boots. You pouted, muttering about how shoes didn't make sense. After securing your shoes, he adjusted your coat and scarf, making sure you were nice and snug in your warm clothing before heading out into the winter air.

The front door slid open, a similar looking face peeking through the doorway.

"Are you guys ready yet?" Karamatsu called, smiling softly down at his niece. A bright smile broke out onto your face at the sight of him, quickly running over into his arms.

"Karama-chan!" You squealed as he lifted you up, resting you onto his hip. Ichimatsu frowned slightly at the attention you had given his shitty brother instead of him, but refrained from saying anything.

"Yeah, we're coming.." he grunted, standing up and following his brother out the door. His other siblings stood in a small group, attempting to warm themselves against the chilly air. Spotting you both, they all broke out into smiles.

"Little [Y/N]!" Todomatsu cooed, taking multiple pictures of you. Osomatsu came over and patted your head with a grin.

"Are you ready for the best time with your favourite uncle?" He teased, earning a jab in the ribs from Choromatsu. Jyushimatsu took you from Karamatsu's arms and places you onto his broad shoulders, securely holding your small frame in place before lightly jogging around, his contagious laughter filling the air.

Ichimatsu watched on with a small smile before shuffling along with his brothers, muttering to Jyushimatsu to "be careful."

With the extra height you were given, you could make out the faint lights of the carnival a few roads down, eagerly exclaiming to the sextuplets about it.

"That time of the year already, huh?" Osomatsu mused, walking alongside Ichimatsu and Karamatsu, whilst the other three stayed close to you. "The winter carnival is back again."

"Time has flown fast indeed, burazza," Karamatsu agreed. "It seems that [Y/N] is also growing up quite fast. As expected of Ichimatsu's fatherhood!" He pointed with a flourish to his brother, who only rolled his eyes.

"We all know I have no idea what I'm doing," he watched you carefully. "It's all thanks to mom. She's better at this than any of us could be, seeing as she raised six of us."

"Man!" Osomatsu cried out. "I still can't believe you've got a kid first! This is totally unfair.. I'm the eldest, dammit!"

The air around then grew slightly chillier, a cold breeze wafting by the small group. Ichimatsu's hands dug deeper into his coat pockets, his head hanging lower. The elder two glanced at each other before sighing.

"...Are you gonna visit again today?" Karamatsu asked cautiously, his hands unsure of wether they should pat his younger brother or keep them to himself. The silence was stifling, even if it was brief.

"...Yeah..." Ichimatsu finally answered. "But afterwards. I don't wanna ruin the mood." Your bright laughter carried over to him. "Maybe I'll leave [Y/N] with you guys while I go..."

"Let's all go together."

Both heads snapped towards Osomatsu, who had his hands casually folded behind his head.

"I mean, why not? It's been a while since the rest of us have been, anyway. Might as well go while we have the chance."

There were only a handful of times when their shitty eldest would speak something sensible, and every time, it would leave whoever had heard him in shock.

Ichimatsu was the first to snap out of it, huffing out a smile as he glanced from you to the full moon above him.

"Do whatever you want."

»»-----　♔　-----««

"Papa! We're here, we're here!" You yelled excitedly over all the chatter, your legs kicking about as Jyushimatsu placed you down on the ground. You quickly ran over to your father, hooking your smaller hand into his larger one.

Soft fairy lights were strung around the carnival area, leaving a dim glow over each stall and pathway. Decorations of snowflakes and angels glittered from above, filling your eyes with fragments of light. Few piles of snow were scattered along the ground from previous snowfall, adding a sort of mystical touch that you loved.

It was already bustling with crowds of people, flitting from stall to stall like moths to a flame, eager to take a look at what had been brought this year, excited murmurs drifting through the air.

"Can we get the candy apples again? Please please please?" You pointed at the stall, the enticing scent of caramel and sweet apples luring you in.

"Only if we share it," he replied, allowing you to tug him over to the stall.

"I want some too!" Jyushimatsu joined in, bouncing alongside you. You giggled as the others also chimed in, seeing your dad's brow twitch.

The candy was placed into your hands, the weight of the apple making the stick wobble in your hands.

"Don't drop it now," Ichimatsu warned. He swiftly placed his hands over your own, guiding the apple into your mouth. You could only take a few small bites though, with most of the caramel smearing onto your lips and cheeks.

"Aww, that was so cute!" Todomatsu squealed, already taking a wipe and gently smoothing it over your face and hands. You squirmed at the sensation, giggles spluttering from your lips at the ticklish feeling. Choromatsu bent down next to you.

"Do you wanna try catching some goldfish?" He gestures to the next stall. "It's really easy. I can teach you!"

You nodded instantly, already running ahead at the mention of the golden fishes. You peered into the tub, awing at the clusters of shimmering fishes glistening in the stall's lamp light, the water enlarging their size.

"Papa, I really want one!" You bit your lip, eyes widening into what they called your 'kitten eyes,' hoping Ichimatsu would give in. It seemed all too easy as the man blocked his eyes after a moment.

"Only if you catch one. Then you can keep it, okay?" He watched as Choromatsu taught you how to guide the fish gently into the net, muttering soft words of encouragement after you failed the first few times. Eventually, though, you were able to successfully catch one, shouting happily as your fish was placed into its water filled bag.

"Well done, [Y/N]!" Choromatsu patted your head as a reward, allowing you to run over to your father and jump into his arms.

"Did you see me, Papa?!" Your arms waves around in exaggeration as you explained in oh-so-much detail how you caught the goldfish. Ichimatsu placed a chaste kiss on your forehead.

"I saw. I'm really proud of you, kitten."

His heart warmed at the sight of your joy, knowing that his daughter was as happy as she could be. The others watched from the side, identical smiles on their faces as they watched their brother be the father he truly could be.

You all spent a good few hours at the festival. Whether it was enjoying the tasty delicacies and sweets from almost every stall — thanks to Osomatsu and Jyushimatsu's cravings — or when you had all bought your own masks delicately painted to look like youkai from urban Japanese legends, you all had fun all the same.

However, being the young child you were, you didn't have the energy to keep going for much longer. You rubbed your eyes as you yawned heavily, clutching onto Ichimatsu's clothing as you started to sway a little. Noticing this, Ichimatsu knelt down in front of you.

"Tired?" He asked, moving your hands away. You shook your head, adamant on staying awake.

"I wanna stay longer! I wanna play more..." you yawned, "...more games with you and everyone!"

"I think we should head back home, [Y/N]." Ichimatsu was not deterred by your pouting, although he felt a jolt of pain as your eyes started welling up with tears.

"But I don't wanna..!"

"Is your Papa being mean again?" Osomatsu wandered over, picking you up and holding you. "Seriously, Ichimatsu. Stop making the kid cry!" There was teasing glint in his eye as he made sure your head was buried into his shoudker before winking at his brother.

"C'mon, little [Y/N], cheer up! Osoma-chan is here to rescue you!"

Ichimatsu sighed, walking away from the group for a moment to slip to another stall. He eyed the large displays of flowers and bouquets, before settling onto a tall bunch of purple hyacinths and soft pink camelias, all fully bloomed and vibrant.

"Can I help you, sir?" The florist beamed. Ichimatsu pointed towards the flowers he had seen, watching idly as the woman picked them up and began wrapping them in a nice bouquet, complete with a purple bow.

"Have a nice evening!" She had called out as he made his way back, surprised to see that Choromatsu was holding his sleeping daughter against his chest.

"Ah, you're back, burazza!" Karamatsu oatyed his shoulder. He eyed the flowers for a moment before grinning softly. "It seems [Y/N] has fallen asleep whilst you were gone. Perhaps we should hurry to our next destination?"

Ichimatsu only nodded, his grip on the flowers tightening slightly as he began leading the group down a different path home. Only, they weren't heading home.

The journey was mostly silent, with each brother either making quiet conversation with one another, or simply admiring the night sky. Your sleeping form was passed between the six, each one carefully cradling you until someone else offered to hold you, eventually settling into Ichimatsu's free arm. You grumbled, burying your face deeper into the crook of his neck.

A stone arch came into view, a set of iron gates still open. Ichimatsu held no hesitation as he walked through, his brothers falling silent behind him. A small cat scurried over to him, winding itself gently around his legs before trotting ahead, glancing back as it waited for the group to catch up.

They passed rows of tall gravestones, intricately decorated with Japanese writings and fresh flowers, before stopping at a certain one. The cat had laid itself down beside it, curling up comfortably after nudging it's head lovingly over the stone.

A familiar name was engraved onto the stone; a name that the Matsuno family would never forget. A flash of memory ran through Ichimatsu's mind as he took a deep breath. It never got easier, not matter how many times he came by.

He placed the bunch of flowers onto the flat platform before kneeling down, making sure you were comfortable before speaking softly.

"It's me again... And I've brought [Y/N], too."

A breeze swept by. He swore it was warmer than before.

"My shitty brothers tagged along, too. Sorry about them."

"Hey!" A few exclaimed, although there was no anger behind it.

Ichimatsu continued his conversation in silence, all his thoughts, happy or worrying, coming to the forefront of his mind. He snapped out of it briefly when he felt you shuffle in his arms.

You raised your head, drowsily rubbing your eyes again as you glanced around, your shimmering gaze finally settling on the grave in front of you. A tired smile broke out onto your lips.

"Mama..." you mumbled. Your eyes still felt heavy as you reached out, fingers barely brushing over the stone. "I love you, mama..."

You fell back to sleep, leaving the others in silence once more. They all gazed at you with adoration, exchanging smiled with one another as Ichimatsu stood up.

He muttered something under his breath before turning, his head low as he made his way back to the entrance, his grip on you a little tighter than before.

He had lost his wife too soon. But, he had been left with you, the most precious gift he could ever ask for. At least you had her eyes, he had always thought, big and bright, full of wonder. He couldn't lose you, too. He would care for you with all the love he had in him.

The warm breeze swept by again, rustling through your hair and wafting over Ichimatsu's face. It carried a whisper of a voice that made him pause.

'I love you, too.'

[dragonrajafanfiction]

The Crane Team: Raise a Glass

In the rundown part of Tokyo, there were nothing but convenient stores, used furniture shops, pharmacies and dental clinics. People were stacked end to end in coffin like apartments, one hundred to a building that would more comfortably fit forty units. Yet this was Japan, so it was still clean. Old people walked the streets that they had walked for years. But there were no fancy shops, no neon lights and no young people save those that went to the internet cafe to play on the better hardware.

Yoko insisted that Crow take a more modest car, so as not to stand out, even though it was not bulletproof.

“Plus it will show that you feel safe here.” She said.

“I’m not safe here though.”

“You are with me.” She smiled at him. He’d been chain smoking the whole way. “Besides, only the owner of the building is an actual Ghost, and he’s already in black prison. It’s just his son here now.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any better.” Crow grumbled, putting the car into park.

“Okay, real talk? Yeah you’re going to turn some heads. People are going to get riled up. It’s just how you handle it! Just pretend it’s nothing and don’t shy away or look guilty. But don’t be belligerent either. Just smile! If you’re not sure what to say, just don’t say anything.”

Crow gaved his head a stressed scratch. “Alright! Let’s do this!” He grunted as he got out of the car.

It was late in the evening, not quite sundown but the bar was already full of patrons. The voices spilled out when she opened the door, ringing the little bell and walked right inside.

Crow kept his eyes forward, despite the fact that the chatter noticeably died down.

Yoko grinned and lowered her hands in a quietening gesture. “Easy, he’s with me.” She said in casual japanese likely learned from rubbing shoulders with the Devil Clan.

People were seated around round wooden tables with saucers of sake, playing cards and dice. Nothing had really replaced Bliss Hall. The Devil Clan still ran gambling establishments but they were scattered hole-in-the-wall places like this.

Yoko displayed a cool, easy confidence that Crow did not feel as she greeted the bartender who gave him a dark look.

“Shouta… I know what you’re thinking. But stop thinking about it. He’s not like some you might have met.”

Crow would have disputed that if he didn’t have such a huge target on his back. He was already counting the likely hidden firearms, as well as hidden exits and places that might block heavy ammunition. But even with this knowledge, he was in a pit of vipers and it was unlikely he’d escape without injury.

“Besides, I bring good news! My budget for the appeals process in the legal department has been approved. Which means, I will be able to hire a few folks from here to go work on getting people out of prison. I just need a name and a number where you can be reached. I’ll be the contact so I won’t share it with anyone else, same as always.” The last words were spoken with a soft sigh.

“You mean you wanna come in here and hire folks to work for Hydra?” The bartender Shouta put a bottle down in front of Yoko and pointedly ignored Crow.

“It’s not working for Hydra. It’s working for yourself and taking Hydra’s money. The cases you’ll be working on will be for Devil Clan members. You’ll be making sure they get a fair shake. It’s easier than running back and forth between the two of you. And you’ll be paid enough to live on your own in Tokyo.” Yoko popped the top off her bottle. “Crow, go ahead and order. Don’t be shy.”

“I’ll have what she’s having.” Crow said, his posture still guarded.

She wrote down a slip of paper and slid it over to the bartender who looked at it. 

Everyone in the bar turned to the bartender who nodded. “Pretty good.”

“Is she for real?” One of the patrons spoke up. “Where will we be working?” A bright eyed young man with a ponytail and a stubble goatee wobbled up to the bar.

“Oh hey… Ryuusei…” Yoko leaned back away from him. “Right in Genji Heavy Industries.”

“Nice!” Ryuusei said. “Hah. I can’t wait to thumb my nose at these execs! Should I buy a nice suit? Heehee.” He looked over at Crow. “I’m Ryouma Ryuusei. Soon to be your coworker!”

Crow was deadpan. “You have to get hired first…”

“Wait… wait… let me see.” Another one got up and looked at the paper curiously.  “Wow! Do we get paid that much? That’s way better than slaving down at the drycleaners. Man, finally I won’t have to work with my parents and maybe… just maybe I can move out?” He sighed and then blinked at Crow. “Oh… I’m Hayato.” He bowed politely to him. He looked barely sixteen. “What do we have to do?’

“Just follow up on the cases and hound the legal department to get things done.”

“You mean we’ll be telling those bastards what to do?” A deep voice boomed. “Sign me up! I’ll work full time!”

“Hey you have to be polite, Koki!” Yoko cut in.

‘Koki’ stomped up to the bar and tossed down a card.

That seemed to break the ice. In a few minutes, Yoko gathered more than two dozen business cards. “Thanks guys. I’ll be in touch. Also, for being good sports about my friend here, drinks are on the house!” 

That seemed to excite them and the mood lifted instantly. She smiled over at Crow as everyone put in orders. Then she looked at the barkeep who was still unmoved. 

“What about the Black Prison?” The man asked.

“I’m still working on that. One step at a time, please.”

“We don’t exactly have a lot of time.” The bartender answered back. 

The mood in the room dampened.

Ryuusei, Hayato and Koki all gave Shouta the bartender a thumbs down. “Money is money and we need money!” They said in unison.

Yoko sighed. “And that’s no way to talk, Shouta. I didn’t think I’d make it to 20 years old. And I still might not for other reasons. But you can’t think that way and expect a reversal of fortune. I still dream of finding a nice handsome man and settling down and having a lovely wedding and raising my kids!”

“Maybe you can raise my kids?” Ryuusei leaned over at her. 

She pushed him away laughing brightly. “You have to get a job first! You can’t expect to live off my paycheck! And that’s just step one!”

“What’s step two?” He asked, not giving up.

“You’re gonna need to get a scholarship to Cassell College. I’m not dating a drop out! As much as I love Japan, I’m not staying here. I have a world to see and promises to keep! I’ve earned my days after all! Once I’ve finished rebuilding the Japan branch with my two hands, I’ll have earned all the more.”

“Hey…” The men around her said with some annoyance.

“It’ll be all me unless you guys step up.” She looked down at them haughtily through her lashes.

“Of course, I’ll step up!” Koki reached for another bottle that Shouta seamlessly slid over to him. “It’s just that I’ll just have to learn to keep my fists at bay! Those Hydras won’t have a nose to look down on me if they keep it up.”

“Don’t ruin it for me though... “ Hayato said softly. “I don’t want to get fired with you.”

Shouta sighed. “You people… fine, get your hopes up. I hope it does work out. I really do. But Hydra and Devils have never gotten along. Don't buy in too much. When things break apart, you don't want them to know where to find you.”

“Come on, Shouta!” Yoko pleaded.  “Don’t kill the mood! Koki can stay out of trouble, Ryuusei will keep brown-nosing me and Hayato just wants to get a good job. If we want the Japan Branch to run independently and we can’t do that without throwing our hats into the game!  You are part of the Japan Branch. No more of this Hydra versus Devil Clan… it’s just Japan from now on!” Yoko cheered, raising her bottle. “To conquering Japan!”

“To conquering Japan!” They all chorused.

“To conquering Japan!” The bottles of cheap beer clinked and the mood in the bar was downright festive.

Yoko had no idea how big the tab was getting. Hybrids were rough drinkers and she swore there were more people in the bar than when she first announced all the drinks were on her. But she smiled over at a still sober Crow who had relaxed considerably. 

Yoko looked different to him. Far from the serious faced woman, she looked more like she actually was, a young college girl out on the town, drinking with her friends. It made sense that she was more at home with the Devil Clan. It was likely true between her and Cassell as well.

She stood up. “It’s true that not everyone we remember can be with us tonight, but we can say because we’re here tonight, we can have another round for them. Right! Serve us another Shouta!” Her eyes sparkled at the barkeep who was finally getting infected by her charm, no doubt persuaded by the healthy tab she was racking up.

“We’ll be able to tell them all about it once they get out. And then we’ll have another round with them!” She added, hiccuping. “On this round, let’s raise a glass to our future! It’s so bright we have to wear shades!”

She handed a bottle to Crow who accepted it with a smile. Shouta raised his own bottle and together, they all drank.

[dacreshoney]

chapter 1 the new kid on the block

the days outfit | above |

chapter 1 of my new stranger things/billy Hargrove x reader series 

summary: The new kid on the block billy Hargrove, the two baddest kids in Hawkins catch each other eyes

warnings: flirting, swearing and actions some people may not agree with 

(I do not condone any behaviours)

read to find out more 

Recap: August 20th 1983 - senior Year, not like it mattered to me, I'd already missed the first week of what is said to be the most important year of my life. This was to hide the bruises and cuts my father decided to place me with this week, but If you asked Steve Harrington I missed school to avoid him after our summer hook up. Definitely not the case, but I'll let him fill his giant hair with a little more ego.you know, having the bad girl/popular persona at school always helped hiding the cuts and bruises, suppose that's why I like to play on the stereotype a little. Saves me explaining a whole lot of no good to the principle or the police; in which would do me a fat lot of no good as my dad is the chief of police. But today I needed to get myself out of bed and stop feeling sorry for myself if i ever want to get out of this shit hole, I needed an education.

7:00 am The sun started beaming through your window, the sunrise catching your eyes, you were always an early riser, but this morning you did not want to get out of bed and face the music of school. You dragged yourself out of bed and slogged your way to the bathroom to fix yourself up, you freshened your face and applied the days makeup. Nothing too dramatic but something which compliments your features, you made your way to your wardrobe where you grabbed your favourite black cropped sweater and khaki midi skirt to match with your dr marten boots and black backpack. Your hair wavy and tucked behind your eyes complimenting your chiselled face. 

You made your way downstairs in which your father was in the kitchen reading the Hawkins daily newspaper, he glared at you as you walked passed him in the Kitchen, expecting you To forget everything he had done the days previous. 

"stopped feeling sorry for yourself and actually going to make use of your life today are you" he mocked, edging for a sarcastic response 

in return you tried not to ease into his schemes and replied, turning on your heel To glare right back at him 

"don't you worry, you will still have a job by the time you get home today" you uttered with a slight smile coming from the left corner of your lip and made your way to fetch your car keys and headed out the door. You had a black alfa Romeo spider convertible, you turned the keys in the holder and headed towards heathers house, she was just as shocked to see you pick her up for school as well as Nancy and Barbara. 

“just tell me again why you decided to miss the first week of the most important year of school miss head cheerleader?” heather probed you with one arm lent onto the edge of the window, followed by Barbara who also questioned, 

“yeah, Steve has kinda been telling everyone you were trying to avoid him after he dumped you in the summer” barb giggled with the girls. 

you eyed them up in the mirror and responded with some annoyance, 

“ for a a matter of fact girls, I dumped his ass and two heather, had stuff to deal with” 

“you won't be saying that if you don't get into college Y/N”  Nancy vocalised in the back of the car

The girls then started to giggle as heather spoke, “just you wait till you see the new boy y/n,now that is someone I wouldn't mind taking my virginity and just walking away” and she followed, “ maybe someone to finally put you in your place and play you at your own game” she mocked.  You smirked and rolled your eyes at them in which you stated, 

“I would like to see the poor boy try” and laughed, the girls followed on to coo over the new kid, you really was not interested in boys after your recent fling with Steve Harrington, well you were interested in boys, but not for a relationship. You didn't mind playing them here and there, but you had decided that there would be no strings attached, your life was too crazy for anyone to handle. As you pulled up to school and found your parking spot, crowds of people entered the hallways as the bell rang. 

5 minutes late you were to class and Mr Hodge just had to call you out, you could just never catch a break with that man.

“late miss Y/N Johnson, and he followed with “nice to have you finally grace our presence” he spoke as the class looked up to find you at the doorway. You edged towards the desk and lent over in a flirtatious manner and stated

“ well hodge, just missed your face too much so of course I had to make an appearance for you” you smiled and walked to find your seat as he dismissed you, the class laughing. You saw a new face, one you hadn't seen before staring right at you smirking and licking his lips, this must be the new boy everyone has been gawking over. Billy Hargrove. 

“this seat taken?” you winked and questioned the boy, slumped on his chair legs spread in his tight denim jeans, he looked right up to you and cheekily responded with a wink right back, 

“well princess, you could sit of my lap or the chair, take your pick?” you knew he was a little heartbreaker just by his comment. You further added while taking the seat on the chair, 

“ sweetie, we've just met, don't get to big for your boots” 

“ill take my chances with you darling” he teased. 

Billy’s POV: this was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, she seemed cheeky as well, not afraid to say what's on her mind like the rest of the cat litter at this s*** hole of a school. He knew then he'd have to get to know her, maybe someone who would make his time in Hawkins a little more bearable. 

Y/N POV:

The class had begun, you started writing your notes and could feel like someone was watching your every move, every inch of your movements were being hawked on. You turned to face billy who you could feel eyeing you up and asked abruptly “so, you must be billy, explains why you feel the need to eye up anyone with a pulse, heard a little about you” 

Billy paused and smirked right at you and commented, “well all good things I hope, but judging by that I guess not sweetheart, so tell me, why has no one mentioned you?” 

“well” I turned to face him and implied, “because i’ll break your heart sweetie, should be happy you got no one telling you about who I am” . 

“already broken, besides I might break yours” he quickly responded licking his lips.

“already broken too, shame, I might of enjoyed breaking your heart Hargrove” I claimed, turning to face the front of class as mr hodge turned to face my direction and projected. “I hope you aren't distracting my class miss Y/N Johnson”

(BTW this is a sexual education class) 

“not at all sir, billy over here was a little confused about what circumsized meant, so I was giving him a little explanation” everyone in the class giggled and turned to face billy who turned bright red. never had someone pulled him up before, never mind a girl. 

“well aren't you a class A dick sweetheart”  he spoke

“ I am yes, get used to it billy boy” I smirked 

................................................

End of class came around fast, the bell had rung for break, you spent all the first few periods teasing billy, after the end of each lesson you would make sure he got an eyeful of your long legs and curves budging past his desks. 

“still not going to tell me your name princess?” he shouted as he packed up his things to leave, your turned to face him with a smile and lent over his desk whispering in his ear, 

“ it’s Y/N” and you walked off. 

................................................

Later that day was cheer practice, you were cheer captain and you had a lot of s*** to prepare for the schools champion league for the soccer and basketball team games. So you had a lot to prepare to get the team ready and geared up to support them teams and you couldn't deny it either, you looked good in a cheer uniform. 

The soccer team had finish practice and the basketball players were getting ready to enter the pitch, to your surprise you noticed the gorgeous permed blonde `come out from under the bleachers, ripped to the heavens he was in his tight khaki booty shorts. You carried on coaching your team, shooting and throwing commands for them to get their toe touches right when you heard a voice come right up to your behind and say 

“ I wouldn't mind you ordering me about princess” billy spoke as he was licking his lips bouncing the ball on the ground. 

“I'm sure you would like to be someones little bitch hargrove” you winked, the whole practice you made sure he had full view of you in your short cheer uniform, you're good at teasing. Also not to my liking Steve was on the basketball team, having a right good stare, he was not happy one bit with Elena flirting with the new kid. 

After practice billy approached you at your car, hands leaning on the roof of your car and asked, “hey sweetheart, how's about we go for a ride? you take your car home, I follow you and we go from there” 

“why do you thing I would one let you follow me home and two get into a car with you hargrove?” you joked with him, leaning on your car door. in which he answered, 

“well I know when a girl is into me so, thought id make the offer first” he smiled. 

I laughed, “confident and cocky, must think me to be like one of the other girls here then, to fall straight at your feet, think again pal” 

to your annoyance Steve interrupted with a bitter tone to his voice, “wouldn't go there mate, she will sleep with you and leave you hanging like her dirty washing” 

you both turned to face Steve, you shouted with a hint of anger in your voice, “really Steve, you are still hung up on that, come on” 

“stay clear if I was you” Steve followed

“just proving my point harrington” you laughed as you opened your car door and turned to face him. 

“and what's that huh?” Steve laughed, expecting you to come back with a s****y comment. 

“ that you are just a little boy and I don't need a little bit steve, I need a man” you claimed facing billy who was smirking the whole time, Steve waked off with his friends in a tantrum. 

“so that ride?” billy questioned 

“you still wanna be seen with me huh?” you smiled getting into your car, turning on the engine, and billy lent down to the window where you would then be face to face and said

“ you sure as hell I do”

“then lets go billy boy” 

[one-leaf-grimoire]

“illusion” chapter 6

Link to the full work on Ao3

Warning: mention/use of alcohol and one particularly bad drug :(( 

Things aren't looking good. Only two days after my "date" with Lawrence, he sends me a letter, which is way sooner than he usually does. Shit! He must really be determined to marry me, now... I fold up the letter after I finish reading it at breakfast and shove it in my cloak out of sight. This could get tricky... I assumed his interest would slowly dwindle over time, leading to an amicable break up, but instead he seems to have had a sudden spike in interest. He's going to get more pushy... so I might have to end things myself.

The problem is, if I was the one to break it off, the fury of the Royal Family would come down on me and my parents. My father's inheritance and title depend on this marriage, so that fury could potentially ruin us. However, if I were to achieve the rank of Senior Magic Knight before that happened, then we would be safe with my salary. I'm pretty close now, I just have to keep working hard... it won't be long! Then I can tell Lawrence to leave me alone forever.

"Okay, there's plenty of work to do today! But-" Hervey points at us as we stand awkwardly around him in the mess hall. He has a couple missions for us, mostly just patrols and escorts typical of a highly-ranked squad like ourselves. "Everyone should be done by tonight, so if you want to go to town, all power to you."

A few of us cheer, excited for the fun night ahead. I'm not a big drinker, but it's still fun to go out with my friends and see them all get shit-faced. The townspeople love seeing us there, too, to hear our stories and take our money. Wren is probably going to try and hook up with some girls, and sadly will probably be successful. Those girls love a magic knight, that's for sure.

"...and... that's it for the main missions." Hervey finishes handing them out, leaving me and a few others without an assignment. "As for you junior knights, your performances have NOT been up to par lately. How are we going to beat the Crimson Lion Kings for the top squad if we have weak links like you?" The four junior knights mumble sorry and stare at the ground timidly. "Well, luckily for you, Julius is free today, so he'll be training you himself." Julius, who's standing right behind Hervey, gives us a smile and a wave.

"Really?" Cecilia's eyes light up while Martin and the other teen, Joren, both roll their eyes.

"I don't understand why I have to do this-" Nigel crosses his arms. "I'm 20! I shouldn't be slumming it with these kids-"

"Shut up, Nigel, you're still a Junior Magic Knight for a reason-" Hervey cuts him off.

"Er, but what about me?" I raise my hand awkwardly. "I'm an intermediate knight-"

"You're here to help me! I thought it would be fun." Julius answers before Hervey can, flashing me a smile of my own.

"Oh... okay!" I feel my heart flutter a little. He chose me? That's nice... It hasn't gone over my head, the fact that Julius has been choosing me to accompany him with things recently. I assume it just means that my efforts to befriend him are slowly but surely paying off. Maybe I can take advantage of this; after all, Julius has the ear of our captain, so my ascent to a higher rank could be easier than I thought. But even if not, I'm glad he's hanging around me more. If nothing else, I feel... safe, when he's around. There's been no suspicious activity from any of the others since the night of my attack, and I'm finally starting to relax.

Maybe everything will be alright, after all.

"Well, you heard the captain! I don't blame you guys, you're all young and new- er, most of you-" Julius shoots a subtle glance at Nigel after we move outside and he launches into his spiel. "But that just means you have plenty of room to grow! I haven't even seen some of your magic... so!" Julius suddenly balls up his hands excitedly and opens his eyes, which are violently sparkling. "Show me your magic!"

It's almost disturbing, seeing our vice captain get all twinkle-eyed about something, but that's how he's always been. I can even remember the first time I ever met him, several years ago, he ran up to me and asked the same thing. He was a little shorter and had longer hair, but still the same Julius. "Hey! Nice to meet you! Show me your magic!" It was pretty startling, to say the least, but he got more tempered over time as he took on more responsibility. But even now, he can't contain his excitement as Martin holds up his hand, shooting sharp shards of wood off into the bushes.

It's... kind of cute, honestly...

"Hey! Why don't you make some illusions for them to fight?"

I almost jump in surprise as Julius suddenly appears right next to me to jar me from my thoughts. "Huh? Oh, right-" I'm supposed to be helping him, not admiring him! I quickly open my Grimoire and conjure up four illusions for the junior knights to fight. "Hey! Can you give me one that's a little harder than the others?" Nigel asks, pointing at his.

"Sorry, I have to make them identical, especially since I'm making so many!"

"I'll spar with you, if you want!" Julius suggests.

Nigel goes pale and can't shake his head quick enough. "Never mind."

He raises his hands, letting a large bank of wispy smoke come out and engulf the "enemy" I made for him, which binds it in place. Of course, I could probably just move right through him, seeing as the only place the enemy actually exists is in his mind, but I'm doing my best to simulate a real person right now. "Smoke Magic: Tendril Binding!" Nigel smirks to himself as his spell seems to work.

"I'll break you out!" Cecilia suddenly opens her own Grimoire. "Refraction Magic!"

Cecilia's magic lets her create refraction planes in the air, which can redirect light, magic, and other materials. She uses it now to create a barrier around my illusion, sending Nigel's smoke away, right back at him. "Hey! Ah!" Nigel stumbles back, not expecting the move, and suddenly becomes engulfed in his own magic. Cecilia bursts out laughing at him. "That's why you're still a junior knight, Nigel, you need to expect the unexpected."

"Shut up! You're a junior knight, too!" Nigel desperately coughs and waves his arms to dispel the smoke.

Cecilia bites her lip, the shy girl becoming a bit more confident from her performance. "I'm 15, so I have an excuse. You don't!"

"Come on, guys, be nice!" I can't help but swallow my own chuckle. Cecilia... This is the most I've heard you talk since you got here! The girl used to be Alice's roommate, so I hung around her a lot, but she was always so quiet and reserved. I know her magic is powerful, so all she needs is the spine to back it up. I was kind of like that, wasn't I? I felt kind of out of place on the squad, it was such a new and scary experience... but I grew into it, not just because I have to. Because of all the people I met...

These people are my friends, right? And these kids, who's biggest problems are who's doing the dishes tonight and how to not embarrass yourself on the next mission. I have my quarrels with some of them, but in the end there's not an ounce of malice between any of us.

... maybe it was a bandit that night. Maybe I panicked and imagined something that didn't exist...

But, I don't think any of these people would hurt me.

"That was great! I knew you would make a good teacher." 

It takes me a moment to realize that Julius is talking to me again as we walk back towards the base. The Junior knights shuffle along in front of us, chatting and clowning on Nigel. "Oh, really?" I don't know why, but the comment makes me feel a little embarrassed, probably because it's coming from my vice captain. "Thank you... I'm not as good as you, though!"

"Hmm, I'm not so sure." Julius closes one eye in what I assume is a cheeky wink. "I wasn't really doing much, I let you take over."

"Is that so?" For some reason, my nervousness quickly fades. "Maybe I should be vice captain, then."

"Perhaps."

"Are you sure you want to go out tonight?"

"Of course!" I brush my hair a few more times in the mirror before turning around to look at the concerned Alice. "You'll be with me the whole time... and anyway..." I let myself smile a little, sinking into the soft feelings of ease that I've had inside me since my revelation earlier today. "What happened a few weeks ago... I doubt it's going to happen again."

Alice smiles along with me, but that worried look doesn't leave her golden eyes. "...It's true, there's been no suspicious activity at all... but didn't you say your attacker was wearing a Grey Deer robe?"

I shrug. "I said that... but now that I think of it, it's so unlikely... I may have mistaken something else for the robe. Like I said..." I give her a bright smile and a thumbs up to put her at ease as well. "These are my squad members... my friends. They would never hurt me, right? It might have just been a bandit or something."

My words seem to do the trick, and Alice smiles as she lets out a happy sigh. "Sheesh, so all that paranoia was for nothing? What a drama queen." She pokes me in the side playfully to make me giggle. "If you say so. We'll have to report it to the captain sometime, though, if a bandit made it in here!"

"Right, right!" I bat away her hand, before both of us get startled by a loud banging on the door. "HEY!! HURRY UP!"

"...shut up, Nigel!"

Nigel and Elia are waiting outside, Nigel tapping his foot loudly to show his already-obvious impatience. "Where's Giles?!"

"Right here!" We turn to see the bespectacled boy run up, looking kind of bedraggled. "I can't believe you're dragging me out tonight..."

"Then don't come!" Alice shoots back with a grin. "We'll take Cecilia instead."

"The 15 year old? No way." Elia turns up her nose. "Anyway, she said she wants to stay home and sleep early."

"Ah, fine. Well!" Alice balls up her fist to get us pumped up. "Let's go out on the town!"

"Yeah!!!"

It's already dark by the time we get there, travelling in our little pack. "Hmm, decisions decisions..." Nigel rubs his chin while looking around the street, then glares as I start to walk off on my own. "Hey, where are you going?"

"Here." I point at my favorite inn, the same one I took Lawrence to on our last date. "I'm going to this one, it's fine if you don't come, though."

"Sounds good!" Alice runs past with Giles and Elia right behind. "Grr! Fine!" Nigel runs after us, indignant that he didn't get to make the choice. 

The inn is just as warm and loud as all the other times I've been here, although it becomes considerably more crowded at night. "Why, if it isn't the young Grey Deer... you chose our little bar tonight?"

"It's the best one in town, of course!"

The bartender eyes each of our faces, letting out a sigh of... relief? "Well, I see it's just you five... in that case-"

"Heyyyy there, barkeep!"

The bartender's smile immediately falls from his face, and his brow furrows. "Great... he's here..."

He? The five of us turn just in time to see none other than Julius marching into the inn, a goofy smile on his face. "Good evening!" His friend Elger shuffles in behind him, looking embarrassed.

"Julius... what do you want?" The bartender eyes him suspiciously as he walks up and leans against the bar comically. I exchange a glance with the others, slapping my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing. Elia stares pointedly at the surface of the bar, also looking like she's going to burst out laughing. "You better not be asking to-"

"Please, sir! I promise I won't ask for money! Not even tips! I just want to show off, I've been practicing my mixology skills-" Julius lets the words burst out as he clasps his hands in a mock prayer, literally begging this poor man to let him help.

The bartender just lets out a long groan before pointing towards the door. "no! You're too slow, Julius, try another bar!"

Julius pouts adorably and opens his mouth to object, but Elger cuts him off and tugs at his sleeve. "Come on, we can try one of the others..."

"Fine." Julius shoots one more indignant look at the bartender before turning to leave. However, he stops and does a double take when his gaze skims over us, his eyes widening a little with recognition. His mouth immediately splits into a wide smile, and I almost look away from how bright it is. Ahh! He noticed us- "Hey guys! Fancy seeing the youths here~"

"You're not that much older than us..." Nigel mutters quietly so he can't hear him, but both Alice and Elia giggle at his behavior.

"We're gonna go find another inn... maybe I can make you a drink?" Julius's eyes meet mine, the corners crinkling slightly from his smile. I feel my heart skip a beat. 

"Er... I think we're going to stay here." I return his smile, giving him a thumbs up. "This is my favorite spot... Maybe some other time, Julius!"

Julius lets out a sigh, letting his shoulders slump momentarily before bringing him back to his full height. "Alright, have it your way! See you guys later!" With one last wave (and an awkward one from Elger), the two older men disappear out the door and back into the chilly night.

I shake my head a little at his behavior, but my smile remains traced into my lips. Mixology? I didn't know that was a hobby of his... that's kind of cu-

"So, what was that about?"

I get snapped from my thoughts as both Alice and Elia descend on me from both sides. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Elia eyes me with narrowed lashes. "He asked you to come try his drink, didn't he?"

"Oh, he was asking everyone, though, not just me-"

"Nonsense! When he said you he didn't mean you guys... he meant you, you know?" I blink, confused at what Alice is trying to imply. My friend smirks and slings her arm around my shoulders, making me shrink slightly into my barstool. "You've been hanging around with him a lot lately, haven't you?"

"Alice!" I scold, squirming a bit in her grasp. "You know what that is, don't you?"

"I want to know what exactly is going on," Elia juts in, crossing her eyes and glaring. Uh oh. She's going through her "crush on Julius" phase right now, a phase that all squad members must go through at some point, and I'm sure I've accidentally made her jealous. "Like, aren't you engaged? It's not fair to him if you lead him on, you know!"

"Lead him on? No-" I shake my head. "You guys have it all wrong... it's not like that!" I laugh nervously in an attempt to dissolve the tension. "It's just... I've known Julius for years now, but we weren't close. I just thought it would be nice to make friends with him, that's all." I exchange a glance with Alice, who nods slowly. Of course, the real reason is that Julius was one of the only people I could truly trust, and being friends with him put me at ease. Not that it matters anymore. "I guess he thought the same thing... so now we're friends?"

"Hmph. Friends." Elia looks away. "First friends, then lovers, then you'll get married- EEEEk!" She covers her flushed face.

"Elia, calm down, I'm engaged to the Prince, remember?" I pat her on the shoulder lightly, and miraculously, my words seem to make her calm down. "Don't worry about it..."

Jeez... this is going to look bad when I break things off with Lawrence...

"I don't get what's so great about him anyway," Nigel suddenly jumps into our conversation uninvited. "I mean, he's cool and powerful... and handsome... BUT!" He starts to go red in the face. "I'm right here! And I'm a catch~"

Elia snorts out a laugh, and I giggle a little at his behavior. Sometimes he seems like he might have a crush on Elia, but that would be way too volatile of a couple for the squad to handle, as evidenced by her next words:

"Nigel... I'd rather catch the Flu than catch you."

"EH???"

"You guys talk to loud, here, start drinking and shut up!" The bartender suddenly appears next to us and unloads the drinks we ordered in front of us. "Oooh! Thank you, sir!"

"No problem. First round is on the house."

"Well, cheers guys," Giles smiles pensively and holds up his glass. "I don't really know what to celebrate..."

"We don't have to celebrate anything! Unless you want to go out with me, Elia-"

"No, Nigel."

"Fine!"

"Cheers!" Alice makes us all shut up as we clink our glasses together. I bring mine to my lips and gulp down the drink. Giles immediately splutters and slams his glass down. "Yuck!"

I wince and swallow thickly. "Yeah, is it supposed to be this bitter?"

"It's not bitter! It's spicy." Giles coughs, causing Nigel to laugh meanly at him. "Grow up Giles, we know you're a lightweight, but spicy?!"

"Nigel, you're one to talk," Elia teases. "This stuff is cinnamon whiskey, so it might taste a bit spicy."

"Hmmm..." I take another sip, forcing it down. It tastes a bit spicy, yeah, but more bitter than anything. In fact, it's almost salty.

"Well, whoever can finish theirs first gets their drink payed for!" Nigel announces with a grin. "Come on!"

I can't turn down that kind of competition. "Bring it!" Without any more hesitation, me and the others gulp down our drinks. With an excited yell, I slam my empty glass down on the table first, just before Alice does. "Yes!!! Eat that-" I suddenly feel my stomach turn, and I almost gag.

"Yikes, you okay?" Alice rubs my back as I choke down the drink. "You won, don't worry."

"Thanks, but I'm fine." I shake my head. "It just... tasted really bad."

Alice frowns, a little concerned. "Be careful, I don't want you throwing up on me or anything. Here, have some water."

"Who's the lightweight now?" Nigel snickers, earning him two smacks from Giles and Elia.

I sip at my water for a while, staring at the glazed wood of the bar as the others continue to drink and chat. For some reason, the warmth from the previous moments is completely gone, and I start to feel oddly... detached from it all. 

...why am I even here?

I feel coolness on my lips as I sip my water.

...wait... what's going on...?

I can't be out like this... not in the open.

"I need some help."

"What is it, Wren?"

Someone is talking, but the words blend into the ambient sound of the inn.

"It's Margery... she's puking all over the place outside."

"Ugh, fine. Come on, everyone."

Someone... someone's trying to kill me, right?

But, not one of my friends... they can't be-

I look up, and my friends are gone. 

...huh?

Everything seems fuzzy, and I almost fall out of the chair as the vertigo affect hits me, just from raising my head. I draw in a shaky gasp, barely audible, and stare at the empty seat where Alice was just sitting. At least, I think she was just sitting there... how many hours have gone by since I last saw her? Time is expanding and constricting at a rapid rate, almost like an accordion.

...what the hell... am I- 

I look back down at my hands, which are clutching my glass tightly. I can't even make them out, they don't look like two solid objects. They warp and spin, just like the rest of the world.

H-how did I manage to get drunk?! Where is everyone? I frantically start to look around the bar, but all I see are the faces of strangers, looking at me as if I've gone crazy. And maybe I have... because a moment later, they morph into the faces of my friends.

...no... I'm not drunk...

The one drink I had... it was bitter... salty... it was drugged!

It's something I've always heard of happening to girls, but now that it's happening to me, it seems more real. My heart is running a race in my chest as I suddenly stand up, causing the world to turn upside down again. Someone is yelling at me (I think I tipped over the barstool), but I don't stop, I can't. I feel someone grab my arm, and my panic spikes. NO! If they grab me like this- I instinctively lash out and push them away, and luckily they yield. I can move... I can still move... I need to find the others!

NO...

Not the others...

One of them drugged me, didn't they?

For what purpose, I can only imagine, but now I'm imagining the worst case scenario. I need to run, and hide, until this wears off! 

With that thought, I turn and run away, stumbling but staying upright. The warm light of the inn disappears, giving way to a chilly, cold night. It's not snowing, but the harsh wind nearly bowls me over. I open my mouth to yell Alice, but the words get caught in my throat. I keep walking, the lights in the corner of my vision starting to dull. I don't have long... I'm going to pass out... 

There's not a friendly face in sight.

I... I need to..

The wind subsides, and I realize that I've stumbled into an alley. With one last little whimper, I collapse to the ground, curling up into the fetal position as everything starts to fade away. If this isn't enough... then I'm dead. Or worse.

Please... let the right person find me...

My eyelids droop, and my body goes numb.

Alice... or...

I don't get to finish my thought as my brain basically turns to mush.

I don't know how long I lie there, but eventually, the cold starts to disappear. Feeling starts to seep back into my skin, and something warm envelopes me.

Maybe... this is death? It doesn't feel so bad...

I curl up into it, and a comforting sleep overtakes my soul.

Yeah so I have a vague idea of where I want to go with this but there's a lot of empty space in my mind. If you have any suggestions for scenes/moments/or just vibes, let me know in the comments!

Also I want to know if I'm doing well with this? I honestly don't know...

[softjeon]

Cheerleader!Jimin x Athlete!Namjoon

— PAIRING; Jimin x Namjoon | — GENRE; fluff  | —  DISCLAIMER; mentioning of blood— Wordcount; 2,4k | — written with @cassiavioletblue​

Jimin carefully smoothed down his new cheerleading uniform. He was very glad that they accepted him immediately after he did one of his old routines. They also didn’t have as much male cheerleaders as they had at his old school, so they were really happy to get him. And yet he would have to get used to the new uniform. It was bright red and white and the shirt he was wearing was a little tight. Maybe he should get a size bigger, just to be sure. 

As he had been looking down on his shirt he almost ran right into one of the basketball players and he could only snap his head up in time before they would have collided.

“Oi, watch it, pretty one!” The basketballer took a hold of his arm and Jimin’s other hand came up automatically, landing on the guys muscular chest. “Wait - I don’t know you!” Exclaimed the guy, as if it was a personal affront to him that he had run into a cheerleader he’s never seen before.

“I am so very sorry, too.” Jimin exclaimed and raised an eyebrow as he looked up the player. Men in sports were always a dangerous species for Jimin. Most of them were too arrogant and for a moment he thought nothing much of the one he stumbled into. That was until their eyes met. His heart stopped for a second, when he opened his mouth to say something but couldn’t utter any words. He had expected anything, but not this level of handsomeness. Jimin had seen a few players before practice and none of them had peaked his interest slightly, but this one. This one… He prayed to whatever deity there was that the man in front of him wasn’t dumb or arrogant, as he crossed his fingers behind his back.

“Who said I was sorry?” Namjoon chuckled. “Who knows when I would have gotten to know you if you didn’t ran into me just now. I’m Namjoon.” He held out his hand which was a little difficult because they were still a little too close together for that “And you are?”

Jimin ignored the little teasing for the fact that he had gotten to know the other’s name so fast and stepped away to shake his hand. “I’m…” He was about to tell Namjoon who he was, when someone jogged beside the taller player, making Jimin let his hand fall. “He, Joon…we’ve got to warm up!” He eyed Jimin from the side, gave him a friendly smile before pulling Namjoon along with him on the field. The other player was much smaller than him, his dark hair falling into his eyes as he jogged back and Jimin squinted his eyes to see the name written on his back.

Namjoon turned as best as he could in Yoongi’s hold, “Bye then, mysterious nameless beauty! I hope we meet again soon?” He tried to make a little bow as if they were in a Shakespearean play but it almost made him stumble into the next bench. He was positive that he would see Jimin soon, definitely at their next game because all the cheerleaders would be there. And he couldn’t wait for it.

Jimin startled, when Namjoon had so bluntly called him ‘beauty’ blushing furiously on the spot and then the boy had the audacity to be so cute and stumble into the bench. Jimin was gone. Cute? Handsome? Clumsy? A little bit of arrogance, but he’d be fine with that. It was kind of hot sometimes. He shook his head at himself, not understanding what has gotten into him as he’d thrown his morals right overboard the moment a handsome man stumbled into his life. Literally. Jimin turned around fast, trying to calm his rapid beating heart and his cheeks from turning even redder as he pressed the back of his hand on his skin, trying to cool it down. He needed to concentrate; he had a lot of training to do to get the choreography right as fast as possible. It would definitely keep his mind off things, Jimin reassured himself.

But it didn’t.

The encounter with the handsome basketball player was stuck on his mind 24/7. Somehow he had found out that he was close friends with the captain, Yoongi. They were always around one another, not even parting ways in the library where Namjoon was mostly studying while the other was asleep. Jimin had tried to be subtle to find out a few things and yet, no one seemed to really know who Namjoon was. Which was making it even harder, for the other’s not to get suspicious of his sudden interest in the tall basketball player. Apparently he didn’t liked parties, was definitely single and didn’t sleep around. And yet, he had lots of confidence, had amazing grades, was doing speeches and enrolling for student counselor the third time in a row. He was everything but arrogant, Jimin had to give him that and his heart only jumped higher. He didn’t go out for fun, but rather stayed inside with his group of friends. And it only intrigued him more.

He was just gone for the clumsy man with the broad chest. And yet, their days seemed to be so different from one another that whenever Namjoon waved him from afar, it was Jimin who got pulled aside and away from him. Training kept him busy and whenever he was done, perfecting the steps it was already dark outside and it was only him left in the gym.

He really wanted to tell him his name.

“Jimin, are you ready?” The voice shook him out of his daydreams and Jimin quickly nodded in a sign that he was and rolled his shoulders back. The game was about to start, and he needed to nail this. Jimin had only a week of perfecting all the choreographies and he wanted to show that he’d do it with absolute ease. But he was nervous. There were many people watching, as it was an important game and for an entirely different reason: Namjoon was on the field and would see him too. Maybe he would get the chance tonight, after the game was over and he could finally tell him his name.

Before the game they always talked about their game plan and then hyped each other up and Namjoon enjoyed it alone. He loved being part of a group that held so closely together, almost like a little family. When he stepped onto the field he was perfectly ready and concentrated - or so he thought. Because when he glanced over to the cheerleaders there was Jimin, stretching his body. He had found out the other’s name pretty quickly, being popular as a basketball player had his advantages and he couldn’t wait to let that beautiful name roll off his tongue when they spoke next time.

Jimin could feel his eyes on him. He just knew that he was watching. It was like fire burning on his back and so he leaned over, making sure to give him a great view before he came up slowly again.

When the music began to play, the dance team was cheering as they ran onto the field to give the audience a great welcome and hype everyone up. Jimin was fully in his element, smiling and showing off his flexibility while he was dancing. Nothing else mattered in this moment when he was dancing and Jimin was living it his all, ending the dance with him pulling up his shirt and a wink towards the audience.

Namjoon’s mouth went dry when Jimin showed off like that and suddenly it was hard to swallow. The younger was lean but when he pulled up his shirt a little Namjoon could see how defined he was. He must be really into this sport or really careful what he put in his body. Immediately his thoughts wandered off, contemplating what else Jimin would ‘put in his body’. He wasn’t quite sure yet if the other was interested in boys, but he really really hoped that he hadn’t misinterpreted the others looks last time they spoke and that Jimin really had been flirting and hadn’t just been really friendly towards him. 

“C’mon focus, Joon. You can drool over the new kid whenever we won this game.” Yoongi pushed him onto the field, knowing it would shake Namjoon out of his thoughts as he stumbled after him.

It was an important game and a make it or break it situation. But they were good; and the other team stood absolutely no chance. They were up by a few points, playing them perfectly and yet, Namjoon couldn’t help but let his attention slip over to the young man a bunch of a times as he jumped and cheered for his team. It made him eager to be even better and to show off. And Jimin liked it. He was biting his lip, when he noticed the glances, his heart beating with excitement.

When the final minute hit the clock, the audience was on their feet, screaming and drumming their feet to motivate the teams. Jimin and his team were doing a little routine on the side, making sure to keep the audience as energetic as it was right now.

That routine included Jimin doing the splits at one point and Namjoon, who was sneaking glances every now and then when he thought that no one saw was totally transfixed. how could someone be so flexible? And where exactly did he put everything when he was sitting with his legs out like….

He heard the yelling of his teammates too late, but just in time to turn his head a little so the ball hit him full in the face. Luckily (for his pride) he didn’t fall but he stumbled, and he could feel immediately that his nose had started bleeding. 

“Fuck!” The curse only made it worse because now he had also blood in his mouth. He was glad when the game was stopped, and someone helped him to the sideline even though his cheeks were flaming hot from embarrassment. His team would never let him live this down. And even though his nose wasn’t broken it still hurt a lot. “Can someone please help our hero here so that he doesn’t bleed all over his shirt?”

“Oh my god,” Jimin could hear the girls around him screaming in utter shock, when he saw Yoongi passing the ball to his teammate who wasn’t looking at all. He had whipped around and he was up on his feet in a matter of seconds, when he saw who had been hurt. He didn’t care as he pushed away someone to get closer. “Get me some fucking ice,” Jimin called out pointing at the waterboy as he hovered over Namjoon, taking a tissue that someone held out for him. “Are you okay? Does it hurt? Do you feel like it’s broken?” Without thinking about it, Jimin soothed over Namjoon’s hair and cupped his cheeks. “Here, just try and breathe, okay? The med staff will be here in a second. How did that even happen?” Jimin couldn’t help but chuckle, making sure that Namjoon was  keeping his shirt blood-free as best as he could.

Namjoon blinked. 

That wasn’t how he had expected their next little chat to be. He had tried to impress the other - who must now think he was a total doofus. “No, it’s not broken. I’m.. I’m fine. I was just… distracted.” 

‘By you’ was what he quickly swallowed down. 

“Boys, can you please get in the medic room? Here’s some ice, don’t mind if it smells a little like soda, it’s the best I could find in a hurry.” Their teacher gave them smile that wasn’t quite right and Namjoon understood. “Don’t worry, I’m fine. I’ll get myself cleaned up and then I can come right back.”

“Yeah sure.” Jimin rolled his eyes but was happy when the medics took over and helped Namjoon backstage and into the medic room to do a quick check up. Jimin didn’t leave his side, keeping in the back as they took care of his nose, making sure it wasn’t broken. “All good,” They nodded towards the athlete and then at Jimin, before leaving again. 

“Here, drink a little. Don’t worry about the game, Namjoon. You’ve already won. They can’t get enough points to beat you anyways. It’s just a few minutes left. I’ll stay here with you if you want and keep you company. They can do the last choreography without me.” He held out a bottle of water for Namjoon to take, before pointing at his shirt. “Do you want me to try and get the blood out?”

“Oh, uhm, yes, that.. would be nice.” He swiftly slipped out of his shirt, holding ti awkwardly in his hands. “You don’t.. have to do this you know. I mean, I’m glad you’re here but.. I don’t want you to miss your dance. I don’t think any of the other boys can do the split like you.”

Jimin hadn’t thought much ahead but wanting to help Namjoon somehow when it dawned on him the minute he pulled his shirt over his head that he would need to be shirtless for him to clean out the blood. He stood there frozen, eyes glued on Namjoon’s abs for awfully long seconds, before finally snapping out of it. 

“D-don’t worry,” His eyes flickered down again as he grabbed the shirt and put it aside, before grabbing a tissue and wetting it with lukewarm water. There was still blood smeared on his face although the bleeding had stopped. “Sit down, please.” Jimin said softly as he stepped in between Namjoon’s legs (trying not to think about that fact) and carefully dabbed at his skin. “So…you saw my split?” Jimin raised an eyebrow at Namjoon (before his eyes flickered down to his chest again – seriously, how the fuck does someone have such a sculpted chest? It wasn’t fair. It. Was. Just. Not. fair.).

“Yeah, it’s.. I mean.. if I’m honest it was the reason why the ball hit me. You can be pretty distracting.” He chuckled when the other’s eyes widened. “And I really, really hope I don’t make more of a fool of myself right now but if the way you just looked at me indicates anything then… you might be interested as well? So if that’s settled how about we go out and check if there’s more than just physical attraction between us. You know with you being new I could show you the hot spots - or the places no one else goes to so that we have some privacy. Your choice. If… you want to, that is.” He awkwardly avoided to smile at him because he was pretty sure there was still blood in this teeth.

“You’re pretty forward, huh?” Jimin giggled, feeling his cheeks blush under the attention. But he liked it too much already to say no. “If you can guess my name, then I’ll be yours.” He leaned in a little to tease Namjoon, wiping over his cheek with the tissue to get rid of the last bit of blood.

“Oh, no, I’m just thinking about my team - and myself. I’m pretty sure Yoongi will murder me if I let myself get distracted like that by a pretty cheerleader again. So, you’re doing a good deed and preventing murder you see?” He joked, making Jimin raise his eyebrow at him, wondering if his head had gotten any injury as well. Happiness flared up inside of him that felt even better than winning his game. “Oh, that’s a difficult one!” Namjoon grinned, wondering if Jimin had an idea that he had found out his name already or if he would really let him guess.

“But fate is in my favor today I guess, or maybe it’s the god of basketball who is pleased by the bloody tribute I just offered him, because there’s a tiny little voice who tells me that there’s only one name you could be called…” He waited a little too up the tension and could see Jimin holding his breath. 

“I’m glad I got hit by that ball, today, because it means we’ll go on a date now, Jimin.”

[ask-alaska-and-hawaii]

TV Tropes: Hawaii

Adorkable: She is an energetic and optimistic romantic who also loves anime and manga.

Affectionate Nickname: Hawaii is mainly called ‘Lani’ which originates from human name of Moana Leilani.

All-Loving Heroine: All she wants to do is make people smile so they won’t feel the pain of sadness as she does most of the time. She also truly does believe in the best in people even when they don’t show it.

The Baby of the Bunch: Hawaii is the youngest of all the states which cause them (and America) to be very overprotective her to the point that she feels patronized. 

Berserk Button: For the safety of yourself and those around you please read the following triggers. Hawaii is usually a sweet girl, but mess with her games and ships, be rude to her family, or say that all she’s good for is tourism, well, let’s just say bad things happen. Oh and Japan merely being in her presence sets something off in her.

Brooding Boy, Gentle Girl: The gentle girl to Alaska’s brooding boy and given they are siblings, even adopted, this a platonic version.

Competition Freak: She’s extremely competitive, especially when it comes to surfing and multiplayer games. It can actually be extremely terrifying. 

Cosplay Otaku Girl: She is a huge anime fan with her favorite anime being Sailor Moon which she has dressed up as for many years.

Daddy’s Girl: She loves her dad a lot. Though America has a tendency to spoil her.

Flower in her Hair: Hawaii is rarely seen without her a bright-red hibiscus flower in her hair.

Girly Bruiser: She’s very girly but she’s still America’s daughter so pissing her off might not be a good idea.

Girly Girl with a Tomboy Streak: She may love dolls and princesses, but she also loves surfing and martial arts.

Heroic Self-Deprecation: No matter how kind Hawaii is to how many people, she still thinks she doesn’t do enough to help people and even thinks it’s selfish of her to suffer from PTSD when many people faced far worse than her which is why she refuses to go to therapy. She doesn’t want to waste the therapist's time.

Hidden Depths: 

Hawaii actually has a deep want to not be seen as just a little kid by her siblings and father and to be actually taken seriously as a state.

She despises war and becomes extremely serious when someone mentions even in a joke scenario.

She has a terrifying temper.

Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Platonic with Alaska. She is the tiny girl to Alaska’s huge guy.

Innocent Blue Eyes: Zigzagged. She does have a wide eyed view of the world and is optimistic for its future, however, she is a bit more jaded than she lets on.

Innocently Insensitive: Has a tendency towards this especially when it comes to Alaska and his state.

Long Hair is Feminine: She loves her long dark hair and is very girly, especially in comparison to some of her older sisters.

Martial Pacifist: She’s actually a massive pacifist but she does have tendency to lose her temper which can cause her to turn violent. She also knows many forms of defensive combat but won’t attack unless it’s the last option.

Meaningful Name: Hawaii’s human name actually makes a lot more sense when you know the history behind with her parents. Her first name is ‘Moana’ which ‘Ocean’ in Native Hawaiian and this name came from her mother who wanted her to be able to travel as far as the ocean does, around the world. Meanwhile, her middle name of ‘Leilani’ means ‘Heavenly Flower’ and this names was chosen by her father who much prefers Hawaii to stay inside of America’s borders like a lovely bloom in a Greenhouse. However, what he doesn’t seem to realize is that the most beautiful flowers are the ones that grow free.

Morality Pet: Downplayed but to Alaska. She is one of the only people that Alaska has managed to make an emotional connection and she is also the one to call him out if he acts too much like a jerk.

Not Even Bothering with an Accent: Averted. Hawaii does have an accent which is seen most obviously when she speaks in Native Hawaiian.

Older Than They Look: Hawaii is a state so this is a given however, the weird thing is that she can only age up another year every 23 years and nobody knows why.

Pink Means Feminine: Her daily dress is a bright pink dress with darker pink hibiscus printed on the front and she is a girly girl at heart.

Pollyanna: Played for drama. Hawaii does her best to be optimistic and happy so nobody has to feel sad when they’re around her. However, this does put a mental strain on her and as made it hard for her to express any emotion but constant happiness because that’s what is expected of her. 

Rapunzel Hair: Thanks to her mom, Hawaii has rather long, curly hair that reaches about her lower back. To her, it's her best physical feature and as such takes very good care of it. This is actually the main reason she wears her in braids since they are able to keep her hair in place and makes it easier for her to do the activities she likes.

Scars Are Forever: It’s been more than 70 years and the huge scar on her back hasn’t faded in the slightest.

Shell-Shocked Veteran: Not exactly a veteran but definitely shell-shocked. Specifically, she has PTSD and its not uncommon for her to wake up in a cold sweat after a night terror or randomly stare off into nothing. She also despises war and has ekrixiphobia (the fear of explosions).

Spoiled Sweet: Being an American state and basically an island paradise, Hawaii has many privileges compared to other countries and been spoiled by her parents, however, she is still a loving girl who never looks down on anyone less fortunate than her.

Stepford Smiler: Downplayed but similar to her father. She is genuinely a cheerful person, however, as stated in Pollyanna she does it mainly for other people and not herself and few people other than America and Alaska even know about her PTSD.

Survivor’s Guilt: Hawaii feels this knowing how many people’s lives were lost at Pearl Harbor and knowing that if she had been human she would’ve died from her injuries. However, she doesn’t want their sacrifices to be in vain so she does what she can to be a good person.

Sweet Tooth: A massive one. She loves all kinds of sugary or sweet dishes but her favorites have to be shaved ice and upside pineapple cake. 

Trademark Favorite Food: To the surprise of everyone, Hawaii loves Spam unironically and puts it in nearly everything she eats. She also loves coconuts and pineapples.

Trauma Button: Fireworks and even action movies with explosions easily triggers her PTSD.

True Blue Femininity: When she was a territory, Hawaii wore a blue sailor dress.

[quietya]

Some YA Books You May Have Missed So Far in 2019

Your mod is here! I meant to do this monthly, then bimonthly, and now we’re a quarter of the way through 2019. I wanted to take a moment and highlight some books that have come out between January and March that deserve more hype.

Please note that this IS a curated list, exclusively featuring books I’ve read or want to read. February and March releases are below the cut.

Echo North by Joanna Ruth Meyer Release: January 15

Echo Alkaev’s safe and carefully structured world falls apart when her father leaves for the city and mysteriously disappears. Believing he is lost forever, Echo is shocked to find him half-frozen in the winter forest six months later, guarded by a strange talking wolf—the same creature who attacked her as a child. The wolf presents Echo with an ultimatum: If she lives with him for one year, he will ensure her father makes it home safely. But there is more to the wolf than Echo realizes. 96 Words for Love by Rachel Roy and Ava Dash Release: January 15

A modern retelling of a classic Indian legend, 96 Words for Love is a coming-of-age story. Ever since her acceptance to UCLA, 17-year-old Raya Liston has been quietly freaking out. She feels simultaneously lost and trapped by a future already mapped out for her. Then her beloved grandmother dies, and Raya jumps at the chance to spend her last free summer at the ashram in India where her grandmother met and fell in love with her grandfather. Raya hopes to find her center and her true path. But she didn't expect to fall in love... with a country of beautiful contradictions, her fiercely loyal cousin, a local girl with a passion for reading, and a boy who teaches her that in Sanskrit, there are 96 different ways to say the word "love."

Our Year of Maybe by Rachel Lynn Solomon Release: January 15

Sophie Orenstein would do anything for Peter Rosenthal-Porter, who’s been on the kidney transplant list as long as she’s known him. Peter is everything to Sophie: best friend, musical collaborator, secret crush. When she learns she’s a match, donating a kidney is an easy, obvious choice. She can’t help wondering if after the transplant, he’ll love her back the way she’s always wanted. But Peter’s life post-transplant isn’t what either of them expected. Though he once had feelings for Sophie too, he’s now drawn to Chase, the guitarist in a band that happens to be looking for a keyboardist. And while neglected parts of Sophie’s world are calling to her—dance opportunities, new friends, a sister and niece she barely knows—she longs for a now-distant Peter more than ever, growing increasingly bitter he doesn’t seem to feel the same connection. Peter fears he’ll forever be indebted to her. Sophie isn’t sure who she is without him. Then one blurry, heartbreaking night twists their relationship into something neither of them recognizes, leading them to question their past, their future, and whether their friendship is even worth fighting for.

All is Fair by Dee Garretson Release: January 22

It's 1918, and war is raging across Europe. Lady Mina Tretheway knows she's destined for greater things than her fancy boarding school, where she's stuck sorting out which fork should be used with which dinner course. When Mina receives a telegram that's written in code, she finally has her chance to do something big. She returns to her childhood home of Hallington Manor, joined by a family friend, Lord Andrew Graham, and a mysterious young American, Lucas. The three of them must band together to work on a dangerous project that could turn the tide of the war. Thrilled that she gets to contribute to the war effort at least, Mina jumps headfirst into the world of cryptic messages, spycraft, and international intrigue. She, Lucas, and Andrew have to work quickly, because if they don't succeed, more soldiers will disappear into the darkness of war.

The Cold is in Her Bones by Peternelle van Arsdale Release: January 22

Milla knows two things to be true: Demons are real, and fear will keep her safe. Milla's whole world is her family's farm. She is never allowed to travel to the village and her only friend is her beloved older brother, Niklas. When a bright-eyed girl named Iris comes to stay, Milla hopes her loneliness might finally be coming to an end. But Iris has a secret she's forbidden to share: The village is cursed by a demon who possesses girls at random, and the townspeople live in terror of who it will come for next. Now, it seems, the demon has come for Iris. When Iris is captured and imprisoned with other possessed girls, Milla leaves home to rescue her and break the curse forever. Her only company on the journey is a terrible new secret of her own: Milla is changing, too, and may soon be a demon herself. The Dead Queens Club by Hannah Capin Release: January 29

What do a future ambassador, an overly ambitious Francophile, a hospital-volunteering Girl Scout, the new girl from Cleveland, the junior cheer captain, and the vice president of the debate club have in common? It sounds like the ridiculously long lead-up to an astoundingly absurd punchline, right? Except it’s not. Well, unless my life is the joke, which is kind of starting to look like a possibility given how beyond soap opera it’s been since I moved to Lancaster. But anyway, here’s your answer: we’ve all had the questionable privilege of going out with Lancaster High School’s de facto king. Otherwise known as my best friend. Otherwise known as the reason I’ve already helped steal a car, a jet ski, and one hundred spray-painted water bottles when it’s not even Christmas break yet. Otherwise known as Henry. Jersey number 8.

The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan Release: January 29

Seventeen-year-old Rukhsana Ali tries her hardest to live up to her conservative Muslim parents’ expectations, but lately she’s finding that harder and harder to do. Luckily, only a few more months stand between her carefully monitored life in Seattle and her new life at Caltech, where she can pursue her dream of becoming an engineer. But when her parents catch her kissing her girlfriend Ariana, all of Rukhsana’s plans fall apart. Her parents are devastated; being gay may as well be a death sentence in the Bengali community. They immediately whisk Rukhsana off to Bangladesh, where she is thrown headfirst into a world of arranged marriages and tradition. Only through reading her grandmother’s old diary is Rukhsana able to gain some much needed perspective. Rukhsana realizes she must find the courage to fight for her love, but can she do so without losing everyone and everything in her life?

The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf Release: February 5

Melati Ahmad looks like your typical moviegoing, Beatles-obsessed sixteen-year-old. Unlike most other sixteen-year-olds though, Mel also believes that she harbors a djinn inside her, one who threatens her with horrific images of her mother’s death unless she adheres to an elaborate ritual of counting and tapping to keep him satisfied. But there are things that Melati can't protect her mother from. On the evening of May 13th, 1969, racial tensions in her home city of Kuala Lumpur boil over. The Chinese and Malays are at war, and Mel and her mother become separated by a city in flames. With a 24-hour curfew in place and all lines of communication down, it will take the help of a Chinese boy named Vincent and all of the courage and grit in Melati’s arsenal to overcome the violence on the streets, her own prejudices, and her djinn’s surging power to make it back to the one person she can’t risk losing.

Dark of the West by Joanna Hathaway Release: February 5

Aurelia Isendare is a princess of a small kingdom in the North, raised in privilege but shielded from politics as her brother prepares to step up to the throne. Halfway around the world, Athan Dakar, the youngest son of a ruthless general, is a fighter pilot longing for a life away from the front lines. When Athan’s mother is shot and killed, his father is convinced it’s the work of his old rival, the Queen of Etania—Aurelia’s mother. Determined to avenge his wife’s murder, he devises a plot to overthrow the Queen, a plot which sends Athan undercover to Etania to gain intel from her children. Athan’s mission becomes complicated when he finds himself falling for the girl he’s been tasked with spying upon. Aurelia feels the same attraction, all the while desperately seeking to stop the war threatening to break between the Southern territory and the old Northern kingdoms that control it—a war in which Athan’s father is determined to play a role. As diplomatic ties manage to just barely hold, the two teens struggle to remain loyal to their families and each other as they learn that war is not as black and white as they’ve been raised to believe.

The Antidote by Shelley Sackier Release: February 5

Magic is not allowed, under any circumstances — even if it could save someone’s life. Instead, there are herbal remedies and traditional techniques. Fee knows this, so she keeps her magic a secret. Except her best friend, Xavi, is deathly ill. He’s also the crown prince. Saving him is important, not only for her, but for the entire kingdom. Fee’s desperation to save her friend means she can barely contain the magic inside her. And after the tiniest of slips, Fee is thrust into a dark and secretive world that is as alluring as it is dangerous. If she gives in, it could mean she can save Xavi. But it also means that those who wish to snuff out magic might just snuff her out in the process.

The Deceivers by Kristen Simmons Release: February 5

When Brynn Hilder is recruited to Vale Hall, it seems like the elite academy is her chance to start over, away from her mom's loser boyfriend and her rundown neighborhood. But she soon learns that Vale chooses students not so much for their scholastic talent as for their extracurricular activities, such as her time spent conning rich North Shore kids out of their extravagant allowances. At first, Brynn jumps at the chance to help the school in its mission to rid the city of corrupt officials--because what could be better than giving entitled jerks what they deserve? But that's before she meets her mark--a senator's son--and before she discovers the school's headmaster has secrets he'll stop at nothing to protect. As the lines between right and wrong blur, Brynn begins to realize she's in way over head.

Enchantee by Gita Trelease Release: February 5

When smallpox kills her parents, Camille Durbonne must find a way to provide for her frail, naive sister while managing her volatile brother. Relying on petty magic—la magie ordinaire—Camille painstakingly transforms scraps of metal into money to buy the food and medicine they need. But when the coins won’t hold their shape and her brother disappears with the family’s savings, Camille must pursue a richer, more dangerous mark: the glittering court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. With dark magic forbidden by her mother, Camille transforms herself into the ‘Baroness de la Fontaine’ and is swept up into life at the Palace of Versailles, where aristocrats both fear and hunger for la magie. There, she gambles at cards, desperate to have enough to keep herself and her sister safe. Yet the longer she stays at court, the more difficult it becomes to reconcile her resentment of the nobles with the enchantments of Versailles. And when she returns to Paris, Camille meets a handsome young balloonist—who dares her to hope that love and liberty may both be possible. But when Camille loses control of her secrets, the game she's playing turns deadly. Then revolution erupts, and she must choose—love or loyalty, democracy or aristocracy, freedom or magic—before Paris burns…

Crown of Feathers by Nicki Pau Preto Release: February 12

In a world ruled by fierce warrior queens, a grand empire was built upon the backs of Phoenix Riders—legendary heroes who soared through the sky on wings of fire—until a war between two sisters ripped it all apart. Sixteen years later, Veronyka is a war orphan who dreams of becoming a Phoenix Rider from the stories of old. After a shocking betrayal from her controlling sister, Veronyka strikes out alone to find the Riders—even if that means disguising herself as a boy to join their ranks. Just as Veronyka finally feels like she belongs, her sister turns up and reveals a tangled web of lies between them that will change everything. And meanwhile, the new empire has learned of the Riders’ return and intends to destroy them once and for all.

The Blood Spell by C.J. Redwine Release: February 12

Blue de la Cour has her life planned: hide the magic in her blood and continue trying to turn metal into gold so she can help her city’s homeless. But when her father is murdered and a cruel but powerful woman claims custody of Blue and her property, one wrong move could expose her—and doom her once and for all. The only one who can help? The boy she’s loathed since childhood: Prince Kellan. Kellan Renard, crown prince of Balavata, is walking a thin line between political success and devastating violence. Newly returned from boarding school, he must find a bride among the kingdom’s head families and announce his betrothal—but escalating tension among the families makes the search nearly impossible. He’s surprised to discover that the one person who makes him feel like he can breathe is Blue, the girl who once ruined all his best adventures. When mysterious forces lead to disappearances throughout Balavata, Blue and Kellan must work together to find the truth. What they discover will lead them to the darkest reaches of the kingdom, and to the most painful moments of their pasts. When romance is forbidden and evil is rising, can Blue save those she loves, even if it costs her everything?

Spectacle by Jodie Lynn Zdrok Release: February 12

Sixteen-year-old Nathalie Baudin writes the daily morgue column for Le Petit Journal. Her job is to summarize each day's new arrivals, a task she finds both fascinating and routine. That is, until the day she has a vision of the newest body, a young woman, being murdered--from the perspective of the murderer himself. When the body of another woman is retrieved from the Seine days later, Paris begins to buzz with rumors that this victim may not be the last. Nathalie's search for answers sends her down a long, twisty road involving her mentally ill aunt, a brilliant but deluded scientist, and eventually into the Parisian Catacombs. As the killer continues to haunt the streets of Paris, it becomes clear that Nathalie's strange new ability may make her the only one who can discover the killer's identity--and she'll have to do it before she becomes a target herself.

Immoral Code by Lillian Clark Release: February 19

For Nari, aka Narioka Diane, aka hacker digital alter ego “d0l0s," it’s college and then a career at “one of the big ones," like Google or Apple. Keagan, her sweet, sensitive boyfriend, is happy to follow her wherever she may lead. Reese is an ace/aro visual artist with plans to travel the world. Santiago is off to Stanford on a diving scholarship, with very real Olympic hopes. And Bellamy? Physics genius Bellamy is admitted to MIT—but the student loan she’d been counting on is denied when it turns out her estranged father—one Robert Foster—is loaded. Nari isn’t about to let her friend’s dreams be squashed by a deadbeat billionaire, so she hatches a plan to steal just enough from Foster to allow Bellamy to achieve her goals.

The Art of Losing by Lizzy Mason Release: February 19

On one terrible night, 17-year-old Harley Langston’s life changes forever. At a party she discovers her younger sister, Audrey, hooking up with her boyfriend, Mike—and she abandons them both in a rage. When Mike drunkenly attempts to drive Audrey home, he crashes and Audrey ends up in a coma. Now Harley is left with guilt, grief, pain and the undeniable truth that her ex-boyfriend (who is relatively unscathed) has a drinking problem. So it’s a surprise that she finds herself reconnecting with Raf, a neighbor and childhood friend who’s recently out of rehab and still wrestling with his own demons. At first Harley doesn’t want to get too close to him. But as Audrey awakens and slowly recovers, Raf starts to show Harley a path forward that she never would have believed possible.

The Great Unknowable End by Kathryn Ormsbee Release: February 19

Stella dreams of being a space engineer. After Stella's mom dies by suicide and her brother runs off to Red Sun, the local hippie commune, Stella is forced to bring her dreams down to Earth to care for her sister Jill. Galliard has only ever known life inside Red Sun. There, people accept his tics, his Tourette's. But when he’s denied Red Sun's resident artist role he believed he was destined for, he starts to imagine a life beyond the gates of the compound...The day Stella and Galliard meet, there is something in the air in their small town. Literally. So begins weeks of pink lightning, blood red rain, unexplained storms... And a countdown clock appears mysteriously above the town hall. With time ticking down to some great, unknowable end they’ll each have to make a choice.

We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia Release: February 26

At the Medio School for Girls, distinguished young women are trained for one of two roles in their polarized society. Depending on her specialization, a graduate will one day run a husband’s household or raise his children, but both are promised a life of comfort and luxury. Daniela Vargas is the school’s top student, but her bright future depends upon no one discovering her darkest secret—that her pedigree is a lie. Her parents sacrificed everything to obtain forged identification papers so Dani could rise above her station. Now that her marriage to an important politico’s son is fast approaching, she must keep the truth hidden or be sent back to the fringes of society, where famine and poverty rule supreme. On her graduation night, Dani seems to be in the clear, despite the surprises that unfold. But nothing prepares her for all the difficult choices she must make, especially when she is asked to spy for a resistance group desperately fighting to bring equality to Medio. Will Dani cling to the privilege her parents fought to win for her, or to give up everything she’s strived for in pursuit of a free Medio—and a chance at a forbidden love?

An Affair of Poisons by Addie Thorley Release: February 26

After unwittingly helping her mother poison King Louis XIV, seventeen-year-old alchemist Mirabelle Monvoisin is forced to see her mother’s Shadow Society in a horrifying new light: they’re not heroes of the people, as they’ve always claimed to be, but murderers. Herself included. Mira tries to ease her guilt by brewing helpful curatives, but her hunger tonics and headache remedies cannot right past wrongs or save the dissenters her mother vows to purge. Royal bastard Josse de Bourbon is more kitchen boy than fils de France. But when the Shadow Society assassinates the Sun King and half of the royal court, he must become the prince he was never meant to be in order to save his injured sisters and the petulant dauphin. Forced to hide in the sewers beneath the city, Josse’s hope of reclaiming Paris seems impossible―until his path collides with Mirabelle’s. She’s a deadly poisoner. He’s a bastard prince. They are sworn enemies, yet they form a tenuous pact to unite the commoners and former nobility against the Shadow Society. But can a rebellion built on mistrust ever hope to succeed?

The Fever King by Victoria Lee Release: March 1

In the former United States, sixteen-year-old Noam Álvaro wakes up in a hospital bed, the sole survivor of the viral magic that killed his family and made him a technopath. His ability to control technology attracts the attention of the minister of defense and thrusts him into the magical elite of the nation of Carolinia. The son of undocumented immigrants, Noam has spent his life fighting for the rights of refugees fleeing magical outbreaks—refugees Carolinia routinely deports with vicious efficiency. Sensing a way to make change, Noam accepts the minister’s offer to teach him the science behind his magic, secretly planning to use it against the government. But then he meets the minister’s son—cruel, dangerous, and achingly beautiful—and the way forward becomes less clear. Caught between his purpose and his heart, Noam must decide who he can trust and how far he’s willing to go in pursuit of the greater good.

The Last 8 by Laura Pohl Release: March 5

Clover Martinez has always been a survivor, which is the only reason she isn't among the dead when aliens invade and destroy Earth as she knows it. When Clover hears an inexplicable radio message, she's shocked to learn there are other survivors—and that they're all at the former Area 51. When she arrives, she's greeted by a band of misfits who call themselves The Last Teenagers on Earth. Only they aren't the ragtag group of heroes Clover was expecting. The group seems more interested in hiding than fighting back, and Clover starts to wonder if she was better off alone. But then she finds a hidden spaceship, and she doesn't know what to believe…or who to trust.

You Asked for Perfect by Laura Silverman Release: March 5

Senior Ariel Stone is the perfect college applicant: first chair violin, dedicated community volunteer, and expected valedictorian. He works hard - really hard - to make his life look effortless. A failed Calculus quiz is not part of that plan. Not when he’s number one. Not when his peers can smell weakness like a freshman’s body spray. Figuring a few all-nighters will preserve his class rank, Ariel throws himself into studying. His friends will understand if he skips a few plans, and he can sleep when he graduates. Except Ariel’s grade continues to slide. Reluctantly, he gets a tutor. Amir and Ariel have never gotten along, but Amir excels in Calculus, and Ariel is out of options. Ariel may not like Calc, but he might like Amir. Except adding a new relationship to his long list of commitments may just push him past his limit.

Beware the Night by Jessica Fleck Release: March 12

On the island of Bellona, life is peaceful--as long as the citizens dutifully worship the Sun, which protects them from all harm. Seventeen-year-old Veda knows that keeping the Sun happy will protect her and her grandfather from the Night, the dangerous people who snatch innocent citizens from their beds under the cover of darkness, never to be seen again. As long as Veda follows the rules, she will be safe. But when Veda's grandfather is offered up as the next sacrificial offering to keep the Sun's favor, she starts to see that the safety she's been promised comes at a dangerous price. Maybe there is more to fear above than there is below. With a mysterious young man, Dorian, at her side, Veda has to figure out if the scary bedtime stories she grew up hearing are real--or dangerous lies.

Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith Release: March 12

Princess Aurelia is a prisoner to her crown and the heir that nobody wants. Surrounded by spirits and banned from using her blood-magic, Aurelia flees her country after a devastating assassination attempt. To escape her fate, Aurelia disguises herself as a commoner in a new land and discovers a happiness her crown has never allowed. As she forges new bonds and perfects her magic, she begins to fall for a man who is forbidden to rule beside her. But the ghosts that haunt Aurelia refuse to abandon her, and she finds herself succumbing to their call as they expose a nefarious plot that only she can defeat. Will she be forced to choose between the weight of the crown and the freedom of her new life?

The Waking Forest by Alyssa Wees Release: March 12

The waking forest has secrets. To Rhea, it appears like a mirage, dark and dense, at the very edge of her backyard. But when she reaches out to touch it, the forest vanishes. She’s desperate to know more—until she finds a peculiar boy who offers to reveal its secrets. If she plays a game. To the Witch, the forest is her home, where she sits on her throne of carved bone, waiting for dreaming children to beg her to grant their wishes. One night, a mysterious visitor arrives and asks her what she wishes for, but the Witch sends him away. And then the uninvited guest returns. The strangers are just the beginning. Something is stirring in the forest, and when Rhea’s and the Witch’s paths collide, a truth more treacherous and deadly than either could ever imagine surfaces. But how much are they willing to risk to survive?

The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum Release: March 19

Ryann Bird dreams of traveling across the stars. But a career in space isn’t an option for a girl who lives in a trailer park on the wrong side of town. So Ryann becomes her circumstances and settles for acting out and skipping school to hang out with her delinquent friends.  One day she meets Alexandria: a furious loner who spurns Ryann’s offer of friendship. After a horrific accident leaves Alexandria with a broken arm, the two misfits are brought together despite themselves—and Ryann learns her secret: Alexandria’s mother is an astronaut who volunteered for a one-way trip to the edge of the solar system. Every night without fail, Alexandria waits to catch radio signals from her mother. And its up to Ryann to lift her onto the roof day after day until the silence between them grows into friendship, and eventually something more . . .

Fear of Missing Out by Kate McGovern Release: March 19

When Astrid learns that her cancer has returned, she hears about a radical technology called cryopreservation that may allow her to have her body frozen until a future time when--and if--a cure is available. With her boyfriend, Mohit, and her best friend, Chloe, Astrid goes on a road trip in search of that possibility. To see if it's real. To see if it's worth it. For fear of missing out on everything.